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The Reluctant Journey Ch. 01

By: Darlin92



This is my first submission, my first time trying to write anything erotic actually. Not a very erotic chapter but more to come if it's liked. Constructive criticism is encouraged. :) 

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Everything began on a very beautiful day, a day fitting of the colloquialism, "the calm before the storm". For once Malia wasn't the first to get up. Her mother and father had let her sleep and she was woken to the gentle breeze drifting across her sun-warmed skin. The three windows of their small shack were all open and the only noises that could be heard were those of the birds outside. Malia wondered how her parents had managed to get her seven-year-old twin brothers out of the small home without waking her. However they'd accomplished the feat, she was happy that they had. She stretched out in the full size bed that she shared with her brothers and younger sister. She could lounge in the bed and enjoy the space for once. 

She inhaled the fresh spring air and listened to the singing birds. It was moments like this that she forgot about the war, about her old suburban home, about the past completely. She could breathe and be strictly in the moment. She exhaled and opened her eyes. Moments couldn't last forever. Malia got up and grabbed one of the generic gray jumpsuits she, and everyone else in the unit, wore everyday. She grabbed her toothbrush, toothpaste, hairbrush, and shoes as well and headed to the communal bathrooms. Malia remembered when she had complained at having to share a bathroom with her sister. Now she shared a bathroom with over three hundred other women. 

It was late in the morning and the bathrooms would be empty. Malia reveled in the privacy she wasn't often allotted. Usually everyone on the unit woke with the sun and the bathrooms were everyone's first stop. Often Malia would envy the men, their bathroom was always quicker to empty. Many of the women's vanity had not died with their luxuries. Hot water and electricity were valued commodities and were only supplied to the bathrooms for a couple of hours each morning. Unfortunately Malia had missed out on the warm water hours and took a quick, cold shower in the large dark room. She finished getting ready for the day and went to find her parents. 

Malia's mother, Kristen, worked with a small group of women sewing clothing and blankets. Often at this time of year they would bring their work outside and sit and talk while they worked. She found the women right outside the unit's makeshift hospital where her father, Jack, worked. She walked over to where her mother sat sewing a new jumpsuit. 

"Ah, she lives." 

"Hi mom. Thanks for letting me sleep. What's the occasion?" Malia picked up a suit with a hole in the shoulder and sat next to her mother. 

"Ah you work too hard, you're a teenager. You need your sleep." She passed Malia a needle and thread. 

Malia took the needle and began to repair the suit. "I'm twenty." 

"Same difference." 

Malia smiled. "How'd you get the spawns out quietly?" she asked, referring to her brothers. 

"Oh your father has quite the supply of sedatives. We shot the little suckers in the arm and out like a light." Her mother replied stony faced without looking up from her work. 

Malia laughed, " You know, if I didn't know you better, I would think you were serious." She had finished the small hole and placed the suit in the basket of completed work. 

"Oh my sweet, you know I'm never serious. It would be oh so very boring." 

"Heaven forbid. Dad busy?" Malia asked motioning towards the hospital behind her. 

"Never too busy for you princess" came her father's voice. She turned around, slightly startled. He leaned against the doorframe and smiled. " I was just about to ask you for help." 

"Isn't Olivia in there?" Malia's eighteen-year-old sister had always shown an aptitude to follow in their father's footsteps. Where Malia was squeamish and clumsy, Olivia was steady-handed and unfazed by nearly anything. Malia didn't like the hospital and Olivia essentially lived there. 

"Of course she is. I need your help. Don't worry there's barely any blood involved." Her dad laughed at the disgusted face Malia made. "You know I'm kidding, I just need you to climb up into the attic and look for some books." 

Twenty minutes later Malia climbed out of the tightly packed attic with some dusty books. She went to go find her sister. Olivia was bandaging a man's arm in a separate room when Malia found her. 

"Hey, need any, uh, help?"

Olivia laughed without looking up at her sister. "No you can sit this one out, I've got it." She finished and told the man her father would be in shortly. The girls left the room and walked into the hallway. "Sorry I couldn't help with the books. You know, small spaces and everything." Olivia looked ashamed of showing weakness. She had been debilitatingly claustrophobic for as long as Malia could remember. She had to sleep on the edge of the bed and get up early every morning to avoid the crowded showers or she would have panic attacks. 

"Don't worry about it. It's not a problem." Malia smiled to reassure her. 

Olivia smiled back briefly. "I'm starving, want to go get lunch?"

"Yeah, I have to go ask dad what I'm supposed to do today. I have a lot of time to make up for from all that beauty sleep."

"It's your day off, you need to relax sometimes. The unit will be fine without you for one day. You'll work yourself to death". Olivia looked genuinely concerned. 

"Hah, that's rich coming from you. Go pick up two sandwiches and we can eat by the creek or something. Quit worrying about me. It's my job to protect you, not the other way around little sis." Malia pulled out her ration card and Olivia shook her head, took the card, and left. Malia walked through the halls checking the various rooms for her father. She finally made it to the center of the small hospital. 

Her father had his back to the door when she entered. As she entered the large room she quickly took in the soldiers standing opposite her dad and herself. Her father screamed, "Run Olivia!" without turning around. The soldiers rushed him and everything seemed to proceed in slow motion. 

Her dad tried to rush the oncoming soldiers who very easily and quickly subdued him, as he was outnumbered. Malia turned and ran back through the doors she had just entered and straight into what felt like a brick wall. She fell backwards and landed directly on her tailbone, causing shooting jolts of pain to electrify her spine. She moaned, though she felt like screaming, and finally thought to look up at the brick wall that had knocked her down. 

There was no newly installed wall, only a man. A large man. He was dressed in a suit, a business-type one, the first one she had seen since her childhood. This man wasn't from the unit, he was from outside, he was dangerous. He was also very tall, and muscular, he had towered over Malia's five-foot-six frame even before she'd flew across the floor. His hair was dark and short, his skin olive, and his eyes were nearly black. He looked down at her, unamused. 

"Olivia Yates?" His deep voice was menacing and his dark brow arched with the question. 

"What?" Malia didn't know what was going on but she knew it wasn't good. People didn't come into or out of the unit. Outsiders were dangerous, and right now one of them wanted her sister." 

He looked disgusted at her response. He motioned at some soldiers that were behind Malia, though she didn't remember how they'd gotten there. Two of them grabbed her under the arms and dragged her aching body into a standing position. She groaned at the new wave of pain that racked her body. The menacing man stepped closer, until he was directly in front of her. He reached out and grabbed her chin firmly between his thumb and forefinger. "Are you, or are you not Olivia Yates?" His words were slow and deliberate, full of threat if she were to further anger him. 

She looked into his black eyes and saw malicious intent, and he was looking for her sweet innocent sister. There was no second thought for Malia. 

"Y-Yes, I'm Olivia Yates. Why, who are you?" 

He gave a small smile from the corner of his mouth that sent a shiver up Malia's spine. "Take her to the truck." He motioned the two soldiers who were holding her arms and they began to drag her towards the hospital's back exit. 

She began to struggle. "No, no, where are you taking me! Leave me alone! Let me go!" She was fighting the soldiers with everything she had, flinging her weight towards the ground and pulling against their iron grips. 

"Stop." she was on the ground when the large man's voice rang out in authority. The soldier's let go of her hands when the man kneeled down and grabbed her chin again, she couldn't help but slightly tremble. "Listen little girl." He snarled, "You are coming with me whether you like it or not. So we can do this the easy way, where you walk to the truck and nobody's hurt. Or I can drag your ass kicking and screaming the entire way without breaking a sweat." He gave another malicious smirk, "and afterwards I might just need to blow off some steam against poor little daddy in there," he jerked her head towards the center room where she had last seen her father. "I saw quite a few interesting looking instruments in there I might want to try out." Malia whimpered as he pulled her chin back towards his disturbingly close face. "Are..We..Understood?" Malia nodded frantically, tears streaming down her face. "Good," he smiled evilly, "such a smart little girl." He stood and looked down at her expectantly with his eyebrows arched. She slowly rose up onto her knees and then finally onto her feet, feeling more battered by the minute. 

It didn't matter what he did to her, she would protect her family in any way that she could. They would not hurt her family. She looked up into his evil face and he smiled down at her. He turned and began to walk towards the exit, Malia followed. 

There were at least thirty soldiers with her captor and she didn't see anyone from the unit on her way to a parked series of SUVs. She was happy she didn't see anyone; she hoped Olivia didn't chose now to show herself. Hopefully Olivia was by the creek, waiting on her. A tear rolled down her cheeks as she saw Olivia in her mind's eye, waiting on a big sister that would never show. She didn't know where she was going or why but she was certain that this man didn't intend on her returning, ever. 

They reached the vehicles and the man handed something from the backseat of one of the SUVs to the soldier to her right. He unfolded the white garment and to her horror Malia recognized what appeared to be a straitjacket. She instinctively stepped away from the men and was grabbed by the soldier to her left. She whimpered but did not fight, she would do this for her family. She would do anything to keep them safe. Fighting would only prolong the time in the unit and increase the risk that the real Olivia was found. The men strapped her into the straitjacket and the leader nodded in approval at her lack of resistance. They entered the SUVs and left the unit behind. 

The leader was sitting in the front seat; she was in the back behind him. She looked out the window as the countryside slid by. She hadn't been in a car since she was a little girl. 

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"Girls look out the window, see the deer?" her father slowed the car so Malia and Olivia could look down into the meadow where a doe and fawn grazed. 

"Aww, it's a baby" Olivia chimed 

"Where's the daddy deer?" Malia asked. 

"He's at work of course, my sweet." Her mother replied from the front seat. 

Malia and Olivia burst into noisy giggles, which caused their mother and father to laugh as well. 

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Malia felt fresh tears run down her face; she needed to get her emotions under control. She would give herself away if she wasn't careful and then whatever sinister intentions this man had planned would indeed be taken out against her little sister. She needed answers. 

"What do you want with me?" Malia meekly asked the back of the leader's head. 

He let out an annoyed breath. "Right now? I want you to be quiet." 

Malia had heard that she was supposed to humanize herself to her captor, remind him that she was a person with people who loved her. However, it wasn't a tactic she believed would have worked with him, when he had already threatened her father's life. Nor was it a tactic she was willing to use. Anything that drew attention to her family put them in danger. The further they drove the better. But hell if she would just roll over and listen to the bastard. Malia had been scared before, but she wasn't a meek little girl, and she would get her answers one way or another. 

"Now you listen! I've done everything you've fucking asked me to. You've got me, okay. Tell me where the fuck we are going and what the hell you want with me!" Malia screamed at her captor in frustration. 

She'd expected some form of surprise from the man at her outburst, and was annoyed when he laughed without even turning around to face her. "Ah so the little girl knows some big girl words, I am immensely impressed. " he snidely replied, every word said to the windshield. "What I believe you fail to understand, little girl, is that you are in no way in charge, and I don't have to fucking tell you fucking anything. So how's about you just be a good little girl and wait until we get there, all will be revealed I promise." His condescending voice grated on her nerves. She wanted to scream obscenities at his dark head, however she had never been good at cursing, it always came out forced and sounded ridiculous. Neither was she much of a hothead, but if he wanted to play mind games she would play. She took a deep breath. 

"I'm sorry, I'm just scared. I don't know where I am or who you are. I'm confused about where we might be going and what you're going to do with me." She stopped fighting the tears she'd been suppressing and used them to her advantage. To her surprise what she said started out as pure manipulation hit a nerve. She was scared. She missed her family and was worried about them all. They would want to look for her, but no one was permitted to leave the unit, under any circumstances, ever. It had to be a strong force to have breached the security and gotten in, which even more confused her. What did this man want with her sister, and why was he willing to use such resources and power to acquire her. 

The man sighed, "Listen little girl, I don't have the time nor the patience to deal with this right now. If you don't sit quietly I will stop this car and gag you. To do so would cause me frustration and cause us to lose time. I am not going to ask again." He sounded tired, but serious. She believed he would follow through on the threat. She just didn't care. Screw him. 

"I'm ever so sorry to be of inconvenience to you, kind sir. However, I do have to insist on the knowledge of our destination, you see I play bridge with the girls at three and you know how those ladies can get when you mess around with their cards. I do hope this whole thing doesn't take to long you know." She snidely remarked. 

He genuinely laughed. "Little girl, stubbornness will do nothing but get you into trouble. You wont win that game with me. Finn, stop the car." 

She yelled and pulled at her restraints as he opened his door and walked to the back of the car. She was strapped into place in her seat or she would have turned to see what he was doing behind her. It didn't take long for her to find out. He walked to her door and calmly opened it while she continued to struggle and scream. 

He grabbed her chin again. "Open your mouth little girl." 

"Fuck you" she screamed at him and spit directly at his smug face. This was the most she'd ever cursed in her life. She probably should have been scared of his reaction but she wasn't really thinking. She was angry, angrier than she had ever been. His face was livid and he gripped her chin painfully hard. Most of the anger quickly turned to fear. He would kill her. She was sure he was going to choke her. Her jaw was slack in shock at her own behavior and fear of what he might do in retaliation. His grip also helped open her jaw, and caused immense pain. He quickly put a ball in her mouth and forcefully pushed her head to the side to strap the gag in. 

More tears ran down her cheeks. After the ball gag was tightly in place his right hand moved from her chin slowly down to her throat. Her eyes widened. He rested his hand on her throat, applying minimal pressure. He moved his face close to hers so he could whisper directly in her ear. 

"You will come to regret that." His words were menacing and dark, filled with evil promise. Her body shook like a leaf, uncontrollably. He tightened his hand slightly around her throat and her eyes widened even more as she frantically shook her head. He smirked and released her throat, slammed her door and returned to his own seat. "Go." He ordered the driver who immediately put the car into gear. She had never been so scared, so angry, so alone. Her emotions were spent and she was exhausted. She leaned her face against the cool car window to her right and closed her eyes. 

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"Twenty-nine, thirty! Here I come." Came the voice of five-year old Derek. 

"No! No! 'm not ready!" screamed five-year old Aiden. 

"Found you, found you!" Derek taunted, clearly seeing Aiden in the tiny shack. Usually they would play outside and be gone for hours, but it was raining nonstop today. Malia was happy at the task of babysitter. 

"No, NO! You cheated! I wasn't ready! 'Lia , Lia, he cheated, did'ya hear how fast he counted 'Lia?" Aiden pleaded looking outraged. Malia couldn't help but burst out laughing at the face Aiden was making. " 's not funny!" Aiden yelled and Derek joined in on laughing. Aiden turned to Derek, looked at him laughing, and punched him directly in the face. 

Derek looked enraged and tackled Aiden. The two began rolling around the floor, fighting. Malia jumped up and pried the two apart and stood them both directly in front of herself. 

"Listen!" she yelled and they both stopped trying to fight each other and looked up at Malia. "I don't ever want to see you two fighting like that again! Do you hear me?" They both nodded up at her, and she continued. 

"You are brothers, and you need to act like it! Family doesn't hit each other okay? Family looks out for each other, they protect each other." 

The boys looked up at her seriously and nodded at her lecture. Of course they were back to roughhousing within the week, but they never physically fought each other in anger again. At least to Malia's knowledge they didn't. 

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Malia was startled awake, falling through the air. She tried to catch herself, but she couldn't move her arms, and landed directly on her right shoulder blade and hip. She yelled out briefly. He had opened the door she had been leaning heavily against. She looked up into his black eyes; he was giving that smug little smirk again. She glared at him. So this was payback for spitting at him, sadly she didn't think they were even yet, not in his mind at least. 

"Pick that up," he said to one of the soldiers. 

She was flung over a man's shoulder, and they were moving. She could only see the ground as his shoulder dug into her stomach with each step. She eventually closed her eyes from motion sickness. They entered a building. She opened her eyes and saw polished wood floors under her face. The ball gag had caused excessive saliva production and drool dripped from her face to pool on the pretty floors. She would have smiled if she could have managed it. She visualized the leader personally having to clean the floors. Though it was highly improbable, it made her want to smile and that was better than any alternative she'd recently come across. 


The Reluctant Journey Ch. 01



"Take her downstairs to a cell. " The leader ordered. 

The man carrying her brought her through a series of hallways, down some stone stairs, and through some more hallways. She looked around as much as possible and saw various prison cells. The man deposited her on the cold, hard floor of a cell. It was dark and she could only see the man's silhouette as he towered over her bonded form. The way he was looking at her made Malia uncomfortable. He squatted down to her level and she saw just how muscular he was. Now it was clear how he hadn't had any issues carrying her around. He had sandy blond hair that hung in greasy strands around his face. He smiled at her and she saw his teeth were cracked and eaten away in many places. She inwardly shivered and prayed for him to go away. 

"Quite the pretty little thing, aren't ya." He moved his large hand to touch her cheek and she jerked her face away from his sausage like fingers. He angrily grabbed at her face again and held her by the jaw as he turned her head back and forth to inspect her. "You should be a little sweeter, girlie. You never know when the general's gonna get tired of ya. Throw you to us to enjoy. I bet you're real tight, huh girlie?" She tried to pull her face away from the repulsive monster, but his grip was too strong. "Me 'n the boys will fix that, soon as we get the chance." She clenched her eyes closed to escape his leering face, and he laughed at her. 

"Vincent," another voice filled the small cell, Malia opened her eyes to see the driver of the SUV at the door to the cell. He had blond hair, cut close to his head, and striking blue eyes. The disgusting soldier that had been tormenting her stood quickly and faced the new man. 

"Yes, sir." He replied, saluting the driver. 

"I don't recall the general issuing orders to torment his captive?" 

"No, sir. " Vincent looked scared; this new man was clearly a superior. The driver looked at him with disgust. 

"Get out of here." He ordered and Vincent scurried off. The driver walked closer to where she sat. He started to walk behind her and she quickly tried to turn her body. 

"Don't, " he ordered, placing a restraining hand on her shoulder. "Sit still and I can get this thing off of you." She sat completely still, wanting nothing more at the moment than to get the stupid straitjacket off. Her arms were aching from being in the same position for what had to have been hours by now. She'd lost track of time, but it had looked to be late afternoon when she'd been outside. The man unstrapped her and slid her arms out of the jacket. She stretched her arms in relief. He began to unstrap the ball gag as well. She reached up to take the slobbery contraption from her mouth. Her jaw was aching from all the abuse it had taken. She handed the gag to the man who was once again standing in front of her. 

"Thank you." She whimpered. He nodded in answer. 

"The general will be in shortly," he turned to leave. 

"Who's the general?" she asked as she stood up, sick of people looking down to speak to her. He stopped and turned again to face her. He seemed to be contemplating how much he should tell her. For a moment Malia was afraid he wouldn't tell her anything. 

"The man who brought you here, General Cain Malcolm. You, uh, spit at him as I recall." She thought she saw a brief hint of amusement in his features. 

"What is he going to do to me?" She almost whispered. 

He looked uncomfortable, "That, you will have to take up with him." He again turned to leave and was at the door by the time she could ask one more question.

"What's your name?" Malia thought Cain had said his name but she couldn't remember. 

He looked like he might not answer her, but he did. "Finn. Finn Brantley." With that he closed and locked the cell door, and left. 

The entire room looked like a medieval dungeon cell. The walls and floor were grimy gray stone. The door was thick, dark brown wood with a small barred window in the top. There was a dirty mattress lying on the floor in the far left corner. Malia's shoulder was throbbing, as was her hip and jaw. She looked over at the mattress but decided the floor was cleaner and sat in the middle of the cell. She brought her knees up to her chest and rested her forehead on them. She sat for what felt like forever. Once she wasn't able to sit still anymore, she paced back and forth around the cell. 

Why did General Cain want her sister? He clearly had power and resources. What did he want with an eighteen-year-old medic in training? The slimy soldier Vincent alluded to a sexual purpose, but why Olivia? Sure, Olivia was pretty, but clearly the general didn't know what she looked like if Malia could take her place, and there were always prettier girls. It seemed like a lot of work for one girl anyways. There was also the fact that the general wasn't exactly lacking in attractiveness, he could probably have any woman he wanted. 

Malia stopped pacing at this thought. She did not think he was attractive. She had his face etched in her mind and reviewed it. Sure he had strong bone structure and great coloring, but he was not attractive. Maybe if he was a different person. No! He wasn't a different person and to become attracted to the evil son of a bitch was a bad path to travel. She wasn't attracted to him because he wasn't a different person. She remembered his face as he threatened her father's life. No, she wasn't attracted to him. 

As if he could hear her thoughts and feel her unease, Malia heard her cell door creak as it was opened and saw General Cain in the doorway. She instinctively backed up a pace. He slowly advanced with all the confidence in the world. She stood rod-stiff and glared at his annoying cocky face. He smiled, which was also annoying. 

"No questions?" he asked tauntingly, crossing his arms across his chest. He had changed into a short sleeved black t-shirt and dark-washed jeans. 

"Oh, are you feeling talkative?" She was so irritated with this man, so irritated that she wasn't really thinking anymore. She was supposed to be rational about this situation but her emotions were getting the most of her and though she knew it, there was nothing she could do about it. He had a full on grin at her remark, which egged her irritation on even more. 

"Little girl, you are very slow to learn. However, you will learn." He paused, looking Malia up and down. "I require obedience. If you are obedient you will do just fine here, living a luxurious life that you could only have dreamed of before. It is extremely simple." 

"Seems an awful lot of work for a glorified puppy, General."

"I have my reasons. You seem to be looking at this situation in the wrong light. You aren't a pet, you have a small purpose that will be filled and then you are free to reap the rewards of a certain lifestyle forever. You being chosen, little girl is more of a lottery winning than a prison sentence." 

"What's purpose? Why me?" 

He smirked. "I'm not much for conspiracy. You fit a demographic, but for the most part you were purely random. It could have been any eighteen-year-old attractive girl from your particular unit. Luck of the draw, I assure you. As for you purpose, it is simple. You are to become a mistress to my younger brother." His face was very matter-of-fact about his statement. As if it were completely normal to be told that she would be having sex with a stranger. Not just a stranger, but the brother of evil General Cain. 

"What?" She couldn't even think of anything else to ask. 

He was starting to get annoyed. "The details will come when the time comes. For now you will live here and soften up a little. Get used to the idea, little girl, because when the time comes you will fulfill your purpose. Consensual sex is a requirement; if you can't meet it you will not like the repercussions. Keep that in mind little girl. " He turned to leave, Malia still unable to come up with anything to say. Right as he reached the door he slowly turned back around and smiled his evil grin. "Oh, I almost forgot. I owe you a punishment."



The Reluctant Journey Ch. 02



I can see that the general's last statement in the first chapter may have been a poor choice of words, especially the word consensual. I hope this didn't take too much away from the character. I assure you he isn't supposed to be seen as retarded anonymous commenter #1, though thanks for making me laugh. 

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Images of torture raced through Malia's mind, everything from a simple leather whip to a bed of nails. She had never been physically punished before and she whimpered at the pictures her overactive imagination had delivered to her. 

"I'm sorry, ok. It won't happen again. I was s-scared." She tried to beg. 

He looked briefly irritated at her response. "Where's the bravery, little girl?" She swallowed excess saliva in response. He sighed as if she wasn't being entertaining to him anymore. "You know, now that I think of it, let's hold off on that punishment. I need a little time to think of something creative enough anyways." He chuckled and left the room, the heavy door clanging and locking behind him. 

She returned to the middle of the cell and sat. Her stomach was turning and if she'd eaten anything that day, she was sure she would have vomited. She closed her eyes and concentrated on breathing deeply. She pretended she was home. She had never really found anything she especially excelled at in the unit. Her mother liked to sew and talk to the women of the unit. Olivia was fascinated by the medical happenings of the unit and liked to help people, as did their father. It wasn't that Malia wasn't good at anything, she was good at a lot of things, she just didn't have a passion for a job the unit had to offer. She liked to work though, and was expected to hold her own in the unit, so she would do whatever odd jobs needed done. 

She liked the variety and felt like she was useful. She would help anyone who needed it, except for the medical staff. 

Malia thought back to the one and only time her father tried to introduce her to medicine. She was sixteen, Olivia had been spending all of her time in the hospital since she was twelve, but Malia wasn't fond of blood and gore so she generally stayed away. On that day though, the hospital was busy. Her father knew she didn't like it but he needed some help. He asked her to do some of the easier jobs around the hospital, maintenance type things to calm her nerves a little while he worked. Once she was more at ease he asked her to come see a patient who needed a dressing changed. The patient was a cook in his late twenties. He'd been working when he and another cook collided; the other cook had been carrying a skillet to the industrial sized sink. The grease from the skillet splattered all over the man's right arm. Malia's dad began to unwrap the dressing over the man's bicep. Malia could remember exactly how his arm looked covered in red bubble and skin hanging from some of the larger blisters that had popped. The smell was awful and filled the room to mix with the typical antiseptic smell of the room. Malia vomited all over the floor and continued to dry heave for minutes after. Her father dismissed her, apologizing for asking for her help, and didn't require her assistance in the hospital again. 

She was awoken from her daydream by the door opening. Clearly he didn't expect an hour would get her used to his crazy-ass plan, did he? She couldn't wait to see how he was going to force her to be consensual. She jumped up; ready to fight if she had to, though she knew it would be futile. To her relief it was Finn. He walked into the cell with two women behind him. The women were both dressed in simple black dresses that were loose fitting and not flattering. One woman was older; her salt-and-pepper hair was pulled up into a bun. She looked to be holding a platter of food. Malia's stomach audibly growled and Finn smiled, quite a beautiful sight. How had she not noticed how beautiful he was before? She remembered his striking blue eyes, but it was the only feature that was overly pretty. When he smiled though his handsomeness became obvious, unlike General Cain who was openly gorgeous. She mentally slapped herself; she needed to stop thinking like that. 

"Hungry?" Finn asked, his serious countenance returning. She nodded and the second woman, a red-haired woman close to her own age, rolled a cart closer and unfolded a standing wooden tray and a chair. The older woman placed the platter on the tray and removed the lid. The delicious smells assaulted her nostrils and she closed her eyes briefly in appreciation. 

"Sit." Finn said. 

She sat on the cushioned chair and looked over the contents of the tray. She wasn't sure what most of it was, but it looked delicious and fancier than anything she'd eaten in the unit. She ate her dinner as the women got sheets and pillows off of the cart they'd wheeled in the cell and made up the ugly mattress. Finn handed her a water bottle that she drank quickly. She was so hungry she hadn't had time to feel awkward at having three strangers watching her eat. When she was done she felt much better and the women loaded the table and chair back on the cart. They pushed the cart out of the room and Finn stood looking awkwardly for a moment. 

"You'll sleep here for tonight." He said apologetically. 

"Yeah, I figured," she gave him a small smile, "and, apparently until I get used to General Crazy's nefarious plan for me."

He laughed. "Cain's not that bad. I've known him my entire life. I wouldn't say he's all bark, but he's got a long fuse. However, I wouldn't test it any if I were you." He was the general's friend, she could tell. How could this decent soldier be friends with the sadistic general? 

She looked at him questioningly. "You agree with this twisted bastard's plan? You do know he expects me to willingly sleep with his brother?" 

He looked apologetic again. "I know this isn't going to mean anything to you right now, but just know he's trying to help his brother. All of this is for his brother. You'll like him, I promise, everyone loves Tristan. As for his plan, it isn't nearly as nefarious as he would have you believe." He paused briefly. "I wish I could tell you everything, but it's not my place, and it's not the time." He gave a sad smile and left the room, locking the door behind himself. 

She had felt better having Finn as a potential ally, but realized now that he was firmly in the general's camp. She fell asleep hugging the puffy white down comforter feeling utterly lost and alone. 

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Cain knocked on his brother's door. He was feeling drained from the activities of the day. 

"Come in," Cain heard Tristan say through the door. 

He entered the large suite Tristan inhabited most of the day. His brother sat on a couch facing the fireplace next to a large window. He was reading which wasn't unusual, he was always reading. Two of the large walls of the room were lined with filled bookshelves. The excess of natural light in the room offset all of the dark wood from the shelves, floors, and furniture. There were three large windows with sheer curtains and a large skylight above the bed. 

"Long time, no see brother." Tristan grinned at seeing his older brother. He set his book down and began to push himself up off the couch. 

"No, stay there. I need to sit anyways." Cain replied motioning for Tristan sit. 

"Yeah? Been busy?" Tristan asked, seeing the fatigue in Cain's features. 

"Oh yeah. Work and stuff. " Cain lounged back on the couch. 

Tristan laughed, "You attempt to lie to me brother? I can read you like one of my many books." 

He couldn't help but smile in Tristan's presence; he brought out the best in people, even Cain. Tristan reminded Cain of a better version of himself. They looked very similar. Both had dark hair, though Tristan's had a tendency to slightly curl. They both had their father's strong bone structure and tall, well-built physique. Cain had their father's dark brown eyes and Tristan's were light green like their mother's. Tristan also resembled their mother in personality. He was kind and smart and easy to please. 

"Pfft, when did you get so arrogant, brother?" Cain asked 

"I don't know, maybe sometime during these past five weeks." Tristan replied raising his eyebrows. 

Cain was instantly filled with guilt. "I know I haven't been around, I told Finn to stop by-" 

"Finn's not my brother, and yes he dutifully came to have lunch with me, everyday." Tristan's accusing face quickly turned to an understanding small smile. "I'm not trying to make you feel guilty Cain. You aren't my babysitter; I'm twenty-seven years old. I just wanted to know where you were okay? Finn was quite hush hush about the whole thing." Tristan was happy once again, like the flip of a switch. 

Cain sighed, he had hoped Tristan wouldn't want answers quite so soon. "Look, Tristan..." Tristan had his eyebrow arched in question; one of Cain's often used facial expressions. "I'm trying to help you."

"You're meddling again." Tristan accused. 

"No! I'm helping, if you would let me. Tristan, you deserve so much more than this." Cain motioned around the large room. 

"That's not your concern!" Tristan very rarely raised his voice. He looked irritated at Cain for a moment then sighed and looked concerned. "Cain, you need to live your own life, I can handle mine."

"Tristan let me help." Cain nearly begged. He put his elbows on his knees and ran his hand through his short hair in frustration. He spoke to the floor with vulnerability he would show no one else. "I know you want this. Just let me help you get what you want okay? If she doesn't work for you, I will leave it alone. I promise." 

"Lying again brother?" Tristan smiled down at his big brother. "You couldn't leave something alone if your life depended on it. As for your new girl," he snorted with disgust, "we will see brother. I'm not promising anything, but I will talk with her." 

Cain nodded, knowing it was the best he would get from his stubborn brother. "Well then, let's have dinner. We can see how things go later. " Tristan smiled at him and all was well between the brothers again, as if there had never been any discord at all. 

--------------------------------------------------

Her mom had gotten a new mixer for Christmas. She was four years old. Her mom sat her on the granite counter and let Malia pour the flour mixture into the bowl as it spun around. Music played in the background and her mom let her lick a beater clean. Olivia played with pots and pans on the ground. She was happy, everyone was happy. 

Malia woke suddenly and knew exactly where she was. Some instinct was telling her to stay still. She'd opened her eyes when she woke up but there was nothing but darkness. She closed them again and tried to take steady even breaths. She felt someone get close to the mattress and held back a shiver. Was it the general? Her breathing inadvertently hitched at that. 

"Awake girlie? I know you are." It wasn't the general, but she recognized the crude voice. It was Vincent. She tried to scream but immediately found a hand crushing her mouth. Her intended ear-splitting scream came out as a pathetic gurgle. Her eyes opened wide but there was no light in the cell. She felt the warm comforter ripped away. She scratched at his hand and tried to jump out of the bed, but he pushed her down and straddled her stomach. He had one hand firmly over her mouth and the other pinned both of her wrists over her head. She tried to kick, she tried to bite, she tried to struggle, all to no avail. 

"Shh, shh girlie," he whispered into her ear, making her cringe. He maneuvered his thighs so hers were draped over them. This position pressed his erection directly into her mound, only separated by each of their clothing. She stilled for a moment then redoubled her efforts to get free. 

"Mighty feisty little thing." He laughed. She realized that nothing she was doing was making any difference. He was lying on her with dead weight, exerting no energy whatsoever and she couldn't budge him. She was going to be raped by this sick freak. Tears streamed in constant torrents down her temples and into her hair as she shook her head back and forth, trying to dislodge his hand. Then she felt metal around her left wrist and heard a click. She tried to move the arm and sure enough she couldn't. She didn't have time to react before her right wrist was also shackled. He reached around her collar with his newly freed hand, feeling for the zipper of the ugly gray jumpsuit. She heard the sound of the zipper being pulled down as if it were a gunshot. 

It was down to her waist when lights blinded her from everywhere. They were bright and she clenched her eyes closed. Then the weight of Vincent's body was gone. She opened her eyes slightly to see Vincent's body slam into the stone wall. For a split second she saw his facial expression, it was one of complete terror. Malia hadn't ever wished harm on anyone before but in that moment, she wanted him dead. Unfortunately he just slid down to the floor with that stupid look on his ugly face. 

"Vincent, I'm very disappointed to say the least." General Cain Malcolm's voice was downright scary when he wanted it to be. Vincent definitely looked scared for his life. "I let you into my home. My right hand man even warned you against this very behavior, and yet here we are. I didn't act on Finn's report earlier today because I hoped you would make a better decision than this, for your family if not yourself. I won't kill you Vincent, but get out of my house, your career in the military is over." Vincent looked like he wanted to beg but Cain's appearance must have prevented it, because he got up nodding his head and scurried out of the cell.

The general slowly walked over to the bed and looked down at Malia. She suddenly became self-conscious of the fact that her jumpsuit was unzipped, revealing her dingy white bra. She could now see that her hands were in shackles that were chained to the wall. They hadn't been there before she'd went to sleep, neither had any of the overhead lights that now blinded her. She wanted to show no weakness in front of the general, but she quite get her voice back to normal. 

"Can you unchain me? Please?" Her voice quivered slightly which immensely annoyed her. Thankfully he only nodded down at her and pulled a small remote out of his pocket. He pressed a button and the shackles fell from her wrists. She darted up into a sitting position and hurriedly zipped her suit up, her hands were shaking. 

"Are you okay?" The general actually sounded concerned. The man who kidnapped her and threatened her family was concerned, how cute. 

"Were you sitting there the whole time? "She held up her hand in irritation and continued, "No, let me rephrase. I know you were sitting in here the whole time, as no heavy clanging door was heard. My question to you would be why?" She was livid because it was better than being terrified. 

"Why?" He looked confused, then irritated. "Why did I save your sorry ass? Did you want to fuck Vincent Dutari, because if so I can surely call him back? Maybe it was just me, but from my angle it looked as if you were struggling. But hey, if you're into that sort of thing?" By the end of the rant he looked angry. 

"Sorry," she replied, though it almost killed her. "I mean, thank you. For saving me. I was just wondering why you were waiting in here." Her jaw was clenched in irritation at having to feign politeness. 

"I was waiting in here because one of my men told me you were in danger of being raped by one of my other men. I waited until I knew for sure that that was his intention. Once I knew, I acted." His words were slow and deliberate, his temper visible just beneath the surface. 

"You didn't know for sure when he sat on my stomach and held me down? What did you think he was going to do general? Play a game of cards?" She couldn't be polite, not with her nerves a jumbled mess. 

"Not that it concerns you, little girl, but some amount of proof was needed for the repercussions I put on Mr. Dutari. He will never work in the field again, no matter what appeals he attempts to make in the future." 

She frowned at that and didn't know exactly what to say. "Oh. Thank you." She nodded looking at the floor then looked up at the general. "Thank you." She repeated sincerely this time. 

He nodded. His eyes were unreadable, but at least he didn't look angry anymore. 

"How will you have proof? Won't it just be your word against his?" She looked up at him questioningly. 

He gave a cynical smile at that. "Even Vincent Dutari doesn't have the balls to put his word against mine. But I have cameras in here that recorded the entire event, so it won't come to that. She looked around confused. Her cell still looked medieval, but bright fluorescent lights had appeared from the ceiling and apparently remote control shackles came out of the solid rock walls. She looked at the walls suspiciously. 

He laughed. "The room isn't magical, just the power of technology. It's called a smart room and you've just about seen the extent of its capabilities." He explained. She nodded and they sat in silence for a moment. 

"Can I use the bathroom?" she asked meekly. She didn't even care if she sounded like the little girl he accused her of being. He pushed a button and a toilet came out of the wall by the corner. She glared up at him. 

"Best I can do, little girl." He smiled at her and left through the large door. "Lights out in five minutes, make it quick."



The Reluctant Journey Ch. 03



"Malia, did you pick which ones you wanted?" A tear streamed down her small face as she looked at her full bookshelf. 

"Can I please just take ten? Mom they don't even take up that much room!" the twelve-year old girl begged. Her mother looked devastated on her behalf, but Malia knew it wouldn't change anything, wouldn't change the answer. 

"Sweetheart, I didn't make the rules. You only get three." She said softly and sympathetically. 

Three personal items, that was all. Three items to remember what would never be the same. Her parents had told Malia and Olivia that they would be moving soon. At first Malia had been stupid enough as to be excited at the news. She wasn't excited now. They wouldn't be moving to a cute town with lots of children, not to a big city with lots of things to do. They were moving to a unit. 

Malia hadn't known what her parents were talking about at first. They'd said the war had taken a turn for the worse. The war had been going on for years, but this was the first time Malia had ever given it any attention. The news called it the biggest civil war the world had seen. She grabbed three books randomly and handed them to her mother. It didn't matter, she loved all of them and it would hurt. Her mom looked like she wanted to say something but just nodded and walked out of Malia's bedroom. 

The memory was fresh and still stung. Finn had been giving a tour of the biggest "house" Malia had ever seen, apparently with its own name, Milan Manor. She looked at General Malcolm's library, filled with shelves and shelves of books. It was bittersweet for her. She hoped she would get a chance to personally explore the library and read something new for once. On the other hand, she thought of her own lost treasures and felt a wave of anger that the general should have so many books when she never could.  

The tour was simple and silent. Finn showed her the room she would inhabit; it was bigger than her entire house in the unit and made her sad. He showed her the bathroom that would be her own; it had hot water all day as well as electricity, not to mention a velvet lounge and a water feature in the center of the room. Every room that had been between the dungeon basement and the third flood bedroom had been briefly mentioned and lavishly extravagant. Clearly Finn wasn't one for elaboration. However, she didn't care, she was busy being astonished by the amenities. He'd taken her down to the first floor library last. It was absolutely beautiful. Wherever there was wall space that wasn't overtaken with books there were tall magnificent windows. The windows were indented into the walls and had benches as windowsills covered in pastel green cushions with white throw pillows. The dark polished wood floors were offset by the wide white trim that outlined the shelves and windows as well. It wasn't what she had expected of the general's mansion. 

"You can wait here for General Malcolm. He should be here shortly." Finn spoke matter-of-factly and left her. Finn was less personable today; clearly any sympathetic feelings he'd previously held were dried up. She mentally shrugged; she didn't want anyone's pity. She walked up to a shelf and ran her finger along the leather spines. The ceilings were high and the shelves went all the way up, as did the windows, giving the entire room a grand appearance. There was a ladder with wheels to give access to the upper shelves. She picked a random book out. 

"Do you like Greek mythology?" A voice startled her from the large archway into the room. She knew at once that this was the general's brother. He didn't look enough like him to cause her to mistake the men, but there was a definite resemblance. He gave her a friendly smile. 

"I don't know," she replied tersely, returning the book to the shelf. Despite her unenthusiastic response he smiled more. 

"The whole section is very interesting, though I suppose I am fond of everything here." His smile was infectious, much like a child in its innocence. She was inclined to return it. 

"This is incredible," she motioned at the giant shelves filled to the brim. He smiled again. 

"I know. It is most certainly my favorite room in the house, and one of the few things in which I am openly proud." He looked fondly over the room, as if it was the first time he was seeing it as well. He looked back at her, "Excuse my lack of manners, miss. My name is Tristan Malcolm." He extended his hand towards her. 

She shook his hand, unsure as to how this cordial man could be related to the tyrannical general. "Ma- um, my name is Olivia Yates," her heart skipped a beat at her near slip-up. If he'd noticed he didn't say anything or look at her strangely. She needed to keep her wits about her or she would fall into the trap of becoming too at ease with the friendly man. 

"You are the general's brother?" She asked though she knew the answer. He grinned towards her. 

"Ah, my reputation precedes me I see. " he laughed, "Somehow I think it more likely that my brother has already left an impression, it would account for your expression at the mention of him." 

She nodded slightly, looking uncertainly at him. "You resemble each other." 

He smirked at her reply. "Yes, I believe we have both heard that before. I assure you, we are very different, and though I'm sure my brother has shown more of his negative attributes than the positive, more hidden ones, Cain is more than he appears." He smirked conspiratorially. His lack of cruelty was confusing her so she went with the blunt approach. 

"He said you are in the market for a mistress." She couldn't help some pent up hostility from leaking out in her words. "No, you know what, I believe he said that if I didn't have sex with you I wouldn't like the repercussions?" She looked at the handsome man accusingly. 

He looked affronted at first but soon began to laugh hysterically, much to Malia's annoyance. She openly glared and he raised his hands in apology while fighting off his laughter. 

"I'm sorry." He said sincerely though still openly amused. "It's just, Cain has never been especially tactful when not absolutely necessary. He isn't one to beat around the bush. As for what he said, it is only his latest scheme to run my life, I assure you I am not on the market for a mistress." He smiled gently at her. 

"Well then, can I go home?" she asked, uncertain that he had the power to grant her request. His brows pulled together in confusion. 

"Of course you can. Where are you from? I will have someone drive you." His response worsened her fears. 

"Unit 118", she replied. 

Tristan's face immediately filled with shock, which turned into anger, and she could see the resemblance to the general even better. His strong jaw was clenched tightly and he lightly shook his head back and forth. 

"Is that a problem?" she wondered why he would have such a strong response to the mention of her home. 

He was silent for a moment. "You're from a unit?" he asked incredulously, his green eyes nearly shooting sparks at her. 

"Of course I am." She was highly confused by his response. Her unit was a peaceful place; the only military they had was in charge of guarding the walls that encircled the unit. They didn't go out looking for a fight like many of the units of which she'd heard terrible stories of their fates. They worked together and had a comfortable existence free from ambition of power. Malia found it unlikely that her unit would be enemies to anyone, especially General Cain's unit with its obvious military presence. "What unit am I in now?" she asked uncertainly, treading lightly with the clearly agitated man. 

His countenance changed. There was still anger underneath but he looked pained and piteous. He took a deep breath and pinched the bridge of his nose. He was silent and looking towards the ground, frustration etched in every feature. He looked up at her again and seemed about to speak when footsteps came from the large archway into the library. Both Tristan and Malia turned to look towards the sound. General Cain Malcolm strutted towards them as if, well as if he owned the place. Malia scowled towards him as he approached, Tristan glared daggers in his direction. He stopped when he was close to the pair and looked apprehensive. 

"I see you've met." When the general only received a hostile glare in reply from Tristan he asked, "Something wrong?" Tristan smiled antagonistically and squared his broad shoulders as he faced his older brother head on. Cain looked surprised and mimicked the stance, both men now looking especially aggressive. 

"You failed to mention where our new guest came from, brother." Tristan spat the endearment at Cain. "You are unbelievable Cain. A unit! Have you lost your mind?" 

Cain showed sudden understanding and his stance relaxed minimally. "I don't see your problem with this." The general said matter-of-factly. 

"My problem with this! You know better than anyone the problems with this!" Tristan yelled at his brother. Cain was unfazed and simply studied Tristan's anger filled face. "But you knew that, didn't you? " Tristan looked absolutely disgusted with his brother. Malia's frustration and confusion were increasing by the minute. 

"Will one of you please tell me what's going on?" she spat. Both brothers looked towards her as if she were apparitional. Tristan shook his head back and forth in disbelief then continued to glare at his brother. The general looked disgusted with her.

"Well brother, why don't you answer your hostage? You will, after all, have to tell her the truth eventually. I mean she will be with us indefinitely wont she? Whether she likes it or not. You made sure of that. " Tristan turned to leave and stumbled slightly. The general's indifferent expression turned to concern immediately as he moved to steady his brother. Tristan angrily shrugged Cain's hand off of his arm. 

"The least you could do is let me properly storm out! You owe me that!" Tristan yelled, his voice pained and full of emotion. The general actually looked saddened as he nodded apologetically towards his younger brother. Malia wasn't sure but she thought she saw guilt enter Tristan's angry face, and then it was gone. Any softness that the general had shown Tristan was gone the instant his brother left and he turned to Malia. 

She could see that he planned on channeling all of his anger towards her, so she had nothing to lose. As far as Malia was concerned it was question time. 

"Indefinitely? Why?" She asked the imposing man. When he simply glared down at her she continued. "Why was he mad about my unit's name? What unit is this?" She was getting more and more frustrated as the questions flitted through the forefront of her mind. She wanted to go home, now. "Why can't I just go home?" She sounded more vulnerable than she would have liked. 

"Finn!" The general summoned his right-hand-man and he entered the library immediately. Had he been just standing there waiting to be ordered around? Malia shook her head. "Show our guest the gardens. Fresh air would do her well." He didn't even look at her as he gave orders. 

"No! Answer me damn it!" He arched his stupidly elegant eyebrow as he finally looked down at her like someone might look at gum on his or her shoe. 

"Little girl, don't presume to give me orders. Tristan was correct in your timeframe of being here. You will indeed be here indefinitely. If I were you I would want to start off in good standing with myself, something in which you are miserably failing. I suggest a change in attitude, or you might find the future living situation less than hospitable." 

She paled at his words. She could not, would not, be here forever. Malia was going to get home, one way or another. With her growing desperation all fear was dissipating, leaving red-hot rage in its wake. The tall general's broad chest was annoyingly close to her line of vision. In her less than logical state of mind, this caused her to be absolutely furious. She pushed his chest away with all of her might. Her odd jobs in the unit kept her reasonably fit and fairly strong. However the general was very large, outweighing Malia by at least sixty pounds, and only took a step back to steady himself from the surprise attack. This irritated her immensely and she attempted to punch him in the jaw. Before her hand could make contact the general caught it and twisted her wrist painfully, making her hand instantly limp. She gave a small scream of pain. 

He grinned evilly down at her. " I seem to be getting the impression that every lesson you are to learn is going to be learned the hard way. My advice would be to rethink that tactic." Her teeth were clenched as she stared into his dark eyes. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction of any more outward signs of pain. He smiled at her with knowledge of her stubbornness, and then he released her hand and walked away. She watched his back disappear, his gait strong and elegant. 

She turned to look at Finn, who was still faithfully behind her. He looked dumbstruck, which made her laugh. He was so serious and she began to giggle uncontrollably. Soon her laughter turned to tears, then the amusement faded and there was only panic left. She was hyperventilating. She felt a strong hand push her shoulders down until she was bending at the waist. She put her hands on her knees to steady herself. Finn mumbled reassuring things at her, but nothing was seeping into her brain. She felt like she was falling. It had been one day and she was lost. She wanted her mom. These people were going to keep her here forever. Eventually she calmed and was looking down at the wooden floors when Finn grabbed her shoulders gently and righted her. 

"Are you okay?" his voice was laced with concern. His bright blue eyes were very piercing. He was beautiful. His features were opposite those of the general and his brother yet each man was gorgeous, it wasn't right, not when they were holding her here against her will. It reminded her of something her mother had told her once. 

Malia was fourteen years old. She'd never imagined her life going in the direction it had. She was supposed to be in high school with friends and pep rallies and dances. The unit was different and hard and nothing like what life should have been. There were rations on food and sometimes there wasn't anything to eat at all. The unit grew its own food supply and if something went wrong, outside assistance was limited. They could ask another unit for help but apparently allies were few and far between. There were other children in the unit but schooling wasn't like it had been. Everything was basically up to the individual's parents. 

Most children helped with the farming and other manual labors of the unit, anything that could help, though children weren't required to help out until they were sixteen. Usually this rule wasn't enforced and anyone who followed it was seen as a freeloader. However her father did a lot for the unit and was highly respected for pulling more than his own. With a doctor for a father and musician mother, education and appreciation for the arts were emphasized in Malia and Olivia's lives and they spent their days learning. 

Malia was walking around one day during a rare break from her father's early morning lessons. She stopped to pick a wild daisy that was growing near the footpath she was on. 

"Hope you can pay for that!" a boy yelled over to her from the front porch of his shack. She looked up, frightened that anyone was watching her. 

"I'm sorry," she mumbled dropping the flower on the path. 

The boy laughed and started to walk over to her. She recognized him, though she didn't know his name. She didn't work with the other children and didn't have any time to socialize with anyone this far from her home. He was cute, that had been what she had thought when she'd first saw him. He was older than her, maybe seventeen. He had rich brown hair that shined in the sunlight and fell slightly over his forehead. He had been lanky when she'd first saw him; though farm work had improved his muscle mass and tone. She wasn't the only girl who noticed, he was quite popular around the unit. Malia could see girls fawn over him during communal meals. 

"What's your name?" he asked her. 

"Uh, M-Malia," she stuttered pathetically, nervous that he was actually talking to her. 

"You're the doctors daughter?" Her face fell a little at that, she didn't want to be known as the doctor's daughter, she wanted him to have noticed her for the same reason she noticed him. 

"Yeah." She mumbled. 

"Well, Malia," he grinned, "Tell you what, you can have my flower," he bent to pick up the fallen daisy, "for the price of a kiss." His smile was so pretty and so taunting. Her breathing picked up and her heartbeat was wild. She nodded her head stupidly.  

He was so close. He wasn't as tall as she thought he would be, but still slightly taller than Malia. She had never done this before, she was nervous. She parted her lips slightly because that's what she thought she was supposed to do. He shook his head condescendingly and quickly kissed her cheek. 

"There you go kiddo, now could you quit staring at me while I'm eating?" He laughed and took a step back. 

Malia could feel all of the blood from her body rush to her face. He was laughing at her. She was absolutely pathetic. She heard a door open and close then and saw a beautiful blond girl walk out of his house. 

"What's up?" she asked sweetly from the porch. 

"Ah, I was just granting all of little Malia's dreams and fantasies." He laughed. The girl joined in and walked closer and slipped her arm around the boy's waist. Malia was mortified. 

"Ah, yes you're the little girl always staring at my man." The blond girl teased. "Who knows maybe in a few years you'll grow boobs and I might just have to talk to you about it." She laughed and he joined in. Malia was going to cry, there was no stopping it. She turned back the way she came and ran without looking back. She ran all the way home. Tears had streamed down her face and her nose was stuffy. 

She was supposed to find her mom when the break was over, but she just wanted to lie down and lick her wounds of humiliation. She went into the house and threw herself on the bed. She could see his face in her mind, mocking her. How could she ever think that he would be attracted to her? She was boyish in build and her dark hair was always windblown and unruly, not exactly comparable to the blond beauty. Her eyes were a greyish blue and her best feature, large and innocent. That's all he would ever see her as, innocent, a little girl. 

Malia heard the door open and laid still on her stomach on the bed. Maybe someone had come to put her out of her misery. She felt weight sink the mattress down next to her. She felt a tangled mass of black hair being lifted from her face and saw her mother's face. She couldn't help it, she openly sobbed. Her mother pulled her into her lap and hugged her. 

"Shh my sweet, what's wrong?" 

Malia tried to retell the story coherently, but it mostly came out in broken sobs. However, Kristen was a mother with all of the powers that entailed, and understood the entire story. By the end of the retelling, Malia had calmed. She sat in her mom's arms as she stroke Malia's hair. 

"Why do you like that stupid boy anyway? Have you seen his father? That's him in twenty years, no hair and excess belly." Malia chuckled despite her sulking. Her mom could always make her feel better, even if it was just a little bit. 

"It wasn't just him, the girl he was with, she was beautiful." Malia looked down at the blanket, too embarrassed to face her mother with such a petty concern. 

"My sweet, beauty isn't anything but an attribute, and a completely relative one at that. That boy is physically attractive to you young girls, for now at least," she smirked, "but it doesn't mean he is any more of a person than the most unattractive of people. In his case, I would say it means he is less. His pretty face masks his awful personality. If the evil in the world were so easily perceived as an ugly face, everyone would avoid it. It is determining a person's true character that is challenging, but it is the only way to allow any lasting respect and attraction. Not to mention the fact that you continually sell yourself short. Malia you are so beautiful, inside and out, and you are going to be such a beautiful woman, much sooner than you expect." She turned Malia's chin up with one of her long elegant fingers and smiled down at her daughter. 




The Reluctant Journey Ch. 03



Finn was looking at her, waiting for a response. 

"I'm fine" She squared her shoulders and was imbued with the strength she had often envied in her mother. "Are we going to see the gardens?" Her tone dared him to challenge her. He didn't. He nodded simply and motioned for her to walk alongside him. They walked out the large archway of the library and down a long hallway to a set of white French doors. He opened the door and motioned her through. She walked out onto a large veranda with tables and chaises set up for entertainment. She couldn't imagine the general having any friends to entertain. He probably ordered his subordinates to sit on his porch and talk to him when he felt lonely. However, she couldn't ever imagine him being lonely, much too human an emotion. But he was human. She saw a glimpse of that, whether he'd wanted her to or not. He was very human when it came to his younger brother. There was a true bond there that even a stranger like herself could see. She then imagined Tristan and the general sitting on the veranda laughing over a beer. She could see that, and it was disturbing. She knew how to deal with a villain, and vowed to keep the general firmly in that category until further judgment could be made. 

She walked with Finn down a stone path, there were huge electric blue hydrangeas surrounding the veranda. Even more flowers could be seen further away. Butterflies drifted from bloom to bloom and there was vibrant color everywhere. It was absolutely the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen. She could see that they were in a courtyard, albeit a very large one. The mansion surrounded the huge beautiful area. There were various fountains she noticed and a small creek with a charming bridge. She could also see a very large hedge near the middle of the courtyard. Finn showed her the koi pond and the rose garden as well as several impressive fountains. 

"What is that hedge in the middle?" She asked. 

He looked over to where she was looking and answered. "Ah that is the topiary maze. It's creepy." He laughed cynically. She giggled at his clear discomfort and use of the uncharacteristic word. She began to walk closer. He followed, less than enthusiastic. As she got closer she could appreciate the enormity of the hedges, they had to be at least twelve feet tall. The entrance to the maze had a black wrought iron gate. She looked to Finn, her eyebrow raised in question. 

"If you must." He answered unenthusiastically. She smiled and walked through the gate. It was considerably darker inside the maze, though still easily navigable. The path was about four feet in width. Finn came up to walk to Malia's right. She took the first right that they came to. 

"Tell me about this. It doesn't seem like something the general would have." She asked genuinely curious. 

He smirked. "It's not. This maze has been on the estate for over a hundred years. Cain's great-great-grandfather, James Milan, for whom the manor is named, planned the entire thing and had it built. They used to entertain a lot. This place scared me to death when I was a kid." He looked up at the hedges with disgust. 

"You used to come here as a child?" she was interested in the origins of the general's friendship with this reserved man. 

"My parents were close friends with the Malcolm's. We would be over here almost nightly." They came to a dead end and turned around. "As I have no siblings, I loved it. Cain was four years older than me, but it didn't matter. " His face held complete admiration, as if the general were his older brother as well. 

"I grew up in a large manor, but it was nothing compared to this. Coming here was like going to a toy store. Cain and Tristan had everything any kid could ever have wanted. But they didn't have any kids to play with, and Cain and Tristan don't really share the same interests. They may only be a year apart, but they're very different. "

"Yeah, I've noticed." She replied. 

He scowled slightly at that. "I became best friends with Cain. Tristan would occasionally hang out with us, but he really wasn't as interested in the daredevil games we would play. But we would all come here. " He snarled. "That was thing we would all do together. We would run through the maze as fast as we could at night. They knew it a lot better than me. I would always lose." He said it simply but she could sense his increasing discomfort as they went deeper into the maze. They came to an open area where a giant, leafy, flying pig sat. 

"There are topiaries throughout, " he stated simply, "We're going the right way." Another fork came and he let her choose to go left, though he more than likely knew the way through the maze. They walked for a while, turning this way or that. Eventually they came to another clearing. 

"This is all very elaborate." She was in awe when she came to a very large topiary snake, coiled and ready to strike. 

"Yes. We're going the wrong way. This particular path is one that is very time-consuming in retracing. It only took me several times to realize that I should turn back when I saw the stupid snake." They walked in silence for the remainder of the maze. They came to a final open area with a pride of topiary lions. 

"We made it." Finn simply stated, though she perceived some relief in seeing the matching wrought iron gate of the exit. She'd been contemplating her unanswered questions throughout the walk. She would have asked Finn if she hadn't thought it completely futile. The exit of the maze looked much like the entrance, there was a matching veranda directly across with whimsical flowers surrounding the yard. 

Finn walked to the porch, with Malia slightly behind him. They entered a giant room. The ceilings were at least twenty feet above. There were tall windows throughout. It looked like a ballroom turned storage area. There were multiple pieces of furniture covered in white drop cloth and piled against the far wall. Malia walked over to the left wall where a large fireplace predominated. Finn let her look around for a few minutes before he spoke. 

"Follow me. I'm to introduce you to some of the staff." 

They walked through a series of hallways before they came to an enormous kitchen. There were women and men working throughout the very large kitchen. Malia counted ten. Everyone worked fluidly from obvious practice and experience. 

When Finn was noticed, an older woman smiled and walked over. "Why if it isn't Mr. Brantley himself. What brings your gorgeous self to this side of the manor?" 

Finn gave one of his rare smiles to the woman. "I'm here to introduce you to Miss Olivia Yates." He motioned to Malia and she gave the woman a soft smile. "Olivia, this is Mrs. Emma Smith, she runs the kitchen." 

"Pleasure to meet you Olivia," Mrs. Smith pulled her into a hug. 

"Likewise" Malia replied surprised at the woman's unexpected affection. 

"If you're ever hungry, my girl, just stop by and I can fix you up something." She said cheerfully. 

"If I can ever find this place on my own again." Malia laughed. Mrs. Smith laughed as well. She told Malia everyone's name and they politely smiled at her, though she nearly instantaneously forgot them. Mrs. Smith insisted Finn and Malia sit for a quick lunch. They had a delicious hot soup and sandwiches in a small nook of the kitchen. The staff continued to work. 

"Am I to help here?" Malia asked Mrs. Smith between bites. "I'm not very good at cooking but I can take direction." 

Finn answered before Mrs. Smith could say anything. "No, Olivia. You aren't to be a servant of the manor. It is just valuable for you to know where the kitchen is. Mrs. Smith will get you whatever you need from here." He spoke tactfully. 

"So I'm to lounge about during the days and provide my services at night?" she laughed cynically. 

"It isn't like that." Finn said slowly. Mrs. Smith smiled gently and went to work amongst the others. "You are simply a companion. Tristan has isolated himself, especially recently. Cain is trying to help his brother. His methods may be less than rational, but he does want to help Tristan. I can assure you that Tristan deserves happiness, that's all Cain wants." Finn looked pained. 

"Tristan doesn't seem to want my companionship in the way the general requires." She said bluntly. 

"Right now. All that is required of you is friendship. Anything else will have to be taken up with Cain. We are to meet up with him after lunch." Finn told her, ending the conversation. 

The rest of lunch went on without incident. The pair thanked Mrs. Smith and left. They went back to the part of the manor housing the library, but Finn knocked on a door in the hallway before they got there. 

"Come in." She heard the general's voice from the other side. Finn tried to give a reassuring smile as he opened the door. 

Finn and Malia walked into the room. There was a desk in the middle of the room. There was also a large television and black leather couch on the right side of the room. The general sat on the couch and turned the TV off when they entered. 

"Thank you Finn." The general said dismissively. Malia looked at Finn, begging him with her eyes to stay. He smiled apologetically and squeezed her hand reassuringly before he left the room and closed the door. 

The general looked entertained. "Making friends?" he mocked. She didn't answer, choosing to scowl at him instead. "Aw, and here I was trying to be hospitable." He laughed when she continued to not respond. He stood up from the couch. Being so close to him was intimidating. Malia couldn't believe she'd tried to hit him. She wanted to take a step back, but was done showing weakness. He wasn't looking to play; he just walked around the desk and sat in the large leather chair. "Sit." He ordered. She slowly walked to one of the two chairs opposite the desk and sat. He stared at her, feature by feature, which was disconcerting. She didn't have a choice but to do the same, because she wasn't going to be the one to break eye contact. 

He was so beautiful. The sun was shining through a window behind him, hitting his hair so she could see the series of dark, rich browns that ran through it. Slight stubble dusted his face from his defined jaw to his sculpted cheekbones. His nose was perfectly straight; his eyes almond shaped and rich brown with lashes that bordered on feminine. She wondered how she was living up to his inspection. At the thought she inwardly grimaced. 

"I imagine you have some questions." He broke the silence. "I want to completely clarify your place in this manor before I get to any of them." She gave him a childish look of irritation. He ignored her. "Your new goal in life is to make Tristan happy. You are to become his friend, his servant, his lover. Whatever will make him happy. If at any time I believe you have failed in this duty, you will have me to answer to. You will report whenever I ask you, and an evaluation of your progress will be made regularly." He sat back in his chair and stared at her. 

Malia interpreted it as an invitation to ask her questions. She didn't know where to start. 

"Are you insane?" Malia said impulsively. He simply continued to look at her, his expression unchanging. 

"I plan on answering a limited number of questions, little girl, I wouldn't waste them on pointless rhetoric." 

"Where are we?" She started, still intrigued at Tristan's reaction to her unit.

He looked at her strangely. "Milan Manor, this is my office." He said obviously though she knew he'd known her meaning. 

"What unit is this? Why was Tristan angry when he heard about my unit?" She demanded. He looked at her contemplatively. 

"We aren't in a unit. I would have thought you would have came to that conclusion, as we are not exactly 'roughing it'." 

"What? How can we not be in a unit? I've heard of better units, richer ones, more powerful-"

"We are not in a unit." He reiterated very slowly as if she were a small ignorant child. 

"We have to be." She sounded distraught, even to her own ears. "The war. The country was split into units." She looked into his eyes, searching for any hint of what had to be lies. She couldn't find anything, but he had to be lying. 

"How much do you know about the war?" he asked her. 

"I was a kid, not much." She had to remember that she was supposed to be her sister who was two years younger. Any memories or knowledge that she would have from her childhood would be even more vague. 

He nodded. "The war did tear the country apart. Units began to develop in defense from an unstable country. The situation declined further and your family moved to Unit 118." She nodded, she knew that much. She'd remembered kids from school leaving; more and more had just disappeared, until it was her family. "Things were openly hostile for a little over three years after you joined your unit. However, negotiations were eventually made, and a new order was established." He spoke very matter-of-factly but it was like hearing a book being read to her. No one in the unit had ever spoken about a new order. "A new country was formed out of the ashes of the destroyed one. The imagery stuck with the public and the country of Phoenix was established. People had a lot of pent up anger; there were many lives lost and they were bitter. The general public was especially unforgiving of the units that still existed." He looked like he was trying especially hard to be delicate with her feelings, which was so out of character from what Malia had witnessed. "During the especially violent years many people tried to seek shelter in the units, but were denied access; no one in, no one out. During the reestablishment these memories came back when the subject of the units came up. As you are aware, they had become essentially small countries of their own, completely self-reliant. But they were very isolated and ignorant from their isolation. Initially the leaders of the new order wanted to inform the units of the new organization and completely absorb their population. However, there was heavy dispute over the matter, bringing a violent-prone society close to its aggressive nature. It was eventually decided that the units would be left to their own resources to some extent, while providing any resources to Phoenix that were needed."

"What? What kind of resources? We have nothing." She was shocked by everything she was hearing. Her home had been a happy place. It fell on hard times occasionally, but no place was perfect and she had her family. The picture he was painting was that of a glorified concentration camp, running on slave labor. 

"The units provide us with a variety of products, whatever they can. Your unit, Unit 118, provided crops, as well as some hand crafted products." Malia thought of her mother's sewing group. They mostly repaired clothing for the unit, but sometimes they would make personal items. They were always either confiscated or sold; the three-item-rule was, after all, still in effect. Malia wondered if one of the beautiful quilts her mother had worked so hard on had gone to General Malcolm. The thought sent a fresh tear down her face. Probably not, everything in this house was much too luxurious for the simple beauty of one of her creations.

"Why" she looked at him accusingly. 

He looked into her eyes. "The new government couldn't afford a possible uprising. They had to appease the public." He shrugged. "Even the government officials were angry with the units. They were seen as cowards, abandoning their country in its time of need." 

"They are not cowards!" Malia screamed and jumped up from her chair. He didn't even look surprised. "You sit here in your mansion and call those people, my people, cowards. They break their backs and nearly starve to keep their families safe, and you take what little they have! They -- We are not cowards!" The general looked at her as if she were a very interesting specimen under a microscope. 

"Sit down." He said calmly. 

She started to pace back and forth; this was too much to take in. She felt like she was about to faint. She brought her hands up to hold her head. Malia felt like she was about hyperventilate. She felt a hand on her shoulder and jumped. "Sit down." Cain said gently. He made her feel so small and fragile, a feeling she wasn't used to. She sat in the chair again. He sat on the corner of the desk and watched her. So much for being strong. 

"Can you just take me back?" She looked pleadingly at him. "Look, Tristan doesn't want me. Can I just go home, please?" 

"There is no going back." He showed no mercy in his expression. "The unit's rules are strictly enforced. You aren't permitted back, ever. Even if I wanted to send you back, which I don't, I don't have the authority. I had to call in some favors to get you out." 

She shook her head. "You can get me back there. You're a general; you can call in more favors. Please, I won't tell anyone. I'll do whatever you want. I just want to go back to my family." She begged him. 

"No." He said sternly. 

Tears streamed down her face in torrents. She was never going to see her family again. They would all live through their lives as ignorant slaves, wondering what had happened to her. No! She would not let that happen. Malia vowed then that she would liberate her family, or die trying. Until every avenue of possibility was extinguished, she would fight for them, because they were the only aspect of her life that mattered. 

If the general noticed a change in her mentality, he didn't show it. She needed a plan, and time. She would appease the general for now, but she wasn't rolling over just yet. 

"You have experience in a hospital." The general stated. 

"Yes." She answered with a hint of nervousness and uncertainty in her voice. Malia could barely stand to be in a hospital, but he obviously knew that wasn't the case with Olivia. 

"Good." He said soberly. "You will find out eventually, so I will tell you now. My brother lost his legs seven years ago. He is also very prone to skin rashes and infections that occasionally require light medical assistance. Your medical affiliations were a great determining factor in bringing you here." 

Malia was shocked. He spoke so matter-of-factly that she wasn't sure what to respond to first. She started with the last statement, because it was the most easily taken in.

"I thought you said I was a completely random selection?" She accused, still in a state of shock. "For the most part." He responded, still completely unemotional. "I want you to clean up and dress for dinner. You will be dining with Tristan and I tonight. I expect you to look your best. One of the servants, Gwen, will help you find everything you need." He said dismissively. 

"Wait. You can't tell me something like that and then change the subject! What happened?" She remembered Tristan stumbling slightly when he was upset, but other than that he showed no signs of physical disability. He hid it well. "How did he loose his legs?" she asked, almost whispering. 

"Now is not the time, you are to be getting to know Tristan, making him happy. Not digging up old ghosts." He said. 

"What is the harm in telling me, then I don't have to ask him?" She asked, irritated. 

"You will not ask him anything on the subject. Now. Go. Get. Dressed. For. Dinner." he articulated angrily. He pushed a button on something and a woman entered the room. She was pretty and about Malia's own age. She had strawberry blond hair and clear blue eyes with porcelain clear skin. 

"Gwen, assist Olivia in her preparation for dinner." He ordered brusquely. 

"Yes sir." The woman replied in a soft voice. Malia glared at the general as she followed Gwen out of the office. He wasn't paying the least bit of attention to her though, and her efforts were wasted. 

Once she was out of the office she focused on Gwen, who was quickly leading her though the hallways. Actually it was more like Gwen was strutting through the hallways as fast as she could without actually running, and taking for granted that Malia would follow her. Which was true, Malia ran after the semi-hostile woman like a puppy. She was curious at the woman's attitude. Why the immediate open dislike? Eventually they stalked all the way to Malia's assigned bedroom. There was a dress draped over the grandiose bed. She walked over to it, ignoring Gwen completely. She ran her hand along the slinky black material. 




The Reluctant Journey Ch. 03



Malia had been wearing ugly grey jumpsuits since she was twelve-years-old. She didn't get to wear jeans and a sweatshirt on lazy weekends. She didn't get a cap and gown for graduation. She never got to wear a prom dress. She picked the dress up. The material flowed over her arm like an inky waterfall. It was simple in design, but it was the first real adult piece of clothing she would get to wear. Malia was elated and grinned widely. 

"Miss, you don't want to get it dirty." Gwen spoke from behind Malia. She looked over to the pretty woman. Gwen was dressed in a clingy, long-sleeved, black shirt and black pants that clung to her flared hips and flowed down her long legs. All of the kitchen staff had been wearing similar uniforms. She wondered if Gwen had ever gotten to wear a pretty dress. Malia put the dress back and walked into the adjoining bathroom. Gwen walked to a control panel on the wall and pushed a series of buttons. Warm water started to fill the large tub in the room. The water seemed to be flowing in through the sides of the tub, as there was no faucet. It was filled quickly. Gwen looked at her like she was stupid. 

"Um, are you going to get undressed?" She asked. 

"Are you going to leave?" Malia asked snidely, irritated at the uncalled for attitude she was getting from Gwen. 

Gwen looked less confident. "I have orders to stay with you, miss." 

Malia glared. "Of course you do." Malia took off her ugly jumpsuit quickly; followed by her simple, dingy, white bra and panties. She could imagine the beautiful girl judging her. Malia was skinny, as was everyone in the unit. Her shoulders and hips were wide. Her breasts were just a little too large to be perky. She felt downright ugly next to the clothed knockout. However, she resisted the urge to cover herself and walked as gracefully as possible to the tub. She was not going to let the audience ruin this luxury for her. 

Malia sunk into the deep tub and the water rose above her shoulders. She sighed in absolute relaxation. The hot water eased her aching muscles and she felt grime rinse off of her skin. She had unknowingly closed her eyes and opened them when she heard Gwen clear her throat. 

She held out a washcloth and a bottle of expensive looking body wash. Malia took both and washed her skin everywhere, not even giving a second thought to Gwen's presence. She was too elated at the experience to be self-conscious. The soap smelled wonderful, like vanilla and cinnamon. She washed her hair and was given conditioner as well. Gwen gave her some sort of cream to rub over her legs, which dissolved the hair immediately. Gwen handed her a razor as well. 

Malia looked at her questioningly. 

"Um, for your, uh, bikini area." She said, looking slightly embarrassed. 

Malia took the razor, some of her elation dying at having to perform the intimate act in front of Gwen. Luckily the woman seemed to understand and turned slightly around. Malia shaved most of her hair, leaving a small patch to avoid looking like the little girl the general called her. She felt her skin flush at the thought of the general seeing her naked. She shook her head to clear it of the unwanted image.

Malia got out of the tub and was given lotion to lather over every inch of her skin. Gwen handed her a black bra and panty set. They were silky and the bra had lace that overlaid the bottom half of the cup. She looked in the mirror and saw a woman. She actually looked kind of sexy. Gwen dried her hair so it laid in silky waves. Gwen plucked her eyebrows, waxed her lip, and applied makeup to her face as well. She helped her into the dress. It was a halter style dress and the hem came just above her knees. She looked amazing in it. Her smile seemed to even melt Gwen's icy barrier. 

"You look much better." The compliment was genuine, if a bit unenthused. 

"Thank you!" Malia didn't try to hide her thrill. She couldn't look away from the mirror. For one brief moment she forgot the horrible mess she was in, for a moment she was happy. She pictured Olivia next to her in a matching dress smiling as stupidly as Malia.

"My sister would love this." She said, the bittersweet thought diluting her smile slightly. 

"You have a sister?" Gwen asked.

Malia nodded, she felt stupid. She needed to be more careful. "Her name is Malia." She said innocently enough. Malia's smile had completely dissipated. Gwen looked pitiful, which was more irritating that hostile at the moment. 

"What time is dinner?" Malia asked. 

"I will come to get you in an hour and a half. You can read until then, if you want." Gwen pointed to a bookshelf that hadn't been in the room that morning. She walked over to run her finger over the bindings. Tristan had done this. 

"What is wrong with Tristan?" Malia asked Gwen without turning around. Gwen had been nearly at the door, but stopped and turned.

"Wrong?" She asked confused. 

"I mean, why would he need his brother to find companionship for him? What happened to him?" She had so many questions running through her mind, it was hard to organize them. 

"If Master Cain did not tell you, it is not my place to." She looked uncertain. "Besides, I'm not sure I even know, he is nothing but sweet to all of the staff. However, I have only been here for a year. I'm told he used to be different, more, uninhibited." She looked like she had been snapped out of a daze suddenly. "It really isn't my place to speak of such things." She looked worried. 

Malia smiled. "Mum's the word." 

Gwen nodded, though she didn't look like she trusted Malia. 

"Don't mess up your hair and makeup." Gwen ordered before she left the room. 

Malia nodded and smiled friendlily. Maybe Gwen wouldn't be as bad as Malia had initially expected. 

She couldn't resist the bookshelf. There were many different genres. Most of the books, she had never heard of before. An hour and a half felt like mere minutes. Gwen returned looking exactly as she had when she left. Gwen escorted Malia to a large dining room. The large table looked near ridiculous with merely three places set. She was led to one of the empty settings and sat. Almost immediately the Malcolm brothers entered the dining room. They were laughing about something as they walked. She rose to greet the men. They were dressed in matching suits with black ties, making their similarities stand out. She focused on Tristan's gait as he walked nearer smiling; she couldn't find any abnormality. 

"You look wonderful." Tristan complimented as he reached her. She smiled, remembering her reflection earlier that day. He reached for her hand and gently kissed it, which oddly enough didn't look as ridiculous as Malia thought it should. He smiled again and walked to the setting across the table from her. Cain sat at the head of the table, as could only be expected. She sat back down. 

The first course was a creamy, hot soup. It was heavenly. Malia was so enthralled, she lost track of the mundane conversation between the brothers, until her sister's name was yelled at her. Cain looked disapproving and Tristan was grinning at her. 

"What?" Malia asked confused. 

"I asked if you liked the food?" Tristan smiled kindly at her. 

"Twice." The general added, raising his brows at her. 

She ignored the general and grinned back at Tristan across the table. 

"It's wonderful. I've never had anything like it before." 

Tristan's smile turned sad, though it couldn't bring down her mood. She continued to eat the soup. 

"You were fed lunch, yes, Miss Yates?" the general asked, pointing out her less than ladylike manner of eating. 

She was irritated by his attempt to ruin her delicious meal. "I'm sorry if my table manners are not up to par, General. I'm out of practice, as meals go a little differently where I come from." She snapped. 

Tristan laughed as the general glared at her. "Please, excuse my brother, Olivia. I very much enjoy watching you eat. It is like watching someone eat for the very first time. It's somewhat bitter, but mostly sweet. Please, continue." Tristan smiled sweetly in her direction. She continued to eat, though without nearly as much enthusiasm before. These men she dined with were so interesting. 

"And how are the Marshalls? I haven't seen any of them in years." Tristan asked Cain. 

"As well as can be expected. They lost two sons. It shows." Cain shrugged. Tristan nodded solemnly. 

"What happened?" Malia asked. Both brothers looked surprised at her sudden interest in the conversation. Apparently she had been stuffing her face more than she knew. 

"The Marshall family lost their boys in the war." Tristan explained. "They have two younger daughters, though both are married and moved out. Cain checks up on them every couple of weeks." 

The staff took the bowls and replaced them with plates covered with savory looking meat covered in dark gravy. She was once again incapacitated by the sensory overload. The brothers continued with their mundane conversation. 

"Milly stopped by today." Tristan suddenly said. The general stopped mid-bite and looked at his brother. Malia's interest was piqued. 

"What did you tell her?" the general asked, continuing with the bite he'd interrupted. 

"I told her to wait in your bedchamber of course brother." Tristan laughed. 

"That's not funny." Cain replied seriously, continuing to eat. 

"Ah, but it is." Tristan argued. 

"Who is Milly?" Malia asked. 

"None of your business." The general replied brashly. Tristan smiled reassuringly toward Malia, though he didn't dispute his brother. A bowl of mixed fruit was brought out to replace the main course. 

"I'll pass on dessert tonight." The general stated, rising from his seat. "I'll see you later Tristan. Until tomorrow Miss Yates." Cain politely left the room. 

Somehow she suddenly felt less comfortable, as if the general had been a barrier. Tristan smiled reassuringly at Malia and began to eat slowly. She did the same, the food relaxing her once again. 

"What do you eat in the units?" Tristan asked, watching her eat a piece of purple melon-like fruit she had never seen before. She chewed as he looked into her eyes. 

"Nothing like this." She couldn't help the smile. "We eat whatever the unit prepares. Simple sandwiches, oatmeal, sometimes fruit and vegetables if we can." He nodded understandingly, listening completely. 

"I'm sorry about my rash reaction earlier today. I don't agree with Cain's tactics. If you are happier here, I am happy for you, though I believe it should have been your choice. However, what is done is done. I will try and help you get the most out of this situation." He looked full of pity. 

"I only want my family. I know he can bring me back to them." She saw his eyes turn sad. 

"My brother has many powers, but I don't know if they extend quite that far. Besides he has no incentive." Tristan said. 

"So I'm to live here as your slave?" She asked, irritated. 

"No. It is not my wish. I didn't choose this for you." He said softly. "But I will not loose my brother. He is all I have left." 

She didn't know what to say. He gave her a small smile of complete understanding. She would get to her family again, but this avenue of hurting Tristan would lead nowhere. She needed to bide her time. There was no going forward without more knowledge. Tomorrow she would begin to learn, begin her path of escape. 

She smiled softly at Tristan before she left for her bedroom.



The Reluctant Journey Ch. 04



Tristan walked into Cain's suite. He was predictably sitting on a couch starring at a table full of various crystal bottles. The flames from the fireplace shone through and caused the clear and amber liquids to create reflections that danced across the walls. Tristan didn't understand why Cain insisted the bottles to remain in his room. No, he understood completely, another way for his brother to viciously torture himself. 

"Pour me a drink brother?" Tristan asked. 

"If that's what you want." Cain said, a hint of solemnness in his tone. Cain walked over to the bottles. 

"On second thought, that was what got us into this mess in the first place, is it not?" Tristan interrupted before Cain could complete the task. 

"What are you talking about?" Cain looked drained which made Tristan begin to feel like a bully. He walked over to his big brother and lovingly patted his shoulder twice. Tristan sat in a chair across from the couch where Cain had been sitting. Cain looked warily at his brother as he took his seat again. 

"Cain, I do remember our conversation. I hope you don't think me so much of a drunk as to completely loose all control of myself. " Cain looked instantly desolate and Tristan interpreted his words as his brother would have. 

"Cain, that isn't what I meant." He instantly apologized. "That was a stupid thing to say, I—" 

"No, you're right. You have no reason to feel bad. Just because the truth hurts, makes it no less true." Cain said dejectedly leaning on his knees as his head hung towards the floor. 

"You need to stop punishing yourself. What happened is not your fault." Tristan insisted. Cain looked up at him suddenly. 

"Tristan we've had this conversation too many times. What happened is completely my fault. Whatever you choose to believe does not change that. I deserve so much more than I could ever do to punish myself. " Tristan hated this guilt that had taken his brother away. Cain sensed Tristan's impending interruption and stopped him with a simple hand raised. "I know you don't agree with that. You are much too good to ever wish any harm on anyone, so we will have to continue to agree to disagree." Tristan felt pain for his brother, but didn't know how to stop the self-inflicted suffering. 

"If you wont listen to reason I guess there is nothing I can do." Cain nodded and Tristan continued. "Anyway, back to my point. It seems I was a little loose-lipped during one of our previous encounters. You seemed to take advantage of my inebriation though, did you not?" 

"You told me you wanted a wife. You said you want a family Tristan." 

"I was drunk Cain." 

"I know you. You never say what you don't mean, especially when you're drunk. You're too honest for your own good." Cain laughed sardonically. 

"Whatever I want is my own responsibility to acquire for myself." Tristan gently scolded. 

"Tristan, you never leave. You never talk to anyone anymore." Tristan stood angrily, and therefore clumsily, but Cain didn't move to help him. He hated the hurt look he'd seen in his brother's eyes in the library when he'd tried to catch him. Tristan inwardly winced at the memory and loss of temper on his part. 

"I'm done having this argument," Tristan said with finality. "What's done is done. Your girl is here." Tristan smiled, all anger vanished from his features. "The two of you seem to have hit it off quite well." Tristan teased. 

"It doesn't matter if I get along with the girl, as long as she is well behaved and obedient. She is here for you." 

"You speak so highly of your chosen sister." Tristan laughed. Cain glared at his teasing brother. 

"Maggie chose her, I simply gave the stipulations." 

"You let our old nanny choose my future wife. Ironic, as she told me consistently that my abominable table manners would prevent me from ever marrying." Tristan laughed. 

"She meant well at the time, and you eat much better for it." Cain laughed. "Anyway, she didn't actually choose her; she simply picked a name off of a list." 

"Well I'm sorry for any trouble you may have gone through to bring her here, but I don't believe we will be hearing wedding bells anytime soon." Tristan looked slightly accusingly towards Cain. 

"Tristan please just give her a chance, you said you would talk to her. Clearly one dinner doesn't sway you one way or another?" Cain argued. 

"I said I would talk to her, and I will. However, know that I don't believe your plan is going to work." His brother looked borderline desperate, which was so uncharacteristic that it pained Tristan. "Cain, that girl in there is little more than a child. Looking for the safety of her parents. "

"You want someone older?" Cain asked sadly, looking so eager for approval from Tristan. 

"No, that isn't what I meant. The circumstances that brought her here are what I wish were different, but I imagine what has been done can't be undone?" Tristan looked into Cain's eyes and saw that he completely understood Tristan's disapproval. 

"No. She can not be returned." He said slowly. Tristan nodded, already knowing the answer, knowing that it was completely intentional on his brother's part. However, he was done being angry with Cain. 

"Then we move forward and let the chips fall where they may." 

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Tristan had left half an hour ago and still Cain couldn't find the will to go to bed. He was exhausted, physically, mentally, and emotionally. He had been for months, since he started looking for a wife for his brother. No, longer still, Cain had been exhausted for seven long tortuous years. He stared at the bottles longingly. They offered a blissful release he hadn't known for the past seven years. However, they didn't control him anymore, simply reminded him. They were his daily dose of acid on his wound of guilt. A wound he wouldn't let close; a wound that didn't deserve to, ever. 

Cain rose from the suede couch and paced the room. He wanted to sleep, but sleep had been so rare a commodity for the past few months. Even when he did manage to fall asleep, it wasn't satisfying. Cain was so on edge recently. He knew he would regret it in the morning, but he walked over to the phone anyway. It only rang once; she had been waiting for his call. 

"Who could it be at this hour?" her voice softly taunted in Cain's ear. "Clearly someone as rude as to refuse to acknowledge me earlier in the day wouldn't have the gall to call at such a late hour. What's a girl to think?" He didn't have time for her games. 

"Come up to my room when you arrive." Cain ordered and placed the phone back on the receiver. He made another call to the security staff to inform them of her impending arrival, and he paced again. He didn't have to wait long. She walked into the suite smiling. She wore a black trench coat over a red gauzy dress that barely covered the essentials. Her golden hair shone in the firelight. 

"Milly," He looked her over lustfully. She smiled at him provocatively. 

"Pour me a drink stud?" She grinned walking over to the table of crystal bottles near the fireplace. 

"You know I don't drink." Cain nearly growled. He was too on edge for Milly's teasing nature. 

"Ah, but I do." She giggled pouring a small glass for herself. 

He felt aggressive; he needed the loss of control her experienced body provided. She was facing the small table with her back to him. He walked up behind her and grabbed the glass away from her small hands and set it on the table. She made a small squeaking sound as he hoisted her petite body over his shoulder. He carried her effortlessly through the large archway to the bedroom of his suite. The bed was very large to accommodate his six-foot-four-inched muscular frame. He dropped her unceremoniously on the white down comforter. She bounced slightly from the force while smiling wickedly up at him. 

"Well, aren't we in a mood tonight." She taunted. 

"Shut up." He ordered. He nearly pounced down on her, pinning her to the bed with his weight. He crushed her mouth with his own to ensure her continued silence. Her tongue darted out playfully to meet his own, and she turned his assault into an actual kiss. He relaxed infinitesimally. 

He moved his hand down to her leg and inched it upward towards the high hemline. He reached her silkily covered mound and she moaned at the contact. He pushed the dress upwards until it was bunched around her waist and pulled the sleeveless top down with his other hand. She had small breasts, but they were well shaped and very responsive. Cain moved down her body to envelop a nipple in his mouth. He lightly bit and she hissed through her teeth in response. He continued his assault, keeping his sucking and biting just on the edge of pleasure and pain. He was loosing his patience as his erection pressed insistently against his pants. He sat up above Milly, looking down at her predatorily. 

Cain pulled at her black silky panties and immediately brought his fingers down on her. She hissed and moaned as she closed her eyes in ecstasy. He circled her clit with his finger, slowly torturing her before he reached his target, causing more moans. He reached down to her dripping opening and pushed two fingers inside forcefully. He watched her face as he moved his fingers quickly. Her long blond hair fanned around her face. She moved her head from side to side with frown lines forming between her brows. She opened her blue eyes and looked directly at him. Her hand moved to his dick and rubbed through his pants.

"Fuck me Cain." Milly begged. He quickly removed his soaking fingers and brought them to her lips where she engulfed them immediately, mimicking her dick-sucking skills that he knew were first-class. He removed his pants as quickly as possible and fluidly moved back over her. He entered her with a nearly vicious thrust. Milly yelled out and arched her back. She grabbed his shoulders as he continued to thrust quickly and deeply. It had been too long and he was on the edge of violence. She was arching and thrashing about the bed in response. Cain pinned her lithe body to the mattress as he dominated her completely. She bit his neck along the tensed tendon and he groaned. He increased his speed as he felt an all-encompassing climax approach. He reached down and rubbed Milly's clit with the pad of his thumb. Almost immediately, she came violently underneath him, her walls contracting sporadically around him. He grunted and gave a final thrust as he came inside her. As he rolled off of her, he finally had the feeling of complete relaxation that he'd been craving for a long time. 

"Wow," Milly panted from beside him. He looked over at her smiling face and sighed. He wasn't supposed to be getting involved with Milly again. She was part of his old life. Before he let it ruin his state of relaxation, he fell asleep, a deep restful sleep that lasted until the morning. 

The early morning sun shining through the windows woke Cain. He usually rose before the sun and felt a moment of well being at the anomaly of sleeping in. He wasn't surprised to find a note on the pillow next to him instead of a blond head. 

The note read, 'Glad we could catch up. After last night, feel free to call anytime stud.' with Milly's script signature at the bottom, a heart dotting the 'I". Cain rolled his eyes. He now had to live with the repercussions of inviting Milly back into his life once again. Cain let out a breath of frustration as he got up and walked to the shower. 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Malia had been dreaming about her family. She didn't recall the exact memory responsible for her tear-stained face when she woke, but she remembered it was about them. It was still very early; the room was just beginning to fill with the purplish light of early dawn. She walked over to the window. Her room faced the middle courtyard. She looked at the topiary maze and could understand Finn's point of view; there was something distinctly formidable about it in the dark. 

She wished this place wasn't such a giant fortress. She pictured a simple house where she would have tied sheets together and repelled out the window in the middle of the night. Malia felt anxious and needed to get out of the confines of her lavish room. She grabbed a robe out of the bathroom and quietly walked out into the hallway. All of the floors she'd seen were wood so she walked slowly on her bare feet, though she wasn't certain if anyone occupied the countless rooms she passed. 

Once she found a stairway and walked downstairs to the first floor she didn't have to keep her sounds down. There were people walking around. Some were cleaning and a few were carrying trays of food. Malia wondered how many people actually lived here; she only knew of the general, Tristan, and now herself. She was so entranced in the actions of the staff that she didn't realize someone on the stairs until they were nearly upon her. 

"Oh, excuse me." A woman laughed, catching herself with a well-manicured hand on Malia's shoulder. 

Malia turned, surprised. The woman had golden blond hair that reached her waist. She was slightly taller than Malia and athletically built. She had an interesting face that made her attractive, if not beautiful. 

"I haven't seen you around here before, you're not staff are you?" The woman asked. 

"Um, no. I'm, uh Olivia." She really needed to get used to saying that. The woman looked at Malia as if she were a particularly interesting artifact. 

"Hmm, I'm Milly." She replied, extending her hand. Malia shook hands with her. So this was the woman Tristan had teased the general over. Malia took in Milly's slightly messy hair and red dress and put the dots together. 

"You're friends with the general?" Malia asked.

Milly grinned. "Yeah, sure. You could say that. We've known each other our whole lives, ran in the same circles and such. How do you know Cain?" 

Malia was at a loss. She didn't want to say she was his little brother's soon to be sex slave, or companion, or girlfriend. She didn't know what she was supposed to be to Tristan. "I'm a cousin." She blurted out. 

"You're Cain's cousin?" She looked highly skeptical, as she should having known the family her entire life. However, the lie was out there, time to sell it. 

"Yes, a second or third cousin, or something. The general, I mean, Cain, said I could stay here for a while. My parents are on an extended leave for their jobs and I wanted to stay here, rather than go with them." 

Milly looked skeptical still. "Is that right? Hmm, Cain didn't say anything, but, nice to meet you. The Malcolm's don't have very much extended family left, none that I knew of, but of course there is you." She gave a small smile. "I have to go, but I'm sure we'll see each other again. Good luck." She laughed and left. 

Malia tried to find the kitchen to appease her growling stomach, but this place truly was a fortress. She nearly ran into Gwen in a hallway. 

"What are you doing up? I was going to come get you in an hour." Gwen asked. 

"I woke up." Malia replied, annoyed at being treated like a toddler. 

Gwen blushed. "Of course. Are you hungry?" She asked kindly. 

Malia smiled and nodded. 

She had a wonderful breakfast of a little bit of every breakfast food imaginable. Mrs. Smith and her staff were preparing trays with various types of breakfasts. 

"Who is all of this food for? Do more people live here?" Malia asked Mrs. Smith as she worked. 

She answered without looking up. "Two trays are for the Masters of the house. Everything else is for staff or guests. Currently the general is taking a small leave of absence, but it isn't unusual for some colleague or subordinate to be invited to stay if Master Cain requires it. He should be getting back to work in about a week. Until then we don't have any guests to entertain, only staff. For breakfast and lunch we send trays out to various areas of the manor for staff. However, we all gather for dinner when we can." Mrs. Smith was friendly, but clearly busy. Luckily Gwen returned to escort her back to her room. 

Malia showered and was allowed to pick a dress from an extravagant walk-in closest. There was a large variety of dresses, everything from evening wear to summer dresses. 

"Why only dresses?" Malia asked Gwen over her shoulder. 

She smirked. "I think it's supposed to be more feminine. The master ordered only dresses." 

"How did he order all of these without knowing my size?" Malia wondered. 

"I'm not sure." Gwen answered. "They all came yesterday, in the evening. He didn't have you measured?" 

"Not that I remember." 

Nevertheless, Malia was elated. She ran her fingers over all of the different fabrics, grinning like an idiot. She chose a casual but flirty dress; it was white with black hearts printed all over it and came to just above her knees. She was then led to the general's study. Gwen smiled reassuringly before she left. Malia was not going to knock like his little puppet. If she was led here, he was expecting her. If he wanted the formality of someone to knock on his door to introduce her he should invest in a secretary. She confidently entered the room and sat in the chair she had taken the day before. The general sat behind his desk; upon her entrance he raised his eyebrows at her. 

"Please, do sit down." He said moodily. 

"Oh I will. My orders for the day General?" She replied snidely. 

He ignored her blatant insolence. "Did you sleep well little girl?" 

She absolutely would not demand he quit calling her that. It would most certainly have the opposite effect anyway. 

"Fabulously, my quarters are much improved over my usual lice infested straw mattress of the unit. I had wondered how you slept at night, but your posturepedic bed must help." She spat sarcastically. 

He stood slowly smiling down at her. Though she tried to keep her courage, it dissipated near instantaneously. Why was she goading him? She couldn't back it up, he could do anything he wanted and she didn't have any power to stop him. He smirked knowingly at her sudden fearful expression. 

"Oh, please continue little girl." He goaded, walking around the desk to tower over her threateningly. "You are on a roll. Surely you can come up with bratty little comments all day?" His white dress shirt was rolled up at the sleeves, revealing powerfully muscled forearms that flexed as he crossed his arms over his built chest. She didn't provide him with an answer, simply glared at him, though she thought it had lost some of its effect. Her belief was confirmed when he grinned wider in response. "Apparently not. Little girl, I seem to have been a little too lenient on you the past two days. I will not tolerate any form of insubordination. This includes your snotty comments, are we understood?" 

She hated that he could intimidate her so effortlessly. She nodded reluctantly. He smiled at his own effectiveness and sat on the edge of his desk. "Good. Tristan has been mostly keeping to his rooms, increasingly so these past years. I want you to get him out whenever possible. You should be able to get him out at least once today, think of it as a goal." He stood and motioned for her to follow him. The general led Malia to Tristan's door. It wasn't too far from her room; she was starting to recognize the layout of the manor. He didn't knock. He turned towards her. "You will report to me before dinner." With that he left her standing in front of the tall white door. She was suddenly nervous. She knocked before she could lose her nerve. 

Unlike his brother, Tristan answered the door personally. He smiled when he saw her and motioned her to come inside. Tristan's 'rooms' more resembled a pent house; it was open and bright and airy. She entered into a library-like lounge. He walked over to a kitchen area through a large archway to the right of the room. 




The Reluctant Journey Ch. 04



"Have you had breakfast? I have plenty." Tristan said amicably as he sat in front of a large tray full of food. 

"Yes." She answered, her nerves dissipating in the presence of his friendliness. He had a gift at putting people at ease. "But I'll sit with you." She tried to match his friendliness but came up short. He smiled at her effort and she laughed at his knowing expression. He had various fruits on his plate as well as a thin bagel covered in cream cheese. 

"So what is the schedule for the day Miss Yates?" 

The general hadn't said her goal was a secret. "I'm supposed to get you out of this room at least once. Other than that it's open for discussion." He smiled and continued to eat. "And please call me...uh, Olivia." He smiled and nodded. 

"Well since we're leaving I want to show you somewhere." He continued to eat his bagel. 

"That's it?" She looked at him questioningly. "Where is this secret place?"

He smiled at her. "Not much for surprises huh? Outside the manor there is a lake, it's beautiful this time of year." 

She was glad that he was eating because she was sure that her facial expression was damning at that moment. He was going to take her out of the fortress. She could run. He was large framed like his brother, but he was a double amputee she could use that to her advantage. She felt guilt fill her veins the moment the thought ran through her mind. Tristan had been nothing but kind to her. Maybe she could convince him to let her run. He had been sympathetic to her before. She had promised to try every avenue to get home, and if she had to take Tristan out she would. She bit her bottom lip and hoped it wouldn't come to that. 

Malia's mind was in overdrive for the rest of Tristan's breakfast. She was somehow able to keep up polite conversation. Luckily he didn't take too long. He called someone and had a light jacket and shoes brought up to her. He then smiled reassuringly at her and led her directly to the front door of the manor. She would have never found it herself. If this plan fell through she had memorized the route they had taken, though she wasn't sure how much good it would do her. Malia could tell that there was heavy security, which didn't surprise her. 

They walked out the grandiose front door and started walking. It wasn't a far walk before the lake came into view. It was big and clear and as beautiful as Tristan had promised. Some of the trees surrounding the lake had begun to flower with small white petals. There were trees on all other sides of the lake and a cliff on the right side overlooking the entire lake. Tristan walked over to a bench placed near the closest shoreline and sat. Malia stood to the side of the bench overlooking the lake. 

"Sorry, I'm not much for walking as a form of entertainment." He should have sounded cynical, but he didn't, simply stating a fact. She smiled nervously. 

"What happened?" She asked softly. She was almost twitching with anxiety. 

Tristan smiled. "Cain did tell you then?"

"He told me you lost your legs seven years ago." She replied quietly. 

"Ah, always to the point." He laughed. "I had severe frostbite. Both of my legs had to be amputated, one directly above the knee and the other midway down the calf. It also made some of my skin prone to infections during certain times of the year." Tristan didn't sound angry or sad at all. 

"How did you get frostbite?" Malia's voice was still soft, full of pity he didn't want. 

Tristan smiled at her. "Now that is up for debate. I think I'll hold off on my side of the story though. Ask Cain. I'm interested in his side of the story." Tristan looked sad for a moment as he looked out over the rippling waters. 

Malia looked around while he was distracted. There were trees and grassy fields surrounding the large manor. She didn't see a road, but there had to be one somewhere. What then? She didn't know where the unit was in respect to the manor. It had been a long drive; it would be unrealistic to think that she could walk along the road undisturbed until she reached the unit. She needed help. 

"Even if you did run, you can't go back." Tristan said sadly. He had begun to watch her again without her noticing. 

"Please help me get back to them." She begged. "I have to try. I wont tell them anything, I promise." 

Tristan stood and walked over to where she stood. He looked down at her sympathetically. "Olivia, you don't understand. You wont have a chance to tell them anything. The units are on a shoot first and ask questions later mentality with civilians. We have men inside that ensure that no one gets in or out. Even if I took you there myself, we would both be shot on sight." A fat tear dropped and ran down her cheek. 

"I can't go back?" She asked desolately, as if finally hearing it for the first time. He shook his head slowly. She began to cry and he guided her over to the bench to sit. 

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." He repeated soothingly as he rubbed her shoulder in an attempt to comfort her. She cried until she couldn't anymore. Then she just leaned her head on his shoulder and looked over the beautiful lake. She felt like all hope had been sucked out of her. She felt empty. The only way she would see her family again is if they were released. She had been released only because General Malcolm had wished it. So she had to make him want to release her family. That was the only way to free them. Contrary to what he said, she knew he could get them out if he wanted to. It was just a matter of making him want to. She wasn't sure how to do that, but she had forever to think about it. 

"I'm sorry I'm ruining your fieldtrip." Malia said as she raised her head finally. 

"Maybe it wasn't a good idea to come out here." Tristan said uncertainly. 

"No, I love it. It's beautiful. Thank you for showing this place to me, and, I would rather know where I stand than have false hope. Thank you." She was genuine in her statements and he smiled sadly at her. "Let's make a deal Tristan." She stated suddenly. He arched his eyebrow and looked almost identical to his brother. "You don't pity me and I wont pity you, okay?" He laughed at her lack of tact. 

"Deal" he stated, and they shook on it.

They walked back to the manor in a comfortable silence. 

"Come on, I want to show you a room." He smiled mischievously. He took her to the second floor and opened a normal looking door into a giant arcade. There were all kinds of games that all powered on when Tristan flipped some switches on the wall. 

She grinned while taking it all in. "Seriously?" 

He laughed. "Don't pretend it isn't the coolest thing you've ever seen. I believe you will want to begin by losing a game of air hockey?" He looked like a kid and she couldn't help but join in on his excitement. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tristan was too easy to get along with. It was like Malia had known him her entire life. They played every game in the arcade multiple times. Then they returned to his suite to watch a movie Tristan had insisted was a classic, and eat lunch. It was like they were kids and the day acted as a salve to her battered psyche. 

Before she was ready it was time for Malia to report to the general. Tristan politely excused her when Finn came to collect her. She was surprised when they didn't go to the general's study. 

"Where are we going?" She asked Finn who walked slightly in front of her. 

"Cain's room" Finn answered simply. 

She was going to see where the general slept. Malia imagined blood red walls and tons of leather furniture. She was expecting to be left by the door to fend for herself, so she was happy when Finn knocked and opened the door. She followed him inside and was instantly surprised. There were large windows that let in the light of the late afternoon. There was no red, only earthy colors. There was a large fireplace with a large rustic wood framing. The most formidable thing in the room was a small table of alcohol filled crystal bottles. 

The general was standing by a large rustic looking kitchen table, talking on a cell phone. He acknowledged Finn with a nod. Finn then turned to leave. 

"You're not staying?" Malia sounded whiny to herself, which was irritating. 

He smiled. "No, I have more work to do." She nodded reluctantly as he left her alone. The general would occasionally speak to whomever was on the other end of the line, but completely ignored her. She walked over to the fireplace. There were picture frames lining the mantelpiece. She picked one up with two young boys that looked almost identical, Tristan and Cain as children. They were standing side by side and both had an arm slung over the other's shoulder. They were grinning infectiously. The picture viciously reminded her of her brothers, she wondered if she would see them grow up. She put the picture back and looked at another of a woman. She was beautiful; she had long curly light-brown hair and large pale green eyes. She had delicate bone structure and a happy smile. 

"Having fun?" The general asked from behind her. She turned and saw that he was off of the phone. 

"Who's this?" She asked. 

"My mother." Cain said without looking at the picture she was holding. 

"She's beautiful." 

"She used to be a model when she was younger." He replied stoically. 

"Where are your parents now." Malia asked delicately. Perhaps she could invoke sympathy to her situation. 

"My father died when I was a teenager. My mother moved in with her mother a few years ago. Now question time is over. Sit." He gestured to a light brown suede couch. She rolled her eyes but walked over to sit down. He sat across from her in a tan chair.  

"I want an overview of your day." The general demanded. 

His dictatorial attitude annoyed her. "I woke up and thought about climbing out the window. However, I decided against it. Then I walked through a hallway and down some stairs. Some woman ran into me." Malia had started her overly descriptive rant to be a smartass, but remembering her encounter with the strange woman sparked her interest. "She said her name was Milly and she seemed to have quite a fondness for yourself." 

"Skip to your day with Tristan" Cain spoke through his teeth. 

She rolled her eyes. "He took me to see a lake." Cain looked like he'd been smacked in the face, though he recovered quickly. 

"He did? Awfully bold of him to take you out of the manor." The general said offhandedly. 

Malia studied his face, trying to see anything but the calm demeanor he'd slipped on. 

"Tristan told me to ask you about the frostbite that caused his leg amputations." Malia cracked the calm vestige. He looked shocked. What happened with these two? 

"You reached your objective for the day, you may leave." The general ordered. 

"No, I think I'll stay for an answer." She glared at him, furious at all of the secrets being kept from her. 

He looked enraged, not expecting defiance from her, but she couldn't bring herself to care. Malia was emotionally wrung out and tired of the games these brothers were clearly playing. Something had happened, and she wanted to know what it was, what she was dealing with. She couldn't hurt Tristan to get back home, not after today. She needed a plan and for that she needed information. She was feeling pretty self-righteous about her response, until he stood up quickly. He was over her in a second; all she could do was flinch. 

The next thing she knew she was over his massive shoulder in a fireman's carry and they were moving. 

"Put me down!" She screamed at him. They went through a door at the back of the suite and she was thrown down on a massive bed. She tried to scramble up but he grabbed her legs and flipped her onto her stomach. 

"What are you doing?" Malia's anxiety was increasing by the second. 

"Little girl, I warned you. I'm calling in your punishment." He growled and flipped the skirt of her dress up. She yelled and grabbed at her dress while trying to turn over. He pushed down on her lower back with one arm and grabbed both of her hands in the other. He leaned over her until his mouth was directly by her ear. Goosebumps raised all across her skin. 

"You are going to be still and take this punishment or I will call as many people in here as the room will allow. Would you like your new friend Finn to hold your arms as I whip your bare ass? Or maybe Tristan would like to help?" 

Malia stilled. She had no doubt that he was completely serious. She also knew that Finn would do it if he were ordered to. She wasn't sure if Tristan would agree, but she didn't want to find out. 

"Now raise your arms above your head and keep them there." The general ordered. 

Malia was shaking, but she slowly complied. He pulled down her lacy pink panties and she shivered. Without any warning his hand slapped her soft flesh. Malia yelled out, but didn't move. She bit the white fluffy comforter that surrounded her face fore the next five or six strikes. As he began to smack over previously lashed areas she began to yell out again and tears streamed down her face. The pain as well as the humiliation reddened her cheeks. She'd never been spanked before. She'd hardly ever been scolded before, really only once. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Malia you are going to go over there and apologize to that girl!" Her mother looked furious, which was so unlike her. 

"No I'm not." Malia responded calmly, tying her hair up in a ponytail. 

Kristen looked dumbfounded. Malia was the poster child for an obedient, responsible daughter. She'd never defied her parents before and her mother didn't know what to do. Malia was irritated that she was seen as so good and perfect. She was irritated that her complete obedience was expected so unanimously. It was a buildup of things really that had pushed her over the edge, all detonated by a small incident. 

Malia had turned sixteen three months before and was getting used to working in the farms. There was a mixture of people working the fields, but it was common for the younger workers to be assigned there. It was hard for Malia to acclimate. The evil blond goddess who had laughed at her two years before alongside her boyfriend, Malia had learned was named Josie, worked the fields with her posse of followers. She had dumped her previous beau over a year ago and was flirting up a storm on a consistent basis. One of Josie's personal items had been a string bikini. Malia knew this because Josie wore it everyday in the fields. She would roll the ugly grey jumpsuit down and tie the arms around her waist and flaunt the hot pink bikini top as she worked. It seemed the more Josie irritated Malia, the more she was assigned to work alongside her. Josie also had no qualms about bringing up their past embarrassing encounter. She made small digs everyday until Malia wanted to strangle her with the stupid floppy arms of her jumpsuit that dangled around her waist. 

Malia ignored her pretty effectively until the one day that Olivia stopped by the field. She was fourteen and still was going through her daily lessons instead of working. 

"Wow Malia, it's like looking at a picture of you." Josie laughed when Olivia approached Malia. "I would have sworn she wouldn't ever have boobs either, but you seemed to turn out decent. Who would've thunk it right?" Josie said mockingly as her flunkies laughed along.

Olivia blushed and looked towards the ground and Malia just saw red. She picked up some small pruners from the gardening box at her feet and walked over towards Josie, who had once again turned her back to Malia as she worked. 

"You know Josie, you have a strange obsession with breasts." She simply snorted a reply as she bent over to grab a weed. "Homosexuality is nothing to be ashamed of." Malia continued. 

"What?" Josie turned around at that, facing Malia. "I am not a lesbian!" 

"Why else would you insist on showcasing your breasts day after day to your group of female friends?" Malia asked seriously. 

"I am not showcasing anything for them sweetheart, but the fact that you noticed says more about your own sexuality than mine." Josie smirked and turned back around to pick up her shovel. Everyone continued to work, though they were all listening to the dispute. Malia closed the distance between Josie's turned back and herself. 

"You know Josie, you're right, I've been dying to see these for weeks you little tease." With that Malia quickly brought the shears up and cut the two thin strings at Josie's neck and back. The skimpy piece flung away from her body without the attachments and Josie screamed and turned quickly towards Malia. She brought her hands up to cover herself but the damage was done, everyone had seen. The men across the field were cheering, and all of Josie's followers gasped and looked at Josie and Malia with wide eyes. 

"You freak!" Josie yelled at Malia, though she looked scared. Malia simply smiled at her and shrugged. She turned back towards Olivia, who looked as shocked as one of the flunkies. 

"Come on." Malia said, and Olivia followed her home. Which is where her parents had found her a couple of hours later. They looked pissed as they lectured her on her inappropriate conduct for nearly an hour. Kristen had thought that they were all on the same page until she told Malia to apologize. Malia had never told her no before, not like that at least, and it was exhilarating. Her father then joined in with the yelling and the lecturing, but Malia wouldn't budge on this. She wasn't sorry and she wasn't going to pretend that she was. 

Eventually her mother left the house in frustration. Her father walked back in after talking to her outside the front door. He looked at Malia and laughed. It was her turn to be shocked. He walked over and hugged Malia and started to laugh some more. Even three-year-old Aiden and Derek looked up at their father. 

"You cut her swimsuit off of her? In the middle of a field?" He grinned like a little kid. "Good for you princess." 

"You're not mad?" Malia was confused. 

"Nah, It sounds like she had it coming. And you didn't hurt her right?" He asked suddenly serious. 

"No, I mean I just embarrassed her a little bit, but she did the same thing to me." Malia's justification sounded weak, even to her own ears. "She did deserve it." Malia insisted. 

"No doubt in my mind." Her father smiled. "Plus you took care of that ridiculous swim suit. Did she really pick that as one of her personal items?" He smirked. 

"Yeah" Malia felt a fresh wave of guilt run through her veins. She may not have physically hurt Josie but she didn't feel right about it like she had a few moments before. Which she knew full well was her father's intention all along. 

"Fine! I'll apologize!" Malia stood angrily. 

Her father smiled at her. "I'm proud of you princess." She rolled her eyes and walked towards the door. "Not only for doing the right thing." He said to her turned back and she turned to look at him, confused again. "Though I am happy that you are going to do the right thing. But I'm also proud of you for doing the impulsive thing. I'm proud of you for sticking up for your sister, and yourself. I'm proud of you for being a fighter." 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

If only her father could see her now, sprawled over a man's bed as he smacked her bare ass harshly while she cried. She'd lost count a while back. Malia hated that he didn't say anything. Her whimpering and the slaps were the only sound in the room. Eventually he stopped; his breathing was slightly labored. She immediately reached back to pull her panties up and straighten her dress. She winced as the lacy garment made contact with her sore skin. She wiped the tears from her face and took a deep calming breath before she got up. 




The Reluctant Journey Ch. 04



She stood on a plush rug and finally looked up at him. He was staring at her intently; he looked fascinated. She clenched her teeth and gave her most mutinous glare. 

"I want to know what happened." She ordered defiantly. It didn't matter to her that he was clearly in a position of power over her, as he had just exhibited. She would not lose herself. She wasn't a weak little girl and she had been done being unquestioningly obedient a long time ago. 

"You didn't have enough?" He looked lividly at her. 

"I want explanations. I deserve them." Thankfully she sounded stronger than she felt. Malia knew she wouldn't be able to handle another punishment like that so soon. 

He crossed his arms and shook his head at her. "Fine little girl. You want a bedtime story, I'll give it to you." He motioned for her to return to the living room. He sat in the chair across from the couch and smirked as he motioned for her to sit on the couch. She sat gingerly, only wincing inwardly through incredible force of will. She would not give him the satisfaction of seeing her show any more signs of pain. She smirked back at him and he laughed. 

"Alright, here's your story, but I have to warn you it's short. Tristan jumped into the lake after me. It was winter. He suffered severe hypothermia and lost his legs." He arched his eyebrows at her, daring her to question him. She knew instinctively that she wasn't going to get anything else out of him tonight. Why had he told her anything? He didn't have to. 

"Okay." She said simply.

He looked at her like she'd grown a second head. "You continue to surprise." 

"That's all I need to know for now. I've decided to help you in your insane ploy because a compromise between the two of us is the only way I see myself getting out of this. I will help Tristan and you will give me information." 

"Oh will I?" Cain laughed. "Little girl, I told you your story because I admired your persistence. In no way are you in any position to make demands." 

"I'm not making demands" she said softly, "I'm asking you to help me. In return I will put all of my effort into being whatever it is you want me to be for Tristan." She looked into his eyes and left all joking and power plays behind. 

He looked at her seriously in return. "Tristan mentioned to me a while ago that he wanted a family, a wife and children. He was drunk and insists he wasn't speaking coherently, but I know he does want those things." He looked uncomfortable. "So you can see how me helping you get back into a unit would be counterproductive to my plan." 

She nodded. "I understand that there's no going back. That's not what I'm asking for. I want my family back. You got me out, get them out too. I will marry your brother and bear him as many children as humanly possible."

His arched eyebrows pulled together. "You don't really have anything to bargain with." 

"I'm bargaining with my cooperation. You don't expect Tristan to be happy if you force me to marry him and have his children do you? Would he even agree to that?" 

"For spending a single day with my brother you claim to know him quite well." Cain challenged her. 

"Like it or not you need my help." She insisted. 

He smiled. "I'll keep it in mind." 

"I'm going to need more than that." She commanded. 

"Well that's all you're going to get." He replied angrily. "For now, it's going to have to be enough." 

She looked into his dark eyes. She hated having to interpret if there was any truth there, but she didn't have a choice. She was going to have to trust this man who hadn't done a thing to earn her trust. Whether she liked it or not. "For now." Malia nodded.



The Reluctant Journey Ch. 05



Fair warning that this is a shorter chapter, but I liked where it ended and I promise I am writing away. Also I would like to mention that I am not very familiar with the military, I apologize for any inaccuracies. Hope this moves faster than the last few, despite its lack of length. 

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"Bullshit!" 

"Mr. Yates please calm yourself- " 

"Fuck You! I want to know what happened to my daughter!" Olivia had never heard her father curse as much as he had since Malia had disappeared. Her mother, the strongest woman she knew, had actually taken to crying on a consistent basis. The twins were mostly confused about everything and avoided their less than stable parents. Olivia just felt empty. She'd lost her best friend. Malia had always been her protector, even more than she knew. When she couldn't breath because she had a dream about her room closing in Malia would sit with her until she could calm down. 

The council was sitting in their house, attempting to calm her parents. If her mother were any calmer she would be catatonic. Her father was a different story. 

"Mr. Yates," one of the councilmen addressed her father with his hands slightly raised in a calming manner, " your daughter was needed on the frontlines of the unit. She is protecting everyone with her service." 

"So you've said. The only problem with your little lie is the fact that it makes absolutely no fucking sense! You couldn't find a steady job for her when she was here and you expect me to believe that now she has some irresistible secret talent that you need? I want the truth!" He slammed his fist on the kitchen table, making several people in the room jump, including Olivia. 

The leader of the council stood, looking authoritative. "The details of your daughter's service are classified. However know that the unit is grateful for the sacrifice your family has made." He was planning on leaving with the rest of the council but her father wasn't going to back down that easily. 

"Let's recap Mr. Denizen. " Her father held his hand up. "An alliance unit, whom no one was aware existed, came to collect my daughter for some secret special skill that you can't tell us about. Here are some of the more obvious holes in your story. My daughter was collected by force, against her will." 

"Mr. Yates any perceived force was the common way in which unit 100 operates. They have a strong army and aren't used to forming alliances. We apologize for any unnecessary fear they may have caused and assure you that your daughter wasn't harmed." 

"Ahh yes." Her father laughed cynically as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "Your apologies and assurances really affect me deeply." The councilmembers all stood to leave, nodding politely to Olivia and her mother. Her father looked out the window over the table. As they reached the door he spoke ominously calm. 

"There is one thing I haven't shared, one more hole in your lie." He looked directly at the leader of the council. "The man who took my daughter, the unit 100 soldier," he mocked, " He wasn't looking for Malia." The council leader frowned. "He was looking for Olivia." 

Olivia nearly jumped at her father's unexpected words. The entire council, her father, and mother looked over at her. She knew she looked like a deer in headlights. The councilmen looked shocked and furious. They didn't like being questioned and they definitely didn't like being beaten. Why hadn't he told them that the man was looking for her? When she found her dad in the central chamber bleeding slightly from the head she'd been terrified. He'd told her, and later her mother, that a man had barged into the hospital with a group of soldiers and kidnapped Malia. He kept repeating that he'd tried to fight them off, but he couldn't. He tried to follow the man, but they wouldn't let him. They hit him in the head to knock him out. 

"What would make you think that, Mr. Yates?" The leader asked condescendingly. 

"He told me." 

Olivia felt like she'd been punched in the throat. This was her fault. It was supposed to be her. She knew her sister. She knew immediately that she would take her place if that were a possibility. A tear fell down her cheek. It should have been her. 

"Mr. Yates I'm sure that you are mistaken." The leader smirked at her father. 

He looked instantly infuriated. "I know who he was looking for and it was not Malia! He asked me where Olivia Yates was dammit! If he were promised Malia, why would he ask for Olivia? He shouldn't have even known that Olivia existed." 

"I'm sorry for your loss." The leader said as the council left. 

The entire family was silent. Everyone was lost in their respective minds, yet all were thinking the same thing. 

"They're hiding something. Not only from us but from the entire unit." Her mother spoke softly, but it was more coherent a thought than she had had in three long days. 

"Why didn't you tell me?" Olivia asked, turning towards her father. 

He looked up and the anger faded. "Because it isn't your fault." Olivia instantly burst into tears. Her father walked over to her and pulled her into his arms. "It isn't your fault." He repeated softly. 

"I miss her daddy." Olivia sobbed. 

"I know baby, I miss her too. We'll find her. I promise, we'll find her." 

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Blake Denizen was furious. This was his unit and General Cain Malcolm should have never been fucking with it. Golden boy thought he could do whatever he wanted but he'd gone too far this time. Denizen smiled, Malcolm had finally fucked up. No one was to leave the unit unless it went through him first. Malcolm had weaseled his way around him though. He made sure his door was locked and pulled out his cell phone that he had to keep hidden. 

"Unit 100 management." A female voice said into his ear. 

"Blake Denizen, unit 118."

"Password?" The female demanded cheerily. 

"B0622D79" He replied without hesitation. 

"Yes Mr. Denizen, what can I do for you today?" 

"I need records pulled up of a recent transaction that went through my unit without my authorization. The transaction was made by General Cain Malcolm." He clenched his teeth as he spit each syllable of the name. 

"Uh, yes..." The woman sounded suddenly apprehensive. "It looks like a transaction did occur three days ago, all of the proper paperwork is filled out Mr. Denizen. You said it occurred without your authorization?" 

"Can I have the details please?" He didn't want to talk to some secretary but he needed some of the basic information before he could talk to anyone else. 

"Yes sir." She seemed to at least see her lapse in propriety with her questions. "A female was removed from unit 118, Olivia Yates, age 18." 

"Olivia Yates? You're sure?" 

"Yes sir." 

"Put me through with Eli McAllister immediately." Denizen demanded. 

"Um, sir-"

"It is an emergency, now!" Blake yelled into the phone. The phone began to ring. 

"McAllister" The man answered. 

"Sir, this is Blake Denizen, Director of Unit 118." 

The Five-Star General sighed with annoyance. "Why are you calling me?" 

Denizen hesitated and cleared his throat. "General McAllister, I have a crisis situation here in -" 

"Denizen I don't have time for this, if you are having issues keeping control in your unit contact management." He was going to hang up. 

"Wait! This is concerning General Cain Malcolm." The GA paused. "It seems that General Malcolm ordered the removal of a girl from my unit." 

"Seriously Denizen? Call the correct authorities for this matter." 

Blake had to hurry. "General Malcolm called in favors to get the girl out without any proper authorization. However he nabbed the wrong girl and the family is asking questions." 

"Cain did this? I happen to know him well, he doesn't really need to get girls from units." The GA was laughing at him. 

"Malcolm brought a team of soldiers in to get an Olivia Yates. He barged into a hospital where the girl's father works and took the girl by force. However, he ended up taking the girl's sister instead. Because I wasn't informed about the transaction I was forced to come up with a cover story on the spot. Malia Yates is missing so my cover story was for her. However, the father decided to include in the last minute that Malcolm was demanding Olivia, not Malia. I insisted that he was mistaken but the father is an esteemed member of the unit. There is a possibility of an uprising due to Malcolm's actions." 

"So you called to tattle on Cain." McAllister laughed and Blake's face reddened on the other end of the line. "I don't blame you, he can be an aggravating son of a bitch. I've known the Malcolm family for a lot of years. Cain is the youngest general in Phoenix for good reason. He has proven himself and I trust him immensely. I will talk to him Mr. Denizen but in the future take your unit's problems to management, frankly this is below my pay grade." McAllister hung up and Blake threw the phone across the room. 

-------------------------------------------

Cain's father had been friends with Eli McAllister, they had been promoted to generals together and Eli had been around the house throughout Cain and Tristan's childhood. Eli was a good guy and a great leader. Cain's father was up for the promotion of General of the Army right before he died and Eli got the promotion. He'd taken Cain under his wing when he'd taken an interest in the military and saw him through many fast promotions. It wasn't just McAllister's help that allowed Cain to move through the ranks; he genuinely excelled as an officer and was dedicated beyond any of his peers. McAllister had several generals to oversee, but Cain had always been one of his most promising. 

"Cain it's been too long, please sit." McAllister said warmly as Cain entered his office. 

"Hello Eli, pleasure to see you as always." Cain sat across the desk from Eli. 

"I'm afraid we're all business today Malcolm. I've had a formal complaint against you." 

"Have you?" Cain smiled. You didn't get to where Cain was as fast as he did without making enemies. When he had first been promoted the complaints against him piled up on McAllister's desk. 

"A Blake Denizen?" Eli read the name of a sheet of paper in front of him. 

Cain laughed. "Blake Denizen? I went to school with him." 

"Yes well it seems like he doesn't appreciated the disappearance of a Malia Yates from unit 118." He was reading of the paper again. He looked up at Cain and continued. "Denizen is the director of the unit and threw a fit over having his toes stepped on, but honestly Cain, he has merit. This job was sloppy to say the least, not to mention unnecessary as I can only assume it was for personal gain?" 

"It was for Tristan, Eli." Cain said slowly and McAllister nodded slowly. "But the girl's name is Olivia." 

"That's were the sloppiness becomes epic." Eli laughed cynically. "Apparently you have a case of mistaken identity on your hands." Cain arched his eyebrows in confusion. "You took Olivia's sister, Malia." 

"What?" Cain ran his hand through his hair. 

"I'm afraid you heard me correctly Cain. I know that you can be a little unreasonable when it comes to your brother so I'm not even going to ask for an explanation, but I suggest that you get this under control as soon a possible." 

"Yes sir." Cain nodded and rose to leave Eli's office. 

"And Cain." McAllister called to Cain's back. Cain turned. "Take care of yourself okay." Cain nodded. "And call Denizen for me, try and clean up the mess you made, please." 

"Yes sir." 

Cain left McAllister's office and was on his phone as soon as he got into the back of his black SUV. 

"Denizen" The slimy weasel answered his phone on the first ring. 

"Blake, long time no see." Cain taunted and could practically see the greasy rat's face pale. 

"Cain." He could hear the loathing in the man's voice and it made him smile. 

"So I hear you've been busy since high school. Went and got yourself a fancy job as director of your very own hellhole? Your parents must be so proud." Cain wasn't usually one for teasing but with someone as annoying as Denizen it was too easy. 

"Fuck you Malcolm." 

"Ah ah ah, that's General Malcolm to you, director." Cain laughed. "However I called for more than simple bragging. It seems someone has been in contact with my boss." 

"Cause problems for you General?" Blake spat. 

"Ah not so much, me and Eli go way back." 

"Yes that's right, one of daddy's friends." 

Cain's jaw clenched in agitation. "In fact he was. I'm surprised you would know that Denizen, as I recall your father never really ran in the same circles as, well as any of the people we went to school with. But that's always been why your panties are incessantly in a bunch huh? I imagine being the poor kid in the rich kids school could be real tough." Cain channeled his inner snob to piss Blake off. 

"Well prissy-boy your connections aren't going to help you when your fuck up blows up in your face. I mean really General, you're so impressive, I see how you got your job." 

Cain laughed, infuriating Blake even more. "You know it's cute how seriously you take your job, my commendations to you. However, I too take my job seriously. Going over my head isn't the smartest move you've ever made Denizen." Cain said menacingly.

"Is that a threat?" Blake sounded outraged. 

"It most certainly is Director. In case you didn't get it before though here's the whole thing. If you attempt to fuck with my job, or really any other aspect of my life, I will come after you Blake. I will utilize every resource I have, and believe me I have quite a few, and I will ruin you with great pleasure. My advice to you is to work on that nasty chip on your shoulder and leave me the fuck alone Blake." Cain hung up the phone and clenched his jaw again. 

Now that Blake was taken care of for the moment he had a more pressing matter to attend to. It seemed Cain had a liar living in his house.



The Reluctant Journey Ch. 06



So here's chapter six. Sorry for the highly extended wait, but this chapter has been difficult for me to write for some reason. It seemed the more I wrote, the more I erased and rewrote. So I will finally get it out of my possession in fear that it will all be gone if I try and read it again. I do hope this moves the story along as several comments suggested. Enjoy.

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"Bon appétit monsieur" Malia said in a cheesy French accent as she opened Tristan's door. She was getting in a routine that started with delivering a breakfast tray to Tristan's suite where they would have breakfast together. 

"Merci mademoiselle." Tristan smiled from the far seat at the table where he was always sitting when she arrived in the morning. "S'asseoir s'il vous plaît." Tristan didn't use the cheesy French accent. 

"Um." Malia looked at him confused. For obvious reasons she'd missed any kind of required high school foreign language classes. 

He laughed. "Please sit." He motioned to the chair across from his. 

They ate together like they had for the past two weeks. It had been surprisingly relaxing spending time with Tristan. Cain had disappeared which was only catalyzing her ability to relax. Tristan assured that Cain often disappeared for weeks at a time without notice. She wasn't excessively worried either way. 

She bit into a hot buttered English muffin. The food never failed to impress. Usually Tristan provided the conversation during meals due to her complete concentration on eating. It took the whole muffin for her to notice that he was being especially quiet this morning. She looked up at him and also noticed that he wasn't eating very much. 

"Are you okay?" Malia asked, her voice full of concern.

He smiled sweetly, if less than energetically. "I'm feeling a little under the weather. It's not unusual for this time of year." 

"Do you need a doctor?" Malia was suddenly worried, her delicious breakfast forgotten. 

"No, it's not nearly that serious." He smiled reassuringly but Malia could see that he was fighting to hide his pain. "I'm afraid I'm not going to be much company today though." 

"No, no of course not. You should go back to bed and rest." He looked like he was about to resist but Malia was adamant and he went back to bed. 

Malia went to the kitchen with the breakfast trey. Usually someone would come to collect the trays, just as they would come to deliver them, but Malia insisted that she could be useful. Mrs. Smith was putting things away in the kitchen when she arrived. 

"Tristan isn't feeling well." Malia blurted out, her voice full of concern. 

"Did he want something brought up?" Mrs. Smith also sounded concerned as she stopped what she was doing to look at Malia. "No, he's playing tough guy, but do you think he should see a doctor?" 

She smiled and continued to walk over to the cupboard as she replied. "Tristan is a very responsible man, if something is truly wrong he will let someone know. The poor dear always gets sick around now, and he always pulls through just fine, you'll see." The woman patted Malia's shoulder in reassurance. 

Malia's days had been spent with Tristan. She had no idea what she was supposed to do if he was sick. She went to her own room. Malia had gotten used to the layout of the manor fairly well. She didn't know her way around completely, as it was a very large layout to get to know, but she could get to the places she needed to go. 

She loved to read but couldn't seem to focus on the pages. Where was Cain? No, she didn't care where he was. It would just put her at ease if he were here, for Tristan's sake. The door to her room opened and she nearly jumped out of her skin.

When Gwen appeared she took a breath. "Oh, I didn't expect you to be here. I can come back." She began to leave the room. 

"No, wait!" Malia jumped up from the lounge. "Do you need help?" 

"Um, no?" Gwen looked confused as she stood in the doorway. 

"Tristan is sick and I need to keep myself busy. I feel like I've been on vacation for too long." Malia could tell that Gwen wasn't going to accept her offer, so she got up and walked to the hallway where her cart of supplies was and grabbed various cleaning products. 

"Um, Olivia, you can't just-" 

"Look I'm going to help you whether you like it or not. It doesn't make any sense for me to just sit around all day." Malia interrupted. 

Gwen was clearly uncomfortable with the turn of events but short of fighting Malia for the cleaning supplies, she didn't have any options. 

It didn't take long for the two to take care of the bedroom, just some vacuuming and light dusting. However, Gwen informed Malia that the bathroom required extensive cleaning today. The extravagantly large bathroom was covered in sparkling granite on virtually every surface. Malia gladly grabbed a tiny brush and began to scrub grout lines on the floor. 

"So, Tristan's sick?" Gwen asked. Malia was surprised that she had initiated conversation, as she was generally frustratingly reserved. "Yes. He said he doesn't feel well, but Mrs. Smith said that he always gets sick in early spring?" 

"Yes he does." She nodded. "I mean, I have heard that. Last spring I was new to the manor and I wasn't working directly with the masters of the house yet. However, Tristan did get violently sick at the end of fall. He had terrible fevers and was forced to stay in bed. It was quite...disconcerting." It was the most Malia had heard from Gwen. She sounded scared for Tristan, even more so than Malia had. 

"I'm sure he will be fine." Malia attempted to comfort her. 

Gwen looked up as if snapped out of a daze. "Yes, of course." She said quickly and returned to scrubbing grout. However, it was too late, Malia's interest was piqued. 

"So you must know the, um, masters of the house fairly well?"

"Not as much as most of the staff." Gwen was still concentrating on the floors. 

"So you are the newest to the manor?" 

"Well, there's you." Gwen looked up at her smirking. 

"Yes, but I'm not sure what I am in this place." 

Gwen looked up at her seriously. "You are a member of the household, as far as I can tell. You aren't staff, and you're not a guest. Though not exactly mistress of the household." Gwen smiled in a reassuring way. 

"The general wants me to marry Tristan." She hadn't intended to tell her so tactlessly, but she needed a confidant. Malia felt isolated. She instantly regretted it as she saw an unmistakable streak of pain cross Gwen's expression. So she did have feelings for Tristan. 

"Oh." Gwen bit her lip and began to scrub again. Malia studied her. 

"I like Tristan, he is very nice and charismatic and noble." Gwen only nodded. "But I don't want to marry him." Gwen looked up at her then. Her eyes looked larger and bluer than usual. 

"Oh?" She repeated, trying to look uninterested and failing miserably. 

"I only want to go home." Gwen nodded and looked down again. Malia continued with her blunt approach. "How long have you been in love with Tristan?" Instantly a pair of saucer like blue eyes stared up at her. Malia only raised her eyebrows in question as Gwen clearly fought for words. 

"I'm not-" 

"Don't try and deny it." Malia interrupted. Gwen bit her lip. 

"Is it obvious?" She looked excessively vulnerable. 

"Actually it isn't." Malia smiled. "You hide it quite well. I only realized it a minute ago." 

"It isn't proper, or realistic but," Gwen looked distressed. "He is more remarkable than any man, any person, I have ever met." 

"Have you talked to him?" Malia asked gently, though she knew the answer. Gwen may have been gorgeous, but she was painfully shy. 

"I've spoken with him before." She replied slowly. "But no, not in the way you are referring, not in any way other than professionally." 

"You should talk to him, personally." 

"I can't, he's my boss, and I wouldn't know where to begin." She looked nervous simply thinking about it. 

"He'll never know if you don't tell him. He's astute but you're, um, very reserved." 

"And if he knows that I have a debilitating crush on him, he's going to what? Propose? We're going to ride off into the sunset to our very own mansion and have a dozen kids? It's just not going to happen. I don't have anything to offer him." 

"And I do?" Malia asked. "I'm not exactly a princess. I wouldn't peg Tristan as the kind of man who judged in those terms anyway. Just think about it, you'll never know if you don't try." They both finished cleaning the bathroom in contemplative silence.  

Marriage to Tristan was her ticket to possibly seeing her family again. Malia had been trying to help Gwen but it probably wasn't in her best interest. She didn't want to hurt her new potential friend, but she also didn't want to risk her chances. She didn't want to marry Tristan, but she would if she had to. She felt a knot form in her stomach and it wouldn't go away. Why did he have to marry her anyway? She would just explain to Cain that Gwen was in love with Tristan and he would get her family out and let them all go live quietly in the countryside. It hurt too much not to believe it. 

Malia and Gwen parted ways once her room was clean. Gwen thanked her for her help, though she seemed to be still lost in thought. Malia really hoped she didn't have to hurt Gwen. She didn't deserve it. Not knowing where else to go, Malia returned to Tristan's rooms. She entered the main room when no one answered her knocks. The bedroom door was open and he was asleep. His brow was pinched in agitation and sweat beaded on his forehead. His prosthetics were standing on the side of the bed. Malia tried to swallow the knot that was forming in her throat. She wasn't good with any of this medical stuff. Her stomach began to churn and as she went to leave the room he spoke.

"Is Cain here?" 

Malia looked over at him, he was looking up at her clearly. "Um, no. I don't think so." 

"Pick up my cell phone, it's over on the desk." He closed his eyes again, clearly uncomfortable. 

Malia walked over to the desk in the room and grabbed the phone. 

"His number is under contacts." Tristan said as he raised he hand to cover his eyes. Malia found his number, right next to a small picture of him smiling. She dialed the number and tried to hand the phone over to Tristan but he shook his hand. 

"Ask him when he's returning." He said, he sounded like he was going to be sick. Fantastic, she was going to have to talk to the enemy on the phone. 

"Tristan? Is everything all right?" He sounded so much unlike himself when he was concerned. 

"No, this is, um Olivia." She said slowly, unsure. 

"How did you get this phone?" He said accusingly. That sounded more like him.

"Tristan is sick. He wanted me to call you." She replied fumingly. 

"Why would he want you to call me? What are you trying to pull?" 

"I'm not trying to pull anything! Your brother is sick, he's in bed, and it looks like he has a headache to top everything off. I can't imagine why he wouldn't want to talk to someone as lovely as you in that state!" 

"Put him on the phone." She could tell he said it through clenched teeth. 

"He wants to know when you're coming home." 

"Let me speak with my brother, now." His formidable voice went directly in her ear and caused goose bumps to break out on her arms. She looked down at Tristan who still looked miserable. 

"He wont talk to me." Malia said to Tristan, extending the phone towards him. He grabbed it and brought it to his face. 

"Hello" He sounded terrible. 

Malia didn't like not hearing the other side of the conversation. 

"I'm fine, it's just a fever." Tristan winced. "And an unbearable headache." 

"No you don't need to, I'm fine. If it gets any worse I'll call a doctor. I just wanted to know when to expect you, you've been off the grid." 

"Okay. Try and be nice." Tristan said and handed the phone back to her. "He wants to talk to you." 

"Lucky me." She winced, and he halfway smiled. "Yes?" She said into the phone. 

"I'm going to be home this evening." She bit her lip. "Until then I want you to take care of Tristan. You are a doctor in training?" 

"Well, yes, but-"

"It shouldn't be that hard then. I will be there around dinnertime to check on him." 

"Cain I don't think-" 

"Goodbye Olivia." He said as he disconnected. 

He'd enunciated every syllable. He rarely said her name, well her sister's name. It was disconcerting. 

Gwen brought Tristan's lunch of broth and toast up. Malia went into the kitchen area to meet her. 

"I need your help." Malia begged. Gwen looked surprised. "I'm supposed to be helping Tristan and I don't know where to start. I'm not good at this stuff and he's getting worse." Malia spoke quickly, her stress had been increasing since the phone call. Tristan had vomited earlier and Malia had almost fainted. She'd had to leave the room and had almost vomited herself. 

"Aren't you trained in medicine?" Gwen spoke softly in an attempt to calm Malia. 

"Please, I just need your help." 

"Okay, calm down." Gwen held up her hands. She walked into Tristan's bedroom slowly. Malia knew she could smell the vomit when she entered. Malia stood in the doorway as Gwen walked over to the bed and took the top throw blanket off of the bed. It had taken the brunt of the vomit, with a little getting on the rug beside the bed. Gwen walked with the blanket into the bathroom and put it in a hamper. 

"Go into the kitchen and ask Mrs. Smith for some baking soda." Malia nodded and walked out of the room quickly. She was glad for direction and the ability to leave the room that smelled like sickness. When she returned with a new box of baking soda she noticed that Gwen had cooled some washcloths and placed them on Tristan, one on his forehead and one in each armpit. Tristan must have removed his sweaty shirt because his chest was bare. He looked more relaxed and asleep. 

"His temperature was 102. Did you give him anything for the fever?" 

"Um.." Malia was showing her inexperience, but she couldn't do this. She wasn't her father and she wasn't her sister. 

"There should be some acetaminophen in the medicine cabinet in the bathroom." Gwen was calm and collected, just like Olivia would have been. Malia retrieved the bottle and walked back into the room. Gwen was pouring baking soda all over the rug when she entered. The smell was immensely improved and Malia's nerves calmed minutely. She handed the medicine to Gwen who supported Tristan's shoulders so he could swallow the pills without choking. At least Malia had gotten him some ice water. Other than that inconsequential favor she had epically failed at playing doctor. 

After Gwen had attempted to feed Tristan some broth, she drew the curtains and turned on a fan. Both women walked out of the bedroom quietly and partially closed the door. 

"So you want to tell me about that?" Gwen asked motioning to the bedroom. 

"Thank you so much for helping me. I don't know what I would have done. I just blanked, I don't know what happened." Malia was speaking a mile a minute. 

"Olivia, are you trained medically or not?" Gwen looked at her seriously. She wouldn't believe her if she said yes, who would after her laughable disaster. But if she told Gwen the truth, she would be trusting her with everything. She would essentially be giving the woman dirt on herself. It wasn't smart; especially when Malia was planning on marrying the man she was in love with if it came down to that. Gwen would have the power to sway any decisions she made if she wanted to. But she couldn't bring herself to lie to her. She had become her friend. 

"Please don't tell Cain." Malia begged. 

"Tell him what exactly? Why does he think you are training to be a doctor?" Gwen's eyes looked trustworthy, but Malia still had a lump in her throat. 

"I pretended to be my sister." Malia whispered. Tristan more than likely was unconscious, but she wasn't taking any chances. "He asked me if I was Olivia Yates and I said yes, to protect her. My name is Malia Yates." Her voice was shaky. Gwen's eyes were huge with surprise. 

"He doesn't know?" 

"No one knows." She begged the woman with her eyes to keep it that way. Gwen nodded in understanding 

"And you aren't medically inclined?" She actually grinned at that and Malia laughed out loud. 

"What gave me away?" 

Gwen eventually had to return to work, but she promised that she wouldn't tell a soul. If she was lying it was convincing. Malia desperately wanted to trust her though, so she did. If it was her downfall, so be it. 

Tristan woke up a couple hours later. Dinner was quickly approaching and Malia's nervousness had skyrocketed. Cain was going to be back. She didn't realize just how tense he made her until he was gone. She hadn't been able to sit and do one thing the entire time Tristan slept. Finally he walked into the living room where she was sitting, not watching a movie. He was wearing shorts and it was the first time Malia saw his legs. 

The prosthetics were very modern and looked technologically advanced. She could see why he moved so fluidly. They were made out of some silver metal. Other than the metallic color, they looked like legs. The edges fit directly into metal implants in the skin. Above the sleek metal was pale skin dusted in dark hair. White scars marred both legs were the prosthetics met the skin. The muscles beneath the skin were strong and maintained.

If Tristan hadn't been sick she was sure he would have caught her staring. She looked up only to discover he wasn't wearing a shirt. He had a white terrycloth bathrobe on but it was completely open. He was definitely muscular. His abs weren't overbearingly defined, but she could count the six-pack. A light dusting of hair covered his broad chest and drifted downwards. He was actually very attractive, which caught her off guard. She hadn't thought of him that way before. 

"You should sit down." Malia rose to indicate the couch. He looked confused and agitated. 

"It's so hot." He complied softly. 

"That's good, it means your fever broke. Let me take your temperature again." Malia walked into the bedroom to retrieve the thermometer. She gave it to him to put under his tongue. "99.8, it's lowering, that's good." Malia could deal with temperature taking. She sighed with relief that he was improving. 

Cain chose that moment to enter the room. Malia visibly jumped. 

"Oh, you're up." He looked at Tristan. Tristan seemed to notice his state of undress and tied the robe around his waist. 

"Yes, I feel a little better." He ran a hand through his unruly curls. 

"Oh?" 

"Yes, Gwen was here I think?" Tristan looked over to Malia. "She must've helped you give me medicine or something." 

"Yes, she showed me where everything was and helped me." Malia said quickly. 

"Did she now." Cain drawled while looking directly at her hostilely. Malia looked at the ground. 

"I think I'm going to take dinner in my room tonight. Thank you Olivia for taking care of me today, I'm sorry that I was such a burden. I regret that you had to see me like that, as I do believe I nearly vomited on you." Tristan spoke with more strength and life than he had all day and it put Malia at ease. 

"It was no burden at all." Malia assured him. He nodded and Malia walked slowly towards the door, towards Cain. 

"Please call if you need anything brother?" Cain asked. 

"Of coarse." Tristan reassured his brother. "It's good to see you again by the way." Cain nodded and joined Malia in the hallway. 

She began to walk towards her own room but he grabbed her upper arm with a large tanned hand. 

"I do believe we have some catching up to do, Little Girl. Please join me for dinner." Malia didn't like the slow deliberate tone he used. 




The Reluctant Journey Ch. 06



"I should dress first." She insisted as she tried and failed to pull her arm from his grasp. 

"You look fine." He said while walking towards the stairs, dragging her behind him. 

Malia bit her lip in nervousness. He was up to something and it wasn't good. They soon reached the dining room due to Cain's long stride. She was nearly out of breath from taking twice as many steps as him. He released her and sat in his chair at the head of the table. She would have sat at the other end, far away from him, but a plate was set in the spot to his right. She begrudgingly walked to the chair and slowly sat. 

A salad was quickly brought out for both of them. Malia immediately began to eat to avoid any conversation; for once the food was bland to her. Cain didn't speak immediately; he slowly brought forkfuls of salad to his mouth and watched her eat as he chewed, slowly. She finally looked up at him when her own salad was gone. 

"You seem to have done a great job taking care of Tristan today." He said politely if not appreciatively. 

"I didn't do much, really Gwen did most of it anyway." She was still speaking too fast, words were flying out of her mouth uncensored and that was dangerous. 

"You know, I have a lot of staff here and the occasional soldiers. It doesn't make sense for you to be dedicated to Tristan full-time." He smiled and her stomach dropped. "He may get bored with you. I don't actually have a doctor on staff, now that I think of it. I call one in from the city when people get sick or injured. It's very expensive and time consuming." Malia didn't like where this conversation was going. 

"I'm not a doctor." She insisted. "Really I have a lot to learn. I only occasionally took temperatures and stuff back in the unit." 

"Oh don't sell yourself short little girl. I've read your entire file; I had it delivered to me while I was away, nasty little thing to get a hold of too. You were taken to the unit when you were ten years old. Your father began to take you to the hospital when you were twelve, though you showed an aptitude for healing before that." Malia remembered her little sister bringing birds and small animals home to try and heal them, many times she was unsuccessful, but she kept trying. "Since you were twelve years old you've been in the unit's hospital nearly everyday. You were in fact there when I came to get you, where you not?" 

Malia clenched her teeth. "Yes I believe that is where you kidnapped me." Cain smiled wickedly. 

"Your father is an excellent doctor for the unit, he trained you specifically to follow in his footsteps. I'm sure you'll make him proud." How dare he speak of her family? She wanted to stab him with his own fork. She wanted to take the pristine white napkin and strangle him with it. She kept silent in fear of what she might say to him. He continued speaking. "Tristan only had a fever, I want to see your skill in action." He smiled at her. "You know many men get hurt everyday in the army. Even during standard training exercises." The main course was bought out then, but Malia could hardly look at the delicious food. "We are in the end stages of the war. However there are still rebel groups that catch our patrols by surprise. I brought some of the more mobile patients here." He said it excitedly, like she would love this news, which Malia thought was a stretch, even if she were Olivia. "We have a fully stocked medical facility in the basement." 

"I thought your basement was a torture dungeon?" Malia used sarcasm to deflect from the fact that his words had caused her veins to run cold. 

He grinned. "Only on weekends." 

The rest of the meal went by in a blur for Malia. She was not going to be able to fake this. She felt like a small animal caught in a trap as a wolf lurked nearby, waiting to attack. Cain seemed to savor every bite of the rest of the dinner while Malia felt like every bite was a boulder that sank to the bottom of her stomach. Too soon the food was gone and Cain stood. He walked over to her chair and offered her his arm; it could have almost passed for gentlemanly if his face hadn't looked so predatory. 

She very reluctantly stood because she couldn't think of a reason not to. Her nervousness was impeding her ability to form even the simplest of plans. She could feel his metaphoric wolf jaws closing around her neck. She was shit out of luck. 

"Did you know that we have an elevator?" Cain smiled at her as she instinctively took his proffered arm to steady herself as he led her out of the dining room. She didn't have the power of mind to articulate so she shook her head in response. "It is usually used by staff as my great-great-grandfather deemed it unseemly to move around in metal boxes. He didn't build the manor, but he restored it into its historically accurate grandeur. He was quite the sentimental, so I'm told at least. I never met the man. Tristan and I recently redesigned some of the highly used rooms to update them a bit." Cain rambled on and Malia pictured blood and oozing pustules. Cain nearly dragged her to the kitchen area, which was surprisingly deserted. "The servant hallways are narrow." He warned as he opened a small narrow door in the corner of the kitchen, she'd never noticed it was there. The hallway was very narrow; two could fit side by side only if they hugged the wall. Cain led the way and she followed slowly behind. The hall wasn't lit very well and was plain compared to the rest of the house. At the end of the hallway there was a tiny old looking elevator. 

"Cain I..." Malia bit her lip hard enough to draw blood. 

"Yes?" He turned to look at her and raised his eyebrow. He pressed the button without looking and a loud clanging sound greeted them as the elevator approached. Malia couldn't think about anything but the gory pictures that ran through her mind's eye like a horror flick. She'd heard a boy break his leg before. The unit had an annual community baseball game. He'd slid home and the whole sideline had heard a sickening crack when he'd collided with the catcher. He'd screamed and she'd thrown up in the grass. She felt like throwing up again. The rocks that were her dinner had risen to her throat. Cain seemed to tire of waiting for her to continue, so he stepped on the elevator and motioned for her to join. She tried to swallow the lump in her throat as she stepped on the elevator. It didn't look to be especially extravagant. If she hadn't been so out of sorts she would have probably even been scared. The elevator was very small; Cain's left leg grazed her right leg as they stood side by side. 

There were five floors the elevator served; Cain pressed the button for the lowest. The elevator jerked as it started to move and Malia flinched. 

"Don't like elevators?" Cain asked over her shoulder. 

"I don't mind them, however this looks like the first elevator ever made so.." She was trying to sound snarky and confidant and failed. 

"But usually you don't mind them at all?" His voice had lowered to something sinister. He reached out and pushed an emergency stop button and the elevator immediately jerked to a halt. Malia pressed her back to the wall as she faced him. He glared at her and looked absolutely formidable, more so than even the first time they'd met. "I did some research while I was away little girl." He spat every word like dangerous venom and Malia whimpered at the trapped feeling. "It seems my little Olivia Yates has debilitating claustrophobia. Now why would someone scared of small spaces get on this elevator and be virtually unaffected?" 

"I..I.." Malia stuttered as he got closer, so close that he towered directly over her, pressing her into the metal wall. 

"I also read an interesting file on a Malia Yates. No assignments in the hospital where her father works due to an inability to perform in a medical environment. Parenthesis followed with the words "violently queasy". " He spoke quickly but with an accuracy as if he were actually reading her file. Malia was frozen as soon as he said her name. "And why would someone formally trained in a hospital fail so completely when asked to treat a man with a simple fever? Did you really think this would work forever? Did you really think that I would never find out?" He was alternating between outright yelling and low growling. It was a frightening combination. Malia shook her head back and forth in denial. This couldn't be happening. She couldn't form any words, as he was terrifyingly close. 

"What, no smart ass comments? You are usually so full of bitchy remarks to add." He brought one of his large hands up to curl around her exposed throat. He didn't squeeze but she instinctively grabbed his hand with both of hers. He snarled down at her. "You know I'm not usually so ill prepared when I am working. My source actually caught me off guard when the opportunity to collect you came up. Well to collect your sister. Apparently the units need to add pictures to their filing system." He grinned maliciously down at her. His lips were leveled with her eyes as she tilted her head up to look at him. 

"Do you know the ironic thing? I am the one they call in to clean up other people's fuck ups. One thing I've learned though, with some perseverance most things can be cleaned up in one way or another." He moved back slightly with his hand still pinning her neck to the metal wall. He released the emergency stop with his free hand and the elevator jerked again as it continued its decent. 

"You know I didn't have incentive to get your family out of the unit before, but you gave me that didn't you? A lot of planning went into bringing Olivia Yates here and I think I want what I paid for." 

"No, Cain you-" He tightened his hand slightly and she clawed at his arm. 

"I can indeed Little Girl, and I will. You should be happy, this is what you wanted, your sister is going to be released from the unit. Unfortunately that leaves you here without a purpose. As for the rest of your family..." He shrugged but at least he had slackened his grip a little. "It seems your mistaken identity has caused quite the disturbance in unit 118. They will be separated and imprisoned indefinitely." He spoke slowly and deliberately.

"No!" Malia screamed. Tears sprang to her eyes instantly and she shook her head, trying to dislodge his hand. His eyes blackened hatefully as he stared down at her like she was a disease. It seemingly took him no effort at all to spin her around until her face pressed against the elevator wall. He quickly had both of her wrists behind her back and she felt cold hard steel wrap around them. The elevator doors opened slowly and he pulled her by her handcuffed arms. She tried to drop to the floor to avoid being led into the basement further. He simply threw her over his shoulder and started to walk. Malia screamed the entire time. She recognized the hallway they were entering, it was where she had first been brought. She tried to kick at him but he was holding her knees straight and very tightly. Too quickly they were back at the door to her original cell. It opened automatically and he dropped her to the ground in the middle of the cell. Pain ran up her hip and shoulder where she'd landed and she screamed out. Without any further discussion he left the cell and the door latched closed. 

The cell looked entirely different. The old age torture look was gone. This room looked ultra modern and almost clinical. The walls were stainless steel and the floor was solid concrete with a small drain in the center. There was nothing in the room and the lights were blinding overhead. She looked over at where Cain had disappeared and couldn't locate the door. There was only seamless, cold, metal wall. 

Malia openly sobbed on the ground. She didn't have the energy or forethought to bring her cuffed hands to the front of her body. She was on her knees with her forehead pressed to the cold concrete. Her family was going to be torn apart and it was all her fault. She'd been trying to protect them and it didn't matter. Cain would still get Olivia and the rest of her family would pay for her mistake. If she'd been able to do any of the medical shit Olivia did on a daily basis maybe he wouldn't have found out. If she would have thought about Olivia's claustrophobia he might have continued to think that she was her sister. But now it was too late. Her tears came out in torrents that ran down to the concrete. She could picture each of them being ripped from each other and locked in cells similar to the one she now inhabited. She saw her mother being pulled away from her remaining children. She saw her father broken and defeated. She saw her twin brothers crying as they were separated from each other, each alone for the first time in their short lives. 

Hopefully Cain would kill her and end this for her. She could feel the guilt and grief oozing throughout her body like thick molasses, black and all consuming. She replayed his malicious words again and again in her head. She couldn't live with this, it was too much. Malia's tears stopped as she fell to lay on her side in the fetal position and felt her mind go blissfully numb. 

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Cain's pride was still hurt from the repeat mistakes he'd made when taking Olivia, no Malia. He'd meticulously planned for months and then it had all been shot to hell when he'd received a call from his inside source. It was a now or never call and Cain chose to go through with it even though his instincts had been screaming at him. But he'd made that choice and there was nothing to do now except fix whatever repercussions came with that. One of those repercussions being a dark haired little girl sitting in his basement. He'd taken his anger on the situation out on her and it had felt good. He would deal with her in a while, but he needed to straighten some things out. He didn't want to look like he'd changed his mind when he released her from the cell, even if that was exactly what he'd done. She irritated him with her unpredictability. One moment she was a little girl, scared and weak, and then the next she was challenging him toe to toe. He'd been so full of rage when she continued to question him on Tristan's frostbite, he'd beat her ass harder than she'd deserved for that infraction. But when she pulled her dress down and continued with the questioning he'd been surprised and impressed at her courage and tenacity. She'd earned just a little of his respect that day. Not to mention the fact that she'd turned him on. He felt terrible about it and had lambasted himself ever since, but when she'd gotten up and continued with her question as if nothing had happened, he'd been attracted to her. She was beautiful in a very understated way, he'd noticed it the moment he saw her in that unflattering grey jumpsuit, but then he'd been looking for Tristan's sake. When he'd spanked her, he wasn't thinking about his brother. When he'd pressed her against the elevator wall he'd felt a very masculine impulse to rip her clothes off. He loved the fear she showed of him and the power he felt over her in that moment. He felt a twinge of guilt as he saw her devastated face in his mind. She thought he was going to imprison her family forever. He sighed, he might have to, but he would do anything to prevent that from happening. He would make some phone calls, check on Tristan again, and then he would release his prisoner. She could wait, it may even reinforce who was boss in the relationship. 

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Tristan was starving. Dinner had been brought up but it consisted of a lot of liquids and he wasn't satisfied. He called downstairs to the kitchen to have something else brought up. Mrs. Smith would be reluctant to give him anything substantial, but ultimately she would oblige. The phone rang repeatedly. He looked over at the clock, 8:37. Usually staff was in the kitchen until 10 o'clock at least. Something was wrong. Tristan was only in boxers so he donned a robe and left the room. The hallways were unusually quiet for this time of night. Usually things were dying down but this was downright deserted. He slowly walked down to the kitchen, his muscles were especially achy. The kitchen was indeed empty and dark, the counters were clean and empty. Cain had sent them all to their boarding for some reason. The security office was discreetly by the front door. He opened the hidden door in the wall when he got to the lobby of the house. He didn't see the point in knocking, they would know he was there anyway as the halls had unnoticeable cameras everywhere. Two men dressed in black cargo pants and long-sleeved t-shirts manned the monitors. 

Both looked at him in the doorway. "Good evening, sir." They said in unison. 

"Why did Cain send the staff away?" Tristan said bluntly. 

"He didn't say sir." One of the men answered. 

Tristan crossed his arms over his chest. He suddenly wished he'd taken the time to fully dress as he didn't imagine he looked very intimidating in the white terrycloth robe. "What did you see in the monitors?" 

The man looked highly uncomfortable. He didn't want to anger one of the masters to please the other. 

"I really don't want to have to watch the video but if I have to I will." Tristan threatened. 

"He took Olivia down to the cells." The man said guiltily. 

Tristan walked out of the office immediately and went back to the kitchen. He took the terrifying elevator downstairs, his muscles were tight and throbbing from walking around so much. There were large panes of glass that showed the inside of the smart cells. He saw her lying in the center of the floor. He opened the door quickly and walked in, she didn't move. Was she hurt? Why was she in here? He sat on the floor by her head.

"Olivia? Are you okay?" She opened her eyes, but didn't answer him. "Why are you here?" She just closed her eyes again. Tristan stood again and looked in the corner of the cell where he knew a small camera resided. "Send Cain down here now!" He ordered into the camera. Olivia shivered as he made the order. He sat again and stroked her hair as she lied on the floor unresponsively. Cain arrived quickly. 

"You called?" He said nonchalantly. 

Tristan glared up at him and rose to his feet. He walked into the hallway, but left the door to the cell open. 

"What did you do?" He gestured over to Olivia's prone form. 

"She isn't who she said she was." Cain shrugged. "I got angry." 

"Who is she?" 

"Her name is Malia Yates, she's Olivia's sister." Cain said stony faced. 

"Why is she down here?" Tristan was furious. 

"I told you, I was angry." 

"What did you do to her? Why is she just lying there?" 

"I didn't do anything to her. I told her the truth. Her actions will have repercussions on her family in the unit. That girl may have started a rebellion with her little lie. She very well may have gotten the entire unit killed, if not imprisoned for life." 

"What did you tell her exactly?" 

"I told her the worst case scenario. I didn't lie to her. If a rebellion occurs, Unit 118 will be dispatched. Her family will be imprisoned forever, possibly even killed, and there is nothing I would be able to do about that." Malia shivered in the center of the cell, clearly hearing his words again. 

Tristan looked hatefully at Cain. "She didn't deserve that. She didn't deserve any of this." He walked into the cell and kneeled down by Malia. 

"Malia listen to me. Cain is going to do everything he can to help your family. I promise you." He glared up at Cain. "Because if he doesn't, I don't know if I would be able to forgive him anymore." 

Cain looked mildly surprised.

Tristan rose and walked back to the doorway. "You need to fix this." He said and walked away, leaving a stunned Cain in the hall. 




The Reluctant Journey Ch. 06



As much as Malia wanted to remain dull to the world, she could not. She still heard every word that was being said, including the ones that filled her with hope. Cain was going to try and help her family. He had to or he would lose Tristan. She didn't trust Cain but she knew he would do anything to prevent losing his brother. Cain slowly walked into the cell. She sat up and watched him as he got closer. 

"It seems we have a similar goal Little Girl." Malia shakily stood to face him once again. She hated him, especially now, but he was still her only way out, or her family's only way in. She clenched her jaw and looked at him hatefully, but she nodded. "You father has raised the suspicions of the unit. If your family simply disappears, it will do more damage. If we're going to do this, we need your family to cooperate. I have a plan, but I need to be able to trust you. I need you to know that what I said before is indeed a distinct possibility." He sounded like he was suddenly trying to be gentle. "Units that get out of control are dissolved. They call it dispatching a unit. They will take everyone out and imprison them for the remainder of their lives, and that is the more costly option, the best case scenerio. Once that is done, I don't have any power to undo it. Your unit isn't to that point yet, but it is catching the attention of people that can make that happen. If you do what I say, we can get your family out, and keep the unit intact." He looked unsure that she had taken any of what he said in. 

"What is the worst case scenario?" She asked, staring at the floor. She could guess the answer but she needed to know what she was against, she needed to hear it.

"They will execute the entire unit." Cain replied stoically. 

"What do I do?" She asked bluntly. 

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Malia felt a moment of deja vu as she sat in the backseat of the black SUV. She was back in the ugly grey jumpsuit. She would have been excited to see her family again if she wasn't so nervous. They were going to enter the same way she left. She was going to explain her compliance story to her family and anyone else in the unit that might ask. Then she would have to leave again, that was the part Malia was unsure of. It had taken two and a half weeks to come up with the plans and finally bring them into action. The time had mostly been a blur to her. 

"When will they leave the unit?" Malia spoke to the back of Cain's head in the passenger seat. 

He sighed. "They will be released into the fictional unit 100 as a new transfer procedure the unit will try in order to keep your family together. Then the story of the units violent demise will come out and unit 118 will be re-forbidden from ever leaving the unit and from others coming in." 

"They can come home with us then?" Malia said timidly, expecting a cruel response. The word home felt foreign on her lips but she couldn't think of an alternative. 

"They will return to my house, yes." Cain replied reluctantly 

Malia bit her lip. She was still so angry and scared of Cain after the violent and cruel way he had acted on the elevator and in the basement. She had truly felt completely helpless in that moment. She'd been completely his to do with as he would. He had said she didn't have a purpose in his house anymore and that worried her. If she didn't have a purpose there, then her family definitely would not. Was he doing this just to fix the mistake he'd made? Did he want to take the real Olivia and then imprison her and her family? She didn't trust Cain and it killed her to have to work with him, especially after he'd proved himself to be so untrustworthy. Malia didn't know what to do after her family was safe. She didn't know how to convince Cain that they should stay in his house indefinitely. Maybe she could convince him to buy her family a small house somewhere in the country. They would be free to do whatever they wanted and Cain wouldn't have to deal with any of them again. Somehow she didn't think the convincing part would be that easy. However Malia had other things to worry about at the moment. If this plan didn't work she wouldn't have any family to make plans for. Failure was most definitely not an option. 

Walking into the unit was very much different than walking out had been. There were plenty of guards now, looking at her and her companions wearily. It was also not a quick process. It took over an hour just to be able to drive through the gates. It sickened her that the unit thought all of these guards were there to protect them from the outside when in reality they were there to keep them in, they didn't know they were prisoners. They had teams of escorts that took them to the equivalent of the unit's city hall. She was quickly taken behind a curtain on the stage in the meeting room. Cain then coached her through what to say, do, and look like. People put makeup on her face, through it seemed they were making her look worse than better. When the two women finally walked away she asked Cain about it. 

"You're claiming to have been helping a high conflict unit for a month. You should look worse than when you left." He answered matter-of-factly. 

She bit her lip, like she'd been doing all day in anticipation. 

"Stop. You're drawing blood." Cain ordered as he looked down at her with his arms crossed. His eyes were so dark and striking, hidden behind long elegant lashes. The effect was unnerving. Malia didn't understand how she could still find this man attractive. He'd done everything to hurt her with no reason to want to, and yet she still was captured by the intensity of his face. She released her lip to get him to stop looking at her, fearing that he might see the attraction in her eyes. Sure enough a metallic taste filled her mouth, she didn't mind as it gave her something else to focus on.

Soon the councilmen came in to greet them. "Nice to see you again General." The leader of the council showed obvious contempt. 

"Blake Denizen, long time no see. How's the council life treating you?" Cain grinned, clearly having a very public pissing contest with the man. The man didn't take the bait, he simply glared at Cain. 

"As I don't want to see this unit dispatched any more than you do, I suggest you follow my planned approach to reintroduce Malia to the unit." Mr. Denizen emphasized the word planned with a smirk. 

"You are indeed the leader, here." Cain grinned, as he emphasized the word here. Malia looked away from his smile which she was finding increasingly alluring. What was wrong with her! Clearly she had unbalanced hormones or something, her family was within reach and she was fawning over the enemy's smile. She needed to remember that he was indeed firmly the enemy. 

Denizen glared at Cain. "We need the reintroduction into the unit to be as public as possible. We will reunite the family on the stage at city hall. Everyone likes an underdog, the unit will sympathize with the family's emotional turmoil." 

"Sounds like a plan." Cain grinned, for some reason he seemed to enjoy pissing Blake Denizen off. 

"Then she needs to say something about the honor of serving her unit, et cetera." Denizen continued. Malia was shocked out of her dazing. 

"What? No one said anything about speaking publicly. I don't know what to say. I'm not good at lying." Malia panicked. 

"Oh, I wouldn't sell yourself short." Cain smirked. 

"It doesn't have to be elaborate, just reassuring for the unit. It will be better if it isn't scripted as it will seem more sincere." Denizen said. "Then you stay with your family for a while, until your help is needed again by unit 100." 

"I get to stay with them?" Malia was filled with hope. 

"Your work with unit 100 is classified and of the highest importance as per the cover story." Cain replied. "You will only be able to see them for an hour or so. Then you will be immediately called back to serve." Malia nodded, if she got to see her family again she would do whatever she had to do. 

Sooner than she wanted she was in front of the entire unit. Blake Denizen had spoken to introduce her and called her onto stage. Thankfully he didn't leave as she joined him and he gave her a very public fake hug. They'd given her a microphone attached to her jumpsuit and a bright spotlight was directed on her. They'd given her a brief outline of a cover story to stick to, but for the most part she was winging it. The light kept most of the faces out of sight for her, she couldn't see her family. 

"Hello." She begun timidly. "I'm not good at this kind of thing but I'll do my best." She looked over to the side of the stage and noticed that Cain was standing backstage, his attention completely on her. He arched an eyebrow at her as she must have been staring at him for too long. She nodded and turned back to the crowd. "I was recently asked to serve my unit in assisting another unit in a very serious but private matter. I can't really tell you all that much about the specifics but I can tell you that it has been my privilege to hopefully make my unit proud." She was sure she was speaking to quickly or to softly but she couldn't get over her nerves enough to do anything about it. "I can tell you that unit 100 has been especially gracious to me and are very deserving of any help that unit 118 may be able to provide. It has become very clear to me that we have an obligation to help those in need as we never know when we will be the unit in need. Simply know that the citizens of unit 100 are just like us, they deserve every bit of assistance any of us can provide. I am honored that in this instance I can personally offer assistance, and hope that if given the same opportunity you would do the same. Thank you." She softly smiled at the unseen crowd and slowly walked toward Cain. She was surprised that applause rang through the room as she walked away. She looked back at the audience, from what she could tell they were standing and clapping for her. She walked backstage and Cain was smiling at her. She had to remember that his charm had a very distinctive on and off switch, and it was almost always off. However when he wanted to be charming, he was the most charming person she'd ever met. She didn't understand her attraction to the general but she couldn't deny that it was there. They had a strong chemistry, and no amount of denying that would change it. 

"Great job." He had his arms crossed arrogantly confident as ever. 

"Yeah whatever, I tried my best okay." She bit her lip again as she looked away from him. 

She was surprised when his finger gently tilted her chin up to look at him. "I'm serious Malia. You performed wonderfully." There was no arrogance this time. His compliment was genuine and it made her more uncomfortable than when she thought he was being sarcastic. She nodded stupidly and he smiled knowingly at her. He knew that she thought he was attractive, he would have had to be blind not to. She was acting like a schoolgirl and she didn't know how to stop. She jerked her head out of his grip. 

"So what now? When do I get to see my family?" She asked him seriously. 

"We're going there now." 

"Wait, we?" She was stunned. 

"Yes, we. You didn't think that I was going to let you out of my sight did you? I have too much invested in this plan to trust you that much little girl." He said as he led her to a door to the back of the building. 

"Stop calling me that!" She rolled her eyes. 

"Why would I do that?" He smirked as he turned to look at her. 

"Because I'm not a little girl. My name is Malia." She insisted. 

"This week." he snorted, " And as to you not being a little girl, you've yet to disprove me." 

"No? You seemed to think otherwise after spanking me." She taunted but immediately realized her mistake as his eyes darkened lustfully. It was the one instance where she had noticed even a shred of reciprocation in attraction. She didn't want to travel this route with him, she needed to keep her mouth shut. He stepped closer, she backed up into a wall. 

"You think you proved yourself a woman?" He snorted again with his characteristic egotistical expression which infuriated her. 

"Well the alternative is that you're attracted to little girls? I guess that is always a possibility." She ground her teeth, her timidness forgotten. 

He glared at her, now standing directly in front of her with a towering effect he so seemed to enjoy. "You think I was attracted to you?" He smirked and she was instantly the vulnerable girl who was rejected by Josie's boyfriend. Why would she think that this experienced man would find any value in her, she might as well be the little girl he called her with her epic lack of experience. She looked down to her feet to avoid his captivating stare. "Let's say for a minute that I was attracted to you little girl. You are clearly attracted to me. If you thought that I reciprocated your feelings, " he shrugged, "A woman would have acted on that." She dared to look up at him again and saw distinct challenge in his eyes. She was speechless, she wasn't this eloquent worldly woman he was used to. The only way she could hold her own in arguments with him was by pure rage induced outbursts. She definitely wasn't a temptress and she needed to stop letting her out of control hormones get the best of her. 

"Can I go see my family now?" She nearly whispered, still avoiding direct eye contact. He'd annihilated any feminine self confidence she'd managed to build while spending her days with Tristan. Her short time alone had made her feel more like an adult than she'd ever felt in her life. She would stare at herself in the sexy lingerie and feel like a woman for once. But Cain was right, she wasn't fooling anyone, she was the farthest thing from the seductress she pretended to be in the mirror. She felt overexposed and completely vulnerable, she wanted to leave. 

Cain looked down at her for a long time, but didn't say anything and finally continued to lead the way. She figured that she would have to tell him where to go but he clearly knew the unit. She was grateful to simply follow behind and walk the familiar surroundings. 

Malia put her wounded pride aside when she finally saw her parents again. They'd been taken back home after her short speech and told to stay inside. When Cain and Malia had ambled up the path the door to the unimpressive shack flew open and her mother rushed out to hug her. Her father was directly behind. She was instantly sobbing along with both of her parents and soon after Olivia joined them as well. The boys looked at the emotional group wearily, they were really too young and unfocused to fully understand anything that was going on. When Cain finally suggested they all return to the house Malia though her father was going to punch him. Malia usually would have laughed at such a thought of her pacifist father, but his facial expression was unmistakably violent. Malia pulled at her parents arms and silently led them into the small home. She'd never really been embarrassed of their house until now. How would Cain see this when he lived in a literal castle. How pathetic she must look to him, in every aspect. It was impossible to ignore him, due both to his imposing size and the evil glares her entire family was dishing out in his direction. Part of her wanted to join them and the other part wanted to defend him. It was very disorienting. 

Because she couldn't think of anything else to say she introduced him. "Mom, Dad, this is General Cain Malcolm."

Her father looked furious. "Yes, I don't believe I got your name during our last encounter." He said cynically. 

"Are you okay?" Malia's mom looked her over and pulled her closer to herself, completely ignoring her angry husband and intimidating stranger. 

"I'm fine mom." Malia smiled. "It's good to see you all." A tear fell down her cheek as her mother squeezed her tightly. 

"I thought I wasn't going to see you again." Her mother sobbed. "I thought you were dead." She pressed her face into Malia's shoulder, soaking it with her tears. Olivia walked over and hugged Malia as well, crying as hard as her mother. 

"It's okay, I'm okay." Malia repeated, attempting to console them even with her own tears falling uncontrollably. 

After a few minutes Cain spoke, as politely as possible. "You will have a couple of hours before we are to leave again." He spoke to the entire family despite Malia's father glaring hatefully at him and her mother ignoring him. "I will come back to collect you Malia, I am trusting that you understand how important this mission is. I wouldn't want you to do anything as stupid as attempt to run away." Malia nodded at him gratefully, he didn't have to give her this time alone but he was, for that she was grateful. She was also grateful to be away from him for a couple of hours. It seemed like they had been together ever since he'd returned to his manor. The proximity was probably what was affecting her. Cain left through the front door and she told her family everything, including the plan they'd formulated to get everyone out of the imprisonment they weren't aware of. There was an assortment of emotions that went through the house at her story: disbelief, astonishment, anger, grief. They were getting everything she'd learned in the month she'd been gone, all in the span of about an hour. 

When Cain returned to collect her, everyone had become quiet and contemplative. They knew she was leaving, but they knew that they were to follow soon, within the week. Still it was difficult when they'd just been reunited. She followed Cain quietly to the SUV again. She was drained and just wanted to go to sleep in her borrowed luxurious bed. She wondered how long she would be permitted to stay in her room at Cain's house. If she was lucky he would let her work for him as a maid or something, as well as the rest of her family, though she doubted it. He could very well imprison them all when his ass was covered by this elaborate ruse. He said himself he would have no need for her, and he'd made it all to clear that any attraction she'd thought she'd sensed was purely imagined. Cain wanted a woman like Milly, who he clearly had anyway, he didn't want anything to do with a girl like Malia. She pressed her face against the cold glass of the window. Malia was surprised when the car stopped much sooner than she'd been expecting. While she was looking out the window she clearly hadn't been taking anything in because they were not at Milan Manor. They were in fact at a very small but charming cottage. Before Malia had the chance to ask Cain about it he'd exited the passenger seat of the car. She opened the car door just as Finn exited the cottage. 

"Make yourselves at home. I know I will." Finn actually grinned as he spoke to Cain, like a little kid. Malia was stunned. 

"What's going on?" She asked, standing slightly behind Cain. 

"Finn let us borrow one of his more modest lodgings for the week for its proximity to the unit." Cain replied without turning. 

"Hey don't knock it, this is my main residence Prince Malcolm, we all can't live in a castle." It was the first time she'd seen Finn tease Cain and actually act like a friend rather than an employee, but he also looked to be dressed casually in jeans and a grey henley which implied he wasn't working at the moment. 

Cain laughed. "Finn, your castle is bigger than mine." 

"That is my parents' castle, completely unrelated to the conversation." Finn smiled. "I plan on completely destroying your perfect little suite and turning all of your staff against you, just so you know." Finn said as he started to walk toward the SUV. 

"Have at it." Cain replied. 

Before he left he looked at Malia and smiled sadly, he walked back toward her. "Everything's going to be all right. I promise you." She nodded at him. He was like the protective older brother she'd never had, except for the fact that he worked for the enemy and was clearly lying to her at the moment. Everything would never be all right again. Everything was the opposite of all right. However, Malia simply nodded stupidly at him as he smiled sweetly at her, as if knowing she didn't believe him. He got into the SUV and it drove off, leaving Cain and Malia standing in the small clearing that was the front yard. The entire cottage was surrounded by woods. If it had been little red riding hood the cottage wouldn't have been the grandmother's house, it was much too masculine for that, but it could have definitely passed for the huntsman's house. It wasn't what she had pictured for Finn, she'd actually pictured him living in Cain's mansion in some security room taking orders all day. It was a relief to know that he had a non-work personality and wasn't as much Cain's minion as she'd believed. 




The Reluctant Journey Ch. 06



Cain held the heavy wooden front door open for her. She walked into a living room kitchen combination, there was also a tiny table so she supposed it was also a dining room. There was a worn in looking brown corduroy couch and an ugly green velvet chair that faced a large state of the art television. To the right of the living room portion of the room was the kitchen portion. Everything looked very minimal and normal, any attempt at decoration leaned toward the rustic variety, though even that was limited. She walked toward a small hallway off of the back of the kitchen. The bathroom was at the very end of the hallway, at the back of the house, and two bedrooms were on either side of the hall. It was simple but nice, Malia liked it. However she was becoming more uneasy by the minute as Cain followed her into the small house. They were going to stay here, together? Just the two of them? She could feel her pulse instantly quicken. 

Cain had lounged on the couch and turned the TV on rather than follow her into the cramped hallway, for which she was thankful. It was strange watching him watch TV. Cain had plenty of televisions in his mansion but they were all hidden away in furniture and behind pictures; Clearly an interior designer's doing. Malia had never actually seen him watch anything though, but honestly she didn't know him well enough to watch TV with him. She knew his brother like that, which was worrying her. She didn't have romantically inclined feelings for Tristan, it didn't faze her to watch a movie with him. But Cain was different, the pull to him was almost palpable to her, like an actual magnetic attraction. Watching a movie on television with Cain could never be like watching a movie with Tristan. 

"Sit." Cain ordered, as he'd probably determined she'd been standing in the hall staring at him for too long. 

"Um I'm fine, I think I'll just go to bed. Which room is mine?" 

He looked up from the channels he was scrolling though. "It's four o'clock" 

"Yeah, I know." She replied softly. "I'm tired." 

He shrugged though he still looked at her as if she were sick. "The one on the left, your clothes are already in the closet." She nodded and walked to her assigned room. She didn't even bother to look in the large antique armoire for a change of clothing. Her grey jumpsuit was ugly, but it wasn't uncomfortable. She fell face first onto the large flannel covered bed and was asleep soon after. 

Unfortunately her growling stomach only let her sleep for an hour and a half. She walked into the main room of the house. Wonderful smells were coming from the oven. 

"Dinner is almost ready." Cain said from the couch, looking completely relaxed with his feet propped up on Finn's sturdy coffee table. He'd changed from his typical black suit into worn jeans and a white t-shirt, it made him look much too cozy and relatable. "You cook?" Malia looked at him surprised. 

He laughed. "No, of course not. There was a pre-made casserole in the freezer. I simply put it into the oven." She nodded, she pictured the general with a pink frilly apron on and a spot of flour on his nose. She giggled at the mental picture and he looked up at her again wearily. The timer went off, making her jump. He rose from the couch fluidly and pulled the cheesy casserole out of the oven, somehow not looking ridiculous with the oven mitt on his large hand. 

"Bon appétit." Cain motioned to the plates. 

She looked at him strangely but grabbed a plate and spooned a generous portion of the cheesy chicken mystery casserole onto her plate. It was delicious, though Cain seemed surprised of that fact. He clearly wasn't expecting much when he'd put the dish in the oven. 

"My regards to the chef." She held up her full fork in a mimic toast. 

He raised his eyebrows cockily, he was actually teasing her. She laughed. It was strange to eat with Cain when she was used to eating with Tristan. It was much more silent. She focused on eating, as she always had, and tried to ignore the awkwardness between them. She finished eating long before he did. 

"Well, I'm going to bed." She said awkwardly as she hurried to rise from the chair. 

He quickly grabbed her wrist. "I don't believe you were excused from the table. Sit." 

"Excuse me?" She said irritated by another bout of seemingly never-ending misogyny from him. 

"No, I didn't excuse you, nor do I plan on excusing you until I am finished eating." 

"Well m'lord I apologize." She gave a mock curtsey as best as she could when he still had her wrist. "Me being just a humble slave, I wasn't brought up with all your fancy there manners." 

"Sit down." He growled in reply, unentertained by her mockery. 

She clenched her teeth as she obeyed his command. For a while she simply glared at him as he ate, seemingly as slowly as physically possible. In a way she was glad he'd shown his asshole side again, it firmly reminded her of all the reasons she wasn't attracted to him. There were plenty of pretty faces out there, this one was attached to a prick. "Would you like me to chew that up for you scout?" 

He smirked without looking up at her. "Contrary to what you may believe little girl, not everyone chooses to wolf down their food like a prisoner." 

His comment stung. She wanted to feel equal with him but there were so many levels on which they were not equal, especially where familial backgrounds were concerned. Being ashamed of her family, even for a second, brought immediate guilt into the pit of her stomach. She had nothing to be ashamed of, if her family were prisoners it was only his fault, him and the others like him. "Yes well, while you were having your silver spoons polished, I was actually working for my keep. Not everyone gets to live off of mommy and daddy forever do they?" 

"Are you implying that you don't live off of your parents?" He rose his eyebrows in that annoying way. "From everything I have learned little girl, you haven't left your parents side for longer than a weekend since you've been born. Such a big talk from someone with two permanent security blankets. And what now that they are to be reunited with you? Will you once again take up your role as mommy and daddy's little girl? You may not have much to live off of little girl, but you have lived off of them all the same." 

If she hadn't been so angry his comment would have probably further depressed her nearly nonexistent self confidence. But she was angry, and scared, and hurt. "Well I guess I don't know what will happen when we're reunited! I guess that would be up to you, your all powerful highness! My entire life is surely in you hands as you continue to remind me! You hide behind your goal of making Tristan happy. You clearly get off on the power of controlling another family so completely. In fact I would go as far to say that you get off on controlling your own family. Is hand picking Tristan's wife sure to ensure your continued place as king of the manor? You would hate it if he ever actually challenged you in anything, wouldn't you? You placate him in his small and far between desires to keep him in line, so you can continue to dictate every aspect of his life, just like one of your men, like an employee! Tell me General, is that love?"

Before Malia could second guess her words a bowl went flying across the room to loudly shatter against the cabinets by the sink. Her own anger faded enough for her to take in his expression of absolute rage. He stood quickly and dragged her up from her seat by her hair. She grabbed his hand defensively, as he pulled her hair back tightly causing her to yell out. 

"Don't you ever think that you know anything about my family! You are nothing! If Tristan had refused to speak to you that first day I would have killed you with no thought to it." He yelled and growled every word directly into her exposed face. Tears fell out the corners of her eyes. "I had to beg him to talk to you, that is how little he cared for you! The only reason I went through all the trouble of obtaining a little bitch like you is because of Tristan! I only think of his happiness in everything that I do! So don't tell me that I don't love my brother! I would give anything and everything for that man!" 

"Please Cain, you're hurting me." She cried as his hand continued to tighten in her hair as he screamed at her. 

"Am I little girl?" He sneered maliciously. "Well maybe you deserve to be hurt." He stalked to the narrow hallway dragging her behind him as she cried out. 

"Please! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" She begged as he dragged her into the bedroom he'd chosen for himself. He let go of her hair only to pick her up and throw her on the large bed in the middle of the room. She bounced a couple times, disoriented at her new found liberation. He was on top of her before she could get her bearings enough to try and escape. He landed completely on her, knocking the wind out of her and inhibiting her from catching her breath. She felt like she would suffocate to death. Thankfully he lifted his weight off of her chest to partially sit on her pelvis as he held both of her arms above her head easily. He transferred one of her slender wrists to join the other in his large hand's iron like grip. She started to struggle as he started to undo his leather belt with his free hand. His legs trapped hers and she wasn't going to break his hold on her arms so she gave up her struggle to see what his next move would be. Once his belt was free she started to panic, picturing him beating her with it in a rage. However he looped it around the wooden headboard and quickly secured both of her wrists to the belt tightly. He moved his hands away and she tested the restraint. To her dismay she could only move her hands about four inches away from the top of the headboard. She couldn't even try to slip one of her hands out as he'd looped each wrist individually like a pair of intricate leather handcuffs. He smiled sadistically down at her. 

"Please Cain don't do this. Please" She begged as more tears poured down her face. She was shaking her head near hysterically. 

He looked at her neck and encircled it easily with his hands. She closed her eyes, she refused to beg him not to strangle her when it clearly would do nothing but give him more satisfaction. However, he didn't apply any pressure and she opened her eyes again as his hands moved in almost a caress. So he was indeed going to rape her before he killed her. No he was much crueler than that, he would probably rape her and then imprison her forever in a dark cell so it was her only waking thought for the rest of her life. She turned her head to the side and clenched her eyes shut as she sobbed. 

"Look at me." He growled deeply in his throat, sounding like a vicious animal. She jerkily shook her head in refusal. He gripped her chin and jerked her head to the center again. She instinctively opened her eyes at the harsh motion. He smiled again, looking more angry than she'd ever seen him. Even when he'd spanked her before, he hadn't looked like this. His eyes looked almost completely black, his jaw tense. She squinted her eyes defensively but kept them open. His hand was lightly tracing the collar of her jumpsuit, the gentleness of the gesture made it all the more shocking when he suddenly grabbed the collar and ripped the jumpsuit. The vicious tear exposed her from neck to navel and she shivered. She was still wearing one of the underwear sets from her closet at his house. She had become quite fond of the way she looked in the silky and lacy garments. She knew that she had chosen a neon pink bra and panty set that morning, the bra was dainty lace and exposed the entirety of her breasts to his stare. She had had to work up the courage to even wear it as it was one of the more risqué pieces. "Tsk tsk tsk" he criticized as if he could read her thoughts. He gave another wicked smile. He ran his index finger over her left nipple, making it even more visible as it puckered through the material. She tried to buck him off of her but he only applied more of his body weight to hold her down. 

"Get off of me!" she yelled because begging clearly wasn't working. 

He clearly wasn't listening as he pinched her right nipple to match the left. He didn't even look at her face as she spoke, his eyes glued to her breasts. 

"Please Cain you don't want to do this." She repeated because she couldn't just do nothing. 

"Oh believe me, I definitely want to do this." His voice had deepened even more so than usual. He slid down her body until he was sitting on her thighs instead of her hips, then he quickly leaned down and engulfed her left nipple. She gasped at the unexpected heat and moisture on her breast. Then he bit down surprising her again. She pulled against the leather as she hissed out her breath through her clenched teeth. He applied just enough pressure to make it painful. 

"Please," she tried again. He continued to ignore her and sat back up so he was once again towering over her. He was always towering over her. He finally looked back to her face and she tried to beg him with her eyes. He sneered at her in return. 

"This is what you wanted little girl." He smirked and tore her jumpsuit completely, exposing the matching bikini underwear. Tears ran from the corners of her eyes into her hair that was splayed over a pillow. "This is your chance to prove yourself a woman." She shook her head back and forth, unable to think of a verbal reply. He didn't care anyway, he was busy pulling her jumpsuit apart, ripping the threadbare material like it was paper. It didn't take him much time or effort to completely remove it from her body and throw the shredded pieced on the floor.

This wasn't how she imagined this. She'd never been interested in anyone in the unit since Josie's boyfriend, but she'd imagined that she would eventually find someone and fall in love. The unit was just so small and mundane, her romantic fantasies had always included imagined strangers from outside the unit who would be strong and brave and handsome. She imagined having babies one day and raising them with their loving father. They would have cookouts in the summer on a big backyard patio like she had when she was a child. They wouldn't grow up in a shack destined for lifelong hard labor, who would want to imagine that? She had imagined that her dream husband would take her virginity gently and lovingly followed by a passion filled night where they would learn everything about each other, body and soul. She longed for that connection with another human being. But it seemed like she wouldn't get what she wanted, what she dreamed of. 

She looked into Cain's eyes through the excess water that had gathered in her own, he looked blurry. Maybe she could pretend that he loved her, that this was a dream. He ran his hands down her body, outlining the curves of her breasts and hips roughly. If only he were more gentle. He yanked the panties off of her, at least he was careful not to tear the delicate lace. He opened her thighs and knelt between them, she tried to clench her legs closed but he was stronger than her. She looked away as he looked down at her exposed femininity. He brought a large finger to her opening to find it dry. He roughly plunged his finger in anyway and she whimpered in pain, her eyes clenched. Her entire body was tense, making each movement he made with his finger all the worse. 

"Relax." He leaned down and snarled into her ear, only causing her to flinch and tense up more. He pulled his finger from her roughly. He pulled off his t-shirt fluidly with one hand. Malia looked at his muscular chest and stomach and hated herself for still being attracted to him even now, even as he was about to rape her. His skin was sun-kissed tan and his muscles tensed threateningly beneath it. He had a thin scar that ran down his upper arm, but other than that he was flawless. She looked back up to his face to see that he knew exactly how much she appreciated his appearance. Instead of make her angry, his smugness pulled all of her insecurities to the surface. Her breasts weren't as perky as they should be and her hips flared out just a little too far since she'd been eating to her hearts content. She hadn't been in the sun as much as she usually would have and her skin looked too pale. Her hair was no doubt a mess after he'd pulled what felt like a considerable amount of it from her scalp. Even the lacy bra didn't make her feel sexy like it usually did. She felt a blush stain her face and turned her head away again. 

"No." He ordered as he grabbed her chin. "Enough of that. I want you to watch." He moved the hand that wasn't holding her chin back down her body and she flinched. "I said relax!" he screamed down at her. She nodded as fresh tears fell. She tried to will her muscles to relax, which was impossible while her mind was so clearly not at ease. If she'd been in a better state of mind she would have argued with him about the unreasonable order, but she wasn't in a better state of mind, she was shutting down. "Have it your way then." He spoke angrily as he removed his hand again. He violently attacked the button on the jeans and pulled the zipper down slowly. Her eyes were glued to his hands, it felt like the world was in slow motion. She bit her lip nervously. He was on his knees above her as he lowered his jeans and navy boxer briefs. It wasn't the first penis she'd seen, but it was the first she'd seen in a sexual manner. He wasn't small, not that she had expected him to be. Had she really been expecting anything about his penis? She had surely visualized every other part of his anatomy, so it was probable. Had she pictured Cain as her dream man? She couldn't recall any specific instances, surely not, he wasn't at all the kind and gentle man she'd imagined. But she was inexplicably attracted to him. If she had fantasized about him specifically this wasn't how it went. 

"Cain?" She spoke gently. He had been looking down at her predatorily. 

When she didn't continue speaking he sighed, "What now?" 

"I've never done any of this before." She reluctantly replied, nearly in a whisper. 

"Oh yeah? And here I was thinking you were an experienced woman. Don't tell me you were pretending to be something you weren't?" He snarled at her cynically. He leaned over her, putting most of his weight on his forearms on either side of her exposed chest. His erection brushed her outer lips tauntingly as he lowered himself over her. 

" Please, just don't make it hurt too much." She nodded at him to continue, resigned to the forthcoming pain. His facial expression changed. He looked like he often did when he stared at her, studying her. He'd been moving so fast that is was disconcerting when he suddenly went still over her. He was inches away from her face and he was looking directly in her eyes. His eyebrows pulled together in concentration. He nodded down at her and then he kissed her. His lips were hot and firm. His tongue skimmed her own, inviting her to join the kiss. She'd never kissed anyone before, but as far as she could tell he was an excellent kisser. He held her face gently as he maneuvered his lips around hers. She got braver and darted her own tongue out to meet his, exploring the hot cavern of his mouth. Without even noticing him move his arms, Malia suddenly noticed that her hands were free. She didn't think twice about wrapping her newly freed arms around his neck. Her fingers instinctively grasped his hair as she kissed him more fervently. He didn't need any encouragement. 

He moved his mouth down to kiss her neck and behind her ear, which she was surprised to find made her laugh as goosebumps raised all over her body. He kissed down to her breasts and reached behind her to expertly unhook her bra. She helped him slip the bra from her arms. His mouth was making her crazy, she wasn't self-conscious at all anymore. She was starting to wonder why she'd resisted at all in the first place, this was exhilarating. But this was Cain, he hated her. She was confused but couldn't bring herself to care too much as he gently scoured her breasts with the tips of her fingers. She arched her back at the sensation. He moved down her stomach before she knew what he was doing. At the first touch of his tongue to her clit she moaned loudly. He worked quickly and expertly with his tongue and she gripped the sheets tightly as she made noises she made uncontrollable noises of pleasure. She was dripping by the time he crawled back over her body. His black eyes were half lidded and looked absolutely seductive. She raised her head up to kiss his mouth again, this time she controlled the kiss completely. It was short but empowering. 




The Reluctant Journey Ch. 06



His fingers moved down to her opening and this time his finger slid in easily. She bit her lip but looked into his eyes, her own face a mask of mixed emotions that were clouded over by lust. He looked down at her meaningfully and she nodded in response, giving him the permission she knew that he refused to ask for. He guided his erection to her opening and gently pushed. He slid only partially in and looked down into her eyes as he thrust quickly and completely inside her. There was a sharp pain that caused her to wince but he held still as she became accustomed to the sensation of having him inside her. They both breathed in heavy pants. Soon she encouraged him to move with small movements of her own hips. He didn't need any other provoking. He slid almost completely out and thrust back in groaning in the process. Her eyebrows were furrowed with concentration, the feelings she was experiencing were completely foreign to her. As he continued to thrust strongly and more quickly it started to feel good to her. She again wrapped her arms around him, trying to hold on as he thrust himself in and out. His back was slick with sweat and she could feel the muscles there beneath her fingers as they repeatedly contracted with his movements. She could feel an orgasm building as he began to move even faster. Just when she thought he was going to leave her behind his hand returned to her clit and applied just the right amount of pressure that had her arching her back and scoring his back with her nails as he finally came inside of her. Each had the other's name on their lips as they climaxed, yelling out simultaneously. 

He relaxed his hold and his entire body weight was on her, pressing her into the mattress. She welcomed it. He was still inside of her as they both tried to catch their breath. She knew she should have a thousand things going through her mind but strangely enough her mind was silent and at peace, for now at least. 



The Reluctant Journey Ch. 07



Cain opened his eyes. It was pitch black outside the window as well as inside the small room. It had started to rain steadily, the sound repetitive and soothing. As he came more fully out of the clutches of sleep he noticed another sound, a soft, barely there snoring. He immediately remembered that Malia Yate's curvy body was only inches away on the other side of Finn's bed.  

He hadn't been overcome with attraction the first time he saw Malia Yates, nothing so dramatic. However, he found it more disturbing that his attraction to her had grown so rapidly and unexpectedly. At first he'd tried to tell himself that it was because she was unattainable. Usually women were throwing themselves at him consistently. Malia not only didn't throw herself at him, but she took every opportunity to defy him spitefully. She wasn't the only woman who refused to fawn over him, but she was the first courageous enough to stand up to him. 

Of course he thought she was attractive, he'd planned on having her seduce and marry his brother. If he'd walked into the hospital to find someone plain or ugly he would have kept looking. But now he realized it wasn't simply the allure of the forbidden, it was something much more dangerous and unwanted than that. When Cain had fucked Milly he'd regretted it, as she had called incessantly as he'd expected. What he felt now was much more than regret, he felt a clawing in his stomach that was a lot like fear. He feared the loss of control he always felt with her. She genuinely interested him and baffled him. She caused him to have strong reactions, for better or for worse. She antagonized him like none of his men would ever dare. Cain wasn't used to people questioning and especially challenging him, and she made an annoying habit of both. 

She'd started to get under his skin from the beginning, in hindsight he could see that. When he'd saved her from being raped by Vincent Dutari he'd been inexplicably irritated at her lack of appreciation. Logically he knew that she didn't have any reason to trust him and she was shaken, but he argued with her anyway. She was alway arguing with him, over everything. He'd been shaken as well in that small cell, because it was the first time he'd realized his attraction to Malia was a little more than appreciation of a pretty face. When Vincent had slowly pulled the zipper of her jumpsuit down to reveal her plump breasts he'd had a moment where he didn't want to stop the man. Then he'd had a moment where he wanted to kill Vincent and continue the violent scene himself. He didn't know whether to laugh or yell at the irony of that thought now. 

Cain wasn't patient by nature, but it was something he practiced and honed. Malia brought out his nature as if he'd honed no skills, as if he wasn't a general capable of many talents. She brought out a feral side of him that he didn't know still existed. When he'd spanked women in the past they'd wanted it. When Malia wouldn't stand down from the line of questions he didn't want to answer he'd had an uncontrollable urge to turn her white ass red. The part of him that wasn't panicking at his loss of control at the time had loved whipping her repeatedly. Eventually the logical side of his brain had taken over and asked him what the fuck he was doing. He planned on sending her out of the room immediately to regroup, but she'd continued with the same damn questions as if he hadn't blistered her ass. That was when he'd started to gain a little bit of respect for Malia Yates. That was also when he'd started to panic. He'd lost control, and he wasn't simply sparing words with her this time. He'd taken action against this infuriating little girl that he hadn't planned on taking, action that went directly against his plans for Tristan. He'd told her the bare minimum and thankfully she'd left the room, leaving him to think. Cain prided himself on his forethought and tactical planning. Every single encounter with Malia Yates begged to differ. So he'd tried to stop tempting himself, he'd tried to stop being around her altogether. It had worked until he found out her true identity. 

When he'd found out that Malia wasn't Olivia he'd been furious. He hadn't held any of that rage back when he'd gotten back to Malia. He'd used Tristan being sick to his advantage. He'd made sure she was Malia and that her documentation was correct when he'd seen her fumbling around even simple medical procedures. He was entertained at her discomfort around sickness and injury, it had slightly lessened his personal injury to his ego. After he'd punished Malia and cooled down a little he realized that was furious at himself. As a general a mistake as big as that shouldn't have gotten through the cracks. After he was over the initial rage his respect for Malia grew. She'd taken the place of her sister without a second thought or a moment of hesitation. It was her instinct to protect her younger sister and Cain could relate to that. 

She'd accused him of not loving his brother, an accusation that he wouldn't have wasted his time on with anyone else, but with her the comment mattered. He had been going to fuck her roughly, to wipe that annoying snarky look off of her face and to teach her who was in charge. She'd had to give that resigned innocent expression and make him go soft. Figuratively speaking at least, he thought with a grimace. No, he hadn't stopped, though he should have. 

What the fuck was he doing? This was the woman that he'd hand chosen to marry his little brother. He was supposed to be doing Tristan a favor and instead he'd just taken his future bride's virginity. It might get awkward on Sunday dinners, Cain smirked cynically. She'd been a virgin, he should have known. He had highly suspected it, he'd definitely known that she wasn't very experienced, but a virgin? Cain pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. It should have stopped him; but her begging only excited him more, her resistance only gave him more drive to conquer her. Then she'd begged him once more, not to stop violating her, but to not make it hurt. He'd almost stopped then. He had started in a fit of rage from her accusations but it hadn't lasted past that look and those words. However, he hadn't stopped. Her eyes had been so big and shiny with tears, her hair like a black waterfall over the pillow, and her body so pliant and smooth beneath him. So instead of stopping, he'd tried to make her want him. He'd started to kiss her for her benefit, but then she'd kissed him back and made sweet little whimpering moans that drove him wild. When he'd released her hands from his belt he'd expected her to put a halt to it, but she'd grabbed his hair and clung to him. The sex was too good for comfort. She was dangerous to him, that much was clear. He'd asked Finn to trade houses for a week so he could be closer to the unit, to be closer to Denizen, and off the grid. Was it really Blake Denizen he wanted to get closer to? Or was it Malia all along? Cain made a noise of disgust and sat up on the bed. As he stood on the hardwood floor lightning lit up the room and Malia rolled around on the bed restlessly. 

Cain walked into the kitchen to avoid staring at her again. He did that too much. He was surprised she didn't think he was some kind of freak. She probably did, he wouldn't blame her. It was just that she was an enigma to him. As soon as he thought he understood her she did something to throw him for a loop. It was highly frustrating for a man who prided himself on the ability to read people and understand their motivations. Thunder shook the house as the storm moved in. He flipped on the light as he passed it. He opened the fridge and stared at the cold beer that was well-stocked in Finn's house. He sighed longingly and grabbed the icy cold milk carton instead and took a long swig from the carton. He was standing in front of the fridge completely naked when he heard her behind him, in the archway. 

"Want some?" Cain held up the carton without turning around. 

"No." She nearly whispered in response. 

When he closed the fridge door and turned to face her he was amused by the clear avoidance she showed to look at his nakedness. So instead of make it easy for her he simply ogled her, though she was covered with the white cotton sheet. Her hair curled at the ends as it brushed the edges of the sheet that covered her breasts. Before he got the chance to give her breasts further thought, she spoke. 

"Pretty bad storm, huh?" She looked out the kitchen window to avoid looking at him. 

"Yeah, well it is spring." Cain replied, annoyed at the small talk. "Did you follow me out here for round two?" He said snidely, trying to get a reaction from her. 

She looked at him seriously and bit her lip. "I woke up from the thunder." She said as if it explained everything.

"Don't tell me you're scared of storms?"

"No. No I was just woken up and I wondered where you'd gone. Now I'm going to go to my own bed." She turned to leave, clearly embarrassed beyond capacity. 

"The hell you are!" Cain yelled at her and she stopped. 

"Wha-What?" She turned to look at him and looked scared. 

"Don't look at me like that. You aren't going to slink away to bed before we talk about some things." What was he doing! He didn't want to talk about anything, especially with her. He just didn't want her to go to bed terrified of him. Which was the motivation he'd had to fuck her in the first place, to terrify her. He didn't want to think about what had changed.  

"Such as?" He hated the way her voice had lost its smart ass tone. She wasn't challenging him anymore and it made her seem damaged to him. 

He leaned against the fridge and crossed his arms across his chest. She reluctantly looked at him when she ran out of things in the kitchen to pretend to be fascinated with. But she firmly looked at his face which made him grin. She raised her eyebrows and intentionally looked down his body over-lecherously. He laughed, finally she didn't look like she was scared that he was going to attack her. "Enjoying the view?" 

"Is that what you wanted to talk about, your physique? Because honestly, I think you could work out more. I mean did you see Finn before he left? His arms are impressive, and I could see his abs through that shirt. How must that look, him being your subordinate? But then I guess he is younger than you, it really isn't a fair competition."

He narrowed his eyes at her. He knew he was being baited but couldn't help picturing his friend in his mind's eye. He'd never really thought about Finn's body before but he definitely was in shape, all of his men were. However Cain was also in shape, they actually had similar physiques, though Finn was a couple of inches shorter. "Oh really? Is he that impressive?" He pushed himself off of the fridge with his shoulder. "You think his arms are more impressive than mine?" He flexed his biceps as he slowly advanced towards her. He repeated with his forearms. Her eyes were glued to him. "You think he has more impressive abs?" He looked down at his stomach and flexed his six pack. She bit her lip nervously. "Hm, well I suppose he would seem more impressive than me." He stopped and feigned a thoughtful look. Then he looked at her dead on. "Ah but there is a piece of my anatomy that is significantly larger than your precious Finn's." Her eyes showed her shock and embarrassment. "I've known the man his entire life. We've played sports together when we were younger, not to mention the weeks at a time we've spent together on missions. It's given me plenty of opportunity to get a nice look at his itty…bitty…tiny…chicken legs. I swear the man has the scrawniest legs I've ever seen. It is very disproportional, it looks quite ridiculous." Cain moved his leg in front of his body, flexing his calf. She rolled her eyes and started laughing. He smiled, watching her laugh. 

"What did you think I was talking about Malia?" He was right in front of her now. 

She was still laughing when she looked up at him. "You know what I thought you were going to say." 

He wanted to kiss her, which scared him because he shouldn't want to kiss her. He'd wanted to make sure she wasn't irreparably traumatized and now he was flirting with her. Lightning flashed through the kitchen followed almost simultaneously by thunder as the rain pelted angrily against the roof and windows. Malia jumped, her smile dying instantly as she looked at the small window suspiciously. He was going to bed before he did anything else that he would regret later. He walked past her toward the hallway and she turned to face his back. 

"Goodnight Malia." He said without facing her. He turned as he got to the door and looked at her silhouette at the start of the hallway. "Oh, and Malia, " He said, she looked up at his face. "I also have a much larger dick than Finn." He said straight faced and he walked into his borrowed bedroom and closed the door as he smiled, and then he mentally cursed himself because he was clearly loosing his mind.


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Malia stood in the kitchen for a minute trying to process the exchange between Cain and herself. He was actually playful, very playful, while she was just conflicted. She was more attracted to Cain than she'd ever been to anyone, there was no point in denying it when she'd only be lying to herself. But she couldn't respect herself for the events that had occurred earlier that night. He'd given her the chance to stop him when he'd released her hands, and what had she done? She'd caressed the man. She felt shame run through her veins at the embarrassing memory. She wasn't that girl, at least she hadn't thought she was, that girl that swooned over any masculine attention that was thrown her way. She wasn't this needy emotional wreck that she'd been acting like recently. She didn't know who she was anymore. 

This was Cain's fault. He was so damn charming when he turned it on. Yet when he didn't want to be charming he could be an absolute monster. She wasn't strong willed enough to tame him, she wasn't sure there was a woman on the earth that was. Thunder crashed outside the window again, causing her to jump and make an embarrassing squeaking sound. She walked into her assigned room and pulled back the cold covers. She didn't like storms, but she wasn't debilitatingly afraid of them. The small shack at the unit didn't provide much of a barrier from the light and sound of a thunderstorm which caused her to be more timid than she would have been naturally. She was worried at how comfortable sleeping next to Cain had been. They hadn't cuddled next to each other but his body heat was palpable from the small distance between them and his weight depressing the mattress caused her to slightly lean to his side of the bed. The entire effect was much too cozy for her liking. She was worried about how she would avoid Cain for the entire week. 

And what would her parents think? They would never know of coarse. She had lost her virginity to the monster that had kidnapped her. She hadn't even resisted when the moment had arrived. Her mother would have been so disappointed if she knew. Malia turned her head into the plush pillow and screamed. She didn't even know how to feel, she was overwhelmed. And she had liked it! She had came with him inside of her, and she liked it. She wanted to cry and scream and throw things, but the relentless storm kept her under the cold quilt. 

The rape, if she could call it that anymore, had been so unexpected to her. Cain said that he hadn't thought that she was attractive. She had seen the slim blond that he'd slept with. Malia didn't consider herself ugly, but she wasn't comparable to her. She wasn't fat, but she wasn't petite like the blond. Thunder shook the small cabin, causing a shiver to run up her spine. She wished she had someone in the bed, she was so used to sharing. Not Cain surely. Maybe she should beg for a dog or something. She could see Cain with a dog, nothing too small and girly, something he could throw a stick or ball to. She was surprised he didn't have a pet, he seemed so lonely. Malia caught her track of thoughts, this isn't what she used to think about the man. When she'd seen his porch she hadn't thought it possible for him to even have friends. Now she could easily picture him joking with Finn and Tristan as he grilled something and children ran through the big yard. Malia gasped audibly. She was picturing him as her dream man. When had she started doing that? Why would she start doing that? It was the most self destructive, stupid thing she could have possibly done. Cain was not husband material, nor did he want to be her husband. Malia firmly lambasted herself. She needed to stop thinking of Cain in those terms, before she did something critically stupid, like fall in love with him. She bit her lip as she hoped it wasn't too late. 

Malia didn't remember actually going to sleep. It felt as if she blinked and it was morning; the sun was shining through the two windows in the room. She groaned and rolled over, pushing her face into the plush pillow but someone was knocking incessantly on the door. She groaned again, there was really only one possibility as to who was on the other side. 

"Wake up!" Cain yelled through the door. "Get ready, we're leaving in fifteen." She opened one eye to see the door was still closed. She sat up slowly, wincing when the soreness hit her. She was still naked and wanted to get dressed as soon as possible. She opened small closet and saw several dresses hung up, but there were actually jeans next to them. She grabbed some worn looking jeans with a hole in the knee, and a pale pink t-shirt. She was happy to not have to wear another dress, but it didn't overshadow her dread of facing Cain again. Where was he planning on going? Why did she have to go with him? Why were they even here instead of at his house? Her curiosity was slightly stronger than her desire to stay where she was. 

Cain was sitting at the small kitchen table when she found him. He was dressed in his usual black suit and had a half eaten bagel in front of him. He looked her over when she entered the room, paying special attention to her jeans instead of a usual dress.  

"Where are we going?" She dared him to say something about the jeans with her eyes. 

"I'm going to a meeting, change into something else." He didn't even sound demanding, as if he were assuming that she would blindly obey him in all things. If he thought that their sexual encounter had made her a pushover he was sadly mistaken. Malia was vowing to actively forget anything had even happened. 

She simply ignored him and looked for something to eat for breakfast. She would just pretend like nothing had happened. He surely didn't look like he was affected in anyway whatsoever, and hell would have to freeze over before she would be the first to fold. She found some sugary cereal and made herself a bowl. She walked past the table with her bowl to the recliner and turned the TV on. He looked at her the entire time, she acted like he didn't exist. 

He slowly walked into the living room and stood directly between her and the television. "I can't see." She said obviously, finally looking at his face. She wasn't afraid of him. At least that was what she was telling herself repeatedly. It was difficult not to show a little more fear in front of him. The night before he had shown her that she had a clear lack of physical power when faced with him. It was hard not to respect that, or at least to act like she didn't. However her pride was stronger than her fear. She would not let him think that just because he could act like a caveman he'd bested her. He didn't control her will and she would fight tooth and nail to keep it that way. 




The Reluctant Journey Ch. 07



"This is truly how you want to play this?" He dared her. She glared at him as forcefully as she had ever glared before. She wasn't sure exactly how she completely felt about Cain or about the night before, but her pride had been wounded. She had woken up with a surprising new strength that had been completely unexpected after the emotional turmoil that had left her restless all night. She was ready to shift the balance in her favor for once. She needed to know how far he was willing to go after last night.  

She arched her eyebrow at him, completely unamused by his clear attempt at bullying. 

"Malia," he started, sounding like his patience was wearing incredibly thin, "I neither have the time nor the patience to deal with this bratty behavior right now. Get dressed!" She continued to glare and brought a spoon full of cereal to her mouth without looking down. She chewed deliberately as he looked somewhere between furious and astonished. 

"If you don't get up right now and go change, I will drag you to the car fucking naked." His hands clenched and unclenched as if he wanted to strangle her. 

Well there was no backing down now. She gave her best fake smile. "You know what? I don't think you will. I've been thinking about our agreement, you know the one where I said I would cooperate if you helped me see my family again. However inadvertent it was, you fulfilled your part of the deal. I will cooperate with your stupid plan. You need my cooperation now more than ever, all things considered. I don't think what happened last night is exactly conductive to your plan for Tristan. I assume you want my silence on the matter?" It took every once of courage she had to act so nonchalant as he stood menacingly over her seated form. 

He looked like he was mentally counting to ten, though she didn't think he made it all the way. She thought he was going to charge towards her but he turned around and went down the hallway. She took a deep breath of relief, though it was short lived. He came back into the living room holding a black dress from her closet and a pair of strapy heels dangling from his finger. 

"I'm giving you five minutes to change." he ordered her. He threw the dress down on the coffee table in front of her and hit the TV power button harshly as he walked back into the hallways, leaving her alone in the quiet living room.

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Cain wanted to strangle her. She was calling his bluff, and doing a damn good job at it. He'd expected her to be terrified and cower when he'd threatened her, but she'd nearly laughed in his face. She knew that he didn't want anything even remotely sexual to transpire between the two of them again because it would make the situation with Tristan even worse than it already was. The situation was pretty much blown to shit anyway. Tristan was placating him and Malia wasn't attracted to Tristan. The two had become friends but nothing more was evident. It was time to accept that his plan had failed. Tristan hadn't fallen for Malia Yates and he wouldn't feel obligated to do anything to move the relationship forward once she was reunited with her family. A major contributing factor to the plan had been her isolation and lack of options. Tristan sympathized with that and would have wanted to giver her a happily ever after. Now she was getting her family back, Tristan's hero complex would be satisfied and any possibility of the two getting together would become even more unlikely. Cain called Tristan. 

"Brother, to what do I owe the pleasure?" Tristan answered. 

"Do you have any romantic feelings for Malia Yates?" Cain asked bluntly. 

Tristan laughed, "Very tactful Cain. I like her, she's funny, and smart, and very strong willed. She's pretty, though I'm fairly certain she doesn't know it." he sighed, "But no, I'm not in love with her Cain. You can't force love, sometimes it catches the most unlikely of people." He sounded like he was trying to be meaningful with the last part but Cain didn't have the patience to think too much into it. 

"I'm letting you out then. You no longer have any obligation to speak with, entertain, or otherwise communicate with Malia Yates. Consider your agreement paid in full." 

"Wait, why the sudden change of heart?" Tristan asked. 

"I'm neither blind nor stupid Tristan. It isn't going to happen, you know it, Malia knows it, I know it." Cain was relieved that Tristan didn't have any romantic feelings towards Malia, he'd been fairly certain, but Tristan could always have said yes. The possibility had kept Cain up most of the night. He wouldn't have been able to deal with the guilt if Tristan had felt even the slightest romantic inclination towards Malia. He could breathe now that it was confirmed. 

"Just because I don't want to marry her doesn't mean I wouldn't care if she got hurt Cain." Tristan sounded slightly worried. 

"You said it yourself Tristan, Malia Yates is very strong-willed. I'm sure it's going to take a lot to break her of that. I'll talk to you later." Cain hung up before Tristan could try and change his mind. Malia Yates had some lessons to learn. Whatever newfound defiance Malia had found would be squashed from her and squashed quickly. He would not be threatened by her and now any hold she thought she had over him was gone. He smiled at the thoughts of just how he would show that to her. Malia was now his to do with what he wanted, guilt free. 'This may just turn out to be a fun week after all', Cain thought as he walked back towards the living room. 

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Cain wasn't going to do anything to put his relationship with his brother in jeopardy. Malia used the thought as a comfort while she finished her cereal as the black dress continued to lay on the table. She finally would have some kind of power in the relationship. Cain would not dictate every aspect of her life. She smiled at the thought of telling him what to wear for once. Maybe a worn pair of jeans and a belt, that's all. Her smile faded when he returned to the room. Instead of being furious at seeing her in the same outfit, he was smiling maliciously. She didn't like that smile at all, it generally didn't mean good things for her. 

"I see you've chosen the hard way?" Cain asked, arching an eyebrow at her. "I've realized something little girl. I've given you the false impression that you have any sort of power over me. It's my mistake really, but one I think will be fun rectifying." He pulled her from the chair by her arm. Her bowl fell to the floor and spilt it's contents on the rug and hard wood. She saw a flash of his angry face from the night before. He wasn't supposed to do this, not again. He was supposed to feel regretful and guilty. He was supposed to be thinking of his brother. 

"Cain, what about Tristan?" She was loosing her resilience by the second, she could hear it pathetically draining from her voice.

"Tristan says hello." He mocked. His hands were quick to reach the hem of the shirt she was wearing. Despite her own hands trying to fight his much larger ones off, he managed to easily tear the shirt completely in half as it was on her body. She gasped as she looked down at the garment in tatters. 

"Okay, Okay I'll change!" She begged as she tried to cover herself. 

He smiled and cocked his head to the side. "What was that?" 

"I said I'll change!" She screamed. 

He looked at his silvery watch. "Since you've seemed to waste the five minutes I gave you, you have one, go." He stepped back slightly and kept his eyes on the watch. She didn't hesitate, so much for shifting the balance of power. She should have known that Cain wouldn't allow anything to strain his controlling hold. She turned around as she unbuttoned her jeans and slid them down her legs. She removed the rest of the ruined top. 

"Bra too Malia." He said dryly. She didn't have time to argue, she unclasped her bra and slid it down her arms. She reached for the dress. "While your at it take off the panties." 

"What?" She answered, her back turned to him. 

"Take them off, you're wasting time." He said impatiently over her shoulder. 

She clenched her teeth. She wasn't going to find out what was going to happen at the end of the minute when she was already nearly naked. She dropped the panties to the floor and quickly slid the dress over her head. It fell like silk down her body. She adjusted her breasts into the built-in cups of the dress and she was done. The dress was fitted in the bust and waist but the skirt had an excess of fabric that made it flowy. It came directly above her knees. She didn't think the style would comfort her as it would only emphasize the bareness underneath. 

He came closer behind her and she wished she would have turned around as soon as she'd been dressed. It was disconcerting as he spoke directly in her ear softly and menacingly. "Every time the wind blows up that pretty little dress I want you to think why it is that you can feel it so intimately. Test me like that again and I won't be so forgiving." 

She clenched her jaw as he spoke. "Such a good method to set me up with your brother, sexually assaulting me repeatedly." 

He laughed behind her. "Tristan isn't interested in you little girl. Maybe he'll feel differently when your little sister moves in. She was quite attractive wasn't she?" He said slowly and coldly. 

She turned to face him directly. She shoved his chest away from her as hard as she could and he took a couple steps back. "Stay away from her!" She pointed at him threateningly. "I have done everything you've asked you fucking asshole! Stay away from my family!" She clenched her hands to her sides when he just smiled at her in reply. She'd woken up with a new sense of power, now she felt more helpless than ever. She should have realized that Cain wouldn't continue using her for Tristan when there was little success to show. Now he had complete power over her, more than he ever had before. He didn't need her for anything. Anything he did to her now would be done because he wanted it. 

"Such a temper. I would love to discuss this all in further detail but the car is waiting outside, we wouldn't want to be late. Put the shoes on." She glared at him and he cocked his head at her, daring her to attempt to challenge him again. 

She slid her foot into the shoe and pulled the strap behind her heel and repeated the process with her left foot. She turned and walked angrily out the door and towards the black SUV. She wasn't thrilled by the recent turn of events at all but at least her attraction to Cain had died down considerably due to their last conversation. She wished she could say that it was gone completely. She didn't think Cain wanted anything to do with her family, but she was done trying to read his mind so she couldn't be sure. 

They drove to some kind of military camp, it wasn't a far drive. Cain sat in the front and spoke to the driver as she sulked in the back. Cain opened her door when they parked. He had a satisfied smirk on his face as she carefully positioned her legs to get out of the vehicle, trying to avoid flashing anyone. She wanted to punch him in his snarky face so badly. She knew she was providing him satisfaction with her obvious negative reaction to his punishment, but she wasn't able to calm herself enough to feign indifference. She was seething. Thankfully he didn't provoke her as they walked to a large building in the center of the complex. Cain and the driver, a soldier beneath Cain, walked in front of her virtually ignoring her as she followed them. There were groups of men everywhere, and as Cain passed they all seemed to stop what they were doing. Sometimes they saluted but Malia was too sidetracked to see a pattern of when. There were various buildings throughout the camp, all very utilitarian in appearance. There were flags thorough the complex with an unfamiliar flag waving, most likely the new flag of the country, the flag of Phoenix. It was so strange to not belong to the country where she'd been born and raised. The building in the center of the complex was slightly more elaborate than all of the others. There were statues standing on the top corners of the stone building as well as one in the center that held a flag as the peak of the building. There were even some leafy plants to the sides of the large stone stairs that led to the entrance of the building. 

The floors inside were marble and the ceilings were high. Everything looked very official. The trio skipped the desk at the far end of the lobby and walked down a hallway to the right of the building. After a series of turns Malia didn't keep track of they came to a wooden door that looked exactly like the hundred or so they must've passed. This door however had a nameplate beside it reading 'Cain Malcolm GEN". They entered the office and Cain spoke to the driver as she looked around. It wasn't as big as she would have expected his office to be. There were three large bookshelves along the walls, the fourth had a fairly large window. Cain's desk faced the door and took up most of the remaining space of the room. She couldn't imagine him spending much time here considering the elaborate office in his house. There weren't any pictures or personal belongings sitting around which she didn't find incredibly surprising. Cain dismissed the driver who closed the door as he left them alone in the office. She was alone with Cain, again.

"Sit." He motioned to a small chair in the corner that she hadn't noticed. 

It didn't seem like a battle she wanted to choose so she sat in the chair. Cain went behind his desk and began to boot up the computer. She didn't see why she was here, he could have just as easily left her at the cabin. She wasn't going to run away when her family wasn't with her yet. She might've cut holes in the knees of all Cain's expensive suits, but he could afford it and he would've deserved it. 

"Why am I here?" Malia asked after a minute or two of him ignoring her. 

He looked up over the computer at her. "Because you can't be trusted left to your own devices." 

"You left me at your house by myself for a week." She argued. 

"You were not by yourself." He countered, looking at the monitor. 

"I've given you no reason not to trust me." She said seriously. 

He laughed. "Are you serious?" 

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Yes I'm serious. I told you that I was Olivia because I thought I was saving her life. I'm tired of you trying to turn that into something bad. I am not sorry I did it and I would do it again. You would have done the same thing anyway if you were put in my position." 

He looked at her again. "Would I?" 

She looked at him seriously. He was so irritating. He made it openly known that he would sacrifice anything for his little brother and when she told him that he questioned her. "Yes you would. It's not like you try to hide it." 

He nodded slowly and contemplatively. "Maybe I would, but I wouldn't expect someone to blindly trust me afterwards." 

She sighed. "Fine. This is a good opportunity anyway. It seems you know everything there is to know about me. You however are a virtual stranger to me." 

"You know everything you need to know." He was looking at the monitor again. 

"Why did you join the military?" She asked. 

"My father was in the military." He answered distractedly, reading something on his screen. 

"That's it? You joined because your father made you?" 

He looked up at her. "He didn't make me. My father was a respected general who was in line for the highest promotion in his field before he died. I joined the military to continue his legacy as he wanted me to." 

It was instinctual for her to want to say sorry for his loss but she was finally getting some answers about the elusive man and wasn't going to stop now to be polite, he didn't deserve her politeness anyway. "What did you want to do?" She asked when he looked down again. 

"What?" He asked annoyed at the multiple interruptions. 

"What did you want to do with your life, before your father died?" 

"I didn't want to do anything." Cain answered shortly. 

"You had to want to do something. Everybody wants to do something, even if it's completely unrealistic." Malia continued unfazed by his clear annoyance. 

"Right." He laughed softly. "Because a kid born into tons of money, prestige, and power dreams of one day having a nine to five job. I wanted to continue to do what I had always done, lived off my parents without a care in the world." 

"I wanted to be a photographer." Malia said reflectively. "My dad and I used to watch shows about animals around the world and I thought it would be so cool to travel and take pictures of animals and sunrises and stuff." She hadn't meant to share anything about herself. She had hardly even remembered that she had one day wanted to do that. It was so long ago that she had dreamed about the future for herself. Somewhere along the road she'd accepted that her options had become very limited and her dreams had slowly faded, locked away like a time capsule of a time when her future wasn't written for her. 

"I have a meeting." Cain said as he stood. "Stay here and don't touch anything." He looked at her distrustfully. She expected him to add on a threat if she didn't obey him, but he didn't. He left her in the small room and closed the door. 

She went over to the computer almost immediately but there was a password. She sat in his recently vacated chair and looked out the large window. She needed to get a grip on her new situation. Cain was lashing out. The reason Malia couldn't fully associate last night's experience with rape was because it had only started out as a rape. She'd made him change his mind. He was mad about it. He had started off wanting to exert his power over her as always, but she had made him change his mind. She'd made him give up some of that power and control. She had a moment of self-satisfaction at the knowledge. Maybe she wasn't as powerless as she thought. When he'd ripped her t-shirt earlier she'd noticed his eyes darken like they had the night before. He wasn't as aloof as he would have her believe. 

Cain had ended the arrangement between Tristan and herself. It really wasn't going to work out anyway. He hadn't been ready to end it though. She'd forced his hand when she challenged him. Now he was free to be an asshole one-hundred percent. She ground her teeth in frustration. If he thought he was going to turn her into some obedient little bitch he had another think coming. She had let him get into her head and drain her confidence. She was stronger than she'd been acting recently and it was time to show that. Cain was only human, he had plenty of flaws to prove it, she'd given him more power than he really had and he knew it. She was slightly surprised to find that she wasn't really as afraid of him as she'd been before last night. If all bets were off she was done giving him an easy time. If he thought she'd been difficult before he wasn't going to know what hit him. She smiled to herself and spun around in his chair a couple times. 

Cain was gone for two and a half hours, during which she unplugged his computer from the wall and all of the wires from the tower. She also 'reorganized' the hundreds of books in his office once she saw they were meticulously alphabetized. Moving the books around took most of her time but eventually she just slowly spun around in his chair in boredom. She had dozed off in the chair by the time Cain returned. 

He looked at her suspiciously as she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. From the door he could see the computer with all of its wires unattached. "Really?" 

"You didn't leave me any sharp objects so my options were limited." He continued to scope out the room. She laughed when he saw the bookshelves and glared at her.




The Reluctant Journey Ch. 07



She shrugged. "I was bored." 

"It's time for lunch." He left the room expecting her to follow him. She sighed when she realized that she would have to follow him, at least if she wanted to eat. They ate in another building which housed a typical cafeteria exclusively. There were soldiers everywhere and they seemed to be nervous whenever Cain walked by them. There was a large industrial fan on the way to the line, Cain made sure to walk directly past it sending a large gust of air directly up her dress. She held her skirt down and glared at him as he smirked knowingly at her. They stood in line, though the soldiers in front of Cain offered their spots up to him immediately. He declined politely. She was the only woman in the room except for a few women serving the food. Some of the men looked at her openly, she smiled at them and waved a few fingers in their direction. Cain pulled her in front of her and the men instantly looked down at their plates. 

"Jealous General?" Malia taunted. 

"Clearly taking away your panties did not have the intended effect. With your spirits so high maybe we should just do away with them altogether." He taunted her back. Hell if she was going to give him an inch. 

"Maybe we should, it is quite liberating. You should probably try it, your panties seem to be in a bunch most of the time don't they?" 

He laughed. "So we're back to the over confident smart aleck Malia who doesn't know when to shut up?" 

"You prefer the scared little girl version. Sorry to disappoint General but I'm done being scared of you." She said as confidently as possible. 

"Is that so?" He laughed as he handed her a tray and took one himself.

Malia was so tired of being scared and helpless. Since she'd been taken she had been repeatedly moved around like a pawn without any control over her own circumstances. She still didn't completely control her circumstances but she was done being scared. She was ready to fight back. She intentionally went through the line quickly, picking things without thought. She took the tray and walked quickly away from Cain who was still filling his tray. Her heart was beating quickly as she walked over to the table with three men that she had waved at. She sat down and they looked like she'd tased them all. She knew Cain was close behind her and she couldn't back down now. 

"Hi boys, mind if I join you?" She said slowly and she hope provocatively. They didn't look seduced, but then again they looked very scared. She knew without looking that Cain was standing behind her. They stood and saluted, forgetting their food and ignoring her question. 

"As you were." Cain ordered them. They sat slowly, still looking skittish. Cain placed his tray beside hers and sat down at the last place of the circular table. She glared up at him. 

"I'm Malia." She smiled at them. The man in the middle had light brown hair and glasses, he cleared his throat. "Um Clay. I mean Private Clay Benson, um, sir." She rolled her eyes, kiss ass. The rest of the lunch went pretty much the same way. The three privates sucked up to Cain like they were having lunch with a rock star. He eventually turned his charm on enough to have the men relax and they basically ignored her. She got up as soon as she was done eating as the men were in mid-conversation. She didn't say anything to them as she left the table to put her tray back. Cain finished eating soon after her, probably so she didn't catch something on fire while he was sidetracked. They returned to his office. 

She sighed as he sat down behind the computer and started plugging everything back in. "This is so boring." She complained. He didn't respond. 

"So you joined the army after your father died. That would have been, according to you, after the war was ending. How did you avoid fighting in the war with a general as a father?" Malia had asked Tristan questions about the war but he had an annoying habit of not answering her questions about Cain. 

"Question time again?" Cain asked annoyed. 

"My options of entertaining myself are limited, so yes." 

"I have no incentive to answer your questions." He said as he turned the computer on again. 

"I will answer a question in return." 

He looked at her. "I know everything there is to know about you, and even if there wasn't something I didn't know I have all the means to find whatever I want to know out." 

She thought for a moment. Once again they were unequal, he knew everything he wanted to know and she knew nothing. "You don't know everything about me." She argued. "You can't know everything from a dossier." 

"You aren't very tight lipped about the rest." He countered. 

"Fine, I'll answer your questions first, make them as hard as you want and if I don't want to answer yours I'll stop talking and let you work." He looked at her skeptically and shrugged. 

"Okay, I'll bite. This should be over soon enough." He smiled arrogantly and she prepared herself for the worst. "You mentioned last night that you hadn't had any previous sexual experience. What exactly was the extent of your experience before yesterday?" He asked the question straight-faced, as if she were being interviewed for a job. He arched his eyebrow as he looked directly at her. She had been preparing for something embarrassing in nature, so she didn't openly react to his question. 

"Well some jackass spanked me one time, but I found it less than fulfilling sexually." She started in her best smart assed tone. 

"Ah ah, no deflecting my dear. If you want me to answer your question, I want a real answer." He interrupted her before she could continue. 

"Fine." She complained. "As I said before, I haven't had sex before last night." She paused and looked up at him, but he wasn't going to let her off that easy. She sighed. "I hadn't even kissed anyone before last night." She clenched her teeth as she made the admission. He looked stunned, she wasn't sure if it was because she'd answered him or because of her answer. 

"You haven't even kissed anyone?" He repeated. 

"I answered your question." She furrowed her brow as she felt herself blush unwanted. 

He nodded. "Fair enough. What did you ask? Why I didn't fight in the war?" She nodded. "My father wanted me to follow in his footsteps as soon as I was out of high school. Tristan was taking college classes right after high school and though he also wanted him to join the effort he was less adamant. I on the other hand was his firstborn son, it was expected of me." He gave a disinterested look. "I rebelled. My father and I had a difficult relationship at the time. I would have done anything to avoid giving him the satisfaction. There were a lot of arguments that escalated as time went on. Eventually he would have cut me off. I can't blame him, I was out of control. He died before it came to that, and I joined the army not too long after. The war was in its final stages. I didn't see much fighting, though there were the occasional rebellions. I followed in my father's footsteps and rose through the ranks quickly." 

She was surprised that he'd offered so much. It was clearly more than enough to satisfy the question. If he was going to answer questions she was going to give him some she'd been wondering about for weeks. "Who is Milly to you?" She asked in lieu of the harder question she wasn't sure he'd answer. 

He nodded. This unintentional game they'd made up used their pride and competitive natures against both of them. It made them reveal things they wouldn't have revealed. It also revealed how much Cain didn't want to answer the question based on the difficulty of his corresponding question for her. "Was last night the first night you came?" He gave his over-confident smirk, expecting her not to answer or to provide a one-word answer which would allow him to do the same with his question. She wasn't comfortable talking to him about sex, but it still excited a small part of her and that confused the rest of her. He was pointing out the fact that she had climaxed as well, a major contributing factor for her not being able to think of last night as rape. 

"No, it wasn't the first time." She answered, looking directly into his dark brown eyes. There was something thrilling about making herself vulnerable for him willingly. She knew it wasn't enough to get a good answer so she continued. "Privacy is a precious commodity in a unit. There is only one room in a home and the bathrooms are communal. Married couples in the unit can apply for a private room at a sort of make-shift hotel for the purpose. They usually ask friends to house their children for the night though. However, there isn't really any consideration to provide privacy for any other reason." She blushed at the subject but continued to look at Cain and had his full attention in return. "Olivia has extreme claustrophobia and the showers get very crowded in the morning, so she would wake up when it was still dark and be the first to the showers. When we were younger she would wake me up to go with her because she didn't want to walk alone in the dark. The showers are in a large room, but each stall is divided from the main room by a thin curtain. The first time I'd tried it had been a mistake. I was slowly washing myself with a washcloth and the water was especially hot that day. I wasn't totally awake and I wasn't paying attention to what I was doing. I moved the washcloth down and I was moving slower than usual and it just started to feel nice." She chewed on her lip to try and take some of the edge off the admission. "My sister was in the next stall, I mean we were separated by a wall but still I shouldn't have been doing that with her right there. But I kept touching myself anyway because it felt so nice. I didn't even know what I was doing when I started going faster and I made myself, um, orgasm." She had to look away from his entrancing eyes as she made her final admission. It wasn't something anyone else knew about. She knew she had to finish answering the question, but she didn't want to look at him in the eye anymore. "I did it after that when we would go to the showers sometimes, sometimes I was scared Olivia would catch on somehow. I didn't make any noise but I still felt like she would know what I was doing. I always had to pretend like I didn't want to go o the showers because I usually hated getting up, but I did want to go after that first time." She wished she would have asked a better question, but it was too late now. She looked up at him again and was surprised that he wasn't smirking at her or otherwise trying to embarrass her. He was staring at her intently. Malia wondered if her story had aroused him. She couldn't see why it would, she hadn't been attempting to arouse him. She wished she just knew what he was thinking so she didn't have to try and guess what his facial expressions meant. There weren't very many variations with him to distinguish between, any differences were especially subtle and he hid them well. 

He cleared his throat and she looked up at his eyes again. They looked a little more focused, she wondered if it was her imagination. "Milly came from an affluent family. They were part of the in crowd of wealthy families. We were all connected, Milly's family, Finn's, and my own. She was at all of the important parties and we went to the same school, though she was a year behind me. Basically we, as well as several others, grew up together. My family was at the center of the group. My father had prestige and charisma as well as an abundance of money. My mother was beautiful and was also raised with money and knew how to conduct herself. Tristan and I were the epitome of ideal sons to round off the perfect family unit. Milly was attracted to the prestige and power and she chose me as her way into the family." He smiled. "My mother took me aside and threatened my entire inheritance if I ever married her. I was thirteen at the time. She didn't like Milly's demeanor. Milly was always there though, she made sure of that. Eventually, after years of her flaunting herself in my face, I fucked her. I wasn't her first, she wasn't mine. I didn't take it seriously, we were young and she had grown to have quite the reputation. Milly, however, did take it seriously. I shouldn't have done it, I knew I was only encouraging her. She never really gave up hope that we would get together someday. I didn't really help, as she was offering sex at my convenience I let her think whatever she wanted. Once I joined the military I cut ties with Milly completely. She was insistent and would call me sometimes or visit the house occasionally, but I ignored her advances for years. The night before you saw Milly was the first time I'd slept with Milly since I was twenty." 

"Why?" Malia asked when he stopped. 

"Is that your next question?" Cain asked in reply. 

"I answered your question fully, that wasn't a complete answer to mine." She argued. 

Surprisingly he sighed and seemed to agree with the argument. "She was from a different era in my life. I was highly rebellious and out of control when I was younger. She was a part of that rebellious behavior." He shrugged. "I wanted to spite my parents in every way possible and Milly was one of the ways I did that. I drank and tried several variants of drugs during that time. I gave all of that up when I enlisted. Theres a freedom to that kind of recklessness though, the freedom of being completely and utterly selfish. When I called Milly.." he paused and contemplated his next words, "it was as close as I was willing to get to that feeling again. So to answer your question simply, Milly is nothing but my past. Though she fails to see it, that's all there will ever be there." 

Malia hadn't ever visualized Cain the way he described himself, but she could see it. That vision ,however, didn't match up with the man sitting across the desk from her today. He valued control and order, though he'd lost his temper numerous times now where she was concerned. Something had changed him monumentally and she was quite certain that it had to do with Tristan. Malia hoped he would answer her next question, though she had her doubts. 

"Tell me the full story of what happened to Tristan." She asked him softly. He didn't give anything away in his expression. 

"That's not a question." He replied straight faced. 

"Will you tell me the full story of what happened to Tristan?" She asked again. 

"No." He answered immediately. 

"I answered all of your questions. I'll tell you whatever you want to know, and if I don't I'll let it go." She promised him sincerely. 

He thought about it for a moment. "You still didn't come up with a proper question. Your request requires a bit more than a typical question would. If I answer you, I think you are going to offer a service in return." 

"Fine." She agreed without hesitation. 

He smiled wickedly. "Okay little girl, I want you to take off the dress, come behind the desk, get on your knees, and suck my cock." He said it slowly, pausing between each part of the request. She felt a jolt go down her spine directly to her clit at his crude words and the vivid images they provided. 

"That isn't an even trade." She finally said once she could find her voice. 

He raised his brows and shrugged, "I'm sorry you feel that way. Now let me get back to work." He was smirking arrogantly again, and started to work on the computer. He knew she wasn't going to go through with it. He didn't want her to go through with it, he would have to tell her his story if she did. He had chosen his words to ensure maximum shocking power. But some part of him did want her to go through with it, that was why it was what came to his mind. She felt another flush of arousal. She kept to her word and remained quiet for the remainder of the day. She watched him work as her mind went crazy. Eventually they left the building and returned to the car. There was a new driver and Cain spoke mundanely to this man as well. She stared out the window and thought about the bizarre situations she continued to find herself in. She would have never experienced any of these things in the unit; the good and the bad. She had wished she had more excitement in her life, but now she wasn't so sure. Would she rather be safe in the unit with the familiar day to day safe surroundings? It should have been preferable to the continuous emotional turmoil she was put through being out of the unit, but she couldn't make herself feel that way, no matter how much she wanted to. She hadn't really spoken to Cain since he'd made his abrupt proposition, but she soon found herself abandoned with him once again in the small confines of the cabin. 

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As soon as Cain walked into the cabin he told Malia that he was going to take a shower. He knew he was putting off the inevitable but he didn't care. She had driven him crazy in every way possible today; from 'reorganizing' his bookshelves, to telling him she masturbated in the unit showers, to her lack of reaction to him ordering her to give him a blow job in the middle of his office. He had expected her to be shocked and appalled and to lash out at him, but for a second he thought she had almost considered going through with it. Luckily he'd had a couple of hours of her silence to cool down behind the cover of his desk, or she would have noticed his highly tented pants. He'd told her things he hadn't planned on sharing with her. She'd told him things he couldn't believe she'd said. How could she never have been kissed? He'd felt a moment of guilt when she'd told him that. He'd had a flashback to the night before, of him kissing her after nearly raping her dry. That had been her first kiss. She deserved better than that. He had been sucked into her little game, knowing that it wasn't going to end well. But he just couldn't quit playing with her. His questions had been thought up to try and win. He wanted her to relent and refuse to answer his inappropriate questions, but she'd answered them completely, holding nothing back. He'd done the same in return, his sense of honor invoked by her honesty. He had went instantly hard as she'd described the first time she'd brought herself off in the shower stall next to her unsuspecting sister. She'd deserved her answer after her little admission. 

He'd told her about Milly, which really wasn't much of anything to tell. When she'd asked why he'd slept with her recently though, he'd revealed something to both her and himself. He remembered staring at the bottles and wishing for the sweet blissful release provided by not only just the alcohol or the drugs, but also by the absence of caring. He'd felt the weight and pressure of guilt and responsibility bearing down on him for so long that it was almost a palpable heaviness on his shoulders. He'd wanted to go back for just one moment to when he'd been blissfully free from it all. He wouldn't be reckless like he was again, and he didn't want to be, but for that small amount of time he could pretend that he was just a little less trapped. It hadn't provided any lasting relief to Cain. He'd never been especially fond of Milly anyway. He turned the cold water off and reached for a towel. 

He wasn't sure how he was going to stand spending an entire night alone with Malia, let alone an entire week. When she wasn't infuriating him she was making him uncomfortably hard. He'd taken her to the base camp today to get out of the stiflingly small house. He hadn't been planning on going there this week, but he'd wanted to avoid talking to Malia about the night before. The whole plan had seemingly blown up in his face however, as sex seemed to be the topic of the day, mostly as he kept bringing it up. He was expecting her to shy away from the topic. She was once again doing the opposite of what he expected. She'd found some sort of inner resolve today and was out to prove something. He smiled as he remembered the stunned faces of the men she'd attempted to flirt with at lunch. They'd looked thrilled until they'd made eye contact with him heading towards the table himself. He'd made it clear that Malia was off limits completely. They'd been especially prudent in ignoring her completely. She'd looked disappointed and for a moment he'd wanted to comfort her and reassure her that he was the reason they'd lost interest in her. He'd stopped himself, her self-confidence seemed to be in better shape anyway. He dressed in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. He couldn't waste anymore time in the bathroom without looking conspicuous. 




The Reluctant Journey Ch. 08



Ok, I know that the non-consent thing in this chapter is kind of a stretch, but all of the other chapters are posted here, so here you go. I hope you enjoy and thank you for all of the wonderful comments. 

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Blake Denizen had invested in a stress ball when he'd finally broken his phone from throwing it across the room in frustration repeatedly. Cain Malcolm was going to get his way. What was fucking new. Golden boy had always breezed through life while everyone else had to work for what they had. Eli McAllister was wrapped around Cain's manicured little finger. Blake had received a letter that formally acknowledged his complaint and assured him that it had been dealt with accordingly. Cain probably hadn't even received a proverbial slap on the wrist. No, he had probably had a real good fucking time laughing it up with the General of the Army. They'd probably found the whole thing real fucking hilarious over a game of golf. As always, Cain would get his way. Blake squeezed the yellow smily face ball in his fist until his knuckles turned white. 

Every time he'd had to talk to the son of bitch he'd wanted to scream. Cain had come in with his hostage girl to fix everything up with a real big fucking smile on his face. It had nearly driven Blake mad to have to be cordial with the prick. Cain, on the other hand, had found it extremely amusing to rub it in Denizen's face the entire time they'd had to work together. He didn't out right say anything, but he didn't have to. His perfect pretty boy face did all the talking for him with the infuriating arrogance that showed there so openly. He thought a lot of himself. The aggravating thing about it was that everyone else seemed to think a lot of him as well. It didn't seem fair that Cain should have money and looks. He had never had to even lift a finger and women opened their legs wide for him. How the asshole had any friends was beyond him. No he knew why he had friends, he had money. That's what it had always come down to, money, and Cain had been born with an abundance of it. 

Everyone at the snobby school he'd been forced to go to had flocked around him and his brother. Blake didn't really care for the brother one way or the other, but Cain had always gotten under his skin. As soon as Blake's dad had made him transfer to the big shot school to go with their new big shot money he'd hated nearly everyone there, but Cain had caught his eye especially. Cain was the hot shot of the school and he knew it. He'd looked down on Blake the moment he'd gotten there. He was the king of the snobby superficial bitches that spent their mommy and daddy's money left and right. The money that his own father had been so proud of had embarrassed Blake throughout high school. It was never enough with the rich. Everyone strove to be like the Malcolm's and Blake was the furthest away from that goal. He'd gone from the in crowd of his own school to the scum under Cain's foot. 

Cain actually had the nerve to shove his military position in Blake's face, as if he'd earned anything. Blake had worked his ass off to get his position and Cain didn't do shit and was ten times as powerful. Blake ran a unit and Cain was one step away from running the entire army. Blake was proud of how far he'd come and Cain had laughed in his face. 

'Ah ah ah, that's General Malcolm to you, director'. Cain's voice replayed in Blake's mind once again. He squeezed his ball furiously. Cain was going to win. He would win like he'd won his entire fucking life. No! Not again! He would not lose to Cain Malcolm again. He was going to ruin that snarky prick's life if it was the last thing he ever did. 

It didn't take him many phone calls to various friends he'd made over the years to find people who might be mad at the general. He smiled at the name he'd written down and underlined. 

"Well well well, I think it's time we give Mr. Vincent Dutari a call." Blake said to himself, smiling for the first time in weeks. 

-----------------------------------------------

Malia couldn't stop thinking that she should have stopped Cain from leaving. She didn't know what to say to him. His story had actually made her cry. She could vicariously feel the overpowering guilt that he must feel daily. He thought that it was his fault. That one moment that he'd surprisingly shared with her had shaped his life so completely. It had changed a hurt selfish teenager into an overly responsible man. But he was more than just responsible, he was living his life to make up for his past. She knew that he would never consider that debt paid. Before she knew Cain she had thought that he had no sense of honor or nobility. She'd thought that he would have done whatever he needed and wanted to do to get the end result he desired. Recently she'd come to know that his sense of honor was deeply ingrained, and when he'd violated it he didn't take it lightly. 

She should have told him that it wasn't his fault. He wouldn't agree with her of course, but she felt he needed to hear it all the same. She didn't have time to think of the words before he'd left the house. He'd told the entire story straight-faced, though she saw the deep emotion lurking in his eyes. The memory had been haunting him for a long time. She could see the events play through her mind like a tragic movie. 

She could see the lost teenager lashing out at his stifling family life that was dominated by public appearances. She could see how his strong pride would cause that rebellion to escalate, as he would die before he would back down. She imagined that his father had been very similar in temperament, causing a volatile mixture. She saw the pain there, when he talked about his father's death. He'd loved the man and she knew it had devastated him, no matter how aloof he may act. But Cain's pride was what kept him together. She saw the young man spiraling out of control as he refused to grieve for a man he'd openly hated, a man he'd loved. 

It was this weakened state that had finally broken the pride that had been holding him together. She saw things as Cain would. He had continued to act selfishly, even after the death of his father. He'd therefore caused the death of a friend and the lifelong irreversible injury to his own brother. She knew what had been a terrible accident wouldn't be seen that way to Cain. A tear streamed down her face as she saw the scene in her head. Now Cain was running through the woods, trying to run from his own memories. She should go look for him. She didn't know what to say if she were to find him. He wouldn't accept any comforting words she had to offer, even if she could come up with any words to say. She couldn't sit in the recliner anymore, she needed to do something. 

Malia walked into the kitchen. She would make him dinner. She started going through the cupboards and refrigerator to prowl their contents. She wasn't sure what he liked to eat. She didn't actually know how to cook anyway. Hopefully this would be a thought that counted type of thing. An hour went by and she was pacing back and forth from the kitchen to the living room. Every time she passed the window in the living room she looked for Cain. She'd made spaghetti because it seemed like a fairly safe bet that he would like spaghetti and it was simple enough for her to figure out. The silver pot of meat sauce sat covered on the stove next to the pot of pasta. She couldn't do it anymore. She'd already changed into a pair of sweat pants and a t-shirt, as well as undergarments. She put a pair of tennis shoes on and walked out the front door. She didn't know how she was planning on finding him but she couldn't pace around anymore.

The sun had started to go down and the woods were darker than the front yard she'd been meticulously scanning. She slowed down as soon as she reached the trees. How was Cain running around in the dark, he would run into a tree or something. 

"Cain," she yelled. She wanted to get out of here. She could have turned around and went back into the house but now a reel of worst case scenarios was running through her mind at warp speed. Cain could have been attacked by wild animals, or he could have fallen on a rock and hit his head, or someone could have assaulted him. She tried to physically shake the paranoid thoughts out of her head. Cain wasn't fragile or weak by any means. She shouldn't be worrying about him, but he wasn't in the best state of mind and he shouldn't be out here like that. She continued to walk and call out for him, though she didn't yell as loudly as she could. It seemed risky to her for some reason. She felt a large plop of water hit her cheek, followed by another on her forehead nearly immediately after. Fantastic, it was raining. She started to walk a little faster and yell a little louder. She didn't even know if she was going the right way. There were tons of foot trails that wound through the forest for miles around Finn's cabin. 

It seemed to go from a grayish dark to a pitch black much too quickly. Malia was jogging now and yelling his name at the top of her lungs. The heavy cover of trees had kept most of the rain off of her, but it started to rain harder. It seemed like she was soaking wet in less than a minute. 

"Cain!" Malia's voice was starting to become frantic. She couldn't see the path anymore and even if she wanted to turn back she wouldn't know which way to go. This had to be the stupidest idea she'd ever had. Cain was probably sitting in the recliner back in the living room watching a TV show. Hopefully he would come looking for her. Malia heard a deafening crack much too close for comfort. She thought she might have felt the ground shake with the vicious thunder. She stopped and closed her eyes. If she didn't get her emotions under control quickly, she was going to start panicking. She breathed in and out as she heard more thunder crash through the night sky. She only felt minimally better when she opened her eyes again. She called out again and again as she walked quickly through the underbrush. She'd definitely abandoned the path. She tried to look around but it was pouring rain and she couldn't see anything but trees. As the thunder and lightning became more frequent and intense she felt the panic overtake her. She turned completely around and started to run. She needed to find the path again. Didn't lightning strike trees? There were probably wolves and bears in these woods. She could feel the paranoia rising. She screamed when she unexpectedly ran into what felt like a tree, except the tree fell when they made contact. 

"Jesus, Malia!" Cain yelled to be heard over the thunder and rain. 

"Cain?" Her voice was filled with relief that completely masked over the pain of hitting him full force. She'd knocked him down, luckily only on dead leafs and dirt. She was already laying on him fully so she hugged him in relief. 

"I found you. oh my god I thought I was lost. Why didn't you answer me!" She yelled at him. 

"I did!" He yelled back. She let go of him and looked up at his face, he looked angry. "What the hell are you doing out here?" 

It was strange to have a conversation lying on top of someone so she rolled off of him and stood up. He groaned as he stood. He'd completely caught the brunt of the fall, and she'd been running pretty frantically, she hoped he wasn't seriously hurt. She was only sympathetic until his words finally sunk in. She had been out here looking for him and he was yelling at her? "What do you mean what am I doing out here?" She yelled, all of her fear easily turing into anger. "I was looking for you, you ungrateful bastard." 

"Ungrateful? What the fuck am I supposed to be grateful for? I had to come into the woods in a fucking thunderstorm to find you! Why would you leave the path?" She'd scared him, but he'd scared her too and she was tired of him lashing out at her to deal with his emotions. 

"Do you think I meant to leave the path? In case you haven't noticed, it's pouring rain and pitch black out here!" She yelled back. 

"So why are you out here?" He spoke as if she were incredibly stupid. 

"I already told you!" 

"I told you I was going for a run. Why would you come look for me?" He'd stopped yelling, but it sounded like he was actively trying to speak calmly. 

"I was worried okay!" She yelled when she couldn't think of any plausible lie. 

"Don't start pitying me, little girl!" He was yelling again. "I'm not some broken thing you need to comfort, do you hear me? What I told you changes nothing!" He grabbed the tops of her arms as he spoke directly down into her face. 

Malia didn't believe him. He was panicking even more than she had been a few moments before. His stubborn pride was being threatened and he needed to reestablish his power. He wouldn't let her see him hurt. 

"You're right! I shouldn't pity you! You're so god-damned irritating that you don't deserve me to worry about you, but I did anyway! So just get over it. And quit telling me nothing has changed, because as far as I can see it, nothing is the same! We had sex Cain! Then you called off the deal with Tristan, and told me your big secret story! Yet you keep telling me that nothing has changed, everything has changed!" She was breathing heavily as she expressed her irritation. 

After a couple of minutes of her trying to catch her breath he lifted her chin up with his index finger. She couldn't see his face very clearly. "Malia this isn't a happy ending kind of thing. I'm not going to fall in love with you." He said it full of pity, trying to avoid hurting her feelings. 

"I don't recall asking you to!" She tried to push him away but he resisted, still looking down into her face.

"I just don't want to give you the wrong idea." He was making things worse, he thought of her as a little incompetent girl. 

"Cain, do us both a favor and stop worrying about my feelings okay?" She stepped closer until her entire body was pressed lightly up against his. "I promise you, you aren't nearly as irresistible as you think you are." She smiled up at him and pushed firmly away. This time he let her go. "Which way is the cabin?" She asked as she turned away from him.She was freezing and water continuously dripped down her face as the rain poured. 

"I don't know." He answered simply. She turned to look at him quickly. 

"What?" She desperately hoped that he was joking. 

"You heard me. I was following your obnoxious screaming through the woods. It didn't give me much time to leave a trail of breadcrumbs." He didn't sound like he was joking. Malia felt her stomach sink like a rock. 

"Cain you know these woods. Please tell me you're joking." She wiped rain from her eyes. 

"I don't really know these woods." He looked around the trees as there was a map dangling from one of them. "I don't live here after all." 

"You went running through the woods! How did you get back to the cabin then?" She was starting to panic again as the lightning lit up both of their faces momentarily. 

"Well, since I didn't decide to travel into the woods in the fucking dark, I could keep track of the paths I was taking. I definitely didn't leave the path and run through the trees screaming like a banshee." Cain said accusingly. 

She ignored the verbal jab to placate her rising panic. "Do you mean to tell me that we are lost in the woods in the middle of the night in a thunderstorm?" 

"It looks that way." She'd subconsciously moved closer to Cain again. "I suggest you pick a path, looks like we're going with trial and error here." Cain shrugged at her nonchalantly. 

"What?" She looked at him like he'd grown an extra head. 

"I don't see any other way we're going to make it back. Choose." He motioned at the path they were on. 

She didn't know which way would lead them back to the cabin and which would lead them further into the woods. She'd been off the path for a while before he'd found her. Neither direction gave a slightest hint, as they both looked quite formidable. She chose to continue forward and hoped she wouldn't come to regret the decision. They continued to walk through the rain for what felt like a long time. Cain was simply following her silently. She could feel her nerves winding tighter and tighter as they continued to walk in silence. She finally stopped and turned around to face him. 

"Did we go the wrong way?" She asked accusingly. 

"How should I know?" He replied defensively 

She gritted her teeth in frustration. "Well what do you think? A little input would be nice here." She sighed. It had stopped pouring rain, though it continued to drizzle. 

"You mean to say that you don't want to be in charge? But all throughout the day you were doing everything you could think of to show me just how powerful you were. My computer and bookshelves will surely quiver in fear when they see you again. Not to mention the poor soldiers from lunch. You wanted to be in charge, so lead." 

She glared at him suspiciously as he continued with his gloating speech. "Did you do this," she motioned to the woods around them, "to prove that you have power over me?" 

"Now how would I do this? How would I know that you were going to be stupid enough to run into the woods, after I told you where I was going, in the middle of a thunderstorm, right as it was getting dark?" 

She wished she could see his face clearly. She wasn't good at reading his facial expressions, but maybe she would be able to tell if he were lying about this. "Do you know where we are?" She asked, still highly suspicious that this was another power play. 

"I already answered that question." He replied irritated. "I suggest you pick a direction and start walking if you want to get to the cabin tonight. 

Malia was cold, wet, and tired. Her mental facilities were running thin. She walked over to a large tree and sat on the ground at the base of the trunk. Cain stood over her looking down at her. 

"What are you doing?" He asked incredulously. 

"I'm leading. At ease troop." She snarled up at him. 

"Cute." He replied unamused. "Stellar leadership skills. It's a wonder I haven't given you the reigns before now." 

"I'm cold and tired of walking." She closed her eyes. The rain had finally stopped. 

"As leader you should know that wearing wet clothing for an extended period of time is just asking for skin breakdown and infection." He sounded so proud of himself at her failure to lead. She was going to wipe that satisfied look off of his face. She didn't want to focus on the situation they were in, so she decided to try and have some fun. Her previous fear and adrenaline had drained her body and she was feeling almost giddy. 

"Well then scout, take 'em off." She ordered. She folded her arms behind her head on the tree trunk in a faux relaxed posture. 

He crossed his arms across his chest making his muscles especially prominent in the wet t-shirt that clung to his powerful frame. "An epic misuse of power." He chastised. 

"Ah, not so epic. I've seen worse." She looked at him accusingly. "But what can I say? I learned from the best. Now strip." She attempted to mimic his authoritative tone but felt that there was no comparison. 

He smiled. She could see his straight white teeth even in the dark. 

"Oh, so I'm supposed to listen to you? Like you listen to me?" He laughed cynically. "No I don't have to. You have no hold over my life." He used an annoyingly high pitched voice to mimic her. 

"I do not sound like that." 

"No?" He grinned arrogantly.

"No." She stood quickly and felt a little dizzy, but she righted herself on the tree trunk. The clouds had cleared and the moonlight made him more visible to her. He really was sexy. His hair was wet and spiky. His shirt clung to his impressive body, leaving nothing to the imagination. Her fingers itched to run across those imposing muscles. She walked closer to him. She shouldn't want this but she just couldn't bring herself to feel bad about it. She couldn't see a reason to keep fighting the attraction she had to him. She wasn't a virgin anymore, she thought with a little thrill. "So this is where I rip the shirt from your body and show my dominance?" She was close to him now. He wasn't smiling anymore which gave her a dose of feminine pride. She moved her hands up and played with the hemline of his t-shirt. She was pretty certain that she couldn't rip it in half, so she didn't try. She looked up at him, hoping he would obey her. She could feel heat pooling between her legs especially well since the rest of her body was cold and clammy. 




The Reluctant Journey Ch. 08



"Don't start something you aren't going to finish little girl." His eyes were dark as they glared warningly down at her. 

"Little too late for that isn't it big boy?" She looked down at his tented pants and smiled. There was something so thrilling about being the cause of his arousal. When she looked up at his face again he looked so deliciously menacing. 

"Clearly the adrenaline was too much for you." He growled, looking irritated. 

"Why? Because I want it tonight?" She challenged him. He had kept her on edge all day and she suddenly realized how much she wanted this, how much she needed it. "You would rather have me fighting you?" 

"Don't ever say that I didn't try to warn you." He snarled and lifted her against his body quickly. She squeaked in surprise before his mouth crushed in on hers. She wrapped her arms around his neck tightly and slid her tongue in his mouth. Her legs wound around his narrow hips. Her cleft was riding his significant bulge causing her to moan into his mouth. His hands were on her ass, holding her against him tightly. He walked until her back was pressed against the tree she'd been sitting by. Each of his steps caused a jolt of electrifying pleasure. She used his broad shoulders as leverage to lift herself minimally and slid back down on him completely. He broke their kiss as he groaned. She repeated the motion as she pressed her forehead to his and moaned appreciatively. Her mind was so exquisitely cloudy. She was completely in tune with her body's needs, everything else didn't matter. 

She didn't need to lift herself again because Cain moved this time. He thrust his hips into her hard, making contact with her clit through their respective layers of clothing. Her fingers clenched instinctively into his shoulders. He repeated the agonizingly magnificent motion again. She opened her eyes to watch him. His brows were tightly cinched together in concentration that looked like it bordered on pain. His eyes were heavy lidded but open, he looked at her. She found it incredibly arousing that he was clearly as affected as she was. 

"Put me down." She unwound her arms and legs from his body. He looked pained but followed her order, probably expecting her to change her mind. She wanted to try this before she lost her nerve, or her mind became too lost to lust to think at all. She slowly lowered herself to her knees in front of him. 

"Malia." He groaned in warning. She loved when he said her name. 

"I want to try something." She hoped he didn't stop her. She pulled his athletic pants and boxers down slowly. His erection sprang free and she finally got to see it closely. It was quite intimidating. It was long and thick and hard. She brought her hand up tentatively and grazed her fingers along the length curiously. She looked up at him to gauge his reaction. His chest moved up and down with the deep breaths he was taking. He was watching her with those heavy lidded eyes again. The unit didn't have the internet or television which made sexual acts a big sharing subject with the girls there, they had to share what they'd learned somehow. She hadn't exactly tried any of the things she'd heard, but she still thought back to all of the stories for reference on how to proceed. It had to be better advice than nothing. She brought her hand to the tip again and encircled the head, she couldn't completely touch her fingers together. She moved down his length slowly applying a little pressure. He groaned softly, egging her on. He was so hard and strong and hot. She pumped her hand up his rigid staff again. She never thought that this would be so arousing for her but there was something empowering about controlling his body's reactions. She brought her face closer and flicked her tongue out to graze the head of his cock. He hissed as he quickly sucked in air. 

She kept looking up at him to gauge his reaction. He looked so predatory, it excited her. She covered her teeth with her upper lip and tongue and engulfed the head of his cock. His eyebrows shot together in a surprised frown. She moved her tongue back and forth to test the new sensation of having him in her mouth. He groaned which provoked her to take more of him inside. He stretched her mouth and she couldn't take nearly all of him. She slid her mouth back up to the tip applying suction as she went. The sound of his groan satisfied her immensely. She repeated the motion. She didn't get to try anything else before she was lifted up off of him by her arms. She looked at him confused. He didn't answer, he just held her there for a second with his eyes closed and his brow knit together. He seemed to gain his self control again and opened his eyes. They were dark and hungry looking. He kicked his shoes off and stepped out of his pants that were around his ankles. He walked, pushing her back, until her back was once again pressed against the rough bark of the tree. 

"Mmm, Cain." She sighed appreciatively. 

"Let's get some of these clothes off." He nearly growled. She raised her arms and he pulled her shirt off in one quick swipe. He reached around her and unlatched her bra faster than she thought possible. He took a moment to look down at her naked breasts appreciatively. "Lose the pants." He ordered. 

She arched an eyebrow. "Lose the shirt." She countered. "And the socks," He was naked from the waist down except for a pair of black athletic socks that didn't even come up to his ankle. "they're distracting me." He laughed and groaned at the same time. She expected him to argue with her but he pulled his shirt off jerkily and brought one foot at a time off of the ground to rip the sock off and throw it into the small clearing behind them. She wanted to play more, it was so different from the night before, but her own needs were taking control as much as his were. She brought her feet up slowly and removed her shoes and socks. She lost the inch the tennis shoes had given her; he was so tall in comparison to her. It was so fascinating to her to compare how different their bodies were. She'd always wanted to be more petite and feminine but next to Cain's overwhelmingly masculine physique she was sure that if she'd been any smaller he would surely crush her. They seemed like a perfectly proportional pair, which thrilled her. He was hard where she was pliant, and bigger and stronger than her. The entire effect was overwhelmingly stimulating. He looked very impatient so she brought her hands up to the waistband of her pants. She bent down as she slowly slid the pants and panties down her legs in what she hoped was an attractive manner. Cain only looked at her for a second before he had her pinned against the tree once again. The bark was scratching up against her back in what should have been a painful sensation, strangely enough she couldn't seem to feel more than the briefest recognition that it was there. 

He kissed her quickly and impatiently for a moment. Then he lifted her again by her hips, except it was significantly higher this time. She squeaked at the unexpected action. It seemed to be effortless for him to get her high in the air. She only had a second to wonder what he was doing before he stepped closer to the tree and let her legs dangle over his shoulders on his back. She tried to push him away when she realized his face was directly aligned with her seeping center, but he simply trapped each of her hands in his. Her ass was pressed against the tree and her weight was being supported by his broad shoulders. She felt nervous and excited in equal amounts at what she knew was coming. 

"My turn." He moaned right before his tongue touched her intimately. She tried to move her hands in a defensive motion but they were firmly encased in his much larger ones which were pressed against her hips to steady her. He swirled his tongue around her clit expertly and all semblance of defending herself from him was gone instantly. Which was good because it freed up his hands to join in. She moved her hands to his head to hold on, but she wasn't trying to get away anymore. He moved his finger downward to find her very wet. He pushed one finger in and soon added another, moving them in and out slow at first but with increasing quickness. His tongue continued to do amazing things. As she moaned and arched her back uncontrollably he began to move with more intensity and speed. She could feel the orgasm cresting. Everything about him was magnifying the sensation: his expertise with her body, the heat his body created when next to hers, the fact that he had her pinned high on the trunk of a tree so effortlessly. She'd given herself plenty of orgasms, but not one of them could compare to the nerve tingling climax he caused in her. She felt jolts of sensation run through her body quickly and intensely. He kept egging her on with his tongue and fingers as she came. She was breathing heavily when he finally stopped. He looked up at her with a self-satisfied grin. She didn't have the energy to come up with a smart ass comment.

He lifted her off of his shoulders as easily as he'd put her there, but he didn't put her back on the ground. He lowered her until she was brought out of her daze by his strong, hard cock coming in contact with her mound. She'd been recovering from the full body orgasm but was brought instantly to attention by an insistent nudge just inside her outer lips. Her eyes instantly darted to his, which were once again dark and focused. He held her ass against the tree with one hand as his other came around to move his cock back and forth slowly and teasingly across her entire slit. When he reached her opening again he slid in, but only a little bit. She cinched her eyebrows in frustration. She didn't understand how he could work her up again so quickly. A second ago she could have sworn that she was so satisfied that she wouldn't need to come again in a year or two, now she was hot and bothered once again. He smiled at her knowingly. She wrapped her legs around his hips tightly, trying to pull him more into herself. He resisted only for a moment, probably to show her she couldn't physically force him to do anything, then he plunged inside of her quickly. She was very wet but there was still a hint of pain from accommodating his large staff. He started to move and the pain eased and then dissipated all together as pleasanter sensations took its place. She latched onto him tightly as his movements became harsher and faster. Each of his powerful thrusts brought his pelvic bone fully against her clit. She didn't think it possible but she came again. It seemed to be what Cain was waiting for because he lost all restraint that she didn't know he was using and chased his own climax. She held on tight as he gave a final thrust inside her and groaned as he came. She felt like she was drunk and disoriented as she was pinned to the tree by his hard muscled body. His head was bent into the curve of her neck as he attempted to catch his breath. He was still fully inside of her which was thrilling to her for some reason. 

The feeling couldn't last forever. He pulled out of her and lowered her to the ground slowly. Her legs were very wobbly and unreliable so she leaned heavily against the tree. She could suddenly feel her back, scratched raw from the friction against the rough bark. He stepped back slightly and looked down at her face. She had a thousand emotions running through her mind at once, each competing with the next to overtake her. She was fearful at the powerful need Cain could effortlessly make her feel, but it was the same need that elated her. She also had a secret and satisfying pride that she'd caused him to unravel just as much as he'd caused her to. 

A gust of wind reminded her that she was naked in the cold wet woods at night. She shivered at the chill it caused her recently heated body. Cain walked over to his own discarded pants and picked them up. She watched him bend over, his muscles fascinating her in their efficiency. The pants dripped cold water as he lifted them. 

"Fuck that." Cain muttered under his breath. She found this unbelievably funny and started to laugh hysterically. He arched an eyebrow at her. She was feeling good, her muscles felt like jelly which was a novel feeling. Cain picked up the rest of his clothing. "Come on the cabin's not far from here." Cain said. She felt her good mood dissipate in record time.

"What!" She yelled at his back as he started to walk down the path they'd been taking before. He ignored her and kept walking completely naked with his clothing and shoes in his arms. She scattered to get her own clothing before he got too far for her to yell at him, or for him to lose her which was a frightening thought. She ran to catch up to him. 

"You said you didn't know where we were!" She yelled, outraged. 

He smirked. "Of course I knew where we were Malia. I helped Finn build this cabin, took the better part of a summer."

"You lied to me?" She yelled, annoyed that his long strides caused her to halfway jog to keep up with him. 

"You deserved it." He said simply, as if it were a commonly accepted fact. "Did you think you were going to get away with your behavior today scot-free? And we would have made it to the cabin eventually, except you had to stop and have a nervous breakdown." 

She snorted indignantly. "You were sure to take advantage of that weren't you." 

He stopped walking suddenly, surprising her. He turned to slightly face her. "Don't try to blame that on me, not this time." He warned menacingly. 

He was right, she'd practically begged him. The revelation caused her cheeks to turn scarlet. "You're right." she admitted less than enthusiastically. It seemed to be enough for Cain because he turned back to the path and continued to walk. It annoyed her that he didn't look ridiculous walking through the woods naked. Sure enough the cabin came into view, the lights still on through the windows. She suddenly felt her nakedness as they walked into the clearing surrounding the house. She crossed her arms over her chest as she walked slightly behind Cain. She was irritated that her gaze kept falling to his tightly muscled ass as he walked.

"I'm taking a shower." Cain announced as soon as they got inside. "So don't come looking for me or anything." He smirked. 

"Why do you get to go first? I thought rich boys were supposed to be raised as gentlemen." She was irritated with him and herself. 

"You're more than welcome to join me." He laughed as he walked into the bathroom. 

She mocked his snarky voice as she passed the closed bathroom door and heard the water hitting the tub. She went into her room and pulled a white terrycloth robe from the closet. She wrapped it around her shoulders and sighed as she finally got her cold dripping hair off of her back. She sat on the bed with her back propped against the wooden headboard. She was so tired but she definitely wanted at least a quick shower before she went to sleep. She didn't want to think too hard about the stickiness between her legs. She firmly decided that she wasn't going to regret tonight. She'd finally felt some control of her own sexuality. She'd finally felt like a woman worthy of attracting the beautiful, feral beast that was Cain Malcolm. She firmly resolved that she wouldn't ever regret that feeling. There was an attraction to him that she was done trying to deny, even if it would come to be her downfall. She'd lost the ability to fight as soon as he'd revealed his secret to her. She sighed as she realized that falling in love with him would be the biggest mistake she would ever make and there was no way of avoiding it. 

-------------------------

Fine! She wanted him to stop worrying about her feelings? That's exactly what he was going to do. He'd dealt with enough women to know when they could handle casual sex, and when they were planning a future springtime wedding. He'd tried to be a gentleman. He'd led plenty of women on in the past and Malia didn't deserve that. She had been trying her damnedest to sabotage him at every turn though. There was just so much he could take. He was a healthy heterosexual man and she was an attractive female. Add to that the fact that she'd recently gotten over her reluctance for sexual behavior and it was a volatile situation. Forget 'gotten over', she'd all but ripped his clothes off, and she'd thought about attempting that. He'd seen it in her eyes. Those ornery playful eyes that were the only reminder that she was so innocent and naive. Thinking about those eyes staring up at him as she brought her pouty lips to his cock made him groan. 

When he'd returned from his run to a pot of clumpy pasta he'd been irritated. He knew she would try and heal him like an injured puppy. But when he hadn't found her in the small house he'd started to worry. At first he'd through she'd ran away, but he couldn't see her doing that. She didn't have reason to anymore, unless she'd been so shocked and appalled by his story that she couldn't stand to be around him anymore. He'd lambasted himself for the paranoid scenarios that ran through his head. They'd caused him to look for her a little quicker and more frantically. Then it had started raining and he'd heard her screaming. He hadn't had enough time to form a reaction before he was hit full force by her running body. Once he found her the edginess he'd been feeling all came to the surface. He hadn't been planning on keeping her out in the woods in a storm, let alone condemning himself to the same fate, but she'd been pushing his buttons all day and he was suddenly highly irritated with her. He'd known where they were the entire time, which he could see she'd suspected. Then she'd sat by that damn tree and completely changed her mood. He still suspected it had been an adverse effect of too much stress and adrenaline. She'd been giddy and teasing and sexy. 

He'd tried to hold back damn it! He didn't like the fact that she seemed to be able to change his mind when it had been firmly against the idea before that. He jerked the knobs of the shower and the water flow ceased instantly. He rubbed a towel through his hair and quickly over his body then wrapped it around his waist. He hadn't been in the shower more than ten minutes so he didn't feel like too much of a jackass for taking a shower first. He walked to his bedroom, she could hear the door of the bathroom if she wanted a shower. He donned a pair of black boxers. He was too hungry to sleep, though he was exhausted. He went to find something to eat. Malia wasn't in the front of the house, she had to be in her bedroom. He made a simple sandwich and didn't bother with a plate. He chewed as he walked back to the bedroom. Her door was cracked, she had to know he was done. He sighed as he approached her door instead of his own. 

"Malia," he said as he opened the door. She was sitting against the headboard of the bed, asleep. Her head had fallen forward an was at an odd angle that he knew would hurt in the morning. She was in a giant fluffy robe. Her hair had mostly dried and was a mess, windblown and had what looked like a twig sticking out at the crown of her head. 

"I'm too nice for my own good." He mumbled to himself as he walked over to the other side of the bed. He took the last bite of his sandwich to free his hands. He watched her as he chewed. What was he going to do about this maddening little girl who'd turned out to be a frustratingly sexy woman? He knew he should just wake her up, but she looked so worn down and tired. He slipped his arm under her knee, feeling an incredible warmth there. He slipped the other arm behind her back and lifted her up. She made a soft whimpering sound but didn't wake up. It was awkward to juggle her and try and pull the blankets down at the same time, but he managed without waking her. He laid her down with her head on a pillow this time and covered her with the sheets and quilt. Hell if he was going to try and change her into something more comfortable, there was only so much restraint he could show in one day. He pulled the twig out of her hair and left the room, turning the light off as he left.  




The Reluctant Journey Ch. 08



----------------------------------

Malia woke up to a bright room. She looked over at the clock which showed it to be 12:32. She hadn't remembered falling asleep, but she must've been very tired to sleep through half the day. Suddenly she wondered why Cain had allowed her to. She'd assumed she would be going back to the base camp with him today. Her stomach growled viciously as she sat up in the warm bed. She walked slowly into the kitchen, every muscle she had was sore. Cain wasn't there but a note was taped to the refrigerator. 

'I'll be gone all day. I'm at work, so don't go looking for me. Feed yourself.

-Cain' 

His handwriting was pretty in a masculine sort of way. Of course it was, one more thing that was perfect about him. She was surprised he'd left her alone, it was the first time she'd been alone for any extended period of time since she'd first left the unit. She ate some fruit and yogurt and took a shower, she'd badly needed one. 

Her day spent alone was dreadfully uneventful. She didn't know what to do with herself and all of her attempts at entertaining herself just seemed to put her more on edge. Finally the black SUV pulled up and Cain stepped out. It felt to domesticated to meet him on the porch, but she was irritated when he talked to the driver instead of coming in the house immediately. She wasn't sure what she was going to do when he did come into the house anyway. Was she still mad at him? No. Should she be? Probably. It wasn't the most disturbing thought she'd had. The most disturbing was that she still wanted to jump his bones, desperately. He was wearing his usual expensive suit, and he looked amazing as always. She gave a disgust filled snort at her lack of willpower and turned towards the TV. She realized that she'd never turned it on just as he started to head for the door and made a dash to the power button so he wouldn't see how pathetic she was being, sitting in a quiet room waiting for him. He opened the door as she plopped back down in the recliner. She hoped he didn't notice the chair rocking with the force of her sitting. He looked at her suspiciously. 

"You didn't cut open all the pillows? Catch anything on fire? Smash all the mirrors? Finn wouldn't be too happy with me if you did." 

She shook her head, slightly annoyed at his mistrust of her. She hadn't had a single destructive thought all day. Her libido seemed to be too much in overdrive for anything else to seep through. What was wrong with her. He'd made her into some sort of sex freak. He looked at her strangely for her out-of-character compliance at his clear goad. She couldn't argue with him, it would only serve as foreplay. He looked at her, trying to discern her thoughts from her expression. She hoped he couldn't see what she was thinking. She blushed furiously and turned towards the television. 

"Get dressed, we're going to dinner." He said somewhat offhandedly. 

She quickly looked back up at him. "What?" She didn't know what else to say. 

He walked into the kitchen and got a glass of water as he answered. "It's my grandmother's birthday. We're going to dinner at her house." He took a drink. "Tristan will be there." He added on as if it would be a selling point. 

She usually would have argued with him she mused as she looked through the collection of clothing in the closet. Probably only for the sake of arguing, but she didn't like giving him his way so easily. She was glad that there would be other people at dinner to buffer their interactions with each other. She could get over whatever was wrong with her as long as there were other people around.

Tristan's grandmother's house was large, though nothing compared to Milan Manor. It was a brick building with immaculate white trim and flower-filled window boxes. There was ivy climbing up the tall chimney and beautiful flowers growing everywhere around the house. It was gorgeous. Malia felt as if it would be more appropriate to arrive in a horse-drawn carriage instead of the usual black SUV. 

Before they exited the vehicle Cain turned to look at her seriously. "For the sake of my grandmother's birthday I hope you will agree to a slightly different story as to how we met." 

She arched her brow. "Who are you going to tell them I am?" 

"I really don't have much choice, I wouldn't bring a colleague or subordinate here and I don't have any female friends. I'm not going to tell them the truth, it isn't their business. So I'll have to tell them that we're dating. We met in a meeting at a base camp in Lystra, it is a small town west of here. You were a secretary in the building the meeting was held in and transferred into central Phoenix." 

"How romantic." She mumbled sarcastically. 

"They shouldn't ask any questions." He assured her. 

An old woman had came out the front door to stand on the stone stairs in front of the house. Cain got out of the car and opened her door before she could get it. She looked at him strangely but got out of the car. He smiled warningly down at her. So she was to play the lovesick infatuated girlfriend, fantastic. He put his arm around her shoulder as if it were the most natural thing in the world as they both walked toward the woman. She was about Malia's height. Her hair was completely silver and pinned up in a bun. She was elegantly slender, but she looked like she was strong despite her age. She smiled widely as Cain walked up to greet her. He let go of Malia as he gently embraced the older woman. 

"Cain." The woman said with complete admiration. Malia suddenly didn't feel like she belonged her. Seeing his grandmother hug him with so much open love for him seemed like an intimate breach. "And who is this?" His grandmother asked as she held onto Cain's waist with one arm and faced Malia. 

"This is Malia Yates." Cain smiled at his grandmother, clearly fond of her. Malia didn't know why she hadn't expected him to be so affectionate with his grandmother. He was just so closed off to her that expecting anything else was risky. "We've been seeing each other for a few months." Malia was surprised when the woman pulled her into a hug. 

"That's fantastic." She smiled at her. "You're beautiful Malia." 

"Thank you." She replied, still stunned from the woman's reaction. "Happy birthday." She tacked on because she couldn't think of anything else to say. 

"Well thank you sweetheart. I have to celebrate to get this one to come and see me." She motioned to Cain. Before he could argue she looped an arm around Cain and the other around Malia and led them to the door. "Come in, come in. Tristan and your mother are inside." The woman, who's name she learned was Kate, oozed an infectious kindness. She looked up at her grandson with such open love and admiration. Cain smiled down at Kate with the same smile Malia had seen in the picture on his mantle of him and his brother as small boys. Clearly he loved her very much. 

The trio walked through a hallway and turned right into an open archway that led into a dining room. There was a fire crackling in the fireplace at the far wall. The large cherry table was set immaculately for five with pristine white dishes and crystal glasses. Malia felt her stomach drop when she realized she was going to have to eat in front of these people. Cain had criticized her table manners before, how was she going to fool these people? 

Tristan walked into the room from another archway opposite them that looked like it connected a sitting room. He had his arm around the shoulder of who could only be his mother. She resembled the beauty queen in the picture Malia had seen, but there were some distinctions that could only be accounted for by time. Her light brown hair more than likely came from a bottle now and hung in a straightened bob at her shoulders. There were faint lines around her eyes and mouth. She still had a timeless elegance shining through her pale green eyes. 

"Malia." Tristan smiled happily and left his mother to hug her. He also hit Cain's shoulder affectionately in greeting. "This is my mother, Miranda." He brought Malia over to his mother. 

Miranda smiled politely and extended her hand. "Pleasure to meet you Malia." Her voice was enunciated and almost clinical. 

Malia smiled in return and shook the woman's hand. "The pleasure is mine ma'am." 

Miranda turned to her oldest son. "Cain." She acknowledged him with barely veiled hostility. 

"Mother." Cain nodded. 

Kate hugged Tristan as lovingly as she'd done with Cain. His mother didn't seem to show the same fondness towards Cain. 

"Now that everyone is here let's eat." Kate said to the room. Kate sat at the head of the table with Miranda on her left and Cain on her right. Malia sat next to Cain and Tristan next to his mother. The first course came out almost immediately after everyone was seated. Thankfully Cain surreptitiously showed her which utensils to use and how to eat the strange unrecognizable food. After several courses the conversation, which Cain's mother had been silent through, turned to Malia. 

"Malia how did you and Cain meet?" Miranda asked, looking across the table. 

"We met at a meeting in, um, Lystra. I was the secretary there and your son is quite the charmer." Malia hoped she came off as genuine. She badly wanted to change the subject. 

"You're from Lystra?" She asked. 

"Yes." Malia had never heard of the place, she didn't know where the corresponding area would be on a map she would recognize. She didn't know what being from Lystra even entailed, though Miranda made it sound like it had negative connotations. 

"She transferred to central Phoenix about a month ago." Cain added, sounding much more believable than she had. 

"You're living in the manor?" Miranda asked incensed. 

"Miranda don't start." Kate warned her daughter. 

"Yes mother, Malia is living in the manor with Tristan and myself." He sounded weary instead of spiteful. Malia's discomfort grew at the clear antagonism Cain's mother showed for him. 

"Why shouldn't you turn your father's manner into a brothel!" Miranda seethed across the table. 

"Miranda!" Kate yelled, much louder than Malia thought she could, in outrage. 

Cain was surprisingly composed in his response. "I'm sorry you feel that way, mother. If you still lived in Milan Manor I'm sure you wouldn't see it as such." He spoke as if he were speaking to an unruly coworker. 

"I guess I'll never know. I had to move away from my home because I couldn't bear to live with my murderous disappointment of a son!" The hostility that had been clearly bubbling beneath the surface had risen for this woman. 

Tristan and Kate yelled at Miranda simultaneously. Malia was stunned into silence. Cain simply sat in the chair seemingly unaffected by his own mother's savage outburst against him. 

Miranda stood angrily. She turned to Tristan briefly. "I'm sorry Tristan I hope we can visit soon, just the two of us." She said briefly before she left the room. The remaining members of the table sat in silence for a moment. 

"Cain," Kate touched his arm comfortingly. 

He smiled weakly in return. "It's okay. I can handle it. She's right." 

"No she isn't." Tristan replied vehemently.

Malia didn't want to see this side of Cain's life, not without his permission. It was too raw and vulnerable. She wanted to hit the woman that didn't love this man, her own son, unconditionally like he deserved. She put her hand over his that was resting on his knee under the table. She didn't say anything, she rubbed his large hand with her own and tried to send comfort to him through the small gesture. Eventually the four remaining diners talked about lesser things again, the weather and gossip of the town. Malia had trouble keeping up with the small talk and was mostly quiet throughout the rest of the formal courses. She had finally seen this beautiful brutal beast of a man, she'd seen some of his darkest secrets. Something had happened as she watched him take the unwarranted abuse from his mother. She'd wanted to protect him, not only from Miranda, but from the world in whatever way she could, for the rest of their lives. She knew in that moment as if it were the clearest thing in the world that she had finally fallen over the precipice she'd been flirting with, and there was no returning. She had went and fallen in love with Cain Malcolm. 



The Reluctant Journey Ch. 09



Okay fair warning that this isn't a very sexy chapter. Sorry :( , but it is more of a transitional chapter to where I want the story to go. So please bear with me :) And again thank you all for the support and great comments. 

------------------------ 

"Kristen?" 

"Yeah?" She answered softly. They'd been lying in bed for over an hour, neither able to fall asleep. 

"Are we going to be able to leave these people here? They don't even know that they are in a prison. These are our friends and neighbors. I've saved these people's lives, and for what? They are chattel." His voice didn't have any outrage left, it seemed to have dried up over the last several days. 

"I don't know Jack. If it is the only way to keep our family together then we'll do what we have to." 

He nodded. They had had variations of this conversation repeatedly. "It isn't right. They are punishing the people who only wanted to protect their families." 

"I know." Kristen gently ran her fingers through her husband's short dark hair. Both lied on their sides, Kristen behind Jack.

He sighed."Was I a coward? For not joining the effort. Should I have helped them? Could I have saved some of them?" 

"And killed others?" 

They were silent for several minutes. Kristen continued to absentmindedly stroke Jack's back comfortingly. 

"Jack?" Kristen suddenly stopped with her rhythmic stroking. 

"Yeah?" 

"What about Malia? What if he's hurt her?" Her voice was uncharacteristically small and fragile. 

"I will take great pleasure in killing him slowly." Jack stated with no hesitation. Normally such a statement might have made Kristen laugh coming from her gentle pacifist husband. However, there was no doubt in her mind that he meant every word he said. She was silent for a moment. 

"Jack, what do you think he wanted with her?" Malia had explained nearly everything to them and assured them that she hadn't been harmed, but she had kept away from the subject of why she'd been taken in the first place. Jack didn't want to contemplate the question let alone talk about it, but it was the first time Kristen was talking about Malia's kidnapping instead of shutting down. He rolled to his other side to face his wife. 

"We don't know why. To contemplate the worst scenarios will just drive us crazy. We saw her." He forced a smile he hoped was reassuring. "We saw she was okay, remember?" 

Kristen nodded as a single tear slipped out of the corner of her eye. Jack wiped it away with the pad of his thumb. 

"It's just," She took a deep breath to hold back her sobs. "I can't stop thinking that he wouldn't have any reason to take her unless it was sexual." 

Jack gritted his teeth. He had never felt so violent as he had since that prick took his daughter. He was someone who fixed problems, and he felt so damn helpless. He couldn't fix any of this and it made him furious to be so vulnerable. He should be able to protect his family! When he saw the general again it had been the first time he'd ever wanted to kill a man. Jack was a doctor, he'd seen rape victims. When he imagined his daughter bruised and bloody a rage ran through his veins making him see red. He felt like a caged animal ready to strike. Only a handful of days and that cage door would open. Then, if a single hair on his baby girl's head was out of place, he could kill General Cain Malcolm. 

A crash of thunder interrupted his violent thoughts. He hadn't noticed the storm approaching until it was over them. The walls shook with the intensity of the thunder. Derek and Aiden were instantly awake on the bed across the room. They ran over to Kristen and Jack's bed simultaneously and jumped onto the mattress fluidly from much practice. They slithered up the bed and created their own space between Kristen and Jack. Olivia wasn't ashamed to follow almost immediately after. It had become a family tradition since moving to the unit. It should have been cramped an uncomfortable in the full sized bed, but when it stormed it was like a personal den that seemed unable to be breeched. Except it had been breeched, because there was one less body squeezing into the bed. 

------------------------

"Daddy?" Jack had just gotten home from working a double at the hospital and shouldn't have been able to hear the soft whisper, but it woke him nonetheless. One of the superpowers that came with parenthood. 

"Malia?" He asked into the dark room, still groggy from the hour of sleep he had managed to get so far. He opened his eyes and could see the tiny silhouette of his four-year old daughter standing directly in front of him on his side of the bed. 

"Can I sleep in here?" She whispered even softer, he had to strain to hear her. Lightning lit the room and Malia jumped and squeaked. 

Jack smiled despite his sleep deprivation. "Of course you can baby." He leaned over and lifted her small body over him to the middle of the bed. 

"Well hello there stranger." Kristen's groggy voice mumbled from across the bed. 

Malia giggled. "Hi mommy." She made herself at home instantly in their bed and ended up kicking the hell out of both Jack and Kristen all night long. It was his most precious memory of his oldest daughter. 

------------------ 

"I hope you're satisfied." Cain said moodily as he walked into the formal parlor where he knew his brother sat alone, waiting for him. 

Tristan laughed. "How, pray tell, did you get away from your doting girlfriend?" Tristan was overly amused. 

Cain leaned against the doorframe with his arms crossed over his chest. "Mockery isn't one of your good looks brother." 

"Oh, I'm sorry, a sore spot?" Tristan said snidely. 

"Malia is okay, as you can see. I think I'll go enjoy some cake if you've nothing constructive to say." Cain pushed off of his shoulder and turned towards the door. 

"Wait, wait. I'm done, I promise." Tristan still snickered but he tried to cover it with a cough. Cain turned back around to face him. "Please sit." He asked seriously. Cain obliged, sitting in a chair across from Tristan. He waiting a moment before continuing. "Malia seems to be physically intact, yes. But she certainly isn't very chipper?" 

"You asked me to bring her, I brought her. Her emotional status isn't really my concern. I was doing you a favor by bringing her in the first place. I generally would rather keep my outright lies to my grandmother on her birthday to a minimum." Cain viciously spat, surprising his younger brother who wasn't generally spoken to by his brother in this manner. 

Tristan raised his hands in a motion of defense. "Okay, Okay." His seriousness wasn't the least bit feigned. "I'm sorry. You're right. I didn't mean to put you in a bad position. Honestly I asked you to bring Malia because I was genuinely worried about her. The two of you didn't exactly leave in the best standing." 

"I told you I wouldn't hurt her." Cain snapped. 

"No, you told me it was going to take a lot to break her strong will." Tristan argued amicably. 

Cain sighed, mentally damning his brother's good memory. "Well, you should have known I wasn't going to hurt her." 

"Honestly Cain, your reactions where that woman is concerned aren't all that predictable." Tristan smiled gently. "What exactly happened between the two of you?" 

"What are you talking about?" Cain was still slightly annoyed. The entire social gathering had put him on edge.

"Come on Cain, that woman was furious with you when you left the manor, and you weren't exactly happy with her either. She didn't slit your throat in your sleep." Tristan studied him for a second. "In fact, I would say that at times you two are borderline friendly."

Cain shrugged nonchalantly, "I guess she got over it." 

Tristan eyed him suspiciously. "Uh huh." He arched an eyebrow. "So that's your story and you're sticking to it?" 

Cain laughed sardonically. "Tristan, leave the psychoanalysis to the shrinks." He stood and walked towards the door again. 

"You don't see a shrink." Tristan said to his back. 

Cain laughed as he opened the door, he looked back at his little brother still sitting in a velvet chair. "Exactly." 

------------------------

"You've been uncharacteristically quiet all night." Cain snapped Malia out of her trance. They were outside waiting on the car, as it was unseasonably warm. Cain's grandmother had went to bed after affectionally saying her goodbyes to both of her grandsons. She'd surprised Malia with a doting hug of her own as well. Tristan had also said his goodbyes of a few minutes earlier. She hadn't realized how much she'd missed talking to him as she hugged him goodbye. She was so lost in thought all night that suddenly she was sure she'd been rude. 

"I"m just thinking." She replied softly. 

"Dangerous stuff." He was leaning against a brick pillar in front of the house with his arms casually crossed in front of his chest. She just nodded and looked out across from Kate's charming estate. Houses were so spread out now. All of the one's she'd been to didn't have anyone near enough to be considered a neighbor. It must have given everyone a lot of room to spread out when half of the population were imprisoned without their knowledge, Malia thought bitterly. The country road stretched out in front of them with fields on all sides. It truly was a beautiful area. 

"Your mother blames you for Tristan's injury." She said suddenly not looking up at him. 

He snorted. "She never has been one to keep people in the dark about how she feels about something, probably where I get my tact." He smiled. 

She frowned at him. "That's not fair of her. She's your mother." Malia's voice was soft and sad. 

He looked suddenly irritated. "More pity?" She looked away from him and thought if she pitied him.

"No, not pity." She answered seriously, "More like vicious indignation on your behalf. I know I don't know your mother Cain, but honestly I'm not impressed." 

He laughed. "I'd love to say she grows on you but.." He shrugged. "She has every reason to be angry with me." 

"No she doesn't. Being your mother does give her every reason to forgive you and love you unconditionally." 

"I can handle my mother Malia, don't worry about me." 

"I am worried Cain. You seem bound and determined to be a martyr to some bad choices you made a long time ago that led to an accident. You most certainly didn't murder your friend and you can not be held responsible for Tristan's actions. You would have been the first one to jump off that cliff for him." 

He looked at her strangely. "That's what you've been thinking about all night? I apologize for my mother's rudeness Malia, but I assure you her outburst has tolled you mind much more than my own. I came here tonight to celebrate my grandmother's birthday and in that we were successful." He smiled infectiously. "We convinced them that we're dating. I would call that a success for us." 

She looked mock wounded, feeling slightly better at his happiness. "It isn't that hard to believe!" She said slowly. "I mean we are sort of sleeping together." 

"Are we?" Cain arched a brow at her. 

"Aren't we." She replied a little unsure where he was going with this. 

Cain shrugged. "Well I suppose we did fuck on a bed and briefly fall asleep together. Then we fucked against a tree, quite memorable." He smiled to himself. "I suppose telling my family that we are dating would constitute continuation of such sinful behavior, I mean if my grandmother expects us to be fucking why shouldn't we reap the rewards of actually fucking?" 

"You silver-tongued devil." Malia said stoically, rolling her eyes. His crude language had a thrilling effect on her at each scandalous word he drawled in his grandmother's front lawn. 

He grinned and looked over at her. "Did you expect hearts and rose petals my sweet?" 

She laughed cynically. "Never." 

A motorcycle and black SUV drove down the road and stopped in front of the house. The man on the motorcycle got off and grinned widely at Cain as he removed his black helmet. 

"Wow." The man said, handing the helmet to Cain. 

"You're welcome. Don't get used to it Captain." He smiled at the man. 

"No sir." The man answered, nodded to both Cain and Malia and got into the SUV to pull out a matching helmet. He handed it to Cain and got into the SUV. It pulled away leaving Cain, Malia, and the motorcycle in front of the house. The entire exchange happened so quickly Malia still had a look of shock on her face. 

"Uh, what is that?" Malia asked. 

"That, little girl, is our ride." Cain grinned like a boy at Christmas. He handed her one of the helmets he was holding. He donned his helmet and mounted the bike. "Put on your helmet." He added impatiently when she didn't move to join him. 

"Um, do you know how to drive?" Malia asked worriedly. 

"Of course I know how to drive." His voice was muffled from the helmet but she thought he sounded offended. 

"Well sorry, you always have people driving you around." She mumbled as she walked closer and pulled the helmet over her head. It was cushioned and tinted, like her own personal cave. She looked down at the knee-length peach dress she was wearing. It was very flowy and was sure to blow around like crazy in the wind. "Um Cain?" 

"Yes?" She jumped when his voice was unexpectedly amplified in her helmet. He laughed. "There are speakers and microphones in them Malia. Get on." 

"I can't ride a motorcycle, I'm wearing a dress." She whispered. 

"Are you wearing underwear?" Cain asked seriously. 

"Of course I am." 

"Damn shame. Get on." He was clearly impatient. 

At least she'd chosen a pair of silvery flats instead of the heels she'd been contemplating. 

"Put your foot here," He indicated a small metal bar with his own foot. "and swing your leg over." She did what he asked without any trouble. Her silky pink panties were directly in contact with the black leather seat and the skirt of the dress draped around her thighs. She was pressed up against Cain's back, her thinly clothed crotch pressing against his ass. "Don't touch those pipes with your legs, you'll get burned." He warned and then suddenly the bike came to life. She whimpered as the unexpected strong vibrations affected her intimately. He laughed. "Something wrong Malia?" His voice filled her helmet adding to the thrill. Fantastic, he was going to get to hear everything. 

"Nothing." She answered annoyed. 

"You may want to hold on." He laughed. 

She suddenly realized that she would have to hold onto him. She gripped his torso tightly when he moved suddenly to kick the kickstand up. "Relax." His voice sounded so damn sexy in the dark cavern of her helmet. She moved her arms around his waist and relaxed her grip slightly. She still made an embarrassing squeaking sound as they took off quickly. Cain laughed as she clung to him tightly. "Alright. let's do some sightseeing." Malia relaxed substantially as they continued to ride down dark country roads without crashing. Cain leaned fluidly into the curves and scolded her to follow suit after the first turn when she leaned the other way, terrified of falling. Eventually she caught on and slightly leaned with him. The vibrations had eventually stopped affecting her as her entire lower half became numb from overexposure. She'd been too scared to really enjoy them in the first place. Not that she wanted to give Cain the satisfaction. 

Eventually the fields turned into buildings and suddenly a lit up skyline appeared. It became closer and closer as they went over a suspension bridge that went over a large river. There were very few cars, but the roads were not abandoned. Malia was mortified as the drivers and passengers were getting a clear view of her panty-clad ass and thighs as her dress flew in the wind. But in no way was she prepared to loosen her iron-clad grip to hold her dress in place. She tried to think of other things. Things like the beautiful buildings across the river.

She had been sure that none of the country she knew had survived the war. As far as the unit was concerned, every human advancement and creation that had been achieved for hundreds of years was destroyed. She was happy that they were mistaken, it made it feel like maybe her family could still find a place in this new world. Maybe all of the families in the units could. 

The ride lasted for a couple of hours. She eventually laid her head against Cain's shoulder and watched the colors of the lights blur past. The lights and building eventually turned into fields and trees once again and finally they were back at the cabin. Her muscles were tense and achy. 

"Don't touch the pipes with your legs." He warned again. 

She avoided them as she dismounted the bike less than gracefully. Despite her muddled thoughts, Malia had had a good time. Cain had pointed out some of the new monuments and buildings that she wasn't familiar with. It was disorienting seeing them mixed in with the sights she knew from childhood. Still she couldn't help but feel like Cain was being uncharacteristically nice. 

"So, what's the motivation behind today?" She was too conflicted with her own thoughts and feelings to play mind games. He walked the bike until it was near the porch and turned the engine off. He kicked the kickstand down and dismounted. 

"I need motivation?" Cain asked as he took his own helmet off. She just looked at him impatiently, waiting for a real answer. He studied her, probably contemplating telling her the truth or not. Or maybe the contemplation was skipped and he was coming up with an elaborate lie. Finally he shrugged, "Tristan wanted to see you." 

"So what was with the bike ride?" She wanted him to say that he at least liked her, something to make her feel just a little more justified in her feelings. She didn't want to fall in love with this man, she'd never wanted that. It was stupid and self destructive and nothing like how she wanted it to feel. She thought that loving someone would feel empowering and thrilling but all she felt was incredibly vulnerable. It was as if she'd painted a personal target for anyone that wanted to hurt her, and the worst thing was she wasn't certain the object of her affection wouldn't be that person aiming at her heart.

Cain huffed obnoxiously. "I don't know Malia. I wanted to ride my bike. You were with me." He suddenly became more irritated. "I don't have to answer to you anyway." He shrugged and walked up onto the porch to unlock the front door. Malia just watched him for a moment and eventually followed him up to the cottage. 

-----------------

She was so stupid. God, why did she have to be so incompetent? Gwen mentally lambasted herself brutally. 

"It's p-p-pretty out today." She mocked her own voice as she scrubbed the tiled floors. Why did they need so many damn bathrooms? 

She'd finally worked up the courage to say something, anything, to Tristan and she sounded like a stuttering idiot. It was so frustrating to be so eloquent in her head and seem so dimwitted whenever she opened her mouth. She just shouldn't open her mouth. It was a logical conclusion, and had been working for her just fine before Malia had convinced her to become Miss shares-a-lot. 

Except it hadn't been working just fine. Gwen was miserable. She was in love with a man who she was certain didn't even know her name. She couldn't even blame him for not knowing her name, because she hadn't had the damn balls to ever tell him anything about herself. For over a year she'd seen him everyday and she still couldn't even work up the courage to divulge her name to him. He'd of course been a perfect gentleman in response to her neurotic babbling. He'd smiled his sweet polite smile. "Yes, it is. Will you spend anytime outside? It would be ashamed to waste it." 

"I-um- I have to clean the f-floor." She blushed furiously and nearly ran out of the room before he could be obliged to try and converse with her further. She hated that he talked to her so politely. She wanted to have meaningful conversations with the man she knew to be so deep and profound. But she never would, not when she couldn't get past the introduction without having a panic attack. So she was cursed to become some sort of creepy stalker figure. And to top it off she was stalking no one other than one of her own bosses. Sure Cain was more the master of the manor than Tristan was, but it was only because it didn't suit Tristan. Cain was also gone for random stretches of time. Gwen had always thought of Tristan more as a master of the house, while Cain was more of an imposing and demanding guest. She knew her opinion in this wasn't the majority. 




The Reluctant Journey Ch. 09



She finally finished the floor and stood. Her reflection immediately looked back at her in the giant mirror that dominated one of the walls. Sometimes she would stare at herself for a long time, not out of conceitedness, but to maybe for once feel like she belonged inside the body that she saw there. She'd been countlessly told her entire life how beautiful she was. She could see an attractive face in the mirror, she just didn't feel like she owned that face and body. She didn't have the personality to match her face. 

People thought she was catty and snobbish on first appearance. She secretly didn't mind, only because it kept them at a distance. If having people think badly of her made her unapproachable, she was more than fine with it. She was at home with her solitude. She knew how to be alone, how to be silent. But sometimes she would lay on her narrow bunk in the dead of night staring at the shapes of the plaster that made up the ceiling above her and wishing that she had someone to talk to.

She took a deep breath and exhaled in an attempt to cleanse the lonely thoughts from her body. She tried not to ponder on these thoughts. She wasn't one to sit around feeling bad for herself. If she was lonely, it was no one's fault but her own. Malia was right, she needed to take control of her own future. If she wanted Tristan she was going to have to make the first move. Even if, for her, that entailed simply introducing herself. 'Baby steps', she thought to herself as she dusted her black pants off with her hands and tried to tap into any unknown reserve of courage she might have had. Unfortunately, she couldn't find much, but still she had come to a crossroads. She was done staring at the ceiling. 

--------------------------

It was awkward. Malia wasn't sure what the dynamic between Cain and herself was anymore. She didn't feel like fighting with him, which had been the foundation of their relationship hitherto. She also didn't feel like being nice to him, because frankly he didn't deserve it. For once in their time together Malia was at a complete loss for words. The awkwardness was amplified by the small space they were forced to temporarily share. She should have asked to go back to the manor with Tristan. She didn't really need to be in this cabin when they were released did she? She knew that for the cover story to work their leaving of unit 118 and the new guests to Milan manor had to be two separate events. But she didn't necessarily have to be one of the 'new guests', she had been living there for weeks. It wasn't as if anyone was keeping track of her whereabouts anyway, Cain didn't have many houseguests that she'd noticed. She suspected that he just wanted to keep track of her, always in complete control. Well look how that had blown up in his face. He'd been loosing his precious control since the day they'd arrived. But in the end, she guessed he'd gotten what he wanted. Cain had all of the control now, because she'd given it to him. She cared more than he did and that meant he won.

It was ironic that as soon as Malia was convinced that she was falling in love with Cain was when she wanted to most physically distance herself from him. Maybe she wasn't in love with him. Or maybe it wouldn't last. Maybe if she could just get away with her family she would just eventually forget about him. She felt desperately sad only thinking about it. She felt guilty that she didn't want to go back to living with her family. She loved her parents and her siblings, but she didn't want to be their little girl anymore. Her youth had been forcefully extended as it was. Was it wrong for her to want to grow up just a little? To try her hand at being an independent woman? 

She wished she was confused about being in love with Cain because it sure as hell didn't make anything easier. But she felt it as deeply as she'd felt anything that she wasn't confused, not in the least, and that scared the shit out of her. Maybe she was too isolated, and the first attractive man that had shown her attention had caused her brain to fry. It surely was a pathetic picture if that was the case. She simply couldn't bring herself to believe that this was only a strong infatuation. 

She needed to be alone. She needed to think. She'd already showered for the day so she figured she could just slip away to her bedroom and think herself to sleep. Cain had stopped in the kitchen and was eating an apple. 

"Where you going?" He talked around the pieces of apple in his mouth, one of which went flying to the floor. 

She arched an eyebrow at him. "I'm going to bed." She stated obviously. "So don't come looking for me." She added. It was the first smart-ass comment that had come to mind all day. It felt good, like she wasn't losing herself. 

He smiled and swallowed the apple in his mouth. "And here I thought I was going to have to waste time on foreplay. I'm gonna finish my apple and I'll be right there. You can warm up without me if you want." 

She looked at him surprisedly. You'd think she would get used to these kind of comments from him but she was as shocked as he'd planned for her to be. Which didn't work well for the part of her brain dedicated to witty comebacks. She was sure she looked stupid just standing in the archway, staring at him. Finally words came to her. "I'm not going to sleep with you." She sounded comically outraged. 

He snorted arrogantly as he took another bite of his apple. She was annoyed at her eyes for repeatedly straying to the muscles of his jaw as he chewed. "You were the one that said that we were sleeping together remember?" His words were slightly muffled by the food in his mouth.

She was incredibly annoyed that he was right. Hell if she was going to tell him that. His casual chewing while talking was also incredibly annoying. "I thought you had better manners than that?"

He stopped chewing, glared at her, and opened his mouth wide to reveal chewed up apple bits, like a child. She laughed despite her will not to encourage him. While she was trying to pull herself together he walked the few steps over to where she stood. "I think you've underestimated my powers of seduction." His voice was suddenly deeper, his eyes darker as he looked down at her. Her mouth went dry. He brought the apple up to his mouth and slowly took a bite, deliberately chewing. He knew exactly how drop dead gorgeous he was and it was frustrating that she was too entranced to put him in his place. He grinned as if he could read her thoughts like a book. 

"What if I get pregnant?" She asked trying to stop him, but she'd been thinking about it all day. She wondered why she hadn't thought about pregnancy after the first time. Suddenly she was genuinely worried about it.

"We're both on birth control." He answered. She looked at him questioningly and he sighed. "There was a drug in the first meal you ate at the manor, it will last for three months. Very new age, very expensive, you should thank me. I'm on something similar, you wouldn't imagine the lengths women will go to to trap a man into an obligated marriage." She felt relieved rather than violated that he'd once again went to great lengths to control her. 

"This isn't a good idea." She whimpered as she felt her control slipping. 

"Best idea I've had all day." He growled as he leaned closer to her. He was going to kiss her and then she would be gone. He was so close. She put her hands against his chest to stop him. He was so warm, his heartbeat strong and steady beneath her hand. 

"Cain." She whined. If she lost herself to this man she would be truly imprisoned. She couldn't let this go on, she needed to think. "I think I'm in love with you." She blurted out impulsively. It worked like a charm. He pulled back and stilled, his eyes instantly in focus again. 

"You want to run that by me again?" He finally said after a moment of stunned silence. She took a breath of relief that he wasn't getting closer anymore. 

"You heard me." She said softly. 

"Malia, you're not in love with me." He nearly groaned the words in frustration. 

"You're probably right," She nodded, "which is why we shouldn't sleep together." 

He looked confused. "You not being in love with me is exactly why we should sleep together." He argued. 

"And what happens afterwards?" She looked for any sign of reciprocation in his face but could only see frustration and growing anger. 

"Some really great fucking endorphins!" He ran his fingers through his hair. 

"You know what I mean." She growled back at him. 

"Don't over think this Malia. It's just sex!" 

"Maybe to you, but not to me it isn't. Not anymore." She bit her lip. She felt incredibly overexposed. "Cain, you're the only man I've been with, in any way. It isn't just casual sex to me. And if I'm not falling in love with you, then the sex is making me feel like I am. You were right all along," A tear finally dripped down her cheek against her will. "I'm just the little girl you've always called me. You know what they say," She smirked cynically through the tears, "If you can't take the heat, stay out of the kitchen. Well I can't take the heat Cain, because I know that I'm going to be the one who ends up burned."

He was as still as a statue while she finally fell apart in the kitchen. She felt like she'd finally swallowed the lump that had been lodged in her throat all day only to have it tear a hole in her stomach. He didn't stop her when she walked to her room this time. She closed the door and fell apart. Crying was always a better method to get to sleep than thinking anyway. She hoped that this was just infatuation, but she suspected that she was sadly mistaken in thinking so. 

-----------------

God damn it! 

Cain threw the remaining apple across the kitchen to hit one of the cabinets and fall to the ground. Everything about today had went wrong. He could feel the clutches of everyone around him trying to tear away pieces of him until there was nothing left. He had an obligation to do what his brother asked of him, even if it went against his own wishes. He had an obligation to his grandmother to come to her birthday dinner party and try and play nice with his mother. He owed his mother a debt that would never be repaid in her eyes, though he was obligated to spend his life trying to repay it. He had a full time position as a general that was anything but relaxing work. And the one part of the shitty day where he tried to get a moment of blissful catharsis, added one more person for him to be responsible for. 

He felt like a jackass for being angry with her for not giving in and fucking him. She was the one person that he felt free from obligations and responsibilities. Sure she pissed him off, but she also made him laugh, she let him breathe. And now he'd broken her heart. He didn't think that Malia was in love with him, but he did think that she thought she was. It felt like she was ripping out his insides when he'd watched her bare her soul in the kitchen. He was being incredibly selfish and he knew it, but she had became the only person he was able to be just a little bit selfish with. 

He was her first. He couldn't help but have a certain amount of masculine pride. He'd felt like she was his to do with what he wanted because of that, and when she'd denied him he'd felt like someone had dangled a delicious cookie in front of his face only to rip it away when he reached for it. But she wasn't his, not if he wasn't willing to claim her completely. He wasn't going to marry Malia Yates and have babies with her. He knew that was the future she saw with him. 

It wasn't like he hadn't known what he was doing. It was the same thing he'd done to Milly years ago. Except Malia wasn't like Milly. She wasn't equipped to fool around casually. He'd known that! He had been fighting to avoid this damn it! He told her that before their little forest tryst, that had been so hot it had driven him crazy. So why did this feel like it was all his fault? She was an adult, and she'd initiated their most recent sexual encounter. But he knew that it was mostly his fault. 

She deserved to be with someone who could give her what she wanted. Someone who would fall in love with her. He needed to stop sending her mixed signals. They would coexist until her family was released. He would find them a house and get them established. Then he would be out of her life. She would be free to go into the world and do whatever it is she wanted to do. He could easily see her finding some nice guy and getting married, having a bunch of his babies in suburbia. 

He could picture the guy. Some blond haired, blue-eyed, medium built man. He would have a typical golden boy face. He would like to grill hamburgers and talk about televised sports. He would consider his weekly game of golf, with the assistance of a golf cart, exercise and would end up going soft around the middle. Cain wanted to punch the jackass in his pretty-boy face. He could picture him guiding Malia upstairs by the arm to their bedroom. He would be sweet and gentle, too gentle, boring. Not very well endowed either. She most definitely wouldn't come with him. But still when he pictured him on top of her, thrusting his tiny dick into her, his hands clenched into fists. Cain tried to shake the irrational thoughts out of his head, but couldn't help being angry about another man in his territory, even if he was only imagined. The thought was highly misogynistic and would piss Malia off. Not to mention it was completely counterproductive to what he'd just decided on doing, leaving Malia alone, but it didn't make the feeling any less present and strong. He sighed, frustrated beyond belief, and went into the bedroom alone. 

------------------

The rest of the week at the cabin was both unbearably slow and flew by. Cain spent most of the day at work as well as a good portion of the nights. He was avoiding her and she was conflicted about how she felt about that. A woman came by in the middle of the week to restock the food and clean the house. Malia helped her, talking the entire time about anything and everything. She was getting increasingly on edge as Cain ignored her, and her family's return approached. By the time the woman left she probably was sighing with relief to get away from Malia, though she politely denied it when Malia apologized to her. Now it was the night before she would finally see her parents and siblings again.

She should be happy. She was getting everything she wanted. Cain was leaving her alone and she was going to be reunited with her family. Why wasn't she happy? She saw how her future would play out. It was normal, what she wanted. She might go to school and get a normal job, maybe a teacher or a nurse. Maybe she could even be a photographer, like she'd wanted. She would meet someone, get married, and have children. It was the blueprint to a normal life. It was the normal existence she'd given up on. She could have what she'd wanted. She just didn't think she wanted it anymore. She didn't know what she wanted anymore. 

She was sitting on the couch with a ruby chenille throw wrapped around her shoulders, with a book in her lap. She was much too lost in thought to actually read so she'd closed it a long time ago. The house was peacefully silent. She'd found some candles in a cupboard and lit them. She was both relaxed and on edge, her body in dispute with her mind. She had no idea how her parents were going to react to being released into the custody of her kidnapper, though she didn't think it would be warm and fuzzy. If they caught on to just how friendly she'd become with Cain she was sure they would be furious. What hurt her more was the suspicion that they would be disappointed instead. 

What would they think of her complete lack of willpower that bordered on betrayal to them. She tried to think of Cain as she'd first met him. He'd threatened to torture her father with his own medical instruments. She just had a slight issue believing him now. However she didn't think her father would have a forgive and forget attitude about the situation. She didn't blame him. It had taken time for her to realize that Cain's bark was worse than his bite. And she was only about 55% sure that was true. It was strange worrying about her father's reaction to someone. He generally got along with just about everyone, but his reaction to Cain in the house hadn't been especially promising. She was worried about a clash of personalities, which wouldn't be good for either of them, or her. She didn't want to choose sides. The fact that she even considered siding with Cain against her family made her stomach ache with guilt.

She'd had hours to go around this cycle of discouraging thoughts before the door opened and Cain walked in. She hadn't noticed the car pull up. He hadn't ridden his motorcycle since the morning after their confrontation. 

"Oh, I didn't think you would still be up." He sounded surprised. 

She looked at a small clock on the end table by her. It was 3:45 in the morning. "Wow, I din't realize how late it was." She replied just as surprised. They were both silent for a minute. He'd no doubt tried to avoid seeing her that night by coming home so late. She hadn't exactly looked forward to seeing him either. Except a part of her did want to see him. She always wanted to see him and the recent cold shoulder was only making it exponentially worse. She wanted to talk to him. There was so much she didn't know about him. Not that she didn't want to do other, more physical things, with him as well. 

"Are you okay?" Cain finally broke the silence, though he didn't sound thrilled about it. He walked over to the recliner and sank down with a resigned sigh. 

She nodded.

"Is that one of those woman, 'I'm okay, no really', kind of things? Cause I don't do well with those." 

"I'll be fine." She answered softly, watching the candles flicker on the coffee table. 

"Uh huh." He replied suspiciously, he didn't believe her. "Aren't you happy? You're going to see your family again." 

"Of course I am." She answered probably a little too defensively. She sighed. "I don't know how I feel." She said honestly. "I love my family, I do. I just don't want everything to just go back to how it was. You know?" She looked at him. His face was scruffy with stubble and his eyes were bloodshot from lack of sleep. Only Cain could make exhaustion look sexy. 

"I do." He nodded. 

She smirked cynically. "How must I sound to you. Gosh when did I become so whiney? You live a life firmly rooted in responsibility and obligation, and here I am, finally free from everything, whining about it." 

"Your future isn't written in stone Malia. It's okay to be scared." 

She nodded slowly, staring at the candle. "Well, I'm going to go to bed. Long day tomorrow." She stood. 

He nodded as well. "Yeah, I should get some sleep too. Goodnight." 

"Goodnight." She replied. The exchange was so polite and platonic that it made Malia want to cry. She refrained and walked to the bedroom as Cain blew out the candles and went to the bedroom across the hall. Malia didn't get any sleep that night. 

-----------------

Jack was trying to put on a positive front. Kristen seemed to be doing a better job at it though. He had to think about his children, he reminded himself again. Being homicidal would only make them upset. Olivia was old enough and smart enough to realize that they were acting like everything was all right. The twins were blissfully oblivious and uncontrollably excited. 

Packing up the tiny shack was an embarrassingly quick endeavor. They each only had three personal items from their old house, everything else was property of the unit. Still they smuggled personal possessions they'd acquired over the last eight years in with their eclectic items. Kristen had teared up only when she packed Malia's three books with the rest of the family's items. 




The Reluctant Journey Ch. 09



They just had to wait for their transportation now. Derek and Aiden were running circles around each other, never depleting their pent up energy. Olivia was quiet in thought, as she often was. Kristen and Jack looked at each other with a look that was nearly telepathic from years of practice that marriage provided. They were scared and excited and angry. Jack was equally conflicted between his excitement to see his daughter again and his black hate at seeing her captor again. They were going to be living with the man, as Malia had been doing. Jack gritted his teeth. If Malia had so much as a splinter Jack would let all of his homicidal inclinations have free reign. Kristen would be on board he was sure. 

The leader of the council was sitting with them in the building at the edge of the unit. This was to be a low-key event. He seemed very aggravated, he was clenching a yellow smiley ball repeatedly as they waited. Join the club, Jack thought cynically. Everyone, spare his seven-year old twin sons, was aggravated. Finally the gates opened briefly to allow the black SUV to enter. Malia jumped out of the backseat as soon as the vehicle stopped. She smiled at seeing them again and ran over to hug each of them. He took a sigh of relief at seeing his daughter completely unharmed and seemingly happy to see them. General Malcolm exited the vehicle as well, the driver stayed seated. He gave a diplomatic half smile to the family as a whole. Jack hated the bastard and showed that as much as possible in his responding glare. The general was seemingly unaffected by the open hatred. 

"I can put your things in the back, if you'd like?" He spoke politely, very much unlike the threatening manner he'd used during their first encounter. Arguing for the sake of arguing was tempting but he simply nodded at the younger man. As the general took their bag of mismatched items Jack got a close look at the man for the first time. He was much younger than Jack remembered, still in his twenties. Jack frowned at the realization. Before the family could make their way to the SUV the council leader approached. 

"I do hope your respective futures are bright. Always know that your silence is appreciated as it is imperative for the proper functioning of any unit." Jack knew the man was trying to be friendly and tactful, but it rubbed the irritated man the wrong way. The general returned to the group and nodded at the council leader. 

"Denizen." His smile was just a little too wide to be genuine. He was goading the council leader? "I believe I can take it from here, thanks." Definitely a pissing contest. Jack didn't miss his youth, he thought as he rolled his eyes. 

"Sure General. Anytime you need my help in the future, to fix any problems you may get yourself into, please don't hesitate to call." The general laughed. 

"You should hold your breath for that Blake." The general gave a mock salute then walked to the car a little more confidently than before. Jack and Kristen followed Malia and they all piled into the SUV. Their time at the unit was over. Only time would tell what the future had in store for them. 

-----------------

Seeing her family again gave Malia a brief sigh of relief. She realized just how much she'd missed them as she'd embraced each of them. Things only began to get awkward as they drove out of the unit. Aiden and Derek were overly excited and were speaking a mile a minute, but it still didn't conceal the hostility in the air. Malia sat in between her mother and father who both glared angrily at the back of Cain's head when they weren't asking Malia a million questions. Olivia was in the very back with the boys trying to keep them quiet enough for her to hear the conversation. She wasn't very successful and she was oblivious to the tension. Malia was having a problem focusing on anything. The car ride felt like it too absolutely forever. She was ecstatic when Milan Manor finally did come into view. Derek and Aiden had been complaining incessantly for the last half of the trip and everyone was relieved to finally get out of the cramped vehicle. Derek and Aiden, anything but subtle, blurted out what everyone was thinking as they caught their first glance of the mansion. 

"Wow," they said simultaneously. 

------------------

Cain actually felt nervous. He never felt nervous anymore. Usually he was in charge of the situations he found himself in. He supposed he was technically in charge, it was half his house, but he didn't feel in charge. He desperately wanted to have Mrs. Smith come show Malia's family to their rooms, but the move seemed too cowardly to follow through with. He'd wronged these people. He needed to apologize, and he didn't have the first clue as to how he was going to do that. He felt like he was going to puke. 

"Please come in ." He expertly hid any hint of nervousness from his voice. "I'll show you to your rooms." 

Jack Yates was definitely angry with him. Kristen was only slightly less homicidal looking. They followed him to the west wing, farthest away from his own rooms. Hopefully Malia wouldn't mention the fact that he'd moved her room from its original location, which had been quite near his own. He started with the youngest. He'd given his staff free reign to decorate a room for them. 

Cain was just as surprised as the boys when he opened the door to their room. They'd installed a jungle gym in the large bedroom. Their was a large colorful ball pit in the center of the room. The beds were attached to the ceiling by four chains on each corner, making them large swings. The statement piece, however, was a lime green tubular slide that looped down through a hole they'd carved in his floor. He thought of the layout of the manor. The slide would open up downstairs in the arcade. The twins were ecstatic. Cain found himself smiling at their exuberance despite his own shock. 

"Surprise!" Tristan came up behind him and affectionately hit him on the shoulder. "I took it upon myself to redecorate!" He was excitingly grinning. "Isn't it amazing?" 

"It's definitely elaborate." Cain couldn't be mad when the three boys, Tristan being now included in that group, were so excited. Tristan showed the boys every crazy feature of the room. Which included lighting that would put a dance club to shame, a music and entertainment system that was definitely advanced for seven year old boys, and a series of tunnels that wound around the high ceiling of the room. Finally Tristan calmed down enough to recompose himself. Cain, Malia, and the rest of her family stood in the entrance of the room just staring. Tristan walked over. 

"Hi, I'm Tristan. Sorry for my lack of restraint." He laughed as he extended his hand to Jack Yates. Jack was clearly at a loss for how to respond. He couldn't snub the infectiously excited man who'd so politely introduced himself. That was Tristan's gift, diplomacy, and Cain was very much grateful for it at the moment. 

"Um, Jack Yates." He responded after a moment, shaking hands with Tristan. "This is my wife, Kristen." Tristan turned to Malia's mother and hugged her friendlily. 

"It's so nice to finally meet Malia's parents. Your daughter had become one of my closest friends. She'd definitely special." Cain smirked internally. Tristan would make a great politician if ever the desire to do so hit him. Malia's parents were thrown off balance by this stranger's kindness, just as Tristan had wanted them to be. "And you must be Olivia." He continued with is exuberance by hugging Malia's younger sister. She shared her parents' stunned reaction but politely responded nonetheless. 

"Yes, it's nice to meet you." Olivia said softly. 

"And of course there's you." Tristan continued, turning towards Malia. She grinned at him, looking happier than she'd been for days. Cain wondered what it would be like to have her look at him that way when he got home from work. Tristan picked her up in a bear hug and she laughed. 

"Tristan!" She squealed. He grinned and put her back down. The looks on Jack, Kristen, and Olivia's faces almost made Cain burst into loud obnoxious laughter. Before anyone had a chance to say anything Tristan was speaking again. 

"Well let's continue the tour. Olivia, I believe your room is next on the list." He smiled at the girl and walked out of the room, expecting everyone to follow him. Malia was biting her lip nervously and trying to gauge her parents' reaction to this strange man. Cain wondered how long his brother could keep this giddy behavior up. Would he always act like a manic lunatic around her family now, just to keep up the facade? The thought made Cain smile. Everyone spare the two excited boys followed Tristan to the room across the hall. 

Tristan hadn't really changed the room much, but Cain supposed it would look elaborate to someone seeing it for the first time. There were fresh flowers in various vases around the room. The bathroom was full of luxurious oils and soaps. It was all very girly. Olivia seemed very pleased. She looked very much like her sister, a little shorter and more petite. They had the same dark hair. Olivia had grayish eyes while Malia's were more of a dusty blue. He wondered if things would have worked out differently if he'd gotten the real Olivia. Where would everyone be if his plan had worked out like it was supposed to? Cain guessed he would never know. 

"Cain, you can show Mr. and Mrs. Yates to their suite, yes?" Tristan said amicably as he made an excuse of showing Malia and Olivia some feature or another of the room. He knew that Tristan also thought that Cain owed Jack and Kristen Yates an apology but it still annoyed him that he was so obviously setting him up for one. 

"Of course." Cain replied friendlily. "Please follow me." He walked them into the master suite of the west wing. It was even more luxurious than Olivia's room had been. There were candles lit and more fresh flowers. Clearly Tristan was trying his hardest to impress. He doubted forgiveness would be as easily attained as a nice room. He was using all of his willpower to keep his muscles from trembling from nervousness. He was proud that he was successful, to anyone looking at him they would assume he was at complete ease. He turned to Malia's parents in the entrance of their new bedroom. As he was trying to come up with something to say the thought that he'd taken their daughter's virginity kept flashing thorough his mind like a neon sign. He felt a droplet of sweat drizzle down the center of his spine. He needed to say something. He'd had days to think about what he was going to say to these people and not a single word came to mind. Fuck it. It looked like he was going to wing it and hope for the best. 

Cain cleared his throat as he faced the very angry, very intimidating couple. "Mr. and Mrs. Yates, I know that this isn't going to be worth much, if anything, but I want to apologize-" 

"You're right, your apology isn't worth a fucking thing." Jack Yates interrupted. "If I find out you laid one fucking finger on my daughter I will find a way to kill you. I don't care how long it takes and how many bodyguards you have." 

"Yes sir." Cain replied as politely as possible. Cain turned to leave the room after an awkward pause. 

"And general." Kristen Yates spoke slowly and deliberately. He turned to face the woman Malia resembled. "If you touched my daughter, I will find out about it." Her tone sent a shiver up his spine, but again he hid it well. 

"Yes ma'am. Please inform any of the staff if you need anything, they will be happy to do anything they can to make your stay comfortable." Cain nodded to both of them and left the room. He wasn't exactly scared of Malia's parents, they realistically didn't have the resources to follow through with their threat. It didn't provide him much relief however. Part of him would be happy to let Jack Yates do what he would with him. He had no doubt that they would find out about the extent of their relationship, especially with the recent melancholy Malia seemed to have acquired after confessing her love to him. He didn't see her chippering up any time soon. 

Tristan called him into one of the spare bedrooms as he passed it. Cain closed the door and they were alone finally. 

"Impressive apology brother." He smiled kindly at him. 

Cain shrugged. "What am I supposed to say to them?" 

Tristan nodded. "I suppose you're right. You've dug yourself quite a hole. Don't fret though big brother. I feel somewhat responsible for this mess you've gotten yourself into. I am going to use my powers of persuasion to win over mom and dad. I believe they are liking me already." Tristan grinned. 

"You are certifiable." Cain laughed. "They most likely think you escaped some nearby asylum." 

Tristan laughed. "All part of the master plan. The tension between you and them is an excess of negative energy. I had to make up for it with an excess of positive energy. An over exuberance of optimism throws people off guard when they are so dedicated to their pessimistic mood." 

Cain shook his head. "You sure you aren't going to school to be a shrink?" 

"It isn't rocket science. You just have to know people and their likely reactions. It wasn't fool-proof, they could have reacted badly to my positivity." Tristan shrugged. "They didn't. Anyway, for my plan to work you need to stop sleeping with Malia." 

If Cain had been drinking anything he would have spit it out dramatically. "What?" 

"You heard me. It's painfully obvious. I think her parents were very serious with their death threat, so it's probably best that they don't find out that you are violating their daughter." 

"I'm not-" 

"Cain don't give me any bullshit." Tristan looked like the older brother for once. Cain glared at him sulkily. 

"It was only a couple times, it's over." Cain dared his brother to contradict him. 

"Sure it is." Tristan laughed. "Whatever drama you and Malia have going on? It's showing. She's clearly distraught and you are overcompensating with the ignoring her thing. You want to get in mommy and daddy's good graces? Make her happy again." Tristan looked at him seriously. "Just not with your clothes off okay?" 

Cain looked down at his shoes. "She said she was in love with me Tristan." 

Tristan nodded. "You don't believe her?" 

He jerked his head up at his brother to glare at him. "Of course not! She thinks she's in love with me. It was just sex. I shouldn't have done it okay! Are you happy?" 

Tristan just studied him for a moment. "Wow, a lot changed in a week didn't it." 

"What's that supposed to mean?" Cain angrily retorted. He felt so off balance. He definitely didn't feel in charge. Whatever, if Tristan wanted to be in charge have at it. He was done being in charge. Still Tristan's know it all attitude was grating on his nerves. "You know this is why shrinks don't have any friends Tristan." 

Tristan laughed. "Don't worry about it big brother. Just think of me as your new public relations expert." 

"Fucking Fantastic." Cain groaned unenthusiastically.



The Reluctant Journey Ch. 10



This chapter was ridiculously difficult to write, but I'm happy with the finished product. I hope you all will agree. Sorry for the crazy long wait. No sex in this chapter either, sorry it would have been forced (in the writing sense, not the sex itself ;) ) if I'd added in there. Well enough talking, here it is. Enjoy

---------------

This house was ridiculously large. Really over the top for two people. Gwen had looked for Tristan in all of the usual places she would expect him to be. He really didn't go very many places. He hardly ever left the house. But she couldn't find him. He wasn't in the library, he wasn't in his suite. Gwen was starting to lose her nerve. She'd been so prepared to talk to him finally, and now for once she couldn't find him. She wasn't going to ask anyone where he was. Gwen was quiet enough that she didn't think anyone suspected her of having a debilitating crush on Tristan. She wasn't about to give them any reason to suspect anything now. 

"Looking for something?" Gwen jumped when a voice rang out directly behind her. She jumped 180° to face the unknown speaker. Thankfully she'd used the restroom recently.

"Ohmigod, Tristan!" She instinctively brought her hand up over her chest. Her heart was racing. "You scared me to death." At least in her fear she wasn't stuttering anymore. 

He genuinely looked apologetic. "It wasn't my intention, my sincerest apologies." He looked at her like she was a skittish horse. Fantastic, he thought she was even more neurotic than she probably was. She couldn't blame him. Every encounter they'd ever had really did suggest her insanity. "I was actually looking for you." He continued politely. "I was wondering if you might be able to help me with something."

"Yes, of course. Does something need cleaned? Did I miss something?" She nervously rambled. Tristan hadn't been displeased with any of her work, or anyone's as far she knew, as long as she'd worked at the manor. She feared that there was a first time for everything. 

"No, no," he smiled reassuringly, "Nothing like that." He smiled wider. "I need a young woman's opinion on some redecorating I've been up to lately. I just realized that they are in short supply here. Do you feel up to it?" 

She nodded, dumbfounded. Surprisingly Tristan grinned at her and took her hand in his much larger one.Before she had time to react he pulled her along, through hallways that had seemed like mazes to her when she'd first started working at the manor. She watched him walk in front of her. It never ceased to surprise her how graceful all of his movements were, considering his condition. He moved so fluidly. Even if he hadn't been using prosthetics it was impressive based on his size alone. He was tall and muscular, yet he moved like a very masculine, well trained ballerina. Gwen smiled at the mental picture of Tristan in a tutu. Okay, maybe more of a skilled quarterback. 

They reached the west wing and Tristan let go of her hand. She wasn't sure if he'd ever even realized that he'd been holding it. She hated this part of the manor. It was widely unused, and she would occasionally have to vacuum and dust the entire wing alone. It was tedious, but that wasn't what bothered her. The wing was downright scary when she was alone. Those thoughts seemed monumentally silly now when Tristan was next to her.

She was wondering why he'd brought her there. She didn't have to wait long to find out.

"Come here." He spoke like and excited child. She smiled in response and walked into a room she was very familiar with. It was one of the largest ones in the hall. She was surprised to find it completely bare. The floors where pulled up, some of the drywall was missing, not to mention all of the furniture. The room had been gutted. She instinctively gasped. 

"Oh my gosh! What happened?" 

He looked at her, still grinning. "Malia has twin brothers who will be staying with us for a while. I wanted a fresh canvas." He looked downright eccentric as he said it. 

Gwen burst out laughing. When she could catch her breath she attempted to speak. "Tristan," she laughed, " You tore apart a beautiful, highly luxurious, historical suite, because you wanted a fresh canvas?" 

"Pretty much." He smiled charmingly. She finally noticed that he was studying her face, and looking at her strangely. She sobered instantly. 

"So, um, what do you need help with?" 

"Colors, lighting, et cetera. I hired a company to instal a jungle gym in here. They're going to instal tunnels and a ball pit and a slide that goes through the floor." 

"Wow." Gwen responded. "How much time do you have, aren't they going to be back in a week?" 

Tristan grinned. "Yep." 

"That's very, um, ambitious of you." 

"If you have enough money, people will work as fast as you need them to." The sentence would have seemed like bragging from anyone else. He said as a simple fact. He'd lived with an abundance of money his entire life. 

"Isn't this a little over the top?" She asked gently, trying not to rain on his parade. 

"It is." He grinned at her. "That's why it's so much fun. We could use some kid friendly areas in the manor anyway." He shrugged. "Cain is going to swallow his tongue when he sees it." He was back to smiling. 

She laughed softly. "So what do you need help with?" She asked after an awkward silence. He brought her over to a flimsy table by the far wall. It had blueprints laying on the surface as well as a lot of other things strewn around. Tristan handed her a booklet of paint swatches. 

"I know all of the fun things I want to put in here, but I have no idea what colors should be where, or go together, or whatever." He sounded charmingly clueless. 

Gwen nodded as she flipped through the many colors. "This should be fun." She looked up to see Tristan smiling at her. This was going to be her chance. She had a reason to talk to him now. She didn't even have to make anything up. 

"I never got a chance to thank you." He had his arms casually crossed across his chest. 

She looked up from the colors she was flipping through. "For what?" She asked confused. 

"For taking care of me when I was, indisposed." He was studying her face again, which made her nervous. 

"Malia did-" 

"No, I remember. It was you. Malia has plenty of good qualities, but nursing is not one of them." He chuckled.

She smiled at that. "I hardly did anything." 

"Oh, don't be so modest. You had to clean up my vomit if I remember correctly." He looked slightly ashamed. "Not one of my finest moments. So thank you."

"You're welcome." She answered simply. She felt different. She felt braver. For once she had the courage to make her move. She just didn't have any idea what her move was going to be. Luckily he saved her from another stuttering embarrassment.

"You want to know a secret?" She shrugged at his unexpected question. He smiled charmingly at her. "I didn't bring you up here just to have you pick out paint colors." 

"You didn't?" He had walked very close to her. 

"No. Mostly I wanted to thank you." He paused, he was very close now. Gwen felt breathless. "Which I did." His voice was soft, as if being so close made whispering instinctual. 

"You did." She agreed in as soft a voice as he'd used. Gwen was staring at his lips, they were so close. She was a almost sure he wanted to kiss her, but she waited and he remained there, just watching her. Gwen didn't hesitate to raise on tiptoes, grabbing his broad shoulders for support, and meet his alluring lips with her own. She watched his reaction, her eyes half-lidded. At the initial contact his eyes went wide with surprise. She tentatively brought her tongue out to glide along the crease his closed lips made. It was the only move she needed. He made a deep noise in his throat as his arms wrapped around her back, pulling her close. He opened his mouth, letting her tongue explore and impatiently did the same with her mouth. She squeaked in surprise when he unexpectedly moved his hands to her ass and lifted her easily to better meet her mouth. He didn't walk to deposit her anywhere, just held her in his arms in the middle of the room, seemingly effortlessly so their mouths would be at the same level. She groaned appreciatively at his physical strength. The kiss was very hot, as it contained all of Gwen's longtime repressed attraction.

Someone knocked on the open door and cleared their throat. Gwen's eyes shot open, as did Tristan's. He slowly lowered her to the ground and turned to face the doorway. She was now shielded by his large frame and used the opportunity to straighten her clothes as well as her head. Tristan spoke to the newcomers as if nothing had happened. 

"Ah yes, you must be from Dixon contracting. Come in, please come in." He ushered the four men into the room friendlily. He began to speak enthusiastically about his plans for the room. Gwen felt terribly exposed and started to walk towards the side wall so she could slip out as unnoticed as possible. Tristan had her wrist in his grasp before she even moved away a full stride. He was still speaking to the men, but his intent on her staying was clear. She didn't pay any attention to what he was telling the contractors, but eventually they all nodded in agreement and started hauling various equipment into the room. 

Tristan then smiled down at her. "You really didn't plan on escaping me so easily after that, did you?" And once again Gwen was at a loss for words. 

------------

Being back at the manor had turned into a tortuous dance. It reminded Malia of the circling of two predators before they attacked each other, going for the kill. She was trapped in the middle, trying desperately to placate all parties involved. Her parents' hostility was hardly hidden. Cain's patience was wearing thin, which was at least harder to detect. Malia could see it in his guarded dark eyes. She missed those few precious days when he'd relaxed at the cabin. She felt incredibly selfish for taking that away from him because her fragile feelings couldn't deal with a casual relationship. As they'd distanced from each other she'd wondered more and more if she could actually handle that kind of a relationship. As the pain grew stronger any kind of connection seemed better than the new indifference he showed her. She never realized the physical pain that could manifest from her emotions. It felt like there was a huge hole in her chest.

Malia needed to pull herself together or she would never be able to handle all of the people around her. She needed to stop thinking about herself. It was preferable to think about everyone else. She didn't want to be her right now. Tristan was holding everything together by a thin string at the moment and it was time she did what she could to help him out. She didn't have to be happy, she just needed to make them think she was. She could fall apart when she was on her own again, like she had for the past few nights. Malia closed her eyes and concentrated on her breathing. In through the nose, out through the mouth. When she opened her eyes again she was as ready as she was going to be. Time to talk to her family. 

She walked into her parents' new suite. Olivia was already there with them. Derek and Aiden were more than likely enjoying the insanely elaborate room that had been built for them. She smiled at Tristan's eccentricity. Time to fake it like no one's business.

"Hi." Malia smiled widely. "Sorry I had to talk to one of my friends for a second." She lied, probably the first of many. She'd been trying not to hyperventilate in the attached bathroom of her new room. "Do you like it?" She asked exuberantly, trying to stay focused on the positive aspects of being at Milan manor. 

Her parents looked relieved to see her, even though she'd seen them almost consistently since they'd left the unit. In fact, her brief departure to breathe had been the only time they'd been separated all day. How long would they look at her that way, would they do it forever? Olivia hugged her for probably the twentieth time that day. She didn't mind yet, she'd missed her little sister too. Her parents refrained this time, they'd had their share of group hugs for the day. It seemed it was time to redefine their 'normal'. 

"It's definitely big." Kristen finally answered.

Jack snorted. "That it is. This place could house the entire unit comfortably." Okay, so much for staying positive. 

Malia tried to keep smiling. "Everyone here is so nice. Mrs. Smith makes an amazing triple layer chocolate cake. She made some for tonight, just for you guys. All of the food is amazing actually." Malia could give a genuine smile about that at least. She was glad to be away from reheated casseroles. "And you met Tristan. He's very sweet and funny." 

Jack raised an eyebrow. "He seemed insane to me." 

Everyone laughed. "Only a little." Malia said. 

"I liked him." Olivia added. "He was interesting." Malia's serious sister had a strange respect for people who were anything but serious. 

"Do you like the rooms?" She asked them as a group. 

No one answered right away. Kristen finally spoke. "Malia are you okay? Really okay?" She sounded sad. 

"Yes." Malia answered immediately. "Of course I'm okay. My family is here with me now." She smiled, though she wasn't sure how convincing it was since it wasn't returned by her parents or sister. It was time to breach the subject she had been avoiding. "Cain didn't hurt me, he wouldn't do that." Strangely enough it was the most convincing statement she'd made all day. When had she started believing that. She used to believe, with good reason, that all Cain would do to get what he wanted was hurt her. 

Kristen's motherly stare bored into her. She stared back straight-faced. "I'm okay mom, really." She reassured. Kristen studied her for a moment and nodded. Whether Kristen believed her or not was undetermined. Malia looked at her father. "I know you're mad at Cain, and justifiably so. I just want you to try and be civil to him, okay? For me?" 

Jack clenched his jaw. "You're going to pull the 'for me' card?" He finally replied. Malia smiled and walked over to hug her father. "You know my weakness princess." He kissed the top of her head. She finally let go and turned to her mother to hug her just as affectionately. 

The four talked for hours in her parents' borrowed suite. Eventually Derek and Aiden came in looking for their family members. Malia hugged both of them. 

"Jeez Aiden you must have grown a foot." Malia exclaimed, though he looked unchanged. 

"What about me?" Derek said angrily. 

"Eh, not so much." She laughed at Derek's obnoxious angry face. She listened to them tell a story, though didn't take in a word with their uncontrollable interrupting of each other. Eventually one of the kitchen staff Malia didn't know came to announce dinner would be in an hour. Malia was surprised it had gotten so late. She had felt better for the first time in days as she spoke and interacted with her family again. It had been a beautiful distraction, but Malia knew it wouldn't last. 

Tristan and Cain were standing in the dining room as she led her family in. Everyone had finally gotten rid of the ugly grey jumpsuit they'd inhabited for years. She never ceased to be surprised at Cain's resources as she browsed the newly stocked closets. Her brothers looked adorable in their black suits that matched their father's. Malia's mother wore black slacks and a coral filmy blouse. Malia had excitedly played dress up with Olivia, who'd shown as much enthusiasm about the closet as Malia had at first. She'd chosen a dark purple dress that showed off her legs. Malia had picked a simple black dress with a high neck and knee-length hemline. Malia noticed her lacy lingerie had been replaced by white and beige bras and panties. She became unreasonably sad at the discovery. It felt like he was trying to erase the memories she'd become most fond of. 

Cain was laughing at something Tristan had said as Malia walked into the room. He kept his smile as he greeted her less than friendly parents. Olivia was more accepting of his greeting, not so indifferent to his masculine beauty. Malia mentally rolled her eyes. Dinner was delicious as she'd promised. Conversation was led by the over-exuberant version of Tristan. Eventually the discussion turned to the units. 

"So, General, what is the future for the units. The population is happy to let entire communities rot in ignorance for some perceived past wrongdoing? How long will the people pay for their 'mistake'?" Jack asked. 

Cain didn't look at all intimidated by the confrontation. "The units are more of a political issue than a military one at the moment. The reestablishment of a government has been a long and difficult process that is even now still ongoing. No one wants to breach the issue of the units for fear of the effects on their political careers." Cain sounded honestly disgusted. 

"The advocate groups for the liberation of the units have been increasingly growing." Tristan added. "The records for the units are sealed, so people looking for their lost loved ones have always supported their release. Others are recently joining their cause as the anger from the war has lessened. I believe there are even more supporters than is let on." 

"So as this political pissing contest takes place the segregation that will be inevitable once the units are finally freed will only continue to grow?" Jack asked outraged. 

"Cain has repeatedly let his disagreement of the units be known." Tristan answered placatingly. 

Cain looked like he wanted to roll his eyes at his brother. "It isn't in my power to do anything about it." He finally elaborated. "I take orders like the rest of the military. Our family isn't as influential as we once were, the politicians hardly go out of their way to please one man's opinion." 

"We are less influential because of your opinions. You did what was in your power." Tristan finally addressed Cain instead of Malia's family. He turned to Jack and Kristen again. "Our late father had differing opinions on the units than Cain. It is because he chose to publicly announce his less popularly held opinion that we lost some of our friends in high places." Tristan snarled, sounding negative for the first time all day. "They were mad because they couldn't buy your allegiance. We're better off without them." 

Cain looked annoyed again. "The point is," He said slowly and deliberately, " the liberation of the units is covered in so much red tape that it will take time, but it will eventually happen." 

Thankfully Jack seemed semi placated by Cain's statement. Conversation turned to the history of the manor. Malia ate her chocolate cake and watched Cain's mouth move as he spoke. He didn't look in her direction once. She finally looked away, only to find her mother staring at her. Malia smiled but had no doubt about the less than reassuring effect it had, she didn't have the energy to fake it anymore. 

"I noticed a courtyard," Kristen interrupted, "it's a beautiful night. Malia will you show it to me?" Malia wasn't sure which sounded worse, being forced to watch Cain be unaffected by their emotional distance, or being forced to talk about it with her mom. Luckily choice wasn't a factor. 

"Of course." Malia answered. She could see Cain finally glance at her in her peripherals. She stood and left with Kristen. She had never felt awkward around her mother until now. They were close, they joked constantly and talked about everything. She'd never tried to hide anything from her until now. Malia could feel the same emotional barrier forming between herself and her family that she felt with Cain. Soon she would be alone, surrounded by people. 

The courtyard was beautiful at night, as was to be expected. There were outdoor lights strategically placed to illuminate the brick path that wound through the gardens. 




The Reluctant Journey Ch. 10



"The flowers here are beautiful." Kristen finally broke the silence. 

"Everything here is beautiful." Malia said forlornly. 

"And everyone, it would seem." Kristen added meaningfully. Malia frowned and looked up at her mother. "You weren't trying to hide the fact that you've been staring at General Cain Malcolm for the past hour, were you?" Malia shrugged and felt completely defeated. "You're in love with him?" Kristen asked. 

Malia was surprised at her mother's conclusion. She'd never been prone to emotional fickleness. It was unlike her to make a connection to anyone that deeply so quickly. If she hadn't felt it so completely herself she would have never believed it possible. Malia looked down at the bricks she was walking on. "It doesn't matter if I am or not. He doesn't love me." 

Kristen nodded thoughtfully. They continued to walk through the gardens in silence. "I can remember being pregnant with you like it was yesterday." Kristen grinned, breaking the silence. "Your father was a mess, utterly terrified for nine months. He would read all of his med school textbooks and tell me all of the things that could go wrong." Malia smiled at the mental picture. "We were so young. I should have been terrified right there with him, but I wasn't. I felt absolutely peaceful, and when he would storm in telling me the percentages of babies born with extra or missing appendages I would just laugh at him and kiss away his fears. When we found out that you were a girl, with the standard two arms and two legs at that, I became even more peaceful and optimistic. I saw all of the future memories we would make. My own daughter to raise and love and watch grow into a woman. Your future was so bright. And then there was the war and we went to the unit and I wasn't sure how the future would pan out anymore. But I was sad that you wouldn't get to do all of those things I'd wanted for you. We didn't get to shop for prom dresses or plan a graduation party. I guess somewhere down the road I'd just assumed I'd never have to help you through your first broken heart either. I hadn't exactly mourned that one." Kristen paused and looked thoughtfully into the garden. "You know I thought I was in love once before I met your father. I was sixteen and he was a senior. He was an asshole and I was heart-broken when it ended. When I met your father it's not like it got better. It was more like it had never really been that bad. I realized that I never had really loved anyone until I loved Jack. But I didn't know that until I fell in love with him." 

"Are you saying I'm not in love with Cain? I only think I am?" Malia frowned. 

"No. Only you know how you feel. I'm just saying that life goes on, whether you want it to or not. And no matter how negative the future may look today, life will bring you good things as well as the bad. You are in control of your perspective in the mean time. So today you're in love with him, but tomorrow? A week from now? What about twenty years from now? It's your perspective, you decide. But I will tell you something, unrequited love is a much more romantic notion than it is in practice. You don't deserve that Malia. If he doesn't love you, he doesn't deserve you. That's just my opinion on any man in general. My opinion on that man in particular, is that he will never deserve you." 

"Oh really? You don't like him? I would never have guessed. Dad likes him at least right?" Malia said dryly and laughed when Kristen raised her eyebrows in response. 

"You'll be lucky if he's still alive when we go back in." Kristen smirked. 

As they walked back towards the house Malia started to worry. "Mom, you aren't going to tell dad what I told you, are you?" 

Kristen was silent for a moment. "He only wants to make sure you're okay, that you weren't hurt." 

"I'm fine." Malia insisted. She didn't want to talk about what her and Cain had and hadn't done, not with her parents. 

Kristen sighed. "I'm not going to tell him, but know that if you need us, we're there okay?" 

"Okay." Malia hugged her mom. She'd missed her so much. 

---------------

Tristan loved trying to influence people to believe things they hadn't before believed. Right now all of that energy was focused on Jack Yates. Kristen at first had seemed as angry as her husband, but he found she was more observant and protective. Jack was looking for revenge. Tristan felt like he'd made some leeway at dinner with the discussion of the units. Cain would never let go of his pride enough to tell them that he had advocated on behalf of the units for years. Tristan wasn't under the same restraints. 

The relationship that had formed between his brother and Malia was new however. He'd seen it as a possibility, but sticking them together in a cabin for a week could have gone either way. He was glad that it had gone the way it had. Matchmaker Cain could use some of his own medicine. Cain deserved to find love, even if he was proverbially kicking and screaming. Tristan smiled to himself. He'd been smiling a lot lately.

His slow growing relationship with Gwen Thompson had been completely unexpected. He had been planning on thanking her, but when he found her she looked different to him. She was very beautiful with her well-defined bone structure, bright blue eyes, and golden hair that ran down to the middle of her back. However he'd noticed her very rarely before. She had an uncanny ability to blend into the surroundings, though it shouldn't have been possible with her face and body. He remembered looking into those eyes when he had been nearly delusional with fever and feeling like it was the first time he'd ever truly seen her. 

When she'd laughed at him for gutting the room something inside him shifted, something that had been dormant for years. She was so aloof he'd been almost certain that he'd been the only one feeling it. Then she'd kissed him, she'd made the final move. He'd felt like he'd been hooked up to jumper cables. How could he not have noticed this woman for over a year? Tristan had a talent for reading people, seeing their motivations, but he didn't see a thing when he looked at Gwen. 

It was like her thoughts were under lock and key. He found himself just staring at her, trying to see what she wanted. So when the contracting team interrupted them he'd been surprised that she'd tried to slip away from him. He'd felt like the wind had been knocked out of him from that unexpected kiss and she was seemingly unaffected. After he'd given the team some semblance of instruction he'd pulled her to the suite across from were they'd been. The room that had become Jack and Kristen's. She'd looked nervous and unsure and a little scared, which had bothered him. She'd been the one to initiate the kiss but maybe he'd taken it too far when he'd lifted her up and clung to her for dear life. He'd hoped that that wasn't the case.

"I'm sorry about that." Gwen had motioned to the room they'd left. 

Tristan had cinched his brow at that. "Really? I'm not." She'd looked up at him then and he believed then that Gwen Thompson could be the woman he spent the rest of his life with. He could get used to looking into those blue eyes and trying to solve the puzzle that made up her psyche. "I want to see where this goes," He'd decided to be upfront with her as he wasn't sure what persona to adopt since he couldn't read her very well. "what if we take this slow?" 

She looked up at him as if she were confused for a moment and he found himself getting nervous. Then she'd given a slight nod that had made him inexplicably happy. He didn't know this woman, yet he felt like everything was going to work out. However now he wanted to bite his own tongue out as he had suggested 'taking it slow'. It seemed he was in a constant and painful state of arousal. He'd loved every moment of trying to coax information out of Gwen, but being in her presence affected him greatly. 

He'd learned that she had grown up an only child of a single mother. Her father had ran off when he'd learned about the pregnancy and hadn't been heard of since. Gwen's young mother had been forced to move back into her parent's house with Gwen. They'd lived peacefully in the country farmhouse. Gwen's grandfather was a veteran and wouldn't hear of joining a unit when the war was in its prime. Their distance from pretty much anything had made it a non-issue. Gwen hadn't been formally educated, but she'd been a sponge to any teaching her family had offered her. She'd read consistently with lack of any peers around to entertain her. She had been the one to insist leaving the farmhouse in search of employment. The shock of going from communicating with only three others her entire life to an entire staff had been nearly debilitating. When she'd described how much she'd wanted to run home in those early days her face showed a hidden pride in herself, it had been an achievement for her to stay. 

He'd gotten the entire story over the span of a week, with plenty of effort on his part. He'd used information about himself as a bargaining chip. She'd known a surprising amount of information about him already, which made him wonder how any work was getting done with the amount of gossiping being transferred amongst the staff. He'd told her things she didn't know. He'd told her about the dog he'd found when he was eight and had proceeded to hide in the manor for weeks when his parents had adamantly forbidden him to keep the mangled mutt. He'd told her about his overbearing mother who was viciously unfair to Cain while she overcompensated her 'affection' towards him. He'd told her about his sweet, plotting grandmother who had an ulterior motive for most things, though always with pure intentions. He'd kept the conversation light on his part, trying to avoid scaring Gwen away with his emotional scars just yet. He'd tried to make her laugh as much as possible. Her laugh made him smile. However her laugh had proven fatal to him. He wanted to kiss her again, he wanted to do much more. Not yet. He groaned in frustration. 

The phone rang on the end table by the couch he was slouched on. He picked it up on the second ring. 

"Yes?" He sounded tired, even to his own ears. 

"Tristan sir, you told me to inform you if Jack Yates approached Master Cain." It was Clint Jepson, a longtime member of the security team who was currently in the vault that was the security room, looking at a wall of monitors that surveilled numerous areas of the manor. 

Tristan sighed into the receiver. "Where are they?" 

"He looks to be heading towards Master Cain's office sir." 

"I'll intercept." He finally replied, dreading having to be in a faux chipper mood again. He was usually genuinely in a good mood, but the forced diplomacy had been taking a toll. "And Jepson?" 

"Yes sir." Clint replied. 

"Once again, please cut out the whole 'master' thing."

"Yes sir." The dedicated guard replied. Tristan smiled at the phone.

"Goodnight Jepson." He laughed and hung up the phone, knowing repeating that particular order to the man was futile. 

Time for damage control. He knew that Jack would want to exact his revenge on Cain. He just wasn't sure how to deal with it. There was one thing he was certain about, if Jack confronted Cain physically it wouldn't end very well. Cain could take a lot of shit before he exploded, but Tristan didn't think is patience extended as far as to overlook being punched in the face. The mental picture made him smile. 

Tristan knew the manor very well. He took several hidden service hallways that had long been forgotten to get to the hall in front of Cain's office before Jack did. Tristan made it a point to casually walk down a side hall to 'run into' Jack. He didn't expect Jack to be fooled, he wasn't stupid, still it was more polite than to acknowledge he'd been spying on the man. 

"Jack!" Tristan feigned surprise. "Have you taken to late night walks as well? I've become quite the insomniac myself lately." Unfortunately that was true, but mostly due to sleepless nights thinking about Gwen.

"I plan on speaking to Cain, Tristan. Do you plan on protecting him, or letting him own up to his mistakes?" 

Ah so bullshit time was over. Tristan smiled sheepishly. "Mr. Yates, if you knew just how driven Cain is by responsibility you would see the humor in that statement." 

"I've not been able to see the humor in much lately." Jack replied stone-faced.

Tristan was still dressed in his dinner suit. He lifted the leg of his pants to expose his silvery alloy ankle and shin. "Did Malia tell you I was a double amputee?" 

Jack cinched his eyebrows, but didn't let any other expression betray his reaction. 

Tristan smiled and dropped his pants leg back into place. "I'd imagined she wouldn't have. I don't tell you to make you uncomfortable or evoke sympathy. I just want to clarify some of the motivation behind Cain's actions." Tristan gave his first genuine look to Jack, and it was one pleading understanding. 

Jack gave a resigned sigh. "I'm listening." 

"Thank you." Tristan nodded. It was so difficult deciding where to begin. The events that led to the fateful winter night had been intertwined in Cain's life since before he was born. "I guess you would have to understand our father to understand why Cain was the way he was in his youth. We come from a line of military men. My father had more political aspirations than his predecessors. My mother was socially ambitious as well. I'm not blaming them, Cain made his own choices. For a long time he tried to rise to the standards they held for him as their first-born son. He seemed to always be working for approval from our father that never came. He was so hard on Cain. So eventually he gave up. He started drinking, doing drugs, sleeping around. He did anything to blacken our parents' hard-earned reputation. He finally had dad's attention." 

Tristan smirked cynically. He remembered watching Cain spiral downward and feel completely helpless to stop it. He'd begged his role-model to stop, only to be brushed aside. He'd felt like Cain had abandoned him. It was a dark time for his entire family.  

"They had horrible fights. They said things family members should never say to one another. Then one day our father died. He had a massive and unexpected heart attack. I think Cain felt responsible. His behavior worsened. He was on a self-destructive path that no one could save him from. One January night I saw him go outside with two of his friends. They were drunk and high. I followed them to try and get Cain to come back inside. He never listened to me, but I had to try. I was so scared he was going to end up killing himself. I caught up with them at the overlook of the lake. I saw someone jump into the icy water and all of my nightmares came to life. I jumped in instinctively, no hesitation. I can still remember hitting the water. It was so cold it hurt. It was so hard to think, to look for my brother. Every move was painful, but eventually I couldn't feel it so much anymore. I started to feel numb, and get very tired. It was so hard to move and I kept loosing my focus. Later I realized that Cain hadn't jumped, his friend had. He'd died in the water that night. I came very close myself. Cain called the security team and they rescued me. The doctors couldn't save my legs. But I was never angry with Cain, he was alive. He was also different. If I had to sacrifice my legs to save my brother from himself, it was well worth it. He was back, he cared again. Except he had a new burden to carry, one of unbearable guilt. He felt responsible. He hasn't had a drink in seven years, he joined the military and worked his ass off to become a general. Anyway, I was feeling sorry for myself one night, I'd had too much to drink. I told Cain that I wanted to get married and have children. I believe I told him that no one would want to marry a cyborg like myself. The truth was I shut down a little bit that night seven years ago too. I stopped thinking about my own future. I pitied myself." Tristan hadn't realized this about himself until very recently. Gwen had made him see that he hadn't been going after what he wanted anymore. He had been using his disability as an excuse to stop living his life. 

"Cain felt like it was his fault. He felt like he'd ruined my life, and I let him feel that way. I guess a part of me was mad at him for giving up in the first place. Cain shouldn't have kidnapped your daughter. I can never make an argument to justify that. He wanted to find someone I couldn't easily dismiss. Someone from a unit couldn't be returned. He knew I would be obligated to get to know her at least, to try and help her. He wanted to fix his mistakes." Tristan was surprised at how easily the story had fallen from his lips. He usually didn't talk about that night. Cain was so much harder on himself than their father had ever been. Tristan was afraid he would never forgive himself. He tried not to add fuel to the fire of his guilt. Jack looked conflicted. This man wasn't used to holding a grudge, it was wearing him down. 

"Why did he want Olivia." Jack finally asked, sounding more emotional than he looked. 

"He thought her medical experience would make her more open to my condition. I am prone to skin infections that can get pretty bad." 

Jack nodded. He finally spoke again. "I'll give him a chance to redeem himself. It's what Malia wants." 

"Thank you." Tristan responded sincerely. 

"He's lucky to have a brother like you." Jack added. 

"I'm lucky to have him too. I hope you'll come to see that as well." Tristan smiled, feeling immensely relieved as he and Jack walked back to their respective rooms. 

----------------------------

Cain could feel the alcohol course through his veins like a long lost friend. The burn as it ran down his throat was so long past due that it was almost foreign to him. The warmth spread along his body like a caress. His muscles released their never-ending tension into the padded leather office chair. 

Without knowing how he got there, he found himself standing in front of the door that would lead into Malia's new suite. The hall was dark and deserted, all of the pristine white doors firmly closed. He didn't hesitate to open the door and enter, closing it behind him without any care or consideration to the noise he was making. He took another swig from the bottle he didn't remember bringing with him. 

The room was mostly dark, moonlight shining through the open balcony doors seemed to illuminate only the bed in the middle of the room. The white duvet was on the floor giving him a perfect view of the inhabitants of the bed. Malia's dark hair pooled around the pristine white pillow as her head arched back into it. She wasn't alone.

The blond man was there, on top of her. He seemed to be enjoying himself ver much as he thrust quickly in and out of Cain's woman. Cain was glued to the floor, though he desperately wanted to rip the asshole off of Malia. She seemed to be in clueless ecstasy as well. Her arms encircled his pale scrawny neck as she met his thrusts with her hips. She moaned and pulled blondie closer. Cain felt the bottle slip from his fingers and heard it loudly crash to the wood floor. Malia continued to be entranced, unfazed by the violent noise. The blond man looked at Cain and grinned knowingly as he started to move faster and more deliberately violent. 

Finally Cain could move again. He nearly ran in his haste to get to the man in the bed. He was going to kill him with his bare hands. Malia was his, untouched by ay other man. Cain grabbed him by the back of his neck and pulled him off of malia effortlessly. As he thought of all of the ways he would torture the prick the man dissipated into the air. 

Cain looked down at Malia lying naked in the white bed. She looked scared as she looked up at him. She started to scramble towards the far edge of the mattress and Cain pounced on her, pinning her in place, her back to his now very aroused front. Cain's clothes were gone, dissolving just as the blond man had a moment before. His erect cock nestled comfortably between Malia's trapped thighs. She began to struggle in earnest, sobbing and screaming. 




The Reluctant Journey Ch. 10



"You're mine." He growled in her ear irritably. Strangely enough he could smell the alcohol on his own breath, reminding him of its presence. 

"Cain, please! You're hurting me!" She screamed desperately. Cain frowned, he wasn't actively trying to hurt her. He just wanted her to stay still, to stop trying to get away. He lifted his weight and flipped her over quickly to face him. He held his weight on his forearms. He wanted to get sick when he saw her pain filled expression. "Cain, please," she repeated, softly this time as torrents of tears leaked down her face, "you're hurting me." 

Cain woke up with his head on his desk. He felt physically ill from the emotional turmoil of the too vivid dream. He sat back in his chair and took deep breaths with his eyes closed. Cain could feel a tension headache starting to form. He had tons of paperwork to sift through after his brief hiatus from his home office. He was also personally involved in future arrangements for Malia's family. He would rather them be gone sooner rather than later. Except that wasn't exactly true. He didn't want Malia to leave. She was funny and beautiful and so innocently sexy it made him ache. He didn't want her to leave because if she left it would just be him and his responsibilities again.

It was selfish and she didn't deserve it. He was hurting her, he knew he was, but he couldn't give her what she wanted. He was too damaged to be in a relationship with Malia. He wasn't able to be a husband and a father, like she would expect, like she deserved. She was his escape from responsibility, not an addition to it. 

He stared at the papers that scattered across his desk. He needed to work. He'd been telling himself that for the past two hours. Yet all he seemed able to do was sit in the leather office chair and stare at the messy desk, and sleep apparently. Malia's face at dinner had been bothering him all night. It was the same pain filled face that had invaded his dream. He hadn't been able to openly look at her like he'd wanted to, but he'd felt her stare throughout his tasteless dinner. He usually loved watching her eat, her face was so expressive as she enjoyed the various courses. He'd consciously avoided even glancing her way though, not in front of everyone, not when he couldn't keep his own emotions under control. But he'd gotten the chance to look at her, just once, when her mother had asked her to join her for a walk. Malia hadn't been looking at him but he could see the pain nonetheless. 

He wanted her so badly. He wanted to be able to kiss her again and show her all of the things she'd been missing. He could still see how she looked at him wet from the rain and pinned to the tree by his own body. She was so sexy. He also wanted to talk to her though, he wanted to make sure she was okay. He wanted to goad her into saying something deliciously smart-alecky. She had a quick with that brought out his competitive nature. He loved to verbally battle with her and see who would come out on top. 

The phone rang, making him jump and interrupting his musings. He picked it up, annoyed. "Yes?" His voice was abrupt. 

"Master Cain, I'm sorry to interrupt you sir." It was Jepson. Cain sighed. The old man had been working at the manor since before Cain was born. He was traditional, running things the way Cain's father had. 

"It's fine Jepson." Cain interrupted an apology he didn't deserve from the old man. "And it's just Cain." 

"Yes sir." Jepson answered, though Cain knew it was useless to try and correct him. "Miss Milly Clayton is requesting entrance into the manor. She wishes to speak with you sir." 

Cain sighed. "Transfer the call to me Jepson, but don't open the gate." 

"Yes sir." He answered professionally. 

Milly didn't wait for something as tedious as a 'hello'. "Cain!" She yelled into the receiver and he moved it slightly away from his face. "Your security team isn't letting me in." She sounded comically outraged. 

"You don't live her Milly." He explained, as if speaking to a child. 

She paused, clearly taken aback. "Hmm, am I to take it that Cain Malcolm does not wish for the pleasure of my company?" 

"As the screened phone calls didn't seem to make much of an impression I figured a reinforced wrought iron gate might do the trick." 

She laughed snidely. "Well, well, we are feeling testy tonight. Problems with the equipment Cain?" 

"Go home Milly." He sighed. Milly's manipulative banter was like a sordid parody of Malia's quick wit. Milly paused for a moment. 

"How has you cousin been Cain? The young girl staying with you while her parents are away." She clarified. 

"Why do you ask?" Cain guessed Milly was talking about Malia. A cold chill ran up his spine at the bitch's interest. 

"So touchy. I'm simply politely inquiring." Nothing Milly did was simple. She was the definition of conniving. 

"Milly I want you to listen to me well. You and me are long over. There is nothing now or in the future between us. You are going to go home and end all contact with myself as well as anyone associated with me personally. Milly you do not want to get on my bad side, I assure you." His voice sounded cold and menacing, even to himself. 

"Wow, very intimidating General." She replied unfazed. "I do believe I've heard that tone before, but I've never had the pleasure of having the words aimed at myself. I'd reconsider who doesn't want to get on whoms bad side Cain." With that she hung up. Cain gritted his teeth and used all of his restraint to gently set the handset back down. 

The restraint it took, however, seemed to completely deplete his reserve and he found himself getting up and leaving his office. He didn't think too much about the hallways he was taking until he was directly in front of a tall white closed door in a silent hall with similarly closed doors on all sides. This wasn't a good idea, he thought briefly before opening the door as quietly as possible and slipping inside. 

----------------------------

Malia had visited with her sister after dinner, they'd briefly talked about their less than certain future. She felt guilty that she wanted to be alone all night when she hadn't interacted with any of them in so long. She just felt like she needed to think. She needed to let the advice her mother had given her simmer in her mind. Gwen had visited her after her sister had left. It had seemed like she wasn't going to get the chance to be alone until late into the night. 

However, Malia had welcomed Gwen's visit. She was more animated than she had ever seen her. She'd told Malia about kissing Tristan and her subsequent embarrassment. Malia was ecstatic and happy to be focusing on someone else for once. 

"It was exactly everything I ever thought it would be." Gwen had said excitedly. "Except more, you know?" 

Unfortunately she did know. Malia simply nodded, not wanting to take any feelings of optimism away from her friend. Gwen had sobered, however. 

"It's just, he hasn't done anything since. Like at all." Gwen frowned. "I just wonder if he didn't feel the same connection that I did. Maybe he just wants to be friends." She then looked sad. "Maybe he just wants to go back to a professional relationship." 

"I highly doubt that." Malia had laughed. "You are gorgeous Gwen. Like beauty queen, goddess-like gorgeous. He's probably just as insecure as you are, which is unfounded in both of your cases. You should talk to him. Talk to him like you're talking to me now." Malia smiled reassuringly at her. 

She smiled back. She was finding herself, Malia could see. "You're right. Thank you Malia, I wouldn't have talked to him in the first place if it weren't for you." 

"I didn't do anything." Malia replied. 

"You did. You're so courageous, and you don't even see it. When I left my home, my family, I was absolutely terrified. I did so willingly and knowingly. You were taken forcefully from yours and you had the courage and will to fight for your family, for yourself. You're brave Malia, and stronger than you realize." Gwen seemed to see that Malia needed to be alone then. "Thanks for listening to me." She smiled. "I'm going to get some sleep and think about what I'm going to say to Tristan. You should sleep too, you've had a busy day." 

"Geez you've gotten downright bossy Gwen." Malia smiled. "Shut up already." She said in jest. 

Gwen smiled and stuck out her tongue at Malia as she left the room. 

Malia was exhausted, but her mind refused to take the hint. She laid on her side and thought about Cain. She felt like there was an inherent attraction between them, uncontrollable and instinctive. But would the feeling last forever? She desperately hoped not, not if she couldn't be with him. Her mother had told her he didn't deserve her, she was probably right. But it wasn't about equality and fairness, it was emotional. Right now her emotions were telling her to do whatever possible to be with Cain. 

She could go to him. She could tell him that she wanted whatever relationship they could have, even if that meant purely physical. It was so tempting. Instant gratification, and it would most certainly be oh so gratifying. Maybe they would even grow to have a future. He could fall in love with her eventually. 

The thought made her stomach clench. How pathetic a picture she would make, waiting for him to deign to love her one day. Her mother was right, Gwen was right, she didn't deserve that. She was stronger than that. She'd come to the manor with a will to fight him, to be reunited with her family at any cost. And yet somewhere along the line she'd lost that strength. She felt like she'd been a puppet to his will lately. Malia clenched on to that anger because it was preferable to the pain. 

On that thought the door to her bedroom opened quietly, silhouetting a tall figure briefly before it closed again just as quietly. She knew that figure, intimately. She turned on the small lamp that was on the nightstand. Cain looked surprised as he stood just inside of the door. 

"Oh, you're up." 

"I am." She sounded blunt, spurred on by her recent track of thoughts. "What are you doing her Cain?" 

He was slightly taken aback by her tone. As had always been the case, he didn't respond well to her authoritative streak. "I live here." He stepped closer to her bed, substantially more confident. She sat up against the headboard and folded her arms across her chest. 

"Did you want something?" She sounded even more irritated, because she was.

He laughed sardonically. "Little girl, I want quite a few things." He looked her over lecherously, clearly trying to get a reaction. When she stared back at him unamused he sighed resignedly. "I wanted to make sure you were okay." 

"I'm fine, thank you." She said dismissively. He clenched his jaw, aggravated at her response. 

"If tonight was your version of fine, you should invest in acting classes."

"Why? Because it would be incomprehensible that someone should not hang on your every word. I'm surprised that no one jumped your bones right there at the dinner table, with females being in your presence." 

"Keep your voice down." He growled, looking downright angry. 

Malia laughed snidely. "That's right, you're trying to play knight in shining armor now. Please, if one of us is failing at fooling anyone it's you Cain. My parents have seen you for the person you really are from the beginning." 

"Malia." He said warningly. 

"What Cain. I should be quiet? You came in here. Why? To see if I was okay? Of course I'm not okay Cain. Did you think that I was okay, that I would just be okay? I'm trying here." It took everything she had to keep the tears that threatened to fall at bay, but she did. "I can't be with you Cain, not if you don't want me. And if I can't be with you, then I need to learn to be without you. I'm trying." She repeated. She clenched her jaw as hard as she could to keep from breaking down. The fact that she accomplished it gave her a minuscule twinge of pride. 

Cain looked highly taken aback. She needed him to leave. If she was going to stay strong, to not burst into tears, she needed him to leave. But she desperately wanted him to come to her. She wanted him to tell her that he wanted her just as badly as she wanted him. She wanted to hear that he loved her, that she was more than another lay to him. She wanted him to just kiss her, to just offer a sliver of hope that they could one day be something more. If that thought made her pathetic or weak she would live with that. If only she could have him it would be well worth it. 

Cain nodded and turned to walk to the door. He left without looking back and closed the door behind him. Malia felt a very real physical pain in her chest as that door latched closed. Her heart had finally broken. There was no hope for any of girlish dreams. Cain didn't care about her and he never would. 

----------------------

Cain threw up in the trash can in his room's kitchenette. God what was wrong with him! Why the fuck had he gone in to see her? She was right, he couldn't be involved with her emotions if he wasn't willing to tell her that he loved her too. And he wasn't ready for that. But something was bothering him, literally making him sick. 

'I can't be with you Cain, not if you don't want me' She'd said so matter of factly. Of course he fucking wanted her, he wanted her more than he'd wanted anyone before in his life. But it wasn't enough, and it never would be. He would never be able to live up to what she deserved. He'd wronged her so much already. He was trying to fix his problems, not make them worse. 

Even with all of his success, he felt like a chronic fuck-up. His father had seen that side of him, not because he was an unsatisfiable man, but because that side of Cain had always been there. Cain had the potential to do whatever he set his mind to, but there was the part of him that would always work to undermine his progress. He couldn't pretend with Malia. Cain felt like his life was just one wrong move from crumbling around him all the time and he would not bring other people into that, not people he cared about. Tristan was his brother, Finn was his friend, he couldn't change that, but he would not bring another person into his life that he knew he would only eventually disappoint. 

But it hurt more than he thought it would, seeing her in pain. He missed her so much. She felt like the missing piece of himself, every aspect of him that was lacking. Why the fuck not just get it over with, Cain thought, as he poured amber poison into a crystal glass. If he couldn't have Malia he could have this. He shot the drink back, ending seven years of sobriety. It burnt as it went down, though not the satisfying burn of his dream. 

He needed more than one drink to get the picture of Malia out of his head. He threw the glass across the room and grabbed the bottle. Damn it he needed the blissful cloudiness quicker than he could get it. He slunk down into the beige lounge, bottle pressed against his lips. He knew he would end up here one day, staying sober was just prolonging the inevitable. He would feel better, just as soon as the bottle was empty. Then it would be okay again. 

His door opened without any preamble. He didn't bother to look over, he simply took another long swig. 

"What the fuck are you doing?" Tristan asked harshly as he walked over to Cain. Cain took another quick drink before Tristan could grab the bottle from him viciously. Cain didn't try to fight him for it. "What are you doing?!" He repeated angrily. 

Cain finally looked at his younger brother. Tristan looked shocked and furious, and maybe a little hurt, but Cain's vision was slightly blurry now so he couldn't be sure. He was wearing boxers and a t-shirt, clearly having been woken up. "What does it look like I'm doing?" Cain answered. "I'm enjoying a drink." 

"Yeah? So that's the plan? Just throw seven fucking years away Cain? You're just going to give everything up and go back to that asshole you were before?" Tristan sounded very angry. 

"What's it to you? I get it Tristan, I fucked your whole life up. I'll never be able to live it down okay. So sorry, sorry I'm such a shitty brother, such a shitty person. I should have just left seven years ago." 

"No, you don't get to use that as an excuse for this. I have never held that night against you Cain. If you feel guilty, that's on you. I have never given you a guilt trip about what was an accident. I'm sorry you think that you've ruined my life. Clearly we have different perspectives on that, because my life has never been in a better place than it is right now. If you got your head out of your ass you might be able to see that. But no, you're so worried about making things even that you can't see anything that's right in front of you. I don't give a shit about what happened seven years ago. But tonight? This?" He motioned to the bottle in his hand. "I'm not going to do this again. I will not watch you do this to yourself again."

This is where a younger Cain would have told his brother to go to hell, but he didn't feel that emptiness anymore. The alcohol wasn't taking away his guilt, his responsibility. Instead he felt unbearably vulnerable. He barely made it to the trash can again before he got sick. "I think I'm in love with her Tristan." He mumbled, his head still in the trash can. 

Tristan waited until Cain stood again, still feeling nauseated. "That's a good thing right? She loves you, you love her." 

Cain just shook his head. 

"Cain, don't think about what she should feel or what you should feel, who deserves or doesn't deserve whom. If you do love her, then you of all people can find a way to make it work." He raised the bottle again and looked menacing. "But this, this isn't the way to accomplish that, to accomplish anything." 

"It's just." Cain frowned, trying to voice more feelings than he was comfortable sharing. "I feel like I'm not in control of anything anymore. The only time I wasn't in control before, it wasn't good. You know?" 

"You can't control other people Cain. You have to trust people to love them. You need to trust that Malia won't let you get to that place again because she loves you. Just like I won't let you get there again." 

Cain shook his head in denial. "No one could stop me before. I couldn't stop myself. It's like I wasn't in control of my own body anymore Tristan, you don't understand. I'm terrified of loosing my control like that again. But part of me wants it, desperately, and that terrifies me." 

"You aren't twenty-one anymore Cain. The fact that you're scared of loosing control shows me just how much you've changed. The old you didn't give a shit, about anyone or anything. You're not going to turn into that person again Cain." He sounded absolutely adamant, completely sure of himself. 

Cain's head was spinning. He needed to pull himself together. Tristan was right. He'd worked too fucking hard to throw everything away now. If he couldn't live without Malia, he would find a way to have her with him. He would beg for forgiveness on his knees to her parents if he had to. The feeling that he might just love her too made him feel sick to his stomach, which wasn't exactly reassuring. But he suddenly had an overwhelming desire to go back to her. He needed to tell her that he wanted her. She needed to hear that he cared about her immensely, and maybe, just maybe he even loved her too. She didn't have to find the blond douche to fill her with babies. That thought was reassuring. He surprisingly didn't feel any fear in thinking about having children with Malia. He could raise kids, if he set his mind to it, if Malia was there to help him. He was getting way to far ahead of himself. He needed to go to her first and foremost. 

Cain walked back to the room he'd recently fled, leaving Tristan in his own room without an explanation. He wasn't nearly as conscious about the noise he was making this time around. He would feel okay once he told her. They could be together. They would figure it out together. He opened the door and turned on the light-switch. It only took him a second to take in the empty bed. Malia wasn't there. Then he noticed turned over nightstand by the balcony doors which were now open. Cain's heart sank into his stomach. 




The Reluctant Journey Ch. 11



Malia's head swam. She was very dizzy, very disoriented. She groaned in pain of the headache she could feel growing in strength. Everything was dark. Something was over her eyes, she couldn't open them. She also had some kind of gag in her mouth. 

"Well, well, look who's awake." A menacing voice taunted. She suddenly remembered just how much danger she was in. Vincent Dutari had kidnapped her. She tried to move away from his voice. She realized her arms were tied behind her back, making her movements difficult and clumsy. The fear made her pulse race. 

"Ah, ah, ah," Vincent mocked. "You just got here. You don't want to leave now. The party hasn't even begun yet." He laughed coldly. Malia had absolutely no control over the trembling of her bound muscles. She'd been taken again, except this time it wasn't Cain who had control over her, it was much worse. She needed to get out of here. She needed to get back home, before Vincent could do any of the horrible things he had planned for her. 

"Who would've thought," Vincent was closer now, "That such a pretty little bitch," He ran his hand across her face, causing her to flinch away from him in disgust. He grabbed her jaw, holding her in place harshly. "Would turn out to be such a big fucking problem. I lost my job because of you, you little cunt!" His large fingers bit into the skin of her cheeks. "My wife left me. She took my son!" He let go only to slap her hard across her face, splitting her lip. The force of the blow caused her to fall back against the wall. She heard ringing in her ears and tasted blood. 

"Durtari." A masculine voice from across the room said. "That's enough." He said it casually, but Vincent backed up. As Malia was trying to recover, the piece of cloth that covered her eyes was lifted. The room she was in was dim and small. It looked like a prison cell with a heavy wooden door instead of metal bars. A strong sense of deja vu hit her. This wasn't Milan manor though, this was where she would experience very real nightmares. She was sitting on a hard cot, the only piece of furniture in the room other than a disgusting bucket in the far corner that she didn't want to think about. She looked up and saw the second speaker. It was Mr. Denizen from the unit. 

She was confused momentarily, then she remembered the way Cain had argued with the man. She'd thought it was a benign rivalry, apparently not. 

"I have it on good authority that General Malcolm seems to have taken a liking to you, my sweet." Denizen said, confirming her suspicions. "That's unfortunate for you. Please don't take it personally. I have been waiting to even the score with Cain for a long time. I finally have the opportunity." He was gloating. Speaking to himself more than to her. Malia tried to shake her head in denial. Cain didn't want her, he wouldn't care. Unfortunately Denizen was too far gone to do anything but give her a pleased smile. "It seems your lover has made several enemies over the years, most recently Mr. Dutari here. You were simply caught in the crossfire my sweet. We're going to have to hurt you." Malia shook her head vehemently and felt tears run down her face. "I know, I know." He patted her shoulder in an attempt to comfort her and she viciously flinched away from him. He shrugged. "Now we're going to start off slow. We're going to give Cain a buildup until the grand finale." He walked away from Malia and turned to Dutari. "Start off with the bullwhip. It'll give us some nice dramatic pictures. Nothing else Dutari, not yet, I mean it." Vincent raised his hands in mock surrender, giving an exaggerated innocent expression. "And Dutari," Vincent looked at the man who was clearly in charge of this horrific nightmare. "Make sure to break the skin." He said coldly before he left the room. 

------------------------

Cain felt like he was standing on that icy cliff again, looking down at the water with fear paralyzing him. Unfortunately he wasn't drunk like he had been that night, having expelled the alcohol he'd drank into his trash can. Now he could feel everything. Tristan was in the room. Cain couldn't remember him getting there. He was talking into his phone aggressively. Cain simply stood in shock. He heard Tristan calling his name, but it sounded like it was coming through a fog. 

"Cain!" He shook him out of his trance. "Clint Jepson is dead." 

"What?" Cain was unable to take everything in.

"Clint!" He repeated angrily. "He was in the main security room tonight with Evan Lutz. Jepson is dead and Lutz is missing. The guard at the gate was killed as well. The surveillance was disabled." 

Cain didn't know Lutz well, but he could picture him and had a dossier on him as he did for all of his staff. He was one of the younger men on his team, twenty-four. Five foot eleven and bulkily muscled. He was working with Jepson because Cain could trust Jepson. He didn't have it in him to mourn the man right now. 

"This was an inside job?" Cain finally spoke incredulously. 

"It looks that way." Tristan confirmed. Cain needed to work quickly. He needed to be the general now instead of the much too vulnerable man. He knew that time was the enemy. He needed to do something and do it quickly. 

"I want everything locked down. All staff is to be accounted for immediately." 

Tristan nodded and quickly began dialing on his phone. Cain called Finn at the cabin. He sounded groggy, but answered on the third ring. 

"Yeah?" 

"There's a situation here. I need your help." There must have been something in Cain's voice that conveyed the urgency he was feeling. 

"I'll be there as soon as I can." Finn said soberly and hung up. Jack and Kristen walked into Malia's room clad in terry-cloth robes and looking how Cain felt. 

"What's going on?" Jack asked. 

"Where's Malia?" Kristen added simultaneously. 

Cain was at a loss for words. He was still operating under a sense of shock. 

"Cain, where is my daughter?" Jack reiterated slowly and deliberately. 

"I don't know." Cain finally answered, sounding more defeated than he'd ever felt. 

"What do you mean 'you don't know'?" Jack was understandably outraged. 

Cain was feeling frantic. He needed answers now, diplomacy be damned. "Did you hear anything?" He asked harshly. "You both are in the next room. Did you hear anyone in the hall or on the balcony? Did you hear any kind of struggle, anything breaking?" 

"What are you saying?" Kristen asked fearfully. 

"Did you hear anyone come into Malia's room?!" He yelled. 

"No." Jack finally answered. Luckily Tristan interrupted, preventing any further interaction on the subject. 

"Cain, Gwen's been shot." Tristan's face was suddenly bloodlessly pale, he looked terrified. 

--------------------------

"Let's get a little more comfortable girlie." Vincent was behind Malia, making her incredibly nervous. He unbuckled the gag behind her head and she spit it out quickly. She tried to scramble away, but he caught her by her shoulder easily. She winced at the sudden pressure in her joint. He jerked her arm backwards, making her scream. She could feel the tension. It felt like he was about to rip her arm from the socket. She started begging him to let her arm go despite her resolve to stay strong. 

"Please!" she screamed. He laughed softly into her ear. 

"You beg so pretty baby." She could barely interpret his words from the pain she was in. He laughed again and eased her arm into a more natural position, though he didn't release her. Tears flowed freely down her face, tears of pain, temporary relief, and fear all mixing into a slick and snotty mess. Now that the pain wasn't as intense his proximity was becoming more alarming to her. He nuzzled his stubble-covered face against her ear. She shuddered but didn't dare pull away again. 

"I'm gonna like hearing all the pretty ways you beg me little girl." His words shot revulsion straight through her entire body. The fact that he'd used Cain's diminutive for her made her want to vomit. These men were going to torture her and taunt Cain with the pictures of it. He wouldn't like it. It would be a personal blow to his pride. 

"How about we get rid of some of these pesky clothes." Malia's spine stiffened. She was wearing a simple grey t-shirt and plaid flannel pants. Before she could bring herself to struggle she heard a distinctive rip and felt cold air on her bare back. Her arms were still bound behind her back, preventing her shirt from falling off of her. 

"Now here's how this is gonna work. I'm gonna untie your hands and if you do anything stupid, I'm gonna break your arm." Denizen was the brain behind this but Vincent was as impulsive as it came. Malia didn't doubt he would act on his anger, consequences be damned. She knew Vincent was strong enough to snap her arm if he wanted to. She heard a click behind her and felt Vincent saw through the rope that bound her wrists together. There was painful relief when her arms were finally free again. She didn't have much time to savor her new freedom. Vincent pulled her up by her raw wrist and she winced as she complied. Her legs were very wobbly as she stood and she was forced to lean heavily on her sordid enemy. Her torn shirt fell forward as she stumbled and she caught it with her hands around the shoulders defensively.

"Ah, ah." Vincent taunted. "You don't want to cover all that up. You want to look pretty for your pictures don't you? Your boyfriend wouldn't want that shirt in his way of the view." 

"No, please." She begged as he pulled at the thin material. Unfortunately in its tattered state it was beyond easy for him to rip the shirt off of her body. Her arms came up to cover her full and now exposed breasts. She was frantically shaking her head. She felt trapped. She was trapped, with a predator. He seemed to enjoy closing the distance between them. His grin made her sick to her stomach. It didn't matter to her anymore that she couldn't win a fight against him. Flight was impossible and fighting was now instinctual for her. She had to try. She could not give in to him. 

He finally jumped forward to catch her and she swung her elbow up instinctively. It connected with his jaw hard, but seemed to do nothing but make him more angry. He growled as he gripped both of her arms just above the elbows. She struggled until she was too exhausted to do anything. He laughed when she finally stopped. He'd pulled her closer when she was struggling, but now he held her firmly at arm's length. 

"Well worth the wait." He stared at her breasts lecherously as they moved with the force of her labored breathing. She closed her eyes and turned her head away from his stare. He let go of her arms to grope her breasts roughly. She clenched her eyes closed even tighter but didn't give him the satisfaction of any more of a response than that.

"You don't think the general will mind sharing do you?" Vincent taunted. "You see I figure he owes me. He is the reason I lost my job, which is why my wife left me." His voice was sharper. His hands clenched her flesh viciously. She winced, but continued to focus on escaping into her mind. "So I've been a little lonely lately girlie. I'd say the least that selfish prick could do is loan me a little bit of the pussy he's been getting. Yeah?" 

She didn't answer him. She wasn't delusional enough to believe anything she said was going to change his mind. She prayed that Cain was at least looking for her. They had at least been friends at the cabin, if nothing else. Hopefully she hadn't ruined that earlier in the night. He wouldn't want this fate for her, whether he liked her or not. She suddenly regretted her words to him. She didn't want her angry speech to be possibly the last thing she ever said to him. She hadn't given up on surviving this yet, but if she died, she wanted him to know that she did love him. It wasn't a crush or infatuation. Even if she lived on to be a hundred years old, she would still love him. It was that conviction that would keep her from giving up. 

"Do you know how I got that job in General Malcolm's personal home?" He seemed unfazed by her vehement ignorance of him. "You don't get to work there for no reason girlie. Me? I was there for my experience and excellence in interrogation techniques." The words weren't his own. He said them as if he were reading them directly from an evaluation report. She didn't doubt that if Cain had valued Vincent's 'interrogation techniques', than they were indeed formidable. 

"You should feel real lucky. I'm usually paid a lot of money to provide my particular service. I'm willing to do you for free." He seemed to become irritated with her ignoring him because he jerked her head to face him. She opened her eyes in defense to the sudden movement. His eyes were cold and his smile was evil incarnated. 

"Lay face down on the bed." He ordered, releasing her arms. There was no way in hell she was going to help him brutalize her. She swung as hard and fast as she could and heard a satisfying crunch when her fist made contact with his nose. Blood instantly began to run down his snarling face. Malia ran towards the door. It was locked like she knew it would be, but she pulled at it frantically anyway. Vincent recovered quickly and pulled her backwards quickly by her hair. Her hands moved to her scalp protectively as she yelled out in pain. Before she could take any kind of defensive action her head was slammed into the concrete wall and everything went black. 

------------------

Cain was operating only out of necessity. He'd never imagined a breach like this would have even been possible. He watched the people he let in his house. How the fuck had this slipped through the cracks? Lutz was the only staff member unaccounted for. Three security men were dead, including Jepson, and Gwen Thompson was unconscious on a gurney in the basement of the manor. Jack was moving over her quickly with Olivia's assistance. Tristan was standing beside her, looking scarily pale. Finn was speaking to the security staff and keeping Cain updated. The state of the art security system had been disabled, not an easy task. Someone knew what they were doing. So far there were no witnesses. No one knew Lutz especially well, he was fairly new, but they were all shocked nonetheless. 

There was no way he did this alone. Someone was on the outside pulling the strings. He would kill them when he found out who it was. He couldn't help thinking of Milly. She'd threatened him earlier in the night, but had she been prepared with a plan like this? He didn't think she could pull this off, even with Lutz's help. But it didn't mean she wasn't involved. He couldn't help replaying her words in his mind. 'I'd reconsider who doesn't want to get on whoms bad side Cain.' 

He'd sent men to surveil Milly. He didn't want her to know that he knew anything yet. They had confirmed her location at a nightclub she frequented. She'd been drinking, flirting, and dancing. It didn't prove anything, one way or another. 

Gwen was their best chance now. If she'd been shot, she had to have seen something. She'd been shot twice, in the shoulder and in the chest. Jack assured Tristan that the bullet had missed her heart, but had hit her lung. The medical area in the manor wasn't designed for surgery, they were going to have to go to a hospital. The paramedics were on their way. Jack told him that she'd lost a lot of blood and her oxygen levels were down which had caused her to lose consciousness. He had no way of knowing the extent of the damage without surgery. He'd been able to stop the bleeding for the moment. 

His phone vibrated in his pocket. He fished it out quickly. The screen lit up and he went still. He'd received a picture text, one that terrified him immediately. He opened it to enlarge the picture and his fears were confirmed. It was Malia. There was a dark bruise on her forehead and a thin stream of blood ran down from her hairline. She was naked and unconscious. There was a dark, still-wet hickey on her breast. 

Cain's sudden fury battled with the cold fear that had been constant for the last few hours. He held on to that rage, it was much more productive. 

"Tristan," He called across the room. Tristan looked dazed as he looked at him. "I have to talk to Finn. I'll be in the security room. Please tell me if she wakes up." Tristan nodded. Cain hoped his words had processed. 

Finn and two of his more senior security team members were looking over the surveillance equipment and video from the last month. Finn looked up as Cain entered the room. He held his phone out and imagined his distraught state showed in his expression. Finn took the phone and the screen lit to show him the picture that was pulled up. Finn's brow furrowed, but he otherwise didn't show any reaction. 

"I need it tracked, immediately." Cain finally said. Finn nodded. 

"It could take time, especially if they went through any precautions to stop themselves from being tracked. I imagine someone with enough forethought to get in here would have done so. It may even be impossible to get a location." Finn said matter-of-factly. 

"We have to try." Cain knew what Finn said was true, but he wouldn't leave any stone unturned. Finn had probably thought that Cain had overlooked the possibility that the text would be untraceable. He thought that he was thinking with his emotions. Unfortunately Cain was thinking with his experience in such situations. He knew that he was being taunted. He knew the type of torture that Malia would have in store for her and that made his blood run cold. 

Finn handed the phone to one of the men in the room and asked for the text to be tracked as well as the picture to be blown up and printed off immediately. Finn picked the page up off of the printer. Cain felt like he couldn't look at it again, but he needed to see if there were any clues in the sickening image. He held his hand out finally and Finn handed him the picture.

He wanted to cry seeing the woman he loved in such a vulnerable and tormented state. Whoever had done this to her would die a slow and painful death by Cain's own hands, he would make sure of it. He prayed she was okay. He prayed she could hold on, just a little longer. Cain would find her. If it was at all even remotely possible, he would find Malia and bring her home alive. 

---------------

The second time Malia woke was much worse than the first. As she began to rouse she moaned from the headache that had now tripled in intensity. She was fully woken by a sharp, sudden, and intense pain across her back. It was an effective method to bring her to full alertness. Malia screamed. She reflexively flinched only to find her hands and feet had been tied to the frame of the cot. 

"Well sleeping beauty, nap time's over." Dutari's voice was gloating. Her back felt like it was on fire from her left shoulder to her right hip. Just as the pain died down to a hot throbbing she heard an ominous whistle through the air and a loud slap as the whip made another welt near the first. She screamed again and began to cry in broken, incomprehensible sentences of begging. 

"It doesn't even start to hurt until you get two in the same spot." 

He demonstrated. 

Malia's scream was bloodcurdling, or it would have been for any other audience. To Vincent her scream of agony was exciting beyond compare as was the thin sliver of blood that was left in the whip's wake. 

"Ah yeah baby, beautiful."

Malia's whimpers sounded pathetic to her own ears, but she was beyond caring about such things. She lost track of the number of times he hit her. Her throat was raw from screaming. Her back was sticky with blood and pulsed in pain with her heartbeats. It felt like the whip had touched every inch of her back, from neck to waist. Finally he stopped. 

Malia's body went limp from exhaustion and pain. She was breathing heavily and the thin sheet that covered the mattress was soaked with her tears and sweat. 




The Reluctant Journey Ch. 11



"Now we lost a little time with that little nap, but we're back on schedule. I sent your boyfriend a pic while you were resting. Let's add another to his album." 

She didn't have it in her to react to his disgusting statements. Right now she was completely focused on the physical damage her body had taken. She saw a bright flash out of the corner of her eye. Vincent yanked her head up by her hair. She barely winced. "Smile." He ordered. 

"Fuck you" Her voice was hoarse and barely audible. He laughed and took a picture of her face with her back visible in the background. 

"All in good time girlie." He dropped her head back to the mattress. Finally he left the room and turned the lights out, leaving Malia in the darkness to suffer alone and wait. 

------------------

It was an hour and a half before Cain's phone buzzed again. He warred against himself on whether he should look or not. Half of him was sick at the idea of seeing another picture of Malia being tortured, raped, or possibly even murdered. His hands shook with the fear those thoughts caused him. The other half of him needed to know the facts so he could catch these sons of bitches and bring Malia back alive. He couldn't live with the alternative. 

Cain quickly looked at the phone, like pulling off a band-aid. Except what he saw felt more like a hard kick to the gut, or a few dozen. There were two pictures this time. The first was of her back. There were a couple dozen welts in a cross-hatched formation, most of which were bleeding. The second had her face showing as well. She was awake and she had been crying. He vomited again into a nearby trash can. He was used to this kind of torture for interrogation purposes, but it was entirely different seeing Malia as the subject. He took several deep breaths in an attempt to steady himself again. 

He quickly handed the phone to the security man and asked for the pictures to be printed and tracking to begin on them. So far nothing had panned out on the first picture. Just as Finn had anticipated, whoever did this was covering their tracks.

The pictures printed and Cain took a deep breath before he looked at them closer. He couldn't look too long at the picture of Malia's face, he couldn't stomach the pain and terror he saw there. The picture of her back, however, caused a hint of recognition. He called Finn over. 

"Do you recognize that pattern." Finn studied the picture. "In the center, where the two lines meet." Cain pointed. Where two lines met in the center of Malia's back was a large "V" that was slightly darker with blood than the rest. It would scar more prominently. Cain knew that that was the intention behind the act. 

"Vincent Durtari." Finn snarled. 

------------------

Denizen was very conflicted. He thought he would be more whole-heartedly elated. He was happy to finally be getting the revenge he'd thirsted for for years, but there was a paranoia he hadn't expected to be there. It marred his excitement considerably. Cain would be looking for retribution, but Blake had covered his tracks. Yet somehow he just couldn't shake the feeling that he should be running and hiding. He wasn't scared of Malcolm damn it! 

In forty-eight hours Cain's sweet little girlfriend would be dead and Lutz and Dutari would disappear forever, taking with them all of the evidence of the crime. They thought they were going far South, out of the country, but Blake couldn't let people with that much dirt on him live. He'd used them for both their motive and lack of intelligence. Little did Cain know, but Evan Lutz had grown up in the same foster home as Dutari for a number of years. The smartest thing the two had done was to keep the relationship from Cain. Cain wouldn't have trusted people with an established past together. He stayed away from hiring people with ties to each other to ensure their complete loyalty. Blake wouldn't have found out about the relationship himself if it hadn't been for an anonymous someone pointing him in that direction. 

As long as Blake could keep Vincent from doing anything stupid, everything would work out beautifully. He was trying his damnedest to keep Dutari on a leash, however, he'd made much more of a scene at the manor than Blake had wanted. Lutz was the inside man for a fucking reason, to keep everything as tidy and quiet as possible. Lutz' partner in the security booth for that night had been an unavoidable casualty, but Blake had shot two others in the manor as well as the guard at the gate who had tried to stop them. If Dutari had stuck to the very precisely timed plan he wouldn't have been stopped by anyone. 

Denizen itched to supervise Dutari and Lutz more closely. Unfortunately, he didn't dare stray from his usual schedule while Cain was on the hunt. He was fine with letting Vincent do the dirty work, but he didn't relish leaving him to work alone. Vincent was dangerously impulsive and his loyalty when it came down to it was only to himself. Even if Cain did figure out somehow that Dutari and Lutz were responsible, he wouldn't be able to tie it to Blake. He would be fine, Blake reassured himself again. He just needed to sit back and enjoy Cain Malcolm's fall from grace. Denizen leaned back in his chair and rolled his smiley face stress ball from one hand to the other. 

----------------

Tristan realized that he hadn't been scared for a very long time, not truly scared. For awhile after he'd first learned of the amputations, he'd been terrified. He'd been scared of his future, or lack of one. Now he found himself scared of the future again, except this time he wasn't only scared for himself. Gwen looked so pale and cold lying in the hospital bed. The doctors had assured him that the surgery had gone as good as possible, but he wouldn't feel better until she opened her eyes. He'd never been this scared for someone before. He felt like it would be devastating if she died, which was a scary feeling in and of itself. He didn't even know her that well. He wasn't willing to admit to love yet, but there was definitely a connection between them that could get there. She just couldn't leave him to be alone again. 

Tristan wasn't prone to fits or public scenes, but he'd raised hell to get into the surgical recovery room. He'd also demanded Jack be present during the surgery. Jack had also reassured Tristan, or tried to, that Gwen's surgery had went well. He was sure she would make a full recovery. They'd removed the bullet from her lung, only having to cut a small portion of the lung itself out. She would breathe fine without it, Jack assured him. When he thought about the bullets going through her body, he was furious. He would be hunting the sons of bitches down himself if he wasn't confident that Cain would find them without his help. 

He didn't feel especially helpful standing over Gwen's body either, but he needed to be there. He picked her slender feminine hand up in his much larger one. She was cold and Tristan felt fear run through his body once again. The monitors hooked up to her told him that she was indeed alive and stable. Her heartbeat was constant and strong, but he still didn't like feeling so helpless. He tried to rub warmth into her hand and heard her groan. 

Jack looked over immediately. "Try and get her to talk to you. She needs to get the anesthesia out of her system." 

Tristan sat in the chair that had been brought for him at her bedside. "Gwen?" His voice sounded unsure, too soft. He cleared his throat. "Gwen, sweetheart, we need you to wake up. Talk to me Gwen. Open your eyes." Jack nodded his encouragement when Tristan looked over to him unsure. "Gwen?" He saw her eyes flutter and clench closed. She groaned again, though louder this time. 

"Gwen, can you open your eyes for us?" Jack was across the bed from Tristan, his voice was loud and sure. Gwen looked irritated as her eyes opened into slits. She looked at Jack, and Tristan could have sworn she rolled her eyes. She then looked at Tristan and the sweetest smile he'd ever seen came across her face. He felt like he'd been punched in the gut, but it was a good kind of punch. It didn't make any sense to him. Her brow cinched and she closed her eyes again. 

"Gwen!" Tristan said worriedly. She opened her eyes again, wider this time. He took a breath of relief at seeing those sparkling blue irises. 

"Hey." She croaked.

He was happy to just hear her voice. "How do you feel?" He asked concerned. She gave a small, cynical laugh. "Right," Tristan answered himself, "you probably feel like you've been shot twice." He meant it to come out lightly, but he sounded somber. She was looking at him more clearly now, coming out of her haze. "Gwen do you know who did this to you?" Tristan's voice had an edge to it that he couldn't prevent. She looked confused for a moment as she tried to remember. 

"I was coming from Malia's room," she started, frowning with the effort it took to recall. "I was using the old servant's hallways. No one usually uses them anymore, but I didn't want to run into anyone from the staff that late at night. I walked around the corner and it was pretty dark." She winced at the unpleasantness of the memory. "I was in a hurry to get out of the halls, they're like a maze and scary at night." Her voice sounded suddenly fearful and Tristan ached to embrace her, though her wounds prevented it. He settled for bringing her hand to his lips in what he hoped was a comforting kiss. She watched him in awe. "As soon as I turned the corner I heard voices. I didn't have time to do anything." Her frown deepened. "I just remember looking down because my chest suddenly hurt and seeing blood spread out on my shirt. There wasn't any sound. I kept thinking that I couldn't have been shot because there wasn't any sound." A solitary tear ran from the corner of her eye. Tristan bent over and kissed her forehead making soothing sounds as best as he could while his own emotions were in turmoil. Eventually she continued. "I kind of fell against the wall. There were two of them. Two men. They walked towards me. There was so much blood pouring out of my shoulder and chest. I thought I was going to die." Gwen's voice hitched on the last word. 

"Did you recognize the men?" Jack asked from the other side of the bed, hitherto having been seemingly forgotten. 

Gwen frowned but then answered. "Yes, I've seen them both around the manor before. They were soldiers. Vincent Dutari, he smiled down at me as he passed and put his finger over his lips, telling met to keep quiet." She sounded angry which Tristan figured was a better emotion than fear and sadness. "He was with the new security guy, Lutz." She finally came up with the name. 

"Did they say anything? Anything about what they were doing? Why they were there?" Jack asked gently, though clearly eager for any clues as to where Malia was taken. 

Gwen concentrated on remembering again. "Yes." She finally said, sounding very proud of herself. "As they passed me one of them said, 'Denizen wasn't going to be happy if they kept shooting people.'" 

"Denizen?" Jack repeated. 

"Yes." Gwen was sure Staying silent most of the time had the perk of acquiring great skills of perception and listening. Tristan pulled out his phone and texted the name to Cain. He wouldn't need clarification. Blake Denizen was a dead man, and the usually compassionate Tristan couldn't find it in himself to care. 

----------------

Malia wanted to fall asleep, to be unconscious. Her throbbing back prevented such a release. Her head was still pounding in agony from being slammed into the wall. She wondered if anyone had noticed she was gone. Cain was apparently being sent pictures so he had to be looking for her. What would he tell her family? She didn't want to worry, not in what was possibly her last hours.

She wanted to think about something that made her happy. She thought about sitting by the creek at the unit where she ate lunch with Olivia. She thought about her father telling everyone a story from the hospital at night, the gorier the details the better. She thought about Cain. He was such an arrogant asshole. She smiled. But he was her arrogant asshole. She didn't picture the future she wanted with him, she'd spent too much time worrying about it already. She remembered the way his eyes went almost black when he was turned on. She pictured his face when he'd found his bookshelves messed up. She felt again the way his lips fit against hers, their bodies pressed together like puzzle pieces in the woods as rain fell on them unnoticed. In those moments she knew they could have taken on the world together. 

An indistinguishable amount of time went by before Malia heard the sound she'd been dreading. The door opened loudly and the lights came back on suddenly. Malia desperately tried to cling to the small bit of serenity her musings had brought her. She didn't have to look up to know that it was Vincent. 

"Miss me girlie?" His voice was so repulsive, making every one of his words foul simply by leaving his mouth. Even when she hadn't liked Cain she hadn't hated him. She hated Vincent with every fiber of her being. As he walked closer to the bed she desperately wanted the use of her arms and legs back. It didn't ease her mind that being tied down on her stomach now prevented her from looking at him even if she'd wanted to. Now that he was out of sight and in much closer proximity she suddenly very much wanted to look at him. 

"You know I've been thinking of all of the visually striking methods of torture I've ever partaken in and I came up with a tie as to what we should do next." He came to the head of the bed and Malia could see him again, she wasn't excessively grateful of the fact. He crouched to be eye level with her, and gave his incredibly disgusting grin. "Now there's the always classic plucking off of your pretty little fingers and toes. Some pussies like to use power saws, but me, I'm more traditional. There's just something about the rough edges a pair of pliers leaves. It requires strength and skill. But don't you worry, I've done it tones of times. I'm real good at getting through the bone in one shot." 

Malia was going to pass out from the disgust and fear that filled her. She felt her head start to swim and her vision blurred. She preyed and begged as hard as she ever had before. 

"We could also go with a less used method, though still a personal favorite of mine. Have you ever seen iron get red hot before, girlie? Such a pretty sight, especially when it touches the flesh. You can smell your own skin and meat cooking and it leaves quite the mark. Not that you'll be around long enough for me to properly enjoy the scars, but I think I'd like seeing what interesting areas we could come up with." 

He chuckled and brought his hand down hard on her exposed ass. She screamed as his fingertips had made contact with the edges of the fresh welts he'd made. His hand moved down and she tried to clench her legs together for all she was worth. Her legs were bound to opposite posts of the cot though, keeping them spread slightly despite her desperate pulling. His hand forced its way down between her legs and she sobbed loudly, tears pouring from her face. No, no, no! Please! She didn't bother voicing the words, she knew they wouldn't help her. He made a sound of pleasure Malia somehow heard through her own terrified sobbing. His disgusting finger forced its way inside of her. 

His voice was directly by her ear to be heard over her crying. "I think I'll very much enjoy seeing you squirm when I put that piece of metal up inside your tight little cunt. I wonder what roasting pussy smells like, don't you?" He laughed. Malia cringed away. "Mmm, I'm going to let those thoughts simmer in your pretty little head, girlie. I'll be back in half an hour." He laughed as he stood and walked out of the room. 

Malia remembered her father telling her something about tears a long time ago. He'd said that one theory on why people cry was to subconsciously evoke sympathy from other humans whose minds were preprogrammed to interpret the sight of tears and react with compassion. It seemed though, after a certain amount of tears were shed, Malia's brain had given up on the hope of compassion from her captor. She knew that she was in the presence of evil, and she could shed buckets of tears without his mind interpreting even the briefest hint of guilt or empathy. Her body overrode her suffering mind and turned her tears off to conserve her dwindling energy. She wished she would pass out, because the blissful darkness was much more appealing than this. 

A single thought ran through her mind repetitively. Please Cain, please hurry.



The Reluctant Journey Ch. 12



Dutari couldn't have been gone ten minutes before he returned to Malia's ugly cell. She was absolutely terrified. Before she could react in any way he spoke. 

"Don't worry girlie, I'm just getting equipment set up." He laughed coldly. He dragged in a small narrow bench and set down a briefcase style toolbox on top. He opened it to reveal a shiny set of assorted pliers with several pairs of scissors and clamps included.

"No! Please!" She begged. Her tear production probably doubled on seeing the torture devices. He smiled and added what looked like a long screwdriver and some power tool that she assumed was a welding device to the collection. 

"I promised you options. I'm a man of my word." She continued to beg, her words blending together until they were incomprehensible. 

"Mmm." He moaned appreciatively, kneeling close to her face. "I love screamers." He brought his hand to her face and she strained with all her might against the restraints to get closer to the wall. He laughed again, the most evil sound she'd ever heard. "There's nowhere to run girlie." She clenched her eyes closed to get away from his sordid, evil face. Thankfully he just laughed again and stood up. 

"I'll see you again in about twenty minutes. Think things over. Tick tock girlie." He was still laughing as he left her in the room once again. 

-----------------

As soon as Tristan's text came through Cain saw red. He was on the move. He was instantly on a helicopter that took him directly to unit 118. Fuck the 'guards' of the unit. Fuck keeping the people living in the unit in the dark. He would deal with the repercussions gladly. Right now he was going to get Malia away from Dutari safely. Then he was going to tear all of the three asshole's limbs from their bodies. 

Unfortunately the rage he was feeling was not nearly all encompassing. There was plenty of room for a dark, cold fear to cloud his mind. His imagination provided a soundtrack to accompany the sick pictures on his phone. He could hear Malia screaming for someone to help. He knew Vincent Dutari enough to know that the sick fuck would only get off on those pleas. 

Upon hearing the helicopter Blake Denizen tried to make a run for it. Cain had men on the ground waiting for him. He was tackled and dragged back into the building before the helicopter landed. Under different circumstances Cain would have been entertained. Tonight he was looking for answers. 

As soon as Cain entered Blake's tiny, pretentious office the weasel was inconsolably begging. He was sitting in an office chair in the middle of the cramped room with two soldiers flanking either side. As Blake tried to stand the man on his right forced his shoulders down harshly. Blake looked very scared, as he should be. If there was more time Cain would love to drag out that fear and pain, but there was no more time. Malia was in trouble and he was here to find out where she was. 

"Where is she?" He bellowed in Denizen's direction. 

"What are you doing here Malcolm? I will have you arrested. You're going to jail you crazy motherfucker-" He was cut off by Cain's fist. Blood spewed from Denizen's newly broken nose. He looked shocked as he brought his hand up to his face and screamed in agony simultaneously. 

Cain kneeled to Blake's level. "No fucking games Denizen! Where is Malia?" His voice was cold and menacing. As Blake didn't speak quickly enough for Cain's liking he began to punch his face like a piece of meat. It was like he was in a daze when Finn grabbed him from behind and pulled him back. 

"Cain! We need him." He yelled into his ear like it wasn't the first time he'd spoken the words. Cain shook his head in an attempt to clear his thoughts. He nodded and Finn let him go. Denizen was groaning and clutching his face in pain. 

"Denizen, I'm going to ask you one more time and then I'm going to cut my losses and kill you. You speak now and you just might make it to trial." 

Denizen looked up at Cain through swollen slits. He pointed to the top drawer of his desk. Cain opened it and Denizen motioned to a tri-folded paper on top. It gave him an address. Cain all but sprinted from Denizen's office and back into the helicopter. Unfortunately he would have to leave his soldiers to handle Blake which meant he would, indeed, make it to trial. But Cain promised himself that the punishment would be extensive. 

Cain had taken the helicopter within ten miles of the property address listed on the page, not near enough to be conspicuous. As the SUV that had raced the rest of the way came to a halt, Cain jumped out quickly. There was a frantic energy coursing through his entire body intuitively telling him he needed to hurry. Finn had directed the team of soldiers to surround the seemingly abandoned building. Cain knew the importance of a tactical approach, but it grated his nerves to wait even a second. Luckily Finn was extremely competent and quick. The team silently and effectively stormed the building.

Cain's stomach sank when a soldier gave Finn the 'all clear'. The building was abandoned. She wasn't here. Now he was too late to save her. Malia would be tortured, probably to death. Cain felt all of his energy and body heat drain with the resignation. 

A sudden hand gesture caught Cain's eye. Cain quickly moved over to where the man stood. Cain looked down at where the soldier was motioning and his heart jumped in his chest. There was a hidden door cut out in the floor boards. He motioned the soldier to stand back, then reached down and slowly lifted the heavy wooden door. It inevitably groaned in protest as it went up, despite Cain's attempt at silence. The stairway that was uncovered was dark and empty. The soldiers filed down with Finn and Cain bringing up the rear. 

The basement was mostly dark, with tunneling halls that led to small cell-like rooms. It looked more like an abandoned infirmary than a prison. Cain didn't need the sudden outburst of noise from the soldiers in front of him to know that someone was in the hallway. His eyes had picked up the light at the end of the dark hallway like a beacon in a storm. Dutari and Lutz were restrained before they had the chance to fight back. As viciously angry as Cain had been when he'd received the pictures was how disinterested he felt in Dutari and Lutz at the moment. He wasn't looking for retribution right now. He wanted to find Malia, to make sure she was okay, to do what he could to comfort her. 

Cain didn't rush to the lit up end of that hallway. He was both looking forward to and dreading what that lit cell would hold. He barely saw the restrained Vincent Dutari as he walked next to him. He looked into the room the soldiers had pulled Lutz and Dutari from moments earlier. There were two plastic chairs and a card table full of beer bottles and fried food. Cain's head twisted towards Dutari instantly. 

"Where is she?" His voice had never held more authority or menace before. Vincent looked back at him pale-faced and terrified. The piece of shit always had been scared of anyone that wasn't helpless in a fight against him. He was full of confidence when his opponent was restrained, or a woman. Cain didn't have time to work up to a substantial anger before Vincent was motioning to another room with his head. Cain walked around the corner and saw that there was another room emitting light in this hall. Cain walked to the door hoping for the best but visualizing the worst. 

There was a small square window in the top of the door that offered a view into the small room. He saw her instantly. She was tied to a narrow cot, spread-eagle on her stomach. Cain tried the door, but it was locked. He yelled for a key and wasn't surprised when Finn brought it to him personally. He felt dangerous right now which was no doubt prevalent to his men. Cain had enough composure to thank Finn. Finn simply nodded, always understanding to Cain's less friendly moods. Cain unlocked and opened the heavy wooden door. Finn stayed in the hallways as Cain walked in. He was instantly met by frantic sobbing. 

"Please! No!" Malia pulled at the restraints which looked to be made of leather. Her voice was as desperate as he'd heard anyone's before. Her aggravated motion caused the bleeding welts on her back to seep. He saw a familiar torture setup on a bench in the corner and his stomach flipped. Cain realized she couldn't see him, she thought he was Vincent here to torture her more. He was momentarily stunned by the enthusiasm she used to beg him not to hurt her. He would never hurt her. He would spend the rest of his life making sure no one hurt her. Finally he found his voice as he took a step towards her, into her line of vision. 

"Malia." His voice was scratchy with emotion, but she must have heard him because she stopped struggling. 

"Cain?" She sounded completely vulnerable and unsure. 

Cain was surprised by the tears he felt running down his face. He walked to the head of the cot and kneeled by her head, completely visible to her now. 

"Yeah baby, it's me." His voice was weak with the effort it took to contain himself. 

Malia began to cry even harder. Did she think he was in on torturing her? His gut twisted at her negative reaction to seeing him. Cain finally composed himself enough to bring his shaking fingers up to her wrist restraints. It took a lot of effort for him to release the buckle. She was still crying, breaking his heart with her lack of trust in him. He hadn't given her any reason to trust him. She'd said she loved him, he didn't deserve it, and he hadn't reciprocated it. He'd all but kicked her out to find someone else to give her love to. However, it still felt like a knife in his chest that she should feel like he would ever be involved in hurting her like this. He worked the other wrist restraint free and moved down to release her legs. He avoided looking at her back. Surprisingly the brief glance when he'd walked in the door filled him with a deep grief rather than the expected fury. He hadn't done this to her, but he also hadn't kept her safe. Denizen had only done this to Malia because of him. She hadn't done a thing to the men that hurt her. It was completely his fault that she'd been hurt. She didn't move as she was released from the leather cuffs. She just cried harder into the mattress. Cain didn't know what to do once he'd gotten all of the restraints off. She wouldn't want him to comfort her, not when she thought he was responsible for having this torture inflicted on her. He was responsible, it made him feel sick. Cain just sat back on his heels and watched her, his heart breaking more and more as she fell apart. He felt completely and utterly useless. 

-----------------

Malia had thought she didn't have any tears left, but when she heard that door open behind her she found out differently. She realized that the will to live was very much instinctual and without the opportunity to fight and/or give flight, all she had left were her tears. She knew it wouldn't make a difference to Vincent, but she couldn't control it. 

"Please! No!" She heard herself begging him. Her voice was raw from crying and sounded as terrified as she felt. Giving her time to contemplate her upcoming torture was the cruelest thing that had ever been done to her. Malia's thoughts since Vincent had left the cell had centered around visualizations of burning flesh and missing appendages. As soon as she heard the door open all of those thoughts came to the surface to cause a fear that went deep into her marrow. She didn't want to die. She didn't want to leave her family, her new friends, Cain. 

"Malia." She stilled. Had she heard his voice simply from thinking about him? She couldn't decide if that was the best gift or the cruelest punishment she could receive right before her death. 

"Cain?" Oh how she wanted him there, but it just seemed too much to ask for. He wasn't her hero. He didn't want to be with her. 

"Yeah baby, it's me." His voice was full of emotion as was his face when he walked into her view. 

It wasn't really him. She was hallucinating from extreme stress. Cain would have been furious when he walked in. Cain would have murdered Vincent for taunting him with the pictures. She hadn't heard any kind of gunshot in the hall. Would she be able to hear through the door? It was a moot point because Cain would never have used those words to greet her. He didn't call her his baby. If he used a pet name it was something sarcastic or demeaning, like 'little girl'. She realized that she was full on sobbing now. She wanted him to be there with all of her willpower, so he was there. But things didn't work that way. She could make him her knight in shining armor in her mind all day but that didn't save her from the evil plans of Vincent Dutari. The mind was a powerful thing and this was one hell of a final scene from hers. 

The tears running out of her eyes were obscuring the gorgeous vision, ruining whatever little time she had with him. She thought it strange that tears would affect a hallucination but she'd never hallucinated before so she wasn't sure how it worked. 

What if he was actually there? 

No, she refused to hope for that much. She would be grateful for whatever she could get. Just as she tried to begin to control her emotional outburst Cain began to unbuckle her from the disgusting bed. Of course her fantasy would extend to him saving her, it was what she'd wanted more than anything. It felt so real, she couldn't feel the leather around her wrists anymore. 

No!No!No! This wasn't real. 

She couldn't take the devastation when the disappeared and Vincent showed up to replace him. He released her ankles while she continued to break down. She couldn't look at him, it would be too painful. 

Eventually Malia ran out of tears once again. If she were to get out she would more than likely be dehydrated from her countless stints of crying. She didn't try to move her arms or legs, it would probably ruin the dream of her freedom. She couldn't keep from looking for Cain though, if it was a hallucination she would make the most of it. He was still there, looking at her. He looked tired and very, very sad. He was kneeling about four feet from the side the bed. He didn't say anything. Why wasn't he saying anything? 

"Cain?" She asked again. 

"Yeah?" He barely choked out. 

What was there to say. If he wasn't really there, than it wouldn't make a difference what she said anyway. But if he was there what would she say to him? What was the last thing she wanted to say to Cain Malcolm?

"I love you Cain." She spoke clearly and simply. It was the truth. It always had been. 

He frowned and looked confused. "You do?" 

She nodded. Of course he wouldn't believe her, he hadn't the last time she had told him either. 

"Then why are you crying?" He finally asked, his voice still gruff with emotion. 

Malia inhaled deeply and let the calmness his presence brought overwhelm her. He looked impatient waiting for an answer. She smiled weakly. "Because you're not really here. And I wish more than anything that you were." She expected him to disappear now that she'd acknowledged his imaginary status, but he only kneeled there looking even more confused. 

He seemed lost for words and it took him a while to respond. "Malia I am here. I'm right here. You're going to be okay."

"Please don't." She interrupted. "It's okay that you aren't here. At least I get to see you before he comes back." 

Cain looked shocked by her words. A solitary tear ran down his beautiful face. Malia frowned. This wasn't how she wanted to see him. "Malia he isn't going to come back. I know that he hurt you and I wasn't there to stop him. This was all my fault. But he won't ever come back to hurt you again. I'm so sorry sweetheart." 

No, this wasn't what she wanted to hear. She didn't want him even more guilty. He always had a burden of guilt to carry and she didn't want him to feel any more guilt from her. Was it possible to have a happy ending to this terrible nightmare? Malia finally tested her arms. She was free from the bed frame. She could move. She looked down surprised at her wrists. They were red and chaffed but unbound. She closed her legs and wasn't stopped by any restraints. 

Malia's elation was instant and intense. "Cain?" She asked yet again. 

"I'm here Malia. I'm right here." 

She wanted to go to him. She wanted him to hold her. She started to push herself up into a sitting position but was stopped by the sudden pain the movement caused in her open seeping back. 

He jumped up and came closer. He knelt again, very close now to the edge of the bed. 

"Malia don't." He placed a gentle but restraining hand on her shoulder. Malia brought her hand up to his cheek, feeling stubble as she caressed his face. 

"You came to save me." She attempted to memorize all of his features in that moment only to realize she already had. His deep brown eyes were so comforting to her because they had become familiar somewhere down this crazy journey they'd been through together. She knew his face but she also knew that she would never get tired of looking at it. 

"No." He answered. She was confused, for a second she didn't remember what she had last said. He continued. "I'm the reason you're here at all. You have every right to be angry with me, to hate me." He looked guilty and still so sad. 

Malia cinched her brows in confusion. "No Cain, you're not. You had no part in this. This was the doing of some evil men, only they are responsible." 

He shook his head adamantly. "Malia I-" 

"Cain!" She stopped him. "You are not to be guilty over this, do you understand me? You saved me. Could you just accept that you're the god-damned hero for once?" 

"I'm no hero." He said solemnly. 

"You're my hero." 

"You deserve more than someone like me." 

She smiled and continued to slowly stroke his face, assuring herself that he really was there. "I don't deserve to get what I want? Because I want you Cain. I don't want someone else. I love you." 

He frowned down at her. He brought his hand to her face and gently stroked her face from temple to chin. "I love you Malia. I don't know what I would have done if-" 

"Cain," she interrupted again, "I'm going to be okay. We're going to be okay." She smiled. She was suddenly elated, the emotion amplified because it had been so long since she'd felt anything even remotely positive.

Cain slowly kissed her, especially gentle in all of his movements. It wasn't a kiss of lust, it was so much more than that. It was everything she needed to know. He looked down at her, studying her again. 

Finally he seemed to come out of a daze. "I need to get you to a hospital." His face was so concerned it was comical. "What the hell is wrong with me." He stood and went to the door. Malia had forgotten about the pain. She was safe now. Cain loved her. Malia smiled and dozed off. 

-------------

Malia's elation wasn't strong enough to withstand the physical pain the medics reawakened. there was no getting around moving to transfer her to the stretcher. As Malia stood she felt stickiness on her back that made her dizzy when she remembered the cause. Her muscles strained in protest under her own weight. Malia willed them to support her and looked down at her feet. That was when she saw the blood dripping down from her open back. She felt all of the heat leave her face right before she passed out. 

-------------

Malia moaned with discomfort. She tried to prevent the encroaching consciousness from grasping her, but it was a losing battle. The first face she saw was her father's. He was smiling gently at her. She never thought he'd looked so old. 

"So blood's still an issue for you princess?" Malia smiled weakly and nodded. He laughed lightly. She thought it was a defense mechanism for him; if he laughed he couldn't cry. It didn't work, a solitary tear ran down from the inner corner of his eye. Most of her grogginess wore off at seeing her always composed father cry. He closed his eyes to prevent a breakdown. 




The Reluctant Journey Ch. 12



"We were so scared Malia." Tears began to well in her own eyes. She looked around and sure enough she was in a hospital room and hooked up to an IV. So she was hydrated enough to cry again, great. 

She suddenly felt guilty that when her life depended on it she had wished for Cain to rescue her. When Cain had kidnapped her she'd wanted her parents to come for her. She'd subconsciously clung to the idea that her dad was supposed to be her protector, even into her early adulthood. But when she'd thought it was all over she hadn't called out for her daddy anymore, she'd hoped and prayed Cain would save her, protect her, love her. Malia had never really understood why mothers and fathers of the bride cried at their daughter's wedding, it wasn't like they would never see each other again. Now she understood it like an epiphany. In a lot of aspects she was replacing them. She loved her mom and dad, they'd been constantly by her side her entire life, but she loved Cain too in a new completely different way. She wanted to be by his side for the remainder of her life. She wanted to be in a family with him, to create their own. 

Her dad cleared his throat and wiped away the tear. "They gave you pain medicine, for your back." He clenched his jaw, but withheld any further signs of the rage he felt. "Something I've never heard of, but everything they told me about it coincides with their claims that it isn't addictive. New-age shit, you never can tell." 

Malia just nodded. She wasn't in any pain. No pain at all. In fact she couldn't feel her toes. The thought made Malia burst out laughing. 

"Yeah they said you'd be a little loopy for a while because your body isn't accustomed to the stronger medications they use." 

"I can't feel a thing!" Malia giggled. Her father looked uneasy about her reaction. She looked at her hands up close and giggled. 

Malia's head cleared less than a minute later. She was feeling disoriented. The medicine's effect wasn't like anything she'd experienced before. The giggly feeling lasted only a short period, followed by complete lucidity. It was worse than being totally loopy from the drug because she could tell she was acting strange, she just couldn't stop it. Malia frowned as soon as she could stop laughing. 

"Where's mom?" She chose to ask instead of asking about Cain. Her father wouldn't take kindly of her choosing to know about him over her own family. 

"She went to get something to eat with the boys and Olivia. I told her to bring something back for me. We didn't want you to possibly wake up and be alone." 

Malia felt a huge wave of sadness wash over her. She also felt her mental facilities begin to fail her again. She started sobbing, loudly and quite obnoxiously. Her father was stunned. 

"They'll be back soon princess." He patted her shoulder consolingly. "What's the matter?" 

Malia willed her mouth to close but didn't have enough control to succeed in the small task. "I'm alone. I'm always alone." She said between sobs, "Cain said that he loved me but he's not here, I'm still alone." Her speech was stuttered and broken but regrettably coherent enough for her father to get every word. He waited for her to compose herself again. Thankfully the sobbing stopped as quickly as it had come on. Malia took a shaky breath. 

"What is wrong with me?" She blushed at her revealing mess of an outburst. 

"It's the medicine. It amplifies the emotional centers in your brain and can cause enhanced emotional responses. They said as a side-effect it was fairly rare and mild but more likely in your case." Malia nodded. He'd spoken very stoically, lacking the compassion he'd had before her emotional scene. They were both silent for a moment before Jack spoke again. 

"Your mother didn't want me to talk about the boy," he said irritably, "but since you brought it up," he paused. "She thinks we should give him a chance. I think he's little better than the bastards that put you in here." 

Malia gasped in surprise at his strong statement. "You don't know him." She argued. 

"I don't need to." He argued back. "I know everything I need to know about him!" 

She was silent as she took several deep breaths. 

"I love him Daddy." She answered a minute or so later in a soft voice. 

"Malia," he groaned, "You don't have anyone else to compare him with." 

She shook her head. "It doesn't matter because I'm not unsure about a thing. I love Cain, I know I do." 

Her father looked at her for a moment. "And him?" 

She frowned. "He said that he loved me too." 

Jack finally spoke again as Malia studied her fingernails. "He's been here almost constantly for the past three days." 

Malia's eyes jumped to connect with her father's. "I've been unconscious for three days?" 

He nodded. "You had a concussion, they gave you a drug to prevent any swelling in your brain. That was when they discovered your reactions to their drugs were stronger than normal. The drug usually only affects someone for maybe a day, making them very drowsy. However, you were unwakeable for three days now. Not from lack of trying."

"Cain's been here?"

"Damn persistent jackass wouldn't leave." He looked comically grumpy. 

Malia giggled, but prevented another laughing outburst just barely. "Can you try to be nice to him Dad? He kind of saved my life." 

"Saved your life?" He was instantly infuriated. If she hadn't been drugged she might have realized how her words would sound to her dad. "He was the reason you were there in the first place!" 

"No he wasn't. Cain had nothing to do with what Vincent did to me. He wasn't part of what he was planning on doing to me. The only fault of Cain's was the fact that he took me from the unit in the first place, and you already said you would let him try and make up for that. I would say saving me is a pretty good start." 

Jack looked at her strangely, a mixture of pride and confusion. "You've changed." He said simply. 

Malia nodded. She didn't pretend to not know what he was talking about. "Yeah, I have." 

"I don't like the idea of losing my baby girl," his brow cinched with emotion, "but I'm so proud of the young woman you've become." He hugged her tightly and Malia started to cry again, albeit softly this time.

"That's such a cheesy line dad." They both laughed. 

He sighed as he let her go. "I suppose I should call the boy. He had to be pulled out by his friend and brother so he would clean himself up and sleep. Tristan brought flowers when he came," He pointed over to the window ledge, "the friend brought balloons with a stuffed bear." Malia shifted in the bed, intent on walking over to the window covered in flowers. 

"Don't." Her father ordered in his doctor voice. "I'll bring them to you." He walked over to the window and retrieved a vase of yellow and white roses with daisies mixed in, the arrangement was beautiful. Jack set the vase on her side table and Malia grabbed the small white card. 

'There aren't enough words nor is there enough space on this card to convey to you what I feel for you, sweet Malia. Wake up so I can try damn it. -Tristan' 

The words and handwriting were perfect as per the norm for Tristan. Malia picked up the small white stuffed bear that had three balloons tied to its small wrist. This card was printed with a simple 'get well soon' and signed 'Finn'. Her father brought her more flowers which surprised her because she didn't know many people. Malia read card after card. A lot of the staff members at Milan manner sent her beautiful flowers and cards as did Cain's grandmother Kate. There were sunflowers with a card that read 

'When you're ready come down to the second floor and see me. -Gwen'. 

"Why is Gwen at the hospital?" Malia asked quickly. Her dad looked taken aback for a moment. 

Finally he answered her. "When you were taken from that house Gwen was in the hall the intruders entered through. They shot her," Malia gasped, "but she is fine, she'll make a complete recovery." Her dad added on. 

"I need to go see her." Malia moved to get up again. Jack placed a firm restraining hand on her shoulder. In her state it didn't take much to physically overpower her. 

"She is stable and on another floor Malia. You can visit her in the morning when you have the doctor's permission." His voice was authoritative again. Malia threw her head back into the pillow and sighed exaggeratedly. Malia didn't have long to sulk before her mother and siblings entered the room. Upon seeing her awake their greeting was expectedly chaotic. Her brothers wanted gory details. Her mother scolded them for their inappropriate questions. Olivia asked how she felt with the crazy strong medicine. The chaos was comforting and thankfully didn't allow any more embarrassing, noisy outbursts. One unfortunate side-effects of the excitement filled reconnections was that it drained Malia's energy ver quickly. She fell asleep waiting on another visitor she desperately wanted to see. 

----------

It was so dark. Malia was in a hallway or a tunnel, but it was pitch black. Her feet were cold as they ran along the concrete floor. Her hands occasionally slid along the wall as she ran but it was slimy and cold. She could hear someone or something behind her, moving much more quickly. She tried to yell for help but wasn't able to produce any sound. Whatever was behind her was getting close. She could feel warm breath on her neck. She tried to move faster but her legs weren't obeying her. Then she heard a distinctive whistle through the air. She screamed and woke herself before the whip could make contact. 

"Malia! Malia!" She heard someone calling her name and stopped screaming. It was a dream. She realized this room was dark, but not pitch black. once her eyes adjusted she could make out Cain easily. He pushed her hair behind her ear and 'sshhed' her gently.

"Cain!" she said excitedly, though her voice was still groggy from sleep. He was close enough she could pull him into a hug by his neck. She pulled him off balance halfway into the bed on top of her. He made a sound between an 'oof' and a choke. 

"Oh, sorry," she laughed as she released his neck. He stoop up again, hurriedly removing his weight from her chest. 

He looked concerned. "Are you okay?" 

Her back should be hurting from the force of Cain's weight, but she didn't feel anything. 

"I'm fine." she smiled. His face seemed to have gotten even more perfectly handsome if it were possible. She probably was biased considering the new stubble and dark circles under his eyes. 

"You were screaming." He frowned down at her. 

"Oh," she answered stupidly, then remembered the dream. It amazed her how thoroughly his face could chase away her nightmares. Nonetheless, upon recalling the dream she shivered in disgust. "It was just a dream." 

He was still frowning. She wanted to see him smile. It seemed like it had been so long since she'd seen him show any sign of happiness. He didn't smile though, he just stared at her frowning. She brought her hand up to his face to feel his stubbly cheek, which was really move of a short beard than five-o-clock shadow by now. 

"Did you give up on shaving my love?" She smiled giddily. He looked confused and brought his own hand up to his jaw. Before he could say something sad she continued. ""I like it. You look like a very rugged, very sexy, lumberjack." He smiled and her mission was complete. That face would be the face she would remember when she was old and senile. 

"Jack told me you were a little out of it." 

She made an offended sound. "I'm not out of it! I just missed you." She changed her tone to a more serious one. "I thought I wouldn't get to see you again." Unfortunately this statement brought his frown firmly back in place. 

"Malia, I need to know what those bastards did to you." He spoke through gritted teeth. 

She frowned. "I only really saw Vincent. Mr. Denizen, the unit council leader, came in. He was in charge. He told Vincent to-" She took a shaky breath, "He told him to break the skin with the..with the whip." She began to have another very emotional, medicine-induced outburst. Cain held her through her sobbing, making consoling gestures and sounds. 

"Please Malia, don't cry." He ran his hand over her hair as she sobbed into the crook of his neck and shoulder. "You're killing me here sweetheart." He pleaded. 

"I'm sorry." She sniffled. "I can't help it. It's the medicine." She knew that if she tried to tell him what happened again it would only cause another negative emotional response. So she should just get it all out of the way. If she didn't tell him he would think the worst. Malia cried through the sentences, but told him everything. 

"Cain can you just lie up here with me?" She asked once she finally stopped crying. He looked unbearably sad and guilty but tried to smile and complied as she scooted to the far edge of the hospital bed. He wrapped his arm around her and her head rested on his bicep. Every inch of her side pressed up against his in the single bed. She had never been more comfortable.

He was very quiet and she worried that he was feeling guilty again. "What did you do to Dutari and Denizen after I passed out?" 

He waited a moment before answering her. "I don't want to upset you again Malia. We can talk about it later." 

"That bad huh?" She smirked. "I wont loose any sleep hearing about any pain you put them through." 

"Is that what you want?" She looked up to see his questioning face. "For me to have them beaten or tortured?" He looked hopeful. 

She thought about it for a moment. Waiting for Vincent to come back and knowing that he would bring indescribable pain and probably death was the worst thing she'd ever had to endure. She wouldn't wish it on anyone, not even Vincent himself. "No." She answered surely. 

"Damn. That's what I thought you would say. To tell you the truth, I haven't done anything to them. Yet." 

She intertwined their fingers as she listened to him speak. "Nothing?" She asked.

"No. I've been here." He said it unsurely. 

Malia smiled. "Is it absolutely awful of me to be pleased that you've been worrying about me?" 

"Yes. Yes it is." He smirked. 

She laughed and nuzzled into his neck. The room was quiet and dark, it was surprisingly peaceful for a hospital room. There was so much that needed to be discussed between the two of them but she didn't have any motivation to talk about anything right now. She laid next to him and listened to his deep breathing as he fell asleep, then she joined him in blissful unconsciousness. 

--------

Cain was confused for a moment when he woke up in an unfamiliar room. He had fallen asleep cuddled next to Malia. His arm was asleep under the weight of her head. 

Cain felt like he was running on borrowed energy. The last three days had been the longest of his life. Even when the doctors had assured him that Malia was fine and would make a full recovery, he was a mess. When Tristan had been unconscious from hypothermia so many years ago the guilt had been insufferable. But when Malia was unconscious it hadn't been guilt that had tormented Cain, but an overwhelming sense of vulnerability 

It hadn't helped his mood or energy level that he'd been forced to spend every waking hour in close proximity to Jack Yates. Malia's mother had turned out to be very pleasant. She had the same sense of humor as Malia as well as a kind heart she tried to hide behind an impressive outward strength. Her father, however, was proving to be and overbearing ass. Cain hadn't had a father figure for a long time, other than his occasional meetings with Eli McAllister, and he wasn't relishing Jack's patronizing attitude. He treated him like an unruly teenager and the ensuing power struggles between them reminded him of his less than idyllic adolescence. 

Spending all of his time worrying about Malia and fighting with Jack, Cain hadn't had time to deal with his prisoners. He hadn't been lying when he'd told Malia that he'd done nothing to Dutari, Lutz, and Denizen. Denizen had been brought back to Milan manner instead of a jail holding cell, apparently under McAllister's order, though Cain hadn't spoken with him himself. For three days they had resided in his basement cells with no food and minimal water. He'd done nothing to them nor for them. They hadn't been on Cain's mind long enough for him to decide what he should do with them. He didn't know what Eli McAllister would allow him to decide. The general of the army couldn't condone him murdering three men out of revenge, but why hadn't he had the men transferred to a government jail? Cain didn't know if he still had a job or was going to get arrested any minute with the way he'd bombarded the unit and abused Denizen. He should be more worried, but knowing Malia was okay was too much of a relief to feel too much negativity at the moment. 

He shifted beside her, moving his arm from underneath her head, and he went back to sleep. 

----------

Gwen woke up from a dreamless sleep. She was surprised that she hadn't had a nightmare about the shooting. It was probably due to the heavy medication she'd been receiving. The room was dim, but not dark. She immediately saw Tristan sitting next to her bed, asleep and snoring. Jeez no wonder she'd woken up. 

She smiled to herself. He was still here in the hospital with her. It felt like she was too lucky, like it was all a dream she was going to wake up from. Considering she'd just had two bullets removed from her body the feeling was disorienting and surprising to her. Maybe the drugs were too strong. 

Tristan and Jack had talked to her for hours about what had happened. Then she had to repeat everything word for word to Cain. Luckily Tristan had been in the room or she wasn't sure she would've been able to make it through, Cain still intimidated her greatly. The entire ordeal had exhausted her and she'd fallen asleep. She wanted to talk to Tristan about more personal matters but she also desperately wanted to avoid it.

What was going to happen now? Was she supposed to just go back to her cleaning job? Was she going to be able to compartmentalize her life into work and personal life while she was in the same place for both? She didn't think she would be able to have a romantic relationship with her boss. She knew she wouldn't feel okay quitting her job and freeloading off of Tristan. What would her coworkers think? She wouldn't be able to blame them. Sleeping her way to the top was not what she wanted to tell her grandkids someday. She had no idea how to avoid it though. She could work for him or she could not, but she didn't have a choice as to whether or not to have a relationship with him. She wanted to be with him. She just hoped her dignity wouldn't be the price. 

Tristan frowned in his sleep. He was so beautiful. His hair had a slight curl that was longer than it usually was and his face was covered in dark stubble. His arms were crossed over his chest and his legs were stretched out. She wanted to get up and go over to touch him. As soon as she moved her arm to get up pain shot through her shoulder. When she took a deep breath in from the surprise of the pain she started to cough uncontrollably, which caused more pain everywhere. She was able to grab a box of tissues off the side table before she started coughing up blood. Tristan was up and hovering over her before she got control of the cough. 

"I'll call the nurse." He started to move but she grabbed his wrist. 

"No, no. I'm fine. I promise." He looked reluctant to stay. "Please, just stay with me." 

He scowled at her. "Don't do that." 

"What?" 

"You can't use that against me, not if this is going to work between us." 

"Can't use what against you?" Gwen was genuinely perplexed. He paused for a minute and just looked at her sweetly. 




The Reluctant Journey Ch. 12



"You want to know a secret?" Gwen nodded. "All you have to do to get me to do whatever you want is ask me the way you just did. If you use that against me the playing field is going to be completely skewed in your favor for the rest of our lives." 

"The rest of our lives?" Gwen nervously bit her lip. 

Tristan smiled, his face lit up and he didn't look the slightest bit tired anymore. "Exactly." 

She smiled. "And what is my incentive to comply with your request?" 

"You want to discuss incentives?" He grinned and she laughed. 

"Exactly." 

"What is it you want, sweetheart?" 

She looked at him seriously. "I want to make love to you Tristan." The self-reflection and over analysis had went out the door, but she didn't regret it in the least. She knew exactly what she wanted and she had every intention of making it happen. None of the consequences were deal-breakers. She wasn't sure she would ever come across something that would be a deal-breaker when it came to Tristan. 

His expression lost all of its amusement suddenly and she felt a twinge of nervousness in her gut. He moved his hand to her chin and tilted her head up. Her unease dissipated when she realized he wasn't unamused because he was rejecting her. His eyes were deliciously lustful as he looked down at her. He looked slightly dangerous in the most confusingly arousing way. He leaned down and kissed her slowly. It was just as amazing as she'd remembered from before being interrupted by the construction team. She wanted every part of him. She wanted to give every part of herself. She raised her arm to grasp around his neck only to wince in pain again. He immediately stopped and pulled back. 

"As much as I would love to fulfill your request, and I would love to...desperately. You are in no shape for such...amorous activity." Tristan looked like he wanted to contradict himself and continue their activity very badly. She knew him well enough to know that he would not follow through on his desire. He would wait until she healed completely, and probably wait a little longer to ensure her complete health. He was a gentlemen to a fault sometimes. 

She sighed. "As much as I hate to admit it, you're probably right. My arm really hurts when I move it, and the the coughing up blood thing wasn't especially relieving." 

"The doctor said that might happen because they had to remove a little of your lung." Tristan assured her. 

She nodded. The silence was awkward. She didn't know what to say now. She felt very vulnerable and uncomfortable. She knew it was unreasonable but she inevitably felt rejected and very undesirable. 

Tristan studied her face carefully. "What are you thinking?" 

She shook her head. "Nothing." She was sure her cheeks were bright red by now. 

"Are you embarrassed?" He sounded surprised and slightly amused. 

Her immediate response was to deny it, but for some reason she didn't. "I..I..maybe I..No." Okay so she wasn't going to win a medal for bravery. 

He frowned at her and in continuance with her cowardice she looked down at her hands in her lap. He sighed heavily and sat on the side of the bed. She looked up at him when she felt his weight suddenly shift the mattress. "Gwen, we didn't get to talk as much as I would have liked before. I know that we said that we were going to move slowly but I think that that was pretty much shot to hell. Um..pardon the very unintentional pun." He sounded and looked distraught. "I was terrified, more than a casual, take-it-slow, somewhat-boyfriend has any right to be. I want to have the right to feel concerned for you. I want to know the answers to the forms I had to fill out when you were admitted. I don't want to have to look you up like an employee. What I'm saying is, that I don't want to take it slow, not at all. However, you were just shot twice and took about ten years off of my life, so as much as I would love to have my way with you, it will have to wait until you have the normal amount of holes in your body." 

Gwen giggled at the very uncharacteristic racy remark. "Wow, my gentleman suitor seems to have been replaced by an uncivilized rake."

He grinned. "If your delicate sensibilities are shaken now my lady, just wait a fortnight or so. I predict you shall be positively shocked." 

She laughed and her self-consciousness melted away. "I don't want to take things slow either." 

--------

Malia got to visit Gwen two days after she woke up. They spent at least an hour talking about their respective series of events. Malia was going stir crazy and it didn't help that upon arriving at Gwen's room she found out that she was preparing to leave the hospital. 

"You get to go home?" Malia asked outraged. 

"Yeah." Gwen smiled. "Tristan influenced them a little. I will still have to stay in the basement of the manor with all of the hospital equipment. You don't get to leave?" 

"No." Malia grumbled. "Cain influenced them too, only in the other direction. I'm fine, but he doesn't want to rush anything." She sulked. "But I'm very happy for you." Malia tacked on, smiling sincerely. "How are things with Tristan going?" 

Gwen smiled. "He's very diligent." 

Malia giggled. "I bet." 

"Once I heal completely I think he'll ease up a little, but right now he's kind of, maybe a little bit overbearing." She said it guiltily. 

"It must be in his blood." Malia grumbled. 

Gwen laughed. "I can imagine. Cain was very distraught when he spoke with me. It was by far the most out of control I've ever seen him." 

"It scared him. I get that. But he can't be scared forever. I can't stay locked up in the hospital forever so he's sure nothing will ever happen to me. Plus I hate hospitals." Malia's face paled as she looked at the bandage covered wound on Gwen's shoulder. 

Gwen nodded. "I can understand where they are coming from though. If the situation had been reversed, if Tristan had been shot..I don't think I would be quick to get over that." 

Malia thought about Cain being tortured in her place. It was hard to imagine anyone overpowering him and she knew his pride would never let him give into something like that. He would have acted more honorably. The mental pictures made her uneasy. "You're right, like always. But Cain can't get his way anymore. I am leaving this hospital with or without his permission." 

"Uh oh." Gwen smiled. 

Malia grinned back. She hugged her friend gingerly to avoid hurting her. "I'll see you soon, back at home." 

Gwen looked slightly worried. "I hope you know what you're doing." 

Malia laughed. "Why start now?" 

--------------

"Finn I need to ask a favor." Malia had been waiting to get him alone for hours. 

"Yes?" He looked justifiably suspicious. 

"I need to get out of here and I was wondering if I could go to your house for a while?" 

"My house?" He raised his brow. 

"Yes." 

"What about Cain?" 

"What about him?" 

"Malia" he said with a warning tone. 

"Finn, please. Will you please help me get out of here? I need to talk to Cain, but I can't do it here. Your house is the only place we ever really communicated semi-successfully." 

He frowned and stared at her for a moment. "Okay." He agreed finally. "But we have to hurry. He wont be gone long." 

Malia grinned. "Thank you Finn, I owe you." He just grunted in response. 

Getting out of the hospital was surprisingly easy. Malia had envisioned a spy-like sneaking out scenario, but she was able to be discharged simply by asking. She even charmed the nurses and doctors into speeding up the process. She was out in thirty minutes. She was surprised to find out Finn did not only drive black SUVs, his own vehicle was a dark blue pickup truck. Though they'd been weaning her pain medication for days, she started to feel the wounds on her back during the long drive to Finn's secluded cabin. He got a phone call during the drive that she imagined was from Cain, because he looked at the phone and sighed before ignoring it. It rang several more times after that. Malia's stomach started to turn. Was this such a good idea? Most definitely not, but she'd already gotten the ball rolling. 

"Do you think he'll come after us?" she finally broke the silence. 

"Us?" Finn smirked. Her head shot over to face him accusingly. He laughed lightly. "I thought you two were in a relationship of sorts? You sound almost scared Malia." He was clearly enjoying himself at her expense. 

She bit her lip nervously. "I'm just not sure of what his reaction will be." 

"Well, he's not going to be happy." 

"Yeah, that's what I'm worried about." 

"I thought you had a plan?" He sounded more unsure than amused. 

"Of course I do," Malia defended, "I'm going to reason with him." 

Finn sighed heavily. "Shit." 

----------------

Malia only got to pace Finn's living room for twenty minutes before Cain showed up, flinging gravel with his motorcycle. She was too cowardly to meet him outside. Cain stomped up the stairs and flung open the front door without knocking. Malia felt like sneaking out the back door. He was very mad at her. But that wasn't an excuse for him to play dictator, especially a coddling benevolent dictator. She wanted things to go back to the normal they were becoming when they'd been at the cabin before. She needed some kind of balance in power. She had renewed most of her strength when he confronted her in the living room. Unfortunately, Finn spoke first. 

"Careful with the door there killer." 

Cain glared at him in response. "You seem to have turned off your phone." 

"Damn signal out here." Finn shrugged. 

"Bullshit." Cain growled. He turned to Malia." What the hell are you doing out of the hospital?" He was yelling now. 

Okay she could handle this. She took a deep breath. He interrupted her. 

"Come on Malia, I'd never pegged you as stupid before." 

She frowned. "Excuse me? Are you kidding me right now." All of her unease melted away into annoyance. "You are completely unreasonable!" 

"I'm unreasonable? You snuck out of the hospital behind my back!" He stood right in front of her now. 

"I didn't sneak out, they let me out. You know, the doctors, the people professionally trained to determine who needs to be in the hospital and who doesn't!" 

"You knew exactly what you were doing Malia." 

"Yes. Yes I did. I was making my own decision. As for me going behind your back, I'm sorry that that was necessary." 

"Necessary?" He said it like an expletive. 

"Yes! You would never have let me leave that hospital room!" 

"Malia, don't be ridiculous." At least he wasn't yelling now. 

She took a breath and tried to calm herself. "Cain, I know that you've been through a lot recently. But I refuse to let you bully me around. Finn said that I could stay with him until I get on my feet." She noticed that Finn had left the room, she couldn't decide if he was being polite or a coward. 

"The fuck you are!" he was yelling again. 

"Cain!" she yelled back at him. "I love you! But I am not going to follow you like a soldier damn it!" 

"Malia, you are going to be my wife and the mother of my children and you will damn well obey me!" 

"What?" She didn't have the breath to yell. 

"You heard me!" He grabbed her shoulders and pulled her up to meet his forceful mouth. 

"Cain? You can't...I wont..." He kissed her again. 

"I most certainly can and will marry you my love." 

She frowned at him. "I wont obey you." She sounded sulky. 

He laughed. "What's new?" 

"And I hope you don't consider that a formal proposal." 

He grinned. "I think this is going to be fun." 

---------------

"Jack." Cain called across the library. 

"Cain." Jack replied stoically. Being in such close proximity recently hadn't done well for mending their relationship. 

"I needed to speak with you about something." Cain inwardly cursed himself for not starting with the question as he'd planned. He would never admit to it, but Jack made him more nervous than anyone since his own father. 

"Yes?" Jack looked up from a large book that sat on the table in front of him. 

Cain sat across from Jack at the antique table. "I want to ask for your daughter's hand in marriage." He knew his face would betray nothing, but his palms were sweaty, clasped firmly underneath the table. 

Jack frowned slightly. "Have you already asked Malia?" 

"Yes." Cain answered unenthusiastically. 

"And she said yes?" 

"It was implied." 

Jack arched his brow. "Than why are you asking my permission Cain?" 

Damn it, he didn't want to do this. "Jack, I've lost most of my family either through death or alienation. Your daughter has reminded me of the importance of family. I don't want her to have to choose between marrying me and being a part of her family because I'm not confident that I would win that battle. I'm not noble Jack. I make mistakes all the time and I've hurt Malia repeatedly and you will never know how much I hate myself for that. But I do love her. I want to marry her and have a family with her." Surprisingly Cain felt his face heat up during his spiel and his eyes became watery, though, thankfully, he didn't shed a tear. "Cain, I would be honored to have you as a son." Jack replied just as seriously as he'd started. 

Cain looked confused. 

"As much as I hate to admit it, you are a good man. You are more noble than you give yourself credit for. You saved my daughter's life and you stood by her side. I could see it then. I knew that you two loved each other. And even though you're bull-headed, a pain in the ass, and much too prideful for your own good, I wont stand in my daughter's way." Jack stood and Cain followed suit. "Welcome to the family Cain." The two men shook hands and Cain could tell an alliance of sorts was formed. 

------------

Cain was surprisingly calm as he walked into Eli McAllister's office. His actions in dealing with Blake Denizen were enough to have him demoted if not arrested. He just couldn't bring himself to care, probably because he couldn't bring himself to regret it. Obviously he didn't want to be arrested as it would take him away from his brother, fiancée, and new family. But he wasn't sure if he would care much about losing his job. He had plenty of money, he would have more time. 

"Cain," Eli greeted him with a one-armed hug. Cain was surprised. 

"Eli," He said stupidly. 

"Please sit Cain." Cain complied and Eli sat behind his desk. "I called you here to formally apologize for the actions of former unit director Blake Denizen. Cain if we would have known he was so involved in a personal vendetta against you, something would have been done. I am taking full responsibility as I was the one who took the phone call he made enquiring disciplinary action against you, I should have investigated. I'm sorry Cain."

"General McAllister, permission to speak freely?" 

"Of course, son." 

"Aren't I in trouble here?" Cain was confused. 

"In trouble?" 

"Yes. I violated Denizen's civil rights in the, um, methods I used to interrogate him." "The bastard deserved it as far as I'm concerned." Eli smirked, "Besides, civil rights aren't what they used to be. Under the new order the government probably had more power than it should, but until that changes I have the right to interrogate my men anyway I damn well see fit. You were acting under my order." Eli smiled at him. 

"That sounds awfully shady." Cain frowned. 

Eli shrugged. "Cain, the government isn't what it used to be, yet. It's going to reach an equilibrium in power eventually, but right now? Not so much. So, while I still have the power to do so, I'm validating all prior interrogation tactics on your part. How about you thank me and enjoy it?"

Cain nodded. "Yes, sir. Thank you sir." Eli was right, a lot of work needed to be done. Cain realized his time as a general wasn't up yet. He had a personal obligation to make sure those freedoms were given. He would make it his mission to see every unit freed and successfully integrated back into society. It wouldn't be easy, but what life mission was? Cain had a lot of hard work ahead of him but with a clear purpose he felt ready to take on the task. He felt rejuvenated. 

------------

Gwen was going crazy. Every night she staying in the hospital bed in the basement she would think about Tristan. He'd offered to sleep in the basement with her, in another bed of course. Though she'd been tempted, she insisted he stay in his current bed. The bed in the basement wasn't nearly as comfortable as Tristan's would be. Every time she thought about his bed she got very nervous. It had been three long weeks and she couldn't take it anymore. Gwen felt fine, yet Tristan insisted she still needed more time. Not if she had anything to do about it. 

By the time Gwen reached Tristan's closed door she was slightly winded do to her recent lack of physical activity. She opened the door before her nerves got the best of her. The room was surprisingly dimly lit. Tristan immediately looked at her from the couch in his living area. He had been reading. 

"Gwen, what are you doing up here?" He moved quickly to get up, but she held up her hand. 

"No, stay there." she walked over to him after closing the door. As she'd been meticulously planning for days, she had had time to ask Malia to bring her her cream silk robe that came to right above her knees. She was very proud of it. It was the only article of clothing she had on and she nervously fidgeted with the tight knot at the waist. 

"Gwen?" He repeated when she just stood there in front of him stupidly. She couldn't get the damned knot undone. Her hands weren't working on the slippery material from the sweat that had collected on her palms. She clumsily pulled the garment over her head with some difficulty. She imagined the scene looked quite funny, but Tristan wasn't smiling when she looked down at him. He looked at her everywhere. She mounted his lap to avoid getting even more nervous, though what she felt when she lowered herself onto him didn't exactly calm her nerves. Electric excitement flashed through her in equal parts as pure unease. She wasn't sure she could follow through with this. 

"Not that I mind or anything, but what are you doing?" His voice was deeper than usual and his eyes were darker. 

"If you have to ask I'm probably not doing it right." Gwen's own voice surprised her, it was huskier as well. 

Tristan gave a cynical laugh. He grabbed her hand and moved it down to the crotch of his pants. She gasped when she felt him underneath his pants. "I beg to differ." His expression was between a smile and a wince. "But I meant, why are you up here tonight?" 

She turned her wrist and grabbed the hand that had encircled her own. She moved his hand slightly up and between her legs. Though she gasped when he made contact, she was able to speak. "This is why. I can't stand it anymore." She knew he could feel the hot wetness there. It had been a constant inconvenience for almost three weeks now, every time she thought of him. 

His smile had disappeared completely. His brows were cinched together tightly. His hand moved seemingly without the consent of his mind. She let go of his wrist to cling to his shoulders with both of her hands for balance. "Are you sure?" He asked quickly, in almost a growl. She nodded shakily. His thumb found her clit and her spine instinctually arched as she hissed out a breath. "Ohmygosh." 

"You're so fucking beautiful." His usually eloquent voice sounded so sexy when he was out of control. He kissed her harshly and passionately and his hand that wasn't busy moved up to her breasts. 

She couldn't concentrate and it was amazing. Finally she made her hands work the buttons of his shirt. After fumbling for a while his own hands came up and ripped the shirt open, popping every button off. She smiled and finally felt his exposed chest. He was so hard and defined. With his hand out from underneath her she sank down onto his lap and ground against him. She could feel his thick erection pulse through his thin pants. She grabbed his face and kissed him for all she was worth. 




The Reluctant Journey Ch. 12



He groaned and flipped her quickly so her back was pressed into the couch and he was looming over her. Her legs clung to his thighs keeping them locked close together. He grabbed her wrists harshly and pinned her arms above her head. 

"Jesus, Gwen." He hissed when their mouths disconnected finally. They both breathed harshly and looked into the other's eyes. 

"Tristan, please." She whimpered, needing him to continue. 

"Are you okay?" He huffed out barely. 

"No! I'm about to explode. Tristan, please!" 

He smiled. Instead of answering her he kissed her. He kissed her nose, the corner of her mouth, her chin. As he moved down her neck she shivered and giggled, though her laughing ceased when he reached her breasts. He sucked in her right nipple, biting it gently. He moved up to the white scar on her shoulder. He kissed all around it and gently covered it with kisses. He moved down slowly until he got to her second scar, where he repeated the process. Her legs where spread wide around him when he finally moved all the way down to her pussy. He'd released her arms when he'd started descending and her hands shot to his hair. She didn't know whether she wanted to press his head into her center or push him away from her. As his tongue moved over her clit the furthest thing from her mind was pushing him away. 

"Tristan!" Her hands wouldn't stop clinching and releasing, luckily she'd let go of his hair to cling to the cushion of the couch. 

"Come for me baby." His voice was so deliciously rough.

"I don't know...I think.." She mumbled. His tongue felt amazing. The sight of his head between her legs was the sexiest thing she'd ever seen. 

"Let it go sweetheart." He growled. 

She couldn't hold back anymore. Gwen came violently. It was the most exhilarating thing she'd ever felt and Tristan enjoyed watching every second. He held her through the entire thing. "That's it baby." He smiled and kissed her temple. 

"Are you okay?" He asked once she finally caught her breath. She nodded and smiled up at him. He looked like he was going to argue with her but she kissed him before he could. Surprisingly it didn't take long before her arousal began to build again. She needed to feel him inside of her. Her fingers moved to the front of his black pants. She undid the button easily enough but couldn't move the zipper. Before she could get too frustrated he moved his hands down and unzipped himself. She pulled at his pants and boxer briefs until his erection was exposed. She couldn't see it with Tristan still above her, now alternating between kissing and nipping her collarbone and shoulders, but she could feel that he was big. As her hand wrapped around him he groaned and paused mid-nip. He was so long and thick and hot. The skin was so smooth. As she moved her hand up she could feel a bead of liquid from the tip, she spread it down with her hand. The noises he was making were exciting her. Before she got to play more, he stopped her by grabbing her wrist. She started to pout, but stopped when she felt him press against her opening. 

"Are you ready?" It sounded like it was killing him to ask. It was definitely killing her to wait. She nodded quickly. He began to slowly push into her, gritting his teeth the whole time. Sweat formed at his brow and his expression was one between intense concentration and almost pain. The stretch was uncomfortable for her at first. He was so big. He stopped and she braced herself for pain, but he didn't move forward. He kissed her again and his hands were on her breasts again. Only when she relaxed from his distractions did he press into her quickly and completely. The whimper she made was lost in his mouth as he kissed her. He stayed there deep inside her for a moment, allowing her to get used to the foreign feeling. Her hands moved to his tight ass and he started to move slowly. He groaned, the sound so excitingly primitive as were the motions he made. She couldn't help moving up to meet his thrusts, egging him on until he was moving deeper and quicker. The sensations changed, the pain gradually fading being replaced by a foreign kind of pleasure. The newness of the feelings he caused in her was exhilarating and highly arousing. 

"Gwen, come for me." He groaned, the words so deep that she almost didn't understand him. She moaned in answer, unable to form words. 

"Tristan." She finally got out. Once she said it it seemed to be on repeat. "Tristan, Tristan, Tristan..." His thumb was between their bodies quickly and he found her clit immediately. She came as requested. She made high pitch noises that would have embarrassed her otherwise. 

She could feel when Tristan's control completely dissipated. He thrusted so fast and unrestrained that it hurt slightly, but knowing that he would feel the same ecstasy he'd just given her made the pain strangely pleasurable.

"God, you're so...fucking..tight.." He groaned in completion, spurting inside her. 

A few moments of heavy breathing later he kissed her passionately and then he surprised her by lifting her as he stood. He slid out of her as he stood. He started walking into his bedroom completely naked. She finally realized that they'd just had sex for the first time on a couch, it should have been more uncomfortable but she hadn't thought anything about it the whole time. He held her with one arm underneath her ass and used his other hand to flip back the blankets. He dropped her onto the bed, grinning like a teenager as her breasts bounced. She laughed. 

"Tristan Malcolm!" 

"I told you that you would be positively shocked my lady." He gloated teasingly. "Are you okay?" He asked seriously. 

She nodded. "I'm more than okay stud." He grinned at her again. "Are you okay?" She asked. 

"Baby I'm so far past okay." He smiled. 

They laid next to each other uncovered and completely nude. It wasn't awkward like Gwen had feared it might be. She leaned up on her side to look at him. Her hands instinctively moved to his chest, circling his flat dark nipples until they stood up. His body was so different from her own. His taunt olive skin was dusted with course dark hair. Her fingers moved along the lines of his muscles, going from his pectorals to his abdominals. She circled his navel lazily and moved down to his hips. She looked up at his face to find him completely relaxed and looking at her through slitted dark eyes. She sat up beside him and continued to move her hand down his muscular thigh closest to her. Her fingers stilled when they came in contact with the thick jagged white line. She traced around the silver prosthetic, gently grazing the old scar.

"Does it hurt?" She asked gently looking into his eyes. 

He shook his head gently. "Not at all." His voice was honest and steady, he didn't feel bad for himself and Gwen knew he didn't want her pity. 

"Do you ever get angry?" She asked softly. 

He looked contemplative. "Sometimes." He answered, looking somewhat ashamed of his honesty. She nodded in understanding. 

"Sometimes I forget that you wear prosthetics, you're very coordinated and graceful." 

"Sometimes I forget too. When I'm dreaming I'm running and playing sports again in high school, sometimes I wake up and I don't remember the accident ever happened. Sometimes I can still feel my legs, like they're still there." He said it as a fact, but it made her sad. She hugged him tightly, pressing her naked body up against his. "Don't feel bad for me baby." He stroked her hair as silent tears fell down her face. 

She looked up at his with excess water still in her eyes. "I love you Tristan. I always have." She sank back into his embrace. 

He kissed her temple. "Than marry me Gwen." She didn't move. She was stunned. She didn't know what to say so she just nodded. He laughed and tilted her chin up to kiss her. 

When she finally came up for air she asked, "Can we take a shower now?" He laughed and chased her into the bathroom. 

------------

Cain looked absolutely delicious coming out of the steamy bathroom with a towel wrapped low on his defined hips. Malia was on her stomach on the bed with her head propped on her hands, completely naked. She watched a bead of water slowly drip from his collar bone down the center line of his abdominals to be caught in the white fluffy towel. She hoped she wasn't drooling. His grin as he leaned against the door frame told her she might be. It was surreal to think that this beautiful, sexy man was her fiancé. It was even more surreal to think that he would be her husband by the end of the week. 

"I thought you wanted to wait until the wedding night?" He taunted, moving closer to her like a jungle cat stalks its prey. 

"Who says I'm here to see you?" She taunted back. 

He smiled. "This is my bedroom, and you're bare-assed naked. You'd better be here to see me little girl." Surprisingly she'd grown to like his go-to term of endearment.

"Well, maybe I did come to see you. Don't got getting a swollen head about it." She sulked. 

He rolled his eyes exaggeratedly. "really Malia, you make it too easy." She looked at him confused. He pulled his towel off. "Too late, the head, and everything else is already pretty swollen." 

She laughed. "Such a cheap shot." He shrugged and closed the distance between himself and the bed. Him standing at the side of the bed brought her face in alignment with the swollen piece of anatomy in question. She knew he expected her to flip away from him and his aggressive stance of masculinity. Instead of giving him his way, she proved him wrong. Quickly she leaned forward and licked his cock from base to time like an ice cream cone. His gasp of surprise and pleasure cause a strong tingle of arousal to course through her whole body. 

"Jesus, Malia." He groaned. 

"You're probably right, we should wait for our wedding night." She got up off of her stomach as if to leave. She was promptly tackled from behind back onto the bed. Cain lifted his weight a little so he wasn't crushing her, but she was effectively facedown, pinned into the mattress.

"Too late now little girl." He growled into her ear, sending goosebumps trailing down her arms and legs. He sounded predatory. The effect would have almost been frightening if he hadn't added on to his words, "Am I hurting you?" in a concerned voice. She knew he would release her if she said yes. That was the last thing she wanted. She maned an appreciative sound for an answer to his question. Her back had completely healed in the past month, only leaving the faintest of think white lines that could be made invisible with a laser treatment in the future. She didn't know if she wanted them gone. As painful as the memory was, it was the catalyst of her current relationship with Cain. Through the whole experience, since she'd been taken from the unit, Malia had changed. She'd grown up, she'd fallen in love, and nothing could ever make her wish away the events that had gotten her where she was now. 

Cain nibbled at her neck and ears from behind, making her giggle and fight. Eventually her squirming proved to be too much for his restraint. He pushed into her from behind roughly. She yelled out, he grunted. He pulled up on her hips until he had her at a better angle and he quickly shoved a pillow underneath her hips. His thrusts were quick and powerful, shaking her entire body with the force. It felt different from this angle, each inward thrust caused a burst of sensation and she was shocked when she felt a climax approach so quickly from penetration alone. 

"Cain?" She didn't know what she was asking of him. Her mind was going in all directions an nowhere at all. 

"Malia." He grunted in answer. "Come on baby..I can't wait much longer...Please sweetheart, come for me.." His voice was shaky and pleading and all it took to send her over the edge. "Yes." He answered as he heard her moan and felt her muscles tense around him. Her climax brought him over with her as he thrust deeply into her and gave her everything he had. 

When they caught their breath, Cain withdrew from her and flipped Malia over onto her back. He kissed her softly and sweetly. 

"You know I love you right?" She smiled and nodded. 

"You know I love you more right?" 

He smiled. "Not a chance little girl." 

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

Well that's it folks. It was a fun run while it lasted and I hope you enjoyed. It's crazy to think that I started this a little over a year ago on a whim. I hope that maybe I've improved since then. Thanks for sticking with it and thanks so much for all of your wonderful comments along the way, the encouragement is what kept me writing. I hope to maybe go in other directions on the site, something definitely a little more planned out in the future. But I will always have a soft spot for this story I think. I hope you liked it. 

-Darlin92