Part IV

Zoi frowns and joins Diana. She touches her brother's cheek, finding the skin dry and cold.

He also looks pale as a sheet of white paper. He groans.

"Ugh...just let me sleep, willya?" he grumbles moving slightly and cringing.

"How are you feeling, Jae?" Zoi asks softly.

"Sleepy...cold...back hurts," he mutters, "sleep..."

"Jae, roll over."

He groans and does as his sister asks.

They all gasp upon seeing the welts on his back in the pattern of tires.

"My gods...what happened?" Diana asks as she pulls the blankets up over his legs.

"Got run over by a plane," he mutters into a pillow.

"Ouch...what...how?"

"Sailor brats..." Jae mutters as his body is wracked with shivers.

"Ok...explain later," Zoi says softly.

Jae rolls over again and Diana pulls the blanket up under his chin.

"What's wrong with him?" she asks.

"Hibernation sickness," Kunz answers with a frown.

"I...I'm sorry?" Diana asks, stroking Jae's hair gently. He doesn't even seem to notice.

"It's like hypothermia. Beryl put him in a stasis crystal about a year ago, and he was apparently warmed up to quickly." Kunz sees the confused look on Diana's face and sighs softly. "I'll explain later. Stay with him while Zoi and I get some more blankets."

"Is it treated the same way?"

Kunz and Zoi exchange a look. "If you mean someone stripping down and getting under the covers with him, then yes," Kunz answers.

"Ok. I'll do that," Diana says in a small voice.

"You don't have to if it makes you uncomfortable," Zoi tells her softly.

"Doesn't matter if it does or not. He needs me," she answers, getting under the covers with Jae.

"All right," Zoi almost whispers, "c'mon, love, let's give her some privacy."

After they're gone, Diana strips down to her battered bra and panties. She hesitates for a moment before steeling herself and pressing her warm body to his cold one.

Meanwhile, HLM sits on the roof, Indian style on the thick ledge, of her building, looking over the edge.

A tear falls from her black and green eyes, shattered into a million droplets by the wind before it can hit the cement three stories below.

Nephrite joins her on the roof by means of teleport. Her back is to him.

He watches the wind flutter her mostly black hair, the red standing out like ribbons of fire, even as it flutters his own.

He takes a step towards her, his shoe making a sharp "click" sound.

Faster than someone can say "She sells see shells by the sea shore" her shades are back on, she's off the ledge and facing him, her stance defensive, almost martial.

"It's just me," he tells her soothingly, holding his hands up as a sign of peace.

"Maxfield?" she asks disbelievingly.

He smiles. "That's my Earth name. My real name is Nephrite."

She blinks. "Do you know Kunzite, Zoisite, and Jadeite?"

He nods. "Hai, they were my colleagues and are still my friends. My family."

HLM looks down at her feet at the word "family", feeling her heart shatter again and tears try to rush their way past her eye lids.

To her surprise, she feels Neph's arms slip around her and pull her close.

"I'm very sorry about your mother, M-chan. I'm here for you," he whispers as he feels her melt into his embrace.

"She was all I had. The only one who really loved me. Who took me for what I am and didn't let my freakishness get in the way," she whimpers into his chest. "Why did she have to go?"

Neph doesn't know why she refers to herself as a freak, and he doesn't particularly like it, but he decides to bring it up later. For now he just holds her gently and lets her talk.

"I know that I can never replace her, but as I said before, I'm here for you. I care a great deal about you, and I will do anything to help you," he tells her gently.

He kisses the top of her head and listens as she begins to weep softly.

"Go ahead and cry, M-chan. It's ok."

The tears flood forth, accompanying great sobs that wrack her delicate frame in his arms.

As they hold on to each other, Neph feels his heart nearly breaking with each desperate sob.

He closes his eyes and feels a tear etch its way down his face to land in the soft hair of the grieving woman held tightly in his embrace.

Part III
Part V
Beginnings and Endings Index