“Define pushy,” Chevalier asked, gritting his teeth.
“He’s just, stronger than I am, I guess,” she said, watching him.
“How far did he get?” Chevalier asked, angrily.
“Exavior stopped him,” she said.
“How far?” he asked again, studying her face.
“I don’t want to talk about this.” Emily shut her eyes again.
“Why do you always get ashamed when someone does something stupid?” he asked, irritated.
“Maybe it’s just embarrassing to admit that... yeah... once again, I was out strengthened by a mortal man,” she snapped.
“Of course you were. You can only defend against heku. That’s nothing to be ashamed of,” he said softly, trying to diffuse the anger.
“And maybe I’m not wanting to admit that men think they can take advantage of me only to find out they are right,” she sighed.
“How far did he get?” he asked again.
“Drop it.”
“No, how far?”
“It didn’t happen, ok?” she said, softer.
“Did he get your clothes off?”
Emily frowned at him, “Will you drop it if I tell you?”
“Yes”
“Then yes. So drop it, ok?”
“I hope Exavior killed him,” Chevalier growled.
“He didn’t. He just paralyzed him from the waist down,” she told him.
“Nice,” Chevalier said, then shut his mouth when Emily glared at him.
“Go away,” she said again.
“When you are feeling better, Kyle and I will work with you again. We had the one training, but never really got into the mortal part,” he said, remembering that day with Travis back on the island.
Chevalier’s heart thudded when he saw a tear fall down her cheek.
“What, Em?” he asked, softly.
“Why can’t you bring Travis back?” She looked up at him.
“We can only bring back ashes.”
“Why though?”
“That’s just how it works.”
“If I burned in a fire, could you bring me back?” she asked, honestly.
Chevalier frowned, “Why?”
“Just curious.”
“No, I don’t think we could.”
Emily used the counter to stand up and looked in the mirror. She walked over and turned on the water for the jetted tub.
“Go away,” she said again, watching him.
“Why? I’ve seen you naked.”
She frowned, “Just go, please.”
“No, I’ll join you,” he said, standing up and starting to undress.
“Chev, no,” she frowned. “We’re not married anymore.”
“Wimp,” he said, stepping into the water. “Damn, this is hot.”
Emily glared at him and stripped quickly. She felt his eyes on her as she stepped into the water and sunk down, feeling the water burn her skin. She reached over and hit the jets, keeping to her side.
“Give in, Em,” Chevalier said, pulling her feet toward him and slipping his legs under hers. “There, better.”
Emily leaned her head back and shut her eyes, letting the hot water and jets work at her muscles.
Chevalier pulled one of her feet up and began to massage it. She opened her eyes and looked at him. “What are you doing?”
“Wooing you,” he said, laughing.
“Will you let me endure morning sickness alone if I put on that damn ring?” she asked, her vivid green eyes locked on his.
“Probably not.”
“You’re a pest,” she said, and leaned her head back again.
“I’m sorry, Em.”
“No you aren’t, you were mad.”
“Yes I was. I wish you could understand why.”
“I wish you could trust me.”
The frustration built within him. He couldn’t understand how she could admit to being overpowered by a man in one breath, and then tell him to trust her to protect herself in the next.
“You, I trust, it’s everyone else I have trouble with,” he said.
“Do you trust Exavior?” she asked, as she ran her hands along the bubbles floating on the water.
“I owe him a great debt.”
“That’s not what I asked,” she said, looking up at him.
“No, I don’t trust him.”
“You thought I slept with him,” she said with a small grin.
“I did not,” Chevalier frowned.
“Yes you did. I saw you checking out my ring. It’ll be good for you to not have that visual representation of my loyalty.” She smiled fully and leaned her head back, “Besides, I don’t see a ring on you.”
Emily felt the water shift, and then felt his body press into hers and he kissed her.
She turned her head to the side, “No.”
“Damn, an order I have to obey,” he said, and brushed his lips against hers lightly, then crawled out of the tub.
“Is it sunny outside?” she asked when he left the bathroom.
“Yes, hotter than hell too,” he said, and walked out of the bedroom.
Chevalier went to meet Damon and Kyle in Damon’s office. He knocked and then entered as they were discussing shift rotations.
“Gah, you smell like her,” Damon said, staring at Chevalier.
“Sorry.” He grinned.
“Do you think Emily would notice if we posted guards on the fifth floor?” Kyle asked the Elder.
“Yes, not much slips by her, why?” he asked, and looked over the rotations.
“She won’t take a personal guard, so we’re trying to improvise.”
Chevalier picked up the list and studied it, “Oh that reminds me, I promised Emily another self-defense lesson.”
“Good idea,” Kyle said, nodding.
“This one’s a mortal one, though,” Chevalier said.
Kyle frowned, “Why? She’s not being attacked by mortals.”
“Remember Jeff?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.
Kyle’s eyes narrowed, “What did he do?”
“Something Emily won’t admit to. All I know is that Exavior stopped whatever it was and paralyzed him from the waist down.”
“Why didn’t he kill him?” Kyle asked.
“I’m guessing to make him suffer.”
“I knew I liked him some,” Damon laughed. “I want in on this self-defense class.”
Kyle grinned at Chevalier, “We could use another attacker.”
“Oh let me,” Damon said, enthusiastically.
“Can you tone it down? You’re supposed to be mortal,” Chevalier asked, shaking his head.
“Sure I can.” He grinned.
Chevalier handed the rotation list, “Looks good except for Sunday, you doubled up on the front doors for an hour.”
“Damn,” Kyle said, and erased a few things.
A panicked call came down, “Get off the roof, now, now.”
Kyle stood up and frowned, “What now?”
“Now! I said get off the roof,” a voice called from above.
Damon stood up and blurred to the roof, followed by Kyle and Chevalier. On the way up, they passed the guards, who didn’t even stop when their leaders passed.
“What’s up with them?” Damon asked, and opened the door to the roof. The three stepped out and looked around, confused.
“I don’t see anything,” Kyle said, and they walked forward a bit.
“Ahh” Damon said, pointing off to the west side of the roof.
They all looked over and saw Emily, lying out on a lawn chair in her bikini. She had her sunglasses on and was leaned back, relaxing.
“Erm…” Kyle said, turning away, “I think I’ll go finish that roster.”
“Hmm,” Damon sighed, looking at her.
Chevalier cleared his throat.
“Oh, sorry, yes… I’ll go help,” Damon said, and followed Kyle.
Chevalier sat down on the side of the roof by Emily, “You cleared out the roof
.”
She jumped and sat up.
“It’s just me,” he said, chuckling.
Emily laid back down, “I didn’t tell them to leave.”
“Yes… well… between your looks and your scent, I’m imagining they felt it better to leave,” he said, smiling.
She looked down at herself. “What’s wrong with how I look?”
“Nothing, that’s the problem.”
“I just wanted some sun while I’m not worshipping in the bathroom,” Emily said.
“Worshipping?” Chevalier started to laugh, “Feeling better then?”
“For right now.”
Chevalier studied the curves and contours of her body while she bathed in the sun.
“You’re staring,” she said, not opening her eyes.
“Yes I am.”
“Did you want something?”
“You have no idea,” he said, grinning.
Emily looked up at him, “You’re in my sun.”
Chevalier moved off to the side and Emily closed her eyes again.
“Marry me,” he said, amused.
“I did that already,” she reminded him.
“Yes but then I became an…” He thought.
“Ass?” she suggested.
Chevalier laughed, “Ok, an ass, and I’m asking you again.”
Emily’s phone rang and she grabbed it from the ground by her chair.
“Hi, Exavior,” she said, smiling.
“Mostly,” she said, looking up at Chevalier.
Emily smiled widely, “Yes I will, thanks.”
“Yes I know how many days are left, good-bye.”
“I said good-bye,” she said, and then hung up the phone.
Chevalier couldn’t help but ask, “So… how many days are left?”
“Until the bond is gone,” she said. “He’s worse than you are at reminding me.”
Emily laid back down in the sun.
“Oh, he’s encouraging you to put it on?” Chevalier asked, surprised.
“Yeah, go figure,” she said.
“Ok, I give up. I’ll let you suffer morning sickness alone if you’ll put it back on,” he said, handing it to her.
“I’ll think about it,” she told him. He slipped the ring back into his pocket.
“There’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you, but you need to keep it from Exavior. It’s important,” he said, seriously.
Emily pulled down her sunglasses and looked at him, “What?”
“Leonid is retiring,” he said, watching her for a reaction.
She frowned “Like, moving to Florida for the next thousand years?”
“No, he’ll go into stasis in the ground.”
She sat up, “He’ll what?”
“He’ll be buried, Em, with honors.”
“Wait, like you did to Selest? You’re going to let them take out Leonid?” she started to panic.
“No, this is entirely different. This was his choice.”
“How long will he be in the ground?”
“He’s asked for 500 years. After that, it’s up to him when he emerges.”
“No!” Emily said, standing up. She ran into the palace. Chevalier watched her go and then looked out over the palace grounds.
“Enter,” Emily heard after she knocked. She walked into Leonid’s office and ignored the nervous way he looked at her.
“Why are you leaving?” she asked, kneeling down by him and taking his hand.
“I’m tired. It is my time for a rest.” He smiled at her.
“You can’t just go.”
“I can, in two days.” He felt pangs of guilt. He didn’t realize how this would affect Emily. The heku all understood and supported his decision.
“You’ll be hungry, and what if you change your mind in a week?” she asked.
“I won’t be hungry, I will be asleep. I won’t change my mind either. I’ve been thinking of this for almost a hundred years,” he explained.
Tears welled up in Emily’s eyes, “Is it because of the trouble I’m causing? I can stop, I can behave, I promise.”
Leonid was touched and wiped a tear off of her cheek, “No, it is not you, Emily. You are the reason I’ve stayed for as long as I have. I never really cared much for mortals; pesky, whiney species at best. You, though, are a fascinating creature and I have enjoyed spending my last years in your presence.”
“Please stay, I can’t lose you,” she said, and laid her head against his leg crying.
“You have to think of it, not as a death, I will not be dead. You need to consider it just a long sleep. I won’t even be aware as time passes.” He touched the back of her head, lightly.
“I can’t stay here without you,” she said, and his robes became wet with her tears.
“Look at me, Emily,” he said, and peered deep into her eyes. “If you take one thing from me, let it be this. Listen to Chevalier, he loves you and has only your best interest at heart. Let the heku do what they are trained to do, to protect you. You have no idea how precious you are to us.”
“Stay and I will, I promise. I’ll let the guards back. I’ll stop sneaking out…” She stopped talking when he shook his head.
“My decision is made.”
Emily sat down and leaned her head against his leg. She thought about the palace without him and worked herself back into a cry. Leonid rested his hand gently against her shoulder as he went about making the final preparations.
“Chevalier,” Leonid whispered a few hours later, when he realized Emily was asleep at his side. He wasn’t sure how long she had been. He was engrossed in making arrangements for his absence.
There was a light knock at the door, and Leonid whispered, “Come in.”
“You called for me?” Chevalier asked.
Leonid motioned the other Elder around the desk. Chevalier walked around the large mahogany desk and sighed when she saw Emily.
“I’m sorry,” Chevalier said, picking her up and cradling her in his arms.
“Don’t be,” Leonid whispered. “It’s touching that I will be missed.”
Chevalier nodded and carried Emily up to her room. He tucked her into bed and turned the lights out, and then sat in the chair and watched her sleep. He’d been staying in Kyle’s room for a while, and he missed the way she moved in her sleep, and the soft way she sometimes talked.
Just after midnight, Emily began to clench her hands in her sleep. Chevalier moved closer to her.
“Don’t,” she said softly. Her voice was sad and desperate.
Chevalier frowned.
“Don’t be buried,” she whispered.
Chevalier sighed. He didn’t realized how deeply affected she would be by Leonid’s rest. It was so common to the heku, that it was readily accepted. He could see though, how in the mortal realm, it would be considered a death. When Leonid wakes up, Emily will have been gone for hundreds of years. The thought sent a chill up his spine. The thought of Emily dying someday was something he avoided thinking about.
“Please,” she cried, “Chev, don’t.”
Chevalier moved closer to her, concerned.
“Don’t leave me,” she said, upset.
Emily relaxed back into a deeper sleep and Chevalier sat back to ponder what would happen when she did die. He would still have children alive, and they would have children. The Winchester line was now his line. Would he become like Ulrich and be obsessed with their protection? Would he grow angry and unfeeling when his heart ached for a mortal that had been gone for too long?
Chevalier watched her sleep and felt empty inside without her emotions running through him. He missed her scattered thoughts when she slept, and the vast range of emotions different situations caused to run through her in a day.
“I’ll be good,” she promised in whispers in her sleep.
Chevalier watched her, intrigued.
“Chev, don’t do it,” her voice was soft and tender.
Chevalier moved closer to her. She was crying in her s
leep and tears were rolling down her cheeks.
“Bury me with you,” she whispered.
Chevalier took the risk and crawled into bed with her. She pulled against him in her sleep and snuggled her face into his neck. He wrapped his arms around her.
Emily woke up in the morning, confused. She thought she was curled up next to someone, but when she opened her eyes, she was alone. Her bedroom was cold and empty. Her nightmares were drifting into her morning. She felt alone and things seemed hopeless.
She opened the curtains and watched the rain splash against the side of the palace. That would mean there would be no cavalry training today. The guards would be training indoors and Sam would take care of the horses. She wondered what she would do for the day as a dark cloud of depression filled her mind like a haze.
Emily slipped into a simple black sun-dress and walked slowly down the stairs. The guards smiled at her, but got no emotion in return. She couldn’t understand how everyone could be acting so normal when one of their beloved Elders was about to be buried alive. Stepping out into the light rain, she walked barefoot toward the stables and then looked around the palace grounds. The gray clouds put a dull shell over everything. It looked like the world had been drawn into a void.
“Emily? What are you doing out in the rain?” Frank asked, and she turned slowly toward him. He frowned at the lost look on her face.
“Leonid is going away,” she said to him softly, blinking her eyes as the rain hit her lashes.
Frank nodded, “I know, he’s going for a rest.”
“No one cares,” she whispered.
Frank frowned at her, “Come out of the rain.”
She shook her head, “Why doesn’t anyone care?”
“It’s not bad. He’s just going to rest for a while,” Frank explained.
“He’s going to be in the cold ground, hungry, alone, unable to escape,” she said, watching the scene play out in the rain.
“We’re all happy for him,” Frank watched her.
Emily looked up at him and her eyes were full of pain, “You’re happy he’s leaving?”
“Not happy he’s leaving, but happy for him. He’s chosen to take a break, get some much needed rest,” Frank said.
Emily turned back toward the stables and wrapped her arms around herself. She watched the horses through the rain. Tears filled her eyes again as she thought of saying good-bye to him.
Frank whispered something, too softly for her to hear, and then watched her closely.
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