"Rio, why aren't you talking to Ak anymore?" Gzel finishes her own note on the files margin and passes it to Inca, who takes the file happily and reads her note to him and respond, looking up at her sister with curiosity. "It's awkward as heck in there." She sits next to her on the bed she'd just finished making. "It's not home anymore."

Orion sighs, folding her hands in her lap, looking down at her fingers. "Because, he told my secret."

"He told your secret?"

She nods. "I trusted him. I can't..I can't read all the words in the files…He said he'd keep it a secret but he told them."

"That's crappy." Gzel nudges her with her elbow softly. "He would have only done it if he thought he was helping you."

"That's what he says too." The little healer takes the file from Inca as he finishes his reply and passes the file back, before turning to begin making up the beds on the other side. "But, it hurts, he promised not to tell."

"I understand. He told one of my secrets once." Orion looks up at her sister, and Gzel nods, tucking her hair behind her ear softly. "I punched one of the trainees once while Nis's back was turned and said that his partner had done it. I told Ak and made him promise not to tell, but he told Nis, Nis was upset but he let me explain."

"What did you do when you found out?"

"I didn't talk to him for a week."

She looks up at the taller girl, and she nods again, picking the lint off her tunic. "But, after I thought about it, I realized he was really just trying to help."

"But it's so embarrassing, G."

"You think I wasn't embarrassed?" Gzel elbows her again softly. "Nis scolded me in front of everyone." She looks down to her lap for a moment. "He really only did it with your best interest in mind. Not to be a jerk." The unofficial warrior spied their guardian across the way, tending to a gash on someone's leg, making the sutures nice and tight along the length of the wound. "He's eating himself up about it, he knows he was wrong, but he was really just trying to help."

Orion follows her gaze, watching their guardian focus on his suturing, not noticing the two girls watching him. "But what if he does it again?"

"He doesn't do it to be a jerk, Rio, he does it to help you." Gzel scratches at her head softly. "There's so many secrets I've told him that he's never told anyone. I'm sure it's the same for you too."

She nods, it is true, there's so much that she's told him that he's never told another soul. And, she misses him, he's one of her best friends. She misses playing with him and goofing around with him. She misses curling up against his side as he reads from one of his books, the feeling of his fingers scratching at her scalp lightly or stroking through her hair, him rubbing her shoulder's and massaging her fingers. She misses him. She misses him curling her in his arms and hiding her from the rest of the world, coming up behind her and pulling her back against his chest, them swaying side to side during the slow times and joking around while he begrudgingly does his paperwork.

"I miss him, G."

"He misses you too, girl." Her sister leans into her a moment and moves back again. "I know you're mad, and you have the right to be, but it was really only to help you."

Orion watches him carefully, as he cuts the line and knots it tight, ensuring that the stitching doesn't come undone, and reaches for the bandages. Gzel pushes her arm lightly. "Go talk to him, you know you want to."

The quiet little healer nods, standing from the side of the bed, ignoring her sisters snort of amusement at her willingness, and steps out from around the bed to cross over to his side.

"Don't put too much pressure on that leg, Lionel, we wouldn't want the stitches to pop."

She curls her fingers in the cuff of her sleeve. "Ak?"

He looks up from the leg, eyes wide at the call of his name from her tone of voice, smiling his natural smile of greeting up at her. "Yes?"

She shifts nervously. "Can I talk to you?"

The mental specialist nods quickly, standing back to his feet again, groaning at the soreness of his back from being hunched over in such a position for so long. He wipes his hands on a clean cloth, passing the wounded guard a vial of pain relief and muscle relaxer, Lionel nods in appreciation and slowly rises from the bed to stumble back to his barrack.

Akriel turns to her at moment later, raising a hand as though to curl his fingers around the side of her shoulder, but refrains from doing so lest he make her back up a step. Orion steps forward a step, pressing her shoulder against his outstretched fingers, feeling a sense of relief when they curl around her shoulder comfortingly. "Let's take the office for privacy."

She nods, letting him guide her forward, his fingers never loosening their grasp on her shoulder, as they pass beds and patients for the Archangel's office and the privacy it offers. Raphael nods at them as they pass, the Virtue nodding towards his office, and turns back to the file he'd been reading , little Joshua perched on his knee playing with his stuffed bear.

The mental specialist closes the door behind him, turning to face his charge, he hadn't spoken with her in nearly a month.

"Ak, I—"

"I'm sorry."

She stares at him.

"I'm so sorry, Rio, I was trying to help you." He looks down for a moment. "I know I shouldn't have told anyone what you told me in confidence."

"You really hurt me." She takes a small step towards him. "I trusted you."

"I know you did." He rubs at his forehead softly. "I betrayed you, Rio, and there's nothing more I can say then I'm sorry, if there was I'd say it. I was really just trying to help you."

"Promise you won't do it again."

"I swear." He nods, but quickly amends. "Depending on what the secret is." He shakes his head firmly. "If it means you harm then I'll have to act on it."

She nods, she expected just as much, looking down to her feet a moment. She misses him. It's hard being mad at someone you love so much. Orion sniffs softly, rubbing at her cheek, she's never been good at staying mad at people.

Akriel blinks in surprise when she surges forward, a small body ramming into him, pressing close to his chest. Her soft dark hair, done up in a braid, brushes against his chin. He looks down at her, her cheek smooshed up against his chest, hugging herself to him as tightly as she can manage. He smiles gently down at her, circling his arms around her tightly, just like she likes, and leans forward to rest his chin on her head.

His arms circle around her, he folds around her, hiding her from the world, warm and strong and gentle.

She missed his hugs.

"I missed you, Ak."

He hugs her closer for a moment, tightening his hold gently. "I missed you too."

"I missed your hugs."

"I missed giving you my hugs."

"Can you read to me tonight?"

"I'll read to you every night."