DON'T LEAVE ME... YOU'RE THE ONE | Fate: The Winx Saga

Chapter 3 - I Care About You

Ben looked up at his friend, freaked out, and she confirmed the terrible truth with her eyes.

"Is that a...?"

A mental block prevented the earth fairy from continuing with his question, not a word could come out of his mouth.

"Yes, Ben, a Burned One got me," she affirmed, turning her head, unable to face her friend's grief. "I could escape Rosalind with an illusion spell. I created a double of myself and made myself transparent. She thinks I'm dead..."

"Good old Farah, always so ingenious!" he complimented her, trying to lighten the mood, even if he didn't have the heart to do so.

She blushed slightly to his words and his admired gaze, for he didn't keep her indifferent.

"Except that I had to hide so that she couldn't find me. I survived here by drinking the water of the river and feeding on berries and nuts, but I've been attacked by a Burned One this morning and now my days are numbered."

He took her hand and clasped it in his with a disconcerting passion. She closed her eyes to enjoy his delicious warmth.

"We'll find a solution, Farah, I've got some Zanbaq ointment with me, it will slow down the infection," he reassured her, taking the pot out of his bag. "And then, with Rosalind dead, I could take you back to Alfea and ask my children, Bloom and their friends to go with Marco and potentially me to hunt this Burned One."

She stiffened suddenly, displeased.

"There's no way I'm endangering my students, Ben!" she replied firmly, before turning to astonishment. "Rosalind is dead, you're saying? What do you mean, dead?"

He sat her down and used his powers to create a plant shelter for the night.

"Look, I'll tell you the truth, it was me who killed her," he admitted with a sigh. "It was an accident, I was so distraught at the thought of losing you that I threw a pair of scissors across my office. Rosalind walked in without knocking at that moment, and the scissors stuck in her carotid artery. I buried her under the room, I had no choice."

She stared at him, tears in her eyes, as he began to apply ointment, relieving her pain. He seemed to be really traumatised by what had happened, and all she wanted to do was hold him close to her heart.

"Then we can't go back to Alfea, it's too dangerous for you," she responded, shaking her head decisively. "We can't rely on anyone, my dear cousin put Saul in jail, Andreas has taken his place and he hates us both. We don't have any allies left apart from the students, you'll be the number one suspect in this case, and I don't want to see you go to jail."

"And I don't want to lose you..."

He had said this in a whisper, so gently, massaging her with his expert hands, which she was relishing.

She couldn't even tell him otherwise, she herself knew that her chances of survival were poor, whether here or at Alfea. And she was hurting for him.

She placed her hand on his cheek and stroked it for a long time :

"Okay, if you insist, I'll make us invisible so we can enter Alfea, but no one must notice our presence," she agreed in a soft voice.

He smiled tenderly at her and ran his hand through her long, thick hair.

"You'll always be better on a bed, nice and warm, with food, than here. I'm afraid if you stay in the forest you'll weaken quickly and we'll lose precious time. In any case, whether you like it or not, we will have to ask for help very soon, or it will be too late for you."

"Ben, please, I don't want to involve your children and the other students in this, it's not their problem," she begged him, embarrassed.

He lost his smile and sadness transformed his face.

"Oh, Farah...," he murmured, running his hand down her neck. "I'm sure no one at Alfea knows the truth, not even Luna. Maybe staying hidden will be a bad idea. If they see you injured, I think they won't let you pass away and will do their best to help me save you. Besides, it doesn't put your students in danger."

"I think we'd better go to sleep and think it over at night," she suggested as she lay down.

He lay down beside her, slightly annoyed by her stubbornness.

"There is nothing to reflect about, Farah, I'll get you back to Alfea before the infection worsens, and we'll get rid of that Burned One," he decided, squeezing her hand. "I'll never let you down, and you'll live, no matter if I have to be arrested."

Touched by his willingness to help her, she moved closer and snuggled against his body, which was excluding a soothing warmth.

He tightened his arms around her as if to protect her, enjoying this private moment.
Despite her injury, she was feeling good in Ben's arms. He had feelings for her, she knew it, she was a mind fairy. She surprised herself by sensing the same way about him, and her fear of his arrest was only part of it.

"Ben, I don't want them to throw you in jail, I'll do everything I can to make sure that doesn't happen, I care about you, and I know you care about me, the way you called me when you found me," she whispered, bringing her face close to his.

He'd called her 'sweetheart', and she would remember that for a long, long time.

"That's why I have to help you survive," he retorted, getting his face closer to hers, seeking her lips.

She imitated him, eager to know the taste of his mouth, and their lips finally joined in a delicate and fairy kiss, making each one want to discover everything about the other.

The beautiful headmistress felt an energy pulsating in her loins, extending to all extremities. This electrifying ardour was none other than her force of life, which had always been dormant in her, and which Ben had managed to awaken in a single kiss, like a volcano.
Her body melting against his, she was safe, she was home.