"Madlax? What's wrong?" Vanessa asked as Madlax walked into the room.
"Oh good, you're up" Madlax said.
"Yes, what's wrong?" Vanessa asked with concern.
"I just wanted to see you" Madlax told her.
Worry and confusion filled Vanessa's eyes as she searched Madlax's face for an answer. Not finding one she said "Why?"
"I just needed to see you, to remember why I'm doing all this. I'm going to look at Lady Quanzitta's book. I need to find the truth, and I think that it is inside that book. But before I do that, I wanted to see you, just in case" Madlax told her solemnly.
"What do you mean, just in case?" Vanessa asked
"Who knows what answers I'll find, and who knows who I will be once I get those answers" Madlax said softly.
"You'll still be you, you'll still be Madlax" Vanessa told her.
"Maybe, I'm not sure. More and more I wonder whether I really exist at all. All the things that have been coming together are pointing to something, but more and more I think its something I'm not going to want to know" Madlax told her.
"Then why find out? You don't have to you know" Vanessa informed her almost pleadingly.
"Yes I do" was all that Madlax said.
"I wish we could go back, go back to when we were hiding out in the motel or your apartment. Just us and avoiding the world" Vanessa said sadly.
"I do too, I wish that were possible. That we could go back and forget everything we've found out. That we could just go back and stay together away from the world forever. But we both know that we can't, we know too much and have come too far. And the very world itself won't allow us to turn back now" Madlax said with a calm certainty.
"But maybe, maybe once it's all over. And we find the answers, maybe then we can?" Vanessa stated, making it almost a question.
"I don't know, I just don't know what's going to happen next. But, I'd like it if we could" Madlax responded.
"So would I. We have so little to hold onto right now, so I'll hold onto that, and to you" Vanessa told her.
"I should go" Madlax told her.
"Go, but know that whatever you find out, wherever that takes you, I'll be here waiting for you" Vanessa told her.
Madlax stared at her. She reached up and cupped Vanessa's face gently. "How is it possible that in all this madness, I found you" she whispered.
"Destiny" Vanessa stated with certainty and she placed her hand over Madlax's. Then she reached forward and pulled Madlax to her and embraced her, gripping her tightly as though afraid she might slip away.
Slowly Madlax returned the embrace and lay her head down on Vanessa's shoulder. "I have to go" Madlax whispered.
"I know" Vanessa whispered back. She pulled away slightly so that they faced each other. "Come back to me" she whispered and slowly leaned forward and placed a feather-light kiss on Madlax's lips.
Madlax stood still in shock, and then slowly returned the kiss, hesitantly. She slowly wrapped her arms around Vanessa, each movement she made done as if she was afraid that she would be rebuffed. Instead Vanessa pulled her in tighter and deepened the kiss. Finally Vanessa pulled away and met Madlax's eyes. She smiled softly and ran her fingers through Madlax's golden hair. "Come back to me" she repeated.
"I will" Madlax told her, and boldly placed a quick kiss on Vanessa's lips before turning and walking out the door.