Disclaimer and everything else that keeps me out of trouble is in chapter one. *Hands out Cherry Coke and some of her sister-in-laws freshly made sandwiches* Enjoy kiddies.

Sea of Glass 7/?

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?' Alex's words were still taunting Darien. Damnit, why did she have to say that? It wasn't a fair accusation, she had no idea what he was going through. But she had hit the spot, broken into his thoughts... He wasn't sure he had the will to live anymore. Closing his eyes, he let sleep and dreams take over him.

"So, you're back again?" Alex asked, leaning against- what Darien presumed- was a wall in the padded cell. She didn't look up to meet his eyes, instead she looked at the ground as if something important was there waiting to explain itself.

"I want to understand," Darien said, walking toward her.

"Excuse me?"

"When you told me to fight. I want to understand what you meant."

"No, Darien, you can't ask me to tell you, and even if I did, it wouldn't matter now, you've already given up hope." Alex sighed, finally looking up, there were streaks on her cheeks and her eyes were puffy from crying.

"Alex, what's the matter?"

She turned into Hobbes, but it didn't bother Darien, he was getting use to the constant shape shifting or whatever it was this thing in front of him kept doing. "I can't help you anymore, Fawkes, you need to figure it out on your own."

"So what, you just gonna leave me stranded?"

"I'm not doing anything, you're the one who did this. You wouldn't listen, you shut yourself out, and now you're pushing yourself away from everyone who cares about you."

"Do you think it's true?" Darien asked. Now it was Arnaud staring back at him, and Darien fought the urge to take a step closer and try to strangle the Swiss miss mother...

"Do I think it's true that you are scared of living? Of course I do, you're a coward Fawkes. When things start to get tough you start to look for a way out. It really is quite pathetic."

Darien ran his hand through his hair, "Why are you doing this to me? Why can't you just tell me?"

"Because, you need to figure this out for yourself." It was Alex again, leaning against the wall with her arms crossed over her chest. She looked relaxed now, better then when he had first seen her. Her eyes weren't red rimmed anymore either, he noticed. "Darien, all the answers have been in front of you the whole time. You just aren't looking hard enough."

Darien couldn't explain it, but for some reason her words enraged him, "I'm paralyzed, what the hell am I supposed to be looking for, a walking stick?"

His sudden burst of anger hadn't seemed to faze Alex at all, instead she replied, "At least that would be a start."

"So what are you trying to say, that I will be able to walk again? In case you haven't noticed, it's bad. Real bad. They even want me to have the gland removed that way they can put it in someone who will be useful."

"So are you useless, Darien? Or do you only think you are?" Alex asked, tapping her foot on the padding below it.

"Enough with the damn riddles! Of course I'm useless, look at me!"

"I am looking at you, and what I see surprises me. You're bitter, so bitter you can't even see the truth. Take a moment, Darien. Look around you, what do you see?"

He turned and scanned the room; it was still the same, just the regular padded cell, the only thing missing, same as before, was the two way mirror. "Nothing. I see nothing."

"Ah," Alex said, "but you missed the most important thing." She walked toward him and placed her hand on his shoulder, "Darien, it's not the same in here. You can walk, and the gland doesn't work. I've told you why before, this is a dream and you're normal again."

"But why?" Darien asked.

"So you can understand." Alex replied, shaking her head. She was going in circles trying to explain something to him that he wasn't even trying to understand. "That's all I can say, you won't see me again. Like I said, you have to figure this out on your own now. Good luck." With that said she disappeared and Darien awoke.

TBC