{But little did I know was that she was fighting something addictive when it lashed back at her when she was alone, while I was distracted in the library or in the training grounds, or in the Sanctum practicing Gaelic...Then the truth came out when there was a particularly rough mission that had gone wrong where she and some Masters with their apprentices went to fight a supernatural force around Peru.}

Preston was mediating, his astral body reading a Gaelic book and an English translation book that sounded back at him when he practiced vocally, if he said it wrong or such, figuring that the mental practice would help him easier to remember more Gaelic physically while conversating with Bebinn, which is picking up steadily to short, frequent sentences, when he heard the familiar sound of a Sling Ring, and saw Bebinn come in, looking horrible like someone has sucked the water out of her somewhat, with black shadows attacking her as the portal disappeared, cursing in Gaelic as Preston somewhat translated in horror and worry, snapping back into his physical body, to run to Bebinn.

Bebinn screamed in pain as she fought with golden magic, "Leave me alone, parasite! I don't need you! I am not weak! I can't be weak!", in Gaelic, losing strength, and then heard Preston's voice, "Bebinn! Are you okay?!".

The dark magic reacted angrily in pain, and Bebinn snarled, "Don't you dare hurt him!", as relief and love leapt through her heart yet fear and heartbreaking fleeting nightmare pain was there, realizing that Preston saw her secret, her golden magic fighting down the dark magic, and the Time Stone energy roared, squashing the dark magic as it ran with its tail under its legs, metaphorically, hiding deeply into Bebinn.

Bebinn panted, tears falling as she stared at Preston who stepped closer, and she shrank back in fear, and he stopped shortly for a moment, confused, "Bebinn? It's okay...It's Preston, not that man...I won't hurt you...You...how? You were looking like a shrunken raisin for a minute there, and now...now, you're looking like healthy again...what was that black stuff?".

"Dark magic...dark magic I've been borrowing like a fool for centuries, to stop my aging...why I am...am the Ancient One...You know that all Mystic Arts people are forbidden to take from the Dark Dimension...yet you...you must be disgusted with me...You must hate me for breaking the upmost rule of the Mystic Arts...I...I'm so sorry...", Bebinn whispered as she turned around, her back facing Preston, sitting down on the floor like depressed, tired, weak, feeling like the helpless girl she was so long ago, yet feeling a tiny tad better from telling her biggest secret to someone she has been shockingly falling in love with, and now resigned, waiting to be rejected all around, not blaming Preston if he left her like a running rabbit from a wolf out of the door.

Preston took a deep breath as he looked at her, moving around to face her. "Do others know? About what you've done with the dark stuff there?", he asked her as he placed his hand on her hand and gave it a small squeeze, trying to give her the feeling that he was attempting to keep an open mind and allow her to open up completely to her.

Bebinn flickered her eyes at him in surprise, feeling the small squeeze of his hand in hers, and she took a deep breath, feeling a flicker of hope in her heart, looking at him in the eye, "A few Masters did in the 17th/18th century, as they knew my father-figure, a Disciple in the 19th century knew before he gave his life to protect his Master who was one of my dear friends...and now...I made Kacelicus's suspicions worse as he saw me using it while he was being an apprentice on a job trial on the mission which was demons...he accused me...and now I have a bad feeling that he's going to tell others who has been disillusioned, unsatisfied by their training under Masters...I...I took dark magic not just to stop my aging, but to make me stronger when I, as the Sorcerer Supreme, have to fight dangerous supernatural forces and people, especially Dormannu who is the strongest, most dangerous mystical threat...I refused to use it today hence why it was lashing out at me, trying to make me want it again, like it has been doing lately, but with you...it..it's like I'm having your light to help me see the other side, and...I don't want to freeze my aging when I...I'm not scared anymore to grow old, with you...I...I'm a foolish addict, like how a man is addicted to alcohol...You must think that I'm dirty and weak...".

Preston shook his head, "No; I don't think that... is that you're all really using that magic for? Just to try to keep your youth? Not using it for any other reasons?".

"No... just... just really hurting myself, not others.", Bebinn said with a weary sigh. Preston then replied with a nod, "Then it's as you said, it's just addiction, and I wouldn't judge someone for having one that they themselves can see is a problem. You admit it's a problem and that's important.".

Bebinn whispered in shock and hope, her tears prickling at her eyes, "You...you don't hate me?", and Preston gently kissed her nose, her cheeks, and then her lips, "Not at all...I am falling in love with you so much...I won't leave you in this life if I can help it...", looking into her eyes as he rested his forehead on hers, smiling so tenderly yet determinedly.

Bebinn gave a little sob of relief, and whispered, "I'm falling in love with you too...I...it's going to be hard, Preston...I...I don't know how to erase this completely...I know having you close is a deflection, a shield against the dark magic...but it would come back when I am alone, in pain, or plainly exhausted...".

Preston shushed her softly as he gently wrapped his arms around her, "We will find a way, Bebinn...Somehow we will find a way...But right now, let's just get some tea into you, and maybe some sleep. That must have been a heck of a mission.".

Bebinn gave a small smile, "Yeah...it was...Thank you, Preston...", as she let him help her up, stunned at how committed Preston is to her, and he didn't have to do it, but he wanted to...just for her...This must be how her mother and father resolved issues by talking and all, and at the end of the day, their love was everything as she felt so happy and warm and safe by seeing them enjoying life.

{You should have seen her, Thaddeus, Abraham...She fought every day, becoming more confident slowly as I was by her side every day when I could since that day...Every night, we slept more closer than ever, with a bit more passion into the kisses, able to touch skin here and there, edging the line of decency as I wouldn't dare scare her off, asking for permission if she hadn't then given her limits of pacing in intimacy. It was perhaps two weeks since that day, and I had advanced finally into the latter parts of being an apprentice, edging the Master level, but I wasn't in too much of a rush...Of course, I don't regret my choice of being with Bebinn more personally lately, as she needed me, than less of training under her mentorship, yet today...}

{It was a typical day...Some reading in the library, successfully making it to a consistent level of speaking Gaelic without forgetting a word or two, practicing spells and such here and there on the training grounds back in Kamar-Taj with others as Bebinn was talking with some Masters in her office...when they came out of nowhere...Kacelicius, with a group of his followers who clearly took what Kacelicius has been saying about Bebinn, leading dark sorcerers to attack Kamar-Taj...}

"Is that what happened?", Thaddeus asked. "How she ended up here? How you found her? I mean, that's the only way I can see how we're in this situation to begin with.".

"Plus, if it was injuries to magic, then as you said before when you were wounded, then it's safe to say the Atlantean healing will work.", Abraham added.

Preston exhaled, "That was good Mystic Arts magic in an intentional bad way by Kacelicus, and yes, I got healed, yet ended up with scars...But this...combined with the dark magic hurting her...I...killed a human being...Kacelicus...he...he was smiling like he was damn proud of himself for injuring,...maybe killing the Sorcerer Supreme, the Ancient One when she was a human too, a woman!", with an angsty sob.

Thaddeus and Abraham were shocked to hear that, looking to each other, and Thaddeus then spoke, "Preston, that doesn't make you a bad person...You killed over her in self-defense, saving her, protecting her...This Kacelicus was a twisted man, a dark sorcerer, wanting power and such.".

Preston looked at him, tears prickling as his hands clenched around the teacup, "But it put me another level...to be...be like that man, nearly giving Bebinn so much trauma...what if I ruined things, fucked up?".

Abraham grasped his shoulder, "Preston, you would never be a bad person, because you deeply care for Bebinn, even falling in love with her...You literally brought her here, Preston, despite being covered in blood, exhausted, and such. You wouldn't ruin things because she knows that you saved her...She held into your hand the whole way here, didn't she?".

Preston quivered, exhaling, "I can't lose her...I...I think I love her...", and Thaddeus gently asked, "Think or do?", as Preston responded, "I do love her, Thaddeus!", his eyes widening a bit, realizing, "Gods, I love her...", with a sob as he stared at his teacup.

Abraham and Thaddeus prayed for a sign as Preston looked like something has left him yet looking so down, still having other things weighing him down before the sound of footsteps was heard, and they looked to the direction of the emergency wing, seeing Nola coming up.

The story was told within an hour and half, and Nola looked exhausted and tired, looking at Preston, "The Atlantean healing has fixed the wounds, but the blood loss...it is truly a lot, as she is weak yet hanging on stubbornly, even with a IV...and somehow, the dark magic had infected her, even after her green stone had tried to diminish the power of the dark magic...The Heart's beams on her are freezing the infections, but the dark magic is fighting against the Heart, and she came in and out of it in agony as we were trying to fix her, asking for you...She's resting right now, wanting to talk with you...I'm...I'm sorry that we have no idea what to do with the dark magic, Preston...If she was much younger or stronger...we would have more time to figure it out...but...", with a heavy sigh.

"Nola... please, don't try to sweet talk this... what you're saying... is she going to make it or not?", Preston whispered as he felt on the edge of a heart attack right then and there when she said all that.

Nola took a deep sigh, "If she and you were any younger, I would have suggested the same thing that I and Joshua did when he was in danger...but with her age, and the dark magic far different than whippings and warfare torture...I don't see any other solution that I personally know about...But she doesn't have too much time left, you better go to her...I'll lead you to her.".

Preston choked, tears falling, as he jerkily nodded, getting up shakily, numb to his friends' looks, and with a quivering deep breath, he headed to follow Nola to a room, and coming in, seeing his beloved special lady looking frail and small in the bed, with a IV connected to her arm, with the beams of the Heart through the window behind her resting on her body as sickness nodes of dark magic spread through her bandaged body.

Bebinn gave a relieved, radiant, small smile, "You stayed for me, Preston...", tears in her eyes as she reached out for his hand, and Preston gently took it, sitting on a stool, "I would never leave a hospital like a coward...not when the one I love is in here, asking for me...", with a reverent, loving smile, closing his eyes with a sigh, kissing her fingers and palm, feeling her other hand caress his cheek, opening his eyes to look at her beautiful eyes.

She smiled in shock yet joy, her eyes widening slightly, "Say it, Preston...Let me hear you...", and Preston spoke clearly with a warm smile, "I love you, Bebinn...I love you so much, Bebinn, my special lady of Ireland.".

"Preston...I love you too...Yes, I love you truly with my heart for once and for all, Preston B. Whitmore, Mo SeanchaĆ­ of America...", Bebinn cried with a radiant, loving smile, and Preston choked up, leaning in to kiss her tenderly and lovingly, caressing her cheek.

That declaration and their kiss did something as Preston's crystal met her green stone, purring and vibrating and then, combined with green and blue energy, Bebinn's skin became a tiny bit healthier, with a few strands of dark magic nodes vanishing away, yet the rest of the dark magic remained.

Feeling the motions of their necklaces, they broke away, eyes widening to see the slight changes, Preston whispered, "Bebinn? Are...are you alright?", and Bebinn nodded weakly, "Yes...I feel like I could breathe a bit easier now...But we are still old, and I'm not strong to be able to fight...".

Preston exhaled, closing his eyes in agony before remembering Nola's words, and then with a determined look, opening his eyes, "We may be too old to fix this...but...we're not too old to marry.", as he then saw Bebinn's shocked look, "But only if you want to, and I'm sorry that this wouldn't be probably perfect like you always wanted like having a Celtic wedding, and I'm probably putting you off, and-", before his lips were shushed gently by Bebinn's hand.

"Not in the slightest.", Bebinn smiled as she took a deep breath. "As long as I'm with you, any marriage with you would be perfect.", she told him as she wrapped herself around him tightly.

Preston smiled tearfully and happily as his heart felt like it would fly in joy, kissing her cheek, her forehead, her nose, making her giggle before taking into the lips as they kissed a bit more eagerly yet still tenderly.

He pulled back softly, "Oh, Bebinn...Are you okay with witnesses? I...I want my best friends to be best men and witnesses, if that's alright with you.".

Bebinn smiled radiantly as she only twitched in pain on the outside but can feel the dark magic trying to reach more of her again, "Of course...I...I was really in pain that I couldn't meet them properly, but I'd love to meet them.".

Preston's heart wrenched in pain as he saw her flinching in pain from the obviously furious dark magic that is frozen in limbo thanks to the beam from the Heart through the window, seeing the nodes through her skin, even if she's in a Atlantean healing dress, and he nodded, "Okay. I will just be at the doorstep, seeing me right from the bed, I won't leave you, Bebinn.".

"I know you won't...", Bebinn smiled softly as Preston kissed her cheek lovingly, and walked from the bed, yet staying close as he lingered in the doorstep, asking a passing healer to get Thaddeus and Abraham, and so the healer went.

Preston returned to Bebinn's side, holding her hand in his hands as he kissed her fingers, caressing her skin as Bebinn caressed his knee, relieved that the bed fits them as Preston had barely fitted enough to rest next to her, ignoring the stool chair, as they waited, and luckily, only a few minutes passed before Abraham and Thaddeus walked in.

"One of the healers said that you wanted us here, Preston.", Thaddeus replied, and Preston nodded, "I did...I asked Bebinn to marry me, and to my shock, she said yes...I was hoping that you two would be our witnesses next to being my best men.", with a warm, hopeful smile.

Abraham gave a warm smile, "Preston, you don't have to ask. We'd be delighted, right, Tad?", and Thaddeus chuckled, "Oh, yes, Abram, very much so...Hello, Bebinn. Preston has told us his story about you and him, and he told me that you know so much about Atlantis, his friends, and us. I'm Thaddeus Thatch, and this is my husband and my love of my heart, Abraham Thatch nee Erskine.".

Abraham blushed, smiling as Bebinn paled, staring at Abraham, "Erskine? You couldn't be the same Erskine who lived in Augsburg?", and Abraham startled, "Yes, it was me...Why do you ask?".

Bebinn whispered, "I wasn't there personally, but one of my people, a Master...he was there fighting and sealing a minor hole from the Dark Dimension that had broken out with demons...It was October 31st, 1928...", and Abraham paled, choked up with tears, "That...that was Nicholas...My and Greta's first son...but he came out stillborn...".