The morning came and went and I awoke in the late afternoon feeling a thousand times better. It is incredible how the body can bounce back with some food and rest.

I checked the date a paled considerably.

It had been a little over three days since we had gone into the tunnel to fight and die.

With groans and moans, team DEEP awoke and stretched sore muscles. "Good afternoon, my darlings." I called, setting out a hearty meal. Even I ate more than usual. Blackberries and toast weren't going to get me back into shape alone.

As Peyton sipped his tea, he opened his scroll and choked. "Ye gods."

Alarmed, I rushed to his side. "Dahlia… we have more messages…" I groaned. "From who?"

He looked down the line of messages. "Ozpin, Ozpin, Daren, Simon, Blake, Ozpin, Ruby, Daren, Daren, Ozpin, Simon, Ren, Yang, Weiss, Jaune, Daren, Blake, Pyrrha, Velvet, Blake, Simon, Nora, Mykel, Ozp-"

"Okay! I got it!" I said, annoyed. "Dahlia, darling, this is what happens when you scare so many people at once, and since you are our fearless leader, all of the real complaints will fall directly in your lap where they belong." Elin said with a wicked grin.

The lanky boy wrapped his arms around his massive boyfriend's neck and kissed his cheek, a subtle reminder that he was getting out of being yelled out because his love was there with us.

While mine was probably fuming in his office, waiting desperately for my reply.

I sighed. I'd put this off long enough.

"Alright, team… time to listen to the messages." We collectively winced but we sat down and turned toward the monitor.

Peyton scrolled to the first one. Oz's reply to Peyton's garbled message the night we had emerged half dead from the tunnels of Mountain Glenn.

Oz was sitting at his desk and he cleared his throat before beginning.

"Well team DEEP, I am glad to know that your foolish actions did not yet cost you your lives." He began and we all winced again at the edge in his voice.

"Oh, he is mad." Elise murmured.

"You were sent on a basic assignment with a strong Huntsman. Yes, there were complications and you all are praised for your bravery in the battle above ground. But nowhere in any instructions were you to do anything like what you did. Huntress Goodwitch is frantic as are the rest of the staff, you have riled up the entire student body and General Ironwood is still trying to understand why two first year teams were sent on this mission and until we received your message, we assumed that you were dead. Can you not understand the consequences your actions have?"

The boys gulped.

"I cannot fathom what possessed you to play the heroes and go back into those tunnels. I will not ask what you were thinking because clearly, you weren't!"

Elise's shoulders hunched.

"Upon your return, all of you will receive punishment for such reckless behavior. Do not tarry too long or the punishment will grow worse."

The transmission cut off. We each let out a gusty sigh. "Well, we knew it was going to be bad." I sighed. "And it's going to get worse, you know. That message was sent three days ago." Elise just shrugged dejectedly.

This is what we got for being the heroes.

The next few transmissions were similar. Less cutting but painful all the same. Our sister teams were furious and scared witless. They kept asking where are you? Are you okay? Why? Why? Why?

Even Ren, cool and collected Ren, looked half out of his mind with worry.

Glynda's was particularly painful. She cried as she asked why? Why? Why? She told us we were reckless fools and that she was going to beat us when we got back but at the end of the transmission she broke down saying "I'm just s-so glad you're all okay."

She said she was sorry for locking us in the dark even though I told her to.

For Blake's message I made the others leave the room.

The message was for Dahlia as Big Sister.

Blake wore no bow and she looked exhausted like she hadn't slept a wink since I had gone. She asked me why I would try to save the people who wanted me dead. She tried to speak of the past but she couldn't. Her ears lay back in grief.

"I can't lose you, Dahlia. Not when I've just gotten you back. Please come home soon and come home safe." She sniffled, emphasizing the word safe.

Daren's first message was a general rant at all of us, especially me. His second one, Peyton, Elin and I had to leave the room but from what I heard, Daren had cried too.

All of Oz's messages were cold and impersonal but there was definite change. The bags beneath his eyes grew more pronounced with every passing day, every passing hour. He looked pale and wan. He just kept reminding us to come back quickly.

Something I came to accept was, as Elin had said early, everyone blamed me. The most painful thing all of my friends and teachers said was that it was my fault we had almost died. I was the leader and I had put my team in immense danger. This was my entire fault.

The only ones who were stoutly against that were my three teammates. They had followed me because they knew I was right, or so they said. We live as a team, Peyton said, we will die as a team.

It took us almost three hours to wade through all of the pain filled messages.

Finally, it was Oz's last one. The one he had sent late morning that day. When we opened it up he cleared his throat just like he always did before he cut into us again but this time he merely asked, "Team DEEP, would you leave the room for this message. This is for me and your leader."

I motioned them to go and they did without protest.

He seemed calm and collected as he waited. Moments after my team closed the door, he changed before my eyes.

He sagged dramatically, his face crumpled with pain and fear as he covered it with his hands.

"By all the Gods, Dahlia, where are you?" He whispered brokenly. "I need you."

I had to grip the chair to stop my hands from shaking.

"You've been gone for too long and you haven't answered any of our messages. We can't find your location and you haven't even opened any of the messages you've been sent. Are you hurt? Are you dying and that's why you haven't contacted me? Gods, Dahlia everything is falling apart."

I was shocked to see silent tears running down his face when he lowered his hands. "Could you feel my pain when Glynda came and told me that she had sealed you back inside the tunnels with all those Grimm? Could you feel hers? All to save those Faunus. Your sister teams are frantic and they keep trying to sneak out to search for you. I can't sleep, I can't eat, and I can barely stand. I'm drowning without you. All I have is your last recording and it scares me to wonder if that's all I will have. None of you will really be punished, it's just a show. Please, my love, come home. We all need you desperately. I need you desperately. Please come back."

My heart thudded and tears welled up in my eyes. They really thought we were gone. I've got to be the most despicable person on the entire planet.

I watched him fall apart even more before the recording was over. Gods, what have I done?

I don't know what my team saw in me when they came back but they came and we huddled together for comfort. At least there were three people who didn't want to throttle me.

"Team?"

Three eyes turned to look at me. "Yes, oh fearless leader."

I winced. For once I didn't like the responsibility of being the leader. I was going to pay for my impulsive actions more than I already had the minute I set foot back home at Beacon.

"Let's go home."

We sighed together and together, we let out a collective groan.

As I flew the transporter through the cloudy skies, I felt someone drape something over me. "All done." A triumphant Elin announced.

I looked down and was impressed to see an intricate necklace resting against my chest. The broken claw of something rested against my sternum, between my leather encased breasts.

We had all showered again and changed into our usual attire.

I was not looking forward to opening the box that contained our killer gear. It probably stank like death and gore.

Elin was very pleased with his creation. It was made of teeth, leather and colored beads he found stored away. They were well made glass beads from Vacuo which made me wonder what else this transporter had been used for.

He had made four different designs for four different people and all of the teeth used were the ones that I had pulled out of that particular person.

It was grotesque and lovely. A testament of our strength.

When I looked back for a moment at my team, it startled me to see their haunted expressions. Startled me even more to know that same expression was on my face. Had always been lurking on my face, even when I smiled.

My heart clenched. They had always been haunted but with me as their leader, I had made them so much worse.

Blaming yourself won't change anything. They'll learn to deal with it, just as you have.

Have I really learned to deal with what I was? What I still am?

I almost laughed.

I would never change, would I?

I tried to stretch out healing strands to my team but I still couldn't use my Semblance. I had overworked it too much in too short of a time. Even my Quick Heal wasn't working. I knew I looked like a corpse that crawled out of a grave with my death wounds still fresh.

But I wasn't a corpse. None of us were dead. Not on the outside at least.

On the inside?

I grimaced as we neared Beacon. It's beautiful pristine towers and gardens looked so fake at the moment. There was corruption inside of it. At the heart of Vale itself. Team DEEP needed to be strong to stand against what I foresaw was coming. All seemed at peace.

Or maybe just a calm before a raging storm?

We'd need to be strong. We had proven we could be that strong in the Tunnels of Mountain Glenn.

But would our strength last?

It was dark when we crept to our rooms. Using all the techniques I had taught them, the boys and I slipped in unnoticed. Tomorrow would be soon enough to deal with our hysterical classmates and teachers. But there were two people that couldn't wait.

That was why I had dropped Elise off with Daren.

I only took time to change before I slipped from the room and left Peyton and Elin to sleep some more. We'd all be sleeping a lot in the weeks to come.

I took our killer gear and hid it in the bushes near the stream I washed it in before I carefully made my way to Oz's room. I was unsure and dread burbled in my stomach.

I had no idea what to expect.

When I entered his office and he was not there.

I felt like a trespasser for the first time ever.

When I crawled achingly up the stairs to his room there was no light on. All was dark, for the stars did not shine and the moon was hidden behind dark clouds. I could see fine thanks to my wolf eyes but part of me wished that the darkness would blind me.

His bed was neatly made and completely untouched. Proof that he hadn't slept since I had left on my mission.

Poor Oz. To have gotten stuck loving me, of all people.

He stood by the west wall, giving a view of the docks I had just landed by. He must have stared at those docks every day waiting for me. His face held no expression whatsoever. I touched the strands of green inside me and found a chilling blankness that I was sure hid emotions that I wasn't ready to understand.

It was a testament to how deep inside himself he had gone that he didn't realize someone else was in the room with him.

So, without knowing what to do next, I called his name gently, hearing all the guilt and relief in my voice that I felt.

Slowly, like a wooden doll, he turned.

There was a strange noise that came from his throat. A cross between a keen and a whimper. He got to his feet, like he was afraid if he moved too fast that he would shatter before he reached me.

Gods, this was worse than I had thought.

I didn't move. He was in his suit but he looked disheveled. His hair was unkempt and he wore a new expression. Desperate, wild hope.

When he stood in front of me, he lifted his hand up but didn't touch me.

"You are real… aren't you?" His eyes never left mine. As if he thought if he looked away I would vanish.

But that was it wasn't it? He thought I was a phantom.

"Oh Oz, I'm so sorry." I murmured, reaching for his hand. He was so cold.

At my touch, his whole body began to shake. I caught him as he fell to his knees and I let him wrap his arms around me tightly with his face buried in my stomach. I could barely breathe but I could've cared less. His silent tears soaked my nightgown in moments.

I knelt down and his head ended up on my chest, tucked beneath my chin. His grip didn't loosen and my arms twined around his shoulders while my right hand slowly stroked the back of his head.

"Dahlia… Dahlia, I missed you… Everything fell apart when you left… everything died when you did… please tell me you won't do that ever again. Please let me die first so that I never have to go through that again." Words stuck in my throat.

I recalled all the times our places had been reversed. How many times had he held me as I wept out pain others couldn't understand?

He had always been strong for me. I kissed the top of his head and let his cries become not so silent. I soothed him but I couldn't use my Semblance to help. I had to let my presence be enough.

He babbled on till words became beyond him.

I wondered how long it had been since he had just cried. Knowing my Oz, it had been a very long time since tears had graced his cheeks.

I kissed his head and his face when he turned to look at me. I held him; I whispered words of love and healing and let him lean on me for strength.

He had always been strong for me and now it was my turn to be strong for him.