Chapter 13

Large puddles had formed from the earlier downpour and Lex maneuvered around them easily, his long legs making great strides as he nearly ran the whole way. When the Brie's apartment came into view he jogged towards it and hastily knocked on the door the moment he reached it.

A small lantern burned brightly in the night, washing the door in warmth. Lex sucked in a deep breath and slowly let it out. His breath came out in small puffs and he shivered slightly as a cold wind nipped at his exposed face.

Finally, the door cracked open and Brie's face peered up at him with a confused expression.

"C-Captain?"

"May I please come in?" Lex responded quickly.

"Uh..."

"Please, Brie."

Brie sighed and stepped back. She was still wearing her armour. She had intended to start a fire to chase away the cold but instead she had fallen asleep in the chair near the hearth. When Lex stepped inside she shuffled away from him and leaned against her dining table with furrowed brows, completely confused as to why he was there.

Lex lowered the hood of his coat and she watched as he reached into his pocket and produced a thin tan envelope. Bries eyes widened in surprise and she hastily patted at her own coat pockets with a pained expression as she realized it was the letter she had been carrying around all week.

"This is addressed to you," Lex started, and he glanced down at the smudged writing. "I didn't open it."

"Lex..."

"I didn't want to snoop," Lex continued quickly, and Brie was silent as a slew of words fell from his mouth in a panic. "I don't know what is contained in this letter but a thought crept into my mind and I couldn't handle it. Brie... you're not thinking of quitting, are you?"

Brie opened her mouth and then closed it again, feeling confused.

He didn't read it, her thoughts whirled. But why does he think that I want to quit? Why is he upset?

Lex continued to speak, unable to control himself. The more he spoke the more upset he appeared and Brie was utterly bewildered as he rambled on.

"Because if you are, Brie, I really hope you'll reconsider. It's all my fault, anyways. I am so sorry for what I did after the party. I feel like I'm spiraling out of control and because of my stupid behavior now I've ruined-"

"Lex," Brie tried to interject but it was no use.

"I-If it's because of me, which I know it is, there's other options. You're an incredible guard, Brie. You can transfer instead, so you don't have to work with me-"

"Lex," Brie persisted, and she tried to blink back the tears that sprung to her eyes.

"I know I'm a piece of shit for what I did but your career-"

"Lex!"

Brie stepped closer, and she reached out and grasped his arms with both hands. Finally, Lex stopped talking and he seemed to realize what he had done. He peered down at Brie with a panicked expression and his breath hitched in his throat as she stared back at him.

"Brie..."

"I don't know where you got the idea that I'm quitting from, but you're wrong."

"I-I am?"

Brie nodded, and her chest ached so badly she bit her lip to stop herself from crying out. She bowed her head and stared down at the letter clenched in Lex's hand and she let out a small, shaky breath.

"The letter is from my sister," Brie started quietly, her voice thick with emotion.

Lex was silent. He could hear the pain in her voice as she spoke and his brows furrowed together in concern. Brie continued to grasp his arms with both hands while she struggled to talk.

"It's... it's from Annalise... informing me of our mother's death."

The moment Brie said the words out loud the reality of it all hit her like a punch in the gut. Suddenly her emotions spilled out like a rushing waterfall and a loud sob escaped Brie's lips as she began to cry. Lex quickly wrapped his arms around the Elf and she clung to him with weak legs and pressed her face into the crook of his neck. She continued to cry for a very long time and Lex gently rubbed her back with small circular motions. His heart ached for her and he wanted nothing more than to comfort the grieving Elf.

Brie choked on her tears as she cried too hard and Lex became alarmed as she started to hyperventilate. Brie clenched her arms around his neck as she took short, gasping breaths.

"Brie," Lex murmured softly, and he stroked her hair. "You have to breathe..."

"Why c-can't I stop cr-crying?" Brie gasped as tears streamed down her face. "I h-hated her but I ha-haven't been able to stop c-crying since I read t-t-the letter."

Brie finally pulled away from him and Lex clenched her waist with both hands, steadying the girl as she swayed slightly. She reached up and wiped at her face with the sleeve of her coat but it was no use as the tears continued to spill down her bright red cheeks.

"Why... w-why..."

"It's normal to feel that way," Lex responded, and he reached up to brush Brie's hair back from her face with the softest of touch. "You might not have seen eye to eye with everything but she was still your mother."

Brie sniffled and stepped away, feeling overwhelmed by everything. Lex was ashamed with himself for thinking all of her misery had been caused by him alone and he silently reprimanded himself for not trying harder.

Lex was determined to make up for his mistakes and so he gently ushered Brie into a chair and asked her if she would have some tea.

"Please," Brie whispered quietly.

Lex busied himself with starting a fire and when it was happily cackling away he set a pot of water on the metal hook and retrieved a small wash cloth before returning to Brie. She still cried, but had calmed down considerably and was breathing a bit better. She sniffled and accepted the damp cloth from Lex's outstretched hand. While he was busy making tea, she wiped at her face with the cloth, feeling grateful that he was there. She couldn't help but feel comforted by his presence and a part of her wished she had been able to share her troubles with him earlier. But the timing had been terrible. Between their kissing mishap and the sudden news of her Mother's death it had been too much and so Brie had done what she did best and internalized all of her emotions until it eventually broke her down.

A few minutes later Lex returned to the table with two cups of tea. He placed one of the cups in front of Brie and she thanked him with the tiniest of smiles. He took a seat across from her at the table and watched as she clenched her hands around the small cup with both hands, enjoying the warmth that spread through her palms. For a long time, they simply sat there, not saying a word. Eventually Brie sucked in a deep breath and looked at Lex with tired eyes. She took a sip of the tea he had made for her, noting that he'd steeped the peppermint leaves perfectly.

"Do you want to talk about it more?" Lex inquired softly, and he also took a sip.

"Um," Brie sighed, and she shrugged. "I don't know what more there is to talk about."

"When is the funeral?"

"Why?" Brie replied with a small frown. "I'm not going."

"Brie..."

"I refuse to go, Lex. I can visit her grave after the fact, but that's it."

Brie sighed, and she reached up to rub her cheek for a moment.

"Anyways, that's not the problem..."

"What is the problem?"

"It's the matter of her will... Anna says I have to return home to deal with it."

"Why is that a problem?"

"You don't know my mother," Brie responded, her expression dark. "I know her all too well. I'm surprised I was even mentioned in her will, let alone given anything... but I can guarantee there will be stipulations and I refuse to agree to them."

"Even so, you should go to your family and take care of things."

"I don't want to argue," Brie replied thickly and she felt herself wanting to cry again.

"Okay, I'm sorry..."

Lex looked down at the cup in his hands. He stared into the murky tea water as though he was studying the tea leaves that floated in the bottom but he was really thinking about Brie.

"I'm sorry about everything," he continued quietly, his voice barely more than a whisper.

Brie's brows furrowed together as she stared at Lex as he sat across from her with a sullen expression. She wanted to reach out and touch him but she refrained herself and instead focused on finishing her tea. She didn't know what to say about the kiss and so she felt it was best to just move on. Whatever hurt Lex had experienced in the past still haunted him and the last thing she wanted to do was pressure him into something he wasn't ready for.

"You're about to fall asleep," Lex spoke up, and Brie jerked her head back up.

"I haven't been able to sleep properly for days."

"Well you should try."

"Okay," Brie mumbled sleepily, and she slowly pulled herself up to a standing position.

Before Lex could do anything, Brie snatched the empty tea cup from his hands and walked over to her wash basin. He watched as she began washing them with a small cloth and he noticed the way she took great care in making sure they were clean. She took a long time, and even longer as she dried the cups and placed them back in the cupboard.

Eventually Lex clued in to what Brie was doing and as she began wringing out the wet wash cloth he walked over to her and placed a hand on her arm.

"Brie... you're stalling."

Brie stood with her head bowed and Lex watched as she struggled to get her words out.

"Lex," she finally murmured, and the Captain strained to hear her. "I... I can't bear to be alone right now..."

Brie reached out and grasped the sleeve of his coat and she stared directly at the floor. Her pulse raced but only because she was afraid of being rejected again. The more she thought about it, the more she needed Lex to stay.

Lex's heart skipped a beat as he realized what she was asking, although she hadn't asked him directly. He knew Brie was grieving the loss of her estranged mother, and whatever problems he struggled with about getting close to Brie crumpled to dust as she finally looked up at him. His willpower dissolved instantly and he found himself nodding.

"Go upstairs and get your armour off, I'll be up in a minute."

Brie's eyes widened momentarily in surprise and then she nodded and set the cloth down before walking over to the stairs. Lex waited until she was out of sight and then he slowly let out the breath he had been holding in. His mind raced with too many thoughts but he hastily pushed them aside. It didn't matter. Whatever he was confused about didn't matter at all.

Brie entered into her bedroom and began hastily stripping her amour off. She knew she stunk and so she quickly whipped her underclothes off and wiped herself down before slipping on a clean pair of cotton pants and a loose tunic.

Back downstairs, Lex wandered over to a rack near the door and removed his coat. He hung it up on one of the pegs and then bent down and pulled at the ties of his boots. When he had finished removing them he looked towards the stairs leading up to Brie's bedroom and his pulse raced as he began slowly walking up the stone steps. He could hear his heartbeat pounding so loudly in his ears that it was almost overwhelming but he swallowed hard and lightly knocked on the door before entering.

Brie sat on the edge of her bed with the worn letter from her sister sitting loosely in her hands. She glanced up when Lex entered and then slipped the envelope into a drawer. She closed it with a small sigh and then stood up from the bed and pulled the covers back. Lex walked around to the other side and after a second of hesitation he slipped under the covers and laid down. Brie blew out the candle resting in a small silver holder next to the bed and he watched as her form was bathed in darkness. Lex heard her shuffling and then a moment later she was laying on her side, facing him, but she left a respectful gap.

Just him being here is good enough, Brie thought with a small yawn. He eyelids felt heavy and she was eager for sleep to take her.

Lex sighed as he laid on his back staring up at the ceiling. Moonlight spilled in through the curtains covering the window. The rain had stopped and now a full, white moon peaked out from behind dark clouds, bathing the city in its beautiful glow.

He almost jumped as he felt something soft on his arm. Lex turned his head towards Brie and her eyes were closed. She had drawn the blanket up to her chin but had wriggled one of her arms out and lightly rested her hand on his forearm. Lex stared at her for a long time, contemplating many things, and Brie was almost asleep when she felt him grab her hand.

Brie opened her eyes and found Lex staring at her with an unreadable expression. He firmly clenched her hand and for a moment Brie thought he was going to stop her from holding onto him. She was completely surprised when he suddenly pushed the edge of the blankets back and tugged her arm towards him. Confused, Brie slowly shuffled onto her elbow and her brows furrowed together.

"Come here," Lex mumbled with a shaking voice.

"I... Lex..."

"Come here Brie," Lex continued a little more firmly, and he reached out for the Elf.

Brie bit back a sob and lurched forward. She threw herself into Lex, pressing her face against his firm chest as the Imperial wrapped his arms around her small frame. She began to cry a little, but it was softer and within a couple minutes of Lex holding her the tears subsided and she let out a deep breath. It had been so long since anybody had held her the way Lex was and it was the most comforting feeling in the world.

Lex was a silent mess as he clutched Brie close to him. He felt her body relax as she began to fall sleep and she turned her head towards his neck with closed eyes. His breath hitched in his throat as she pressed her forehead into the crook of his neck while her hand reached up and gently clenched his shoulder. He could feel her soft thigh pressed against his and his heart nearly leapt out of his chest as he realized just how starved he had been for physical intimacy. Tears pricked at his eyes but Lex quickly blinked them back and breathed softly through his nose, trying to calm his racing thoughts. Brie had quickly fallen to sleep and after laying there for what seemed like forever his eyelids finally grew heavy and he too slipped into a deep sleep.

When Lex woke up the next morning he almost didn't believe that he was lying in bed with Brie. He could feel her warm breath against his neck as she continued to sleep, unaware that he was awake beneath her. It was almost a surreal feeling for him but as Lex opened his eyes and gazed down at Brie the reality of her presence hit him hard and he resisted the urge to shiver.

Brie's eyes were shut and her soft brown hair brushed along Lex's jaw as she made a small noise and shifted her body. He was aware that her breasts were pressed against him but he was more preoccupied with watching Brie as her hand moved ever so slightly and she brushed her fingers along his chest. The feeling of her touch through his tunic was incredibly soothing and after a little while Brie moved her hand towards her face and began rubbing at her eye as she slowly began to wake up.

Eventually she opened her eyes and for a long moment she simply stared at Lex's chest, wondering if she was imagining he was there. But when she craned her neck to look up at him she was surprised to see he was awake and his bright blue eyes peered back at her. A smile broke across his face and Brie smiled back, but then she frowned.

"Did I wake you?"

"No," Lex replied softly, "I've been awake for a while."

"Oh."

Brie stifled a yawn behind her hand and then she rolled away from him. Lex sat up while Brie stretched her arms above her head and arched her back until she was satisfied and then she lowered her arms and stared at Lex's back as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

"How did you sleep?" Brie inquired.

"I slept just fine. How did you sleep?"

"Pretty great, actually," Brie replied and she couldn't help but smile.

"I'm glad. Listen... Brie, I've been thinking."

Brie's smile faded as Lex's tone grew serious. He continued to sit in the bed and Brie stared at the back of his head while he talked, wishing he would take off the string holding his hair together so she could see what it looked like. She was disappointed when Lex didn't touch it.

"I think you should go home," Lex started.

"I know... I just... I can't-"

"I'll go with you to Skingrad."

"What?" Brie blurted back, and she quickly sat up.

"I think it's important that you tie up loose ends with your family. Even if you don't claim what is rightfully yours from your mother's will... you should see your sister at the very least. She is also grieving."

Lex turned his head towards Brie and he watched as she went through a series of emotions. For a second, she was shocked and then her gaze glazed over as she thought things through. She began to frown and then her brows furrowed together and finally it ended with her letting out a big breath.

"I suppose you're right," Brie admitted quietly. "But how will you go with me?"

"You'll be given a leave of absence," Lex replied. "As for me... I haven't taken a vacation in eight years. They're always pressuring me to take time off so, nobody will bother me about it."

"I..." Brie's throat constricted and the words failed her for a moment. "Lex... you would really go?"

Brie watched as Lex nodded. He placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed it lightly.

"I don't know all the details of your past but I know that you feel you cannot rely on your family to help you get through this. I will support you in any way I can, Brie. You don't need to suffer alone."

Brie felt like she wanted to cry again, but not from sadness. She felt an overwhelming sensation rise in her chest and she quickly lurched forward and wrapped her arms around Lex in a tight hug. Lex hugged her back and when she pulled away he was elated to see her smile.

"So, we'll go together, yes?"

"Yes," Brie replied with a small nod. "As much as I don't want to... I think I can face them if I have you there with me."

"I'm glad."

Lex tossed the blanket back and slid his legs out so his feet were resting on the floor. Brie watched as the Captain yawned and he stretched briefly before standing up.

"Can I make you some breakfast?"

Brie quickly shook her head.

"You've already done enough-"

"Nonsense," Lex cut in, and he began walking towards the door. "I know you haven't been eating properly either, I want to see you eat a full meal..."

Lex's voice trailed off as he noticed something by one of Brie's shelf and he quickly strode towards it and picked the object up. It was an ornately decorated Elvish dagger and he recognized it as one of the items that had gone missing from the shop that was robbed the week before. He turned towards Brie with the dagger in his hands and he watched as Brie shot him a guilty look.

"O-Oh," Brie stammered softly, and she dropped her gaze to the floor. "I'm sorry."

"You know you have to return this, right?"

"I..." Brie responded, and then she gave a defeated nod. "Yes, I will return it. I didn't really want it anyways... I was upset..."

Brie watched as Lex placed the dagger back on the shelf and continued making his way to the door.

"Just make sure it gets back, okay? I'll be checking with the owner to make sure you do."

"Yes sir," Brie mumbled quietly and when Lex disappeared downstairs she picked up one of her pillows and tossed it at the wall.

I disappointed him, she thought glumly with a small frustrated noise. I hate it when I disappoint him.

After changing into a fresh set of clothes and running a comb through her hair Brie joined Lex downstairs and she was sad to see he had fixed his tousled hair while she was upstairs. He stood in front of her food cupboard and when he heard her come downstairs he quickly shut it and began walking towards the front door.

"Grab your coat."

"Oh... why?" Brie responded, but she followed him anyways.

"We're going out for breakfast."

"We are?"

"Yeah," Lex responded with a small smile as he slipped his coat on. "What little food you have in your cupboard is expired. Come on, it's my treat."

"I should be treating you," Brie argued as the pair exited her apartment. "You're always treating me."

"I don't see anything wrong with it," Lex replied, and he patiently waited for Brie to lock the door.

"Where are we going?"

"The usual."

The tension that had been between them for the last week faded with the rain. It was a bright and beautiful morning and the sun illuminated the city in its dazzling glow. Everything was covered in a light layer of water droplets and the white stone walls glittered where the sun's rays kissed it. As Brie and Lex walked towards the Waterfront District they fell into a light conversation and for once they walked side by side instead of several feet apart.

Lex felt like a different man. He hadn't realized just how important Brie was to him until their relationship had almost been threatened to the point where he had almost lost her. He still didn't quite understand all of his feelings and was deep in denial about some of them but his desire to keep his relationship with Brie was stronger. It was more than just catching the Gray Fox, that much was obvious. He was still intent on catching the elusive leader, but Lex knew that it wasn't the highest priority on his list anymore, and he surprised himself by being okay with the revelation.

Brie felt different as well. Despite the fact that they had kissed and it had ended terribly, she knew that Lex cared about her enough to put his feelings aside and comfort her when she needed him the most. As she walked beside the tall Imperial towards the Bloated Float Inn she couldn't help give a silent thanks to whichever God or Goddess might be listening that they had made amends.

Perhaps the kissing fiasco had been a blessing in disguise, Brie thought quietly to herself as Lex beat her to the front door of the Inn and opened it for her.

Call me crazy but I think we're even closer than before.

Nothing got past the Altmer. Ormil nearly fell over as he spotted Lex and Brie entering his Inn with smiles on their faces. Lex turned towards Ormil and he knew that the Elf would probably hound them anyways so he gestured for Brie to follow him. They slowly maneuvered their way around the tables and walked up to the bar.

"Can I help you?" Ormil greeted them lightly as he pretended they were strangers.

"Good morning Ormil," Lex responded as he took a seat on one of the stools. "Are you still upset with me?"

"I'm not upset," Ormil replied and he shrugged his shoulders. "Why would I be upset?"

"It's my fault," Brie cut in as she plopped down on a stool next to Lex. "He thinks we avoided him all week but it wasn't what you think, Ormil."

"How do you know what I think?" The Elf replied slyly.

"Because I know you well enough," Brie shot back with a small smirk.

"What is it then? You've both been miserable for days."

"I know..." Brie paused and she stared down at the wooden counter. "Like I said, it's my fault."

"Brie..."

"I found out my mother died," Brie continued, and she ignored Lex's stare as she looked up at Ormil. "That's why I've been so miserable lately."

Brie had surprised herself. She wasn't the type to just open up to anybody unless she was inebriated and yet she found it wasn't as uncomfortable as she thought it would be as she watched Ormil's expression turn to shock.

"Oh, my goodness, I'm so sorry Brie."

"It's alright, or... it will be alright. I have to go to Skingrad to deal with some things."

"So, you'll be gone for a while then?"

"Yeah," Brie responded softly, and she glanced up at Lex. "We will be."

"We?" Ormil replied, and his eyes narrowed as he stared back and forth between the two guards.

"I'll be going to... support her," Lex replied, and he rolled his eyes when Ormil gave a dramatic gasp.

"You're going away? As in away from the city? Away from your job? I never thought I'd see the day!"

"Alright, enough," Lex laughed and he glanced down at Brie. "We're here to eat, what do you want?"

"Porridge, please."

"Two bowls of porridge please."

"Coming right up," Ormil grinned and disappeared to the back for a few minutes.

While the Altmer was gone Lex sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. Brie reached up and patted his back with a small chuckle, hoping that he wasn't upset she had shared the news with Ormil.

"Sorry," Brie laughed when Lex turned to her with a small scowl. "He would have noticed when you stopped showing up here every day, I just got it over with."

"True," Lex replied and he couldn't keep up his angry façade. "But you know he's going to annoy us for an eternity, right?"

"I am never annoying," Ormil argued as he suddenly re-appeared with two bowls of porridge.

Ormil placed the bowls down on the counter and slid them towards Brie and Lex who thanked him and began tucking in.

"I just like to be in the know, is that a crime Captain?"

"No, but I'm thinking about passing a law so it is."

Ormil gave another dramatic gasp and then everyone broke into laughter. Brie took a big heaping bite of her porridge and she was content to listen to the two men argue with one another as she silently ate her breakfast. It was amusing, and Brie felt lighter than she had in a week since learning of her mother's death. It had hit her harder than she'd expected, and she was still unsure of everything as she thought about her upcoming trip home. She didn't mind seeing Annalise again, since they never really fought, but Brie was less than thrilled to see her father. That was an entirely different problem and one she was reluctant to tackle.

But, as Brie sat beside Lex and laughed at something he said she couldn't help but feel a little glimmer of strength deep inside of her. She wanted to deal with her family to help bring closure but also to make Lex proud of her, which was something she still desperately sought from the dedicated Captain. He pushed her to be her best self, and it was something she was terribly unused to but she found herself resisting less and less the closer they became.

I guess I can be a normal upstanding citizen, Brie mused as she stared at Lex with a soft expression.

Her feet dangled down from the stool since she was too short to reach the floor and she lightly swung them back and forth. She thought about the dagger sitting on a shelf back at home and she laughed internally with a small grimace.

Well... almost.

Eventually Lex turned towards Brie, having felt her watching him for quite some time. Brie blushed and quickly looked away but then she peered up at him again when he addressed her.

"I'm going to head back to the watch tower and sort out our leaves."

"Okay," Brie replied and she slid down off the stool.

Lex quickly counted out some gold from a little black coin purse and tossed them at Ormil. The Elf snatched them up with a big grin and waved at the pair as they began to leave the Inn.

"Have a safe trip!" He called after them.

Brie accompanied Lex back to the South Watch Tower but when they reached the door Lex paused and looked down at her.

"You don't have to come with me, I can sort it all out."

"Are you sure?"

"Yep," Lex smiled, and then he reached up and brushed a strand of Brie's hair out from her face. "You still look pretty tired. Go home and rest, okay?"

"Okay," Brie smiled. "Will you come by later?"

"Yes of course," Lex replied without hesitation.

"Good."

Before Lex could say anything else Brie reached up on her tippy toes and planted a soft kiss on his smooth cheek. She didn't wait to see his response. Instead, Briw swiftly spun around on her heel and began strolling in the direction of her home, feeling pleased with herself.

"See you later!"

Lex stood rooted to the spot for a long moment. His face was completely red and his cheek tingled lightly where Brie's lips had touched him. After a good solid ten seconds the Captain shook himself from his stupor and, ignoring his racing heart, he quickly went inside and made his way towards another office so he could begin the paperwork for himself and Brie. He barely listened to what the officer was saying to him as he filled out all the necessary forms. All he could think about was Brie and how incredibly cute she had been with her surprise kiss. He found himself grinning like an idiot for the rest of the day whenever he pictured it again and by the evening time Lex found himself eagerly exiting the watch tower so he could return to her.