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She showed up at his door, soaking wet, bruised, and covered in blood.

*****

I raise my hand to knock on the door but think better of it at the last second before my fist makes contact with the damp wood. Once there would have been no hesitation. I would have knocked; he would have let me in, no questions asked. But after the... incident... things have never been quite right between us.

Sending a backwards glance over my shoulder, I sigh quietly and raise my arm again. Before I have time to talk myself out of it and retreat to the Academy instead, I rap lightly three times on the door. Footsteps found from within and I brace myself, ready for the incoming lecture.

The lock clicks and the door opens just a crack. "Who is it?"

Hearing his voice is an immediate tonic for my tired mind. "It's me," I say moving so that he can see me. His eyes widen. I don't blame him. I must be a sight what with my hair streaming water and the bruises in plain view for anyone to see. Add to that the blood soaking my clothes and, I'm sure, gathering in a puddle at my feet, the rain having washed it from my skin.

The door opens all the way now and I can see him standing a ways back, the length of the door between him and the outside world. "Why?" he asks. "Why did you come here?"

"You know why, Ty," I say. "I have nowhere else to go." When he doesn't respond right away, I cross my arms and glare at him. The venom in my glance would have been enough to unnerve most anyone, but not him. "Ty, please. Just this once and I'll leave you alone, forever if you want."

He regards me with a curious yet cautionary glance before sighing heavily and taking a step backwards. He holds a hand out in an inviting manner. "You should come in," he says. "It will be easier to talk that way."

I grin. I knew he would let me in. No matter what has happened between us, we are still Livy and Ty.

I walk into his house, dripping pink water, and am swamped with the homely feel of it. I wouldn't have thought he was capable of living a normal life, let alone keep his past from his own home. He leads me into the living room where a fire blazes and a dog is curled up on a rug, sleeping soundly, not worried in the slightest about my presence. I take a seat on one of the couches, immediately put at ease. There is nothing here that can hurt me. There is nothing I should be afraid of.

And besides, Tyler is with me once again. Together we are unstoppable.

"Why did you come here?" Ty asks once again taking a seat next to me on the couch and wincing at the blood stain I am sure is developing. He, however, does not relax. He knows there is something wrong, otherwise I would not be here, in his house, asking for his help.

I shake my head, the weight of the past week finally catching up with me. "It's everything," I say. "Everything since you left has been horrible." I throw his leaving out there, putting the ball in his court, seeing how he will react.

Thankfully he doesn't choose that point to elaborate upon. "That's not why you're here, Olivia. I know you. And I know you're strong enough not to need me anymore." He pauses, his eyes surveying the room. "So really, why are you here?"

"I need your help, Tyler. Can't you just trust me? Just this once?"

His expression says it all, though I refuse to let him know I've figured out his answer. Before he even says anything, he tells me with his eyes that this is what he's been longing for, a chance to get back in the game, a chance to come home.

"Fine," he says, his voice resigned but his face eager. "I'll come with you."

I jump up off the couch, grabbing his hand and dragging him with me. "Then we've got no time to lose. I have everything we need in the car."

Tyler follows me outside into the rain, not that he had much of a choice anyway, and we fall into the front of my new car. I climb over the center console and into the driver's seat immediately jamming the keys into the ignition and starting the car. We pull out of his driveway and sped down the road. For once I am thankful for the cover of darkness.

Miles down the road I finally pull the car to a stop across the street from an old abandoned mansion. I glance over at Ty and see him looking out the window, an expression of awe on his face. I grin to myself. He's been out of this for too long. And it's time for him to come back.

I punch him on the shoulder. "Come on." Hopping out of the car, I walk around to the trunk and, pulling it open, retrieve my daggers and sword before tossing a specially made bow and quiver to Ty. He catches them and quickly straps the quiver over his shoulder. He also reaches out to grab a short sword which he straps to his waist.

"Ready?" I ask.

"Ready."

We move as one, crouched low to the ground, moving faster than humanly possible across the damp ground, our eyes trained on the target. He doesn't know what is in there, but he is ready anyway. I do. And I am not.

The looming mansion draws ever closer and before long we stand with our backs against the wall on either side of the front door. Not the best entrance plan, but good enough. I raise three fingers and slowly count down.

3. 2. 1.

*****

A/N: Thanks to anyone still reading these. I've been really bad at ending them lately... they all just kind of die off or end in the middle of a sentence so sorry about that. Also let me know if there are any you'd like to see more of. My English teacher says I should try and continue one of these for more than one week and I'm having a hard time sticking with one story. So I'll let you all pick for me.

Which do you want to see more of?

Again, thanks for reading, let me know what you think. Until next time :)