A/N A little clarification. I played Shadow Hearts II originally in Japanese and wrote this using the familiar names from there. Foolish me missed a few Karin/Nicholai's in there and I should have caught them all now. Apologies profundo.

Disclaimer: We all know I own these people, right? Riiiiiiight.

Part 3

The next morning the car was waiting for them and Nicholai sat in the back seat beside the young lieutenant. She looked much improved over the previous day's combat induced fatigue, and the hours of sitting in the cramped auto as it sped them on their way north. He had the driver stop in Chiusi rather than continue to Florence, since they both could use the rest and he needed the time for other things to happen.

He watched her through sidelong glances as the car sped them up the winding road and recalled their hours together in the tower. He was surprised at how inept she had been with the sword, and her strength had been lacking. What had possessed him to think she could help when she had done more to hinder? Well, to be honest, he thought, that was more his fault than hers. He knew he had an exorcist job to do, but had not considered getting the Holy Mistletoe until after he had spoken with Heimann in France. It wasn't until then that he knew what he faced in Domremy – and whom. So it was necessary to return to the Vatican for the Mistletoe and Karin had to accompany him. And really, he could not blame her for panicking in terror at the horrible monsters that haunted that place; it actually made her seem softer, somehow; and it had given him the opportunity to prove himself.

When she had panicked that first time, fainting dead away on the tiles at his feet, his heart had jumped into his throat. Had she been hurt? Had she been injured? He was near to panicking himself by the time he had dispatched the last ghostly intruder and knelt at her side, holding her head with one hand as he offered her a drink from his flask. She had seemed so bewildered; so innocent, so delectably beautiful. He had chided himself that first time, reminding himself he had a job to perform, a duty to his superiors and to God. But as they climbed the tower, and as they fought through the haunted halls, he began to feel more than just a tug at his heart for this lovely young lady; and he wondered if God would forgive him for the thoughts that were running rampant through the dark recesses of his mind, for anointed he may be, but his thoughts, his feelings toward this woman were anything but priestly.

As the miles sped away, he turned his thoughts to other problems, foremost the problem in Domremy. He knew that his adversary would need persuading with more than just the Yadorigi and he had to be prepared. Thinking about that occupied the hours until late afternoon when they approached Florence again.

"I've instructed the driver to take us to Florence, lieutenant," he said absently.

Karin looked up from her mindless watching of the scenery to look at the cardinal.

"Why?"

"Oh, I have some important correspondence to get out; and a meeting with one of my flock," he replied. "We'll stay at the same hotel and we can leave again early in the morning for the plane."

"A-all right," she said but curiosity was nipping at her heels.

And when the car pulled up to the hotel that evening, she got out and watched as Nicholai walked away, wondering if she should follow, but he disappeared through the far gates so quickly that she doubted she could catch up. Instead, she looked around the square and spotted the small fountain. Here she sat for a while, watching the water bubble up and out through a copper spout; the basin was shallow and some people had tossed pennies into it; the lights of the evening were shining and the copper pennies glistened at the bottom of the fountain. Karin found it almost hypnotic, allowing her to relax and set her mind at ease. She watched as locals strolled around the square, here a little girl playing with jacks and there a boy sneaking up on her; over by the far wall, a traveling caravan was set up, and suddenly curious, she climbed to her feet to inquire.

The caravan was an old cargo truck, converted to display goods and items. There was a cabinet with wooden drawers neatly labeled with curative items, thera, mana, and pura leaves, while suspended from the ceiling on hangers were necklaces, belts, and hats, and in the far corners, she could make out armor and other protective gear.

"We sell fine weapons as well," a tall man said coming out from the back of the truck. Karin looked up to see the proprietor: a tall, lanky older man with very long, thin mustachios and a definite manner about him. She shied away but he waved one hand negligently.

"We also sell some fine clothing; my brother is a tailor – someday he'll have his own shop with designer clothing," the man said happily. "May I show you anything? I'm Gerard, by the way."

"M, Karin. I was just looking actually. I was surprised to see a vending cart here."

The man waved his hand happily as if it were nothing in the world. "Yes, my brother and I travel everywhere. We see interesting sights, and obtain wonderful items. Here," he said and reached in to his cart, pulling out a box of bracelets. "I just brought these back from Greece." He opened the box and displayed the bracelets: coppery gold in hue, burnished to a bright sheen – they each had a shell pattern at the clasp and were simple and elegant.

"This one is reputed to protect the wearer from poisons," he said taking one out and clipping it on Karin's wrist. "Nice, yes?"

Karin looked at the bracelet, letting the nearby lamp light shine on the bauble.

"Yes, it is. But, I don't have much money," she said and shrugged. "Sorry."

Gerard looked at her with calculation for a moment then closed the lid on the box.

"Then you keep it," he said. "Tell people where you got it and from whom; good advertisement."

Karin looked surprised. "Are- are you sure?"

Gerard laughed, a bubbling giggle that had Karin smiling.

"Of course! It will be good for business."

Karin nodded and walked off, admiring her new bracelet.

The hotel was the same as on their first trip, and Karin headed that way, pausing only long enough to watch a well-dressed man leave a diviner's shop. He looked dejected and nearly ran into her on his way out and Karin wondered what kind of fool would believe a tarot reader. But as it didn't concern her, she continued to the hotel, taking the room prepared for her. Once inside she sat at the small desk by the window and pulled some sheets of complimentary letter paper from the drawer and, with pen in hand, began to write. It had been so long since she had the time to write her family and her grandmother Doris was probably wondering what happened to her.

As the evening wore on, the scratch of Karin's pen on paper was the only sound. Eventually she went downstairs for supper from the café across the street and returned a little before midnight. Ready for a bath and bed, she was running the water into the tub when she thought she heard Nicholai's voice in the corridor outside. Quickly she turned off the tap and opened the hall door, but he had already entered his room. She debated a moment before walking down to his room and knocking.

"Yes? What is it?" Nicholai's voice said from behind the door and she heard his soft footsteps approaching.

"It's me, Karin."

The door opened and Nicholai stood in the yellow light of the room lamp, his face in shadows.

"What is it? Is everything all right?" he asked.

"Um, yes. I just heard you return and was wondering," she paused. What exactly was she wondering, she thought. Where he went? What he did? She really had no business knowing, but it irked her, him leaving her like that without a word.

"Karin?"

"Um, I was wondering, what time we were leaving in the morning," she said quickly and rubbed her hands together nervously.

"After breakfast," Nicholai said and pulled open the door, letting the light shine into the hall and onto her face. "You look cold, why don't you come inside," and he backed away from the door, moving in to stand by the desk. His room was identical to Karin's, with the bed by the far wall, a dresser and armoire for the clothing and a small desk by the window. His room looked toward the back of the hotel and all she could see were the dark buildings rising outside the window. She hesitated on the threshold before entering, her hands working nervously at her waist.

"Is there something bothering you, lieutenant?" Nicholai asked. "Karin?"

What was bothering her, she thought. Was it just that he disappeared without telling her where he went? Or had late night visitors? Or that mistletoe wand that could be used against the demon of Domremy? She looked up at him, his open, handsome face, clean cut, and his trusting stance by the desk, one hand touching the pectoral cross and his whole demeanor speaking volumes. Her heart thudded in her chest and she bit her lower lip.

"I – I don't know why I came, I guess just to ask about tomorrow. I was thinking before about the church and what you plan to do," she stammered.

Nicholai nodded, gesturing to the bed.

"Why don't you sit down," he said and went to the chest, pulling out a dark wooden box. He set it on the chest top and removed the wand from its cushions, looking at it briefly in the yellow light of the lamp. When he turned back, Karin had taken a seat on the end of the bed and looked up at the wand in his hands with trepidation painted on her face.

"Ah, I see," he said. "It bothers you, doesn't it; that we would use such an item on the demon. You needn't worry. The Holy Mistletoe will control the demon; it is, after all, an implement of God's Holy Grace."

Karin looked at the wand, a foot-long piece of white wood with a tracery of black on it that looked like leaves or vines. At the lower end a pointed metal tip had been attached and at the top, another metal cap where the leaves seemed to grow right out of the wood. Karin blinked at it a few times, her senses trying to tell her something, but exactly what eluded her. Nicholai turned and replaced the wand in the box and put it back in the drawer before turning back to her. He watched the expression on her face change slowly from worry to puzzlement and then relax, as she seemed to make up her mind.

"Is there anything else I can do for you, Karin?" he asked. He had stepped closer in the small room, his coat almost touching her knees as she sat on the bed, and he wanted to reach out, to touch her hair, to caress her cheek. He felt those same stirrings he'd experienced earlier and he grit his teeth a moment, reminding himself of his purpose. She was a guide, that was all. Blinking he moved toward the writing table. But she could be so much more.

Karin twisted her hands a moment, and then rose from the bed.

"I'll – I'll see you in the morning then," she said and quickly pulled open the door and left.

Nicholai watched the door closing behind her, his green eyes catching the supple movements of her body in her uniform just as the door closed. He sighed. He wanted to talk to her, to touch her – to get to know her in so many ways. If they had time, after all this, he would pursue that. But for now, he turned his thoughts to Domremy. He had met with that incompetent Lenny earlier, at the local Masonic lodge. How amusing, he thought, to use the tools of the enemy for their own benefit; but soon now, when all was completed, their enemies would be drawn into them and swallowed up. For Sapientes Gladio had their plans set in motion, as did Nicholai, and he – he had plans within plans. And he would need a wife.

Suddenly startled at his own thought, Nicholai looked back at the door, his mind following the path that Karin took to her room; she would be in bed now, her body covered in coarse cotton sheets when she should be draped in satins and silks. His tongue ran slowly over his lips as that thought played out before his eyes and he pictured her in his room once more, devoid of uniform, instead dressed for a ball, a wedding, a wedding night.

"Damn, Nicholai, get your thoughts together," he mumbled and turned off the lamp, sitting on the edge of the bed and looking out the window at the dark buildings beyond, focusing his mind on the task at hand, while the desire of tonight, nipped at his heels.

Reviewers:

Bella: You are most welcome. As you know, this gets steamier ... but the fun really starts next chapter.

Raven, Thank you so much for the review. As noted above, I played the Japanese version first so I get my names all confuzzled. And I think you're right in Nikki being jealous; no matter which version I play, he looks jealous to me!

Puffy, Love: it's coming. Won't be on your scale or caliber, but it's coming. As for canon: yes, but twisty. You know, like a Twizzler pretzel. XD