A/N: Just an itty bitty chapter to let you all know I HAVEN'T FORGOTTEN YOU EXIST AND ARE WAITING. And to transition, of course. I've been having so much trouble with these last chapters!

They escaped the seaside town without further incident; but with their wagon full of young children and some injured but ambulatory adults, Erik was very quickly put on edge. The children were frightened and traumatized, which meant a great deal of sobbing, whining, throwing tantrums, and being too restless to travel in what one would call an exactly safe physical state. The older gypsies did not help. They all knew where they were going; yet the trauma of the night had left many of them not thinking clearly. Erik knew how to get where Bella had told him to go but the adults couldn't seem to agree on where that was or how to best get there.

By the end of that first endless day, Erik quickly helped Bella set up a shelter for everyone to share, and then wandered off to bathe in a nearby river and have space to himself. Arabella joined him after an hour, finding him settled on a not-quite dry embankment between the exposed roots of an ancient tree.

"Hey..." She made her way carefully along the uneven and cluttered ground until she was close enough for him to offer an assisting hand, and settled against him comfortably as he pulled her snugly into his arms. She rubbed her cheek almost like a cat against his shoulder as she tried to find a comfortable position. "Feeling any better?"

"I should be asking you that." he replied bitterly. "You are the one that was injured. Are you feeling any better?"

"Much better." She promised. "You aren't on the verge of killing them now, are you?"

Erik gave a short bark of laughter. It was a humorless sound, although he was amused at her observations and ability to understand him.

"I think I can put enough space between us to avoid such a calamity now. Bella … we had to leave so much behind to bring these people with us... We will enter Trieste practically impoverished!"

Bella frowned slightly.

"We have both been worse off." she pointed out.

"Yes, but I was nowhere near so old. Living rough … in the streets … I am not looking forward to it. But I have thought of a job I might find us immediately. To hold us over until we can manage our other plans..."

She lifted her face to stare into his eyes. She wished they weren't out in the open so he would remove the black mask he wore for the trip.

"What?"

"I could be a translator. Trieste is a port city. There are always translators need for shipments, immigrants, paperwork … I speak over eight languages. Surely I could find a position."

"But what about the architecture? The hospital?"

"We can manage." Erik assured. "I have something in mind. I've contacted people already. But I … I have this feeling we could use the income. I could even give you permission to work, if you think there is anything you might do... I just do not want to make you work, or have you living in some terrible slum with no warmth. I won't let you starve."

"Erik, we both know perfectly well that you would rather resort to cannibalism than let anyone you care about starve." Bella murmured. "I certainly hope it doesn't come anywhere near close to that … but I am not worried about starving. Besides... we'll have each other to keep each other warm."

With that, she leaned up and softly kissed him. Erik grasped her shoulder tenderly, either holding her still or trying to pull her just a little closer. When she shifted to one knee and deepend the kiss, he jerked his head back to look around anxiously.

"Bella … we are out in the open..." he scolded reluctantly. "I know you are a gyspy and being under the stars must hardly..."

He trailed off, and Bella guessed he was blushing tomato red beneath his mask.

"I would make love to you under the stars, yes." Bella confessed with an amused smirk. "But right now I just want to kiss you. Let us forget what we just went through today. Let's celebrate each other just a little."

Erik looked down at her a little skeptically, and she could read the guilt in his gaze. He obviously didn't want to turn her down. But his fear of being seen by the nearby gypsies or some other random party was simply too strong. It overrode whatever need she'd just stirred in him.

"When we reach Trieste, I may not leave our flat for a week." he admitted with a shuddering chuckle. "But out here-"

Bella silenced him with a fresh kiss.

"I understand." she finally assured when she broke it. By then Erik had one arm around the small of her back and the other grasping her shoulder as if he thought she was going to run away. "But just … be here, Erik. Just … be here..."

Erik cracked a smile, stroking back her hair.

"I will gladly be anywhere you are."

And, this time, he was the one to initiate the kiss.