"Really, this is unnecessary."

"Mmm hmm," Calloway responded to Ash as the two were in the waiting room of the hospital.

"Really,"

"How's your arm-?"

"Ouch! Ow..."

The lion looked down at the small porcupine, not convinced at all that she wasn't in pain. He guessed that jumping in front of a moving vehicle wasn't the best of ideas to have, and it proved correct since Ash's arm was in so much pain now. They HAD to go to the nearby hospital.

They had been waiting for half an hour now, and the lion started to look around bored with wandering eyes.

He could see there were wards just to the side of the main hall, and his mouth fell into a sad frown when he noticed the children's ward.

How terrible it must be to be here as a child on Christmas.

"Miss Ash... please?"

The lion jolted back up into a straight sitting position as he saw Ash slowly get off her own chair next to his, and walk over to the nurse who led her to another room down the way.

Clay Calloway only sighed heavily, his big chest going up and down from the release of heavy air, and when he looked back up again, he saw a little lion cub looking at him from outside the open door.

Calloway froze stiff for a moment but decided to give a warm smile to the cub and the lion boy just beamed back a goofy infectious smile.

"I know you..." The little cub said quickly, and Calloway straightened up properly again as he replied.

"Really, kid?"

"My mum LOVES your songs!"

"Hmm... really?" Calloway said, amused by this piece of knowledge. The young cub quickly nodded his head and suddenly waved his paw forward for Calloway to follow him.

The old lion blinked his eyes, just simply confused.

"Well, Ash," The doctor said to the young porcupine as she sat in his office, and he pulled out the x-ray and what they were able to find, "It looks like you fractured your arm just a bit."

"WHAT..." Ash said, her eyes falling wide open and her bottom lip trembling, "But- but!"

"Don't panic." The doctor added on quickly, coming over to the girl and holding her injured arm out softly, Ash wincing at the sudden pain, "You only need a cast for three weeks, and then it'll be good as new."

"But... I won't be able to play the guitar during that time..."

"Well, that's what happens if you jump in front of a moving vehicle."

Ash gave an annoyed frown, her eyebrows lowering and the doctor added quickly.

"Sorry... but it is."

The young girl rolled her eyes up to heaven and gave a devastating breath out.

It wasn't soon later that she was sitting down and a cast was being molded over her left arm.

"I just, I can't believe this..." She said to the nurse that was working on her fractured arm, "At least it wasn't my main hand, man, I would be lost without my righty."

"Why did you do it anyway, girl?" The nurse asked, sounding sassy as she did, and Ash sighed heavily, uttering back.

"I couldn't let him leave..."

"He must be worth it if this is how far you're willing to go..."

Ash closed her eyes, wincing a bit, and when the cast had hardened up, she looked back at the nurse and said with a sad smile.

"He is..."

"Okay, you're good to go," The nurse told her quickly and opened the door for Ash to make it easier for her to leave, "Go find your guy, and text me how it turns out."

Ash laughed at these words, giving a giddy nod and smile, and began wandering around the hospital in search for Calloway.

She looked for at least a good twenty minutes when she heard that soft but strong voice singing down the hall. Her ears perked up at the sound of his voice and she began to wander down the dark hall till she looked above to see what the ward was called, and saw it say in bright colours.

Children's Ward.

Ash began to get nervous when she read this, and slowly entered into the big room, still able to hear Calloway's voice from afar, letting off an easy melody as the sound of a guitar could be heard strumming.

"Clay...?"

Right before her, she finally saw her lion.

He was sitting down on an old armchair, with ten young children of varying animal species huddled around him as he played the guitar – and Ash knew quickly it was not his own one.

"Clay...?" She whispered again, giving a soft happy smile, but the lion had his eyes closed tightly as he continued to sing the song.

"It's a beautiful day!"

"DON'T LET IT GET AWAY!" The kids all sang back as a chorus nearly.

"Calloway?"

His eyelids released themselves when he finally took notice of her voice, and the old lion opened his deep blue eyes, looking at Ash, as she stood there beaming.

"Ash... I was..."

"Singing without me?" Ash replied back with a smirk and Calloway gave a soft grin, nodding his head cheekily.

"With or without you," He sang just then, changing the chord on the guitar and the kids all sang in unionism.

"I can't live! With or without you!"

The lion laughed nervously when his own lyrics were thrown back on him, and Ash just stood there looking at this amazing lion... a warm shy grin growing up her own mouth.

"Your arm...?" The lion suddenly asked, pointing the guitar at it and Ash jumped up straight, becoming alert again, a deep red blush covering her cheeks quickly.

"Well, it turns out jumping in front of a moving car is not the best idea..."

"Really?" Calloway asked back cheekily, giving a small huff of a laugh and Ash giggled as well.

"Is she your girlfriend?"

The two of them froze up fast the minute one of the little kids asked this innocently.

"What?" Calloway said quickly back, standing and straightening himself up, "No. Not at all..."

One of the other kids nudged his friend hard who had asked.

"You're not supposed to ask things like that, Joey!"

"Sorry... I was just wondering is all."

Clay softly shook his head and when he turned to look back at Ash, he saw the sad tears welling in her eyes.

"No..." She whimpered, and stood straighter herself as she began to leave and uttered out, "Never..."

"Ash," Calloway called for her, following behind her quickly as they walked in tense silence to the exit of the hospital.

"Ma'am,"

Ash was stopped by a nurse before she stepped outside and she looked in sad anger before her as the doe nurse said, holding out a fabric sling.

"You need to keep your cast elevated, dear."

"Oh..." Ash only whispered, all her sadness tinting her very own words, "Okay, yes..."

"Ash, I didn't mean what I said," Calloway said to her as the nurse slung the sling around Ash's neck.

"Why does it matter even..." Ash replied back to him, her eyes tired and only looking to the ground, afraid to gaze into his eyes, "It's true, isn't it..."

The lion held still for a moment... as that actually was the sad truth.

"I-" He uttered out, not knowing what he could say and he just clenched his paws tightly into fists, continuing, "I don't know..."

"I think you do," She said back to him, a tear slipping down her cheek and she placed her cast arm into the sling, the hospital exit doors sliding open and she only went out into the dark, trying to call down a cab.

Calloway gripped his fists tighter, ashamed of himself.

He knew what he wanted... he knew what SHE wanted.

But Ruby's face came rushing to his mind's inner sad eyes... and he couldn't go through with this again...

He couldn't lose another girl that he loved. He couldn't.

But it was hurting his heart all the more knowing that he was about to again. By not even seeing where this would go anyway.

His eyes suddenly opened with strength as he peered out the door and saw Ash still on the sidewalk across the way, waiting for a lift. Any lift.

He slowly nodded his head and began to walk in strong determined steps out to the snowy night.

"Ash," He called so quietly, that his words got blown to the wind, "ASH." He said louder and she heard him that time, looking over to the old lion and her own eyes were still full of near frozen tears.

"Please..." He whispered now, his heart thudding hard and she just closed her eyes... knowing what this was.

And what it'd always be.

"I'm sorry, Clay..." She whispered back and finally, a taxi pulled up beside her, "I know what we are... what we'll always be... and, a-and I'm fine with that."

She got into the back seat and he came to her door, just before she pulled it closed.

"But... Ash," He ushered and she closed her eyes tight, shaking her head.

"Goodbye, Calloway..." She muttered, and the door was pulled closed, the taxi pulling off and driving into the heavy snow.

"I'm not fine with that." Clay Calloway whispered, feeling tears well in his own eyes and he looked down to his left paw, seeing the ring that was on it. He slowly took it off, and looked his eyes just beyond him, seeing Ruby there... a pale blue ghost, giving him a soft nod. Telling him with her eyes... it was okay.

He wanted to chase after Ash, but his fear held him back.

"I don't want to lie anymore," He whispered to himself, "Ash... I, I want... I want you..."