"Annie!" Connor leapt to his feet and was at her bedside in an instant. 

Annie felt like death warmed over. All of the adrenaline that had kept her moving had left her body hours ago, and now she was dealing with the consequences. She remembered just how many times she had been shot, stabbed, and skewered over the last couple of days and groaned. 

"Are you okay? Are you hurt?" His anxiety was plain to see.

She rubbed her eyes, "Yes and yes, Connor. I'm alright but everything hurts like hell."

"You look like shit." Jaigra said.

"Damn, Vrath. You really know how to make a girl feel special, huh?" Annie couldn't muster up the energy her snarky banter deserved, but it's the thought that counts. 

To her surprise, Jaigra actually looked ashamed, "Sorry." she said. 

"Uhhh, it's okay?" Annie said.

Annie tugged at the bandage on her shoulder and immediately regretted it as pain radiated through her arm, "Ow! Motherfucker!"

Both Jaigra and Connor jumped forward, “What is it?” they said in unison, then glared at each other. Something had clearly happened while Annie was unconscious. The two of them looked like they were about to come to blows.

“Gods you two, I’m fine!” Annie winced, “Alright, I’m fine-ish.”

They both looked doubtful, but neither one was going to press about it in front of the other.

“Okay.” Connor grumbled. 

Annie tried to ignore the pain and propped herself up on the pillows, “Tell me what happened.” she said.

“I woke up in that ravine with you lying next to me and carried your ass back to town. Turns out it's full of Union goons right now.” Jaigra glared pointedly at Connor. She was doing that thing where she was trying to sound gruff and uncaring. Annie saw right through it.

“Tallis brought you both back here to the motel,” Connor piped up, “We cleaned your wounds and bandaged you up as best we could.” Jaigra raised her eyebrows when he said ‘we’ but didn’t interrupt.

“So that’s why I look like a mummy.” Annie held up her bandaged arm for emphasis, “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” Connor picked up one of Annie’s alchemy vials on the nightstand and wandered over to the chair to sit down, “Now that you’re awake, can we talk about a few things?”

“Knock yourself out.” Annie said.

"Thank you, Annie.” Connor paused, considering his words carefully, “I know that magician did something to me. Something terrible and you had to stop it.”

“Yes.” This was not a subject Annie wanted to broach right out of the gate, but Connor clearly needed to get it off his chest.

“Did you take my Icon away somehow?"

Annie froze. 

Connor was looking at his feet, fidgeting with the alchemy vial, "I can't feel it anymore. Like a background noise I've been hearing for years is suddenly gone."

Annie swallowed hard, "I'm sorry. It was the only way to separate you from Grinner's magic."

"Grinner, That was his name?" He sounded distant. 

Annie shifted uncomfortably, "Yeah. He was a magician from Partee. His arcanum let him use mind control magic. Potent stuff. There wasn't much anyone could have done."

"Except you, right?" Connor's tone was suddenly sharp.

"What?" Annie was taken aback.

Jaigra placed herself between the two of them, "Hey! Back off, now isn't the time for this."

Connor brushed her aside and leaned in close to Annie, "You resisted him, didn't you?" he pressed.

Annie laid a hand against the wound in her side. It didn't feel like she had resisted anything. Grinner had kept her on the back foot until the very end. It felt more like she had barely kept it together long enough to stop him.

"I guess." She shrugged.

"You guess? You guess?" Connor shot to his feet, knocking his chair to the ground, "How? How are you so calm about this? Four people are dead! They’re dead and it’s because of me, I killed them and I was too stupid to realize somebody was using me like a weapon!" He grabbed Annie by the wrist with tears streaming down his face. "Why? Why did he use me?"

Jaigra pulled him off of her, "Stop it! Leave her alone!"

Connor shoved Jaigra away from him, "That's rich coming from you! If you hadn't come here this whole mess wouldn't have gotten so out of hand!"

"You little shit!" Jaigra snarled through bared teeth.

"Hey!" Annie shouted. The Paladin and Seraph both flinched and looked at her. 

"That’s enough. If you two are going to fight then take that shit outside," Annie crossed her arms (which hurt like hell) and glared at them both expectantly, "Well?"

Connor’s shoulders sagged, like all the wind had suddenly rushed out of him, "Alright." 

Jaigra looked from Connor to Annie, disappointed, "Fine."

Annie took Jaigra’s hand in hers, "Can you give us a minute?"

Jaigra looked from Connor to Annie, clearly conflicted.

"It’s alright, I’m not going anywhere." Annie smiled and gestured at her bloody and battered body. 

Jaigra nodded and reluctantly left the room, leaving Annie and Connor sat in tense silence.

Connor broke the silence first, "Annie—"

She held up a hand, "Save it. I’m beat to hell and too fucking tired for bullshit." She paused, "But I am sorry, Connor."

Annie wanted to say more, something comforting, an apology for what she took for him, or some way to fix what had been done to him. Anything to salve the wound in Connor’s heart, but her words came up short like they always had.

"If there’s anything I can do…" She said hesitantly.

Connor sat there for a long moment, one that Annie felt was going to stretch into eternity, then said, "Take me with you."

"What?" Annie must have misheard him. Her ears must have broken when she fell or something.

"Take me with you when you leave Millpoint." He said the words with a little more confidence. 

Apparently her ears were fine.

"You want to come with me?" Annie was dumbfounded.

"Yes." Connor was fidgeting with an alchemy vial again, "I can’t stay here."

"Okay, but that doesn’t mean you need to leave with me. Can’t you just ask the Union brass to reassign you somewhere else?"

"I’m turning in my resignation tomorrow. First thing." He said.

"What?" Annie said again.

"I can’t do this anymore. I still want to help people, but I don’t want to be a soldier." Connor straightened up, like he was trying to bolster his resolve.  

"And you think you’ll be better off with me? You want to be a Stranger?" Life as a Stranger was no joke, even without Annie’s particular mess of baggage she was dragging along behind her.

He nodded, "I do. You’re a good soul, Annie. I want to help people like you helped this town You’re tough, and smart, and a damn good shot. I couldn’t ask for better company."

That wasn’t it. That couldn’t be it. Annie couldn’t imagine Connor packing up and leaving Millpoint just like that. There had to be something he wasn’t saying.

"What are you running from?" Foot, meet mouth. 

Connor’s face fell, "Am I that obvious?"

"So there is something." Annie wiggled around on the mattress to lean towards him.

"They want to pair me with another Icon." He said.

"Oh gods." Annie rubbed at her eyes.

"I should be happy, shouldn’t I? I can feel this piece missing from me, and it hurts to be without it. But the thought of letting another Icon into my body again—" Connor shuddered, "—I don’t know what I want, but it’s not that. I don’t want that ever again."

Annie felt a familiar ache in her chest as he spoke, an old ache that took the place of something she’d lost a long time ago.

"Okay." She said.

Connor’s eyes widened, "Okay? You’ll take me with you?"

Annie attempted to be nonchalant, "Yeah. Don’t make me regret it, Deputy."

Tears welled in Connor’s eyes, he sniffled and wiped them away but more welled up to take their place, "Thank you, Annie." he said, "I uh… I need to go pack." He stood up from her bedside and gave an awkward little half bow to her before rushing out of the room.

Annie was glad for his departure, she wasn’t sure what she would have done if he had wanted to talk logistics or started actually crying. She was pretty sure they’d both fit on the bike, once she retrieved it from wherever she had crashed it. But trying to plan anything beyond that was too much for her to think about right now.

Jaigra poked her head through the door, "Hey."

Speaking of too much to think about. 

"Hey." Annie said.

"Did, uh, did that go well?" Jaigra awkwardly leaned against the door frame, attempting to look casual. Annie suppressed a smile.

"Yeah. Yeah I think it did."

"Good." Jaigra nodded to emphasize the affirmation. Then just stood there, looking at Annie.

"What, do you need to be invited in?" There was a joke to be made about Therult’s blood mages and vampires, but Annie was too tired to make it. 

Jaigra’s face reddened. She marched inside and sat in the chair aggressively, her armor clanking with every movement, "No."

It was too much. Annie burst out laughing.

"What? What’s so funny?" Jaigra spluttered.

Annie snorted trying to contain herself, "You! This!" She waved a hand up and down at Jaigra and spread her arms in a vague ‘everything’ motion, "This is ridiculous!"

Jaigra’s face was red again. She crossed her arms and looked away from Annie, "I’m glad you find me so amusing." She huffed.

Annie breathed that sort of wheezing breath a person does when they’re starting to get their laughter under control, "You just—" She blew a raspberry and collapsed into another giggle fit.

Jaigra started to snicker too. It was infectious; soon the two of them were howling with laughter that echoed down the hallway.

Jaigra blinked away the tears in her eyes as their laughter began to subside, "What happened to us, Andromeda?" she asked.

Annie puffed up her cheeks and blew out a long breath before answering, "I wish I knew." Jaigra gave her a look, "What?"

Jaigra leaned in close and cupped Annie’s chin, "May I?" she murmured. 

Annie pressed her lips to Jaigra’s in answer, pain forgotten, and pulled her down onto the mattress beside her. The Seraph’s armor poked at her stomach and jabbed her shoulder, but she paid them no mind; lost in the breathless need that had overtaken her senses as they pressed against each other.

Annie felt Jaigra’s heat on her skin. Her breath caught in her throat as the other woman kissed her neck gently, brushing a gentle hand against the side of her face. Annie arched her back and pulled at Jaigra, desperate to get her closer than the Seraph’s dark armor would allow.

"Andromeda…" Jaigra’s hoarse whisper gave Annie goosebumps. 

She pulled herself away, taking Jaigra by the shoulders and putting some space between them as they caught their breath.

"No," Annie hoped her voice didn’t betray the need she was feeling deep insider herself right now, "Not right now. I can’t."

"Why?" Jaigra leaned towards her again, running a hand along her thigh. Annie put her own hand on top of it.

"No. It’s too much. I need to think. I'm not going to do this right now." Annie looked away.

"Right now?" Jaigra couldn’t hide the hope that crept into her voice. 

Annie wanted to growl in frustration, but she squashed the urge, "Right now, yes. I need time. And space."

Jaigra relented, pulling away with a pained expression, "Okay. I understand."

Annie caught her hand, stopping her from backing away any further, "Here," she grabbed a vial of red fluid from the bedside and pressed it into Jaigra’s hand, "You can find me later." she smiled.

Jaigra looked from Annie to the vial and back again, "Is this what I think it is?"

She nodded, "My blood."

"Are you sure?" Jaigra held it carefully, as it it would shatter at the slightest touch.

"Yes." Annie touched her lips to Jaigra's knuckles before slowly releasing her hand, "That is, if you still want to?"

Jaigra smiled and kissed Annie's blood vial, "Of course, my lady."

The words sent a shiver down Annie's spine and she coughed to cover her surprise. She would have to think about that later.

"You should go," she said, "If those Union guys find you here wearing that armor, there's going to be a lot of questions."

Jaigra looked down at her black Seraph armor and shrugged, "I can take 'em."

Annie crossed her arms, "Sure you could, but then I have to answer a bunch of questions about why I let my ex blow holes in a bunch of Union soldiers and I am too damn tired for that."

Jaigra raised an eyebrow, "Ex?"

Annie smirked, "Well, apparently you're betrothed to a homunculus now. So yes, I think that makes you my ex."

Jaigra's face fell, "We need to talk about that."

Annie shook her head, "There's nothing to discuss. If the homunculus wants my old life, it can have it."

Jaigra frowned, "That's it?"

"That's it. I'm sure the Wings will be fine with their new Herald." Annie leaned back into her mountain of pillows. 

Jaigra's face said this discussion wasn't over, but her mouth said, "Fine. I'll figure out something to tell them. Don't get yourself killed before I see you again, alright?"

Annie winked and blew her a kiss, "Alright, sweetheart."

Jaigra turned to leave and glanced over her shoulder with a smirk, "Cute. Goodbye Andromeda."

Annie watched her leave and could feel that familiar ache in her chest again. It felt like she was barely holding herself together. And every time she looked at Jaigra, she was reminded of just how long she had felt that way. But there was something truly unbearable that plagued her mind: the fact that, for an instant, that ache had disappeared.

For an instant, she had flown again. 

And during that flight, she heard a voice she thought had long abandoned her. 

"Hello little bird, my beautiful Herald. How I've missed you."

The End