So good to get back to this one. I've had this chapter planned since the beginning of the story, so enjoy.

Now you see me...

Chapter 6 - Piper is Afraid?

Piper emerged from her room, darting her head left and right in the hopes that no one else would see her in this compromising attire. She wobbled on thin heels, pulling on the hem of her black leather dress to prevent it from riding any higher up her thighs, if that were possible. Her makeup was thick, even Aerrow could see the layer of foundation from where he was standing at the end of the hall. His mouth hung open in pure shock at her appearance. She released a deep, shaky breath as she walked, returning a loose spaghetti strap back to her bony shoulder. Her blue hair cascaded in tresses around her face, framing her eyes that had been enhanced with dark-shaded eye shadow.

Aerrow sprinted straight towards her. She had to hear him now. She just had to.

"Hold it right there, young lady," he stopped abruptly, pointing an accusatory finger. "You're not going anywhere outside like that. This isn't you."

Piper merely continued to walk forward, passing through Aerrow's ghost-like form. The leader felt a chill run down his spine at this, patting himself to make sure he was still there, well, figuratively. He turned around, noticing Piper had stopped too. The Mage gripped just below her shoulders and shuddered violently, as though the same chill had just snaked its way down her back. No one moved, only Piper's hands rubbing up and down her arms as though to warm herself. Aerrow could hear her breath become slow as she tried to calm herself, though the damp heaviness indicated that just moments before the Sky Knight saw her, she may have been crying.

"Piper?" Finn's voice travelled down the hall, causing her to turn. His blue eyes darted down just briefly, hardly trying to hide the fact that his nose was screwing up in distaste. "You...uh..."

She pulled a forced smile, disappearing as quickly as it appeared. "This is what he likes," she said, gesturing her arms outwards. She quickly crossed them over, a subconscious act to stop herself from being on display. Stork emerged from the shadows of the corridor, giving Piper the same sympathetic look that etched Finn's face. Her tangerine eyes darted between the two boys, feeling a blush creep up.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine," the girl explained, though didn't realise her head was dropping until her gaze was on the floor. The blonde took a step forward and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"You don't have to do this," the voice carried in a whisper. "This isn't you. I can fly you out somewhere and Stork will cover for you. Or we can message across and tell them you're too sick to go."

A smile spread on Aerrow's mouth. He had never held that much gratitude for Finn; he wanted to hug him in a silent thank you. Piper's mind followed the same train of thought as she stood close and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, giving him a tight, brief hug. Her head rested on his shoulder, her face staring unknowingly straight at Aerrow. A smile never crossed her lips.

"Thank you," Piper responded as they parted. "But I have to. Cyclonis set this up and she wants it to go well. I have to do this for her, maybe it'll keep her off our backs for a while."

Stork and Finn exchanged worried glances, before pulling their own forced smiles towards her.

"You know when people say take one for the team?" Stork began, his own cheeky grin catching on to Piper. "You shouldn't have to take that one for the team."

Before she could respond, a loud knocking emitted from the door. It took the group a moment to realise that they had stopped right in front of the hanger bay door. Everyone was frozen in their places, almost praying that the person on the other end would give up and leave if nobody answered.

Three loud bangs rung out through the metal lining of the ship, almost angry in their delivery.

"Piper? I know you're in there!"

The door flew open forcefully without anyone opening it. The man placed a crystal back into the pouch resting on his hip before setting his vibrant yellow eyes onto her. A smirk spread slowly as his gaze travelled all over the crystal Mage in front of him.

"Wow, you look...fantastic," he mused, crossing his arms over his chest. He nodded his head approvingly with a beaming smile. "She definitely scrubs up well, right Finn?"

"Right, Carver," the sharpshooter cringed noticeably, trying to hide his appalled reaction at how crude this man's behaviour was to his crew-mate. "Make sure you bring her back before midnight."

The Sky Knight laughed. "I'll have her back when I bring her back," his mood changed so rapidly that it startled those he was addressing. A serious expression crossed his face as he narrowed his eyes towards Finn. "Don't you worry, I'll take extra special care of her."

He draped a strong arm over Piper's shoulders, pulling her petite body close to his gigantic frame. Throughout this entire conversation, the girl said nothing but kept her head down, hair covering her face so as to hide all emotion that she was feeling.

"Shall we get going?" Carver tugged on her slightly, his tone more demanding than questioning. "I've got a great dinner planned, followed by a night of flying my Skimmer under the stars. Doesn't that sound nice?"

A small pang of guilt and jealousy struck Aerrow at the older man's words. He couldn't believe that this gross bastard was the one to take Piper out on a date, a date that so closely mirrored anything the Sky Knight may have dreamt of spending with her.

Piper shared one last reluctant look towards her crew, before following Carver out of the safety of the Condor. Finn and Stork stared blankly at the closed door, unable to move.

"She'll be ok," Finn muttered to himself, just loud enough for the Merb to hear. Aerrow watched silently as both boys separated in direction, leaving him in the now deserted corridor. He walked up to the door, placing his hand on the metal. It felt cold to the touch.

"Piper," he whispered, though once again his voice went unheard. Defeated, Aerrow raked his hands through his hair and pulled himself away from the door, following the direction of the sharpshooter.

The blonde made his way towards the helm, stopping as the door to their dictator's room opened.

"Has she left yet?" Junko roared in a strong voice, eyes fixated angrily on Finn. Finn's composure remained strong, glancing sad blue eyes to the floor.

"He came and picked her up a minute ago," he reported.

Junko, with a snarl on his face, stood tall. In an obscure moment, Aerrow noticed the Wallop's hand trace to the back of his neck, feeling the smooth surface of the mind control crystal affixed between his hairs. He stroked it, causing a red flash of electricity to travel over his bulking frame and, in an instant, Aerrow saw the familiar sadness that only Junko's eyes could portray. The moment passed quickly, shadowed by the Wallop's scowl.

"I'll inform the leader," he declared, allowing the metal door to slide shut as though slamming itself in Finn's face. The blonde winced at the noise, cringing as the blue bruise under his eye stung.

"Perfect," he mumbled sarcastically, continuing his walk to the helm.

Aerrow stared at the clock as he prayed for any sign of Piper's return. Finn had been up applying his calculations to the ship's navigational systems, trying to keep himself busy while he waited for the Mage. After yet another yawn, he admitted defeat when he realised Piper would not be returning before midnight. He retired to his room, but Aerrow remained where he was, counting the seconds until any development would occur.

Tick, tick.

A loud bang interrupted his focus, followed by muffled voices. Aerrow sprang out of his seat and straight towards the source, standing close to the doorway. It opened with great force, allowing Piper to enter backwards, her strap having fallen off her shoulder and her hands out in front of her as though trying to keep Carver away.

"I had a great time tonight, baby," he purred, stepping closer to the girl. The redhead winced at Carver's voice, unaware that Piper did the same thing.

"Yeah, me too. I'll call you later," her sentence was hurried as she tried to prevent him from entering the Condor. His smile grew wider.

"Shouldn't I come in for a drink or something?" he suggested, eyebrows moving up and down. "The night is still young; our date can end whenever we want it to."

He stepped closer once again, lips on the verge of pouting. Aerrow watched on the sidelines in horror, willing Piper to muster all her strength and get this brute off the ship. She edged him closer out the door.

"It was a lovely night, but if you'll excuse me, I have to radio Cyclonis and tell her all about it," she lied, continuing to distract him. A sly smile graced his lips.

"If I stay, you'll have more to tell Cyclonis about."

At this, Aerrow had heard enough. His hands ran down his face as he tried to contain his frustration, but he couldn't help himself. Rage had reached its peak and without thinking, he stepped forward. As though helping her to force Carver out, Aerrow stepped into the space between Piper and this guy, holding his arms forward. He lunged forward, his hands feeling the familiar chill as he came into contact with Carver and sent the other Sky Knight into the hanger bay and landing on his ride. Aerrow looked down and noticed a long pair of thin arms emerging from his torso, realising that Piper had shoved him at the same time. She stepped forward as Aerrow stepped to the side, her shock well-hidden as she remained focused.

"Thank you for tonight, Carver," she said quickly before slamming the metal door closed. A loud knock was heard on the other side in anger, causing Piper to squeal in reflex. She covered her mouth to silence herself, not wanting to wake anyone and have to explain what was going on.

"Cyclonis will hear about this," the voice on the other side threatened. The familiar hum of a Skimmer started, the rumbling noise growing faint as it drove away. A heavy silence fell afterwards. Piper remained frozen to her spot as she stared at the closed door, her breath rapidly increasing. She placed her forehead on the cold metal, eyes closing as tears began to fall. The broken girl slid down to the floor, clumsily pulling her heels off before hugging her knees close. The Sky Knight watched on in pain. He had never seen this side of Piper; she was always strong and in control.

He sat down next to her, letting his arms try and drape themselves over Piper shoulders without fading through her. The tingle spread up his arms, and, noticing the goose bumps on hers, realised she was feeling the same chill. It was the closest thing he could get to holding her, to comfort her in this state as she began to cry. She tried to keep her composure, struggling to stand on shaking legs. She fixed her strap and snatched up her heels, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. Stifling a sniff, she made her way down the hall, an unknown guardian angel behind her.

For her respect, he stayed out of her room while she changed out of her formal-wear. He phased through the door once he heard her out of the bathroom, the remains of unremoved make-up staining her face. Piper's eyes were still dark and tear-stained, visible with her hair now back in its former headband. She sat on her bed with her legs pulled up under her chin, her tears reduced to a few sniffs now and then. Aerrow advanced to her and placed his glasses on her desk beside her bed, taking a seat next to her. He couldn't leave her alone this night, even if she didn't know it.

"Piper," he whispered, pulling himself closer as he tried to give her a hug. His attempt was foiled as she pulled the sheets back and climbed into her bed, lying on her side so she was facing him. He sighed lightly, lying back on the bed next to her after realising it was pointless to try and pull the covers over himself too. He turned to face her, grimacing as her watery eyes blinked the last few tears down her cheeks. "I'm so sorry."

A chill ran up his spine as he noticed her brow furrowing directly at him. They both sat up quickly, Piper delivering a confused expression.

"Piper?" he asked, voice high in excitement. "Piper, can you see me?"

She lifted a shaky hand in front of her, the Sky Knight in disbelief at this new revelation. His pulse quickened, his breath increased and his eyes widened. "Piper, I'm-"

His sentence cut off as her hand reached through his chest. He looked down, and with surprise, noticed she had pulled his glasses through him and was now staring at them with curiosity, holding them up to her orange eyes.

His mouth remained agape. Why didn't he try this before? Junko had slipped on his glasses when they fell off his face, surely Piper would notice them if they were off his face now.

But then again…why wasn't he visible too?

"Piper?" he asked again, leaning close as she continued to stare at the glasses. His voice dropped to a whisper, noticing her eyes closing slightly just as his were. "Come on Piper, remember. Remember."

Aerrow was taken aback as Piper suddenly leapt out of her spot. She dived under her bed, feet sticking out from the overhanging blanket as she shuffled boxes around to find her desired object. She emerged, large book in hand, and sat on the edge of her bed. A stray pencil on the bedside table was snatched up greedily before Piper flipped through the pages of the sketch book to a blank sheet. The redhead watched in silence, looking over her shoulder as the pencil outlined the thin frames of the sunglasses. In neat lines they slowly came into detail, black edges joining and quick lines filling in frames.

The glasses stared back at Aerrow from the paper, the drawing as real to Piper as the glasses were to him.

But she didn't stop there.

The pencil continued to roam around the page, frantically trying to find the image that lay beneath. His eyes widened as she drew great streaks to indicate long, unruly hair. Thin lines followed a jawline, coming together to form a sharp chin, and beneath the supposed glass of the lenses, large eyes were rounded to stare back.

It was him.

Every feature he recognised in the mirror was now staring back at him on the page. Piper had drawn exactly what she could see in her mind, stirred only by the presence of the glasses. Her hand dropped the pencil and raised itself carefully towards the table where the glasses had been returned. Instead, she reached for her coloured pencils, hand hovering over the blue. For a moment, she hesitated, a small breath catching in her throat as she made the impulsive decision to choose the bright green shade and take pencil to paper. She filled in his eyes, now a striking reflection of himself. Bewildered, Aerrow felt every part of his body shake in anticipation of what Piper was going to say or do.

The Mage shrugged in her seat as she glanced over her work. "Meh, kinda cute."

She slapped the book closed and shoved it under her bed, turning the lamplight off and pulling the covers over her body. She turned in her sleep, unable to feel the boy who was sitting upright next to her with the biggest smile spread on his lips. With his heart beating in his chest, Aerrow moved down and rested himself against Piper, hovering his arm over hers so it didn't faze through, but so it could still be wrapped around her in protection.

"Don't forget me Piper."

R&R!