Hearts in Shadows

[Brent]

John "Blackswords" Rm jogged thru the wilds of Nascence seeking out new sights and places. Ones without memories attached to them. As he jogged John tried to forget his heartache at his loss. His oldest and closest Friend and beloved was gone. Oleta "Ambyrle" Clyburn was gone where he did not know only that she seemed never to return. So on he jogged trying to forget but he caught himself wondering what "Ambyrle" would think of the Shadowlands and their Alien Beauty.

John came across a sight that slowed him to a stop. A young and Beautiful Opifex Girl was locked in battle with Four Dark Prowlers. She was losing Badly but he could sense she'd never give in she just focused on one planning on taking at least one of her foes down with her. John decided in an instant to help her as her spirit she showed to him tugged at his heart.

Tamora "Drkkrystal" Sobe Fought with all her strength against the Dark Prowler before her. She had sought to fight just one to gain the experience and skill she needed to be useful and helpful too her new family. They who gave her heart a chance to know peace, joy, Happiness and love. If she had asked she knew they would have had helped her but she needed to prove herself in her own way.

She buried her dagger into the neck of the Prowler before her causing to yowl in pain and anger but its companion raked its claw across her back leaving bloody gouges in its wake. Her strength faded fast from the wounds now added to some many others that the Prowlers have inflicted upon her. She pulled the dagger free and prepared to drive them into its eyes and take at least one of them with her into death.

A bright red nanocloud suddenly swarmed around her closing her wounds and returning her strength to her body. Tamora turned towards the source of the cloud when she hears a burst of gunfire and one of the four prowlers drops dead from three huge wounds in its side. Another drops from a single shot too its head. The prowler she had wounded takes the moment of distraction to pounce on her and knock her to the ground.
She rolls with the blow upon the ground and rolls under the Prowler making it miss with its massive fangs.
She stabs upward with her dagger seeking and finds the heart of the Prowler. The Prowler leaps backwards from the blow and tries to gather itself to attack but it shudders as its body collapses from the mortal blow Tamora Dealt it. She turn to face the last Prowler only to see the Prowler locked in Mortal battle with a Panther nearly a third larger then itself. She watches the two huge felines battle until the Panther gets the opening it was waiting for. The huge fangs of the panther find the throat of the prowler and bite down. The prowler rakes with its hind claws trying to keep its life but the rakes get weaker and weaker till with a shudder the prowler quiets. The panther lets go of it prey and stands before Tamora. She stands with her dagger ready to fight.

John looks at the Girl covered in her blood and her foes blood ready to fight even against a foe she has no chance against. He smiles inside at the shear spunk this girl shows, he can smell her fear but he knows she has mastered it and doesn't let it control her. He feels admiration to this unknown girl, and other memories stir within him about another who showed such spirit. He wills himself back to human form as he feels the need to be himself with her.

Tamora Braced herself as a cloud of nanos enveloped the Panther and shifted its form to human again. She felt shock as the form resolved itself into a Solitus Male in the Black armor of Omni-Pol elite. Her breathing speed up in some fear and confusion. Why had the Omni helped her? No one else was nearby so he had to have healed her she braced herself for demands of a cash reward or other things. Things her Trainers did to "Strengthen" her they said Things she still hate them for and felt ashamed for.

"Hello there. My name is John "Blackswords" Rm. It looked like you needed help hope you don't mind me helping." Spoke the man.

Tamora stared at the man as her mind raced. She'd heard that name before somewhere. She remembers a conversation with Lauryn "Usia" Sosnowski about a rather strange but honorable Omni Adventurer and the name clicks into place.

"Do you know Usia?" Blurts out Tamora.

"Why yes I do. She's and engineer with Vitae Covente." He replies.

She can hear the smile in his voice and somehow his presence feels less threatening. He cocks his head at her and then she senses a sheepish reaction in him.

"Sorry I forgot. I wear this thing too damn much." He reaches up and unlocks and removes his helmet. Revealing a rugged but handsome face. His face holds a sardonic grin on it as he tucks the helmet under his arm. "Pleased to meet one of Usia's Friends face to face as it is. Even when I have no Idea what her name is."

Tamora jumps a little bit as she realizes she was rude. "Sorry I'm Tamora "Drkkrystal" Sobe."

His face breaks into a wide grin. "Pleased to meet you Tamora. Do forgive me if I interfered with your fight and you find it unwelcome."

Tamora can't help but return the grin it just something about him. "Oh thank you for the help." Wariness enters her voice. "What reward do you want? I don't have much cash."

His face takes on a slightly stunned look at her question. "Reward? I don't need a reward from you. You needed help so I gave it. Nothing more but if you insist on a reward a 'Thank You' will do just fine."

Tamora looks into his eyes and just knows he speaks the honest truth. But still her memories of her training still linger, as her instructors never did anything for her without a price attached.

"Thank You John." She speaks Solemnly. "But why help a clanner? Your Omni-Tek?"

"Your welcome. And as to why, I ask why not? You needed help and I have always been a Knight Errant in attitude so help you need help you receive." Comes his reply with a smile.

"Even to a clanner?" she blurts out in disbelief.

"Why not. You haven't attacked me or anything."

Tamora listened to this and felt his honesty. With a slight shock she realizes she can feel his spirit…And she hasn't bound it to her. Yet she can feel him. Never has she felt another's spirit as clearly as his. Her Family in Vitae Covente she could feel some things from but this man was clear as day to her.

"Are you Alright?" he asks. She feels his concern for her and a bit of worry over her.

"I'm Fine." She quickly replies "Just thinking."

"Oh, Okay."

John stands in thought and comes to a decision. She needs help and I need to feel helpful it will distract me from my memories. And there was something about this girl he couldn't finger it but just being around her made him feel.'Whole'. Why he didn't know.

"Tamora if you like I would be happy to stay with you and help you if you like?"

She looks at him quizzically "Don't you have other things to do rather then to help me?"

"Yes there are things I could go do but I'd prefer to help you if you'd let me?"

She just blinks at that reply and says. "If you want to you can help me."

[Brent]

For Several hours Tamora fought various beasts always picking those she could deal with alone if need be but he was always there with heals and other nanos to help her. She needed the fights otherwise she'd have to look at the roiling emotions that we're within her. She could still feel him standing nearby she checked here and there to prove with her eyes what she felt. Why was he here with her, he didn't need to be what did he want these questions ran thru her mind making her question some things even harder then before. She had family with Vitae Covente but she still felt alone even when with them on some level. She new they'd always help her if she needed it but they didn't understand the shadows still within her and the ones that still cast themselves over her.

She looks over at John and sees that Black Cold looking armor he's in but she feels his Spirit it is warm and caring but she doesn't trust herself with it. Like so many things her trainers taught her was that to betray you need to trust first. But he was just so patient and kind. She couldn't believe it was true and yet she felt he had to be the way he is.

"Lunch break." He called to her.

Tamora stopped and cleaned her Daggers on the Prowler corpse she'd just killed and wandered towards him.

John had already removed his helmet and sat on the ground rummaging thru his backpack. He soon pulled out a few boxes and cans of some sort. She sat down near but out of arms reach of him.

"What you like better. Omni-Food Insta Food pack One Beef and potatoes, Two Fish and Chips, Three lasagna or number thirty four Mystery meat on a shingle?" Asked John.

"Umm you choose first." She replied.

"Okay." And John grabs the one marked with a thirty-four. As well as one of the cans he pulled out.

He fits the can into a slot on the narrow side of the meal box and then slaps the can against the meal box hard. The can makes a pop and a gurgling sound. John then sets it aside and just looks at her waiting.

"Umm I'll take the Fish and chips one." Replies Tamora.

John nods and Fits a can into the fish and chips box slaps it and holds the box towards her.

Tamora takes it and sets it down near her.

John puts the other meal boxes away and then holds a can and a lid like thing towards her.
"Drink?"

She takes them and looks at the can and lid oddly. "How do I work this?"

"Oh fit the lid to the top of the can. Then set the flavor setting and press down on the center of lid thing and shake the can."

Tamora looks at the lid trying to decide what to drink, Orange flavor, Cherry, Grape, Quaztz fruit, and others.

"Just so you know it’s the same nutrient style of drink it just gives you the choice of flavors."

Tamora sits trying to decide what flavor when she hears a sudden Pop clank sound from where John is.
She drops the can and rolls aside coming up into a fighting stance with her dagger at the ready.

John just sits there with an odd look on his face for a sec then slowly points at her meal box. Her eyes look at the box when the can at the top of it pops up then rolls off onto the ground with a clank.
Tamora lowers her dagger and stares at the meal box. Waiting for the scathing remarks on her stupidity and lack of awareness that her trainers never fail to heap upon her for such a stupid act on her part. She sits down quietly where she was and stares at the ground waiting for the reprimand.

Nothing happens she darts a look at John's face looking for anger or scorn upon it. She sees only a wry smile upon the face, and above it laughing eyes that have not a hint of scorn in them.

"Well at least you didn't shoot your first Insta meal dead like I did mine. My Boss Swiftmind was covered in Spaghetti and meatballs when I did that." He speaks in a level voice barely holding back mirth.

Unbidden and slight laugh escaped her before she tamped it down. She closed her eyes and tried to close her feelings off but she felt his humor and delight at the simple mistake and she felt she could laugh and not worry about it around him. But her ruthless training held root within her.

John watches Tamora with concern. The girl looked like she was waiting to be kicked and it looked like she felt she deserved to be kicked. Well he wasn't going to say anything about meal box if she just wanted to drop the subject. John grabs his meal box and lays it across his lap and tears it open at revealing the steaming contents. Three slices of thick bread smothered in gray gravy with hunks of meat and Mushrooms across the top of it all. He Pulls the Spork form the slot inside the meal box and starts eating. Tamora grabs and opens her meal box revealing Hunks of Breaded fish strips, Fries, and a dip of tarter sauce. John watches her eat a bite of fish and then opens his drink and takes a swig. The fact that it tastes like something close to liquid rubber is his first hint he forgot something.

John makes a face of Horror and puts the drink down on the ground and looks at Tamora. She returns his look with a wary eye.

"Tamora unless you like the taste of rubber don't forget to flavor your drink." He tells her. While trying not to lose his lunch.

Tamora watches John's face turn green he then sets his food aside stands and says. "Excuse me for a second." She watches him walk towards and tree for a few steps and then breaks out into a flat run gets behind the tree and she hears him vomit. She sits quietly keeping herself from laughing at his mistake, as he didn't humiliate her with laughing at her mistake he deserved that courtesy from her. She grabbed her can and selected Orange Flavor pressed now on the lip and shook it up. John soon returned and she held the lid device out to him without a word. He takes it with a "Thank You." places it atop his open drink selects a flavor then shakes it up. When done he pops off the top and is covered in a geyser of light brown liquid.

She bites down on her lips to stop from laughing. She looks at him warily as his tongue licks some of the liquid from his lips. She sits quietly staring at him while John just stares straight ahead at nothing then says.

"Well at least it tastes better now." In a perfect deadpan voice.

Tamora losses control and just starts laughing aloud. It felt so good to just laugh, she heard and felt his laughter joins with hers and she loved the feel it gave her inside herself. Her laughter slowly petters out and she feels so relaxed and free for the first time in a long time as she can remember. She then remembers herself and takes control and stops laughing altogether.

"I'm sorry for that." She says to John.

"Sorry for what?" He replies. "Things happen, and some are just to damn funny not to laugh at. So enjoy the laughter. If anything else it lets you know you're alive and have some joy in life."

Tamora looks at John and realizes that she has no fear of him at all. His spirit is too open and honest and she understands her fears are rooted in her training. The training to make her not trust anyone or anything, But she finds herself trusting him. He is to her spirit a doorway to Trust, hope and dare she dream Love?
She looks away not wanting to stare at him.
"Tamora." Says John

Tamora looks at his face and smothers the laughter boiling up inside her as he duplicates the face of horror he made after the first drink. John face takes on a downcast look as she seems unmoved and says.

"Dang you’re a tough audience to play too."

A small laugh escapes her and she smiles briefly at him before taking control of herself.

John just smiles at her small laugh and smile and then gets back to eating his food. She digs into her fish and chips. It's delicious and finds that it is quickly gone. John collects the various empty cans and containers after the meal and stuffs them into a baggy and attaches a small box to the opening of the baggy and presses a button on the box. Soon the baggy flattens out and John pours a fine dust from the baggy around the roots of a tree and then stuffs away the box and baggy.

"Okay how about we go hunt elsewhere for a little tougher critters?" Asks John

Tamora looks apprehensive at the idea.

"Okay how about we set a goal and when we reach it we call it good for the day?" Offers John "I offer my word of honor that I will not leave until the goal is reached or until you release me from aiding you."

Tamora closes her eyes and thinks on this offer. He has already helped her as it is but she fears to trust him to be there everything her training says he will destroy her once she trusts him. She opens her eyes and looks at him feeling his spirit and sees the open friendly face. He is at this moment everything she dreams to be real and is afraid to be real. Unbidden a voice of a friend enters her mind with advice said once before.

"Krys don't be afraid to chase your dreams. How can you get them if you don't chase after them." Speaks Usia's voice in her head.

Tamora take a deep breath and masters the fears within.

"Okay lets hunt in the swamps. Until I've undergone two nano upgrades to my skills."

John smiles and slips on his helmet "Okay lets go then."

For the next hours she fought against creatures that would have killed her without effort but she was unstoppable as when needed a cloud of healing nanos would envelope her and heal her wounds. He let her know he was there by shouting advice to her and notice of skillful blows with praise. She felt protected and safe, never had she had this feeling except when she was very young. Before her training began.

It wasn't until the dark of night started to fall that she realized she'd been fighting near no stop and she had undergone not two but five Nano upgrades to her skills. Washing her dagger clean in the water she walked towards John.

"I'm sorry I forgot to check for upgrades, I'm three over the promised two."

"That’s okay you seemed to be in a groove so I didn't feel like stopping you."

She could feel his smile from under the helmet.

"What say we go to Jobe and sell the Items you've collected and then say our good-byes there?"

A bit of shock ran through her as she realized she didn't want him to leave and the idea of him leaving made her heart ache within her a bit.
But she spoke without a trace of anything in her voice.

"I cannot say anything against that idea as you have been beyond patient and fair with me."

John just nodded in return and made a sweeping gesture towards Jobe Research.

"Ladies First." He said.

As they jogged back to Jobe Tamora toiled over the feelings and thoughts that now roiled within her.

Her training said a man such as he cannot exist and yet he was there. Her dreams that had lain dormant within unremembered now surfaced and she sees herself happy and in love with such a man but how can she hope to be loved by a man she just met.

To quickly they reach Jobe.

"Tamora can you form a Commlink Team with me. I need to sell some things as well but I'd still want to talk with you."

"Yes certainly." She tells her NCU to accept the Commlink when it is open.

John runs off and as she watches the ache in her heart gets more and more intense as his spirit fades from where she can sense it. She distracts herself with selling the Items she found in the hunt always looking for a sign John was returning to her. Her Items are quickly sold and she goes outside the shop but sees no sign of him. A voice whispers in her head telling her she was foolish to trust as he has left her to stand and wait for him forever like a love struck fool. She feels the pains of shattered hope begin and turn to go back to her apartment alone as always.

"Tamora I'm on my way back to you. Sorry it took so long." Came his voice from the comm.

She waited and soon she saw him running her way with a Backpack in hand. He came to a stop beside her and held the Pack towards her.

"This is for you." He says to her.

She takes the Pack and opens it. Inside are a dozen Nanocrystals for her along with a pair of squibber swords and some other Items. Items she could not have afforded for some time with what little money she had. She just stared at him in shock for a moment then looked back into the bag to see if she was dreaming.

"Tamora can I see your Credit Access card please." He asks her.

She hands it over without a word she still can't believe he got these things for her. He attaches his Credit access card to hers and does a transfer. If he cleaned her out of every Credit she is still on the plus side of it all. He hands the card back and she accepts it and checks the amount.

The pack hits the ground and scatters its contents across the ground as she shocked beyond words at the card.

"I…. I…can't accept this." She stutters.

"It’s a freely given gift accept it and pass it on to others when you can help them as well."

"But you gave me 500,000 credits..?!?!" she stared at the card showing 506,347 credits to her name. "You can't afford to do this. You don't need to do this."

[Brent]

John looks at her shock and dismayed face at his gifts. He removes his helmet and places it on the ground and looks at her while placing the spilled items back into the backpack. He soon has all the items back inside and hands the pack to her without saying anything but just smiles at her.

"Your right I didn't need to do it. I wanted to do it. So I did it." He tells her. "As for being unable to afford it." He holds out his Credit Access card for her to see. She makes a small choking sound at the amount of 135 million credits in his account.

He just smiles at her and keeps quiet for he dare not say more. He may say more then he dared too. John doesn't know when it happened during the day but he found himself wanting to find out more of this Tamora girl. He felt her humor and kindness in moments but it was like she had a wall built up around her and he couldn't really sense her. She had reawaked apart within him he had thought had died when "Ambyrle" Left. He wanted to make her smile and laugh and maybe even hope that she may find something within this Smart ass Adventurer that she could maybe love. There was something in her that made him feel whole and alive again and he wanted to have that feeling for as long as he could keep it.

He also knew he couldn't keep her. She was her own person and he couldn't be selfish and try to trap her with gifts and a sense of obligation. But he'd at least try to be a friend to her. He'd permit himself to be that greedy.

"So will you understand now if I say that was pocket change to me."

Tamora response is to try and kiss his cheek but John turns his head towards the movement and they're lips meet instead.

John feels a shock run thru him with the kiss. And can see Tamora is similarly shocked but neither pulls away from the kiss. It feels like a door is opening within him and he can now sense her spirit. He feels it layered beneath a shell of will and hardened with experience but he feels the core of her now buried so deep below the layers as to not get hurt. He feels her true self and looks upon its beauty and grace. He wishes he could caress it and feels that somehow he does give her a caress with his spirit.

His lips reluctantly withdraw from hers and he just stares at her for a time. Uncertain what to say or do.

She looks upon him with amazement at first then some fear enters her eyes. He senses now she fears him for he can now hurt her more then anyone else could ever do so before.

"I will take my leave of you milady." John says aloud then Bows to her. "I hope to meet you again someday. Sooner rather then later I hope."

He then puts his helmet back on and stands up and waits for her response.

"I hope we meet again as well. John." She stammers.

John nods his head towards her and then walks away. Needing to get to his apartment he needs to sort this out in his head as well as his heart. For he now hurts worse with every step he takes away from her then he did when he mourned the loss of "Ambyrle".

Tamora watched him walk away and she was slightly paralyzed with both fear and joy. The kiss was like nothing she'd ever felt before and she had enjoyed every second. Its just what followed that had scared her. She felt his spirit reach out and touch hers. Somehow it slid thru all the walls and defenses she had placed around her spirit and touched hers. She had felt his spirits loving caress and reveled in it until she realized what he had done. She was vulnerable to him more vulnerable then she had ever been to anyone before. For he had reached within her and touched her secret heart the one she kept hidden from almost everyone. And she only showed pieces of herself to others never the whole of it. Not like now.

Her mind raced with what to do as she watched him walk away. What should she do? What could she do?
She watched him walk to the entrance to the Luxury apartments in Jobe Harbor and enter. As the doors shut behind him her feet already decided for her. She walked to the door and stopped just outside it. She can't get past the Forcefield that is encoded for owners keys and they're accepted guests. She had to try, so she charged the doorways forcefield shoulder ready to take an impact. She felt the Forcefield part like a curtain of water and she staggered into the lobby of the apartments. Tamora looked at the Forcefield behind her and wondered how see just did that. She remembers that she is still in Team link comm with John and his NCU gave the Passcode to enter the complex. She looks around for John and sees only the empty lobby and lifts and an Android standing behind a counter. She approaches the android and asks it a question.

"What floor and room does John "Blackswords" Rm resided in?"

"John "Blackswords" Rm Boardmember of Omni-Mining is found on level Phi Apartment 3." The Droid then presses some keys on the desk. "The lift is now set to transport you there. Did you wish me to notify him that you're coming?"

"No. Please don't it’s a surprise."

"Very well ma'am have a nice day."

Tamoras heart raced faster and faster as she climbed into the lift and then walked to the door to his apartment. It silently opened before her. She hesitated briefly then silently slipped inside. She moved with the stealthy gait that her trainers taught her. She entered the kitchen and saw his pistols laying on the table next to an open box with some small tools in it. She looked into the Bedroom and saw his armor piled neatly in a corner along with his other items. She looked towards the bed and saw nobody but a ripple of noise came from the bathroom. She cautiously peered around the corner and saw John lounging in the bath.
He was Naked as the day he was born and seemed almost sleep while floating in the water. Tamoras Eyes lingered over him seeing the various scars and muscles that sculpted his body. She began to think on what she should do next when John moved allowing his head to submerge into the waters. She ducks out of sight and waits to hear what he does next. She hears him exit the tub and wet footsteps on tile are heard. She freezes against the wall knowing that to move will draw the eye to movement. John passes right in front of her but his head was enwrapped in a towel drying his hair as he walks out towards the kitchen. When he gets out of sight she peers around the corner to see what he is doing.

John sits himself at the kitchen table and begins to disassemble and clean one of his two pistols. She withdraws into the bathroom. She was trapped until he leaves the kitchen area, as he would see her straight away.

Tamora still hadn't decided on what she was doing in here. Her mind and heart were not making sense she wavered between two extremes to kill John and steal his spirit and to end the threat to her or to wrap him in her arms and let her feelings be know to him.

She brushes her face to remove an itch and she remembers that she must be a sight. Blood encrusted upon her face and clothes and hair must make her look like a murderess. She eyes the bath and decides to take a risk. She quietly as she can slips out of her clothes and into the tub. She loves the warm water enveloping her and works a quietly as she can to clean herself up. She has cleaned herself off and slides out of the tub on her belly to not make noise from dripping water. She gets one of the towels to dry herself and wraps it around her chest. She activates her clothes self-cleaning option. She freezes when she hears John walking towards the bedroom/bathroom area. She hugs the wall and slowly looks to see what he is doing while gripping her dagger in her fist. John lays his pistols near his armor and other gear and then pads over to a Holographic Image cube. He downloads some image into the cube from his internal NCU unit and makes the cube produce the image at 1/10th scale. Five images of her cycle in the air above the cube she listens to John as he tells his Personal NCU some orders.

"Comm systems: Priority One to all incoming comms from Tamora "Drkkrystal" Sobe."

"Priority One order confirmed."
John shuts down the Holocube and walks too his bed and lies down on his back. Sleep is not on his mind as he can only think on that kiss that burned thru to his heart and spirit. Walking away from her was the one of the hardest things he'd ever done. If someone told him that the girl, correction young woman he had helped would steal herself into his heart later that day he'd have laughed himself silly. He now had to force himself to remember things he'd once done with "Ambyrle" and he had been trying to forget things about her this morning. Lifes little ironies still make him question that maybe the almighty had a sense of humor. John mused his heartfelt thoughts aloud to the empty room.

"Mayhap someday Lady Tamora I can be your Knight and Champion."

He adds some return dialog. "But sir we have only just meet. How can you choose to be my champion after so short a time?"

"For I know not why but in this short span of time I have been with you I find it hard to imagine being without you to be in my life."

"Truly sir I would say you’re are mad, How can you know me so well as to offer up yourself in such a manner?"

John sighs, "For I felt your heart thru the walls you placed and it is Beautiful clean and shining despite the dark and shadowy walls placed around it."

Johns face slumps in a dejected manner. "Damn me for not giving into my hearts wish and have you in my arms for as long as you'd let me hold you there."

"And double damn me for being a bit of a coward and not saying anything of how I felt to you to your face."

John closes his eyes and tries to put all things out of his mind and get to sleep but offers a goodnight wish.

"Tamora I wish you well and hope you're safe and happy wherever you are."

Tamora listened to this all and some tears ran down her cheeks as she knew in her heart and spirit he was real no lies and deceit were in his heart upon this connection between them. Her plan to quietly sneak out when he slept was cast to the wind as her mind and heart began to fight amongst them as to what to do now. Her heart wanted to go lie in his arms and let her hidden hopes have their way with her. Her mind and brutal teachings said it was not worth the risk and she'd be better not taking a chance with him. She collected her clothes and quietly stepped out of the bathroom when his breathing became regular. She never sent a glance in his direction till she was almost out the room. He seemed at peace and was starting to slip into a deeper sleep. She was almost out the front door when she realized she was hoping he was dreaming of her tonight.

He clothes thumped to the floor her feet and she let her heart lead the way. Before she knew it she was in his room and had jumped up onto the bed and was now straddling his chest with her dagger poised at his throat. She stared into his shocked and puzzled eyes as he recognized her. His Right Eyebrow quirk up and he spoke.

"Hello Tamora, Is there something else you needed?" spoke his calm but friendly voice. She felt no fear in him just puzzlement, Joy, and some desire all mixed together is what she felt in his spirit.

"Are you for real?" She stammered. Her mind blurted out her fears. "I mean was all you said, was what you meant? Or did you know I was here?"

John just smiled at her and she babbled on incoherently for a few minutes some things connecting to others to the point she was not sure what she was saying till John slowly raised a finger to her lips.

"Tamora, what are you here for? Besides giving me a image to forever dream about with you being naked and sitting on my chest?"

Tamora looks down and realizes the towel is no longer around her but on the floor near the bathroom and bedroom entrance. She blushes a bit but looks at John with her eyes full of long suppressed wants and dreams and replies.

"Doesn't the rescued damsel often throw herself upon her hero?"

John face breaks into a grin but it fades to a serious look "You don't need to do this." He replies.

She looks at the dagger at his throat and pulls it away. She looks at John's face without masking what she felt at this moment "Your right I don't need to. And you'd never ask it of me. That’s why I want to do this."

John only reply is to pull her face to his and kiss her lovingly for a long time. She drops her dagger to the floor and they give themselves over to they're hearts desires. And each felt the others spirit as it welcomes the other into an embrace like neither has ever felt before.

[Brent]

The one thing that makes me nervous is the fact nobody has posted any (( Oh nice story or Ack it sucks...)).

[Swiftmind]

reads

Hmphm....I remember those Spaghetti and meatballs. It is why I only go to resturants while John is around now.

sits back and thinks

So it seems John has found a new friend in the Rebels....

A savage warrior, beating creatures with a blade to a bloddy mess
frowns

Yet...a sign of a good heart lies between such...savageness

In any case, I will warn John of this manner.


(( I read it

Well written ))

[Dabblez]

(( I read it also. Its a very gentle, nicely written story. Feedback however is a very fickle mistress. You can never count on it. The lack of feedback is sometimes disappointing, but its just the way it is. ))