TW: panic attack, mild blood loss

The day of the wellness check finally arrived, and after loading up a petrified-looking Ashton into the car, Niles drove the hour into the city.

He checked in with the receptionist, who led him to the interview room and closed the door, informing him that Dr. Jones was just wrapping up a meeting and would be with him soon.

As soon as she was gone, Niles placed Ashton's carrier on the desk and opened the door. The faerie was hunched in the corner, and he ignored Niles' offered hand.

"Dr. Jones isn't here yet," Niles told him. "It's just you and me, so you can come out now."

Ashton didn't move. He just stared at Niles. Niles tried again. "Please come out? I want you to be able to see the room and have a little time to get used to it before the interview. I think you'll feel more comfortable that way."

Ashton bit his lip but finally inched out of his blankets to scoot into Niles' hand. Niles set him down on the desk, and Ashton stood there, eyes darting around the room as he took everything in.

"Nobody else is here," Niles reminded him. "It's just us."

He pointed at the door across from the table. "Dr. Jones will knock on that door when she's here." He pointed at the chair across from them next. "Then she'll have a seat at that end of the table. And see? It's too far away for her to grab you."

Ashton listened to Niles' explanations, shivering. Niles pushed a faerie-sized sofa towards him. "This is where you'll sit. I'm not supposed to touch you during the interview, but I'll be right behind you the whole time. Ok?"

Ashton didn't even move to sit down. Instead, he inched closer to Niles' hand.

"Niles, I want to go home," he finally whispered through clenched teeth.

Niles took one look at his terrified face and winced inwardly. This wasn't good. They hadn't even seen Dr. Jones yet.

Niles didn't know what to do. He wished that they didn't have to go through all this, but if they didn't, there was a real possibility that Ashton would be taken away from him and assigned to a new doctor, one who followed protocol.

Plastering a calm expression on his own face, he laid a finger on Ashton's tense shoulder. "I know, buddy, I know," he responded. "We'll go home as soon as this is over, ok?"

Ashton rubbed a shaking hand across his forehead and massaged his temple. He didn't say anything, but Niles felt guilty about the look of betrayal that flashed across Ashton's features. Poor guy. He rarely requested anything from Niles, and now Niles couldn't give him one of the few things he bothered asking for.

"I'm sorry, Ash," he murmured. "I know that this is terrifying for you, and I tried to get you out of it. But we have to be here. It's the only way I can ensure that you stay with me. The board would definitely consider me unfit to be your primary caregiver if I intentionally skipped a wellness check."

Niles rubbed gentle circles on Ashton's shoulders, concerned by how tense they had gotten.

"You're coming home with me," he promised, and Ashton looked up at him. "I'm not leaving you here."

"What if they tell you to?" Ashton whispered

Niles shook his head. "They won't. Remember? Dr. Jones told you so herself."

When Ashton looked at him in pleading disbelief, he paused. "Even if they did," he continued, "I'll just ignore them and take you home with me anyway."

Ashton still looked upset, so Niles kept going.

"And then they'll report me to the ELCoF for kidnapping, and I'll be proclaimed a federal criminal, and we'll have to go on the run and live in the woods somewhere, I guess," Niles concluded.

Ashton blinked in surprise, and Niles smiled down at him. "Sound like a good plan?"

Ashton frowned. "That sounds like a terrible plan." He crossed his arms over his chest, turning his little face away. "And you're not funny."

Niles laughed in surprise at Ashton's unexpected criticism.

"You're right, I'm sorry," he offered. "Now's not a good time for bad jokes."

Ashton's pointed ears twitched at his apology, but he didn't turn around. Niles moved his fingers from Ashton's shoulders to rub his back, knowing that physical touch relaxed Ashton faster than words ever could.

"But I really won't give you up, even if they assign you to a different doctor. Which they won't, so that's not something you need to worry about anymore. So, please, just forget about what Dr. Bruning said. He's an old doctor who doesn't know what he's talking about, and Dr. Jones is nothing like him. She would never, ever suggest taking you from me. Ok?"

Ashton was still for a moment, and then he nodded. "Ok," he whispered, and he stood there quietly and let Niles rub his back.

***

"Do you want me to hold you?" Niles asked a few minutes later. "Until Dr. Jones comes in?"

Ashton thought about it. Niles was his safest place in this scenario, but the thought of being trapped behind fingers with no way to escape made him shiver. He wanted to be able to move around, to get away if he needed to run— even if there really was nowhere to hide on this conference table.

"No," he said finally.

"Alright. Let me know if you change your mind, though."

A knock sounded at the door before Ashton could answer, and he flinched and reached to grab Niles' finger instinctively.

"Just a minute," Niles called, and he turned back to Ashton to brush his curls out of his face. "You alright there, buddy?" he asked.

Ashton shook his head, his whole body shaking. The knock on the door had made this whole thing very, very real.

"Niles, I can't do this. Please take me home," he gasped, suddenly struggling to breathe.

Niles slipped out of his chair and knelt in front of the conference table, bringing his face down to Ashton's level. Ashton tried to push himself into Niles' hand so that the human could pick him up, but Niles didn't close his fingers around him like he usually did. Frustrated that Niles wasn't responding to what he wanted, and terrified about what was going to happen, Ashton grabbed Niles' finger and tried to yank it tighter around him.

Instead of picking him up, Niles brought his other hand up to lightly grip the back of Ashton's neck between his thumb and index finger, gently rubbing away the tight knots in his neck

"Shhh, Ashton, look at me," he instructed, and Ashton tore his frantic gaze from Niles' fingers to look into the human's dark eyes.

"I am right here," Niles said firmly. "I'm not leaving you for even a second. You are staying in my hands, and nobody else gets to lay a single finger on you. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

Ashton nodded mutely, chest heaving with constricted breaths. Niles nodded back.

"Ok, I'm going to call her in now."

Ashton blanched and gripped the human's finger tighter. "No, Niles!" he begged. "Please, not yet."

Niles paused and looked back down at him.

"She's going to take me," Ashton stuttered. Tears welled up in his eyes, and Niles quickly grabbed a tissue to gently wipe them away. "She's going to take me. Please don't let her take me away from you, Niles, please." He squeezed Niles' finger tighter, trying desperately to breathe.

"I won't," Niles promised. "I'm not letting anyone take you away from me." He passed Ashton a cup of water. "Take two sips," he instructed. "And count your breaths."

Ashton obediently began working on a breathing exercise as Niles watched him. Each breath was shaky and shallow, and Niles rubbed his back and arms to try to help him calm down. But to Ashton's dismay, he still wouldn't pick him up.

"Damn you, Dr. Bruning," he heard Niles mutter under his breath after a few minutes. The irritation in his voice was so unexpected that Ashton couldn't help but let out a startled laugh through his tears.

Niles glanced down at him in surprise, and Ashton wiped at his eyes. "Why are you cursing Dr. Bruning?" he huffed, desperately latching on to this new distraction.

Niles sighed, and Ashton saw a ripple of annoyance flash across his face.

"Because he upset you," Niles explained, stroking along Ashton's spine with a finger. "If he hadn't planted such a ridiculous thought in your head, you wouldn't be like this, hyperventilating over something that isn't even true." He sighed again. "This whole thing was already going to be hard for you, but his dumb statement just made it worse."

Ashton was quiet, mulling it over. Laughing had startled him out of crying, and his heart rate was slowing down. With his senses coming back to him, he could finally feel the relaxing warmth from Niles' skin around him.

Maybe... I can do this, Ashton thought. Since Niles is here. He looked up into the human's face, and Niles' eyes softened as he stared back down at him. Niles has never let me down before, he realized. And he's never lied, either. Everything he says, he means.

Ashton leaned his forehead against Niles' finger and took a few slow breaths. Niles seemed to notice that he was calming down, and he was quick to act on it.

"You ready?"

Ashton took a deep breath and nodded before he could change his mind. Niles patted him softly. "Ok."

He called for Dr. Jones to come in, and Ashton kept his eyes glued to the desk, trying to ignore the sound of the door opening and closing behind him.

"I'm right here," Niles murmured to him. "When you answer her questions, just pretend that you're talking to me." And then he was gently turning Ashton around to face Dr. Jones.

Dr. Jones was a small, soft human lady. She had white hair and glasses, and she smelled like apples and honey. Her eyes were a lighter shade of brown than Niles', but they carried the same warmth.

"Hi Ashton, hi Niles. How are you doing?" Dr. Jones asked kindly as she took a seat in the chair across from them. Ashton leaned against Niles' hand unsteadily, exhausted from his little meltdown and unsure of what to say. He turned to look up at his human, and Niles nodded at him encouragingly.

Ashton turned back to the older woman. "Fine," he whispered, so softly that she had to lean forward to hear him.

Ashton's legs were shaking so badly that Niles had to prop him up to keep him from falling. "Here, Ash." Niles pushed the faerie-sized sofa towards him, and Ashton collapsed onto the cushions. 

Niles moved to sit back on his chair, and he tugged Ashton's sofa closer to him as he did so. Ashton kept his eyes fixated on Dr. Jones, but he felt a fleeting sense of relief at the warmth radiating from Niles' chest behind him and Niles' hand that lingered on the back of the sofa.

"My name's Dr. Jones," the woman explained. "I am the head of this branch of the Board for the Wellness, Research, and Treatment of Faeries. I don't want to keep you two, so let's get started, shall we?" She opened a folder and uncapped a pen before looking at Ashton expectantly.

"Now, before we begin, would you like to speak here with Niles present? Or would you prefer it if he stepped out of the room while we conduct the interview?"

Ashton startled and glanced up at Niles anxiously. That wasn't part of the plan. "Away from you? Just me and her?"

Niles nodded. "Yes, if you want to. It's whatever you're more comfortable with."

"Stay," Ashton blurted out, grabbing ahold of Niles' finger again. A shudder ran through him. "Please don't leave me," he choked out. "You promised."

"I know, I know. I'm staying, don't worry," Niles offered. He reached for Ashton's abandoned cup of water and tried to hand it to him, but Ashton's hands were shaking too much. Niles held the cup up to Ashton's lips, and he barely managed a sip before turning his head away. Dr. Jones waited patiently, but she was eyeing the interaction with great interest. Ashton did not like the curious gleam in her eyes. What exactly did she want from him?

"It's just a formality," Niles explained. "We always give faeries the option to speak away from their caregivers in case they don't feel safe speaking in front of them. It's also why I'm not allowed to hold or touch you during the interview. In case that stops you from speaking freely."

"If faeries are in an unsafe situation, they may be too afraid to voice their concerns with their custodial human right next to them," Dr. Jones chimed in. "So, we always give them the option to share their thoughts in a more private setting."

Ashton was horrified. "Does that happen?" he asked Niles. "Have faeries ever been assigned to bad doctors?"

Dr. Jones answered. "No. We actually have never had any issues with that." She paused and sighed. "Well, aside from Lucy that is. Sometimes she'll demand a private interview just to complain about how Niles won't let her eat candy before bed. We're all looking forward to the day when she moves out of Niles' house so we can stop with the wellness checks."

"But that's off topic. The point is, we hand-select and pre-screen all caregiver candidates meticulously so that there is no chance a faerie will be housed with a human who would mistreat them."

"Niles is actually one of our primary caregivers. He has the most experience, after all, since he's lived with Lucy for so long. He's looked after many faeries over the years."

Niles nodded. "You've met a few, too," he told Ashton. "Alexo was one of them. So was Emmie."

Ashton tilted his head. Emmie was one of the garden pixies. Does that mean all the garden pixies come to see Dr. Jones, too? he wondered.

"The other garden pixies?" he got out. "Do they all come for wellness checks, too?"

Niles shook his head. "Ah, no," he said. "It's only faeries who stay in the house with me for the majority of their time. Or faeries who are specifically assigned to me as my long-term patients. You and Emmie fall under both of those categories. Alexo and Lucy fall under only the first. But Emmie doesn't have wellness checks anymore since I discharged her, and she moved to staying out in the garden full time. And Alexo doesn't either, since he's completely on his own now."

Ashton was silent as he pondered this new information, and Niles nudged him with the finger he still held in his grasp.

"Ash," his human said kindly. "Can I have my finger back please?"

Ashton looked at him but didn't let go. Niles tried again. "You can hold onto me for as long as you want after this," he assured Ashton. "But I can't touch you during the interview. Dr. Jones needs to be sure that I'm not pressuring you to say anything."

Ashton turned back to Dr. Jones, who was still studying them. The last thing he needed was to get in trouble for breaking the rules. He let go of Niles reluctantly, and Dr. Jones nodded.

"Ashton, how was your visit with Dr. Bruning last week?" she asked suddenly.

Ashton cocked his head to the side, confused. "Is this... is this one of the questions?" he wondered aloud. "Has the interview started?"

Dr. Jones smiled. "No, this isn't one of the questions that I normally ask," she said. "I was just genuinely curious."

Ashton bit his lip, but he couldn't stop his involuntary shiver. "I didn't like him," he said honestly.

"Oh? Why is that?"

"He wanted me to leave my carrier," Ashton tried to convey how serious of an infraction that was. "And he said I might be taken away from Niles."

Dr. Jones looked briefly at Niles before glancing back and Ashton. "How did that make you feel?"

"Horrible," Ashton choked out. "I don't want to be taken away from Niles."

Dr. Jones offered him a sympathetic smile. "Hmm, I'll have a talk with him about that. He shouldn't have spoken pre-emptively without a full assessment and interview, and he never should have mentioned that within earshot of you."

Ashton picked at the drawstring on his pants and nodded silently. It seemed like Dr. Jones was... on his side? Maybe she wouldn't suggest he go with a different doctor after all.

"Have you interacted with any other humans besides Niles since you started staying with him?" Dr. Jones continued.

Ashton was uneasy. What did that have to do with anything? "Umm... Niles' mom?"

"Oh? Dr. Amelia Zhang?" Dr. Jones raised her eyebrows and looked at Niles. "How's that?"

"It's good," Ashton whispered. "I like her."

"She calls every other week," Niles added. "And she always asks Ashton what he wants her to send him. She mailed him honeycomb last week."

Ashton nodded. He really liked Niles' mom. She looked like Niles, and she was always excited to see him and tell him how good he looked.

"Oh, Ashton, look at you," she had gushed last week. "You're so handsome. You look even taller than last week. Did you grow a bit?"

Ashton knew that he hadn't, but he smiled a little anyway. Sometimes she would tell him that his eyes looked clearer or his skin brighter. She always sounded so sincere, and it made him feel better to talk with her. It made him miss his own mother just a little bit less. And she always ended phone calls by sternly reminding Niles to take good care of him, which Ashton found funny because no one had ever taken better care of him than Niles.

Sometimes Niles' dad talked to them, too. He liked to ask Niles about the garden, and he was especially invested in something called compost. He always warned Niles to not let it get too wet or too dry, and Niles always rolled his eyes and said he knew how to compost. His dad liked to say hi to Ashton, too, and he usually asked Ashton if Niles was telling the truth about the state of the garden.

Ashton always had to assure him that it was fine. It was more than fine, actually. Even without his wings to sense it, Ashton could tell that Niles' garden was full of magic. That's just what happened with well-tended plants. The more they were taken care of, the higher their magical output, both quantity and quality. And no one took better care of his plants than Niles. Literally everything flourished under his care.

"That's wonderful. I'm glad to hear that you've had some more positive interactions with humans." Dr. Jones turned back to her folder. "Now, let's get started with the actual questions, shall we?"

The questions were alright. Ashton was surprised by how easy they were to answer. Dr. Jones asked him about his daily routine with Niles, what foods he liked, and if he slept well at night. Things like that.

Ashton did his best to answer her questions in ways that framed Niles in a good light. Not that it was hard to say positive things about his human. Niles was... perfect.

But then, Dr. Jones started drifting into unfamiliar territory, and Asthon froze.

"Now that you've reached the six-month mark with Dr. Howton, we should start discussing where to discharge you once you've fully recovered. Looking over Dr. Howton's reports, you still have a ways to go, but it doesn't hurt to look at options. Do you have any family? I see you have a clan crest on your chest."

Ashton's hand flew up to the mark on his chest, heart suddenly in his throat. The last thing he wanted was to call attention to his clan. What if Dr. Jones insisted that he tell her where they were located?

I... need to shut down these questions fast, he thought desperately. I can't have any humans digging into my clan or their whereabouts. They'll... they'll take them away. They'll get roped into this whole mess with human laws and research and the ELCoF and... and... we won't ever be left alone again...

"No," he barely managed to get out. "I don't... I don't... umm... no."

"Oh," Dr. Jones blinked in surprise, and she shared a glance with Niles. Ashton looked between the two of them, not liking their silent communication.

"I'm sorry to hear that," she said finally. "There are, however, many other options for you. There are several woodlands clans that we are aware of, with varying levels of human contact. Unfortunately, we don't have formal ties to any water sprite tribes, so we cannot take you to their territory. There are also many protected gardens if you choose to live among pixies, and of course, you may live with humans, if you wish."

Ashtons head was spinning with all the options given to him. His breathing got shorter as he tried to process things. He had never considered the fact that one day he would be well enough to leave Niles.

Ashton glanced at his human and started to reach for him, only to remember that Niles wasn't allowed to touch him. His hand fell back into his lap dejectedly.

Dr. Jones gave him a concerned look. "Ashton, did you need something from Dr. Howton?" she asked.

He looked down and kicked at the desk with his bare feet unhappily. "Can Niles please hold me?" he finally whispered.

He peeked up at Dr. Jones, who studied him thoughtfully before lifting her gaze and giving Niles the tiniest of nods.

The next thing Ashton knew, Niles was reaching over the back of Ashton's couch and firmly resting his fingertips against his chest. Ashton took in a deep, shuddering breath, feeling a little better with the weight of Niles' hand pressed against him. He reached up without thinking and gripped one of Niles' fingers again tightly, pressing his face into the side of it for a long moment.

"Do you want to think about it first?" Niles asked him, and Ashton nodded desperately, grateful to hear Niles' soft, familiar voice.

Dr. Jones made a note on her paper, and Ashton's vision blurred. What is she writing? Am I failing a test? Am I in trouble for breaking the rules?

"You know, Niles' garden is one of our registered protected faerie sites," Dr. Jones said suddenly. She looked up at them, and Ashton caught his breath. "Staying with him is also an option for you."

"Wait, really?" Ashton exclaimed, twisting his head back to look at Niles behind him. Niles smiled down at him and nodded.

"You think about it, ok?" Dr. Jones suggested, and Ashton nodded mutely. 

Really, I just want to go home to the mother tree, he thought sadly. He looked down at Niles' fingers on his chest. Tears blurred his vision, and he brushed them away quickly. But that wasn't an option. Not while he was stuck with humans.

Dr. Jones asked him a few more questions, all fairly easy, yes or no type questions. Ashton did his best to answer them, his thoughts still muddled, and Niles held onto him for the rest of the time. Ashton tried to focus on Niles' hand on his chest, and it helped a bit. His warm presence gave him a little more security.

Finally, Dr. Jones mentioned they were nearing the end of the interview. "Now, are you satisfied with your care at Dr. Howton's?" she asked.

Ashton nodded mutely. This was it. This was probably leading up to whether or not he could stay with Niles. He should tread carefully.

"And do you want to continue to stay with him? If not, we can assign you to a different doctor or send you to an affiliated woodlands clan to continue your recovery there. Now that you're no longer in critical condition, that might be a good option for you."

Ashton clutched Niles' finger tighter, digging his talons into his skin. "Niles," he whispered, his mouth dry. Dr. Jones tilted her head forward again, so he cleared his throat.

"I want to stay with Niles," he repeated, his voice louder this time. "Please."

Dr. Jones nodded and made a note before closing her folder and smiling at him. "Sounds good. Then you'll stay with Niles, and we'll talk again in three months. That's all my questions. Do you have any for me?"

"Can Niles and I go home now?" Ashton blurted out, and he was surprised to hear both Niles and Dr. Jones laugh at his question.

"Yes, you may," Dr. Jones assured him. "Thank you for your time today. I'm relieved to see you looking so much better than you did seven months ago."

Ashton didn't remember seeing her seven months ago, but then, he didn't remember a lot from his time in the human hospital before he came to live with Niles. He was unconscious for most of it.

Dr. Jones stood up and leaned over the table to hand something to Niles. Ashton flinched as her shadow fell over him, and he closed his eyes, clutching Niles' finger tighter again.

"I'll let you help him get situated and calmed down," he heard Dr. Jones say to Niles softly. "I'm sorry for dragging you both out here, but I needed to check in, and I couldn't make it down to your place. Really, you're both doing a great job. I'm so happy you were able to take him in. I don't think anyone else on our team would have been able to help him nearly as much. He looks great. He's put on weight, and he's talking and sitting up. I can't believe you've gotten him to a point where you can touch him at all, let alone comfort him the way that you did. It's... nothing short of a miracle."

Niles murmured a quiet thanks and goodbye, and then it was just the two of them. Ashton kept his eyes squeezed shut and tried to breathe regularly. It's over, he thought, relieved. They're not taking me away. Everything's fine. Just like Niles said.

As he sat there, a sudden warm wetness slid across his fingers and landed in his lap. He frowned in confusion and opened his eyes. Five narrow streams of bright red flowed down Niles' finger and puddled on his leg, and as he studied it, the smell of blood hit him.

Ashton gasped and let go of Niles. Five perfect little marks from his talons were on Niles' index finger, and Ashton whipped his head around to stare at Niles in horror.

"Niles?" he whispered. "What did I do?"

Niles calmly took his hand off Ashton's chest and grabbed a tissue from the box on the table. "It's ok," he assured Ashton, pressing the tissue against the cuts. "They don't hurt."

Ashton made a move to stand up, but his legs were shaking too much. How could I have hurt Niles? he thought dumbly. How did I not realize what I was doing?

Niles noticed his shaking legs and hurried to gently push him back onto the couch. "Shh," he soothed. "It's ok, stay there." He held up his finger for Ashton to see. "Look, the bleeding's already stopped."

"Wait here for me," Niles called over his shoulder, heading towards the sink in the corner. "I'm just going to wash and bandage this real quick. Dr. Jones gave me a bandage."

Ashton looked up from where he had buried his dizzy head in his hands. The smell of Niles' blood was starting to get to him, and he struggled to keep the barrage of memories at bay.

"You both knew?" he asked, aghast. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"I just wanted you to be able to get through the rest of the meeting," Niles answered, busy at the sink. "And if holding my finger helped you through it, then that was fine."

"I'm so sorry," Ashton whispered. Niles came back and slowly turned the couch around so that Ashton would have to face him. "It's alright," he smiled, placing his bandaged finger under Ashton's chin and tilting his head up to look him in the eye. "You didn't do it on purpose, it doesn't hurt, and it will heal quickly."

Ashton shook his head, and Niles sat down in front of him, taking his hand in his fingers and dipping it in a shallow bowl of water to wash the blood away from under his talons. He then took a damp paper towel and began dabbing at the spots of blood on Ashton's pants. Ashton watched him wordlessly, still shaking.

"You did a great job today," Niles said softly, not looking up from his work. "Really. I'm so proud of you."

Ashton pressed the heels of his hands into his eyes and threw his head back with a sigh. "Not really," he mumbled.

"You really did," Niles insisted. "You answered all her questions, and you didn't let your fear get the best of you. I really admired how strong you were being."

What are you talking about? Ashton wanted to say. Look at your finger! I didn't even notice what was happening right under my nose.

Niles suddenly stopped scrubbing at the blood, and Ashton looked back down to see what he was doing. Niles was sitting still and frowning at the stain, which hadn't budged much.

Finally, he shrugged. "I'll find you new pants before we go," he offered. "They should have some here. Don't want you to have to ride all the way home smelling like blood."

"Ok," Ashton agreed quietly. He still felt horrible. The combination of nerves from the wellness check plus his guilt from hurting Niles left him feeling exhausted.

Niles noticed and tilted his head to the side. "Can you stand?" he wondered, and Ashton shook his head with a bleak, humorless laugh. He was still shaking.

Niles smiled kindly at him. "That's alright." His fingers hovered over Ashton. "Can I pick you up?"

Ashton nodded, head bowed. He just wanted Niles to get him out of here. The human's familiar fingers closed lightly around him, and then he was being slipped into Niles' shirt pocket. Ashton sank down in the dark fabric, letting Niles' scent and the feel of the human's heartbeat completely envelop him.

It's fine, he thought. I'm fine. He clutched at the fabric of Niles' shirt tightly. As long as Niles is here, I'm fine.

***

After finding Ashton clean clothes, Niles loaded the little woodlands up into the car once more. The poor thing still looked shaken, and Niles' heart broke a little. He hated how hysterical Ashton got when he was truly desperate about something— especially in situations they couldn't avoid, like this wellness check. It just reinforced to Ashton how little control he had over his own life, how not even begging could sway his human caregivers once they made up their minds regarding what was best for him.

Niles didn't know what it felt like to have one's desperate pleas pushed aside like that, but Ashton always acted like it was a life-or-death situation. And honestly, for the little woodlands, it probably felt exactly like that. It made Niles sick to be the source of Ashton's distress. But this way, at least he was the one doing this to Ashton, and not some other doctor that Ashton didn't know or trust.

Niles sighed as he started the car and headed for home. An apology was still in order for this whole fiasco, even though it had been out of Niles' control.

***

It was late afternoon by the time they got back, and Ashton was still looking pale when Niles got him out of his carrier. Niles thought that he would have fallen asleep on the car ride home, but while Ashton did look exhausted, he seemed to still be running on adrenaline.

Niles managed to coax Ashton into eating a little something, but otherwise, the sprite just wanted to cling to him. Niles decided to completely forego their usual schedule for the day and instead sat Ashton down on the couch so he could watch a documentary about octopuses. Of all the ocean creatures he had learned about so far, octopuses were his favorite. Niles thought watching a video about them would cheer him up.

After watching for a few minutes, Niles looked down to check on him and saw that Ashton was leaning against his leg, chewing on a knuckle and staring at nothing. Niles touched him gently, and the faerie flinched before realizing where he was. His shoulders visibly relaxed the moment he tilted his face up to look at Niles, and Niles smiled down at him.

"Here," Niles held a hand out to him. "Do you need a break?"

Ashton immediately clambered up into his hand, holding onto Niles' fingers for balance. Niles slipped Ashton into his front pocket, and the faerie settled against his chest with a little sigh, like everything was okay again.

"I'm so, so sorry," Niles whispered, patting Ashton through his pocket gently. "I'm so sorry I couldn't get you out of there. And I'm so sorry that I had to be the one to take you in the first place."

Ashton patted his chest twice in response, and Niles couldn't help but smile a little. Ashton had been spending so much time in Niles' pocket lately that Niles had taught him the lingo he had with Lucy. Two pats meant he was okay or wanted to stay in the pocket. Three taps if he wanted to get out. One sharp jab if he needed Niles' attention for anything else.

Niles leaned back against the couch cushions and stared up at the ceiling. After a few minutes, he peeked into his pocket to check on the faerie and discovered that Ashton had fallen fast asleep, his forehead and nose pressed up against Niles' chest.

Oh, thank goodness, Niles thought, tracing the curved outline of Ashton's back with a finger. I'm glad he's finally relaxed enough to sleep. He looked exhausted.

He thought back to the interview, recalling how out of place Ashton had looked in the meeting room. With his wild curls, harsh features, and sharp claws, it was obvious he didn't belong in any human setting. He needed to go back to the woods, back to freedom. A trapped and flightless faerie was one of the saddest sights Niles had ever seen, and Ashton deserved so much better than that.

But until Ashton revealed something about where Niles could take him, they were stuck together. I'll worry about that later, Niles thought, still stroking along Ashton's spine through his pocket. After the day he had, I just want him to feel safe.

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A/N: Dang this was a long chapter but yay, Ashton passed his interview with flying colors. Not that there was any risk to it. Literally no one would have assigned him to someone else unless Ashton had specifically requested it. Also, we're in March, which means spring is just around the corner, and more faeries and familiar faces will be returning... 

Anyway, feel free to comment or ask questions! See you in the next part.