A/N: I think I've grown attached to this fanfiction. Can you tell? Remember, I do NOT own any of the B/C characters except for River/Lily. Please read and tell me what you think!

Rafe came to his senses as he approached River cautiously. The slightest crackle of leaves could wake her; if she slept, that was the last he wanted. He came closer, peering down at her sleeping face that was smeared with both blood and dirt. She reeked from her injuries. Her shoulder appeared bruised where Delilah sank her teeth; the claw marks on her thighs concerned him. He wanted to slip his hand into her hair to wake her in the gentlest way he thought of. He resisted finding that her hair caked with dried blood and soil. On her wrists were the evident gashes from the confronting Loup-garoux. Rafe tried to imagine what pain coursed through her lithe body, why she hadn't whimpered or shed a single tear while in sleep.

He lowered his hand and brushed her hair from her face. Traces of blood chipped from her cheeks. She did cry, Rafe noted the evident trail. He removed her coat to cover her. He tried not to allow the faintest twitch to conceive into a smile. He saw River in her truest nature; she lay there vulnerable not as a young woman but herself; her true self. Rafe lifted her into his arms, tenderly cradling her wounded body to his. His father wanted to find her, and Rafe did.

A knot tightened in his throat from ideal of River being in the hands of his father. True, he needed to talk to her though the rage that pulsed in his veins lead Rafe to believe his father had other plans for her. Rafe traveled through the woods discreetly trying to make it to his mother's. He avoided streets taking the alleys until he found his mother's home. Vivian would be there and more than likely, she'd question about his sudden visitation with a wanted girl.

Rafe used his foot to kick open the door and hurried up the stairs. He called for his mother; Vivian came from the kitchen first. She stared at her cousin with emptiness. Her eyes, a rich hazel, flickered warmly upon seeing the injured girl. She remembered that that was whom Gabriel warned them of. Rafe called for his mother again.

"What's going on?" Astrid came from her bedroom apparently disturbed from a nap. Her hair slightly ruined by the pillows. "What are you doing?"

"She's injured badly. Everyone is looking for her, I thought this might be one of the last places to hide her until she's better."

Astrid approached her son. The injured River had not stirred even while conversation occurred. Her head rested to Rafe's chest, hypnotized by the beat of his heart. Astrid looked to her son, billowing a heavy sigh and waved her hand so that he followed her to the spare bedroom next to Vivian's. Rafe laid River upon the bed.

"I'll need to be discreet when buy bandages for her. You say they are looking for this girl then everyone Gabriel knows will have an observing eye. Vivian," she called from the room. "Bring me a sheet from the closet. I'll use what I have until then." Astrid assured her son that River would be fine. Rafe fell into a nearby chair, exhausted.

"I take that this girl rubbed Gabriel the wrong way." Vivian inquired when she brought the sheet. Her aunt worked on ripping even strips. Rafe glared at his cousin with cold eyes then looked over to River.

"She had been hiding things from him, things he wanted to know."

"Your father does have a temper nowadays. With this murderer on the loose, he fears that the hunters would come back to hunt every last one of us." Astrid crossed into the bathroom and returned with a container of water. She cleaned away the layer of dirt on River's face.

Rafe leaned into the chair to watch his mother. He wanted to tell her that River was the one to blame for the first fright in Bucharest then add that her companion did the rest. He heard a good amount of their conversation, regardless of the information; his father grew more furious at the fact that River lied to them. Now, he risked his own person to protect her while she remained vulnerable.

"Why not tell your father that you haven't found her. That can give us some time to aid her wounds." Astrid bathed River's shoulder receiving a slight response. Dabbing the wound with water gave way to a bit of blood seeping from the mark. "Had our people done this?"

Rafe stood from the chair, nodding. Some of her injuries did come from Loup-garoux, the other half from the beast she fought. Rafe went into the kitchen for a drink. Vivian followed suit to watch him. Her arms crossed over her chest. She tried not to reveal a grimace but when he turned, it couldn't have been helped.

"You've never shown compassion for anyone, or anything for that matter." Vivian implied. And as known, Rafe sneered at her. He swallowed the bit of drink he had when she continued. "What changed this time? Or, is this a momentary thing because the girl is near death?"

"That is none of your concern, little Vivian. I will do what I like and show sympathy to those I wish."

"So that's what it is? And, I can imagine that it'll be brief once she's healed."

Rafe crossed into the living room to avoid further confrontation. He was battling his own reasons to be concerned for River; he didn't fancy her, he admitted his concern and that was it. Plus, knowing that his father sought her, made him delay further. Rafe sat down to finish his drink. Vivian followed him making him uncomfortable again. He looked over at her and her brow lifted, expecting him to answer her question. Rafe set the bottle onto the table.

"I have my reasons for keeping her around; she's interesting and even more so from last night. It is no longer your concern."

"So you aren't treating her as we should a human? A meat-girl?"

Rafe showed his back to Vivian. His head ached fiercely and trying to give Vivian a clear answer seemed difficult. He rubbed his temples. Vivian scoffed and returned to the kitchen. He remembered she was still sour over the scuffle about her interest in a boy visiting Bucharest temporarily. Well, suppose he deserved her iciness about the girl he brought over. Rafe stayed near River's bed while his mother bandaged her wounds. With Vivian's help, they managed to settle River more comfortably in the bed.

"I would let her sleep if I were you. She's very weak." Astrid placed her hand to his shoulder then gave him a tender kiss to his cheek.

"Who is she?"

"Her name is River, we crossed paths at the lounge one evening. I told her she couldn't leave until I found her unworthy. I was stubborn that evening, plus, she never did as she was told to do. I gave her a new name, one that meant more than her own."

Astrid looked down at his son. "You can't rule over anyone, it's not your place to do so. And, I can assume you have found her worthy otherwise you wouldn't have brought her here. Right? Think before you act. Keep an eye on her, when she wakes bring her some food."

Astrid left her son alone with River. She politely closed he door and when on with her business. Rafe sat by the bed looking over at River. She would still need a bath to clean her hair. Where his mother bathed wounds he saw the discoloring bruises. He imagined how fierce her body ached even in sleep. Rafe pondered leaving her to go back to his father; perhaps, in a more private conversation to tell him that he found her in the woods. Rafe erased the idea again; he wanted to wait until she woke up, whenever that might be. He leaned over to brush his fingers over her hand trying to find the slightest response.

"Lily, open your eyes. I know that you can hear me. Move your hand to let me know you can hear me."

River's finger moved once from instinct. He smiled even more that she responded to the name he gave her; she did hold his interest after all, Vivian noted from the smile her cousin gave when seeing River move slightly. She walked from the door, leaving them be.