"John?" Marguerite slowly walked out on the tree-house balcony.
"Shouldn't you be asleep? It's been a long day."
"I could say the same for you." She sat down on the bench next to him.
"What's troubling you?" he placed a stray lock of hair behind her ear, moving closer to her. She smiled up at him, it pleased him to know he could make her smile. "What are you thinking about, in that beautiful little head of yours?"
"Why… why did you…" she sighed, 'This is going to be harder than I thought it would be!', "Why did you try and… and sacrifice yourself for me?" she finally managed out.
"What are you talking about?"
"Don't play stupid with me! … I'm much better at it then you! Why did you want me to shoot you? How do you know that after I shot you Kasan wouldn't have than shot me? Why, if he had let me live would you want me to feel that guilt? Am I such a horrible person? That you hate me that much? That you would put that on me?" she looked as if she were going to cry, but no tears would flow.
"No!" he grasped both of her slender arms, which forced her to look him in the eye, "No Marguerite! No, I would die a thousand deaths… if it meant one more breath for you… I love you Marguerite!"
His words shocked her. When she could finally speak she stuttered in reply, "No… you can't… please… John… you can't!" the tears finally began to flow, as she pleaded with him. "Please…" she whispered.
"Sorry luv… my attitude is a bit like yours." She looked up at him, confused, "I do what I want, when I want… and not a damn person is going to stop me or tell me any differently. Is that clear?"
"No… you can't." she whispered, again pleading.
"Shh-shh-shh… not now," his lips met hers. Softly, and gently at first. Then deeper, and harder. More instant, more needy. Heated, full of love, as well as lust. Unexpressed, bottled-up, emotional…love.
Finally the kiss broke. Marguerite's eyes were closed, she was trying to catch the breath John had just sucked out of her. John smiled lovingly watching her come to life under his touch.
"John… I'm sorry." She got up to leave the balcony for her room. "But you can't… you just can't."
"Wha… " John sat back down on their bench, 'I don't understand, we came so close.' He thought to himself.
He walked to his room, shaking his head, desperately trying to understand the enigma. The enigma that is…Lady Marguerite Krux…
END
NOTE: I kinda stole that line from "Tapestry", because when Roxton says, "…I love you Marguerite. Don't you say I can't, don't pretend you can't hear me…" in "Trapped" it sounds to me like she has said that more than just once.