"I don't want you to go!" Karla mimicked. "You might be in danger!"
Saul frowned, arms folded, leaning against a wall. "Don't Karla."
"Don't what? Go and have fun? Enjoy myself? Live life?" She snapped and Saul winced at her tone. "Next you'll be saying I can't ski anymore because I might break my neck!"
Saul didn't say anything, though his lips pressed tighter together. Karla glared at him and threw a hairbrush into her bag, muttering curses in Spanish under her breath.
"I don't want to stop you having fun, or living life. I just don't want you to go because you might get hurt or worse-" he broke off, voice cracking.
"Or worse," Karla mimicked again.
"Don't." he said, stalking over to her and catching her arms, trying to hold her gaze like he usually could, but Karla resisted and looked down, concentrating on packing make up in her bag. "You know I can't help it."
"Yes you can." She snapped. "Every time I try and do something fun or in the least bit different or without you, you go all macho and demand I stay at home!"
"Karlie-"
"Don't Karlie me Saul!" she shrieked, jerking away. "You took the bloody bread knife off of me the other day- I am not three, I know how to hold a knife! It's alright for you and the boys with your fun adventures with the Savant Net, while I'm stuck at home wondering if you'll come back alive- ah-ah, don't you start, I know I made that decision but that doesn't mean I am going to drop everything because of your stupid danger feelings!"
Her sentence hadn't made any sense but Saul got the gist, she was annoyed with him. He frowned and followed her to the door, closing it when she tried to open it.
"Where are you going?" he asked.
"To Diamond's remember, her hen night, reason for this argument." Karla sighed when he didn't move. "Move. Now."
"No. Please Karla, just hear me out-"
"I am done with your stupid danger sensing okay. What is it this time? Stranger danger? Knives? Maybe I might fall down the stairs again or-"
There was a thud as Saul slammed his hands on both sides of her waist and glared at her, pinning her against the door. She placed both hands on his chest, trying to push him away, but he resisted, eyes catching hers and holding them.
"Ah ah. No you don't, not this time." He said calmly, though his eyes told her otherwise. She scowled and tried to duck under his arm but he grabbed her by the waist and pulled her back. She shrieked and hit him on the shoulder, hard enough for him to let her go.
"Karla darling- baby I-"
"Don't you dare." She said quietly, her tone deadly. Saul swallowed and reached out to her, taking a step forwards before suddenly stopping as she picked up her bag and stalked out the door, slamming it behind her. As the door connected with the wall, there was a defining crack as a small photo frame fell to the floor. Tears falling down his cheeks, Saul picked it up and gasped as his eyes trailed down the crack, twisting right through the middle of their wedding photo, splitting him and his soulfinder apart.
0oo-oo0
"She can't remember me." Saul muttered sullenly, head leaning back against the wall, eyes red and swollen from crying. "She didn't know who I was, Victor-I-I-"
He broke off and Victor looked away uncomfortably; since when was he his father's counselor? Normally it was him distancing himself from the never ending love story that belonged to his Mom and Dad, now he was listening to his father pour his heart out about his precious angel. Victor's insides churned, he hadn't meant for that to sound the way it did, but he couldn't help being angry that it was always his Mom who got the attention, who got the happy ever after- she's not even here and she dominates the room.
Victor shook his head. He was being selfish. That's what his brother's said when he didn't turn up for Sunday lunch or family days. His mother was in danger, didn't know anything about them and here he sat, the same old selfish, ungrateful and jealous Victor Benedict. He sighed and looked up at his dad again, silently vowing to try and be a better son.
"I'm sorry dad-" he broke off and looked his dad in the eye. "I'm sorry dad, for not being-" he stopped again, for not being what? Good enough? Nice enough? Understanding enough?
He sniffed and began to cry himself. "Daddy?" he said finally and Saul was reminded of the young boy who crawled into bed with his parents after a nightmare.
"Come here son." He said quietly and Victor, twenty five year old Victor, was wrapped in his father's protective embrace.
0oo-oo0
"I don't understand." Karla said once they reached the car, on their way to the hospital to see Will.
"What don't you understand darling?" Saul asked gently, helping her into the car and getting in on his own side.
"Why you still love me, even though I can't remember anything about you." She said quietly.
He grinned, and looked deep into her eyes. "Karla, you are my wife, my best friend and my soulfinder. I will love you forever."
0oo-oo0
"We need to talk, Karlie." Saul said quietly, his eyes lost in hers. He reached out and trailed a finger across her cheek. "What happened to us that night darling?"
Karla shrugged, dressed in nothing but one of Saul's shirts, hair damp from a shower, sleeves rolled up to her elbows, tiny body swamped in duvet covers. "We had a fight?" she said as though she wasn't sure of it herself. Saul mentally frowned. Karla had lost a lot of confidence in the past few days, and losing thirty three years of her life as well then regaining them in about three days had done nothing for her health; she had spent the past night throwing up, with a fever.
"We never fight babygirl. That was…that was our first fight." He said slowly. Karla laughed bitterly.
"And it's only taken thirty three years for us to start." She murmured, wrapping a strand of hair around her fingers. "I'm so sorry darling, I will never ever speak to you that again, I was stupid and selfish and mean and I'm so sorry. I will make it up you in any way possible, I will do anything, just please forgive me for being such an idiot because you were right and were all those other times and you can't help your little spidery sense on danger and I know you were just looking out for me and I was stupid to not believe you and-"
There was a muffled squeal as Saul placed his hand over her mouth.
"You're not making any sense girl." He said finally. Karla laughed and kissed his palm, taking his hand in her own and playing with his long fingers, twisting his wedding ring round and round. "I'm sorry, angel, I am so sorry. I should have- I would-I was frustrated and- I hurt you." He said quietly and she shook her head.
"No! No, you didn't! I only hit you because…" Karla trailed off and looked at Saul, carefully choosing her words. "Because I wanted to make you angrier and making you think you hurt me was all I could think off. It was stupid I know-"
Saul kissed her, cupping her cheeks, thumbs brushing away her tears. "Ah ah," he said. "No more tears. Promise me?"
Karla laughed and nodded. They stilled for a moment, then their lips crashed together, and they were kissing, hungry for each other's embrace. His hands trailed down her back, across her forearms and then to her waist, her hips; her hands tangled in his hair, both pulling each other closer and closer and closer…
Karla sighed contentedly, her eyes closed, breath hitching now and then as Saul trailed a finger over her chest, then her waist and across her hips and then back up again. She looked so beautiful after sex; hair tangled eyes wide, her smile crooked.
"Are you eyeing me up Saul?" she asked, one eye open. He laughed and shook his head, stretching out beside her, kissing her forehead as she curled into him.
"Liar, liar." She teased gently. "I don't mind Saul, you can look at me all you want." She took his hand and pressed it against her chest, where her heart lay. "All of this belongs to you anyway."
She sighed and pressed herself closer, smiling when he shivered. She was still in his shirt, only the front was open all the way and the sleeves no longer rolled up. She began rolling up the sleeves but Saul stopped her halfway.
"There's no point you won't be wearing that for much longer." He said seriously. Karla looked at him for a moment before realizing his meaning. She smirked.
"Oh really. What makes you think that?" she asked. Saul knelt in front of her, took her hips and pushed her down. Leaning down he kissed her once, and murmured:
"This."
Then he kissed her again.