More Quinn/Amelia steam. Just a warning!

CHAPTER 8

Mary promised to help emphatically, as she confirmed their suspicions that Freddy had autism, and Mary thought it likely Olivia might as well. "Anything I can do dear," she told Amelia.

Amelia raced upstairs and went in Quinn's room, just as the meeting started. It didn't go exactly as planned. Most of the members didn't care that the girls were there. Kids weren't exactly a high priority for most of the men in the Castle.

Cordelia and Creedy were the only ones to show true horror at their story.

But the person who she thought would be quite sympathetic, was not. Eddie had three children of his own and was an outstanding father. But he had actually suggested Quinn should have left them.

She was shocked. She knew he was worried about his own children's survival, but to be so callous toward three helpless young girls, she couldn't imagine. She tried to let it go as he had suffered so much and lost his wife and two of his children on the way to the castle. She wondered if she had dwelled on it like he had if she could have ended up just as miserable and jaded.

Everyone shuffled out and only Creedy, Quinn and Amelia remained.

"We've had enough tragedy for one day," said Creedy rubbing his hands together. "What's on the playbill for tonight?"

Quinn looked at him mischievously. "Beauty and the Beast?" he asked smiling at Amelia and she smiled back at the unexpected suggestion.

"Ah," said Creedy knowingly. "I see how it is. And I suppose you're going to be the Beasty?" he questioned.

"I am the more obvious choice," said Quinn still not taking his eyes from Amelia. "Tragic handsome prince with a rough exterior."

"I'll have to be the Beauty then," said Creedy. "Amelia, you can play the clock."

She doubled over. They already they had her in stitches. How would she get through this?

They rehearsed quicky just going over the plot points that Amelia had to remind the two men of from her own fractured memory of the film and story, and they costumed up and headed to the chapel.

The kids were silent as they told the story, which made Amelia feel infinitely better as she felt an intense pool of nerves settle in her stomach when they walked on their stage. This dissipated eventually, and she threw herself into her role.

She spied Emma and Olivia in the back of the room. Aggie presumably still resting in the infirmary. Emma was like a new girl, as she looked like she had finally had a shower and been given some newer clothes to wear. Olivia looked clean too, and was sitting still on Jared's lap, staring at them with rapt attention, bobbing her head excitedly. Emma looked cautious like she wanted to hold back from laughing but couldn't help herself when all the other children, enthralled with Creedy's portrayal of Gaston and several other characters burst out in hysteria.

Everyone laughed as well when Amelia shouted, "I can't stay here another minute!" with all the drama she could muster and fled the Beast's castle. Creedy forgot he was supposed to be a horse and ran into Quinn and they all ended up on the ground.

The final scene for the evening was the ballroom scene as they split the story into two parts. Quinn grabbed Amelia around the waist, and though she didn't know how to waltz, she was shocked to find that Quinn did. He dipped her low and stared into her eyes. Her pulse began to quicken. This would be so romantic if it weren't in front of staring children.

He was just pulling her up when Amelia heard Siobhan shouting, "You're supposed to kiss her!"

Amelia blushed and put her fingers to her lips. "Shh!" she warned.

Siobhan was such an instigator that all the kids started shouting, "Kiss her! Kiss her!"

"We're not to that part yet," said Quinn laughing.

"Now! Kiss her!" The yelling continued.

Quinn shrugged and spun Amelia around and dipped her low again. "You ready for everyone to know?" he whispered. "'Cause after this they definitely will."

"I'm ready," she whispered back.

Quinn pressed his lips to hers sweetly, and her fingers tightened. Even though it was fairly chaste, it still left her feeling warm and liquid.

Half their audience cheered, and half groaned in disgust. He raised her up, and they bowed deeply. Creedy joined them, and they all started cheering.

"Bedtime," said Quinn interrupting the din.

"No!" they shouted. This was their ritual.

"Nope, everyone quiet down," said Creedy. "Time for prayers."

They repeated the prayer together, and Lin and some of the parents helped them out of the Chapel and off to bed.

Amelia turned to Quinn, as they cleared the stage. "I thought I might help Emma put Olivia to bed, and make sure Aggie is set up in the infirmary alright."

Quinn looked down into her face. "You're a saint," he said.

"I expect you're awfully tired," she said coming close enough to grab a little piece of his jumper between her fingers and Quinn looked at her hungrily.

"Agh," cried Creedy, blowing out candles. "Is this how it's going to be with you two? Disgusting!"

"Quit your whining you wanker," yelled Quinn. "You've done far worse in front of me."

"But in a house of God!" said Creedy gesturing around him and made a tut-tutting noise. "I'm off to bed with a beautiful woman. You two behave yourselves."

Creedy left the Chapel part of the great hall, and it was just Quinn and Amelia in the dark stage lit room, the smoke from the extinguished candles swirling around them.

"You were saying?" he asked, hands going to her waist.

Her heart skipped at his husky tone. "Just that I'm sure you're awfully tired and want to spend the evening alone." She placed her hands on his chest thrilling once more at how very hard and solid it was.

"What makes you say that?" he asked. His voice was even lower, and it vibrated through her. He bent his head to kiss her earlobe. She sighed.

"You've been very busy today." She snaked her arms around his shoulders, letting her fingers caress him.

"It's about to get busier," he whispered, trailing his lips down her neck.

"Meet me in your room in a half an hour?" she asked quickly, her breathing heavy.

"Done," he said, placing a searing kiss on her mouth. Amelia pulled away after several more short kisses and ran off the help the girls.

….

It took more like forty-five minutes, but hopefully the waiting would make their time together better, thought Amelia, even if it was only fifteen minutes difference.

Aggie was sleeping as peacefully as possible in the infirmary. Julia was giving her as much morphine as she thought safe, but the little girl would float back up into tremendous amounts of pain. There was also the fact that they didn't have too much on hand. Quinn approved the use of it for her as he couldn't stand the thought of the little girl suffering any more than she had to. But he was also conflicted as any one of the members of the community may have use of it in the future. Julia stayed there as she had to administer it by hand. They had no drip system like she would have in a proper hospital.

Amelia helped set Emma and Olivia up with some blankets. Jared had brought a mattress up, so they wouldn't need to sleep directly on the hard stone floor. Emma wouldn't leave Aggie's side, and Olivia wouldn't sleep in her new bed without her.

Emma had smiled sweetly at Jared for hauling the mattress up the stairs, and he quickly offered to stay in case they needed anything else. Julia chased him out however, and Amelia said good night to the girls, and ran down to her bunk to freshen up a little. The hot stage lights had made her a little damp, and she didn't want to be sticky for Quinn's hands. She ran a brush through her hair and put it up, rinsed off as quickly as possible in the showers, grabbed Quinn's blanket he'd wrapped around her two nights ago, and headed up to his room.

He opened the door shirtless. Three lovemaking sessions down, and he could still take her breath away. She would never get tired of that sight.

He stared at her face, even when she handed the blanket to him all folded up, he didn't stray from her eyes. It was tossed haphazardly on the floor. He took her hands and laced his fingers with hers drawing her closer.

Just Quinn's proximity affected her so deeply and she shivered.

"I just can't get enough of you," he whispered, his cheek touching her hair.

"You don't know how long I've waited to hear you say that," she said. She ran her nose along his bearded jaw, the warmth radiating from his body hitting her skin. It was like he was touching her all over.

He placed the softest of kisses along her forehead, just touches from his lips. She sighed. "You make me tremble," she breathed.

"It feels so good to let go," he whispered one hand wandering from her hips up to take a breast, moving his thumb so she would gasp against his fingers.

She got a craving to see him watch her, to make her feel wanted with the gaze of his eyes, so she pushed him away.

He looked confused, until she pulled her shirt off and threw it at him. He grinned and tossed it over his shoulder. Quinn watched, muscles taught, ready to pounce as she let loose her hair. He came undone once it hit her shoulders and he grabbed her waist, but she removed his hands and pushed him away again. He groaned in frustration.

Her binding came off, and he sucked in a breath, fingers twitching.

She slid her knickers down her thighs and kicked them off. He caught her wrist, and gently pulled her to him, placing her hands on the buckle of his belt.

She smiled. "You want some help?" she asked as his hands ran over her shoulders and down her arms.

"I like it when you do it," he said.

She bit her bottom lip and unbuttoned his trousers lazily with a little snap and drew out the sliding of the zipper down as long as possible. They fell to the ground and he stepped out of them.

"Sit against the wall," she said.

He sat down on the bed and scooted back, and she crawled over him slowly letting as much of her touch him as possible and straddled his lap. They stared into each other's eyes for a while, their fingertips running over the others skin trailing fiery tingles.

"You're so beautiful," he whispered, pushing his hands into her hair, and let them flow all the way through the strands to the ends.

She smiled. "And you take my breath away," she said.

He raised her up by the hips and teased her until she was sufficiently moaning and ready, their open mouths together, hot breath mingled. Then she slowly lowered herself onto him and began to move up and down, letting their tongues tease and excite; Hands and fingers exploring, pressing into flesh.

He waited until she came first, her head back, his mouth at her breast. When she'd caught her breath after convulsing in pleasure, she began to move again so he could join her. Slowly at first, and then faster, so he could feel every stroke of tightness. He grunted into her neck, with his hands flush against her back.

The room was suddenly cold as the fire had died down, and the beads of sweat all over their bodies made them shiver. It seemed to make the pleasure they both experienced last a little longer as they trembled from being driven over the edge. They collapsed sideways, a tangle of appendages.

"Keep me warm," she whispered, her fingers against his lips. He lifted the blankets to cover them, wrapping her in his huge arms.