Keyboards (ch6)

EARLY RELEASE FOR ALL MY PATRONS! THANK YOU SO MUCH!

I continue to be amazed people are still genuinely enjoying this story. I was sure people would be turned off or just not interested in general, so I'm glad to see I was wrong!

That being said, this chapter will contain the same TRIGGER WARNINGS, more strongly than in previous chapters.

Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.

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															Chapter 6.

Morning came and found her cold, withering like a flower beneath heavy snow.

For a long while, Weiss simply laid there, her vision bleary, breathing deathly slow. She could hear her father's car as he left, bound for work even on the weekend morning. Not long afterward, she heard Winter descend the stairs and head outside as well.

Weiss was alone.

And she was resolved.

She forced herself up out of bed for what she'd ensure to be the last time. She shed her robe, allowing even more cold air to assault her past the thin fabrics of her nightgown. Her hands were shaking too much to even consider writing a note of any kind. She simply went to her computer and typed a small message:

Tell Blake I'm sorry.

With that, she limped to her door, and headed for the stairs.

. . .

Blake woke up still feeling uneasy; the pit of worry in her stomach hadn't gone away even overnight.

Slowly, she sat up and picked up her phone to see that Weiss hadn't texted her back at all.

Her next best shot was the Internet. Grabbing her computer, she turned it on and started scrolling through her blogs. She saw that Weiss hadn't messaged her or made any posts on hers.

The pit of worry started to grow with every passing minute. Something just didn't feel right.

She got out of bed and changed out of her pajamas as fast as she could. Looking through her phone's messages, she found the address Weiss had sent her one of the first nights they'd chatted. Blake memorized it before hastily heading out of her room.

She didn't bother to check if her parents were home, and she planned on feeding her cat when she got back. Right now though, her main priority was to make sure that Weiss was all right.

We promised we'd see each other today. I'm on my way, Weiss…

. . .

The house was cold and empty, not unlike herself. Weiss treaded on her bare feet along the carpeted floors, making her way across the vacant living room and heading for the front door. She opened it briefly, peering outside to find Winter's car was gone as well.

Weiss was really alone.

She breathed in a meek gulp of frigid air, savoring it for all it was worth before turning around and pulling the door closed behind herself. A draft still slipped in, and she realized it was slightly ajar, but she didn't care anymore.

She went into the kitchen, pausing when she saw something on the table. It was a plate of food covered by some tin foil, and a note sat on top, written by her sister:

Father said you were sick last night so you didn't come down for dinner. I'm sorry I couldn't stay home today to check on you. But I made you some food to hold you over. Rest up and feel better soon. I'll be home in time for supper.

-Winter

Weiss blinked and two tears fell down, seeping into the paper. She swallowed thickly, choking a bit as her throat tightened around a lump.

"I'm sorry…"

All she had were apologies, but no regrets.

She turned away and went to the drawers to find what she sought.

. . .

Blake looked out the window. Snow lay thickly on the ground after a small storm last night. She shouldn't have been surprised since it was winter break, but the white blanket on the ground annoyed her; it meant it would take longer to get to Weiss' house through this.

Grabbing a jacket, she zipped it and put the hood up, grabbed her house keys and stuffed them in her pocket before opening the door.

The frigid air poured into her house instantly. Even through her layers of clothes Blake shivered. She closed the door behind her and started walking in the direction of Weiss' address. She guessed it would only take her a few minutes to get there if she went as fast as she could.

So she sped up, not out of excitement to see Weiss, but something else she couldn't quite place.

Please be all right... Please be all right...

. . .

What she withdrew was a serrated knife, one she had used countless times to prepare meals in the past. But now, it would be serving her for a different purpose:

Relief.

But before she could obtain that, there'd have to be pain.

She was scared of that, but she knew in the end it would be worth it. To put an end to all this stifling torment she had to endure day in and day out.

Holding the blade in her left hand, she raised her right arm over the sink, so it'd be a little easier for people clean up afterward. Beneath the sleeve of her nightgown, Weiss' wrist harbored many old scars, ones she hadn't touched in a while, but-

But now she was going to end it.

She could only apologize to Winter and to Blake, tears dripping down her face and onto the floorboards below. Blake had been the only one other than Winter in so many years to make her feel like she was all right, if only for a few minutes.

But she knew this was best for everyone in the end. If she met Blake, she'd only burden her with her problems; Weiss knew the other girl would be sad, but ultimately much better off without her.

Everyone would be better off without her. That's what her father had said, enough times for her to accept it as a fact.

Weiss start to sob, jolting as the knife sliced through her skin, drawing a thin line of scarlet over the sink. It started dripping down…

It hurt. But it would be over soon.

She pressed a little harder.

. . .

Blake trudged through the snow as fast as she could, constantly checking her phone and the street signs to make sure she was still heading in the right direction. She lost track of how much time had passed since she had left her house; it could have been five minutes or it could have been ten.

All she cared about was getting to Weiss, no matter how long it took. But she was hoping for sooner rather than later.

Eventually, she knew she had found the right house when she saw the sheer size of it. Checking the number on the outside to confirm it was right, Blake scurried up the empty driveway.

The front door was slightly open.

A sense of foreboding filled her as she hurried up to the door as quickly as she could now. Everything was entirely, unnaturally quiet.

She was about to call out when she heard a soft sound coming from another part of the house-

It sounded like... someone crying.

Blake rushed straight into the house without hesitation. Her heart was in her throat, and her stomach knotted so tightly and so suddenly she felt like she might throw up.

She found herself in the kitchen. There was a girl standing at the sink with her back to Blake, a girl with long white hair-

"Weiss-?"

At first her tone was one of relief-

-until she noticed the red dripping down into the sink.

Blake screamed.

"Weiss!"

. . .

It would be easy. Just a little more, a little harder and it'd be over-

A cry of her name had her freezing in place. The blood that was still in her veins ran cold in contrast to the warm scarlet oozing out of her wrist. She jolted, and fear gripped her heart, rendering her unable to breathe. She could hardly see past the tears clogging her vision, bleary and unfocused.

Had it been any other person on the planet, Weiss would have slashed the knife all the way in and made sure there'd be no saving her.

But…

But it was…

"B-Blake…?"

Her voice broke, and she felt that wasn't the only thing.

She blinked. More tears fell. More blood dripped into the sink.

She couldn't believe it.

And she didn't know what to do.

She'd promised herself she'd really go through with it this time, because the world would be better off without her.

But…

Hadn't she... made a promise to Blake a few nights ago? A promise that she'd never try to do this again...?

Weiss remained frozen, her arms suspended over the sink. She was trembling uncontrollably, but couldn't put down the knife.

"B-Blake, I don't-"

Her hand shuddered, and the knife cut deeper. Weiss yelped as the blood started flowing faster, more thickly.

She didn't know what to do.

. . .

Fear clutched Blake's heart as she realized what Weiss was doing. She almost didn't believe her eyes.

The other girl took in a shaky breath and whispered Blake's name back to her. Weiss was terrified. Blake could see it in her eyes that she didn't want to do this.

Blake didn't want her to either.

She sucked in a trembling breath, and when she blinked she felt tears burning behind her eyes. Her throat closed up, but she forced her voice past it.

"Weiss... it's... it's all right. I'm here for you, just like I promised. Please just... put the knife down." She spoke as calmly as she could in spite of everything, even though she could barely stay on her feet.

The white-haired girl remained frozen in place before a sudden shiver had the knife sliding against her skin. More blood sprang from the fresh wound and started spilling over.

Without thinking, Blake rushed forward and flung her arms around Weiss, pulling her into a tight hug. She held her close as her own tears started to fall.

"Please Weiss... don't go any further... you're my friend. I don't want to lose you. I can't. Please don't do this..."

Blake buried her face into Weiss' long hair and wept from the bottom of her heart.

. . .

She couldn't move, not to cut the knife deeper nor to take it away. Blake was clinging to her tightly - desperately - begging her to stop-

To stop…

Weiss looked down past the tears, finally seeming to truly understand what it was she was doing.

She was dying-

She cried out in fear, dropping the knife into the sink as more blood welled up from her veins and spilled.

"N-No- B-Blake?!" She wailed and frantically clutched at the cut on her wrist. "Blake… Blake!"

Blake was here. She was right here. Weiss couldn't believe it.

She'd met her after all. But it was like this…

How could she let Blake see her like this? She must've been terrified, perhaps almost as terrified as Weiss was.

Shaking all over, Weiss turned slightly and hide herself in Blake's coat, pressing her bleeding arm tightly between the two of them.

"Blake… I-I'm sorry, I'm so sorry…"

She was getting blood all over Blake's clothes…

Weiss felt dizzy.

With a whimper, she collapsed to her knees, slipping from Blake's arms as she clutched at the wound.

"B-Blake, I-I... don't want to die…" she choked. "What do I do…?"

. . .

Blake kept crying, holding onto Weiss as tightly as she could. When Weiss dropped to the floor, Blake went with her, trying not to jostle her.

She could smell the pungent tang of the blood so strongly it caused bile to rise up her throat. She quickly wiped her eyes and looked at the cut on Weiss' arm. It wasn't too deep but it was very long.

In spite of the terror ripping through her, Blake somehow managed to fight past it and remember what needed to be done for something as dire as this.

They needed to call an ambulance. But Blake feared the mere suggestion of that would throw Weiss into a panic; her father would probably find out if they did that. Blake wanted to make that call more than anything, but...

But if she could get it under control herself and prevent Weiss' father from finding out, it would be to Weiss' benefit.

So in spite of her better judgement, Blake refrained from making the call.

"Just- keep pressure on it to slow the bleeding. I need something to bandage you with. I-Is there any gauze or anything in the house I can use, Weiss?" She started looking around frantically for something that might work.

. . .

Weiss heard the panic in Blake's voice as she started asking questions.

But Weiss couldn't think clearly. Her mind and heart were frantic as she clutched at her arm, but blood continued slipping through her fingers. She needed to focus on what Blake was asking her.

Weiss sniffled, blinking away more and more tears.

"Th-The bathroom," she whimpered. "I-I think…" She looked up in the direction Blake needed to go. But then Weiss directed her petrified gaze into those familiar golden eyes. "Y-You'll come back, right? You won't… leave me…? P-Please don't let me die, Blake. I don't want to... I'm sorry…"

She hunched forward, until her head was in her bloodied lap, her teeth biting into the material of her nightgown as her body continued to shudder.

. . .

Blake hugged Weiss again, as much to reassure herself as the other girl.

"I promise I'll come back. I won't leave you, and I won't let you die. We only just met." The fear that had been striking in her heart melted away into a fiery conviction instead. Blake inhaled sharply. "Just keep applying pressure and I'll go get whatever I can to bandage you up."

Blake swayed a little as she stood, hating to leave Weiss like this, but she had no choice.

She rushed out of the kitchen, heading in the direction Weiss had indicated. It was an average sized room near the staircase and Blake hurried in, flicking the light switch on. She started rummaging through the cabinet under the sink, trying to find gauze or anything that might work.

The seconds seemed to drag, and after looking for a moment, she started to panic that there wouldn't be anything.

She was about to give up and try searching somewhere else when a small box tucked in the corner caught her attention. With a sigh of relief she realized she had found gauze and a roll of bandage wrap. Grabbing it all, she raced back into the kitchen.

Weiss was still kneeling on the floor, gripping her bleeding arm. Blake dropped down beside her.

"All right Weiss, h-hold your arm out. I need to clean some of the blood away before I can bandage it." Blake scrambled up again, grabbed some paper towels, wet them in the blood-stained sink, and then dropped back down to her knees.

. . .

She whimpered in relief when Blake reappeared, and Weiss lifted herself up slowly. The absolute last thing she wanted was for the other girl to call 9-1-1, because that would cause a huge scene and surely enrage her father even further.

His anger wouldn't have mattered if Weiss had succeeded in killing herself, but now she was resolved to live.

Because Blake was here now.

At least this amount of blood was possible to could clean up, but if they waited much longer, Weiss might lose more than could be handled without medical attention.

She might die after all…

She shook her head, unwilling to believe that. Blake had said she wouldn't let her die.

Still shaking, Weiss held out her arm, taking one of the paper towels from Blake with quivering fingers and pressing it against her right arm. Weiss sobbed again as she watched crimson spread across the wet paper in seconds, and she scrambled for another.

"I'm sorry…" she rasped. "Th-The first time you meet me and I'm already causing you trouble…"

. . .

Blake pressed some paper towels to Weiss' arm, watching the white turning red in the blink of an eye. But after a few more paper towels, the blood didn't spread as quickly. Blake sighed, at least a little relieved that the bleeding was slowing.

"Don't apologize. I'm your friend, so that means I'm always here to help. You don't need to apologize. I'm glad this is the first time I met you if it means I could help." Blake was surprised at how level-headed she felt in all of this. She grabbed the bandage wrap and started to press it around Weiss' arm. "This may hurt a little bit, but I have to make it tight."

She made sure she was thorough and didn't miss covering a single centimeter of the cut. Her fingers were trembling, but she managed to work quickly and efficiently.

When she was finished she tied the bandage off and then sat back, checking over her work.

"A-All right... That should work, though we'll have to change the bandages later. H-How are you feeling now?"

. . .

Weiss remained still as Blake knelt down beside her and began wrapping her arm. Tears were still dripping down her face, and little hiccups kept escaping her lips all the while. But she quieted gradually as the bleeding slowed, and she felt a bit of warmth spreading in her chest when Blake called her a friend.

She still couldn't believe this. Blake… Blake was here now. She'd saved her life again. She'd ran all the way here on nothing but concern for Weiss and saved her just in time.

She was definitely Weiss' guardian angel.

Weiss winced as the other girl tightened the bandages, but she knew it was only to help her. There was blood all over the kitchen floor, as well as on her nightgown and the sink. Just seeing it was making her nauseous now.

"I'm…" Weiss hiccuped again. "I'm still a little dizzy… and cold… but…" Her eyes met Blake's again, steady only for a second before overflowing all over again. "I can't believe you… you saved me again, Blake… even after I broke my promise to you…" She bowed her head guiltily, wanting to hug her friend more than anything, but not feeling worthy of doing so.

. . .

Blake finished bandaging Weiss' arm, putting the remaining supplies back in the box before straightening up. Weiss was still crying slightly, with tears dripping down her face and the occasional hiccup escaping her lips.

Thank god I got here when I did...

Looking around, Blake realized the blood was everywhere. She had no idea when someone else might come home.

"Take it easy," she said. "Wait till you get your strength back. And I already told you, you don't have to apologize. I don't care that you broke your promise. I just care that you're all right." Blake reached out gently and brushed her fingers against Weiss' temple. Weiss bowed her head, and Blake wrapped both arms around her.

"I'll always be here for you, Weiss. You're my friend. You're important to me. And I don't want lose you..." She rubbed Weiss' back, and let her rest her head against her shoulder.

. . .

Weiss hiccuped harder as she listened to everything Blake was saying. But the instant she felt the pair of arms around her, she all but burst into tears, clinging to Blake's shoulders tightly, with every remaining shred of strength in her body. Her voice rose up in a loud wail, but she tried to stifle it in Blake's hair.

Blake was… so warm.

Weiss had never felt so warm before in all her life. The awful frigidness that had assaulted her all through the night and this morning melted away in a matter of seconds. Weiss was convinced there wasn't another person on the planet who ever could have had such an effect on her.

She was broken, but when she was with Blake, she felt like she was being healed at long last. Little by little.

Weiss cried for a few minutes, whimpering Blake's name repeatedly in between sobs. When she finally started to quiet down, she nestled her face into Blake's neck.

"S-Sorry," she mumbled again. "I think... I'm okay now… I-I mean I think… will… will you stay with me? Just for a while…?"

. . .

Blake held Weiss close to her, wanting to share her warmth with a girl who couldn't seem to stop shivering.

"Of course I will. I wasn't going to just leave you here." Blake gave a small smile as squeezed Weiss gently. "We had plans to meet today and I intend to see that through till the end."

They stood slowly, leaning on one another. Weiss wobbled, but Blake stayed close until she found her balance. She glanced at the state of the kitchen again and shuddered.

"You should go sit down and rest. I'll clean this up." She debates her next words, but eventually speaks them more carefully. "Would you... like me to call 9-1-1? I think you should go to a hospital..."

She already knows what Weiss' answer is going to be to that, and Blake knows she'll never be able to force the idea if it will only put Weiss in more danger from her father. But she just had to try.

. . .

Weiss grimaced, feeling another wave of guilt rise up in her chest. She looked at the floor smeared with red.

"I... I'd like to change…" Her nightgown was stained with crimson. Her arms and legs were bare and she was still shivering a bit despite Blake's closeness. "And I don't want to call 9-1-1. They'll only make a scene and if my father comes home and finds out…" She trailed off, jolting as a prickle ran up her spine.

Her eyes met Blake's once more, still nervous and hesitant. "I think I should stay at home. If my father finds I was gone, he'll be angry. But... if he sees you came over here, he'll think we were doing a project... so he probably won't mind. We can stay in my room," she offered.

. . .

Blake felt a spark of anger in her stomach at the mention of Weiss' father. It was his fault Weiss had been driven to this, and now she's too scared to even get proper medical treatment because of him.

Part of Blake wants him to come home when she's here so she can get a good hit off on him. But the other part doesn't know if she'd be able to hold back if given the opportunity.

She takes in a steadying breath - for Weiss' sake.

"All right. You just rest for a minute and I'll clean up. Once I'm done here, I'll help you up stairs so you can change."

Blake helped Weiss into a cushioned chair in the nearby living room, then returned to the gruesome scene in the kitchen. She steeled herself and wetted some paper towels before getting started.

Blake worked silently, cleaning up all the blood from the sink and floor. It hadn't dried yet so it was easy to clean at the very least. But it made her sick just thinking about it. All of it was Weiss'.

She couldn't let herself think about it.

Once she had finished cleaning, Blake grabbed more paper towels to dry everything off. When she tossed it all away she pushed everything to the bottom of the trash can and covered it with more crumpled paper towels so the bloodstains wouldn't be visible when looking in.

Satisfied, she washed her hands off, then returned to Weiss, who had been watching her quietly all the while.

"All right, let's go upstairs." Blake offered her hand and helped Weiss out of the chair.

They took it one step at a time.

"Weiss, listen... I've been thinking and... we don't have to call 9-1-1 if you don't want to. But I want you to come to my house and spend the night... I don't think you're safe here."

. . .

They limped to the stairs and headed up one step at a time, keeping hold of one another all the while. Weiss was relieved to hear Blake had dismissed the idea of calling 9-1-1, but she gasped at what she suggested after that.

"A-At your house? I don't…" She trailed off as they reached the top of the steps, and Weiss slowly led the way to her room. "Well… maybe if I wrote a note saying I went to someone's house to work on a project… I think that could work." She looked up to Blake worriedly. "But I don't want to trouble you, Blake. I've already put you through all of this today…"

Truthfully, she wanted nothing more than to stay with Blake tonight, away from her father. But she didn't want to impose.

. . .

Blake let Weiss direct her where to go, but she was the one to get them there. Blake made sure to never let her support waver, lest Weiss stumble.

"You couldn't trouble me if you tried. I want to help you, Weiss. You'd be putting me through more if I went home without you and had to worry about you being here all night."

They stopped in front of a bedroom door Blake could only assume was Weiss', and Blake carefully brought her inside.

"You should change and grab a fresh pair of clothes if you want to come to my house. I'm going to wait outside... unless you need some help?" Her voice trailed off awkwardly as she stood up from helping Weiss sit on her enormous bed.

. . .

Weiss didn't have a response to Blake's reasoning of swapping houses tonight; she'd never thought about it that way before, about how the other party involved would feel. There'd never been anyone else for Weiss to consider before.

There'd never been anyone to consider Weiss before, either.

At Blake's offer to help her change, Weiss quickly replied in the negative.

"No… I'll be fine. If not, I'll call for you. I… I promise."

It was difficult to say, considering she'd broken her last promise to Blake. But Weiss didn't intend to do that ever again.

She waited for the other girl to exit the room, heart fluttering at the deep-rooted concern she saw in Blake's eyes as she slowly closed the door behind her.

Weiss waited a few minutes and simply sat on her bed. Her eyes trailed over her wrists, over the bandages that were crusted with red. There was still a throbbing all up and down her right arm, and the shaking hadn't stopped either. When she waited a moment too long, she found the tears had returned as well.

Slowly, she rose from the bed and limped to her dresser, leaning heavily against it as she shed her nightgown. She weakly struggled her way into a long white skirt and a blue sweater that covered her wrists. She tied her hair into a messy ponytail and gathered a fresh nightgown, hiding the bloody one under her bed to wash when she returned.

Finding a bag, she packed her fresh nightgown and some clean undergarments along with her phone and charger. She then paused at her desk to write a note, informing her father and sister where she'd be. Her left hand still trembled slightly, but her calligraphy was calm and clear.

When she was finished, she stumbled back to the door, catching her breath as she leaned against it.

Part of her expected Blake to be gone for whatever reason, to have abandoned her in her time of need. But she shook those thoughts away and took another breath before stepping out into the hallway.

. . .

Blake had sat down on the floor and rested her head against the wall, just to take a moment to calm down. Ever since last night she had been tense and worried, and it had only increased as time had passed. But now it was finally starting to drain away.

A soft clicking noise told her a door was opening, and she knew Weiss was the only other person in the house. Standing up, she looked at Weiss in her new sweater and skirt.

"You look very pretty." Blake smiled, and with all of the emotions swirling inside her chest right now, she couldn't stop herself from wrapping Weiss in another hug. " Are you ready to go? It's not a long walk, but we can take it at your speed."

. . .

The sudden compliment from Blake had Weiss nearly stumbling out of sheer disbelief. Had it not been for the other girl standing up to hug her, Weiss was certain she would have fallen.

Never before in all her life had she heard those four words spoken to her by anyone - not even her own family. And just in case that hadn't been enough to make her start crying again, Blake's embrace made Weiss actually believe those words.

She clung to Blake's back for as long as the embrace lasted, crying softly all over again, but for once, it wasn't the painful kind of crying.

Blake had just made her happier than she'd ever been before in all her life. After everything she'd put Blake through that morning - all that worry and panic and fear - Weiss had hated herself for it all. She'd been ridden with guilt and self-loathing since the second her friend had rushed in to help her.

But now, Weiss couldn't even believe this was real.

There was no one else in the world who could make her smile like she had those past few nights chatting and texting.

There was no one else in the world who would have stopped her from killing herself.

There was no one else in the world who would invite her over for the night to ensure she was safe.

And there was certainly no one else in the world who would hug Weiss twice in less than an hour and tell her she was pretty.

Weiss sobbed for another moment, swallowing thickly as she tried to control herself. When at last she could nod her head and step away, she still kept one hand in Blake's.

"Yes…" she whimpered, wiping her eyes. "Let's… let's go… I want to come with you more than anything."

. . .

Blake smiled warmly to match the feeling wreathing itself around her heart.

"All right. Let's go. We'll take our time. We aren't in any rush." They started walking down the hall towards the stairs, and she added, "Lean on me if you need to."

Weiss did.

With caution, they made their way down the stairs together until they were back on the first floor by the front door. Blake paused there and look down at Weiss.

"Hey, Weiss? ...I know I've already said this but... I'm really glad you're all right."

. . .

As they went down the stairs, Blake's tone of voice was soothing and calm - un-rushed - and it relieved Weiss. Blake wasn't pushing her at all to hurry, and it was a nice feeling to be given as much time as she needed for this.

They conquered the stairs before long, stopping in front of the door. Weiss kept a tight grip on Blake's hand, squeezing gently.

"I'm only all right because of you, Blake," she murmured. "Thank you for inviting me to come back with you. I… I'm not sure I'd be okay staying here by myself tonight…"

She hugged Blake again briefly, still trembling a little. When she pulled away, Weiss left her note to her family on the table in the living room where she knew her father would see it.

She then grabbed a coat from the closet and slipped it over herself, taking a deep breath before she'd have to face the cold winter outside.

"All right," she said, securing her bag over her shoulder and taking Blake's hand once more. "Let's go then."

. . .

Blake smiled, and a warm feeling bloomed in her chest knowing that she was as important to Weiss as Weiss was to her.

"You'll be completely safe at my house. Maybe when we get there we can watch a movie or something. I'll make you some dinner, too."

Blake opened the door and gave Weiss' hand a gentle, encouraging tug. Weiss seemed hesitant to leave, but Blake waited for her.

When at last Weiss took that step, Blake's smile widened.

The door closed behind them as they left the mansion behind.

Blake vowed that tonight she would take care of Weiss.

Tonight, Blake would make sure she was safe.

She tightened her grip on Weiss' delicate hand and stayed close to her side as they began that first walk together.

Blake hoped there'd be many more to come.

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A/N: Yes, Blake gets to her in time! No, this isn't the end of their story! I just had to end this scene here before this chapter got too incredibly long. There's plenty more to come!