"Well, it appears that the bond between you and Cadet Craven might be why you're losing your biddies. Whatever has transpired between you two, when you were injured her proximity helped heal you and also somehow is dissolving your biddy bonds. I've never heard of anything like this before," Izadora circled the pair of them looking them up and down.
Sarah looked at her with concerned eyes, "No harm will come to Tally though?"
Izadora raised an eyebrow at Sarah using the cadet's first name so casually, "Well, Craven, how have you been feeling?"
Tally blushed for a minute and looked from Sarah to Izadora, "Fine, I've felt fine. I mean besides our connection getting stronger, which I mean I don't mind that. I uh, I'm just fine."
Sarah smirked at the flustered younger woman and then turned back to Izadora who continued to curiously watch them, "If you're worried about your transformations affecting Craven then you shouldn't have anything to worry about. I mean as long as you're able to control your wolf side and not let it seep through your growing connection. But let me know the moment anything changes, I can throw something together to help dampen the connection if needed."
"Thank you, Izadora. We'll let you know if anything changes."
The moment the pair made it outside Tally let out a breath as if she'd been holding it the entire time, relief flooding her.
"I'm sorry that you're wrapped up in all of this, Tally. None of this was my intention," Sarah stood straight with her hands behind her back.
"Sarah, really it's okay, I don't mind. But you'll be careful, won't you?"
"Of course. You should go join your unit for classes and training," Sarah hesitated and looked nervous as she continued, "I'll be around tonight, if you want to come see me again."
Tally smiled nodded and headed off in the direction of her dorm to find her unit.
And so they went off and on like that meeting up, sometimes Tally stayed the night and sometimes she didn't. Things had been fairly quiet since Sarah's last fight and it had her on edge. It wasn't until the next full moon when Sarah was forced to transform that things took a turn for the worst.
Tally hadn't heard from Sarah let alone felt her at all, she had asked her to stay away for a few days during the full moon which Tally thought odd but she respected her wishes. But she hadn't heard anything for a few days and she was sure Sarah would have been transformed back by then.
It was during her mothertongue class that Anacostia showed up and asked for her to be excused, throwing a glance at Raelle and Abigail she followed her out of the classroom.
"What's wrong? Is there something wrong with Sarah?"
Anacostia raised her eyebrow at the mention of Sarah's first name coming from the cadets mouth, "She will be," Anacostia stopped and placed her hands on Tally's shoulders, "She's not in the best condition right now, Tally. She fought off the Camarilla soldier, she defeated him but she's really banged up. She almost died, her remaining biddies have managed to heal her a little but it's not enough. She needs you. She hasn't woken up since we found her."
Tally blinked back the tears that were threatening to fall, "How? I promised her that I'd help her fight them and she did it all on her own."
"Yeah, well, she's stubborn. You know that Sarah would rather take it all on herself than to let any harm come to any other witch. Especially you, but she needs you now," Anacostia let her hands drop and they continued on their way.
When they got to Sarah's little house the remaining biddies gathered to greet them and Tally smiled sadly as she walked past them. Anacostia opened the door to her room and Tally was ushered in. She saw an IV hooked up to her arm and so many bandages, why couldn't a fixer heal her?
Tally choked out a sob as she knelt next to her bed and took her hand in her own, "I'll stay with her as long as it takes."
Anacostia knelt beside her and placed a hand on her shoulder, "She wouldn't want you to endanger your health but stay with her, I was informed that your proximity helps her heal. I'll have dinner brought by for you and the biddies later. Just remember this isn't your fault, okay?"
Tally nodded but couldn't take her eyes off Sarah's still form, "Okay."
Anacostia stood and walked to the otherside of the bed and gently placed a kiss on Sarah's forehead and then left.
Tally cried as she stood and very gently laid herself down on the bed next to Sarah, wrapping her arm around her carefully. She cried for what felt like hours until she heard a whispered, "Tally" float from Sarah's lips.
Tally's head perked up but Sarah was still asleep, but it must've been a good sign that her proximity was helping if Sarah was able to speak let alone sense her in her sleep. She lay there thinking of all that Sarah had been through, all that she had put her through as well. The guilt that burdened her, the shame. Sarah, carrying the weight of all these lives on her shoulders. Fighting for their future even after she was stripped of her rank.
Leaning up on her elbow she gently smoothed down Sarah's furrowed brow and placed a kiss on her cheek, "It's okay, Sarah, I'm here. You saved us all, again. And I'm here. I'm not leaving your side again."
She lay back down and nuzzled into her neck before falling asleep herself. It had felt like just a few minutes since she had closed her eyes before she was being shaken awake by Anacostia with dinner for her.
"You need to keep our energy up if you're going to help her," she had said as she left her her dinner along with some snacks and water for later.
Tally had scarfed down her food as her gaze never left Sarah's sleeping form, the biddies checked in on them too to make sure there wasn't anything they needed but Tally only smiled and shook her head. They smiled at her and left to go to bed. Tally rummaged around in Sarah's dresser for some old clothes to wear for pajamas and then settled in next to the older woman, being careful not to jostle her wounds as she slept.
Sighing at the feel of being right where she felt she should be she snuggled in closer to Sarah and soon fell asleep beside her.