I know it's been a hot second, but I have not abandoned this fic! As always, a big thank you to my beta, shelter. This chapter fought me, and I did not have the energy to make all of the changes you suggested. I hope it's all right anyway!

It was two days before Irene saw Teresa again. Two days of her wondering how to talk about this with her therapist. She needed to work through the trauma of killing a man in this world, but nothing she could say would make any sense at all. The only person she could talk to was Teresa, and things were tense between them once again.

So when Teresa finally texted her to meet for dinner, Irene's relief was almost overwhelming, and she waited apprehensively for Teresa to pick her up.

They had just gotten in the car and were pulling into the street when Irene's phone buzzed. She frowned when she saw the name.

She answered quickly. Maybe it was an emergency at work. She may have been on sabbatical, but she wouldn't let the firm founder without her.

"Flora?"

"Ms. Winters, I'm...I'm sorry to bother you."

Flora's voice was cold and hollow, and Irene knew immediately something was not right. "Flora? Flora, what's wrong?"

"I um, there was no one else to call."

"Flora, are you in trouble?" Her mind was racing with possibilities, dread balling in the pit of her stomach.

"I...No? Yes? Maybe. I don't...I don't know."

Irene ignored Teresa's questioning look. "Flora, tell me what's wrong."

"Ms. Winters, I…" There was a long pause. "Do you remember?"

"Remember?"

"Do you remember what you are?"

Irene's eyes grew wide, and she hoped she was wrong. "Flora..." She took a deep breath. "Flora, what rank were you?"

Teresa looked at her so sharply the car jerked. Cursing, she returned her attention to the road, but Irene could tell she was now listening intently.

"Number Eight."

"Okay." Irene took a deep breath. "What's your address? I'll come to you, and we can talk."

"Galatea doesn't remember," Flora said, and Irene finally put two and two together. Galatea's name sounded so familiar because that was the name of Clare's friend. The one who destroyed her eyes to become a nun. The former Number Three with the incredible yoki sensing abilities. "But I do. I remember everything, I remember fighting, and...and dying and, and I knew, I think I always knew that you were like me, and I don't know what to do now."

"It's going to be all right, Flora. Everything is going to be okay." For once, she actually believed the words. Flora would not have to flounder like she had. "Teresa and I are going to come over and help you."

"Teresa?"

"Yes, she's...she's one of us, too."

"Teresa of the Faint Smile?" Irene could hear the awe in her voice, and a dim part of her was proud that she was with a warrior of such standing, however ridiculous of a thing that was to be proud of.

"Yes."

"Oh. Oh my God."

"I know. Flora, I know what you're going through. We both do. I know that you're scared and confused right now. I don't have all the answers, but you are not alone." Her heart pounded in her chest as she tried to make sense of the situation. Flora was a warrior. Her suspicions had been correct.

But Flora was not familiar to Irene, which meant she was probably from a later generation. Maybe even Clare's. Irene tried to wrack her brain, thinking over every detail Clare had told her in their old life. Unlike Irene, Clare had met so many warriors, made so many friends. Was Flora one of them? A name that had faded away in Irene's memory?

"I feel like I'm losing my mind."

"That will pass," Irene said, trying to be as gentle as possible. It was not her strong suit, but she cared for Flora and wanted to help however possible. "And you'll learn to make sense of everything. I will help you. Just tell us where to go."

Flora gave Irene her address, and Teresa put it into the GPS.

"We'll be there in about thirty minutes. Do you want me to stay on the phone?"

"I...Yes."

"All right. I will tell you about my time as the Number Two warrior." Irene started her story, trying to keep her voice steady and calm as Teresa drove them to Flora's apartment.

When Flora opened the door, her face was streaked with tears and she was pale and shaky.

"Thank you for coming," she said. "I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize." Irene glanced over at Teresa. "This is Teresa. Teresa, this is Flora."

"Hi," Teresa said with a kind smile. "I'm Teresa Blackwell." Her smile soured. "Or, Teresa of the Faint Smile, I guess."

"I um, I've heard a lot about you from Ms. Winters."

Teresa glanced at Irene, brow raised. "You have? I didn't think Irene was so chatty."

Flora looked horrified for a moment. "Oh, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have-"

"It's fine, Flora," Irene said, shooting Teresa a glare. "She's teasing."

"Sorry," Teresa said with a shrug. "I'm just 'like that,' as Irene says." It was said with more bite than usual, and Irene wished Flora's timing had been better. Though, she supposed it was better timing than Christmas morning.

Irene suppressed a sigh and turned her attention back to Flora. "Let's sit, and you can tell us everything from the beginning."

Flora took them into the small living room, where Irene and Teresa sat on an old couch. Flora settled in across from them, tense as she folded her hands in her lap.

"I've known something was wrong for a while now. Maybe always. But, um, the past couple of months, it's gotten worse. A lot worse." Flora passed a hand over her eyes, looking far older than her years.

"Hallucinations?" Irene asked.

"Something like it. Just...stray thoughts and memories that were wrong, that didn't match up to my experiences. Those, I could mostly ignore. But it started getting worse. I would look at Galatea and see her in armor with a sword on her back." She closed her eyes, a hand running through her hair. "Then yesterday I...I got a call from that gallery we went to. They had another painting, and they wanted to know if you were interested, so I had them fax a picture. I didn't want to bother you with it unless it was like the others."

"And?"

Flora looked up at Irene, helplessness in her eyes. "And it was of a woman I've never met in this life, but I knew her name immediately. I saw the...the emblem on her sword, and it came to me. Ophelia."

Teresa looked at Irene with concern when she started. "Ophelia?"

"Yes." Flora frowned. "Do you know her? She came after your time."

"I met her, yes. Once." And caused yet another awakening. The guilt sat heavy in Irene's stomach. At the time, she had been loath to kill another warrior, no matter the situation. In hindsight, death would have been more kind.

"I feared her more than I feared awakened beings," Flora said with a shudder. "When I saw her face, everything came back. I tried to ignore it, to rationalize it. I slept on it, but nothing was better today. And I...I thought about the research you've been doing. I thought you had to be one of us. So, I...I called you."

Irene nodded. "I know that this is very difficult. I only regained my memories a few weeks ago. That's why I wanted to go to that gallery in the first place. I've been doing research. So believe me, I am very aware of what you're going through."

"I've known for years," Teresa said when Flora's eyes turned to her, expectant, "but I remember the confusion, the fear. I had no one to talk to. But you do."

"Years? Then...then you knew when you met Ms. Winters?" Flora looked between them, and Irene wished for a moment that she was not so perceptive.

Teresa thought about her answer, chin resting in her hand as she leaned forward. Irene appreciated that despite what they had just gone through, Teresa was doing her best to help Flora. "Yes. Irene and I...have a long history. I wanted to meet her here. As soon as my memories came back, I started searching. But there are a lot of Irenes in the world. When I finally found her, she didn't remember me. I...I found that I couldn't let her go." She looked to Irene, her dark eyes soft.

"I don't know what to do about Galatea," Flora said. "I barely knew her before. We met here by accident, like I was drawn to her. I couldn't get her out of my head. I thought it was because she was beautiful and charming. But now, I'm worried that I just want to be with her because she's one of us. Because she's something familiar. I don't know what I'm supposed to do now."

Irene stiffened. She had not expected to be asked for relationship advice, and she looked to Teresa helplessly. Teresa reached over and gave her hand a brief squeeze, keeping her eyes on Flora.

"Our relationships in the past do not dictate what we do here. I am with Irene here because I love her. It's not just because we had a relationship before. We're building something new, something better. Do you love Galatea?"

"Yes." The answer came without hesitation, quick and sure and firm.

"Then you should be with her."

"But what do I tell her? How can I be with her if she doesn't remember?"

"That's the question, isn't it?" Teresa's smile was sad and strained. "I asked myself the same thing. I didn't know what to do when it was clear Irene was remembering. But I loved her, and I knew...I knew she loved me. And I knew I had to make it work."

Irene's cheeks burned in embarrassment, but she let Teresa continue, knowing it was the best thing for Flora. The girl was no longer just her assistant, and lines had already been crossed.

"The point is," Teresa continued, "that you can't force someone to remember their past. Either she will, or she won't. If she doesn't...well, your relationship is entirely in this world. Focus on that. And if she does, then you will be able to help her." Teresa nodded to herself, as if surprised and pleased with her own advice.

"How many of us are there?"

"I don't know," Irene said, feeling more and more sympathy for Teresa. It was horribly frustrating not to have answers for someone who looked so lost. She could imagine now what Teresa had gone through as they built this relationship, as she realized Irene was slowly remembering their past lives. "But I'm starting to think every warrior ever created is here or has been here. But I don't know how or why we are in this world. We're trying to find out."

"What about our abilities?"

"We have them, or some part of them. It is harder to access yoki here, but apparently not impossible. We are searching for Rafaela." Irene tilted her head in contemplation. "You probably knew her as Number Five." Irene realized that if Flora knew Ophelia and Galatea, then she had to have been a warrior at the same time as Clare.

"Yes, but I didn't really know her. She didn't spend time with the rest of us." The revelation did not surprise Irene.

"We believe she's the artist behind those paintings and that she knows more about our situation than anyone else. It's part of why I've taken time off work." Irene regarded her assistant. "And, of course, if you need time, I will approve it. Or, if you want to leave, I will help however I can."

"I don't know what I want to do yet." Flora bit her lip. "I stayed with you because I did feel a kinship. It just felt..right to work for you. Like something coming into focus. Now, I know why."

Irene begin metally preparing a checklist of what to look for in a new assistant, dreading the interview process. She would never find someone as good as Flora. She knew that in her heart. "Whatever you decide, I will support you."

Flora nodded. "I'll make a decision quickly."

"No, take your time. This life is the one that matters now. You shouldn't make any decisions too rashly." Like storming out of a family Christmas at your girlfriend's parents' home. "Though I don't know what I would do without you. You keep me sane at work."

Flora blushed, a smile forming on her lips for the first time since they had arrived. "Thank you, Ms. Winters."

"Please, it's just Irene. Especially now."

Flora shook her head emphatically. "I couldn't. It's not proper."

"Well, all right. Whatever makes you comfortable." Beside her, Teresa looked like she was trying very hard not to laugh, and Irene had to glare at her. "Flora, is there anything you want to ask us?"

She looked at Teresa, hesitating. "Um...there was a warrior I met whose name was Clare. And I know that's your daughter's name. I didn't know if...if they were..."

The smile dropped from Teresa's face. "Yes. Clare...Clare was a warrior. In the old world, she was a child I met along my travels. I...I died protecting her." It was not the entire truth, but Irene understood. Flora did not need to know the messy details, and Teresa did not want to relive them. She could only imagine what Teresa's dreams had been before she remembered her past life. They would have been all the more horrifying for involving the child.

"I'm sorry," Flora said, voice heavy with an understanding that could only be gained by experiencing a similar pain. "I died in battle with her. The Organization sent us to the North to fight an army of Awakened Beings. I was...killed by Rigardo." She shuddered, and Irene wondered what it must feel like to remember your own death. Teresa did not talk about it. "I don't know what happened after that, but I considered Clare a friend and a comrade."

"Only seven survived," Irene told her gently, knowing the guilt a Captain felt when she was unable to protect her team. The same guilt she had lived with for two lifetimes now. "Clare was one of them. The survivors deserted, like I did. They let the Organization believe they were dead. Then, seven years later, they reemerged. Ultimately, they took down the Organization and liberated the remaining warriors."

"Oh." Flora blinked in surprise. "I...I didn't think such a thing was possible."

"Nor did I until Clare told me. We met before she went North. When it was all over, she came back to me."

Flora's brows creased as her eyes swept from side to side in thought. "Was it your arm that she carried?"

"Yes. I encountered Clare during an altercation with Ophelia. I saved her, and when it became apparent that she was searching for revenge for Teresa, I gave her my arm so she could perform the Quicksword." So she could avenge the woman they had both loved.

Really, Irene did not know what she had been thinking at the time. All she had known was that the fire in Clare's heart made her think anything was possible. It had driven her to give up her arm, to face Rafaela with no regrets for exposing her location. And apparently, that same fire had indeed brought justice to not only Teresa but every one of them who had been wronged by the Organization. Maybe their existence in this new world was the universe's way of giving reparations.

"Oh, that does make sense now," Flora said. "I knew it couldn't have been her arm. It was obvious to anyone who looked."

"You should know," Irene said, "Galatea also deserted. The last I heard of her, she was alive and well."

Flora looked away from them quickly, and Irene saw her wipe at her eyes. "Oh, good. I'm glad."

They stayed with Flora for a couple of hours, telling her all they knew and answering all her questions. Irene was reluctant to leave her, but Flora insisted she would be fine, that she needed the time to herself, and it was getting late. Teresa needed to get back home to Clare.

Back in the car, Teresa reached for Irene's hand and held it tightly. "I love you," she said.

"I know."

"Seeing Flora like that...I wonder how many of us have had to go through this alone. I wouldn't wish it on anyone."

"I'm sorry you had to." If she could, she would have taken that pain from Teresa, would have traded anything for it.

"I'm so scared, Irene," she admitted softly. "I'm scared of what you want to do, and I'm scared of what we might become. Fighting Isley...I've never felt that kind of fear in a battle. Never. And I know that he's nothing compared to what Priscilla can do. You forget. I was there, too. I did feel her aura as we fought. I can imagine what kind of monster she awakened into, even if I did not witness it myself. What you want to do is suicide, even with your full yoki power. Please, please reconsider." Her hand moved to Irene's cheek, her expression raw and open, and Irene felt her heart crack open.

"Teresa…" She turned her face to kiss Teresa's palm. "I don't want to leave you. The fear you felt with Isley, multiply it by a thousand, and you'll get close to what I felt the day you died. Priscilla's awakening was...incomprehensible. The level of power was so vast, so complete. I felt like it would tear me apart from the sheer force of it. It was over so fast. I don't want to go through that again."

"Then why do you want to find her?"

"If she has awakened, then it is quite possible that she is hurting people, killing them." Isley had said the desire for human flesh had returned when he awakened again. Priscilla had been turned long before him. Irene was certain Priscilla's hunger would have returned to her, as well. "Can you stand by and do nothing? You risked everything for Clare in the old world. Don't the people here deserve our protection, too? This time, we do it of our own free will. Not because we're forced to."

"I feel like you are forcing me," Teresa said. "Like I have to do this with you."

"I don't expect you to. This is my decision, and I would never force you into doing this with me."

"But how can I say no? How can I knowingly let you walk into a situation where you'll get yourself killed?" Teresa's voice cracked, and she seemed to swallow a hiccup of a sob. "How can I let you face Priscilla on your own when I know what happened the last time you did that?"

Irene didn't know what to say. She didn't know how to explain the conviction she felt in her heart, the certainty that she had to do this. She did not know what to say to ease Teresa's fear. She was fairly certain there was nothing she could say. Teresa was right. An awakened Priscilla was more than Irene's match, far superior in every way when it came to physical ability. All Irene had going for her was her strategic mind. The one thing she excelled at more than Teresa was her ability to create and stick to a plan. And she felt like she knew enough about Priscilla, or who Priscilla had been, that she could come up with a plausible strategy for facing her.

"I am more experienced than I was then," she said. "I've faced her before, and I know what she can do. I won't underestimate her again."

"You could know everything about her, exactly what she's about to do, and still not be able to defeat her! It's hopeless, Irene. Please, please just stay with me. I only just found you. I can't lose you again."

Irene had never thought she would hear Teresa beg. Not in this life, not in the previous one. Not ever. The clinical part of her observed that Teresa must love her very much to be this distraught over her safety. The human part of her, though, wanted to give in, to give Teresa what she wanted. To crawl into the safety of her arms and never leave.

"I'm sorry," she said, steeling herself. "I don't want to cause you more pain, but I couldn't live with myself if I didn't do this. I would hate myself."

Teresa pulled away from her. "For once, Irene, can't you just be fucking selfish?"

"Would you love me if I was?"

"I would love that you're alive," Teresa said, scowling.

"But if I didn't do this, would you think less of me?"

"Of course not."

"I would, though. I would think less of myself. I know you don't understand, but I see this as a chance at redemption for the mistakes I made in the old world."

Teresa closed her eyes and rested her head back against the seat. "I can't change your mind, can I?"

"I'm sorry, no."

Teresa's lips pressed together, and she was silent for a long time. Long enough that Irene started to wonder if they would sit in the parking garage forever.

When Teresa finally opened her eyes, they were filled with determination. "Fine."

"What?"

"Fine. I will do this with you."

"Teresa, no." She might have been willing to put her own life in danger, but the thought of Teresa's life on the line caused her breath to seize.

"I lost you before because I was afraid. I can't do that again. You're not the only one who feels like they have shit they need to atone for."

"What about Clare? You said you can't leave her, and you shouldn't." She couldn't allow Clare to lose Teresa again. Not like this, not in this way. Not against Priscilla.

"You said you were going to train. Then so will I." Teresa nodded resolutely. "I'll train with you under one condition."

"What?"

"We don't go after Priscilla until I am strong enough to end her."

Irene looked over at her. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah."

"All right. Then we do this together."

"Together."

She put her hand in Teresa's, and for a moment, she felt invincible.

If you enjoyed, please consider leaving a comment!