As the voice calling "Hey asshole, that almost hit me!" became more and more familiar, Cassie disregarded her sword fighting lesson completely to turn around, searching. She spotted Ashley sitting next to the oak sapling. She was laughing with someone. Someone in silver. With black hair. His voice wafted over to her. She grinned in relief. Her long lost friend, Jaz. But then, if Jaz was here…

"Jaz, is Abbe here?" She called, interrupting his conversation. He looked rather surprised that she was speaking to him. Not that she could blame him. They hadn't spoken in about eleven years after all. Eventually, he answered. But only after he noticed Cassie was tapping her foot impatiently on the damp ground.

"Um, yeah. She ought to be around here somewhere." Then he immediately resumed his conversation with Ashley. Cassie rolled her eyes.

"Thanks Asshole! That was SO much help," she called back to him.

"Yup, no problem," Jaz answered distractedly.

It didn't take long for Cassie and Abbe to find each other. Mostly for the reason that Abbe was periodically flinging herself to the ground, and then complaining very loudly about how much it hurt.

"DUDE!" Abbe cried the second she saw Cassie. "Check it out!" And without further ado, she executed a forward flip in flawless slow motion.

"That's…um…great," She answered, drawing closer. She sat beside Abbe. "So how've you been?" Abbe shrugged. "Love the outfit," Cassie smirked. Abbe responded by punching Cassie's arm three times and then contented herself with making whistles out of grass blades. It took a piteously short amount of time for Cassie to grow tired of the noise. And on top of that, her hand was throbbing. She had always had a problem with feeling her heartbeat anywhere other than her neck, wrist, and chest. She got up, leaving Abbe with some random excuse. She saw Ashley and Jaz by the tree sitting quite close, talking like there was nothing in the world they'd rather be doing. The annoying, achy feeling in her chest came back again. She spotted Saber practicing with Kyler, who was too often shooting sour looks at Jaz. Dejectedly, Cassie made her way inside, ignoring the hoots and catcalls of the fat filthy miscreants whose life it was to drink and eat meat while trying to think of themselves as God's gifts to women. She shuddered.

Upstairs, in the room she shared with Ashley, Cassie undid the bandage on her hand. She winced as the fabric pulled away from her flesh, taking dried blood with it. Examining the cut, she noted that the bleeding had stopped, but it was swelling and the skin around it was an angry red. She flopped on her side, eager to fall into one of her many happy places.

The deer bounded joyfully through the open field. Cassie watched, happily picking wildflowers, while Saber in nothing but a toga lept alongside them. He was smiling for a change. Cut free from invisible bonds. Laughing, he fell beside her and pulled her close………..The pounding on her door pulled Cassie from the fantasy. Ashley wouldn't bother knocking. Maybe it was Aiden. No, the little girl couldn't bang like that, even if she did kick serious ass. So then…she pulled open the door.

Saber. Her breath stopped. Along with her heart and all ability to move. He gave her a slight smile and held up a bottle.

"For your hand." Without waiting for a reply, he took her by her good hand and pulled her towards the bed. Cassie's heart leapt into her throat. Her mind screamed at her to do something. Say something. ANYTHING. But she just let herself be limply dragged and sat upon the bed. Saber held up her right hand, and examined it closely. "Good, it's a clean cut. Though deep. It should heal well. I'll just put this on to be safe. Cassie nodded dumbly, heart still pounding uncomfortably. All came back quickly and mercilessly as the stinging salve met roughly with her torn skin. A very audible yelp of pain with a few heartfelt curses assured Saber that the potion was doing its job and that Cassie was back on the ground.

"That F#%ing hurt!" she screamed as Saber serenely tied a new bandage on the wound.

"You'll have to put more on twice tomorrow, and then once the next day and the next. Then keep it bandaged. It shouldn't take too long to close up.

"Yah, provided I'm even alive the day after tomorrow to set my hand on fire again," She muttered darkly. Saber tried to look sympathetic, but his eyes held a wicked glitter.

"You shouldn't think of that. All the same, I am sorry to have caused you such discomfort." and without any further consultation he lifted her hand and brushed his lips against the bandage, which nonetheless, sent a shiver up her arm. "Does that feel any better?" Cassie moved a shaking arm towards herself.

"Yah….I-I think so." Her face was red and that weird achy chest thing came back full measure. She smiled kind of stupidly. "You're older than me you know," she said. She didn't mean to sound like such a moron, but letting the silence stretch was more than she could bear. Saber raised his eyebrows.

"Yes. I suppose I am," he whispered leaning closer. Closer. Closer.

"Okay," Cassie answered equally quietly, all senses leaving her yet again. 'How is it possible that he's so filthy yet he smells so good?' In that last second, that thought filled her mind. And then, it didn't matter.

It wasn't deep and full of passion. There wasn't any extensive groping. It was just sweet. What any girl wanted for a first kiss. And it was happening to her. With this Hot, filthy, medieval man. She had no idea how long his mouth moved slowly over hers. But when she next became properly conscious again, her arms were around his neck, and Ashley was standing in the doorway with her mouth hanging open. From the looks of her, she had been that way for some time.

Instead of feeling perfectly humiliated, Cassie felt kind of….proud. She had lots of gloat power now, and she knew it. 'Oh screw it. It doesn't matter.' Saber pulled her closer and they both turned to smile at Ashley. 'God, I think I love him,'

"Yes, can I help you?" Cassie asked pleasantly. Ashley's mouth snapped shut, and she grinned evilly. The same evil grin that Cassie gave her when she was caught with Jaz. Only Ashley really didn't do much with him.

"Cassie, you have a lot of secrets to tell me tonight. Until then, I'll just go and find something to eat.

"No, no. I'm on my way out," Saber hastened to extract himself from Cassie's arms. He gave her a smile that if she had been standing would have made her collapse gracelessly to the floor. "Don't forget to keep putting that stuff on your hand." Cassie waved mindlessly, another stupid smile on her face. The door slammed shut, and Ashley looked down at her, her arms folded across her chest, her evil grin stretching across her face.

"Well?"