Chapter 9

Author's Notes: Ahh! I'm so, so sorry for not updating in like FOREVER! I suffered from "Writer's Block" and I kind of lost motivation. So sorry if this chapter is sort of lame, but I had to push myself into writing something to get me back on my writing track. Anyways, tell me what you think! Thanks for reading!

The sunlight peeking through the curtains poured over Anna's face as she was peacefully dreaming, causing her to let out a moan and pull the covers over her head. It had been a while since she had felt so comfortable she didn't want to wake now and ruin it all. She let out a slow breath and was prepared to drift back to sleep until the sudden realization hit her. She was on a nice comfortable bed with blankets to cover her. Quickly she sat up and with wide eyes looked over her surroundings.

She was in a moderately small room that consisted of modern and well-built necessities. There was a bathroom on the right of her while the mini kitchen sat across the room from her. Anna had been through enough traveling of her own to know that she was in a hotel room. It wasn't the best like the ones she was used to, but she would prefer this over Dr. Abel's laboratory any day.

As she made an attempt to recall the latest events before this moment, she noticed the shirt that she had on her. It was a man's plain white dress shirt which had been buttoned up to only three buttons leaving her chest open for any wandering eyes. However from what she could see she was alone in this room and even if there had been, there would be no fixing it anyways.

Leaning back against the headboard of the bed, she hadn't noticed how exhausted she was. Her eyelids were growing heavy on her and it was proving to be quite a feat to try to keep them open. Seeing as how there was no reason to stay up, she shut her eyes to give them a little rest. Her hearing kicked in then and she suddenly noticed that the shower was running. However, with her body half asleep, she couldn't bring herself to open her eyes.

Sergei stepped out of the bathroom a minute after and spotted her in her upright position. He strolled over to her side and placed a hand on her back and bottom so as to slide her back onto her back. Once this was done he took the time to study her lovely face. The color had finally returned to her after three long days, and all that was left now was to feed her. However he couldn't do that until she awoke.

After pulling the covers up over her chest, he rose to his full height and looked out the window. He scanned the streets below for any suspicious persons, but alas found none. Although he would prefer to keep the curtains closed, the appearance of it would be all too suspicious during a bright day such as today. He wondered how long they would be able to stay in this place before Aleksander would find them. He already took a chance at staying here for as long as he has, but with Anna in her current condition he didn't want to make her move any more than she had to.

As he turned his attention back down to her he had to wonder if he would regret turning his back on Aleksander and all of SPETSNAZ anytime soon. As he continued to study her, she began letting out a little moan and tossing her head back and forth as a blush rose to her face. Wondering what she could possibly be dreaming of, Sergei placed a gentle hand on her cheek and stroked it with his thumb.

His gentle touches aroused her from her sleep and as her eyes flickered open she found herself looking up at her favorite soldier. Giving him a weak smile, she said tiredly, "Why did you wake me…? I was having the best dream about you…"

Seeing as how she was prepared to finally awake fully, Sergei helped her up into a sitting position and placed some pillows against her back to ease her. After she was settled into a comfortable position, Sergei walked off towards the kitchen and opened up the refrigerator where he pulled out a bowl of food for her. He placed the bowl at her bedside table and handed her a spoon.

Anna stared at the utensil then passed him an innocent look. "You're not going to feed me…?"

He gave her a glare then dropped the spoon into the bowl only causing Anna's frown to go deeper. Upon seeing the look on her face, he turned away as he felt that same alien feeling hit him again. He had been feeling this emotion for the past few days now and he knew that she was what caused it. This feeling was the reason why they were out here to begin with.

Oblivious to the inner battle Sergei was having within himself, Anna lifted the bowl to her lap and began to spoon the cold porridge into her mouth. Although not a big fan of the wheat dish given to her, after going through so many days with an empty stomach, the meal was pleasing to her. Before she knew it she had finished the entire bowl.

Sergei took the empty bowl from her lap and began heading back to the kitchen. As he prepared another bowl for her, he heard the bed creak. Turning around he found her prepared to rise from her bed as she swung her legs over the edge. She pushed herself up onto her feet and stumbled a little before sinking to her knees as exhaustion took over.

The soldier walked over to her side and placed a hand on her back and an arm underneath her knees as he picked her up bridal style. Within this close proximity of one another, Anna wrapped her arms around his neck and whispered sensually, "Can you carry me to the tub? I really would appreciate a hot bath…" She began to twirl a finger over his chest while leaning into him. "Would you like to help me?"

Sergei didn't acknowledge that he heard her second question, but decided that if she wanted a bath he would give one to her. It would give him some time to himself and give her the relaxation she needed. Casually he headed into the bathroom and sat her down on the edge of the tub as he began unbuttoning the shirt he had loaned to her. Anna watched him with not a single show of shyness even as she sat completely nude before him. After tossing the shirt aside, Sergei clogged the tub and turned the faucet, letting the water run. As he stared at the water rising, Anna had her eyes concentrated on him, admiring his features.

When the water reached the level of his satisfaction, Sergei rose to his full height and began to leave the room, leaving Anna to tend to her own business. He shut the door behind him and proceeded to the window overlooking the streets. He didn't know who Aleksander was going to send after him so all he could do was suspect everyone besides himself. Fortunately for him, he knew the methods SPETSNAZ used to track down their targets as he had been in charge of most of those missions. He just had to be careful and cover his tracks. However, he turned his eyes to the bathroom door; she had already attracted too much attention.

It was uncommon to find a woman with beauty like hers and on his way to this cheap little hotel he had already heard many passersby mention her lovely features. If any of Aleksander's men questioned any of them on her whereabouts, it wouldn't take long for them to be pointed in the right direction. Not to mention that he wasn't all too inconspicuous either, what with his military attire and fearful gaze, he was not going to be a face one would quickly forget.

Realizing he had to remedy at least one of these problems, he walked over to the pile of clothes in the corner of the room and dug through it. There was nothing that he owned that would pass for "casual" or at least discreet. Then as he was studying outfit after outfit, he suddenly realized another problem…

Anna came out of the bathroom at the right time and asked sweetly, "Sergei, I don't think you have any clothes for me to borrow, do you…?"

Sitting down on the bed with Sergei's military coat around her shoulders, Anna watched as he looked over the money he had in his possession. From her view she could see that he was carrying an awful lot and it was no surprise to her either with his position in the army. He began walking out, but with a frown on her face, Anna stopped him on his way out by asking, "Are you going somewhere without me…?" She didn't receive any kind of answer so she made her way towards him, the jacket dropping from her shoulders.

Sergei felt her bare body press up against his back and as he turned around he found that he was staring straight into her beautiful eyes. "Sergei," he heard her speak, "don't leave me." Although she had said it teasingly, Sergei could sense the sincerity in her voice. She didn't want to be alone.

Frustrated with his inner feelings and having difficulties considering what he should do, he sat her back down on the bed and took a seat beside her. He wanted a way to tell her that he was going to return and he knew only one way for her to understand…He tipped her chin and brushed his lips against hers. It was a light kiss in comparison to all the other ones they've shared, but this one left Anna surprised. When he had pulled away, she turned away to hide the blush that was forming on her cheeks.

Before she had any time to recover, she felt Sergei gently push her so she was down on her back and he was hovering over her. "Hey," she giggled while lightly gripping his wrists, "What are you doing?" She watched him pull the covers out from under her and soon realized he was tucking her in. Until now, she hadn't realized how sleepy she was despite how much sleep she had received and slowly felt her eyelids grow heavy. Sergei sat by her side watching as she fluttered those beautiful blue eyes of her shut.

He looked her over a few more times, realizing how he enjoyed her sleeping form, then decided it was time he took his leave. Rising from the bed, he made his way to the door and opened it to reveal the hallway. He took one step out then stopped. He glanced over his shoulder, back towards the sleeping woman on the bed, and whispered in his low voice, "I'll be back."

Anna heard the door shut soon afterwards and smiled. She flipped to her side and pulled the covers around herself even tighter. She drifted to sleep with a smile on her lips soon after.

Mere minutes after Sergei left the hotel, a SPETSNAZ soldier made his way in. He was clad in his army attire as if he was on a mission and he possessed a serious air. Upon his first entry to this unknown place, he scanned the lobby with his blue eyes while other eyes laid themselves onto him. The lobby went into a deathly silence as the soldier began making his way towards the counter.

His black boots echoed with each step he took across the floor until he reached the receptionist. She seemed intimidated by him as she felt herself backed up into a corner as his gaze penetrated into her. Gathering all her courage, the young lady gulped and asked, "Can I help you, sir?"

He placed down a picture in front of her…The picture of Sergei Dragunov. "Where is this man?" He asked in a strong, demanding voice.

The girl, despite her anxiety, managed a peek at the photo and let out a gasp. "This man…He walked in late at night carrying his wife."

The man raised a slender eyebrow. "Wife?"

"Oh, yes. She was pretty beat-up but one of the most beautiful women I've ever seen. I could never forget her face." The receptionist replied honestly.

The man narrowed his eyes as he pondered what the girl said. Sergei didn't have a wife. That he knew for sure. Considering what had been going on for the past few weeks, he could only guess that the woman who was mistaken as his wife must be none other than Anna Williams.

He smirked which startled the young lady before him. "Which room is this man residing in?"

Upon hearing his question, the girl flinched. "I-I can't release that information, sir. It's a part of our code and—" She was cut off as his hand slammed to the desk.

"Hurry up!" He yelled.

"Right away!" Quickly she pulled out her logbook and skimmed down the list of names until she came across the names, "Pretty Woman and Soldier". She was never given names from the man so she had no choice but to make them up. Clearly the girl had no sense of imagination. "They're in Room B6."

Once he received the information he began heading upstairs. It wasn't until now that the guests in the lobby noticed the machine gun strapped to his back.

The soldier headed up to the third floor where he searched for the sixth room. It stood on his right and he assured himself it was Room B6 by the plaque on the door. "Sergei…" he whispered as he gripped the handle, "You traitor…" He narrowed his eyes then opened the door…

Down in the city, Sergei exited a store carrying two bags in each hand. He was talented in many things, from cooking to fighting, but shopping was not one of them. If he could, he would have sent Anna out on this job to purchase her own clothes and undergarments. After all, how was he to know what to buy? He didn't even buy his own clothes. He glanced into one of the four bags he carried and squinted. In all honesty, he had no idea what some of the things he bought were.

The snow began to fall so he threw on his babushka that matched his brown commander's uniform. He looked down at himself and recalled how important the outfit he donned meant to other soldiers. He had climbed to the top and this uniform, with all his medals attached to it, symbolized that feat. Yet now what had he become? He had become a traitor. He had tossed away his position and honor and for what?

A snowflake fell onto the scar located on his bottom lip, leaving that area cold. Sergei placed a finger on his scar and recalled a woman who always managed to warm up his lips with a pair of her own. When he thought of her, the ideal behind his uniform suddenly didn't matter.

As he thought about her for a moment longer, he realized his urge to see her again. He hadn't been apart from her for too long, but knowing her, if she had awoken from her sleep without seeing him there, that pout of hers would appear. The image of her almost brought a smile to his face. Almost…