Thanks again for the reviews peeps, it means more than I can say.
Goldie; she was shot, darlin', explanation coming soon.
Redwolf; give up torturing them? Never. :P This chapter is for you. Some Shalimar/Jesse 'action' ; )
Wakefulness came slowly, along with the realisation that she was not alone. Half remembered dreams filtered slowly back to her and she fought an internal battle as she decided whether or not to risk opening her eyes again. When she realised that she was not bound and still in the warmth of a bed she made her decision.
The room was dark, as it had been when she had fallen into the bed. This was reassuring, as the darkness when the eyes were shut. It hid all sorts of horrors, and somehow everything was more controllable in the dark. It was hers.
As before the yellow brightness swept across her vision without thought, lighting her way. A bright outline was the doorway, the corridor lit outside. A small red dot blinked quietly at her from one corner and the rest of the room was outlined in soft greys and deep blacks. A series of sharp shapes around her, though no sign of the person with whom she knew she was sharing the room.
There was no anger in the breathing that she could hear. No constrained violence or physical threat, yet somehow just the knowledge that there was someone there - as yet unidentified and unlocated was just as scary as any angry face.
There was a gentle hand on her shoulder as she went to rise. A quiet voice hissed 'shhh'. Uncertain how to react to the gesture, she held still, frozen in place, eyes wide.
"It's ok, I'm not going to hurt you." The Other's voice was loud in the silence and it made her jump. She didn't move away from his touch, wary of his response. The Dick had never liked her pulling away; it had made him take pages from the Fist's book.
Slowly the hand pressed her lightly back down onto the mattress. The Other sat up from where he had been hidden beside the bed, hand still light on her shoulder. The light from the door cast his face in shadow, making him seem even more imposing as he shifted closer. He took a seat on the side of the bed, and she felt it bow a little under his weight. Her breathing sped up a little more and deep inside her, something that she had held hidden and suppressed as the pin held her body's movements and the madness seemed to take her, awoke once more.
Jesse felt Shalimar stiffen under his hand, but stayed where he was, his hand light on her shoulder, balanced on the edge of the bed. He wanted to take Shalimar in his arms and hug her tight until she understood that he meant her no harm, but that would be too fast he knew, and she would not understand the gesture. When Shalimar made no further attempt to push him away or to shy away from his touch, he began to rub circles on her arm, hesitating as he met bumped and mottled scars, but continuing when she made no noise of pain and did not pull away.
She seemed to still under his touch, the tenseness seeping from her. Jesse felt himself relax in turn. Adam had been right. The contact without threat had been enough to show Shalimar - at the very least - that not every touch by another human being was one of pain or anger. And Adam had thought it would take so much longer than this, he chuckled to himself. He would be so surprised when he told him
Thinking as he was, of the future instead of the present, Jesse didn't see the change in the colour of Shalimar's eyes, as the feral glow crept over them once more - not in answer to the darkness, but in answer to her own call. Nor did he notice her movements as she moved almost too fast to be seen. The very last thing he saw, before darkness enveloped him, was Adam's ceiling and the pretty lampshade he had over his light. Then he went to a place where he could dream of better times.
Mwahaha. Only a shortie, I know, but work is being thrown at me from every direction. The next is longer, promise. If I survive that long.
*Runs to hide from Redwolf*