Chapter Two:

Silver Bands

Train gave a small, hopefully reassuring smile from the opposite side of the fancily decorated and polished oaken table. The woman was sitting right across from him. She was obviously nervous, as she kept shifting around in her seat every few seconds and her trembling clasped hands were a ghostly shade of white. Her dark sapphire irises were wide and shifty, the opaque pupil had constricted to the size of the head of a needle. There was also a heavy blush coloring her face. She looked like a frightened rabbit. Every time he slipped up and made a sudden movement she would jump and make an odd squeaking sound.

"I'm Train. Train Heartnet," He stated directly and without pause, but used a pleasant tone. Train decided that an honest and direct approach would work best in their situation. He had gotten her to sit at the table without screaming or running away, but he didn't really know what to do afterwards, besides properly introduce himself.

Train was at a loss. He had no idea how to explain how they had ended up in the same bed at an expensive hotel which he was certain that neither of them could afford. She obviously didn't pay for this place and neither did he. That only brought on more questions and the jackhammer still hadn't left his mind.

The sapphire eyed woman tried to give him a small unsure smile, but it ended up looking more like grimace. "I'm… Airlia, Airlia Voisin. It's… it's nice to meet you, Train." She stumbled over her words trying not to habitually slip back into her native tongue. She knew how to properly speak English but when she was nervous she had a bad tendency of returning to speaking French.

"It's nice to meet you too, Airlia." Train almost sighed in joy, he was just glad that she didn't scream and that her accent wasn't too thick. Actually it was pretty thick and her words were slightly jumbled, but it was a genuine accent and not the fake ones that were normally found at bars and certain adult flavored clubs.

The thought had crossed his mind that she was one of those types of girls and was with him in hopes of getting some money. However, she was far too skittish and meek. She wasn't the type of girl he had much interaction with. Between Sephiria, Eve, Rinslet, Kyoko, Silphy, and… Saya, Train could see that Airlia was hardly like any of them. What little she had in common to them didn't help him at all.

Suddenly a flash of something reflecting light caught his eye. His golden eyes narrowed as he spotted and examined the shining object further. Instantly his eyes snapped open in shock, slowly his eyes trailed down to look at his left hand. The sudden itch and abnormal weight on his ring finger became blaringly apparent to his lackadaisical senses. "Don't be there." He whispered under his breath, unsure what he was hoping to not find. Seconds later a strangled sound escaped his lips as he openly gaped at his hidden hand with mixed emotions.

Dark sapphire eyes studied him carefully. Airlia was concerned when Train had unexpectedly made a sound that sounded like he was choking on something. "A-are you all right?" She asked quietly, worry over coated her fear, as her eyes studied his unusual reactions to whatever had caught his attention. She couldn't see what he was looking at with such horrified eyes and a part of her really did not want to know.

Train's eyes slowly rose to meet Airlia's worried and fearful sapphire irises. For the second time in less than twenty minutes, Train was at a loss. He was still trying to wrap his mind around it and Airlia wanted an answer. "M-married," Was the only word he managed to whisper, but she heard him loud and clear.

"Qu'avez-vous dit?" Airlia looked at him with wide confused eyes, the shock of his words causing her to slip back into using her natural tongue. Train silently motioned to her left hand, holding up his so she could see the plain silver band on his ring finger. He was still in shock and couldn't find his voice to save his life.

Her dark sapphire eyes snapped down to look at her hands and they widened further. She drew her shaking hand up to her face and choked, tears welling up in her eyes. "Qu'est-ce que c'est? Comment est-ce que c'est possible?" She whispered. Her mind was racing with many unanswered questions, as the light caught the innocent silver band around her finger making it glimmer.

"Ah, Dieu… Ce qui ont I fait?" She asked herself shakily, as her tears began to fall. The innocent ring around her finger shimmered again, as if deliberately telling her that her fate was sealed and confirming her worst fear. As much as she wanted it to be a nightmare and deny it, she couldn't. She was too intelligent to let herself think that she had hit her head when she had fallen to the floor with Train on top of her or that she was still drunk from last night. She was far from drunk now, as the band around her finger had figuratively slapped all the sense back into her hung-over mind.

"We're… m-married," She needlessly voiced the fact aloud and in shaky English. Train visibly winced from hearing the truth spoken aloud. It felt like he had suddenly been doused in the icy waters of the Atlantic Ocean. "Yeah… it looks that way." He breathed, before raking his hands furiously through his hair. A sudden stirring from Airlia caused Train to look up from the table. The sapphire eyed woman jumped from her seat and began tearing through the room muttering animatedly in French. She was speaking so fast he couldn't even begin to understand what she was saying.

"Um," Train started unsure if he should actually voice any thoughts. Airlia didn't strike him as the crazy type, but she was still muttering avidly in French and in tears as she flipped through the magazines on the coffee table with such a fanatical pace. Suddenly she turned to face him a fraught lost look on her face. Cautiously he approached, only speaking when he stood before her sobbing form. "Whatever you're looking for, it would help if you told me so I can help you." His voice was calm and kind as he spoke.

Airlia grasp at the coffee table trying to calm down, as she spoke her eyes drifted all around the room in desperation. "Les papiers, là devraient être les papiers, un disque de notre… de notre… m-mariage." She rattled out quickly as her eyes continued to drift around the room, determination and panic etched across her features.

Train gave her a sad, yet understanding look as he gently laid a comforting hand on her shaking shoulder. "It's okay I'll help you look alright?" He smiled, when the panic faded slightly from her eyes and face. Her lips trembled as she gave him an understanding nod. "M-merci beaucoup, Train." She whispered thankfully, before Train's hand slipped down from her shoulder and they broke away and went in search of their marriage certificate.