I felt my body struggling to wake up. Everything was exhausted and felt extremally heavy. My head was pounding, and I felt sick to my stomach. I tried to move my head but I was too tired. I felt something warm on my hand. It made the rest of me shiver. There was some movement and something warm and soft was pulled up to the shoulders.

"Please wake up Charlie. It's been a week! You're scaring us...please."

I had no energy to open my eyes. It took everything in me to close my hand loosely over the hand that held mine. I heard a sharp intake of breath.

"Charlie?" He whispered, "Can you hear me?"

I had just enough energy to squeeze one more time. There was another intake of breath and then a sigh that sounded like a cry of relief. I felt the hand tighten on mine, but I had no more energy. Before I feel back asleep I heard him again,

"It's okay, sleep. I know how exhausted you are. I'll get Fry to bring some soup. Sleep."

I fell back into the darkness of sleep.

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My body woke up again, I had a little bit more energy, but this time I felt cold and feverish. My body was shivering, I lay on my side, but I was too exhausted to curl up. I wanted heat, I was so cold. I whimpered. There was instant movement beside me, I heard the scrap of a chair, and felt the bed dip. Someone was sitting beside me.

"Hey! Go get Gally!"

There was more movement and footsteps and the banging of a door.

"Hey, come on Snips, open those eyes. You've scared the shuck klunk out of us!"

Alby. Alby was sitting beside me. A spike of fear, anxiety and anticipation shot through me. They were getting Gally. Why would he ever want to be around me, after what I did, at least what I think I did. I was so confused.

"Come on Snips. Wake all the way up." Alby pleaded, he sounded gentle, which was not normal. He was never gentle, even from before, he was always a leader. He was always kind, and stuck up for others.

It took everything in me to slowly peel my eyes open. It took me a few times to fully blink them open. Alby was sitting on the bed beside me, a relieved smile on his face.

"Thank Shuck! You're awake! Holly shuck, Snips!" Alby chuckled, but it was weak and again full of relief.

The door banged open and Clint and Gally came rushing in. I watched hesitantly as Gally's steel blue eyes looked at me from the door way. They were wide. Full of mixing emotions. I shrunk, and tried to curl myself tighter, but I was exhausted. Alby stood up. And walked over to Gally, patted his shoulder.

"Be gentle." He said quietly.

Gally nodded, without taking his eyes of me. Alby indicated his head to Jeff, and they both left, leaving Gally alone with me.

"Hi." He said quietly, he hadn't moved.

I just blinked a few times. He ran a hand through his hair, it was the longest it had been, it was long and wavy. It obviously was the end of the day and he was possibly getting ready to go to bed; he had grey sweat pants and a tight fighting black muscle shirt.

"Do you mind if I come sit?" He asked, rubbing the back of his neck as he talked. He also kept glancing at the floor, and shifting from foot to foot.

I nodded slightly. He came over cautiously and sat down on the chair. It was quiet for a few minutes, I watched him nervously. He was constantly running a hand through his hair.

"How..how are you feeling?" He finally asked quietly.

I shrugged as best I could and then winced. Everything hurt. All my muscles felt like they were on fire and screamed at me. I winced and whimpered.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry Charlie. Don't move...I get it. It'll hurt for the next day or two, feeling like the worst flu you've ever had."

He slid off the chair and crouched right in front me, his elbows leaning on the bed. He slowly, hesitantly, reached a hand out and tucked some hair behind my ear. He was so gentle, his fingers hardly touched me, but enough to feel the heat of them, making me shiver again.

"You cold? I'll get you another blanket."

He got up and grabbed one from the shelf, he came back and draped it over me. He crouched down again in front of me.

"Are you hungry?"

I shook my head once.

"Okay, you should go to sleep than."

He went to get up but then squatted back down.

"Um.. Charlie...I'm.. sorry I ignored you for so long. I'm sorry I believed those lies..I'm...I'm sorry I was such a slint head!"

He went to get up again, using the bed to push off and brave himself. I had used the little energy I had to place my hand beside his, letting my fingers brush his. He froze and turned back around. He came back down to my level.

"Charlie?" He whispered, uncertain.

"Stay." I crocked. My voice was raw and it hurt to talk.

He nodded. And I shivered.

"Still cold huh?" He rubbed the back of his neck frowning in concentration.

"Stay...with me." I whispered.

His eyes snapped to mine; asking, hoping but nervous.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

He carfully help slid me over just a bit, I tried not to wince or whimpered. It shucken hurt to move. He slid into the bed beside me and lay down, a hand under his head, he slowly and carefully slid the other around me, gently pulling me closer. I felt his body heat instantly. My muscles instantly relaxed. I felt safe.

His finger tips drew circles on my skin. I apparently wasn't wearing a top. I don't remember what happened to my shirt. He ran a hand up and down my side, then slowly made his way to my back, running his fingers absentmindedly over a certain spot, over my tattoo. His movements were deliberate, like he did it before, but it was muscle memory.

"You know." I whispered.

"Ya. I know." He rumbled.

I stayed quiet. The memories from the Changing came back. Gally and I had matching tattoos. I don't remember how or when we got them, we were stuck in a huge white sterile building most of my life.

"Do...do you remember..us?" He asked carefully, like he was scared.

I frowned, trying to remember everything I had seen in the changing. I remember bits and pieces of him and us. My heart started racing and a wave of panic hit me. But...i reminded myself, he only asked about us, that's what he asked about...he didn't ask about anything else.

"A bit."

He hummed, and gently pulled me tighter.

"I thought I was going to loose you. Watching you fight off that... monster, and then you threw yourself over Fred..."

"Where is he? Is he okay?" I asked.

Talking was starting to really hurt. I felt his body tense.

"Charlie? You don't remember what happened?"

I frowned, closing my exhausted eyelids. Just as the memories of what happened right before I passed out came to the front if my mind Gally said,

"He didn't make it, Charlie. The Griever got him. I'm so sorry!"

Pain, hurt, anger, exhaustion, fear, anguish all hit at once. I felt my heart break, and something inside shift, something significant. My efforts were in vain. It wasn't enough. I was too exhausted to cry or yell or scream. But I felt my body sag and I felt like I gave up. Gally seemed to understand though. He shifted slightly, so he had both his large arms around me. Holding me tightly to his chest. I feel asleep in deep dark sorrow wrapped in Gally's arms.

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**Supper short chapter. Sorry!**
**But a cute little moment between our Boos.**