"You've been truly melancholy, Madeleine..." The Collector crooned as he circled me in the collection room, his fur draped eloquently around his neck. "Would you care to reveal to me what has been bothering you as of late?"
I shook my head and stared at the floor. Taneleer sighed and lifted my chin to meet his dark chocolate eyes. "You must tell me eventually."
I shrugged wordlessly, and averted my eyes away from his again.
Taneleer sighed again, releasing my chin. "This behavior is unacceptable. You are my assistant. You must act accordingly."
He took a deep breath, as if trying to control his normally cordial disposition from the trouble I was causing him. "I will be in my quarters if you need me, Madeleine."
Taneleer began making his way toward his quarters, which located behind the vaults.
"You would not understand." I whispered.
The Collector must have heard my almost silent murmur because he turned back toward me, looking confused. "What would I not understand?"
I avoided his gaze once more. He sighed deeply, as he approached me. "Do not think of me as unintelligent. I am only going to ask you this once, and you will tell me the truth." Taneleer stroked my cheek as he purred in my ear. "What's wrong, my dear, sweet Madeleine?"
"I can't tell you. You wouldn't understand." I said firmly.
The Collector sighed loudly, his lungs venting immensely. His face was infuriated and his eyes were full of rage for the first time in my presence. He looked down at me with the most betrayed scrutiny I've ever seen before. "I have given you employment, taken you into my home, I have loved you and cared for you and this is how you repay me? I'm very disappointed in you, Madeleine. You have offended me greatly, and it is only the love in my heart for you that is keeping me from turning you into another mind control experiment like my former assistants."
"I'm pregnant." I said finally. "I knew you wouldn't understand..." I struggled to finish without breaking down to tears. "I didn't want to you to know because I wanted an abortion...I don't want this..."
Taneleer was taken aback for a moment but took a long, deep breath into his lungs before sighing heavily. "This is why you have been acting so strangely around me, Madeleine? You did not believe I would understand?"
He suddenly secured his lips with mine intensely, before withdrawing to saturate his lungs with coveted oxygen. Taneleer coughed, catching his breath. "We must talk about this."
"I know...you don't want an abortion. You're the father. Of course, you have an opinion in this as well." I stressed.
"Madeleine, I will not allow an abortion for any child of mine." The Collector hissed. "I love you very much, but we must think of our child also."
"If that's what you want." I succumbed.
Taneleer smiled. "We can make this work, Madeleine. I love you." He pulled me in for another kiss that would leave his lungs desperate for breath.
We separated again after continuous tongue-dancing and The Collector puffing into his lungs sufficiently.
"I love you, too." I assured Taneleer as he smirked down at me.