Chapter 4
Garret returned as promised, bringing with him her breakfast. Marie's thoughts ceased, and she looked up at him with a slight grin. Garret placed a tray on her lap, sitting on the chair beside her from the night before. "Ah 'ope yeh like it." Marie smiled, speaking softly before taking a mouthful. "I'm sure it's wonderful." She ate in silence, casting a glance towards the male every once in a while. Garret smiled, watching her eat. "Yeh're looking better t'day." She paused, looking at him with a slight smile. "Thanks." she returned to her meal, lost once again in her own thoughts.
***
As time passed, Marie became more comfortable around Garret. She chatted with him easily and found herself relaxed and at ease around him. It was after dinner one day when Marie looked up from her book. Garret was washing the dishes. With a mischievous smile she stood, padding silently up behind him. She wrapped her arms playfully around him, resting her chin on his shoulder. Garret gave a startled jump before turning to face her. He smiled down at her, absent-mindedly placing a paw on her shoulder. "Ey yeh." She beamed up at him. "Hey." Garret's smile broadened as he looked her over. She was looking healthier than before, but the look he gave her sometimes.his smile faded. It was just haunting. He'd correct her on something and she'd look so frightened, and with her looking so small in her clothes she had borrowed from him, she looked so dejected it was startling. At first he constantly had to reassure her that what she was doing was alright. She'd ask permission to do things that she didn't need to ask about, like stepping outside for some fresh air, or if she could read. She was better now, although she still gave him a scared, held back look once in a while. Marie's brow furrowed as she saw Garret's expression change. "Garret? Is something wrong?" Garret snapped out from his thoughts, looking down at her with a smile. "No, nothing's wrong." He paused, "Yeh jest look so small in those clothes." Her eyebrows rose in surprise, but she nodded. "I know." He smiled. "We could go get some clothes from your house if yeh want." She hesitated and nodded, an ingrained, submissive state of mind kicking in. "Okay, when should we go?" Garret looked outside. "Well, 'tis still goin' t'be light out for a while, we can be there 'n back b'fore dark." She stiffened. "O-okay." As they headed towards her house, Garret caught sight of small, nervous gestures from Marie's direction. She seemed ill at ease, and quite uncomfortable. When they arrived an hour or so later, Marie looked at him nervously. "W-why don't you stay out here? I'll just go grab a few things." Garret nodded and leaned against the wall. 'ah'll e out 'ere in yeh need me." Marie nodded and entered the house, making her way up the stairs to her room. She shuddered, so many memories. Marie entered the room and began to gather her things, a few shirts and pants, a couple of her favorite books, and a necklace that her best friend had given her before she left. She located a suitcase and began to pack. She froze as an all too familiar voice came from behind her. "You've come back I see.I'll see to it that you won't do that again." *** Garret's brow furrowed as he waited, she had been in there for a long time. Something wasn't right. A scream suddenly sounded from inside of the building and Garret leaped into action, running into the house. Immediately, he could hear an angry male's voice from upstairs and he followed the noise cautiously. He stopped at the door and tried to open it. It was locked. He cursed under his breath, squaring his shoulder as he threw his weight against the old door. The door gave out and he stepped inside the room. He glanced around quickly taking note of his surroundings. He saw a blond furred otter standing over Marie's form, his footpaw pulled back to kick her. He strode over to the male and grabbed him roughly by the shoulder, turning him around as he cocked a fist. His fist came in contact with the other male's jaw and he pushed him aside, crouching down beside Marie. "Are yeh alright?" Marie's eyes widened as she looked over his shoulder. "Garret, look out!" Garret rolled onto his back and struck out with his hind legs, catching the other male in his stomach, causing him to stumble into a bedside table. The table wobbled with the impact, causing a lit candle to fall over and onto a curtain that hung near to the ground. Fire spread to the curtain and flames began to lick the old, dry, wall. Garret picked the other male off of the ground and held him there as he looked over at Marie. "Get yeh'reself outa 'ere!" Marie gave a nod and grabbed her pack as she darted out the door. When she got outside of the house and at a safe distance away, she watched, worried as a wall of the house was consumed in flames.
***
Garret coughed and held his sleeve over his mouth, filtering out the smoke. He had killed the other male, but he was still worst off, bleeding from various wounds. Smoke stung his eyes and he paused at the bottom of the stairs, blinking a few times. A sudden groaning noise made him look up. The ceiling then caved in on top of Garret in a flurry of ashes and sparks.
*** When Garret awoke, his vision was filled with darkness. He tried to sit up, only to groan and lay back again. His brow furrowed and he wondered why he couldn't see. All he remembered was fire and smoke. A thought suddenly came to mind. Did Marie get out all right? He raised his head. "Marie?" a voice sounded from behind him, and a feminine paw enclosed his. "I'm right here." "I-I can't see." Marie frowned as she thought, then hugged the big otter close. "Then I guess it's my turn to look after you."
Garret returned as promised, bringing with him her breakfast. Marie's thoughts ceased, and she looked up at him with a slight grin. Garret placed a tray on her lap, sitting on the chair beside her from the night before. "Ah 'ope yeh like it." Marie smiled, speaking softly before taking a mouthful. "I'm sure it's wonderful." She ate in silence, casting a glance towards the male every once in a while. Garret smiled, watching her eat. "Yeh're looking better t'day." She paused, looking at him with a slight smile. "Thanks." she returned to her meal, lost once again in her own thoughts.
***
As time passed, Marie became more comfortable around Garret. She chatted with him easily and found herself relaxed and at ease around him. It was after dinner one day when Marie looked up from her book. Garret was washing the dishes. With a mischievous smile she stood, padding silently up behind him. She wrapped her arms playfully around him, resting her chin on his shoulder. Garret gave a startled jump before turning to face her. He smiled down at her, absent-mindedly placing a paw on her shoulder. "Ey yeh." She beamed up at him. "Hey." Garret's smile broadened as he looked her over. She was looking healthier than before, but the look he gave her sometimes.his smile faded. It was just haunting. He'd correct her on something and she'd look so frightened, and with her looking so small in her clothes she had borrowed from him, she looked so dejected it was startling. At first he constantly had to reassure her that what she was doing was alright. She'd ask permission to do things that she didn't need to ask about, like stepping outside for some fresh air, or if she could read. She was better now, although she still gave him a scared, held back look once in a while. Marie's brow furrowed as she saw Garret's expression change. "Garret? Is something wrong?" Garret snapped out from his thoughts, looking down at her with a smile. "No, nothing's wrong." He paused, "Yeh jest look so small in those clothes." Her eyebrows rose in surprise, but she nodded. "I know." He smiled. "We could go get some clothes from your house if yeh want." She hesitated and nodded, an ingrained, submissive state of mind kicking in. "Okay, when should we go?" Garret looked outside. "Well, 'tis still goin' t'be light out for a while, we can be there 'n back b'fore dark." She stiffened. "O-okay." As they headed towards her house, Garret caught sight of small, nervous gestures from Marie's direction. She seemed ill at ease, and quite uncomfortable. When they arrived an hour or so later, Marie looked at him nervously. "W-why don't you stay out here? I'll just go grab a few things." Garret nodded and leaned against the wall. 'ah'll e out 'ere in yeh need me." Marie nodded and entered the house, making her way up the stairs to her room. She shuddered, so many memories. Marie entered the room and began to gather her things, a few shirts and pants, a couple of her favorite books, and a necklace that her best friend had given her before she left. She located a suitcase and began to pack. She froze as an all too familiar voice came from behind her. "You've come back I see.I'll see to it that you won't do that again." *** Garret's brow furrowed as he waited, she had been in there for a long time. Something wasn't right. A scream suddenly sounded from inside of the building and Garret leaped into action, running into the house. Immediately, he could hear an angry male's voice from upstairs and he followed the noise cautiously. He stopped at the door and tried to open it. It was locked. He cursed under his breath, squaring his shoulder as he threw his weight against the old door. The door gave out and he stepped inside the room. He glanced around quickly taking note of his surroundings. He saw a blond furred otter standing over Marie's form, his footpaw pulled back to kick her. He strode over to the male and grabbed him roughly by the shoulder, turning him around as he cocked a fist. His fist came in contact with the other male's jaw and he pushed him aside, crouching down beside Marie. "Are yeh alright?" Marie's eyes widened as she looked over his shoulder. "Garret, look out!" Garret rolled onto his back and struck out with his hind legs, catching the other male in his stomach, causing him to stumble into a bedside table. The table wobbled with the impact, causing a lit candle to fall over and onto a curtain that hung near to the ground. Fire spread to the curtain and flames began to lick the old, dry, wall. Garret picked the other male off of the ground and held him there as he looked over at Marie. "Get yeh'reself outa 'ere!" Marie gave a nod and grabbed her pack as she darted out the door. When she got outside of the house and at a safe distance away, she watched, worried as a wall of the house was consumed in flames.
***
Garret coughed and held his sleeve over his mouth, filtering out the smoke. He had killed the other male, but he was still worst off, bleeding from various wounds. Smoke stung his eyes and he paused at the bottom of the stairs, blinking a few times. A sudden groaning noise made him look up. The ceiling then caved in on top of Garret in a flurry of ashes and sparks.
*** When Garret awoke, his vision was filled with darkness. He tried to sit up, only to groan and lay back again. His brow furrowed and he wondered why he couldn't see. All he remembered was fire and smoke. A thought suddenly came to mind. Did Marie get out all right? He raised his head. "Marie?" a voice sounded from behind him, and a feminine paw enclosed his. "I'm right here." "I-I can't see." Marie frowned as she thought, then hugged the big otter close. "Then I guess it's my turn to look after you."
