His dreams seemed fragmented this night as he tossed and turned in his bed. The memories of the bitter past tormented his mind. Usually he did not dream, let along have a nightmare such as this. He saw again glimpses of his past, the life he had more-or-less forgotten. A cold sweat covered his body and the pillow he used was on the far side of the room as he continued to struggle. Perhaps it had been all the drama that had happened recently, but something was getting to him alright. He was so deep in his sleep, he did not hear the hiss of his door opening and closing, seemingly on its own.

A lithe figure approached him from the doorway and sealed the door behind its self. The unknown person slipped closer to Jersh, who seemed to have calmed down just a little. His blankets were a tangled mess as his feet and he was clad in only a pair of his customary black slacks. His chest still heaved as he breathed deeply, still calming down from his terrible dream. The figure approached the small bed and reached out a gloved hand, though pale white fingers emerged from the fabric.  The stranger hesitated a moment just before it touched Jersh’s unkempt hair.

Jersh mumbled something unintelligible in his sleep and the person backed up for a moment, as if afraid he would awaken. When he was quiet once more, the person crept even closer, crawling onto the bed but careful not to step on the slumbering Jersh. The shadowed figure gazed down at him, though for what purpose was unknown. The hand slowly moved again up his tightly muscled stomach and came to a stop over the scar that covered his chest. The pale fingers trembled as they traced the outline of the scar. Suddenly the figure leaned forwards and pressed its lips to Jersh’s.

Jersh awoke with a start, feeling a sweet kiss upon his lips. Still only half awake, he kissed back figuring that maybe Saphira had snuck in. His arms reached around to wrap around her waist, and his arms brushed against a long ponytail of hair. ’Wait…. Saph does not have hair……’ Jersh thought suddenly and pulled back from the kiss. He grabbed the intruder’s arms and rolled over with her, he knew it was a her for certain, onto the floor of his quarters.

“Lights” Jersh said loudly as he kept the struggling woman pinned down and had to blink his eyes a few times from the sudden brightness. A woman in a modified Shadow Suit was beneath him, her pale red hair was tied in a ponytail that ran well down to her waist. Jersh found his heart nearly stopped, his breathing became ragged once more. He could not believe his eyes. He blinked again, certain that he must still be dreaming. The woman did not face, she was staring up at him, her green eyes sparkling with some untamed wilderness that Jersh knew all too well.

“Hiya Jersh….. its… been a while” She said in a soft voice and ceased her struggles, allowing Jersh to relax slightly but he still remained on his guard.

“Alira..” He breathed, still unable to believe that she was right here in front of him.

Jersh heard the door hiss open and his mind snapped free of the paralasis that had taken over his body. Alira was alive! but... he thought he had killed her the day she had betrayed him. He growled in anger as he had not registered the fact that someone had entered the room when the door had opened. Jersh looked up to see Saphira standing there, gazing down at the scene with a shocked and angry look on her face. Jersh quickly realized how this scene must appear to someone that had just entered the room and it hit him with a wave of dread.

"I came here to see you Jersh...."  She said, her tone filled with both anger and sadness that she had caught him with another woman.

"No! No Saphira.. I can explai-" Jersh began but suddenly he found himself hard on breath. He had been distracted enough to loosen his grip on Alira and she had eased out quickly and struck a body blow at just the percise point to send rivlets of fiery pain streaking across Jersh's chest. "A-Alira... Y-you are supposed to be d-dead" He managed to wheeze in a pathetic-sounding voice.

"Hush now dear, you just go to sleep over there" She said with a sadistic smile and tossed a glance at Saphira. Apparently she judged that there was a relationship between Jersh and Saphira, because Alira leaned in to kiss Jersh deeply again. In no condtion to move or retaliate, Jersh was unable to back away from her. She bite his lip enough to draw a little bit of blood and he whispered softly in pain. She broke the kiss with a sigh of happiness and turned to Saphira again.

"He tastes as sweet as ever" Alira said with a sadistic smile on her face.

Jersh stared at their small fight, straining to bring air in to lungs that no longer seemed to function properly. Alira had always been good as percise blows, but apparantly she had found way to improve her already deadly skill. With a single blow she had almost frozen his entire nervous system..... he wondered why she had not killed him just now. He grit his teeth and managed to struggle to his knees. Whatever the reason, he was not planning on giving her a second chance to kill him.

He heard a barely held back scream of pain and the splattering of blood on the floor. He looked back up to see Alira holding a knife in her hand, blood dripping from its wicked edge. He could see Saphira holding her shoulder and a fair amount of blood that just did not seem to stop coming out. Alira must have hit an artery, and she had hit it good.

Rage flew through him as he saw HIS Saphira about to be killed by Alira. His body suddenly didnt seem to matter anymore, the pain had been pushed back into a corner of his mind to be dealt with later. "GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM MY SAPHIRA!" He yelled and launched himself at her, tackling her in the middle of the waist and both of them collided hard with the wall. The blade went flying out of Alira's hand to sink into the metal floor infront of Saphira.

Alira began to batter Jersh's face and head, struggling to break his iron grip. "Let me go Jersh, LET ME GO! I need to kill her, she is the only thing stopping me from taking you back with me, otherwise the bounty is worthless" She yelled at him. Apparently she was still hunting for the highest bidder, and her new target was Jersh.

Jersh saw the killing blow coming and dove blindly forward his arm whipping out. The blade drove straight through his open palm out the other side to splatter blood against Saphira's chest. The blade tip had been stopped just before piercing her. With a howl of pain and rage he gripped Alira's hand in his own and the crack of bone could be heard throughout the room as he broke her knuckles. Her scream could have woken the dead as Jersh contined to push and soon had her on the ground again.

"I am not that man any longer" He said, his vioce didnt quite sound like his normal however. Here was Alira, his last link to a past better left forgotten. He hand moved quickly as rage blinded him and his hands were placed on either side of her neck.

"N-No Jersh!" Alira gasped as she felt his hands being postioned in a way she knew all too well. "I... i love you!". It was a pathetic attempt to save her own life, and right now.. Jersh did not seem to be listening.

"Too little. Too late" He whispered soft and jerked his hands to the side, snapping Alira's neck and killing her instantly. He lifted his pierced and bleeding hand before him and squeezed until an unhealthy amount of blood coated her face. "Our promise is now kept Alira.... rest well" He murmered, unintelligible. He turned to Saphira and slowly crawled towards her, his face was full of more than just physical pain.

He knew she was probably mad at him, perhaps she had even come to his room so late at night to tell him it was over. Even if that was the truth..... he just didnt care anymore. He fell on her, his face buried in her chest and cried. They were more tear of frustration that actual sadness... but tearns none-the-less as he held her.

"Dont you even think about it Saph" He growled at her, his hand rummaging in a cabnet nearby, searching for the first air kit. His other hand, the wounded one kept pressure on her shoulder to stem the flow of blood.

"You are mine Saphira, and I am yours. You cant leave me here alone!" he hissed and finally found the first aid kit, feverishly working over her and mended her wound as best he could. He pulled her onto his back, his weakened body nearly collaplsing under the stress of the extra weight of Saphira. He grit his teeth and kicked at the panel until it opened and began a slow shuffling towards the bed bay.

He was dizzy from his own blood loss and the blow Alira had given him still hurt and made it difficult to breath. The walking was difficult and he leaned up against the hall, struggling for breath. He could not even find the air to shout for help, infact he had wondered why no one had heard the struggle in his room. He glanced back at Saphira, who was hanging on his back.

That was never a good sign with a terrible wound, he knew that for a fact. Vaan felt her heart struggling to pump too little blood through too many veins. He almost kicked in the panel to the med-bay and the med-bot on duty screamed at him to follow the proper protocols.

"SCREW THE PROTOCOLS!" He yelled at the bot, his temper short and furiously powerful at the moment now. "Get Saph some help!". He helped her out of clothing and soon she was floating in a bacta tank. Which he was leaning up against, his hands carressing her face through the thick glass.

"She may not make it...... but if so.. she should regain conciousess by morning" The med-bot was saying to him but he was not really paying attention. Once more his past had gotten Saphira hurt, and he could do nothing to prevent it. He put his back to the tank and slowly slid down to the floor. He would stay there until morning, or however long it took Saphira to wake. He closed his eyes and prayed to any higher being that would listen. "Please let my Saph live" he whispered.

The words resonated through his body, filling him with a cold dread. He felt vulnerable..... fragile, as if his body was tearing its self apart. It couldnt be true, he could not lose Saphira..... He would not let her be taken from him.. he would not let Alira destroy his life again. He summoned the anger to push back the guilt and depression that threatened to hold him in its powerful grasp.

Jersh stripped off his jacket and threw it on the ground, drawing odd stares from his companions. "Get the tank ready for me to join her" he ordered the droid, continuing to strip off his uniform.

"But sir.. your body chemistry is not identical to hers. It could have serious ramn-" The droid began to complain, but stopped in midsentence as it caught the look for Jersh. A look that promised to tear the droid apart limb by limb if it did not comply. Reluctantly, it opened the chamber and Jersh climbed atop it. "I am not responsible for any problems" It said finally.

Jersh ignored it and slipped into the bacta, he could feel its sedative effect almost immediately and knew he did not have longer before he would lose conciousness in the potent material. He reached Saphira floating in the tank with a mask over her face to help her breath, and settled behind her. He pulled her slightly so his chest rested against her back and draped his arms around her waist. 

'I am here Saphira..... stay with me.... my love' Jersh thought, hoping beyond reason that his thoughts would reach her.

Jersh felt his knees buckle beneath him as he fell to the floor. His hands were resting against the glass once more, his face pressed close to the glass. He was staring into the closed eyes of Saphira, willing her to open them. Her vitals were still faint, but growing stronger. He wondered if it was due to him... or a mere fluke that the mircale liquid known as bacta accomplished.

Suddenly, yet slowly her eyes opened to stare at Jersh. His form was hazy through the liquid...... but she could tell it was him. His face was etched with worry , she could see the condition of his wounded hand against the glass. The idiot must have refused to be treated until she had awoken. She stirred a little more and heard a beeping noise as Jersh turned to the droid.

"We will proceed with draining the tank now" The droid told him and as promised the bacta slowly drained from the tank leaving Saphira at the bottom as the tub slid open. As soon  as enough space had cleared, Jersh leapt into the chamber and pressed his lips to her. The entire squad be damned that they witnessed this spectacle. He had almost lost Saphira, something he would NEVER let happen again. His arms wrapped around her still-wet form as he kissed her passionately, hoping she would respond in kind and not push him away.

"But....."  Jersh whispered for a moment but then looked back to Saphira. Just because she had regained conciousness did not mean she was fine just yet. "Very well...... we shall have plenty of time to tak later Saph..." He said and slowly slid away from her to let the medical staff do its job. Saphira was asleep again in short time and then they took her into a back room.

An hour later, the medical staff let Jersh into the back and guided him to a private room where Saphira was being held. He nodded his thanks and slid into the room to find Saphira sleeping on a soft, white bed. He pulled a chair right up next to her and sat down. She still looked so delicate.... as if he slightest touch would break her. His fingers carefully traced along her lekku before settling to place his hands over one of hers.

He fealt weariness creeping in and laid his head on the sheet next to her, his hands still grasping hers. He was soon fast asleep.

Jersh glanced at Saphira, depsite the fact that she had been asleep long, she still looked a little tired. Her injuries had healed, the doctors said she would make a full recovery.. but that was just physically. She seemed to be remaining nuetral in the sense of whether or not she even wanted him in the room with her. The incident with Alira had not helped her reluctance to sort out their issues either. Now seemed as good a time as any to resolve whatever issues they had.

"Saphira... I-" He began but just then the door opened and the doctors he had summoned strode in to examine Saphira. 'Perfect timing' Jersh thought to himself sarcastically. The doctors ofcourse asked him to leave the room as they began to fiddle with different medical instrements over Saph.

He was reluctant to leave, but at the same time he was sure things would go smoother if he was out of the way for now. For the doctors... and for Saphira. He gave one final look at her before slipping out of the room and taking a seat in the waiting area. He would wait as long as it took.