AN: Very short chapter but there is another one that should be soon which will be a longer one.


Recovery 2-2

I laid the blanket over Nancy as she curled up, her breathing slow and quiet. Slipping out of the bed I moved the laptop back onto my desk, shutting it down. Casting one last glance over my shoulder to make sure she was still asleep, I headed to the bathroom. Splashing water on my face, I swallowed hard and stared at myself in the mirror.

"Princess Bride. What the hell were you thinking Taylor? A damsel in distress saved by a hero who looks like a villain who's also secretly in love with her? She's already clingy, now she's going to get ideas!"

Ideas that were actually somewhat appealing in a vaguely horrifying way.

This was awful. Nancy was the first person I had helped. The only person I had helped. I had taken her home with me! I was devoting all of my time to her. Was I going to get this attached to everyone I tried to help? Was I going to put my hero career on hold every night I tried to go on patrol and came across a damsel in need of saving? That wasn't how this was supposed to work! I was supposed to call someone to pick up my savees, not take them home and devote myself to helping them! I wasn't supposed to let them sleep in my bed or hope they understood it was safe to talk to me and that I wasn't going to hurt them. I wasn't supposed to get emotionally invested! I wasn't supposed to be the Dread Pirate Roberts, I was supposed to be Inigo Montoya!

Maybe I lost my own internal metaphor somewhere along the line…

Did I even care? She needed my help. She didn't have anyone, she had been kidnapped and torn to pieces by a sadistic bastard, and was barely holding herself together. She was obviously hiding whatever powers she had and she -

Oh, wait. "I can work with that. Yeah…I can work with that."

"Taylor? Are you in there?"

"Yeah, Dad. Give me a moment." I wiped off the remaining water and cracked the door. "What's going on? I was getting ready for bed."

"I just wanted to make sure that everything was okay. Again."

I shut my eyes and counted to three. "Now? I'm in the bathroom, Dad. I already said earlier that I just felt like making a nice dinner instead of more sandwiches or pasta. Prove I can make lasagna."

"I know. I just…I know."

I sighed. "I'm fine, Dad."

"The school called the office today. They said you weren't in."

A scowl flitted across my face before I could stop it. "They never cared enough to report it beforehand. Now that I'm the troublemaking bitch who stuffed herself into her own locker for attention all of a sudden they care about my attendance. Got it."

"Taylor, that's not what I -"

"I'll go tomorrow."

"Taylor -"

"Goodnight Dad." I shut the door and leaned against it, breathing in short gasps. I didn't even have to listen to my bugs to hear my father shuffle around outside in the hallway for a few seconds before moving off to his own room.

"God. Damn. Fucking. Winslow."

I didn't need to go to Winslow. I didn't want to go to Winslow. I didn't want to deal with the Trio.

I wanted to stay and help the girl who actually needed me. Who actually wanted me around.

Who actually wanted me…

Shit.