A/N: End Note:

Alright, so the story is over. PM me if it seems like any chapters are missing (Terribly unfortunate, but during the editing process I had to take What's Real down completely, thus losing both 106 wonderful reviews, and also all of the original chapters. I might have missed some of my re-uploads in the re-uploading process, so…), and as always, please review if you're new or have any constructive criticism.

Thank you to all my original reviewers. I do love hearing from you (for some of you I must pretend that that was the past tense). 106 reviews for a measly little wretch of a first story is amazing, I believe, and I thank you for it. So…

Here's the platter of cookies:

Preview of What's Wrong:

Scipio and Rae's new life together. Abuse of any kind scars, and those scars take years to heal—if they ever do. Our favorite couple figures this out through an agonizing process, with only each other to fall back upon. But when doubts about their relationship threaten to break them, what will they do?

--

Scipio's fingers dug into his skull, curled as he was at the base of the wall. All around him the jeers of the drunken men resounded, and he shivered uncontrollably. It was driving him insane, their laughter, their slurred voices and the smell—Oh God, the smell made his already knotted stomach churn, and a wretched sob passed his lips.

In the back of his mind he knew he needed to find Rae, but his limbs wouldn't obey his feeble mental commands. Tears slipped from his eyes, stinging as they tore across the open slashes on his face.

"Dammit, why me?"

--

Rae's roundhouse connected solidly with the lifted hand, and she swiftly dropped into a front stance, lightly bouncing on her heels for a fraction of a second before punching at her opponent's stomach and pulling her punch before it could cause any damage at all. The point was called and they stepped back, breathing heavily and grinning at each other as the winner was declared. Rae bowed and walked over to where the only street-clothed boy was standing.

"Wow."

"You could do that too, you know," Rae replied calmly and caught the bottle of water he threw at her. "I'll teach you, since I'm a black belt now. I don't think you'd be up to the stress of the others fighting around you; I'll also ask Dad to help, since he's done this sort of thing before."

"People like me?"

"Mostly girls, actually. He's told me. Lots of people come to learn self defense because they were abused by parents, or men… He can help, trust me. Don't let his size fool you." She looked up at him sternly. "He's a teddy bear, not a bull. Just don't be stupid, or else he'll give you what you deserve."

Regardless of her reassuring presence and her attempt at reassuring words, his dark eyes were frightened as he looked up at the hulking form of the man who'd taken him in, cooked for him, taught him Chemistry, and allowed him to date his daughter...

Scipio swallowed hard.

He was going to die.

--

His jaw clenched at the verbal abuse, but he continued walking. She rolled her eyes and sighed, tossing her hair over her shoulder defiantly. "Idiots," she muttered under breath as she huffed up the stairs to the Chemistry department. "Come on, Dad said he'd meet us inside."

"You sure it's OK?"

"Come on." She waved her note and her keys. "Inside, before the cold gets in."

"Have I told you that I don't like this room?"

"No wonder. Somebody died in it."

"What!"

"Just kidding. But I do know what you mean. Don't worry, I'll protect you."

He rolled his eyes and threw his backpack down onto one of the lab stations. "I told you, I'd do the protecting from now on."

"So you did." She perched on the edge of the black counter and tangled her hand in his jacket. He leaned into her and sighed, pressing his lips to her forehead. "But sometimes I can tell that though you don't want it, you need protection. Or at least comfort."

"You see right through me."

"No. You're just an incredibly readable person."

"What can you read now?"

"Two words."

"…"

"'Kiss me'."

--

"Would you shut up?"

A door slammed down the hall.

"You first!"

"Scipio, listen to me!"

"No, you listen to me! You've been spending more and more time with him and less time with me, and you won't believe me when I tell you the truth about him and his gang-banging minions! If you can't trust me on that, then why do you trust me on everything but?"

"Why do I, Scipio? Tell me!"

"You said you loved me."

"So did you! Why can't you trust me on this?"

"Because you don't know everything—"

"Neither do you! Why don't you just go curl up in your corner and cry for a while, while I go and actually do something right? Go on, go call for Mommy!"

"Rae!"

"Don't touch me."

"Rae—"

"Leave me alone, Massimo!"

Another slam.

Silence.

--

All in "What's Wrong", sequel to What's Real. A Thief Lord Fanfic, completely AU. Major OOC and OCness. Coming whenever I feel like it, sorry.