The nun ran her fingers across the skin of her cheek in dismay. Dust had covered her whole body, no thanks to the non-stop journey of the carriage across the deserts.

"Bath. I need to wash myself up," she thought. She turned to the sleeping man in front of him. "Hey, Mr. Kidnapper, wake up!" hissed Jeanne. When he didn't stir, she called him again and again. However, he was still not responding. This forced her to get up and cross to the other side to wake him.

"Hey you—" She lost her balance when at that moment, the wheel of the carriage hit on a rock. She helplessly slammed down on the sleeping figure.

For a moment, she couldn't move. It was her first time in her whole life to be this intimately close to a man. Not even Lyserg Diethyl was able to feel her whole body this close.

And inspite of hersef, she could feel her blood coming alive when his male scent filled her senses; when she felt his strong, hard muscles underneath the dirty mantle.

Hao roused. Yawning, he opened his eyes lazily. "What? You woke me up just to throw yourself into my arms? Where did your vow of chastity go?"

Her face heated. "It's NOT that!" She quickly collected herself and went back to her seat as he watched her in ill-concealed amusement. She glared at him. "I think I deserve a bath."

He grinned. "Everyone does."

"I mean, RIGHT NOW!" she snapped. "I want to take a bath right now! I feel like a dishrag already. Can't we please just stop and give me a few minutes to clean myself?"

He shrugged. "Sure. Fetch your pail of water and I'll wait."

She rolled her eyes. "We are in a desert."

"Yes."

"And there's no water."

"True."

"THEN HOW WILL I TAKE A BATH?!!!"
He looked surprised. "Oh. I thought you already have an idea how you will do it."

"I DON'T! I do not even have a single idea where we are! But if you would kindly bring me back to the convent then I can properly wash myself."

He shrugged again. "We're too far from the convent."

"But how will I take a bath?" Her voice rose a decibel. "I want my bath now!"

He looked out at the window, then grinned. "We're just four hours away from the Patch Village. Maybe you can wait—"

"No."

"Or, we can go to the oasis not too far from here. Would that be alright, Jeanne-san?" he asked, the perfect grin still on his face.

That sounded better. "OK."

He got up and walked towards Opacho, giving out instructions. He came back, grinning. "Your bath awaits just half an hour from here."

Well, that was certainly better than enduring this situation for four hours more. She sat back and began counting down the thirty minutes.

Soon, they arrived in the oasis. A pool of blue water invited the excited nun, and she didn't care if she didn't have a soap with her to accomplish her hygiene needs; she was simply happy to take the dust off her.

She turned around and found the young man lying on the sand, arms and feet outstretched. She glared at him. "Don't tell me you're going to watch me bathe?"

He chuckled. "If you wish for an audience, I shall be obliged. I'll spare Opacho though…parental guidance and all."

Jeanne felt her face warm. "You know what, I…I…ha…DISLIKE YOU WITH ALL MY HEART!!!"

He chuckled once more. "Flattered. I haven't met anyone with such strong, passionate emotions for me."

She chose to bite her tongue and concentrate on her bathing. It wouldn't do to trade insults with him now. She was too tired to think of retorts that he seemed to never run out off.

She hesitated when she was going to was her legs. She glanced warily at the person behind her. He was asleep on the sand. She frowned. All this person do was sleep. She wondered how his muscles developed when that was his only activity.

Her face flushed when the memory of his strong, muscled chest underneath her body resurfaced. She shook her head vehemently, hoping to shake out these sinful thoughts too.

I am a nun, a nun-in-training, but a nun still. How could I fantasize about something and someone like him?

She glanced at him again, making sure that he was still deep in slumber. Then slowly, cautiously, she lifted the long hem of her skirt. She quickly went to work, scrubbing the dust that collected on her creamy, ivory legs.

She froze when he heard a whistle. In slow, painful horror, she turned around and saw him grinning at her, his eyes pointedly gesturing to her still exposed flesh.

Her face turned red. She quickly placed her skirt back and got up angrily. "How dare you peek on me! Don't you know how to treat a lady as one?"

"I'm treating you as one," he said innocently. "I admire your inner beauty. Isn't that paying homage to your lady-ness?"

She was near to tears. "You…you…" She stopped herself from uttering profanities. She inhaled deeply, shakily, fighting for her control. Later, she stood up calmly. "Shame on you, stranger," she said quietly as she headed for the coach.

On the other hand, Hao looked at her figure that sailed past him. He smiled. Any normal woman would start throwing him eloquent vulgarities, but Jeanne-san was no normal woman. She was no normal nun either. Even in the climax of her wrath, she still had her composure. She was still poised.

And it fascinated him.

He got up. "I think you're done with your ritual. Maybe we could get started on the journey again."

She threw him a wary look, then walked into the carriage.

"We're here." She heard him announce cheerfully some hours later. She rubbed her eyes sleepily. She didn't even realize that she had fallen asleep. Perhaps, she was emotionally fatigued by the incident in the oasis awhile ago.

A small village amidst the desert welcomed them, one typical of a Native American motif.

He stood beside her. "This is Patch Village." Proud was evident in his voice. This made her wonder what kind of relation this young man had with this place.

They were then met by a group of people; three girls donning black, two men in priest outfits, a man in Mexican outfit, and other outrageously-clad characters.

"Welcome back, Master Hao," they chorused reverently.

Master Hao? She looked at the young man beside her. He was their master?

She gasped when his arm draped around her casually, as if it was the most natural thing in the world to do.

"This is Lady Jeanne, and by my strict orders, I expect all of you to treat her as a mistress."

Mistress?

But the minions took the order already by heart. They nodded at her reverently, save for the tall priest who was inspecting her critically.

"She holds the key to my triumph," he continued. "Thus, it is imperative to take good care of her." He squeezed her tenderly, startling her. "And if you are displeased by any one of them, I will dispatch of that wretched creature." He said this calmly, oh-so-casually. Once again, she felt that this person was not ordinary.

She fell silent, but within her buzzed so many questions. She even forgot momentarily about wanting to escape from him.

She wanted to know the circumstances…and the kidnapper himself.

tsuzuku