“You’re w-welcome,” His voice met the words softly, a hint of the stutter still apparent. This was her best friend; Her everything really. He was still Lachesis, somewhere down there, and she had yet to even try to reach out to him. Instead of offering comfort, the pale fae had opted for silence. Too afraid to put herself on the line only to be rejected. Their interactions hung on a delicate balance, as if they were walking a tightrope. Unfortunately, they were hanging over a cliff, without a safety net below.

If she wanted to help, then she had to step out a little further, at least meet him in the middle, and so she did. With her head low, and her ears flat, pressed against her skull, the sunny eyed girl began. Slow at first, she let her gaze rest upon his. Then one paw in front of the other, she began to close the gap. 'Please don't push me away. Please, please.' The request rang over and over again, like a broken record playing through her head.

A series of words left her lips before she truly considered what effect they would have on him. "We're gunna be ok someday." She might have edged too close to the problem, brought up something best forgotten, but she didn't want to forget. Even though the loss nearly killed them, both parties were better for knowing the wolves they had lost. Regardless of how he would take it, the pale fae stood behind her statement. Her promise wasn't that things would get better, or that happiness would rain upon them, only that they would be ok. It was the best either of them could shoot for at this point. Maybe not for months, or years, but one day the smiles might come easier; Their laugh's a touch more real. Bits of light may return to their eyes, but they would remain forever changed.

In truth, Anastasia might never return to them, her blue gaze lost on the mountain. Shade's fate was unquestionable, and any family they'd ever known were miles away. They had no past, or future. All they had was each other, and she couldn't let him fall through the cracks.

He shuffled away from her, only two steps, but it was enough to make her hesitate. This wasn't a good idea, was it? To force him into the proximity she craved so desperately. Her heart shattered into a million tiny shards, loose in her chest. It was too late to go back now; To pretend as though she hadn't attempted to close the growing distance between them, but she needed to find out what was on the other side. So, without the confidence she'd held before, Capella started forward again. This time he didn't move, opting instead to utter broken pieces of the sentence she had used. It was all she could do to nod, and fight back the tears threatening to escape from behind her lids.

Only after she reached him, could she feel how bad he was trembling. It was never supposed to be like this. Anastasia should have been standing in her spot, sleeping beside Lachesis each night. They were made for each other, and Capella would never be able to fill the void in his heart. If only she had kept the fall of Pitch Pine to herself, never attempted a new beginning; Then Ana and Lach wouldn't have braved the mountain. There were too many 'what if's'. Things didn't make sense anymore. Managing a broken,
"I'm s... sorry." she pulled away. It didn't feel right. Nothing ever felt right, and she was stupid. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

Her sunny eyes followed his gaze toward the ground. She was wrong to find hope in his smile. It hadn't been a peak at her Lachesis, only a friendly reminder that they could pretend. Attempting to reattach the mask she was so used to wearing around him, the pale fae took another step back. Distance would define them from now on, and they could live in their world of walking on eggshells; As long as he didn't shut her out completely, she would be happy. Someday he might come back, but until then she would wait.