Aria woke in the wee small hours of the morning to the sound of her teeth chattering in the dark. Oh God my head. The scotch left a dull thud-thud-thud at the base of her skull as she shivered. Trying the table lamp to no avail she groaned. "Again?" I forgot how bad the storms can get up here. Rubbing her hands on her face, she made up her mind and got up, wrapping the blankets around her she made her way to the bedroom.

She was surprised to find him awake when she opened the door, he looked up from the bookhe had been studying in the candlelight. "Rumple… "

"I...I couldn't sleep" he mumbled, "...I was… dreaming" He set the book down as she waited at the edge of the bed.

"Hearing us shout at each other probably didn't help." she admitted guiltily. She hovered at the edge of the bed, suddenly unsure if she was being presumptive climbing in with him.

His gaze traveled from her eyes to her trembling shoulders. "Aria, you're shivering… please" he winced as he pulled himself over so she could join him. As she settled under the mass of blankets he tentatively placed an arm around her.

The candlelight faded into curls of smoke as they lay in silence. "You're hurting." He murmured eventually.

"How did you know I wasn't asleep?" she whispered back, feeling his heartbeat quicken against her back.

"You're not this still when you're asleep" the lilt in his voice made his utterances curl her toes, blushing in the dark she laced her fingers in his. "Aria, It sounded like...quite a spat."

She could feel him react as she shifted away from him, "look, Rumple.. I don't want to get into to it just now." I don't want to think about it period. She grimaced as he withdrew his arm.I'm sorry.

Sleep was elusive for them both, she would wake from time to time to his whimpers, to stroke his hair until he settled again. In those long moments her mind raced around the growing pile of problems at her feet until she would succumb again to slumber, exhausted. When the sunlight came stabbing through the blinds she groaned loudly, throwing the covers over her head as he stirred. Screw. Everything.

At the sound of air whooshing past his lips when he pulled back the blankets she sat up. "Rumple?" He sucked another sharp breath through his teeth as he swung his legs out to the side of the bed. "Rumple stop, something's wrong." She crawled over to his side and lifted his shirt, ignoring the involuntary jerk that greeted her touch. Dear lord, How did I miss these yesterday?The skin was a mass of purples, reds, and greens, splotches of swollen red skin made lace patterns around his ribs. I should have checked on him last night. She pushed him down onto the bed, grabbing his legs as he gasped. "It hurts to contract your stomach, doesn't it?" Her brow furrowed as he nodded.

no no. If this keeps up… If he is still bleeding internally… dammit I don't have any way to operate here!"Aria?" alarm crept into his voice as he watched her face. He did not protest as she palpated his abdomen and rolled him onto his side to check his back. "Aria?" This looks about the same at least.

"Has it been hurting worse,or about the same as it was a few days ago?" He stared at her wide-eyed. "Rumple, has it been getting worse?" she demanded.

"N, no..nnot really" he stammered, trying to sit up. "I mean.. Yes.. but…" She pushed him back onto the pillow, peering still at the area above his pelvis "Aria-"

"When did it start to get worse?" She knew she was scaring him but the claxons in her head didn't leave her much room for bedside manner. She pushed her wrist to his forehead. Is he a little warm? Might just be 's probably just fever. Good.

He flushed crimson under her gaze, and averted his eyes. "Uh.. well.. It.. after.. After we, um….that is…When you… We..did..."His long fingers flailed in the air before curling near his mouth.

"aahhhhhh. I am an IDIOT" she threw herself face down on her pillow. 1. Did you have to make him say it? 2. Did you have to be so rough? 3. You're an idiot. She chanted to herself in her head. She lifted her face to look at the man beside her, now completely frozen in fear, flicking his eyes back and forth across the ceiling, his hands still clasped beneath his chin. Aria sighed, feeling his ignominy. Jeezus. She rubbed her eyes and tried again. "I'm sorry, " she pulled his shirt down gently. "I'm sorry Rumple… I didn't mean to ...I was just worried-" she kneeled beside him on the bed. "You are showing some pretty severe bruising ...and swelling… "and without any imaging equipment.. I don't know what that means for your injuries exactly...But I am hoping that it actually IS because of… the other night." We may have been, um.. A bit to athletic for the state of your injuries and we might have caused more damage…"and I don't want anything to happen to you."I'm….I'm worried about this" she motioned towards his chest, then rubbed her eyes with her palms. "You know what, I'm gonna go….over...there somewhere." Where I can't make an ass of myself. " Make some coffee." she muttered to no one in particular as she shuffled out of the room with Horatio padding softly behind.

The power popped on as she entered the kitchen. Aria rolled her eyes and sighed "don't get my hopes up, house." I am exhausted. I don't have anymore shits to give. Flying blue women, teenage sister in laws, HIM...I don't even know where to start…. The sound of water overflowing in the teapot brought her back to reality. She had been so absorbed in thought that she hadn't heard her limping companion come in behind her.

"Aria," She closed her eyes a moment, savouring the way her name rolled along his tongue. She turned to look as him both hands gripping his cane, tremors shivering down his arms. His eyes were dark with concern as he searched her face. "What's…" he trailed off.

" You shouldn't be out of bed Rumple" she put one arm around his back to stabilize him. "You need to rest, we need to get your ribs healed. I will-"

"Aria." His voice was firm, yet it shook on the last syllable. "I'f you're going to walk away from me what choice do I have but to get up?" HIs bottom lip twitched as he pressed it into a line. He looked at the ground, his strength depleted by the sentence. "I.. I don't know what's going on here… I.. I don't know what you… Should I.. am I in the way now Do you want me to...?" His arms trembled now with effort as he rolled his shoulders inward,pressing his chin to his rail-thin chest.

She stared at him for a minute, resisting the urge to catch the wayward tear as it traveled the length of his fine jawline. Insead she urged him towards the bedroom, letting his full weight rest on her as she steered him in silence. Letting him down gently on the edge of the bed she brought his head to her waist, running her fingers through his fine hair as he quietly struggled to cease the tears in his eyes. At least this way you can't theem them in mine. She blinked furiously as she searched for the words. "Look at me, I'm as helpless as a kitten up a tree. And I feel like I'm clinging to a cloud…" Johnny Mathis crooned above the din in her head. She looked down at the man in her arms, noting the warmth his hands spread across the back of her hips. "I feel misty whenever you're near…"

The screaming of her teapot broke the the thought and they tensed for a moment.

"Rumple, I really need you to stay in bed. Please." she said softly, letting the exhaustion in her bones bleed through in her voice "I need you...to get better." She gazed at him, taking note of the tiny flecks of gold at the edge of his irises in the morning light. She leaned down to kiss him, pouring the words she couldn't say into his lips, before laying him down against the pillows. He watched her, breathless and quizzical as she backed away to chase down the still shrieking kettle.