Hey everyone. Sorry about the delay, got a bit of writer's block. I probably won't update the next chapter until Saturday at least, coz of various reasons (like my piano exam :S)

Chapter 6

I woke up wrapped in the arms of my Significant, feeling just like I had the day before- really well rested. My hand was still on his chest, entwined with his. His other arm was around me, his hand resting on my waist, and one finger was on the bare skin between my top and pyjama bottoms. My back was facing the door, so I couldn't see who opened the door, but I vaguely heard their hushed voices. At the sound, Luc stirred, muttering something unintelligible in French. His hand moved from my waist to the small of my back and he pulled me closer, sighing. I tried to calm my heart so it wouldn't wake him up and kept perfectly still.

After a few minutes, the door shut again and I relaxed slightly. Luc's eyes snapped open and he sat up, and I realised that he had been awake the whole time. I sat up too, raising one eyebrow at him, and his smile admitted his guilt. I shook my head at him mockingly, but he just smiled. I suddenly had the overwhelming urge to kiss him. I immediately blushed crimson when I realised he had heard it and started to apologise, but he put a finger over my lips to shut me up and looked deep into my blue eyes with his hazel ones.

"Hey. I said I'd wait for you remember? You're setting the pace. You don't have to be embarrassed."

"I know I… it just felt weird to be, well, practically asking without meaning to…" I trailed off. "I don't…" I took a deep breath. I made sure to block my mind off before I reflected that I basically was about to ask him to kiss me. I opened my mouth and then shut it. Instead, I opened my mind to his and spoke.

I don't think you need to wait for me now, I told him. He smiled at me. He leaned closer to me and a thrill went through my chest at the fact that he was about to kiss me. I closed my eyes and his lips almost brushed mine when the door opened again quietly and we jumped apart.

"Oh my… I'm so sorry, I didn't mean… I mean I wasn't…" Maggie blushed as she tried to back out and shut the door.

"Don't worry about it," I called to her. "Come in. Did you want us?" I figured the moment was broken anyway.

"Later," Luc breathed into my ear, making me shiver and get girly jumps in my chest. We moved slightly apart as Maggie advanced cautiously into the room.

"Winifred wanted to get you up as soon as she arrived, but I told her to wait. I thought you were both still asleep, but I was just checking on Winifred's insistence that she be notified the moment you woke up…" she trailed off, smiling as she realised we were both amused.

"Alright, go get, um, ready, and we'll be meeting in the kitchen. Thanks for letting her stay," she added to Luc, who smiled and nodded. I wondered when he'd sorted this out. Probably when I was buried in his chest and they were fussing.

She left, shutting the door behind her, and I started to get out of bed, but Luc stopped me with a hand on my arm. My gaze moved to his eyes and I admired the combination of brown with green rings, autumn colours.

"Anna," he told me, snapping me out of the eye-awe. My name on his lips sounded so right, and very sexy.

"Anna," he said again, and, once again I blushed. I reminded myself not to put any blusher on this morning, not that I normally did anyway.

"Anna!" He rolled his eyes. I was very distracted this morning. He moved his head a little closer.

"You really mean it? That I don't need to wait for you?"

"Yes." I told him firmly. "I don't want you to wait for me. Because, I don't want to be the one that starts the first kiss, you know?" I added, killing the serious atmosphere. He smiled and shook his head at me and we went to get ready.

When we appeared downstairs, I saw Caleb's Winifred, sitting at the table, tucking into pancakes and chuckling.

"I left some mixture for you so you could make fancy pancakes," Caleb told Luc, who rolled his eyes and moved to grab a frying pan.

"Proper pancakes, better known as crêpes!" he told him.

"There are some left if you want good pancakes, and there's enough mixture for fancy food if you want." Caleb told me. I exchanged a glance with Luc. "Crêpes, Caleb" I told him. He rolled his eyes.

"Another fancy-pants," he mock-sighed.

"Hey! I appreciate MacDonald's as much as the next person, but if the choice is between that and a Michelin star restaurant, which are you gonna choose?" I reasoned. Caleb's Winifred laughed.

"I like her," she told Caleb, laughing. "And you can call me Winifred."

"Hi. I'm Anna," I told her.

"So, let's have a look at this here mark," she told me. As Luc busied himself with proper pancakes, I sat at the table. She took my arm and examined the blackened-looking handprint that encircled my arm. She then leaned my head forward to look at the one hidden by my hair- it seemed she had been told where I had been grabbed. She sighed.

"I'm sorry Anna."

"You can't get rid of them?" I asked, worried.

"No, no! I can fix them, but since they were both with very malicious intent, you will have to relive the moment. And it's gonna hurt. So, I suggest you have a little breakfast before we get this done."

She drank coffee whilst Luc and I ate the most divine pancakes I had ever tasted. It turned out he was an awesome cook- at least, where crêpes were concerned. Then, Winifred ushered us to the sitting room, where she ordered me to lie down.

"Alright, you're gonna need some help, I'm afraid." She told me. She gestured to Luc, who got down beside me. He looked askance at me and then, when I nodded, he took both my hands in his and stared into my eyes. Lining up her fingers perfectly with the mark, I saw Winifred's eyes swirl bright green and then the dream played in reverse. I saw Marcus' enraged expression and felt his hand connect with my arm. I felt the burn of the offence mark, but also the hate that Marcus felt, his loathing for me and humans in general, despite the fact that he was a human himself. I shivered involuntarily and gasped.

Winifred removed her hands and I saw that the mark around my wrist was gone.

"Wow," I breathed, examining my wrist, but there was no visible sign of the blackened mark that had been there just a few seconds ago.

"Now for the head." Winifred moved round to positions herself behind my head and pushed my hair this way and that to find the marks hidden by my hair.

"Why does it matter? You can't see the ones on my head," I told Winifred.

"Offence marks do more than just mark your skin- they make you more tired until they're removed. So, until we get this one off, you'll be more tired." She told me, placing her hands on my head. Luc got a more secure grip on my hands and I squeezed my eyes shut.

"Okay," I told her. I felt his hand dig into my scalp and his malevolence, as well as the pain of the offence mark. I watched Marcus shake me, his triumphant grin fade and his hand finally leave my hair. I came to, realising that I had thrashed around and that Luc had dived on top of me to pin me down. I apologised to Luc, but he waved me off, telling me that it was fine.

I went upstairs and checked my phone for the first time in I couldn't even remember how long. I had a few missed calls from Lillian and a really long text. It read:

Anna, I am so sorry about last week, I know you're really angry at me and I definitely deserve it. The truth is, I have no good excuse. I fell asleep and my phone was in the kitchen. I woke up and completely forgot until the next day. I feel so bad and I'm so sorry, I hope you can forgive me sometime, if not now. I'll stop bothering you now.

I had completely forgotten about her blowing me off at the cinema. She had booked the tickets, which was why I didn't just go and watch the film without her. But I wasn't angry at her at all, miffed, if that. I knew she would have a reason. I realised that she probably thought I hated her because I hadn't texted back or anything. I quickly texted her.

Hey, shut your face! Of course I'm not mad at you! Idiot! ;) I'm sorry for making you think that I was but I only saw all this today coz I had really bad flu (in summer, I know!) :( and I'm only just recovered, so saw it today. Dw about last week, seriously. I know you're still gonna worry. STOP (I used capitols so you have to believe me :P ) anyways, we should meet up. When r u free? Xxx

I hated to lie to her but I had to make up an excuse for being ill. It wasn't like I could tell her 'ooh, by the way Lill, I found my soul mate, but I didn't believe him and it hurt to be without him, so I got ill'. It sounded ridiculous even in my head. Her reply was the quickest she had ever given.

Are you sure? Coz I know what I did was horrible and I'm a terrible friend… :( x

I rolled my eyes. Lillian worried about everything. And I mean everything. She was incredible at music- she had met and played for the Queen, for goodness sake- but she thought that she had failed her music exam (it had turned out that she got almost full marks)

No. I hate you. Go away. Of course I'm sure, silly! :) Why would I just put all that if I hadn't forgiven u? You're an awesome friend, shut up… :P We need to meet up I haven't seen u in ages! Xxx

I hoped that the sarcasm would make her really believe I had forgiven her.

Oh phew! Thanks, but I'm really not. You free today? Xxx

Luc, who had been reading over my shoulder, smiled.

"If you want to go see her, it's fine. Marcus won't try anything if you're at hers. He won't know where you are," he told me.

I made plans with Lillian and spent the rest of the morning with Luc, getting to know him better. Something kept bugging me. I wasn't sure what, but I was sure that something from his past that he didn't want me to know, for some reason. I was curious, but respected his privacy. If we were going to be in each other's heads for the rest of our lives, I would probably find out eventually, but I had no intention of prying until he wanted to tell me. So I kept my mouth shut and my mind guarded about it. But I got the distinct feeling he was hiding something from me.

Ooh. I had a lot of fun writing this chapter- I really wanted them to kiss, but Maggie wouldn't let me. Lillian is exactly like my best friend, and the texting is how I'd imagine her to react. And the cliffhangar. I'm so cruel ;) See you next time!