Covens and Proxies

45

Toby's POV

I practically jump out of my skin when someone starts pounding my door down. I'm even more surprised to see it's Clockwork, panting slightly. "What the hell-hell is it now?" I snap.

She shakes her head. "Not me. It's your pet. She's with Smile."

My heart plummets to my feet, my stomach jumping into my throat as I throw her aside and bolt downstairs. I can't make my legs move fast enough, even after practically breaking my neck going down the stairs. Thankfully, the small crowd that's gathered around Smile's office parts to let me through because I would've ended up barreling through them. Ann stops me by the neck.

"Chill out, lover boy. Smile's got her. He's performing surgery." She tells me, letting me down so I can breathe.

"Sur-ger-gery?!" Hoodie and Masky grab me, trying to keep me chilled out.

Cody comes over with an anesthesia mask, but I'm kicking too hard to let them get close. My vision is red, my anger roiling in my stomach, almost making my sick. Finally, Zachary socks me in the stomach. My friends let me drop, coughing, before I'm kicked in the side and flung into a wall.

"Shut the hell up, damn idiot." He curses, pressing his foot into my chest. "Ann said she'd be fine. So chill the hell out."

I force my breath to relax, trying to get my temper under control before I kill someone. "I'm cool." I manage, my head starting to split open again.

Zach nods, letting his foot up so I can get up. Clockwork drifts through, directly to me. "It was Jeff. He and I were talking, but he started muttering about her before running off. I didn't know he wanted to kill her, or I would've stopped him."

Normally, I wouldn't believe the backstabbing bitch, but something about her eye makes me stop. "Why-why?" I demand, my temper working itself up again.

"Rouge talked to me. I was being petty and stupid. I still hate her, but she's one of us. So... Respect." She shrugs, very uncomfortable, and walks off.

Over the next several hours, the crowd slowly disperses, leaving me pacing uneasily back and further while Ann occasionally dips in to help the doctor. Hoodie, Masky, Painter, Angel and X-Virus stick around with me, watch me pace, and ask Ann for progress every time she comes back out.

Cody eventually asks something, "Why doesn't she heal herself?"

"It's dan-dangerous." I don't mean to sound rude, but I'm getting impatient. The doc never takes this long with something like this. "She can't cur-curse herself or heal-eal herself. It's ext-remely dangerous." I remember reading something like that in the few English passages in her book.

The silence is unbearable when its there, my chest feeling like it's burning inside out. Ann goes inside again. Someone walks by, glancing sympathetically at me, before walking off.

Ann's gone an hour.

My ears are ringing. I feel sick. What's going on? Did he really do that much to her? I swear I'm about to explode, twitching and ticking every second as anxiety takes hold. I start seeing things, the real world slipping away, through my fingers as insanity grabs hold and rips me from all I've known.

Someone slaps me. Ann is back out, Dr. Smile next to her, wiping blood from his hands. Everyone is watching them with rapt attention.

"She'll live." He states, making me tense for worse news. "She might have issues with her liver and kidneys in the future, and her digestive system is pretty shot, but she'll live."

I swallow me emotions. "Can I-"

"Yes. She'll wake up within a few hours." He cuts me off, heading down the hall towards Slenderman's office. "I need to go find Jeff, if you'll excuse me."

I'm not really listening, because I'm halfway to her side. She's laying in a plain old blue dress, almost like a hospital gown. Pulling a chair over, I take a seat and grab her hand. It's warm and soft; full of life. Perfect.

Cody is next to me, the others standing at the foot of her bed. "You're alright?" He asks me.

I nod, my nerves slowly unwinding the more I look at her. He nods, leaving. The others follow, Tim being the last. It's quiet in the dimmed room, but it's okay now. Her hand is in mine; my anchor to this world.

This is the second scare of her life in half a year. I'm no better a protector then I was. I curse myself for being an idiot, laying my head on the stiff mattress and shutting my eyes.
~
~
~
Reader's POV

You wake abruptly to warmth in your hand, slight pain in your stomach and the smell of antiseptic permeating your nose. Slowly, you open your eyes to dimmed fluorescent lights on a hospital bed, Toby half asleep next to you. For a moment, you wonder what had happened that stipulated a hospital visit before the memory of Jeff in the hall rushes back.

A small squeeze of his hand opens Toby's dark eyes, slowly focusing on you. He rips you from the bed and into his arms, holding you tight.

"I-I'm sorry." He mutters.

For a moment, you're too stunned to say anything, confused about his apology. "It wasn't your fault. Why would you apologize?"

His grip tightens around you, "Because I should-should be able to prot-ect you. That's my job-ob." He growls into your neck. You can feel his tears wetting your skin.

Wrapping your arms around him, stroking his hair, you don't say a thing. Just sit and let him work out his pain. When he's done, you lean back so you can look at him. He looks so tired, his eyes are darker then usual.

"It isn't your responsibility to protect me, Toby." You tell him, looking him square in the eye, your hands on either side of his head so he can't just look away.

He takes your hands in his, "It is. It-it has been for thre-e years."

You smile, kiss his forehead and lean into him. "I love you, Rogers. It's okay to trust me a little. Especially in my own well-being."

He takes a deep breath, resting his head against your shoulder. "You're so damn stub-born." He mutters, kissing your skin lightly. "But I love you too."

Your heart stops a moment. He so rarely says it so bluntly. It makes you float for a few, precious moments.

Until Cody, Helen, Zachary, Angel and Brian ruin it by exploding into the room; their volume goes from a hundred to zero on finding the position you're in--stratling Toby's leg with his mouth pressed to your shoulder. You can see him glare at them, making them freeze.

You smile, "Hey guys. This is kind of awkward. Could you step out a minute?" You try to be as polite as possible, really only asking for privacy for Toby's sake--you'd rather he didn't try to kill them all.

They hesitate before running back out and shutting the door behind them. You laugh as their whispers float into the room. Toby's grip on you is so tight it's a little hard to breathe, but a hand through his hair automatically relaxes him.

"Damn." He mutters.

"It's alright. You're not the only one that was worried. That's good, isn't it?"

He glares at the collar of the dress you're in, "They've got no-o business being around you at-at all." He growls, his hands balling up, fisting the dress.

You smile softly, carefully prying yourself from his embrace--though you'd much rather stay. "Toby," he looks up, "they're not going to steal me away." You kiss his scarred cheek. "Either come with me or I'll be up in your room when I'm done." You're halfway to the door when he's at your side again, his arm around your waist, grumbling as he follows your lead through the door.