"You can't be serious."
"Oh, I most assuredly am. She does not say it straight out but everyone can tell when she looks at you. She'd risk her life for you," he said as Xander slowly stood with his coffee mug in his hand.
"Whatever you say Andrew," he muttered and started to walk back towards his room.
Xander pushed the door shut and walked into the bathroom. Reaching out, he flipped on the lights and grimaced at his reflection. His torso was dotted with dark bruises and multiple gashes, almost too many to count. Turning to look behind him, he looking longingly at the shower and then back to the mirror. When he heard a knock at the bedroom door, he glanced at the door before looking back to the mirror.
"Come in!"
The door opened to permit entrance to the visitor as Xander gently touched the ugliest looking bruise. Lifting his head, he locked eyes with Samine in the mirror as she slowly moved to the doorway to the bathroom. She wore a pair of jeans and a halter top without her gun holster.
"I…uh…came to check your injuries and re-patch them if I have to."
"Can it wait till I take a shower?"
Her face was blank until realization dawned on her. "Oh! Sure it can wait. I'll just wait in the bedroom for you."
She groped for the door knob and quickly pulled the door shut before making herself into a bigger fool. Closing her eye, she resisted the urge to bang her head against the door. Since when did she become a flustered, gawky kid? Softly swearing, she set the supplies on the bed and started to pace.
"Last night was such a mistake; I can't believe that I actually threw myself at him," she muttered and pressed the heels of her hands into her temples.
When she had woken up that morning and recalled what happened the night before, she was mortified. Mortified at her actions and what she had been thinking. Listening to the sounds of the shower, she sighed and knew it was hopeless. For two years she had tried to distance herself from him and the feelings she felt whenever he was near her. She snorted when a quote shoved up to the front of her thoughts. 'Separation makes the heart grow fonder.'
She sat on the edge of the bed and propped her elbows on her knees as she stared at the carpet between her feet. Lexxiss would be proud of her, she thought idly. She was finally willing to accept it, that she was still madly in love with Xander. But Xander didn't want her anymore.
The door to the bathroom opened as steam slowly wafted out before Xander stepped out. Samine stood up and stepped away from the bed as he slowly walked towards the bed. He had pulled off all the bandages to shower and the side of his chest was black and blue from the cracked ribs. Samine grimaced as he carefully lowered himself onto the bed.
"Alright, I'm ready," he said as Samine knelt on the bed beside him.
"Does it feel any better?" she asked and re-bandaged some of the slashes.
"A bit; just don't make me move too quickly," he said as Sydney filled a syringe with antibiotics.
"I'll try not to, now hold still."
Cleaning the crook of his arm with rubbing alcohol, she quickly gave him the injection and recapped the needle. After tossing the needle into the bag, she looked at Xander as he slowly stood and walked into the bathroom. A few minutes later he re-emerged from the bathroom dressed in baggy jeans and a wife-beater.
"Anything else that you need from me, Samine?"
"Um, yeah actually."
Xander turned to look at her expectantly as she tried to get her thoughts in order. Everything that she wanted to say was sounding stupid in her mind and would make her sound like an idiot. Sighing, she rubbed her forehead frustrated. How was she to tell Xander that she was sorry for lying to him and that she was still in love with him?
"Anytime soon Samine," Xander said impatiently.
"Oh bugger off! You know what? Forget about it! You wouldn't understand anyway," she snapped and stalked out of the room.
"So now you're running again? I do understand it Samine; you run when you get scared," Xander said to her back.
Xander knew that he was baiting her but he really didn't care. If they were going to have a screaming match in the condo, then they were going to have a screaming match in the condo. No one was there to stop them or referee so everything had a change to get out.
"I am not running, you asshole!" she vehemently snapped.
"It sure looks like it to me. How does it go again? You go with a guy until he starts to get to you or starts to understand you and then ditch him? Or do you just use them to get a good fuck and then run out?" he sneered as she slowly turned to face him.
"I have never, ever, used anyone for sex. That is degrading to both him and me."
"I'm starting to think that you can't get any lower than you already are."
"What?"
"You were never the woman that I thought you were. I thought that this job hadn't affected you, but I was wrong. Wrong about everything," he said coldly as Samine turned and walked into the kitchen.
"How so? Thought that I was actually in love with you? That's sweet," she bit out and tried to make herself a cup of tea.
Her eyes were focused on her hands, willing them to stay steady. She couldn't have described the pain that his words brought on and her pride would never have let her. Couldn't he see her pain? Why can't he see through her cruel words and angry façade? Her grip on the mug was almost to the point of shattering the ceramic material.
"I thought you were still alive in that body of yours but there's nothing there but a black heart. You are just a cold hearted bitch that loves no one else but yourself and even then it's not love. I find it amusing that I actually thought that you were a human, a compassionate human being. But I was wrong; you are just a killing machine. A cold-hearted bitch that will always be alone because that's all you know and understand," Xander yelled and watched as Samine's back grew tenser by his every word.
Later, Samine would have been hard pressed to remember what happened after Xander's words. She just remembered picking up the mug and turning before everything faded to a blinding white. Even if she had no recollection of what occurred, Xander sure as hell did.
With an almost inhuman scream, Samine spun and blindly threw the mug in Xander's direction. Her pain and rage screwed with her accuracy causing the mug to shatter against the wall an arm's length away from Xander. The violent display of emotion shocked Xander as he covered his head and face from the shards of the previously whole mug.
"You son-of-a-bitch! Do you even realize how many tears I have shed because of you and others like you? It eats me alive knowing that the one person I want to spend my life with is right in front of me and I can't have him! I can't have a relationship that people read and dream about! All of it was denied to me, so yes I pushed them away because I was scared! I never knew what love was and I still don't know what it is!" she screamed feeling her chest contract painfully.
"Those times that I told you I loved you? I never knew the real meaning of that word! Being a bitch is all I know! And I was happy being the bitch until you came along! You, with your passion for living and loving and being so damn good at it! What I wouldn't have given to love you and be loved; to be free as you are! I never expected to be so overwhelmed, almost drowning in it and it terrified me! More than anything I knew possible and when I thought it possible that I might have found the guy that I loved and when I thought that I knew what love was and meant; he betrayed me and thought I was guilty of attempted murder!
"I'm so alive my life is now killing me!" she screamed and collapsed on the kitchen floor as she gasped for breath as she cried.
With something akin to fear and horror, Xander dropped to his knees next to Samine and tried to comfort her. The heart wrenching sobs shook her entire frame as he pulled her closer to him. She clenched her fist into his shirt and concentrated on the sound of his heart beat. Her mind, body, and soul were exhausted and weary beyond comprehension. She had been keeping up the façade for too long and it had finally worn her down. Everything had been worn down to the raw essentials and left her feeling raw. She didn't know what Xander and she would do after this but she didn't care anymore. All she cared about was then and there; she didn't want to think of tomorrow or the next day. For one day, she was going to allow herself to be weak. For one day, she wanted to have someone to lean against and support her.
"All my life consisted of being an agent and showing no emotions. They always said that emotions made you weak and vulnerable," she murmured as Xander shifted to get more comfortable.
"For some people, they become stronger with emotions. They use the emotions to their advantage," he said and gently stroked her hair.
"And in the case of me?"
"Samine…you are one of the strongest people I know. You are fearless, prideful, strong, intelligent, and have a pretty good curse throw on objects."
He was rewarded with a faint chuckled and he smiled as he relaxed a bit. It felt good to have Samine back in his arms even though the pressure was aggravating his ribs. She still smelled the exact way he remembered her, warm vanilla, as he breathed in and winched when his ribs protested.
"God, Xander. You were right, I am a cold hearted bitch," she sighed.
"Just a bit but I forgive you," he smiled and heard her laugh.
"I can't believe I threw a coffee mug at you."
"You just winged me; it was a pretty impressive display though," he said and she buried her head into his chest in embarrassment.
"I wouldn't have it any other way Samine. You make life exciting."
"I make life exciting? That's all?" she asked with a smirk.
"Well, that's all I'm willing to say on that topic."
"I'll let that slide. How long have we been on this floor?"
"Not long."
"Really? My ass is almost numb from this tile floor. How are your ribs?" she asked and gently prodded with a finger.
He jerked away as soon as he felt the pain start. Samine watched him with raised eyebrows as he smiled faintly.
"The ribs are fine," he said, trying to be convincing.
Her eyebrows climbed further if possible. "Fine? Then why won't you let me touch your side?"
Xander thought of the first excuse that came to mind. "I'm ticklish?"
"You're ticklish? That's the lamest excuse I've ever heard. Come on X," she said and stood up, offering her hand.
"What are you going to do to me?"
"I'm going to put some ice on it, what else would I do?" she asked and helped him to his feet.
"With you I can never tell," he laughed and bit back a groan as he stood.
"Bitch, bitch, moan, moan. It seems that's all you every do anymore. Maybe it's me, or maybe you have an inferiority complex."
"An inferiority complex? Look at me babe; does it look like I have an inferiority complex?"
Samine looked at him and looked at him up and down with a slight smirk. Even though the bandages were visible under the wife beater, he was still as impressive as the first day she met him. His broad shoulders tapered down to a slim waist and long muscular legs.
"Most definitely not," she murmured and felt a flush race through her body.
"Ah ah, get your mind out of the gutter."
"Fine, I'll get some ice for your ribs. You go and get into bed; I'll be there in a moment."
Xander smiled and turned to walk into the bedroom. He stripped off the shirt and carefully stretched out on the bed. A few minutes later, Samine walked in with an ice pack and crawled up next to Xander. Picking up the discarded shirt, she folded it and held it against his ribs before putting on the ice pack.
"Need anything else?" she asked and stretched out on her side next to him.
"Just you," he said and pulled her closer.
With a smile and sigh, Samine moved closer and draped her arm across his stomach. She finally felt that everything was starting to correct itself and go right.
Samine shifted closer to Xander and vaguely wondered what woke her. Something didn't feel right; she decided and slowly opened her eyes. Her senses were screaming at her and her muscles slowly tightened. Her head snapped to the side to find a figure holding an automatic pointed towards Xander and her.
"Move!" she screamed and shoved Xander off the side of the bed.
She rolled to the opposite side and crashed onto the floor as gunfire exploded to destroy the bed they had previously been resting on. Bits of fabric and feathers showered the room as Samine covered her head with one arm and pulled out her handgun with the other hand. Hearing a pause in the gunfire, she sat up and fired several shots in the direction of the intruder.
No gunfire was returned and she quickly moved around the bed to check on Xander. He was holding his ribs but she saw no blood on him or around him.
"Are you alright? Are you alright!" she yelled and pointed at him as he looked up at her.
"Yeah, go, go!" he yelled and waved her on.
Samine spun and ran after the gunman who was just rounding the corner and leaving the condo. Her bare feet moved silently over the floor as she raced after the person. Bursting through the doorway, she stopped and sighted the person before firing. Instead of falling, the person stumbled and kept running across the grass. Snarling, Samine ran after the person again and crashed through the small bushes to see the person running around the corner of the pool house. Pumping her arms, she raced across the yard and around the pool house.
Stars exploded in front of her vision and she felt herself falling. Water surrounded her suddenly and a shocked gasp caused a mouthful of water. Trying to kick up to the surface, something grasped her head and kept her under the water surface. A powerful surge of fear raced through her as her hands grabbed the arm holding her down and tried to remove it. Her lungs were burning for air and her strength was slowly waning. Darkness slowly over whelmed her as her eyes slowly closed and she sank into unconsciousness.
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The long awaited chapter is finally here; I am so sorry for taking so long to get it posted. After the fight scene I had to idea where I wanted to take the story so it kind of sat alone for a while. But I forced myself to work on it and it just started to come along; I am proud of what I did end up with. So everyone please review for me and I shall keep working on the next chapter.
Ivorybrowneyes-Oh my lordy, you are actually back to reading xXx stories? There was a bit of sarcasm there in case you did not catch it. But yeah, I am having a blast with you and Lexxiss and the sarcasm remarks. I will have to plane out the ass-kicking part, I do not know when it will occur but I will work it in.
Eadha Ohn-Hopefully Samine will be forgiven in this chapter when she realizes how stupid it was. It was the results of an emotionally unstable female. That is my story and I am sticking to it. Heehee.
SloneI'moutofbedwhatmoredouwan-Since when did you decide to change your name? I only recognized the 'Sloan' part of it. But oh well, I do not mind just as long as you review the new chapter. I know school is being a bitch for me to. I have to find time to write and write well. Deciding to work on the weekend was not a good idea so I have stopped that and hopefully will have more time to write. Hope you liked the new chapter.