Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Sixteen

I sit in my bath, surrounded by milky bubbles as I drink deeply, straight from the bottle. I decide dimly I prefer pink wine over the red or the white. The moons glow the only thing illuminating the bathroom, I burnt out the bulbs long ago.

I keep replaying Natasa's words in my head over and over. I know what her intention was and it angers me even more that it's working. I've been sitting here for at least an hour, letting the cold water drain out and turning the hot water tap on with my foot. My fingers are wrinkled, but the wine is surprisingly still here. Well, barely. I've almost finished the bottle. I don't feel as drunk as I did before, but I also haven't tried to stand. I'm sure if I did I would topple over.

"I've been looking for you." His voice pulls my gaze upwards towards the door. I didn't even hear him come in. Cal leans on the frame of the door, his tie is loosened, the top few buttons of his shirt undone, his suit coat long gone. He still looks devilishly handsome. Dangerously handsome.

"Here I am." I raise the bottle in a mock toast and down the rest of it.

He watches me from his spot in the doorway and sighs, watching the contents of the bottle empty in to my mouth. "What are you doing?"

"Taking a bath." I say, playing with the water lazily with one hand, "Getting drunk." I say raising the bottle in the other. I tip it upside down over the water of the bath watching the last few drops sink into the bathwater.

"And why's that?" He crosses his arms over his chest. He is not amused.

I push myself up and stand in all my naked glory, Cal doesn't even blink. He's seen me naked too many times to count. "Had a nice chat with your little girlfriend."

He rolls his eyes, uncrossing his arms and shoving his hands into his pockets. "She's not my girlfriend."

I raise an eyebrow as I wrap a towel around me. My anger and annoyance letting me stand tall and not wobble. "Really?" I step into his space, my toes hitting the edge of his shoes. "Do friends help you with your nightmares?" He winces and I know deep in my gut she wasn't lying. I want to punch him, I want to vomit. "Get out of my way." I growl.

He steps aside for me but follows me into my closet. "It's not what you think."

I whirl on him, "Oh, it's not?! Did you spend the night with her? Were you writing letters to me while she waited in your bed?" I pull an oversized shirt over my head, not thinking I grabbed the first one out of my bag. It's his I realize too late.

He stares at the shirt unmoving.

"Say something!" I scream and the lights in the closet pop. There's a small voice in the back of my mind telling me that I didn't know anything about what had been going on with him for the last three months until a few days ago. I have no claim here, with him hundreds of miles away it was easy to remember that. With him here, in the same country, in the same room, with him right in front of me, that voice talking about claim is very, very far away. I am possessive on a normal day, I am dangerously territorial when I am drunk. He will always be mine.

"She was never in my bed." He almost growls, his eyes living fire, I want them to burn me where I stand. He takes a step forward and I take one back. "She never slept in my apartment." Another step forward, another step back. "I want you," He emphasizes every word with each step forward. My back hits the wall and he closes the distance, putting both hands on the wall on either side of me, boxing me in. He's hot, angry hot, I can feel sweat dripping down the back of my neck. "We spent one night, with the children, in the great hall. They all had sleeping bags and everything. The kids talked about their nightmares so I shared some of mine. That is all."

Cal would never lie to me. I know he would never lie to me, deep down in my bones I know it. But I'm drunk and so very stupid so I narrow my eyes at him. "I'm going to kill her." I spit up at him, "I swear it, before I leave here she's dead."

Cal rolls his eyes again letting his arms drop freeing me from his grasp. I don't move right away. I don't want to move. "I'll talk to her about this tomorrow."

"Yeah, I bet you will," I shove at him, causing him to stubble back in surprise and I head toward the bedroom, grabbing a pair of shorts along the way. I attempt to put them on as I walk, completely unsuccessful as I stubble toward the bed. I'm a mess. A drunk mess and I did it to myself, again.

I sit on the floor near the base of the bed, unable to walk any farther, the room beginning to tilt again. I look and feel pitiful.

I look up at him, through my lashes, my mouth working faster than my brain, "You don't think she's pretty?" Stop talking. Stop talking! My brain keeps shouting at my mouth to stop but I am much too drunk. "She's very pretty."

Cal laughs and settles on the floor across from me. "I think you're pretty."

I roll my eyes, "That's not what I asked."

"I know," he says smirking. It's infuriating and he knows it.

I scowl at him. "Answer the damn question Tiberias."

He raises an eyebrow, "Careful." He warns.

"Oo," I wave my hands in the air. He hates the name, I know he does, but I want him to hurt as much as I do right now.

"Okay, you are way too drunk for this." Cal sighs as he moves to stand, to leave me.

I instantly panic, my heart thrumming against my ribcage. A need so great and urgent swallows me whole and I barely register what I'm doing or saying before the words are out of my mouth. I grab at his wrist stopping him, "Don't leave me." I can feel his flame maker bracelets, the metal warm from resting against his skin.

His brows furrow and I see the resemblance to his mother. It is a look concern and worry and sadness. And he feels them all for me. I'm suddenly very ashamed of myself. My life has taken so much out of his. Who knows what would happen if I never fell into Queenstrial, never picked one last pocket that night? My mere existence causes him pain. I let go of his wrist, ready to let him walk out of the room, prepared to spend the night alone on the floor of my room. But, instead, he grabs my hand pulling me to my feet. He steadies me as I wobble on uneven legs, "Come on," he says gently, as he leads me to the sitting room. "I saw you grab the bottle so I figured I'd find you like this."

"I let you see me grab the bottle." I grumble. If I wanted to he wouldn't have even seen me leave the room. Or maybe you aren't as good of a thief as you thought you were. Or maybe you wanted him to find you like this. You want him to take care of you. Would it be so awful? Having someone to care for me? To lean on when this world gets to heavy? Could I put that burden on him? Should I?

"Sure you did." He sits me down on the couch in front of a tray of food. A spread of bread and crackers and cheeses with a couple bottles of water. "Eat."

I go for the water first, still in my own head. Natasa's right, I don't think about anyone but myself. Before Queenstrial, before Gisa's hand was shattered by a security officer, before Kilorn's master died, all I did was think about myself, and my family. Think how we could survive until the next day, the next month, and the next year. You're river trash, she had said. I haven't heard that in what feels like years. "I can't believe that bitch called me river trash." I muse, not realizing I said it out loud.

"She called you what?" Cal barks from the seat across from me.

"Fucking river trash." I say a mouth full of butter smeared bread.

He runs a hand through his hair, "My colors…" He takes a cracker from the tray and chews on it thoughtfully. I couldn't even take a guess as to what he was thinking.

I pull my foot underneath me and I must have hit a button on the remote lost between the cushion because the television turns on. Cal and I both jump in surprise. It's the same news lady as before, and I wonder if she ever goes home.

Only a glimpse of Mare Bare and Tiberias Calore as they rode off on a cycle together into the sunset. There is no update on if they returned to the palace or not. Sources say they will be in attendance for the wedding of Julian Jacos and Sara Skonos. The woman prattles on as I search for the damned remote. I can hear the rev of the cycle's motor through the television. I give up looking for the remote and clench a fist using my ability to leach power from the television. I turn the set off with a loud click and a bit of smoke pours from the back of the screen. I look over to Cal. "Oops." I shrug.

Cal sighs low, "Don't use your ability when you're drunk. It's just not a good idea."

I nod solemnly. Our abilities destroy. I destroy. M for monster, M for Mare, M for-

"Mare, did you hear me?" Cal's voice pulls me back, instead of blue eyes I am met with bronze. "I said we should get you to bed."

Again, I cannot stop my mouth before words rush out of it, "Will you stay with me?"

He nods as he stands, reaching his hand out for mine. "Of course I will." He says it as if there was nowhere else for him to be.

I take his hand and let him lead me into the bedroom. He pulls back the blankets on one side of the bed and gestures for me to get in, "Go on," he says, as he starts taking his tie off. I get in, but I don't take my eyes off of him. Twisting in bed to follow him around the room.

He kicks off his shoes first as he walks around the bed, unbuttoning the clasps at his wrists, the buttons down his shirt, taking them off in succession. Next come the belt and pants. He climbs into bed in his underclothes and turns on his side so he can watch me, watch him.

I fall asleep like that, the last thing I see is Cal. I had no nightmares that night.

I wake to an empty bed, the sun pouring in through the windows, an ocean breeze dancing in the sheer curtains. I run my hand over the spot where Cal was, did I dream it? Was he even here? The spot is still warm, he must have been here. I hear murmuring from the salon, a distinctly male voice and an older female's voice. I recognize Cal's, the hum of his voice like the beat of my own heart, I would have known it anywhere. The salon door is closed and I step softly, trying not to make a sound as I reach the closed door.

"I'm just so happy for you Mr. Calore." It's Mrs. Franklin, I can hear the distinct sounds of silverware hitting a plate.

"Thank you Mrs. Franklin, but nothing has been decided yet." I can almost hear the smile in his voice.

"I know, I'm just an old romantic, you see." She says, Cal responds something but it's too low for me to make out. "Well, even so, I can see she makes you happy. Let me know if you need me to send someone by to clear out the plates later." I hear the click of the door opening and Cal calling out a thank you before it closes again.

"You can come out now, Mare." Cal calls and I open the door sheepishly.

"How'd you know?" I ask entering the salon, taking a seat in the grey armchair across from him.

"I saw your feet under the door." He says with a grin.

"I must be losing my talents," I say jokingly but the smile I pull doesn't reach my eyes. Maybe Natasa was right, and if she is, I'm a poor excuse for a thief.

He pulls his lips into a tight grimace. "What did Natasa say to you?" Sometimes I truly hate that he can read me so easily.

"It doesn't matter." I sigh pulling a steaming cup of coffee into my lap.

"It matters to me." He says leaning forward, his elbows on his knees, waiting for me to continue.

I sigh again, going over the conversation in my head. "She said a bunch of things, how she saw you after a night mare, how I don't think about anyone but myself, how I'm a thief."

"And river trash?" Cal questions.

"Stilts slang." I offer, "It's what they called the poorer reds, the ones that stole what they needed. People like who I was."

He nods solemnly. "I'll have to talk to her."

"And what do you plan to say, Cal?" I put my coffee back down on the table, mirroring his stance.

"What do you want me to say?" He counters. "We haven't finished our conversation from last night."

My stomach flips and my heart races. "No, we haven't."

Cal leans back into the couch, "The students are in class for three months at a time, they get a week break in between sessions. Which means I get a week in between too." He looks down at his lap, picking an invisible piece of lint. "I was thinking, maybe you'd want to come out here on those weeks." He looks back up at me, "Or I can come and visit you in Montfort." He adds quickly. He looks so nervous. "I just want you in my life." He says quietly.

"Three months is a long time." I whisper back to him.

"There are weekends too." He adds.

I don't answer. What he's offering is something that I've thought about every minute for the last week, but I'm terrified. What if this doesn't work, what if this rips us apart farther? What if, what if, what if… there are too many answers to too many questions. What if during those three months Natasa wins and he's gone? The last thought almost rips my heart from my chest.

"What happens when I go to war?" I ask the worst question first.

He looks to the floor, "We…" He trails off, "I don't know." He answers truthfully. "I can tell you I won't be patient waiting for you to come back to me alive or dead, but I do know that this is something that you want and something that you need. I won't be the one to hold you back from that." He sighs leaning forward again. "I also know that when the Lakelands come back I will fight. Whether you are here or not."

I nod, it's the same thing that I would do, just as he knows I will fight raiders if need be when I return to Montfort.

"Can we do this?" I ask, meaning a hundred different questions at once. Can we do the distance? Can we survive the loneliness?

Cal stands and comes to kneel in front of me, taking my hands in his. "All I have ever wanted for the past year and a half is you. I will take you in any capacity I can get as long as I can call you mine. For as long as you will let me."

I put my hand to his cheek, "I've always been yours and you have always been mine." The sentence reassures him as much as it does me. It's true, I've been his since the day he grabbed my hand outside of that tavern.

His hot hands weave into my hair as he pulls me in for a searing kiss. I can't help myself, I hold on to him as if he was going to disappear, as if this were all a dream and I'm afraid to wake.

The rest of the morning is spent blissfully in my bedroom. When Cal leaves a little before lunch, Farley bursts in mere minutes later. I'm clad in only my robe, picking at the breakfast that was forgotten hours ago.

"Should I worry if you aren't on the jet tomorrow?" She smirks at me as she takes a seat in the grey chair across from me.

I dip my head trying to hide my own smile. "No, you shouldn't." I try and meet her gaze with a stone face but I just can't. My smile permanently plastered onto my lips. I don't elaborate on what Cal and I discussed. I'm aware that Farley is smart and has probably picked up on what is going on, but I'm not sure I want to tell anyone just yet. I'm sure everyone will know by the end of the day anyway.

"Good to know." She says taking a cold piece of bacon from my plate. "I saw your handiwork last night. Looks like Natasa finally got what she was looking for." She adds with a grin.

I smirk at her, "I should have done worse." I tell Farley what happened on the balcony last night, her brow deepening the more I tell her.

"I'll shoot her, if you want." She says once I'm finished. "Or I can have someone shoot her."

I shake my head, "If it comes to that, I'll kill her myself." I take a sip of my coffee, "Cal says he's going to talk to her."

Farley rolls her eyes. "I'm sure."

"My thoughts exactly." I agree with her. "Can I send a letter with you to my parents tomorrow? I think I'm going to stay here an extra week."

"Of course I'll give them the letter." Farley stands with a wink in my direction, "I better get going." She says glancing at her watch. "I've got meetings all day until the wedding but I'll see you then, yeah?"

I nod and mock salute her, "Yes ma'am."

"I forgot how annoying you are when you're happy," She teases and I throw a pillow at her as she leaves the room. But she's right, I am happy. My family is safe, Cal and I are back together and we have a plan. A tentative plan, but a plan all the same. He is mine and I am his.

Farley and Kilorn are attending meetings all day, Julian and Sara are getting ready for their pending nuptials and Evangeline has been busy with construction meetings, so lunch has a sparse attendance. The only occupants in the small dining room are Davidson and Carmadon, Cal and myself, Annabel and, to my dismay, Natasa.

She sits across from me now and glares whenever Cal isn't looking. I was the last one to arrive for lunch so I had no time to find out if Cal had spoken to her yet. When I took my seat next to him he held my hand above the table, Carmadon winked at me and to my delight, it looked like Natasa's head was about to explode. She hasn't said a word the entire meal.

Annabel has less tact, "How long do you plan to be staying with us, Mare?" She asks staring at our clasped hands.

I smile patiently at the older woman, she tolerates me and I her. The only thing we have in common is the love we have for Cal, "Just another week. Once Cal goes back to Archeon I'll go back to Montfort."

She nods, either approvingly or just to move the conversation along, I'm not sure. "And then after that?" She implores over her wine glass.

I glance at Cal, "He'll come to visit Montfort when he gets a break from classes." I say, and he nods agreeing.

"That's a lot of traveling dear." Annabel says to Cal.

"I'm used to it. And it's not that bad." Cal brushes off his grandmothers concerns. "And I can always get work done on the jet ride there if I need to." Cal glares at her, annoyed at her pushing.

"Okay," Annabel concedes. "As long as you don't let your work slip."

I give his hand a squeeze as the temperature gently rises with his annoyance.

Natasa, brave as she is, decides this is the moment to speak, "Yes, the children must be made a top priority. I'm sure Mare would understand if you couldn't make it one week."

"Miss Barrow." I say and it gives me a devilish pleasure seeing Annabel's eyebrows raise in surprise… and is that, pride? "You may call me Miss Barrow." This is the only time that I've ever told anyone to call me that and to watch the way Natasa's face twist at the name makes it that much more sweeter.

"Miss Barrow," She repeats the name like a curse, but she still uses it all the same. "I meant no disrespect."

"I'm sure you didn't." I sneer at her.

I see Carmadon trying to cover the smile spreading across his face with a napkin.

"Of course the children will be a priority. I am well aware of what my responsibilities are." Cal responds through gritted teeth. He turns to his grandmother before adding, "I also have my own life to live."

"Of course you do," Annabel pats Cal's hand. "I have no doubt you will succeed in all of your endeavors."

"As you always do," Natasa adds raising her wine glass in a mock toast before taking a demure sip.

I absently imagine having Evangeline's ability, manipulating a fork to stab Natasa in the eye. Instead, the lights flicker and I take a deep breath.

"Is everything alright Miss Barrow?" She asks, her voice dripping in sugar and fake concern.

"Everything is fine." I say throwing my hair over one shoulder, this shirt is a bit too low and shows the tops of the M on my collarbone. I see her eyes flicker down to it and catch my gaze again. I've been through worse than you, I think to myself. She purses her lips and looks back down at her plate.

"And what are your future plans," Annabel turns to me. "Are you planning on any wars anytime soon?" She adds with a tight lipped smile.

I match her expression, "I don't plan the wars, I just fight in them." I answer, "There are currently no plans that I'm aware of, for my involvement yet." I look down sheepishly, "My face is a bit too recognizable." I say repeating Farley's words.

Annabel barks a laugh, "Well, I'd say so."

"That's good," Carmadon interjects, "It will give you time for your other interests," he gives me a wink, "Maybe there will be wedding bells of your own to ring."

Cal nearly chokes on his food and my throat goes dry.

"Carmadon, they are still young," Davidson chides his husband, "Give them at least a week." He adds with a wink of his own.

The tips of Cal's ears have gone bone white and I can feel fire on my face. I can feel Natasa's eyes boring into my face, "I actually never really saw Miss Barrow as the marrying kind." She states and while it's true, I have never envisioned myself in a wedding dress or what my wedding day would even look like, but I have never said that thought out loud.

"I'm not sure you know what kind I am." I spit at her from across the table.

"I can take a guess." She mutters and if Cal wasn't holding my hand I would have leapt across the table to tear her throat out.

"That's enough." Cal growls, looking from me to Natasa, "Both of you."

Natasa has the decency to look apologetic, I just glare at him and he squeezes my hand in response.

The rest of the meal is filled with Carmadon and Annabel filling in the conversation. They talk of weddings, different traditions in Montfort and Norta. Carmadon talks of red traditions in Montfort, "Is it the same here for red weddings?"

"It depends on where they live," Natasa speaks again, "I hear the reds in Harbor Bay have different variations of what the reds in the Stilts had."

I remember weddings from the Stilts, a few words, a sparse meal, nothing that I would call a tradition.

She continues, "Mind you, we didn't have that much money, so there would only be a few words said and a small meal the family scraped together. Some uninvited guests would try and steal food from the weddings."

Cal squeezes my hand tightly, silently begging me not to speak.

It doesn't work. "We all had to survive somehow." Kilorn and I, along with a handful of others, were usually those uninvited guests.

"That's what jobs are for." She says as she takes a bite of her salad.

I'm going to fucking kill her. "You know what-" I stand, the lights flickering with my anger, but Cal stands too and cuts me off.

"Excuse us," He says as he practically drags me away from the table. His hand grabbing my upper arm, I could shock him off me, but he knows I won't and I let him pull me from the room.

Once the door is closed behind us I whirl on him, but no words come out, I'm so frustrated that I can't think straight enough to put a sentence together. I want to scream, instead I close my eyes tightly trying to take deep breaths. One of the light bulbs pops in the hall, but only one.

"We're going to have to figure something out for all these light bulbs." Cal muses as he rubs the back of his neck.

"Candles," I say through my gritted teeth.

Cal chuckles, "Yeah, then it'll be me burning stuff when I get angry."

I open my eyes to look up at him, my frustration ebbing away to concern. "You have more control than I do."

He sighs, "Only when you're around." He mutters under his breath.

"What does that mean?" I ask taking a step closer to him.

He puts a hand to my waist, pulling me even closer, "The first couple months were… difficult." He says lowly, "I burnt some books, some clothes, and drapes… and the cycle."

I chuckle quietly, putting a hand to his cheek. "You burnt your cycle."

He bows his head, his forehead pressing into mine, "Yes, that's when I started building the second one."

"Is this one fireproof?" I ask tilting his chin so he'll look at me.

His lips pull into a smirk, "Just about as much as the other one." He lifts one hand and pushes my hair behind my ear.

"Will you teach me how to drive it?" I ask, I hadn't thought about it before, but it would be nice to have my own transport. A way for me to get away quickly, if I needed too.

He pulls back to look at me, his eyebrows high and surprised, "I thought it was a death trap?"

"I've seen worse." I say and he laughs dropping a quick kiss on my lips.

"Of course I'll teach you." He says putting an arm around my shoulder and leading me down the hallway. "I have a meeting in a few minutes but after that I'm all yours until the wedding."

"Would this meeting be with Natasa?" I try to even out my voice, to sound curious but it doesn't work and Cal knows what I mean.

"Yes," he says slowly, "I told you I was going to talk to her."

"I know," I respond softly, "What were you planning on saying to her?"

He runs a hand through his hair, it's starting to curl on the ends. "What we talked about, how it was inappropriate for her to say those things and that I'm only interested in a professional relationship with her."

I would be happier if it was no relationship at all, but this is his work and I can't jeopardize that. If he truly believes she is good for the children, than she should work with the children. She should just stay away from Cal. "Don't forget that I'll kill her." I add with a smirk.

He doesn't take the joke, "Mare," He says quietly as we round the corner to the residence halls, "This isn't a kingdom anymore and I'm not king." He stops us, meeting my gaze, trying to make me understand. "If you kill her, there will be consequences."

I nod, understanding. "I get it," I sigh, "I don't like it, but I get it."

"Good," He says kissing the top of my head, "I know how much you love jail cells."

I wrinkle my nose, granted the jail cell I would land myself in for killing Natasa would be infinitely better than Maven's version of a cell, there would still be silent stone though. I remember the cells at Coros prison and feel a chill go through me.

Cal runs his hands up and down my arms spreading heat through me. "Come on," He says as he guides me down the hall, "You can hang out in my room while you wait. I have a working television."

I laugh and the sound echoes off the walls, "And no lights." He laughs with me, our voices a melody bouncing off the marble walls.

I hope you all liked this one! Please let me know what you think! It seriously brightens my day every time I see I got a new review. Thanks so much for your patience!