He sighed in relief when he finally found her, after a good hour of searching and wallowing in his concern, he finally checked the one place he had not thought to look for her until that moment, and there she sat.

He watched her for a moment as she sat there in the water, pooling around her legs, soaking her lower half. She sat there unmoving, shoulders hunched inward. Something had happened and he doesn't know what it is.

Sighing again, he steps into the dim washroom, treading into the water beside her to take the spot next to her. He ignores the water soaking into his pants, sitting next to his young charge, falling into the same companionable silence. She sniffles slightly, lifting a pruned hand up out of the water, to examine the wrinkles.

"Gzel?"

She sucks in a breath, letting her hand drop back into the water, splashing it all around. "I'm sorry, Akriel."

"For what?"

The younger angel stared down at the rippling water, twiddling her thumbs under the surface, and heaved a deep sigh. "That I'm so broken."

He nods lightly, thinking his words over very carefully, lest this touchy situation blow up drastically. "You're not broken." The Virtue bends his legs upwards, crossing them under him, and he settles back onto his hands. "You're a bit bent." He shakes his head. "But most certainly not broken."

"Yea, I am." The young one sighs deeply, pulling her knees up, soaking her front in the process, and wraps her arms around them as she leans forward to rest her chin on her soaked arms. "I freak out when people touch me. I have—I have episodes. I'm a broken doll, Akriel. I shouldn't…I shouldn't be with you."

"It's not unusual for people to not like being touched. That most certainly doesn't make you broken." He turns to look at her, and she ducks behind her arm, hiding away from what she knows will be a concerned glance, she doesn't deserve his concern. She didn't deserve Akriel's concern. She didn't deserve having Akriel care so much. She didn't deserve Akriel. "And, yes, you have episodes. But they're not as frequent as they once were, are they Gzel?"

She shrugs, and Akriel shakes his head, nudging her with his elbow. "Are they?"

"No."

"So, you're not broken, and trust me," he nudges her arm again. "I know all about broken people." He sat back again. "And, I'd beg to differ. You deserve to be happy, Gzel, you deserve to feel wanted."

Gzel finally looks up at him. "You want me? Even though I'm so messed up?"

The trauma specialist smiles at her. "I wouldn't spend half as much time with you as I do, if I didn't." He lifts his arm for her, and Gzel stares for a moment, before a smile comes over her sullen features, and she leans over to press herself into his side. "And, everybody's a little messed up, you're not the only one."

Akriel smiles, leaning over to press his lips to her dark hair. "And, you're perfect just the way you are." She smiles against his shoulder. Chuckling, the Virtue pulls them both back, laying in the warm water of the lake-esque pool. Gzel yelps softly, stiffening against his side, and breaths out a giggle. "Akriel, we're gonna get all wet."

"We're already all wet."

She smiles, staring up at the gem covered rock ceiling, her head cushioned against his arm. She reaches up with her hand, reaching for his, and twines their fingers together.

"What brought this on?"

Gzel sighs, looking down at her hand, resting peacefully against her belly. "I don't know…I just feel broken sometimes…..."

The Virtue looks over at her. "Why?"

"I don't know. Because I am. I freak out sometimes and I hear things and I can get violent and then be normal again."

"That doesn't make you broken. It makes you interesting."

It makes her smile, as she turns to look up at him, and he returns the smile with one of his own. "It makes me interesting?"

"Keeps me on my toes."

She stares up at him, her eyes shining. "You don't think I'm broken?"

Akriel shakes his head, leaning over to kiss her nose lightly. "I don't. I love having you at my side. You make my life interesting." Gzel scrunches her face up, leaning away from him, and he chuckles as he turns back around to lay his head on his free arm. "I wouldn't have you any other way."

She scoots closer, leaning against his side, tugging his arm down around her shoulder to rest on her chest. He rubs his thumb over the back of her hand. "I love you, Akriel."

"I love you to, Gzel." He squeezes her close for a moment. "Very much."