They left the arena together after Skyler?s victory, Jewell watching him carefully, ready to lend her arm to him if need be as they made their way up the stairs, ?I have a room upstairs if you want?stole the key earlier today.?

He reached out, twined his arm through hers, and leaned against her side; despite her own weariness, she easily supported him up the stairs?was happy to support him, ?That sounds good. I?m tired, Jewell. So?tired.?

She looked aside at him, noting his bangs dangling before his eyes in limp, sweaty strands. She reached out with her free hand to brush the hair out away from his eyes, ?I know hun, just a few more stairs and you can rest, I promise. You did great tonight.? She refrained from kissing his cheek to punctuate that statement and they traveled the second flight of stairs in silence.

They reached the second level of the Inn, Skyler?s strides labored even with her at his side for support. He glanced around dazedly as they stood in the hall, finally looking askance to Jewell, ?Room seven?? He asks, softly, ?Lots of memories in room seven...?

She averted her gaze from his, blushing as she led him to that very room. ?I just happened to grab that key,? is the lame excuse she offered, hoping he was tired enough to buy it as she opened the door and helped him inside.

He limped his way in, departing from her flank once he saw the bed?it looked like an oasis in the desert. Skyler collapsed upon it, rolling onto his back and looking at Jewell through slit eyes, ?Why were you so good to me down there? Why didn't you join in when they all began to taunt me??

As soon as he was laying down she began moving about the room, hiding that shake of her hands as she gathered different things together--fresh water in a bowl, a cloth, surgical needle and thread that she had left in the drawer once-upon-a-time and fortunately was still there. His question confused her, took her off guard. How to explain that she would never taunt him, that their comments had made her so angry she wanted to hit someone. ?Why would I taunt you? You have done nothing wrong to me.?

?Then you don't hate me for not being able to sustain our relationship in its current state?? His voice was weak, his slender hand scratching at the bloody mess of flesh that was his stomach.

?Nature...Skyler, if I hate anyone I hate myself,? she replied miserably, moving to sit next to him on the bed. She looked over his wounds so she wouldn?t have to look right at him just then. ?I don't have the energy to heal this all up perfectly right now,? softly.

?I don't deserve to be healed up perfectly,? was his retort as he pulled his hand away to allow her access to the bloody hole in his stomach. He trembled a little when he saw the needle; having already gotten stuck with metal, he was about to get stuck with more. ?Why would you hate yourself??

She starts cleaning the wound up first with the wet cloth so she can see it better. Her movements are as steady as she can manage with shaky hands, ?Why? You're the one that said I treated you like a toy...? her voice just dripping with that self-loathing, ?that's just awful.? She shuddered, turning her full attention on trying to thread the needle, which took her several tries right after that question.

?I . . . I ..? he broke off into a wince, features twisting in pain, his stomach muscles tightening reflexively. ?You couldn't help it. You can't help it. That's just...how you are...and I am how I am.?

?That?s just how you are? echoes in her head, followed by her own add-on of ?an awful person.? ?Shhh?? she set one hand on him for a moment, infusing him with just a little bit of her energy--calming, cool. ?You?re just going to make this harder,? she reprimanded as she started to work on stitching up his wound as carefully and neatly as she could. ?And help it? Skyler?you pointed out to me what an awful person I am?surely that is something I can help.?

?I never said you were an awful person.? Her energy does its part to soothe him. However, despite her being careful, there is still pain; nothing overly unbearable, but he did wince, hissing through his teeth. ?I just felt so hurt when you said you still loved Alex, yet you never loved me,? this came out in a rush, Sklyer groaning miserably as he spoke.

She flinches at that, his comment and perhaps at his pain. She paused for a moment to compose herself enough to keep stitching him up. Even then, her hands were even shakier, ?You should have told me that?no,? she shook her head, ?Never mind, I should have known. And I told you I believe you underestimate my feelings, but relationships... gods Skyler, I'm just a messed up girl.?

He does his best to lie still, trying not to focus on the needlework going on but rather on her, on her face, her eyes, ?What were your feelings, then?? His voice softened, ?Was I a toy? Please tell me.?

She looked up at him quickly, pausing in her work, ?Of course not!? She winced as her voice was a bit too loud for the extremely late hour of the night, quieting down as she spoke again, ?Skyler,? she met his eyes, ?you were never a toy to me. I care about you; you?ve made me?happier than I can remember being in years. And if I treated you that way,? her voice was getting thick and she brushed a bare arm over her eyes, ?well?like I said. I?m disgusting?messed up.?

?You care about me.? He repeated this to himself out loud, playing it back for his own ears to hear it again. ?So,? he winced and hissed a little, ?you never,? another wince/hiss combination, ?loved me at all? Not even anything close? Despite that I made you?happy?? Once more, he winced with that hissing sound being bit out between his teeth.

Jewell shook her head, refusing to look up at him again now, ?I didn?t say that?but what?s the point of telling you that now?? She finished off the stitches and set the needle aside, her eyes still lowered. When she spoke again, her voice was so very soft, ?Don?t you realize, it?s a scary thing?for me to fall in love. I don?t have very good luck.?

?You should tell me now because, if I made a mistake I would like to know.? He seemed more relaxed now that she had put the needle away, his slender abdomen rising and falling in small increments. ?I wasn?t scared to love you,? he added, his tone soft.

She needed something to occupy her hands so he wouldn?t see that shake, the nervousness. She grabbed up that wet towel again, cleaning up any remaining blood on him. ?How is it a mistake?you weren?t happy. And love? Gosh?of course I love you, Skyler. You make me laugh, feel beautiful every time you look at me. You were there every time I needed you.?

A pouty frown spread over his face, his hands tightened into fists where they rested on the mattress by his sides, ?Why didn?t you say it? Just once? You could have just whispered it to me in the middle of the night, anything so that I could have just known??

?It?s not that easy,? her voice trembled as she cut him off; she looked aside at him, eyes downcast. Before she spoke again, she got control over her tone, ?Do you understand what it means to be immortal, Sky? To know that I?m going to live?for a very long time and watch everyone I love leave me??

Her comment seemed to cause him to sink into the mattress, deflated like a popped balloon. He turned his head to the side and gazed at the wall, looking lost and vulnerable. His voice had turned soft again when he spoke, ?I?m sorry?I didn?t take that into account.?

?How could you? I never said anything.? Finally, she set the medical supplies, bowl, and towel aside.

?I should have just known.? The pain in his stomach slowly numbed. He reached out and grabbed Jewell?s wrist, gently drawing her down on the mattress next to him, ?Lay next to me.?

She didn?t protest, didn?t even put up a fight against the gentle pull. Maybe she was still too tired or perhaps she simply didn?t want to leave him. She curled up at his side, her voice quiet to match his own in their close proximity, ?Just tell me you don?t hate me.?

?I don?t hate you.? He draped his arm over her, wrapping it around her body, ?I could never hate you. You and I made a lot of good memories.? His eyelids threatened to slip closed as he looked at her.

?We did, didn?t we?? With his reassurance, she could actually smile at him now. She tilted her chin up and kissed his forehead, ?Go to sleep, I?m watching over you this time,? like the times he had watched over her in that very room.

He drifted off to sleep, one hand holding his stomach, the other wrapped around Jewell.