Tristan's Peace - Chapter 9
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.
KnightMaiden - Nope the reunion isn't quite over yet. And on the other...Maybe. Would you like that?
op - I'm happy you are smiling! And please, please, please keep coming back!
Cardeia - I'm glad you liked that. Their reunion. It's not over, but I'm not going to have them jump into bed as quick as that. THough Tristan is having ideas... And I'm having a hard time getting them there. Read this and let me know what you would think. It think things need to get cleared up with Ash before the can move onto other things.
And I'm still putting together something when you mentioned pictures. I'm constantly amazed at how you read my mind. You mention it in your reviews and I either have that done, working on it or have notes about it. (I have notebooks everywhere. Even in the bathroom.) It gets me how you read what I write and can pick things out. You put together this puzzle of mine. It's like you read with a magnifying glass. It's nearly scary. But, I just LOVE reading your opinions.
Yeah! The Hummer! I drove them when I was in the Marines. And by giggest wish is to own one. Not the H2 or H3, those are just plain ugly. Nope. I want the original, cammo paint and all. Or the steel grey one I mention here.
2005
The sunhad already risen. Tristan could feel it. His senses telling him that he should be sleeping. Or at the very least, not out in a vehicle where anything could happen. That there could be an accident and he could end up burning to ash in the sun anyway.
That this past hour had been for nothing. That somehow the fates would again step in.
He growled low in his throat. He wouldn't think about that. He had happier things to think about. But if he became a shade right now, at least he would go smiling.
Teagan...
Was sitting in the front seat, driving his pale ass around. Obviously exposed to the sun. That would mean that she wasn't a Dark Hunter. What was she then? He had seen fangs on her, small ones, but they were there.
Teagan...
Was really alive. Wasn't she? Hadn't she touched him? Took his hair as she always did? Didn't she smile at him like there was no one else?
How did she get to where she was now? Why did she come back? How did she come back? Who brought her back? He suspected Acheron. He wasn't sure.
And she owned her own club. He smiled. She had always wanted to own a bar. And from what he saw, it looked as though she was doing well for herself.
His skin started prickling in the non-existent sunlight. Moving closer to the middle of the seat, Tristan put his head back, letting his eyes close. His body and mind weary.
Again, he let his mind go back to past memories. Back to another time when he saw her after an extended absence.
As the knights entered the courtyard, Tristan looked for Teagan. Though his eyes didn't find her, he wasn't concerned. Where Vanora was all over Bors upon his return, Teagan was just the opposite. She knew that Tristan wasn't fond of open affection. She usually let him lead in that area. Hand holding and small gestures suited him just fine.
But, he always looked for her high on the top wall.
Most of the time, if Teagan wasn't there to greet him and the other knights, she was elsewhere. Usually in the fort's infirmary. Which was where he went after settling his horse.
Sure enough, Teagan was there, stitching up Gilly, one of Bors' boys. She was sewing a rather large cut on the young man's head. It ran from his temple to right below the left eye. Flexing his right hand, Tristan knew that Teagan was the perfect one to stitch up the boy. Her stitches were small and even and usually only left the smallest scar.
"What happened?" He asked by way of a greeting.
Teagan smiled and took a quick inventory of him. He was dusty, dirty and smelled of leather, horse and sweat. She didn't notice any blood. Which was good, as Tristan had a habit of not speaking up about his injuries.
"This fool decided he wanted to break in that new colt. He wanted to surprise Gawain."
Gilly nodded, trying not to move his head much. "Now I've gone and buggered up my head."
Tristan nodded, it's happened to them all. He bent and gave Teagan a kiss on her neck. "Can you do without me for one more night?"
"No. But if I have to, I will. Why?"
"I need to run a dispatch for Arthur. Down the wall. I stopped for a fresh horse."
"Take Aodh. He needs the exercise. I haven't had the time to take him out today." She wasn't angry that he would be gone another night. She understood the nature of his work. But they had been gone for two weeks and she missed him. There were things they needed to talk about.
He gave her another kiss on her neck. "Then I will see you tomorrow night. I'll have the knights keep you company."
She smiled and he was gone. Yes, the knights would keep her company. More like they would be her bodyguards while Tristan was away.
Teagan finished her sewing and started putting away her supplies.
Gilly raised his hand to touch his new scar. His father would be proud of him. "You don't get mad or upset when he leaves. Mother does when father leaves."
"Vanora loves Bors very much."
"Don't you love Sir Tristan?"
Teagan smiled. "Of course I do. But we don't have to show our affection like that.
Gilly snorted. They were a strange pair.
Behind the door, Tristan smiled to himself before heading to the stables.
Tristan woke, the feeling of something pushing into his hair. Quickly, his arm shot out, grabbing the intruder...
"Wake up, silly." Teagan's voice sounded as he opened his eyes further. She was smiling softly at him, her finger running along the edge of his mouth, at the corners. "Must of been a good dream. You were drooling." She smirked at him as she wiped her finger on the front of his shirt.
Ignoring her, he stepped out of the Hummer, admiring the huge vehicle. It was indeed a tank. It wasn't black like he originally thought. It was more of a steel grey color. The inside matching the outside exactly. Looking closer, he felt a bit foolish worrying about sunlight coming in through the windows. Teagan had waited for him to get out before she pushed a button in the driver's side of the Hummer. Panels covering the windows slid down, exposing darkly tinted ones. She was prepared it seemed.
"Follow me." She started to a door on the inside of the dimly lit garage.
As Tristan followed her, he took in the many vehicles he saw. Parked next to the Hummer was a Jeep Wrangler. Painted a bright red and the top pulled off. Against the far wall, an older model Harley Davidson roadster sat. It looked pristine. He wondered if it were hers. An amusing thought of Teagan on the bike entered his mind, her hair down and flying in the wind. He'd have to ask her later.
"Follow me." She said to him again as she climbed a couple steps to the door that obviously led into the house. She had noticed him admiring the bike, thinking 'Why not?' Maybe he would like to ride it. She didn't.
Tristan didn't say a word as he followed her into a spacious room that looked like a huge gym. There were weight equipment scattered everywhere as well as a bike and treadmill. High in the corner a very large flat screen TV was mounted. This didn't really interest him much as he didn't watch much. In fact, he didn't even have one in his flat in SoHo.
"This is our gym. Well, mostly Jac's. My squire. I hate working out." She gave him a sideways smile, pointing to another room off the gym. "That's Jac's room." She brought her finger up to her lips to be quiet, like he would make a sound. "He's sleeping. College. There."She pointed to another door, this one looking like it had special security locks. "That's the weapon room. Jac's toys mostly. Maybe if you talk real nice to him, he'll let you play."
He was still quiet as she led him upstairs, this time into one of the biggest kitchens he had ever seen. The refrigerator itself looked like two put together. He cocked his head getting a better look at her. Why did she need one that big? To hide in? Shaking his head, he followed her out.
Teagan led him through the downstairs of the house, showing him the living room that had a huge fireplace, the den which had another mounted flat screen and what looked like every know electronic device known to man. "Jac's into all that stuff. Him and his friends come over all the time." She replied to his question about all the electronics. That would also explain the huge fridge. Along one wall of the room was a computer center that put his small laptop to shame.
Tristan didn't much like electronics only having learned the basics when Acheron made him.
"Mine. I can run the club from here if I have to."
Following her again through the hall, she pointed out a bathroom and another bedroom, plus another romm with it's doors closed. She didn't say what that was.Tristan was behind her as she went upstairs. He was thinking that she was still the prettiest woman he had ever seen. And more than once resisted the urge to touch her hair as it swayed over her behind. The very ends of it falling past it.
"That's my room." She pointed to the first room on the right. He noticed that the door was a pale shade of red. And the door was open letting him catch a glimpse of a high sleigh bed surrounded in many shades of white and off white. Thinking that it would hurt his eyes, he was surprised when it didn't. In fact, it looked quite inviting to his tired body.
He alsowondered what it would be like to spend some time in that huge bed with her. 'Not tonight.' He thought. As much as he wanted to. He wasn't going to risk that. Not yet.
He had a hunger that he needed to slack and he didn't want it to be her. But, he was sorely tempted. Maybe if he just lay next to her...
So Tristan was barely paying attention when she pointed out several other rooms. "There are so many." He commented.
"This used to be a boarding school in the 30's. The lady that owned it before, passed it on to me when she died." Tristan didn't miss the look of sadness that crossed her face as she said that. She must have been close to the woman.
Watching her move among her home was causing him to ache with need for her. She moved with such a comfortable grace.
Teagan finished the tour. "There's another bathroom as these two bedrooms don't have any." She pointed down the hall to two other rooms. Those two share a bathroom. Up there," she pointed up another flight of stairs. "Is the last room. It's where Ash stays when he is here. It's just an attic that he converted because he liked that big space."
Tristan stood still, his dark eyes taking in everything about her. He could even smell her and it was driving him insane. He was thinking that he may not be able to resist her.
Teagan caught the way he was looking at her. She looked almost shyly at him. "If you don't mind, I'm going to freshen up. Then I have to do some work down stairs." Her breath caught as Tristan moved to mere inches of her. She let out a shudder as Tristan cupped the back of her head, his fingers lacing in the hair at the back of her neck. "There are clothes to change into in that last room..." She didn't get any further as Tristan lowered his lips to hers. His mind rolling as he immediately deepened the kiss. He felt as though he could crawl right into her if she would let him.
Both were breathless when Tristan finally broke the kiss, his fingers lingering on her skin as he pulled away.
"Thank you." He whispered. "I'm going to shower, then change." Smiling to himself, he went into a room he prayed was the bathroom she had pointed out earlier. He needed the shower to help clear his mind. But with Teagan as close as she was, his mind would never fully clear.
Nodding numbly, her head spinning, she entered her bedroom. She didn't bother to close her door as she went into her own bathroom.
She stripped as she let the water heat up thinking that the last few hours were ones she would not easily forget. She still had Ash to talk to. No, she had Ash she still wanted to kill. He was going to hear a bit of her mind when she talked to him next. Keeping this away from her all this time. He owed her one huge explaination.
But her thoughts were brought back to the Hunter she knew was showering in another bathroom just down the hall. Wondering what he had been doing all this time and why in the name of all that was good, that she didn't sense him in all these years. 'Another question to ask the mighty Acheron.' She thought as she showered quickly.
Changing into a small chemise, Teagan lay on the bed, her hair wrapped into a huge towel. Closing her eyes she thought she's only rest them until Tristan was done with his shower.
Without realizing, she fell asleep.
0o0o0o
As Tristan finished his own shower, his thoughts kept going to the red haired woman also taking a shower. His mind wandering to what her body would look like after all these years. His body tightened as the thought of running his hands all over her. Taking his time getting to know every line, every scar. He most wanted to make sure that her dragon was still intact.
That had been almost the worst he had seen. Watching as Victor cut every last inch of her tattoo off her body. He had done it slowly, cutting it off in one piece. When Victor had done, he had held it up for Tristan to see. It had looked like a large piece of red lace as he held it up.
At the thought of what happened so long ago, Tristan bent over, his stomach emptying it contents. It was a good thing he hadn't eaten yet today as he watched the bile run down the drain to the shower.
Quickly, Tristan rinsed his mouth and stepped out of the shower. He didn't even towel off completely as he pulled on his pants. He needed to see her.
Now.
Stepping through her open door, he noticed that she was sleeping. He stood at the foot of her bed just watching her for a long time. She looked whole and intact. Her body curled in a slight ball. He stood looking at her for nearly an hour before he covered her up. Giving her a light kiss on her exposed neck, he left her to look around the house.
Though his body was tired, his mind was racing a mile a minute. And he was hungry, his growling stomach telling him that it was now empty and it wanted food.
Tristan made his way down to the kitchen thinking that he would certainly find something in the giant of a refrigerator.
A/N: Well? What do you all think? So far this is so much fun to do. I don't know, I just find him all the more sexy as a Vampire Hunter.