I changed the end of this chapter, because I feel that it was far too optimistic, and hence a bit unrealistic for the next chapter.

Chapter 18:

It was late—far later than he usually returned to his chambers, and Lex was tired. There had been no sign of Mandila for the entire day, which had annoyed him, and then there had been Armand. The man had slyly insulted Lex's inability to capture the Bosmer, and then the thief had the nerve to imply that he'd paid the bribe. "You can't trick her now." What in the name of Oblivion had prompted that comment? Lex wanted nothing more than to knock Armand's teeth loose as he bid the other guards goodnight and began climbing the ladder to his room.

He lifted the trapdoor and pulled himself into his private quarters for some peace and quiet, but almost immediately, he was aware that something wasn't right. Someone's boots were sitting beside his bed, and the room was lit by several enchanted candles that gave off far more light than regular ones, illuminating almost every corner of the room. Whoever had intruded was not trying to hide his or her presence, and for that reason, Lex lowered the door without alerting other guards to his dilemma, and then scanned the room. It was as he glanced toward the left that he saw her, sitting on a chest with her bare feet rubbing across the rug that he'd recently acquired.

"What are you doing here?" Lex demanded, staring into brown eyes that were surprisingly steady considering that she was sitting in the room of a man who wanted to arrest her.

"I wanted to return something," she replied, holding out a silver necklace with a dark pendant. Lex inhaled and walked over to her with one palm resting against his sword pommel, wondering what Mandila was playing at by coming here. His hand lifted and clasped the metal, blue eyes trying to force an explanation from the elf as she willing released her stolen goods.

"I could have you arrested for this," he darkly stated. "And for trespassing."

"I know," Mandila shortly answered, causing his eyebrows to raise as her toes continued to play with the carpet in what was perhaps a nervous gesture, or maybe she'd never enjoyed the feeling of a soft floor before. Either way, Lex could arrest her right now, take her to prison, and never hear from her again. He could also ensure that no bribes were taken this time, and yet he couldn't summon the necessary indignation or anger to cast her down as she sat before him, toes hard at work.

"Why did you bring it back?" he asked.

"It's not mine," Mandila smiled. "That sounds ridiculous coming from a thief, doesn't it? I suppose a better explanation would be that it's yours, not just anybody's, and so I can't keep it. You should have it. It obviously means something to you, and...I don't want you to hate me." Lex walked over to his desk and set the pendant down while he tried to determine his next course of action. He stared at his mother's reclaimed token, but it held no answers, and only reminded him of how compassionate the troubled woman had been.

"You could have sold it," he pointed out. "It would have fetched a decent sum."

"I didn't take it for money," Mandila said, sounding offended. "I wanted to keep it. For a while, I was wearing it, but I left it at home when I went to Ranen manor."

"Where?" Lex asked, curious.

"Beneath the floor boards."

"Of course." He should have thought of that.

"I really am sorry, captain," Mandila continued. "And if we could ever...you know..."

"You're a thief, Mandila," Lex told her, sounding regretful. Damn, but look at the sad cast to her beseeching visage. He began removing his armor to distract himself, setting the pieces beside his bed just as calmly as he normally would, determined not to get lost in the charming visage of a woman whom he'd come to care about.

"I didn't mean for this to happen," Mandila murmured. "I didn't intentionally...complicate things." Lex closed his eyes and sighed, returning his attention to her as he set aside his last piece of armor, which left him in trousers and a red tunic.

"You mean that you didn't intentionally fall in love with me," he clarified, still sounding unsure of the idea himself. "And it would appear that you haven't changed your opinion since you're here." Mandila shifted in uncertainty, a hand nervously brushing hair away from her face, which made Lex decide that pointed ears suited her delicate features perfectly. The thought was unbecoming of an officer toward his intended target, but technically he wasn't on duty. No one was here to observe them, meaning that he didn't need to appear as unwavering as usual, and it wasn't like Mandila had never seen beneath his outward behavior before. He had let the iron front slip in her presence, and was that a weakness? Perhaps, but he still didn't reach out to punish her. He simply stared, dismayed by the thoughts that were taking over his mind.

"Sir?" Mandila questioned.

"Get out, Mandila," Lex responded, sounding weary and sick of his circumstances.

"What?" the elf asked, surprised, and Lex clenched his fists.

"Leave before I change my mind," he roughly ordered, every fiber of his being feeling at odds. Mandila jumped to her feet and quickly fetched her boots, pulling them on as Lex watched her graceful movements. She looked much better than she had, although there were still fresh scars marring her body. Again, he wondered how far the cook had gotten, for the man claimed that he'd never violated her, but Lex couldn't trust him. There might be wounds beneath that clothing that no one would ever see...

"Goodnight," Mandila said, pausing as she bent to lift the trapdoor. Damn, but why did she need to pause? To give him more time to think? Damn it all. "Sir?" Mandila again questioned when he walked over to her and gently grabbed her elbow, lifting her from her kneeling position. Her eyes went wide as he stared down at her, her chest nearly touching his, and she absently noted that he had been growing his hair out, for it was long enough for a small ponytail now.

"The guard in your cell," Lex forced out. "Did he...?"

"No," Mandila said, transfixed by the captain's sudden concern. "I escaped before he could do anything."

"The other elf said that you have bruises."

"They're not bad," Mandila assured. Gods, it had been a while since she'd stared so openly into his blue eyes, and they were crisp and clear as ever. "Sir, if it's possible, do you think that you could ever forgive me?" He didn't answer, only beginning to release her elbow before she lifted a hand and placed it against the front of his tunic.

"Gods help me, but this once, I don't think that I can hold your crimes against you, citizen," and Lex looked in pain as he confessed his thoughts, revealing what had been fighting for dominance against his ideology for days. "You broke the law, but the law enforcers betrayed you. That is not justice; it's hypocrisy." His father's image came to mind, and he inwardly scowled and forced it aside. "Do you know what the purpose of a prison is, Mandila?"

"To punish criminals," she answered.

"It's more than that. It's to keep dangerous people away from the public, and to make lawbreakers regret their crimes so that when they're released, they don't repeat the same mistakes. You weren't trying to escape, but then you were attacked by the very people who were supposed to protect you, so how can I hold your freedom against you? I was angry with you for misleading me. I still am, but you're asking for my forgiveness, and you're sorry for what you've done. That's the point of prison, and since you're not dangerous, more jail time would mean nothing..."

"I've never heard it explained like that before," Mandila mused, fingers tracing small circles on his tunic.

"It's something that I'd forgotten," Lex said, eyes fixed on her hand. "The question is whether or not you will return to your life of crime, because if you do, I will chase you, Mandila. And if I ever catch you breaking the law again, you will go straight back to prison." She nodded in acceptance and moved her hand upward toward his face, and he, in his conflicted state, did nothing as her fingers touched his jawline.

"So I'm just someone to watch now. We're not friends anymore," she sadly shared.

"No, we're not," Lex agreed, realizing for the first time that she had, in fact, been a friend, making her one of very few.

"Then, while no one's looking, I'm doing this one more time." She leaned forward and kissed his lips, softly but compellingly, and like last time, Lex went rigid. She would have pulled away then, except that his hands lifted to cup her face and hold her still, his own lips pressing into hers, demanding that she continue, and she was all too happy to comply. Never had she thought that he'd actually return a kiss, but as her body was pulled against his firm chest, she stopped thinking entirely. Her back touched the wall, and now wedged between a warm body and cold stone, she found that his lips had left hers.

"Is something wrong?" she questioned, nervous as Lex stared at her. Then, closing his eyes, he tried to pull away, but she locked arms around his back. "No one is here except us."

"Mandila—citizen, you should not be here," he argued, tilting his forehead to rest against the wall beside her hair. Mandila felt slightly embarrassed at his rejection, for it made her wonder if she was perhaps going about this the wrong way—not that she had been looking to entice him when she'd arrived, but she didn't want to lose his body heat, and if she left now, she had a sinking feeling that she'd never get this opportunity again. This could be her last shot at feeling close to the man who'd captured her fascination, and so she desperately clung to him, feeling his heart hammering in his chest as she angled her mouth toward his neck. She'd seen Methredhel kissing a man like this before, and she'd gotten favorable results...

"Mandila..." Her lips connected with Lex's skin, and she worked her way down his throat toward his collar, one of her hands slipping under the edge of his tunic to meet his bare chest as she did so. He pressed into her more firmly and rewrapped arms around her, kissing her mouth yet again as she placed both hands beneath his shirt. Her toes curled against the carpet in uncertain excitement, and she didn't object when Lex led her toward the bed. He paused there too, face contorted in discomfort until she grabbed and brought him down onto the mattress with her. The candles went out, and the guards below slept without a clue as to what was happening right above their heads. Even if someone had informed them, the thought of Lex having a woman in his room was simply too absurd to believe. No one would ever know about his late night visitor—no one except the two people currently wrapped around one another, shielded from the conflicts that encompassed them.

*************

What had he done?

Lex opened his eyes to find Mandila on her side, facing him, chest gently rising and falling in a deep sleep as brown hair fell about her neck and shoulders. She looked beautiful and at peace as she lay there, one arm tucked under the pillow, and the other extended to rest across his chest. He swallowed and stared at the ceiling, naked body covered by the same thin sheet that concealed his elf, the fabric draping expertly over every inch of her curves. Last night he'd found out what those curves felt like, and for the life of him, he'd never imagined that he would cave to the vague desires flitting about his head like that. He hadn't meant to...but she'd been there, kissing him, making him think things. Damn, and then she'd gone after his throat right when he'd been about to calm himself, and her hands were beneath his tunic, running over skin that hadn't been touched so passionately for as long as he could remember.

Belatedly, he realized that his hair was loose and tickling his neck, Mandila having pulled the tie loose during their intimacy. He remembered her softly speaking his name afterwards, and running hands through his hair, sleepy eyes drooping happily as he allowed her to stay. He couldn't have simply sent her away, even if it would have been easier for him, for it was quite obvious that he'd been her first, and kicking her out after that was dishonorable. There was also the fact that he'd secretly wanted this since hearing her admit that she loved him—after realizing just how much she'd been put through because of caring about him. So he laid there and felt every movement that she made in her sleep, her body rolling over onto its back at one point, which caused the sheet to slide downward, revealing bare breasts to the air.

Lex stared at the ugly green and black tint of the bruise fanning across her chest, and deeply regretted leaving her alone with that bastard of a guard. He was glad that she'd escaped the man, and he was ashamed that the watch held perverted men in its service. If this is what the waterfront saw as the law's work, no wonder they disliked an authority symbol like a captain.

She tried to tell you.

Lex got out of bed and dressed with a surprising sense of calm while considering whether or not he should wake this woman who he'd just known. A foreboding rested in the pit of his stomach as he adjusted his armor and prepared for patrol, counting on routine to clear his head and afford him time to think about his actions. When he returned, she would probably be gone, which suited him just fine, for he didn't know what he would say to her. Of course, he couldn't avoid her either, and he wouldn't choose to anyway, but still...

"Captain!" someone called from below, and Lex moved to the bed to drape the sheet further over Mandila's body. He didn't want someone walking in and seeing her like that, and then he descended the ladder to deal with his subordinates, who were none the wiser to his personal ordeals, and thank the Nine for that. If anyone found out what he'd done, he'd never hear the end of it, especially since he was supposedly trying to arrest Mandila.

"Stop slacking and get to your posts," Lex ordered, watching with satisfaction as the men hurried to obey him. At least he felt in control here, and so he went to the harbor and waterfront, fully aware that several people were eyeing him with disdain, the most prominent being Armand, but Lex ignored them in fine fashion, fixed on his own demanding thoughts as he was. He wasn't even sure what he wanted as he noticed that a certain Redguard was storming toward him, looking ready to kill.

"Yes?" the captain asked, and Armand stabbed him with a fierce glare, Lex responding with equally unforgiving ferocity.

"Where's Mandila?" Armand demanded. "She was missing for most of yesterday, and all last night. If you've done anything to her, I'll ensure that you regret it."

"Oh really?" Lex challenged. "Do you honestly think that you can best me in a fight?"

"There are other ways to hurt a man," Armand tartly replied. "Reputations mend slower than physical wounds." Lex clenched his fists and glared, suddenly wondering if Armand hadn't help draw Mandila into a life of crime.

"Your luck will run out one day, thief," he threatened. "And whatever Mandila chooses to do is not my concern. If she wanted to talk to you, she'd obviously come to you, so fix your own problems." And he felt supremely smug in knowing where the elf actually was, for despite the fact that said-situation was giving him a migraine, if this was a competition, he was winning out over the guild.

"Very well, sir," Armand coldly said with a mocking bow that made Lex's nerves tighten. The two had never gotten along, but he had an inkling that their strained conversations would be even worse once Mandila returned, which led him back to square one. What was he going to do about this?

**************

Mandila woke up and blinked at her unfamiliar surroundings.

"Lex?"

She turned to find the other side of the bed vacant, and Lex's armor was missing. He'd obviously gone to work, and she had no idea what time it was, for there were no windows through which to gauge the sun's position. Should she leave? She considered doing so, but knowing that it was probably mid-morning, there would be more guards around about now. Patrols had already changed, and men would be coming and going on their lunch breaks. Maybe Lex would come here instead of the Market District today.

With a yawn, Mandila lightly crossed the floor and peered beneath a barely lifted trapdoor, taking in the guards below, many of whom were sleeping, but some were reading in bed or just relaxing. No, she definitely couldn't leave, and she didn't really want to. Of course, she had no idea what facing Lex would be like, and the waterfront would notice her absence, but if this was her last chance to ever be in his room, she decided that indulgence was in order. So she returned to bed and lay there, naked and dozing, only half-covered by the sheet.

The bed smelled like Lex, which made her smile as she recalled how he'd cradled her and kissed away her uncertainties as they'd explored one another. She'd felt wanted and cherished—like he viewed her as a woman instead of a thief, and after he'd allowed her to stay in his quarters while he went to work, she knew that she was forgiven. As far as he was concerned, her slate was wiped clean unless she decided to dirty it, which was more than she could have asked for, but a difficult conundrum all the same. Much of what she decided would depend on him and the aftermath of this brief fairytale encounter.

Hearing someone coming up the ladder, Mandila panicked and wrapped the sheet more tightly around her vulnerable body, knowing that the only explanation that would protect her from being arrested for trespassing was the obvious one for nudity in a man's bed. So she held her breath and waited as the hatch popped open, an armored glove reaching into the room.

"Morning," she greeted with some reserve when Lex's head appeared. His face gave away nothing as he climbed into the room and sealed them into the warm chamber. He looked like he'd had a long morning, and she could imagine why. What they'd done did not make either of their lives easier.

"You're still here," he pointlessly observed.

"I know that I should leave. I figured that you might want me to, but I'd like to pretend that this is real for a little while longer. Just a few more minutes..." She remembered him telling her that they would no longer be friends, and so she shrunk back into the sheets, almost as if she could will him to change his mind if she refused to leave. He simply strode over to her and sat on the edge of the bed, body angled so that he could see her without directly viewing her exposed skin.

"Your friends are looking for you," he stated. "Armand asked me where you are, so I am assuming then that you are still part of his group."

"I was suppose to see him yesterday, but I didn't want to deal with him," Mandila scoffed. "I still don't—not after what he did." Lex glanced at her with that peculiar, compelling stare of his that made her want to please him. Clearly he wanted to know something, and so she braced herself.

"Are you returning to them?" he probed, and Mandila merely stared into his eyes and swallowed.

"I don't know," she admitted. "I don't have many options, and you made it quite clear that you..." She frowned and tried to think of a better way to phrase her thoughts. "Well, you implied that we would go our separate ways unless I cause trouble. But maybe..." The hurt in her voice caused Lex to break their locked gazes.

"Then I've done you an injustice," he confessed. "I've taken advantage of you."

"What?" Mandila asked, shocked. "No you didn't."

"Yes, I did," he firmly countered. "You came to me with hope that the situation might change, but we are on opposing sides of the law. I knew that you were still with the guild and would probably remain with them, but I took you anyway, because I wanted you. Now you have expectations that cannot be fulfilled." He hung his head in a gesture so uncharacteristic of him that Mandila edged closer to wrap arms around him from behind. "I've hurt you again."

"Why can't this happen?" Mandila asked, heartbroken.

"You know why, Mandila." And she did, but she hated to admit it. "I know that your feelings are honest, but I can't trust your hands, and the guard will be watching you. I can't stand for the law and allow a confirmed suspect into my bed at the same time." Mandila released him and wordlessly stood to gather her clothing. "You're angry with me," Lex guessed when she remained silent, and already he could feel his body responding to the sight of her bare torso stretching as she wiggled into her shirt.

"No. I understand," she weakly smiled, now fully dressed and approaching him. "I'm simply sorry that things turned out like this." He stood and towered over her, trying not to loosen his resolve, and she leaned forward to kiss him, her heart not nearly as pained as before, for at least he had forgiven her and granted her special access to his person this once. Perhaps that was the best that would ever exist between them, but she liked to think that his reluctance to withdraw from her lips meant otherwise. "Go. They'll be waiting for you." She nodded and left after a short goodbye, the room already feeling emptier without her.