End of Sallow

***A hit of that heaven and hell, a helluva high

It took days to break out of it. His body had given out completely, and if Podex had sent him alone, he would have been dead. The troll that Podex had sent him to dispatch hadn't quite died yet when he quit moving. Luckily, Podex had sent two out with him. Holt and Jacobs finished the troll and had grabbed Theo to apparate him back.

He woke up in his bed, feeling cold and aching all over. He felt weak, and he wondered if Podex had remembered to tell him to fucking eat while under the imperio curse. He dragged himself out of bed and opened the door to find Alec there.

"There ya are," he breathed a sigh of relief.

"Food?" Theo asked, his voice rough from lack of use. He felt too weak to apparate, and Alec helped him with it, taking him to the kitchen. No one else was in there, which made Theo believe it was the middle of the night.

"You sit, I'll get the food," Alec said and Theo didn't bother arguing as he took a seat.

When Alec returned, he'd brought back some type of soup that Theo just starte scarfing down without tasting. It was filling, warm, and bland. It was substance that would get him through.

Alec had also brought him some water, which Theo greedily drank down.

"Did anyone notice?" Theo finally asked his friend, keeping his voice low.

Alec seemed to know that he was referring to Charlie being gone and he shook his head. "No. Holt and Jacobs brought ya to me while I was standin' at yer door. I got ya into yer bed and no one was the wiser."

"Thank you," Theo murmured and Alec shrugged.

"Not doin' for you-"

"Yeah, I get it, you're doing it for Sebastian," Theo muttered.

"And her."

Theo frowned and looked at him. Alec shrugged again.

"I like her. You picked a good one."

Theo sighed. "Right." And now he couldn't see her ever again. He must have been wearing his expression plainly because Alec huffed.

"Don't tell me yer still on about this self-sacrificin' shite." He growled.

"It's better for her. You even told me a while ago I had to keep her safe and look how easily I fucked that up."

"Ya did keep her safe," Alec argued.

"I'm the only reason she was in danger."

"She put herself in danger by followin' The Cunt out here. In the snow. Barefoot. In pajamas." Alec deadpanned. "Trust me, it wasn't you."

Theo shook his head. "The only reason she was out and about was because I had forced her on those raids, she didn't even want to go.."

Alec snorted. "Don't flatter yerself. She wouldn't do anythin' she didn't want to. She joined ya because she wanted to."

"Regardless-"

"Tell you what." Alec said, cutting him off. "Get her a Christmas present."

Theo opened his mouth to argue, but Alec raised his hand. "I'll go give it to her. But I bet she asks to see ya."

Theo hesitated. "I don't even know what to get her."

"You'll figure it out." Alec said, unimpressed with his excuse. "Get it, whatever it is, and I'll go hand deliver it. And we'll go from there."

Theo sighed and nodded, his mind going through anything he could buy her. The only thing he could think of was books, and he didn't know which ones she already had.