Topic: Jenai & Brian : Time and Chance

Brian Ravenlock

Date: 2013-04-13 01:36 EST
Later in the evening, after Brian and Jenai had it out inside the RDI


She was still a ?woman treading water and her thoughts were a storm at sea, in which she?d been cast overboard from all reason. All plots, all planning... gone. How could he possibly have turned her world upside down AGAIN!

First meeting the swearing loud... monster, that the whole world hated. She fell in love with him... Had children with with... him.

Taking the steps, each one at a time, she soon found herself at HER Temple and springs.

She lied to him...

She would not be there at the little corner of the garden. That special place where they swung in a hammock, ate watermelon and watched fireworks when the sun went down. She was tired of being hurt. She should have stuck with her first thought since leaving the Isles.?

That all men were bad distractions, and would only get you killed.

Nothing could have been closer to the truth than that, especially when it came to... him.

The sun had set, she?d used darkness and sent Allegria one way while she?d waited and gone another. She?d stopped in the little, okay large, restaurant the Lotus owned and ate a meal alone, drank alone, and now walked back with a very nice bottle of Plum Wine, to enjoy, alone.

One of the Older newer temple girls was closing up when she saw Jenai walking past the front doors, One of the much older widows Jenai had helped, ... how many years ago was it now... she wondered... whispered something to the young girl who quickly scampered off.

?Greetings your Grace?

?Widow Loris. How are you??

?Relieved, it has been some time since you came to pay us a visit.?

?I know, For that I am sorry.?

?Ah don?t fret, We know you are helping the Valley, ? Loris patted Jenai?s hand and gave her a wrinkled smile.

?Are the springs empty??

?Hours ago my dear. We were just about to lock them up. I sent Tamara to fetch you some milk and towels,? Loris eyed the bottle and sadness Jenai carried.

?I sure could use them right now.? She took in a breath as the walked near the heated waters.

?Say no more.?

Tamara could be seen near the waters edge laying fresh linens a cold bucket on the rocks and disappearing from sight. It was late and the temple would be falling asleep soon.

Jenai had planned it just right. She was NOT in the mood for company.

?He refuses to let my heart mend.? to no one as she shed her clothing, stepping from the pile where they dropped and down the warm rocks and into the steamed waters. ?Submerging and resurfacing into the spring air, as swirls of breath had risen into dark sky.

She looked around, remembering that Dark had helped her plant so many of the exotic trees and bushes around the garden... Brian was gone then too. ?While the warmth and humidity of the springs helped keep them alive and blooming no matter the weather outside the walls... it was just another chisel in the heartache.

She swam over to where the towels waited and rested against the edge, pouring herself a cool glass of wine. Her eyes closing, as as she sipped heavily. She?d be staying the night here, probably take one of the beds they used in the infirmary and enjoy the silence. The girls were probably still up with the Twins from her private guard learning some kind of new flip or something.

That thought, as she turned her back to the rocks, her girls with their red maned heads blessed her mood and made her smile as she closed her eyes once more, allowing the water ease her worries.


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


How long he had been there, he couldn't say... The truth was, time had no meaning when it came to her.

It never had, and it never would. That's just the way it was, when it came to her...

As it stood, time had ended the day he had been taken away from her. Time had been meaningless, when he had been fighting his way back to her, from Darkenwood. When he had finally been returned to her, time stood still once more, much to the disappointment of he, as well as she. And yet again, he had been taken, and then yet again. How many times had it been? How long had it been? How long had she waited, and how much longer had he fought his way to finally return to her once and for all?

It had been too long of a time, that's how long...

A day away from her, was a day too long... He knew it then, but recently--- he felt it more so than ever.

He told her once, there was nothing he would not do for her and that was not a lie.

He told her, he would always return to her and that was not a lie.

He told her, he loved her above all else in this world, and the next... Gods help him, he did not lie.

He told her, he would not be taken away again--- that was a lie...

A cruel lie, it was... A lie that cut so deeply, that-- he did not know, if the damage could ever be repaired. Especially given--- what he had done lately, upon the death of Jacyn.

His 'resurgence' so to speak, much in the limelight and quite against his will. Still, more than enough to warrant her anger, and then some.

He watched her more so, from the cover of darkness...

He was no fool, and as he stated before--'Nothing was ever that simple'...

His heart raced, as he watched her... The fear ever so tangible, as he felt himself come undone in a series of soft tremors. And after what felt like yet another lifetime away from her, he stepped from those shadows towards her,

?Jenai...?

Brian Ravenlock

Date: 2013-04-13 01:46 EST
Spinning around in the water her heart tries to leap literally out of her throat at the shock hearing his Voice and then seeing his silhouette come to light.?

?YOU!?? Shock turned quickly to anger, ?God Damn It! Get out!? Without thinking, she threw the first and only thing she had, pitching the half full wine glass at his chest.?

Widow Loris came scrambling out hearing the commotion, but ducked right back in pulling young Tamara with her.

The glass hit him, shattering upon impact and sending plum wine in all directions. His eyes remained on her, and her alone as he took another few steps towards her, knowing there was only so much time before anyone else would be alerted.

"I'm not leaving you--- ever again. No, I won't leave-- not now, and not ever."

Looking side to side she fumed, no weapons, nothing! He stood between her and her clothing. She cursed herself for not bringing her swords to the steamed pools. "Funny, I've heard that before!"

Snatching the bottle by the neck, she lobs it. It was a shame. It was great wine but a shitty throwing weapon.

"I know and I---"

The bottle catching him off guard, and duly striking him upside the head, sending him to a knee as it shattered on the floor. Lucky was he, that he shifted enough to offset the blow, but f*ck that hurt like hell.

Shaking the cobwebs, as best as he could he finally managed to speak, "I know and f*ck I'm sorry! I'm sorry, I'm sorry! You act like--- like I didn't fight my way back here!? Like you suffered alone!? Like it wasn't hard for me to know you were here, and I had been taken from you, again and f*cking again!? I NEVER asked for that, like you never asked either! I LOVE you damn it, I've always loved you, and I always will and no matter HOW many times I am taken in my lifetime, I will NEVER stop fighting my way back to YOU!"

One hand?grasped one of the towels near her, in an attempt to cover herself in some odd sense of modesty. She was already out of the spring and in front of him, the other hand balled into a fist with a right hook filled with every bit of heartache and anger she?d been holding in since seeing him at Issy?s Party "You have no idea how much you Hurt me!"

Her shot landed, and sent him to that knee again, just as he had been making head way in attaining that vertical base he was so rather fond of. His eyes lifted to her, that face of his swollen, yet he would not stop looking at her, and there was no attempt at all to even defend himself.

He remained there, on a broken knee so to speak...

"I have every idea, how bad I hurt you-- because I was hurting too! I couldn't go back to you, right away and that killed me! I couldn't risk it, because he was remembering everything all over again, and as long as I had what I had, he would come after each of you again, and again! I had to make sure---

I had to end him all over again, and get rid of the gauntlet, that was the ONLY way to make sure, her would never hurt any of you again! And not telling you, killed me... All over again.

Do you think I really wanted to be away from you, from the girls!? That I wanted to sleep and wake without you!? That I never wanted to touch you, or simply listen to you, in all you do!? YOU ARE MY LIFE and when I'm away from you, I am a dead man, Jenai! I'm not whole without you--- I'm not... I'm nothing without you... You are what finishes everything, for me... NO one else.. YOU. I'm so sorry for everything, gods I am--- I am."

Was she listening or not? Every word stung deeper and deeper, She wanted him away from her if it would mean the anguish would just stop. She used her ire and grief to push him to his feet to defend himself but instead sent both of them into the next spring. Still desperately clinging to her towel she wadded quickly over to him.?

?How dare you THINK I would forgive you!? All the silence? Secrets?!? She drove her hands, beating on his chest as her words from rage suddenly vanished and her voice cracked as tears started to bubble up and she was trying to choke them down.?

?You think you can just walk in and out of my life, of your Daughter's lives? Whenever you want and Say ?Honey, I?m Home!? Why would that be Okay?! Why would--? Her strikes became lighter as the tears became heavier, ?I?ve wondered over and over. I?ve cried alone, They?ve cried... Why? And I had no answers. You...? the words just stuck in her throat, you can?t hate and love at the same time. Hate doesn?t hurt this bad. ?Will leave again.??

All the strength just left, that simple as she wept into his chest.

Brian Ravenlock

Date: 2013-04-13 01:48 EST
To his feet he was lifted, and as before there was no attempt to defend himself at all. And then it was all-- wet.

Getting to his feet as best as he was able to do so in the water, she was already upon him raining blows verbally, and physically and again as before, he would not even bother defending himself.

His eyes stinging with tears, as she said word after word that cut more deeply than he ever had imagined with each passing moment.

And then she--- wept into his chest...

Slowly his arms wrapped about her loosely, as he held her there to him. His head lowered to her own, as his cheek came to rest upon her soaked crimson hair. His body trembled so much more so, yet he would not relent that hold on her.

Softly, he spoke...

?None of what happened, was okay... I am so sorry, I hurt you all... I am sorry for the secrets, and yes the lies. I am sorry for my selfishness in not sharing every facet with you,when you above all deserved to know the truth. I am sorry I left you all time and again. But--- I never stopped fighting my way back to you, I never gave in to anything... Because if I had, I knew I would lose you all forever...

And even if you don't forgive me now-- even if you don't forgive me, months from now--- So long as you are here, and I am here-- there is always a chance I may be forgiven by you-- There is a chance that you will know I've always loved you, and always will-- in this world, and the next. So I am not going anywhere. I am not giving up, and I am not leaving ever again.. Because even the chance of loving you, the mere chance-- is better than losing you all, forever.?

Brian Ravenlock

Date: 2013-04-13 01:51 EST
?You owe them... They want their father.? she didn?t open her eyes in fear of just seeing red again and instead only listened to the heart drumming in his chest. She encircled her arms about him and his drenched jacket, her fingers grasping to its wet fabric.?

?They have needed you? she whispered through the tears. ?I have needed you and like others, ... I needed you.? She couldn?t forgive him yet. She wouldn?t. But that could happen. She knew as she looked up and tried to keep her lip from trembling.?

?Next time, Even if it is straight to hell, I am coming after you.?

It was a start...

And it meant more to him than anything else.

Nodding softly, he kiss her head gently and looked to her, the shudders of his form still ever present, as he continued to hold her in his arms.

?I needed you--- you deserve so much more than I had given you, so much more. You and the girls are what--- there's nothing I would not do for you, ever. I do love you, Jenai and I never stopped that ever and I never will. I love Aleyah, and Nathressa-- always have and will. An Gods help me, there won't be a next time... I'm here, and for what it is worth today, months or years from now--- I will never let you all go again. Whatever comes, we face together.. Because, without you---?

Another kiss to that head of hers, ?Without you all---?

?I'm so sorry..?

?I love you. I?ve always loved you. You are my greatest weakness.? ?Jenai heard a door try to shut softly to the exit into the building. She knew as much as they tried, old women made bad ninjas when they tried not to be seen eavesdropping. She sighed lightly not really caring at the moment. She felt bad about the work she did on him, but he deserved that and more.?

Instead she could only think of that time years ago in the kitchen, and used a tear free breath she had left and deeply kissed him. She was still mad, but she truly,?madly, loved him.

His eyes widened, as the kiss caught him completely off guard. Still, there was no thought what so ever, as he returned that kiss with everything he had held within for all of that time away from her.

He had loved her, and only her for so long that it was as natural as---

Breathing.

Yet in ironic twist of fate, he found his breath stolen, let alone sense of anything save the woman he held in his arms.

The kiss broken somewhat, as his lips remained a bare breath from her own... A breath that he seemingly regained, somehow.

?I have to tell you something... I'm scared to death right now... Because if I kiss you again, I don't think I'll be able to stop kissing you.?

The words...

That first kiss they shared, in the kitchen of the Red Dragon...

A throwback if you would, to a time so long ago... A time when they were so much younger, in heart and soul... And even in form. A time, when they each were so deathly fearful of one another, and more so-- what would follow.

Yet despite that fear, they stepped forward.

Together.

Because they took that chance.

Gods willing-- they would take that chance, yet again.