"I'm sorry."

Keely's words went unnoticed, falling on Bonnie's ears.

"I didn't handle it well. I was scared. I was hopeless. I didn't know how to deal with what I was feeling. And then I got you involved. I put you in a dangerous situation. You got hurt, and it's my fault. I'm sorry."

She sighed. Tia had told her that apologizing would help, that she might be able to start forgiving herself for what happened because of her. She just felt it was too ineffective.

"I dunno if it's felt as long to you as it has to me... a lot's changed since you... since you went under."

She rested her head on the bed, beside her sister's shoulder.

"I wish I could do something that would make things better. I don't know what else to do. Everything just got so confusing all of a sudden. Therapy... I guess it helps... Part of me feels like it's just a friend paid to listen to my problems though. A friend I don't even get along with."

A team of doctors pushing a bed rushed past the door, which was slightly ajar. Keely picked up her head and watched distractedly, then laid her head down, looking at the knob of the door.

"They said I shouldn't take antidepressants because that increases the suicide risk.... I don't know, I heard those make you feel weird... like, not like yourself anymore... maybe it's a good thing."

She reached for Bonnie's hand and grabbed onto it.

"I wish I knew what to do... about everything, really. And about Via. She said... she loves me. And I don't know what to do. I talked to her the other day about it but she kept on changing the subject. I don't know what to do."

"...do you ever stop talking..."

Keely opened her mouth to respond, then stopped and picked her head up. "You... you're awake!"

Keely's face lit up as Bonnie shut her eyes and rubbed her forehead. "You woke me up with your motor mouth..."

Keely laughed and practically threw herself at her sister, wrapping her in a hug. Bonnie groaned in protest. "What's wrong?" Keely asked, pulling away, alarmed.

"You were on my arm," Bonnie muttered, drawing her right arm over her body. "So... what happened? I remember..." She leaned her head back, deep in thought. "I remember Tia was over, and...."

"...you, um... you two were in an auto wreck..."

Bonnie seemed alarmed. "Oh, God, is Tia okay?"

"She's fine; a little banged up, but... I mean, you were in a coma."

"...oh, wow..." She snapped her head over to look into Keely's eyes. "How long was I... asleep for?!"

Keely straightened up slightly, and replied in a somber tone, "Bonnie: you were out for over a year."

A look of horror slowly spread on the younger sister's face. "What?!"

Keely threw her head back as she let out a lilting laugh. "No, you were out for like, a week, girl. Ha ha ha– Ow!" Bonnie cut Keely's laughter short by punching her on the upper arm.

"So, um. You were talking about... something about Via?"

Keely's smile fell off her face. "Oh. That happy business."

"Did I hear that right? Does my big sister have an admirer?"

The big sister blushed. "Shuttup."

An amused grin slowly spread over Bonnie's face. "Ohhhhmygawd it's true! That's so funny! Oh, this is so good it just has to be fattening!"

"Really not helpful."

"What did you say when she said it?"

"I—" Keely stopped and sighed, then finally admitted, "I... sort of ran out."

Bonnie didn't seem as amused by this. "Ridiculous folly. Inexcusable." Keely raised an eyebrow. "You could've at least said something."

"Don't you think I know that by now?"

"Have you talked to her about it since then?"

"Tried. She didn't really want to." Keely sighed and looked at her sister, who was now looking at her with alarmed concern. "What's wrong?"

"Are you okay?"

"What? Sure."

"No, like... it just occurred to me... that phone call..."

"Oh. Yeah, that. I'm... getting better."

"You know what I think you could use?"

"A hug?"

"...that, or... someone to stick by you through it all."

Keely smiled. "So glad you're awake again."

"Not me, you blubbering imbecile!" Keely tilted her head curiously again.

"Then... oh, you mean..."

"Yes, I mean."

"But I've never even thought of Via... that way!"

"She could be just what you need to help you through this, Keely! How will you know?"

Keely fell silent. She didn't have an answer to that.

"Think about it. That's all I'm saying."

Keely laughed softly, then leaned in and kissed her sister on the cheek. "I'm gonna call Mom. She'll want to see you."

Bonnie grinned and looked up at her sister smugly. "Can't avoid it forever."

"I liked you better when you were asleep." Bonnie rolled her eyes and landed another punch on Keely's upper arm.

- - -

Keely looked up as the white door opened. "I need your help."

"...with what?"

She held up a small videotape. "I don't want this."

Via raised an eyebrow. "And... you're giving it to me?"

"No... I want you to get rid of it."

"Ooooookay..." She slowly reached forward and took the tape from Keely's hand.

"Go on. Get rid of it."

Via looked Keely in the eyes, then lifted up the plastic flap, grabbed the tape, and pulled it out of the cassette. Keely's eyes softened as she watched her friend grab the film in her hands and break it apart.

"There," the brunette said, grabbing the cassette and tossing it aside.

"...Thanks."

Via narrowed her eyes and took a critical look at Keely. "That's not why you're here."

She sighed. "No. It's not."

"That's what I figured. Come on. Get in." Via stepped aside, waved Keely inside, and the two headed up to her room.

"There are some things that... need to be brought out into the open."

"Right," the brunette agreed. "What's on your mind?"

"You."

Via raised an eyebrow, then looked aside. "Really?"

Keely pressed her lips together and tilted her head to the side.

"Why'd you have me wreck that video?"

"Honestly? Because I didn't know if I wanted to do it."

"So you made me do it."

"No. I just... I knew you'd do the best thing for me."

Via sighed and sat down on her bed. "That predictable, am I?"

Keely ran a hand through her hair and paced back and forth. Via tracked her movements with her eyes, keeping her head turned down.

"I.... I usually have trouble with saying the right thing," Keely stammered.

"Sometimes it's better just to say the first thing on your mind..."

What if the first thing I think is stupid? "I'm just... not great at putting things into words, sometimes."

"That's... mildly surprising," Via muttered, smirking to herself. Keely took no notice of the jab and kept slowly pacing back and forth.

"I just... you know me a lot better than most people," Keely started, staring down at the sleeve covering her healing right arm. "And I just... I should've practiced this earlier," she muttered, with a small laugh.

"Didn't they write a song about this?"

"Who?"

"Never mind. You want to know something?"

"What?"

"You talk too much."

Keely turned around and faced Via, with her arms folded over her chest. "You know something... you're totally right." Via shrugged, almost as if to say, naturally. Keely sighed and watched Via, who was turned away, looking out her window, singing softly to herself.

"I'm sorry, but I'm just thinking of the right words to say... I know they don't sound the way I planned them to be..."

"You want to know something?"

"I promise you, I promise– Pardon?" Via pulled her eyes away from the window and looked up at Keely.

"You listen too much."

Via glanced down at her shoes. Keely crept towards the bed, bringing her left hand up to Via's cheek. Just as Via turned to look up, Keely leaned down and kissed her, shutting her eyes and allowing herself to become lost in the moment. She rested her right knee on the bed beside Via's thigh to steady herself; Via straightened up and placed her hands on Keely's waist.

And just as soon as it had come, the moment passed. Keely slowly pulled away and stood back up. Via looked up at her uncertainly.

"Did that feel.... right to you?"

Keely ran a hand through her hair and let out a sigh. "...I don't know. It didn't feel wrong..."

Via cleared her throat and scratched the back of her neck. That wasn't exactly the answer she was hoping for. Then again, it wasn't exactly the answer she expected, either.

"The thing is... part of me thinks you might be just what I needed..."

The brunette glanced up and offered a wide grin, brighter than Keely had ever remembered seeing on her face.

"I'm... I'm no one at all, Vee..."

Via chuckled softly and stood up, taking Keely's right arm in her left hand, and deftly holding onto her arm with her right hand. "How quickly you forget... do I need to show you what's under this sleeve?"

Keely smiled and took Via's hand in hers. "I need a new beginning. I need something more. I won't be content with the mediocre anymore. Misery will sing its wretched chant. I'm learning that I have to appreciate that to appreciate happiness."

She frowned as Via pulled her right sleeve up and looked at her lacerated arm; the cuts were healing nicely, but the message still stood out strong on her skin.

"I'm really glad you're coming around, Keely... I'll always be here for you," she said, putting her hand on Keely's upper chest.

A tear fell from Keely's eye. She smiled, then laughed softly to herself as another tear dropped down her face. Via shut her eyes and hugged her, smiling to herself. Keely hugged her back and stayed silent, knowing her joyful tears spoke more for her than she could think to say, knowing that the girl she was holding onto would be there for her all the time, knowing that, for the first time in far too long, things looked like they were finally going to be okay.

Lyrics of When In Rome's "The Promise" written by Farrington, Floreale, and Mann!