This episode includes mentions of blood and body manipulation

Another week and more trouble for Viola’s health. The crew decides to stop trying to initiate her anytime her coughing gets bad. Regardless of how bad her coughing gets she always tries to come in. Steven sends her home at different times; whenever he reminds her it is too bad to exercise. The entire staff understands the issue: wanting to exercise even if her body won’t let her.

Viola desires to exercise so badly that she comes in on ‘Lockdown Day’. The one day a month that the gym is closed from noon on. Usually, this falls on one of her off days so the empty gym is a new discovery. She walks in to see Steven alone in the gym with a wide eye expression that she is there at all.

No one is supposed to be there. No one even tries to come now. Steven uses it to clean the gym and check a few things. Viola offers to help, which only seems to make him more uncomfortable. When she fidgets and tries to leave; he takes a deep breath and offers a quick session since she is there. Viola tries to write off his mood as her own confusion since she feels warm already but does apologize for coming in off schedule.

“Told ya he wouldn’t send her away,” Athena smirks. Raph and Athena are watching a monitor in the room hidden behind the locker rooms. The secret room is the size of another small gym. Realistically it is the same size as the normal gym they use and what they use the other half of the building for. But here everyone carries individual compressors with them to double or triple their normal sizes. Raph and Athena already look like muscle ballooned versions of themselves, twice their normal sizes.

“He must have it so bad,” Raph snickers as he watches Steven, who’s trying not to glance at the back door to the secret gym or the hidden camera. It is only a camera and does not pick up the sound, just makes a noise to let them know when the front door opens. The two of them are enjoying watching Steven try his best to be a coach, his specialty, while keeping a secret, which is not his specialty.

Until they see Viola coughing again. Not one of her lightweight coughs, she almost drops a loaded bar on herself as the coughing shakes her body. Athena moves to the door but Raph picks her up, “What are you doin’? You’re already bigger than Cap is!”

“I don’t care she needs help!” Athena shouts.

The sound of her compressor kicking in shocks her back in place. Every muscle in her upper half starts expanding. “She got Cap! Look he’s right there. He’s got her,” Raph points out as his tone slows down. Athena continues breathing deeply watching her friend sit up on the screen. Each breath causes her muscles to grow more and more. “How were you going to explain this?” Raph reminds her as he puts Athena down.

“I don’t know,” she mutters. They both look at the screen to see Cap next to Viola. Viola’s hand turns out to reveal a red area. Cap’s eyes widen as he begins to shuffle back and forth. “What the hell..” Athena’s hands cover her mouth. Viola grabs Cap’s arm and motions him back to the bench. Her hands are in her lap as she leans on him.

“What the fuck is that? Is that blood?!” now Raph is upset. He reaches for the door handle when he hears his compressor go on high speed. His shoulders almost immediately puff out to eye level. He turns back to Athena who is giving him a dirty smirk. “Right,” he acknowledges as his chest comes out enough that he can not see his belt anymore. They watch the screen and see Steven still looking like he wants to run a marathon. After a moment he picks Viola up and carries her to his office.

They watch for any movement from the office for a while. After what feels like an eternity Steven helps Viola out to her car. Everything returns to normal.

Finally, the lockdown is complete and the members leave. Raph and Athena strongly desire to ask about what they saw but they cave into the desire they see on Steven’s face as he tries to get to his truck.

Steven drives faster than he has in a long time. “She better have kept her promise,” he repeats to himself often on the drive to Viola’s house. His truck would scream if it could as he hangs the last curve. He sees another car in the driveway, a much more fashionable one. It does not bother him as he bangs on the door.

Doctor Clarke lets him in. Steven wants to run down the hallway but Doc blocks him. Doc spends the excruciating slow walk complaining about everything. “Even with the advancements in nanotech and biotech we still can’t treat some things right,” Doc bitterly comments. They finally make it to Viola’s bedroom. He looks up to see Steven’s hands tighten. “Does he know yet? You told him, right?!” Doc ends yelling instead of scolding.

“I just did; an hour ago,” Viola explains as she sits up in bed.

Doc rubs the bridge of his nose, “I swear your as much a handful as your mother. Better tell the team. That crazy woman.” He mutters to himself as he leaves the room.

Silence fills Viola’s bedroom as Steven just stands there. The slamming of the door proves Doc’s departure.  “Sorry about him,” Viola finally breaks the silence as her finger fidget on the bedding.

Steven sighs, “So Doc really knows you?”

“Ever since I was born. Dad and he were workout buddies that were so close it was almost like having a second father. He consulted or debated with mother on research topics,” Viola explains. Doc looking after her suddenly makes a lot of sense to Steven.

“Steven,” Viola motions to the bed. He sits on the end, collapsing into his shoulder. “Thank you for coming,” she says as she motions towards him. “I’m sorry for even going. Overreaching like that.”

The room is quiet for a moment. “What was today?” he wonders. She leans over. “The other thing is why you’re sick in general right? So, what happened today?” he clarifies.

“A type of pneumonia that you get at the hospital,” she explains as she watches his face. The color drains from him as he stands up. “I’ll be all right. You’re healthy so it is very unlikely for you to catch it. Doc wouldn’t let you in otherwise. You can go home if you want to,” she tries to offer as consolation.

It is a moment of silence. So quiet even the insects outside the window stop.

“Can I stay?”

He looks at her, “I would like to stay tonight.”

Viola sits up as her eyes feel wet, “Of course!”

He gets a little smile as he watches her wipe her face. Afterward, he teases that she needs more furniture as she only has the blowup bed and bedding she used when she moved in for something else to sit on. The two almost chuckle as the larger athletic man tries to set up the mattress; only to sit on it and have it fold around him.

He watches her chuckle as she lays back down. Finally, he is able to get enough of a footing to scoot out of the bed. He sits on the edge till he finds a spot it won’t move. He just watches her.

“You could have told me sooner.”

Viola sits up, “Most people I tell run away or worse look at me with pity. No one knows how to talk to you after you admit it. So, it is just...”

“Better hide it,” comes out of Steven in such a deadpan tone it can revival a horror movie. “To have a chance to be yourself.”

His eyes are boring through the floor.

A hand covers his hand. “Steven?” comes out in Viola’s softest tone.

His hand tightens around her hands. He lifts them up to touch his forehead, “I’m not running away.”

Anger is not the right word for this tone but it is one of rage. Rage from experience maybe? It feels familiar to Viola. She squeezes his hand, “Ok.”

After a moment Steven ushers Viola to sleep but he keeps holding her hand, till she actually falls asleep. Even afterward he is not far.

When Viola wakes up in the morning Steven is already getting ready for the day and making breakfast. He offers to bring it to bed if she wants but they have breakfast together instead. During breakfast, they talk about what she will be doing during recovery from pneumonia; which is mostly staying home for a week. He offers to bring her food and to check in more often. He wants to help in any way he can and if possible, get to know each other a little better. It feels funny to both of them as she waves goodbye in the driveway.

The week feels mostly like a blur to Viola as she sleeps through a lot of it. She barely checks in with the Bull Pit and Ogma’s to let them know what is happening. So, she gets to know the people around the house, enjoying the occasional visits from Mr. Marrigold’s dog. Voila gets to meet the mailman. Also meeting Raph’s co-workers, her local trashmen; who seem very eager to meet the new girl he mentions. Though she looks paler than they imagine. Even the hospital staff is getting friendlier and more casual the more appoints Viola comes to. In fact, one of the women recommends a different salon for Viola to try.

One day Mark came to the gym partially inflated; just one setting above normal. It is barely enough to add a few inches. Most people would think Mark is taking something; if people there did not already know what he could do. He doesn’t mind faulting the endowment because at that time of day everyone already knows except-

“Geez Mark, I know some people call us blondes airheads but you didn’t need to balloon up like that,” Viola teases as she comes in the door.

Mark squeals as he turns around to see Viola. Everyone looks at Viola, initially in panic as their bodies tense up. “Dude what happened to your hair?” comes out of Mark first.

Viola’s hair is now partially shaved head as the area above her right ear is shaved with the rest brushed over into a left-side ponytail. “It’s called a haircut,” she responses.

“No that’s a style change,” Josh jumps in. He stares at Viola for a minute. He catches her hand move. “But the brush over gives you some personality. Nice choice,” he critiques. Everyone starts muttering and talking to each other about her new look.

Viola sighs loudly. “Oh part of my hair is shaved and that gets the attention. Not the fact that somebody wants to compete at Macy’s?” Viola comments as she flicks Mark’s elastic waistband.

“Owwwww She’s got you, man! She got you good!” Josh returns to teasing Mark. Everyone jumps in on the concept of Mark floating in a parade.

A hand grabs Viola’s. “Come on,” Steven pulls her away from the crowd hurrying off towards the locker room.

She comes up close to Steven’s arm. “Seriously, he’s ok, right? That’s not like some allergic reaction to something is it?” Viola’s concern in her voice returns to the history of pranking each other.

Steven smirks when he notices her tone. “No. He’s fine. An idiot but fine,” he cheerfully answers pulling her close. The pair walks for a moment in silence; still holding hands. Athena smirks watching the entire thing.

Viola squeezes his hand, “Hey, my new furniture is being delivered tomorrow. You want to see the chair and couch I picked?”

He smiles, “Sure. I’ll bring movies and some dinner. We’ll give a workout.”