When Pigs Fly; BOS 1

Melting Ice

Crystal looked out the window of her hospial room and sighed. When she spotted a jeep and red sports car pull into the car park she couldn't help but smile. The sky was a soft blue and not one cloud was in sight. She looked out over the buildings and busy streets. Scanning everything. Whenever she was concentrating hard enough she could pick out the smallest detail, it was how she became one of the best of the best. The problem is Damien is better.
"How long have you been staring out the window?" Someone asks and she holds back a smile.
"How long have you been watching me?" She asks back and turns her head slightly to see Ash.
"10 minutes I think." He replies and sits down on one of the seats, Crystal then goes back to staring out the window.
"What are you even looking at?" Ash asks as he walks over and stands just behind her, looking out the window.
"How was your 10k run?" Crystal asks completely ignoring his question.
"How'd you know?" He asks in surprise.
"I saw you park your car in an old car park putside that old warehouse. I watched you run... Also you stink." She smirks.
Ash rolls his eyes and ruffles her hair. Crystal swats it away and glares at him. "Your very observant. How'd you know it was me running and not someone else?" He asks as he ignores her glare.
"I've memorised the way you move, your stance and everything like that." She replies.
"Someones slightly stalkerish." Liam chuckles from the door and everyone walks into the room and sits down.
"Look who's talking. You guys were the ones who stalked me after Jacob died. Plus I've done the same for all of you." Crystal says sassily and Maddison snorts in amusement.
"We had a reason." Alex says.
"And what would that be?" Crystal asks as she turned to face them with a hand on her hip.
"We just thought it was odd that as soon as Jacob died you became Co-owner of Royal Rides and the Mystery Driver suddenly appeared. Then injust a year you became a millionare then the next year a billionare. Don't you think that's a little suspicious?" Brett questions and Crystal ponders it for a minute.
"I guess so. But that's no reason to stalk me. I memorised your movements for a very good reason." Crystal says as she goes and sits on her bed.
"And what would that be?" The 8 Riches ask in unison and Crystal exchanges an amused look with Maddison.
"So I won't kill you on accident. Is that a good enough reason for you?" She asks with a smirk and the boys nod.
"Just so you know I never stalked you." Ash said and Crystal eyes him carefully.
"No you didn't. But you did try to bed me which I'd say is just as bad. I'm not your average female. I found true love once and it'll never... happen... again." Crystal growls lowly. Ash cringed slightly and Maddison glanced at him, pity swept quickly through her eyes. The boys all looked at their laps uncomfortably. Crystal knew they believed her words yet something deep down is rising and telling her that her words aren't true.
"Miss King. Follow me. We're ready to check if you can leave." A Doctor says and Crystal basicly flies over to him, wanting to leave the awkward feeling behind.
"How long will this take?" She asks as she follows the Doctor through the hospital.
"Oh not long my dear. We just need to check over that burn of yours." He replies.
He leads her into a room and indicates to the hospital bed. Crystal sits on it and watches the doctor closely. He puts on some gloves and walks over to her. She allows him to gently prods at the burn and as he does, she stays completely still. "It's completely fine. Just be careful. Your allowed to leave. I hope I won't see you in here again this year. I believe this is the sixth time." The Doctor says with a kind expression.
"It is. Don't tell my friends about the first four please. Those visits are none of their consern." Crystal says curtly and the Doctor nods.
"What about miss Maddison?" He asks and Crystal looks down guiltily.
"Especially not her. I don't want her to worry." She says.
"If you don't want them to find out then why don't you find somwthing or someone to help you be happy. The reason you kept coming back was because your body is wrapped in sadness and grief. It makes your heart and other organs weaker." The Doctor says and Crystal sighs.
"I know. It's just hard. I'm scared that if I let someone in I'll lose them too." Crystal says and the Doctor pats her shoulder.
"Perhaps you should find someone who's willing to lose everything for you. Let them in. Even if it's only a little at a time. Go back to your friends. We can't have them think I've killed you now can we?" The Doctor says as he opens the door.
"I'll try. I'll try." Crystal says as she walks out. The words more to herself than to the Doctor who watched her walk down the hall with a slight smile on his face.
Crystal sighed and hung her head as she walked. She stopped at the sound of Ash's voice just around the corner. "Cancel the whole order. I no longer need it." He growled unhappily and Crystal peered around the corner to see Ash standing with his back to her. When he turned around slightly she saw his eyes were red from crying and cheeks had tear stains running down them. She blinked in surprise.
"Just do it. Crystal wouldn't like them anyway." Ash grumbled and Crystal held back a gasp of shock.
When he'd turned so his back was facing her again Crystal slunk up behind him and plucked his phone from his hand. "Hello this is Crystal King speaking." She said into the phone and Ash looked at her with wide eyes before he tried to get his phone back.
"Oh ah hello miss King." The man on the other side of the line says cautiously.
"What is this order Ash was talking about just now? Something I wouldn't like?" Crystal questioned as she ducked under Ashs arms.
"Flowers miss. Roses to be exact." He replies and Crystal spun to face Ash.
"What colour?" She asked and Ashs expression grew desperate. She hung up the phone abd stared at him.
"They were white weren't they?" She asks softly and Ash looks away.
"Thank you for looking at the files. It proves what I needed to know." She says quietly. Crystal slips his phone into his pocket and walks past him to see the others all standing there watching.
She lowers her head and shoves through them but not before she looked back at Ash who was staring at the floor. She felt her heart break and she broke into a run. She had to get as far away as she could. She can't handle it anymore. She's drowning from the ice melting from her heart. All because of Ash Fleming.