Faith didn't expect to see Rilla Blythe in Jem's apartment when letting herself in with the key he gave her. The teenager who had been thin, to begin with was smaller than ever, and what used to be beautiful ruddy red hair, was cut short.

"Rilla," Faith breathes out the name. Trying to not react, trying not to go over and hug the poor girl because that wouldn't probably end well. "Where's Jem?"

"Bathroom," She says simply. "Do you always let yourself into his place?"

"Sometimes, he said he was running late and told me to come over?" Faith says setting down her bag.

"Mom and Dad are somewhere and didn't want to bring me he got stuck looking after me like him five." The teen explains scratching her arm and wrist, it was red and scratched up. "The cat scratched me." It's a lie though but Faith will let her have it.

Faith just nods her head. "Do you want something to drink?" I know where Jem hides the apple juice?" Faith says not sure what else to say. What was Jem doing in there?

"I'm fine," the younger girl shakes her head and sits back down as Jem comes out of the bathroom.

"Ahh, you're here," Jem says. "Thank you for that."

"It's not a problem," Faith tells him.

"Did you ask her over so she can watch over me?" Rilla asks eyes narrowing.

"Of course not," Jem tells her, "but we had plans to study and since you're here there's no meeting at the library so we'll study here together. You can watch tv or whatever until Mom and Dad come back."

Faith smiles awkwardly at Rilla, taking out her textbooks on basic medicine and the dictionary of their uses.

"Do you know how many anti-depressants you have to take for it to be lethal?" Rilla says out loud reading the book title.

"Rilla," Jem warns her quietly.

"What, because apparently 25 of them only put me in the hospital," She finishes with a rather flourished sarcastic tone. Faith who is fairly schooled in not responding emotionally looks at Jem. Part of her wanted to laugh, dark humour got her through her mother's own death when she was twelve after all. She doesn't though.

She rests her hand on Jem's forearm, to stop him.

"Are you dating?" Rilla asks next clearly over the lack of shock value she probably was used to getting at this point.

"We're just friends," Jem says gruffly.

"But you sleep together?" Rilla asks again.

"No, we do not," Jem growls a little. "Stop being so nosy, will you? Read a book, watch something, entertain yourself until Mom and dad come back."

Faith watches Rilla's face fall a bit and she gives Jem a look. "Do you want to get some fresh air? There's a nice park nearby we can go for a small walk?" She watches Rilla look outside the window with a look of longing and then there is terror in her eyes. Another scratch to her wrist, but she nods her head.

Jem locks up the apartment and Faith walks with her arm around the too-skinny teen for support. She dodges everything and everyone that walks near her, though the park isn't busy, they sit down on a bunch taking in the May flowers and air.

"They said it would get easier over time," Rilla says quietly which shocks both Jem and Faith., "it doesn't feel like that." ,

"When I lost my mom, they said that same thing, really you just learn to live in a new way," Faith tells her. "I know it's not the same, and you know that everyone is here for you and only wants you to be well for lack of a better word, happier?"

"What does that sign mean?" She points to an old building that is part of the university.

"That's an old wing on campus, it's just an old Dalhousie logo. That one is part of engineering I think?" Jem says. "I think they still use it for things?"

Rilla frowns, eyes narrowing further.

"What is it Rilla?" Faith asks her.

"He had that on a shirt," she says carefully. "I couldn't describe it, it was all so blurry. But that looks like it?"

"He was wearing it?" Faith says looking at Jem who was ready to pounce on someone they didn't even know.

"I think so?" Rilla says scratching at her arm once more getting up from the bench in a panic.

"Hey, hey, it will be alright," Jem jumps up

"I want to go home, I want to go home," the teen cries.

"Okay, will head back to my place," Jem says trying to hug her but she pushes him away.

"Rilla, it's okay," Faith whispers. "Let's go back to the apartment and Jem will call your mom and dad okay?"

Jem leads Rilla over to the couch, once they get back to his apartment, reaching for something only Faith really knows about as they wait for his parents. She wants to sleep, but he had another idea at the moment.

"You know I have a lot of tough days, between medical school and volunteering at the cancer ward. One of the old ladies there taught me how to knit though, so when I'm having a hard day, instead of drinking, I do this," Jem says showing her some knitted socks in crazy colours. Some of small and child-size, and some are for adults.

Faith watches him go through the steps, he's patient with his sister who constantly breaks into a panic or tears as confused as she is about everything and not always listening to him.

He knits for the NICU babies as well, not that he would tell that to Rilla any time soon, tiny little hats, that he will drop off every few months.

"Just keep knitting, don't worry about the pattern just yet," Jem tells her. "See it's easy and you have to have an ounce of concentration to do it properly,"

When the Blythes come back they find Rilla still knitting, it's lopsided and has dropped stitches but it's kept her mind occupied.

"Was everything all right?" Anne asks kissing her son's cheeks.

"Yeah it was fine, can I talk to you for a moment out in the hall?" He looks over at Faith who is crocheting next to Rilla, who quietly nods her head.

"Of course," Dr. Blythe says still shocked to see his youngest knitting.

Faith smiles at Rilla as the door shuts. "Why don't we pack up a few things for you?" Faith says to her. Jem had already told Rilla that she can take a few things home with her if she wanted to.

"Do you think any boy would ever want me?" Rilla asks quietly. "After all of this?"

"Of course, and if they truly love you and want to be with you, they'll do it on your terms," Faith tells her. "You've always been a sweet girl Rilla, this isn't the Victorian age. What happened doesn't ruin you."

"But if you and Jem can't even figure it out, why would anyone ever want to be with me?"

"Rilla, Jem and I? We're different, we're good being friends. We care for each other deeply but it's just not like that for us." Faith tries to explain as the door opens.

"Ready to go Rilla?" Dr. Blythe says to her. Rilla nods her head standing up and taking the bag Faith hands her.

The Blythe hug and kiss Faith as they do Jem before leaving with Rilla quietly trailing behind them.

"So, what are your plans for the weekend?" Faith asks Jem as they find themselves alone once more.

"Study?" Jem says absentmindedly. "You?"

"Your other sisters want to go out and I could use a good orgasm that doesn't involve well... batteries," Faith tells him honestly.

"You know I am taking that class about sexual response and nature of the humankind over the summertime?" Jem tells her.

"No, and you took a course on why we like sex?"

"It's interesting, breaks down all the mind and hormones, we had a choice of projects and one of them is to explore and write about a sexual experience?"

"You have a choice to rate someone's sex life or your own sex life?" Faith raises an eyebrow.

"It's a bit unorthodox, but it feels like a fun experiment," Jem says shrugging.

"Well, have fun then," Faith says to him patting his shoulder.

"Faith?" Jem says looking at her.

Faith looks up at him, and see's that look on his face.

"Are you asking to sleep with me?" Faith looks at him.

"I am asking for help on an assignment, completely clinical and non-emotional night, or afternoon together." Jem shakes his head.

"You asking for me to sleep with you" Faith gives him a look.

"Only because you mentioned it yourself," Jem says.

"And afterwards?" Faith asks him curiously. "Wouldn't it just be easier to keep on knitting?"

"Funny, knitting is for stress relief and helping the hospital. Nothing would change, it's an experiment for class nothing more," Jem says with a shrug. "As I said clinical, non-emotional experiment."

"Do I get to rate you?" Faith asks to lean in.

"Of course," Jem nods his head.

"Well, I suppose we both know each other is clean." Faith ponders for a moment.

"True," Jem says nodding. "Though it would have to be sober preferably?" He says carefully.

"Of course," Faith understands instantly that after Rilla, Jem was not taking chances. "And anytime either of us changes our minds, we stop. Withdrawal of consent is a line drawn and one we won't try and cross again."

"Well then," Jem says clearing his throat as the phone goes off.

"Shit I have youth group tonight at the church, I have to go," Faith tells him before kissing his cheek and grabbing her sweater from the chair. "Want to come along, pizza and veggie tales?"

"Sure," Jem says nodding his head. "Let's go."


Obviously, such an assignment would never be a real thing...but this fiction, and I think it will be fun to write about definitely fun to write!