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"What are we learning today?" Felix asked eagerly, plopping down in a chair. The rest of my recruits filed into the classroom and took their seat. I told him to be patient and picked my binder off the desk

"Right then, Felix, Alyssa, Cleo…where's Jaz and Walt?" I asked, glancing down my roll sheet. Carter knew from memory who was supposed to be in his classes, but I had to jot it down to keep them all in line-

"Here, sorry we're late," Jaz said, darting into her seat. Walt came in behind her, looking as if she'd just dragged him out of bed. His clothing was rumpled and his lovely brown eyes were half-closed with fatigue. He nearly collapsed into his chair.

I frowned at him, "Walt, go back to bed. You look horrid."

He gave me an irritated look. "As I told Jaz, I will be fine. I feel fine. I. Am. Fine."

"You're lying to me, that's what you are," I said. His eyes narrowed. "Sadie, I am really not in the mood for this-"

"Well that makes two of us!" I exclaimed. "I didn't roll out of bed with the intent to listen to you lie to me today!"

His face flushed with anger and he rose out of his chair, towering over me. "Sadie-!"

I craned my neck up to glower at him, "Go to bed," I said coldly.

The recruits looked like they were watching a tennis match, looking between Walt and I as we bickered. I, myself, was less than entertained with this conversation. I hated being lied to and I was so bloody tired of Walt sugar-coating things. He didn't look very pleased with this turn of events either, because he was quite mad at me. His hands were shaking with anger.

"Sadie, I am not going to bed," he said, fighting to keep his voice even.

"Yes, you are," I said firmly.

"No."

That was my snapping point. I had had quite an awful time with the fact of Walt's health. I admit, I wasn't handling it well and I most definantly wasn't handling Walt's temper either. So, the next words out of his mouth didn't particularly keep me from reaching my breaking point.

"I am not going to die from another lesson-"

"YOU MIGHT!" I shrieked, slamming my binder on the desk. Every recruit in the room jumped, including Walt. "WHAT DO YOU NOT GET?! YOU. ARE.D YING. I HAVE LOST TOO MANY PEOPLE, WALT STONE! I WILL BE DAMNED IF I'M GOING TO LOSE YOU TOO!"

Suddenly the windows shattered. The sound was almost deafening. My recruits screamed and dove for the floor to avoid being impaled by the shards.

I crumpled into my chair, not even bothering that there was glass everywhere. I couldn't even bring myself to realize I had just made three floor-to-ceiling windows burst into a thousand pieces, endangering both myself and my recruits. I was also vaguely aware that I was shaking and on the verge of tears, and that there were about ten other recruits that had ran into the room when the windows had broken, thinking that we were in trouble.

Through my haze and shock, I realized that everyone seemed to have run to my side. There was a terrible choking sound coming from somewhere that hurt to hear. After a few moments, I realized it was coming from me.

Walt towered over me, barking commands at the recruits to give me space and let me breathe. He didn't seem to be following his own advice though, as he was practically on me, petting my hair and patting my cheek, pleading with me to come around and talk. It was too confusing though. I could hear him speak, but his lips didn't seem to be keeping up with his words. Everything seemed slightly blurred.

"C'mon, Sadie, can't you hear me?" he pleaded.

"Walt, I don't think she can," Jaz said quietly. "She's in shock, probably from blood loss. You need to take her to the infirmary so I can get the glass out of her before she bleeds out."

"Yeah, okay, got it," he said, swallowing hard. He bent down and very, very carefully swept me up.

Now, normally, Walt literally sweeping me off my feet would cause me to have a heart attack. Now though, everything was such a hazy that I could barely focus on anything. I had the feeling off falling out of my chair, but I was stuck on the 'falling' sensation. I clawed at Walt's arm, terrified that he was going to drop me.

"Sadie, I'm so sorry," Walt said, his voice tense. "Gods, baby, I'm sorry."

If I wasn't in shock already, Walt's calling me 'baby' would have definantly done the trick. I laid in Walt's arms, tense and confused.

When we got to the infirmary, Walt laid me down on a bed as if I was made of glass and then sat next to me, holding my hand.

"Gods, she's shaking," Walt fretted, petting my hair in concern. I whimpered softly against my will.

"Walt, you're going to have to hold her," Jaz said, coming over with a bowel and a needle and thread. "She's really not going to like this and I don't know how long it will take for her shock to wear off and the pain to set in."

Walt nodded and gently pulled me into his lap, and locked his arms around me, his arms not quite restraining me, but not exactly giving me affection.

Jaz sat down and gently ran her hands across my forehead.

"Oh, Sadie, what have you done?" Jaz sighed, pulling her hand away. To my horror, her fingers were stained red with blood.

"It's my fault," Walt said mournfully. "I antagonized her-"

"Walt, it's not your fault," Jaz assured him. "Sadie is beyond stressed. She was bound to have a mental breakdown at some point. It's just your bad luck that you triggered it."

Walt sniffled, "I shouldn't have yelled at her."

I couldn't make my voice work, but I wanted to comfort him. It really wasn't his fault.

"I need you to hold her still," Jaz said, rolling up her sleeves. Walt tightened his arms around me and I squirmed uneasily.

It took about an hour for Jaz to pluck all the glass out of me and sew me back together. The shock wore off and the pain set in about halfway through and I made the most awful whimpering sounds. Unfortunately, Walt had taken all of Jaz's pain potions, so there was nothing she could do. I thought Walt would die from guilt.

"It's okay," I said. "You need it more than me."

Despite my attempt at bravery, I had to stifle a scream when Jaz took a shard out of my spine. Walt held me down, his arms like steel around me while she sewed right on my vertebrae.

Finally, I broke.

"A break," I pleaded. "Please, gods of Egypt, I need a break."

"It's okay, Sadie, it's okay," Jaz soothed. "I'm done. That was the last one. Its okay, it's over."

I could've cried with relief. I rolled over in Walt's lap and buried my face in his chest, not even bothering to put on a brave face.

"Please take me to my room," I whimpered softly. "Please, I've had enough for one day."

Walt wrapped his arms around me and rocked me back and forth. I could've sobbed at how lovely that felt. He must've sensed that I really was at my limit of stress, because he gently swept me up and held my thighs. I wrapped my legs around him and put my head on his shoulder.

"I've got you, Sadie," he murmured, rubbing my back and walking up the stairs.

When he got to my room, he put me down gently and opened the door for me. I walked inside, limping on the leg that had taken a rather large shard right in the shin. That had been the deepest one and I could feel the stitches pulling as I moved.

"Walt, it hurts to walk the stitches are pulling," I said meekly. He nodded and came in, closing the door behind me. With one fluid move, he picked me up bridal style and carried me over to my bed. He even pulled my covers up for me and tucked me in. Despite the fact that I felt childish-being tucked in like a three year old-it was nice and really, with all the cuts and stitches on my arms, it saved me the embarrassment of asking him to tuck me in.

"Sadie," he said, sitting down at my side.

"Hm?"

He twiddled his thumbs, looking uncertain. "You were very insistent on me going to bed and getting rest. But…now you're injured and all…you need rest too…"

I raised an eyebrow at him. "And your point?"

"My point…I mean, maybe…," he took a deep breath, "maybe we could rest together?"

He cleared his throat and pulled at the collar of his shirt and bit his lip. His workout shorts and muscle shirt weren't magic apparel; I don't know why he hated linen so much. Never-the-less, he was rather attractive when he was so nervous. It took a moment for his words to process, I was so focused on his fidgeting. Walt actually wanted to sleep with me. After months of ignoring me, he was asking to cuddle up to me in bed.

Half of me wanted to tell him no, if only to get him back for all the months he'd refused to acknowledge my existence. The other half…

"I mean, if it would make you uncomfortable-" Walt started.

"Walt, get in the bloody bed," I said, rolling my eyes. "Though, you're going to have to move the covers and such. Jaz didn't stitch me up with the intent to let me move."

Walt chuckled and pulled the covers back, sliding in without jarring me. I shifted, getting cozy in his side; he spooned over me and wrapped one thick arm around my waist, holding me tightly.

"Gods, you're tiny," Walt muttered, putting his chin on my head.

"Walt."

"What?"

"Don't push your luck."