Author's note – I'm happy to see new names in my reviews. Seeing that my story is continuing to bring in people is wonderful! Anyway, I need to shout out a huge, HUGE thank you to Princess Artemis for her help when it came to Allen in this chapter. I don't know where I'd be without her. Also, this chapter gave me quite the problem, and I'm not too sure I'm altogether pleased with the results. I'll let you all read and see what you think of it. Happy reading!
Nearly a week had passed since Shelley had told him what was happening, and Allen had finally determined that he needed to take Shion aside to speak with her. However, he didn't desire Jr.'s presence for the conversation. It was something he felt only he and Shion needed to discuss at the moment, and he was well-aware of how fiercely overprotective of Shion Jr. was. He knew because there had been a time that role had belonged to him, and he would have done anything in his power to protect Shion from any sort of harm he could. It felt almost alien to him that he could very possibly be the one to hurt her now, and he wasn't looking forward to doing so. With what he knew, though, he couldn't just let things go the way they were. Shion needed to know how he felt.
He'd stopped in at the bridge to talk to Hammer and see if the Elsa crew was up to the challenge of helping him again. All of them looked at one another quickly, and Hammer shook his head. "We'd be happy to help you out, Allen, but there's this small problem. It seems that the Little Master caught on to what happened the last time, and he told the Captain that the only card games he'd be going to from now on were ones he set up himself. I don't know how you're going to pull this one off, honestly."
Allen brought a hand to the back of his head. "Well, there goes my entire plan then. How on Lost Jerusalem am I going to keep them apart long enough to talk to Shion?"
Shelley spoke up quietly from the terminal she was seated at. "If you would like, Allen, I can distract Little Master for the time that you need. I am not quite certain how I would go about doing so as of yet, but I know that I could find a way."
Allen wasn't happy with setting Shelley on Jr., and he said so. "I'd really rather you didn't, Shelley. You and Jr. just stopped avoiding one another, and I don't want to be the cause of the two of you having some kind of fight and not talking to each other again. I think I'll just ask Shion if I can talk to her alone. Jr.'s been easier to get along with lately, so he might be okay with it." After a quick goodbye to everyone, he left the bridge and made his way cautiously toward the cabin Jr. and Shion shared with Mary. He wasn't looking forward to it, but he was almost positive that was where Shion would be.
Shion answered the door, and Jr. wasn't far behind her. Allen averted his eyes so he wouldn't need to look into the cabin. "Allen, what brings you here? Jr., stop it," she said with a laugh as he pulled her back against him, nuzzling her neck.
Allen replied quietly, "I'd really like to talk to you, Shion. And don't think I'm looking to make you angry or anything, Jr., but would it be possible to talk to her alone?"
Jr. eyed him suspiciously. "What could you have to say to her that I can't be around for, Allen? I mean, it's not like Shion and I don't tell each other everything, anyway."
Shion had heard the low tone of urgency in Allen's voice that Jr. had overlooked. She turned to Jr. and told him softly, "I'm going to go and talk with him. You find something to do that won't drive everyone crazy, okay?"
He tightened his arms around her waist and brought his mouth to her ear. "The only one I drive crazy is you, sweetheart," he whispered in that ear and chuckled when he saw her blush. "You go ahead. I think I'll head toward the bridge and see if anything's happening that's important." He kissed her softly, and as he passed by Allen, he gave him an appraising look. "Don't say anything that's going to upset her, got that?"
Allen and Shion entered the lounge and ran into Mary as she was headed toward the door. The look she threw at Shion as she left was very unpleasant. Allen stared at the door for a few seconds before turning to Shion, shaking his head. "It hasn't gotten any better with her?"
Shion sighed heavily. "No, not a bit. Imagine having to share a cabin with her, Allen. She despises me, which means Jr. constantly wants to butt heads with her. The tension is nearly unbearable when the two of them are in there together. Thankfully, it seems as though she keeps herself occupied throughout the day and only comes in to sleep anymore. I wish there was a way to talk to her and end the conflict."
Knowing there wasn't anything he could say that would be helpful about the situation, he nodded in the direction of one of the tables. "Since we're on the subject of talking, do you think we could sit down and have a talk of our own?"
She took a seat across from him, looking confused. "You look really serious, Allen, and it's making me nervous. What is it that you need to speak to me about?"
He was quiet for a minute as he tried to gather his thoughts enough to be able to talk about his feelings rationally. "Shelley found out something at your checkup that she didn't know about. She didn't want to tell me about it, but I managed to convince her that she needed to. Shion, why didn't you tell me you were letting MOMO think you're carrying my child and not Jr.'s?"
Her hands shot to her mouth as her eyes widened. She didn't answer immediately, leading him to wonder if she was going to at all. Finally she said softly, "I guess I never really thought about your involvement in it, Allen. I just knew it would be easier for MOMO to think you and I were still together, and that it was your child I was pregnant with. We weren't talking at the time, and once we began talking again, it never occurred to me to say anything."
Her words hurt Allen deeply. Realizing that his feelings had never once come into play for her afforded him the knowledge that on a basic level, he was still somewhat invisible to her. It was that knowledge that made his tone harsh when he spoke again. "I don't understand how you couldn't think to talk about this with me, Shion. I think I had the right to know that you were letting MOMO think this about your baby."
She covered her face with her hands. Her voice was muffled when she replied. "I'm sorry, Allen. I know now that I should have said something to you. It wasn't fair that you had to hear about it from Shelley."
"No, it wasn't fair that I had to hear it from her. This was something that you should have told me. Apologizing for it now isn't going to change the fact that you kept it from me, Shion, even if it was unintentional from your side. As angry as I am over that, there's something else that I'm wondering about. Why are you letting MOMO think this? She should know the truth. Everyone aboard the Elsa knows about the relationship you and Jr. have, so I think she deserves to know, too."
She quickly uncovered her face, and he saw that her emerald eyes were frantic when she looked at him. "Allen, she can't know about it! She trusts Jr. and me completely, and how do you think she would feel if she found out we're heavily involved and that it's his child I'm carrying? I can't do that to her, at least not over a communication!"
"But it's perfectly okay to hurt me by letting her think that you're carrying my child when you're not?! Shion, do you have any clue just how much the thought of that hurts me? I'd think that by now, you'd know how much I loved you and wanted a future with you. That future included marrying you and someday having children with you. I can't have that future with you now, because it belongs to Jr.! It's not fair to me to expect me to go along with this!" Allen was trembling by the end of his speech, and he turned his head so Shion couldn't see the tears in his eyes.
There was no response from her, and after checking his emotions for the time being, he turned his head back to her. She had her face buried in her arms, and her shoulders were shaking. She was sobbing without sound, and he brought his hand to his forehead to rub at the area between his eyes. He didn't know what to say to her, so he thought it best to say nothing at all. He heard a small sniffle, and she lifted reddened eyes to gaze at him. "I know it's not fair to you, Allen, and I'm so very sorry that I never thought of what this would do to you. But I can't tell her the truth. I just can't!" She got to her feet a little unsteadily. "I'll understand if you hate me for it. You'd have every right to." Tears filled her eyes, and she turned away from him.
He was silent for a time, thinking to himself. She headed in the direction of the door, and that was when his quiet voice stopped her. "I want to ask you something, Shion. How does Jr. feel about all of this? How does he feel about the fact that you're letting MOMO think that his child belongs to me?"
She said just as quietly, "He knows it…has to be done. He's told MOMO things, though, that I didn't know about. He doesn't want her thinking you and I are still happily together."
"So he's having problems with it, too?" he prompted her.
She nodded jerkily. "Yes, but he knows as well as I do that telling MOMO right now isn't an option. She loves him far too much to hear that two people she trusts have destroyed that trust entirely. I think he's doing it mostly because he loves me and knows it's what I believe is the best course of action for now." Tears began sliding down her cheeks, and she once again started toward the door of the lounge.
"Shion." He didn't say anything else, but it was enough to bring her to a halt. She didn't turn back to face him, however. "Will you swear to me that you'll tell her the truth?" That question caused her to spin to him, her mouth open. "If you'll swear that to me, I won't say anything unless directly asked. If I ever end up talking to MOMO, though, and she asks me about it, I won't lie to her. I can't do that."
She seemed at a loss for words for a time. Her mouth worked, but nothing emerged from it. Finally, she gave him a nod. "I will tell her, Allen, and I promise you that. I just can't do it now. I can't break her heart the way I've managed to break yours due to my inability to think things through. I hope that you can find it in you to realize that it was never my intention to hurt you like I have."
He stood up, not willing to concede that to her quite yet. The hurt was still too raw for him. "The fact that I'm willing to stay silent doesn't mean that I'm not still angry over what you've done. It only means that I know exactly where Jr. is coming from when it comes to why he's going along with it. Even after all of this time, I still love you, and I know I always will." His blue eyes were sad when they met her green ones briefly, and then he walked quickly toward the door to leave the lounge.
Jr. and Shelley were both leaving the bridge, Shelley on her way down to the lower level and Jr. back toward the cabin to wait for Shion. Shelley saw Allen as he was headed into the elevator, and she knew by the set of his shoulders that the discussion with Shion could not have gone well. She said, "I must take leave of you here, Little Master. I am quite positive that the Professor is wondering where I am."
Jr. raised an eyebrow and replied, "And it's got nothing to do with the fact that we just saw Allen walk into the elevator, right?" Shelley shot him an aggravated look, and he was about to say more when he saw Shion leaving the lounge. It was obvious that she'd been crying, and without another word to Shelley, he raced off toward her. Shelley rushed in the direction of the elevator to see if she could grab Allen before he started working with the Professor and Scott.
Shion tried to smile at Jr. when he reached her side, but he wasn't buying her act. He drew her into his arms, and she rested her head upon his shoulder. "What happened, sweetheart? What did he say to you to make you cry?" His temper was flaring, and she could feel the anger building in him.
She shook her head against his shoulder. "I wasn't crying for me, Jr. I was crying because I hurt him, and that's not what I was looking to do."
He lifted a hand to stroke her hair gently. "How could you possibly have hurt him? I know he's been kind of quiet the last week or so, but what am I missing here?"
She snuggled against him and said softly, "It's not my place to tell you about it." She heard him draw a breath to say something in answer, and she removed her head from his shoulder as she hurried to say, "You know I wouldn't keep anything from you if I didn't feel I needed to. This is something Allen didn't want you to overhear, and I think I owe him the respect of keeping it that way. If he wants anyone but the two of us to know, he'll tell them."
He moved back slightly so he could slide his hand under her chin and turn her face toward him. Gazing into her eyes, he replied, "I know you're right, and I won't push you to tell me. I just hate it when you cry, and you know that all too well. As long as he wasn't deliberately intending to make you cry, I won't head downstairs and have a word with him."
She slid her arms around his neck. "You, sir, are far too overprotective. I can imagine how you're going to be when our baby makes her appearance."
He chuckled and brushed her mouth with his. "Then I'll have the two of you to take care of, and that's just fine with me. You look tired," he told her, caressing her cheek with his thumb. "How about I bring you into the cabin, and you take a small nap? Since nothing's really going on, I can lay with you and just hold you while you sleep."
She whispered, "I like the sound of that." He took her by the hand, and they disappeared into the cabin.
Shelley was through the elevator door and hurrying toward the workroom when she heard Allen's quiet voice behind her. "If you're looking for me, I haven't gotten very far." She spun around, her lavender hair flying and then settling softly around her shoulders. "I'd take that as you definitely were since you were so quick to turn back." His face was expressionless when she looked at him, but she wasn't fooled by that. She made her way back toward him quickly, taking his hand in hers. "I couldn't face going into that room with the Professor and Scott sure to be shouting back and forth at one another. I needed some time to think about some things."
"Would you like to tell me of what happened, Allen? I do not wish to pry or make you feel as though you have to speak of it, but the thought of you keeping it contained when you are so obviously hurting gives me the certainty that it will not help you. If you are not ready to talk just yet, I will understand, but please know that I am here to listen if needed." She squeezed his hand gently.
He nodded in the direction of her room. "Could we head in there? I don't want the Professor to realize I'm down here." She allowed him to enter the room first, and then she simply stood in silence, waiting for him to get his bearings and not wanting to rush him into speaking. He sighed heavily. "Is it okay if I have a seat? There's so much running through my head right now, and I think I just need to sit down." After she had nodded, he sat down upon the small sofa that she'd put in there to make the room feel more like hers than a simple gunroom that had been converted. She sat beside him, and he gave her a sad smile. "At this point, I'm thinking it would have been better if I'd never opened my mouth to Shion. I didn't think I could feel any worse than I did when you told me about it, but I was wrong."
She placed a hand on his arm in concern. "Allen, how could it have been better for you not to have said anything to Shion and not know why she has allowed such a lie to continue? What did she say to you that would have you speaking such things?"
He raised his hand to his face to cover it. "I don't know that I can go through it again without losing it, Shelley. It was hard enough to keep myself under control when I was talking to her."
She said softly, "You know that you need not control your emotions. However, if you feel that you cannot speak of it, then I am not about to force you." She gave him a small smile when he uncovered his face and then attempted to get to her feet. His hand moved to grab her wrist, and her eyes shot to his. She saw the torment he was in and cried, "Allen, I have never seen you in this much agony! Please talk to me!" Without stopping to think, she circled her arms around him.
He wrapped his arms about her tightly in return. The emotions that had built up inside him caused him to stumble over the words as he spoke. "Th-th-this is really hard for me, Shelley. I'm not…used to thinking about me and how I feel. For once, though, I just…want to talk about what I'm thinking and feeling. Wh-wh-when I talked to her about how what you'd told me made me feel…she told me that she'd never once thought about how it would affect me! I can't even begin to tell you how hearing th-that made me feel! Even after the relationship we had, my feelings…didn't even enter her mind when she decided that MOMO needed to think she was pregnant with m-m-my ch-ch-child!" He came to a halt for a minute or two, obviously too overwhelmed to continue. She simply held him, letting him know through her silence that she wasn't going to rush him.
He started again haltingly. "I think…that might be the worst thing, if I'm totally honest with you. Marrying and…having children one day has always been important to me. MOMO thinks I'm going to be a father, but I'm not! How am I supposed to be okay with that? Am I even supposed to be okay with it? I don't really think I can be… And even after I told her how much learning about this hurt me, she told me that she couldn't tell MOMO the truth. My feelings still didn't count for much of anything, Shelley. After all we've been through, I'm still invisible to her on some level, and that wasn't something I needed to hear from her. I think I wanted to hear from her that she just couldn't find a way to tell me, not that she'd never thought about my involvement at all!"
She rested her cheek against his and spoke quietly. "Allen, I wish there was something I could say that would erase this pain for you. Shion's blatant disregard of your feelings on a matter that she should have thought about much more carefully is horrifying. Would she do such a thing willfully, do you believe?"
He pulled back from her regretfully, but having her that close to him was causing him to lose focus on the conversation. While he did still and always would love Shion, it had slowly changed form to the love for a very special friend. Although he knew Shelley wasn't quite ready to hear his true feelings, he didn't think it would be much longer before he could speak to her of them. The feelings that Shion's betrayal had roused in him, though, needed to be dealt with, and he knew that Shelley was willing to listen to anything he had to say about it. "The part of me that's hurting wants to say yes, but the logical part of me that knows Shion says no. She wouldn't have done it to hurt anyone. She was really only looking to protect MOMO, and she just didn't think it through. Knowing that doesn't make it any easier that she did it and didn't give a thought to how I'd feel, though."
She seemed lost in thought for a moment before she finally answered. "I do understand that she was simply trying to protect MOMO, but with a child on the way, Shion needs to think more about others around her."
He took both her hands in his. "I agree with that. Although by the end of our conversation, she did seem to understand what she'd done and was sorry for it."
She protested, "But you said that she refuses to tell MOMO the truth, Allen! So I do not see that she understands how it made you feel at all!"
He squeezed her hands, somewhat shocked to see how emotional she'd become over what he was telling her. "I agreed to keep quiet about it, Shelley." Her eyes widened, and she seemed unable to say anything. "I know you're wondering why I'd do something like that, especially with how it made me feel. I asked her how Jr. felt about the fact that MOMO thinks his child belongs to me. She told me that he's not happy about it, but he knows that it's the only option right now. Then she told me that she thinks he's doing it mostly because he loves her and knows it's what she believes is the best course of action for now. I know exactly how Jr. feels, Shelley," he said, his tone sad and defeated. "I've loved her for so long, and while that love may have changed since our relationship ended and she started a new one with Jr., it hasn't and won't ever disappear. I told her that I won't outright lie to MOMO, though. I can't find it in myself to do that. It's not who I am."
She embraced him again, and his arms slid around her in answer. "That you were able to give her even that much is a testament to what a wonderfully caring human being you are, Allen. You amaze me at what you are capable of doing for people that you love."
He didn't say anything in reply, instead choosing to tighten his arms around her and remain silent as he thought. Something was tickling the outskirts of his mind, but he knew the time wasn't quite right yet. While he was still upset over what Shion had done, the talk with Shelley had helped him to begin forgiving her for something that she hadn't intended to hurt him with. Even with how much he'd loved Shion, he'd always known that she was capable of being somewhat oblivious to things around her, due to her inability to see how he'd truly felt about her. He was beginning to think in another direction now, though, and he found he welcomed the change.
Upstairs, Shion was beginning to stir, her eyes blinking sleepily. She hadn't meant to sleep so deeply, but from the rhythm of Jr.'s breathing, he'd ended up falling asleep as well. She shifted in his arms to face him and smiled softly. Lifting a hand to stroke his cheek gently, she marveled at how peaceful he seemed while sleeping. "You look so innocent when you're asleep, but we both know that's not who you really are," she teased him, snuggling into his chest. His arms tightened around her, and she heard him yawn.
"Damn, I didn't mean to fall asleep," he muttered. He was quiet for a minute, and then he said in a sly tone, "So just how much do you watch me when I'm fast asleep? Am I really that interesting? I'd think I'm much more interesting awake when we're both in this bed."
She reared back to glare at him, her lips pursed angrily. "Oooh, you weren't asleep at all! And you certainly are full of yourself, I hope you know."
He grabbed her hand as she pulled it back to smack him lightly, bringing it to his mouth. He could see her melt instantly, and he pressed a soft kiss to the inside of her wrist before drawing her close. "Hitting an innocent like me is pretty wrong, I hope you know." Before she could do more than open her mouth to retort, his mouth had covered hers, and her ability to think clearly disappeared. They were becoming lost in one another when the sound of the door opening penetrated the sensual haze that had begun to surround them.
His hands slid from her hips, and he groaned. She leaned down to kiss him quickly before shifting off of him. She sat up, hastily rearranging her clothing, and felt him move behind her, putting himself into a position to press soft kisses to her neck.
"Can't ya two knock it off for the time I gotta be in here?" Mary snapped. "Lord, it's bad enough that ya gotta do that while we're tryin' to eat at mealtimes, and I gotta watch it. It ain't like she's gonna get any more pregnant than she already is." She rolled her blue eyes, grabbed a disk from the shelf above her bed, and began walking back toward the door.
Jr.'s eyes narrowed, and Shion brought a hand to her forehead. It would be so much easier if she could just stay quiet for the time she's in here rather than getting him aggravated. I'm so tired of all the tension, and he won't listen to me about ignoring her.
"Who the hell even asked you, Mary? What, do you think I'm not ever going to touch her again because she's pregnant now? And if we're bothering you so damn much at mealtimes, then stop freakin' looking!" Jr. got to his feet and straightened to his full height.
"Yeah, well, that's kinda tough when the two of ya are so busy shovin' it in all our faces! Tells ya how much shame she's got, anyway, lettin' ya hang all over her like that! She just likes showin' off who she's got in her bed is all!" Mary had stomped over to Jr., her hands planted firmly on her hips.
While Shion ached to say something in return, she didn't have time before Jr. shouted back, "You've got a helluva lot nerve, Mary! She's not showing off, since it's already pretty damn obvious we're sleeping together! Just how the hell do you think she got pregnant in the first place?"
Shion inched toward the door. She couldn't take another one of their battles, not with what she'd already been through with Allen. She knew neither one of them would miss her until one or the other had run out of steam, so she hurried out of the cabin and headed toward the lounge, hoping she could keep from beating her head on the table in frustration.
When she entered, she had her head down, so she didn't see Tony seated at the second table. He glanced up and breathed an inward sigh of relief when he realized that the Little Master wasn't with her. Dealing with just one of them at a time didn't cause him to turn red and stumble away, mumbling to himself. He noticed that she seemed to be somewhat down, so he said, "Hey, Shion, how come you're looking like you lost your best friend?"
Her head lifted, and she smiled at him, but it wasn't a happy smile. "Today has been a horrible day, Tony, and it's not even over yet."
He patted the table in front of him. "Ah, sit down and tell me about it. I needed a break from piloting, anyway. I think I'm starting to get numb in the posterior from all the sitting down I've been doing," he joked, earning a real smile from her for it.
"But you're sitting down now, aren't you? How is that a break?" she asked, her eyebrow raised.
He lifted the bottle he was holding into the air. "Beer makes me forget about a whole lot of things, Shion. Now, how about you sit down and talk to old Tony."
She took a seat across from him, sighing. "It's just been crazy today. First, I find out I've managed to really hurt Allen when I wasn't looking to because I don't ever think things through, and then Jr. and Mary decided they needed to start their usual routine when she came into the cabin a few minutes ago. I couldn't take it, so I left them to it."
Tony zeroed in on the first half of what she'd said. "What are you talking about with Allen? Think you could maybe explain to me?"
She gave another sigh but related to him what exactly had happened with Allen when they'd spoken earlier. Although she'd told Jr. she wanted to respect Allen's wishes, she needed to speak to someone about it who wasn't so close to the matter. "So, I've managed to break his heart because I never thought about how he'd feel, and I swear that's not what I wanted to do," she finished quietly.
He leaned back against the booth, placing his hands behind his head. "Maybe if you just told MOMO the truth, it'd make it all a lot easier, Shion. I know you said Allen agreed to not say anything unless he was asked point-blank, but if you talked to her and told her about you and the Little Master, I'm willing to bet she'd listen. Yeah, she might be pissed off for a while, but I think eventually she'd understand. She's a good kid, after all."
She shook her head at him. "Tony, I've already seriously hurt Allen due to not once thinking of how he'd feel, and I wouldn't blame him if he never wanted to look at me or speak to me again. Do you honestly think I can break MOMO's heart, too? You know how much she adores Jr. How can I say to her that I've taken from her any hope of a future with him? I can't do to her what I've done to Allen! Please don't ask that of me!" Tears filled her green eyes, and she covered her face with her hands.
Knowing Shion's propensity for stubbornness, he decided it was wise to veer away from the subject of MOMO. It was obvious to him that she was distraught over the pain that she'd caused Allen and that she wanted to spare MOMO any amount of hurt she could. However, he wanted to confirm one thing before he gave the subject a rest. "Does that mean you're never going to tell her, Shion? Somehow, I don't think that'll go over well with the Little Master…"
She removed her hands from her face. Her voice was quiet when she answered. "No, it means that I want to tell her when I see her again. Allen had the opportunity to confront me, and I think MOMO deserves that, too. If she wants to yell, scream, or even hit me for doing what I've done, I know I'll deserve it. I won't take the coward's way out and tell her over an open communication."
Tony nodded. In a strange way, her logic did make sense, but he didn't foresee things happening the way she thought they would. "Well, how about we talk about something else that's got you crazy then? Do you think anything might work to make Mary and the Little Master knock all this damn fighting off?"
He watched her eyes narrow in thought, and then she said, "I think I might have an idea, but I'm worried it might not work. It involves my approaching Mary, and we both know how much she dislikes me. Would she be able to put it aside long enough to listen to what I have to say? I'll need some time to work up the willpower to even try it out. I just know something needs to give with them." She gave a sudden gasp. "Oh, it's almost dinner time, and I'm nearly positive that kitchen duty belongs to Jr. and me!"
Tony was about to answer when everyone began to enter the lounge, and Hammer came in from the kitchen. He set a plate down in front of Tony with a roll of his eyes, and Tony chuckled. "Nah, this would be one of the times that Hammer got roped into because he lost at that card game. So, you're fine. Uh, I think Little Master's looking for you, Shion," he said, his face turning red before he abandoned talking to her and started devouring his food.
She got to her feet and turned to face Jr., her posture stiff. He slid his arm around her waist and hauled her against him. "Hey, why'd you take off like that? I thought we were going to pick up where we left off when we got interrupted."
She averted her face haughtily. "Oh, so how long did it take you to notice that I was even missing? I'm pretty sure I was the last thing on your mind when you were busy battling it out with Mary."
"Shion, I got enough of a damn attitude from Mary just before. I sure as hell don't need one from you now, too. I'm starving, and I'd like to eat in peace without having us at one another's throats." He took hold of her chin and tried to turn her face toward him, but she resisted.
"Then you should go and eat," she told him, pulling away from him. "I'm not very hungry right now." She started to storm off, but he caught her wrist with his hand.
"You need to eat, for the baby's sake. I've gotten the damn message that you're pissed off at me for some as yet unknown reason, but don't walk out of here without sitting down and having something to eat." He nodded in the direction of the tables.
She yanked her hand out of his grasp. "I'll come back later to have something to eat. At this point, I don't think I'd enjoy the company!" She managed to evade him this time, and she rushed out of the lounge.
He wanted to follow her, but for once, he actually thought first before taking action. Going after her now would only result in their fighting more, and he knew it was better if he allowed her the time to cool off before he tried talking to her again. Ignoring everyone else's stares, he sat down across from Captain Matthews and told Hammer, "I'm staying to eat, so I'd appreciate it if you'd bring out my dinner." Hammer hurried into the kitchen to do as he'd been ordered.
After dinner, he convinced the Elsa crew to remain behind for a card game and a few drinks. Shion had come in briefly, tilted her head haughtily, and quickly headed into the kitchen. He ached to go after her and try to sort things out, but the look she gave him as she passed by with her dinner told him she was still extremely angry about whatever it was she'd gotten upset over in the first place. Tony yawned after one card game had turned into three. "Look, I'm beat. I'm gonna go check and make sure that she's still going along smoothly, and then I'm passing out for the night. Later." He made a stumbling path toward the door and disappeared.
Hammer and Matthews weren't far behind him. They both looked like they were about to fall asleep at the table, and Matthews was growling at Hammer for not cleaning up after dinner. Hammer sighed. "I'll clean it up in the morning. If I don't, Mary and Tony will drag me into the kitchen, and then I'll be stuck making breakfast. Night, Little Master." Matthews merely nodded to Jr. as he left, weaving slightly.
Jr. hauled himself to his feet. "She can't still be mad after all this time," he muttered to himself. "If she is, then she'd better tell me just what the hell got her so damn mad to begin with. It can't be just hormones." He made his way toward the cabin, and he was relieved that when he got there, Mary was already fast asleep in her bed. Shion was brushing out her hair in preparation for going to sleep herself as she sat on the bed. He hurried over to her, and she looked away from him. "Look, Shion, what's got you so pissed off at me?" he demanded to know.
She refused to answer, choosing instead to place the brush on the shelf above their bed and lay down. He grabbed a pair of boxers and quickly undressed, slipping into them and then getting into bed beside her. She stiffened when he tried to pull her close to him. "You've been drinking," she accused him.
He said hotly, "Yeah, I have been! Maybe it was the only way I could deal with the fact that you've been giving me the damn evil eye or just plain avoiding me ever since dinner! What the hell's going on, Shion?"
"It's nothing," she huffed, pulling on the sheets. "Could you give me at least my half of the sheets? Would that be too much to ask?"
He shifted position so she was beneath him, taking her chin in his hand to force her to meet his gaze. "I'll be damned if I'm letting you go to sleep pissed off at me! Or if you have to, you're at least going to tell me just why you are so I'm not left wandering in the damn dark!"
"I'm tired of it, Jr.!" she fumed. "I'm tired of you acting the way you do when Mary comes in here and starts the same thing she's been doing ever since you moved into the cabin! I can't stand listening to the fighting anymore! Just because she has to act that way doesn't mean you have to, does it?" Her emerald eyes were blazing furiously at him.
"So I should just let her get away with the crap she says about you?" he snapped. "That's not going to happen, and you damn well know it! I love you, and listening to her talk about you that way when none of it is true pisses me off!"
Trying to keep her voice down so as not to awaken Mary and have her witness their fight, she snapped back, "I know you're trying to protect me from her hurtful words, but shouting at her is only going to make her worse! She knows she's antagonizing you into responding, and that's exactly what she's looking for! Can't you stop giving her that reaction?" His lack of response and the way his eyes blazed back at her gave her an answer, although it wasn't the one she'd been looking for. She placed a hand against his chest and pushed him off of her. Rolling onto her side, she hissed, "I'm going to sleep. Good night, Jr."
His eyes widened at that, and he said in disbelief, "Shion, when have we ever gone to sleep mad at each other? You can't be serious!" There was no reply from her, although he felt her tense when he touched her shoulder. She yanked on the sheets once, nearly spilling him from the bed, and then he heard her breathing even out. "She really fell asleep," he said in wonder. "What the hell just happened?"
Trouble in paradise, I take it? Albedo's sly voice crept into his head. The princess sounded rather irritated with you, Rubedo. If it were me, I'd shake her awake and let her know that it's quite rude to allow a conversation to go unfinished like that.
Jr. growled back, "Shaking her awake isn't going to help. She'll just get pissed that I woke her up. Besides, she needs her rest so our little one can keep growing." Hoping he wouldn't disturb her, he slid his arm over her, and his hand moved beneath her satin top to caress her stomach gently. In her sleeping state, she pressed back against him with a sigh.
You seem to be a bit uncomfortable, Rubedo. Just touching her does that to you? Or is it because she moved back against you as she did? Albedo's questions might have been attributed to curiosity if there still hadn't been that sly tone lurking beneath them.
Jr. clenched his teeth. "Do you mind not paying such close attention to how my body's reacting, Albedo? It's humiliating, especially since I can't do a damn thing about it."
That's a difficult thing to do, considering we share the same body. How do you suggest I ignore the response she causes in you? Albedo could sense the ire rising in his twin and decided it was wise to stop antagonizing him. Moving on to a less provoking topic, do you plan on addressing the issue when she awakens? The two of you have a tendency to fight furiously, but it rarely lasts this long. She surprises me that she's been able to hold on to that flame of rage for as long as she has. Usually, all you need do is touch her in –
"Albedo, shut up!" Jr. threw at him, keeping his voice down to keep from awakening both women in the room. "Dammit, I'm going to sleep. It's enough that I've got this problem with Shion; I don't need you talking about where I've touched her!" He slammed his head back against his pillow, seeking the oblivion of sleep.
--- A week and a half later… ---
Shion had finally decided that she couldn't put off approaching Mary any longer. She was speaking to Jr., but things were still tense between them. She knew he'd been hurt by the fact that she'd gone to sleep angry with him that night, but she simply hadn't wanted to continue fighting. She'd also been worried about whether or not Allen would try to avoid her after their discussion, but after a few days, he'd started talking to her again. He was somewhat guarded in his tone when they spoke, but she had been expecting that. At least he doesn't seem to hate me for being a thoughtless idiot. I think sometimes he's too soft-hearted for his own good, but I'm happy that he found it within himself to somehow begin to forgive me. I'd miss him so much if we stopped talking again. Now if only I can get Jr. and Mary to sit down and discuss what caused them to stop talking to one another and start acting like vicious animals when they have any kind of contact. If I can do that, then maybe Jr. and I can talk afterward and stop tiptoeing around each other. Well, I know Mary just headed into the lounge, so I'd better get moving if I want to catch her.
She saw Mary the instant she entered the lounge, leaning over a table and cleaning up after everyone had had breakfast. Mary didn't like to clean up immediately, and Tony tended to leave her to it, which annoyed her even more. She was grumbling to herself when Shion halted a few feet from her. She glanced up and aimed a baleful look at her. "Lord, it's too early for me to have to look at ya again. Don't ya have somethin' else to do? I got dishes and such I gotta wash."
Shion's hackles raised, but she checked her temper for the time being. "I'd like to talk to you, Mary. I'm sure you wouldn't mind taking time away from cleaning up."
Mary said in a falsely sweet voice, "If it were someone else wantin' to take me away from cleanin' up, I'd be thrilled three ways from Sunday to oblige. Since it ain't no one I wanna talk with, I'll just keep doin' this, if ya don't mind." She returned to stacking up the plates at the end of the table and then proceeded to wipe down the table with the washcloth she held.
Shion gnawed at her lip for a few seconds before speaking again. "Okay, Mary, if that's how you want it to be, I'm perfectly capable of giving you attitude to get you to listen. Look, I'm sick and tired of listening to you and Jr. fight! I know you hate me because you've made it painfully obvious, but if you were any kind of friend, you'd be able to put that aside for the sake of the friendship you have with him! I've never been nasty or cruel in return to you, so you can't even pull that to justify your actions! I think it's time you got over whatever caused you to start acting this way, and talked to him about it!"
Mary laughed harshly. "And ya think he'd even bother listenin' after all this time? If the Little Mastah ain't stubborn, then I don't know what is! He ain't gonna care why I feel the way I do, and ya know it as well as I do!"
Shion said quietly, "If I can get him to agree to sit down and talk to you, would you be willing to do so? I'm not going to ask him and have him say he will, only to have you turn around and back out of it."
Mary narrowed her eyes at Shion. "Just why are ya even doin' this to begin with? Ya know I don't like ya, and yet ya came in here tryin' to talk to me anyhow. I can't figure it out."
Shion responded softly, "Because how Jr. feels is important to me, and I know he's been hurting ever since you stopped talking to him. He won't admit it right now, but he cares a lot about you, and he misses you. You don't have to like me, Mary, but you don't have to abandon him, either. So please agree to discuss things with him. I'm not guaranteeing that will change anything, but letting it go on the way it has been won't help, either."
Mary picked up the dishes and turned away from Shion. "Fine, ya convinced me to give it a shot. Now ya gotta see if ya can do the same with the Little Mastah. Bet ya can't." She made her way into the kitchen without another word to Shion.
Shion located Jr. in the last place she would have thought he'd be, the hangar that had once housed the E.S.s. She moved up behind him quietly, unsure of how to approach him about speaking with Mary. He turned to face her, his expression unreadable. "What is it, Shion?" he said, his tone guarded.
She thought to herself, I miss you. I miss you turning to me and sliding your arms around my waist and pulling me close to you. I miss your kisses and the way you touch me. I miss US. She replied, her tone just as guarded, "I'd like to talk to you about something, Jr. Do you have time right now?"
His hand itched to lift to her hair and stroke it gently. I miss you, sweetheart. I miss being able to haul you close to me and cover your mouth with mine. I miss your sweet, little caresses when you're above me. I miss you and me. He said aloud, "Yeah, I've got time. I just ended up down here to think about some stuff is all."
It was hard for her not to touch him as she spoke because touching was an intrinsic part of their relationship. She clasped her hands together and turned away from him to bring the impulse under control. "I guess I'll just come out and say it rather than looking for a way to lead up to it." She didn't see his eyes fill with sudden worry or his hand reach out to touch her only to drop limply against his side. If she had, she would have rushed to assure him she wasn't attempting to end their relationship. Instead, she took a deep breath before saying what she needed to say. "I think it's time you spoke to Mary about what's been going on between the two of you. She's agreed to talk, so it's only you that has to agree now. Can you do that?"
He was silent for a long enough time that she became nervous and spun to face him. He'd apparently been waiting for her to do just that, because right after he bit out his reply. "Let me see if I've got this right, Shion. We've barely been talking to each other for the last damn week and a half, and the only time we touch is when you're sleeping and press back against me. But my talking to Mary is more important than that?!"
She cried, "No, it's not more important than that! I just think that if you talk to Mary, you'll feel much better! I want things to get sorted out between you two!"
He began to pace. "I'm more interested in sorting things out between you and me. Mary is not the woman I love, and at this point, I couldn't care less if she wants to talk, Shion."
She managed to stay where she was when every instinct in her body was screaming at her to go to him and halt his pacing. "Jr., I know how hurt you are that she's been acting the way she is. I'm just trying to help because I love you!"
He came to an abrupt stop. "Then why have we been acting this way with each other, dammit? I'm tired of this distance between us, and I want to know why it's even there to begin with!"
"Because ever since that night I fell asleep, you've been holding me at arm's length! I know I hurt you because I did that, but I just couldn't fight anymore! I'd had more than enough of it that day, and I just wanted the day to end. I'm sorry," she said brokenly.
The overprotective side in Jr. rose up in full force, and he rushed to her to take her in his arms. With a sob, she threw her arms around his neck and buried her face in his shoulder. "I'm an idiot," he told her. "I should have talked to you instead of wallowing in the hurt I was feeling over your falling asleep. Any other damn time I can't ever keep my mouth shut, and the time I should have said something, I don't. I'm sorry, sweetheart." He tightened his arms about her.
"We're both idiots," she answered with a sound caught somewhere between a laugh and a sob. "Oh, Jr., I've missed you so much!" She lifted her head from his shoulder and brought a hand to his cheek, her eyes sparkling with unshed tears.
"I've missed you a helluva lot more, sweetheart." His mouth captured hers in a fiercely possessive kiss, and she leaned into him to run her fingers through his scarlet hair after she'd slid her arm around his neck again. He pulled back after a time, breathing heavily. "Okay, we've got a week and a half to make up for, but I sure as hell don't want it to take place in the hangar. Besides, you asked me if I'd be willing to agree to talk to Mary, didn't you?" She nodded hesitantly. "All right, I'll try talking to her. I'm not going to guarantee it won't end up as a shouting match, though. Did she give you an attitude when you talked to her?"
She knew there was no sense in lying, because he'd know right away. "She did, but she agreed in the end. I think that's the more important thing to remember."
He took her arm from around his neck to thread his fingers through hers. "Yeah, I guess you're right. How about I talk to her tonight before we all go to bed? That way I won't have to borrow the lounge for yet another conversation."
"That's fine. I can keep occupied for a while. I was thinking of talking to Allen and seeing if he wouldn't mind if I asked the Professor about helping them out a little. I've gotten this urge to keep busy lately, and that would be the perfect thing for me." She cast a glance at him.
He raised an eyebrow. "If you want to subject yourself to that crazy old man, I won't stop you, but I bet you'll be crying off after the first day. And don't go too far tonight, sweetheart." When she questioned why, he only shook his head. "Just promise me you'll stay close." After extracting the promise from her, he kissed her softly. "I missed you so damn much. Only feeling you this close when you were asleep was making me a little uncomfortable, you know." He gave her a narrow-eyed look when she laughed and cut her laugh short with one last kiss before leading her in the direction of the stairs so they could return to the upper level.