Image of Valery's parents

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Though her heart screams, Valery freezes. She watches with wide eyes, a sob stuck in her throat as the world slows. She watches Trent's face fall. Every ripple of Darrel's muscle as he turns and runs for the caravans. She watches the first drops of blood hit the ground. The sadistic grin on the man's face as Trent slumps, his shirt a bloody mess as the blood pours out. Trent coughs and groans, his face as white as the untouched snow they left behind. As he stills, her trance breaks.

Her first step towards Trent is automatic. Shock filled. Second step, she runs. Arm outstretched, pointing tods Darrel, she screams. Her scream, unintelligible, yet filled with pain and rage. From her outstretched hand, a ball of fire grows. At the end of the last note of her scream, the ball of fire is airborne. A pumpkin sized ball of fire careens after the coward. Flames and smoke leap to the air, followed by howls of agony as the fire ball crashes into a caravan, realing Devil's Own that were hiding inside.

"You stay with me." She snaps, feeling him weaken beneath her touch. He closes his eyes and lets his head roll to the side. "Don't you dare!" She sobs, her voice shrill. Tears start to fall, splattering against her faded jeans. Clenching his shirt tight, she fights past the haze of panic to visualize the gaping hole. "You're not allowed to die an hour away from the end zone, you hear me? We are almost there. Almost home."

"You still love me." He murmurs, his voice barely audible.

"Of course I do, you big dummy." She hiccups. "I'd never give up on you. So don't give up on me, you hear me?"

Trent coughs in response, all signs of life gone from his face.

Sobs rocket through her body as she closes her eyes tight, unable to look at him.

I'm his only chance. I have to do this!

"Sweet Angels." Angela gasps as she and Matt bust through the tall grass to stand beside Valery. "I'm here, take what you need." She murmurs, kneeling beside Valery and placing a hand on top of hers.

"Don't you worry." Matt assures Valery. The remaining Guardians create a circle around Valery and Trent, weapons pointing outwards.

Angela closes her eyes and dives into Valery's tremulous mind, trying to calm Valery down so she can focus on healing Trent.

"You can do this." Matt murmurs, watching Valery react and her tremors stop. A few Devil's Own cautiously step from the woodline. With a nod from Valery's mom, they are quickly and quietly eliminated.

As her breathing steadies, Valery is able to get a clear image of the task in front of her. Taking energy from Angela and herself, she works quickly. She knots the tissue and bone back together, trying to decrease the amount of blood loss.

"His color is coming back." Angela whispers, her awe clear in her voice. "You're doing it."

Valery nods in response, her brows knit close together as she focuses. "Quit staring, you're making this harder." Valery snaps, feeling their eyes on her.

Everyone averts their eyes.

Valery slumps over Trent as his breathing steadies, his wound fully shut. Relief overwhelms her senses as her eyelids grow heavy and her muscles grow weak. Valery groans, forcing her tongue to move around in her dry mouth, licking her lips.

"My precious girl." Trent murmurs, his thumb drawing a circle on her hand. A blast rockets through the air, the gas tank of the caravan exploding from the fire. The blast scatters the group, and Valery's world goes dark.

***

Slowly she registers the softness of the bed beneath her, the rough heavy throw blanket over top of her, scratching at her skin, and the powerful smell of a sterile room. She then feels the warm weight of a hand in hers.

"Trent?" She whispers, her voice scratchy. Her voice is faint, but Trent grins at hearing it.

"It's me." He smiles as he gives her hand a squeeze. "The one and only."

She turns her head towards his voice. "You're ok? I did it?" She whispers.

"You did it." He tells her. "You're absolutely amazing."

Her eyes flicker open. She spots him sitting in a worn-out windsor chair, leaning over to her, her hand folded gently between his. The sight of him, in the chair, waiting on her to recover warms her heart.

"We're home." She comments, taking in the barren walls that are painted too happy of a yellow. He pats her hand.

"We sure are, everything's alright. You should focus on resting."

"What happened?" She asks instead, taking him in. Showered and shaved, his bruises fading, wearing one of her dad's old shirts and looking down at her with a gaze so full of love, he's never looked better. A bit singed, but never better.

"Your emotional outburst exploded a caravan." Trent answers with a playful smirk. "Your parents are alright. Just pissed Darrel got away again. They have been in here a few times, but they have been stuck in council meetings on and off for two days now. Liana is pissed you'd try such a thing. Your parents don't know how to feel, they're stuck on both sides."

Valery nods, understanding. "Whatever punishment they give, I'll take it. Won't apologize though. I couldn't abandon you. I made the right choice and I stand by that."

"I know babe." He leans over, planting a kiss on her forehead. "I wouldn't let them have you either."

"What about Matt and Angela?"

"Safe and in their rooms as they await their punishment, just like you are."

"I couldn't run even if I wanted to." She chuckles lightly.

"You wore yourself out. Should I get you some food and water?" He asks, already starting to stand up.

"No!" She answers quickly, grabbing ahold of his wrist. She tugs him back down. "I want you with me. You're safe. We're here. We did it. Don't you go anywhere yet."

Trent gives her a warm smile as he settles back down in the chair. "You did it." He assures her as her hand falls away from his wrist. "You found me and brought me back from the depths." He plants another kiss on her forehead. Rests his head against hers. "Thank you for not giving up on me." He whispers.  

"We need to be enlightened on how you managed to do it." Her dad's light and joking voice comes from the doorway behind Trent.

"Daddy!" Valery grins, struggling to sit up. Trent is quick to transfer himself onto the bed, allowing one her parents to take the chair and be a support for Valery to lean on.

"Don't EVER leave without saying goodbye to me ever again." Her dad gently scolds, barging into the room to envelope her in a hug. Valery's mom is right behind him.

"I'm sorry daddy." Valery murmurs. Her dad releases her.

"Can we have the room?" Valery's mom asks Trent.

"Of course." Trent nods. He looks Valery over, gives her a kiss on the head and sides out of the way to make room for her mom. "I'll go get that food." He slips out of the room, closing the door softly behind him.

"What were you thinking?" Valery's mom demands. Her mom sits in the bed and she draws her daughter close. Her dad takes over the freshly vacated chair.

"I-I wasn't." Valery tells her, bowing her head. "Angela came in, told me she knew I was going after him and she wanted in. So, we went." Valery's mom holds her out at arm level, inspecting every inch of Valery that she could.

"Were you thinking about it?" Her mom demands.

"I'm sure it would have crossed my mind eventually. I was hyped up for a date! Not a cold-hearted brutal attack. I needed time to process. I don't regret going after him."

"Of course, you don't." Her dad nods, understanding. "That's what I tried to argue. You were distressed and out of your mind."

"You should at least be apologetic." Her mom scolds. "It would help your case."

Valery looks at her mom, slack jawed and struck dumb. Knocks her mom's arms down.

"How can I apologize?" Valery demands. "He's back, smiling and walking among us again, right where he should be! How is that a bad thing? Not to mention, now, I won't have to fight against him! Mom, you of all people should understand how that feels!" Valery snaps, her anger growing, overshadowing her exhaustion.

Her mom sighs in frustration.

"You went and did something you were explicitly told not to do." Beth snaps, crossing her arms. "You don't seem to grasp the amount of hot water you are in right now."

"The council was wrong! I'm not afraid to tell them that either. They thought it was impossible. Well clearly, it wasn't. They were scared," Valery retorts, her voice rising. "They are scared of the unknown, mom! Scared of the North, scared of me."

"No matter how you feel, the council's words are final," Beth declares, glaring at Valery. Valery's hands tighten into fists.

"Mom!" Valery cries. "It wasn't right of them to abandon him!"

"Now, honey, hold on." Her dad interrupts. "Can we just enjoy her being home before you two get into it?"

Her mom jumps up, glaring at Valery and then her husband. "Axel, we are on the brink of WAR because her and her friends don't know how to follow orders! We had to call everyone back from Clermont because of this! That was our last defense and you know it." Her mom snaps, her hand flying back to motion towards Valery. "And she isn't the LEAST bit remorseful!"

"What?" Valery whispers, her voice a faint whisper as her face pales.

"What did you expect would happen?" Her mom snaps, turning to face her. "You don't just do shit like that and expect to get away with it! In the world of adulthood, there are consequences for your actions. I don't understand why you don't get that!"

"I-" Valery starts, her sentence dying off. Instead, she directs her gaze onto her blanket, trying to hide the tears pricking at her eyes. She finds herself unable to look up at her mom, unable to know what to say to her.