Mirage slowly opened her eyes, curled up having been asleep within her "den". She had slept a lot, since that day almost a week before, recovering from the stress and strain amidst small moments of pulling up her "mirrors" to observe the mortal realm, to see how things were going.

It had been strange, the first time waking up. She had gone so long without Fashir by her side that his presence momentarily startled her until she registered who he was and remembered everything that had happened. She'd curled against him and cried quietly, then, until she was back to sleep. It felt as if she had been missing something for so long she had forgotten what it felt like to have it, and having Fashir beside her again made her ache for the time she had gone without.

Blinking in her half-awake state, she turned her head to look for the seer, not even considering that there was the possibility that he might have left.

Fashir was silent as he lay beside her his cloak was draped over her with care and his tail touched hers in a silent show of affection. He had stayed and watched her willing her to get better for her strength to slowly return. All the while he had slowly begun to embrace his new views, it was hard but he was managing. For so long he had ached to hold Mirage and love her, and for so long he had been certain she had become incapable of love.

It was hard now to see her suffering, her tears, and to hold her close the way they had once been so long ago. Could he have tasted the happiness that he often spread if he hadn't been blinded by his assumptions? The idea was unappealing but it was the truth and he was not blind to the truth. His head rested on his paws now his breathing even and calm no different when he was awake then when he slept, though sleep for him was rare.

Mirage swallowed slowly and set her head back down, her cheek pressed against his paw. It was... different. Hard, almost. She had gone for so long scorning love as Fashir had scorned her for her decision, and yet here she was, back at his side. A part of her didn't want to trust him, didn't want to trust this, but deep in side she didn't want to let go of this moment.

Her ear twitched as a small thrum began in her mind and she flicked her eyes away from the wolf, one of her mirrors materializing. One of evil was heading into the Oasis. Her tail flicked in annoyance at the interruption, but she conjured another portal, seeking out the tiny hero. Good, he wasn't far. Her eyes glowing, she nudged the evil creature towards deConti. Keep the little knight on his toes.

Fashir grinned slightly and sighed "This will be difficult for me Mirage...I am so accustomed to trying to thwart you..." His voice was soft, teasing. He moved his head over slightly to nuzzle her. He suffered headaches constantly these days his visions clouded by the dark stain of his Slayers death. True her daughter had been called, but then Artemis had died for a few seconds within her clam, a fact that no one else knew of...perhaps Mirage but no mortal. Despite the good fortune of Artemis being called, the female was young and under Angelus grasp just as Di was. It made all his abilities to see darker and dimmer, so hard to plan for a bright future.

"You should know, I spend a lot of time thwarting myself," the cat replied softly, a slightly teasing hint to her voice as well, as she settled her head a bit onto his paws. Despite his tone, she could tell he, too, was stressed over the situation. She shook her head a bit and sighed.
"I think in all this time you've forgotten something, Fashir. Sometimes you just have to let things go," Mirage added before glancing up at him. She wasn't going to bother with Angelus or Jedidah anymore. She'd done enough damage.

"There is so little happiness in the world Mirage, it is much harder to let it go...but perhaps you are right..." He sighed softly and shook his head, all his care and yet he was blind well and truly to the things that had most mattered. It was painful and somehow he wondered if he would manage this hurdle. He could feel Cheshire's pain still but there was still joy there for her, at least she was bright in his minds eye.

"Do you feel better?" He ran his nose along her spine tenderly the question the same as always. How could he not care for her, he had never ceased loving her even when he reviled what he believed she had become. Yet doubt still lingered in the back of his mind, for was it not in the way of evil to seduce goodness?

Mirage sighed.
"I know that. All I meant was to stop worrying about it so. You've done what you can for now, let it grow,"she explained. It had worked well enough for her. It was when she herself meddled that things went to pot. She shivered at his touch and shied ever so slightly away from it. She was still getting used to this and too many tender gestures from him was overwhelming.
"Yes, I think so... I'm just not used to this anymore... To be honest, part of me fears trusting you..."

Fashir slowly moved his nose away from her with a nod and loath as he was to do it his tail swept back slowly. A great rift was between them and the bridge had been burned so long ago that he could scarcely remember how to build another. It was painful to realize that love was as fragile as any flower so easy to kill if not nurtured.

"I understand..." He murmured softly, yet a part of his didn't at all. It was laughable to think of Mirage afraid of him, of trusting him. No...that wasn't so...his old Mirage maybe she was vulnerable but he had come to think of Mirage as evil incarnate complete and lacking in emotional vulnerabilities. He knew better, of course she was still his old Mirage and of course she had been burned and was now twice shy.

Mirage frowned and her tail snaked around his. She was a little angry with herself for her insecurities, but she didn't want him to pull completely away. The typical female, she didn't always know what she wanted, or how to convey it to her companion.
"Just... not too much at one time." She actually mewed a bit when she softly spoke, closing her eyes as she pressed her cheek against his paw. She needed to trust him again and to get used to having him there.

"We have time..." He murmured reassuringly, his throat tightened. How long had it been since he had reassured her? How long since he had felt such tenderness and compassion for her? He loved her yes, but he loved only the memory and now that she was real against his fur it felt surreal.

"I am glad you are getting better...it means things can still be...fi-balanced." The word was hard for him, but balance was what was needed.

Mirage glanced up at him, her eyes uncertain.
"You know that had been my intent, in the beginning, don't you? To have more time?" she couldn't stop herself from asking the question. In parts she hoped for both possibilities. If he HAD known, then the betrayal went even deeper, but if he hadn't then he must not have really known her to not see that.
Of course, she thought to herself, he is still a male and they tend to not always look at the bigger picture. Fashir was always having that problem, it seemed.

"I am, and it will, now that we're working together. You just... You have to give it time, too."

"I didn't realize you were so concerned...I had thought of it...and I had thought to find the means. I love...loved you so very much I would have found a way. At the time thought....it felt as if you had been torn away, tricked away." The confession was hard to make after considering her the enemy for so long. He still cursed cruel fate for allowing her to be pulled away from him, though he knew deep down it was as much his own fault for pushing her away.

"I have patience enough...if you require distance as well you have but to ask..." He held back a sigh, it was all so new and frustrating. He liked things simple, love or hate...this middle ground was unnerving.

Mirage nipped at his paw, not exactly a playful gesture, but not enough to really hurt him.
"Of course I was. I was young then, but not stupid," she left off with a sigh, her tail tightening around his of its own accord, her subconscious afraid that this would all disappear soon.
"I didn't want to leave you alone. And I wanted so much to be like you that when I was given the chance to be the other half and live forever just like you, I didn't think I really HAD any other choice... For you to one day have to watch-... I didn't want that," she explained, eyes on the floor. She was being honest, an obvious thing due to fact that her explanation did not really include her. She hadn't wanted him to have to watch her grow old and eventually die.
"No... Just... Slowly. I think it's best for both of us."

"I should have shared more with you..." He murmured and sighed softly his head moving back to his paws. "I am glad to have a chance again Mirage...I missed you." He confessed softly.

"I... I missed this," Mirage replied. She had missed Fashir being like this with her, not so much he himself. Deep down, he hadn't changed, and he had been there all the time, but it hadn't been liked this. She had missed the tenderness and sweetness and softness. It would simply take time.
"The past is gone," she whispered and closed her eyes, settling close to him.