A/N

Title song by Victor Leksell

Chapter 8 Svag (weak)

Men jag kan inte va i samma rum som dig
Utan att jag tappar andan
Och varje gång du ser på mig
Känns som att mitt hjärta stannar
Försöker spela svår och stå emot
Men du river mina murar
Jag vet inte vad du gör
Men allting som du gör, det gör mig svag

Aldrig våga visa mig svag
Men med dig blir det en annan sak
Med dig finns inget annat val
Med dig så vill jag vara svag

…

But I can't be in the same room as you
Without losing my breath
And every time I look at you
It feels like my heart stops
Trying to play hard to get
But you tear down my walls
I don't know what you do
But everything you do makes me weak

Never dared to show my weakness
But with you it turns into something else
With you there's no other choice
With you I want to be weak

~Victor Leksell

"Finally Saturday!" Ava belly flopped down onto the sofa in the communal room/kitchen that was currently being inhabited by their group of 3 sister warriors, a warrior nun, and a shotgun wielding badass.

Mary chuckled from her spot over at the counter. She was leaning back against it and eating cereal that tasted like cardboard box. The last of the good cereal was currently being consumed by Camila who had pushed past Mary to get a hold of the box first. Mary being Mary, started to chastise the younger nun, but quickly changed her mind when she took one look at Camila's too pure to be allowed smile, as she poured the sugary breakfast food into a bowl.

So now she stood and chewed on tasteless cereal as she watched the mess on the sofa also known as Ava. "Big plans today?"

Ava shifted her position enough so she could look back at Mary. "As a matter of fact I have." she sat up, her legs crossed underneath her as she rocked back and forth with excitement. "Bea is taking me to the beach after lunch. Right, Bea?"

Mary and Ava looked over at Beatrice at the same time; she had stopped eating when her name was mentioned, her spoon hanging peculiarly in front of her mouth while most of the milk and cereal on it spilled back into the bowl. She, like Mary, was eating the cardboard cereal. But unlike Mary, she had chosen it voluntarily since she had arrived in the kitchen before her and Camila. "Ehm," she cleared her throat and placed the spoon back into the bowl. "Yes, I'm taking Ava to the beach and then into town. She mentioned a few days ago she wanted to," she did air quotes. "'be a tourist for a day'."

"That sounds like so much fun." Camila squealed as she matched Ava's enthusiasm. "You need to visit this little bar down by the harbour that sells sea food. They make the best Chopitos."

"What's that?" Ava asked. She was leaning forwards on the sofa, nearly falling off it as she angled herself a close to Camila as possible.

"Tiny fried cuttlefish."

"That sounds so good."

Mary rolled her eyes at Ava's drooling face as she turned to place her empty bowl in the sink. Alright, so maybe she wasn't actually drooling but she was damn close to. When she turned back around after rinsing the bowl, she found Ava now sitting at the table beside Camila. The two of them hunched close to each other and talking animatedly and with too much energy for Mary to handle this early in the morning.

"Well, good luck." She smirked at Beatrice; Ava was too deep in a discussion with Camila to pay attention to anything else. "You're going to need it."

Beatrice frowned back at her before she glanced over at Ava and sighed. "Yes, I think I might need all the luck you can give me."

"She isn't that bad." Lilith looked up from her book as she spoke up for the first time since Ava had entered the room. Camila had lent it to her. She had found it a bit cheesy and romantic at first but she was quickly starting to enjoy it. Not that she would admit that to anyone but Camila. "She can be a bit loud and touchy at times, but Beatrice seems to handle her well."

"Oh you sweet summer child." Mary chuckled and placed a hand on Lilith's shoulder which she immediately shrugged off.

"I'm born in November." She said. Her eyes narrowed as she watched Mary with a worried frown.

Mary just chuckled even more. "That's not what I..." She shook her head and crouched down so she was eye level with Lilith. "You see Lilith, Beatrice here doesn't need the luck to handle Ava's enthusiasm. She needs the luck to handle her giant cru-"

"That's enough." Beatrice stood up so fast that the sound of her chair being so abruptly pushed back, echoed around them. Apparently it also drew the attention of the two youngest in the group.

"What's going on?" Ava asked as she took in Beatrice standing form, her lips pressed into a thin line as she glared at Mary. Mary on the other hand stood bent almost in double from laughing so much. She clutched her stomach with one hand and used the other to wipe at her teary eyes.

Lilith was ducking her head and focusing back on the book she was reading, doing her best to ignore the commotion around her, which was hard considering Mary was now using her chair for support.

"Nothing." Beatrice said, her tone sharp as she continued to stare at Mary who was finally able to gather herself and stand up straight. "Mary was just being her normal abrasive self."

"Abrasive?" Mary snorted then shook her head with her hands held up in a placating manner. "Whatever. You two have fun on the beach. I'll see you all tomorrow." With that, she exited the kitchen/common room before anyone could ask her where she was going, chuckling to herself all the way.

"The water is so cold." Ava giggled a little as she wiggled her toes in the shallow waters. The cold sea water lapped up over her feet in a rhythmic pattern as the small waves crashed onto the beach.

There were only a few people out on the beach, the water too cold for swimming in, so Ava and Beatrice were enjoying the calm and quiet as the midday sun shone down upon them. Warm enough to make them remove their jackets but not enough for them to venture deeper into the sea.

Ava had expressed a desire to learn how to swim but with the cold of winter coming upon them and the threat from Vincent looming over their heads, now just wasn't a good time for it. Ava had been disappointed at that but she had understood. Her puppy dog eyes being Beatrice's weakness though had made the nun promise to teach her as soon as the opportunity presented itself. The smile she had received in return was warming her up in ways she had never experience before, and it was almost enough to make Beatrice consider jumping into the cold waters just to cool off.

Being the person she was though, she merely fanned herself a bit with her hand when Ava turned her back towards her, and she sat down on the blanket with a few deep breaths to gather herself. Feeling composed again, she managed to garner a genuine fond smile as she watched Ava play with her toes in the water. Her giggles sending pleasant shivers down her spine.

Fighting back another wave of heat, she swallowed hard and tore eye gaze away from the halo bearer and looked away over the beach. She noticed a small kiosk further down and got an idea. "Do you want some ice cream!?" She called out to Ava.

Ava looked up at her with a smile as blinding as the sun. "Hell yeah!" She ran back up to the blanket and pulled Beatrice up before she even had a chance to stand up by herself. "I haven't had ice cream since I was a kid. My mom and I used to share a pint of ice cream every Saturday after dinner. She would always save the last part for me. She knew how much I loved it when the ice cream melted. I would pretend it was milkshake and used a straw to make sure I got all of it." she laughed softly, a wistful look upon her face and Beatrice's heart tugged painfully in her chest as she watched Ava. "It's funny," she said with a small huff as she met Beatrice's eyes. "I had forgotten all about that."

"Sometimes," Beatrice said softly as she looked into Ava's brown eyes. "Our memories aren't entirely forgotten. They're just waiting for us to find them again."

Ava smiled at that. A soft smile that crinkled her eyes and she leaned forward quickly to press a soft kiss onto Beatrice's cheek. "Come on. I want to try out all the flavours."

Beatrice chuckled at her enthusiasm and entwined their arms together as she steered them towards the kiosk. "You can have two flavours."

"Oh, but I wanted to try them all."

"What about this one?" Ava pointed to a mannequin wearing a summer dress with flower patterns on it. She licked her fingers free from the stickiness caused by her Churro before taking a hold of Beatrice's arm. Beatrice could still feel the sticky sugar but chose not to comment on it. Her mind might have been a bit preoccupied with pushing down all thoughts of Ava licking her fingers to be truly bothered about it.

The nun frowned as she eyed the dress. "I don't think that's quite her style, Ava. It's too..."

"Happy?" Ava grimaced as soon as she realised what that sounded like. "Not that she can't be happy, that's not what I meant. It's just that she's always so..." she made some vague gesture with her hands before her shoulders slumped. "She's part demon." She shrugged. "And she's a bit of a badass. Of course this dress is too girly for her."

Beatrice grinned as she watched Ava. "It's okay," she placed her hand on her shoulder in an attempt to calm her down. "I'm sure we'll find something else that will fit Lilith better."

Ava gave her, her patented dopey smile in return that never failed to make Beatrice's heart skip a beat. "Maybe we can find her a nice hat. Or some new combat boots. She told me her old ones were getting a bit worn." she said and grabbed a hold of Beatrice's hand and dragged her down the street to the next shop on their shopping tour.

They had been walking down the streets of Malaga for a couple of hours, taking in all the architecture and the sights and had now reached a busier part lined with several shops and boutiques. Ava had stopped to look in every one because she had decided that she wanted to find something for Lilith to bring back after she overheard that her birthday was in only a month's time.

"This one."

Ava let go of her arm as they stepped inside a small boutique filled to the brim with antique looking swords and knifes. They were well made, Beatrice admitted as she looked around the tiny shop, but she doubted that any of these would be particularly useful in a real fight. They were definitely more for decoration than practice.

Beatrice found Ava staring down into a glass display and pointed at a small hunting knife when Beatrice came and stood beside her. "I want to get her that one."

It was a pretty knife. The handle was dark blue with swirling lines. Where the blade and handle met was a gaping snake's head, a Cobra. It looked like the blade was coming out of its mouth. The blade itself shimmered a little in blue and the light danced off the many intricate designs seemingly melted onto the blade. Lilith would love it.

"It's expensive." Beatrice frowned when she saw the asking price. "We don't have the money for that." Ava's expression turned sheepish and Beatrice looked at her with exasperation. "Ava... How were you planning on paying for this?"

"ImighthavesomemoneyleftoverfromJC."

The words were mumbled but Beatrice could still understand what she had said. JC. The name sent a sharp pain straight into her heart and she could feel her hands clench involuntarily. "He gave you money?" she struggled to get the words out without giving away the anger that had suddenly encompassed her whole being. Luckily, Ava didn't notice.

"Yeah," she withdrew a small wad of bills from her pocket. "In case we got separated. I only had to use them once to get a taxi from Rhonda so there's still a lot left."

In seconds, her anger shifted from JC towards Mary. "Mary shouldn't have left you there alone."

"No, it was..." Ava placed a hand on Beatrice's, easing it out of the tight fist it was still clenched in and entwining their fingers. "I needed the time alone. Too figure some things out."

Beatrice looked from their hands and up into the halo bearers eyes. Something passed between them at that moment, a new level of understanding. She saw Ava's eyes flicker between her eyes and her lips and Beatrice's heart skipped a beat by the implication of what that meant. She was about to do or say something when they were interrupted by the shop owner.

"¿Necesitas ayuda de mi parte?"

"Si. Me gustaría echar un vistazo más de cerca a ese por favor." Ava answered him as she let go of Beatrice's hand.

Beatrice wasn't sure why it affected her so much, seeing as she had lived in Spain for several years and was used to the language, but hearing Ava speak Spanish to the shop owner sent a tingling feeling deep into her stomach. The feeling was so sudden that she barely had time to miss the warmth from Ava's hand in hers.

She stood to the side as Ava and the owner discussed back and forth the price of the knife. Beatrice felt warm. The shop was tiny with little ventilation and bad circulation. It was stifling in there. So when Ava got the knife bundled up into a package, she dragged the halo bearer out of the shop and into the now chilled air of the late autumn evening.

"I wish I could dance like that." Ava leaned her head on her hand as she took in the flamenco dancers performing for the dinner guests at the quaint seaside restaurant. She and Beatrice were sitting at a table and watching the dancers as they waited for their waitress to arrive to take their order.

"It's never too late to learn." Beatrice said. "Maybe we could learn together after all of this is over."

The blinding smile Ava shot her way made her lose her breath for a second. "You mean that?"

"Of course." She smiled back. "Have I ever lied to you?"

Ava didn't answer; instead she reached out across the table and took Beatrice's hand in hers, a smile still on her face. She turned her head to watch the dancers once more but her view was blocked.

"Hello, I'm Theresa and I will be your host for the evening, what can I get you?" The waitress smiled pleasantly at them while she held her notebook up, ready to jot down their order.

Beatrice stared listlessly as Ava smiled back. The girl was pretty, there was no denying that. With her dimples and perfect white teeth and gorgeous brown hair pulled up into a lose ponytail.

She smiled sweetly at them but all Beatrice saw was her eyes sweeping over their clasped hands.

Ava was still holding her hand. She was holding her hand very openly in a public restaurant while their waitress was looking at them. The waitress and Ava were laughing at something but Beatrice hadn't heard what they were laughing about because of the sudden rushing in her ears and the sharp pain in her stomach and chest as worry settled over her.

She withdrew her hand faster than intended, and then avoided the confused and hurt look Ava sent her. Instead she focused on the waitress as she quickly listed off her order.

"What was that about?" Ava asked when they were alone again.

Beatrice only dared to take a quick look at Ava before she averted her eyes to the Flamenco dancers. "Nothing," she forced out a small smile.

Ava frowned. "It didn't seem like nothing. Did I do something wrong?"

The hurt in her voice was so palpable. Beatrice knew she was hurting her by acting so careless, but what about her? Was she ready to be so open with her affection? Nevertheless, she knew that at the moment, Ava's feelings were more important and she didn't want to ruin their day because of her own insecurities.

She mustered out a more genuine smile and reached out to reclaim Ava's hand. "You didn't do anything wrong."

"Then why does it feel like I did?" Ava gaze shifted between their hands and her eyes. "I know you're not comfortable with showing affection and I don't want to force you to do anything you're not ready for. Especially in public."

Beatrice took a stronger hold of Ava's hand. "I am ready for this." She looked deep into Ava's eyes, willing her to believe her. Because even though she may still be cautious with public affection, she knew what she felt about Ava. "Trust me."

"I trust you."

Beatrice believed her.

They walked along the street hand in hand. The city was just awakening for real during the late evening hour, but for the nun and halo bearer, it was time to retire for the night.

"... and Lilith just stood there, too shocked to yell at her as the snow slowly melted on her forehead."

"Oh god..."

Ava wiped some happy tears from her eyes as she tried to stop laughing. Beatrice was telling her a story about how Shannon had accidentally started a snow ball fight during a mission, when a snow ball aimed for Mary had hit Lilith instead.

"I wish I could have met her," Ava said after having finally calmed down. "She seems like a..." she trailed of as dread settled in her stomach.

"What is it?" Beatrice was immediately on guard, following Ava's gaze to an alley a little ahead of them. There was no one there but that didn't mean there was nothing there.

Ava swallowed heavily before she met Beatrice's gaze, her eyes wide with fear. "Wraiths. A lot of them."

A/N

¿Necesitas ayuda de mi parte? = Do you need any help?

Si. Me gustaría echar un vistazo más de cerca a ese por favor. = Yes. I'd like to take a closer look at that one please.

I hope you all liked it. Please leave a review if you did =)