Robbin

30. Making Amends

She came to under the watchful eye of Robbin. Her head hurt.

"I'm still here," Terra murmured.

"Are you okay?" she heard Jake ask from somewhere out of the way.

Robbin turned around. "Stay where you are," he barked.

"What happened?" he asked her, more gently.

"I think I hit my head," she was lying against a trunk, "and you..." She broke off, studying him, looking for any wounds that would have explained his blackout. Certainly it wasn't the infection again...

"Did the demon touch me?"

Terra nodded.

"That's all it took." Robbin gestured to Jake without acknowledging Jake's repeated question. "That idiot over there told me you scared it away. How did you do that?"

She shrugged. "Same way as the last time."

"Never let a demon touch you, Terra. It'll knock you out cold without even the trouble of entering your thoughts," he paused. "Are you okay?"

He didn't need to ask the question but she rubbed her head anyway. "Do you think it will be back?" she asked.

"I don't think so," he answered. "Demons don't usually stick around once their noticed."

Jake stood, dazed, off to the side.

"This is all your fault!" The suddenness of Robbin's anger was startling. He backed Jake up against a tree with his shirt in his hands in a similar fashion as his shirt had been in Jake's hands earlier. "If you hadn't let it control you, Terra wouldn't have gotten hurt. Do I have to teach you what to look for?"

Jake's face still appeared innocent. "That's right..." his voice trailed off, as if in realization.

Robbin paused. "How can you not know what a demon's presence feels like?"

Jake's face looked a little less disoriented as he spat, "you said so yourself, I've practically been raised a wolf now."

"Even a wolf should have encountered a demon."

"Checked a map lately?" Jake countered. "The wolf territory doesn't border demon territory... I thought I had let it kill you." His second sentence was quieter, bemused.

For a second, Terra felt lost for words, before deciding to pull Robbin from Jake. "He didn't mean it!" she exclaimed.

"It only touched me," Robbin spat, backing from Jake.

Jake's defensiveness came back with his freedom of movement. "If you weren't so sullen about your precious cave, maybe you would have noticed a demon was following us sooner. I was practically possessed by the thing, Terra was preoccupied with visions, and she even warned you there was a demon if you had paid any attention. What's your excuse?"

Robbin's face came together, and before Terra could stop him with her eyes, he barked, "maybe you should have been trying harder to prove yourself instead of focusing so hard on me and this wouldn't have happened at all." Robbin regretted it the minute it came out of his mouth.

The hurt was all over Jake's face as he retorted softly, "I gave up everything, EVERYTHING to give you shelter. I don't have a home to go back to because of what I did for you. You wouldn't even be alive if it wasn't for me. But I have something to prove? Well, I guess I've proved nothing." He turned slowly and Robbin didn't stop him.

After a few moments, Terra turned to Robbin in disbelief. "I don't think either of you meant that," she whispered.

Robbin nodded hesitantly. He went into the trees after Jake, leaving Terra to ponder her position on Jake's welcome.

***

"We both said some things we didn't mean but I want you to know that you were right about part of it. I have been too self involved and it's no excuse. I didn't mean it when I said you have to prove yourself. We both know you've done plenty of that already and I've held a grudge against you for too long. I'm sorry about that."

Jake looked up surprised from where he had been sulking. "Are you talking about now or when we were younger?"

"Both, I guess."

Jake paused before offering begrudgingly: "I'm sorry, too. It's okay that you're feeling a little down. I understand that your cave was important to you."

"A little," Robbin gave a wry smile. "I shouldn't have let it get to me, though."

"It was a home to you. Of course it would get to you." Jake's face was contorted suddenly into disgust. "You're right to mistrust me."

Robbin shook his head. "The demon wasn't your fault, it took advantage of you... It happens to the best of us."

"I think it's best I leave once I see you two safely to Parantium."

Robbin's face came together. "That might still be the demons talking," he dismissed.

"No, I just don't think I'd belong."

"You'd be welcome—"

"I just wouldn't belong," he said sadly.

"Okay."

a/n: It's a bit of a short chapter, but necessary to the story I think!

Let me know what you think by commenting and voting and adding to your reading lists:) Thanks so much!