Chapter 27

Nine hundred feet in length, ten floors high and capable of holding over three thousand passengers, the super structure towered above them. The hospital ship had once been a luxury liner and it was a thing of beauty. Four buff colored funnels rose gracefully from the deck. A green strip ran the length of the white hull. Interrupting the strip were three huge red crosses.

Anna smiled at the astonished expressions on the faces of both Artemis and Jarlaxle.

"Amazing," The drow breathed backing up to get a better look at the huge ship. Never in his wildest dreams had he ever imagined anything like this floating fortress. How was such a thing built?

Artemis frowned at the superstructure. "How are we to cross water in a ship with no sails or oars?" he demanded. When Anna laughed he turned a murderous glare on her.

Ignoring the angry scowl, "There are engines in the bottom of the ship which power the propeller," Anna explained thoroughly amused by the look on their faces. "I told you our ships were larger than what you were used to," she reminded him. Artemis glared at her before turning his attention back to the ship. He didn't like being caught by surprise so often. It made him feel vulnerable.

"How are we to get onboard?" Jarlaxle asked. His fascination with the beautiful ship was a sharp contrast to Artemis unease.

"I won't have any trouble, but you and Artemis will have to sneak onboard," Anna told him. She still hadn't figured out how she was going to smuggle them onboard. She was pretty sure she could get Artemis on but Jarlaxle was another story. Not to mention she didn't like the fascinated expression on the drow's face. She didn't want to think about how much trouble he could cause.

Jarlaxle nodded, unconcerned. "Go, we will meet you on the ship," he said waving her away. Anna shot him an uncertain look. What was he going to do? She sincerely hoped he didn't kill anyone.

"Are you sure?" Anna asked. She didn't want to leave them to their own devices. Who knew what mischief they might cause? The wide smile the dark elf gave her didn't ease her fears. Shaking her head Anna headed towards the gangway.

"You're enjoying this," Artemis growled at Jarlaxle.

"Of course! And you are not?" The drow asked. When Artemis scowled at him, "Come my friend, have you ever seen anything so wondrous?" he asked. Artemis sighed and shook his head. He agreed with the dark elf but he wasn't about to encourage him. As Jarlaxle walked beside the ship Artemis reluctantly fell into step beside him. He had a sinking feeling that the drow was going to get them into trouble again and he wasn't looking forward to it.

"There is our way on," Jarlaxle told him pointing a rope that ran from the ship to the dock.

Artemis looked at the rope. He just knew he was going to regret this.

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Anna tried not to look back as she walked towards the gangway. How were they going to get onboard? Then she smiled slightly. Jarlaxle no doubt had something up his sleeve. Once she reached the gangway she asked to speak to one of the doctors. Hospital ships always needed medical personal and as soon as she showed her ID they let her onboard.

Once onboard Anna checked in and was shown a cabin she could use by one of the other nurses.

"You can wash up over there," the nurse said pointing towards a door on the far wall.

She knew how she must look. The last time Anna had bathed had been in Faerun. The days had been running together and she didn't even know how long it had been. Though considering how itchy she was feeling it had been far too long. She didn't like the idea of putting on clean clothes before she washed off the blood and filth from the trench.

"I don't suppose someone could spare a uniform," Anna said. The nurse frowned thoughtfully. "I think we are similar sizes, I have one I can spare," the nurse said walking over to her backpack and pulling out a uniform. "You can have this one," she said holding out the clothing. Anna took the clothing gratefully, "Thank you." The nurse nodded before shutting the cabin door behind her and leaving Anna alone.

Scratching her head Anna opened the door into the bathroom. It was small but functional. There was wash basin and a toilet. Setting the clothes down she filled the basin with water she set to work scrubbing off the blood and filth. Once she was finished she dressed quickly, fastened her life jacket and then went in search of Jarlaxle and Artemis.

As the ship started to move away from the dock Anna hoped they had managed to get onboard.

Anna's uniform allowed her to wander the ship freely. There was much area to cover and she decided to work her way topside. By the time she reached the top deck her friends were nowhere to be found. Had they made it in time? The top deck was deserted. Seeing the lifeboats she walked over and sat down to rest. The lifeboats suspended above her almost completely hid her from view. Where were they? What should she do? Deep in thought Anna didn't hear the dark figure approach. A hand closed over mouth as the opposite arm encircled her. Anna tried to scream but the hand covering her mouth muffled the sound. She struggled wildly but was unable to break free of the iron hold.

"Stop struggling," a familiar voice growled. Anna twisted around to find that it was Artemis Entreri holding her. Relief flooded through her. "Where is Jarlaxle?" Artemis asked as he released her.

"I thought he was with you," Anna answered turning around to face him.

Artemis scowled at her and scanned the deck. "He went in search of you," he told her.

Anna's eyes widened, "We need to find him before he causes trouble," she said starting to move towards the deck. She stopped when Artemis placed a hand on her arm.

"I will check the deck. Where is your cabin?" Artemis asked.

"I'm on the fourth level cabin number 405, but I will be sharing the room with other nurses," she answered. A moment later he was gone and Anna was again alone on the deck. Not sure what else to do, she made her way back towards her cabin. She didn't have much time before she would be needed.

Though she kept an eye out for him, there was no sign of Jarlaxle. Reaching her cabin she glanced around before opening the door and stepping into her room.

Jarlaxle was laying on the bunk watching quietly as she closed the door behind her.

Anna turned around and shrieked. "How did you get in here?" she gasped.

Jarlaxle sat up and swung his legs off the bunk. "Why through there," he answered waving at the door. The drow had thrown his cloak across one of the other bunks and Anna noticed that he did not wear a shirt under his vest. His tightly muscled arms were bare.

"Don't you own a shirt?" Anna asked averting her eyes. The red vest didn't cover nearly enough of him to make her comfortable. There was far too much dark skin visible.

"Of course," he said amused as she tried to avoid looking at him.

"Then put one on!" she exclaimed. Anna wondered why she was so uncomfortable. It wasn't like she had never seen bare arms before she thought to herself in disgust.

A smile played along the dark elf's lips. Actually he wanted to change. He had been wearing the same clothing far too long. The drow were a fastidious race and Jarlaxle was no exception. Getting up from the bunk he walked over to Anna and touched her damp hair, "You have bathed," he noted. When she didn't answer he walked around the room until he came across the bathroom.

Looking back at her, "You have a private bathing chamber," he said in surprise walking in to get a better look.

Against her better judgment Anna followed him in to explain how things worked. Jarlaxle was fascinated. He looked at the toilet. "What is this for?" he asked.

"Um…well…," Anna turned bright red as she tried to explain. Jarlaxle turned to look at her as she stammered over how to explain the toilet. He wondered what she was so embarrassed about and then it dawned on him and he started to laugh.

"You get the idea," Anna said not wanting to talk about the toilet anymore, "and no I am not going to show you how to use it," she rushed to tell him before he could ask. Still laughing, Jarlaxle motioned towards the basin, "With your permission I would like to wash up and change clothes," he said. Anna stared him.

"If you would like to assist I would not object," Jarlaxle said when Anna continued to stare at him.

"What? No, you can't! I mean there are other people sharing the room with me, they could return at any time." Anna yelped. Jarlaxle shrugged and started to remove his vest. Since the drow could easily hear someone approaching the cabin long before they reached it, he wasn't worried about being caught unaware.

Anna didn't waste any time as she left bathroom blushing furiously as the drow's laughter drifted through the door.

Anna anxiously listened for the sound of anyone approaching the cabin. She tried to ignore the faint sound of splashing. 'Don't think about what he looks like without clothes,' she told herself sternly. Unfortunately that was easier said than done. The sight of the corded muscles in his arms had her thinking about what his chest might look like. Were the muscles of his chest as defined as his arms? She had glimpsed the dark skin where his vest cut off and her imagination was running wild. His slender waist and hips emphasized the breath of his chest and shoulders. Her mind started to drift to how shapely his backside had looked as he walked into the bathroom. Horrified at the direction of her thoughts, Anna shook herself struggling to focus on something beside the dark elf's shapely body.

Busy trying not to think about the naked elf Anna didn't hear Artemis open the door. "Did you find the drow?" He growled startling Anna.

She pointed to the bathroom. "Um…he's in there," she said. Artemis scowled at her wondering what she was embarrassed about and then dismissed it as he opened the bathroom door and walked in.

Anna turned even pinker when she heard Artemis start cursing and the drow start laughing. Rubbing his temples Artemis exited the bathroom and glared at Anna. "You couldn't have warned me?" he demanded. A naked Jarlaxle was something Artemis had no desire to see. Anna turned bright red and stared at the floor. Artemis groaned and sat on the opposite bunk scowling at her the entire time.

"I didn't think you would just walk in on him," Anna defended herself still staring at the floor.

Artemis glared at the bathroom door wondering how he kept finding himself in these situations. The drow had been admiring his naked form in bathroom mirror when Artemis walked in. It was nearly impossible to catch the drow by surprise, so Jarlaxle had been well aware that it was Artemis and had let him walk in anyways. Damn drow. For some reason Artemis found humor in the situation.

Looking at Anna, "You do realize that you left him alone with a mirror," Artemis said, "Considering how much he was enjoying looking at his reflection we won't be seeing him for a while."

Anna blinked and looked at Artemis in surprise. He was joking with her. Artemis was so serious all the time that it was odd to hear something amusing come out of his mouth. She hadn't realized that he had a sense of humor.

"It's only a small mirror," Anna retorted.

"Then that should work out just fine for him," Artemis scoffed.

Anna asked, "Surely he not so vain that a mirror is distracting?"

"Did you forget what happened last time he was around a mirror?" Artemis asked arching a dark brow at her.

Anna looked at him in confusion until it came back to her, "You mean the first time we visited London while we were in Faerun?" she asked remembering how the drow had been posing in front the mirror as he adjusted his hat. Artemis nodded causing Anna to start giggling as an unexpected comparison popped into her head

"What's so funny?" Artemis demanded.

Anna tried not to imagine Jarlaxle as an angry little green parakeet that had been deprived of his mirror. Unfortunately the image was too funny to ignore and Anna collapsed into laughter. Once her laughter was under control she explained, "When you were talking about how Jarlaxle loved his reflection I was reminded of a small brightly colored bird called a parakeet," as Artemis' eyebrows shot up she giggled and then continued, "Parakeets love mirrors. They will happily stare at themselves for hours. The only way to get them to stop is to take the mirror away," she finished and then dissolved into laughter at his expression.

Unexpectedly Artemis laughed, her amusement reflected in his gray eyes. It transformed his entire face. It was interesting seeing humor on Artemis' face. His smile while not kind brought an answering smile to her face.

With a start, Anna realized that Artemis was very attractive when he wasn't scowling. It was an unsettling realization that the man she had always considered a monster would be considered handsome.

Inside the bathroom Jarlaxle smiled. It was good to hear Artemis and Anna laughing together. The problem was the laughter was at his expense. As much as he enjoyed hearing Artemis laugh he needed to put an end to their amusement. He came out of the bathroom wearing only a pair of breeches. Anna's wide eyed stare almost made up for their laughter. Almost.

It was the first time Anna had seen him partially unclothed and try as she might she couldn't stop herself from staring. Jarlaxle's entire upper body was so tightly muscled that even his abdominal muscles were clearly defined. It was like looking at a beautiful statue carved entirely from black marble.

"Had I known how much you would appreciate my body I would have left the breeches off as well," Jarlaxle laughed. Anna's eyes jerked to his face. A wide grin spread across his face making Anna turn bright red again.

Not wanting to hear anymore, Artemis abruptly stood up and walked towards the door.

"Where are you going?" Anna asked in alarm realizing that he was going to leave her alone with the drow. Artemis didn't bother to answer as he stepped into the hallway.

Jarlaxle laughed at her expression. She was so much fun to tease. Her open mouthed stare when he had come out of the bathing chamber without a shirt amused him to no end. He also noted that her attraction to him was strong enough that even her usual modesty didn't prevent her from openly staring. How interesting. He considered walking around without his shirt but it looked like she wouldn't be able form a full sentence until he was covered again. Shaking out the shirt he was holding he pushed his arms through the sleeves and finished dressing.

Once he was dressed Anna found herself wondering where he gotten the clothes. The britches were similar to the ones he had worn before but instead of the vest he wore a long sleeved shirt. With its full sleeves that gathered at the wrist and the delicate embroidery that ran along the cuffs, collar and down the front, the shirt was not from around here. Then again with the amount of tricks the drow had up his sleeve she shouldn't be surprised.

Anna fidgeted in the chair as the drow focused his attention on her. The slow smile spreading across his face made her want to ran for the door. "I would advise against running," Jarlaxle remarked sitting on the bunk. "Come," he said patting the space beside him. Anna's mouth opened and closed but no sound came out. When he cocked an eyebrow she just shook her head. "You can't stay here," she hissed.

Jarlaxle thought she actually might make a run for the door. "If not here, then where might we talk?" he asked. Anna did not want to be alone with him.

"It appears that we will need to talk later," Jarlaxle said picking up his cloak. He swung it around his shoulders and then reached into it and pulled out his ugly purple hat. Jarlaxle winked at her and then tipped his hat and vanished.

Anna opened her mouth to ask what he was doing when the door opened and the nurse from earlier poked her head in, "Are you ready?" she asked. Anna nodded and glanced one last time at the spot where the drow had been standing before following the nurse.

It never failed to amaze Anna how much pain these boys endured. Though many were bedridden there were just as many of the walking wounded. Despite being able to walk many of these poor souls were so traumatized it was likely they would never fully recover. There were so many it was impossible to give the injured soldiers the attention they needed. She had seen the effects of mustard gas while working by the trenches but this was the first time she saw the after effects. The gas ate through the flesh. In some cases the gas left ghastly gaping holes where the eyes had been. Moans, screams and cries of pain filled the air.

As she assisted one of the amputees she heard someone coughing. It was a weird quacking sound. She looked around and saw it was one of the walking wounded. A feeling of déjà vu came over her as she watched the soldier. The memory of the bleeding soldier without any wounds came to mind. Turning back to the amputee she pushed the feeling aside. She needed to concentrate.

By the time Anna was done for the day it was fully dark. Tired and heavy hearted she headed topside. She needed some time alone away from the blood and pain. Noticing a newspaper one of the soldiers was reading she stopped as the date caught her eye.

"How old is this newspaper?" she asked the soldier.

"It's today's paper miss," he answered smiling and holding it out to her, "Would you like to read it?" he offered. Anna thanked him and took the paper. It was the date and not the newspaper she was interested in. If date was correct she had returned to her time the same day she had left. How could that be? As she walked away the soldier starting coughing, she glanced back to find him doubled over clutching his ribs. The cough had that odd quacking sound she had heard earlier. She had seen other soldiers with similar coughs. Hearing someone cough wasn't unusual but the severity of it drew her attention. Once or twice she had seen them cough up a thick blackish fluid as well. Turning away she frowned at how similar it was to the soldier she had seen just prior to her arriving in Faerun. It was too close to what she had seen in Faerun for her peace of mind.

Reaching the top deck she found a quiet cranny between the lifeboats and sat down. Lost in thought she jumped when Jarlaxle suddenly appeared beside her.

"Don't do that!" She gasped.

"Do what?" The drow asked.

"Sneak up on me like that. You're going to give me a heart attack," she told him.

Jarlaxle shook his head, "It was you that did not return my greeting," he said. Looking curiously at the paper she was holding, "What has you so preoccupied?" he asked.

"The date," Anna said frowning at the paper. He gave her an encouraging look. "If this date is correct then I believe we returned the same day that I left," she explained. Actually that would explain why she reappeared in the burning hospital tent. "Is that possible?" she wondered.

"If that is the case then we have more time to find answers," he said. Jarlaxle considered what she had said. If the puzzle box returned its user to the same point in time that would allow him to explore this world at his leisure. This pleased the drow immensely.

Anna nodded and set the paper down beside her. Drawing up her knees she rested her forehead on them. She was so tired. The feel of his hand against her hair made Anna turn towards him. "You are weary," he realized.

Anna smiled slightly, "It was a long day. I wanted to get away from everything for a little while," she said.

A roll appeared in the drow's hand. "You need to eat," he said holding it out to her.

"How did you get this?" Anna asked taking the roll. The drow smiled and winked at her. Maybe she didn't want to know. After finishing the roll she did feel a little better. Perhaps she had needed to eat.

Now that she was feeling more like herself, Anna noticed how close the dark elf was sitting. She scooted away causing him to look at her curiously.

Jarlaxle wondered why she was so afraid to get close to him. He knew it wasn't because he was a drow, though that should have reason enough. "Why is it you do not want to get too close to me? Is it out of fear?" he asked watching as she stiffened at his words.

Anna didn't know how to put her feelings into words. She knew that if she got to close to him it would be terribly hard when he left and he would leave. He was Fae. There wasn't even the slightest chance he would stay. The Fae were capricious by nature. Artemis had confirmed that as well. The thought depressed her. She sighed, "I'm human and it hurts when someone you are close to leaves. I do not need or want the pain I would feel once you are gone," she said softly.

"What makes you think that I would let you go?" Jarlaxle asked as he moved closer to her.

Too shocked to respond, Anna didn't pull away when he leaned forward to kiss her. Perhaps it was the exhaustion, but at the feel of his lips she closed eyes and kissed him back. His kiss was intoxicating and Anna didn't have the energy to resist. Pulling away he move back to lean against the side of ship and motioned for her to join him. Anna hesitated then joined him. She couldn't hide her surprise when he encircled her with an arm so that she could rest her head on his shoulder.

"What did you mean by not letting me go?" she asked. It didn't make any sense and she was too tired to try and figure it out.

He laughed quietly against her hair, "I didn't realize that I was unclear," he said. Anna sighed and gave up. He probably wouldn't give her a truthful answer anyways.

"You're always unclear," she grumbled drawing another laugh from him.

Jarlaxle wondered if she truly thought he would just let her go before he tired of her. He absently wondered how long it would take. He suspected it might be some time before that happened. Something about her intrigued him. It had been a pleasant surprise when she had returned his kiss. He wondered if she would do it again. Tilting her head back the drow considered the shadows under her eyes. "How long has it been since you slept?" he asked. Anna shrugged. She couldn't remember. "Rest," he told her tucking a stray curl behind her ear. To his amusement she did just that.

He felt her breathing slow as she relaxed against him. He shook his head at how trusting she was. Anna would never survive in Menzoberrazan. Her eyelashes were a dark smudge against the paleness of her cheek. Lightly drawing his finger along them he studied her sleeping face. It was ironic how she could deal with death on a daily basis and yet retain such innocence. He was oddly reluctant to rob her of that.

At his touch she smiled in her sleep. Cupping her cheek and gently kissed her and then leaned back to watch the clouds drift across the night sky. It was pleasant feeling her soft curves pressed against him and for one of the few times in his long life Jarlaxle was content.

Anna woke up to the drow nibbling on her ear. It took several minutes for her to remember where she was and with whom. As soon as she did she scrambled to her feet. What had she been thinking? She was so stupid. He remained silent simply watching as she scurried away desperate to put as much distance as she could between them.

Jarlaxle watched her retreat. Like it or not she wanted him. Smiling the drow leaned back and considered how to overcome her fear of getting close to him. After all he planned to get a lot closer.

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Cursing her foolishness Anna didn't notice Artemis until she ran into him. He caught her before she fell scowling at her the entire time. Mumbling an apology she darted around him and hurried towards her cabin. Artemis watched her leave and then walked over to the still smiling drow.

"It amazes me that you are still toying with her," Artemis remarked sitting beside the dark elf.

"Ah my friend, who says I am toying with her?" Jarlaxle grinned.

Artemis shrugged, "It's your nature."

"Quite true," the drow admitted.

"Then why not just bed her and be done with it?" Artemis asked.

"Just bed her," Jarlaxle echoed widening his eyes dramatically, "Perish the thought!" he exclaimed.

Artemis scowled at him, "If you don't want to bed her then what do you want?" he demanded.

Jarlaxle gave him a sly smile, "I never said that I didn't want to bed her," he said.

Artemis growled, "Then pray, enlighten me."

Instead of answering Jarlaxle asked, "Come my friend, have you no interest in what lies beyond these waters?"

"I know what lies beyond these waters," Artemis snorted, "Trouble."

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The days ran together in a haze of exhaustion. Anna had almost forgotten what it was like working so many hours. They had all been working twelve to sixteen hour shifts.

Anna rubbed her eyes and rolled out of the bunk. Stumbling to her feet she opened the cabin door and walked right into the nurse she had been assisting. The nurse looked at her out of tired eyes. Anna mumbled an apology and fell into step beside her.

"Did you hear about the ghost?" the nurse asked.

It took a minute for the question to penetrate the fog that had settled over Anna's brain, "What ghost?" she echoed in surprise.

A smile lit the nurse's face. The ghost was a welcome distraction. "The cook saw a biscuit disappear into thin air a few days ago," she said.

Anna started and then stifled a groan. She had a bad feeling she already knew the ghost. It was probably just as well they thought it was a ghost. She could only imagine what they would think of Jarlaxle.

The nurse took Anna's silence as encouragement and continued, "That's not all," she whispered, "There have been other sightings as well. One of the men working on the engines saw a ghost just last night."

Anna stared at her, "Really? What did it look like?" she was almost afraid to ask.

"He said at first he thought someone had wandered into the engine room, but when he walked over the figure melted into the shadows and then disappeared," the nurse told her.

Anna knew that she never should have left them to their own devices. She knew they would get in trouble. No doubt the entire ship would now be on the lookout for ghosts. She resisted the urge to rub her temples.

As soon as her shift was over Anna made her way topside and waited for Jarlaxle. She had been avoiding him since that first night, but she couldn't let them just roam around the ship.

Walking over to the railing she leaned against it and looked out over the water. The feather on Jarlaxle's hat brushed against her as the wind kicked up. Anna jumped and spun towards him. "How long have you been there?" she gasped.

"Quite some time," the drow answered raising a white eyebrow, "You didn't see me?"

Oh Anna saw him alright. How could she miss that hideous purple hat of his? She just hadn't heard him. The dark elf was as quiet as a cat.

"I am pleased that you are no longer avoiding me," Jarlaxle remarked.

Anna narrowed her eyes, "Apparently, there are ghosts on the ship," she said looking at him pointedly.

"Indeed," the drow said his lips twitching at her irritated expression. Unable to resist he leaned close to her and whispered, "I was bored and there was no Anna around to distract me." Ironically he was telling her the truth.

"Oh! You…you…," Anna sputtered glaring at him. She took a deep breath, "What if someone had seen you?" she demanded.

Jarlaxle laughed, "Then they would be screaming about demons and not whispering about ghosts."

He was referring to the first time she had seen him and thought he was demon coming to drag her to hell. Anna scowled at him, "How was I to know you were an elf?" she asked.

Jarlaxle was struck once again how much she resembled Artemis when she scowled. He decided that he preferred to see Anna smile. "You shouldn't scowl so, you will wrinkle that lovely face of yours," he said smoothing her brow with a slender black finger. Anna looked at him surprise. Did he just compliment her?

Anna stood hypnotized as Jarlaxle ran his fingers along her face tracing the arch of her eyebrows. The drow's red eyes glowed in the faint light of the setting sun. It felt like he was studying her. She wanted to ask what he was doing but couldn't seem to find her voice. She knew she should run but the desire to stay was far stronger. It occurred to Anna that even if she ran it wouldn't change how she felt. She kept avoiding him, not wanting to get involved. She wanted to cry as he slid his dark fingers into her hair and leaned towards her. She knew nothing but pain awaited her if she continued on this path. So why didn't she push him away?

It was no use. She was caught in his web. Anna wasn't even sure she wanted to escape. She knew she was going to end up heartbroken, but what use was the pain of heartbreak if you didn't have any memories?

Anna surprised the drow by leaning into his embrace and returning the kiss. He had the oddest impression that she had just given up. Encircling her waist with his opposite hand he pulled her tightly against his body enjoying her softness. When he felt her small hand curl around the back of his neck he lifted his head to stare at her. Anna stared back at him seriously.

"You surprise me," the dark elf whispered as she moved her hand to rest on his cheek.

Anna sighed, "I wish I had never met you."

The drow's white brow's shot up, "Why would you wish that?" he asked.

Anna smiled sadly, "Because I can't keep you."

Jarlaxle laughed softly. Only Anna would worry about keeping a drow. "What if I decide to keep you?" he asked.

"You won't," she replied.

"Why would you think that?" he wondered.

"I'm human and you're Fae. The Fae are capricious by nature. It's only a matter of time before you become tired of me," she answered. Though the drow didn't know it she was saying goodbye. She knew that once they reached her grandparents place and were able to get answers he and Artemis would return home. Her place was here and once they returned she would never see Jarlaxle again. She had been thinking about it for the past two weeks and knew that she would have to say goodbye to them in the near future. The mere thought of the drow leaving made her chest painfully tighten. Before she think better of it, she reached up to kiss him.

Jarlaxle was about to respond until she stood on tiptoe and pressed her lips to his. He could feel her sorrow and wondered what had upset her. As he kissed her Jarlaxle reflected that she was worried about the wrong thing. Keeping him was simple. Ridding herself of him is what would be difficult. As far as the drow was concerned she belonged exclusively to him.

Anna finally pulled away and rested her head against his shoulder, "We should arrive in America tomorrow," she told him.

"Ah, then I am to meet your grandfather?" Jarlaxle was very curious about this man that Anna called her grandfather. Unexpectedly she giggled. The drow looked down at her.

"I can't help but wonder, who will be more surprised," she laughed, "Artemis or my grandfather."

Jarlaxle found he was looking forward to this introduction very much. A smile lifted the corner of his lips as he made out the faint shape a city in the distance.

Author's Note: What did you think of this chapter?

Sonra: Don't worry everything will become clear. Actually it should start to fall into place in the next several chapters. Not to mention I have a few more surprises up my sleeve…