Desclaimer: Madlax belongs to Bee Train, I just own this story ( this ch starts on ep 13)
Like last time, this time I made her wear a blindfold whilst I drove her to my apartment.
The drive was rather long and we arrived by sunset.
My place was on the last floor and Vanessa could trip with a blindfold blocking her vision, so just as she opened the jeep door, I swept her up into my arms then carried her the rest of the way.
As I walked passed the doorway, I noticed my page from secondary pasted to a wall.
With a sigh I placed her down on my couch, walked over to my laptop on a cabinet across a table then began typing.
I tilted my head towards Vanessa and softly said.
"You can take off the blindfold now."
She complied, undid the black cloth, and then looked around for a moment before asking.
"This is where you live? But why did I have to put on a blindfold?"
Without turning away from the PC screen I replied.
"The location of this place is top secret."
I saw her reflection on my PC screen, her lips formed into a coy smile as she inquired.
"Am I really that untrustworthy?"
Quickly I twirled around to face her, smiled then stated.
"Your very trustworthy, you were honest this morning. Vanessa I made you wear it so I could carry you up the stairs and besides the streets around here aren't what you'd call a pretty sight."
Before she could muster a remark, I added.
"Tonight I'm cooking you pasta for dinner, so just make yourself at home, and I'll be in the kitchen if you need me."
As I began walking passed her, towards a bead curtain leading do the kitchen, I saw her smile dreamily at me.
Cooking is something I'm good at, something I do enjoy.
The pasta took half an hour to boil, and then I added red sauce and vegetables for all the flavor necessary.
With a contented sigh, I poured the pasta on two plates, took one in each arm, next proceeded out the kitchen and towards the round table where Vanessa was already working away on her computer.
I stood across from her, balancing a plate in each hand whilst observing the PC screen.
All the screen displayed was a window asking for a password.
First I placed her plate down, next mine.
I sat down in front of her, looked straight at her then asked.
"Why are you so determined to go trough with this?"
She didn't respond, she just sat there like a frozen ice sculpture staring at me, so I retorted.
"You're not gonna tell me."
Hearing me give up, she switched her expression back to motion, smiled at me then apologized.
"I'm sorry. I guess that's pretty rude of me to get you so heavily involved, and then not tell you anything."
Briefly she stopped, gazed at me then began to retell her story.
"My parents were deceived by the Gazth-Sonika government. My dad was a diplomat in Nafrece in charge of relations with Gazth-Sonika. Soon after he was appointed the threat of the civil war grew. Once the war broke out my parents were detained by the Gazth-Sonika government, and they were both held under the suspicion of actually initiating the civil war."
She paused for a moment, her expression became more determined as she continued.
"I know my dad had nothing to do with it. But the truth was forever lost to darkness!"
I asked.
"So you want the truth?" - "Yes, I joined Bookwalds international devision because I knew they had ties to Gazth-Sonika."
With concern in my voice, I inquired.
"What about your parents?" - "I imagine their probably dead by now, but I must find out the truth ... I must! I want to finish off what they could not... I feel like I have to."
I stared down at my warm untouched pasta, this is the moment where I tell her.
The past I never told anyone but her ... whether it's in this time line or the last.
Slowly I began.
"I have a faint memory, he was somewhere in this country ... my father."
She spoke.
"Your father ... so that's why you live here."
Whilst closing my eyes, sincerely I informed her.
"I never told anyone about my father before, your the first person. I don't really know why but I wanted to tell you." - "I'm very honored. Thank you Madlax."
She kindly said.
My head shut upwards with a sweet smile as I replied.
"Your very welcome Vanessa Rene." - "Please call me Vanessa." - "Then eat up Vanessa." She gave out a chuckled, "sure", as she picked a fork up, rolled on strings of pasta, brought it up to her mouth then slowly tasted and swallowed it.
I watched her eat it as if it was a delicates.
When she finished she wiped her mouth off then softly complimented.
"It was very good ... just it tastes like the pasta a friend of mine makes back in Nafrece."
I rolled some on my fork, gulped it in a flash, next looked up at her and said.
"Well now I'll be the one making the pasta for you." - "Or I could." - "No! Vanessa let me be the cook, and your protector."
After dinner I cleaned the plates then settled back down and began cleaning my gun.
I remember how today will go, the reason today went this way is because this is the day I became important to Vanessa in the previous time line.
Today we conveyed our real reasons for existence.
She told me the truth to her past, something only the two of us know.
We became irreplaceable to one another , this is pretty much where our relationship left off before she died in my original time line.
From now on I will focus on changing the future and not recreating the past.
Tonight at midnight the data disk trap will be released but of course before that I'll destroy the damn useless piece of hardware.
As I wipe the gun and she rests on the couch behind me, I hear her ask.
"Madlax do you even have any memories of what your father might have been like?"
I placed the gun onto the table and it made a bumping noise, for a moment I thought of what to say then replied.
"I hardly remember anything."
It was true because I didn't exist before the moment when I killed my father, however it was too early to tell Vanessa everything about me being a version of myself from the future who was here to save her and use three magical books to end the civil war.
I shrugged then softly stated.
"One day I will find out who I am."
A second later I heard Vanessa slide off the couch, near the back of my chair whilst making noise with her heels, next reach out her right arm, place it on my right shoulder then wrap her other arm around my head.
Instantly her right hand slides down from my shoulder and to the side of my left breast, next to the unicorn symbol on my green jacket.
Her other arm brushes trough my blond bangs.
It feels so good to have her embrace me like this, to hold me so protectively, as if she, not I were the bodyguard.
She spoke words of pure kindness.
"I hope that you find your father ... but even if you don't ... I'll still be here."
I closed my eyes, brushed the back of my head against her soft chest then slowly whispered.
"Thank you Vanessa."
She tightened her arms around me then placed her chin onto the valley of blond on top of my head.
Her hot breaths seeped warmth into my skin.
It felt like I was in a warm shower, well actually an infinite number of times better.
Breathlessly I stated.
"Don't ever let go Vanessa, tonight I want to feel you... close."
She replied just as breathlessly.
"I won't let go of you Madlax. Like I said I'll be here."
We stayed in that position for over fifteen minutes, I purred at her warmth and she stood there motionless.
The time was around 11:30PM now, and the memory erasing trap on Vanessa's data disk would be released in less then thirty minutes.
Wanting to keep our embrace of comfort going, but knowing I had something to take care of rather sooner then later, I pushed back the chair just enough as to get Vanessa to step back.
She hissed at the fact she had to undo her embrace.
I stood up, turned around to face her, and then informed her.
"There is some business I need to take care of Vanessa. I'll take the data disk with me, whether you want me to or not. And after I return ... I have a surprise for you so please wait up Vanessa."
She smiled, placed her right hand into her breast pocket, took out a disk, stretched her arm with an open palm and let me take the data disk from her.
Whilst placing it in my pocket, I heard her say.
"Come back soon. I'll wait up Madlax." - "I won't disappoint you."
I walked passed her, towards the exit door.
Just as I opened it, Vanessa stammered in front of me, leaned her head in, softly kissing me on the cheek, next whispering.
"I can't wait for your surprise."