I Can't Fix Us

The Space Between

"You're not sleeping at night, are you?"

"Hm?" Skylor's question had managed to penetrate through my muddled thoughts as I sat perched at the bar in Chen's stirring a mug of coffee absently as we awaited opening.

"Oh, uh, yeah, I'm sleeping. I'm fine." I brushed her comment aside as I rubbed at my dry and puffy eyes.

The truth was, I hadn't slept in days. At least not well enough. Nothing but nightmares loomed behind my closed eyes. Once or twice during the day, under the protection of the sun, I had attempted to nap, but even then I was only greeted by horrific images of those I loved dead or dying and the ever-present threat of those who had harmed me lurking in the shadows of my mind.

Besides, I was too busy out fighting crime at night to sleep, anyway.

Skylor pressed the back of her palm against my forehead, pursing her lips in thought. "Are you sick? You haven't been looking well lately."

I batted her hand away, "I'm okay, really Sky."

Skylor shrugged, "If you say so." By her tone, she didn't believe a word out of my mouth.

"Hey! What's the big deal?"

"Shut up!" I snapped as I cracked the thug across the head. I had just busted an attempted robbery on a small convenience store in Lower Ninjago City and the three thugs were whining up a storm. The men (if they could be called that) were barely out of their teens and probably had acted on a dare hopped up on testosterone. It was a bad part of the city, and regardless of the fact that I was basically an adult and fully capable of defending myself, being here still set me on edge. The owner of the store – a frail, old Japanese woman – stood shakily in the back door of the shop. She had managed to call the police, but that was about it. Clearly disturbed by the events of the night, she just sort of stared at me as I beat up the thugs, her mouth opening slightly ever now and then as if to speak to me, but no words ever made it past her lips.

I leaned back against the wall of the alley waiting for the cops to arrive. A few moments later, sirens echoed down the street and the three boys squirmed against their restraints.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," I cautioned none-too-gently.

Tires screamed just outside the alleyway and I heard the police commissioner step out of his car. As I was about to make my getaway, another set of footsteps stopped me in my tracks.

I was frozen where I was as I felt the second set of footsteps speed up. I willed myself to move, but it wasn't until the other person was nearly on me that I was able to start hauling myself up a fire escape.

"Celine!?" I tried to scramble up the ladder, but I felt resistance as someone caught the hem of my gi. I whirled around and came face to face with the same deep brown eyes I had been so desperately trying to forget. I choked down a sob quickly, hoping my hood and the cover of darkness surrounding us would hide my emotions well enough.

Cole and I just stared at one another for a solid minute, neither of us sure what to say.

He finally broke the silence, sucking in a ragged breath before speaking. "Celine... I know it's you..."

I remained quiet, knowing if I opened my mouth no words would make it out anyway.

"Please... say something... anything," he pleaded.

I blinked back tears, swallowing the lump in my throat before answering. "Don't do this to yourself, Cole."

"So it is you?" he breathed, seeming to barely believe it himself.