Disclamer: I don't own any of this stuff
"Gaia?" Ed spoke softly.
"Yes, Ed" she said. "I'm here."
"What happened?"
Gaia looked at Jake who was still standing in the doorway. "Do you want me to leave?" Jake asked. "No," Gaia responded, "You deserve to hear this too."
Jake walked over and sat in the seat on the other side of Ed's bed.
"Ed, I want to be honest with you. I don't want to lie anymore. I don't want my actions to go unexplained."
Gaia took a deep breath. "There's something that no one except my father, Oliver, and myself knows about me. I'm fearless. I was born without the fear gene. The reason I was being trained was because my father thought that fearless equals stupid and I should know how to defend myself if I get into situations where I need to defend myself.
"So, I was fearless. I should be grateful. But I thought that my life was hell because I was fearless. It turns out that it was me, not the lack of the fear gene. And I asked you, that day in the park, if I should go for the chance to change something about me forever that would make my life better. I didn't tell you what, but you said go for it. Well, Dr. Ulrich treated me. cured me from being fearless.
"I went to the park that night to test out being scared. I ran into those skinhead guys, the ones on Invince. There was a whole group of them, and they threatened to slice an X in my back. I did what I had never done before. I ran in the bushes and hid. I decided, I didn't need to do this anymore. I didn't need to fight anymore. But I was wrong. Because… because, they didn't fight me. They didn't slice an X in my back. You and Kai walked into the park that night. They went after you. And it's my fault you are here. It's my own God damn fault. It always is. I wasn't ment to feel fear. I was ment to fight. I was wrong to get that treatment. I was wrong. I always am."
When Gaia was finished, she sobbed harder than she ever had. Jake's eyes were wide. Ed was shocked and obviously overcome with information and emotion. Ed looked away from her, his eyes now hard and avoiding her face.
Gaia sobbed harder as she realized Ed blamed her. Even though she deserved it, she wondered where the forgive Ed she knew and loved was.
Jake walked around Ed's bed, took Gaia by her hand and lifted her to standing position. She sobbed into his shoulder for a few moments before Jake steered Gaia out of the room.
Goodbye, Gaia, Ed thought. I'm sorry, but I refuse to listen to your lies. I love you, but I have to say, for one last time, goodbye.