There is no combination of words that could describe watching the person you love, look at you in fear and pain. It was enough to make Roman grow still, hand hovering over the bed as he reached out to console his beloved. Once again he was being pushed away. Virgil was asking to fight this alone rather than accept Roman's helping hand and, Roman couldn't blame him. Roman had no idea what was running through that beautiful mind so, he couldn't predict how Virgil would react to his touch. Lowering his hand slowly, Roman looked at Virgil. "Okay, I won't move, but I'll be right here." He gave Virgil a weak smile, trying to remain strong.

"After all, a handsome prince such as myself can wait for the Damsel to save himself." Roman gave Virgil a cheesy grin and despite the neko's shaking hands and uneven breathing, he smirked back.

"You are so unbelievably extra Roman."

"I shall take that as a compliment."

The smirk faded to a loving smile before fading completely, Virgil wiping at the tears that had not yet cascaded down his face. "I'm really confused, I'm trying to process all of this." His hands moved angrily across his face, forcing himself not to cry. "Why, why did you all leave me there for so long? And who was it that helped you escape?"

"We couldn't find you, Virgil, we tried-"

"I know that, in my brain, I know that that is the truth but in my heart, I can't help but think it was all a lie, that none of you ever actually care for me."

"Now that's just rude." Roman said under his breath, "But I guess I can not blame you." His eyes looked over at Virgil, looking him over. "Virgil, we searched, I spent nights, flying the sky, looking for you, hoping to find even the slightest hint of where you were. Patton spent days without sleep, doing what he could to figure out a new way to track you down. If it wasn't for Logan, and I desperately hate to admit this, we wouldn't have gotten through it all if not for his level-headedness. We love you Virgil, Patton and I, we went almost insane without you."

"And Logan?"

"You know how that robot is. He doesn't show how he feels."

Virgil frowned curling upon himself a bit, wincing as he moved. He hadn't realized it before but he felt pins and needles in every inch of his body, and his stomach was angrily yelling at him.

"Roman... how long was I asleep?"

He rubbed the back of his neck. "Four days."

"What? Four days!"

"Honestly, we were all extraordinarily worried. Logan has locked himself in his room the past two days."

"I thought he and Patton shared a room, also, since when are they that close?"

"His lab." Roman rolled his eyes, "And they have been engaged for two years."

"Engaged?!? Wow, Pop really did fall for the bookworm. I missed a lot in five years didn't I?"

"You did, but I'm hoping, most of all, you missed me."

Virgil rolled his eyes, weakly reaching out and taking Roman's hand. "Yeah, I missed you Princey." His words earned him a soft smile from Roman.

"Though I would desperately love to monopolize your time, I think I need to tell Logan and Patton that our sleeping beauty has finally awoken from his slumber."

"Wait," Virgil held tightly to Roman's hand. "I'm going to do something, but you have to stay still. Move and I stop understood?"

Roman had a confused look in his eyes but nodded, "Of course my Count Woeloaf."

"Why am I doing this?" Virgil murmured, pushing himself up as he wrapped an arm around Roman's neck and pulled him into a light kiss. It was soft, timid, and everything that Roman had been missing. It was cruel of Virgil to ask Roman not to move. He wanted nothing more than to sweep Virgil into his arms and hold him close. Somehow, he resisted, letting Virgil pull away of his own accord, a light dusting of pink on his cheeks.

"Okay, now you can go."

"Virgil..." The neko pulled away, waving Roman off.

"Nope, no, no, that's all you get for now." He tried to hide the blush on his face. "Go get Patton, he will probably be upset that you waited so long to tell him.

Once Roman was gone, Virgil touched his hand to his lips. It felt just like it had in his memory, maybe even better. Was it... was it okay to trust the memories he had found? Was it okay to allow them to love him once again? Virgil sighed, closing his eyes as he leaned back on the bed. Could he really allow himself to believe that he had fallen in love with an angel? Could he allow himself to believe that Patton truly cared and had, basically, taken on the responsibilities of being his dad, a real father who loved him? Could he really believe he was loved?

'Kindness is a lie.' The words repeated, it wasn't Dee's voice, and it wasn't his own. It was the same man who had hunted him down, burning Patton's home to the ground, the same man who had held him captive for two years. Virgil was afraid that everything that man had said to him was true, that Virgil was nothing, that he wasn't meant to be loved. His thoughts began to spiral, but he wasn't left alone this time.

The door slammed open, a tearful Patton looking at him. "V-Virgil?"

"I'm home Popstar, did you miss me?" Virgil didn't even have time to sit up as two arms wrapped around him, hugging him tightly. 

"Please don't do that again. I can't lose you again Virge." 

"I'm going to have to do it at least once more. We have a second set of memories to find."

Patton pulled away, a frown on his lips. "Do... Do you really think it's worth it? I mean, I know memories are super important, but aren't the memories with us enough?"

"The memories with you Patton and the others are ones I will always cherish, but I think there is something really important I'm forgetting, and it's going to gnaw at me until I figure it out." 

Patton nodded. "Okay, then I'll go with you."

"No, that's a horrible idea Patton, you know what that place is known for."

"I don't care. I'm not losing you again Kiddo." The serious in his eyes burned and Virgil's soul and Virgil knew he had no choice in the matter.

"Alright pops." Once again Patton engulfed him in a hug and Virgil tensed, still not really wanting to be touched, but not having the heart to push Patton away.

"And we will be going with you." Roman stood gallantly beside Logan who had an empty look in his eyes.

"It is most logical if we were to go together. There is a certain safety in numbers, and I, being human, may be able to provide us some protection that wouldn't be possible otherwise." His voice was completely monotone, though Roman joked about Logan being a robot, this was something different and guilt washed over Virgil a new.

"Thanks, all of you."