Chapter Six: Begging for Forgiveness
Yo. This will be the last chapter that takes place in Annabelle's house, just so you know. I understand that I've been ignoring the "journey" part of the journey to Marseille, but it's just for the first few chapters. That's right, folks - this is a long fanfic with no end in sight. (Although I've already written the ending and planned the sequel - but enough of that. I was bored.)
'Okay', Ilya thought to herself as she walked along the Rhone by herself. 'Just keep going straight. Don't turn your head at all, because you'll only get confused. If you turn even a little, you'll end up going the other way. Just keep going THAT way. I can do this. I don't need him. I don't need anyone. All I need is concentration.'
After a few hours of travel, she was starting to get frightened and upset. It was now dark, and since demons and monsters ran rampant in Europe, she didn't want to be outside, especially by herself. When she felt she couldn't go any further, she knelt down on the ground, drew an arrow in the soil with Russkaya Pravda (so she wouldn't lose her way come morning), and took her thick trench coat from her backpack. Curling up against a tree, she pulled her coat tightly around her and tried her best to suppress her tears.
'I'm going to cry', she thought, horrified. 'I can't believe it. That bastard is going to make me cry.'
It wasn't enough that he'd been a pirate. No, if he'd told her straight off, she might've overlooked that. But he'd been lying to her the entire time they'd known each other. He knew she hated pirates, and perhaps that was reason enough to hide it from her, but if he wanted a meaningful relationship with her, why hadn't he said so sooner?
Stop thinking about it, she told herself. 'Just forget about him. It's your fault anyway. You wanted to travel with him. You started to have feelings for him. You've no one to blame but yourself.'
"No, it's HIS fault!" she growled, forgetting that she was quite vulnerable to whatever might be lurking in the forest. Tears streamed down her cheeks, leaving behind a burning sensation. She hated herself for crying. She hated herself even more for starting to fall for Maxi, that lying bastard. She was cold and scared and lonely, and wanted nothing more than her parents.
Her mother would have comforted her; whenever the other children from the village picked on her for being different, her mother would take her to the couch and lay Ilya's head in her lap. "Don't worry, Ilya, dear," she'd say. "You're a very special girl, that's why the other children act that way. They just don't understand. But I'll always be here for you."
'What a crock,' she thought bitterly.
And her father would have protected her. She was not the youngest of the Strucov children but she was indeed the smallest, so her siblings would make fun of her, even her younger sister, Anya. But her father was always there to defend her. Whenever Anatoli's teasing became too much (at which point it was outright bullying), he'd get between them and punish Anatoli for being so rude. And when she was only five and attacked by a snow demon, her father had been there to save her.
"Daddy ... Mama ..." she sobbed softly, letting the tears flow freely. "I wish you were here. I'm scared. I don't know what to do."
And from the trees, four pairs of gold eyes watched her intently. ***
Kilik confronted a depressed Maxi, deeply concerned. "What happened?"
"I told her I was a pirate," he grumbled as he lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling.
"Is that why she left?"
"Obviously."
"Go after her."
"What? Are you kidding? She'd call me a stalker, and that'd be one more on the list of things I am or I do that make her hate me!"
"You love her, don't you?" Kilik raised his eyebrows.
"Of course."
"Ilya's the one who told me that if you love someone, you should do everything in your power to make them realize that." He paused and then added, "Right after she called me an idiot."
Maxi smiled despite his intense misery. "Sounds like her."
"So what are you waiting for? Get out there and find her. Drag her back kicking and screaming if you have to. What if she gets lost, or gets hurt? What'll you do then?"
"Damn it, twerp, you're right!" Maxi exclaimed as he sat bolt upright. "I've gotta go find that immature wolf-girl and make sure she's okay!" He ran out into the hallway, but came back into the room to give Kilik a polite bow. "Thanks for the pep talk, kid." Then he took off to find Ilya.
Kilik, meanwhile, was deeply confused. "Wolf-girl?" he wondered aloud. ***
After a good half hour of crying, Ilya felt somewhat refreshed. Letting out all her anger and sadness had a sort of cleansing effect, and she was able to clear her mind. Even her wounded knee hurt less. But that might have been because she'd stopped walking on it. Whatever. She felt she could finally relax and sleep for a few hours ...
... were it not for the snapping of a twig behind her.
She was on her feet in half a second, her weapon drawn and held out in front of her. The moonlight illuminated the area well enough to see, and she counted four hulking demons before her. "Aw, damn," she said. She was skilled in combat, but she wasn't even sure she could take down ONE of these monstrosities. They were huge.
The nearest one made a dive for her, and she side-stepped its advance and stabbed it in the eye. It roared in pain, its scaly hands covering its face. There was no time for her to pay it any mind, however, as the other three attacked. The reptilian creatures bore no weapons but their claws were as long as knives and glinted cruelly in the dim light. If they got her cornered, she was done for. It looked as though they could cut her in two with one swipe.
As if reading her thoughts, one raked its claws at her; fortunately, she managed to dodge the attack, but she'd forgotten the one she'd turned her back on. As she leapt backward it advanced, and hit her in the back. Searing pain shot through her body, and she elbowed it in what she assumed were its ribs. Its body was soft, and she knew she'd done it some harm, but it looked like her number was up.
'I might as well go down fighting,' she thought, a strange sort of smile spreading across her face. Since she held her weapon the opposite way a sword was held (Strucov Long-Arm Fencing was a strange style, indeed), it was easy for her to bury the blade in its side. It made a horrid screeching sound and backed away, but the other three were mere inches away from her.
She punched one in its snakelike snout and ducked under its attack; she made a sweeping kick and knocked it off its feet. But another gave her a fierce headbutt in the stomach as she stood and knocked the wind out of her.
Ilya fell onto her back on the ground, knowing her time had come. Had she known she would die so young, perhaps she would have done more with her life except hunt pirates for money. Or maybe she would have given in to her feelings and allowed Maxi to be her lover. The demon's jaws were finding their way to her throat, and she closed her eyes, praying Anatoli wouldn't come looking for her only to find rumors of her death.
There was a sickening smack as something crushed the offending creature's skull. Ilya's eyes snapped open, and she found Maxi standing over her, brandishing his nunchaku. "You okay?" he asked. She looked up at him in disbelief, but nodded nonetheless. He smiled fondly at her, thankful he'd made it in time. Ilya slowly got to her feet and got ready for the impending fight. She felt as though a rib or two was broken, but she'd already made an ass out of herself in front of Maxi, and dared not make herself seem any weaker.
As Maxi broke one of the demons' knees with a simple kick, Ilya tackled another and held it to the ground as she slit its throat. It died almost instantly, and Ilya got to her feet, but she didn't see the third approaching from her right side - her blind side. It hit her hard, and as she fell into the icy waters of the Rhone, she hit her head on a rock, rendering her unconscious. Luckily she landed in a rather shallow, gentle pool, her head above water, but Maxi knew she'd get hypothermia if he didn't get to her fast.
"Damn it, get out of my way!" he shouted as he dispatched the demon whose leg he'd broken, which had latched onto his arm with gleaming fangs. The puncture wounds were not deep, and he had quite the tolerance for pain. He started toward the river, but the last remaining monster leapt into his way. He hit it square in the jaw with Soryuju, but even that didn't knock it over. It tried to cut him to ribbons with its claws, but Maxi was far too fast, and was out of the way before the creature was halfway done with its attack. He grabbed its arm, twisted it around, and snapped its neck with his bare hands. By then he was able to wade out and get Ilya.
He cradled her in his arms; she'd been in the river for scarcely five minutes, but already she was shivering. He grabbed her coat, wrapped it around her, and started back toward the house.
Thankfully she hadn't gotten far on her wounded leg, and with Maxi's speed it wasn't long before he arrived. He burst through the door, and Annabelle was ordering him to take her to the room they shared the moment he did.
"Help me get her clothes off," she instructed.
"Uh, yeah," he said, feeling a bit uncomfortable doing so. Xianghua and Kilik were in the doorway, and the latter blushed a bit and turned away. (He always struck me as the shy, goody-goody type - I'm sure he strikes a lot of ya'll that way, huh?)
Annabelle pulled the covers over the now-naked Ilya and looked at Maxi. "You. Get your clothes off, you've got to warm her up."
"Er ..." He looked shocked.
"What?" Xianghua demanded.
"You love her, so who better to do it? She needs body heat. It's common sense that body heat is the best thing for hypothermia. Now strip down and get in that bed!"
"Why can't Kilik do it?" the Chinese girl protested. "He's already seen her naked."
"Well, we all have now, dearie," Annabelle chuckled, momentarily forgetting the seriousness of the situation.
"Why does a guy have to do it?" she asked, digging for any reason to keep Maxi's hands (and body, for that matter) off of Ilya.
"We're a bit small, my dear. Now, Maxi, I suggest you get naked if you want to save her. Take your clothes off - ALL of them."
When the others left the room, Maxi removed his clothing and climbed into bed next to Ilya, whose skin was cold to the touch. He embraced her and pulled her close, his chin resting on the top of her head. "Please don't die, kid," he whispered. "Your brother needs you. Hell, I need you, too."
Annabelle brewed some tea for Kilik and Xianghua, but the Chinese girl had since gone to bed. "Was it really necessary for him to take ALL of his clothes off?" Kilik asked the old woman as the two sat in the living room.
Annabelle winked and gave him a sly grin. "No." The young man sighed in reply, burying his face in his hands. The crazy old bat was hell-bent on seeing them together, it seemed.
It felt strange to Maxi, having been with so many women but now just laying with one to save her life. He imagined how angry she'd be if she woke up ...
"No," he said aloud, "WHEN. Not if."
He pulled Ilya even closer, and wondered why he was so nervous about being with her in such a way. It was relaxing, but all the while his stomach was aflutter, just like it had been his first time. It had been so long ago he could barely recall it - he couldn't even remember the girl's name.
His thoughts wandered to Ilya's body. She was far less flat-chested than she appeared, and Kilik was right - she did have a large scar across her chest. It ran from her lower right ribcage to just above her left breast. He absent-mindedly traced along it with his index finger. About nine and a half inches ... he thought. Must've been pretty serious.
No wonder the girl always wore high-collared shirts. It was the only blemish on an otherwise perfect body.
He frowned. What was he thinking? This wasn't one of his meaningless one-night stands. This was Ilya, the woman he loved, a woman that could die. Although ...
The color was returning to her cheeks, and she stirred slightly. He smiled as she buried her face in his chest as she slept and cuddled in closer to the warmth of his skin; it reminded him of the first night they'd met, when she was a wolf, and had curled up against him. He was all at once excited, amused, and terrified she'd awake and strangle him, but it was worth it. Even if she hated him for this, he'd be glad he did it - not just because he was a man, but because he saved her.
Annabelle came into the room and pulled down the covers enough to examine Ilya's face. "She looks a lot better, don't you think?" she asked Maxi, who nodded. "Well, maybe you should stay with her until morning, just to be safe."
A slight flush crept into his cheeks. "I guess so ..."
Annabelle left the room, where Kilik was waiting for her. "I suppose it's also unnecessary for him to stay with her all night, too?" he inquired.
She gave him a mischievous look. "Now you're starting to understand."
"Then I hope you're willing to bear the responsibility of causing his death. She's going to murder him." ***
Ilya awoke the next morning with a throbbing headache. Grogginess prevented her from registering the fact that she was entirely nude. She tried to sit up, but a muscular arm draped across her bare stomach prevented her from doing so.
Horrified, she followed said sinewy arm up to Maxi's peacefully slumbering face.
And let out a blood-curdling scream.
Kilik, Xianghua and Annabelle heard it from the other side of the house and immediately felt sorry for poor Maxi, who got the full of it. He was broken from his respite by the horrible sound and clamped his hands over his ears. Suddenly he remembered that Ilya had no idea why they were naked and in bed together.
Ilya had grabbed the blankets and wrapped them around herself as she scrambled to the other side of the room and backed against the wall. "What the HELL is all this?!" she demanded, trying desperately to remember what happened before she blacked out.
She'd been in the woods ... monsters had attacked her ... Maxi saved her, but then she drew a blank - and gasped loudly. Had she slept with him as a reward? What on Earth would possess her to do such a thing? Or maybe it was all a bad dream. God, she hoped so.
"Look, I'll explain everything, just give me something to cover myself with!" Maxi replied.
"Use the pillow, dearie," Annabelle's cheery voice said as she and the other two guests entered the room. "Now, Ilya," she continued after he did so, "you'd best thank him for saving your life."
"Wha ...?"
"You were knocked unconscious and fell into the river, and by the time he got you out, you were in the early stages of hypothermia. Bringing you back here in the cold of the night didn't help that much, but as you can see, he's saved you."
"I ... I get it. Um, thanks." Her gaze fell to the floor and remained there.
For several moments no one spoke, and finally Maxi broke the silence by suggesting everyone get the hell out so he and Ilya could get dressed. Annabelle giggled and said, in a motherly way, "We've already seen the both of you, so what's the problem?" She, Kilik and Xianghua obliged nonetheless.
"I'm sorry, I really am," Maxi said quietly.
"It's okay," she said shyly. "I don't mind. It's okay."
Maxi didn't believe her for a second. "Are you feeling alright?"
"Yeah."
Neither had budged from their spots, and neither knew quite what to say. So Maxi tried to apologize again, as he was used to doing by now. Ilya, however, interrupted him and said she didn't mind, that she was glad he'd saved her.
"And ... about me being a pirate ..."
She smiled, albeit ruefully. "It's okay. I was just mad you'd waited so long to tell me, since you knew I hated pirates. But it's fine now, I'm over it." Ilya paused and looked at him for a split second before returning her eyes to the ground. "Er ... you have a nice body. No wonder the women are all over you."
Maxi smiled, appreciating her somewhat uneasy compliment. "If you don't mind my saying so, you do, too."
She frowned and shook her head. "No I don't. Not with this monstrosity!" she growled, lowering her protective layer of blankets just enough to show him the top of her scar. "It's an eyesore."
While she was looking away, Maxi stood and pulled on a pair of pants. Feeling growing concern and affection for her, he walked over to the girl and put his arms around her shoulders. She blushed, feeling quite vulnerable, but did not pull away. "I don't think so. I think you're beautiful."
Maxi felt her muscles tense with anxiety and then relax at his touch. She leaned her forehead against his collarbone, as she was quite a bit shorter than he, and smiled. "We should get going to Marseille. You might miss your big chance for revenge."
He kissed her on the top of the head. "You're right. Let's get going." He pulled away from her and turned his back, but she gripped his arm before he could walk away. He turned back to face her with confusion in his gaze.
"Wait. Wait ... just stay with me a little longer, please?"
Maxi smiled. "I'm not going anywhere, Ilya."
"I mean ... like this. I ... I ..." Her voice cracked and she began to cry. "I want to thank you for saving me," she sobbed, wiping tears from her cheeks. "I was so scared. I was sure I was gonna die out there, alone, and then Anatoli would be all alone."
He bent down and wiped some of her tears away with his callused thumb. "But you didn't. You don't have to worry now."
"And I thought about you, too," Ilya continued. "I was upset that I'd been so mean. All I want is to be with you." She looked up at him and smiled through her tears. "So, you see, I don't hate you at all. I ... er ..."
"You don't have to say it."
Ilya gave him a look of infinite gratitude. She'd always had trouble expressing her feelings, and now that she was in love for the first time ever, her emotions were so aquiver she could barely stand it. But as long as he knew, she was happy. Maybe there would be a day when she could voice her affections.
He kissed her, tentatively at first, unsure of how she'd react, but was overjoyed when she kissed him back. His hand ran down her arm and he entwined his fingers in hers, holding it against the wall. The blankets that obscured her body fell to the floor, and his other hand found its way from her shoulder to her side, and slid down to rest on her bare hip. Ilya's muscles pulled taut and he immediately drew back and gave her an apologetic look, trying to keep his eyes off certain parts of her nude body out of sheer courtesy. "Er, sorry."
She was blushing and looking at the ground. Her hands found one another and she wrung them together. "No ... it's okay. I didn't mind ... I liked it." Ilya was quite appreciative of his civility, however. Had he just continued on like that, perhaps she'd question his genuine feelings. He was, after all, a playboy.
Maxi smiled again. "Let's get going to Marseille, alright? We can't dawdle around here forever." He gave her a quick kiss and then pulled a black shirt over his head.
"Right." She grinned cheerily and nodded. After she pulled on a shirt and a pair of pants, buckled her belt and put her silver hoop earrings back in her ears, she followed Maxi into the living room, where they were to say their final goodbyes to Annabelle, Kilik and Xianghua.
"It was nice meeting you," Maxi said amiably as he and Ilya bid farewell to Annabelle. "Thank you so much for everything you've done. There's no way we can repay you."
"Oh, it was no problem at all, dearie."
Ilya smiled at Annabelle as Maxi left the house. "Thanks. I mean it."
"So, did you two ... ?"
She blushed and shook her head. "No, no. But thanks. It made me realize I ... er ... really like him."
The old woman smiled and hugged the Russian girl. "Someday you'll be able to actually say 'love,' I'm sure. For now, though, just let him know how you feel through actions."
"My mother always said 'actions speak louder than words'."
"Goodbye, Ilya. I hope I hear from you again."
She nodded vigorously. "Of course! I'll find a way to write to you, no matter what happens."
"Good. Keep me updated on you and Maxi."
Ilya waved and hurried to catch up with said pirate. They had not been able to find Xianghua and Kilik in the house, but were confronted by them not too far down the path along the Rhone. "Um, hi," Ilya said uncertainly.
"We're on our way to Marseille," Maxi informed them, looking confused.
"Of course you are," said Kilik, "and we're going with you."
Yay! Finally they're back on the road! But how will Xianghua react when she finds that Ilya and Maxi are sort of an item? Will Kilik be able to finally say he loves her? Well ... probably. But you never know; I might change my mind and rearrange the whole story!
See? I told ya it was a totally unnecessary thing that happened in this chapter. It was just kind of an excuse to get them naked and in the same bed. Love it or hate it, it's there. Although I rather hope you didn't hate it. =P Next chapter coming soon!
Yo. This will be the last chapter that takes place in Annabelle's house, just so you know. I understand that I've been ignoring the "journey" part of the journey to Marseille, but it's just for the first few chapters. That's right, folks - this is a long fanfic with no end in sight. (Although I've already written the ending and planned the sequel - but enough of that. I was bored.)
'Okay', Ilya thought to herself as she walked along the Rhone by herself. 'Just keep going straight. Don't turn your head at all, because you'll only get confused. If you turn even a little, you'll end up going the other way. Just keep going THAT way. I can do this. I don't need him. I don't need anyone. All I need is concentration.'
After a few hours of travel, she was starting to get frightened and upset. It was now dark, and since demons and monsters ran rampant in Europe, she didn't want to be outside, especially by herself. When she felt she couldn't go any further, she knelt down on the ground, drew an arrow in the soil with Russkaya Pravda (so she wouldn't lose her way come morning), and took her thick trench coat from her backpack. Curling up against a tree, she pulled her coat tightly around her and tried her best to suppress her tears.
'I'm going to cry', she thought, horrified. 'I can't believe it. That bastard is going to make me cry.'
It wasn't enough that he'd been a pirate. No, if he'd told her straight off, she might've overlooked that. But he'd been lying to her the entire time they'd known each other. He knew she hated pirates, and perhaps that was reason enough to hide it from her, but if he wanted a meaningful relationship with her, why hadn't he said so sooner?
Stop thinking about it, she told herself. 'Just forget about him. It's your fault anyway. You wanted to travel with him. You started to have feelings for him. You've no one to blame but yourself.'
"No, it's HIS fault!" she growled, forgetting that she was quite vulnerable to whatever might be lurking in the forest. Tears streamed down her cheeks, leaving behind a burning sensation. She hated herself for crying. She hated herself even more for starting to fall for Maxi, that lying bastard. She was cold and scared and lonely, and wanted nothing more than her parents.
Her mother would have comforted her; whenever the other children from the village picked on her for being different, her mother would take her to the couch and lay Ilya's head in her lap. "Don't worry, Ilya, dear," she'd say. "You're a very special girl, that's why the other children act that way. They just don't understand. But I'll always be here for you."
'What a crock,' she thought bitterly.
And her father would have protected her. She was not the youngest of the Strucov children but she was indeed the smallest, so her siblings would make fun of her, even her younger sister, Anya. But her father was always there to defend her. Whenever Anatoli's teasing became too much (at which point it was outright bullying), he'd get between them and punish Anatoli for being so rude. And when she was only five and attacked by a snow demon, her father had been there to save her.
"Daddy ... Mama ..." she sobbed softly, letting the tears flow freely. "I wish you were here. I'm scared. I don't know what to do."
And from the trees, four pairs of gold eyes watched her intently. ***
Kilik confronted a depressed Maxi, deeply concerned. "What happened?"
"I told her I was a pirate," he grumbled as he lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling.
"Is that why she left?"
"Obviously."
"Go after her."
"What? Are you kidding? She'd call me a stalker, and that'd be one more on the list of things I am or I do that make her hate me!"
"You love her, don't you?" Kilik raised his eyebrows.
"Of course."
"Ilya's the one who told me that if you love someone, you should do everything in your power to make them realize that." He paused and then added, "Right after she called me an idiot."
Maxi smiled despite his intense misery. "Sounds like her."
"So what are you waiting for? Get out there and find her. Drag her back kicking and screaming if you have to. What if she gets lost, or gets hurt? What'll you do then?"
"Damn it, twerp, you're right!" Maxi exclaimed as he sat bolt upright. "I've gotta go find that immature wolf-girl and make sure she's okay!" He ran out into the hallway, but came back into the room to give Kilik a polite bow. "Thanks for the pep talk, kid." Then he took off to find Ilya.
Kilik, meanwhile, was deeply confused. "Wolf-girl?" he wondered aloud. ***
After a good half hour of crying, Ilya felt somewhat refreshed. Letting out all her anger and sadness had a sort of cleansing effect, and she was able to clear her mind. Even her wounded knee hurt less. But that might have been because she'd stopped walking on it. Whatever. She felt she could finally relax and sleep for a few hours ...
... were it not for the snapping of a twig behind her.
She was on her feet in half a second, her weapon drawn and held out in front of her. The moonlight illuminated the area well enough to see, and she counted four hulking demons before her. "Aw, damn," she said. She was skilled in combat, but she wasn't even sure she could take down ONE of these monstrosities. They were huge.
The nearest one made a dive for her, and she side-stepped its advance and stabbed it in the eye. It roared in pain, its scaly hands covering its face. There was no time for her to pay it any mind, however, as the other three attacked. The reptilian creatures bore no weapons but their claws were as long as knives and glinted cruelly in the dim light. If they got her cornered, she was done for. It looked as though they could cut her in two with one swipe.
As if reading her thoughts, one raked its claws at her; fortunately, she managed to dodge the attack, but she'd forgotten the one she'd turned her back on. As she leapt backward it advanced, and hit her in the back. Searing pain shot through her body, and she elbowed it in what she assumed were its ribs. Its body was soft, and she knew she'd done it some harm, but it looked like her number was up.
'I might as well go down fighting,' she thought, a strange sort of smile spreading across her face. Since she held her weapon the opposite way a sword was held (Strucov Long-Arm Fencing was a strange style, indeed), it was easy for her to bury the blade in its side. It made a horrid screeching sound and backed away, but the other three were mere inches away from her.
She punched one in its snakelike snout and ducked under its attack; she made a sweeping kick and knocked it off its feet. But another gave her a fierce headbutt in the stomach as she stood and knocked the wind out of her.
Ilya fell onto her back on the ground, knowing her time had come. Had she known she would die so young, perhaps she would have done more with her life except hunt pirates for money. Or maybe she would have given in to her feelings and allowed Maxi to be her lover. The demon's jaws were finding their way to her throat, and she closed her eyes, praying Anatoli wouldn't come looking for her only to find rumors of her death.
There was a sickening smack as something crushed the offending creature's skull. Ilya's eyes snapped open, and she found Maxi standing over her, brandishing his nunchaku. "You okay?" he asked. She looked up at him in disbelief, but nodded nonetheless. He smiled fondly at her, thankful he'd made it in time. Ilya slowly got to her feet and got ready for the impending fight. She felt as though a rib or two was broken, but she'd already made an ass out of herself in front of Maxi, and dared not make herself seem any weaker.
As Maxi broke one of the demons' knees with a simple kick, Ilya tackled another and held it to the ground as she slit its throat. It died almost instantly, and Ilya got to her feet, but she didn't see the third approaching from her right side - her blind side. It hit her hard, and as she fell into the icy waters of the Rhone, she hit her head on a rock, rendering her unconscious. Luckily she landed in a rather shallow, gentle pool, her head above water, but Maxi knew she'd get hypothermia if he didn't get to her fast.
"Damn it, get out of my way!" he shouted as he dispatched the demon whose leg he'd broken, which had latched onto his arm with gleaming fangs. The puncture wounds were not deep, and he had quite the tolerance for pain. He started toward the river, but the last remaining monster leapt into his way. He hit it square in the jaw with Soryuju, but even that didn't knock it over. It tried to cut him to ribbons with its claws, but Maxi was far too fast, and was out of the way before the creature was halfway done with its attack. He grabbed its arm, twisted it around, and snapped its neck with his bare hands. By then he was able to wade out and get Ilya.
He cradled her in his arms; she'd been in the river for scarcely five minutes, but already she was shivering. He grabbed her coat, wrapped it around her, and started back toward the house.
Thankfully she hadn't gotten far on her wounded leg, and with Maxi's speed it wasn't long before he arrived. He burst through the door, and Annabelle was ordering him to take her to the room they shared the moment he did.
"Help me get her clothes off," she instructed.
"Uh, yeah," he said, feeling a bit uncomfortable doing so. Xianghua and Kilik were in the doorway, and the latter blushed a bit and turned away. (He always struck me as the shy, goody-goody type - I'm sure he strikes a lot of ya'll that way, huh?)
Annabelle pulled the covers over the now-naked Ilya and looked at Maxi. "You. Get your clothes off, you've got to warm her up."
"Er ..." He looked shocked.
"What?" Xianghua demanded.
"You love her, so who better to do it? She needs body heat. It's common sense that body heat is the best thing for hypothermia. Now strip down and get in that bed!"
"Why can't Kilik do it?" the Chinese girl protested. "He's already seen her naked."
"Well, we all have now, dearie," Annabelle chuckled, momentarily forgetting the seriousness of the situation.
"Why does a guy have to do it?" she asked, digging for any reason to keep Maxi's hands (and body, for that matter) off of Ilya.
"We're a bit small, my dear. Now, Maxi, I suggest you get naked if you want to save her. Take your clothes off - ALL of them."
When the others left the room, Maxi removed his clothing and climbed into bed next to Ilya, whose skin was cold to the touch. He embraced her and pulled her close, his chin resting on the top of her head. "Please don't die, kid," he whispered. "Your brother needs you. Hell, I need you, too."
Annabelle brewed some tea for Kilik and Xianghua, but the Chinese girl had since gone to bed. "Was it really necessary for him to take ALL of his clothes off?" Kilik asked the old woman as the two sat in the living room.
Annabelle winked and gave him a sly grin. "No." The young man sighed in reply, burying his face in his hands. The crazy old bat was hell-bent on seeing them together, it seemed.
It felt strange to Maxi, having been with so many women but now just laying with one to save her life. He imagined how angry she'd be if she woke up ...
"No," he said aloud, "WHEN. Not if."
He pulled Ilya even closer, and wondered why he was so nervous about being with her in such a way. It was relaxing, but all the while his stomach was aflutter, just like it had been his first time. It had been so long ago he could barely recall it - he couldn't even remember the girl's name.
His thoughts wandered to Ilya's body. She was far less flat-chested than she appeared, and Kilik was right - she did have a large scar across her chest. It ran from her lower right ribcage to just above her left breast. He absent-mindedly traced along it with his index finger. About nine and a half inches ... he thought. Must've been pretty serious.
No wonder the girl always wore high-collared shirts. It was the only blemish on an otherwise perfect body.
He frowned. What was he thinking? This wasn't one of his meaningless one-night stands. This was Ilya, the woman he loved, a woman that could die. Although ...
The color was returning to her cheeks, and she stirred slightly. He smiled as she buried her face in his chest as she slept and cuddled in closer to the warmth of his skin; it reminded him of the first night they'd met, when she was a wolf, and had curled up against him. He was all at once excited, amused, and terrified she'd awake and strangle him, but it was worth it. Even if she hated him for this, he'd be glad he did it - not just because he was a man, but because he saved her.
Annabelle came into the room and pulled down the covers enough to examine Ilya's face. "She looks a lot better, don't you think?" she asked Maxi, who nodded. "Well, maybe you should stay with her until morning, just to be safe."
A slight flush crept into his cheeks. "I guess so ..."
Annabelle left the room, where Kilik was waiting for her. "I suppose it's also unnecessary for him to stay with her all night, too?" he inquired.
She gave him a mischievous look. "Now you're starting to understand."
"Then I hope you're willing to bear the responsibility of causing his death. She's going to murder him." ***
Ilya awoke the next morning with a throbbing headache. Grogginess prevented her from registering the fact that she was entirely nude. She tried to sit up, but a muscular arm draped across her bare stomach prevented her from doing so.
Horrified, she followed said sinewy arm up to Maxi's peacefully slumbering face.
And let out a blood-curdling scream.
Kilik, Xianghua and Annabelle heard it from the other side of the house and immediately felt sorry for poor Maxi, who got the full of it. He was broken from his respite by the horrible sound and clamped his hands over his ears. Suddenly he remembered that Ilya had no idea why they were naked and in bed together.
Ilya had grabbed the blankets and wrapped them around herself as she scrambled to the other side of the room and backed against the wall. "What the HELL is all this?!" she demanded, trying desperately to remember what happened before she blacked out.
She'd been in the woods ... monsters had attacked her ... Maxi saved her, but then she drew a blank - and gasped loudly. Had she slept with him as a reward? What on Earth would possess her to do such a thing? Or maybe it was all a bad dream. God, she hoped so.
"Look, I'll explain everything, just give me something to cover myself with!" Maxi replied.
"Use the pillow, dearie," Annabelle's cheery voice said as she and the other two guests entered the room. "Now, Ilya," she continued after he did so, "you'd best thank him for saving your life."
"Wha ...?"
"You were knocked unconscious and fell into the river, and by the time he got you out, you were in the early stages of hypothermia. Bringing you back here in the cold of the night didn't help that much, but as you can see, he's saved you."
"I ... I get it. Um, thanks." Her gaze fell to the floor and remained there.
For several moments no one spoke, and finally Maxi broke the silence by suggesting everyone get the hell out so he and Ilya could get dressed. Annabelle giggled and said, in a motherly way, "We've already seen the both of you, so what's the problem?" She, Kilik and Xianghua obliged nonetheless.
"I'm sorry, I really am," Maxi said quietly.
"It's okay," she said shyly. "I don't mind. It's okay."
Maxi didn't believe her for a second. "Are you feeling alright?"
"Yeah."
Neither had budged from their spots, and neither knew quite what to say. So Maxi tried to apologize again, as he was used to doing by now. Ilya, however, interrupted him and said she didn't mind, that she was glad he'd saved her.
"And ... about me being a pirate ..."
She smiled, albeit ruefully. "It's okay. I was just mad you'd waited so long to tell me, since you knew I hated pirates. But it's fine now, I'm over it." Ilya paused and looked at him for a split second before returning her eyes to the ground. "Er ... you have a nice body. No wonder the women are all over you."
Maxi smiled, appreciating her somewhat uneasy compliment. "If you don't mind my saying so, you do, too."
She frowned and shook her head. "No I don't. Not with this monstrosity!" she growled, lowering her protective layer of blankets just enough to show him the top of her scar. "It's an eyesore."
While she was looking away, Maxi stood and pulled on a pair of pants. Feeling growing concern and affection for her, he walked over to the girl and put his arms around her shoulders. She blushed, feeling quite vulnerable, but did not pull away. "I don't think so. I think you're beautiful."
Maxi felt her muscles tense with anxiety and then relax at his touch. She leaned her forehead against his collarbone, as she was quite a bit shorter than he, and smiled. "We should get going to Marseille. You might miss your big chance for revenge."
He kissed her on the top of the head. "You're right. Let's get going." He pulled away from her and turned his back, but she gripped his arm before he could walk away. He turned back to face her with confusion in his gaze.
"Wait. Wait ... just stay with me a little longer, please?"
Maxi smiled. "I'm not going anywhere, Ilya."
"I mean ... like this. I ... I ..." Her voice cracked and she began to cry. "I want to thank you for saving me," she sobbed, wiping tears from her cheeks. "I was so scared. I was sure I was gonna die out there, alone, and then Anatoli would be all alone."
He bent down and wiped some of her tears away with his callused thumb. "But you didn't. You don't have to worry now."
"And I thought about you, too," Ilya continued. "I was upset that I'd been so mean. All I want is to be with you." She looked up at him and smiled through her tears. "So, you see, I don't hate you at all. I ... er ..."
"You don't have to say it."
Ilya gave him a look of infinite gratitude. She'd always had trouble expressing her feelings, and now that she was in love for the first time ever, her emotions were so aquiver she could barely stand it. But as long as he knew, she was happy. Maybe there would be a day when she could voice her affections.
He kissed her, tentatively at first, unsure of how she'd react, but was overjoyed when she kissed him back. His hand ran down her arm and he entwined his fingers in hers, holding it against the wall. The blankets that obscured her body fell to the floor, and his other hand found its way from her shoulder to her side, and slid down to rest on her bare hip. Ilya's muscles pulled taut and he immediately drew back and gave her an apologetic look, trying to keep his eyes off certain parts of her nude body out of sheer courtesy. "Er, sorry."
She was blushing and looking at the ground. Her hands found one another and she wrung them together. "No ... it's okay. I didn't mind ... I liked it." Ilya was quite appreciative of his civility, however. Had he just continued on like that, perhaps she'd question his genuine feelings. He was, after all, a playboy.
Maxi smiled again. "Let's get going to Marseille, alright? We can't dawdle around here forever." He gave her a quick kiss and then pulled a black shirt over his head.
"Right." She grinned cheerily and nodded. After she pulled on a shirt and a pair of pants, buckled her belt and put her silver hoop earrings back in her ears, she followed Maxi into the living room, where they were to say their final goodbyes to Annabelle, Kilik and Xianghua.
"It was nice meeting you," Maxi said amiably as he and Ilya bid farewell to Annabelle. "Thank you so much for everything you've done. There's no way we can repay you."
"Oh, it was no problem at all, dearie."
Ilya smiled at Annabelle as Maxi left the house. "Thanks. I mean it."
"So, did you two ... ?"
She blushed and shook her head. "No, no. But thanks. It made me realize I ... er ... really like him."
The old woman smiled and hugged the Russian girl. "Someday you'll be able to actually say 'love,' I'm sure. For now, though, just let him know how you feel through actions."
"My mother always said 'actions speak louder than words'."
"Goodbye, Ilya. I hope I hear from you again."
She nodded vigorously. "Of course! I'll find a way to write to you, no matter what happens."
"Good. Keep me updated on you and Maxi."
Ilya waved and hurried to catch up with said pirate. They had not been able to find Xianghua and Kilik in the house, but were confronted by them not too far down the path along the Rhone. "Um, hi," Ilya said uncertainly.
"We're on our way to Marseille," Maxi informed them, looking confused.
"Of course you are," said Kilik, "and we're going with you."
Yay! Finally they're back on the road! But how will Xianghua react when she finds that Ilya and Maxi are sort of an item? Will Kilik be able to finally say he loves her? Well ... probably. But you never know; I might change my mind and rearrange the whole story!
See? I told ya it was a totally unnecessary thing that happened in this chapter. It was just kind of an excuse to get them naked and in the same bed. Love it or hate it, it's there. Although I rather hope you didn't hate it. =P Next chapter coming soon!