It was amazing how quickly you could settle into a routine when confinement was your life. Apart from the man who brought them food three times a day, there was no intrusion into the solitude of Ember's quarters, and nothing but time to fill. They rose in the morning, they washed and dressed, they tended to Ethan's wound. There were hours filled with exercise of one form or another, or lazy, sleepy days where nothing happened at all. But the one constant was that they talked.

Bit by bit, day by day, Ember and Ethan grew to know each other better, learning one another between stolen kisses. Ember grew accustomed to the heated friction that she felt each time Ethan smiled, or offered her an innocent touch, though she could not quite place the impatience that came with those feelings. Each kiss seemed to make them stronger, and yet they were at their most powerful in the mornings, when she woke to find herself wrapped around him, able to watch as he woke up with the dawn. Just thinking of that peaceful, aching feeling could bring a smile to her face, though she had not admitted to it yet. For herself, she enjoyed his company, and hoped he enjoyed hers. If he didn't, never once did he make her feel as though she was a bore, or a burden, and that, in itself, was enough for her.

Though Ethan hated his confinement, feeling a little like a bird in a gilded cage, at least he had her for company. Very pleasant company, in fact, and as the days passed, he was not only growing more accustomed to her companionship, but it was getting harder for hm to imagine a life without her in it. He said very little about his feelings, though his kisses spoke volumes, more than words could ever say. Sometimes at night when he found he couldn't sleep, when thoughts of home or worries of the future kept him awake, he'd lay there and watch her in the night, as perfect and peaceful as an angel. And on those nights when he was feeling particularly anxious, like an animal trapped in a cage, he'd pace the floor or go out on the balcony and watch the night, wondering if anyone was thinking about him and worrying about him back home.

But mostly, he focused on her and on further developing his plans for escape. Neither ever spoke of the future or of what might come once they set their plans in motion. They only talked of escape, never what would become of them once they were free. It was almost as if it was assumed they'd stay together, though neither had ever mentioned it. He had told her he was taking her with him, but he'd made no demands that she stay with him once she was free. He didn't want to think about that yet. They could both die trying to get free. It was better to take things one day at a time and be sure the plans they were making wouldn't end in disaster for both of them.

He wasn't the only one who felt anxious at times, caged and restless, but over the months of being entirely alone, Ember had developed her own way to deal with that feeling. It was a form of meditation, Gia had told her, an ancient method of movement and control, designed to clear the mind and relax the spirit, while strengthening the body. All Ember knew was that it calmed her anxieties. And on days like today, when she'd woken far too early from a nightmare she would never confess to having suffered, she slid from the bed, leaving Ethan warm and sleeping, and dressed quickly, moving to the main room to stretch and begin, hoping it would not take long to ease her own mind.

He slept for a little while without her, the sleep of one nearing waking. He was accustomed to rising early, to a routine of his own that he'd been following for years, and though there were no patrols to make here, his body was still accustomed to waken upon first light. It wasn't so much the sunrise that woke him this morning though, but some subconscious knowledge that told him something was missing, or more accurately, someone. He stretched his arms, reaching for the soft, female body that was always there beside him only to find empty air.

For a moment, panic seized his heart and he bolted upright in bed. Where was she" Had something happened to her" Had they taken her away from him sometime in the night' He felt his heart pounding in fear, and he called out her name, hoping she had just risen early and all his fears were for naught. "Ember?" he called, keen sight searching the room in the gray light of morning.

Her voice answered him promptly from the main room, where her silhouette was just visible in the beginning of a grey dawn. "I'm out here."

He wasn't sure why his heart was pounding, why he'd felt such panic when he'd found she wasn't there. She had always been there, every night and every day ever since he'd been brought here, and he'd become accustomed to her soft, womanly warmth and companionship. If her mother knew how he'd come to feel about her daughter, he wondered if she'd try to use if against them. He drew a slow breath to calm the hammering of his heart, relieved she was safe, and drew the covers away to climb out of bed and stretch his muscles

Eyes closed, Ember was mid-way through the stretches he had seen her perform before. He'd seen them often enough to know she must have woken up agitated. But despite that agitation, she was smooth with each movement, gracefully easing from one pose to the next, showing off the enviable flexibility and controlled strength he hadn't believed she had until she'd knocked him onto his back the first time they had sparred. Of course, he had won every bout since - she was a predictable fighter.

He shoved his fingers through his hair as he wandered to the bathroom to do his morning toilet, wondering what it was that had awoken her so early. Most mornings, she seemed to enjoy lying in and watching him sleep, waiting until he awoke, sometimes waking him with a sweet kiss or a soft caress. "Are you all right?" he called from the bathroom, knowing she was sometimes troubled by nightmares, worse than his own.

She hadn't gotten any better at lying since they'd been locked in together, either. "I'm fine," she told him, rising from the floor to stretch her arms high before opening her stance. She had at least grown used to knowing when he was watching her; for the first week, she'd shambled through each day in loose clothing that almost swamped her. This, she had stopped doing once he pointed out that she wouldn't get stuck on so much walking through the rooms if she wore decent clothing.

He splashed cold water on his face and washed his hands, making a meager attempt to make himself presentable by combing out his thick, dark hair with his fingers before wandering back through the bedroom to the main room. "You're up early," he said when he found her, secretly admiring the view. "Bad dream?" he asked, as he poured himself a glass of water. It would be a few hours before breakfast arrived, though they had some fruit left over from the previous day. They made sure nothing went to waste.

"I didn't want to disturb you," she admitted, breathing out slowly as she lowered her hands to the floor, palms and feet flat, forehead on her knees. If she'd realized he was admiring the view quite that much, she might have not folded into a position that pointed her rear end toward him like that. He made her shy at the oddest moments. "Just a nightmare."

She didn't have to reassure him of her intentions. That much was obvious. He knew she wanted nothing more than to leave this place, but he also knew it wasn't just that - she wanted to leave with him. "We could use a few weapons, if she can get her hands on them. And it wouldn't hurt to have a vehicle of some sort."

"Nemone might be able to arrange something," Ember murmured thoughtfully, her eyes falling to the watch tower with a faint frown. "I don't know how long it will take to get everything in place. We might be here another month - everything is inventoried."

"Just so long as we leave before it snows," he told her. With any luck, they still had a few months before winter made herself known. He wanted to be well away from here before then, or they might have to wait for spring, and spring might be too late.

She nodded. "We will," she promised him, certain that once her aunt knew that she would be going too, Gia and Nemone would get things done as quickly as possible. They were family, after all. "But you need to get your strength back a little, too. If we can't get a vehicle, we'll be on foot."

"I'll be okay," he assured her, smiling a little, touched by her concern. His leg was almost as good as new, thanks to her, but he was a trained soldier. He'd crawl out of here, if he had to. He leaned in to brush a soft but brief kiss against her lips. "We're gonna make it, Ember. We're gonna be okay." He had to believe that, otherwise, what was the point of living"

For the first time, she didn't let him pull away after delivering a kiss. Her hands tightened in his shirt, pulling him back to her as she rose onto her toes, answering his kiss with her own, growing in confidence by the minute with the understanding that he intended to keep her, no matter where they ended up. "I know we will," she whispered against his lips, pressing a third kiss to his mouth as her arms wound about his neck.

He dropped his hands from her face and wrapped his arms around her waist to pull her close as he surrendered to the temptation of her kisses. He knew they didn't have much time until they were interrupted by breakfast, but he wasn't sure he cared. If they wanted them to make a baby, then there shouldn't be any protest if they were caught sharing an intimate moment.

Of course, Ember didn't quite realize the temptation she was offering, wanting more of his kisses, to feel more of the heat that rose in her whenever he touched her. She had healed from her self-mutilation, and yet somehow, had not thought that they might end up intimate, exactly as her mother wanted them to be. She gasped softly against his lips, breathless with the heady rush of sensation, her fingers curling into his hair to gently tug at the strands as those kisses deepened. She didn't know what she was doing ....but he did.

And what she was doing was having a profound effect on his libido, but he wasn't sure he wanted her to know that either. If they really were going to leave here, he needed her to be in perfect shape. They couldn't risk her getting pregnant now, not only because of the risks to her health, but because if her mother found out she was pregnant, she might decide to separate them just to be cruel. Still, he couldn't help wanting more of her kisses, though those kisses might lead to something more.

But Ember wasn't thinking very clearly at all. So many misremembered dreams that had woken her agitated and wanting, feeling almost exactly like this, had primed her to the point where all Ethan had to do was look at her in a certain way and she thought she would gladly crawl to him and kiss his feet, just to see him smile at her. More than that, she wanted to know she would wake up beside him every day, with no fear that some whim of Marka's would take him away from her, never to return. Coherence was not hers to entertain, not now. Not when his hands were on the smooth, bare skin of her back, shooting fire through her veins as she whimpered longingly.

Somehow he'd seemed to sense her mood. How couldn't he" He knew her well enough by now to recognize her moods, and knowing that she'd woken with a nightmare, he wanted to do whatever he could to dispel the dark cloud that was hanging over her head and give her a little hope. All he really had to give her was hope, or so he thought, at least, until they were far away from here. Thankfully, he was thinking a little more clearly than her, but even so, if she'd asked him at that moment if he wanted her, he wouldn't have been able to deny it. She was too soft and warm and lovely to resist, and though he wasn't consciously aware of it, his heart was already lost.

Abruptly, the heavy door that held them into the suite of rooms burst open, and armed women entered. Marka's voice snapped out, summoning her daughter. "Ember!"

Ember jumped, dragging her lips from Ethan's as shocked tension made her body rigid. She hadn't thought there would be another intrusion yet. Not yet. Pulling herself away from Ethan, she left the balcony, gesturing for him to follow. She wanted him away from that sheer drop while her mother was there. "Yes?"

Ethan jumped with her, though not quite as shaken by Marka's unexpected visit as her daughter. He'd been expecting someone anytime time, but it was breakfast he'd been expecting, not the queen and her cohorts. He scowled at the sound of her voice, wondering what the hell the bitch wanted from her daughter now. He followed reluctantly back to the main room, staying close so that he could protect her if her mother tried to hurt her again. "Your timing stinks. If you want us to make a baby, you have to actually leave us alone long enough to do it," he told Marka, his eyes flashing with the same hatred he'd held for her from their very first meeting.

Marka, predictably enough, ignored him, focusing her attention onto Ember. "Spot check," was all she said, but Ethan must have felt the girl stiffen even further. "Secure him," Marka ordered, gesturing for Ember to come toward her. As the guards moved to Ethan, it was clear that they had come prepared this time. At least three guns were aimed unerringly at his head, daring him to interfere.

He couldn't risk getting injured, not this time, not when they were planning to escape soon, and as much as it irked him, he knew he could do nothing but watch helplessly while Ember's mother humiliated her once again. "Don't hurt her," he heard himself say, not daring move a muscle for fear they'd shoot him just for fun. Ember was a princess, but he was nothing. If he pushed his luck, Marka would have him killed just for her own amusement and find someone else to impregnate her daughter. "Just-just don't hurt her," he said, a pleading edge to his voice, despite his unwillingness to let her know he cared.

Was he" It was a good question. Now that they had gone, he found he was trembling a little, but he tried not to show it. It was a little disarming to have a gun or three aimed point-blank at your head, soldier or not. He nodded his head, even as he held her close, cupping her face in his hands again to search her eyes and make sure she was telling him the truth. "I'm okay, but I don't think we can wait much longer."

"We won't need to." Despite the humiliation of that experience, having her aunt there seemed to have taken the worst of it away from Ember. She was actually smiling as she covered his hands with her own. "Gia's going to arrange things. We could be gone in as little as two weeks. Marka never thinks that anyone could possibly be clever enough to speak in code."

He settled himself on the bed, stunned by what she was telling him. "What' What do you mean' How?" He looked as confused as he felt, wondering what could possibly have developed to change their plans in such a short time.

Ember looked a little confused herself. Hadn't they just agreed that the sooner they left, the better" Had he changed his mind" "I told her we want to get out," she told him. "She says she can arrange what we'll need. We just have to wait for her message."

"Two weeks" Really?" He wasn't disappointed, just stunned. Everything was happening so fast, but this was good news. "You're sure you can trust her?" he asked, though he already knew the answer to that. He didn't want to get his hopes up for nothing, but this was the best news they'd had since he'd arrived.

"I know we can trust her," she promised him. "Is there a man in your village called Uther" With a son called John" John would be about eighteen by now."

He furrowed his brows, searching his memory for such a man. It was an unusual name, Uther, but he thought he remembered his father mentioning someone by that name. "Yes," he nodded his head. "I think so. Why?"

Ember held his gaze, warm and hopeful that he would believe her. "He was Gia's, when he was here," she told Ethan softly. "When she gave birth to a son, she sent both of them to the border before the news was taken to Marka. She knows how to get people out better than I do. She saved her son and the man she loved. Why wouldn't she do the same for us?"

He remembered she'd mentioned her aunt sending her son and his father away. Apparently, somehow they'd made it, though Niles had not. Ethan wasn't a fool. He was smart enough to know that Gia was their best chance, but one thing bothered him. "What's going to happen to her when we're gone?"

Ember's smile faded at his question. "I don't know," she admitted unhappily. "I asked her to come with us, but she refused. She says she's needed here. She doesn't think Marka will hurt her; she's too valuable."

"Maybe if Marka never finds out that she helped us," Ethan mused quietly. He wasn't sure they had any choice but to trust that Gia would be smart enough to cover her own tracks when they escaped. "So, we have two weeks to get ready. That's not much time."

"It may be a little more than two weeks," Ember warned him, her fingers returning to stroke through his hair as they talked, easing away from the discomfort and shock of the intrusion. One good thing had come out of Marka's impatience - two, if you counted the breakfast tray that had been delivered while everyone was distracted. "But as of this moment, we are a priority. We'll have to be ready to go."

He hadn't noticed the breakfast tray yet, too distracted with the unexpected news of impending escape. "We'll be ready," he promised her, sounding confident. They were both in good shape, but for a few minor injuries and wounded pride. There was no way she was pregnant yet, so they didn't have to worry about the possibility of her losing the child or getting ill, and he was determined to keep it that way. If they were going to have a family someday, it wasn't going to happen here.

"What did she say to you?" she asked softly, twisting in his arms to face him, forgetting momentarily that she was half naked under the quilt. "I couldn't hear what was happening from in here, but you came back to me so quickly ....What did Marka threaten you with?"

He frowned at her question, as she reminded him of his latest conversation with her bitch of a mother. No, not mother. Marka was Ember's mother only by blood. The word mother implied caring, and Ethan doubted Marka had ever cared about anything but her own selfish ambitions. He had two choices here - he could either tell her the truth and frighten her, or lie. Which was the better choice" It didn't seem to matter much since they were leaving anyway, but he'd never lied to her before, and he didn't want to start now. "She didn't threaten me so much as you," he started.

"Me?" The confusion returned to her expression, not understanding why Marka would choose to threaten her in Ethan's presence. "I don't understand. Why wouldn't she threaten me to my face?"

Why do you think" he thought to himself. Because I'm falling in love with you. The realization of that hit him like a ton of bricks. It was true that he'd never felt like this before, but love was the last thing he'd expected when he'd gone out on patrol that morning a few weeks ago. He didn't answer for a moment, too lost in thought, stunned by the realization that he loved her. There was no other explanation for what he was feeling or the way he was acting. It had to be love.

Ember held his gaze through that long, silent moment, wary of what it was he obviously wasn't telling her. How was she to know that he had shocked himself with the sudden understanding of what he was feeling" "Ethan?" she nudged him gently, drawing her fingertips along his cheek. "Ethan, what?s wrong?"

Her touch drew him out of his thoughts and he blinked back at her, seeing her in a new light now that he understood what he was feeling. "I, uh..." What had she been asking him again? Suddenly, he didn't want to tell her the truth anymore. He didn't want to frighten her or worry her anymore than she was already, and he felt torn between the choice of protecting her and tellig her the truth. "It doesn't matter. What matters is that we're leaving and that she'll never be able to hurt you again."

He lifted his eyebrows in surprise at her question. "You want to join the militia?" he asked, though she had made herself perfectly clear. "I, uh..." He paused a moment to consider her question. "Are you sure that's what you want to do' I mean, it's mostly keeping mutants away from the village," which included the farms surrounding the village. The way he said it, it sounded easy, but it was actually anything but.

She held his gaze, sincere in her reply. "I don't want to be left behind while you're in danger," she told him, surprisingly vehement despite how soft her voice was. "I want to stay close to you, Ethan. Even if you have no use for me at all, I want to stay where I can watch your back."

"Well..." he started, unsure what to think of that. He didn't want to leave her behind, but he didn't want to put her in harm's way either. Still, in a lot of ways, she was just as much a soldier as he was, but he didn't want to make any promises just yet. "I'll talk to my father when we get back," he told her, his thoughts drifting to the other three members of his patrol, two of whom had been captured along with him.

"I want to leave, truly I do," she told him quietly, turning her attention back to scraping a thin layer of butter on her bread. "But I'm afraid. I've never been surrounded by strangers. And your people won't trust me, especially when they find out who my mother is."

"Yes, they will," he insisted, though he had no way of knowing for sure. He understood her concerns. He hadn't trusted her at first either, but once he'd gotten to know her, all that had changed. "But it might take time. Once they find out what happened and how your mother treated you, they'll come around." He waited until she was finished with the butter before reaching for the knife and buttering a slice for himself.

It was testament to how little her mother trusted her that only one knife was supplied to them, and taken away with the tray. If it went unaccounted for, there would definitely be trouble. "I hope so," she murmured softly, nibbling at the bread in her hand. "I hope you're right."

He frowned over at her, unsure how to reassure her when he wasn't even sure what the villagers would think of her himself. It was times like this that he wished his mother was still alive. She'd know exactly what to do to make her feel welcome. "Just give it some time, okay?" He didn't bother to remind her of how awful he'd treated her when he'd first arrived, but it hadn't taken long before his mind had changed about her. "They're not monsters, Ember. Just people."

"I know," she nodded. "Just like my mother is just a person." That was the root of her fear. Though she had friends among her own people, the one person who should have liked her, loved her, couldn't bear to even be in the same room as her. No wonder she was afraid of what strangers would think of her. She remembered, too, the way he had been when he had first been brought to these rooms, knowing there was no guarantee that anyone else would recognize her for what she was the way he had done. She raised a smile, shrugging lightly. "It doesn't change anything. We're leaving."

Some people were monsters, in his opinion. People like her mother, for example, but as far as he knew, there was no one like that back home. "You just have to trust me, Ember," he told her, reaching across the table for her hand to offer a little reassurance. "I'm not gonna let anyone hurt you ever again." And that included Bruno.

Slender fingers slid over his palm, unable to conceive of not taking the reassurance he offered in his touch. The smile faded, replaced instead with the tiny, shy smile that lit up her face whenever he did something, or said something, that touched her deeply. "I know," she murmured sweetly. "Just remember to let me protect you, too."

He smiled, equally touched by her need to echo that promise. "They're going to love you, Ember. Just give them some time to get to know you, okay?" It had only taken him a few hours to learn to trust her. Once everyone back home had heard her story, he couldn't imagine anyone doing otherwise. "There is something else, though..." he started, that small frown forming on his face again.

"What is it?" she asked immediately, concern replacing her smile as she leaned toward him. A thought occurred to her even as she said it. "Is it your friends" The ones who were brought here with you? I ....I was thinking that perhaps I should ask Gia to see if she could set up a staggered escape after we go - maybe we could meet the men at the border and get them safely out of range, if she could get them there."

His expression betrayed both surprise and relief, along with more than a healthy dose of worry. "Never leave anyone behind. That's kind of our motto," he told her. He didn't like the idea of leaving Gia behind either, but he wouldn't force the issue if she insisted on staying. "I just....I don't know where they are or how to get them out, and I need to get you to safety first."

"I'll ask," she told him softly. It would be difficult enough to get the two of them out safely, and just her presence would make the journey that much more dangerous for anyone with her. The men he had come with had been set to work in the fields - they would be tired, despite their strength. She didn't want to get anyone killed.

"What do you think will happen to them when we leave?" he asked, wondering if they should come back for them, rather than taking them along. His main concern was getting Ember to safety. They could always come back for his friends.

"Nothing," she said softly. "Unless they're heard to comment on it in a way that suggests they know something. Marka's suspicions fall on the men in the hill, since they are the ones who share the women's beds and are close to the center of things. She won't be able to prove anything where they are concerned."

"Then maybe we should come back for them," he suggested, though he wasn't sure which was more dangerous for both them and his friends. Or more accurately, him. He had no intention of letting her come back here for any reason. It was too risky.

"You'll be the first man to know the way out of the hidden valley and want to return," she pointed out. "I know the way well. If we can spend a little time watching the border without being detected, we would be able to get in and out without much trouble."

"Ember, I..." he started, still unable to quite find the right words. Did she even know she'd left the curtain partially open and that he could see her" Had she done it on purpose" No, she was far too innocent for that, or so she'd led him to believe, but how innocent was she really' She had to know what it would do to him. He cleared his throat, heat creeping into his face, and a heat of a different kind in other places of his body.

"Hmm?" Finally she turned toward the sound of his voice, and his suspicions about her innocence were proved. A startled gasp escaped her lips as she jumped, yanking the linen over her exposed body as she reached to pull the curtain completely closed, embarrassed and shy and very confused by the unconscious heat she could feel pooling deep in her belly at the look on his face.

It felt like his face was burning up when she realized he'd been staring, and he jerked his head around quickly so that she wouldn't notice, but it was too late. He gulped a breath, worrying she might be angry at him for seeing her like that, but it hadn't been his fault she'd left the curtain open. What should he do now" Should he apologize or pretend he hadn't seen anything"

Behind the curtain, Ember was frozen in place, wide eyes staring at the thin material in shocked amazement. Shock, because she truly hadn't realized she was being watched; amazement, because the look in his eyes before she had snatched the view away from him had clearly suggested that he enjoyed the sight of her. So what should she do now" Should she obey that inner voice telling her to pull the curtain open again and get on with bathing regardless" Or should she pretend nothing had happened" "Um ....y-you didn't answer my question," she heard herself say, and sighed softly as that inner voice scolded her for being a coward.

He didn't answer for a moment, still trying to sort out what had happened and what was going on his heart and his head. There was no denying she was beautiful, but it wasn't just about that. It wasn't just lust either. He'd felt that before. No, this was something different, something deeper, something stronger. "Question?" he heard himself ask. What in blazes had she asked him again?

Moving slowly, Ember forced herself to turn away from the curtain and drop the linen, which made a rather loud thump against the stone as it landed. "You....you were going to tell me why I can't stop thinking and dreaming about you," she managed, her hands gripping the smooth edge of the carven bath tightly. "Why I have nightmares about losing you."

"I..." he started again. What was he supposed to tell her" That she was falling in love with him, just as he was falling in love with her" But he didn't know that for sure. What if he was wrong" Why was thinking about her naked, just beyond that curtain, enough to drive him mad" It wasn't like he'd never seen her before or been close to her. He'd had plenty of opportunities to take advantage of his position, but hadn't. What the hell was wrong with him, anyway' "I don't know. I only know how I feel about you," he told her finally, almost wishing he could escape, but there was nowhere to go.

"Oh." To her, it seemed that he didn't want to explain it to her, which seemed to indicate that it wasn't something he wanted her to be feeling. Unexpectedly, she felt her throat tighten, swallowing hard as tears tried to make themselves known, and in response, she abruptly threw herself into the bath, splashing about to hide the sound of her breath as she struggled for a modicum of control over herself once again.

How could she possibly not understand what was happening between them' It seemed perfectly clear to him. Was she really that innocent that she didn't understand what she was feeling" The splash of water startled him out of his thoughts, the sound of it so sudden, he found himself rushing past the curtain to make sure she was all right. "Ember! What's going on' Are you all right?"

But who would have taught her about love" An aunt who dared not spend too much time with her, in case it caused a vindictive backlash from the mother who wasn't interested" Was there any part of this all-female society that placed any emphasis on the bond that could grow between a man and woman' As Ethan burst through the curtain, Ember squealed in surprise, arms and knees wrapping and rising to hide herself from his eyes as she looked up at him. "What is it, what did I do?"

The answer to that question was simple. He already knew it. There had been at least one person in her life who she had loved and who had loved her in return, but that had been a very long time ago. "Oh, thank god..." he muttered, upon seeing her safe and sound. His heart was pounding in his chest, but he wasn't sure why.

Ember stared up at him, not sure what she was supposed to make of his wild-eyed entrance into what was supposedly a private space while she was as vulnerable as she could possibly be. Or entirely certain just why she seemed to be battling with herself as to what she should do next. "Ethan?" she ventured his name softly. "Is-is everything all right?"

"Yes, it's..." He gulped again, unable to tear his eyes away from her, though he knew he was staring. "Sorry," he said, forcing himself to look away. "I thought you fell or something," he explained, knowing how ridiculous that must sound. "I'm sorry....I'll just wait outside."

She blushed crimson, realizing that her attempt to hide the now forgotten urge to cry was what had brought him rushing in here. Because he thought I was hurt. That thought took root somewhere deep inside her, and without thinking, she blurted out, "You don't have to."

"No, I....I should....I mean....I didn't mean to intrude..." he stammered, unable to form a coherent sentence that made any sense. "I'm sorry..." he apologized again as he backed further away, too distracted to pay much attention to where he was going.

"What?" That brief leap toward bravery in the face of her own unexplained feelings shriveled into a painful ache in her chest as he backed away from her. Clearly, she had been wrong; he couldn't wait to be away from her now. "Ethan ..."

He was only backing away so that he could give her some privacy, not because he didn't want to be with her or didn't find her attractive. Just the opposite, in fact, so distracted by her that his feet somehow got tangled up in the towel she'd tossed aside and ended upon crashing to the floor with a loud thump.

"Are you going to come with me?" he asked, immediately regretting the question as soon as it was out of his mouth and hoping she didn't take it the wrong way. "To bed, I mean..." Oh, it was useless. The whack on the head must have done something to his brain, and he couldn't afford to be injured now.

He was lucky that she was so innocent - she saw nothing wrong with the way he had phrased his initial request. Smiling, Ember drew her arm about his back, beneath his arm. "Of course I will," she promised him. "Let me dry my hair, and I'll join you. But first ....we need to get you to the bed."

It was both a relief and a disappointment that she'd tugged that old t-shirt of his own over her head. A relief in that he was no longer staring; a disappointment in that he was enjoying the view, even if his face did feel like it was burning up. As soon as she tried to move him, waves of pain came flooding back, making his head ache like someone was pounding his skull with a hammer, and he heard himself groan.

"Gently," she murmured by his ear, allowing him to take his time as they maneuvered themselves up onto their feet. She didn't give him any choice but to lean on her, that arm strong about his back and her free hand wrapped in his. "It's just a few steps, and I have something that will ease your head."

"You were right," he murmured as he slowly climbed to his feet, glad for her support as his head was suddenly reeling. "I'm an idiot." He didn't have much choice but to let her lead him to the bed, feeling like an idiot, not only for his little accident but for not realizing what it was she'd been trying to tell him in the first place.

"You're my idiot," she whispered, uncertain if she wanted him to hear her, wary of how he might take such a possessive statement from a woman in this place of women. Step by step, they reached the bed, and she gently bent to ease him down once again.

Whatever she might have thought, she was wrong. If anything, he was flattered by the remark and even chuckled a little, though the chuckle was followed by a wince of pain as his head started to throb.

For someone who had a good right hook, she was surprisingly gentle as she laid him down on the bed, fussing to make sure he was comfortable before she straightened once again. "I'm just going to dry my hair off," she assured him, "and I will come right back."

Thankfully, he'd never been on the receiving end of that right hook and hopefully never would. Once he was settled in bed and had stopped moving around, the pain in his head eased a little. He had a feeling she was going to feed him one of her potions, but he didn't really want her to waste it on him, yet again. He would have nodded to let her know he'd heard her, but nodding would have only made his head hurt worse. "I'm not going anywhere," he replied. After all, there was nowhere to go.

A few minutes later, Ember returned, hair no longer sodden, bearing a cup of water and a very small bottle sealed with a cork. She hadn't bothered to change out of his shirt, deeming it unnecessary now he had seen everything there was to see. Perching on the edge of the bed, she poured a tiny drop from the bottle into the water, and offered it to him. "Here, it will help with the pain."

He had drifted off while she'd been away, eyes closed, forcing himself to relax, despite the herd of wild horses running through his head. His eyes opened slowly when she returned, thankful there was no bright sunlight streaming in through the balcony just yet. His gaze slid to the bottle in her hand, and he frowned. "You shouldn't waste that on me," he murmured. Especially since the injury had been caused by his own clumsiness.

"It isn't a waste," she informed him softly. One brow rose as she looked down at him, determination in her expression. "I am not above force-feeding you this, and I doubt you are in any state to fight me off right now. So do as you're told."

She reminded him a little of his mother at that moment, though he didn't want to tell her that, afraid the comparison might offend her in some way. "Yes, ma'am," he replied, with a weak smile, feeling like a complete and utter idiot, but touched by her desire to take care of him.

She smiled, and the comparison with his mother was swept away. Ember had a way of smiling at Ethan that was definitely loving, but not at all in the way a mother loved a son. "You're going to have to get used to being looked after, you know," she informed him, gently easing him to sit up before giving him the cup. "Because I love you." "Are you sure I'm not dreaming?" he asked as she helped him to sit, just long enough to sip at the concoction she had made to ease the pain in his head. Despite the pain, he couldn't help but smile a little when she repeated those three little words yet again. He didn't think he'd ever get tired of hearing them.

"If you are, you have a lousy imagination," she informed him laughingly, making sure he drank the whole cup before reclaiming it from him. "That's going to make you a little bit woozy, but your head will be clear when you wake up. And I won't be far."

Thankfully, the stuff didn't taste too horrible and after a moment or two, he had drained the contents of the entire glass. He didn't really feel any different just yet, but trusted she was telling him the truth. "How'd you learn how to do this?" he asked curiously, as he slid back down to the pillow. She might have told him already, but his head felt muddled, and he couldn't remember.

"Gia," she told him, predictably enough, helping him to settle against the pillow as comfortably as he could. "When I was first confined to the compound, she made me her assistant. I learned how to find the plants, what they do, and how to process them into salves and potions and ointments and poultices. Everything in that box has been given to me for my own use, when I've been injured or ill. It was Gia who taught me to only use what I absolutely need, and to store what?s left against an emergency."

"Can you teach me?" he asked, wondering how long it would take before he'd start to feel groggy, but not realizing that he was already starting to drift off. Was that why he was feeling a little light-headed and the room seemed to be moving" "Ember?" he queried, his eyelids getting heavy.

"I'll teach you anything you'd like," she promised him, leaning down to kiss his temple as he began to drift off. She paused in the act of drawing the quilt over him as he spoke her name, blue eyes soft as she looked down at him. "Yes?"

Whatever it was he was about to say would remain a mystery as his eyes fell shut and he drifted off to sleep, secure in the knowledge that he had his angel to watch over him.

((A few weeks in solitary, and they're in love. We're so predictable. :grin: But what the hell, I'm having fun! Humungus oodlesome thanks to Ethan's player!))