Notes

These characters take up way too much of my daily brain power. I find myself speaking the dialogue even when I am walking my dog!

I hope you enjoy this chapter. It is a build up to what we have all been waiting for with Frank and Lily - and I wanted to give them the room to continue their exploration of their emotions and their internal feelings so that when it comes time for them to finally be tougher physically, it conveys the power of the emotion behind it.

Summary: The group returns to Porto Velho and prepare for their journey back to England. Only Frank has other plans…

Soundtrack Suggestion: A Steamer to Brazil ; Lily Snoops

/bQY9tsC - go here for clothing inspiration for the chapter

Chapter 10: Return to Porto Velho

The entire crew of La Piraña awoke before sunrise, wanting to get an early start on the last leg of their journey back to Porto Velho. Frank made quick work of the anchor, and Yuzo and Zak got the engine prepped. When the furnace roared to life, it took only a few moments before the boat was chugging along the river with the raft trailing behind.

MacGregor could already feel the hot bath water embracing him as his mind drifted to the impending arrival back to the hotel.

Frank poured Lily a cup of tea and then threw in the coffee for the rest of the crew. When it was done, he brought a cup to MacGregor who was sitting next to Lily on a bench at the front of the boat.

Frank handed MacGregor his cup, and he took it with a grin. "I hope you both know that I fully intend to take up ALL the hot water at the hotel when we arrive." He crossed his legs and took a sip as he wiped at his pant legs as if doing so would make any difference to the dirt that was permanently engrained in his trousers.

Frank took a gulp of his coffee, then pointed his mug at MacGregor. "Oh good — then maybe you could finally get that ink off of your face." He joked.

MacGregor wrinkled his nose at the much larger man and sneered back. Frank returned to the bridge of the boat to take over navigation from Yuzo.

Lily stepped over a sleeping Proxima to join Frank at the wheel. "How long do we have until we get to town?" She took a sip of her tea and leaned her shoulder against the jamb of the doorframe.

Frank gave it a moment's thought and pictured the route in his mind. "Should be about three hours. We'll stop about a mile out though, cut the raft loose and the three of us will have to paddle our way in — letting Zak and Yuzo turn around unseen."

"Right, we want to make sure they can make a quick return getaway." Lily looked over to the tribesmen, sitting at the bow. "I'm going to miss them…they have been so gracious and kind to us. Nothing like the headhunter stories people tell…"

Frank chuckled. "Yah — I made those stories up."

Lily blinked slowly up at him. "What?"

Why should I be surprised? She wondered to herself. Frank has managed to lay low and live and work along the Amazon for over three hundred years. He'd gotten good at lying and putting on charades to keep his secret. Of course, that was the Frank she first met. Now, she hoped, he was more inclined to be truthful and honest with her. Based on the last two days, they had made a lot of progress.

He gave her a sideways glance. He couldn't tell if she was in disgusted with him or just in disbelief.

"Well…when I met Trader Sam, she had always been worried about tourists coming across her tribe, or developers trying to push them out or hurt them or steal from them." He recounted. "So, I spread the rumor that there was a tribe of cannibals out in the jungle ready to eat the next person that crosses into their territory. It was an exciting jungle cruise story for the tourists, but it also kept people away from the Puka Machuna. Kept them safe." His voice was steady and there was a sense of honor that radiated off of him knowing that they would continue to be safe as long as the rumors kept spreading.

Listening to him, Lily felt regret for doubted his intentions. She recognized that Frank was an inherently protective man. Despite the jokes and bravado, he took it upon himself to look after others who could not look after themselves. It dawned on her that despite her initial dislike of the way he conducted himself, she still always felt safe with him.

Lily took a sip of her tea as her admiration of him grew in that moment. "You, Frank Wolff, are full of surprises." He enjoyed the praise from the gentle way she was regarding him, and he felt their eyes connect in a mutual acknowledgment of affection for one another. It was enough for Frank to forget about the river he was navigating.

It wasn't often Frank was distracted, but lately it seemed that all he wanted to do was pay more attention to the woman next to him — anything else was a distant second. So, when Yuzo shouted in warning to look out for debris in the river, Frank had only a moment to react or La Piraña would have plowed directly into a large tree that was partially submerged in the river ahead of them.

"Shit!" He gasped, and as his eyes snapped back to the water, Frank turned the wheel of the boat suddenly to the right. Lily wasn't prepared for the sharp turn, and pitched forward, directly into the solid wall of Frank's chest with an "oof". The remainder of her tea splashing across his shirt in the process.

He caught her easily with one arm as the other continued to maneuver the wheel of the boat to avoid colliding with the tree. "I know you like me, but you don't have to throw yourself at me." He chuckled and glanced down making sure she was OK.

Lily pushed herself back from his chest with a laugh, her now empty tea cup in one hand. "Well, if I didn't see the tree myself, I would have thought you did that on purpose."

"I may have thought about doing that once or twice during our trip, but I didn't want MacGregor flying out of the boat." He threw her a smirk and glanced behind the vessel to ensure the raft was still attached and safe. MacGregor and the tribesman were picking up a few items that had fallen and were re-securing them. Happy that all was still as it should be, he turned back to Lily who was still at arms length. "Well if someone wasn't trying to distract me so much…"

She hit him in the chest with her cup. "Oh so it's my fault you almost sank us just now? I'm not the Skipper, Skippy…" She chided, then leaned closer to whisper, "…But, it is fun distracting you." She pressed up on her toes and gave him a quick kiss on his cheek, and then ducked under his arm to refill her cup.

Frank made a low grumble in his chest in satisfaction. Fun indeed. He thought to himself.

XXXXX

A few hours later the time had come to say goodbye to Yuzo and Zak. After pulling off to the bank of the river, Frank hauled the raft as close as he could and secured it with a tether. Proxima jumped aboard immediately and sniffed around the familiar leftovers of La Quila.

Frank grabbed MacGregor's hand and helped him cross the gap and onto the raft next, followed by Lily.

"Thank you friends!" He shouted as he cut the tether away from La Piraña, and the raft floated free for the first time. The tribesman waved their goodbyes, and whooped a chant in their native language as a sign of good fortune for the travelers.

Frank handed MacGregor a paddle as Lily made her way to the rear of the raft to turn the rudder."Ok, well, we have about a mile to go, just around that bend and back into port. Shouldn't be long till we're all at the bar toasting to a job well done!" Frank grinned, and clanked his paddle with MacGregor's in celebration. The team shared a smile, and began to make their way into Porto Velho.

It was the sound of a bell being rung that first caught Lily' attention and pulled from her a sense of relief and nervousness that they had finally made it back into the town they left in such a panic nearly two weeks ago. The evidence of a torpedo's impact on clear display along the shore at the west side of the main harbor. Debris and a collapsed building still lay half on shore and half in the water along the riverbank.

Ding ding….ding…ding…ding!

The rapid succession of the small iron bell echoed out across the water towards the weary travelers. Frank knew is was the kid, Zaqueu raising the alarm. The young boy loved to help Frank with his jungle cruise business and the best part, he paid him in treasures he found along the Amazon.

"It's Frank! It's Frank!" Zaqueu's shouts could be heard as they padded closer and closer to the dock. Mr. Nilo looked up from hammering the last of his nails into the repaired banister of his stairs just in time to see the dilapidated raft pull up to his dock with Frank and the two siblings balanced perilously atop its slowly sinking body.

Proxima jumped off as the boat collided with the edge of the dock, causing the raft to rock and splash. MacGregor secured a rope to the anchor on the dock and pulled himself up onto the dry, stable wood of the platform with a heavy sigh. "OH THANK GOD…" He gasped in relief.

Frank jumped off easily and turned to offer a hand to Lily, who took it graciously as he pulled her smoothly onto the platform with a smile.

Mr. Nilo approached the group, astonished they were still alive. The rumors were that the crazy German in the submarine had blown them to the next continent — and despite their differences, Nilo was happy to see Frank and his friends were alive. "Well, well, well…"

"Nilo… " Frank greeted him by handing him the makeshift oar in his hand. "Now you have all the boats." He conceded with a nod, referencing Nilo's desire to be the sole operator of all jungle cruises in Brazil.

Taken aback by the state of Frank's boat and his companions, Nilo simply accepted the oar from the former skipper. "Grazie Mile." He replied in Italian.

Frank nodded. "Take care of her." And with that, walked passed the businessman and away from the last of La Quila.

He reached out for Lily and took her hand, needing to feel something solid and real as he took a deep breath and walked down the length of the dock and away from the only thing he knew for nearly three centuries. The grip on his own hand equally as tight as the woman walking beside him was also processing the events of the last few days. One thing is for certain, wherever they go from here, their paths will be merged from here on out. The knowledge of what was to come may be unknown, but they each took comfort in the person whose hand was interlaced with their own as they walked down the dock.

Proxima growled softly at a group of dock workers, and when they scattered, she disappeared into the brush near the edge of the water, no doubt to snatch a few chickens in the farm nearby.

It took only a few minutes, but when Frank, Lily and MacGregor reached the marketplace, it felt as if the entire journey was a dream. MacGregor nearly burst into tears at seeing the hotel nearby and he was already mentally soaking in a hot bath as Frank steered them through the door of the cantina.

The crowd of regulars in the room cheered wildly as they walked in— clearly the story of their expedition had spread, and the joyful crowd were all excited to be in the company of these unlikely adventurers.

"Frank! Bem vindo de volta!" The older woman behind the bar raised her hands in happiness and reached across the bar to pull Frank into a hug. Lily laughed as she pinched Frank's cheeks hard enough to leave pink finger marks across his skin.

"Obrigada, Sophia, obrigada…" Frank laughed along with Lily. "Please, amiga, three shots of your finest cachaça. The good stuff…" He winked at Sophia.

"Of course, on the house!" Sophia gushed, and turned to collect three glasses and a bottle of the sugarcane liquor.

She poured three heavy-handed shots of the clear liquid, and when each of them had a glass, Frank held his up to his two companions.

"Well, a toast to two people who are absolutely crazy…" Lily raised her eyebrows in warning at him, he grinned back and continued, "…determined, incredibly loyal and passionate…" he looked down, and took a breath, "… and to whom I will forever be grateful they chose me to take them on the best damned jungle cruise in all of Brazil!" His brought his glass to MacGregor first and raised his eyebrows in thanks and acknowledgment, to which he did the same.

Then he turned to Lily and his gaze was steady, showing her that he wanted to convey the strength of his words. She smiled tenderly back at him, and clinked their glasses together.

"Cheers." She replied, and her brother and Frank chorused, "Cheers!" They each threw back their shot in one go.

"Whoo!" Lily gasped, as the burn of the liquor made her eyes water. Frank laughed at her reaction, pleased that she took it so well. Cachaça is just about the hardest thing one can drink in all of Brazil, and so he was impressed by her ability to handle her first shot.

MacGregor on the other hand, slammed his palm into his chest as if the assist the liquor in making its way down his throat. He sucked in a breath through his mouth as his tongue flew out in relief at swallowing it.

Frank nodded to Sophia, and she filled each glass again. He handed the glasses back to the siblings. MacGregor nearly pouted, but when Lily raised her glass to speak, he instead held his glass up again reluctantly, and Frank smiled at his resolve.

Lily coughed, and wiped her nose on the sleeve of her already filthy shirt. "And to our Skipper… Who couldn't have made it without us…" She said teasingly to Frank and then bumped her shoulder to his. "…and who brought us home alive…" Lily glanced at her brother lovingly, and then back at Frank. Her heart feeling full and grateful that the man standing there with them was no longer a stranger or a scoundrel, but a dear friend and someone whom she cared deeply for.

She felt the sting of tears, and later she would blame the alcohol, lack of food, and utter exhaustion at the emotion that threatened to spill over.

She raised her glass closer to Franks, "…and who made the ultimate sacrifice to make sure we would stay that way. Now he stands here with us, and for that, I am eternally grateful." Her words felt heavy, and she swallowed the lump that appeared in her throat as she touched her glass to his.

"I'll cheers to that!" MacGregor exclaimed, and knocked his glass into theirs before throwing back his shot with another grimace and a choked sob.

Lily shook her head for clarity, and then drank her shot in one go, again, much to Frank's surprise. He took his shot last, and let the sting of the liquor warm his chest. He slammed the glass onto the bar with a clang, and a sigh of satisfaction.

"Well!" MacGregor turned his attention to the next steps of their journey. "I will take it upon myself to check us into the hotel next door as well as arrange travel on the next train out of this humid hotbox of a jungle. My thighs are chaffing so bad I might start a fire."

Frank coughed and gave him a smack on the back. "Thank's for that MacGregor…" He said with a look of disgust on his face. "It's Wednesday, so the next train out of town to the coast won't leave until Friday…"

Lily was distracted by young Zaqueu who appeared in the doorway of the bar, looking for Frank anxiously. When he saw him, a grin lit up his face, and Frank excused himself to go talk to the boy.

Lily and MacGregor moved to a nearby table and sat down in the hard wooden chairs. The restaurant staff brought some fresh breads and a large pitcher of water. Lily and MacGregor reached for the bread eagerly, devouring the soft, pillowy biscuit in a rush.

After savoring the last of his second bread roll, MacGregor reached his hands out across the table to hold onto Lily for a moment. She squeezed his hands in return and they each let out a breath in a deep contented sigh.

"I love you so much." MacGregor sighed. His eyes telling her he was meaning something else.

Lily eyed him back knowingly. "Yes, yes…I know, you are never leaving Kensington again…"

"You are correct." He replied dryly. Smacking his palms to the table, he stood up. "Right, shall we head to the hotel?"

"You go on, I'm going to wait for Frank." Lily replied, taking another bite from her bread roll. The humidity had returned to the air, and she felt the sheen of sweat returning to her brow and chest.

"Mmhmm…Ok." He started, then sat back down only to lean back into his chair, preparing his next question carefully. "Should I book three rooms or two? Hmm? Would you two be sharing a —" He waggled his eyebrows suggestively, and Lily threw the rest of her bread at him.

"MacGregor! Don't be so crass…three rooms is entirely appropriate." She replied, embarrassed by her brother's clear insinuation that she and Frank would be jumping directly into bed with one another.

He wouldn't be wrong that she had thought about it. Of course she felt the pull towards him, and he to her, but there was a line neither one of them had dared to cross.

He studied her a moment, enjoying the way she squirmed, then, deciding she'd had enough, held his hands up to concede. "I'm only stating the obvious. And I am not one to judge!"

"Good." She replied back sternly. A few seconds passed and Lily looked down at her hands, suddenly interested in the dirt under her nails. "We haven't even discussed…" She rolled her hand in a circular motion. "…what lies ahead for… us." She admitted hurriedly.

MacGregor shook his head in sympathy for his sister's pure nativity towards matters of romance and leaned across the table to hold her hand again. "Oh Lily… sweet Lily…sex isn't something you plan. It just happens." He said with a wink and smile, the red smear across his face making his eyes light up in a twisted enjoyment of making his sister uncomfortable.

Lily's mouth opened wide in shock at her brother's audacity and held her palm in his face. "I'm not even listening to you right now MacGregor — we are NOT having this conversation." She reached for another bread roll to aim at his head, but he was already standing up and scurrying out the door, laughing all the way.

Even in the heat of the Brazilian rainforest she could feel the effects of the alcohol begin to creep through her limbs like tendrils of a vine. The warmth from the cachaça hitting her chest and belly made her mind swim, and she couldn't tell if the heat in her face was from the drinks, the humidity, or MacGregor's comments.

Frank returned a moment later, taking the empty seat next to Lily and grabbing a bread roll. She patted a napkin across her brow, trying to feel somewhat put together.

Frank motioned to the door with his half eaten roll. "He was off in a hurry. Probably gonna try to scrub his face again with some fancy bath salts or something?" His laugh was muffled by the food in his mouth.

Lily chuckled at the thought of her brother still trying to scrub the ink from his face desperately.

Frank reached for another bread roll and glanced over to Lily, noticing the color in her cheeks. "You ok? You look a little flushed." He tilted his head in concern. "You should eat something." He smiled and offered her the roll in his hand.

Lily held her hand up. "I'm good, thank you." She leaned back in her chair and pressed the heels of her palms into her closed eyelids causing stars to erupt in her vision; it felt good. In the last few minutes, the weight of the journey beginning to set in and the fatigue of her body screaming at her for a hot bath and soft bed.

"Lily…?" Frank's voice faded into the fog of her reverie.

"Hmm? Oh, what? I'm sorry." She sighed, blinking at the man across from her. He was leaning on the table, two large forearms crossed in front of him and a look of nostalgia across his face.

"I was just saying, the last time we were sitting here, we were negotiating my services down the river." He took a long drink from the water glass in front of him, then refilled the cup and handed it to Lily.

"You mean Mr. Nilo's services!" she corrected, taking a sip of the water. "…I was trying to make a deal to get to Lagrimas de Cristal, and you were busy trying to take my money." She placed the empty water glass down on the table with a clang and a smirk, the playful banter awakening her senses a bit.

She saw his body tighten as she challenged his account of their first meeting, and then lean a fraction closer to her. She kept her posture neutral, acting nonchalant and feeling quite satisfied about her control of the memory.

He narrowed his eyes at her, accepting her rebuttal but still wanting to wipe the smug look off of her face. He reached a hand out towards her and Lily flinched at the sudden movement and the direction of his hand, as it disappeared under her, grasping the leg of the chair she was perched upon. Effortlessly, he tugged her chair towards him, vibrating the floor beneath her. She felt the momentum pull her back and then forward as she corrected herself and suddenly she was in front of him, the grin on his face much closer than it was a second ago.

Unsure of his intentions, she sat, unmoving as he lay his arm along the table next to her, effectively boxing her in between his body and the table. "For your information, it wasn't all about the money." He admitted, as his gaze wandered from her eyes, slowly down to her neck. "I wanted something else as well…" he whispered as he inched even closer.

Lily swallowed, the flush in her cheeks returning. "Oh?" She breathed, sitting straight up in her chair, trying not to let herself react to his suddenly amorous tone.

"Mhmm…" He hummed, the sound vibrating from his chest.

Lily felt the heat radiating off of the arm next to her and when she felt him lean in closer, her body responded by doing the same. "What exactly — was that?" She asked, watching as his head dipped down towards her neck. Against her own will, she felt her eyelids close as his breath tickled her neck.

Frank brought his mouth within a hairsbreadth of the skin on her neck, breathing in the sunshine still radiating off of her body. He could see the pulse in her neck quicken slightly. Knowing that just two weeks ago they could barely stand one another, he relished being this close to her, being able to effect her in such a way that made his own body react with the same excitement. Resisting the urge to press his lips to the hollow of her throat, he pulled back suddenly and whispered simply, "…the arrowhead."

She was pulled from her stupor by his words, and immediately felt the urge to hit him across the chin. "YOU!" She ground out angrily between gritted teeth, embarrassed that she would be taken for such a flirtatious ride so easily. Must be the heat and the drinks she thought defensively, as she raised an open hand towards Frank's annoyingly insatiable grin.

He grabbed her wrist quickly, bringing it down to the table before she could make contact. "I'm sorry! Sorry….I couldn't help myself!" He shouted, his shoulders bouncing in laughter as he gently released her hand which shoved at his shoulder ineffectively.

"I swear Frank, if you didn't just come back from the dead, I would send you there myself!" She threatened, a hint of a smile playing at her lips. She hid the amusement hidden in her eyes, but she felt better with the surge of serotonin coursing into her veins.

He pulled back slightly and cleared his throat. She saw his face go from playful to business, and she settled herself back in the chair as he gathered his thoughts.

"Hey listen," he said softly, hesitating slightly before taking a deep breath, "I have something I need to take care of tomorrow. Zaqueu is helping me get a boat."

Lily blinked, processing his words. A boat? Her mind shooting in several different directions as to what he could possibly need to do.

"OK." She replied cautiously, her lips forming into a thin line. She felt anxious for no reason other than not knowing what he needed to do. Then she felt ridiculous for needing to pry into his affairs. What is this man doing to me? It wasn't often that she felt out of sorts with her own emotions. Again, she blamed the heat and exhaustion.

He saw her shoulders slump slightly at his words, and he could sense her uneasiness. He wanted to quell her nerves, and without thinking, he placed his hands atop her thighs, right above her knees. He felt her stiffen, and he almost yanked his hands back, but squeezed her legs reassuringly instead. "Lily, I want you to come with me." He said earnestly, a tender smile on his lips, and his eyes staring eagerly at hers, trying to convey his sincerity.

Her face lit up and she pulled her shoulders back as she placed her hands atop his. "Really?What exactly is it that— "

He patted the sides of her legs brusquely, effectively interrupting her question. "Ah! Ah!…details to come in the morning! Just meet me at the dock at eight am, and all of your questions about Frank Wolff will be answered."

He stood up quickly and pulled Lily up with him. "Now, let's go get cleaned up — you stink, Pants."

This time, he let her hit him.

XXXX

Lily let Frank head to the hotel ahead of her. She still needed a moment to decompress, and decided to take a walk into the marketplace to clear her head. As she began to walk through the street vendors, looking at all of the jewelry, foods, and hand-made articles of clothing, it dawned on her that she had zero clothing, having lost her bag to the river. She wondered momentarily if MacGregor needing clothing, but decided he could fend for himself, as she was still angry with him for his comments on her sex life. Before they had left on their journey, she had shoved a few dollars into her boot, and somehow it had stayed with her this entire time.

She garnered a few looks of interest as she wandered the marketplace in her disheveled state and just as she felt the moment she stepped off the train, she could care less about what other people think. She braided her unkempt hair across her shoulder to allow the breeze to reach her neck, as the humidity had returned with a vengeance.

She came across a stall with an older woman knitting on a chair, her tanned skin contrasted by a lovely white linen dress and bright green earrings hanging from her too long earlobes.

Lily ran her hand across the collection of skirts and dresses she had laying across the table next to her.

"Roupas bonitas…" Lily managed, trying to convey to the woman how beautiful the clothing was. The woman glanced up with a smile, taking in Lily's appearance.

She stood up and reached for Lily's hand, bringing her to a skirt hanging across the stall. "Por favor, use isso…" She held up the garment to Lily's waist, insistent on seeing it against her slender form. Lily took it from her hands and held it up to take a closer look. It was a long, flowing, white linen skirt adorned with intricate stitching and eyelets across the two-tiered hem. It was light enough to move in, while not being too sheer to be transparent.

As dictated by English society, she would normally wear something like this as a petticoat, a layer under an already too heavy wool skirt. She held the garment in her hand and knew instantly that this one layer of fabric would feel like a dream compared to the alternative.

Knowing that her wardrobe of choice would most preferably had been another pair of trousers and a blouse, but since there was no expeditions to be had, it would be nice to wear something influenced by the local culture.

The woman squinted up at Lily's face with a sweet smile. She pressed her soft fingers to her cheek, "Você é lindo." You're beautiful.

"Obrigada." Lily said appreciatively.

In a flash, the woman also presented her with a simple pair of white cotton underpants, to which Lily took with a blush staining her already warm cheeks.

She found a white cotton sleeveless blouse from another merchant. With wide, lace shoulder straps and a v-neckline, it buttoned down the front with a tie at the top, and offered enough coverage and support for her chest and as a bonus, was able to tuck in directly to her skirt. The lady at the stand was so taken by her, that she offered her handmade brown leather belt that was so long, she had to wrap it around her waist twice for it to stay on. Completing her new ensemble would be her matching leather boots. She knew that she still kept her independent style while opting for a more local version of a lady in a dress versus the stuffy victorian corsets of the English.

She found the largest short sleeve pullover shirt she could find for Frank, along with a pair of trousers to replace his, as they were torn and ragged. Gathering all of the new items, she made her way back to the hotel.

MacGregor was at the hotel bar, looking like a fresh newborn child. His hair still wet from his bath, and surprisingly, wearing a pair of perfectly pressed slacks and a linen button down shirt. He was also three sheets to the wind, and from the looks of it, recalling the entire journey with the poor tourists sitting across from him.

"MacGregor, where on earth did you get those clothes?" Lily asked incredulously as she sidled up next to him at the bar. He stumbled over to her, nearly spilling the contents of his martini glass.

"Lily! There you are…you won't believe it, but Frank's young friend fished out my daywear trunk from the river after Frank had tossed it in the first day! Lucky enough, it had three sets of my day clothes, and a roll of money I had stuffed into a shoe!" He half whispered, half shouted at her. Lily grabbed him by the collar and urged him to sit down on the barstool next to her.

"Good Lord, you smell like a distillery. Have you eaten anything?" She asked, wrenching the glass from his hand.

"Why yes…I had the chicken and a glass…" He paused, pretending to count in the air, "…two glasses of red wine. And finished it off with a martini…or two."

The bartender came over to Lily and offered her a plate of food which she took greedily. Roasted chicken, potatoes and some sort of roasted vegetable — her mouth was watering before she could even find the utensils to eat.

"Where are our rooms?" Lily asked in between bites.

"Top floor. Last three they had. Hafta share a single toilet and bath, but that's fine. Just us anyway." MacGregor started to slump a bit on the stool, and Lily knew it was a matter of time before she wouldn't be able to move him. The day had already begun to turn, as the afternoon light began to dip closer to the horizon.

Lily finished her food and paid the tab, grabbed her belongings, and grabbed MacGregor's arm to haul him to the iron elevator. "You said the top floor?" She grunted against the weight of her brother who was now leaning more heavily on her.

"Oh yes. Yup. Rooms 401, 402, and 403. One for you, Frank, and Me — oh that rhymed!" He giggled as the elevator came to a lurching hault at their floor.

MacGregor was able to unlock his room as Lily held him upright, and he wobbled into his small room and directly onto the soft bed with a heavy sigh.

"MacGregor, by the way…Frank and I are going to… run an errand in the morning, we should be back by nightfall." Lily explained as she rooted through his open trunk, snagging one of his dress shirts to wear to bed. He'll never know…

"Mhmm. Sounds good." He breathed, unmoving from his spot on the bed. "Oh - the loo is down the hall. Careful, the door sticks, and the water knob…" He murmured something intelligible, and a puff of air escaped his lips, indicating he was officially passed out.

Lily managed to remove his shoes and turn on the ceiling fan while also finding her own room key in the he was comfortable, she kissed him on the forehead. "Sleep well, little brother."

She grabbed her things, and shut the door behind her. Exhaustion hitting her again, she leaned her back against the closed door and squeezed her eyes shut. She gave herself a little pep talk to get the momentum built back up to get to her room, deposit her things, take a long hot bath, and go to bed. Her mind drifted momentarily to Frank, thinking he was probably already asleep in his own room.

She pushed off the door with a groan, and turned the corner to her own room. Unlocking it, she made her way inside and was pleased that the fan was already on, and the dark room was significantly cooler than MacGregor's. She laid out the clothing she bought in the marketplace across a chair, and with great relief, removed her dirty boots and socks. She opened the door to the balcony and clanged the dirt off the worn leather of her footwear, and let them air out in the evening air.

She tossed her dirty shirt onto the floor, and grabbed a towel that was folded neatly at the edge of her bed. The only thing keeping her moving at this moment was the sheer excitement of hot water to melt the dirt off of every inch of her body.

Knowing that the only people on this floor were her, Frank and MacGregor, she removed her dirty trousers as well, and, wearing only her white undergarment — with pants, and her towel in hand, made her way towards the washroom.

Turning the handle, she pressed her shoulder into the door to open it, but it didn't budge. Groaning in frustration, she shifted her towel to under her arm, and used two hands to wiggle the handle and push the door with her foot instead. The handle turned, and the door creaked, but still would not open. Desperate to get clean, she stepped back and aimed her shoulder once more into the solid wood door. She reared back and lunged forward. Just as she was about to make contact, the door swung open abruptly, and she tumbled into the bare chest of the man on the other side. A wave of steam escaped the room, and Lily was engulfed by the fog and dropped her towel as she tried to get her feet under herself.

"Oh dear, I am SO sorry…" Lily floundered, brushing the hair from her face and dropping to the floor, searching for her towel. Embarrassment flooded her cheeks, and she couldn't even look the stranger in the eyes as she pawed around the floor, her eyes squeezed shut to ensure she didn't see…anything she wasn't supposed to.

Her hand came in contact with the soft cotton of her towel, and she stood up quickly, only to have her towel pulled out of her hand. "You gotta stop trying to knock down locked doors, Pants." The voice commented with a laugh.

Lily opened one eye, then the other after realizing the voice belonged to Frank. His large, shirtless frame filling the width of the doorway, and his usual charming grin plastered across his face. Lily couldn't form words in the moment due to the embarrassment still lingering in her veins, and now due to the sight in front of her. She'd always knew he was muscular, it was inherently obvious due to the sheer size of him and the way his clothing fit. Along their expedition, she'd found herself engulfed in his strong arms, or held tight during the nights on their way back to the village. Despite his intimidating stature, he carried himself with an ease and a finesse that made him seem gentle even though he could probably rip a limb off of anyone who made him angry. But now, as she was face to face with his bare upper body, the moisture of the bath and the humid evening sticking to his skin. She marveled at the smooth, toned expanse of musculature of his chest and arms. His skin was dark, from years of being under the Amazonian sun, and it stretched taught over the well defined muscles of his abdomen.

Lily realized her mouth was open, and she had to physically shake her head to reset herself. "What? When did you…" Still paused, took a breath, and continued with her eyes looking up at his face this time. "…I see you made it to the hotel without any issues." She cringed at her words. Not exactly what I meant to say, but oh well.

"You bet. MacGregor gave me my key and I wasted no time getting myself up here before you used all the hot water." He handed her towel back to her and walked back into the washroom. His own terrycloth towel was tied tightly around his waist, and Lily watched as the muscles in his arm and back flexed and stretched as he lifted a hand to run his fingers across his chin as he looked in the mirror. His stubble was completely gone, revealing the smooth surface of his chin and cheeks. His handsome face looked strikingly younger without any facial hair.

He turned back around to face her, and raised his eyebrows as he looked her up and down. She felt a bead of sweat slide from her neck down the valley between her breasts as she looked back at him. It felt like he was undressing her with his eyes, when she suddenly remembered the state of her own undress.

"Oh geez." She huffed, and unfurled the towel to cover herself. Frank only smiled, as he gathered his things and moved to walk by her slowly, intentionally grazing her as he inched by.

"The bath is all yours…" He grinned, and started to head to his room. "See you at eight am sharp!"

Lily hurried into the washroom and slammed the door shut behind her. She buried her face in the towel and let out a muffled yell into the thick cotton of the material. She never thought of herself as someone that would swoon over a man — and up until now, no man she had ever met had made her feel the way Frank Wolff has made her feel in such a small amount of time. From anger and fear, to compassion and excitement, to despair and heartache, and now…desire and possibly more.

She needed to feel in control again — it was what she knew. It was how she could ensure her own sanity. If she couldn't govern the emotions of her own mind and body, Lily knew it would mean losing a part of herself. But perhaps that is exactly what she needed.

XXXX

Frank relaxed on his bed, the cool breeze from the ceiling fan sending a wave of air across his still bare chest. The sounds of the marketplace below drifted into his open window as he tried to fall asleep. He scratched at his chest as a fly landed on it, and he shifted on the bed. Too soft, he thought to himself. Years of sleeping on the hard surfaces offered by La Quila had made him unaccustomed to the plush feel of a mattress. He contemplated sleeping on the floor, but was too lazy to move. He blinked, the dark room lit up by the lights from the outside and the beginnings of a half full moon rising over the trees.

Lily came to his thoughts, as she often did. Her strong, determined voice ringing in his ears.

It could be that one person's world enough.

He sighed deeply, and closed his eyes, her face lingering in his mind. The way her strikingly blue eyes would shine when she is hyper-focused on something so deeply, that they block out everything else. Her hair, when it falls across her shoulders, framing her face with a softness and grace that makes his pulse race. And when they kiss, he'd never truly felt the emotion and desire race through his veins like they do with her. He couldn't stop himself from wanting her even if he tried.

Beyond that, he felt invigorated and challenged by her. She reminded him what it felt like to care for someone again, and the way she looked at him, he knew it was only a matter of time before he would get to show her how much he cared for her.

As he lay in his bed, still only clad in the towel from his bath, he felt his body begin to react to the images of the woman that consumed his thoughts. The blood began to rush between his legs, and his pulse increased. He pressed his shoulders back into the mattress, and let the tension leave his body. He dragged his hand slowly from where it lay on his chest down his stomach and to the edge of where the towel lay low and loose on his hips. He let out a breath and just as he let his fingers reach down under the towel, there was sharp and rapid knock on his door.

His eyes snapped open, and he growled low in his throat at the very untimely interruption. He jumped from the bed, and tightened the towel around his waist. He flung the door open, ready to punch whomever was on the other side, only to find Lily standing there, clad in her dirty pants and a dress shirt he didn't recognize. Her feet were bare, making her a few inches shorter than he was used to, and her hair was still wet from her bath and clinging to her skin.

She looked remarkably beautiful.

A wave of lavender and bath salts filled the air, and he groaned at the thought of her bathing in a steamy tub filled with essential oils— his towel started to shift, and he moved quickly to hide his lower body behind the door.

"Hello." She greeted cheerfully, seemingly unaware of his awkward shuffle to hide himself precariously behind the door.

"Well, hello there…To what do I, uh, owe the pleasure of this…visit?" He asked, trying to sound calm and casual, and not like someone who was about to treat himself to a …nightcap.

She smiled and made every effort to look him in the face, and not at his still bare chest. She held out a stack of neatly folded clothes. "I bought these for you earlier today in the marketplace. I tried to find things that would fit — you can imagine how that might be…difficult." She trailed off, indicating with a wave of her hand towards his upper body.

He took the clothes with a grateful smile. "Thank you - that was very nice of you to think of me. I tried to wash mine, but this is much better. Thank you." He smiled at her kindly.

A beat, then "Well, I'll just…" She pointed down the hall to her room. "Goodnight, Frank."

Her voice calmed him, even though he was fighting with his brain and his body to reach out to her, to pull her into his room and show her all the ways she made him feel. But it didn't feel right. Not yet, not tonight.

He watched as she retreated down the hall, disappointed that he wouldn't be holding her as he'd done the last two nights. "Goodnight Lily." He called down to her. She turned briefly to acknowledge him with a turn of her lips, and then disappeared into her room.

Frank shut the door and fell face first onto his bed with a frustrated groan. He turned, and stared up at the fan, "Damn. I'm not gonna get any sleep tonight."

XXXX

Notes: Well folks…I had fun writing this chapter. It is a prelude to the next BIG event coming for our two favorite heroes.

Did you like the deleted scene I threw in there? It made sense to bring it up, giving more context to Frank as a trusted and respectable human being - I think it adds to his character, making him even more attractive to Lily as someone who always had a kind heart.

Thank you for reading, and I hope to update as soon as possible.

Staarss (melissa)