Bad Romance: Chapter 2 (Please Review)

Early dawn broke and the bit of light coming through the small window woke Alexa. She found herself to be warm cuddled down in a course wool blanket and held in strong arms. The arms were unfamiliar to her until she began to regain her senses. The night before began to rush back. The attack in the alley and Halfdan's defense of her. Her immense attraction to the young man and then coming back to the Inn. They'd talked for awhile. He'd told her some of his story although she hadn't told him much about herself yet. They'd made love. Boy had they made love. He'd even told her he'd marry her. Rash promises she thought. He did seem to be young, but in this time period people married at least ten years younger than they did in her time.

Noticing that she was awake, Halfdan placed a soft kiss on her brow. She couldn't help but smile. He was so different from Jacob, who could often be counted on to be brusque and thoughtless. The two times he'd spent the night with her he'd snored half the night keeping her up. Forget waking up in his arms in anything that resembled a romantic fashion. This morning with Halfdan was almost straight out of a romance novel she thought dreamily.

"Are you awake yet?" Halfdan asked.

"Working on it," she replied with a yawn. "I don't do mornings well. I'm much more of a night person."

"We have much to do today," he said, gently stroking her back. It felt so good that she decided she would purr if she were a cat.

"You know something," she started to ramble. She had a bad habit of that in the mornings.

"What, love?"

"I've decided you aren't much of a viking by what I know of them by my history books."

Halfdan sat half up in the bed and shot her an angry look. Alexa did a mental "whoops". Good job there, stepping on the old viking pride.

"And what is it that I have done that is not as it should be with your history books?" he asked, anger just below the surface. Alexa thought that maybe she didn't want him mad at her too often.

"Nothing. It was a joke really. I'm sorry. It's just that all the history books kinda paint Vikings as being bad guys. That you spend all your time on your ships raiding other people's lands and stealing everything they have and when you are through with that you steal their women and rape them. And they say that you were mean. Really mean, with tempers. Although I can kinda see your temper right now. They said that all you wanted to do was fight and eat. With the whole Valhalla thing. Your idea of heaven was to fight all day and drink all night. Not much time for love in there. But anyway, you seem different. You saved me when you didn't even know me and you could have taken advantage of me there in that alley way but you didn't. I've never meet a more loving guy in my life. You've been so sweet to me. To wake me up with a kiss in the morning. Well, that's just so...Un-Viking.."

Halfdan sat for a long few seconds and then he slid back in under the covers where he could take her back in his arms again. Alexa breathed a sigh of relief. He still didn't speak for another thirty seconds or so. Finally when he did, she understood.

"You are right about some things to which I suppose I regret and for other things I'm thankful that you see me the way you see me. You see your books are correct. Danes are a war like people much of the time, but the rest of the time we live on farms and small estates just like everyone else. My father owned an estate and a small farm. By rights both of them are mine now, but my half-brother Toke has claimed them. That is part of the personal business I told you about last night that I have to settle. Some Danes, like Toke are crazy mad with anger. We call them Berserk. Toke has no love in his heart for man or beast. He killed my brother along with countless other men, women and children in a coward's attack on my father's farm. I alone survived but only because my brother wanted someone to be able to claim the blood-debt that was owed. I was able to survive by my wits and my abilities with my bow and arrows alone. I made it down to the seaport of Hedlby and was taken on by Jarl Hastein on his longship. That was my first and last Viking trip. We were told we were going into Frankia to help secure our borders but really we were going raiding. I saw things there that I hope never to see again. I've killed men, Alexa and I hope that you are not frightened of me because of it. I've never killed because of malice or want, only because I'm a warrior and sometimes that's the position warriors are placed in. It's kill or be killed. I'm lucky to have survived many of the skirmishes that I've lived through. I was happy to leave Frankia but to be honest I did leave there a wealthier man. When we got to Ireland I left Hastein's company in his favor which I needed if ever I have to bring Toke to trial for his crimes."

Alexa absorbed the information as best she could. She understood the stuff about being a warrior as she had a cousin in the Marines. What was bothering her was the part about Toke. Where was he and was he after Halfdan?

"But I don't understand? Are you here in Ireland after Toke? What will you do if he finds you?"

"If he finds me we will fight and hopefully I'll kill him." he replied with steel in his voice.

She looked up into his deep brown almost black eyes. He meant every word he said. From his earlier words this Toke was a dangerous man. Not someone to be trifled with. Someone who could kill him and take him away from her. It was strange how quickly his life had become so essential to her life. She noticed again the deep gash in his cheek that he'd gotten in the fight the night before. It wasn't deep enough that it needed a surgeon but she'd love to have some Neosporin to put on it to help it heal. He'd carry a scar for her the rest of his life no doubt. It didn't matter. She knew he'd already put a scar on her soul, or rather a brand just as surely.

"Tell me what you are thinking." he said anxiously.

"That I am scared."

"I'll protect you. I would never let Toke hurt you."

"But would you let him hurt you? I think that might just hurt worst right now."

She saw Halfdan shut his eyes and then lean down and kiss her gently. Slowly the kissing intensified until their bodies were moving along each others. It seemed they had an attraction for the other that could not be quenched. When the passion had finally settled down, Halfdan began to question her about her theories on how she came to be there in the first place.

"Wormholes." she replied.

"I know you are a small woman but I don't think you fell into a worm's hole," he replied smiling and chucking her on the nose.

"Not a worm's hole but something we study in astrophysics called a wormhole. It would be hard to describe to someone who hadn't studied it themselves but the easiest way to describe it would be to imagine if two stars were to burn themselves out. It creates so much energy that the energy has to go somewhere.

"Energy?"

"Like when you run, you get tired. You are burning off energy and,well, think how much energy the sun puts off. The sun is a star too." Halfdan nodded his head but his eyes looked a little glazed. She had a feeling she was talking over him.

"Anyway, this energy is so much that is can pull objects inside itself. So deeply that they disappear forever."

"You don't know where they go?"

"No. We think though that maybe wormholes are when gravity pulls in on itself in a similar way. We think that time travel may be theoretically possible, but the people I work with have only thought it possible in space where the stars are. What if it was possible on Earth? What if people have been disappearing like me for years and traveling through time instead of disappearing?"

"Is there any way back?"

"I don't know, because I don't know how I got here?"

"What were you doing when you ended up in that alleyway?"

"I had stopped beside the road to see a ruin. Here's the kicker. I'd never seen it before and it was of a viking burial mound. I've had enough history that I know it was. It was a viking burial ship. I even saw the burial mounds. There was a sword and a dagger next to them with all sorts of gold and different house items surrounding it."

Halfdan simply stared at her as if in amazement.

"We have no way of knowing whose burial ship it belonged to either." he said rather intelligently.

"No, if we did we might be able to find a portal or something to send me back through." Alexa sighed.

"Yes, you are right, though I must confess that I'm not too fond of the idea of sending you back anywhere. I want to keep you with me for as long as I'm on this earth." His words affected her deeply. She'd never had anyone talk to her with such deep affection short of her own kin. He didn't even know her that well, but he wanted her and had vowed to protect her with his own life. Who knew such men existed anywhere. Women in her time would kill to find a such a man.

"Would you think about coming with me to live in my time?" She asked although she knew that such a transition would be difficult if not impossible for him to make. She wondered what the transition would be like for her to live life in this time. She would have to make it for the time being. She had no other choice for she had no idea how to get home. At least she had been given a protector, friend and, yes, lover. She believed with all her heart that Halfdan would not let anything too bad happen to her, but she did worry about this blood debt that he had going on with Toke. What would this draw her into?

"I'm not sure. I've never imagined living anywhere except in my own lands. I grew up a slave and when I became free it was a shock to my system the first time Harold and I traveled by boat onto the estate that my father had left for me. The lands that Harold died trying to protect from Toke. I never thought that I'd travel any farther than the estate I grew up and worked upon. Then when I traveled to Frankia I felt that might be the farthest I'd ever go in life, but here I am in Ireland."

"That just proves that you are meant to go places and do great things Halfdan. You said it yourself that you are the son of a Chieftain and the grandson of a King. You have royal blood in your veins. That's not why I love you," she said it before she even realized it was out of her mouth, but it was out and she couldn't take it back. She had to continue on. "But you will get your lands back and you will go places and do great deeds. I know it. I've never met a man even remotely like you in my time. There are only a few men I know that I respect as much as I do you and I'm related to all of them by blood." She finished her speech by kissing him on the cheek.

Halfdan seemed to be highly affected by her speech. He took his hand and cupped her face, slowly tracing her cheek with his thumb.

"Do you love me truly?" he asked.

"I didn't plan to say that but it just sorta came out." she admitted.

"Is it true?" he asked again. Alexa studied her heart as best she could. She thought about her feelings for Jacob. She hadn't thought about him much since she'd been with Halfdan and when she had most of the thoughts had been less than positive. Jacob just couldn't compare at all. She'd never told Jacob she loved him and she couldn't remember him ever reciprocating the sentiment. She'd been crazy about him the first month or so they'd dated but as she'd gotten to know him the excitement had worn off. His stinginess with both his affection and time dominated their relationship.

"Yeah, I guess that I do seem to love you. It strange in that I've just met you but yes I do." Alexa smiled at Halfdan What else could she do?

She was shocked when he got out of bed completely and starkly naked, not even mindful of the cold. He walked over to his clothes but didn't seem to be wanting to put them on, which she considered a good sign She'd been afraid she'd scared him off a little. Instead he took his sword from it's scabbard and pulled it out slowly examining it as he did so. She noticed that he always seemed to do that when he had time to kill and he wasn't fighting for his life. He ran his hand up along the sharp seam.

"Don't get cut," she exclaimed stupidly, feeling like his mother. He simply grinned back at her.

"I think I can manage my own sword, love. It's you that I worry about," he replied.

"Me. What you talkin' 'bout Willis?" She slurred her words together. She knew that she shouldn't revert back to the colloquialisms but when she got a bit thrown for a loop with him, she tended to do that. Luckily, he just didn't question them anymore and he took them for what they were. Simply sayings. From the 20th century. Halfdan walked over to Alexa, while she huddled over in the bed. He was still completely uncovered in all his naked glory. She hated to stare but then at the same time she wished she had a ruler to measure him up. He had to be over 7 inches long. He had to be. But she knew she was digressing. It was just that he was so pretty to look at. His stomach was thick with ropes of muscle as well. The cords bended as he put himself on one knee next to the bed. One hand held his sword out to her and the other hand took her right hand in his own.

"Alexandria Harrison, would you do the honor of marrying me? I do not have much in this world except my honor. I know that you know I owe a blood debt that that is deeper than I can pay and I only pray you will not be caught up in it for you are innocent. But that you would still love me enough to follow me to gods know where? ...

"Yes, Oh, God, Yes," Without thinking of the consequences too broadly Alexa jumped up and grabbed Halfdan around the neck kissing him on the lips. Their kiss was passionate but simple.

"What's the sword for, Halfdan?" she asked.

"This is my sword as you know." he replied. "but right now it is yours. They will give it to you as part of the ceremony. If it is all right with you I'm going to try to find a priest or priestess of Freya who can marry us today since it is already Friday"

"Why do they give me your sword? What would I do with it and furthermore what will you do for a sword? Can't I just give it back to you once the ceremony is over.?"

"No. It's a symbol of fertility. The idea it that you will carry the sword until our first child has been carried".

"Child! We are just talking marriage today! Rushing things along here don't they?" Alexa exclaimed.

"Not exactly. For all we know you could already have conceived." Halfdan looked somewhat pained at Alexa's reluctance and upset over the idea of children.

"That's highly doubtful actually."

Halfdan looked scared. Really scared.

"Is there some reason that you cannot have children, love?"

"Oh, no. It's just that back home, women have a way of choosing when they want to become pregnant. They can take a medicine, we call it birth control. It comes in a pill or a tablet that you take every day that prevents you from getting pregnant. I've been on it for several months now and it takes a while for it to get out of your system sometimes. Or sometimes not. It just depends. Everyone is different. Some women can miss one pill and get pregnant. I don't know, I'm just saying that because I took it for so many months and it may take me awhile to be pregnant."

Halfdan had the look of a man who had been splashed with cold water. As if all his great plans had been dashed, or maybe his heart broken. He rose slowly from where he'd been on bended knee in front of Alexa still holding his sword. He cradled it in front of him and walked slowly in front of the small window that looked down upon the street below them. The day was still just getting started and the sun was just peeking over the rooftops. Men were hustling below him, he assumed some were going down to the wharf to board ships after sleeping off a night with the drink and the ladies. Other men were opening up storefronts. He felt as much as heard Alexa behind him. She'd pulled the woolen blanket around her shoulders and was walking towards him.

"You are mad at me?" she asked matter of factually. Halfdan sighed. He had no idea how to answer her simply inquiry. He didn't know what he was. He was hurt. He was confused. He was in love with a woman from a different time period. A time where anything was possible no doubt. Who knew a woman could control whether she had children or not? It was a remarkable thing. A thing that would change society at it's deepest roots. Did it bother him that evidently Alexa had been on this medicine a few months she'd said.?Yes, it did. That meant that she had not been innocent. She'd been with this Jacob no doubt. At least he knew that she'd not meant to have his children. He wondered though, if they'd lived in her time, would she have wanted Halfdan's children? How did he ask her these things?

"Please talk to me Halfdan?" Alexa pleaded. "I know you are mad over the birth control stuff but it's just cause you don't understand. You aren't from my time and you weren't born then. Most men love it because they don't want half a dozen brats running around by a million different women."

"Then they shouldn't be getting the brats on the women in the first place." Halfdan barked.

"Well, I can't say I don't disagree with you on that. But men don't take responsibility for the children they produce. Not always. Some good men in the world do, but not all do and that's why birth control is good. It gives women a feeling that they have some say in their world."

"Is that why you are taking it? Was this Jacob not the type to take care of the children he'd get on you?"

Alexa blushed heavily. Jacob was not the person she wanted to talk about at the moment. Or ever.

"No, he and I never really got to the point we even talked about having kids together. I don't know. I don't even know what kind of daddy he would have made. Probably not a very good one. I'm not sure I wanted to find out."

"Well maybe you shouldn't have been bedding him then," Halfdan said with vehemence in his voice. Then he instantly regretted his words even though he meant them. The look of sadness and shame that came upon Alexa's face was enough to make him wish he'd never opened his mouth. He'd hurt her. He hadn't meant to.

"You don't understand at all Halfdan. In my time women are as liberated as men are. In your time cannot a man sleep with or bed any woman that he chooses just because he finds her attractive. In my time women can do the same. Oh, there are still people who would call a woman a whore for being that way but that is less and less. Now men expect a woman to sleep with him if they are in a relationship for several months. I suppose that is why I slept with Jacob even though deep down I began to know that it wouldn't work out. I knew I'd never marry him, there were many things I didn't like about him. I'm not even sure why I stayed with him as long as I did. I suppose it was just because no one better had come along and swept me off my feet the way that you did. I'm sorry if it hurt you that I'd been with someone else but evidently you weren't an angel either and you are younger than me. You won't tell me your age but I know you are younger than me and you seem more experienced than me."

"I told you that Danes become men at an early age."

"Yes, and of course becoming a man means you have to take some woman to your bed often." Alexa was now mad and using the same tone Halfdan was using earlier.

"For most Danes it does but I'm not like most. I told you that earlier. I don't kill just to be killing, I don't rape and pillage. I have morals."

Alexa sighed. She knew that. She knew he was a good man and there was no denying it. She wanted to stop this fight and she wished she could put a balm on the hurt that was evidently in his heart. It hurt her too to know that he'd been with other people but she had the good sense to know that they lived in a different time period. Each of them. They'd have to learn that each had different expectations placed upon them when it came to sex.

"Halfdan, we need to forgive each other for what has happened in each others past and understand that we are each others future. I'll never bed another but you and if you bed anyone but me then I'll take this nice sword you just gave me and find an interesting use for it, do you understand me?"

For the first time Halfdan began to grin slowly. He was understanding. He would have to forgive her for her time with Jacob and accept that quite possibly the Fates had given her to him and luck had been on his side this time. She was all he'd ever wanted and more. She was kind and witty and forgiving. He was still curious about one thing.

"And what about me?"

"What about you?"

"Had you not been on this medicine? Would you have wanted this medicine? Would you have wanted a child with me?

"It depends. If I had access to it, I think we'd need to talk about it and decide whether now is a good time for us to have a child, what with you and this blood debt. But since we don't have that option then, when the time comes I'll be happy to be the mother of your child. You'll be a wonderful father."

"And you know this already."

"Yes. It's easy to tell. You would love your children and give them the best that you could provide and you would teach them everything that you know. I'm the one who would be the unfit mother I think."

"You are wrong. I would not want anyone else to be the mother of my children. You are brave and so so smart."

"I can't help we are different because of the differences in when I grew up and the time in which you grew up. We just must make allowances for each other and love each other regardless."

"Yes, yes, you are right," Halfdan smiled at her and leaned down to give her a kiss.

"So where is my sword? Tell me what do I do with it?"

"You carry it."

"Oh, they have a saying back home about the woman wearing the pants in the family. Is wearing the sword in the family the same thing?"

Halfdan picked her up and swung her around in a hug.

"Stay here. I'm going to go get dressed and see about getting you some decent clothing and about getting a priest to marry us. I'll need to buy myself a new sword to do me for awhile too."

"Sounds like you are going shopping without me."

"You have no clothes, love."

"Details."

"Significant ones."

She watched as Halfdan put on his tunic and britches, then lastly strapping and lacing his shoes on. He walked over to her where she lounged on the bed.

"Sleep some more my love, for after we are married we won't have time for much of a honeymoon. We'll have to ride quite a ways. You'll need your rest."

She shook her head then inclined it for a kiss.

"I love you Halfdan."

"And I you Alexa."