Not much can literally take Scarlet's breath away or hyptonise and put her in a seemingly never ending trance at just a glance, not even the hottest man she's ever laid eyes on: Shirley Steiner. Yet for some reason, this other Steiner seems to have that effect on her. After a long ten to fifteen minutes of cleansing, patching, stitching and two hours of creepy watching, Scarlet can finally say that she has earned her diploma in nursing services as she watches Theo bask in a peaceful slumber. Maybe his mom can finally look at her like another human being. She smirks at her own ridiculous thoughts as she continues examining the facial features of the utterly handsome man laying on her bed.

Oh yeah, her bed.

His eyes, firmly closed, accentuate the red bruised skin on his---more still---breathtaking face and his full chiselled lips that are cut at the corners. Scarlet can't help but wonder who exactly Theo got into a fight with that decided the face directed punches weren't satisfying and went ahead to stab him. Did they want him dead? A shudder runs through her spine and for a moment her teeth clutters, it's not every day that one of her---what is he to her anyway? Friend? Neighbour?---whomever, gets stabbed.
One of his arms clutches softly at his wound as the other rests just beneath his head on the pillow. His lips are slightly parted as soft breaths escape them and his eyelids flutter, making his eyelashes fan the crimson cheekbones. His entire posture is a mixture of a thousand beautiful things with a pinch of pain and a sweaty but mesmeric scent. Scarlet is so lost in him that before her brain registers what she's doing, her hand reaches out, her fingertips flexing and almost unconsciously, they brush the stray curls sticking in his face. Again, Scarlet finds herself admiring the thin and long jagged scar on his right temple. Scarlet's heart lurches and she hastily retracts her stupid mindless hand when Theo stirs. She lets out a short panicky breath just as his knowing grey eyed gaze settles on hers.

A small smirk plays on his lips.

"Hey," she croaks, unable to come up with anything more intelligible or look away from his hypnotic gaze.

"Scarlet." Theo smiles and even though it's more of a grimace than a smile, Scarlet suddenly doesn't remember what it's like to breathe. His voice is deep and husky from hours of sleeping, yet for some reason, it makes Scarlet feel like she has the most beautiful name in the world.

"A-are," Scarlet gulps before pathetically clearing her throat. "H-how are you feeling?" She asks, her voice crumbling like Celine's whenever she gets in trouble, her subconscious shakes her head in disgusted disappointment.

You disappoint me Greene!

"Better," Theo says, his usual smirk coming into place. Gah! Scarlet can't decide whether she wants him to keep that beautiful smile that makes his eyes and whole face light up like fucking fireworks or this smirk that makes him look sexy as fuck.

Bad words! Celine's voice echoes in her mind. Scarlet isn't afraid of subconscious-Celine though.

"Here," she holds out her palm, containing some advil and antibiotics. If they're the wrong prescription that'll totally be his fault. Scarlet is no doctor, she doesn't see why he didn't just go to his and Ivy's house or the hospital. Never mind his parents' to begin with.

Theo sticks out his palm and she places the medicine in it before he swallows them dry. Ew!

"Thank you Scarlet," he moans out and briefly closes his eyes. His hand instinctively goes to the stiches and gauze patch Scarlet put on him. "I think I'm good to go now," he adds.

Scarlet rolls her eyes,"Theo," she says, her tone condescending. "You can barely get a syllable out," she explains as if to her five year old daughter.

"Yeah?" Theo snorts. "Why thanks for that totally shocking piece of information," he remarks.

Scarlet glares at him

"Scarlet!" Theo says on a dramatic sigh. "I've imposed enough as it is," he adds in a more serious tone. He presses his elbow into the pillow for some leverage as he tries to sit up. Scarlet reaches over and grips his other hand to help him up.

"What do you mean?" She arches an eyebrow, ignoring the odd tingly things she's been feeling from hours of touching Theo's bare skin. Thank God she didn't completely tug his tee off. Theo would've woken up swimming in a sea of drool. 

Dear Lord! Get a grip Greene!

Scarlet mentally shakes her head in an effort to bring her mind back to the present situation, finding it hard to believe that Theo's thinking of going home as soon as he's woken up. Men and their egos! She doubts he can even stand right now.

"Scarlet," Theo sighs, his voice turning so deep and velvety it makes Scarlet weak in the knees. He really needs to stop saying her name like that! Like, like it's some sort of proven cure for fucking cancer.

Or maybe it's just your ears? Her subconscious provides.

Yeah, probably.

"I can't thank you enough for this. And for that reason I have to leave, I don't want to be your burden anymore I d---"

"Oh no you don't!" She grasps at his wrist when Theo makes an attempt at getting up. His eyebrows rise in question. "There's more than enough reasons for you to sit down and relax right now." Scarlet stands up before cocking a hip and placing a hand on it. She holds out her other hand in front of her. "Reason one being, you haven't paid for my services. I don't know what you've heard but Scarlet Greene," she gestures to her full form and wiggles her index finger. "She doesn't exactly do favours."

Theo smirks, his eyebrows raising in utter amusement.

"Besides," Scarlet continues as she feels her lips turn down in seriousness. "We still have a whole lot of talking to do don't you think?" She pointedly eyes his wound and Theo's smirk disappears just before a deep sigh leaves his chiselled lips. She needs to know who exactly stabbed him and why, she deserves to know.

"I guess." Theo concedes before powerlessly plopping back on the bed and simultaneously wincing.

"Now let's get that face of yours cleaned up since I couldn't carry you to the bathroom because of---" she blatantly gives his body a once over, her gaze lingering a bit longer for it to be just an innocent action and when her eyes meet his, she realises that Theo's face is now mask of seriousness and an emotion she can't quite place, his gaze is so intense, like he's seeing right through her soul down to her most hidden secrets.

Scarlet shifts on her feet uncomfortably and clears her throat, feeling her face light up with warm blood. "---because of...um, obvious reasons."

****

"We love school!" Scarlet chirps cheerfully, kissing her daughter on the cheek, she holds her hand and leads her through the front door tothe school bus waiting outside.

Celine scrunches her nose like she does every morning, rubbing her still-sleepy eyes as she begrudgingly drags her feet. "No we don't," she grumbles. Scarlet is used to it though, if there's one thing she and her beloved daughter will never agree on, it's that. Because Celine thinks school is nothing but a God given nightmare.

She basically got kicked out of day care when she was three because she wouldn't take a nap!

Scarlet watches as her daughter gets on the bus, waves at her, sending her flying kisses which earn her no love but a glare from Celine. She's warned her mother multiple times about "ashaming" her like that. Scarlet smiles at her daughter's antiques as she makes her way back inside the house.

"Scar?" Becca calls, peeping through the quarter way open door on one of Scarlet's guestrooms that she decided to move into since Theo practically moved in.  "You have a visitor," she says.

Again?! Scarlet wants to say but the sleepiness she's feeling just doesn't let her. There's already one in her room, now another? Hopefully, this one won't be stabbed so they don't have to hijack another one of her rooms for a week.

Or hopefully, it isn't Shirley.

"M'kay, b'there" Scarlet murmurs, her words coming out muffled by the pillow. Sometimes she wonders what exactly she was thinking when she decided to go buying shares in different companies and deciding on being a silent partner instead of waking up every morning to go to work. If she just wanted to sleep more, then it clearly didn't work out according to plan. Since she basically gets woken up early every morning one way or the other.

Then again, no feeling beats being a stay at home mom. Scarlet thinks as she makes her way to the bathroom.

*****

Pain

It hits her so hard, so tangible. Scarlet's stomach jolts in what would have been considered a nervous flip but too painful to be one the moment her eyes land on him. Her insides turn and recoil like someone has subconsciously punched the air out of her gut. Making it so damn hard to breathe and making her heart thud so hard against the ribcage. She pauses, grabbing onto the railing on her staircase and taking in big deep breaths.

"U-uncle Vic?" Scarlet stutters, she would never in a million lifetimes mistake that figure anywhere, especially not in her own house. That wide stance that screams authority and demands undivided attention, those too broad shoulders for a man a tad too old for daily gym activities. And most of all, the back of that now balding head that she's has seen many nights for as long as she can remember, retreating after tucking her into bed more times than her own mother.

"Uncle Vic?" She whispers again, hopefulness, longing, uncertainty, happiness, mixed together in the tears brimming behind the thin walls that hide her ducts. And most of all, overwhelming love for this man that she hasn't even spared a thought for since she was released from the hospital.

How is that even possible? How come for the past two or so months, this man, Vic hasn't crossed her mind? It's as ridiculous as it gets, considering he'd been that one thing, that one constant in her life since she was just a little girl. The one person Scarlet knew she could always count on, if only she'd ever let herself depend on anyone.

Then it dawns on her. Scarlet almost shakes her head, wondering how she couldn't have noticed this earlier. Of course, it's the amnesia, if you could even call it that. Her mind is like a million disorganised puzzle pieces in a box at the moment, she can not tell what piece belongs where, or if a certain piece even exists at all until the piece that preceeds it is put in place. That explains everything, that explains Han. It explains Kas.

And as the memories come rushing back, Scarlet realises that it also explains why she hasn't thought of him until he came knocking on her door.

Victor Grayson Greene.

No, he is not in fact Scarlet's father. Biological father. But he had been more of a father than any father could have been to her, not that he was always there, he had a life of his own. But he did more important things, things that weigh more than taking her to the park or to ice cream.

The man gave them his name, without batting an eyelid.

And even with his busy life and a family of his own, he would always find time to come around just to tuck her in on random nights.

Victor turns around, Scarlet's joy evident, he on the other hand doesn't look so pleased. His jaw is so clenched Scarlet can almost hear the grinding of his teeth from where she's stood. His faint-moustached mouth is set in a thin line, the anger radiating off of him is so hot it could burn down the entire house. Scarlet actually recoils from...fear? She is confused, that much is true. Not even in her dreams has she ever been afraid of the man standing in front of her.

But when she blinks, the tears finally falling free, she comes to a conclusion that she must have imagined it. Because Vic's face at the moment is a slideshow of emotions; sadness, confusion, happiness, relief...and finally, love.

The love, Scarlet is used to, that love she would feel just from sniffing the one month old snippets of his perfume in their house. That love that she used to wrap around herself like a blanket, keeping her heart warm even when all it wanted was to become ice cold.

That love.

Scarlet sniffles before launching herself hard into Vic's embrace. He stiffens, obviously taken by surprise but a moment later he does rigidly wrap his big hands around Scarlet.

"Scarlet," Victor says. Scarlet's blood runs cold as a strong shudders rips through her spine and she stiffens in his arms.

Now yeah, this is her name. On a normal day, it'd be normal for someone to say it. And her response would be like yours when someone calls your name, but coming from Vic, Scarlet doesn't understand why it feels like a thousand iron blows, like scorching hot water scalding down her skin, shedding it in the process.

It feels like...pain.

The pain that's automatically washed away the moment Vic changes his approach, making Scarlet doubt whether she actually felt it in the first place.

"Bee," he whispers on sigh, sounding almost relieved, almost as if he hasn't embraced her in a long time. It's like he hasn't called her the nickname he gave her in a long time or had any hope of doing so ever again.

"Vic," Scarlet croaks in response, ignoring the undeniable fact that he is in fact acting strange.

On opening her eyes, Scarlet's head tilts up and she catches someone's shadow over Vic's shoulder; Theo's silhouette at the entrance of her room upstairs. Is he peeping?  She doesn't get the chance to deduct further than that because black spots dot her vision as a monstrous migraine from out of nowhere attacks her. Gripping her head so tight from the tremendous pain ripping through it, Scarlet feels the veins in her neck pop as she struggles to stiffle the loud cry of pain threatening to rip through. Tears flow from her eyes, her head spinning violently and she almost topples over. Victor's big arms wrap around her small frane to steady her just before an extremely loud scream finally escapes her lips, the pain increasing by the second.

"Bee?" Victor worsens the situation as he relentlessly shakes her, he probably thinks she's going to pass out but Scarlet can't find it in herself to tell him to stop. The pain is unbearable, leaving her with little to no strength.

Then the flashes.