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She blinked. Damn watery eyes. She blinked again, and she wanted to laugh. Oh, that word. "I should have. And I should have trusted my weapon. She's wanted me to gut you from nearly day one."

She shook her head. It was hopeless, and it always had been. "Repay you? For what? You'd never take credit for doing anything nice for me. Hell, Chester had to be the one to tell me who dragged me out of haunted house. And I think he only did that so that I wouldn't give up on loving you." The loud sigh that followed her words spoke of how tired she was.

The weapon was still cackling. Not having to breath was apparently good for long bouts of laughter.

"I am. I know. Too kind, too soft, too attached." And everyone always leaves. "But this is something I should have known ages ago. Why the ******** didn't you tell me ages ago? Before your birthday? After it? ********, Jake. ********." She didn't even know what to say. She was angry and sad and broken and she didn't even know where to begin. No wonder Armagnac was still laughing. "You've been nothing but hardships. Dammit. This is worse than being forgotten about. Did you really think I wouldn't help you? Did you really think you had to use me?"

Tears. There were always tears. Warm and annoying, but there. "Please, you don't even know what you're talking about. You don't remember, you don't know."

So happy, the weapon was.

"He would choose you, that's why he told me." Sherry remembered the conversation. She remembered most things that dealt with Jake. He was the one that forgot. She should have known, he never wanted her. The liar.

"I am glad. But ******** you." She really didn't want to cry. The stupid jerk. She'd been afraid, so very afraid. And now... she felt cold and hollow inside. "You don't know who I thought you were. You don't know anything about how I feel." And it was all irrelevant, but what mattered what what he felt. Which she knew now. She didn't want to know, but it was for the best. And it hurt. It hurt so, so much.

"Three minutes. Give me three minutes to put my gear on, and I'll help you get Chester back."

Straps were already in her hands, and was re-attaching the buckles. Armagnac was still laughing, but there was a much grumpier tone it now. She did not approve.

"Doing what do myself? I'm not lying. I'm not even torturing myself. But I said I'd help, and I meant it." Even if she'd been about to storm away a moment before. "I follow through with things, it's how I am."

She also cried a lot. "And even...I still care enough to make sure you don't die. It's my job, if nothing else."

She looked at him, tears and all. "Unless you don't want me to. You just have to be honest with me, Jake." That was all she'd ever wanted. Well, not all, but all she'd wanted lately.

She laughed, and to her ear it seemed to echo Armagnac's cackles. "Regret it? Of all the things I regret in my life, helping you take down another titan will not be something I regret." She couldn't regret it, because she couldn't walk away. Why couldn't she walk away? He didn't deserve her help, surely. But she couldn't...



She was, she knew. So weak, so soft. Her heart was nothing but shattered pieces and mush. She didn't even know how to begin putting it back together. No clue. She didn't want to cry, see anyone, fight, be alone, or anything. She just wanted... things she couldn't have. Oh, well. Time to suck it up and pretend it doesn't hurt.

It was a bad idea. She knew it was a bad idea. He's used her, lied to her, and he didn't even care. But she was still Sherry.

"I'd regret if walked away now and you died, though. So I won't. You don't have to worry. I'll watch your back, do the Life thing. I'm not trying to sleep in your bed anymore." Work. Business.

It hurt.

"Don't. Don't thank me for anything." She picked up the last of her gear and started walking. "We both know you're letting me come along out of obligation or pity and because you need two for this. Don't thank me unless you're sincerely grateful."