Hey, homies! What's up? I hope everyone that wanted to got my message last time about my pen name changing. It was originally going to be CrystalPhoenix, but someone already had that name, so it's now PhoenixCrystal! Hope you still found me ok... For those of you that are still here, yay!
Thank you to everyone who reviewed! I love getting input, it really helps me.
This chapter is relatively short, especially compared to the last chapter. The really fun thing about it is that this chapter is entirely original to me. Yup, I made the whole thing up! (Unintentional rhyme, by the way! Or not…) I've had this part planned since, like, the first moment I came up with the story, and I've been looking forward to writing it ever since. There is more romantic stuff in this chapter, a lot more than there has been before this. It's fun, though. And very cute…
Oh, and I should mention… It will probably be a little while before I update again. I have the next two Fridays of school off, and that's when I type, so… yeah. But, on the plus side, I'm gonna be ordering an iPod today, and the first thing I'm gonna put on it is… drumroll please… Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull! Woot! Clap clap! Inspiration galore! Way fun. So please don't cry!
Disclaimer: I do not own Indiana Jones or any of the characters in it. But I wish I did. But I don't. But I wish… oh, whatever.
Chapter Six: "I Won't Let Anyone Hurt You"
Mutt stood with his shoulders hunched, warming his hands over the small fire. He and Dr. Jones and Nat were in a cave, located in the foothills outside Nazca.
After Nat had found out where the graveyard was, they had all gone back to retrieve Mutt's motorcycle. When they'd arrived in the square where it was, there had been a large crowd gathered around the bike. Mutt had rushed through the gathering, expecting the worst, but, after a frantic check, he had been relieved to find that his motorcycle was just fine. After this moment of excitement, Dr. Jones had found and bought what he called "safe food." When asked what this meant, he had declined to explain, saying, "You won't feel well enough to eat if I tell you." This comment had put fear into Mutt and Nat's hearts, and they had stopped asking about it.
After the "safe food" had been purchased, Mutt had gotten on his motorcycle, Dr. Jones behind him holding the food. They had driven to the outskirts of town, and then waited for Nat to catch up with them on foot. When she'd arrived, she had transferred her mode of travel to her glowing surfboard and led them across a bit of the desert to the hills. Without even the slightest bit of hesitation, she'd showed them the way to the cave they were now in. Dr. Jones had lit a fire and cooked the food, and they had all enjoyed the stew-like creation he'd made. After dinner, they had all moved to different places in the small chamber they were in: Dr. Jones towards the mouth of the cave, Nat to a small ledge of rock sticking out of one wall, and Mutt remaining by the fire.
It was a bit chilly in the cave, even though it was midday outside, so Mutt was glad of the warmth from the flames before him. The fire was up on a flat piece of rock almost exactly in the center of the cave. Mutt heard a noise behind him and glanced over his shoulder to see Dr. Jones walking back towards them.
"Now that we've eaten, you two need to get some sleep," he said briskly.
"What about you, Teach? Are you gonna sleep?" Mutt asked, allowing a bit of annoyance to creep into his voice.
"I slept on the flight here," Dr. Jones stated proudly, "You two haven't slept in at least 30 hours."
"Fine. I'll sleep." Mutt moved a little away from the fire and lay down. The rocky floor wasn't exactly what he would call comfortable. After nearly a minute of adjusting his position, Mutt cried, "How am I supposed to sleep when there's no part of the floor that's sharp?"
"You'll get used to it," Dr. Jones said. When Mutt glared at him, he added, "Take your jacket off and use it as a pillow; that always seems to help a little."
Mutt reluctantly shrugged out of his leather jacket; then folded it and placed it on the floor. To his surprise, it did actually relieve some of his discomfort. But only some of it. He was now only wearing his T-shirt on the top, so his torso was freezing. He folded his arms tightly and rubbed his hands up and down his upper arms in an attempt to warm up.
"You, too, Nat," Dr. Jones said suddenly. Mutt lifted his head. Nat was still sitting on her little ledge. She folded her arms and gave Dr. Jones a stubborn look.
"I don't need to sleep," she said quietly.
"Last time I checked you did," Dr. Jones retorted, "Sleep, or I'll… well, I'll make you!"
"What are you going to do, pretend I'm in your class and give me a lecture?" Nat asked teasingly, but she got off the ledge and onto the floor beside it.
"Jacket off," Dr. Jones instructed. Nat sighed and slid her arms out of her coat sleeves. Now that she wasn't wearing the huge jacket, Mutt had a better view of just exactly how slim she really was. Dr. Jones seemed to notice this, as well, for he frowned slightly and said, "On second thought…" Then he paused.
"Jacket back on?" Nat asked, unfolding the coat again.
"No…" Dr. Jones paused again before saying, "Move over by Mutt." He turned toward Mutt. "Put your arm around her, kid; keep her warm."
There was a rather long moment of stunned silence. Then both Mutt and Nat yelped, "What?!"
"You heard me," Dr. Jones replied calmly, "It's the best solution. You'll both be more comfortable, and you'll be warmer."
Mutt stared at Dr. Jones. He couldn't believe that the middle-aged teacher would even think of something like this. Glancing over at Nat, Mutt was startled by her expression. She looked absolutely petrified. It was as though Dr. Jones had suggested that she go let a cobra wrap itself around her arm, or maybe to go and lie down next to a starved bear. This made Mutt a little indignant; he wasn't that bad, was he? But it also made him wonder what could possibly have happened to Nat that would cause her to be this afraid…
"It's your decision, Nat," Dr. Jones said. Mutt's indignation rose a few notches.
"What about me?" he snapped.
"You'll be fine," Dr. Jones answered, putting a heavy emphasis on the first word. Mutt had the strangest feeling that Dr. Jones had looked into his mind and found out the way he thought about Nat. He felt himself blush, and he fervently hoped that Nat wasn't listening to his thoughts right then.
His wish seemed to be unneeded, however, for Nat now looked as though her mind was a million miles away. It took her a full minute to realize that Dr. Jones had addressed her. Finally, Mutt heard the tiniest whisper of her voice in his mind, saying, "I… don't know."
"Come on, Nat," Dr. Jones said. Mutt couldn't tell what the underlying emotions accompanying his words were.
"I—" Nat started, but she cut herself off, glancing over at Mutt. She turned her attention back to Dr. Jones, but Mutt could no longer hear her. For the next minute or so, no words were spoken out loud. Mutt assumed that Nat and Dr. Jones were communicating through thoughts, and he wished he could hear what they were saying…
NINININININ
"I can't, Indy. I just can't!"
And why not? I know you've had every right to be afraid before. I know you've been… well, hurt before. But do you honestly think the kid would hurt you?
"…I don't know."
Oh, come on, Nat! You're the one who can read minds! You've been around him for nearly two days, now. I'm sure you've seen quite a bit of his mind.
"Not really, actually. I don't go into people's minds unless I have to."
But you've seen enough to know that he wouldn't hurt you like that. Even I can tell that, and I'm not the mind reader!
"You're probably right, but that doesn't really change my feelings about it."
All right, then, I'll try another tactic. Have you looked at yourself recently? You have next to no body fat. Being close to someone will keep you warmer while you're trying to sleep.
"If that's all you want for me, then I could just keep my jacket on."
You're partially right. I'll admit that. You could keep your jacket on and stay warmer, though I should point out that your neck and shoulders will hurt from sleeping on a rock floor with no pillow. But I think you need to loosen up a little, Nat! You need to let other people look out for you!
"Fine. Fine, Indy, I'll do it. But I don't think I'll be able to fall asleep…"
MMMMMMMMM
"All right," Dr. Jones announced suddenly. Mutt jumped a little, startled by out-loud speech. Nat didn't look over at Mutt, so he was a little surprised when her voice came into his mind.
"I'll… I'll do it." Nat still looked and sounded frightened, but there was also a determined tone in her voice. She slowly refolded her jacket, clearly stalling for time, until Dr. Jones very softly cleared his throat. She looked up at him, and he raised his eyebrows at her. Nat sighed; then, for the first time in a while, she looked over at Mutt.
Those light silvery-blue eyes…
After this initial reaction, Mutt forced himself to focus. He propped himself up on his right elbow and gave Nat what he hoped was an encouraging-without-being-scary smile. She stared at him for several seconds; then, very slowly, began to crawl across the floor of the cave towards him. The closer she got, the slower she moved; before long, Mutt could barely tell if she was still moving or not. She completely stopped about a yard from him, paused, and then lay down on her right side, her back to him.
"Closer, Nat," Dr. Jones said quietly. She looked over at him; then glanced over her shoulder at Mutt. She slowly scooted back another foot. "Closer," Dr. Jones said again, and she moved another six inches back. Mutt, in an attempt to help her, reached out his left arm and gently placed his hand on her waist.
In the next instant, Nat launched herself back the way she'd come, making a spin in midair, landing in a crouch facing Mutt. Her eyes were huge, and Mutt could see her chest rising and falling rapidly as she gasped for breath. She looked as though she was in full fight-or-flight mode. After nearly a minute, her posture relaxed a bit. She took a deep breath; then quickly moved back over next to Mutt. She was very close, only about a foot away, when she stopped. She hesitated for a few more seconds; then she closed her eyes, took another deep breath, and lay down about six inches from Mutt with her back facing him. Mutt decided to give her a minute to get used to being this close to him before he slowly and carefully put his hand on her waist again. Nat stiffened, and Mutt almost removed his hand, but then she relaxed a bit again. Mutt, now moving as slowly as he could, gently slid his arm around her until it rested in the curve of her waist.
Nat was trembling. Every muscle in her body was tight, and her heart was beating so hard and swiftly that Mutt could feel it. In sharp contrast, her breathing was slow and regular and her eyes were softly closed. After a few seconds she reached out her arm, grabbed her coat, which was lying a few feet away, and tucked it under her head and shoulders. Mutt guessed that if you looked at her from a little distance away it would probably look as though she was asleep, but he could feel that she was still rigid. Within a few minutes, however, Mutt noticed that Nat's heartbeat had slowed a bit. Not long after that, her body began to relax.
She's actually falling asleep, Mutt thought, a little amazed. He hardly dared to breathe in case he startled her again. But he almost didn't need to worry, for within twenty minutes of laying down Nat fell into a real sleep. Her body was now completely relaxed, her heartbeat was slow and even, and her breathing was even slower than it had been a few minutes before.
Mutt, who was still propped up on his elbow, lay there and stared down at the sleeping Nat. She was fascinating when she was asleep, almost more fascinating than she was when she was awake. She looked more relaxed than Mutt had ever seen her. Her eyes were closed, which made Mutt a little sad because he loved to watch her eyes, but her lips curved up into a slight smile, and, as he watched, they parted in a silent sigh. Her body moved slightly under his arm, and her back pressed against his chest. Mutt knew that Dr. Jones was right, he didn't feel the slightest bit cold now. He continued to watch Nat sleep, but then he suddenly found himself wondering… Were her lips really as soft as they looked? Was her cheek as smooth? Was the skin of her neck that tender?... Without even realizing it, Mutt bent over slightly, but then something caught his eye. There was strange mark on Nat's neck, just under her shirt collar. Mutt leaned his head around in front of her, trying to see it better. The mark turned out to be something that looked a great deal like a tattoo, shaped like two larger elongated circles with a smaller elongated circle in between; the smaller circle had half circles curving out from its sides and four little lines radiating out from the connection points. Mutt wondered where and how Nat could've received such a mark; then suddenly it dawned on him. The mark had to be from the experiment performed on her. This thought made Mutt remember something… something he'd been meaning to ask about for a while.
"Hey," Mutt called softly over to Dr. Jones. Dr. Jones looked up.
"Hey, what?" he answered. Mutt took a deep breath; then asked his question.
"What happened to Nat? I mean, she told me about the experiment they did on her, but I think something else happened, too." Mutt thought back to earlier in the day when he'd put his hand on her shoulder in the sanatorium, and how she'd slid out from under it. "She gets scared when people tough her or even get near her. Why?"
Dr. Jones sighed before responding. "Are you sure you want to know?"
"Of course," Mutt snapped, annoyed at Dr. Jones' reaction, "Would I have asked if I didn't want to know?"
Dr. Jones gave him a long look, as though he was trying to determine if Mutt could hear this secret. "I guess you should know," he said finally. He paused for several seconds; then went on quietly, "Nat was… raped."
Mutt froze. It literally felt as though he had just jumped into freezing-cold water. He stared at Dr. Jones, wondering if the man might possibly be playing some horrible joke on him.
"It's true," Dr. Jones said, almost as though he'd known what Mutt was thinking, "She told me by accident. She was talking about something else, and she mentioned—almost against her will—that someone had hurt her. But I knew what she meant because—well, I'm sure you've had it happen to you. She says the words in your head, and sometimes other things get in, too."
Mutt nodded numbly.
"Well, this time, she accidentally sent me her memories of what had happened to her." Dr. Jones clenched his jaw, a hard look on his face. "All I can say about it is, the guy who did it better have his affairs in order."
"Does she know who did it?" Mutt asked, trying to keep his voice quiet. He wasn't upset with Nat, or worried that he'd tainted himself by being near her. All he was thinking about was how to kill the person who had hurt and scared her so much.
"No." Dr. Jones looked angry at this. "I asked her, but she has no idea. She couldn't see or hear at the time, or even use her mind abilities. All she could do was feel."
Mutt felt as though someone had kicked him in the stomach. He felt terribly angry at the person who had hurt Nat, but he also felt ashamed of himself. All those times he'd stood near her, touched her… he'd scared her every time. And the way he'd looked at her a few minutes before… it wasn't that he'd done anything wrong; it was that he'd almost acted, even though his reaction would've been unintentional, on his feelings. But somewhere out there, there was a man who had seen Nat's beauty and deliberately taken advantage of her weakness. Mutt wanted nothing more at that moment than to get that man's blood; to make him pay for what he'd done to Nat.
Mutt heard a small noise behind him. When he turned to find the source of it, he found that Dr. Jones had walked out of the chamber, presumably towards the mouth of the cave. After glancing around the cave for several seconds, Mutt looked back down at Nat. The tiniest of frowns had come onto her face, but as Mutt watched, it faded and was replaced by a slight smile. Once again she snuggled a little closer to him, and Mutt couldn't help smiling himself. He bent over her until his lips were only inches from her ear.
"I won't let anyone hurt you," he murmured, "That guy, or anyone else. I'll give everything I've got to keep you safe." Mutt paused, and his lips brushed her hair. Finally, he repeated, "I won't let anyone hurt you," then lay down fully. Feeling Nat under his arm and against his chest, Mutt knew that he would never break his promise…
iiiiiiiiiiiiiii
When Indy walked back into the cave several minutes later, a very sweet sight met his eyes. Mutt had fallen asleep as well, and he and Nat were snuggled close together, though without really being indecent. Indy smiled, and he remembered the woman that he truly loved. Nat was a lot like her, but Nat was the quiet, shy version. Indy knew that Mutt would be good for Nat, and that he would protect her. With a smile, Indy wandered back out to the mouth of the cave and sat down. He knew that he had a while to wait…
NNNNNNNNN
Nat was having a good dream. It was such a rare thing for her to have a really good dream, especially since recently her dreams had been flooded with thoughts, and, until a few days ago, those thoughts had been evil. But this dream was probably the best she'd ever had in her entire life.
There was a person with her in the dream. Nat couldn't see it clearly, but she knew it was male. He came up to her and very gently wrapped his arms around her, drawing her close. Nat would normally be terrified if someone did this to her, but she somehow knew that she could trust this dream person. He would never hurt her; all he wanted to do was keep her safe.
"I won't let anyone hurt you." His voice whispered through her mind, and Nat smiled, knowing he was telling the truth. She reached up and placed her hands upon his chest; then rested her head between them. She felt him press his lips to the top of her head. She felt safer than she ever had before. Nat hoped the dream would never end…
Wow. I hope you guys enjoyed that. If it seemed too contrived to you, I'm sorry. But a lot of fan fiction is like that, so I guess I'm ok. I hope…
I have a rather odd request. When you review (which you are going to, yes?), please tell me what your favorite line in this chapter was. It could be a spoken line or just a phrase you liked. Thanks!
Review review review!
