You should know everything about the disclaimer and where it is by now. Also, I know this is taking me a while, but all I seem to find time for these days is sleeping, working and doing school. It's getting hard to sneak in time to write.

Sea of Glass 6/?

The Harding Building's front double doors opened and

the sunshine shone brightly upon Darien, making him want to cover his eyes, but without use of his hands, he settled for snapping them shut and turning his head to the side. After a few minutes Darien tried once again to open his eyes, and this time the sun's assault was not as painful.

For a moment he thought about asking Hobbes if he was happy. After all, he had gotten his way. He betrayed his best friend for what? To prove a point? Maybe we're not as close as I thought we were?'

Hobbes snapped him out of thoughts. "Darien, there's something I need to talk to you about." He waited, but there was no reply so he continued. "Claire and I decided that it would be best if I was the one to talk to you about this..." Still there was no reply from Darien. "I understand that you're mad at me, but life goes on."

"Life?" Darien snapped, "Yeah, that's rich! What life? Look at me, Hobbes! I can't do anything! I'm worthless! There's no point to life' anymore, much less a life itself!"

"Well," Hobbes said, "at least you're talking now." Darien gave him a death stare. "Anyway, I need to know what you want to do about the gland?"

"Oh, that's great! First you humiliate me and now you want to kill me!"

"Hey, you said it yourself, you don't have a life anymore!" Hobbes snapped back, his frustration starting to show. He couldn't take much more, Darien's mood swings were starting to drive him crazy. "Look, I'm sorry Darien, I'm not trying to be a insensitive bastard, so if I'm coming off that way you have to understand, I am only trying to do what's best for you."

"What's best for me?" Darien asked, blinking a few sporadic times. "What's best for me is that you leave me alone. All of you!"

"I'm sorry that you see it that way." Hobbes replied.

~*~

Hobbes walked into the Keep, looking around for Claire. He spotted her standing by her computer looking at information on the gland. "How is he?"

"I think he's doing better, but after what he went through yesterday, well... Bobby, honestly, what were you thinking? If you push him too hard he's not going to heal. He's already depressed, things like yesterday will only make it worse."

"I know, Claire." Hobbes replied, rubbing his eyes. He had had a long sleepless night, not only thinking about the fact that he had been a complete ass, but also that he had hurt his partner and pushed himself further away. "I just don't want him to give up hope."

Claire's eyes saddened, "It's kind of hard to give up hope when there isn't much to begin with in the first place."

Hobbes let out a sigh, wondering what he could do to make it better. Wondering if there actually was a way to do that at all. Claire seemed to read his thoughts.

"I know it's hard, Bobby, but right now I think the best thing for Darien is to be alone. He needs to think."

"Claire..."

"I'm serious, Bobby. Seeing you isn't going to do anything for him right now except make him more aggravated. You have to remember that every time he looks at you, he sees someone who can still walk. You were both in the same building, in the same line of fire, and even though you were injured too, he's the one who was scarred." Claire replied, placing her hand on Hobbes' shoulder. "He just needs time to adjust, I think the reality of it all is finally setting in with him."

Hobbes nodded, "I understand. I'll see you later, Claire." With that said, he left the Keep and went to find the Official for information on the case he was working on. If he couldn't try to help his friend, at least he could drown himself in work and forget about things for a few hours.

~*~

Alex walked into Lab 2 looking around the room; it was cold and dark. "You a vampire all of the sudden, Fawkes?" She asked, pulling up a chair.

Darien moved his head to look at her, "If you hadn't noticed, I'm not really able to turn up the heat in the condition I am in right now."

Alex walked over to one of the heaters which was down to 4 and turned to to 6, feeling a blast of heat hit her. "Well, that should take away the chill. Why didn't you ask someone to change it earlier?"

"I did." Darien replied, watching her as she walked over to the chair she had pulled up and sat down. "How do you think it got so cold in here? I think some of the people in this agency need to learn how to follow directions."

"You still cold?"

"Kinda, but I'm okay." Darien replied.

Alex stood up and covered Darien with a blanket that was by his feet. "How's that?"

"Better." Darien replied, after a pause he added, "Can I ask you something, Alex?"

"Sure, what is it?"

"What would you do if you were in my situation?" Darien asked, his eyes pleading with her for the answer he wanted.

"I'm not sure I know what you mean."

"Given the choice I have, and option in front of you, what would you do?"

Alex let out a sigh and thought about how to answer. Claire had informed her what had happened in the last 24 hours while she was away on a mission. "Darien, I'm not you. And this is a decision I think you really need to make on your own." She stood up, ready to leave, knowing that she hadn't given him the answer he wanted.

"Alex, please."

She looked at him, wishing it were easier, wishing she could just walk out right now and not hurt him. But she knew she couldn't do that, she had to say what she came here for, even if it did hurt him now, it would help in the long run. She hoped. "I'd do it, Darien. I'd have the surgery."

"You would?"

She nodded, "One of the reasons Claire hasn't been able to pull out the gland was because there is a risk that you would be paralyzed, so honestly, what do you have to lose?"

"What about the other risk?" Darien asked.

"Darien," She said, patting him on the shoulder, even though she knew he couldn't feel it, seeing her do it was enough. "The real question that needs to be asked here isn't whether or not you should have the gland removed, it's which are you scared of more? What is it, Darien?"

"What do you mean?"

Alex bit the bottom of her lip, than let the words spill out, "Are you having trouble with deciding on the surgery because you are afraid of dying, or is it actually that you are afraid of living'?" Her words cut him like a knife, but without saying anything more she turned around and walked out of the room.

TBC