Prt. 2

Lizzie moved into place to let the talisman do its job well 10 and Marcus backed up a bit before the process began. 10's red eyes were round and wide as he stared well Lizzie tied the lifeless 13 to a metal rim that suspended her in the air before the female human began to press a sequence out into the talisman; the code for taking a piece of one's soul to transfer it into the small fabric covered being.

The moment the third symbol was pressed the talisman snapped open with a green glow before latching out at Lizzie to draw in her soul. 10 looked away at the look of pain and discomfort upon her face well Marcus timed the transfer, making sure that it lasted long enough for this to work.

After one full minute he moved forward to pull the talisman out of 13's chest and placed an arm around his wife to support her. Lizzie was panting heavily and sweating but this was as it always was when doing a first, in time the pain would pass and another could be made without the same reaction. Lizzie patted Marcus's arm to show she was stable before all turned to the female in the rim.

Lizzie moved in with slightly shaking hands to untie her child and cup her between her hands to see if the process had worked, knowing fully well that even if 10 and his brothers had awakened there was a good chance that this female wouldn't make it. She was simply laying there not moving, not breathing and just plan not living.

Lizzie felt like she could cry at the thought that she had failed to bring life into this child, her first child, her first daughter but what else could they do if she simply refused to live? She was brought out of her sad miserable thoughts by a soft tapping on her left elbow, which was placed on the desk. Looking down Lizzie could see that it was 10 with a grim look upon his pale face. She felt like he was looking into her right now as he waited for her response, one that she was afraid to give.

"I'm so sorry 10," Marcus finally said for his silent wife," Sometimes these things just happen. We tried but it would seem that it just wasn't strong enough to survive the soul transfer process. But worry though son, we can always try again."

He moved to place the tip of his fingers to his son's back when 10 suddenly pulled away from him.

"10?" his father questioned at the behavior, "What are you doing? There's nothing we can do for it son. Lizzie tried and if the soul doesn't take…"

"Her," 10 growled out in a low dark whisper that silenced his parent.

"I'm sorry?" Marcus asked at the dark persona that he only saw from 10 when he was deeply upset, "What was that you just said 10?"

10 turned with a harsh look to his father, "I said her! Stop calling her 'it' like you didn't care for her only moments ago! She is a being too; she is a her and her name is 13!"

10's frame shook as he tried to be calm and understanding to what he knew was simple a act of fate that none of them could control. Lizzie HAD tried and that was all any of them could do in this world, life and try. But it just seemed too cruel and unfair that 13 shouldn't awaken when he and the rest of his family got to, so why not this pretty little female?

"Its okay 10," Lizzie finally spoke after finding her voice when seeing 10's pain, "We didn't mean it like that, we love 13 to and aren't saying she just something like a failed experiment. There's just nothing more to do than scrap her and try again I'm afraid."

10 shook his head frantically at the thought of his 13 being thrown away; they were even giving her a try to life and survive this. "No!" he screamed in panic, reaching his claws up to try and take 13 from Lizzie, "Don't do that! You haven't even tried to let her spark shine yet!"

10's cries and reaching grew more frantic when Marcus scooped him up in his left hand like he was about to take him out of the room altogether. "Please!" he pleaded in the saddest voice either human had ever heard this pale male use in his life time. "Let me try to wake her up. Let me give her a reason to want to live here with us. We can't just throw her away like she was nothing only after a few minutes!"

10's body slumped as he cried out in pain and sorrow at the thought of 13 in some scrap pile collecting dust when he had been so eager to meet her, to hear her and to see if he could love her. But now all of that was been ripped away because humans were too impatient to wait a few hours to see if there was life deep within 13's depths.

Marcus and Lizzie looked to each in a silence conversation of the good and bad that may come from letting 10 do this. The boy already looked heartbroken so what would happen when time passed and 13 still remained lifeless? He may go crazy or even hurt himself but it was so painstaking obvious that if they didn't do this than there was a even scarier chance of losing 10 to sorrow.

So after a moment or two both human nodded and rose from their places to walk out of the work room and down the stair way to the study that 10 loved to be in and look out of the window of, which is exactly where Marcus placed 10 down well the pale male sobbed on in agony. He slowly turned away from his parental figures to just press against the cold glass to try and ease his sobbing fit.

It was only when something was gentle place against his front that 10 turned to look back and see none other than 13 in his grasp. His sobbing immediately halted as he pressed his head to the lifeless female's cheek and smile at the softness of her canvas skin.

"Thank you Lizzie," 10 gasped to the human female before shifting his eyes to stare straight at Marcus with deep understanding. "Thank you Father, I now that if 13 still it's awake by morning than…than she has to go. But thank you for letting me try to make her live. I won't ever forget this."

Marcus simply smiled at his son as he rubbed him softly with his fingers for a second before gesturing for Lizzie to follow him out of the room; it felt like a private matter between what 10 was about to try and what he would do when it failed.

As soon as both humans were out of eye sight and ear shout that 10 nuzzled into 13's shoulder affectionately. She just seemed so small, delicate, soft and frail when compared to the giant, pale, machine born male. He held onto one of her clawed hands as he lifted it up to compare those as well; hers made of copper and bronze well his were of a wooden base with silver and red metals for his claws. Than of course there was the clear deadly blade secured to each index finger that always had made him feel like a monster.

But sitting here, holding onto a much smaller female so softly, 10 couldn't help but feel strangely relaxed and at ease knowing that he could be so caring and tender to another without having to over think if he was going to unintentionally end up hurting her like he had with his younger brother 11. Shaking his head to not remember that, 10 instead moved to pull his own hood off of his body and place in around 13 to make sure her body stayed as warm as possible.

He cocked his head to the side see that she seemed to look good with a hood, even if this one was big on her frame. "You need to live now 13," 10 spoke, "You need to wake up and live or their going to try and threw you away."

10's grip tightened on 13 at the thought, "Please just listen to me and live. It's so nice out here with Father, Lizzie and my brothers. I think you would like it here as well; the sun is setting so beautifully right now. I wish you could see it with me."

The pale male turned both of them to face out to the window like 13 could actually see the blazing colors of gold, orange, red and yellow that filled the sky high above the two small stitchpunks below its rays of warm and color. 10 silently wondered if 13 could feel the warm glow that the sun brought even if she couldn't see it right now.

"It's so pretty tonight. Maybe it's because I'm sharing it with someone like you. 11 is also to interested in something else to join me and 12 just doesn't see it like I do. I also wish at the last light of day for something special and sometimes it works!" 10 shifted 13 to cradle her more easily to his front as he looked over her details again.

Hours slowly ticked by as 10 went over 13's body again and again looking for any type of flaw, but there was none to be seen. She was a pretty and flawless as if a fallen angel herself. Which is exactly 10 thought she looked like well in this seemingly slumber like state.

So much thought and time put into a single being only for it to go under appreciated. 10 sighed softly as he rested his right cheek of his face to the top of 13's small head. He began to hum slightly to her in hopes that it would encourage a reaction out of her still form. None came but 10 continued on as the light grew darker and darker until the last light of day was just barely peeking out from the sky.

10 stopped his humming to raise his hand along with 13's as he had been holding it for most of the hours spent sitting here with the motionless female. He pressed them both to the window glass as the light moved over them before disappearing into the night. 10 smiled sadly as he made his daily wish of the only thing he wanted right now.

"Please help 13 to find her spark. Help her to find it and keep it so that she can awake up."

He exhaled slowly before laying down on the windowsill, getting ready for the night and a very unwanted rest cycle. What good was sleep when come next morning 13 would be taken from him if she didn't awaken?! 10 began to silently sob again as he held 13 close to his body, like his form alone could protect her for any evil that wanted to harm her.

Both stitchpunks were lying down on their sides but facing different directions. 10 was on the outside of the windowsill with his back to the doorway and his front embraces over 13 so tightly that their button fester's were rubbing together. Well 13 was laying with her head resting deep against 10's chest and her back to the glass of the window, the dull red hood still upon her to stop the cold of the glass from touching her.

10 looked down to 13's unliving face as he finally decided to see if there was any hope of getting this female, his destined partner to live for him. 10 cupped his right hand to 13's cheek as he looked deeply into her empty optics. There was no soul there, but there was a possibility for one.

"13," 10 whispered softly to her, "I know that you can't hear me. I don't even know why I'm doing this really but I can't just let them take you without trying to save you fist. Maybe yours is in there somewhere but it's just a little scared of the darkness and being alone. I would be too."

His voice grew firmer and heavier as he continued on, "But I promise you this. If you wake up, if I can get you to live, to honestly live for no one but yourself than I promise that I will do everything in my power to keep you safe. I'll never let your light go out if you find it. I'll protect you and help you when ever I see you in need of it. This is my promise to you."

10 leaned over 13 to place his head above her own as he held her close and safe in his arms. "And I never break my promises 13, not ever." And with that 10 fell into a deep dreamless slumber as he just held onto 13, hoping that she somehow had heard him and was fighting on the inside to live. But, that was entirely up to the canvas female with the beautiful teal colored optics.

The night passed by quickly and peaceful with nothing interrupting it but the soft sound of summer crickets and the light breathing of 10 and his family in their home. Come morning time 10 awoke first as usually with the always present headache that he got from either staying up to late or from the light of the sun hitting his sensitive red optics. That was the case this morning as he hadn't been wearing his hood to block out the rays.

"Oh, just go away and let a poor fella sleep," he hissed as he tried to block out the light with his free hand. He was so lost in his sleepy groggy mind that he almost didn't register something was rubbing against his chest lightly.

"Hey, knock if off already," 10 groaned miserable, "And stop purring will ya?" The pale male turned away from the source of the sound and rubbing before his optics snapped open so quickly that his slanted eyes were the size of diner plates.

He spun back quickly to look down and stare with his mouth agape at the sight before him. 13 was not in the some lifeless position she had been in last night. Now she was curled up into an adorable ball purring out contently in her slumber well her claws flexed in small twitches. The rubbing 10 had felt was of her head nuzzling his fabric for warm, she was cold because she was alive.

Somehow, someway 13 had gotten her soul, her spark going and was as alive as 10 himself was at this shocking moment. "She's alive," he gasped out breathlessly, "13 is alive….." He smiled like a idiot at this revelation before completely forgetting about the other being sounded asleep as he went to scream out in joy.

"She's alive, 13 is alive!" 10 turned to the doorway as he cupped a hand to his mouth to holler for the other's, "Lizzie, Father come quickly! 13 is….." 10 suddenly found himself falling off of the windowsill when something hard and strong had hit him in the back to launch him clean off the structure and down to the hard floor.

"Ow…." 10 groaned as he pulled his face off of the floor and inspected it for damage, glad there was none and he pulled himself up and dusted his fabric off with a scowl on his face. That hadn't been an accident, 13 had effectively KICKED him off when his yelling had jolted her awake for the first time.

10 turned to glare up at the window, seeing that the female was already looking down to see just what/who she had attacked. Surprisingly she didn't looked shocked, scared or worried like most were when first awaken, she looked angry. 10 huffed at her boldness to be anger at him when he was the one that had fallen.

"Hey!" he called up to her, "What's your damage girl? Why on earth would you kick me off of the window sill?" A few brief moments passed with nothing said from the female before 10 started to lose his temper. "Well?"

13 gave a small yawn before looking 10 right in the optics and saying, "You were yelling like a madman. I was sleeping so I just reacted and attacked whatever was by me. You should be more careful about sneaking up on people."

10 glared with his mouth hanging open in stupidity at her reply before he remarked right back, "Funniest thing is I WASN"T SNEAKY AT ALL!"