SOMEONE *holds* M-E *safe* and {WARM} (((OPEN)))

"Chase!" Sterling cried out in alarm as she so quickly sprinted away. He wanted to run after her, to tell it it was alright... forgive her for whatever she may have felt she may have done to hurt him... but he stayed rooted to the spot by an unidentifiable force as he saw her figure slowly retreating.

Catalina would know what to do... she always did. His eyes rested on a small round stone he had once given to her... long ago... had she left that on purpose? Not wanting to remember him anymore? He felt his eyes water, and he composed himself before it managed to transform into a tear. Catalina handed the stone to him, and he only replied, "No," as he slid it into his pocket... next to his own stone.

He needed a hug... his arms felt oddly empty at the moment without it. Seconds later, Chase came back in, looking positively frazzled... he recognized that face. Chase had had another attack. "Oh Chase..." he said softly to himself. Memories of his inability to stop Nerezza from doing it trickled through his mind... it hurt him physically. He inadvertantly traced the slash scar across his chest. "I'm sorry..." he said. It was no wonder she had left him... he was so weak... almost joined the Dark side over it...

Chase took a deep breath and looked around. "Erm.. I think I dropped something when I ran away." She said softly feeling Catalina give her a kiss on the head and then run and comfort Sterling. "It was.. a small stone.. I dropped it and I would.. really like to have it back, it means a lot to me." She said her eyes falling onto Sterling.

Catalina and him were so cute together, it made her heart long for Jesse. Her eyes fell to looking for the stone again, it had to have fallen out on her way either sitting down or when she had run. She stared around for it longingly. It felt odd not having it in her pocket, and she realized that she always had it with her, no matter where she went, and now that it was gone..

She turned a bit more frantic looking for the stone. She had to get out of there, but she really needed that stone. "St. Mungos didn't do a damn for me." She said jerking her gaze up to Catalina. "If anything they made the attacks more frequent, and more painful. Now at least I only have to worry about them every so often and pretty bad, but I'll live." She said shaking her head. "It doesn't help with the scar across my back egging it on." She said rubbing her shoulder as her gaze fell to the ground again looking for the stone.

Sterling closed his eyes then opened them again. "Sorry," he said to Catalina. He didn't want to think of himself as weak when he was supposed to be strong... strong for Cat. You are mys strength... the words echoed and reverberated through his head, giving him strength and warmth coming from the inside out. His stomach flipped over in affection for Cat. He grabbed and squeezed her hand to assure her he wouldn't be.

He felt stronger and warmer when he addressed Chase again. "Yeah, I have it here," he said, handing the stone to her. Relief washed over him when he realized she wanted it back... hadn't dropped it on purpose... didn't want to forget him...

He planted a kiss on Catalina's cheek. It was less of a casual peck and more of a passionate request disguised as a casual peck. He squeezed her hand a little tighter as his lips burned in pleasure.

Chase stared at the rock and took it carefully. Staring at the smooth texture that she had polished to a shine by carrying it around with her everywhere she went. She turned her attention to the couple in front of her and slowly slid her rock in her pocket. Maybe it was a good thing they had broken up.. he looked so happy with Cat, and she knew he deserved her. She was a good person, and Chase wasn't. She took a step away from them. "I.. I'll see you guys later ok?" She said slowly. She needed to owl Jesse. Really badly. She fell back another step, seeing the pleasure that they had together. She turned her head away, her hair falling into her face. "Catch you up at school." She said softly turning her body away and walking away.

What would Jesse say if he saw her like this? She felt.. horrible. Jesse was used to the happy go lucky, always smiling Chase. And now.. she had tear stains down her face, her hands shaking. Getting frantic over a rock. She shivered and kept walking. Turning the corner again she took out the rock after she was out of site. They were so cute together, so beautiful. He deserved her so much.

Chase thought of Jesse, she didn't get to see him much at all, and he was the one that held her together, made her happy these days. Just thinking of him made her a bit happier. But when he was away, she felt horrible. Now she was walking down the street heading back to her flat, starting at the rock in her hands. "Oh Sterling, you're such a good person." She whispered and held the rock to her chest, thinking about him. She wondered if he ever thought of her, held the rock like she did his.

These days, she wished that she could go back in time. Work it out with Sterling, maybe she would be the one standing back there, kissing him on the cheek, staring into his eyes. Jesse.. maybe Jesse would find someone who could actually be loyal to him. Someone he deserved, she only wanted him to be happy, and he deserved so much more then her. She shook her head and walked up to a huge building. Her apartments. At the top was a spiral that had a glass around it. That was her room to be alone.

Glancing down the street she went into the building and disappeared up to her room, going all the way to the top, and sitting in a bean bag in that glass room, staring at the stars above her. Wishing that Jesse was there to be with her.

Sterling tried to call out to Chase as she left so suddenly and unceremoniously. He looked curiously back at Catalina. "Do you know what that was about?" he asked conversationally. The Chase he knew didn't have these kinds of mood swings. Had Cat and Chase been talking happily before he came in? Was he merely a depressing factor to Chase? He grabbed the small pinkish-purple smooth rock in his pocket and stroked it affectionately.

He looked at Cat again, who had that look in her eyes again. The look that made his heart want to fall right out of his chest. He never knew if she did it on purpose or not, but he had the feeling the look gave him, of spiders crawling up his skin. "Stop that," he giggled.

Sterling was at a loss for words. Why would she have left because of them? "That!" he explained, laughing a little at her question. He sat next to her, far closer than necessary. She hadn't dropped the look, even for a moment. He was powerless to resist as he leaned forward and kissed her on the lips, softly and accidentally. She probably didn't want him to... but he couldn't stop himself. "So--" he began to apologize, but stopped short.

Don't apologize, she had said. The thought warmed him and he found himself lost in her eyes for the umpteenth time in his life. He felt his jaw slacken and his whole body go limp. She had such beautiful eyes...