(Updated)

Hi everyone, I'm back with the chapter 6, thank you all for the follows and favorites, that's really cool. Anyways, I noticed you don't post review anymore (or not much), so I hope my story still please you. Enjoy!

Stockholm syndrome

Chapter 6

-Fuck! Fuck, fuck, fuck! FUUUUUUCK! He was screaming, pacing erratically through the camp.

-Vaas, calm down! Another pirate, Juan, was trying to reason with him. He was trying to keep up with him.

Vaas stopped suddenly and turned around to face his subordinate.

-How can I calm down, hermano?! He turned away from him a bit to speak to all pirates in the camp. I work with fucking wrecks that aren't even fucking able to watch some guys in a cage, damn it!

The day after the Rakyat's assault, the pirates were reorganizing to recover from the battle. Wounded were treated, fires were put off, bodies were removed. There wasn't a lot of human loss for the pirates, but many of the buildings were damaged. Not to mention the hostages, they had almost all been released. Vaas was a nervous wreck. He stood in front of the pirate, one hand was on his hip, the other pinched the bridge of his nose, his eyes closed, he was trying to breathe calmly.

-You should go see Agnes for your wound. Juan said, pointing to Vaas' bloody arm.

The latter looked at his arm. It wasn't a very deep cut but enough to need to be taken care of. Vaas, who was now a little calmer, dared to ask the pirate one last question:

-And...my Querida...is she here? He had a hesitant and nervous voice; he was ready to freak out again if the answer didn't please him.

-Uh...She… escaped with the others...Juan finally said.

Vaas was silent for a few seconds, the time to turn around and scream.

-FUUUUUUUCK!

He took a deep breath and calmed down again. He then continued on his way to the hut that was used as an infirmary. Once arrived there, he opened the door and entered. Agnes was sitting at a table writing in a notebook. When she heard him enter, she turned to him and said him to sit on the chair that was next to her. He did so; he came and slumped down on the chair.

-Show me your arm. She ordered.

He put his arm on the table. She bent down to examine it.

-It's okay, it's not very deep, I'll just disinfect and it would close by itself.

She got up and went to a cupboard to take a bottle of alcohol, cotton and bandages. She put everything on the table before taking a towel and going to a sink where she soaked it with water. She came and sat back in front of Vaas. She cleaned the remaining of dried blood on his skin and disinfected the wound with alcohol. Vaas watched her in silence. After a while, he said:

-They took her from me.

Agnes didn't look up from her work, but she was intrigued by what he had just said.

-Who? She asked.

-These bastards took my Querida away from me. He was almost pouting like a child.

She said nothing. She just smiled a little at that. Vaas seemed to have attached to Emilie. She finished what she was doing and stood up. But before she could get away, he grabbed her by the waist and pressed his head on her stomach. He tightened his grip and said, almost begging:

-Stay with me.

She smiled again and with her hand, stroked his hair as if to reassure him. He didn't do it often, but when he did, it was always in front of Agnes. He cried, as if she was the only person before who he could be in such a state of weakness. She was used to it. He released his grip and leaned back in the chair. Agnes wiped one of his tears with her thumb and put her hand on his cheek. He lifted his head to look at her, she smiled to him.

-I'm here.

The days passed. Emilie quickly recovered from her wounds, her thigh was almost completely healed. She felt good living in the village and was gradually becoming a part of the community. Every night, they sang, danced and drank around a campfire. But despite all that, Emilie felt a kind of void. Yes, she sorely missed something, but what?

Emilie was sitting on the beach, facing the sea. She was staring at the horizon thoughtfully. She missed something, someone. She thought of her sisters, yes they were missing but it wasn't that. Her parents, too, but it wasn't that either. She sighed and pulled her legs against her chest. Almost unconsciously, she touched her lips with the tip of her fingers. She thought back about that time, about him.

Vaas had tried to kiss her, his mouth tasted like alcohol and tobacco, his saliva spread on her closed lips and his dirty hands pressed her flesh like a vise. She was disgusted at this time. But, looking back... She seemed to have loved it. The warmth, closeness, sweetness. She could see him again in front of her, with that little smirk. She felt a sudden longing. His smiles, his words, his approach, did she miss... him? No. No, no, no, definitely not! She shook her head vigorously as if to remove the thought. It must be the sun beating down on her head, or perhaps fatigue, she rambled completely. She laid her head on her lap.

-Tu deviens folle ma pauvre. She thought aloud.

*You going crazy, poor girl.*

-You are talking to yourself, now?

She jumped when she heard a voice behind her. She turned abruptly. Dennis. fortunately, it was just him. She gave him a small smile before turning back to face the sea.

-It's you, you scared me.

He came to sit beside her. He looked in the same direction as her.

-It's beautiful, isn't it? He asked, looking at the blue sea reflecting the beautiful sunlight.

-Yes. She replied softly.

-I want to ask you something... He said, a little hesitantly.

-What?

-Well, I know you have a family, a home waiting for you in Europe. But... He hesitated. Stay here. He finally said.

She gave him a little surprised and confused look.

-Stay here, with us, join the Rakyat and fight with us. He said encouragingly.

-Dennis, listen… Emilie tried not to be too direct, she saw a kind of hope in his eyes and she didn't want to hurt him. I don't… want to fight, I don't share Rakyat's convictions…

-But you are a strong and proud woman, you don't know it but the tatau will show it to you. Saying that, he grabbed her left forearm and looked at her in the eyes.Citra will show it to you.

Emilie didn't like this sudden contact and she pulled away from his grip. The tone started to get tense.

-I… I don't even know who is this… Citra, you talk to me about her every day but I have never seen her! And why would I fight with you anyways? My only goal is to leave this island and come back home!

-With us you will be able to take your revenge on Vaas, he killed your sisters, right?

Dennis was still insisting. She started to get angry, she stood up.

-No, I don't want to, I can't! Thank you so much for your help and all you've done for me, but I'm going away, I'm leaving this crazy island and I'm going to find my family where she is waiting for me!

She turned around and started to go.

-You will never get away from this island, you will never come back home… He said monotonously. Her heart skipped a beat but she walked again as soon.

Emilie was angry. She went back to the shack where she lived. She started to gather some stuff. She decided to leave. She hurried not to loose time and not to be restrained, but before she could exit, Dennis entered and saw her.

-What are you doing? He asked.

-Don't you see? I'm fucking leaving. She answered angrily.

Dennis tried to reason with her:

-And where will you go? In the jungle, you won't survive a day. And if the animals don't kill you, Vaas will find you!

-I don't give a fuck! I don't want to stay here. She said while she continued packing some stuff.

-Listen, I was a little blunt with you back there, I'm sorry. But think of it, Citra needs a person like you, you are a warrior, Emilie. He said approaching her.

She turned around to face him and glanced at him.

-You are freaky. Your stories of warriors, tatau or I don't know what! She calmed and continued. I prefer to leave, Dennis. He didn't reply anymore. He just looked at her leaving. She walked away from the village and entered the jungle that was darkened by the night.

She walked for a long time before stopping to rest. She lay on the ground and curled up. The jungle was terrifying. She didn't see anything, she just heard the whisper of the leaves, the cries of the animals and she felt the humidity of the earth freezing her skin. She was cold, yes, but she was scared above all. A few tears rolled on her icy cheeks, she wanted to call for help. One name came to her mind.

-Vaas.

This morning, Vaas woke up at dawn. He didn't sleep a lot currently, he was… preoccupied. It had been more than a week that the Rakyat attacked, they took a lot of his hostages, but especially, they took italicher. He has never felt that before, as if someone had taken away a piece of his life. In fact, yes, he had already felt that. But that was before his sister betrays him. Since that day, he had never trusted anyone again, he had never attached to anyone again, he had never loved anyone again, except himself. Yes, since that day, he hated that feeling.

Vaas was strolling around the aisles of the almost empty camp. He was lost, why did he feel that? There was a sort of link that held him to her, a link that was impossible to undo. He was sick, not because he was away from her, but because he didn't want that link, that sense of attachment which deprived him of his freedom, he denied it and rejected it. No, he didn't love her, he only loved himself! In fact, he was afraid.

After a moment, Vaas got tired of thinking about all that. He decided to go for a walk in the jungle to clear his head. He made sure to have his pistols and his knife on his belt and left. The sun had barely risen on the island, the temperature was still low and the morning dew glistened on the green leaves. He loved it, for anything in the world he would leave this island, the island where he was born, his island.

Emilie had spent a horrible night in the jungle. She had hardly slept, she was exhausted. She was still trying to sleep when she heard the growl of an animal. She opened her eyes with difficulty. Fear seized her when she saw a tiger, walking in a circle around her, growling. She tried to get away from the beast but it suddenly approached. Emilie was terrified; she didn't know what to do. She tried not to make sudden movements not to upset the animal.

She was trapped, she was its prey, she would be eaten by this beast. She still managed to stand up, but immediately, the animal lunged at her with a roar. She fell heavily on her back. The beast was kicking legs, fangs. Emilie struggled with all her might to defend herself. She was crushed under the weight of the animal. She tried to grab the knife she had taken with her before she left but she couldn't reach it. Her situation was desperate, she could do nothing, she screamed, she struggled but the beast was much more powerful than her. She thought of giving up when-

BANG! BANG!

The animal fell heavily on the ground, two bloody holes in the head. Emilie caught her breath and put her ideas in place. When she realized what had happened, she turned to look behind her. Vaas. He stood there, gun in hand and a smile on his face. She didn't move, she was just looking at him with shock. He approached her quietly and crouched to bring their faces closer. With a big smile, he caressed her bloody cheek plunging his gaze into Emilie's.

-I found you.

She said nothing, she didn't interfere. In fact, she was lost. She looked at his smile, a soft smile, not like she used to see them. A hopeful and kind smile. Suddenly he took her in his arms and held her with all his might. She tried to understand what was going on, why did he act like that? She didn't know, but for the first time since her arrival, she began to love him a little. At that time, she saw a completely different Vaas. Maybe what Agnes had said was true?

She was pulled out of her thoughts when she felt something land on her partially opened mouth. She took a little while before realizing that he was... kissing her. She let it go once again. It was exactly like she had imagined, soft, warm and sensual. She was living this taste she had hated, she was loving this closeness that had disgusted her. She was loving it all, she wanted it to never stop.

But they parted reluctantly. She gave him a smile before he violently knocked down her face with his fist. The blow caused her to waver on the side. She held her cheek as to stop the pain. Her eyes were wide with surprise and incomprehension. Before she could ask anything, he took her by the arm with his big hand squeezing hard enough to leave bruises.

-Lit'le bitch. He spat.

He pulled her up and dragged her to the camp. She didn't resist, still shocked by what had just happened.