Bane kept his hand around Andie's fingers as they walked down the hallway to class. Andie wasn't sure whether to look at him or not, and eventually chose not to. As they paused near the classroom door, he turned to look at her.

"Andie, are you okay?"

Andie wasn't really surprised. Anyone could tell something was not right with her.

"I'm fine, why?" she told him.

He raised an eyebrow meaningfully.

"I saw you raise your guard when Eric came up to you." he explained.

"Oh... that was nothing," she replied, hoping the sudden heat in her face wasn't showing. "He just startled me, that's all."

His eyebrows dropped into a frown of concern.

"Startled you?" he repeated. "... You don't usually get that... jumpy..."

Andie looked at him, biting her lip as she tried to figure out what to say.

"I... I don't know... I just... I overreacted." Andie shrugged, looking away. "It happens."

She could tell Bane was reading her face, though she wasn't sure what he was looking for. Part of her wanted to tell him that she'd been having nightmares, waking up drenched in sweat and was amazed her parents hadn't noticed. The bell signaled the start of class, and people began pouring into the classroom behind Andie. After a few seconds, Bane gently touched her cheek. Andie sighed and looked up at him.

"Whatever it is that's troubling you, you can talk to us about it. You know that, don't you?"

"Yeah," Andie said. "I know."

She silently signaled the end of the conversation by reaching upwards and pressing her lips to Bane's. Then, before he could say anymore, she took his hand and they walked into the classroom.

Later, Andie was in her room, working on her homework in an effort to get her mind of the persisting anxiety that had gnawed at her all day. Adena tried to talk about it, only to have Andie calmly but firmly tell her she had work to do. After an hour, she was halfway through her History essay when the doorbell rang.

"Andie! It's Eric!" came Lauren's voice from downstairs.

Andie wasn't sure how to feel about this sudden arrival.

"Uh... I'll be right down!" she finally called back.

Putting aside her books, she got to her feet and walked out. She peered above the railing at Eric, who was talking to her mother.

"It's so nice to see you again, Eric," Lauren was saying. "It's been too long!"

"Yes, it's a pleasure to see you too, ma'am." Eric answered.

Andie breathed in deeply and slapped a smile on her face.

"Hey, Eric! You should have called!" she said, climbing down the stairs.

"I know, sorry," he smiled as she squeezed him. "I just made a spur of the moment decision. Thought we could use the chance to catch up."

"Sounds good," Andie smiled.

She did want to spend a little time with Eric. She remembered the fun she had had with him as a little girl. Of course, they had both changed, so she wasn't sure where things stood between them, especially because they hadn't had much contact for several years. She led him to her room, though feeling slightly uncomfortable about doing it, because the only boy she'd had in her room was Bane, and she wasn't sure he would be thrilled. But he was a friend, there was nothing wrong with them talking in her room, was there? She sighed quietly and pushed the thought out of her mind as she opened the door. But she still felt nervous about seeing Eric after so long the way they used to be, just the two of them. And when she was nervous, she felt hot. She pulled off her jumper, revealing a thinner long sleeve shirt. She set it on the back of her chair and sat down at her desk while Eric sat on the edge of her bed. She straightened her tousled hair and turned around and was about to sit down when Eric's eyes narrowed. Taken aback, she froze, eying him cautiously.

"What?" she asked. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"What's that on your collarbone?"

She glanced at her reflection in the mirror. And noticed a purple bruise poking out from under her shirt.

"Oh... it's nothing..."

"Did Bane do that to you?" Eric asked tersely.

"What?" Andie asked, shocked. "No! Of course not! Bane would never lay a hand on me! He's teaching me some fighting techniques, and I didn't dodge him fast enough. That's all."

She knew it was risky mentioning that, but she had to give a partial truth to be believable. She had seen only too often how one lie led to another, until it became so complicated you got lost in the lies with no way out. She didn't want to do that.

"He would never lay a hand on me," she said again. "And don't you even think about mentioning this to him."

"You barely know him, you said you'd been together a few weeks-"

"You met him last week!" Andie countered. "Look, Eric... I am really happy to see you again, but if every conversation we have is about Bane and me, I'm not going to be able to see you anymore. He is my boyfriend. I love him. And trust him. So if you really want us to stay friends, you'll respect that."

There was a silence. Eric read her face again, and finally sighed in defeat.

"You're right. I'm sorry. That was out of line."

"It's okay. Bane and I are a little atypical," Andie smiled. "Only... a word of warning, my parents don't know I'm training with Bane, and I'm pretty sure they would disapprove. So..."

"Don't worry, Adds, my lips are sealed." he grinned, pretending to zip his lips closed. "It'll be like when were kids, making up secrets about people."

"Oh, God, I had forgotten that!" Andie laughed. "Remember when we pretended that we were the only ones in the school who knew that our headmistress was an alien?"

And soon, the previous tension was gone, their old friendship slowly coming back.

That night, Andie woke up sweating and shaking again. She ran a hand through her hair and took a few deep breaths. The moon gleamed peacefully into her bedroom, but it wasn't enough to calm Andie's racing heart. She picked up the bottle of water she kept by her bed and took a long swig. As she put it down, she grew thoughtful. She knew the dreams weren't random. She kept reliving the day she had spent in the Demon Realm, She had to find some way past this... if she was a mess with Zorak and Zarias in another world, she was afraid of how she'd react if she had to face them... but what could she do? Meditating didn't seem to help... But she had to get a grip before they decided to try again...

"... That's three nights in a row..."

Andie sighed and looked up at Adena.

"I know." she said. "But it's not exactly like I can shut it off..."

"Maybe talking about it would help..."

"No!" Andie retorted firmly. "They'll just get worried and it won't solve anything..."

"You have a right to be shaken, you know," Adena said. "What you went through-"

"You have no idea what I went through!" Andie snapped.

"I wouldn't claim to, but I am no stranger to pain."

Andie froze. Of course she wasn't. Adena had probably suffered from fighting Zorak for so long. She had struggled after just a few weeks... But even then... was it really the same as being thrown into a cell and tortured?

"... I didn't mean to sound insensitive," Andie said. "I'm sorry."

Adena sat on her bed too, looking sympathetically at Andie.

"It's fine, I know you weren't being mean." she said.

Andie sighed and leaned back against the wall.

"You're looking at it the wrong way," Adena said. "You're thinking you're not good enough and that was why you were caught. But you have to remember that they sneaked up on you, leaving no chance for you to fight back. Anyone, as smart and strong as they may be, could have been captured."

Andie tried to believe her, but it wasn't easy. One the one hand, she had sent Zarias to the ground... but she was a little afraid of that. The anger in her had made her feel capable of anything, regardless of morale or consequences... and she knew it had been a close call for her to cross the irreversible line with the Demon Lord's son. She felt like a completely different person... and it was not a good thing. And on the other hand, she had felt so completely and utterly powerless in that Demon Realm. She hadn't even been able to summon her powers... Adena had told her that was because of the barrier, but even so, she had realized how dependent she was on them. She would have to discuss that problem with the others. She sighed, ran a hand through her hair and lay back down.

Bane sat on the edge of his window, staring outside into the quiet, sleeping neighborhood. He had not said anything to Andie, but he knew she was keeping something from him. She was probably still scarred by whatever horrors Zorak had put her through. She had never told them what it had been exactly, and Bane didn't want to force her into it. If she wanted to, she would in her own time. But the fact that she didn't want or couldn't speak of it worried him. He'd known it had been awful, but her silence did nothing for his peace of mind. He couldn't help thinking it had to be truly abominable for her not to want to talk put it into words. And that caused him to start imagining all kinds of scenarios, each one more bloodcurdling than the other.

"You're letting your feelings get the better of you again," came Balon's voice.

Bane sighed sharply and looked at his mentor.

"I'm worried about someone I care about because she went through a lot." he stated coldly. "What's wrong with that?"

"She hadn't reached out to you," Balon replied flatly. "So she doesn't need your assistance or concern. Your focus is..."

"None of your business!" Bane snapped. "You know what, I think Adena has a point. You were so frustrated about being alone when you gave up your powers you clung to anything that could prevent your solitude. Namely me, ensuring I never felt the need to get close to anyone else. Just because Andie isn't asking for help doesn't mean she doesn't need it."

Bane almost regretted his harshness when he saw Balon's shocked face.

"I.. I was doing what I thought best for you." he said, quickly regaining his composure.

"For me," Bane asked, "or for you?"

"In case you forgot, the only reason you even needed that training in the first place was because she moved here." Balon said.

Bane was so stunned by the comment he was momentarily speechless.

"You're actually serious..." he said, shaking his head. "You're the ones who chose to give us your power! We had nothing to do with that! So don't you dare try and blame her just because she uprooted your comfortable, self-centered afterlife."

The two men looked at each other in silence a moment. Then, Bane stood up and stared at his mentor.

"You have taught me to fight, and in many ways, made me who I am. But not all those ways were good ones. I didn't see that because I respected you, and I felt grateful to you for protecting me all this years. And I still am. I haven't forgotten the years you spent training me, making me stronger."

He paused.

"But?" Balon finally prompted.

Bane exhaled as he shook his head.

"The fact you're even asking that question means you're not ready to hear the answer."

*************

What do you think Balon means by that? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Will Andie recover from her ordeal? Will she and Eric stay friends or will he insist on coming between her and Bane? Let's find out in the next chapter!