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Chapter 17
Mikael Blomkvist was going crazy. At 3:00 PM he called Lisbeth's cell phone. She did not show up at Millennium for their lunch. At 5:00 PM he called Palmgren, Sally cancelled their meeting earlier in the afternoon. Fear trickled through him, what if she left. No, she would not do it; they talked last night. He felt like they had reached an understanding of sorts. His Sally would not have left, just in case he checked his email. Nothing from her, last time she left a note. So it was not that. He called Annika to see if she had gone to her place. Nothing, she did not know where Sally was.
"What do you mean her cellphone is off? Mikael, I hate to say it but what if she left again?" Annika asked.
"No. As idiotic as it sounds last time I felt as if she had left me but now is different. She did not leave me."
He ended their conversation promising to call if Lisbeth showed up. By 8:00 PM everyone at Millennium was worried. They heard Mikael Blomkvist talking to someone from the police.
"What do you mean I can't report her as missing yet? Bublanski I am telling you something happened to my Sally. No I won't come down, you have to file a report now. No, Sally is my Lisbeth. I call her that." Mikael breathed deeply and offered an apology and tried to convince Jan to file the report but to no avail.
He refused, he said: "we both know that Salander is prone to running away. Blomkvist I won't do anything until three days have passed."
Mikael dropped the phone and waited for something to happen. Erika and Christer went into the glass office. They saw him with his hands to his face in a defeated position. He raised his head and saw them looking worriedly at him.
"I know what you're going to say. 'Don't worry, she'll be back'. I cannot do that, there is something happening. I know it."
Christer and Erika did not say anything. They waited with him for about thirty minutes. The last employees at Millennium were about to leave; Lotta Karim and Henry Cortez were making their way to the elevators.
"I wonder where she is," said Cortez. Karim was about to reply when the elevator doors opened and they saw Lisbeth Salander with a sleeping Aaron step out.
They followed her to Mikael Blomkvist's glass office; they observed from outside.
Mikael was calling Bublanski again; Christer and Erika tried to stop him. They were sure that Lisbeth Salander abandoned their friend. It was very sad to see him suffer like this. Mikael dialed the numbers when he looked up and saw her.
Lisbeth was in front of him; she just opened the door. His Sally gave him a small smile. His faced filled with relief and happiness. Mikael's face transformed from extreme anxiety to serenity. He walked around his desk and hugged her and Aaron hard.
The baby felt the pressure and let out a cry. Lisbeth shushed Aaron and rocked him in the sling. He went back to sleep. Mikael touched her face and kissed her.
"Don't you ever do this to me again, you hear me Sally, never." He softly whispered, only she heard him.
Lisbeth was confused; she analyzed the events of today and then realized that he was worried for her. She looked at her cellphone and saw fifteen missed calls from him.
Christer and Erika left, Christer finally understood what Erika said when she confided that her affair with Mikael was over. Mikael Blomkvist only had eyes for the Salander girl. The girl apparently felt the same way. He could bet his lucky penny that they did not even notice they were alone.
It was wrong to spy on them but Christer, Erika, Lotta and Henry stayed outside the glass office and watched the exchange that took place.
Mikael looked at her and Aaron and searched for signs of injury. After assuring himself that they were fine he asked Lisbeth. "Where have you been? I even called Bublanski." He waited for her response.
Lisbeth wasn't sure of how to respond; clearly he was worried and expected straightforward answers from her. She sat in his chair, Aaron was getting bigger and heavier. She stood up the whole ride back to Stockholm. "I met a lady, her name is Agatha, we talked and she invited me to her house. I went and time just flew. When I noticed it was already 8:00 PM."
Mikael was shocked; his Sally never took well to strangers. He remembered how jealous Armansky was when Lisbeth and him started working together. He approached her and went on his knees. He caressed Aaron's head and softly kissed his forehead and then kissed her.
"Sally, I don't want you to think that I want to control you but please just text me and let me know where you are. I almost went crazy thinking that something happened to you or Aaron."
Lisbeth asked something that was bothering her, "Did you think I abandoned you?"
He answered, "The idea crossed my mind, I won't lie. Bublanski refused to file the report because he believed that you running away was more likely. Annika seemed ready to comfort me because you were not coming back."
He waited for a shrug or a sarcastic Salander comment but instead his Sally touched his cheek and gave him a kiss. She said, "I'm sorry Mikael."
Suddenly he was tired and wanted nothing more than curl up in his bed with Sally. He was grateful that they were in the same page about the events of today. He took Aaron who was now wide awake and looking at everything. The baby started to get fussy. Mikael took him from the sling and carried him to the door. Lisbeth followed them.
When the small family let the office, the adults noticed the Millennium employees also leaving. Mikael had the suspicion that they spied on them; it bothered him a little but he was not going to lose sleep over that. Lisbeth while being a very private person did not care what other people thought of her or her relationship to Mikael so she waved it off.
Karim and Cortez left on one elevator. Christer, Erika, Michael, Aaron and Lisbeth boarded the other one.
In typical Aaron fashion he giggled at the two strangers. Aaron new them both, Mikael took him to Millennium every other week. Christer and Erika were behind Mikael; Aaron was trying to reach Christer's glasses. The adult engaged the baby by approaching him and then backing away. Aaron let out all sorts of giggles and little sounds.
When leaving the elevator, Erika offered to take them to Mikael's apartment. Surprisingly it was Lisbeth who accepted the offer.
"Thank you." She walked to Berger's car; obviously she did not have a chair for Aaron. They arranged it by having Mikael sit with the baby and Lisbeth rode next to Berger.
The ride was silent, Mikael was dead tired and Lisbeth didn't do small talk. Mikael thanked Erika for the ride and said good-bye to her. Little Aaron giggled at her.
Lisbeth was already up the stairs when Mikael and Aaron said their good-byes. They entered the apartment. Lisbeth made herself a sandwich while Mikael bathed Aaron.
She asked, "Mikael are you hungry?"
"No," he answered from the bathroom. He rinsed Aaron and then put him in his crib.
He went into the kitchen and saw his Sally eating a tuna sandwich. She offered a little bite and he took it. She finished her meal and they showered.
Mikael looked tired and let Lisbeth wash him. He in turn embraced her and caressed her back. He traced her dragon tattoo, he loved that one, and it was definitely his favorite. He turned her around and kissed it. He could see the water soaking the ink on her back. He kissed her neck and massaged her breasts. He hugged her from the back and moved to the showerhead. He touched her hips and her belly.
Her body changed; when he first met her she was very slender. During her pregnancy she became rounded. She was now back to her slender figure but her hips were rounder. Mikael touched her clit and massaged her vulva. She was supporting herself with the shower wall and was backing up her behind. Lisbeth looked at him over her shoulder and gave him a dirty smile. He smiled back and entered her.
He made love to her slowly, Lisbeth moaned and gasped. Mikael rolled her nipples and her clit. She came gripping him with such force that he had no other option but to spill his seed inside of her.
They slid to the bathtub and kissed once more. Lisbeth was tired and wanted to sleep she curled herself on top of Mikael. He noticed that Sally was about to drift off and stood up. He carried her to the bed and left her there. He checked on Aaron, the baby was sleeping and sucking his thumb.
He went to the bed; he immediately sought Sally's warmth and smelled her wet hair. He drifted off to sleep.