Neither Here nor There.

"I'm sorry." "I know."

     This is it.

     Deity could feel it, as she lay there in the snow after Cole's cursed self had run away, once his consciousness had returned.

     One...two...one...two.

     Shallow breathing, blurry vision...a dull thudding in her ears.

     She is dying. Deity passes out, losing consciousness for a brief lapse of time. It feels like she's floating. A gentle shake snaps her back to reality, her blurry eyes trying to focus on the person in front of her.

     Cole.

     It's Cole.

     It takes some effort to focus enough to speak, but when she does...it's raspy.

     Pained.

     "Cole, I don't think-" Deity began, pausing to take in a breath so she could speak again.

     Cole violently shakes his head. His voice cracks as he starts to protest-even though he knows she's right. "Don't you ever say that! I never wanna hear those words leave your mouth!" He's angry. At himself. He couldn't stop the curse from taking over, again. Carefully picking her up, he lays his head in her neck while he cries. He promised. He told her he could keep it under control. But when hadn't he hurt her?

     Was this time any different?

     He lifts his head from her neck to breathe and gazes at the body shaped spot between the heavy bloodstains in the snow. There was so much...the metallic scent made him sick to his stomach.

     Deity lets a raspy wheeze out as she lay in his arms. "Cole..don't cry-." She frowns and slowly tries to pull away enough to get a good look at his face. "You look better when you smile. You know that." Her words are getting slower.

     Cole's chest feels tight. His bandana is tied over her wound-but it's soaked by now.

     There's no stopping this.

     "You...you can't leave me yet, Deity, come on-" He pleads, throat tight as he tries to keep himself together. Each swallow feels like he's trying to force his heart back into his chest.

     Deity slowly lays her head against his chest. She wants to listen to him one more time.

     To his heartbeat.

     To the way his voice seems to rumble in his chest when he talks.

     Deity slowly forces her arms around Cole and squeezes him as much as she can. "Cole...I love you. I'll see you again one day, okay?"

     Cole tenses and slowly looks down at her as tears start spilling. "You promised-" He doesn't care that his tears are starting to soak her shirt. He had to be dreaming.

     This had to be a nightmare right?

     He'd wake up and she'd be asleep, curled up in his very first ninja suit. Cole shook, trying not to squeeze her too tightly. The bitter sting of the winter breeze in the night air, followed by a sickening waft of blood, reminded him that this was sadly reality. His gaze drifts back to her.

     She's smiling. It's a loving, fading smile...and her eyes are getting dim.

     Cole keeps his cheek against hers. "I'm sorry."

     She gently nudges his cheek. "I know." Deity shuts her eyes as her body begins to go limp in his arms.

      Cole doesn't hear the rapid crunch of snow from Zane running up to them. He doesn't hear the yelling. He just sees her.

     The only person he ever let this close.

      Deity's hand slips from his face and she slumps forward into his chest.

      Cole doesn't scream. He's got a protective grip on her, so hard that Zane has to shove him away from Deity. Muffled voices surround him. He hears Jay slowly focusing his element into a makeshift defibrillator.

     One shock.

     Two.

     Zane tells him to still and wait while he's using his gi top to wrap around her bleeding abdomen.

     Another shock.

     Cole doesn't hear Zane, exasperated and calling for the Bounty.

     "We got a weak pulse."