Bane felt as if time had frozen as he watched George tip forwards, towards the stairs, her face a mess of soot and pain and desperation.

"No!" he heard the cry tear from his own throat, but he couldn't seem to move - as if he were trudging through deep water, he couldn't make his limbs go, couldn't reach out and save her.

But he didn't have to.

In a flash, Mal took a running start to catch up with George's already falling body, the two crashed together and fell as one single heap down the stone stairs. He heard Mal curse as they hit the bottom, saw George frown up at his brother, and felt his legs regain motion once more. She was alive.

There was a herd of voices and family members running down the stairs after them, Bane could not pull into the lead for his limp, but once he arrived, the others made a hole for him.

"She's just passed out," Mal explained, breathless where he sat hunched on the floor beside George's limp body, "Probably from the smoke," he added with a nod back up the stairs towards her bedchamber where blue colored smoke was still pouring out in heavily perfumed waves. Bane only nodded, dropping to his knees beside Mal and staring at the Lady Brisbane, her eyes rolled shut on the floor.

"She didn't mean any of those things -" Mal said quietly, still panting from his trip down the steps. But Bane cut him off abruptly by throwing both of his arms open and embracing his younger brother with all the strength he had in his body.

"Thank you," Bane growled, for it was the only way he could get his voice to function through the emotions that were overwhelming him as the dust began to settle, "I don't deserve - you didn't have to -"

"Shut up, Brother," Mal growled back, hugging him fiercely in return for a long moment. Then the two broke apart to swipe at their noses and cough what had to be remnants of smoke inhalation from their lungs.

"What are you going to do with her?" Blair asked and Bane realized that most of his family was also kneeled on the floor, weeping or trying not to. Harry paced around them like a guard animal on the prowl, never pausing even for a moment.

"Do?" Bane repeated, dazedly. Blair nodded slowly, then bit her lip.

"Is she mad?" Merigold asked, crying possibly harder than anyone else as she took George's hand in hers.

"No," Mal let out a harsh laugh, "Just in love with our Brother... so I suppose, yes she is mad then," and here he grinned cheekily at Bane who shook his head and let out a nervous laugh of his own.

"Saints what am I going to do with our little martyr?" Bane asked no one in particular as he touched her face and hair affectionately.

"Certainly not leave her alone with sharp objects!" Harry declared irritatedly from above them, his hands thrown up over his head in exasperation. Bane was moved by his family's share of George's pain. She had wheedled her way into their midst without trying, and now the Brisbane Clan would no more part with her than Bane would grant her an annulment. Name of the Saint, that moment she'd begged him for it...

"She loves you, you know," this from Mal again as the huddle began to disband to make arrangements for a doctor, for a set of clean clothes, for a hot bath, for some food to be brought up. Bane looked up at his brother in surprise.

"You're just worried I'll believe she does despise this face," Bane answered with a grim smirk. He was busy telling himself that very thing. She hadn't meant it... would it even matter if she did? He wouldn't let her go... wouldn't abandon her now, no matter what she said to force his hand.

"She told me," Mal argued tiredly, sitting back on his heels as the others rushed around them, "Weeks ago," he added, eyebrows raising into his hair line. Bane nodded silently, still not quite believing his brother's words.

"Fine," Mal answered, picking himself up off the ground and dusting at his pants like he'd only just been picking apples outside on a lovely normal day, "Don't believe me - but that little idiot of yours just threw herself down a flight of stairs because she thought it would spare you... either she loves you or she's the Light Saint incarnate... and I didn't think that one was allowed around you."

"Indeed," Bane admitted with another smirk and a shake of his head as Mal stood and disappeared, pulled into Blair's mission to make things right again.

He sat by George while the others worked, and didn't have to wait long for her to wake up. She blinked at him in confusion, winced as she sat up, and clutched at her shoulder - which was much better than clutching at her head.

"What happened?" she mumbled, reaching for Bane almost reflexively, she took hold of a wad of his night shirt, then touched his face, "You look sad."

"You tried to kill me, George," Bane heard himself mutter, emotion coming again to choke at his breathing. He cleared his throat and shook his head as she stared at him, trying to remember, it seemed.

"What?" she repeated, her face crinkling in surprise, "I tried to -" she broke off in horror, both hands coming to hold his face now as she looked stricken.

"I'm so sorry - Bane - I don't remember trying to kill you. I just remember throwing myself down the stairs... I must be going mad - just like Ben!" she insisted in just above a whisper. Bane didn't correct her for several seconds because she was rubbing her thumbs against his face, leaning her forhead against his in apology.

"YOu're not going mad, George," Bane said finally, pulling away ever so slightly to make sure she understood, "Though you did try to throw yourself down the stairs just now."

"Oh..." she muttered, frowning at him. He felt her begin to retract her hands, but his own shot up to hold her there, close to him still.

"I love you."

"What -" George whispered, shock and surprise crossing over her expression.

"I love you, Georgina St. John," he repeated in a gentle tone, more sure now than ever, "And if you ever do something like that again - I will not survive it, do you understand?" he asked quietly, tiredly. She pressed her lips into a thin line and nodded.

"Bane!" The urgency in Malcom's voice, pulled him from saying anything more to George. He turned to find his brother staring at him from the top of the stairs, his face tight with anxiety "You need to see this."