"I- uh..." Octavian shuffles uncomfortably in front of me. I stare at him with shock, making no move to help him. His pale blue eyes dare to flicker to mine. "I was worried when you didn't come home." he looks around. I've put away most of the paintings so there wasn't much to look at. I soon grow bored of Octavian and his awkwardness. I continue adding details.

"Well I guess we should go than." Octavian mutters. I look back at him.

"What? Why?"

"Well I didn't come just to see where you were did I? I might as well take you home." I stare at him.

"No, I have work to do."

"You can't do it tomorrow?" He insists.

"I don't want to go home with you!" I state angrily

"Why?!" Octavian sounds bewildered. I turn on him again.

"This is the first time we've spoke in over a week! I didn't want to come home today because I didn't want to be alone in your company." I glare at him. He just stares back.

"I'm sorry that you're not happy with our current living situation but you can't blame me for all of it!"

"I'm not! I'm just tired of the fighting. I'm tired of being alone." I tell him.

"Alone? You think you're alone? Try sitting in a room everyday for three months waiting- hoping for the your fiance to wake up only for them not to know you!"

"I have sat in a room hoping! You were electrocuted!"

"But you weren't alone, you had your friends."

"So did you."

"But I didn't have you, You don't understand. You can do fine without me, you can keep moving. You are like my back bone, When you left camp it crippled me. It was my fault and you were gone. Do you remember that? Do remember me following you out here. After almost a year I couldn't stand living without you anymore and came after you." I don't take this information the way i expected.

"It took you a year, how touching." But I smile slightly. He's eyes lighten but he still scowls. He looks around.

"Based on the time you spend here I would think you'd have had a lot more done. This is all great of course-" I cut him off.

"The rest is packed away for today." I tell him finishing the details on the painting.

"Can I see the others?" He asks.

"Tomorrow." I answer automatically. "Okay lets go." We leave and the car is quiet and cold.

But that night something amazing happens. After over a week of no memories, not even a name or place, I finally remember. I remember something great.

I'm looking in a mirror. I'm a few years younger. I'm wearing a lovely red glittering dress. I'm struggling to think of something bad to say about the dress that fits like a glove, isn't exposing in the chest or leg area and only in the back but is still appropriate and quite beautiful. The design of the plain glittering red fabric is flowing and reminds me of a river of rubies and garnets- on fire.

The jewelry on the other hand I can say plenty for. "They're big, gody, heavy and hurt!" I growl to my mother whose in the mirror over my shoulder checking her make up. MY make up! I can complain about that! "I look like a clown! I literally have had four layers of make up put on my today."

"Well if you would stop wiping it off you wouldn't have to reapply it so many times." She tells me simply. "Know I would like you to be the one to answer the door, its more intimate than having a butler greeting the guests." She tells me. I grin at her in the mirror.

"You call it more intimate, I call it a perfect excuse to leave conversations that bore me." She gives me a narrow look with a small hint of a smile.

"Call if whatever you like young lady and do with it what you will but you will be polite." I can't help but notice the way I look so much like my mother in that moment. Both covered in make up and fancy clothing. Both with with fire red hair that was held by pretty clips and both with sly grins on our faces.

"I love you mom." I sigh. Her smile grows and she wraps her arms around my shoulders in a sweet embrace.

"I love you to honey, I know it was hard for you leaving that camp and all of your friends but I can't help but be selfish and be happy to have you home." I laugh and she pulls away. We here the door bell ring and she perks up. "There's your first excuse to leave a conversation."

"Oh thank god I was dying of boredom!" I sigh dramatically and leave the room. I'm confused. I thought I had a bad relationship with my parents.

I answer the door and two men wald in. One my age and one closer to my mothers age. "Rachel! You clean up very nicely!" The older man tells me. I purse my lips an nod curtly.

"My dads in the "Ballroom"" I tell them. The older man leaves in the direction I gesture but the other one stays.

"That's crazy that you have a ballroom in your house." He jokes.

"Yes, only one is insane, you must look down on us, you have what- three ballrooms?" I retort.

"Five actually." He corrects. I smile dryly and lead him to the ballroom. More people come, more boys flirt and girls glare as they flirt and I get caught in almost five couple disputes within the first two hours of the night After about four hours the door bell stops ringing and I'm left with a group of people I hate more than cancer. I look around the room. I see the stairs that lead up to the hallway lined but a banister that looks over the entire room going all the way around.

I smile as I see heads of children peaking their heads out looking over the arty, avoiding the old people and their boring questions, instead quietly playing games like tag and leap frog. Careful not to draw to much attention and cause a scowling adult to come up and retrieve them from their safe heaven.

I remember doing the same when I was little and as I look around I actually see many of the people I once played with, before we realized the game our parents play and what it really meant to be rich

Suddenly the door bell rings and I jump. I rush out of the room with relief and open the door for the late guest. But the person at the door isn't a guest.

He's hair is shaggy and his cloths are old and worn. But his eyes are just as piercing as they land on me. "Rachel," He breathes as he looks at me, taking me in. My mouth is gaped as I stare at him.

"Octavian..." Without thinking I fling myself at him, mouth colliding with his. He gives a sound of surprise but grabs on to me for dear life. When we pull away I feel hot tears rolling down my cheeks.

"What are you doing?" I demand. Octavian seems to be lost and not sure what to do.

"I-I came to say I'm sorry."

"After a ten months? Its almost been a year, I haven't seen you since... You didn't even come to see me off and now ten months, after I finally gave up on ever seeing you again, you just knock on the door?"

"Yes." Is all he says. I can't hold back and my fist makes contact with his jaw. "Ow! I'm sorry!"

"Come in." Is my reply. I lead him into my room, slipping past the party. I sneak into the kitchen and grab him some ice for his jaw. In my room he sits on my bed holding the ice to his face.

"Was the punch necessary?" He asks. I huff.

"Oh shut up, if I wanted to cause real damage I would have drawn blood and punch you in the nose," I look at him with a fading smile. "And yes, it was very necessary." He looks wounded at my words. I lets go of the ice and stands up. I quickly turn away and busy myself by taking off my jewelry and wiping away my now running make up.

"Rachel..." He whispers. he drops his ice and walks up to me. I take a shaky breathe.

"How... what's... please just explain exactly how you wound up knocking on my door? Are you on a quest?"

"No, I left camp. I came into the city looking for you." He tells me.

"I'm not that hard to find." I laugh dryly.

"I know. It took me an hour I think to find your address."

"How long have you been here? I ask.

"Three months." My eyes widen and I turn on my heels and my fist flys to his nose.

"OOOOWW!" He yells, stumbling backwards. "What the fuck!"

"You've been in the city for three months! And you didn't come find me until now!" I cry. He stares at me with shock. "You asshole! I love you! So god damn much. I thought I would never see you again! And you were in the city for three months! How could-" I'm cut off by Octavian as he grabs me and kisses me deeply, pouring some unknown emotion into me. Something like love,relief and anger.

I kiss him back with determination. His hands cup the sides of my face. cradling me, refusing to let my lips leave his. He only parts to whisper "I love you." Under his breath and we continue to kiss for an irrelevant amount of time.

"I've missed you." He whispers to me when we pull apart.

"I missed you too. Why didn't come sooner?" I ask slightly hurt.

"I wanted to form a life first. I didn't want to come to you with nothing. I have a job and an apartment. Come live with me, please. Its a huge step down from this but its something. Theres two bedrooms, you can use the second as an art studio!" I smile as he describes the perfect life. I nod eagerly.

"Yes, take me away from these people and their drama. I want to be with you."