A cat sat poised, ready and waiting at an uncovered corner of the pond waiting for a fish to float by so that it might snatch it from the water with its paw and devour it without a second's thought. Seeing a glint of silver in the water disturbed only by the ripples caused by water sprayed from a small fountain in the centre of the pond the cat struck but missed. Waiting patiently for its target to return the cat laid on the wall its paw almost touching the water. So caught up in its occupation was the cat that it didn't notice a small terrier hobbling stealthily towards it with a mind to frighten it away. Even when the dog was little more than a tail's length away did the cat still not notice its presence. Without warning the dog barked sending the cat up in such a fright that it leapt into the air and landed in the pond taking the protective net with it.

Kit ran into the garden upon hearing Skip bark and the hissing screech of a frightened cat. Spying something struggling in the pond he ran over and ignoring any risk to himself stuck his hands in the pond to pull out the soaking wet cat and despite his hands and arms being scratched to blazes by the wild beast, he unwrapped the netting from it. With the cat released from its cocoon Kit let the thing go but stopped Skip giving chase with a cautionary word. Taking several handkerchiefs from his pocket he daubed his wounds with them after dunking them in the pond water and motioned for the terrier to follow him to the arbour.

Sitting down heavily Kit watched Skip climb unsteadily up the steps made especially for him so he could sit on the cushioned bench of the arbour with anyone that sat there. When the little terrier made it to the top he walked over to his master and rested his head in his lap as if sensing that his long time companion needed comfort. Not understanding that his friend couldn't scratch his belly as he usually did, Skip rolled over onto his back and snarled when he was ignored. Kit just looked at the terrier with a look which told him to behave. Taking this silent threat into account Skip rolled back onto his stomach and looked up when he heard a sound beyond the capacity of human hearing. Panting he jumped from the seat and ran into the enfolding darkness leaving Kit alone.

"He really likes my shoes. I wonder how many pairs I've gone through over the last few months." A soft voice said drifting through the still night.

Despite the gentleness of the voice Kit practically jumped out of his own skin and whirled round to see Robyn standing behind him, "I wish you wouldn't do that! You'll give me a heart attack one of these days."

"Sorry. If it helps you would have reacted the same way had I not sneaked up on you, you were too deep in thought to notice even a herd of elephants with bells on charging through here."

"I guess so." Kit agreed and looked away briefly, "I thought you were in bed."

"I was until I noticed that you weren't there. You're worried about what I said, about my wanting to be committed to the safe house."

"Of course I am. The thought of you being locked up in there, in that place, makes me want to vomit. If you tell them what you told me they'll have you in the high security bin before you can say antidisestablishmentarianism and so drugged up that you'll be doing the conga with leprechauns. I can't do it; can't you understand how hard this is for me?"

"Do you think this is easy for me!" Robyn snapped a pointed finger accentuating every word she said, "No matter what I do I can't erase the memory of what I did from my head and I can't wash away the feeling of their necks yielding under my grasp from my hands. Whenever I look at myself in the mirror I don't see me I see a killer, I see her. For all the things that I can do, for all the things that I've become I can't run from myself. Can't you see this from my point of view?"

Tears formed in Kit's eyes as he made one final argument, "I can't do it Robyn! If you go in there you might never come out! I can't give you the rope for you to hang yourself! Please, stop this. Stop this torture."

Hiding her face in her hands Robyn shook her head. She had trapped herself in an impossible position and by doing that had trapped Kit also. Seeking her salvation was destroying him as offering him his would do to her. No longer able to sustain an argument for or against what she wanted, she sunk to the ground tears streaming down the hands that covered her eyes. Arms enfolded her in a blanket of security and tears melded with hers as a similarly wounded heart cried out for an end to the pain or a solution that would offer no more hurt on either side.

Not willing to sacrifice his relationship with Robyn for his own selfishness Kit made the almost impossible decision to allow her to do as she thought fit. It was painfully obvious to him that Robyn was suffering greatly under the strain of what had taken place in her coma and needed help in the only place it could be given. Loosening his hold on Robyn he gently pulled her hands away from her reddened face and wiped away the tears still falling from her eyes. Satisfied that she would cry no more he stood up and pulled her up with him. Scooping her up he left her crutch lying abandoned and lonely on the ground as he carried her home. There would be time for talking in the morning with fresh minds and fresh eyes.

Robbie opened his eyes when he heard the front door open for the third time that night. Sitting forward in his chair he looked round and saw Kit entering with Robyn in his arms. Both looked surprised to see him awake and equally distressed over something that had passed between them. Standing up he gestured for the two to sit down, he wanted them to tell him what had been going on. He watched patiently as Kit sat himself down on the sofa with Robyn in his lap. With the two seated he sat back down also.

"What's happened?" Robbie asked leaning back in his chair and resting his hands on his knees.

"I'm not really sure how I can tell you." Kit replied not knowing what Robyn wanted her father to hear.

Robyn looked at Kit and took one of his hands in hers, "I can handle this Kit, go to bed."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I'll see you when I come up."

Unsure as to whether Robyn could tell her father what she had told him Kit made no move but when she moved herself from his lap and nodded to reassure him that she felt confident about saying what she had to say he reluctantly stood up. Hanging back slightly at the stairs he looked at Robyn once more but after a further nod he ascended. Walking into his bedroom he sat on the edge of his bed and strained his ears to try to pick up any sounds emanating from the living room. For what seemed like hours everything was eerily quiet until the silence was broken.

"So what is it you need to tell me?" Robbie asked after some minutes.

Robyn looked down and proceeded to tell her father everything she had told Kit. As she had expected the news wasn't received well and her heart had almost broken when she'd spared a second's glance at him and seen tears in his eyes. It came as no surprise to her when he flatly refused her going to the safe house. She knew full well that convincing him and Sportacus would be much harder than it was convincing Kit though she wasn't yet sure that he'd changed his mind.