?You should be in water,? a nagging voice echoed in her sleepy mind as she collapsed into bed without a care for what she should be doing. She wanted sleep, beautiful forgetfulness from the night?s events and the pains of her body.

Words haunted her and made her restless.

".. to be alone... forever. .. is forever no matter how many women I claim.. without you."

Alone forever? No one wanted that. Jewell never wanted to be alone, by herself, with only her thoughts to torture her.

?Just accept it Alex. I love you, but it?s over.?

It?s over. It?s over. It?s over.

That?s what she promised herself, for herself and for the little souls under her protection. She told herself they both deserved better than a relationship that hadn?t really existed for years. Just because there was love, doesn?t mean it could ever work.

It was in the early hours of the morning when she finally gave up any pretense of sleep. Her skin burned, her body trembled from exhaustion. She needed to be submerged, to let her element surround her and comfort her, cradle her battered body in its embrace. She inched away from the bed, bare feet against the floor sounding horribly loud in her pounding head. There was a moment spared to be content that at least Skyler was sleeping now then frustration and self-loathing abounded. She had let him get hurt and was too hurt herself to heal him now.

You disgust me. She looked, dark eyed, into a mirror, ?Me too.?

Bless modern conveniences like the bathtub; she didn?t have the energy to go find the nearest body of water. Whoever thought of creating a marble receptacle that could be filled with water for people to lie in and cleanse themselves was a genius. In her near delirium, she laughed at her own thoughts as she shed what little clothes she had left on and was submerged.

It was heavenly. She ducked her head under and let the water fill her ears and seep into her mind, grey eyes closing under the onslaught.

Everything was going to be all right.

No, no! Stop lying.

She had so painstakingly built herself up for this confrontation while she had been gone and it had all gone to itsy pieces around her. When it came to Alex, she would always be a wreck. Yes, a wreck! That was the word, wasn?t it? She could love another, or five hundred others, and still drop all those guards around him.

But it wasn?t him, was it you silly faerie. You?ve seen this before, they take control of him and its up to you to bring him down. Yes, up to you. You?re his weakness and you should take him down for his sake. Do you think he wants to be inside that, watching what his body does against his will?

Is it against his will?

Well, that?s just something you?ll have to figure out.