Living Happily After

36: "It's nothing"

*wince

"Are you okay? What's wrong?"

"Ah, it's really nothing."

Violet and the others headed to their rooms. Violet, Gilbert, and Emma were in one room, and the twins in another.

They told each other to meet up later for some lunch in about 2 hours, so Emma decided to take a nap.

Violet sat down on the bed, rubbing her left shoulder. It was quite sore after the fall. She thought about something, then she spoke.

"Can you...help me remove my prosthetics?" Asked Violet, kind of a weird thing to ask.

"Right, okay." Gilbert said softly.

The request wasn't awkward anymore unlike a few years ago.

Then, they removed her left arm, many stared at her throughout the night, but she didn't mind.

And before they knew it, came nightfall.

"Violet Evergarden, so we meet again."

'What, who?'

"Oh? You can't speak? Well, that's to be expected, you're shaken to your core, you're happy to see me."

'What? What are you talking about? Who are you?'

"Oh? So, just because you haven't seen me in a while, you have forgotten about me? Auto Memories Doll, Violet Evergarden." Saying her name, as if to mock her.

'Sir. Edward Jones?'

"Don't tell me you still call me, Sir. Just call me Edward, we both know it'll do us well."

'It's un-'

"Up, pup, pup, Violet Evergarden, you see I am intrigued, says by my comrade here you have a husband."

'...yes? Who tol-'

"Well, who told you to think?" The man said harshly. "Now, come now, Emma."

'Emma?'

"Ah, there she is, my loyal b*tch....you know Violet Evergarden, you ruined my dog. She was an amazing passionate server to me, even if she was a little rebellious."

There stood Emma Mellor, standing next to Edward, looking down in guilt and biting on her lip.

"But now, look at her, you made her-this. This. Whoever this is." Edward spat, throwing Emma to the ground, stepping on her head.

"You see Violet Evergarden, you were right." He stepped off Emma and walked towards Violet. "You and I....are the same, the one thing different is, what they call us."

'But you're wrong! I'm not like you, not anymore! I've grown to change, I've grown to be a better person. I changed.....into a human.'

"Lies!" He shouted, resounding in where ever they are.

"You know that place, the place where we all end up in if we stay like this."

'What place?'

"Oh, you've forgotten?" Edward stood only inches away from Violet, but for some reason, she can't move.

"There."

'Where? Why can't I see it?'

"Ohoho, Violet...." Edward whispered.

"Violet."

"Violet."

"Violet."

His voice became more deeper and deeper, even though Violet didn't know the reason behind those calls.....she was scared.

"Violet...."

Her body felt hot, uncomfortably hot.

"Violet......"

Her head started to hurt.

".....Violet."

'I don't want this....please, just please go away.' She pleaded, she was near to tears.

"Violet!"

Violet sat up, sweating, her eyes teary, it feel sore, and her mind messed up.

"You okay? You looked pale, then you started sweating." It was Gilbert, he woke Violet up, he was concerned.

"I, uhh..." Violet managed to say, still a little dazed. "I'm...fine, I just need to go to the bathroom for a second." She stood up, walking to the bathroom.

Gilbert didn't say anything and just followed her with his eyes.

'This happens at times.' He thought. 'If one of us has a bad day, an occasional nightmare shows up. Though it's been a while since she had a nightmare, and it wasn't this bad.'

Violet closed the door and locked it when she entered the bathroom. She opened the faucet, let a pail fill up with water, then splashed it on her face.

She looked at the mirror.

'You're okay. You're okay. You are...okay.' Violet thought to herself, seemingly losing its meaning everytime she says it.

'You are okay.....you are fine.' She thought, leaning against the wall and crawling up into a ball.

'You're fine, nothing hurts...' she grasped the air near her missing left arm. 'There's nothing there. There's nothing.' She whispered. 'It burns....'

*knock *knock

"Violet." Gilbert said through the door.

"Care to let me in?" He asked.

Violet didn't think much and reached for the lock and opened the door, still on the floor.

Gilbert looked in, and saw Violet on the floor. He sighed knowing there's no use asking if she's fine. He entered the bathroom as well, closing the door, before kneeling on the floor.

"Isn't it cold on the floor?" Gilbert said, looking at her. "Plus you're dripping wet, you're going to catch a cold if you don't dry yourself." Grabbing a hand towel and gently wiping her face.

Violet lightly sighed, realizing the trouble she made for Gilbert.

"I'm sorry. I caused trouble for you again." She looked down.

Gilbert frowned at her thought. "You never caused me trouble, remember that." He said, continuing wiping her face before stopping and helping her up.

"Now," He helped her walk towards the bed and sit down, "what hurts?"

Violet looked at Gilbert's face. "Nothing hurts, it's...nothing." Before looking down. Not realising she had shed a tear.

Gilbert frowned. "You had a bad dream huh?" He said, as he wiped her tear away.

Violet slowly nodded.

Gilbert reached over her and hugged her tightly. Laying his head on her shoulder.

"Then whatever it is.....it's just a dream, right?"

Violet smiled at that. "Right," she whispered, burying her head on Gilbert's chest, "just a dream."

Gilbert smiled, kissing her forehead before carrying her onto the bed and climbing in with her. They cuddled until the sun rose, ever so comfortable with each other. Not thinking about anything else.