Oh man you guys are awesome! I've only written twelve chapters and already I have OVER one hundred reviews! Imagine my surprise when I finally was able to check my mail (since I was in Florida I didn't have access to a computer, much less the internet) and I had loads of mail. It was the best thing ever.
Well, I know you're all anxious to read the next chapter, so here ya go.
Chapter Thirteen
Chloe sat up in bed, her eyes wide and her hair falling about her face in disarray. She knew where the disk was! She was certain of it. Without bothering to change from the clothes she'd fallen asleep in, and not caring how her hair looked, Chloe hurried out of bed and into the living room.
The living room was dark. Curtains were drawn over the windows, blocking out any light that could come in. The lights were turned off and it looked as if it was the middle of the night. Glancing at her watch, Chloe found that her guess wasn't too far off. For a split second she debated whether or not to wait until morning to wake Sark and tell him what she remembered. Her impatient side won out and she felt her way across the dark living room to where Sark lay on the couch. Her fingers brushed against his bare skin as she shook his still form and she tired to ignore the fire that spread up her arm.
"Sark," she said, shaking him harder as he sleepily tried to swat her away. "Wake up you idiot." Sark mumbled sleepily and turned his head away from Chloe, who was quickly losing her patience. "Alright," she said, placing her hands on her hips, "you asked for it." Suddenly, she jumped atop Sark, straddling his waist, grabbed his shoulders and shook him with teeth rattling intensity.
Sark's eyes flew open. He grabbed Chloe's hands and, not knowing it was her, rolled over so she fell to the floor, her head barely missing the coffee table, and landed on top of her. Chloe's chest rose and fell with quick, frightened gasps as she looked up into Sark's icy blue eyes. Her hands were on his chest, and she couldn't help but notice that he wasn't wearing a shirt. His muscles rippled beneath her hands and Chloe was grateful for the darkness that hid her blush. As her eyes locked with his, Sark seemed to recognize her and his face immediately softened.
"Good god Chloe," he said harshly, "I could have killed you."
"Yeah right," Chloe replied with a shaky laugh. It was then Sark noticed their position, and her hands on his chest. He looked down at her hands, then at her, a smirk on his face.
"And exactly what did you want with me?" he asked, his eyebrows raised suggestively.
"You wish." Chloe scoffed, looking him straight in the eye and refusing to let the fire overtake her body. Sark simply smirked in reply. Disgusted, Chloe shoved him off her and quickly stood. Sark stood as well and, even in the dark, Chloe couldn't help but notice his muscular shoulders and abs. Swallowing hard she tore her gaze away from his body before he could comment on where she was looking.
"Now, what was so urgent you had to wake me up in such an annoying manner?" The English man asked, stretching out his arms to get the kinks out of them. Chloe's blush deepened as she saw his biceps flex and his shoulders ripple.
"I...I know where the disk is." She replied, slightly flustered. This was ridiculous. Chloe Vaughn did not get flustered by muscles, least of all Sark's!
Her lips were soft on his own as their tongues dueled with each other. Sark ran his hand through he soft hair and her own hands ran down his bare chest, causing his muscles to move beneath them. He couldn't help the smile that crept up his face as her kisses traveled down his jaw, neck, and his chest. Her hands explored his body and Sark stared into her eyes, loving the familiar fire that resided there. Her hands traveled back up his torso and gently took hold of his shoulders. Then, without warning, she began to shake him fiercely.
Sark's eyes flew open. Someone sat on top of him, shaking him roughly. Thinking only of getting his attacker off him, Sark rolled over quickly and landed with the shadowy figure beneath him. Hands braced themselves against his chest, but he paid no attention to them. His eyes locked with the figure below him and his breath caught in his throat. There was a hidden fire within them that made it easy to tell who had 'attacked' him.
Chloe's eyes were frightened and he could feel her unsteady breathing. He spoke to her, barely registering what he said or how she responded. The feel of her soft hands overwhelmed his senses, and Sark couldn't help but smirk as he remember the dream he'd been having before she woke him up. He asked her what she wanted and, though he wouldn't admit it, hoped she had wanted what he'd been dreaming of. She pushed him away and Sark felt a bit hurt, that was until he saw her checking out his muscles. Subtly he flexed them, and received the desired effect. Chloe became flustered and stumbled over an answer that was music to his ears.
"Where?" he asked, not bothering to hide his excitement.
"It's in my old teddy bear." She replied.
"And where is your old teddy bear?" Sark asked, praying that it had not ended up in a dumpster years ago.
"It's at the orphanage." She said, "I gave it to the little kids when I outgrew him. I don't know what happened to him after I left with mom and dad." Chloe paused and Sark knew she was thinking of her parents. He knew she missed them, and he knew that she refused to show it because she did not want him to use it against her. She shook her head and looked at the floor. "The nuns might have thrown him out, but we can always look to see if he's still there."
"Excellent." Sark said nodding his head, "We'll go right now."
"Now?" Chloe said, her voice filled with shock. Her head snapped up and her eyes met his.
"Yes, now." Sark said, "You don't expect me to fall asleep again, not after the way you woke me up." She grinned sheepishly and looked back down at her bare feet. Sark smiled at her down turned head and felt his heart soften just the tiniest bit. He shook his head and quickly turned away from Chloe and headed towards the kitchen.
"You had best get dressed," he called to her, grabbing the coffee pot so he could start a batch, "I'm going to need you to tell me which bear is yours." A door closed behind him and Sark looked over his shoulder to see that she had left the living room and shut herself in the bedroom.
Sark sighed and leaned his back against the counter. What was happening to him? Why did he allow himself to become attached? He knew better than that. He knew that you never, ever become attached to your hostage. You just don't. So why had he let himself? The answer was harder to process than he would have thought. He cared about Chloe; it was so simple yet so difficult. Over the days that she had been with him, Chloe had become important to him. He had come to rely on seeing her face every day, hearing her voice, and looking into her eyes.
The door to the apartment opened and Sark looked over startled. Devin walked in, creeping quietly since he thought Sark and Chloe were asleep. Sark watched him quietly, not making a sound as his old friend crept past the kitchen.
"Where were you?" he asked. Devin whirled around; his eyes wide and his mouth hanging open slightly in surprise.
"You scared me Julian." He said, and then added in an accusing tone,
"Why aren't you asleep?"
"Me?" Sark said, his eyebrows rose in question, "Why aren't you in bed?"
"Oh," Devin looked around the room as if he was backed in a corner, "I couldn't sleep so I decided to go for a walk." Sark continued to eye his friend; he just knew Devin was lying. But why? Why would he feel the need to lie? He was obviously hiding something and Sark wanted to know what.
Fumbling through the clothes that hung in the closet, Chloe tried dousing the fire that still ran through her body. Sark's skin had been warm and hard beneath her hands. Just thinking about the feel of his skin made her heart race and Chloe hated herself for being so girly. It was bad enough that she felt something for him, what was worse was he seemed to know and used it to his advantage. She shook her head to clear it of any and all thoughts. She pulled clothes out of the closet blindly and put them on, not caring if they matched. Hurriedly she ran a brush through her hair and then pulled it back into a ponytail.
The scent of freshly brewed coffee hit her full force when Chloe opened the door to the bedroom. She breathed it in deeply and a small smile crept up her face. It was such a heavenly smell. She made her way to the kitchen, but paused when she saw Sark and Devin talking in quiet, harsh whispers. Curiously, Chloe hid right outside the doorway and strained her ears to hear what they were saying.
"That's a lie and you know it Devin," Sark said, "where were you?"
"I told you," Devin replied, his voice urgent and pleading, "I was out walking, that's all, I swear." Chloe couldn't hear what Sark said in reply, but she knew that it wasn't good because Devin soon came stomping out of the kitchen and nearly bumped into Chloe.
"Sorry," he mumbled brushing past her and refusing to make eye contact. Glancing after him curiously, Chloe walked into the kitchen.
"What was that about?" she asked, pointing out towards the living room.
"Nothing." Sark said gruffly, his back turned to her. He turned around and handed her a mug of hot, black coffee.
"Thanks." she said taking it from him, careful not to touch him. Sark seemed to notice her uneasiness and, surprisingly, kept his distance.
Sark was ready to hit something, or somebody. Devin was keeping his mouth shut about where he'd been, and Sark knew that was not a good sign. He clutched the counter top tightly, afraid that he would punch out his friend if he did not. He could hear Devin walking out of the kitchen and then heard another pair of lighter steps enter. Sark didn't need to turn around to see who it was; there was only one other person in the safe house to who those steps could belong.
Picking up the coffee pot, Sark poured a mug full, knowing Chloe would want some. He stole a glance at her over his shoulder and his heart stopped. She wore a faded, thigh-length jean skirt and a pale pink button up blouse, the top two buttons undone to show a fair amount of flesh. He quickly turned his gaze away and focused on pouring the coffee.
He kept his gaze on the wall behind her when he handed the mug to her, and was careful not to touch her. Sark didn't know what was happening to him. He had never been so weak around a woman before. He felt as if he couldn't do anything, his body lost all its strength. Chloe's gaze bore into him and Sark knew that if he did not do something soon he would lose all restraint and crush her to him right then and there.
"We should get going." He said, running a restless hand through his tousled hair.
"Okay." Chloe replied softly. She walked towards him and Sark moved away from her quickly, afraid that one brush of her soft skin against his would make him lose the war that was going on inside him. She put the now empty mug in the sink and walked out of the kitchen and towards the door.
"Wait," Sark said just as her hand brushed the doorknob. She turned around and looked at him questioningly. "We're going to need some stuff." he said and walked towards the bedroom. He could hear her footsteps behind him as he pushed open the secret door in the closet and headed into the hidden room.
Inside the room there was a single chair with a light hanging over it and a metal table. The floor was concrete and when you walked on it, the sound echoed off the stone walls. Sark made his way over to the far wall and pushed a hidden button. The wall lifted up to reveal weapons of all kinds hanging on pegs. He pulled two handguns down and a small knife, which he stuck in a hidden sheath in his shoe. Loading the guns carefully Sark could feel Chloe's eyes on him.
"You know how to shoot one of these?" he asked, holding out one of the guns.
"Yes," she said, staring down at the gun as if it was going to bite her, "but why do we need them? It's not like we're going to shoot the kids at the orphanage, are we?" she looked at him and Sark could feel the question in her gaze.
"You never know what we'll encounter." He said, "Now take the gun." Chloe did as she was told and gingerly took the gun from Sark's hand. Her hands molded to the metal perfectly and she raised it up to gauge the sight on it. Sark placed his own gun in the holster that hung from his shoulder then looked at Chloe. "Let's go."
Okay, so this chapter didn't turn out as well as I hoped it would, but it gives me a great lead way for the next chapter, which will have even more Sark/Chloe romance, and much more action. So stay tuned for that, I promise it'll be good.
Linzi: True, this story is borderline unbelievable, but aren't most fictitious stories like that? You're right about how I'm not very descriptive. The thing is I'm not that great at describing things, so sometimes I don't even try. And Sark has gone soft too early; I'll try to fix that.
Eyghon: You're absolutely right, Chloe doesn't seem to miss her family too much. I'll work on that.
Natalie: No, Sark isn't that old. In the show, he's about twenty- four or twenty-five. In my story, he's in his late thirties.
Blue Cow: Her name is Savannah in the flashbacks 'cause that was Chloe's name at the time.
Tentoesupurnose16: I think everyone knows where the disk is, lol, I didn't exactly make it a mystery. Just you wait and see what happens with Devin, it's gonna be good.
Csk8-20: Don't worry; I don't take constructive criticism the wrong way. I liked when people offer me advice. Sark has gotten attached to Chloe awful quickly. But wouldn't you if you were with someone 24/7?
RedRose121, majesticness, sallene, Zeriea, and wicked-sista: Thank you all so much for reviewing.
Well, I know you're all anxious to read the next chapter, so here ya go.
Chapter Thirteen
Chloe sat up in bed, her eyes wide and her hair falling about her face in disarray. She knew where the disk was! She was certain of it. Without bothering to change from the clothes she'd fallen asleep in, and not caring how her hair looked, Chloe hurried out of bed and into the living room.
The living room was dark. Curtains were drawn over the windows, blocking out any light that could come in. The lights were turned off and it looked as if it was the middle of the night. Glancing at her watch, Chloe found that her guess wasn't too far off. For a split second she debated whether or not to wait until morning to wake Sark and tell him what she remembered. Her impatient side won out and she felt her way across the dark living room to where Sark lay on the couch. Her fingers brushed against his bare skin as she shook his still form and she tired to ignore the fire that spread up her arm.
"Sark," she said, shaking him harder as he sleepily tried to swat her away. "Wake up you idiot." Sark mumbled sleepily and turned his head away from Chloe, who was quickly losing her patience. "Alright," she said, placing her hands on her hips, "you asked for it." Suddenly, she jumped atop Sark, straddling his waist, grabbed his shoulders and shook him with teeth rattling intensity.
Sark's eyes flew open. He grabbed Chloe's hands and, not knowing it was her, rolled over so she fell to the floor, her head barely missing the coffee table, and landed on top of her. Chloe's chest rose and fell with quick, frightened gasps as she looked up into Sark's icy blue eyes. Her hands were on his chest, and she couldn't help but notice that he wasn't wearing a shirt. His muscles rippled beneath her hands and Chloe was grateful for the darkness that hid her blush. As her eyes locked with his, Sark seemed to recognize her and his face immediately softened.
"Good god Chloe," he said harshly, "I could have killed you."
"Yeah right," Chloe replied with a shaky laugh. It was then Sark noticed their position, and her hands on his chest. He looked down at her hands, then at her, a smirk on his face.
"And exactly what did you want with me?" he asked, his eyebrows raised suggestively.
"You wish." Chloe scoffed, looking him straight in the eye and refusing to let the fire overtake her body. Sark simply smirked in reply. Disgusted, Chloe shoved him off her and quickly stood. Sark stood as well and, even in the dark, Chloe couldn't help but notice his muscular shoulders and abs. Swallowing hard she tore her gaze away from his body before he could comment on where she was looking.
"Now, what was so urgent you had to wake me up in such an annoying manner?" The English man asked, stretching out his arms to get the kinks out of them. Chloe's blush deepened as she saw his biceps flex and his shoulders ripple.
"I...I know where the disk is." She replied, slightly flustered. This was ridiculous. Chloe Vaughn did not get flustered by muscles, least of all Sark's!
Her lips were soft on his own as their tongues dueled with each other. Sark ran his hand through he soft hair and her own hands ran down his bare chest, causing his muscles to move beneath them. He couldn't help the smile that crept up his face as her kisses traveled down his jaw, neck, and his chest. Her hands explored his body and Sark stared into her eyes, loving the familiar fire that resided there. Her hands traveled back up his torso and gently took hold of his shoulders. Then, without warning, she began to shake him fiercely.
Sark's eyes flew open. Someone sat on top of him, shaking him roughly. Thinking only of getting his attacker off him, Sark rolled over quickly and landed with the shadowy figure beneath him. Hands braced themselves against his chest, but he paid no attention to them. His eyes locked with the figure below him and his breath caught in his throat. There was a hidden fire within them that made it easy to tell who had 'attacked' him.
Chloe's eyes were frightened and he could feel her unsteady breathing. He spoke to her, barely registering what he said or how she responded. The feel of her soft hands overwhelmed his senses, and Sark couldn't help but smirk as he remember the dream he'd been having before she woke him up. He asked her what she wanted and, though he wouldn't admit it, hoped she had wanted what he'd been dreaming of. She pushed him away and Sark felt a bit hurt, that was until he saw her checking out his muscles. Subtly he flexed them, and received the desired effect. Chloe became flustered and stumbled over an answer that was music to his ears.
"Where?" he asked, not bothering to hide his excitement.
"It's in my old teddy bear." She replied.
"And where is your old teddy bear?" Sark asked, praying that it had not ended up in a dumpster years ago.
"It's at the orphanage." She said, "I gave it to the little kids when I outgrew him. I don't know what happened to him after I left with mom and dad." Chloe paused and Sark knew she was thinking of her parents. He knew she missed them, and he knew that she refused to show it because she did not want him to use it against her. She shook her head and looked at the floor. "The nuns might have thrown him out, but we can always look to see if he's still there."
"Excellent." Sark said nodding his head, "We'll go right now."
"Now?" Chloe said, her voice filled with shock. Her head snapped up and her eyes met his.
"Yes, now." Sark said, "You don't expect me to fall asleep again, not after the way you woke me up." She grinned sheepishly and looked back down at her bare feet. Sark smiled at her down turned head and felt his heart soften just the tiniest bit. He shook his head and quickly turned away from Chloe and headed towards the kitchen.
"You had best get dressed," he called to her, grabbing the coffee pot so he could start a batch, "I'm going to need you to tell me which bear is yours." A door closed behind him and Sark looked over his shoulder to see that she had left the living room and shut herself in the bedroom.
Sark sighed and leaned his back against the counter. What was happening to him? Why did he allow himself to become attached? He knew better than that. He knew that you never, ever become attached to your hostage. You just don't. So why had he let himself? The answer was harder to process than he would have thought. He cared about Chloe; it was so simple yet so difficult. Over the days that she had been with him, Chloe had become important to him. He had come to rely on seeing her face every day, hearing her voice, and looking into her eyes.
The door to the apartment opened and Sark looked over startled. Devin walked in, creeping quietly since he thought Sark and Chloe were asleep. Sark watched him quietly, not making a sound as his old friend crept past the kitchen.
"Where were you?" he asked. Devin whirled around; his eyes wide and his mouth hanging open slightly in surprise.
"You scared me Julian." He said, and then added in an accusing tone,
"Why aren't you asleep?"
"Me?" Sark said, his eyebrows rose in question, "Why aren't you in bed?"
"Oh," Devin looked around the room as if he was backed in a corner, "I couldn't sleep so I decided to go for a walk." Sark continued to eye his friend; he just knew Devin was lying. But why? Why would he feel the need to lie? He was obviously hiding something and Sark wanted to know what.
Fumbling through the clothes that hung in the closet, Chloe tried dousing the fire that still ran through her body. Sark's skin had been warm and hard beneath her hands. Just thinking about the feel of his skin made her heart race and Chloe hated herself for being so girly. It was bad enough that she felt something for him, what was worse was he seemed to know and used it to his advantage. She shook her head to clear it of any and all thoughts. She pulled clothes out of the closet blindly and put them on, not caring if they matched. Hurriedly she ran a brush through her hair and then pulled it back into a ponytail.
The scent of freshly brewed coffee hit her full force when Chloe opened the door to the bedroom. She breathed it in deeply and a small smile crept up her face. It was such a heavenly smell. She made her way to the kitchen, but paused when she saw Sark and Devin talking in quiet, harsh whispers. Curiously, Chloe hid right outside the doorway and strained her ears to hear what they were saying.
"That's a lie and you know it Devin," Sark said, "where were you?"
"I told you," Devin replied, his voice urgent and pleading, "I was out walking, that's all, I swear." Chloe couldn't hear what Sark said in reply, but she knew that it wasn't good because Devin soon came stomping out of the kitchen and nearly bumped into Chloe.
"Sorry," he mumbled brushing past her and refusing to make eye contact. Glancing after him curiously, Chloe walked into the kitchen.
"What was that about?" she asked, pointing out towards the living room.
"Nothing." Sark said gruffly, his back turned to her. He turned around and handed her a mug of hot, black coffee.
"Thanks." she said taking it from him, careful not to touch him. Sark seemed to notice her uneasiness and, surprisingly, kept his distance.
Sark was ready to hit something, or somebody. Devin was keeping his mouth shut about where he'd been, and Sark knew that was not a good sign. He clutched the counter top tightly, afraid that he would punch out his friend if he did not. He could hear Devin walking out of the kitchen and then heard another pair of lighter steps enter. Sark didn't need to turn around to see who it was; there was only one other person in the safe house to who those steps could belong.
Picking up the coffee pot, Sark poured a mug full, knowing Chloe would want some. He stole a glance at her over his shoulder and his heart stopped. She wore a faded, thigh-length jean skirt and a pale pink button up blouse, the top two buttons undone to show a fair amount of flesh. He quickly turned his gaze away and focused on pouring the coffee.
He kept his gaze on the wall behind her when he handed the mug to her, and was careful not to touch her. Sark didn't know what was happening to him. He had never been so weak around a woman before. He felt as if he couldn't do anything, his body lost all its strength. Chloe's gaze bore into him and Sark knew that if he did not do something soon he would lose all restraint and crush her to him right then and there.
"We should get going." He said, running a restless hand through his tousled hair.
"Okay." Chloe replied softly. She walked towards him and Sark moved away from her quickly, afraid that one brush of her soft skin against his would make him lose the war that was going on inside him. She put the now empty mug in the sink and walked out of the kitchen and towards the door.
"Wait," Sark said just as her hand brushed the doorknob. She turned around and looked at him questioningly. "We're going to need some stuff." he said and walked towards the bedroom. He could hear her footsteps behind him as he pushed open the secret door in the closet and headed into the hidden room.
Inside the room there was a single chair with a light hanging over it and a metal table. The floor was concrete and when you walked on it, the sound echoed off the stone walls. Sark made his way over to the far wall and pushed a hidden button. The wall lifted up to reveal weapons of all kinds hanging on pegs. He pulled two handguns down and a small knife, which he stuck in a hidden sheath in his shoe. Loading the guns carefully Sark could feel Chloe's eyes on him.
"You know how to shoot one of these?" he asked, holding out one of the guns.
"Yes," she said, staring down at the gun as if it was going to bite her, "but why do we need them? It's not like we're going to shoot the kids at the orphanage, are we?" she looked at him and Sark could feel the question in her gaze.
"You never know what we'll encounter." He said, "Now take the gun." Chloe did as she was told and gingerly took the gun from Sark's hand. Her hands molded to the metal perfectly and she raised it up to gauge the sight on it. Sark placed his own gun in the holster that hung from his shoulder then looked at Chloe. "Let's go."
Okay, so this chapter didn't turn out as well as I hoped it would, but it gives me a great lead way for the next chapter, which will have even more Sark/Chloe romance, and much more action. So stay tuned for that, I promise it'll be good.
Linzi: True, this story is borderline unbelievable, but aren't most fictitious stories like that? You're right about how I'm not very descriptive. The thing is I'm not that great at describing things, so sometimes I don't even try. And Sark has gone soft too early; I'll try to fix that.
Eyghon: You're absolutely right, Chloe doesn't seem to miss her family too much. I'll work on that.
Natalie: No, Sark isn't that old. In the show, he's about twenty- four or twenty-five. In my story, he's in his late thirties.
Blue Cow: Her name is Savannah in the flashbacks 'cause that was Chloe's name at the time.
Tentoesupurnose16: I think everyone knows where the disk is, lol, I didn't exactly make it a mystery. Just you wait and see what happens with Devin, it's gonna be good.
Csk8-20: Don't worry; I don't take constructive criticism the wrong way. I liked when people offer me advice. Sark has gotten attached to Chloe awful quickly. But wouldn't you if you were with someone 24/7?
RedRose121, majesticness, sallene, Zeriea, and wicked-sista: Thank you all so much for reviewing.