A Slow Change of Heart
Chapter thirteen: Darkness Consumes
Nuada woke to a body twined with his. One of the girls arms was around his waste and the other around his back, his leg was tucked between hers and her head laid against his chest. He tried to move his legs but all he managed to do was wake the girl, who looked up to his face with confusion from being woken up.
"Mutt, I have had great patience with you, but if you do not release me I will strangle you with no remorse."
Not a morning person Melissa felt anger. "It literally takes two to tangle, I can't release you if you don't let go of my waist." Nuada, angered for being made a fool, moved his arms and pushed Melissa off the bed. "You are the biggest ass in the world Nuada." It fell on deaf's ear as Nuada walked into the bathroom.
(Cafeteria)
Nuada sat next to his sister who smiled as one of the twins pulled his hair. He had only agreed to eat breakfast with them because his sister and the mutt wouldn't leave him alone if he didn't. He didn't think he would have to suffer Liz's child leaning over to pull his hair. Melissa sat across from him not even trying to contain her laughter drawing attention to his predicament causing others to laugh. He wished to slice all their throats.
"Nuada, don't look so upset. The baby just likes you, plus if the baby notices your frown he may set your hair on fire." Melissa commented.
Hellboy was gasping for air becuase he laughing so hard from the mental picture he made of Nuada's head on fire.
Before Nuada could lose his patience the alarm sounded.
"Damn I haven't finished eating."
"Lets go Hellboy."
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"A sewer." Melissa said with disbelief.
Manning flipped through a file in hand. "Witnesses have said they saw at least two trolls down there, a few bodies have been found that could have been killed by the trolls. We are required to go and stop them."
"But a sewer." Manning glared.
"Can you at least get me some boots?"
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Agent Myers dropped from the ladder onto the walkway in the sewer line. Hellboy, Abraham, Nuada and a few other agents had already come down. Agent Cree jumped down after him. Everyone looked up to Melissa coming down the ladder, the ladder didn't reach all the way down, having been broken in half by something so the distance between her and the ground was pretty good.
"I hate every last one of you for being tall." Nuada came to stand under her.
"Let go brat." Melissa let go to fall into his arms, just for him to drop her on her ass.
"I hate you and your seven foot self."
"Six foot eight, girl."
"Shut it."
The team split, Melissa with Hellboy, Nuada with Abraham, and Agent Myers and Agent Cree with the other agents. The teams traveled throughout the networks that made up the sewer.
"Man it stinks, why does it stink so much." Hellboy thought aloud.
"honestly, you don't want to know."
A clunk sound made both of them stop in their tracks.
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"Guys, help, trolls, six!"
The sound of Melissa's panicked, screaming voice over the radio had everyone running to find them hoping 'six' wasn't the number of trolls the two were fighting.
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A troll fell dead from the wounds Melissa emitted to him with her touch. Together the two killed four trolls, having two left over. One came up behind her and raised its arm to strike when the water level suddenly rose. All four of them were consumed by the rising water. All that was heard was Melissa's scream.
Jewel stood with her arms outstretched holding the wall of water up, hoping Hellboy could hold his breath longer than the trolls. She briefly let a bubble of air surround him so he could get some air before releasing it. Her body was weakening but she held until something sliced her side. Jewel had not choice but to release the water with a scream. The water collapsed and the four bodies fell, only one getting up.
"Melissa!" Hellboy ran to lift her lifeless body out the water.
Nuada rose his arm to slice Jewel's head off when a shot rang. The other agents had appeared and one had shot Nuada's arm to prevent him from killing the new agent. The others stopped and trained their guns on Nuada as some others went to surround him. Jewel backed up from the situation.
Agent Myers ran past them to Hellboy and Melissa.
"Hold your arm still under her."
Myers starting giving rescue breathes, one breath every three seconds.
"One one thousand, two one thousand, three" breathe. "One one thousand, two one thousand, three" breathe. "one one thousand, two one thousand, th. . ."
Melissa coughed up water. Hellboy lowered her down as Myers checked her pulse. Melissa shoved him out the way and half ran have wobbled to Nuada's side.
Melissa walked through the circle of agents to kneel by Nuada's side and examined his wound. "The bullet went threw." Melissa placed her hands on his arm and healed the wound.
"Okay what the hell is going on?" Hellboy came to stand behind Nuada and Melissa.
"He tried to kill me!" Jewel yelled from behind a few of the agents. Her hand clapped her side where the blood was seeping out. "I didn't see the girl, she's so short, the troll concealed her!"
"The girl was traveling with Hellboy you knew that, and it was her voice over the radio!" Jewel opened and closed her mouth like a fish.
Nuada glared at her. "The punishment for attacking a royal guard is death."
The agents prepared to shoot him when Melissa stood up holding his spear and stood directly in front of him which was in front the line of fire.
"You have to shoot me first if you want to shoot him." The agents looked at one another before one took a step forward.
Melissa, in one swift move, rose the spear above her head to extend it just to hold the long spear at the agents neck.
"Don't think I won't kill you, because I'll die protecting him." Both of her hands held the spear firmly to the agents neck, ready to twist it anyway need be to protect Nuada.
"What happened?" Liz came running towards the others just to stop when she saw the situation, guns trained on Melissa who stood in front of a kneeling Nuada. She instantly engulfed her hands in fire and walked to stand near Melissa, ready to strike any who fired at the girl.
Nuada stood and placed both of his hands on the spear next to hers. He looked straight down since the top of her head barely reached his shoulders.
"Let go." Melissa slowly lowered her hands to her sides but stayed in front of Nuada.
"Move beside Hellboy, girl." She stayed where she was.
"It's alright, nothing is going to happen." Melissa slipped under his arm still facing the other agents to stand in front of Hellboy, her chest moving up and down quickly with her rapid breathing. She rested all her weight against his stone arm.
Nuada reatracted his spear and strapped the it on his back. With a final glance to Agent Cree, he turned and wrapped Melissa's arms around his neck to carry her out the sewer. Melissa instinctively wrapped her legs around his waist loosely and Nuada held her with one arm under her and the other around her waist.
"Are you okay Nuada?" Melissa whispered in his ear from her resting spot on his shoulder.
"I am well child, never do that again." Nuada firmly ordered her.
"I am not following that order, I protect the ones I love and you are included in that."
"Sleep child."
Melissa gave no response, she was already asleep.
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Melissa woke to tiny hands braiding her short hair.
"I almost died and the three of you decide to braid my hair, nice," She got out of bed and went to the bathroom. After washing her hands Melissa looked at her reflection.
"I look like a white Jamaican with dreadlocks, you better undue this!" She reached for her toothbrush to find someone else's. that's when she took notice. The room was Nuada's, not hers.
"Let's go guys, I want to shower in a room that has my clothes in the closet."
(Melissa's room)
Nuada walked into the room to see Melissa pull a shirt over her head. The sight of her little pouch let him know that the girl at least ate unlike the demented humans who either starved themselves or threw up their food just to be thin to appeal to the opposite sex.
"The tin man wishes for you to see one of their doctors to make sure you are well."
Melissa finished fixing her hair to look at him. "Why didn't you bring me there yesterday."
Nuada shook his head no. "I rather they not mutilate your body with a knife just to see that you are well.'
"They don't do that for everything Nuada, but thanks for the concern."
Nuada came to stand in front of her. "You have saved me life, out of tradition and honor I am required to give you anything you wish, name it and it shall be yours."
Melissa tilted her head in thought, she then looked back at him. "I like the jewelry at the Troll Market, would it be too much to ask for a necklace or bracelet?" Nuada's eyebrows rose at such a simple request for saving his life.
"Fine, but I would like to get it on my own, certain symbols and styles mean certain things, I would not have you where a necklace or bracelet that means you are a whore."
"And I am completely okay with that."
(Troll Market)
Nuada walked to a certain vendor in the market. Rather then purchase the gift Nuada decided to make it instead, a gift made from his own hand would mean more than one purchased. After purchasing the required gold and jewels, Nuada went to his old home, the one he stayed with Wink during his exile.
He bended the heated metal to the shape he wanted with care. The gold ring she wore complemented her skin well so he decided upon a gold bracelet with a few sapphires. He had arranged for him to be gone from the bureau for a few days, saying he would be looking for the faes that wished to use Melissa for their own gain so he could work on the bracelet without having BPRD agents hunting him.
(Four days later)
Melissa sat in the library reading a book on gremlins. Nuada walked up the stairs to where she sat on the couch. He took her left arm and placed the bracelet on it. He then dropped a bundle of clothes on her lap. He saw the silk clothes while leaving the Troll Market and decided to improve her appearance. The child's clothes never fit her too well, the shirts were a bit too loose and the pants were too long and didn't fit her legs correctly.
"It's so pretty and what's with the clothes?"
Nuada turned to walk away. "I am tired of you looking like a homeless child." He left.
"Your such a dick Nuada!"
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I hope you read this part because . is where you can see what the bracelet looks like. His clothes kind of remind me of the Chinese or Middle Earth elves so that's the ones I think of for her. R&R