Andrea was so angry and she didn't know why. She knew that it couldn't be because she was jealous and that she had feelings for T.J. She was just pissed off that when she talked about getting into a more committed relationship with him he told her that he wasn't ready now here he is agreeing to marry some girl that he hadn't seen in eleven years. Did that girl mean more to him then she did? Did they have a special bond? How come he wanted to marry Iris and not her? Just then she heard the sound of people screaming and running for their lives. The source of their panic was a gorilla demon that was rampaging through town.
"Where is she?!" He shouted. "Where is my bride?!"
"We have her here master!"
Andrea watched as a group of natives dragged T.J, his grandfather, and Iris and threw them at the gorilla's feet.
"So my bride you thought that you could run away did you?" The gorilla said.
"Oh great Tabqui you won't be pleased with this." A native told him. "But we have just been informed that this woman is unclean."
"What?!"
"It's true." Iris said. "I'm engaged to Tulio Julian."
"How dare you betray me!"
"With all due respect I was engaged to him long before I was chosen by you."
"I don't care if you were promised to another man! You belong to me! I am taking you back to the jungle to be my wife!"
Iris let out a scream as Tabqui grabbed her and ran off. T.J and his grandfather began to fight the natives restraining them. Andrea went to help. Once they were free they chased after Tabqui.
"T.J what's going on?" Andrea asked.
"No time to explain! We need to save Iris!"
"Right wouldn't want anything to happen to your fiance who you've only known for a few minutes."
"Andrea not now! Where are Manny and Frida? They should be here by now?"
"Weren't they with you?"
"No they left to find you."
"I haven't seen them since I left your place. Do you think they might have been captured by these native people?"
"If they were then they're in big trouble. The natives who worship Tabqui give him human sacrifices!"
"Oh God!"
"Here's the plan I'll rescue Iris you find Manny and Frida."
"No! I'll rescue Iris and you find Manny and Frida."
"What?! Andrea-"
But she was off before he could stop her. T.J sighed in frustration but he decided to let Andrea do what he wanted because the last thing he wanted to do was make her more angry then she already was. Using tracking skills, he followed the native's trail to a cage guarded by monstrous hounds. Manny and Frida were inside the cage trying to break the bars with a rock but it was a futile effort.
"This is ridiculous!" Manny said after trying for the fiftith time to break out of the cage using a rock. "Okay if we can't break out then we'll tunnel our way out!"
"With what? In case you haven't noticed we don't have any shovels and pick axes." Frida said.
"We'll use our bare hands."
"Manny we're not moles."
"Do you have any other options?"
"Call for help?"
"Oh brilliant idea except for the fact that you'll wake up the hell hounds if you shout."
"Well at least it has a chance of working."
"Dig or don't point is I refuse to be sacrificed to a monkey."
"Technically gorillas are apes not monkeys."
"Whatever!"
He got on his knees and started digging.
"That's not going to work." She said.
"She's right you know." T.J said.
"T.J thank goodness. Can you get us out of here?" Manny asked.
"Not a problem. I'll have you two out in a jiffy."
Back in town Andrea was trailing after Tabqui and trying to figure out how to save Iris. If she threw her spear and it hit him he would drop Iris but they were so high up, if Tabqui was to drop her she could fall to her death. Her eyes searched for an angle she could use to ensure that when Iris fell she would land safely. At last she saw him hold her over where a bunch of mattresses had spilled out of a mattress truck that Tabqui turned over. Acting fast she threw her spear at Tabqui's hand causing him to drop Iris who landed safely on the matresses.
"Iris are you alright?" Andrea asked.
"I'm fine."
"Good now let's get out of here!"
"Look out!"
Tabqui reached to grab Iris again only for Andrea to push her out of the way causing the gorilla demon to grab her. Andrea let out a scream and tried to use her spear to escape but she accidentally dropped it. When Tabqui saw that he had grabbed the wrong woman he looked angry at first but after studying Andrea's appearance his mood change and he grinned.
"Woman I'll take you to the jungle too. Make you my mistress." He declared.
"What?!" Andrea gasped horrified.
"TO HELL YOU WILL!" A familiar angry voice shouted. She looked in the direction of where it came from and saw that it was T.J who was heading straight for them. "There's no way you'll take my woman for your mistress!"
"Silence you fool! Before I squash you like the cockroach you are!"
Tabqui started to walk away but T.J had no intention of letting that filthy, knuckle dragging, ape take his woman. He climbed up to the top of the building that Tabqui was heading for and once he was close enough he jumped on to his face.
"Let go of Andrea!" He demanded.
"And what will you do if I don't?"
"This!" He then stabbed him in the eye with Andrea's spear and pressed scripture on him. "In the name of the Holy father I order you to cease living on earth and return to hell!"
Tabqui shrieked as body became exorcised. T.J and Andrea fell but they landed safely on a matress that they're friends had laid out for them.
""Andrea are you okay?"
"I'm alright."
"That smelly ape didn't hurt you did he?"
"No but what are you doing?"
"I thought that I was saving you?"
"Why?"
"Why? You really need to ask me that? I saved you because you're my woman and I couldn't bear the thought of you being the mistress of some disgusting demon."
"I'm not your woman! Besides aren't you engaged?"
"Andrea the engagement was a lie."
"What?"
"We only pretended to be engaged because we thought it would stop Tabqui from forcing her to be his wife."
"Then why didn't you tell me that in the first place?"
"Grandpa didn't want to take any chances but it would seem Tabqui was going to take her regardless of whether she was with another man or not. Speaking of Iris is she okay?"
"She's fine."
"Thank God."
"Okay so you're not really marrying her but...Do you like her?"
"She's very attractive but she's more like a sister to me and besides you're the only woman who holds my heart."
Andrea blushed.
"T.J I told you that I don't want to be with you. I don't feel the same way."
"Then why were you so jealous?"
"I wasn't jealous! I was just angry because I thought you wanted to marry a girl you hardly knew when you didn't even want to be in a committed relationship with me."
"And why does it make you so upset that we weren't in a committed relationship if you don't feel the same way?"
"Because...Because...I...I have my reasons."
"What reasons?"
"None of your business!"
"Admit it Andrea you love me."
"I do not."
"Do to."
"Do not."
"Do to."
"Do not."
"Do to."
"Do not."
"Do to."
"Do not."
"You know what I think. I think that you do love me but you don't think I really love you and you'really in denial because you don't want to get your heart broken am I right?"
"Do you wanna end up in the hospital?"
"Okay it's obvious that I'm going to have prove my love to you and when I do we'll be together. I just know it."
"I highly doubtful it." She got to her feet and began to walk off but stopped for a moment. "Thanks for saving me. I really appreciate it."
"You're welcome."
"T.J can I ask you something?"
"Anything."
"Why do you love me? Or why do you think you love me?"
"It's because aside from being the first woman to really intrigue me you're also my best friend. You understand what it's like to lose a family member and to blame yourself for it and spend your whole life trying to make it right. But most of all you and I both know what it feels like to have to sacrifice your entire childhood for the good of others."
She turned around and for the longest
From a distance Manny and Frida watched them.
"This is annoying. Why don't they just get together already?" Manny groaned.
"I know I mean it's obvious they love each other why do they have to make things so difficult?" Frida agreed. "Speaking of getting together why did you tell those Natives that I was your wife?"
"Well duh I did it to save from marrying a monkey."
"Ape."
"Who cares?"
"Huh..."
"What?"
"Nothing it's just that the idea of being married to you is kind of nice to think about. I know it's stupid but it's a nice thought. What am I saying? Like you would ever marry anyone so I shouldn't think about it though I kind of envy Andrea."
"Why?"
"Because the man she loves returns her feelings and she can be with him without hurting him. That's why I want her and T.J to be together so much because if you can be with the one you love you should be with them."
"It really hurts you that bad huh?"
"It's not your fault. If you ever fell in love with me or anyone else it would hurt you maybe even kill you. So please don't feel guilty but can I ask you something?"
"What?"
"If you had been born a normal human do you think...Do you think you could have loved me?"
"I...I really don't know."
If only she knew that he felt the same pain she felt. He would have loved her if he had been born human. He loved her now even though he was a halfling. If only she knew how much he wanted to hold her, to kiss her, to touch her, to say those three words but if he dared to act on his feelings it would only end horribly. One of his biggest fears was if anyone knew how he felt then the council would separate her from him like they did with his mother or that she would be used as some leverage and tortured to the point of commiting suicide like Zoe did. If either of those things or worse were to happen to her he knew he would never be able to bear it.
He still had nightmares about losing his mother and now he had nightmares about Zoe's death. He didn't see her die so his mind had ways of projecting different types of ways she died. Some times she would be burning to death, other times she would be crushed, stabbed, mutilated, shot, beheaded and in each one just before she died she would say the same thing.
"I died because you made me love you. This is your fault. You kill every woman who loves you."
"Manny are you okay?" Frida asked him. "You look pale?"
"I'm fine. I just need something to eat."
"Come on I know a place."