A/N: Okay, I recently got a question… more like a comment on this. I know I said Seth looked old a few chapters ago… well, think about it. You relatives always think you look so much older than the last time they saw you, and Abel being the scatterbrained dude he is, I think that after thirty years he would be like… wow. Plus if you think about it thirty years might be…. Meh… a year in the Methuselah (vampire) maturing line when they are teenagers (yes I'm getting this off a website… actually I think it might be more like fifty years to a year but deal with it) because they mature faster then, so I thought that Seth might look one year older. Which, as we all know, when you are going through puberty, that actually ends up to be longer than you think on your body. (To my reviewer who asked: Sorry I couldn't message this to you, but thanks for the question… comment… thing…)

Ahem… now that we got that out of the way on with the chapter…

Disclaimer: Or not. Damn, I thought you would be distracted with the incredibly long A/N. Oh well. I do not own Trinity Blood…. Though I wish I did.

Abel: If wishes were fishes there'd be no room in the pond for water.

Me: ALL OF YOU STOP HOGGING UP ALL THE WISHING WATER!

Hm…

I like Danishes.

I don't like to fight.

I like to wor… be productive.

I like to swim.

I like sitting by a fire.

I don't like to go to church.

Stella started with the easy things first. She needed her identity, and to get to know herself better, she thought about things she liked and disliked that were easy to name. Everything that ran through her head was instantly committed to memory. All the while, a tear or two would fall from her eyes, though she tried her hardest to keep them at bay. Sooner rather than later, it seemed, as the moon floated to the center of the sky, her thoughts became harder.

I love my brother Demetry.

I think he loves Vanessa.

I think she loves him back.

I like Tres.

I think that Leon is a lazy, loudmouthed idiot, but I like him.

I respect Cardinal Kate and the other old members of AX.

Abel. I l…

She sniffed. She smelt something vaguely familiar to her, but she could not place it. A little ping went off in the back of her mind, and the long-defected chip in the back of her neck prickled slightly, but not uncomfortably. To her, it was more like a little comforting gesture, like a hand on a shoulder.

Abel. I would kill him if this weren't so sweet. She smiled slightly to herself.

Moments later she heard footsteps on the cobblestones a few floors below her. There were four sets of light pattering; all within two minutes, and two black-gloved hands were at the sill of the small window set at the top of the cell.

She chuckled lightly and moved to window, having to stand on tiptoes to peer down on Abel's silver head. "Need some help?"

Abel looked up, his glasses flashing in the moonlight. He pouted childishly. "I'm supposed to be asking you that."

"I'm not the one who is about to fall from a five story window." Stella said, happy to be able to laugh, albeit quietly, so as not to awake the guards.

"Yes well, I could have thought this through a little more." Abel said nervously.

Stella rolled her eyes. She pulled the two iron bars from the window and grabbed Abel's hands. Her pulling, and Abel's slightly panicked kicking, they tumbled to the floor of Stella's cell. Abel tried to protect them both by trying to land on his shoulder, while Stella tried to take the impact on her back. They ended up with Stella pinned to the floor with Abel's knees on hers, Abel's hands on either side of her head, and their foreheads each making a painful crack.

"Ow!"

"Damn it!"

Looking at each other fearfully, (and blushing only slightly) Abel and Stella stayed perfectly still, listening for the tromp of guard's feet. Three minutes later, they both sighed in relief. Stella relaxed her neck and allowed her head to bang on the floor.

"Ow."

She felt Abel move off her, but he did not move very far.



Abel sat perfectly still, his back against the metal wall, watching Stella. She did not get up, nor did she crack an eyelid. His senses still riveting from the jumps he made, he could smell a slight tang of salt. Stella sat up and he could see small pink trails that dried tears had made.

"You've been crying." Abel said quietly.

Stella shrugged.

Abel leaned forward a little. "Stella, please, don't tune me out."

Stella smiled a little and opened her eyes. "I never do."

Abel sighed tiredly. "Don't you have enough to tell the priest at confession?"

Stella pushed herself up and leaned forward onto the balls of her feet. She put her arms lightly on her knees. Her face was closer to Abel's than it had ever been, save the fleeting, chaste kiss back in the Empire. She lightly grabbed his chin, to keep his eyes wandering nervously to the side. "Abel. I always listen to you, even when you think I don't."

Abel fidgeted mentally. He wanted to reach out and… Not priest like thoughts! He yelled at himself mentally. He prayed that Stella would move before he could not resist temptation any longer.

Thankfully, she did, after only ten seconds of being there; she was back standing up, and holding out a hand to him. "Come on, you old man. My hand isn't going to bite."

Abel took her hand. "Old man! Young lady, I'm not that much older than you!"

Stella smiled. "Yeah, I know."

"We're getting off topic."

"Yeah, I know."

"Stella." Abel said seriously. "You need help. If I was in your position," Abel began his lecture, sticking his pointer finger in the air.

Stella listened, or at least did not interrupt. When he was finished she grabbed his hand from the air and gently put it down to waist level. "Father Nightroad," She began.

"Abel." Abel said without thinking.

Stella laughed lightly. "I'm rubbing off on you." Her eyes turned sad and serious again. When she spoke, it was softer than ever. "Abel, I'm not you. All my life I've been alone, figuring things out for myself. I hate to say this, but you can't help me." Abel looked away, pouting again, though a little more mannishly. Stella chuckled and placed a hand on his cheek, bringing his face towards hers again. "I promise, next time I'm in trouble, dying, having inner conflict, or assassinating some sort of world head, you'll be right at my side."

Abel sighed and lowered his head. "I suppose I did not really understand when I said back in the Empire that I could compare your situation to mine. But you need to understand," Abel lifted his head and blinked away tears, "I don't want you to spend the rest of your life in prison."

Stella laughed, though it was forced. "Abel Nightroad, do you honestly think that I would spend the rest of my life in here? If I get bored, I'll break out. Besides," She added quietly, "we're not Terrans. Civilizations rise and fall faster than we can blink an eye. Rome will fall long before this face has aged two years."

Abel nodded. "I suppose you're right. Still, it would be nice to have you out before all of your Terran friends have aged eighty years. I guess I'll go." Abel said. He positioned himself under the window, ready to make the entire fall in one jump.

"Wait, Abel."

Abel turned, and a second later his back was pushed against the wall as Stella flew into his arms. She wrapped her arms around his waist and whispered, "Thank you." Abel stood, startled for a moment, before slowly craning his neck down to rest his head on hers and wrapping his arms around small body.

A/N: Review!