S. O. S.

Ashleen hadn't even bother to announce her leaving before she was gone, her shoes clacking against the hard floor of the school, and then softening to a crunch as she ended up outside, completely ignoratant (for once in her life) of the cold that still hung in the air.

Her jaw clenched as she kept all her pent up frustration inside. She wasn't far enough away to scream yet. She just needed....

God when did she become so-so-so... why did she? Why did he...?

Part of her was even raging that she had gotten this far without him trying to stop her (didn't he care at all?!) - even though she knew the moment he did, if he did, she would turn all her fury against him for not leaving her alone (Couldn't she have any privacy?!).

Breathing heavily, muttering none sense to herself the girl continued to stomp, and storm - a ticking time bomb waiting to blow.

And the spark to ignite the flame was following closely behind.

"Ash!" Tre repeated again, for the umpteenth time, still following behind her. He reached out and took her hand, not even noting their distance from the castle, nor the fact that Ash had lead them closer to the forest. He was completely unsure and more than a little bit confused.

What could he have possibly done this time?

"Ash? Talk to me, please!"

Ash stopped like a dog being restrained by a leash as he grabbed her hand, streching out as far as she could strech their arms without causing either pain. She could have yanked her hand away. She knew she could, if she did it fast enough, before Tre had enough time to tighten his hold.

But something stopped her from doing that.

"I don't want to talk," the girl muttered darkly, staring ahead of her, her back towards the boy. "Just forget it Tre, okay. Just forget... forget it ever happened, just forget I ever said anything, did anything."

She grimaced to the sea, an expression the boy would not beable to see but could here it her voice.

"You know what, maybe we'd all just be peachy if we forgot I even existed."

"What are you talking about?!" Tre asked, sounding distressed. "I... I don't want to forget about you! Why would I? You're the best thing that's ever happened to me!"

Tre's hold on her hand tightened, and he gently tried to pull her toward him, not forcing her in the least. "But I need you to exist!" He whimpered, his eyes darkening then lightening then darkening again, undecided in color. "Don't you understand? I can't exist without you again!"

She bit her lip and dug her feet into the ground, refusing to let them do what they wanted to do, which was give into the pull and fall back to the boy.

"I'm sure you could manage to survive Angel," she muttered looking ahead of her. "I'm sure there are enough people around to comfort you, take my place; Tinkerbell, Whelan, princess."

She spat the last word out of her mouth as she continued to glare ahead of her, her blue eyes dark, dancing like a sea during a storm.

"I'm just, the girl who spoke funny, spoke like you - sort of."

Tre's eyes widened, and he let go of her hand in shock. In less than a second he was in front of her, his arms wrapped around her in an embrace. "You're insane." He murmured, his eyes still undecided. His hold on her tightened, anticipating her pulling away, but not tight enough to stop her.

"If I wanted anyone else, why would I be with you?" He demanded softly. "If I wanted Iva, or Cia, or Bonita, why would I be following you around when you're angry?" His eyes and voice turned sad. "Do you really not believe I love you? I love you so much... What do you need me to do to show you? You want... you want me to yell it? Scream it at you? Ignore everyone else on the face of the planet? Get down on one knee and..."

Ashleen stiffened slightly as his arms around her, she was torn, wanting to leave, to pull away to-to-to-

She couldn't move, but she refused to hug back - if she...

"Because you're insane as me?" she muttered in response to his question.

"I don't want you to do anything," she breathed. "Its not like-"

She growled and pulled away from him, ignoring as the cold began to wrap around her, charaging back across the ground again, towards one of the high cliffs, looking down and out over the water.

"We're fooling ourselves, you know that right," she called out looking over the water. "We don't live in a world made for love. You think Papa's going to ignore what he wants because... because you love me? He doesn't care - no one cares but you and me, and whats that going to do?"

She shot him another look, her eyes hallow, before she shook her head and went back to staring at the water crashing against the rocks below.

"You're going to have to marry her... and I don't know how I'm supposed to take it."

Tre's hold on her tightened further, but then she pulled away, and he was empty.

He trailed after her, her words making him feel cold for the first time in... as long as he could remember. Ice no longer had any affect on him. Ash, however, seemed to.

Something settled around him then. Something dark and desperate. Something...

He was in front of her again, but this time his entire stance was different. Meek Tre was gone. His jaw was set, his shoulders back, his stance tall and proud.

His eyes had settled in the middle of gold and obsidian.

He met her gaze, his brimming with so many emotions that they seemed almost unreadable, swirling and challenging.

"You think it's not enough." He stated evenly. "What do you suggest then?" His eyes almost begged for her to say it. Told her to go on and tell him to end it. Tell him to go on and end all the happiness he had in life. Tell him to go on and end himself.

She looked at him for a moment, her eyes bright with briming tears she didn't even know where there.

"Why would it be enough Tre?" she shook her head and swallowed hard. "When has it ever been enough?! I loved my mother, I loved Jake - and where the hell are they?! Hmm, hmm?! My love didn't stop them from dying in front of me. I loved my father and what has he ever done for me? I don't think he loves me back, most days I really don't."

She shook her head.

"I loved you since-since... you still had to leave; I don't even know how I made it through that year - and sure they let me back, back to you but..."

"I can't- I can't leave you now. I don't think I physically could... but will it only be worse if... ?"

Tre took her shoulders and shook her, once, roughly, for once in his life not being gentle with her.

"ARE YOU INSANE?!" He bellowed, shaking her again. "ARE YOU ABSOLUTELY FUCKING INSANE?!" Behind him, the waves crashed against side of the cliff with duel force. "I'M NOT YOUR FUCKING FAMILY! I'M NOT JUST GOING TO DROP DEAD!"

"Wanna know a secret?" He growled, stepping into her personal space, glaring down into her eyes. "My mom died when I was five. Just before I met you. Know how?" He stepped closer, taller than he'd ever been, his eyes darkening rapidly. "Someone broke into my house while Father was called off on some important meeting Papa had ordered. Something decided that my mother needed to pay a debt she had back before she fell from heaven. Something decided that my mother deserved to die."

The waves were high enough to send mist into the air around them, and the sky darkened. Tre took no notice.

"Some creature, a demon, a vampire, I don't know which, decided to come into our house while my mother was singing me a lullaby." His fist clenched. "She made me hide in the closet.

"It didn't once wonder why she was in a little boy's room. It just walked in with the guise of a man and slapped her around, demanding things in a language I still can't understand. Mom answered back, standing tall, defiant, even though she must have known she had no chance. Fallen Angels only keep half their powers, and its the half that doesn't help."

He was lost within the memory now, too far gone to notice that the waves were reaching Tsunami height, or that lightning was forking down from the sky.

"So he hit her, and he raped her, and he stabbed a knife through her gut, and left her there. Just left her there to bleed. I'd watched the whole thing, from where I was, so of course I went out to make sure she was okay. I put my hands on her stomach, and I pressed down, trying to keep the blood in, and you know what happened?"

His eyes focused on Ash again, and the world went deathly still, the waves settling down in an instant, the clouds freezing in place.

"I couldn't heal her. All the love and horror and fear in me couldn't save my mother, and I don't appreciate you saying that it means nothing that I tried! I DON'T APPRECIATE YOU SAYING THAT IT ISN'T ENOUGH FOR YOU!"

Ashleen froze as he yelled, and the waves crashed and roared behind him; she couldn't move from the spot as he shook her, as she listened to his words.

She felt ill; she felt cold and shakey... she felt.

Broken.

What was wrong with the world? What was wrong with people? Why did everything have to end up being so, so, so...

"Tre," she breathed looking up at him, her eyes wide, and face pale. Her voice was soft barely there. Her head shook slightly, her vision blurring with tears that didn't make sense - that didn't announce their coming.

She blinked once; twice.

The third time her eyes didn't open again, a single over flowing tear rolling down her face, not that she noticed.

She took a deep breath, swallowing hard. If she could just - she just needed to -

Images flashed across her eyelids, faces, laugher, smiles tears. Memories. Her memories - their memories. It was like the moment when one's life flashes before their eyes. It really was a life time they had together - she saw them all. The playground, the ringpop - the hat - laughter in the rain, fights in July. But it didn't stop there. It didn't stop with the memories, the images kept going into flashes of things yet to come.

The images dances and splintered, creating confusion as more and more options stacked upon themselves. She saw so many ways to go - so many different endings; she saw smiles, tears - white dresses, a dress burning in the darkness - and darkness, so many of the ways ended in complete darkness. She tried to avoid those endings, but she didn't know if she controlled the images or if the images controlled her.

Before she knew what she was doing, she had pulled him closer to her, crashing her lips to his, kissing him with fierceness that was born by her confusion, the flashing images still swirling in her head. It held a passion that was born of every emotion she was feeling, Love, fear, anger.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled against his lips only stopping long enough to breath out those words before kissing him again, "I'm so, so sorry; I just can't- I can't..."

She pulled away just slightly so she could look into his frightenly dark eyes - eyes as black as the ending of her vision options.

"I'm just scared - so, so scared," she leaned down to trail kissing on his skin for a moment. "I use to tell myself I didn't care - that I could-could deal with-with whatever, but everytime I-I look, think about... any future. I just can't, I can't-"

Tre kissed her back without hesitation, his arms wrapping around her and pulling her closer to him, against him, into him. He wanted to prove with this kiss that he couldn't be without her. He just couldn't be. He'd barely lasted a day without her, and he didn't know how he lasted the year.

"I love you." He mumbled into her lips, his anger disappearing as he melted against her. "I'm so tired of being scared of it." He pressed into her, pulling her more firmly against him. "I love you. I love you. We can make the future, can't we? We don't... don't have to..." He pulled back slightly, his eyes back in their undecided middle shade. "Don't have to listen to Papa. What does Papa know? He's been in love before. He'll understand." He didn't care how ridiculous it sounded. "I... I plan to marry you, for real this time, Ashleen D'Angelo, and I plan to do it as soon as possible." He pressed another kiss to her lips, shivering slightly. "I plan to be with you forever."

She smiled against his lips, "The future hasn't seemed to make up its mind yet; its making it look like we have a choice in what happens... that somebody has a choice." She tapped her for head to emphasize her point before wrapping it back around him and kissing him again.

She swallowed hard at his next words, leaning in closer if it was even possible. Her heart lept, and she couldn't help bet let out a breathy little laugh.

"You forgot to get on your knees again," she teased slightly, unable to help herself.

She made sure her hold was secure again, before she was just huggling him, snuggling into the crook of his neck.

"I like forever."

He pressed a kiss to her forehead, grinning into her kiss. He sighed with a smile as she hugged him, snuggling into her and holding her tighter.

"That wasn't my proposal, loser." He murmured. "My proposal will be much cooler, more suave, for one thing, probably not in the middle of an argument... but we never know with us, do we?"

He pressed a kiss against her hair, humming. "Forever sounds nice."

"Don't call me loser, Loser" she muttered softly, attempting to sound stern, but fell short landing somewhere in the feild of bemused. She didn't move from where she had burried herself into him. She liked it there. She wasn't planning on moving anytime soon.

"With us? I'd give my best knife to anyone who could predict anything with us," she shook her head with a soft laugh. "And thats coming from the one who's supposed to know the future."

She sighed contently, "I think I could use a little forever."

Tre closed his eyes, resting his head on her shoulder and wrapping himself around her, encasing her completely in his arms. He took a deep breath through his nose, focusing on all the little things he loved about her. The smell of her hair, her heartbeat pumping determinedly through her body, the sound of her lungs filling and emptying of air, and most of all, the feeling that they belonged together; two halves of a whole.

"You are my sun and stars, Wings." He murmured. "There's no light without you."

"No one would notice if we just stayed out here would they?" she whispered softly. She didn't feel any desire to move. "I suppose its not that cold - if you just..." even as she attempted to rationalize it, the girl shivered. She never had liked the cold, and here she was in what was still winter standing out in nothing but a thin sweater.

She was surprised she had gone as long as she did without noticing; then again she did have other things on her mind.

"We can stay here, right? We can just... freeze time and stay here."

Tre blinked, remembering that it was cold outside. He'd forgotten he couldn't feel cold. He shrugged out of his leather jacket and swung it around to rest on her shoulders, encouraging her to put it on and completely ignoring the fact that he should be freezing in his short sleeved black muscle shirt. "Sorry. I forgot you don't like the cold." Or rather, forgot you feel it.

"Time won't be the only thing frozen, if you stay out here." He chided lightly, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead. He didn't want to leave either. Life was perfect right here, and he was sure of it. If only they could stay here....

Ash didn't bother trying to shrug out of the coat. She really did hate the cold, and it never seemed to bother Tre - at least of late.

"That's probably cause I'm not whining about it every three minutes," she teased softly, "Look whos growing up." She laughed softly.

The girl grumbled slightly to herself, "I ain't going to freeze to death - I'd just, make a fire, or-or-or..."

She pouted for a moment, glancing up at him with her blue eyes.

"Don't make me go inside."

"Yeah, cuz every three and a half minutes is a real achievement, ain't it, Wings?" He teased softly, his hold on her tightening. "Just stay warm."

His eyes softened at her gaze, and he grinned. "But there's so many nice things we could do in the warm, cozy castle. I mean, I could totally sneak you up to my room for some alone time..." He pressed a soft kiss against her lips. "Or, we could go to the Room of Necessity, and spend a nice day in the tropics..."

"It is. Who would have thought I'd be able to last the whole extra half minute," she grinned into him for a moment. "Maybe one day I can hope to make it four."

Ashleen smirked against his lips, "mm, Alone time huh? Can I have alone time.... in the tropics?" She smirked as she leaned back against his arms, getting out of his grasp, while running his hands along his arms and holding his arms for the moment. "I'll give you a deal. I'll go into the nice warm caslte if you..." she swung his arms for a moment before twisting her hands fully out of his grasp and running, "Can catch me."

She grinned and ran a few steps away before turning back around her grin turning taunting.

"Hey slow poke," she teased shuffling backwards as she spoke, completely ignorant of the cliff face that she was getting closer and closer to, "You'd better hurry up if you ever think that you're going to-"

Her words died off in a call of surprise as she stepped back with one foot and found it standing on air. Her eyes widened and face paled as she floundered swaying back and forth trying to get her balance forward again - trying not to...

Her breath came out in a relieved sigh as her foot landed on the ground again. She stood there for a moment catching her breath before flashing Tre a weak grin.

"Well," she breath, "That was Clos-"

The rock face below her foot crumbled, dissappearing as if it had never been there. Rocking violently to the side, Ash only had enough time to send one panicked look back to the boy as began to plumett down towards the water and rock below.

Tre let out a laugh, holding onto her and grinning. "...Catch you...?" He asked, watching as she spun away from him. He took a step in her direction, his eyes following her every step.

He was on her left in a second, watching her continue to shuffle away from him. "You're the slow poke." He teased.

His eyes widened and he was beside her, steadying her. "Too close." He murmured, relaxing slightly and moving to encase her in his arms.

Then she was gone.

"ASH!" His arm snapped out to catch her, his fingers wrapping around hers, halting her fall. Her weight sent him off balance slightly, and he struggled to keep her upward. Slowly, though, her fingers began to slip out of his.

"You're fine." He murmured. "You're..."

Her hand slipped out of his.

He blinked, and then he was pulling her against him, not even noticing that he had launched himself off the cliff after her. His arms wrapped arouind her protectively, even as he flipped them, making sure she was on top.

"Deep breath." He said, his voice oddly calm.

Then they were in the water.

He waited until he could tell which way was up before swimming in that direction, pulling her after him. It was next to nothing to pull her along as he swam toward the shore, ignoring the tall, storm-like waves that were tossing them about.

He remembered to breath when they were slammed onto the shore by one such wave, his lungs taking in the oxygen with relief. He barely noticed this, however, looking over Ash and making sure she was alright. "Are... Are you...?" He blinked a few times, frowning as she slipped in and out of focus. "........Alright....?" He sat heavily on the ground, unable to comprehend that the feeling on his back was pain, nor the reality that the thing soaking his shirt may not just be water.

"You're alright....right?" He asked, blinking up at her, wishing he could see her. He wanted to see her eyes. He did so love Ash's eyes...

The world spun dizzily, and his eyes closed briefly as he ran his hand through his hair. Frowning, he pulled his hand away, confused to why his fingers were sticky with blood.

"Huh." He mused. "That's... Odd..."

Then the world went dark.

Ashleen didn't even bother thinking as he pulled her around the water. It had all happened so fast anyways. One moment she had been up there and the next.

She swallowed hard, shivering as the cold air hugged against her now wet clothes, the water still storming behind them.

That, however, wasn't what she was noticing - no, what drew her gaze immediately was the bright oozing red...

"Tre," she blinked at the boy for a moment before crawling over, leaning over top of him "Tre." She had a few minor scraps and bruises, her mucsles ached from the throwing of the waves but none of that mattered except.

Her heads shook as she moved over him, waiting for a response, not getting one when he, "No, no, no - Tre- tre... wake up, please, please- please. You don't get to to. You're going to be be," her breath was coming out in panick hitched, was that ocean water dripping down her face or tears. "It wasn't supposed to be you - it was supposed to be me. Me. I fell I-I-I."

Swallowing, her whole body was shaking from both cold and, and pain, fear. She wanted to shake him awake but.. she grabbed his arms, she had to get him to- to-to-

She could barely get him to move a few feet. But... it was a few feet. She would just, just...

"Somebody!!" her whole body continued to shake, her breathing was still coming in and out funny. She wasn't focusing on it but she was hyperventalating. "Help! Please! Anybody!!"

She continued to try and move the body - no not body, person, Tre. Tre. and he was going to be just fine. Just fine. If we could just...

Why was everything going all spin-y. She couldn't, couldn't spin now. She had to move him. Hey had to...

Her hand folded on her wand in her pocket, not even sure how it had gotten in there, and she wasn't even sure what she had mumbled... perhaps the wand had done it on its own, but there were sparks light... anything to bring attention to her.

That was the last coherent thought she had, before the panic had pushed her too far. She wasn't even aware when the Professor found them, or took them to the infirmary.

She just knew one thing that stayed in her mind.

"We're alright," she had kept mumbling. "We're going to be just alright; everythings going to be just fine."