Body ~ Not much to say about this chapter. I'm finally getting on the ball though!

Disclaimer: Guess what? Escaflowne doesn't belong to me. (Like you didn't already know!)

Forbearance

Part VII

By: Penybright

Van warily opened his eyes, to be met with darkness. He immediately sat up, looking around his cell frantically for another presence. There was no one there but him.

"Merle..." Van whispered sadly. What could have possibly happened to her? What had those... those... Van couldn't think of a word horrible enough to describe the questioners. He couldn't comprehend how anyone could be so uncaring, so cruel. Merle was innocent. She didn't know the secret Van was harboring. Only a select few knew it, and so far Van had managed to keep them out of harm's way.

When the door swung open, Van looked up expectantly, almost hopefully, wishing for it to me Merle. Unfortunately, it was only the guards. They stomped in, unceremoniously dragging Van to his feet, and towing him along. As Van had feared, they took him to the questioner again. Van could only imagine what this session would entail. Would the questioner taunt him about Merle's well being? Or would he say nothing, allowing Van's imagination to think up the worst possible scenarios?

Picking himself up from the floor, where he had been dumped, Van encountered a very unexpected site. Merle was standing beside the questioner. Her wounds had been cleaned and bandaged, and she appeared to be quite fine.

"Merle?"

"Lord Van," Merle replied softly, her blue eyes swimming with unshed tears. "I'm sorry..."

Van could only stare at Merle numbly.

"I'm sorry," Merle sobbed, finally breaking down. "I couldn't take it! I told them where to find Allen in order for the torture to stop. I'm so sorry Lord Van. I'll understand if you never forgive me," Merle lamented, sinking to her knees and hugging Van as if he were the only thing keeping her alive.

"I'm so sorry..."

Van was frozen in place. He couldn't move. He understood why she had done it, he wasn't angered with her. He was just shocked. Everything was falling apart. If they found Allen, then it was all over. He knew Allen would never tell, but if they found Allen, then surely Celena would be with him. Van knew that the questioners would use Celena against Allen, like they had used Merle against him. It would only be a matter of time now...

Glancing over Merle's shoulder, Van saw the satisfied smirk crossing the questioner's face. Oh how he wanted to permanently wipe that smirk away. But, there was nothing he could do. He to weak to fight them in any way, except for defiantly refusing to tell them what hey wanted to hear most. All that was left for him now was hope, and he didn't really have much of that left. If things were grim before, then now they were bleak. With a heavy heart and blank eyes, Van hugged Merle back, trying to assure her, when he himself knew everything was not going to be okay. Things were only going to get worse now...