What's good everyone? I do apologize that this took so long to come out. Life being unpredictable and me running uphill to get this done is a bit of an understatement. Ideally, I'd love to release these weekly, but I ain't that good yet. Lol. In any case, this one is being split up into two parts. Originally, it was going to be a single chapter, but after much deliberation, I figured it'd be best to split it up since I think that either half will take away from the other, and I think processing everything that's happening/about to happen will be easier if these are read separately.

Hope you enjoy. Thanks for the continued support. April had a lot of traffic for this fic - way more than usual. Very stoked about that. You guys are awesome.

Also, I don't think there's a way for me to respond to guest/anonymous reviews - at least, none that I can find. So I do apologize that I can't communicate with anyone this way. I always make it a point to reply to/thank those who take the time to give me their feedback.

...

"Ugh," I grumbled and groaned with woozy delirium as I held my forehead, my eyes fluttering open to reveal an unfamiliar space.

"Where-" I attempted to sit up, but the surrounding room spun in a blurry protest, and I fell backward holding onto my bedsheet for dear life.

"Wait, bedsheet?" I wondered as my eyes quickly shot downward.

Beneath me was a twin-sized mattress about six inches in height. Its lack of depth coupled with the absence of a bed frame created a sinking sensation which, if it wasn't for the fact that I could make out the firm touch of the floor with my ass, I would've sworn I was drowning in a pool of quicksand.

Saying a quick prayer to give thanks to whoever was up there looking out for me that I wouldn't be unceremoniously enshrined underground next to a triceratops for all eternity, I took a few moments to let my dizziness settle down before I slowly lifted my gaze to take in my surroundings.

From the corner my bed was situated in, I found myself to be in some kind of a medium-sized, mostly vacant room that was seriously in need of a new paint job given the crackling peels of gray that decorated the walls - unless of course, the haunted house look was what they were going for, in which case, keep on keeping on you horror film enthusiasts.

The light of the evening sun peeked through the curtains and cast eerie shadows from the dust particles that danced in the air from the low rumble of an AC in the window, helping the dimly glowing lamp in the adjacent corner illuminate the space. Matching the creepy and abandoned building aesthetic, a three-tiered bookshelf absent of any books with a few empty bottles of booze in their place sat across from me, and a dusty old TV with small cracks along its screen resided on a cabinet that was flush with the wall next to where a lone door resided.

"Just where in the hell am I?" I asked myself as I tried to retrace my steps mentally.

Rubbing the throbbing portion of the top of my head in contemplation, I felt a cloth-like sensation. "What the? Bandages?"

My eyes widened as it all came back to me. After carrying Kallen off to safety, I put her down momentarily only to race back toward her to save her from a stony demise, and then as a reward for my heroism, I was struck on my skull by a lone piece of debris that was eager to 'thank' me for depriving Death of its latest victim.

"Okay, that solves that mystery." I pantomimed a smoking gesture and blew out some air while wishing I had a calabash pipe to complete the ace detective look for my incredible powers of deduction. "But that still doesn't tell me where I am."

Suddenly, a loud muffled voice came from behind the door across the room.

Unable to make out what the angry man had bellowed, I shot to my feet. I must've stood up too quickly, however, because another dizzy spell hit me.

As if I had just finished my 50th re-ride of a high speed tilt-a-whirl, I stumbled backward onto my bed with all the grace and force of a drunken elephant attempting ballet on a stage full of banana peels.

"Nghhh." I murmured silently, hoping that the man in the next room didn't overhear my undignified collapse.

Taking my time, I re-attempted to stand up.

"Success!" I celebrated in a low voice with a brief fist pump.

Stealthily making my way toward the source of the yell, I leaned against the wall for stability with each soundless step.

Arriving at the door, I propped my ear against it and listened intently.

"I don't want to hear any more excuses!" The angry man chastised at what I could guess was a somewhat moderate distance away from my room.

"He saved my life, Tamaki! What, was I supposed to leave him for dead?!" A familiar feminine voice retorted with equal intensity.

"Kallen?" My eyebrows furrowed as I pressed my ear more firmly against the splintery barrier and tried to make sense of what was going on.

"Now wait just a moment," a more reasonable-sounding male chimed in, "while I agree that bringing him here was risky, there wasn't much room for any alternatives. If Kallen hadn't taken that communicator from the man piloting that knightmare to contact us, they'd both be sitting ducks out there."

"And now that that pretty boy Britannian is here, her whole cover is jeopardized. Ever think about that, Ohgi?!"

"Pretty boy? That's the best he could come up with?" I puzzled half amused before shifting my focus to the more pertinent issue at hand. "And what's this about being undercover?"

"I'll come up with a cover story - I always do," she shot back. "Besides, he's Japanese," she asserted in a matter of fact tone

"Japanese? Are you sure?" Ohgi asked, surprise highlighting his words.

"He has to be. He piloted that Burai like a pro, and-"

"Pfft. Beginner's luck." Tamaki dismissed.

Raising my eyes to the ceiling, I considered the name 'Burai.' I mean, it sounded familiar and all, but for some reason, the name was less readily apparent to me than the names of the other two units we encountered.

Cutting off my train of thought, Ohgi jumped in, "Give her a chance to explain."

"Luck had nothing to do with it. You should've seen the way he fought. He's one of the best damn pilots I've ever seen. If I can continue to help him remember more about himself, then maybe he can help us."

I narrowed my eyes in deep thought, "Help *us?* As in, her too?"

Suddenly, a series of questions swirled around in my already revolving brain, and a whole lot of things began to make sense. Kallen's fixation on the Japanese, her knowledge of their fighting styles, and even her mysterious familiarity with the general layout of the ghetto - it all started to become clear.

"Then she must be-"

"Tch. I still don't like any of it!" Tamaki's voice got louder. "It's bad enough you two teamed up with a guy who won't even show us his face to save that Kururugi traitor, and now you're-"

He went on and on, but I didn't pay attention. I was too busy putting two and two together, my jaw sinking closer and closer to the floor with each passing second of rumination over Tamaki's words. "No way... Zero?! Kallen's a terrorist?!"

I was so lost in thought wondering about Kallen's true character and whether or not she was cut from the same mold as the terrorists from earlier, that my balance faltered.

Reigning in what little control over my body I could muster, I stabilized myself on the cabinet where the TV rested, making a slight thud.

Simultaneously, Kallen and Ohgi hushed Tamaki with a resounding "shhh" as they both asked in a loud whisper, "What was that?!"

"Nice going." I facepalmed.

...

The ominous ticking of an imaginary clock sounded off in my head counting down the fewer and fewer seconds I had to make it back to my former resting place before I was found out by someone I thought I was beginning to know quite well.

Staggering against the wall, I quickly tiptoed toward my bed as the nearing sound of likely feminine footfalls made their way toward me.

I took several deep breaths to quiet the rhythmic drumming of my heart, which probably beated almost loudly enough to be heard through the slim walls of my room, as I ruminated over the many questions I had to try to make sense of everything I just heard.

How was Kallen related to these terrorists? Was she really even sick? Am I just a potential recruit she can subtly coax into joining her cause? Are we even friends?

I began to grimace as I fruitlessly racked my brain for answers. "Just who is she really?"

The look of disgust she had on her face as the terrorists from earlier haphazardly involved and inadvertently harmed those innocent people in their squabble certainly seemed genuine, but then again...

Losing stability, I stumbled backward in a rotation, and after regaining my footing, I shook my head realizing I didn't have the time to figure all this out and spun on my heels as fast as I could without keeling over.

Anxiety flitted in my chest as I wobbled closer and closer to my destination with the same level of etiquette as a seasick mariner failing to find balance in the middle of a maelstrom.

I just about dive-bombed onto the mattress when the loud shout of Tamaki's voice echoed in the distance. "Whatever. I'm out of here!"

The slow screech of a door creaked from across the room, and I quickly yanked the comforter over my body pretending to be asleep.

"Rai?" Kallen cautiously poked her head into the room.

Mentally crossing my fingers that I somehow had Oscar-worthy acting skills tucked away in my subconscious grab bag of randomly useful abilities, I held my forehead and gave my best attempt at a groan, "Kallen?"

She stepped inside and closed the door behind her.

Making her way toward me in a brisk walk, she knelt at my bedside.

"Where are we?" I rasped in an attempt to sound like I had just come to while starting to sit up.

Apparently not taking notice as to whether or not I had what it takes to be the next big name in show biz, she put a hand on my shoulder to settle me back down. "Take it easy. It looks like we're in some sort of abandoned safehouse in the ghetto."

"What makes you think it's a safehouse?" I feigned ignorance over the obvious conclusion I arrived at after overhearing the conversation from earlier.

"It doesn't seem furnished enough to qualify as a living space, and it doesn't look like the place has been maintained for a while, meaning it's likely that nobody's been here for a long time."

"I guess it's pretty lucky that they had bandages and other things for you to use to wrap me up." I said with almost sarcastic pointedness.

Kallen nodded tersely. "There are various drawers in the other room with limited supplies and rations people would use if they needed a place to hold up for a while. I used what I could find to bandage you up."

"I see..." I muttered, not sure what to say. "But how did we get here?"

"I carried you."

I squinted my eyes skeptically, "By yourself?"

"Yeah?" She canted her head.

"But aren't you really sick? How were you able to drag me across the ghetto?"

Kallen didn't even bat an eye when she gave me her answer with pre-scripted eloquence, "It must've been an adrenaline rush. We were in a highly dangerous situation, after all."

"And we're totally alone?" I craned my neck toward the door, "Nobody else is here?"

Just as she began to assure me that we were by ourselves, I couldn't help but blurt, "I could've sworn I heard someone else's voice a minute ago."

She fidgeted in place trying her best to keep her poker face in tact, "Well, there's a Japanese man in the other room. He took shelter here around the same time as us to escape the battle."

"But a second ago you insisted we were alone?"

"Ah," she bit her lip. "That is-" She began anew, but her mind drew a blank.

She took in a deep breath, "Well, you see-" She coughed and tried again, "What I meant was-"

I let Kallen carry on for a little while as she tried her damndest to articulate something plausible, but all she was able to muster was an incoherent word salad.

Holding my forehead, I sat up fully, my blanket falling to my lap, "So, let me get this straight-"

I took a moment to let my shaky vision settle before continuing when I noticed that Kallen's stutters slowed down.

Confused about the sudden deceleration of her stammering, I slowly looked up at her, my eyebrows pressing together in assessment.

Her cheeks tinged pink as her gaze uncomfortably bounced back and forth between my face and my middle.

"Huh?" I questioned as I finally noticed the absence of any clothing covering my now exposed midsection. "What happened to my shirt?"

I looked back at Kallen, her head pointing a little more south than before. "Uh, Kallen?"

Neck still tilted downward, a faint gasp escaped from her lips when she quickly shot her eyes up to mine, her shoulders slightly shrugged in guilt. "Y-yeah?"

"Everything okay?"

"I'm fine!" Her voice cracked. "I was just-" she shook her head to compose herself, "You asked me something a second ago?"

"My shirt? I asked you what happened to it?"

"It was damaged by that explosion earlier, remember? You have some scrapes and first degree burns on your back. They're faint, but I thought it was a good idea to apply some creams to them and bandage what I could. I needed to take your shirt off to make the process easier."

"You... undressed me and thoroughly rubbed my back with cream?"

Tilting my chin upward, I stared thoughtfully at the ghostly gossamer of cobwebs that occupied the ceiling's expanse. Briefly letting my imagination get carried away, I vividly pictured us on a beach and Kallen in a tastefully skintight swimsuit slowly applying sunscreen on my back in smooth, rhythmic caresses.

It's a good thing that this blanket was so thick, otherwise she might've noticed the increasingly tensing situation going on down under.

Just as our imaginary selves began to switch roles, the real Kallen retreated backward with a dumbfounded grimace, "Why do you have to say it like that?!"

My glazed eyes met hers. "Say it like what?"

"Nevermind." She looked away and wrapped an arm around her waist, her lips curving in a pout.

After a few moments of connecting the dots, an intense internal tug of war broke out between two overwhelming forces vying for dominance.

Heaving powerfully in one corner and eager to maintain its title as defending champion, was my usual reflex to retreat into awkward bashfulness whenever it came to virtually any interaction with the female species. Needless to say, this urge wasted no time in pulling out all its usual stops. Within seconds, a swarm of butterflies occupied my stomach, and my body temperature increased, making my face likely as crimson as a sunburnt tomato.

Yet the clear underdog in this fight, my insatiable desire to tease, wouldn't go down so easily given the quickening pace of my heart that thudded with increasing anticipatory excitement from the rush of adrenaline coursing through my chest and limbs.

Conflicting propensities jerked vigorously on both sides of my emotional center for what felt like hours in the battleground of my psyche when suddenly, a budding coy curl slowly emerged in right the corner of my mouth, indicating the victor.

"Wh-what's with that look?!"

"No reason." I shrugged innocently.

She swung her hand to the side, "I was just checking to see if there were any injuries I missed!"

"I didn't say you weren't." I looked down at her, my head tilted back at an angle.

"Huh? Well, so long as you understa-"

Not willing to let this end so quickly, my mischievous grin expanded, and I cut in by quoting her from earlier when we were back at the underpass, "It's just - 'you were staring like you were in deep thought about something~.'"

Her nose wrinkled as she fired off another dismissal , "You're reading way too much into this, Rai! I already said I was-"

"Sure, sure." I flapped my wrist repeatedly. "Whatever you sa-"

Grinding her teeth together, Kallen shot up and bolted toward the door with heavy steps. "I think I saw some spare clothes in the other room!"

After thinking about it for a moment, I raised a finger in objection, but she was already gone.

While I thoughtfully stroked my chin considering the ramifications of putting on a potentially bacteria-infested hand me down, Kallen burst through the door and shouted a half-annoyed and half-flustered, "Here!" as she tossed something in my direction.

In my peripheral vision, a yellow ball of unfurling fabric streaked toward me with the ferocity of a bolt of lightning hurled by Zeus himself.

Coming out of my musing trance, I turned, but it was too late. The billowing garment forcefully draped over my face as if my head was a hook on a coat rack, and I pitched backward, my head hitting the pillow.

"*Gasp,* Rai, I'm sorry!" Kallen panicked as she sprinted my way.

Kneeling beside me, she ripped the shirt off my face, grabbed me by the shoulders and shook me, "Hey! Rai! Stay with me!"

I couldn't hold it in any longer. Covering my eyes with my hand, an overly exuberant cackle burst from my lips. "Hahahaha!"

"Huh?!"

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry." I wiped the tears away with my forearm. "I just couldn't resist."

"That's not funny, you know!" She hit her lap with her fists.

My amused chuckling persisted, but the noticeable lack of her contribution to what I thought was a humorous moment made me crack an eye open.

In the place of what I anticipated to at least be a small grin was a deepening scowl.

Daring to raise my gaze higher, I winced at the sight of her scrunching eyes shooting fiery darts at me.

Shoulders sinking, I cleared my throat, "I didn't mean to-"

"You shouldn't joke like that!" Her sharp rebuke cracked like a whip, making me shrink a little more.

"I'm sorry. I just-"

"This is serious, Rai! You're hurt! You can't keep laughing things off like it's nothing!"

I lowered my chin and let out a deep sigh, unsure of what to say.

Kallen's hard stare bore into me as her repudiations continued, and I struggled to come up with a suitable apology.

My lips began to quiver, and I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion.

Picking up on this, Kallen leaned toward me, her tone shifting from vexation to concern, "Hey, what's wrong?"

"Wh-what do you mean?"

I lifted my eyes toward her, but her visage was all distorted. Up until now, the fuzzy imagery I've been seeing off and on was reminiscent of haphazard pastel smears you'd find on a modern art canvas that somehow valued in the multimillions, but this watery glaze was something new.

Sniffling subtly, I turned away and rubbed my fist against my eyelids, "Would you believe me if I said I had something in my eye?"

"It's been a long day, Rai. Maybe you need some more rest?"

I wasn't sure what was going on. Emotionally, I felt pretty neutral, but my body seemed to have a mind of its own.

Propping an elbow on my lap, I cupped my drooping head in my palm in a vain attempt to stifle the ceaseless influx of waterworks.

The warm sensation of Kallen's hand just made contact with me, but I jerked back and snapped, "I said I'm fine!"

I quickly apologized and looked up at her again, her expression startled.

Looking away from her, I raised a finger, "I'm sorry Kallen *sniffle. I-I-I-I don't *sob know what's coming over me... I promise *pant *gasp I'm not this much of a wimp."

The gentle trickle of liquid dripping down my face reminiscent of a slowly flowing river you'd find at a local park intensified into rapids.

I shook my head and tried to muster some quip, some witty one-liner I could use to elevate the mood and shake off whatever the hell this was, but I came up with nothing.

My whole face trembled and twitched in involuntary spasms as I discreetly rocked my body back and forth, anxiety setting in.

With increasing speed, my eyes began to pingpong back and forth in all directions as if they were pinballs colliding against a series of narrowly aligned bumpers, and my shallow breaths escalated to full-scale hyperventilations.

"I don't understand," I whimpered. "I *sniffle don't even feel sad... Heh heh heh... Hahahahahahaha!"

Kallen's forehead wrinkled in visible confusion at my spontaneous laughing fit, only for her expression to become increasingly perplexed when I clasped my hands over my cackling mouth and abruptly reverted back to more intense crying.

"Maybe you just need to lie do-"

I clenched my head and curled up into a ball. "What the fuck is happening to me?!"

The bedroom door flung open mere seconds after my agonized screech penetrated the slim walls of the room, and a man I presumed to be Ohgi stood at the ready in a slight crouch.

With a shooing wave and a shake of her head, Kallen's watery silhouette signalled him to leave us be, and he obliged after a moments' hesitation.

I squeezed my blanket in a vice grip, my knuckles turning white, and I bawled in irrepressible sobs and shallow whimpers stifled by my rapid breaths.

Fear. Real agonizing, spine-chilling fear inebriated me as I panicked over the worst and fretted over my condition.

With a vigorous shake of my head, I made one last attempt to stabilize myself but to no avail. There was no consolation for me. This out of nowhere agony that at first didn't correspond with my mood began to shake me to my core as I hopelessly clenched my eyelids together trying to stop the avalanche of perturbation raging without.

Suddenly, warm arms wrapped around me and pulled me close in a comforting embrace. Recoiling slightly at first, I returned the hug and continued to let it all out, crying into her shoulder.

"Rai, I can't breathe."

Almost loosening my hold completely, I blubbered what came close to sounding like 'I'm sorry,' but Kallen, who was somehow fluent in mumble-ese, shook her head and pulled me in more tightly.

The gratifying feeling of her body pressing firmly into mine and the soothing strokes of her soft hand on my bare back gave me solace, and my breathing began to slow down. It was the only light in the darkness of my insurmountable confusion, wherein I wondered if there was any hope for me or if I was damaged beyond repair.

...

Now sporting a distasteful lemony yellow T-shirt, I plucked the last piece of tissue paper from the cube-shaped box Kallen brought in for me after my hyperventilations regressed to less-intense huffs.

Closing my puffy eyes, which felt like they swelled to the size of plums and could probably be mistaken for them too given the deep shade of purple that still underscored my lower eyelids despite my two hour long nap, I expelled the last bit of runny mucus occupying my nostrils.

You read that right - two hours. According to Kallen, it was around four o'clock when we had come to the tail end of our escapade from the battle zone, and after getting unexpectedly conked on the head by apparently my one true weakness, I'd lost consciousness and been asleep until six o'clock on what I was convinced to be a medieval torture device designed to break even the most resilient of backs that was formerly lost to history up until now while Kallen tended to my injuries.

Between skulking around with all the subtlety of an explosion in a library, Kallen's arrival in my room, and my best attempt at an audition for the lead role in a tear-jerking soap opera, another sixty minutes or so passed, and it was now after 7 p.m.

After tossing the last piece of snot-ridden tissue into the trashcan with surprisingly terrific accuracy given the conical stack of Kleenex's overflowing out of the bin, Kallen cleared her throat.

"Have you calmed down?"

"I think so. Don't really know where that came from."

"It's understandable that you had a panic attack after everything we went through today."

"Probably," I grimaced. "Honestly, I wish I had nerves of steel like yours."

"Maybe I'm just processing it differently." She unbuttoned her mucus and tear-filled jacket and slid it off her arms at a faster pace than I would've liked. "So, about earlier-"

Letting out a deep sigh, I reclined back onto my pillow, my arm covering my forehead.

"What's wrong?" She leaned in more closely.

"I was gonna say it was the room service..."

She canted her head, "I don't follow."

My vacant eyes shifted toward her. "And then I was gonna go on and on about how the place looks like it hasn't been dusted in years, that there's broken glass all over the shelves, and how I'm pretty sure there's asbestos in the corner I've been sleeping in, but," I exhaled heavily, the last bits of energy I had exiting my body as I waved a dismissive hand at Kallen, whose eyes narrowed in preparation for a new round of scolding, "we're both tired of bullshit today, right?"

Before she could say anything, I sat up and forced myself into making eye contact with her. "What do you want to know?"

Blinking in surprise, Kallen straightened, "How did you pilot that Burai so effortlessly? To me, that looked like military training."

"Honestly, I'm not sure. I just got in and understood what everything was and how it all worked."

Eyes widening slightly, Kallen said, "What you mean to say is that you remembered how to pilot it, right?"

Hugging my knees and resting my drooping head in the crevasse between them, I groaned, "You think I'm a terrorist, don't you?"

Not the biggest fan of my pointed use of the 'T' word, Kallen corrected, "A member of a *resistance group,* but yes, I think it's a strong possibility."

The disturbing imagery of the Burai carelessly firing their weapons and fighting aggressively amidst the fleeing Japanese residents of the ghetto flashed in my mind.

"I was afraid you'd say that." I squeezed my legs tightly.

"What do you mean?"

I couldn't hold it back any longer. The guilt, the fear - it all pounded at the door of my stuffed emotions, forcing their way out of me in a newfound surge of passion.

"You saw what they did! They fired all their weapons and fought against the Britannians so carelessly when those defenseless people were still around!"

"I know..." Kallen muttered.

"What if-" I began, spit practically flying from my mouth. "What if that's what I'm like?"

I took in a breath and looked away. "What if I used to hurt innocent people like those guys today?"

The familiar touch of Kallen's hand gently grasped my shoulder. "You're nothing like that, Rai."

"The man we stole the knightmare from - he practically laughed like it was nothing when I confronted him about treating the Japanese he claimed to be fighting for like collateral damage. If that's what I was really like, then-" I clenched my jaw, "then I can only imagine the amount of people who probably hate me in spite of the so-called righteous mission I prided myself on fighting."

She looked down, her voice softening to a near-whisper, "Sometimes no matter how hard you try, you always end up hurting the people you're fighting to protect."

My eyes widened, and I disbelievingly questioned, "You're defending them?!"

"What? No I just- I know what it's like when you try to do good, and the people you're fighting for end up hating you for it." She bit her lip and continued, "The way things are with Britannia, and because of how powerful they are, the Japanese commonly resort to terrorism. They feel like they don't have a choice. It's easy to get so caught up in doing what you think is right, that the weak and defenseless suffer because of you. It's like no matter what, you're damned if you do and damned if you don't..."

My incredulous gaze softened. I don't yet know exactly how far she's gone or how deeply involved she is in all this, but I do know one thing - she isn't some careless, bloodthirsty barbarian, who indiscriminately puts other's in harms way. Kallen really is a good person, even if she's probably had to make some very tough choices; she definitely isn't cut from the same cloth as the terrorists from before.

Returning to reflections about the nature of my own conscience, which still itched with misgivings about my true character, I stared at the dust particles slowly disappearing with the dwindling sunlight. "But what if *I'm* a bad person?"

"How can you keep saying that?!"

My lifeless eyes darted in Kallen's direction.

Eyebrows pressed together, she held a hand by her heart while her opposite arm was outstretched to the side. "You put yourself in harms way to protect that woman and her son, and you saved my life too by pushing me out of the way of that collapsing bridge! If that doesn't speak volumes of who you are, then I don't know what does!"

"But I killed someone today."

"There wasn't any other way."

Staring despairingly at the ceiling, a lone tear streaked down my cheek, "But what if I just-"

"Stop it, Rai!" Kallen pulled me toward her in a tight embrace, and I practically fell forward on top of her from the strength of her yank. "The fact that you feel as strongly as you do proves you aren't a bad person. If you were the kind of man who didn't value human life so highly, then you wouldn't be reacting the way you are."

She backed away slightly, her firm grip still holding on to my shoulders, "The fact that you don't see killing as nothing shows that you still have your humanity. Never lose sight of that." She gave me a reassuring squeeze, "You're a good man, Rai."

In spite of the darkening room, the gentle encouragement of Kallen's words and expression sparked a faint flicker in my dreary eyes, and I stared at her intently reflecting on the past few moments.

Her usually monotone voice was elevated, each word highlighted with previously unheard of energy and vigor.

Her blue eyes, often obscured by drooping eyelids that sagged heavily with feigned sickliness bloomed open like bouquets of forget-me-nots, revealing more of her true self beneath the veil of melancholy.

And her lips - holy shit those alluring lips that I longed to acquaint mine with - formerly as bedazzled as a flat line on an otherwise blank sheet of paper, transformed into a canvas of emotion, each curve and contour a brush stroke of openness and warmth.

Making sure that the image of Kallen's visage was thoroughly etched into my mind's eye, I closed my eyelids and took in a deep breath.

As I exhaled, the weight of my guilt disappeared as the last streak of light faded from the room.

Looking at her intently, I couldn't help myself; an upward tug pulled at the corners of my mouth, and I mirrored her expression.

Kallen let out a happy sigh, her eyes further softening and smile expanding.

I opened my mouth, but before the words could form, I clasped my head, which felt like it pulsated sporadically like a gong being banged on repeatedly by a tone deaf child for music practice.

Kallen reached her hand out to me - damn could I get used to that - but after a few moments, the throbbing pressure diminished as quickly as it came.

"We need to get you to a hospital."

"But how are we supposed to get there? I mean, I'd offer to give you another lift, but the Rai Express is currently experiencing some technical difficulty." I knocked on my forehead lightly.

She wasn't amused, but could you really blame me for trying? I mean, the mere mention of making physical contact with me made her face flush more red than a lobster in a sauna. The whiplash of her annoyed grunt was well worth the price if you ask me.

"The Japanese man in the other room already agreed to take us there when you were ready."

"Lead the way, captain." I saluted.