A/N: Disclaimer: Refer back to Chapter 1.

WARNING: OOC, WAFF, FLUFF

Chapter 4: Freedom

xxxxx

She sighed as she lay awake that night. She stared at her window. Her doctor, Dr. Ezekiel, had deemed her fit to be put to a lower security room. They were convinced that she would no longer try to harm herself.

She remembered that.

She used to pull out her pink hair and slam herself on the wall. Serph had come then, and restrained her. He had always been there. Sure, there were times when he wouldn't come…but he'd always send word so that she wouldn't worry about him.

She smiled at that. He really did care.

But still, the more she began to think of her life…the more she began to recede…thinking back to her family.

She sobbed as she remembered them dying.

'Why didn't I die? I don't deserve to live anyway…Why?'

At that moment, she felt that burning feeling within her again. She clutched her arm, as if in pain. She got off the bed and walked over to the window. It was dark…it was late at night anyway. She knew not the time, but she didn't care.

She looked down; it was pretty high up. Probably twenty floors above ground.

She suddenly had the overwhelming urge to jump.

'Jump…and it will all be over…I…I don't have to…suffer like this anymore…' she sobbed to herself, 'I'll be able to see them again…'

Her fingers ached to touch the window. She reached out, her tears silently trailing her cheek. She reached out and touched the glass, trailing it until her fingers reached the lock. She pushed the button and pulled. The window remained shut.

She growled, 'Open damn it! Open!'

She pulled and pulled but the window remained shut. She pulled again and again, nothing happened. She was beginning to get annoyed. She began to bang against it, lightly at first, but it became all the more insistent as the seconds ticked by.

"Open! Open! Damn you!!" she screamed.

Without warning, a pair of arms encircled her waist, pulling her from the window. She struggled; kicking and screaming, "Let me go! Damn you!! Let me go! Let…me…die…" she whispered the last words.

"No…I can't…I won't…" the man said, tightening his hold on her.

Her eyes widened, "Serph…?"

She looked up at him. He looked at her, "I'm here…"

They remained like that, for God knows how long. He looked at her; she had fallen asleep. He put her on her bed gently and tucked her in. He frowned; she had wanted to kill herself. He had thought that they had been over that.

'I guess I was wrong…' he thought sadly.

'Ezekiel would probably pull her release back for another six months…But…if it would mean that she would get better, then, so be it.'

He touched her face, 'Why…? Why did you want to die…?'

He felt a pang of pain in his gut. Why had she wanted to die? Was it because she had no reason to live any longer now that her family had died?

'I thought that I…' he began and then shook his head, 'No…I suppose not.'

But all things being equal, he will find out why she had done what she had done. He would ask her tomorrow.

xxxxx

He took her to the meditating center that day. It was where Embryon's soldiers would meditate and find serenity. He had hoped that the mood would rub off on her as well. He touched her shoulder.

"Hey…"

"Hi…" she replied, smiling.

"Argilla…"

She cut him off, "You…brought me here…Why?"

He nodded and looked forward, "Well, I'm gonna have to show you all of the facilities so that when you do join, you'd know where to go." He chuckled.

"Join the Embryon…?"

"Yes. We've talked about it right?"

"Oh…I guess so. I thought tat you had showed me every place here."

He scratched his head, "Well, I must've forgotten. Sorry…"

She said nothing.

Silence engulfed them once more.

"Argilla." he began, "Why did…why did you do that?"

"Do what?"

He furrowed his eyebrows, "Why did…you want to jump?"

"…"

"Please…I want to help you."

"Don't you see Serph?" she asked frantically, "Don't you see…that I'm beyond help…?"

He was taken aback by her words. His eyes widened and he grasped her shoulders, his eyes piercing into hers, "No…I don't want to hear that from you. You're…not beyond help."

She said nothing and looked down. She sighed, "I wanted…to see my family again…That's all…"

Tears rolled down again, "I just…wanted to see them…so badly."

His eyes softened and he took her in his arms, "Argilla…when…you said that your father hid you from the rookies…he hid you…in a rug right?"

She nodded.

"Why do you think he did that?"

She looked confused for a moment, "Why do you think?" she snarled; was he mocking her intelligence?

"I think…that he did that…to protect you…to make sure that you'd live…"

"…"

Her silence had served as his impetus to continue, "And you did live…If it weren't for him, you wouldn't be here now…You wouldn't be here with me…"

Her heart raced as he spoke; but nonetheless she was quiet.

"Do you really believe that, jumping out of the window and killing yourself would please your father? Or your mother? Your family? Reika…?"

Her eyes widened for a fraction of a second before becoming half-lidded again. Was she wrong?

"If you did…then…wouldn't your father's efforts…be in vain?"

She gasped and stiffened in his arms. Serph pulled away from her and looked into her eyes, "You're here now…alive…because your father didn't give up on you. He wanted you to live…he has given you a second chance…Please don't waste it."

She turned away, "How would you know…? Besides…it would be easier to just…give up."

He nodded, "That's true though…you're right on both counts. I really don't know what your father was thinking of at that particular moment…but I do think I have an idea as to what he was feeling. He wanted to protect you…because…he loved you. And…yes, I suppose that it would be easier to just give up and lay your life down…but then…did you ever stop to think of the people around you?"

"Like whom?" she question condescendingly.

"Like me." he deadpanned.

"W-what?" she stammered.

"Me…" he said, his eyes holding the emotions of need…and longing.

"You…" she repeated, beginning to get lost in his eyes.

"Yes…don't I…matter to you?" he asked, his voice pleading.

She cast her face down, "I…I don't…understand."

"What do you feel about me?" he asked, taking her hand in his, "Don't I matter to you…at all?"

She quickly looked up, "Serph…"

He ran his slender fingers through her hair, "You don't have to tell me your answer. What is important is that, you find an answer for yourself…"

"…"

"All I know is that, I can't give up yet…I can't just relinquish my life when there are still others who are relying on me; when there are others who matter to me." He looked at her sharply.

She stood up, "I…want to go back now."

He nodded, "Alright."

xxxxx

Another week had passed. Ezekiel and Serph were pleased to know that she had not since tried to harm herself. But…then, she has shrunk back to being unresponsive. Ezekiel slumped his shoulders. Serph could only look on helplessly. She was the only one who could help herself.

Serph had gone into her room and attempted to speak to her. She didn't let him finish.

"Serph…" she started, "I'm sorry…about last week. I suppose that…I felt so guilty…"

"Guilty?"

"Yeah…I felt that I don't deserve to live…"

"…"

"I felt that, why should I live when the people who shouldn't have died have died?"

"I just thought that…I wanted to see them…But then…you took care of me…even after all that I had done and said. You told me that…you wouldn't give up because…you fight for those whom you care about. Serph I…"

He moved towards her but she put up a hand, halting him. She smiled tightly, "No need to give me a hug. I'm not going to turn on the water works." she said, laughing.

Serph blinked; did she just throw a joke? Well, that was an improvement.

"I just wanted you to know that I'm sorry. I just thought about myself…and how easy it was…for me. It was easy to run…but then, I also remembered what you said…about hope and happiness. I want those things too…"

She took a deep breath and continued, "I just realized something…"

"…?"

"I just realized that…I see hope…in your eyes…I see…hope for me…in your eyes…Then…I realized something else. I realized that…maybe I'm alive now…so that I can look for happiness too…then, I found out that…I…wanted to look for happiness…with you…"

He took in her shaking form, and at that moment, he took her in his arms again.

"Serph…" she breathed out, "I'm grateful that I met you…I am so…truly…grateful."

He said nothing but continued to embrace her. He felt his heart beat in tune with hers; their heartbeat beating as one. He didn't know how to describe it…it felt…incredible. It felt as if he were on a cloud…where nothing else mattered. There was no nervousness, no fear…no anxiety.

Was this happiness?

xxxxx

Serph smiled; it had been a week now since Argilla had stopped taking her anti-psychotic drugs. It had been a gamble really. He and Ezekiel had taken the chance of weaning her off the drugs so that she may live a normal life.

So far, she hadn't had any recurring symptoms. It was a good sign. Her six months of medication under observation was over. And now, is the final phase of her rehabilitation. Serph had introduced her to other members of Embryon.

She had been shy at first, of course, but being with Serph, she regained some of her confidence, and days later, she blended right in.

She had taken an immediate liking to a boy in there named Cielo. Serph grinned; it was good that she was opening up to others again.

He also took her to see different activities, like the training sessions and let her participate in the meditation centers. It was good for her body and spirit.

He had spoken to Ezekiel, asking him when she'd be released and he had been pleased to know that she would be released in 3 months. Well, that was a week ago.

And now, they had two months and three weeks left. She was doing so well; he was proud of her.

xxxxx

"Well, the day has finally come Argilla…" Ezekiel said, smiling, petting her head.

"As of today, you're free. You are now free to do as you wish."

Serph stood beside Ezekiel, his silver eyes twinkling. It had been a quick three months for the three of them.

Argilla looked out of the window again, memorizing every angle of the view. She would never see this again. She stared out of the window, smiling while Serph packed all of her belongings.

"Ready to go?" he asked.

She took a deep breath and turned around, giving him a nod, "I'm ready."

He smiled and offered her his hand. She bounced up to him and took it. They were greeted by Dr. Ezekiel on their way out.

Argilla came forward, "Dr. Ezekiel, I thank you. If it weren't for you…I'd probably have gone crazy by now."

He chuckled, "No child. It was you who helped yourself. I was but a mere tool." His eyes left hers and nodded in Serph's direction, "He's the one whom you should be really thanking. He stuck with you through thick and thin."

She followed Ezekiel's eyes and looked at Serph, "I know doc. I know."

No words of gratitude or thankfulness were necessary between the two. Serph nodded, "Right. Well, doctor, thank you for all that you've done."

Ezekiel nodded, "Think nothing of it. Argilla, be proud as you wear our uniform. You are a part of Embryon now… a part of us. Don't forget that."

She smiled, "I won't."

xxxxx

It had been a tiring day. Serph had arranged her living quarters and had found out of her squad. He blinked in surprise as she was assigned to his team. He smiled afterwards. Maybe he really was meant to protect her.

Her training schedule had already been given out and she was to start bright and early the next day.

His jaw hung agape though as she stepped out of her lavatory, wearing her new uniform. He nodded in approval.

Then, as the sun had begun to set, he had taken her to their secret place…their place of refuge from the world by the ledge at the outskirts of Muladhara.

She crossed her arms, looking into the horizon.

"Serph…"

"Hmm…?"

"…"

He moved closer to her, wrapping his arms around her. No words were needed to be spoken between them. As she leaned into his touch and he towards hers, they closed their eyes and listened.

They listened to the beating of their hearts and both smiled contently as they heard them beat as one. 'Is this happiness'? was the question that floated through their heads, and somewhere along those thoughts, they both nodded and agreed.

'Yes…this is happiness.'

"Serph…?"

"Hm?" he asked again.

She chuckled, "Déjà vu …"

"Aah…"

"Serph…you are…everything to me." she said. His heart melted as he heard her words.

"And you are everything to me…" he replied.

She said nothing but continued to smile, holding his arms as she did so. He was everything to her. He was her protector and her preserver. He was her teacher and her friend.

He was…

'You are my salvation…'

FIN