I don't own the Wardstone Chronicles

More Lamia x John Ward. I might add/change this later. Enjoy!

She sometimes worried him. She sometimes worried him by the way her eyes would glaze over, as if she wasn't really there but somewhere else- at least, in her mind. She sometimes worried him by the way she looked at him, with that unreadable expression. She sometimes worried him by smiling a smile that didn't reach her eyes.

She worried him now.

She worried him now , leaning against the window with her eyes closed and looking so weary and lost at the same time. She looked lonely, sad, and pained all at the same time; her posture tense , one of her arms wrapped around her stomach as if she was either hurt or attempting to protect herself , those beautiful eyes closed but no doubt haunted and pained.

He didn't know why, how or what, and it pained him all the more. He hated not knowing what made her so sad and closed off.

He wanted to embrace her, to offer comfort, to make the pain go away, but he didn't know how.

She wouldn't even tell him what was bothering her.

It had been like that from the beginning, from that first moment he had seen her, there had been sadness and pain in the back of her eyes. Even when she smiled , it was hidden somewhere among the happiness in her eyes.

No matter what he did or said, some of that sadness remained. She hid it well, but not well enough for him not to notice sometimes. To notice and desperately want to drive it away, without knowing how.

It drove him crazy.

Her silence drove him crazy even more. He had asked her, had gently attempted to make her tell him what was wrong, but she was never willing to answer his questions. She never gave more than vague answers.

Sometimes she simply gave him a small, sad smile. Sometimes she only sighed. Sometimes she leaned into him, but didn't say anything.

It broke his heart to see her like that.

She looked vulnerable, small and yet unapproachable then. Like she had somehow been broken, but didn't want to be made whole again. Almost like she believed she deserved to be broken, like she didn't deserve the comfort and support he wanted to offer every time he saw the sadness in her eyes.

He hated the very idea she thought she didn't deserve anything.

He knew she deserved everything he had to offer and so much more. He thought she deserved to be happy, to be comforted, to be supported, to be loved.. He thought she deserved anything any man had to offer and even more.

He loved her, so very much. He just wished he knew how to show her.

He looked at her, hidden in the windowsill as if she didn't want to face the world , and sighed. He really thought it was horrible that such a strong, beautiful, intelligent woman had something so haunted and sad about her.

Who has done this to you? Who has put that sad, haunted look in your eyes? Who is you're thinking about when you stare off into the distance?

He really wanted to ask her, but he was almost afraid of the answer. Afraid of whatever dark secret she must carry inside. Afraid of losing her to the memory of someone she obviously had once loved very much.

Because he knew for certain only someone she would have loved with all her heart could have put such a haunted, pained look in those beautiful expressive eyes.

And he hated that unknown man for it.

No one had the right to hurt her so much that she had nightmares from which she woke covered in sweat and with wide, terrified eyes, no one had the right the hurt her so much that she looked conflicted and uncertain every time he whispered I love you in her eyes, no one had the right to hurt her so much that her smile never quite reached her eyes.

No one deserved that.

Especially not the woman he loved more than he had thought possible, the woman he wanted to be with the rest of his life and the woman that continued to make his life just so much better.

She stifled a sob and he simply couldn't take it anymore. He couldn't just stand there, hidden, and watch her suffer. He needed to comfort her, to reach out to her, to let her know he was there for her.

Without another thought, he gathered her in his arms and pulled her against him. She stiffened at first, gasped even softly, but relaxed into his embrace and lay her head on his chest, letting his heartbeat calm her.

One heartbeat. She sighed.

Two heartbeats. He felt her relax completely.

Three heartbeats. She embraced him back.

Four heartbeats. She raised her head just enough to look into his eyes.

Five heartbeats. Her smile finally reached her eyes.