Chapter 2

Kai wouldn't let go of her after he took her out of there. He held her in his arms and sitting in a taxi, he paid the driver before getting out when they reached his hotel, and still not letting her go, he guided her into the room. It was a cheap hotel. Nothing fancy, but he didn't care and neither did she. All he cared about was that she was with him again and all she wanted was for him to take her home with him again. That was where she wanted to be. The entire car ride back, she hadn't said anything or cried even. Alice just stared ahead of her or sometimes he caught her staring at him. He couldn't gauge the look in her eyes though looking at her, he got the sense that she was afraid. Because she clung to him, as if he would disappear if she even blinked. Like she might blink and be in the life those witches had left her in. That was why Kai held her tight, just to let her know that he had come to rescue her, and he wasn't going anywhere. He was taking her home.

" Kai?" exclaimed Alice when he dared to let go of her long enough to shut the door once they were inside his room, her voice scared, a tremble really as it reached out to him.

" Shhhhhh. Baby, I'm right here. I didn't go nowhere" whispered Kai turning back to hold her once more, feeling as her arms pressed tightly around herself as she shook badly; he couldn't help thinking that he had never seen her so vulnerable before.

After a moment, she wrapped his arm around her, and it was then that she started to cry. She tucked her head into the crook of his neck as he held her. Kai knew in that moment, there were things he could say, but he didn't. Somehow, he knew she didn't need words yet, but only to be held, to know he was there. Really there and he wasn't going to let anyone take her away ever again.

" They just left me there. I guess they thought that was the last place you'd look...I just wish you hadn't had to see me that way" whispered Alice feeling as he kissed her forehead his hand cradling the back of her head.

" I did things back there, Kai" exclaimed Alice a sob leaving her as he moved them to sit on the bed. Kai kissed everywhere he could reach on her then before his eyes just looked at her. She looked right back as the tears kept coming as he kneeled in front of her. Finally, he just took her face into his hands, and he touched his forehead to hers. After a moment, she calmed until she released a ragged breath her hands suddenly balling up into the fabric of his shirt.

" It was those witches...not you. Never you, remember that" said Kai touching her face with a light touch as he eased away. She wouldn't look at him for a moment, but he made her. He made her look into his eyes and he wouldn't let her look away. They didn't say anything and slowly, he watched her calm more and more. Part of him wondered if he should say something more to sooth her, but he didn't. He somehow knew he didn't need to. Part of him felt like he didn't need to as they looked at each other their time apart changing nothing. It was still like two magnets, they were drawn to each other like that, and watching her then, he wanted to kiss her because it reminded him how much he had missed her.

" I need you to do something very important for me, Kai" said Alice after their silence drug on for far too long, suddenly grabbing his hand to intertwine their fingers as he silently asked what. Kai wrapped his arms around her then, pulling her down to straddle his waist. He felt her hand in his, her skin beneath his palms, and his emotions came roiling at him. It was overwhelming as he remembered his time without her. It had been misery, but not anymore. Because she was here again, beautiful flesh and blood, not a figment of his imagination. She was here and he vowed never to let her go again. He had missed her.

" I need you to kiss all my memories away" exclaimed Alice all in one breath, knowing as she looked at him that she didn't need to say anymore.

Kai knew she needed him, to know he was there, really there, and that her time in that oblivion had ended. His lips crashed against hers then and when he did, the moan that fell from her throat sounded too close to a sob. He broke away then, to bury his face in her neck, pulling away again after only a moment.

" Kai" gasped Alice almost in relief as he looked down on her covered in sparkles the smell of stale whiskey all over her, Alice saw it too, and immediately covered herself. Kai crushed her body to his, not quite ready to let her move yet. He knew what she needed. To be cleansed. To be clean of the life that had been so cruelly forced upon her all because she dared to love him. He knew what she needed and he would see to it that she got it.

She had been left to live the life of a stripper by those who claimed to be protecting her. They had left her to be manhandled and used like a piece of garbage. All because they said loving him made her evil. Kai saw in her eyes the way that made her feel. Dirty and used and guilty. Guilty because of the things she'd done because they took away her memories of him. He saw it and he only served to anger him more as he looked at what they had done to her. The woman he loved. They made her feel guilt for things she had no control over. Guilt for the things she had done while she was Misty not Alice, guilt for the things other men had done while the witches left her to endure it. It angered him even as he was helping her to her feet.

" Where are we going?" whispered Alice as he led her into the bathroom. Kai didn't answer her. He just held by the shoulders as he took her to clean her up. He wouldn't just wash away the filth or the sparkles. He wanted to wash away the memories too. To take them back to all those months ago before they took her from him.

He didn't say anything as he undressed her throwing her clothes in the trash as he turned on the water.

" I got you now, babe. We're going home tomorrow" whispered Kai to her as he checked the water, making it as hot as he could stand before taking his own clothes off to step into the shower with her. As they stepped into the steady stream of water, Kai felt her shivering increase until his hands began to run over her skin. He washed her clean until her skin was the color he remembered. Golden like warm honey. He wash her hair, shampoo, then conditioner, strawberry scented like she liked. He had just finished rinsing the soap from her hair when she turned to face him, her eyes looking up into his eyes, seemingly searching for something. Until then, her eyes had been hollow, but looking into them then, Kai found them to be the ones he remembered.

They were the drops of sour green temptation he'd fallen in love with. They weren't sweet or sour all at once though, but a mixture. He had seen in her something sinister and mysterious and worth fighting for. And she had been all of that. Much more. He saw all of that in her eyes then and Kai felt his emotions come to choke him. He had missed those eyes. Her arms wrapped around him and he heard her take a deep breath.

" I love you, Kai" whispered Alice looking up into his eyes, her hair hanging around her face in a wet stringy mess.

" I love you too" whispered Kai drawing a breath as he choked on the words her face suddenly in his hands. Kai just looked at her in that moment and she looked back. There was so much more he could say, but nothing would mean as much as those three words. Because his search was over now. He had found her and tomorrow, he would take her home, and never let her out of his sight again. After all these months, she was here, in his arms, with him. Kai felt his emotions overpowering him the longer he looked at her in that moment.

She was right in front of him, a beautiful wet haired mess, and goddamit if he didn't love her. He adored her, worshipped her, and had been lost without her. She was his other half. His leading lady, the show didn't exist unless she was there to perform at his side. And now, she was back. And together, they would rule the world, he knew that as he gazed at her in that moment.

" I missed you so much" whispered Kai capturing her lips with his own. She deepened the kiss before he even had the chance, he fingers running through the blue of his hair to tug at it. It made him tug her close, her body pressed to his, and he groaned. He had missed this, the feel of her body against his, her heart against his. Her arms went around his neck and as water cascaded over them, Kai drew a breath. Suddenly, he felt complete again. Suddenly, they both did.

" Goddamn, I'm never letting you out of my sight ever again" exclaimed Kai moving quickly then to press her onto the wall of the shower, his hands grabbing her ass to lift her up into his arms, her legs wrapping around his waist just as they always did.

" I love you, Kai" whispered Alice her hands still locked at the back of his neck. She pulled his lips to hers. The kiss was demanding as her nails dug into his skin as they moved down to his shoulders. With a stinging tug, she pressed him closer, and he followed her lead. He pressed her further into the wall and deepened the kiss feeling as she suddenly had a fistful of his hair.

He left his mark at her throat then, the temptation growing to reclaim her right there. To fuck her against the shower wall.

" I fucking love you" growled Kai suddenly as he pulled away to look at her, smiling as she looked right back. They were heavy with desire and love and the type of passion that he had longed for all these months.

" Make love to me" whispered Alice then as if reading his thoughts as that same thought entered his mind.

Kai realized he wanted that, he wanted to make love to her. That he wanted to carry her out of there in his arms and lay her on that bed in there. He wanted to show her how he'd longed for her, missed her. He wanted to show her how much he loved her. That he was madly in love with her. In that moment, Kai pulled her away from the wall, kissing her desperately as he did just that.