10 - Round Two

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"Justice!" hissed Baulder as he grabbed her by the arm, pulling her away from Riley.

She reefed it back out of his grip. "Let go of me."

With a hand on her cheek, tears had sprung up into Riley's eyes. She stared at Justice, eyes wide and afraid.

"It's not my fault," she said. "I'm so sorry."

"We know it isn't," said Baulder with a kind voice and a purposeful look to his warden.

She shot back a glare full of daggers. "Yes, it is," she said, whipping back to the young girl.

Riley held her hands up in surrender. "Please, I know what my mum did was wrong. All I wish is that I was dead, and your friend was alive. I'm so sorry."

"Her name is Wynn. And, she was the nicest person you would ever meet. She, she's..." tears started down her face and she was barely aware as Baulder dragged her from the hallway, into the closest bedroom.

He swung the door shut and grabbed both her arms, pushing her against the wall.

"Shit, Jay. You can't slap a kid like that. Pull yourself together."

"Wynn is dead because of her."

"You know that's not true."

She pulled his hands from her arms, "I don't care. Wynn is dead and she's not coming back." With a sniff, she wiped the back of a sleeve across her nose and attempted to duck around the prince.

Strong hands captured her, pulling her into his firm body. He wrapped his arms around her tight and Justice fought back. She pounded against his chest and he held her tighter, saying words she couldn't hear through her crying. Dammit. I'm crying again.

"It's okay," he was repeating gently.

Eventually, her muscles felt like jelly, all the strength disappeared, barely able to hold herself up. Baulder's tight embraced loosened, one hand slid into her hair and held her head against him.

With all her fight gone, Justice sobbed until the feeling passed. And, as it did, she groaned in annoyance at herself.

"I'm so sick of the crying. It makes me feel like a weak idiot."

"No, it's normal."

"Really? Because all I want to do right now is rip off your head and then Riley's, and I can't, because this thing comes without warning and before I know it, I'm crying. Damn crying. It's useless. It does absolutely nothing. I'm sick of it."

He rubbed a hand on her back. "I know. It's gonna take a while to pass."

"How are you fine?"

"I'm not."

Justice pushed back from his chest and looked up at her warden's face. His eyes were laced with tears. She pursed her lips together and this time slipped her arms around his middle and hugged him back.

"It's not fair," her voice cracked and dropped to a whisper. "It's not fair."

"No. It's not," he replied in a similarly soft voice. There was a pause and then he continued. "But it's also not fair on the girl out there."

She stiffened and swallowed, not wanting to move. A long, slow exhale and she ground her teeth together. Her anger wanted a focus, and Riley was an easy target. To throw all the hate and hurt and anger at a person she could see, and touch, and tear apart. The young girl appeared in her mind, and she saw her tears and hands held out in surrender. Justice groaned at the internal war which felt as though her insides were turning in on themselves.

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