Boom it didn't take half a year lol. Hope you enjoy
-S-A-P-H-I-R-A-
She was watching the screens, conscious always of Eragon and Aryas' positioning. There was no way she could lose them. Beside her, Firnen and Thorn were working furiously to try and reach out to DuWeld or Beor, seeming to come close only for the communications jam to slam back in their face. Thorn cursed in a annoyance at each failure and she could tell Firnen was becoming less and less sure of their ability to succeed. When Eragon questioned any other weaknesses in the building her heart dropped. The garage would be the perfect place to sneak in. She, Firnen, and Thorn hadn't been safeguarding it at all. She felt stupid but there was nothing she could do now. It was up to Eragon.
The scenes that played out over the security systems after that moment were images she would never forget. Eragon, pinned down in a stairwell, Ajihad dropping down and Arya rushing to his side, Eragon almost dying and Arya running to save him. It was all too much all at once. Tears were in her eyes as she tried furiously still to break through the restrictions the enemy DRAGON had set up. When the enemy retreated once more, running for escape, she forced herself into logical mode. She told Arya and Eragon to get out, keeping her fears to herself that she might not make it out in time. As soon as she knew they were gone and safe, she stood and yanked Firnen and Thorn to their feet.
"We've got to get out of here!" She turn to the others in the room. "Everyone to the garage! Take what you can, lay low, and stay safe. In time we will all reconvene."
She sprinted up the steps, the two other DRAGONS close at her heels, and made it to the war room only to about gag at the stench of death around her. The first thing she saw was Nasuada kneeling over her father, weeping and holding his limp body in her arms. The stark reality of the situation struck her. It was so profound and powerful. Never before had she realized the evilness, to this extent, of Galbatorix and his people. He would stop at nothing- would relinquish nothing- to get what he wanted. She knew she was crying as she ran to Orik and told him what she'd told Eragon and Arya.
Orik proceeded to relay the orders to his fellow agents and as a unit they headed for the garage. Firnen and Thorn did the same, getting the message across to the other agents. Brom who was told next, continued to spread it as well.
As she looked to where Eragon had been, she saw Murtagh helping a wounded agent towards the stairs, only passing him off to somebody when he saw another injured laying on the ground. There were several scenes such as this, the hurt being helped by the able. It took almost forty minutes to clear out those remaining and she finally was left with Nasuada. Saphira made her way over to the young woman and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"We have to go. I'm so sorry Nasuada."
The grieving woman's shoulder's shuddered.
"I cannot leave him here."
Somebody came to stand beside her and Saphira looked to find Murtagh, a sad expression covering his face.
"If you do not object, I will carry him."
Nasuada glanced back, relief at the offer clear in her eyes.
"I know it is stupid to risk it, but I will not let his body rot in here."
Murtagh only nodded, his face somber. He reached out his hand to Nasuada, and pulled her to her feet. Once she was clear he knelt and wrapped his arms under Ajihad's back and legs. Nasuada's appreciation was evident on her face as they all made their way to the garage together. Upon reaching it, Saphira sprinted to one of the only remaining vehicles and yanked open the trunk. Murtagh placed Ajihad's body gently and respectfully on the floor while Nasuada pulled a tarp from a workshop counter and placed it over his body.
Her eyes had dried and now she looked on with a glazed expression that Saphira could not quite decipher. The five of them then proceeded to climb into the SUV and she volunteered to drive. Firnen sat beside her in the passenger seat while Nasuada, Thorn, and Murtagh sat three across in the row behind. With a grim sigh, Saphira set the car in drive and pulled out of the demolished Varden base. As they made their way down the winding paths she glanced at Firnen. His eyes were sad and harrowed, as he'd never experienced something so tragic or disturbing in his life. Without a word she reached for his hand and laced their fingers together. His parents, along with the other non-combatant residents of the Varden had been ushered down to the garages by their family and friends. Most likely his parents were with several experienced soldiers who would protect them and get there where they needed to be.
She reached a fork in the road sometime later and slowed to a stop. There was one that led to a major highway, which would take them out of state, and the other which led deeper into Arkansas.
"I'm pretty sure the US government will have roadblocks, searches, and a hell of a lot of security at every exit for at least the next week. We need to go deep undercover until it all blows over. I set the self-destruction of the Varden building for one hour from when we left. No evidence will be left behind for Galbatorix or the US to find. As long as we aren't caught it should be fine. I think making camp a few hours from here would be a good plan of action. Any disagreements?"
Nasuada answered with a simple shake of her head, signaling no argument on her part, and Thorn and Murtagh agreed with two "no's." She nodded her head. "Good."
With that, she rolled into gear and took them to the left of the bend.
-R-O-R-A-N-
He rubbed his temples in annoyance, staring with vivid focus at the image of his brother. There had been no word, no sign, and no lead since last he saw him. The Drug Lord angle had gotten them nowhere and he was struggling to remain calm. Sleep was always far off and his annoyance at anything and everything was increasing. He was sitting at home, his body tense, and beside him Katrina was trying to figure some way to help him. She rested her hand on his shoulder.
"Roran you need to take a break from this hunt. It's killing you."
He drew his hand roughly down his face.
"I know but I can't! If I stop looking for even a minute I might miss something! He is out there and he needs me. He's my only family remaining and I will not lose him as well."
Katrina sighed, knowing she wouldn't be talking him out of it. She was about to speak when his phone rang. Answering it by reflex he held it to his ear.
"Roran speaking."
"Turn on the television. Channel five."
He frowned, doing as he was asked and seeing a road with flashing lights across the screen. The reported spoke excitedly. "Nobody knows what is actually going on but from our sources we are hearing that communication has been disabled in a thirty mile radius, all centered on a location that is supposedly a vacation spot and a business area. Nobody is being allowed entrance to this zone, the police and government officials claiming it is dangerous."
He looked at Katrina.
"Do you think it's them?"
She shrugged, worry on her face.
"It's highly possible. Come on, I'm sure we can find out more at the station."
They were walking in ten minutes later to find the place abuzz with agents running to and fro, trying to find information on the situation in Arkansas. Footage was playing across all monitors and reporters were calling it the next massive terrorist attack. Anger welled in him at their selfishness. They knew nothing and yet they were scaring the living hell out of thousands to get money and fame. He watched the situation play out for hours, all until there was a massive explosion that rocked reporters cameras. Images were all turned towards it and he saw a cloud billowing out of a forest type area. With that, his boss went into action.
"Roran, our attention and manpower is needed there now. They aren't going to be able to handle all of the leg work."
He didn't even let Reese finish before he was nodding.
"I'm on my way."
-A-R-Y-A-
The day passed relatively quietly and she helped Theresa wherever she could. Eragon had tried to lend a hand but they'd both promptly told him to relax his arm. He'd grumbled about it for over an hour before finally relenting and going to take a nap. His exhaustion was present on his face and she had pulled him aside, telling him to rest. Now, as she worked side by side with Gabe's wife, she found the woman intriguing and clever beyond what she'd expected. Her humor was enjoyable, bringing down her guard and making her smile more than she normally would. The kindness she was shown astounded Arya and yet she had no way to thank her other than her service.
Gabriel had returned later that night to find them sitting in the living room, the chores done, playing a hand or two of Rummy. He smiled, kissing his wife and sitting down beside her.
"Who's winning?"
Theresa laughed.
"Arya. But I'm running a close second."
Gabe chuckled, flipping on the television and resting tiredly against the seat. The video that played out startled Arya. It was a massive explosion that came from the area of the Varden. Fear filled her and she sat further forward, trying to figure out the time it happened and what had been discovered afterward. The report then flashed a video of firefighters sifting through the wreckage of the building. She raised her brow at the utter destruction done, realizing the handiwork of her own people immediately. The building must've had a destruct command that Saphira or Nasuada had entered. The technology was created at DuWeld and she knew without a doubt that the files were utterly demolished and the gear and such was completely warped beyond distinction. She sighed in relief, knowing that nobody she cared for had died in the explosion as it was set purposefully. Gabriel and Theresa were watching her with guarded curiosity and she sighed.
"There's so much I can't tell you in order to keep you safe. I will say that Eragon and I work for an agency that is made to protect the US. There are other's like us in different countries as well. Last night there was an attack and a lot of us were taken out before we forced the enemy to retreat. The explosion is my people's work as they tried to cover any damning evidence or such that shouldn't be seen by the wrong people. Nobody was hurt or killed by it."
The older couple seemed to believe her and slowly fell back into their jovial mood. By ten she was feeling the soreness settle in her muscles and she yawned. Theresa took that as a signal and patted her hand.
"You should sleep as well, Arya."
She nodded her agreement, slowly standing and stretching her arms above her head. With a small smile and a goodnight, she was trudging up the stairs and pushing the door open to their room. Eragon was sleeping peacefully on the bed, his stomach down and his whole body on top of the covers. She chuckled, walking to stand beside him and crouch by his side.
"Eragon." He grumbled quietly into the pillow below him. She held back her amusement as he swiped his hand at her. "Hey, covers are meant to be slept under, not on top of. Move it."
He turned to look at her, his half-asleep eyes endearing.
"Just lemme' sleep."
His voice was rough and slurred, making her heart warm without consent. She instinctively ran her fingers down his cheek, causing him to smile, his eyes still closed. As he fell back into his unconscious state, she couldn't help the direction her mind took her. Never in her life had she allowed somebody this close to her. So close that he effected every part of her. The happiness that consumed her when he spoke, when he looked at her, it was overwhelming. And it was frightening. Even then, she wasn't ever letting him go. Arya switched sides, climbing up beside him and pulling up her side of the comforter. She slid under it, the cool sheets sending a chill through her at their touch.
Without hesitation she moved closer to Eragon, his body heat warming her and his presence calming her. Within moments she was out as well."
She woke suddenly just three hours later, feeling that something was off. It only took a second to realize exactly what. Beside her, Eragon was twisting back and forth, his face covered in a sheen of sweat. She gripped his shoulder forcefully and he jerked away, almost falling to the floor before he caught himself. He was still for several moments as he gained awareness of all that was around him. When his eyes met hers he clenched his jaw.
"Sorry."
She frowned as he settled back down next to her.
"What happened?"
He ran a hand over his eyes, sighing deeply and turning away from her.
"Just my mind creating altered history."
She narrowed her eyes in confusion.
"What?"
"Morzan. . . he took Garrow's place in my past. I . . . well, you can imagine what my brain came up with."
She reached over and rubbed soothing circles along his back.
"I'm sorry."
There wasn't anything she could say to make his heritage disappear. Her helplessness felt terrible. He simply shrugged.
"Not like anybody can do anything." He was silent a moment before speaking again, this time a smile evident in his voice. "That feels really good."
She grinned, pausing her movements and pretending she didn't hear.
"Hmm?"
He moved closer, grumbling at her actions.
"Arya. . ."
She let out a small chuckle, glad she'd found a way to distract him. She continued where she left off, feeling him relax under her palm. Slowly, he drifted once more into a deep sleep. Once she was sure he wouldn't wake up, she burrowed back into the blankets and let the night take her as well.
-E-R-A-G-O-N-
He watched her sleep for an uncertain amount of time before finally reaching over and brushing the hair from her face. She didn't startle awake or move away at his touch. Her eyes, emeralds suffused with gold, slid open and she stared at him. He grinned.
"Hey."
Obviously not fully awake, she closed her eyes and curled tighter into his side. That simple, innocent, vulnerable gesture sent him into a tailspin of emotion. This woman, somebody who hated him a year before, was now tucked into his side and trusting him enough to put her life and heart in his hands. Trust, something she gave so rarely an sparingly, was freely given to him. It had taken so much time and pain on both sides to get to this point and now it was almost hard to comprehend it all. He wrapped his arm around her waist, breathing her in.
"I'm trying to sleep."
He chuckled.
"I know but you look so cute."
She pulled back and glared.
"I'm not cute." His mirth turned into full blown laughter and she tried to escape his grasp only for him to latch on tighter. "Eragon."
If he didn't know her so well he would've fallen for her false anger but he could hear the amusement behind her annoyance. Instead of disengaging he pressed his lips to her neck. She stilled, her breathing changing. Arya's hands tangled into his hair and he took that as a good sign. Deciding to tease her, he moved along her neck to the spot just below her ear where she was always more sensitive. A small gasp left her lips as he continued, his teeth and tongue interchanging. After several seconds he made his way along her jaw to her mouth, capturing it and reveling in the feeling.
She pushed her tongue past his lips, tangling it with his own and making it all more intense and intoxicating. His hands slid up her back, the muscles there flexing and releasing as they continued. It was over ten minutes later before he pulled away. She seemed dazed, her eyes unfocused and still wanting. He definitely knew the feeling.
"That's a good way to wake up."
He grinned.
"I sure enjoyed it."
Her smile slowly slipped away and she closed her eyes with a sigh.
"It feels wrong to be happy when so much just happened. I mean. . . The Varden is destroyed and Ajihad-"
He cut her off.
"Don't. Just, don't dwell on it. Finding happiness in a rough situation is a good thing, Arya."
"I just feel guilty."
He pushed himself up to sit cross-legged beside her. It was a new thing; her telling him her feelings openly. She wasn't guarded or suspicious.
"Stop then. Mourn the loss of Ajihad yes, but worrying and stressing over something you can do nothing about will only destroy you. Take my word for it, I've definitely been there."
Arya also rose to a sitting position, her back resting on the headboard.
"How are you doing with that?"
He laughed.
"Don't deflect babe, at least not so obviously."
A smirk made it's way to her lips and she looked out the window. The sun hadn't risen yet but the glow of it was already showing.
"Babe? Is this a new thing?"
He grinned.
"For one, you're still deflecting, two, yes it is. Now, please don't get overloaded with guilt or stress."
She pulled her knees to her chest, her chin resting on them.
"You know, this is your fault."
He raised a brow.
"How is it my fault?"
"Because before you I was perfectly emotionless."
He pushed her leg softly.
"I wouldn't use the word perfectly next to the last one. It's not a great thing. I've also tried it."
She tilted her head.
"Yeah but you're an emotional person. To take away a pillar a person stands on is a dangerous thing. I'm not as reliant on feelings."
"Creepy how you know me so well."
Arya rolled her eyes.
"Not creepy at all. If I didn't know you this well by now then I would definitely not be cut out for the life I lead. I spend more time with you than I've spent with anyone my entire life."
He grinned.
"I feel a strange sense of pride at that."
There was a comfortable silence until she broke it a minute later.
"I was honestly asking earlier. You've gone through a lot recently and have been rather silent on what's happening in your head."
He knew then exactly what he felt for her. It was so blatantly obvious to him that he almost blurted it out. He'd always known. He loved her. He glanced down.
"I'm actually alright."
"Good." She lifted his chin, a knowing look in her eyes. "Now say that to me."
He bit his cheek, watching the amusement and worry in her eyes. He stared into the deep green and tried to say the same thing only to pause and groan.
"I'm mostly fine. It sucks sometimes and knowing that Morzan is my dad is horrible. But you've been with me the weeks since I've known and as long as you stick around I'm pretty sure I can handle most anything."
She chuckled and answered tongue in cheek.
"Well we're stuck together for the next week. After that I can't make any promises."
He growled in annoyance, grabbing her ankle and yanking her towards him with his good arm. She twisted her foot, escaping his clutch and shoving him. He landed with his back on the comforter and she pinned him, his hands to his side. He pouted.
"You still have the advantage of being healthy."
She shook her head.
"No. You've just gotten lazy and complacent."
He feigned hurt.
"You wound me. I am in perfect physical shape."
"Maybe for an FBI agent. You are an agent of the Varden. There is a higher standard."
He stuck his tongue out at her before resting his hands on her waist.
"So many guys I worked with would be raging if they heard you say that."
"I-"
They were interrupted by a knock at the door.
"Breakfast is ready if you want it. Work starts in forty-five."
Gabriel didn't wait around to see if they were awake, most likely because he'd heard them talking. She stepped off of him, grabbing a pair of jeans and a shirt and heading to the bathroom. He grinned, loving her modesty. Before, he would look for the scantily dressed women who flaunted their assets. With Arya is was so much different. She didn't need that to make her beautiful. Of course her body was rockin,' but that's not the reason that he wanted her. They had both somehow decided without speaking to wait on the sex thing. (Read Bottom AN if you have a problem with this decision). It had always stopped before going too far.
His reasoning was simple. Respect for her and for their responsibility. He had done a lot in his past that he wasn't proud of. He'd slept around constantly and had even cheated. Granted, the girls he cheated on were the type to cheat as well, but he'd done it and he was ashamed that he'd ever been that person. Commitment had always terrified him to the point that he was ready to ruin it at a moments notice. His decision to withhold with Arya was based off his desire to prove his love for her, not her body, not his own selfish needs.
She was worth waiting for. No matter how long. Of course it ran through his mind all the damn time, and sometimes it was truly hard to avoid it, but the second reason always was enough to stop him. Their job, what they did, was dangerous and messy. If something happened and Arya got pregnant, the kid would suffer and they would struggle to do their jobs properly. Arya would also probably kill him. Those were his reasonings and he knew one of them almost definitely mirrored her own. Just then she exited the bathroom, fully dressed, and stopped with an annoyed look on her face.
"Really Eragon, you didn't get ready?"
He blinked several times, a small smirk spreading on his face.
"Whoops. My bad."
He swung to his feet and grabbed his own change of clothing. She simply rolled her eyes and pushed out of the room. Within two minutes he was following after her wearing jeans and a green flannel shirt. He was about to head down the steps when he glanced in the spare room with the extra clothing and saw a black stetson sitting on the bed. Without hesitation he snatched it and carried it down with him. At the table, he saw Theresa and Gabriel, Arya, and six others. They all glanced at him, Gabe in annoyance at his tardiness, before returning to their conversations. Apparently they'd waited for him to eat. He noticed also that the seats on either side of Arya were taken.
She looked extraordinarily uncomfortable yet there was no way to fix it without looking supremely childish. So, swallowing his annoyance he settled down beside who he guessed was another ranch hand. Instantly everyone dug in, taking bacon and waffles and stacking them high on their plates. Conversations broke out across the table and he watched curiously to see what Arya would do. It was like she was a completely different. Well, the same in reality, but totally changed from just minutes before. Her posture was rigid and there was no smile in her eyes. It was like she was when he'd just met her.
Her eyes met his and he saw the emeralds light up slightly before dimming as the guy next to her asked a question. Eragon instantly went on alert, keeping close eye on the younger man who was speaking with her. He grinned and she only glanced away, no expression on her face. Amusement filled him at the man's surprised response. He obviously expected her to laugh with him. Eragon sort of felt bad for the guy. He was sitting by someone who would most likely never laugh for him. And her laugh was so incredible. Beside him, the ranch man chuckled.
"Keeping close eyes on your girl aren't you?"
He looked beside him at the older fellow, around forty, with grayish blonde hair and sun beaten skin. Brown, entertained eyes met his expectantly. He shrugged.
"Hard not to when somebody is that gorgeous."
The man chewed a bite, glancing at Arya before returning his gaze to him.
"I'm definitely not arguing, but you seem more interested in who she's talking to."
Eragon nodded.
"I was trying to warn him not to try." He grinned. "And not even out of anger. She's a hard one to know and understand. Figuring her out is like trying to uncover the mystery of Stonehenge."
The man laughed, holding out his hand.
"Name's Ryan. And I can see that. Robert's not getting very far with her."
He liked this guy. He took Ryan's hand.
"Nice to meet you, name's Eragon. That's Arya."
The man nodded.
"I've been informed on your arrival to the extent that I shouldn't mention visitors to any authority and that you two will be helping us out. A couple of these guys know the feeling of being on the run so they'll keep their mouths shut as well. No need for worry."
He nodded his thanks before moving on to another topic.
"So what's in store for us today? What kind of ranch is this?"
Ryan leaned back in his seat.
"It's a stud farm. You'll either be doing some menial work like shoveling horse shit or mending something, or you'll be working with the horses. Whatever Gabe decides to do with you is where you'll go."
"Awesome. He seems less than pleased with my presence here so I can probably guess where I'm headed."
Ryan chuckled.
"He's a fair man, Eragon. But you are here with Arya and in his mind he's taken it upon himself to watch her back. I assume they've told you about their daughter and her death. It's no surprise he's not so fond of you. Especially considering that you guys are on the run. He probably assumes it's your fault. I wouldn't be surprised either if he pulled you aside at some point and had a man to man conversation with you."
He groaned.
"Greeeaaatt. . . . Cause that's what I want."
They spoke about random things for the rest of breakfast, Eragon glancing over at Arya every once in a while to see one of the guys trying to engage her or make her laugh. She answered politely but did nothing more. At some point he was going to have to make known his relationship with her, but at the moment he was content to see her shutting them down. Finally the time came and Gabe stood, carrying his plate to the sink and washing it on the spot. Everyone followed suit and soon they had cleared the table and were waiting for further instruction. The boss grinned.
"Alright fellas,' you know what to do. Ryan, Alric, Robert, take Arya and work some of the horses. She's had experience riding so it shouldn't be mush of a hassle. Everyone else get to the stalls. Theresa choose what you want, either group could use somebody to hold the reins."
Eragon wanted to growl. He could've at least sent him with Arya. He stood started to follow the rest out when Gabriel got his attention.
"Eragon you're with me."
He nodded calmly and waited for Gabe to speak with his wife. They soon separated and the older biker came his way. He slapped Eragon on his wounded shoulder as he walked by.
"Come on."
Biting back a hiss, he followed in step. They headed for a shed, opposite of the barn the others were starting towards, and Eragon couldn't help the thought that crossed his mind. This guy was going to fight him. It was absurd and he caught himself grinning. And then his cheer disappeared. It was quite possible that Gabe would try and test his brawn. And while he didn't want to hurt and old guy, he wasn't going to take any crap. They reached their destination and Gabriel pulled open the doors. The inside was filled to the brim with tools and material of all kinds. The biker seemed to know exactly where to go and he emerged less than ten seconds later with two sets of gloves and a set of keys.
He threw Eragon the gloves and headed around the back of the shed to another small structure. Under it was an XUV 825i S4 Gator that he climbed into. Eragon followed suit, settling in the passenger side and waiting silently for the 'talk' that was undoubtedly to come. It took ten minutes of riding about thirty miles an hour along a high wooden fence before they reached the location Gabriel had in mind. Eragon noticed a stack of wooden posts and an unfinished section of the fence. He wanted to laugh. Classic move. Guess he was fixing fences for the day.
Gabe rolled to a stop, climbing out and strutting over to the pile. He picked up a clam shell digger, slinging one at him that he caught instinctively with his bad arm. Holding back any expression of pain, he switched hands and walked over to the furthest finished post. Without hesitation he began working, measuring and marking for sixty-four feet into the distance. Gabriel busied himself with divvying up the posts and cross posts into separate piles.
He didn't mention anything or show any surprise at the fact that Eragon knew how to properly mark a fence. By the time he began actually digging the holes, Gabriel had joined him and they worked with surprising synchronization for the next hour, only speaking when Eragon asked how deep Gabriel wanted the holes to be. By the time they reached the last one, Eragon was sweating profusely and his wounded arm was aching so badly he was pretty sure the stitches were going to rip soon. He'd accepted what the man was doing and dealt with it, but he'd also assumed he was going to grill him and ask his intentions. The fact that he didn't was aggravating.
They were sweating their asses off with nothing to ease the silence. Just as Eragon was lifting another wooden post, he felt the foreboding tear of the thread. Dread filled him at the thought of working the rest of the day with blood trickling down his arm but he would deal with it. The biker had just grabbed another post when he paused on the way back to the proper hole.
"Your arm."
Eragon shrugged, packing the dirt around the piece they'd just slammed into the ground.
"It's fine."
Shrugging his shoulder, Gabriel just returned to work. But the expression on his face was slight approval and so Eragon felt a bit better about his position in the man's eyes. Two and a half hours on and they had finished the section they were working with completely. His arm was in agony but he'd learned from a very young age how to block out pain. Blood had coated his sleeve in spots but the sun was drying it quickly. Because of this the fabric was plastered to his arm, which meant getting the shirt off without ripping the stitches out completely would be an issue. But he'd deal with that when the time came. Gabe clapped his hands together, smiling slightly.
"You're pretty proficient with this work."
Eragon stretched his left arm, having relied heavily on it the past few hours.
"I was given a job at a maintenance place when I was 16. A lot of the work was mending fences and the like."
The man nodded.
"At least you are capable of doing hard labor. A lot of guys your age are limp as willows."
Eragon shrugged.
"Comes with the upbringing I guess. I was raised properly."
Gabe sat on the pile of posts.
"You seem to have respect for it as well. I'm assuming your old man was a hard ass."
Eragon sighed.
"I don't know what my old man was. I grew up in foster care until a great man took me in. He was an F.B.I. agent and tough as nails. "
"Where's he at now?"
A bitterness entered his voice when he responded.
"Dead."
Gabriel was silent for a moment before continuing down a different path.
"Arya has explained some of what's going on to me. What's your next plan of action?"
Careful not to reveal anything that could hurt him, he shared the basic plan.
"We're going to hide out here for a week and then make our way to our people. I don't want to put you and your family and friends in danger any longer than I have to.
"We can hold our own here."
Eragon chuckled.
"I have no doubts about that. But these men are armed with assault rifles, drones, martial arts training, and the bloodthirst of a depraved wolf."
Gabriel was deadly serious when he spoke next.
"You better be watching her back, you understand me?"
Eragon responded with equal severity.
"Nothing will touch her."
The biker nodded, his distaste for Eragon seemingly dispersed after their conversation. It seemed like he'd passed the test. Gabriel stood and offered him a hand up.
"Come on, lunch'll be ready at noon. They walked to the gator and sat on he burning leather seats. Instead of taking the vehicle back to the shed Gabriel drove straight up the house. The others were also making their way there, all walking the short distance from the barn.
He caught sight of Arya talking with Theresa, noting that Robert was glancing at her every few seconds. He just didn't learn.
He stepped down and headed inside, trying to avoid anyone seeing his arm. Just as he reached the door he heard Arya.
"Eragon."
It wasn't shock or worry, just annoyance. He paused, wincing as he turned around to face her. She closed the remaining twenty feet and raised a brow.
"You thought you could avoid detection?"
He chuckled.
"Detection? I wasn't covering myself in leaves and deer piss, I was just trying to avoid a huge ordeal."
Theresa came up beside them and frowned at her husband.
"Why did you let him continue working after his stitches tore?"
Gabe just shrugged.
"He's a man. He can handle it."
The biker slapped his back and walked inside, his wife still speaking to with with anger in her tone. The other guys filed in around them and Arya crossed her arms.
"Why didn't you come back and fix it? That was stupid."
He glanced down at his stained shirt.
"Because it wasn't that bad. And now I've proven myself to your self-proclaimed protector so I think it was worth it."
She rolled her eyes and gripped the wounded arm, knowing it would hurt as she pulled him inside. While everyone else ate in the dining room, she led him to the kitchen and pushed him down in a chair.
"Take off your shirt."
He grinned.
"I love when you say that."
A small grin escaped her stoic expression.
"Shut up, Eragon."
He unbuttoned the flannel, pulling it off his uninjured arm and then looking wearily at his bloodied shoulder.
"This is gonna suck."
She nodded.
"Yepp. Don't be an idiot next time."
He stuck his tongue out before clenching his teeth and yanking the fabric. A sickening tearing noise sounded and a burning pain filled him. Arya grimaced and he just closed his eyes and waited for the sting to subside. He didn't even want to look at it, knowing it was probably inflamed. Arya ran her thumb along the bottom and he hissed slightly, taken by surprise. She shook her head.
"This is going to scar rather badly. Especially now that I have to re-suture it."
He smirked.
"It's cool, I'm pretty sure you like your men a bit rough around the edges." She grabbed the hydrogen peroxide, pouring it down his arm without warning and catching the stray liquid with his dirty shirt. He growled at her and earned a short laugh in response. "That was cruel."
She feigned ignorance.
"Was it? My apologies."
With that she picked up the needle and plastic thread and went to work, her precision perfect and movements quick. Within five minutes it was finished. She wiped the stray blood that had coated her fingers on the shirt and sighed.
"I don't want to have to babysit you so please don't rip them again."
He stood, his face inches from hers as he smiled.
"I promise. . . " He kissed her, "to give it my best effort."
Suddenly from the dining room they heard somebody groan loudly.
"Why didn't you tell me!? Now I look like such an idiot!"
Both her and Eragon immediately tuned in to the conversation happening. He recognized the voice that answered.
"Because it was hilarious. You kept trying to flirt and he was sitting by me just laughing his arse off."
"Wait he wasn't mad?"
Eragon and Arya could clearly see Robert with his head in his hands but they both kept themselves looking occupied so the guys would continue. Others were laughing as well so it kept the attention off the couple in the kitchen. Ryan shook his head at Robert's question.
"Of course not. Look at him. He's built like a fighter and I'm man enough to say he's handsome. What has he got to worry about with you?"
Eragon could hardly contain his mirth and Arya was watching him with embarrassed amusement. Robert glared at Ryan.
"You're a dick."
The man shrugged.
"Maybe you should use some observation next time man. Two visitors. One guy, one girl. How do you not think they're together?"
Robert sighed and leaned back in his chair.
"Never mind. Still would've been nice to get a warning. Especially since he thought it was so damn funny I was trying to flirt with his girlfriend. That's just a great blow to my ego. Can't even take me seriously."
Eragon was about to absolutely lose it. He was laughing so hard behind his hand that Arya was also struggling to keep the smile off her face. He snorted, losing control and was only stopped because Arya slammed her hand over his mouth, blocking Robert's view of his face by standing to Eragon's side.
"Eragon stop it."
The grin on her face made him want to fall out of his chair because even as she was telling him to shut up, she was enjoying the moment just as much. After a couple moments he was able to gain some semblance of control and he stood. He leaned into the dining room and held the shirt up.
"Where do you want this?"
Theresa just waved him towards the trash.
"Put it in the bin. Gabe will take care of it later."
He did so, heading through the dining room afterwards to reach the stairs. Arya followed at his left. They'd almost passed the table when Robert glanced at him and Ryan snorted. Sending another fit of almost laughter through him. Arya's fingernails dug into his forearm, helping him to keep it quiet until they reached the spare room with their clothing. Arya closed the door quickly and he dropped to the ground, laughing once more and this time without reserve. Arya chuckled, tossing him a tank top.
"You are so immature."
Letting out a long, pleased sigh, he placed his hands behind his head and grinned at her.
"Whatever. I'm so mature it's ridiculous."
She looked on in disbelief.
"Yeah? What proof do you have of that."
He looked at her in shock.
"Do you not see this facial hair? It is obviously that of a man. A manly man. A very manly man."
She laughed at that, shaking her head and reaching down to help him.
"The face of a man, the mind of an adolescent."
He only nodded, taking the hand that she offered and getting to his feet. They still had a whole day of work ahead of them and not much more time left to eat. After he slid the shirt over his head he walked with her back down the steps, grinning the whole way.
I don't care if it's stupid to you or you really want them to do it. I'm not hinting at or writing a lemon. They just gonna be good until marriage. That's what I believe is right and what I'm going to stick with. You can believe whatever you want and everyone has their own opinion, respect mine. I didn't go with the Catholic reasons why I think waiting is important because everyone would've moaned and complained. I went with other, very logical reasons. Please don't flame and get all pissy. If you want to maturely and honestly speak to me about it or whatever go ahead and PM me. If not, keep your mouth shut.
Tamerlorde85: Thanks :) And I got this one up quicker!
Zane Frost: Cool name. And That's good to know. Hopefully you like the quick updates as well ;)
TheeRoyalJester: Omg we'd be besties and take pictures on magazine covers. Ha ha ha ha so funny. I'm sorry I have a life! Jk yeah I know the wait was unacceptable. Wow you're friend is slackin' so hard. Lol just wait to read her books then because you have to be able to enjoy them and not rush through them. Ha you're the one who checked his profile. I just waited patiently for news. Now whose concerned. So I have this joke list of all the girls I'd be a lesbian for (There's only 2 or possibly 3). It's not serious because I could never be a lesbian. But my friends know it by, *the list* I was asking if kp was on your list. No they weren't bad what are you talking about haha. You have insanely epic mind powers and I woke up at noon because of them . . . . Me and Rainxoxo seem to have a weird thing about updating the exact same day. It's strange lol. OR maybe (most likely) she's just better at updating and does it frequently.
Ocadioan: What happens in X-Men origins: wolverine? He meets a couple and they call him little bird? I feel like sometimes you look for the bad in chapters haha. It's not a bad thing at all because it helps, but here I don't know what you mean. Fight chapter? I don't like saying what's going to happen but the farm isn't going to get attacked. Haha well it will be revealed in time. It's not all that you've worked it up to be but it has a purpose. Don't give up on me lol I will not stop a story once I've started. I said that in the AN on my profile. It just sometimes takes a while.
Guest: :D Welcome!
FanBoyNinja: Yeah I'll switch back to Saphira and Murtagh, along with some Roran, every once in a while. Thanks! :)
Rainxoxo: Haha thanks :) Yeah he was def speaking about Selena. And yes he is their son. Yep a lot has happened in the past few months. What are you going to do with the novel? Is it personal or are you going to try to publish it. Right! Faolin just pisses me off to no end. Bleh. Yeah haha it's super different than my others and really fluff only. :D
bigmatt365: Thank you!
TheLoneVoyager: Yeya! You saw all of your questions answered here. Roran was in a different state so it's not the first thing. Also, nobody knew of something happening for a while because communications were jammed and people were cleared out. You will! It's been, like, exactly a week right? I'll tell you now that they wont die.
MistytheReader: Thank you!
BlossomHunt: Thanks and yeah hopefully my schedule will be straightened out like this for a while.
John D. Malcolm: m's? Yeah Jax is actually rape. He is beatable though. He is a bit OP but I wouldn't say he's gotten to Yi's point yet. Ummm, I'm not even in a league and EDS is lvl 7 so I think you would be fine lmao. I'm 30 but haven't played a ranked game.
Misfortune31: Thanks! It's my one and only talent. . . I kid haha. It's just the one gift that I excel at above others. I'm not sure if I acquired it somewhere or what. I do know that I was not always as grammatically proper. It took a lot of work to get here.
A Dark Noon: . . . . Holy hell man. I'm sorry that sucks :/ I will definitely PM you. I'd like to hear more about what happened. Yeah Jester like her ego. Don't apologize it' completely fine. Sucks what happened. And yeah I wanted him to get a bit ripped up. Arya be pissed. Who wouldn't get that reference ;) The white coats lol. I'm calling all doctors that now.
Odin3830: Thank you! And do by chance watch Vikings?
strawhatmikans: Thanks! That means a lot to hear :)
timkaylor885: Thank you very much! :D
Hamid: Putted Eragon's face? lol