Hope you enjoy, hope you review, don't own.

Fi slowed to a walk at the track. She had missed going for runs but was, sorely, out of shape and practice- two miles had tired her out when she used to be able to do five. She looked over at Carey and Jack, who were on their last lap, grateful that she and Dorian had decided to take this Sunday off- it had been a while since she had been able to spend anytime with her family, especially Jack. Granted, he was busy too, having started a new job, and planning a wedding, but still, she had missed him. She reached the fence where she had left her water bottle and bent down to take a drink before she stretched.

"You're a difficult woman to track down, Priestess," a voice hissed behind her.

Fi dropped the water bottle and stood, turning as she did so, and turned right into his fist. Pain exploded behind her eye as her body hit the ground, her face breaking the fall. Before she could recover, a booted foot connected with her ribcage. She winced. He didn't let up, either. She tried to focus, to clear her mind, but the jarring pain of his heavy foot in her ribs kept distracting her. The fifth time he hit her she cried out at the feel and sound of something cracking. As nauseating pain spread through her, Fi heard Jack and Carey shouting. She looked up to see them running towards her from across the expansive field. Crap. She had to stop him before the boys got there, and it was too risky to use magic. As his foot headed towards her, again, she grabbed it and yanked. The man stumbled, giving her time to get up. Unfortunately, he recovered in enough time to grab her by her hair once she had gotten to her knees.

"I don't think so, Priestess. The price on your head is too good for me to be taken out that easily."

Fi stowed the information away for later and turned, ramming the heel of her palm into her groin with as much force as she could muster. He grunted and loosened his hold. She pulled free and stood. Unfortunately, just as she gained her footing, his hand wrapped around her throat and she was shoved against the fence. He grabbed both her hands with his other and raised them above her head. She frantically tried to call on her magic, or utter a spell as he cut off her oxygen supply but it was like trying to cup water; every time she got a hold of it, it drained away.

"Don't bother, Priestess," the man sneered increasing the pressure on her throat- she started seeing black spots. "I've got a helpful little talisman, that won't let you use your magic on me."

Frantic, as she felt herself starting to fall unconscious, she swung out with her leg, once again catching him in the groin, and, once again, his grip loosened. She ripped her hands free and, grabbing the hand at her throat with her right one, she slammed her left hand into his elbow. She felt it break as the hand that was choking her was forced away. Fi dropped to the ground, spluttering for air. She kicked out hearing the man fall to the ground, right as footsteps sounded behind her.

"Fi!" came Jack and Carey's voice at once.

Though her vision was still blurry, she could make out her attacker scrambling to his feet and running.

"Who was that?"

"What happened?"

Jack helped her into a sitting position, catching her ribcage. She cried out, her voice raspy.

"Crap."

"Yea, he was kicking her pretty bad," said Carey, pulling up her shirt. "Crap."

"Oh man, we gotta get her to the hospital," said Jack.

Fi looked down to see the deep purple black of a bruise already spreading across her ribcage. She didn't protest the hospital, quite frankly pain killers would be welcomed.

"Fi, can you stand up?" asked Jack as Carey pulled her shirt back down.

"Yea," she rasped, trying to push herself to her feet. "Aaahhh."

"Woa, easy sis."

"Yea, Fi, lets take this slow okay?"

Fi nodded, grateful as the guys, slowly, helped her to her feet. The adrenalin was quickly wearing off and the full pain of her injuries was hitting her. She forgot how much broken ribs hurt.

"Not so fast," she scraped out.

"Sorry," said the boys in unison, slowing their pace as they helped her to the car.

Fi laid down in the backseat, trying to slow her breathing but nothing helped ease the pain. She sent Will a txt letting him know there was a price on her head-he could figure out the details- and closed her eyes trying to tune out the guys- Carey pushing the speed limit and telling her they'd be there soon, and Jack frantically trying to get a hold of their mother. She wanted Dorian.

Will was already at the hospital when the boys arrived with Fi.

"Oh God, Fi, your face," he gasped, when he got a good look at her.

"You should see her ribs," said Carey.

"My face? What's wrong with my face?"

"Nothing you need to worry about now, Fi," said Jack, easing her into a seat.

"Um, yes, it is, where's my purse? I have a mirror in it."

"Still in the car, I'll get it," said Carey.

"Will, I'm gonna keep trying to get a hold of mom."

"Alright, I'll stay with her."

As the boys walked off, Dysin handed her a clipboard with insurance questions and said, "I asked around and I spoke with the council, there is a price on your head, a substantial one, for about a month now."

"Great," she said dryly.

"Oh, I don't know, considering how much it's been upped since last time, it's actually somewhat flattering."

"Remind me to send a thank you note," she snapped. "Are there any leads?"

"We're working on it, in the mean time, the council wants you kept safe."

"Will-"

"They won't budge on it Fi, and I agree with them."

"Great."

"It won't be too bad, I suggested Dorian," said Will, smirking at the shocked expression on her face.

"You what?"

"Well, he was your protection detail last time, and you both get along, and he does his job well."

"But… you…"

"Fiona, I don't hate the man, I don't trust him but I don't hate him. I brought the charges against him because I believed he was guilty."

"And now?"

"Now I don't know what I believe. The point is you believe he is innocent, or, at least, you don't believe he's guilty. And you trust him. That's enough for me."

"Maybe, but they'll never agree to it."

"Who'll never agree to what?" asked Carey holding out her purse, Jack coming up behind him.

"The board," said Will smoothly, "will never agree to Dorian being her bodyguard till things get sorted out."

"Did you say body guard?"

"Yea, this wasn't random," said Fi, digging around for her mirror. "There's a price on my head."

"What?" demanded Carey.

"It's not that out of the ordinary. Fi is an important person in the business world. It's not the first time this has happened, either."

"What? Fiona, you never mentioned anything about that," exclaimed Jack.

"There was no need, you all would have just worried needlessly," said Fi, opening her compact. "Oh. My. God!"

Her left eye and cheekbone were completely black and blue where he had hit her, her skin split and bleeding above her eyebrow. The right side of her jaw was bruised badly and the lip split from where her face had broken her fall. She looked awful and no amount of make up would hide it.

"You still should have told us, Fi. I got a hold of mom, by the way, she should be here soon."

"So will Dorian," smiled Will.

"What!" exclaimed Fi, her head snapping to the side, making her wince. "Ow."

"The board did actually agree, and he's on his way."

"How?"

"I can be very persuasive when I want to be."

"Thank- you," she said quietly, putting away her compact, planning on getting the details later.

"As long as it keeps you alive, shall I take that up for you?" he asked, nodding to the clipboard.

She nodded.

They had been waiting for a half hour, when Molly came bursting in.

"Oh my God, baby, your face," she said, kneeling down in front of her daughter.

"It looks worse than it is, mom," said Fi, trying to keep the pain from her voice.

"Nice try, Fiona. How long have you been waiting?"

"A little over a half hour."

"I'm gonna go talk to them."

"Mom, no, it's fine, don't cause a fuss."

"You're in pain Fiona, I'll cause whatever fuss I need to," said Molly, standing.

"Molly," intervened Will, grabbing her hand, "just sit with her okay? The nurses are moving as fast as they can.

To Fiona's relief, Molly scowled but conceded and sat down.

"I sent Irene and Ned to your place; they're getting you stocked up on somethings- meals, painkillers, tea, and such."

"Thanks mom," said Fi, leaning her head on Molly's shoulder.

"Of course, baby."

Several hours later, Fi was sitting on a hospital bed behind a curtain, in just her bra waiting for the doctor to come back and wrap her ribs, and give her something for pain. Actually, she wasn't that picky, she didn't care what they gave her as long as it knocked her out. She sighed, and then winced. Broken ribs really sucked.

"Where is she?" came Dorian's angry voice through the curtain.

"She's in there waiting for the doctor to finish up. She'll be out soon," explained Jack. "Wait, she's not dressed!"

Dorian wasn't inclined to wait though, and moment later, he came through the curtain.

"It's fine, Jack," called Fi, so he didn't try to get Dorian out.

"Oh God, love," he said, taking in the bruises littering her body. "Have they given you anything for pain?"

"No, the doc's going to do it when he comes back," she told him, her voice strained.

"They really do take their sweet time," he grumbled, gently brushing hair out of her face to better examine it. "That guy really worked you over."

"Yea… guess I'm more out of practice than I thought."

"We're fixing that, love, as soon as you're healed up.

She nodded, resting her forehead against his.

"You in a lot of pain?" he asked, concern clear in his voice.

"Mm-hm."

"Don't worry, this is going to help with that," said the doctor from behind Dorian, holding up a needle.

Fi was trying to figure out how she was moving. She definitely wasn't walking; her feet weren't even on the ground. But, she wasn't in the car anymore, either. And yet, she was moving.

"Oh my God," exclaimed Irene.

"Is she alright?" asked Ned.

"She's fine," said Dorian. "The hospital gave her something for pain and it's knocked her for a bit of a loop."

Oh, that was right, Dorian was carrying her. She snuggled into him even more, smiling when she heard him chuckle at her. She didn't care. Dorian had her and therefore everything was right with her world.

"Are you staying the night with her?" asked Irene, eyeing Dorian, confused.

"No," said Molly, sounding somewhat put-out. "Dorian will be though."

"Whose Dorian?" asked Ned.

"We'll explain everything later," answered Will.

"Molly, could you get the covers," called Dorian.

"Yea of course," she said, hurrying into the room.

"Thank you."

Dorian was putting her down. Why was he doing that? She didn't want him to let go of her.

"Love, you have to let go of me. You need to sleep," he told her, prying her hands off.

"But I don't want you to go," she whined, as he pulled off her shoes.

"I'm not going anywhere, love, I'll still be her when you wake."

"Promise?" she murmured

"Promise," he smiled. "Though I do rather wish you had invested in a couch, hardwood floors are not the most comfortable."

"Sleep with me, then," she told him, as pulled the covers up.

"Not tonight."

Molly held in a sigh of relief.

"Why not?" she whined.

"Because," he laughed, "you are tired, and hurt, and drugged, and therefore, not in your right state of mind, I won't take advantage of that."

"But I want you to."

"You'd regret it in the morning, love. But if you want to ask me again tomorrow night, I will be more than happy to oblige."

"Fine," she sighed.

"Sleep well, love," he told her, kissing the top of her head.

"Dorian," called Irene. "We had brought an air mattress and bedding in case Molly was planning on staying but we can leave them for you."

"Thank you," he said, closing the door to her room behind him.