"Thank you," Grace managed to rasp out, wincing at both the sound of her voice and the feel of the ice pack gently being pressed onto her bruised skin. Dr Bruce Banner gave her a sympathetic smile as he turned away from the bed where Grace was currently sitting. He left the room without another word to Grace, making her feel even more uneasy about the situation.

Captain America, in all his glory, was standing in front of her. Arms crossed, shield resting on the floor with a mixture of shock and frustration all over his face. At least he was giving Grace a few moments to compose herself. Not that she needed it, Grace knew she fucked up in a very big way. This mistake was on her head and when she could speak properly, she was going to wear full responsibility for it.

"I thought you knew what you were doing." Grace winced at the harsh words thrown at her. Though harsh, they had a ring of truth to them. What she had done made her looked like a medical student fumbling through their first exam. It wasn't pretty.

"My medical degree says that I do," Grace said, wincing as every word had to be forced out of her sore throat. "But it seems my desire not to see someone near strangle themselves with their sheet during a nightmare won over my common sense."

Inwardly Grace winced at her words. It wasn't the smartest thing she had ever said in her life. It was stretching the truth a little as well. Right now it may very well be professional suicide. But Steve firmly held her gaze, never backing down. Grace set her jaw and returned his gaze, keeping cool and professional.

"He could have killed you," Steve pointed out, more frustrated than angry. Grace tilted her head, eyeing off the Captain curiously. If she was a little less experienced in human emotions, she may have thought Steve was angry with her. But all she could see in his face was an unease, almost a discomfort at her being hurt.

"He may well have." Grace shifted uncomfortably on the bed. Her back was hurting now. "But he didn't. He only got upset when I called him Asset. He told me his name is Bucky, not Asset."

Steve sucked in a sharp breath. The look of surprise on his face gave Grace the courage to continue.

"So, despite this." Grace felt a little braver as she motioned to her sore neck. "I think that's an improvement on the man who wouldn't eat or sleep a few days ago. He told me he knew The Hobbit as well."

"That was my favourite book," Steve murmured, almost too low for Grace to hear.

"I fucked up," Grace continued, pretending she didn't hear Steve's quiet comment. "And I will take full responsibility for my mistake. If you no longer feel like I'm capable of this job, I will hand it over to someone else. I can give you a list of several colleagues who I believe would be up to the job. I'm not going to stand here pretending I'm the only person who can do this job. There's probably 100 people more capable than me out there. I haven't unpacked yet which will make it easier for me to pack my bags."

Grace could feel her heart hammering in her chest during her little speech. While her words felt brave and true, she felt like an unsure intern all over again. But she sat in the bed, holding Steve's gaze. His eyebrows raised a little during her speech, but otherwise his expression gave nothing away.

"Do you think he trusts you?" Steve said after a long minute of silence.

"No." Grace had no hesitation in shaking her head. Bucky wouldn't trust anyone or anything for a very long time. Trust would take time to build and she simply hadn't had the time to build that kind of rapport yet. "But he respects me enough to listen to what I had to say before he crushed my windpipe beyond repair."

"You may have Lucky to thank for that," Steve said, looking a little grim. Grace felt her stomach drop at his words. But she kept herself together, calm and professional. Being a crying mess over something that was her fault wasn't going to help this situation. "The only reason Bucky dropped you was because Lucky bit him."

"Lucky can have all the bacon he wants for saving my life then," Grace kept her voice even. Injecting a little humour into the situation wasn't going to hurt. She felt her eyes drift over to the window where she could see the back's of the other Avengers. Lucky's head was just visible above the glass. Clint Barton was stroking his ears and Lucky was leaning against his master. Grace smiled to herself. He was a good dog. Her ice pack had quickly grown warm, so she put it down on the bed. Her throat wasn't anything a few Tylenol wasn't going to fix.

"Do you know how many people can stand there and admit when they've made a mistake to Captain America?" Steve asked, pulling Grace's attention back to her situation at hand. Grace shook her head, not quite trusting her aching throat or emotions right now. "It's not many, I could count them on one hand. I appreciate your brutal honesty Dr Anderson."

Grace didn't bother to correct him on using her given name. Using a formal title usually meant a dismissal was coming. Grace squared her shoulders and set her jaw. Despite the bitter disappointment welling up in her, she knew this was her own fault. She would do exactly as she said, wear the consequences of her own actions. If it had been someone under her direction, she would have fired them without hesitation. She'd seen doctor's fired for a lot less mistakes than she had just made.

"The only thing I can insist on right now is that you please take a few hours off to recover," Steve said, carefully choosing his words. "I can have JARVIS wake you if you're needed, but please at least pretend you've slept in your new room. Pepper will be disappointed otherwise."

"Then I won't disappoint Ms Potts," Grace quickly squashed down her surprise. She had been certain she was about to head back up to her room and grab her still packed bags. "Thank you for trusting me Captain."

"Steve," he corrected Grace. There was a ghost of a smile on his face. "We may still have a bit to go with trust. But I definitely respect you to stand here and tell me you were wrong. It takes a lot of courage. Are you feeling up to meeting everyone yet, or would you like me to shoo the pack away for a little bit longer?"

"I think I've had enough excitement for today," Grace couldn't stop the dry tone from slipping into her voice. It wasn't a lie. She was feeling ready for bed and it was only 4pm.

"I will disperse the Avenger gauntlet for you," Steve said with a smile. Captain America suddenly fell away with that smile and standing in front of her was Steve Rogers. Grace couldn't help but smile back. It was extremely flattering having Steve smile at her.

"I appreciate it, Steve." Grace had to try out his name. It felt odd to be calling him be his given name.

With another smile, Steve walked out of the room. Grace sagged against the bed, not quite believing her own luck. She had to force herself to breath normally as a chuckle came out. Despite her bravado about taking her dismissal, Grace was very relieved to not be on her way to Maryland. These last few days, as boring as they might have been to an outsides view, had been life changing for Grace. She was doing something no one ever had before. This might be the hardest patient she would ever have in her life. But working with Bucky would make so many grounds in other areas. Grace was well aware of her very lengthy non disclosure agreement, meaning she couldn't publish any research. But she wasn't interested in looking good on a piece of paper. This would help so many other people.

Grace was bone tired by the time she pushed herself off the bed. The hallway had quickly been cleared of everyone but Sam. She could see him hovering by the door, looking impatient. While she didn't want to hear a lecture from him, Sam could also show her to her room. Sleep was looking very good right about now. Deciding not to procrastinate about it any further, Grace got off the bed and walked to the door.

"Hi," Grace said cautiously as the door swung open on it own.

"How do you feel?" Sam wasted no time in taking Grace by the shoulders and inspecting every inch of her.

"Fine, stop fussing at me," Grace scolded him. "It was suggested that I take a few hours off to enjoy my room. I think I might take that advice."

"About time." The relief was clear in Sam's voice, but he held onto his stern expression. "Get some sleep and I'll yell at you in the morning."

"I look forward to it," Grace said sarcastically. On a whim, she lent forward and wrapped her arms around her best friend. Sam hugged her back, a little tighter than normal. "I'm okay."

"I know you are, you're tougher than you look," Sam's voice was a little muffled in Grace's hair. "Don't do that again please."

"I don't plan on it."

"Good." Sam finally let her go. "Come on, I'll finally take you to your room."

The living area of Stark Tower was on the top floors. Grace didn't have the energy to marvel at the city view below her. Sam stopped at the second door away from the elevator.

"This is you." Sam opened the door. "And I'm across the hallway from you."

Grace stepped into the room, ready to thank Sam. But she fell speechless at the room in front of her. The apartment could have come straight from the pages of a magazine. The open plan room was a spacious lounge room with a kitchen off to the side. The far wall was all windows, giving an even better view of the city. Everything looked brand new, Grace felt like she had to kick her shoes off before stepping out onto the plush carpet. It was a far cry from her cramped little apartment.

"This is all mine?" Grace turned to Sam, her eyes wide with shock.

"All yours," Sam laughed at her shocked expression. "Like I said before, Stark is very generous. He's also ridiculously wealthy and thinks these apartments are slumming it. You should see the Penthouse."

Grace doubted she would ever set foot in the penthouse. She was more than happy with the apartment provided for her. It was the nicest thing she would ever live in. Then again, Grace was now free of her crippling student loans. She could afford the smaller luxuries in life, like an apartment bigger than a shoebox.

"Get some sleep," Sam ordered. "JARVIS will wake you if you're needed."

"Got it." Grace didn't have any energy left to argue. She walked through the apartment and went straight to the bedroom. It was just as opulent as the rest of the apartment. The king sized bed screamed for her attention and Grace was more than happy to flop down on it. Her eyes closed and she was asleep within seconds.

A gentle pinging sound invaded Grace's senses. The more she tried to ignore it and stay asleep, the louder it became.

"I'm sorry Dr Anderson," JARVIS' voice cut through the fog of her sleep. "But Sargent Barnes is quite persistently asking for you."

Grace rolled over with a groan, staring up at the ceiling. It was still dark. A little after 4am according to the clock beside her. She was comfortable, despite her tired and sore state and not feeling very keen on getting out of bed.

"Can you put his room audio through to me?" Grace asked groggily, not truely awake yet.

There was a long pause, so long Grace nearly drifted back off to sleep. But when Bucky's deep voice sounded above her, Grace jumped in surprise.

"The voice in my room told me I could talk to you." Every word Bucky spoke was with great hesitation. "And you aren't in the other room at the moment."

"No, I'm not. I came up to my apartment to get some sleep." Grace stared at the ceiling above her, feeling strange to be having a conversation like this. "Is something wrong?"

"No."

Grace waited for an explanation to come, but there was only silence.

"Did you need something?" Grace probed after a minute of silence. She reluctantly got out of bed, scrubbing a hand over her face tiredly. Whether she liked it or not, her patient needed her right now.

"No."

Grace sighed at the monosyllable answer. Bucky obviously needed or wanted something. Getting it out of him this way was probably going to be like pulling teeth. Still, Grace was impressed Bucky had managed to work out how to talk to her through JARVIS.

"I'm coming down there now." Grace forced her tired body to move. "I'll be 5 minutes. Confirm?"

She hadn't meant to say confirm. It had just slipped out. After Bucky's snap about not being HYDRA's Assert anymore, it was the wrong thing for her to say.

"Confirmed," Bucky's answer was crisp and instant.

Grace nodded at the ceiling, before realising he couldn't see her. As she began fumbling around for the light switch, Bucky added in a much smaller voice.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome." Grace smiled as she fumbled for the light switch. A second later bright light flooded the room making her blind for half a second. "I'll be there soon."

It took Grace a lot longer than she wanted to get moving again. Despite the solid 10 hours of sleep, her body was still begging for more. She really had put it through some sleep deprivation abuse over the last few days. Still, she had done worse through college and medical school. She could manage right now. She was somewhat awake by the time she'd taken the elevator down a few floors. As Grace walked to Bucky's room, another person was slipping out of the door. Grace jumped in surprise at the sudden appearance of another person. Beside the dark blond hair man with amazing biceps was a familiar dog.

"Hey boy," Grace said with a grin, perking up at the sight of Lucky. "Who's my favourite boy?"

Lucky came scampering straight over the Grace, wriggling in delight as she bent down to pat him.

"Do I get a pat too?"

Grace straightened herself and found herself face to face with Clint Barton. Well, face to nose. Clint was a few inches taller than her.

"Only if you're a good boy." Grace couldn't stop the cheeky retort slipping out. She cringed at her lack of filter, but thankfully Clint only grinned in response and stuck his hand out.

"Clint Barton, but I guess you already know that." He introduced himself as Grace took his hand. "And if you didn't know, I am always a good boy. Especially if you feed me bacon too."

"Traitor, you weren't meant to tell." Grace looked down to Lucky, pretending to scold the dog. But Clint's quipping had put her instantly at ease. He looked very normal in his faded blue jeans and nondescript grey t-shirt that had seen better days. The media always put the Avengers up on these pedestals, like they were movie stars and no mere mortal could ever attain to be one of them. But standing in front of her was a man with no super abilities. He was just a guy who was really good with a bow and arrow. He also had the most adorable dog Grace had ever seen. It was a far cry from what she expected meeting another Avenger besides Steve. Though it did beg the question of what he was doing down here at this time of the morning.

"Don't worry, it was only his lack of ability to brush his teeth that gave him away," Clint said fondly, reaching over to scratch behind Lucky's ears with a smile. "Thanks for taking him for a walk."

"Anytime," Grace said, returning the easy smile. "He kind of saved my ass this afternoon. He deserves all the bacon and walks he wants."

"Pizza is his favourite," Clint informed her. "But if you get him anything with pepperoni, he sleeps with you because he farts something disgusting all night long."

"I'll keep that in mind." Grace winkled her nose playfully at Lucky. He looked up at her with a big doggy grin, like he was amused at his stinky farts. The curiosity of running into Clint couldn't be held in any longer. "What brings you here at this hour?"

"Just having a chat," Clint said it so casually, like he'd come down to have a beer with a friend. "He's not exactly that chatty type, but you'd be surprised what you learn from people by watching them."

From what Grace knew of Clint, he would certainly know about watching people. The media had dubbed him the Avengers sniper. Some of his reports from SHIELD after the collapse of the Triskelion certainly backed that up.

"Did you learn anything?" Grace asked, wondering if she was about to walk into a trap of some sort. Under Clint's carefree expression, Grace could tell he was smarter than the average person. He seemed like the type of person to play dumb until he had a person exactly where he wanted them.

"That there is far more of Bucky Barnes in there that anyone realises. Under that quiet exterior is a man who's very haunted by what he's done. It's no fun being the weapon and someone else has control of the trigger."

"That sounds like you're speaking with experience," Grace said, trying to be tactful. She remembered there'd been a lot of press surrounding the Avenger in front of her after the file dump. Grace had been too busy to pay attention to it back then, but she vaguely remembered people calling for Clint's arrest. It had something to do with the crazy villain who was responsible for the Chitauri attack a few years ago.

"Buy me a beer sometime and I might tell you." Though the grin on Clint's face was light and carefree, his eyes spoke of haunted memories. "I'm going to bed though. It was nice finally meeting you Grace."

"You too Clint." Grace knew when not to pry for information. Now was the perfect example of letting something drop until a later date. Grace felt a spike of mischief and couldn't stop herself adding. "I'll buy you a bowl of wings with that beer. Good night."

"Ah, a girl after my own heart," Clint said with a laugh. "Good night."

Grace gave Lucky one last pat and watched the pair retreat into the elevator. As soon as the doors closed, Grace shook her head in mild surprise. She certainly had some reading to do on the rest of the Avengers. Striding into the room, Grace found Bucky sitting on his bed, frowning like he was deep in thought.

"What's up?" Grace asked, walking over to the coffee machine. The pot smelt like it was freshly brewed and it was hot. Both of which she desperately needed right now.

"I…." Bucky trailed off, making Grace look over to him. He hadn't changed positions from before, except now he was looking frustrated. "Did I hurt you?"

Grace looked over to the window in mild surprise. She'd expected guilt to set in eventually, but not quite this soon. Clint words about there being more of Bucky Barnes in there than anyone realised rang through her head. The Winter Solider was a cold, calculated all reports, Bucky Barnes was a gentleman. A product of his time but quite the ladies man as well. To Bucky, hurting an innocent civilian, especially a woman was downright despicable. The man looking at Grace right now was all Bucky Barnes, confused and desperate for an answer.

"No, you surprised me more than anything else," Grace lied to save the anguish. "Though you did give me an excuse to wear the really pretty silk scarf I brought ages ago. So thank you for that."

The quirk of lips on Bucky's face was so quick that Grace nearly missed it. But it had been there. Feeling more hopeful than she had in the last few days, Grace finished pouring her coffee and sat on the couch while Bucky contemplated his next words.

"Why am I here?" Bucky's next question didn't surprise Grace. He looked very lost right now.

"Because your friend Steve found you and thought this was the safest place for you," Grace explained patiently, pausing to take a sip of coffee. "You'd been on the run for a long time."

"6 months." Bucky frowned heavily. "Was it 6 months?"

"It was 6 months," Grace confirmed. This was good progress. While he was in the right frame of mind, she decided to gently push for some more answers to where his memory was right now. "Do you remember Steve?"
"Steve." Bucky contemplated the name, his brow furrowed in concentration. "He used to be shorter, but then he joined the Army."

"He did indeed," Grace couldn't help but laugh a little.

"We crashed into the water in DC, I pulled hm out," Bucky said quietly, almost to himself. "He said he knew me and I lied when I said I didn't know him."

Grace waited for Bucky to put the pieces of his thoughts together. He was concentrating so hard right now.

"It's all a tangled mess in my head," Bucky said with a huff. In a movement too quick for Grace to follow, he threw himself back on the bed, staring at the ceiling. He looked like a moody teenager, pouting because he couldn't get his own way. "I don't know what thoughts are mine and whats theirs."

He spat out the last word like it left a disgusting taste in his mouth.

"I might be able to help with that," Grace said carefully. "How about writing them down?"

Bucky's face turned to face Grace through the glass. Grace found it disconcerting how he could always find her straight away. The glass was a one way mirror, yet it seemed like he could see straight through it.

"If you write them down, Steve and I can help you sort out what's real and whats not," Grace added. "A diary of sorts."

"You aren't meant to read a person's diary." The sass dripping from Bucky's voice was completely unexpected. Grace found herself laughing again. There was definitely a lot of Bucky in there right now.

"You aren't meant to read a lady's diary, and believe me you are no lady," Grace said, her tone light and teasing to see what kind of reaction she got. Bucky didn't disappoint, the smile was brief but it was there. He expression quickly turned serious again.

"May I have a pen and paper then?" Bucky asked.

"Of course." Grace got up and went to the desk in the corner. She had spied a few blank books in there earlier when she was looking for a highlighter. Someone had the thought to keep the desk well stocked with pen and paper. It saved Grace having to going walking around New York at dawn trying to find the items.

"Would you mind handing them to me in person?" Bucky's next request was very quiet. Grace had to pause her rummaging to hear him correctly.

"Why is that?" Grace asked, keeping her tone neutral. She knew it wasn't the smartest idea in the world. He could be a very good actor and simply trying to plot his escape. But when she looked over to him, he looked genuinely worried and very nervous about what he was asking. Bucky had gone to sitting on the edge of the bed, wringing his hands together, talking down to the floor.

"Because I'd like to apologise face to face."

Grace nibbled on her lower lip, staring at the man in the room. It was an innocent enough request. She knew common sense would dictate getting Steve or Thor down here at back up. But it was the crack of dawn and she was loathed to rouse either man.

"We need to establish some rules first," Grace said, her voice firm. "I'll stay on this side of the door and if you blink at me the wrong way, the door shuts. Understood?"

"You have my word I won't disturb a hair on your head," Bucky said solemnly.

His reply made Grace run a hand over her wild hair. It was sticking out everywhere and getting a little unruly thanks to her lack of care factor for not brushing it. She knew she probably looked like shit. But she wasn't trying to impress to man across from her.

"Meet me at the door then."

Grace felt her heartbeat quicken with ever step. Her mouth was dry by the end of the 9 steps she took towards Bucky's door.

"JARVIS, open the door please."

"I would kindly like to suggest that Captain Rogers is present for this." JARVIS didn't comply to her command instantly. Grace sighed quietly looking up. She should have known better than someone would interrupt her. Even if that someone was an AI.

"Then please ask Captain Rogers to come down here," Grace said, begrudgingly. She knew it was the safe way to do things, but didn't want to waste another second of time. "And apologise profusely for waking him up."

"Captain Rogers is already awake and on his way to his morning jog," JARVIS replied pleasantly. "He will be with you in less than a minute."

Grace rolled her eyes at the ceiling. She wondered how much JARVIS knew. It almost seemed like he was a real person sometimes.

"Bucky, I'm just waiting for Steve to get here," Grace explained, looking back to the door. "Lucky went to bed so I don't have any back up."

There it was again, that barely there smile on his face that disappeared as quickly as it came. It made Grace have a little smile of her own. It was a good sign he wasn't wallowing in self pity for the mistake that happened before. Right now Bucky was standing on the other side of the door looking as nervous as Grace was feeling.

True to JARVIS' word, Steve came into the room a few seconds later. He was wearing an athletic shirt that was far too tight on him. Grace forced herself not to stare the muscular chest and perfect abs.

"Sorry for disturbing your morning run," Grace said, putting on her polite and professional tone to distract herself from the attractive man in front of her. "I did promise I'd ask for back up."

"I have't been yet, so you aren't disturbing anything." Steve gave her a small smile. "Why are you going in there?"

"Bucky wants to apologise," Grace explained with a shrug of her shoulders. She held up the book and pen in her hand. "And this will give him something to do. He doesn't know what memories are real or not. I want him to write them down and then I was hoping you could help me sort them out."

For the first time Grace had seen, Steve offered her a genuine smile. The polite, almost forced smile fell off his face and a genuine one was there. It made him look years younger and so much less stern. And very attractive. Grace forced her eyes to stay firmly glued to anywhere above his neckline.

"Where should I stand?" Steve asked, looking happier than Grace had ever seen him.

"Far away enough not to interfere, but quick enough to grab him if he chokes me again," Grace knew her answer was vague. But she had no idea how quick Steve actually was. Giving him a little bit of control of the situation would make him feel more at ease too.

"I'll wait right here," Steve said, crossing his arms over his chest. Grace made herself look away, but not before she got a good eyeful of the bulging biceps wanting to escape his t-shirt. If Grace knew him a little better she might tease him abut the small shirt. But now wasn't the time nor the place. She wasn't even sure how far she could push Steve.

"JARVIS, the door please." Grace addressed the ceiling. A second later, the door to Bucky's room opened soundlessly. True to his word, Bucky stood absolutely still. He looked like he was barely breathing as Grace closed the gap between them. She held out the book and pen to him once she got within reach. "For you."

"Thank you." Bucky swallowed hard as he reached out and took the book and pen from her. He was so cautious that not even their fingertips touched. His gaze had zeroed on Grace's neck. She fought back the urge to fidget or cover up the now bruised flesh. "And I'm very sorry for hurting you."

"Like I said, I get to wear my pretty scarf now," Grace said smoothly. "Would you like some breakfast?"

"Yes please." Bucky swallowed again before dropping his eyes to the ground. "Thank you again for the book."

Before Grace could reply, Bucky stepped away from the door and walked back to his bed. The door shut as soon as he sat down again. Grace let out a long, shaky breath, not quite believing her luck of what just happened. She could only stare at the door, not sure whether to cheer for such good progress this morning. Or whether she should cry because the bad always came after the good.

"Are you all right?" Steve's voice broke through her thoughts.

Grace turned around to face him, nodding as she blew out another breath.

"I'm very happy that went well." For the moment Grace would smile. It was a small victory. "Now I think I owe Clint Barton a beer and wings for whatever he said to him to make this morning run so well."

"If it gets my best friend back sooner, I'll buy him one too." Steve's laughter surprised Grace. "He made a comment to Natasha about them being brainwashed bro's together."

"Brainwashed bro's." Grace laughed with Steve. "I like that, even though I don't know the full story."

"It's a long one and definitely his to tell," Steve gave her a wry smile. "Did you need me for anything else?"

"No, thank you," Grace said, composing herself back into the professional she attempted to be. "I appreciate your help."

"If you want to go over his books, I'm a floor above you," Steve's words came out a little rushed. "You're welcome up there any time."

Grace swore she saw a faint dusting of pink creeping along Steve's face as he said the last part. She was nearly going to make a smart ass comment, but quickly stopped herself. Steve had only been out of the ice for 2 years now. He was very much a man out of time. In the 40's, inviting a woman up to his room would have been something inappropriate. It was little wonder he looked mildly embarrassed about it.

"That would be great," Grace said with a smile. "I promise I'll bring baked goods of some kind if I have to disturb you."

If there was one thing she could do well, it was bake. Grace used to joke through medical school that she'd quit medicine and be a baker instead. It was her way of coping with stress.

"Anything but apple pie would be great." Steve's face lit up and he lost all traces of embarrassment.

"I'm scandalised," Grace said with a mock gasp. "Captain America doesn't like apple pie? How unpatriotic of him."

"Captain America likes everything," Steve laughed at her joke. "Steve Rogers, however, detests most types of pie."

"I'll bring brownies and cupcakes instead," Grace promised, laughing as well. "Thanks for interrupting your morning run for me."

"Anytime."

The smile Steve sent her made Grace feel some butterflies. She mentally shooed them away as quickly as they came. She couldn't help it though. Steve was very attractive. Any female would go weak at the knees at that golden boy smile of his. Before she could say anything else, Steve slipped out of the room. Grace let out a soft sigh. She really needed to get her hormones under control before she said something stupid. It would just be her luck to screw up her dream job by making inappropriate comments at the man who was essentially her boss.

With another sigh, this time a contented one. Grace turned back to her job at hand. Bucky was sitting on his bed, scribbling away at a frantic pace in his book. Judging by the concentration on his face, he wouldn't take kindly to being disturbed. Grace went to the desk and grabbed her own laptop. She may as well get started on making notes of today, even though the sun was barely rising. It had been a good start to the day. She hoped it would last a little longer.

Authors Note

Sorry for the wait of this one. I bit off a bit more than I could chew with my writing commitments and I really wanted to get the last couple of chapters for Crystallize done before I worked on this one. It got pieced together slowly, but its finally here.

I hope everyone enjoys it. I can't promise when the next update will be, but I won't abandon it after it harassed me for so long to be written.

Until next time.