Authors Note:

Sorry if it is annoying to go back and check the beginning of the previous chapter, but Barry's POV is needed for the past chapter and the ongoing story. It didn't seem right to divide the chapter, making it much smaller, and do a POV on both. 

Sorry! Keep on reading!

~~~~~

Chloe took to the air as a hawk, soon disappearing from view.

 "So. Do you want to talk about it?" Missy called as she walked over to sit by me.

"About what?" I stared at her strangely.

She smirked, "The fact that you are bonded with her."

Nicole's mouth opened and she began to bounce up and down scary fast. Lizzie grabbed Nicole, and nearly toppled over with Nicole's energy.

"I knew it! I thought so from the beginning! Why didn't you say anything!" She yelped excitedly.

"I wasn't really sure..." I mumbled.

"Well, I am. I am so happy for you!" Missy squealed.

Before you get all confused, don't be. Being bonded is like finding your soul mate or other half. It wasn't as extreme as most think, but it was a cute small bond.

I had kind of thought so from the beginning. About half get bonded, but enough have that it is a known fact.

Lizzie patted my back supportively, and I smiled at her.

"Well, when are you going to tell her?"

"I guess soon. Probably when she comes back down." I looked up towards the sky, trying to spot her.

We resumed a regular discussion as I continued searching the skies.

In a flash, a hawk was torn through the air, seemingly out of control. She was thrown in different directions - hitting many objects that could hurt her. Before I could register, she began to fall through the sky and I bolted to my feet, running towards her as fast as I could. I caught her before she hit the ground, but still I could tell she was hurt.

Missy was behind me and took her out from my arms. Much to my dismay. The bond I had for her wanted me to keep her close, but I could manage.

We swiftly went to the house and laid her on her bed. Her breathing was light, and was in a slow decline.

Missy began to check Chloe for injuries. After taking me in, she learned a lot of medical procedures. Chloe had gotten a broken arm, and would need to wear a cast when she was a human. For now, she would have her wing in a splint.

I sat down on the edge of her bed and picked her up. She felt so delicate in my arms, I couldn't bear to let her get hurt more. I gently stroked her feathers and I felt her stir.

She opened her eyes slightly, and I smiled.

"How do you feel?" I whispered. She snapped her head around at my voice, but she didn't look at me. She collapsed into my arms and I grew saddened at her state of sleep.

Days passed, and she didn't wake up again. Her heartbeat slowed, and the nutrients we tried to give her weren't helping. There were moments that we thought she stirred, but it was all just lost hopes.

I sat on a chair beside Chloe, just watching her lifeless form. She was going to die.

A tear welled up in my eye, and fell as I watched her. We wanted to shift her back, but Lizzie couldn't control her when she was asleep.

More tears fell down my face, and I didn't care to control them. I wasn't one to usually cry, but this was different. She was going to die, and I couldn't do anything about it.

I saw movement come from the bed, and I halted my tears to pick up Chloe.

"I thought you were going to die." I sobbed. She clacked her beak at me, and I saw her eyes try to focus; the pupils dilating and growing rapidly.

"Lizzie! Nicole! She's awake!" I shouted down the hall. The two had spent the majority of time with me, in case Chloe woke up.

They understood immediately, and Lizzie connected me to Chloe.

"Chloe. Are you okay? Can you hear me?"

She let out a small sound; I could tell she was weak.

I felt her tremble beneath me and she began to stand up shakily. I didn't want to push her down and harm her, so I hesitantly let her go through with the endeavor.

"Stop. You're going to hurt yourself." I whispered. She looked up at me and tilted her head.

"Chloe, talk to me." I pleaded.

She shook her head, and I decided that she didn't have enough energy.

"Lizzie, could you give me some of her pain?" I felt a wave of fatigue and slight pain course through me; I couldn't help but flinch.

She seemed happier, which fueled me to continue helping her. I smiled down at her and she turned her head to Lizzie.

After a moment of awkward silence, Lizzie blurted to me, "She's all yours. I don't really want to talk to her, her headache is coming through in my mind."

I felt Chloe connect, and I wasted no time in talking, "Chloe! Oh my gosh! Please tell me you're okay!"

"Calm down, I'm fine. Although, it is hard to focus. Now tell me, what did Lizzie do?" Her headache was coming through strongly, and it made my head hurt.

"Nothing," I covered.

"Stop. Tell me or I won't talk to you." For some reason that sounded like a very strong bargaining chip.

"Fine. Lizzie can... take away pain or emotion, and spread it out for others to bear through it."

"You're doing that now. You did that with my burns before. Why?"

"I can't see you get hurt. It just pains me to see you like this. Why did you get yourself hurt right after you healed?"

"I wasn't trying to. To be honest, I'm not sure what actually happened beyond leaving a girl named Ash."

Ash. No way. She had spent countless hours working on cruel pranks for me. Getting invited to the front yard unintentionally, to set up a trap that would activate later in the most inconvenient of times.

A stink bomb that would activate in the shower when it got wet.

Mud smeared throughout my fridge and freezer. On the food.

I could go on.

I looked back towards Chloe and completely forgot what we were talking about.

"Could you shift so we can better bandage you up and talk?"

She bobbed her head and I set her down gently. She immediately shifted, and nearly toppled over into my arms. I rested her on her bed, and Missy came into the room and wrapped up her arm.

"Lizzie, I need you to put her to sleep."

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN KILL HER?"

"No, cause her to fall asleep. Jeez, why so dark?"

I felt a mental eyeroll come from Lizzie before Chloe fell asleep once more.

✦✧✦✧

Many days passed as Chloe sporadically woke up, to be put to sleep once more. This time was going to be the last time she fell asleep.

"So, are you going to tell her when she wakes up?" Lizzie smiled.

I fiddled with my hands awkwardly, "Yes?"

Nicole groaned, "Come on, man up. Just tell her. It's not that big of a deal, but you are making it seem like it is."

"Why do I spend time with you two?" I rolled my eyes.

"Because you seem to have mostly lady friends," Lizzie teased.

I punched her in the arm playfully when Chloe woke up.

After a little bickering with Lizzie, I held her hand to comfort her.

"I'm not on my deathbed, you don't need to be like this. I only have an arm in a cast, and a concussion. I'm fine."

"That doesn't sound fine to me," I mumbled, but she didn't seem to notice.

I began to rant to her about the backyard, and I don't think she was even listening.

"Who is Ash?"

I blinked, and was brought out of my ranting zone.

I tried my best to phrase my description as best as I could but cut short when I couldn't think of anything except her embarrassing pranks. The discussion continued on, though, and Chloe asked more questions. Somehow they just kept popping up...

"Can we talk about something else?" Chloe looked down at her lap like a scolded dog, and my stomach clenched.

I reached out my hand and held hers; soft, warm. She was beautiful, and nothing could change that.

Her eyes peered up at me, and they almost seemed to sparkle. I couldn't help but smile, and take in her beautiful face.

"How is it?"

"Shhhh." I mumbled to her.

"Shhhhift? Okay!"

"No!" But before I knew it, I was in Chloe's lap. I looked at myself to realize I was a ferret. Very funny Lizzie.

"Well, I guess I get to be in your shoes now." I sighed up at her, but she seemed to furrow her brow in thought.

She had looked up at the doorway where Lizzie and Nicole had been previously, but they had vanished.

Suddenly she grunted, and I could tell that she was having a mental battle with Lizzie. I shivered as a cold air blew in from the window, and I snuggled between her good arm and side. She was so warm, so comforting.

Before I understood what was happening, Chloe picked me up by my midsection, much to my surprise. This resulted in an involuntary snarl from me as I squirmed in her hand. I just wanted to be held in a more comfortable position, but it looked like I didn't enjoy her touch.

Chloe gasped as I all the pain from her arm wash away from me. Since she wasn't moving her arm it wasn't much, but the shock of it would be sudden.

Then I understood what was going on. The feeling rolled through me, but I still could move.

Chloe on the other hand, jerked to her feet, sending me sprawling. She began to walk to the herding, and I tried to follow as best I could.

When we exited the house, it was difficult to keep up with Chloe without getting trampled by others. I couldn't see who the next victim was, but I was sure it was not good.

I tried to grip Chloe's pant leg, and pull her back, although I knew it wouldn't work. It would work just as much as bringing a microwave camping.

I knew that the herding ended when the screams ended, and Lizzie could shift me back to hold Chloe.

The pain also flooded back through me, yet Chloe was the one to shed the tears. She kept mumbling about Peter Pan, and being trapped and such that I ended up assuming that she was in a strange state of shock. Shock happened to many on their first herding, and so it didn't come as a surprise.

If only I could do something to help her.