A/N: I'm sorry it took me so long to update.

Chapter 11:

On the Way to Verona: The Bug

Emma awoke gently. She felt like she was in a small room, there was a roof over her head and a blanket and a small amount of bedding beneath her. Something was strange though, for some reason she felt like this small room was moving. The room was just big enough for her to lie down in, around her were a few belongings, not belonging to her.

She felt a small jolt and went quickly bouncing in the air along with the packed sacks and bags around her. It was then that she heard voices. Two men were talking.

"Could you have hit anymore bumps!"

"Well I could," a voice responded.

"That's it! Pull the wagon over! I'm driving and you can ride this god forsaken horse."

Emma used what little energy she had to crawl to where a cloth hung from the top of the room. She pushed it aside and was slightly comforted by the sight of Othello, Bassanio and Adam all standing near what appeared to be a horse drawn wagon. Her thoughts though contradicted her feelings, for she now realized that her hopes of being home in her own bed were violently squished.

"See? You woke up Emma!" Othello yelled at Adam who had been driving the wagon.

"Well, you're the one who decided to take such a bumpy pathway!"

Bassanio smiled at Emma and walked over to where her head was poking out f the roofed-wagon. "They have been fighting like this since you passed out," he said smiling and looking back at the two men fighting like and old married couple.

"How long was I out for?" Emma asked squinting while looking at the sun in the sky.

"Almost two days," he said, "Believe it or not we were all worried about you."

Emma sat back into the darkness of the wagon's roof, and winced in pain while grabbing her side, "What happened she said looking at her side that was bound with many bandages.

"You were stabbed," Bassanio said crawling into the carriage and pulling back the curtain behind him. The voices of Othello and Adam's bickering could still be heard outside.

"If you lay down I can redress the wound," he said while pulling some bandages out of one of the many bags around. Emma suddenly felt embarrassed, even she knew it was wrong in this day and age for a man to see a girl in what she was wearing already. She hesitated.

"Don't worry about it miss Emma," He said with a reassuring smile, "I won't tell anyone!" He laughed. This made Emma feel even more at ease; she lay down and let him redress the wound while listening to the constant bickering outside.

It hurt at first, but when he was done she felt fine… better than fine, great! Emma sat up and smiled. "I feel much better," She said, "thanks," she looked down and then back up at Bassanio from under her brow line. Bassanio stared at her for a second and then leaned in and kissed her, just out of nowhere. He pulled away and Emma smiled but then, upon realizing what had just happened, "EW!" They both jerked away from each other and pushed their backs on opposite sides of the wagon's walls.

"Oh my god! EW!" Emma screamed whipping her lips as if that would make it go away.

"What the hell was that?" Bassanio yelled also whipping his lips.

Outside Othello and Adam abruptly stopped their fighting and ran the shove open the curtain giving the wagon it's privacy.

"What happened?" stormed Othello that Emma had been hurt.

"Move, Othello!" yelled Adam pushing Othello out of the way to check on Emma. He leapt into the wagon and landed near Emma, "Are you okay?" he said all out of breath.

"I'm fine," she said looking over at Bassanio, "There was just one- uh – creepy bug… or something."

"What? A bug?" Said Othello getting up and slapping the dirt from his shirt, "All that for a bug?"

"Uh… yes, it even scared me." Bassanio added still whipping his lips.

Othello looked suspiciously at the two then remounted his horse saying, "Well, we had better be on our way. Romeo is waiting, and we have serious business tonight."