"I don't have a choice. Even if I don't leave now, they'll just come to collect me against my will. I knew coming here was a bad idea but I did it anyway. Why? Because I have to."
𝓟𝓻𝓲𝓿𝓪𝓽𝓮 𝓡𝓟 𝓦𝓲𝓽𝓱 𝓙𝓪𝓬𝓴𝓼!
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“Cass… Why don’t you just stay as long as you can…?” Sterling suggested, his eyes pleading with her.
She glanced up at him, trapped in his eyes. She sighed softly. "Alright. Fine. I just don't want to have to leave you."
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Sterling smiled at her a bit. “Thank you. Now, should we go change? Get out of this mess?”
"That'd be the smart thing to do, wouldn't it?" She chuckled weakly, her stomach turning over at the knowledge that she'd have to leave. And soon.
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“Probably,” Sterling agreed with a slight chuckle. He stood, offering her his hand with a small smile. “You ready?”
"I guess. But I still can't walk." She cracked a tiny smile.
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“Hence the hand offered to help you to your feet,” Sterling teased with a grin. “C’mon.”
She rolled her eyes and took his hand, pulling herself up. "Gee, thanks for the help Romeo."
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“You are very welcome, Juliet,” Sterling chuckled as he picked her up and moved her to his back to piggyback her.
She looked up to see the headmaster talking to a familiar figure. Niall glanced over at her and gave her the look she feared. It's not safe here anymore. Time to go. She sighed. "Looks like time's up for me."
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“Cassandra, no… Please, convince him to let you stay longer. You can do it, I know you can,” Sterling begged, glancing at her over his shoulder.
"I don't know…Niall's not easily convinced about this sort of thing…" She mumbled under her breath as the pair grew closer. "Cassie! Hey! Heard you sprained your ankle. We should get that checked out." He smiled innocently.
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“She had it up and iced earlier. We were just looking for more clues,” Sterling explained. “She’ll be fine, I’m sure.”
"And while that is helpful, it could be major. She needs to get it checked by a doctor." "Niall, please if you'd just–" "Come on Cass. You know better than this." His words were light but his eyes were harsh and commanding. She shrunk back.
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“There’s a nurse here. She could get it checked out there,” Sterling suggested, his grip on Cassandra tightening.
"But what if it's more than just a minor sprain? Better save the trouble. Here, I'll take her off your hands." "But then he'll be left without a partner." "I'm sure he'll do just fine on his own." His look only hardened. Stop fighting, Cassandra. You know you won't win.
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“I’m sure it’s nothjng serious. I’ve sprained my own ankles many times, so I know what a bad one looks like. This one does not look like that,” Sterling said, backing up a bit.
Niall glanced around, making sure the headmaster was out of earshot before taking off his mask. "Listen, hand her over and save yourself the trouble. She's in danger and keeping her around is only going to make it worse." "But I love him!" "And that's not my problem. I told you to stay away from people."
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“If she’s in danger, then send her some backup. Don’t just tear her away from somewhere and something and someone hat makes her happy,” Sterling argued, his jaw clenching slightly.
"Happiness isn't important in this line of work. The actual job always comes before the person executing it." "Niall please–" "No, Cassandra. The last time I left you alone, you almost got yourself killed." "That was 2 years ago!" "And?"
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“And she probably learned her lesson that time. I’m sure she’ll come straight to you the second she thinks something is wrong. Right, Cass?” Sterling questioned, glancing at her over his shoulder.
"Definitely! I know how to protect myself." "Yeah. Right. Let's go with that. I'm taking her back whether you like it or not, lover boy."
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“If you don’t teust that she can protect herself, then why even send her out? Why put her out into the world where she can have fun and fall in love, only to tear that all away by dragging her back?” Sterling asked, holding onto her tighter.
"Because all new recruits need to learn how painful it is to do this. I've been working here for 8 years now, I know how much it hurts to be torn away from someone you love but guess what? I got over it." "That's a lie and you know it." His attention turned to her. "You've been waiting for the day you can get back to Ellen for as long as I've known you."
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“And hasn’t Cassandra been with you since she was fifteen? I’d hardly call that a ‘new recruit,’” Sterling said, raising an eyebrow at him.
"You don't bring her up, she stays out of this." He growled. "You miss your little sister more than you can bear. Come on Niall, admit it." "I said leave her out of this!" He grabbed her arm roughly, making her wince.
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“Hey! Let go of her,” Sterling demanded, glaring at the man. “You have no right to do this to her. No right to grab her like that.”
"I have every right. As her superior, I can treat her as I please." He gripped her tighter, making her wince again.
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Sterling raised an eyebrow at him. “Wow. I understand why she doesn’t want to come with you, now. Besides everything else, that is. Also, I would like to see you treat her this way around the headmaster. And the authorities, should I decide to call them.”