A/N: Do I even dare to apologize anymore? Probably not. But still, I'm sooo sorry for the "usual" delay. I just can't keep focused on one thing! I'm such a random person who gets easily bored... sigh... I can't believe that this story has 35 alerts!
Special thanks to flamma71 for reviewing each and every chapter with such details! Love you, hun!
Falling right into her Master's arms, Malak began sobbing uncontrollably rendering Guy speechless. The man clad in black had no idea what to do in such a situation. He vaguely remembered when Marian was weeping the loss of her father and how foolishly he tempted to kiss her. It's not wholly same, is it? He neither had a clue on why Malak was crying, nor was he about to kiss her.
'Kiss… Malak.' Guy thought. The thought of it didn't feel wrong or farfetched. Pulling the girl closer to his chest, Guy gently nudged her chin. Malak obliged to the nudge by slight raising her head to look at her Master. Hazel eyes filled with tears, sorrow. Guy couldn't help but feel protective of the girl. He placed one hand over the girl's cheek, and with the pad of his thumb he gently wiped the skin under her eye. Her face was soft, but not as soft as Marian's, a proof that this girl had seen quite a number of dark days.
Unfortunately, her Master's sudden gentleness worked the other way around. Malak's crying seemed to get louder at Guy's touch.
"W-what's wrong?" Guy stammered, hands fumbling anxiously not knowing what caused the girl to cry even louder.
Still crying, Malak tightened her arms around Guy. Her voice now muffled by the proximity to the man's chest. It took Guy a few hesitant seconds before he returned the hug.
As time passed, the two lingered in each other's arms. Guy awkwardly, yet tenderly, stroking the girl's head as he listened to her cry slowly fading away. Only soft sobs escaped her lips every now and then.
"I'm sorry." Malak whispered into Guy's chest.
"For what?" Guy asked.
"Everything." Malak replied while slowly raising her head to meet her Master's eyes. "Invading your life. Suddenly disappearing. Causing you loads of trouble the past week."
As Guy stared at the still damp eyes, he began to wonder. When had he stopped being mad at the girl? He had all the right to be so, yet instead he felt relieved.
"I'm not mad." Guy stated, "Rather confused."
"Well, I do owe you an explanation." Malak replied with a sad smile.
"If you feel well enough that is." Guy said as he pressed his palm against the girl's forehead, "You still have a slight fever, and had been unconscious for almost a day. We can't risk having you ill again."
"I'm feeling well." Malak assured, "And I will feel even better if I let it out and off my chest."
"If you say so." Guy nodded, "You did peek my curiosity rather than anger."
"Where shall I begin…" Malak mumbled as she slowly turned her back to Guy. "That day… Before getting the groceries, I thought… I thought I would pass by mum. Check up on her. I haven't told this to anyone, the reason why we came to live with mum's relatives."
"Was it not for the passing of you father?" Guy asked, as that was what he assumed.
"Partly." Malak replied, still giving her back to her Master. She felt she might break down again if she looked at him. "And mum's sickness. Once dad died we had no one left, so we came to live in Nottingham with her cousin. Though they had nothing, they were kind enough to accommodate us. I tried to find a place to work, to help. And I did, as a cleaning girl in a tavern. But I foolishly lost it in a matter of days."
"Why? What happened?" Guy inquired, though he might have had a clue or two when it came to this rash girl.
"I, eh, kicked a man in the face." Malak confessed as she nervously scratched the nap of her neck, "The damn drunk groped me. But I should have been patient."
"He deserved it." Guy commented with a slight shrug, "I would have done the same thing."
"Huh?" Malak turned around to look at Guy, dumbfounded. "You would what? Have groped me or kicked the man?"
"W-what?" Guy stuttered, as he didn't really think it through. The answer was obvious- he would have kicked the man surely- but he would not say it aloud. Irritably, Malak's irrational bluntness caused him to blush, earning him a chuckle.
"What is so-" Guy began but trailed off as he saw the sorrowful smile forming on Malak's lip before she covered it with the back of her hand and looked away.
"I shouldn't be laughing…" Malak whimpered, "I don' deserve to."
And before Guy could manage to speak, Malak added, "My…my m-mum…She- she is d-dead. I killed my mum!"
A little before ending her sentence, the lass fell onto her knees, face buried into her palms, she began to cry again.
This time Guy did not hesitate. He stood up and knelt next to the girl, wrapping his arms around her petite figure. "Tell me what happened."
"S-she… got s-sicker." Malak voice broke through the sobs, "B-blood all over her clothes. I-I tr-ried to get her medicine. B-but she… she DIED!"
At the mention of her mother's death again, Malak began crying even harder, hand gripping tightly onto Guy's clothes.
"It is not your fault." Guy whispered, "If anyone is a murder, it is definitely not you."
It took few moments, for the girl to calm down. All the while Guy tenderly hushed in her ear.
"It is." Malak sniffled, "And I am."
"No you are not!" Guy almost shouted, "Trust me. It takes one to know another. And you are not one. Your mother was sick."
"Her coughing suddenly became worse…" Malak explained, "Blood came from her mouth. I did not know what to do."
"You are not supposed to." Guy assured, "You have tried your best. Your mother is in a better place now. Her suffering ended."
Bitterly, Malak nodded as she wiped her tears. "She is, isn't she? With Dad."
"You know… I just wish you came for help." Guy confessed with a deep sigh, "Not that I've given you any reason to believe that I would have offered any. But maybe Gytha?"
"You've helped me quite a lot. Still are." Malak replied, before it dawned upon her that she was still in Guy's embrace. Had been almost the entire time truly.
Abruptly, but gracefully, the lass jumped backwards. A blush ran from one ear to the other.
"I-I-I-I-I am SORRY!" Malak shouted, startling the curious lot who had been waiting patiently for a bit over an hour.
"What is wrong?" Marian dashed in with an alarmed expression. "What is happening in here?"
The lass was huddled up in corner, arms covering her head. While Guy came rushing pass Marian and outside to the open air.
"Marian?" Djaq came in, head looking over her shoulder, "Why did Guy leave?"
"And why was he burning red like he had been holding his breath?" Robin followed up with a quirked eyebrow.
"Burning what?" Marian frowned, "I have no clue. He did not speak a word of it."
"Why don't I check on that little squirrel." Djaq chuckled as she pointed at Malak, "And you two go check on Guy."