An Old Republic Tale

by Bahamut12

Iz'phal Trua is a famous gunslinger working for the Republic when she and her best friend Corso Riggs develop feelings for each other. The events from her past seem to plague her happy life until she recognises a face from her childhood and it all comes back to her. Will Iz'phal find it in her heart to forgive her friend or will she abandon him like he did her. Quinn and Riggs

9. A Friend in Need

Chapter 9: A Friend in Need

Blinking, as the stream bright light entered her eyes, the pain in her swollen eye still gnawing away at her. In the brutal scuffle when she had regained consciousness on the way to Dromund Kass she had tried without her weapons to free herself, to hijack the ship but the officer who had aided in killing her family, capturing her, who had put her through more pain than she could care to think of had struck her full square in the face, not only knocking her out but shattering her eye socket. While examining her scars in her detention cell she had been able to work out how many stitches she would need in her face: 26. But the Empire hadn't captured Iz'phal to help her, they wanted her to shed some light on the Republic's scheme to call for a full scaled war against the Empire but she didn't know anything. She had been in this room for a good three days with no sustenance or water being provided, a military tactic to make sure she was weakened and could not fight if given the chance. She dreaded to think what her Crew must be thinking but more than anything she just wanted him with her, wanted to be in Corso's loving arms, his soft voice telling her all was going to be okay but she was alone and had to use his words of kindness to give her strength. A jagged scar ran from the bridge of her nose to her lip and some tendons in her lekku had been ripped as they handled her without care or any sense of remorse. She knew when they were finished with her they would dispose of her but somewhere a small fire burned within her. If Quinn truly cared, like he said he had all those years ago he would come to her aid but he was too brainwashed, too cold to ever realise she still wanted to have a friendship with him. The room was no more than seven meters across and Iz'phal found the lack of space incredibly demeaning and uncomfortable as a wave of pain shot through her face as she examined the bruised tissue around her eye. She heard a clicking sound as the security field to her cell was deactivated and two armoured troopers flanked the man whom had once been one of her closest friends. Iz'phal glowered at him in hatred, before propping herself up on her elbows, tears welling up in her eyes as she wanted to have some hope for him but banished it away. For his success with the assignment Quinn had been given command of the second section of the Imperial troops on Dromund Kass which for him was a great honour. In all his years of service to the Empire he had never had a feeling of regret or sway in devotion for any task he carried out but that smaller part of him that had grown slightly larger over the last few days of her interrogations was surfacing again. He dared not let her glimpse his conflict and did not let it show on his handsome face but knew there was little chance of her ever forgiving him after all that he'd done to her in the past. His heart dropped slightly in his chest as he saw that fair face which had once been the source of happiness in his childhood bloodied and bruised, the main wound to her left eye raising a sliver of sympathy up within him. He shook his head to clear the memory away, that moment he'd said he cared for her…That he loved her…

Abandoning that thought all together he regained composure and stood tall in front of her, puffing out his chest as if to make her recognise how decorated in the Imperial military he now was. Her voice was merely a croak as she lowered her head in sadness, before glowering at him, words laced with venom.

"So you thought abandoning me wasn't good enough…So you do this to me. Why Malavai what have I ever done to you?" Iz'phal whispered still not quite over the shock of her capture a few days back as that name, the name she had used so fondly in her childhood towards him made him just stare at her. He had told her to call him by his first name, a gesture that the two were close friends and just her saying his name, while she was virtually helpless cut him a little deeper than he wanted it too. Again he pushed it away, her attempts to goad him not working as he folded his arms across his chest and signalled to the guards at his sides, his voice militant and flat as she knew there was no chance of bringing him back but sometimes as she would later discover a smaller flicker of light can burst forth even in the darkest of times.

"I'm here to take you to the Admiral. He'll be most interested in what you have to say. If you give him the information he wants I'm sure it won't be painful" Quinn said simply, Iz'phal trying to syphon any kind of emotion in him but his eyes were void of expression, almost as if he'd been drugged.

"So you don't even have to gall to torture me yourself. Whatever you and your twisted Empire wants with me they won't get it. I owe you nothing but you…" her voice trailed off into silence as she knew what she wanted to do. Get all the bitterness out into the open for him to hear then maybe he might come to reason and show some sympathy. "You owe me at least an explanation why you left me. I still want to be your friend Malavai but I just want a simple answer…Why did you lie to me? Why did you cut me off? Why risking hurting me for your own gains…" She burst out, tears pouring down her face as the smaller part of him, the part that still cared for her wanted to explain but through his years of training in the military to drum needless emotions out of his head he could easily turn her words against her or just ignore her pleas altogether.

"That is not relevant to why I am here Iz'phal. I am taking you to the Admiral" he repeated again, this time sounding drone like as she was about to lose all hope when she realised there was still a chance to save him, she just hoped he would see through all his wrongs but sometimes she was past wanting things to end up the way she wanted. The two troopers stepped from his side and picked her up with no compassion by the arms, almost dragging her injured form down the long hallways of the Imperial Intelligence headquarters while Quinn took the lead, determined to be the one to present her, almost like a trophy of the Empire's victory to his superior. Trying in vain to protest against their vice like grip she realised she was too weak to fight them so she just closed her eyes and almost willed for it not to be painful. No matter what they did to her at the end of the day she would reveal nothing and all those close to her would remain safe. As the troopers dragged the bruised blue skinned twi'lek through the door they dropped her to the floor like hunters delivering prey to their master, Quinn bowed low to his superior before striding to a corner of the room to bear witness to this great moment for the Empire. Iz'phal groaned in pain as she rolled over, clutching at her stomach, the troopers training their rifles on her but Admiral Riekenn satisfied with the results of the operation could see she was already damaged and therefore was no longer a threat. She drew the stronger part of her, the core of her that Corso had nourished over the years to the surface. No matter the pain they tried to inflict on her, no matter how much they drugged her, interrogated her, insulted her, battered her she would reveal nothing. She could be at sometimes an unbreakable woman and the Admiral was going to have to result to brute force before anything was drawn out of her. The Imperial leader paced around the form of the weakened twi'lek woman, determined to put her through as much brutality as possible. If she failed to co-operate she would be locked in her cell, then put through another round of interrogation and the cycle would continue to repeat until she finally gave in. That was what Riekenn enjoyed thoroughly about working for the Empire. It was that feeling of being able to crush rebellious traitors under his heel and demonstrate their superiority, the feeling of being indestructible. The Admiral thought he would get straight to the point, not wanting to put her through the torment straight away until it was necessary.

"I'm going to be lenient with you spacer and give you the chance to reduce your pain and my time by a considerable amount. Now tell me where are the databanks you encrypted and sent to the Republic?" He questioned her as she managed to stand, her knees wobbly, her body feeling malnourished and weak but she regained her balance. In wanting to defend herself she felt the holster on her hip and realised with a bitter notion that the troopers had confiscated Flashy and all her other weapons before she was detained. She scolded herself for not thinking about that earlier but now was the time for her no matter the pain to stand up for what was right and show the Empire how tough the citizens of the Republic could be.

"I don't know what you're talking about…" Iz'phal said sternly, glowering dangerously at him as she never expected the attack to be so sudden and vicious. Before she had time to react his fist caught her in the other eye sending her sprawling to the floor, gasping in pain as the force of the blow had ripped some of her nasal tissue as blood dripped from her nose and over her perfectly sculptured chin. Placing his hands on his hips Riekenn towered over her like a krayt dragon, looming his shadow over her but she refused to be intimidated by his physique. Shaking from the shock of the impact she managed to get to her knees before he caught her with another direct blow to the face, before sending her fully to the floor, knocking the breath from her stomach. In the depths of her mind, somewhere that wanted to hope she thought Quinn, through all his indoctrinations may come to her aid but he just continued to watch from the corner of the room, face a mask, eyes blank. Riekenn sighed, decided to take a reprieve from the torture and ask her again knowing sooner or later he would syphon the information from her and those responsible for helping her would soon be brought down. She pushed herself upwards onto her forearms, sniffing blood back down into her nose, hot tears stinging the backs of her eyelids as she groggily rose to her feet, her whole body on fire with pain as if needles had been pinned into flesh but she tried to stand strong, think on Corso's loving words for comfort. She closed her eyes knowing that if she was going to die here the Admiral's green eyes filled with nothing but hatred would be the last thing she wanted to see. She tried to picture Corso's eyes, so full of expression and love every time he looked at her and that was the most comforting image she could muster.

"I'll ask you again spacer, where are the datadisks you sent to the Republic…" The Admiral now put a menacing note of threat into his voice, low and full of loathing as she merely continued to stand there, hands collapsed behind her back, envisioning Corso's handsome face before her before she had gained enough strength. She narrowed her eyed ringed with black and purple bruising at him with all the hatred she could fathom knowing she would say what she wanted to this piece of Imperial scum one way or the other, even if he broken every bone in her body.

"I told you…I don't know. Shows how much you really care for the people of this galaxy…You care more about datadisks than the lives of your own people…Like the way you treated my family before you murdered them…The way…" The words making her breathing steady but she refused to let her throat freeze up as he strode up to her and towered above her, listening with disgust at every word. "You treated me…You use my people when it's right for you then throw us back in the gutter when you're done with us. My people and my race are stronger than you and your Empire will ever be and after today I'll prove it! With the disks I stole from you!" She snarled, the little ember inside her igniting into a blaze, bracing for the pain with all the strength she had left, admitting her crime to the Empire but it would be enough to satisfy her watching the Imperials kill each other for their precious data. Having enough of her arrogance and disrespect he latched a muscled filled grip onto her throat and began to throttle her. Again he asked the question, the unpleasant nature of his tone and the lack of air to her lungs making her feel physically sick as after feeling a bone snap he threw her to the floor like she meant nothing before attacking her in the ribs. She couldn't help but utter a wail of pain but she would never give in, never give up just as Corso always told her. What Iz'phal didn't know in her mind swimming with light-headedness and almost blacking out through all the agony she hadn't noticed how the Admiral's vicious assault on her had affected Quinn. She assumed he didn't care anymore so she just let it go but the moment he heard he cries of pain, watched the suffering she was going through he felt himself wanting to look away or close his eyes. He flinched slightly as his superior laid into her ribs, the brute force of his attack making him think something for the first time since he had left her…He could lose her. Shaking his head to clear the needless emotions away he continued to stand to attention at his station but the smaller part of him knew they weren't needless emotions anymore. He couldn't just push them away. In all the conflict that been riling inside his mind he thought back to that time when they were close friends, when he valued her friendship. After all she had done for him, he had been so cold to her, cut off all contact when she needed him most and he understood why she hated him after all these years. Still keeping in his military guise so as not to arouse the suspicion of his superior that he was reconsidering his actions he knew all this was his fault. He had used her, played with her emotions then dumped her by the wayside with nowhere or no one to turn to. Her words of hate all made sense now. She thought he would still care for her, like the times before the Empire but he wondered now if she could ever forgive him after all he'd put her through. As the various emotions rushed through his head Riekenn's attack had still been battering her. When he relented his assault she collapsed to the floor, her beautiful face black and blue, covered in blood from the brutal blows. She finally let out what the pain felt like, crying as loud as her lungs would allow, not being allowed to move from the broken bones in her neck, wrist and ribs. She choked on her own blood, spitting the red fluid onto the floor to try and clear her throat, wheezing in her lungs as she tried to regain a steady breathing pattern. Realising after all this time he wanted her in his life Quinn stepped forward before he could lay another hand on her, trying to buy her as much time as possible while she was still alive. His superior arched an eyebrow at him, intrigued by his actions but Quinn was careful not to sound concerned or worried for her so kept his tone level and firm.

"Captain Quinn you have something to say on this?" The Admiral questioned him sceptically as Quinn was internally relieved to see he had fallen for his slight deception. Crossing his gloved hands in front of him as he gestured to the pretty twi'lek woman covered in blood and bruises on the floor.

"It would be most intriguing to have a word with her myself sir. After all we used to be close friends so any information she holds she will give straight to me" Quinn said, speaking the truth but using it to his advantage. Obviously pleased at the turn of events and Quinn standing up for the ideals of the Empire Riekenn gripped his shoulder and gave him a nod of approval.

"It heartens me to see you showing initiative Captain, after all this one is not worth my time. Report back to me everything she relays to you then bring her to my chambers…" At this a sly smile flashed across his face, wanting to reward himself but mentally scar her for life knowing she would never cross the Empire again after today.

"Of course sir as you command" Quinn responded willingly as Riekenn handed over the responsibilities to him before he strode from the room, knowing he would get the answers he sought soon enough. Not sure why another assault hadn't hit her yet she blinked, her swollen eyes and bloodied face bringing him to pity her. His superior had beaten her to within an inch of her life and even he, a solider of the Imperial military did not agree with such brutality. He knelt down by her side, being a skilled medic he knew he could help her, feeling for a pulse and in relief finding one but it was fading fast without proper aid. Being as careful as he could with her delicate frame wracked with pain he turned her over onto her side to prevent the blood rising up in her throat choking her. Her vision tunnelled and was merely a blur but she saw someone in an Imperial uniform aiding her?! She refused to believe this was the way of things but it was what she was seeing.

"Quinn…" Iz'phal croaked, her voice merely a trembling whisper as she was in so much pain she could barely utter the words. "What are you…" She began but Quinn didn't want her talking when he was trying to stabilize her condition. If all went well in him cutting intelligence off from her, redirecting their focus on another target and getting her safely off world she could be fully healed but not here, not with so many of his comrades eyes and ears snooping around. Then when all this was done he would make it up to her, admit he was wrong and apologise to her. It was going to be a rough road but he hoped she would find it in her heart to forgive him. With all that was happening Iz'phal was struggling to see straight as she felt a warm and gentle touch relocating her arms and hands to gain the best possible position of comfort.

"Iz, this isn't going to be any less painful if you move, please let me help you" Quinn protested, slightly confused when she looked up and saw worry or some form of concern swimming in his blue eyes as he found a kolto kit in one of the storage units in the room before beginning to patch up her wounds to the minimal amount. If he was going to succeed in getting her away from this place he couldn't have a fully healed twi'lek at his side. He was going to have to play this carefully as he was going to stay true to the Empire but still wanted her as a close friend.

"Wait…You…" Iz'phal rasped, almost lost for words as she thought he was going to abandon to her to her fate and give her to the Admiral but instead even through her intense discomfort she knew he was aiding her. Why all of a sudden did he care? Had he suddenly realised? Her mind was awash in conflict as all she wanted to do was run to Corso and burst into tears, having his soft, loving voice in her ear telling her all was going to be alright but to her confusion Quinn was aiding her, saving her…Saving her life. Her heart which had been pained, had been betrayed for much of her life before she had met the noble man in Corso swam in a new warmth, a feeling which made her realise…He did care…After all this time he did but she had just had to break through to him. "You're saving me…Quinn why?" she groaned again, giving another cry of pain as he accidently moved one of the broken bones in her neck and he soothed her gently running a hand over his forehead, determined to get her away from here as soon as he could before anyone could discover his actions. The higher ups would need convincing that she was no longer the target when he got her off world but he would be able to do that without a hitch. Quinn had the trust of all those in higher authority through his efficiency in the field and his unswerving devotion to execute every mission without mercy but seeing a girl that had meant to much to him many years ago getting physically abused in the worst way was almost too much. He would damn himself if he ever gave her up, almost like a piece of meat to his commander. He would not let that happen. He didn't answer her question and just continued to take away some of the scars.

It had all happened so quickly that for a moment she dreaded to think what would happen next. One moment she was being viciously tortured, the next minute aid arrived in the most unlikely form before Risha and Corso snuck through the Imperial stronghold without being detected and rescued Iz'phal as efficiently and painlessly as they could. Risha was the trained medic who set about healing her wounds or setting them up to heal. At first Corso was in such a state of shock when he saw the condition of his girl that he couldn't move, couldn't speak, was too taken aback by what those Imperial dogs had done to her. While Risha plotted the course somewhere far from Imperial tracking devices, she also did to her daily duty of attending to Iz'phal, giving her, her everyday medications and kolto injections, at times using rare substances to help heal her skin and lessen the bruising. Corso had vowed from that day he saw her face marred with bruises and blood that he would never leave her side again but almost scarred him internally for life when he had to sit at her side, gaze into her wounded expression and her grievous injuries. He only wished he could take her pain away with a simple word or gesture but he knew it would take Risha's knowledge and his love for her to pull her through. What Iz'phal didn't know was she was safe. Quinn had managed to leave a false trail for Imperial Intelligence, convincing the higher ups that she was not the target and gained access to a whole host of information of Smugglers and Crime Lords across the galaxy which were painted as the main problems for the Empire. Losing interest in Iz'phal quickly Admiral Riekenn was angered slightly to know Quinn had excused her off world but had mentioned after scanning her files she was no threat to the Empire and that other targets were responsible. Having now completely let the Empire off her trail and knowing she was in the safest hands all he could do was go about his duties and wait to hear news of her condition.

Risha had plotted the hyperspace codes to take them to Coruscant. A place where they would be welcomed and where Iz'phal would get the proper medical treatment she needed. Risha had managed to successfully stitch the wounds in both her eyes while Bowdaar in the chamber next to her was also on the mend, the Wookie wondering around the ship and making short, subtle growls wanting to see his friend but the only person who wanted to be with her was sitting right by her. A feeling of failure swept over him as he felt like he'd let this happen and it was his fault. She of course would never have him believe that but he would, staring into her pained face, the brutal blue and purple rings around her eyes and blood still staining her mouth, trying to keep his composure and stay strong for her but in the end just gazing at her in her condition was overwhelming as he slipped his fingers through hers and placed his forehead to her hand letting the tears fall from his eyes. She wanted to comfort him, tell him not to worry but every time she could glimpse her face she understood why.

"It's okay, Riggsy I'm gonna be okay…Did you think those Imperials could get me down…Not likely…" she whispered in a voice she hoped was strong but it was sheepish, a hint of fright present within it as she had the image in her head of the Admiral waiting to kill her before he got the last strand of information from her. "I gave them nothing…nothing…" she reassured him, using a lot of energy to tighten her hand in his but he merely cursed every Imperial to hell before running a warm hand over her brow, placing a linger kiss on her forehead.

"This is all my fault Iz. I should have been there for you. I let those monsters take you away. It should've been me…" Corso's voice wavered as he tried to put some strength in his tone to let her know he would stand strong for her but his heart bled for her when he had to keep looking at her like this for days with no end to the pain.

"Riggsy don't say that…" Iz'phal rasped through gritted teeth as a burst of pain shot through her chest then faded away again. "This only justifies what the whole galaxy…thinks about the Empire…You saved my life…" she managed as she bit her bottom lip and began to cry just wanting to be strong again, not wanting to lie here half dead with him worried to death for her. Being as gentle as he could, as he always was with her he brushed his thumb across her cheeks to wipe the tears away but they didn't stop as she felt guilt, an ever increasing guilt creep up inside her for not being able to defend her and for hurting all close to her.

"Izzy, my Izzy please don't cry. I'm here, we're all here. It'll be alright, everything's going to be alright…" he soothed her, his voice low and almost hypnotic as he pulled her gently by the neck as she gripped onto his forearm before her crying became sobs, letting out all the pain and suffering she had endured for the past week in Imperial prison, never wanting to see another one of their despicable kind again. Even the humming of his loving heart in her ear couldn't seem to bring her comfort as all she wanted to do was shut herself down, bury her mind somewhere where she could never dig up all the hurtful memories again as more tears flew from her bruised eyes, still not diminished in their beauty as he gazed into their depths and was relieved to see their determined spark was still there. Ever since he had declared his love for her he had always known she had a will to survive and it had been tested many a time but she had been able to pull through. He honoured her for every moment her will had been tested and was forever privileged to have a girl like her to own his heart, but it was times like this he wished he could heal her instantly, transport them to a wide, open green space where it was just them and no one else in the galaxy. She would have to get through this with his support and the healing of her injuries and then they could perhaps start discussing the future, but for now her immediate health was of upmost importance. Another face appeared in her mind's eye, it was a weak image but she still saw it and realised with a spark of life she had won back the heart of an old friend. Quinn had saved her that day, taken the Imperial army off their trail and was perhaps waiting to hear word from her. Whether she just could forgive him like that for everything in the past was one thing, but had he not been there she would've been a victim of the Empire like so many of her people and Corso would've been heartbroken. Her voice was a husky sound but her words were audible.

"Quinn…Why did he help me?" Iz'phal almost asked more to herself than to the man at her side as he refused to accept than an Imperial would aid his girl when they and their Empire were the cause of all their suffering in the first place.

"Iz, what are you talking about?" Corso soothed making sure she was comfortable, stroking a warm hand over her forehead. Through haze of pain and blurred memories she managed to recall him stepping to her side, the man she thought was the enemy and aiding in her escape from the Imperial base. Without his aid she wouldn't be breathing and when all this was over she had to forgive him, had to assume he still cared. Why else would he have saved her? Her head rang with all these questions but for now she just said what she saw.

"He saved me…Got me off their database. They'll never come…hunting for me again…" she managed to say in short racked breaths as he felt a discomfort growing inside him from all of this. Just sitting by his girl's side watching her suffer, not being able to help her made him felt as if a knife was stuck in his chest. He would give anything for her wounds to heal with the click of a finger but the reality was she would take many months to get better but one thing was certain through all of this: He would never leave her side again, never let anything happen to her. The way they stayed strong for each other was a testament to their love which had burned bright through the wars raging around them. As he held her hand and listened to the occasional words she spoke, trying to make sense of it all recently he had kept seeing things in his mind's eye, as if being granted a vision but sometimes he wanted to close his eyes and drift away with it when the dark times threatened to rise again. A luscious green and gold plain of fields with grazing nerfhearders, wide open spaces with lakes, grassy ground and mountainous valleys with the most beautiful sun rise in the galaxy. The images brought respite and comfort to his own peace of mind as after all their hard work chasing crime lords across the galaxy Corso wanted the day to come when they would leave this hectic life behind, when they would settle down in their own time, find their own place and think about family life. It was a calming thought, a place he wanted to be with her right now but this was the future and looking into her bruised, pale face he realised this was now. As his soft voice reached out to comfort her again, Risha knocked gingerly on the door, wearing a slim medical suit and short black boots, as usual her brown hair tied up in concentration when she was working. She scanned a tablet in her hand, examining the scans of the Captain's injuries to see if they were life threatening but a weight was lifted off his chest when she relayed the good news. Corso's eyes were wide in apprehension as he waited with baited breath for Risha's examination results, knowing that if it came down to it he would do whatever it took to make her better. He would not lose her, she would stay strong. Everything was going to be alright.

"Captain I've finished the analysis on your condition and you are one lucky woman. Your injuries will heal in time and the broken bones and bruising will mend when treated. Thank that Imperial for stepping in, in time when he did" Risha said smoothly, pressing nodes on her tablet as a wave of relief that Corso felt at the news nearly drowned him. His girl was going to live and that was all that mattered. The healing process would be long and at times painful but he would be at her side to guide her, comfort her and as always to love her. "It seems also Quinn got those Imperial off our back for us. Apparently now according to them we are no longer threats to the Empire, that will allow us to help you get on your feet again Captain" Risha explained as Corso threw a serious stare her way, still clasping Iz'phal's hand in his.

"Risha that's insane! Are you seriously suggesting that Imperial helped us? He may have had a connection with Iz yeah I'm not denying that, but he turned his back on her years ago. Do you really think he'd have the heart do those things for her?" Corso almost gawped at her as Risha flashed all the evidence she needed from the holoterminal at the side of the room and Iz'phal's details and whereabouts were no longer inside the military files. It took a moment for Corso to process the information, finding it difficult to swallow the truth but in the end he just gazed at her with his big brown eyes in concern, wanting the answer. "Was that what happened Izzy?" He whispered softly as she nodded, wanting to relay the whole story but he merely told her to rest for fear of her condition becoming worse, so she just held his hand and breathed deeply, knowing now she was away from those Imperial scoundrels and had her man at her side.

"I just hope in the future we can meet face to face, discuss the past and just have it all out in the open and admit our wrongs. Above all that's I want Riggsy, you must understand that…" Iz'phal sighed, just wanting everything to be right and well again as he nodded, only wanting what was best for her. If it meant rekindling an old friendship, no matter the loyalties or ties of that person he understood that. The reason within Corso told him that Quinn must've still cared for her, wanted her to live otherwise why would he have intervened. As much as he was pained to admit it, he owed the Imperial soldier her life and that was worth everything. His voice was low and soothing as Risha began to prep her latest doses of medication for her, going through her med kit methodically. Iz'phal managed to roll herself onto her side to look lovingly into his eyes; just grateful he was there, the one person who meant everything to her.

"Course Izzy, if he still cares for you and wants to make it up to you for what he did then he would've saved you. I know you two were once close friends and the fact you find it in your heart to forgive him shows courage Iz. Not everyone could be able to do that…" Corso praised her as she lifted her head slightly, a faint smile crossing her beautiful blue face still entwined with bruises.

"I only hope we get to…just talk it over. It would put my mind at rest…" Iz'phal explained, Corso knowing immediately what she meant, for by wanting to keep a valuable friendship she proved she had a kind and loving heart and it honoured him to be with a girl who battled on when all hope seemed lost. He just let her speak to him, on the occasion asking questions but listening to how she felt and was there to comfort her. Through the healing process over the next few month Iz'phal hardly, slept, spoke or ate, Corso alongside her every moment she was lying there and she appreciated his love now more than anything. She thought to the future, and it seemed prosperous, perhaps with the prospects of starting a family and settling down with the man who meant much to her. Her life would be complete if she could mend her friendship with Quinn, the first man she thought had truly loved her. She was willing to forgive him, but whether she would get that chance…It was difficult to tell.