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Special thanks to SaphiraRyuuka once again!
Also thank you for all of your kind reviews! I'll hope you'll enjoy this chapter as much :)

She closed her eyes to the world; as if she was trying to shut it out of her mind. For a second, she thought it worked. Her scraped knees were resting on the wooden execution platform, she could barely move anymore. A familiar voice broke her heart; she heard her father screaming. She lifted her head at the sound of her paternal. Lydia couldn't really hear what he was saying, she almost thought he was crying; maybe. Charles rushed through the massive amount of people, making his way to his daughter; his precious daughter. Guards were trying to restrain him, but nothing seemed to actually work. He finally got to her, as she lifted her heavy head, tears fillings up their eyes. He cupped her small, bruised face in his strong hands.
"Everything is going to be alright darling," his thumb was brushing her cheek, "I'll get you out of here, the Baron will hear about this."
Lydia cocked her head to the side, leaning on the hand that supported her face. He looked around, as The Watch came closer. With a swift move, he jumped on the platform, reaching out for her. He tried to remove the noose around her neck.
"Father..." Was all she managed to say, after seeing him being dragged away by some guards. A fraction of a second was all he needed; everybody had their back turned to her. The executed pulled the lever. The whole crowd looked at the cord. She was nowhere to be seen.

The commotion was still going on around them. Lydia's head was resting on a hard leather suit; a hand on her mouth. She looked up and saw his cloaked face; did he really come to rescue her? Was he here because he felt guilty? Her eyes closed again; as she struggled to get away from him but his grip was firm, pinning her against him. Garrett knew they didn't have much time to get away. He released her, as he got up and looked around carefully. Lydia was sitting on the ground.
"Can you walk?" He inquired, whispering so silently she almost didn't catch it.
"I think..." She answered, trying to get her footing.
People were screaming as the Watchmen tried to contain them. Garrett swooped a couple of meters away, signaling Lydia to follow him. Every strand of her body ached like hell. The two fugitives managed their way around the Watch Tower, sound of their escape muffled by the wild mass of people next to them. Garrett was now guiding her, holding her hand, almost dragging her around. She didn't say anything; was it worth it anyway? She heard her father, screaming her name once again. The hardest thing that she had to do was seeing him so desperate and needed to ignore it, following the path that the Master Thief showed her. She understood that he saw things probably worst than that, but then again; did he even had a family? She broke away from his grip. Garrett turned around instantly, feline body ready to strike at everything around him.
"I need to catch my breath." She leaned on a wooden pillar next to her, beneath the heavy look on his face.
"We need to move, quickly." He stated, gesturing his frustration to her.
She scoffed at him. Garrett didn't really get the meaning of that.
"Garrett my father..." His eyebrows narrowed at her words; her voice felt bitter. He knew that they couldn't do anything for him and that he'll be okay. After all, if he was invited to the Baron's party, he'd be spared to say the least. Lydia looked at the thief as if she needed a comforting answer.
"Come." Was the only thing that came out of his throat, as he took a gentle grip on her wrist again; she brushed his hand off, looking away. The thief looked at her bruised face, trying to catch her eyes. That's when he understood that she needed to be left alone from that point. She followed him weakly in the dark alleys, waiting for his signal when they came across corners and patrolling guards. He didn't really have a plan, but when it came to improvising; he was still the best. He still needed to get her to Basso; he'd know what to do with injuries of that calibre.

Lydia felt her head starting to spin a little when Garrett pulled her up on a high crate, making their way on the rooftops. Her feet were scratched and sore as she walked on the shingle. They passed next to the Clock Tower and when the loud bell sang, she collapsed on the roof. Garrett looked at her body as soon that he heard the bumping sound. He turned her face to him, looking at her ripped porcelain skin. The thief brushed some of her fallen hair out of her profile, detailing her mouth. Was this because of him? He shook that thought out of his mind again and lifted her light body in his arms; he needed to get to Basso. He ran as fast as he could, not really caring about the sound he made for once in his life. His eyes caught the sight of the large Crippled Burrick sing.

Basso was reading the paper as he saw the thief rush in his office, unconscious Lydia in his arms.
"God damn, what happened?" He almost yelled, throwing the paper on the ground while getting up.
"She's wounded." The thief looked tense, Basso got closer to him, analysing the broken body in front of him.
"I think I know someone who'll be capable to patch her up."
Garrett stayed expressionless before him, as Basso packed up and showed him where to go. They got pass the graveyard and worked their way in a little alley. She was still breathing, that was a good sign. The thief pace was haste, as the round man in front of him almost ran to their destination. They managed to get to a large wooden door; Basso slammed his hand on it, yelling his name. The door opened a minute after, as they made their way in. Garrett looked around, feeling eyes on him at his every step. He knew where they were.
"Basso, Garrett..." A bearded man greeted them, looking at the body that the thief carried.
"Orion." Basso replied.
"Come with me."
They followed the so called Voice of the people to his whereabouts. At his orders, Garrett deposed her limp body delicately on a wooden table. The thief took a step back as Orion took one forward. He examined the wounds, pushing the pieces of ripped clothing that remained of her dress, looking at the burnt areas of her body. He then got to a small cabinet, taking everything he needed and started applying creams and bandages where he needed to. Basso had his arms crossed, looking at him while Garrett stood in a shadowy corner in the rear of the room. The entrepreneur looked as his employee. The thief looked tense, but then, he always did. Basso knew something happened between him and the young woman, but he couldn't really put his finger on it. He knew Garrett was a puzzle, so he didn't really wasted his time trying to understand what was happening in the head of the Master Thief, after all, he liked it that way. Orion finally finished his work and sighed at the view of his work. He picked up Lydia and deposed her in the bed nearby. She looked peacefully asleep.
"What happened to her?" He turned and looked at the two men that were standing in front of him. Basso looked at Garrett.
"The Thief-Taker General." Orion raised an eyebrow at his statement.
"What would a woman like her have to do with the Thief-Taker General, Garrett?"
The thief removed his mask and looked away. How could he explain that he was the one who caught her attention at the ceremony and talked to her? How could he explain that they got to her because of him, and almost killed her because he was greedy for her attention? How could he explain that he felt guilty for what happened to her, after what happened to Erin... He couldn't let her die; he couldn't let anyone who slightly meant something to him die, but then; did she really meant something to him?
"It's complicated." Was the only thing that came out of his mouth. Orion shrugged, not feeling the need to inquire more about the situation. The bearded man turned around and took the little glass phial around his neck in the palm of his hand. The snapped the leather cord that composed the necklace and examined it.
"What's that?" Basso inquired, peaking over the Gravens leader's shoulder.
"A little something that'll get her on foot faster."
He lifted her head and with the help of his thumb, pushed the top of his container, letting the shiny blue liquid trail to her slightly open mouth.

Lydia woke up, redressing her body in a sitting position coughing as if she was chocked. Her hands cupped her throat, trying to breathe normally. As she calmed down she looked around her. Everything was black as far a she could see. Blue mushrooms were glowing around her, and that was the only source of light she saw. Her hand reached to the nearest one, barely touching it with the tip of her slim finger; it disappeared in a poof of blue dust making her jump at the sound. Another one appeared almost instantly. She got up, clumsily but with caution, trying to get footing. She was surprised when she saw that her destroyed evening dress was replaced by a white, knee-length cotton dress, but most importantly, her injuries were healed. Weird noises came to her ears as she spun on her feet, trying to figure out where it came from.
"Hello?" Echoes repeated her four or five times. She asked that question as if someone would definitely answer. A womanly chuckle hummed in the dead of the silence. Lydia jumped as she saw a figure approaching her. The weak light of the mushroom weren't enough for her to distinguish the traits of the silhouette before her.
"Now what do we have here?" The voice came from behind her now, Lydia froze when she felt the cold hand through the cotton dress; touching her shoulder.
"Isn't it the little bitch that's trying to reach out for my Garrett?" The voice was sharp, cutting through Lydia's flesh; she swallowed. The woman faced her. She was taller than Lydia, and she wore the same dress as her. Her hair was short, but as black as the night, while the contour of her eyes reminded Lydia of the only thief she knew.
"You know Garrett?" It sounded like a question, but Lydia didn't really know how to put it.
"Oh, you bet I do darling." She rolled her eyes, scoffing at her words.
"Where are we? Who are you?" Lydia inquired, almost pleading for answers.
"So many questions..." The woman before her took long slow steps in the opposite direction, rolling her eyes. Lydia followed her with her gaze, as she felt the tension build in her muscle.
"Am I dead?"
The figure stopped walking and turned around to face her.
"I don't know... are you?" Lydia shrugged sheepishly. She didn't remember anything to be honest; she didn't even remember if she was hanged or not.
"Don't worry," Her statement smelled sarcasm "you're not."
Lydia sighed in relief; even if it didn't explain where she was right now.
"You're not; because Garrett saved you from your execution... He saved you and couldn't even bring himself to save me." Her voice kept going up as she finished the sentence, almost yelling in a distorted kind of way at the end. Lydia was scared but tried to contain it by looking at the ground; she felt the woman come closer to her.
"What's so special about you?" She hissed. That's the question that Lydia feared the most; she didn't know the answer at all. Why did he kiss her actually? Why did he save her? Question rushed through her mind as an empty "I don't know..." slipped out of her mouth. A loud laugh was her answer.
"Not only you look stupid, but you actually are!" Lydia glared at the woman. She didn't know who she was, and she wouldn't let some stranger insult her in this kind of weird dream filled with poofing blue mushrooms.
"What do you want from me?" Lydia's posture became more firm, as she crossed her arms, pushing long strands of black hair out of the way.
"To leave him alone." The woman was so close now that their nose almost touched. Lydia dared to look in her eyes, feeling her gaze burn her entire soul.
"You'll never understand him like I did. Someone like you isn't for him do you understand that? You'll leave him at the first sign of difficulty; like a filthy rat running for its life."
"I've almost been hanged because of him and still decided to follow him when he came for me... I'm willing to learn." But then again, was it really his fault? Lydia tried to brush the thought out of her mind; because she already knew the answer. The woman in front of her scoffed deeply at her words.
"Look, I don't know what kind of relationship you two had..." Lydia paused, trying to figure a way to say everything in a neutral way, "But you can just insult me like that if I don't even understand what's going on here."
"When you grow up alone, there's nobody to help you up; and nobody to hold you back."
Ambiguity could be read on Lydia's face. What did she meant by that?
"To be able to trust, you first need someone who you can give it to."
Lydia remembered when she called her stupid... Maybe she was right, she wasn't getting her references at all.
"Once you'll understand those notions, you'll understand him." The woman started to walk away, as Lydia tried to stop her.
"Wait, don't go!" She yelled as she saw the figure disappear in the dark behind the mushroom. Her body wouldn't listen to her; she couldn't move.

She woke up again, coughing with the same intensity, but this time she was in a bed. The room was empty, or she thought it was. She let her body drop on the mattress after catching her breath again, panting in relief. What just happened? Her mind was still spinning a little. She jumped and covered herself when her almost bare body meet the gaze of the thief, who emerged from the shadows.
"G-Garrett?" She stuttered.
His eyes brushed at where her injuries were supposed to be; only light marks and scratches left. What did Orion give her? He snapped when he felt her glare at him, sheepish look in his eyes when he knew she realised he was looking at her in that way.
"How are you feeling?" His deep voice made him look so cold towards her.
"Great, I guess..." She looked at where the burns were supposed to be, intrigued.
At her statement, the thief turned around and went for the door. Lydia looked at him and felt something she didn't want to actually feel.
"Hey..." Her voice was low, but it caught his attention, making his walk stop.
She swallowed everything that she had in mind; letting everything that bothered her, that weird place, her father, the General and the world out of her mind for a second. She might not understand what that woman meant, but it didn't really matter at the moment.
"Please stay."