Tristan's Peace - Chapter 8
Disclaimer: I do not own any characters that you may recognize from King Arthur. Nor do I own any that you may recognize from the Dark Hunter Series by Sherrilyn Kenyon. I am merely playing with them for a time. So please don't sue me, I have no money. Nada, zippo, zilch.
Cardeia - Ahh! The toothpick. I'll have to remember to put that in more often now. I just wanted him to have something to do with his hands.
I can't tell you quite yet why she couldn't sense Tristan. It's for a specific reason though. Don't worry, she's got a ton of question to ask that man. But first, she needs to get Tristan somewhere safe. It is almost sunrise.
And she is highly pissed. You gave me a wonderful idea. Actually, this chapter is mostly your ideas that were in your review. Hope you enjoy.
I'm hoping that her many more years of experience have made her more calm. She is certainly more excepting. And I am thrilled to death that you picked out that his emotions are in full tilt right now.
And I wanted to get this before you went on holiday. Something nice to think on while you are riding to your heart's content.
KnightMaiden - Maybe. And you are understanding more than you give yourself credit for if you asked that. Now, I'm just waiting for YOU to update!
op - Of course I do. But it brings you right back for more. Doesn't it?
2005
Teagan ran up the stairs, taking them two at a time herself. Grabbing onto the top banister, she used it as leverage to swing herself around so she was facing the door to her office. Which she noticed, was wide open. Straightening up, she came face to chest with Acheron. Stepping back, she brought her hand up, slapping his face as hard as she could. Her hand stinging.
"How dare you!" She screamed at him, her anger evident in her face. Her eyes taking on the same silvery swirl that Ash's did.
Acheron reached for her, only to have her step out of his grasp. Her movements not so surprisingly fast. He stepped toward her, his body blocking the way to the door. He didn't want her rushing into the office with that anger. Her powers were only held in check as long as her anger was under control.
"Teagan... Please calm down." He reached for her again, this time to draw back as if burnt. The heat radiating off her was scary. She was angry.
"Calm down?" Her voice still high, her eyes taking on the look of a thunderstorm.
"Yes. Please." She had every right to be angry at him, Acheron thought. But, it wouldn't last. This he hoped.
Teagan stood to her full height, her hands coming to her hips. "No, Ash, I will not calm down. The last clear memory I have was telling that man in there that I would never leave him."
"Teagan...Please..." His voice defeated.
"No. I did leave. I must have. For here I sat, for all these hundreds of years. And I had no IDEA...NONE...That he was still living." Her voice raising higher, her breath coming in angry gasps.
"Teagan..." But he was interrupted by Tristan as the scout moved around him, gently pushing his elder out of the way.
"You didn't leave me." He said very low. His eyes only for the woman in front of him.
The way she stood there, her hands on her hips, her faced flushed with anger. That look in her eyes, he could almost swear that she had Ash's eyes.
But as quickly as that, Teagan calmed, her eyes taking on her very human blue. So fast that Tristan thought he was seeing things. Her breathing becoming normal. Though her face still had that look of shock he had seen on her downstairs.
She looked like those angels that Arthur had spoken of so long ago. Standing there. He believed what Ash had said. That she held his soul. That she did. And she would keep it.
"I did..." She whispered, Her hand dropping to her sides, her feet unable to take her forward. She wanted to touch him, make sure that he was real. That it was really Tristan who stood before her. Not some ghost come back to haunt her. But, she couldn't move.
Tristan had no such trouble, his strides moved him to within inches of her. Acheron forgotten. In fact, neither of them saw as he made his way down the stairs. His face holding one of complete happiness. And smugness. "Wait until Artie finds this out." He chuckled under his breath.
"No. You have been with me for so long." Tristan cupped her neck, bringing her closer to him, his hands automatically feeling for any roughness to her tattoo. It felt as smooth as he remembered.
For long moments, they stood there, silent. Each looking at the other. Remembering what the other looked like. Their minds were one as each thought that they looked the same as in their memories.
It was Tristan who spoke first. "You look the same." His other hand came up, cupping her head, his fingers going into her hair. The feel of it, the softness, the color, made his breath come in hard.
Still, Teagan couldn't move, she was having a hard time commanding her motor skills right then. "As do you."
Tristan took her hand, pulling it up to his chest and Teagan could hear the soft movement of his heart underneath his shirt.
Teagan dropped her head, it resting on his hand that held hers. Her free hand finally moving and coming to rest on his side, just above his belt line. She let out a small smile as his skin twitched under her touch, the heat radiating off him like the sun itself.
"You're real." She whispered as she moved her hand around to the small his back.
Tristan caught his breath again as he felt her hand on his side. The feel as it moved to his back was almost torture. Her hand was so hot where it touched him. Had he not had a shirt on, he would surly be scorched.
He brought her closer, her cheek now resting on his heart. Slowly and almost painfully, he dropped his lips to the top of her head. The stray hairs tickling his lips and nose as he bent. Inhaling deeply, he took in her scent. The scent of her that he had gone without for so long.
And now she was here. Truly with him once again. It seemed the fates couldn't decide whether to keep them apart or keep them together. Well, Tristan decided, no one was going to take her away again. Not even the fickle fates.
Neither talked for so long. Only holding onto each other tightly, not wanting to let go, lest this dream end.
"It is no dream." Teagan said softly as she listened to his heartbeat. The rhythm of it calming her to her very soul. She lets the tears fall freely, making his white shirt transparent.
Suddenly, Teagan pulled away, smiling when she saw the look of sudden loss on Tristan's face. She reached out her hand, her fingers lightly caressing his tattoos. Losing her train of thought as she felt the roughness of his beard. She couldn't help but take his longest braid in her fingers, remembering the feel of it. The way it looked against her pale hand. She loved this part of him.
She disengaged herself from him, feeling that same loss as he had. But, they needed to get moving. "We have to go." His safety becoming paramount to her current happiness.
Teagan grabbed Tristan by his hand, attempting to lead him down the stairs. He pulled against her, nearly forcing her off balance. "Let's go."
"No. It's to late. The sun is rising."
She smiled a brilliant smile at him. "Don't worry about that. I'm used to saving you guys from the sun. I've got the tank."
"You do it often?"
"Surprisingly? Yes." She gave a half-hearted frown. This telling Tristan that she really didn't mind saving their arses when the occasion called for it.
She never let go of his hand as she led him down the stairs and into a garage that Tristan hadn't noticed on his arrival. It was completely windowless. He could feel the coolness and the dampness from the concrete wall. Apparently, the were underground. The smell telling him that they were.
Turned out the tank was a very large, very black Hummer. Its windows in back tinted so dark that no sunlight could penetrate through. As Tristan slid onto the leather seat in the back, he realized that he forgot his duffle.
"Don't worry. We'll get it tomorrow night. Or I'll have Carrick bring it around the house." Teagan said as he raised his hand to knock on the heavy window separating the back seat from the front.
Tristan could only smile as he settled himself against the cool leather. He let his mind close, his thoughts drifting as he listened to the sound of the Hummer's large engine.
A/N: I know this is short. I apologize. I hope this was to everyone's liking. My fingers got started and didn't quite stop. So as I read this now, I realize that I quite like it. Their reunion isn't quite over yet.