welcome back! thanks for reading and don't forget to have a look into Twisted by Design, the Terminal State prequel!

...

Athenacia's condition remained at a standstill thanks to the moogle magic containing the daemonic miasma from spreading through her body. Cor had gotten Aranea to take him to the village and collect Evangeline to at least try and buy them some more time and it was working. However, it was only a temporary fix. There was no way to hold it for very long and there were no promising results on curing the virus. Gladiolus wasn't exactly sure what it was that he could do to really help so he stayed in the room with Evangeline while he waited. The moogle couldn't leave or else the magic would stop and there was no way to know how fast it would continue on its course. Athenacia was closely monitored to ensure that things were indeed paused for the time being.

Evangeline didn't sleep much at all. A few days passed and it was evident how hard things were for her to keep this up. Gladiolus did whatever he could to help her out while Cor kept an eye on things as well. Having so many people watch gave all of them a break, except for the moogle who couldn't stop what she was doing. The Shield would catch her standing next to her daughter's bedside while holding her hand and speaking in their native tongue. It reminded him of the time he spent isolated away from Athenacia in the moogle village, having three years to hear all about how Evangeline wished to know her child. Gladiolus wished that the two of them could meet one day and that maybe some of that pain Athenacia held on to would disappear.

That didn't happen. The two women met, Evangeline not sure what to expect. Athenacia was beyond furious at the idea of her mother being alive and making no attempts to come and find her only child. In the end, the doctor decided that there would be no need to allow the woman to remain in her life and steeled herself away. There was a little more to it than 30 odd years of unresolved pain but the Shield was unable to do anything about it. Athenacia shut down at the very suggestion of being nice to her mother even though it got on his nerves how she refused to even give it a chance. Now he would give almost anything for one of her annoying emotional outbursts, unable to remember the exact day he had last heard her voice.

Cor was a different matter entirely. The man was brooding more often than not whether he was in the room or not. He could barely even face Athenacia, a scowl on his face at the very thought of her succumbing to the terminal illness she carried. Many times in since she was entrusted to his care he felt like he had failed her, but none of it was true until the moment she passed if there was no way to stop it. The side effects of her death would be catastrophic to Eos, the timing not there yet. With Gladiolus constantly around, there was no way to discuss it either. Cor needed a way to save his daughter and he knew that he was running out of the time he had managed to buy in the first place. Athenacia herself, as brilliant as she was, still couldn't find a cure to this and Cor wasn't sure anyone else could.

A stroke of luck came by one day. Gladiolus was nowhere in the room when Cor came in, only Evangeline who couldn't leave. Looking over at the moogle, she was barely even awake, dozing in a chair beside the bed and completely haggard. The resemblance between the two women was very obvious right now. Since Athenacia was in med school she always looked like she never slept and that's exactly how her mother appeared. As much as he wished for the moogle to rest, he had to take the opportunity before it passed him by. There very well might not be another one.

"'Vange," Cor placed a hand on her shoulder, shaking her.

Evangeline woke up instantly. looking around before rubbing her red eyes. She sighed once her gaze rested on Athenacia, still sick, no improvement. It wasn't like they didn't know that she would get better but there was always the hope that whenever they walked in some change would occur.

"She's still the same," he said.

"Is there nothing that will work?" asked Evangeline.

"No," Cor shook his head gravely.

Tears welled in the woman's eyes. The Marshal reached for his daughter's hand, noting that it was still ice cold. No matter how many heated blankets she had, her body temperature still wouldn't rise. All the implications of her path weighed heavy on him.

"If she dies... I won't be able to contain him."

Cor stiffened, "She's not ready. None of us are."

"As you said, nothing will work. If the human medicine isn't working and moogle magic can't cure her then we have no choice but to accept what must come to pass."

"There has to be something else!" he shouted, "She can't die!"

"Perhaps I can offer a suggestion."

Both Evangeline and Cor whipped their heads toward the voice that entered the room. It belonged to Ignis, who was standing in the doorway with the same solemn look that everyone else had who came to see Athenacia. The Marshal looked over at the woman, hoping that their conversation wasn't overheard. There was a reason, after all, that Cor had decided to keep his real fears from all of them.

"What is it, Scientia?" asked Cor.

"I'm sure you recall the very moment when the secret you've kept from us was inadvertently revealed?"

"And?"

"Dr. Virum was overdosing on a multitude of poisons coursing through her system. The detonation pushed aside all of the toxins and allowed her to live."

Cor frowned in thought, bringing his gaze back to Athenacia. The incident Ignis was talking about played out in his mind, and it forced him to think back to the first time he had ever seen her detonate. She was two years old and caught the nasty round of influenza that plagued the city. It was bad and he was told by the doctors that she would be lucky if she made it through the night. Then she detonated, and mysteriously the illness was gone. There was no medical explanation for it and Cor was not going to offer anything to them about it. The truth of the matter was, it was an anomaly that no one could figure out but managed to keep her alive.

"You think her detonation will cancel out the miasma?" the Marshal spoke.

"Indeed," replied Ignis, though lacking the usual confidence in his voice.

"The theory is fairly sound," mused Evangeline.

"With an extremely high risk factor," said Cor.

"Are there really any other options?"

The Marshal sighed, keeping his eyes on his daughter. It was clear that this was an idea they hadn't thought of and definitely the only thing left for them to try. What was there really left for them to lose?"

...

"No."

The plan to have Athenacia detonate in order to try and push out the daemonic miasma was explained to Gladiolus the next day. Cor was having trouble with the idea himself but eventually agreed that this was the only course available to them. The Shield was not happy with what was being suggested, going completely into defensive mode. His arms were crossed and a scowl on his face. Ignis, Cor and Evangeline were in the room, as well as Gin who was the one currently checking up on her patient.

"Gladio-"

"You're not risking her life," said Gladiolus, cutting off Ignis.

"Her life is already at risk," said Evangeline.

"You bought her the time-"

"And it's being wasted waiting for something that's not going to happen."

"She's right," added Ignis.

"That doesn't mean guarantee she dies!" the Shield's voice rose.

"Doing nothing means she dies," the moogle shot back.

"I'm going to let you do this."

"You don't have a choice in the matter," Cor spoke up.

All eyes went to the older man that didn't seem to want to have any part of this. The usual unreadable look was on his face whenever it came to making decisions about Athenacia. His gaze wasn't really focused on anything, his thoughts more consuming than the current conversation. That was, until he looked over at the younger man.

"I'm her proxy. The decision is mine to make," said the Marshal sternly.

Gladiolus did not look happy to hear that, fuming at the very idea of what they were suggesting. The tension in the room rose as they glared at each other. No one dared speak and interrupt them, not wanting any of their fury to reciprocate onto them. In the beginning they were stuck because Cor wasn't around to make the medical decisions, now Cor was deciding that killing Athenacia was faster is the better choice. What had the Shield so upset was the fact that he was again forced to sit by and watch while there was nothing he could do to help the situation.

"Gladio," Evangeline's voice was soft, "I cannot keep her alive much longer. This is the only chance she has."

He growled tearing his eyes away and then walking to his girlfriend's bed. There was no change in her and the last few weeks that she was stuck with machines doing all of the work for her made it harder for him each day. Plenty of times he always thought about the sacrifices he would make just to have her wake up again even though he knew that she wouldn't. There was no cure for this miasma, it was going to take her life whether they had her detonate or not. Evangeline was right about that and the fact that she was losing her strength only meant the time that was bought was gone. Gripping the ice cold hand on the bed tightly, he heaved a heavy, sad sigh and then turned to look at the others. Giving one nod, he slumped his shoulders in defeat before looking back down at Athenacia. If there was a miracle left for her, he hoped the Six would grant it.

...

A couple hours later, Cor was driving an ambulance outside of the city of Lestallum. Gin had taken care of the arrangements since she knew about Athenacia's ability to detonate. Frankie and Vi had no idea what was happening. Athenacia had to be taken to a large space where no wasn't a chance of casualties. Evangeline would do her best to contain the detonation but she was weak after constantly using her magic for the last week or so. Ignis was there as well, sitting in the back of the vehicle with Gladiolus who refused to leave his girlfriend's side. He still wasn't happy about this but there was no road to travel where he would be.

All the machines that were maintaining the patient were removed, only the oxygen of the ambulance reaching her. Gin kept a critical eye on all of it, knowing that they wouldn't stand a chance if it happened too early. Once the vehicle had stopped, she disconnected the mask and began to wheel out the stretcher. Gladiolus gingerly picked up Athenacia, holding her cold body to his and then following Evangeline out into the open field they arrived at. He couldn't be completely sure of where they were but he didn't care at all. The Shield kept Athenacia cradled to him before finally stopping at what was perceived to be a safe distance away and then lowering to the ground. No signs of life within her, no reaction whatsoever to being placed on the dirt and Gladiolus hated that he kept expecting one. Looking down at her peaceful face made him sigh. He leaned over, putting his forehead against hers.

"You got this, Doc," he whispered to her.

Gladiolus planted a kiss on her forehead before forcing himself to leave. Glancing one last time at Evangeline, he nodded at her before coming to stand next to her. His arms crossed, eyes fixated on the dying woman on the ground.

"Aren't you going back to the others?" inquired the moogle.

"If its safe enough for you then I'm fine," he shrugged.

She looked dubious but decided not to argue. It only took so long just to get him to agree to this, there was no sense in wasting any more of the time they were quickly losing. Taking out the two necklaces, she pushed them together once more and then closed her eyes in focus. Gladiolus watched like a hawk with that same uneasiness in his chest. It was difficult to push the negative thoughts out of his mind, crossing his arms and holding them tightly while he watched an azure sort of glow slowly started to disappear. Evangeline let out a deep breath, slumping in her own weariness. They waited after that, the air as still as Athenacia who wasn't showing any sort of signs of life. Had she passed? It was hard to know without going near her.

All of a sudden, her body arched upward and she took in a large breath. The two of them watched as Athenacia struggled to catch her breath and then began to convulse. The daemonic miasma was spreading through her body and the cry she let out wretched at his heart. Watching this was torture, the scowl on Gladiolus's face deepening with each passing second. He couldn't imagine what was going through her mind right now, waking up in the middle of nowhere in complete agony with no one around her. A step closer made the sound of her wails ring louder in his ears but before he could get any closer a hand stopped him. It wasn't Evangeline, a look back brought him face to face with Cor. Only the Marshal had come this far and Gladiolus brought his gaze back to Athenacia. She was still screaming and that only made it more difficult to stay put instead of run to her aid.

The last two detonations he stayed with her came to mind. He remembered the first, in Gralea years ago. Both of them hadn't seen each other in a few weeks but all of those hurt feelings were set aside. The ruse to separate them was well known even if they hadn't talked about the actual implications of it, nothing changed how he felt about her. Gladiolus refused to leave her, wished to instill the same confidence in her ability to control her powers that he had. The second time was in Illume, again while the two of them were on the outs in their relationship. Despite her constant resistance to him, he was far too stubborn to let her go. Just like this time, she was dying and there was nothing he could do about it. Athenacia detonated again in his arms and both times she did so there was never any damage to anything else. Now she was alone and ready to do it again.

That familiar azure glow started to surround her, only this time it was far more vibrant than usual. Evangeline was working her magic, trying to contain the upcoming pulse of magic. It was easy to see that she was struggling, all the strength used to keep Athenacia alive this long in the first place. At the rate she was going, there was no way that this detonation was going to be contained, there simply wasn't enough power. Shaking out of Cor's grasp, Gladiolus starting running toward his girlfriend as fast as he could.

"Gladio!" the Marshal called after him.

"I'm not letting her do this alone!" he didn't even turn around, wasn't stopping.

Whatever Cor said after that was gone, the raging wind that formed around Athenacia reaching his ears and blocking out all sound except for the heartbreaking wails. Just like before, Gladiolus was forced to fight his way in order to get close to her. It was harder this time but he managed to break the barrier and get to her. He hesitated once his eyes caught sight of her, in complete shock. The daemonic miasma had taken over her entire body, trying desperately to kill her from the inside out. Athenacia was beginning to undergo her transformation and Gladiolus reached out to her.

"Doc!" he called for her.

"Gladio?"

Athenacia's red eyes focused on him, all the while trying to keep her powers from releasing. The azure glow surrounding her was still shining bright, her skin ready to burst into flames. Usually it would be far too hot to touch her, but this time something different seemed to be happening.

"I'm here," he cupped her cheek as the light surrounded him to.

"What's happening?"

The sound of her feeble voice tore at him and he held her close, moving the long hair out of her face.

"It's gonna be okay Doc," he kissed her forehead, "Just let it happen."

"No," she whined.

"Hey, look at me."

He fixed her a stern look and she let tears fall from her eyes. Gently, he wiped away her tears, holding her gaze as he did so.

"You trust me, Doc?"

Her bottom lip quivered, her face contorted in agony. Despite that, she nodded fervently at him. Gladiolus kissed her then, taking the chance while he could because there was no guarantee he would have another.

"It's all you," he whispered, "You got this."

Athenacia whined and he pulled her so that she was against him. It was the first time she hadn't told him to run away and it was a little unnerving. Her body shook with her sobs and he did all that he could to soothe her. Everything was different this time, not feeling her skin aflame nor a pressure within himself building up like usual. He could feel her breaking point, and that was when she let out thunderous cry. Gladiolus held her tightly, watching as that azure glow around her began to expand like it always did. A golden light blinded him, seeming to come from his left wrist and he tensed his body in order to hold everything together. Athenacia's wail carried, echoing in his ears while she clung to him. This was far different than the other times, like he was on the outside of it all instead of riding it out with her.

Eventually she was silent and the glow disappeared. The Shield was breathing heavily, opening his eyes and having a look around. On the ground beneath them were embers though in a very small radius as opposed to the first time he was witness to such an occasion. Amber eyes finding their target, he noted that Athenacia was completely pale and unconscious, body limp. He brought two fingers to fish for a pulse in her neck and was relieved that it was there, just barely though. This was usually the part where she was vulnerable and would beg for death. It wasn't happening and instantly he went to look for the source of the infection on her back. Nothing, not even a scar to tell the story of the journey they just travelled. It worked and he hugged her tightly to him.

"You did good, Doc," he whispered even though she couldn't hear him.

...

Once Gladiolus had taken Athenacia back to the others, Gin checked her vitals and was happy to let them all know that she would make a full recovery. The relief that swept through all of them was like a weight that lifted off their shoulders. Cor drove the ambulance back to the hospital and Athenacia was admitted with her real name and a whole different set of symptoms that would explain her absence. Ignis spread the good word and Gladiolus slept like a baby for the first time in weeks. Cor and Evangeline were looking better after some rest themselves and the Shield was happy to see it. Athenacia would still be out for a few days for recovery but at least she would live. The day before she was to wake up the moogle was getting ready to leave.

"Already?" asked Gladiolus.

"It's time. I shouldn't be here when she gets up," replied Evangeline.

"Might help."

"No," interjected Cor, "She won't even know she was infected."

"You don't think she has a right to know?"

"This is best kept secret. Knowing that she was infected and nearly died only to be saved by a mother she doesn't want will not help her heal and recover her lost magic. Lilium has been through enough hardship and most of it was my fault," explained the moogle sadly.

Gladiolus frowned, turning the words over in his head. He knew Athenacia well and knew how hard it was for her to live with the issues she had at the moment. As much as he hated to admit it, her mother was right. It would have to be a secret until the right time. Nodding at her once, he sighed at the idea of keeping things from his girlfriend.

"You think it'll come back?"

Evangeline smiled, "It never left," she reached for his wrist, tracing her thumb over the mark of the moogle charm there, "Magic like hers doesn't just disappear, this is proof of that. It came to save her while I held her in place. The day will come that she is whole again."

The Shield didn't understand much of anything that was spoken to him, frowning in thought. The moogle just smiled tenderly at him, releasing her grip and then patting his cheek.

"It was good to see you again, Gladio. Take better care of her."

"Hey now-"

"I'm just teasing. I hope next time we meet it's actually a happy occasion for once."

He smirked, "See you around."

Aranea took the moogle back to her home after that but Cor remained. Athenacia woke up and Gladiolus was right there when she did, that tightness in his chest leaving completely. She was confused and a little disoriented, demanding her medical chart to figure out what exactly was going on. Gin brought the forged documents and Athenacia looked over them critically before closing the folder and buying the bogus story presented to her. It didn't feel right to lie to her and he made sure that Cor knew the truth was going to come out eventually. For now, he was more focused on trying to forget this crisis even happened to her. Everyone knew not to tell the truth and they complied, relieved that she was going to live.

About a week later, Dr. Virum had returned to work and spent most of her time catching up on the things she had missed. Gladiolus was a little upset that she was spending so much time away from him and it baffled her as to why he was so affectionate lately. A staph infection was serious but the strain she had wasn't life-threatening. Honestly, he was acting like she had almost died from it and she wasn't sure how to react to him. It was part of the reason she was avoiding him, hoping that he would just go back to normal. Another week passed and Athenacia finally caught up on everything and was actually ahead of the game for once. A quick look at the time told her that there was no more avoiding her weird boyfriend, especially since today was special.

"Hey Doc," Gladiolus greeted her once she walked into their room.

"Have you moved at all?" she raised a brow.

The last time she was home he was sitting in the same chair with a book in the same sweatpants. Seriously, what was up with him lately?

"I'm moving right now," he smirked.

She gave an exasperated sigh before dropping her bag on the ground. Taking a quick look around told her that he did go out today, able to see a different pile of clothes from before. His hair was also damp from a fresh shower. Good.

"What's with the coat?"

He was referring to her lab coat. It wasn't like he had never seen her in it before, but usually she left that in her locker at the hospital. This time it was her turn to smirk and she could tell he wasn't expecting that. Slowly, she made her way over to him.

"Lately," Athenacia began, "You have been exhibiting strange behaviour," she unbuttoned her coat and knew she had his complete attention, "And as your doctor," she was standing in front of him before allowing herself to fall into his lap, "It's my job to diagnose you."

The wolfish smile he gave her made her bite her lip. This was a little more bold than usual but today was a special occasion and he definitely deserved it, even if he was being weird. His hands came to hold onto her hips just as her mouth hovered above his. Her cool fingers touched his skin and it made his breath hitch at the contact. He held her gaze, even as her eyes drooped before she finally placed a light kiss on his lips. She didn't get very far before kissing him again, firmer this time. The hands on her hips came to her back, pulling her body against his. Athenacia brought her clouded eyes back to his face, loving the way he was looking at her right now.

"Tastes normal," she whispered, "Let's test your reflexes," her lips grazed his ear with every word before her teeth nipped at the bottom of his lobe.

A low growl sounded in his throat and she smirked. Her actions continued through the night and well into the morning. Gladiolus barely moved, allowing her the control she so obviously wanted. She was the only one who could do it and despite knowing that she was avoiding him the last two weeks, he still couldn't be happier that she was alive. Keeping the secret from her was probably the best move, observing how she was handling things on her end since waking up. Athenacia was almost back to the way she was when he met her and for now, that was enough. Tonight she showed him exactly what he meant to her and he couldn't be happier.

All in all, it wasn't a bad birthday.

...

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