Im going to keep posting since I have a few more chapters on this to go, and then ill start on my sequel

Chapter Nineteen: A Shuttle Ride

"This is not what I had I mind." said River loud enough for Grievous to hear her.

She was literally sitting in his lap, River was sitting so that her back was up against him and his arms were in front of her on the controls steering the fighter because he didn't like autopilot for obvious reasons and his head was right beside hers.

"Do you think I like this?"

"Well it sure appears so."

He sighed. "You know what? Do you have to be continually talking?"

River got his point and didn't retaliate.

Even though Grievous made it seem that he didn't like the seating arrangement he really did. It made him feel like he didn't have to worry about her because he knew exactly where she was. In his arms where he felt that was were she belonged.

River set her head back on his shoulder and closed her eyes ready for the very long trip ahead of them.

Grievous switched it to auto pilot after great reluctance and put it into hyper speed and enjoyed the trip. When he put it into hyper speed River was pushed against him, she did not like hyperspace at all.

She was slowly slipping off of him so he wrapped his arms around her waist that way she wouldn't end up in a humiliating position.

River did not like the feeling of slipping and was surprised and relieved when he put his arms around her. A whole bunch of memories flooded her mind and she felt like she was going to drown in them, they were all about when she used to be wrapped in his arms.

There had been many times that he had saved her from humiliation. Like when she was training to be a warrior and she twisted her ankle in a hole that wasn't supposed to be in the training field when they were practicing with the Kaleesh swords. He had picked her up and carried her to the healer so that she could put some stuff on it, and that was the day that her feelings for him had changed.

She shifted her head and looked at him. His head was dropping and his eyes were closed. She knew that he didn't sleep which probably meant he was deep in thought. She smiled to herself. At that moment he opened his eyes.

"What?"

"Oh nothing."

"You know very well that I don't like that answer."

"I know, but I couldn't think of an appropriate answer."

There was a nice pause, they just sat there dozing and thinking.

"Remember when I told you about how I felt when I looked out at space?"

"Vaguely... yes."

"How I felt small and trusting and that if I didn't anger it, it wouldn't harm me, I wasn't only talking about space, I was talking about how I feel around you."

He knew that she was trying to tell him something without actually saying it.

He looked at her and he saw full and total trust.

"So what you are saying is that you feel small around me... you trust me... and if you don't do anything to make me mad that I won't yell at you?"

River nodded her head. Well that was an interesting concept. He wondered if it was actually what he wanted. He all of a sudden felt great respect for River, and something else he always felt when it came to her.

"You know I think this is going to be the most frightening out of all the missions that I've done," said River feeling extremely scared.

"Why's that?"

"Because I'm going to be spending all of my time around at least one of them and I made a vow that I would kill any Jedi that I cross paths with."

"Well if it makes you feel better if I were the one in charge I would march right in with you and help you kill them all."

"Believe it or not it does... thank you."

Your welcome.

She set her head back down on his shoulder and closed her eyes. He held on to her more securely, he didn't realize that he was actually hurting her.

"Could you loosen your grip please." she said trying to hide her pain that was wrapped around her torso.

Grievous loosened his grip just enough that she wasn't in pain.

"Sorry."

"It's alright I won't let anything happen to me and I will be reporting to you quite often."

"True."

For the rest of the trip they sat there in silence River going in and out of sleep and Grievous thinking things to himself trying to understand them, they talked once in a while and Grievous never let her go and he never wanted too.

tehe she had to sit on his lap