Chapter III

Standing behind the brick wall of a factory, Tiana caught her breath, her hand on her heart. She pressed herself up against the building, wishing to disappear. If she stepped out from behind her hiding place, she would come face-to-face with Facilier who had set up his table, shuffling his Tarot deck, tipping his hat and calling out to passers-by. After their little rendezvous the other day, Tiana had fully decided to stay with Naveen, whom she had married and in that marriage had promised never to leave, through the good, the bad, the thick, the thin. In remembering all that, the weight of commitment weighed heavily on her slim shoulders and she felt perfectly awful for even thinking about leaving her sweetheart of a husband for the mangy con artist standing on the corner.

Coming to her senses, Tiana drew herself up, puffed out her chest, and turned the corner. She wasn't afraid of Facilier! She was a strong willed woman who was the owner of the most successful restaurant in the Crescent City and who was some sleazy Witch Doctor to instill unrealistic fear in her? He should have no effect on her and all of the pain and doubt inside her washed off as she stepped into the golden sunlight. And without so much as a sideways glance, she walked right past Facilier and into the grocery shop on the other side of the busy street.

A strong, stony emotion clouded Facilier's vision and he blindly slammed his fist onto the table, causing it to collapse. People around him cringed and dispersed quickly, which was just as well, he paid them no heed, and had they stayed where they were, he would have plowed right through them and maybe knocked some of them down. But they left, and he moved through the empty sidewalk and crossed the street quickly, his cane tap-tapping in a staccato on the concrete, and entered the little shop that Tiana had disappeared into. The little welcome bell at the top of the door jingled and the brown-faced clerk behind the counter glanced Facilier's way, a joyful smile on his face at the sound of another customer. The smile disintegrated, though, when he saw who the customer was and his face became a mask of fear and worry. Just to bother him, the Doctor made an awful face and the man behind the counter shuddered.

"Now why d'ya gotta go and do that?" He spun around to face her, her full lips set into a pouty frown, on hand on her round, jutted out hip.

He smiled and swept his hat off, bowing deeply. When he straightened, he placed the top hat back onto his nappy hair, he said, "A man's gotta have his fun, don't y'all agree, Tia?"

"Don't call me that." Grasping him by his elbow, she tugged him over to the fish corner where she began to peruse the sardines and salmon. Out of the corner of her mouth, she whispered, "It ain't very becoming when you make those idiotic faces at folks. People'll think you're crazier than you actually are."

"I hope y'all forgive me for speakin' to ya this way, Princess, but what concern of it is yours what faces I make and who I make 'em to?"

Frustrated, she turned away from him, moving over to the trout section on which she looked intent on buying. She could feel his eyes boring into her back and she shivered; allowing the wave of lust and want she knew was crashing over him to lightly wash over her, leaving her insides cold and empty.

Facilier sensed her inward struggle and grinned. He swaggered up to her and placed his lips close to her ear again, much like when he was persuading her to give him back his talisman that controlled Naveen. But now, under completely different circumstances, he inhaled her warm gingerbread smell. "Are y'all feelin' alright, Miss Tia? Looks like y'all's legs are a bit wobbly."

She opened her mouth but only a faint noise, like that of a newborn puppy, came out; her voice was caught in the back of her throat. His body seemed to be cradling hers and she wanted desperately to lean into him, forgetting everything real and just being alive with him, his arms around her. Facilier, too, was lost in the moment, but quickly swallowed his feelings and inched his hand across her waist, pulling her closer.

"Y'all look a little wishy-washy. How's about I take y'all back to my place to get yourself together?"

Words came this time and she tried to make an excuse. "Um… look, I've gotta make dinner. Naveen wants fish tonight and I was thinking trout –"

"Naveen?" Facilier grinned and allowed his other hand to trace the line of her jaw. "You just tell your little prince that something came up." He popped his lips on the last P and raised an eyebrow.

Tiana sucked in a deep breath and she rolled her head back against his shoulder. All sense of right and moral left her and she nodded. Facilier took her slender hand in his and led her out of the shop.

"It ain't much, but it's home."

Tiana looked around the dumpy interior of the emporium, the books left haphazard on the shelves, jars of body parts and plants accompanying the books on the shelves, appearing just about to fall. A round table sat in the middle of the room, surrounded by purple curtains. A ratty old arm chair and two wooden chairs stood next to the table, as if on guard.

"You call this home?" Her voice was dripping with pity and sorrow, two things that Facilier couldn't stand.

He narrowed his eyes and stepped close behind her. "Please don't say it that way, chere. J'adore this old place."

Embarrassed, Tiana shoved a stray curl behind her ear and shuffled her feet. "Of course. I'm sorry."

He spun her around and pulled her closer, looking straight into her warm brown eyes. Faltering under his gaze, she attempted to pull her eyes away from his but she was the mouse, the prey, and Facilier was the snake. He had her hypnotized, and seemed ready to pounce. 'S'all right, darlin'," he said, tilting her chin up with his knuckle, "only natural to pity. It shows y'all feel something. Means you're human."

She gulped. "Do you pity, Shadowman?"

At that, a rich, deep, chocolate chuckle erupted from his throat. "Is that some sly way of askin' if I'm human?"

"I suppose," she countered, trying to regain control of herself.

"Glad at her attempt at feistiness, even if it only was an attempt, he shrugged. "I'm as human as y'all are now. Just because I dabble in things I shouldn't be don't mean I can't pity. Or pain."

With that, Facilier laid his lips against Tiana's, holding her in a locked embrace. They stayed there like that, their minds adrift in a far of place, only conscious of each other. Her hands slowly inched their way up to his neck, cupping his hollow cheeks, pulling him closer. As he ran his fingers over her thick hair while the other hand snakes its way around her waist, she pulled away and stared at him, tears slowly filling her beautiful brown eyes. "I…I can't do this, Facilier. This is wrong."

Inwardly, he grimaced at her strong moral code but he displayed an entirely different emotion on his face. Faux pain and sorrow threaded his eyebrows together and he hung his head, playing a victim as well. "You're right, Tiana. Y'all's married. I shouldn't be doin' this," his voice rang with tortured misery. Out of the corner of his eye and the brim of his hat, he spotted Tiana's torn, forlorn face.

"No, it ain't you." Turning back to her, he watched as she smiled half-heartedly. "I came back here. You didn't force me or anything. So," she slid out from the Shadowman's grasp and headed for the door. "I'll just be on my way." She watched as Facilier turned his back and waved his hand to her before she opened the door, but before she walked out, she looked back as his sad silhouette and touched her tingling lips gingerly with her fingertips. When she finally closed the door, Facilier turned, grinned and gave his Shadow a slick high-five.


A/N: Um… thank you to all of my lovely reviewers! And for those that reviewed anonymously, I will not discontinue this story. I repeat: I will NOT discontinue THIS STORY. So please, just relax during a gap between chapters. Please take note, I am studying for FINALS as well. Thank you and have a pleasant evening ^_^