That morning was the same as it always was. Newt was in a raging mood, Jeff got the same treatment. Ignored the guys that came to visit. Evelyn and Jeff stitched up the slicers and builders that came through. Evelyn had grown quiet. Like she was in the first month or two. One or two word answers, avoiding eye contact. She didn't eat much and she kept to herself. She avoided the big crowded areas, Nick came around constantly to make sure she was eating. No one bothered lowering voices in the MedHut anymore to talk to her. Hoping maybe Newt would over hear, not to guilt trip, but to show how much damage he had done and was continuing to do.
Evelyn was preparing his meds and tea when Sonny showed up. She forced a small smile.
"Hey Sonny, what can I do for you?"
He stated placing the plate down, "I know you don't eat. Eat." He stood towering over her, his dark eyes softened when he took in how much weight she had lost in the last two weeks, how disheveled and exhausted she looked.
"In a moment. It's med time." Her voice got quieter, resigning herself to what was going to happen. Sonny glanced at the room. Newt was laying down, staring blank eyed at the ceiling. He just nodded. With a small sigh, closing her eyes for a brief second, gathering her courage, and steeling herself for his harsh words and temper.
She took the little cup of meds and the mug and walked slowly and cautiously into the room. Newt looked over.
"Get out."
"You need to take these or its going to get worse."
"Good. At least I'll feel something."
"Take the meds please."
"Get out." He said louder, his face morphing into the twisted anger, he pushed up onto his elbows, and then sat up. Evelyn placed the meds and mug onto the side table.
"GET OUT! DON'T YOU EVER LISTEN? GET THE HELL OUT OF MY ROOM!" He screamed, making Evelyn flinch.
Sonny was beside Evelyn so fast, she didn't see him. He shoved her behind his huge body. Newt snatched the mug off the table and went to throw it, but Sonny grabbed his arm in his huge hand. He glared down at Newt, who looked taken aback that someone dared to disrupt his temper tantrum. Sonny held on tight, his muscles straining and flexing. Newt couldn't fight back. With his other hand, Sonny took the mug and placed back on the side table.
"Enough." He growled. "Apologize."
Newt blinked, and Evelyn stayed frozen behind Sonny. Newt just blinked blankly at Sonny.
"Apologize. Now." He repeated. His voice was low and dangerous.
"Sorry." He mumbled.
Sonny finally let go of Newt's arm. He turned slightly to Evelyn. With a huge arm around her he steered her towards the door.
"Go shower and eat. I need to talk to Newt."
"Sonny-"
"Go." He pushed her in the back, and closed the door.
Evelyn sighed, and decided to listen to Sonny. She knew Sonny could be very protective, but she had never seen him get physical like that. But she did trust Sonny not to actually harm him, Sonny may be the Keeper of the Baggers, he was quite kind and gentle. She wondered to her hut and then through the Glad to the showers. Half way there Nick caught up with her.
"Hey, who's with Newt? Jeff is with the builders right now, right?"
"Sonny."
Nick raised an eyebrow.
"He saw Newt yelling at me. He got protective, grabbed his arm and took the cup he was about to throw at me. He shoved me out the door and said he needed to talk."
Nick just smirked, and shoved his hands in his pockets, "He tried going this morning, but Gally needed his help with something."
"You knew?"
Nick hummed and nodded. "He's actually really good at talking scene into people. Should have seen him with Minho."
A small smile formed on her lips. Sonny was such a gentle soul. Nick left her to the showers. It felt good to stand in the hot water, once her greasy hair was cleaned and she had scrubbed her body she felt a slight pick up in her self. She wondered to her garden, and started weeding, but stopped when she heard Sonny's deep voice floating through the open window. She Knew it was wrong, but she shifted closer to listen.
"-she nearly died saving your ass. Then her heart broke. Then her soul was crushed. You are making her a shell of a person."
"How is that my fault?"
"That's not how we treat the ones we love."
She sat still as a stone, listening, her face was burning, and there was a wild twisting feeling in her stomach. Her heart had speed up, slamming against her ribs. She heard a scoff.
"You didn't deny it."
"She can love someone else. Minho maybe, they seem awfully close."
"Friends. Not soul mates." Sonny's voice was firm and unwavering.
Newt let out a harsh bitter laugh. Evelyn felt like he kicked her heart, leaving another bruise and crack.
"You've seen her cry?"
There was a silence in the room.
"Then you can see how you hurt her. Her heart hurts. and it's draining her, and her powers. She loves you. She is the moon, you are the sun to her moon. She has many cracks in her heart, 'cause of your selfish temper tantrums, figure out how to mend it."
"Why would I want that?"
"You love her too."
There was a sniff from inside the room. Evelyn was holding both her hands over her mouth, desperately trying to keep the cry quiet.
"She loves you. Worth putting her life on the line for."
"She'd do it for anyone, I ain't special."
"You are. She broke. Still broken. Fix it, 'cause you love her. You're soul mates."
There was silence in the room, and then heavy footsteps, but then Sonny's voice came through the window again.
"She gave you a second chance at life. Don't waist it being a slint head. Then she will break beyond repair, or someone else will fix her and then you will break beyond repair."
_________________________________________
Evelyn kept the conversation she overheard to herself all week. But after Sonny's little talk Newt did change his behavior, he stopped throwing things, and yelling at her and Jeff. He actually started taking his meds, and that also played a huge roll, he wasn't in so much pain anymore. Alby or Nick would come at meal times and sit with him, making him eat, just like they did with Evelyn. Jeff forced her every morning to go have a shower. It was a slow routine. But it was calmer. Evelyn didn't feel so on edge, but her nerves where still shot, she would jump and flinch at small noises.
Evelyn woke up from a night mare with a scream, she was tangled in the sheet. She lay panting, with tears sliding down her face. She couldn't stop it. She still had to relive the sob, scream, crack and smack, almost every night. She slowly sat up, sniffling. shoving her hair out of her face, she got up and went to her table. She had taken to sleeping in the MedHut. She just stood at the table, her arms wrapped around herself, tears still forming in her eyes. She bit her lip to stop the noise, she didn't want to wake Newt.
"Evelyn?" came a sleepy voice.
She silently cursed. Swatting her tears away she turned and slowly went to the door. Newt was sitting up, blinking sleepy eyes.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you." She whispered.
"Nightmare?" He asked hesitantly.
She just nodded. Biting her lip to keep from crying again. She stood in a small beam of moonlit, making her look like a glowing angel again, and Newt's mouth went slightly dry, and his stomach flipped.
"Wanna talk about it?" He asked quietly, nervously.
She looked up at him, he looked at her hesitantly. His eyes looked sleepy, but they looked, hopeful. She sniffed, and slowly crept closer. She sunk into the chair, pulling her knees to her chest. Newt sat quietly waiting.
"It's the same every night."
He waited for her to continue.
"I watch...I...I watch you fall. I hear the scream and the sob that rips me apart. I hear your leg crack, it echoed all over the walls. And then the sickening crack your head made when you landed. I hear Minho throw up...Your screams when I had to readjust your leg...I relive it every night."
She let the tears fall still. Looking up she saw he was also crying. His big brown eyes were sad, and full of guilt.
"I'm sorry." He whispered.
She sat still. She watch as his body sagged.
"I'm so sorry for everythin'. For everythin' I put ya through. It wasn't fare to you. At all. An' then I made it worse." He paused, and sniffed. "Eve...I don' know how I can ever make up for what I did. I'm so bloody sorry! An' I know that a stupid buggen' sorry ain't gonna cut it, but...I hope...maybe you can maybe one day...forgive me."
Evelyn threw her hands over her mouth trying to stifle the sob. Relief is all she felt at that moment.
"If...you guys could all stop looking at me like I'm wounded, then I can quit acting like it, and then maybe I have a shot at being okay again."
She nodded her head. "Deal." she whispered.
Her eyes shinning with tears. And for the first time in a long time, he smiled at her. It was a small one, but it reached his eyes. He slowly, and cautiously held a hand out. with her small shaking hand she placed it in his. He closed his warm one around hers. He gave it a little squeeze. She felt her heart warm, and the claws around her heart loosen. She felt a tug, and lost her balance, her feet hit the floor, leaning forwards. Newt tugged her hand again. She shifted onto the bed beside him. She could feel his warmth.
With a wild burst of braveness he reached his other hand to her cheek, ever so cautiously he brushed his thumb over the tears, whipping them away.
"I don't wan' to be the reason ya cry anymore, Love. I was selfish enough for way to bloody long." His voice was soft and cautious. She searched his chocolate ones.
"I don' wanna promise things like I'll never have low moments and klunk like that, cuz I'm suer I will...but I bloody promise I'll come find you or someone before then. All right?"
"All right. I can live with that." She whispered, her eyes finally showing some life to them, "It's not going to change over night, but I'll always be there for you. Always."
"I know. You've bloody proved that. It's me, who's gotta stop being a jacked up shank."
He smiled at her again, and she smiled back, finally feeling like maybe they could be okay.
"Now...can I ...finally hug my guardian Angel?" He asked shyly.
He gently tugged her shirt and she allowed him to pull her close. He wrapped his arms around her, one hand buried in her hair and the other holding her close. She clung to his shirt finally hold him, she buried her face into his neck. They both took deep shuddering breaths and then allowed the sighs to escape. They sat clinging to each other for a long time.
"I missed you so much Newt." She whispered.
"I missed to too, my Angel." He whispered into her hair.
She felt shivers run down her spin, and goose bumps appeared on her skin. He slid a hand from around her up to her chin and slowly tipped it up, so they were looking at each other, there noses just about brushing. They were so close they shared the same breath. His melted chocolate brown eyes searched her bright emerald green ones.
"I wanna kiss you again." He whispered.
"After the way you kissed me last time...I don't think you need permission." She breathed.
Her heart was beating so fast, and the room felt like it was spinning, but the brown eyes kept her grounded while everything else spun around her.
He closed the distance and he kissed her so gently and cautiously, her heart exploded. Her eyes fluttered closed. She felt the sorrow, the guilt, the tender care, the hesitancy, she felt everything in that one simple kiss. His hand on her chin slid up to cup her cheek, and the one in her hair slid to the nap of her neck and pulled her closer, deepening their kiss.
Her breathing hitched, her heart was beating so fast, it almost hurt. Her hands that clenched his shirt slid up to his neck, and into his hair. He pulled away just enough to whisper against her lips.
"I love you, my Angel."
Her heart exploded. He pulled her back, forcing her mouth open, she let a moan escape, and he slid his tongue into her mouth, with a soft growl of his own. He kissed her until they were both out of breath, she had to break to gasp. He kissed her cheek and then the tip of her nose and slowly up to her forehead, over to her temple and then all the way down to her other cheek.
She let a small giggle escape. And his eyes lit up at the sound.
"Shuck! I was a bloody slint head for ever pushing you away." He murmured coming back to kiss her lips.
"Ya. You were!"