A/N ok, 5th chapter, cheers for reviewing, tege and Aven. Please review after the chapter, even just to say hi!
Jewel returned ever other day and worked his muscles and cleaned him. He distanced himself when she removed his underwear. He couldn't bring himself to enjoy it mentally but his body refused to ignore her. He lasted longer each time but she was adamant in her ministrations.
Aerrow judged the fortnight to be over and therefore himself healed one day when Jewel appeared. This time she refused to look in his face the whole time and was careful not to lean over him. And she left his boxers on.
"Jewel, are you there?" Aerrow realized she was herself again; it had been so long since that morning she had cuddled up to him. She didn't look at him.
"Yeah Aerrow, I'm here."
"Please turn round; look I just want to talk to you."
Jewel reached out and turned the machine off. Aerrow found he could lift himself up. He swung his legs out and stood up. He wobbled for a moment then touched her arm. Jewel turned round and looked Aerrow in the eyes. He could see she was flushed with embarrassment. He pulled her into an embrace and she stood for a moment, stiffly in his arms before melting into them. She wrapped her arms round his shoulders and rested her head into his chest, the top of her head coming under his chin.
"I know you didn't have any control over what you were doing, I understand," Aerrow loosened his grip slightly so he could look her in the face again. Her eyes looked a bit red rimmed like she'd been crying earlier and she looked afraid of what he was going to say next.
He gazed into her icy blue eyes for a moment before capturing her lips with his. He held her tightly as he pressed his lips on hers. She parted her lips slightly and he slipped his tongue into her mouth a little. He tasted her unique flavour and felt her tongue come to meet his. He lifted her in his arms so he wasn't bending to kiss her and she wrapped her legs around his waist to hold herself better. They broke apart both out of breath before reclaiming each others lips more hungrily. Aerrow pressed her tightly against himself and they both felt him getting more excited. Aerrow broke the kiss and laid his forehead on hers.
"We have to stop, I can't, do this. I'm sorry." Jewel's eyes brimmed with tears as she unwrapped her legs. He set her down and she stumbled away from him. He grabbed for her before she could bolt. "Please understand, tomorrow Ace will be back and you'll go back to what ever it is you are when he's around and I'll want you, I'll want you to wrap your legs round me again and you won't, you won't even remember this, and I can't, surely you understand." She nodded her head, tears slipping out of her eyes. Aerrow captured her lips once more before stepping away. Jewel slid her hand out of his grasp before running out of the room. Aerrow slumped onto the healing matrix, that other part of him whacking him on the head with a really large stick. He really needed a cold shower.
Things back on the Condor were settling into a routine. Piper was stumbling about with a crutch to keep weight off her bad leg as she worked endlessly to chart their current missions as well as figuring out where Aerrow could be. She wanted to go on a scouting mission to a few of the terra's surrounding the Cyclonian territory but Starling had been taking missions on the far side of the quadrant, too far for her heliscotter to make the journey to and from the area she most wanted to be. Piper suspected Starling was doing it on purpose, she had caught the navigator charting the nameless terra's over a week ago, and here they were, heading to Terra Saharr for a cargo mission. Nothing very exciting but it would keep them flying.
Piper still refused to give up on her friend. Radarr was out of sight most of the time now, hiding away in Aerrow's bunk and only eating when Piper coaxed him. She wished she could lie and cry all day for a while.
Aerrow was back in his room and centered to begin his exercises when there was a knock at the door. Not used to anyone knocking he called out for them to enter. The door opened and the Dark Ace walked in.
"You up for sparring yet?" The older man folded his arms over his chest.
"I don't think so, I've not exercised in two weeks, I'm not going to let you pound me just cause you've had a bad day." Aerrow assumed first position and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath to calm his mind.
"And you think these silly stretches are going to get you fit again?" The Dark Ace walked over to stand in front of Aerrow.
Aerrow's eyes snapped open in frustration. "You know if you're here to aggravate me you can just fuck off."
"Ooo, my, my aren't we tetchy."
"If you knew what you were talking about you'd know how taxing they were."
"Then show me."
Aerrow showed Ace the easiest pattern, slowed right down, taking the moves three at a time until he'd covered the thirty five movements.
"Remember, your movements have to flow, you have to fully extend your limbs and stay balanced." The Dark Ace scoffed the advice off, he was well trained in fighting, it was just slow fighting.
Aerrow called out the movements as he glided between them. He sank onto his left leg will the right one was extended to the front, straight out. He grinned as the Dark Ace fell on his backside for the eighth time in twelve movements. Aerrow rose up and twisted at the waist so his leg was out to the side and he lowered it slower than he should have, knowing Ace's muscles would be burning and he'd get pissed.
"Just because you can do all these fancy movements, it doesn't mean you're a good fighter, I still kick your ass often."
Aerrow never faltered in his movements, pivoting on both feet to extend his arms above his head. "Yeah, just not as much as you'd like. Just think how good I'll be when I'm as old as you."
The Dark Ace surged to his feet, the burning in his thighs momentarily forgotten. "At least I'm not a snot nosed child with pretensions."
"Ace I'm old enough to be registered with the council in three months, and I was the youngest through the Academy ever. Not something I'm embarrassed about. Are you just jealous that some one so young is better than you?"
Dark Ace didn't reply. "You do like them young though, that Jewel after all, I mean you're the only one who knows about her, and she's so pretty, do you get lonely at night?" Aerrow stopped moving and waited for his reply. He was so still he heard Ace swing for him. Aerrow knew he was pushing Ace so he let the older man get the drop on him and pin him to the floor. He smirked up at Ace.
"Jewel is my ward, basically my daughter, how can you insult me by saying I took advantage of her, she's," Ace broke off and dragged himself off Aerrow to sit on the floor. Aerrow swung his legs round to sit cross legged next to the man. He misjudged it though and knocked the Dark Ace over the head, catching the man's headdress. It tumbled to the floor. Aerrow went to apologize but the Dark Ace hadn't moved. He turned his face to Aerrow's and Aerrow was taken aback by the blue eyes that stared at him. The Dark Ace's face was shocked.
"Aerrow," the voice that should have been commanding and powerful, came out like a whisper. "You've got to help me; she's going to destroy everything."
A/N ok the ending was a bit crappy. Not happy with it. But it gets us onto the next part.
Anyone figured out what's happening yet? Big connections made in this chapter. All will be revealed in the next couple of chapters. Ok not all cause there is loads left but some stuff revealed. Like someone paying a visit to the house, a very unwelcome someone. Bit of Aerrow bashing, some Dark Ace bashing. All good though. And will be better than the last couple of paragraphs of this one. Promise.
Cheers
xxx