Time, Death & Scar Tissue...

22. The Pain of Reunion

No matter where Kathryn went or what was waiting for her she was always glad to be off the plane. She wasn't a nervous flier, and she wasn't claustrophobic, she simply hated being sandwiched next to perfect strangers. Frugal as she was though, she couldn't quite make herself fly first class. It was a minor miracle that the flight had landed on time and she moved as quickly as she dared through the airport. The pain in her shoulder and side had risen to a level just below unbearable, every movement, even breathing, made it worse. She had to find him though; it was almost a physical need. Getting through the secure part of the airport felt like it took ages.

When she finally got to the baggage claim area that need was so strong she was almost convinced that she could sense him. That was impossible of course, she just knew that he was there somewhere and her imagination built a story around that knowledge. When she saw him standing alone at the opposite end of the terminal it was all she could do not to go racing toward him and launch herself into his arms. She clenched her jaw and quickened her pace. He had spotted her as well and was moving toward her. It still seemed like miles, and she almost forgot the pain for a moment.

He pulled her close without a word and Kathryn whimpered sharply against his shoulder. Tears filled her eyes and threatened to fall. While she ached to be in his arms, his tight embrace made breathing seem close to impossible. Reluctantly she pushed away from him, even though the last thing she wanted was to be let go.

“Kathryn, what's wrong?” His eyes narrowed and he looked at her closely. Kathryn tried to catch her breath without being too obvious about it. “Are you sorry you returned?”

“How could I be sorry when coming back to you was all I thought about while I was gone?” She wrapped her arm around his and pressed close. “I played football with my stepbrothers and cousins and I took a REALLY hard hit though.” The driver appeared and she handed him the claim ticket for her checked bag and her carry-on.

“You were injured?” He asked, his eyes still narrowed and the question made her think that he didn't quite believe her. Kathryn couldn't say why exactly, but that look and the tone in his voice made her nervous. The driver hurried out the door with her bags and Lucien led her out after him.

“I don't know about injured really.” He opened the door and Kathryn held her breath as she got in, trying hard to keep the pain off of her face. “I've got some impressive bruises though.”

He got in and she could hear the driver putting the bags in the trunk and then getting in the front. As usual when they were together, the partition was raised. The car pulled away slowly, but the look on his face hadn't changed. He tilted her chin up and studied her face closely. The intense scrutiny sent chills down her spine.

“Lucien, please, you're scaring me.” Kathryn realized that she was trembling a little. He kissed her lips lightly and guided her to rest against his shoulder, allowing her to find her own comfort.

“You look exhausted. Haven’t you slept?” He took the clip from her hair and started to massage her scalp. She could sense the change in his body and started to feel her own anxiety melting away.

“Not more than a couple of hours a day since I left here.” She closed her eyes and moaned softly as his fingers worked lightly over the back of her neck.

“Why?” She could hear the concern in his voice.

“Because my schedule is all out of sync with the rest of the family. It doesn't bother me when I'm here, but they don't seem to understand that not sleeping at night means I need to sleep some other time. Last night I might have slept if I hadn't gotten hurt, I was tired enough, but I couldn't get comfortable. Besides,” She looked up at him shyly. “I didn't have you there next to me. It's hard for me to sleep when I'm alone now.” He kissed her softly and she felt herself starting to relax. The pain hit her sharply and she winced before she could stop herself.

“Tell me what happened.” He spoke softly. Kathryn slipped out of her shoes and drew her feet up under her. Her eyes were closed, one hand slid in between the buttons on his coat, seeking the contact she had craved so much the past few days.

“Just bruises.” She replied, not wanting to worry him. “My stepbrother Luke is twenty and for some reason that I have never been able to determine he sees me as his personal nemesis. I intercepted a pass meant for him and he got mad. A few plays later I wasn't paying attention and he conveniently 'forgot' that we weren't playing tackle and he hit me hard enough to knock me into a tree. My ribs on the left side and my right shoulder are bruised.” Her voice was even and nonchalant, but she was trembling a little again, this time at the painful memory.

“Why didn't you tell me over the phone?” His kiss was light on her forehead.

“Because he might have heard me, or someone else might have and told him.” She looked up at him. “I finished the game, I certainly wasn't going to let it get back to him later that I was in pain.”

“You finished the game?” His eyebrow arched. Kathryn shrugged a little and winced that the movement.

“I suppose you could put it down to adrenaline or anger but I would rather have died right there in the yard than give him the satisfaction of knowing he hurt me.” His familiar chuckle rumbled softly. His hand stroked her lower back, bringing tingling relaxation to those aching muscles.

“Such a willful girl.” He said softly.

“You expected less?” A little smiled played on her lips.

“Not for a moment.” His lips lingered lightly on hers and Kathryn sighed softly. She didn't want the feeling of his mouth on hers to end, but the route they were taking seemed wrong somehow. Kathryn sat up a little more and noticed unfamiliar scenery slipping past the windows.

“Where are we going?” She asked, searching for a road sign.

“My retreat. I thought you might need some quiet after your trip.”

“I do, but I hardly have anything with me-” His finger over her lips stopped her words.

“You will have to learn to trust in my ability to plan Kathryn.” He was smiling slightly. His planning had been flawless so far, it just felt unnatural to her to trust someone else so completely when it came to arranging her life. She knew that arguing was useless though and she didn't really have the energy anyway.

“I should call my father and let him know that I landed safely.” She said simply. He nodded and Kathryn tried not to wince with every small movement it took to get to her phone. She rested against him and wondered why she felt so compelled to wait for his permission for the smallest act as she waited for her father to answer.

“Tom Paige.”

“Hi Daddy. Just wanted to let you know that I arrived.”

“Katie! You're not driving are you? It sounds like you're in a car.” His voice went from elated to concerned in milliseconds.

“I am in a car, but I'm not driving.” She glanced up at Lucien. “I have a ride home from the airport.”

“Oh.” She could tell that there was more that her father wanted to ask, but he wasn't sure how to ask the question and unless he did she wasn't going to volunteer the information. “Look, Luke is really sorry for hitting you like that yesterday.” The abrupt change in subject didn't surprise her. It was obvious that he wasn't comfortable with the idea of her being involved with someone of her own choosing. As usual, her grandmother had been right. The less he knew the better.

“No, he isn't. Well, no, I take that back. He IS sorry that he didn't make me cry, but he's generally glad that he did it.” Lucien's fingers moved through her hair lightly. Her father sighed deeply.

“Alright, then Mira and I are sorry.”

“You've got nothing to be sorry for, either one of you. I should go; I'll call you later in the week. Give Mira my love.”

“You would tell me if you were really hurt, wouldn't you?” He asked. She could tell the question was meant to throw her off balance. It was something she had seen him do in court, lull the witness into a false sense of security with easy questions and then toss out something completely unexpected to see how he or she reacted. The reaction usually told more than the answer did.

“Of course I would. Why would you ask such a thing?” Her voice was calm and perfectly curious. She hadn't told him or anyone else the extent of her injuries. They WERE bruises, and she had allowed everyone to think that they were minor. He was worried enough about her, she didn't need to give him any more reasons to want her to go back home, or to come to see her.

“I just wanted to be sure. I love you lots Katie.” She wasn't sure if he really believed her or not, but she could tell that he would convince himself that he did.

“I love you lots too, Daddy. Goodnight.” She ended the call and slipped the phone back into her bag. She settled gingerly next to him again.

“How long until we get there?” She asked, her eyes closing.

“Several hours. Would you like some music?”

Kathryn nodded, exhaustion washing over her like the bubbling Mozart that issued from hidden speakers.

“Get some sleep if you like. I'll wake you when we arrive.” Kathryn needed little encouragement. She unbuttoned the cloak and settled it around herself like a blanket. She was dozing in no time.

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LaCroix looked down at her sleeping lightly on his shoulder. She was truly his unconquered Kathryn. It seemed like each small fact that he learned about her sparked more questions. He had never wondered about the rest of her family, just the father, stepmother and grandmother. They were the ones that she spoke about most often. The stepbrothers added an additional complexity, but they provided insight as well.

He knew now that she could not have been the conquered noblewoman he had pictured earlier. There was no doubt in his mind that she might have presented herself to him, there was also no doubt that the purpose of that meeting would be an attempt on his life. She wouldn't have even come close to succeeding of course, and the result of such an attempt would have been considerably worse for her. There would have been no reason for her to call to him for help when she would know that it was at his order that she suffered. It didn't tell him who she was, but knowing who she wasn't at least allowed him to winnow away the possibilities.

Her tongue darted out to wet her lips as she slid more deeply into sleep. The admission of her fear surprised him slightly. He had seen her vulnerable of course, more vulnerable than she consciously realized. Hearing her tell him she was afraid was rare indeed. In that moment she was not the only one who was afraid though. He would never admit it to her or to anyone else, but he had been afraid of losing her. Rarely did he feel such affection for anyone; those who had reached deeply enough to entangle his heartstrings were gone. He wasn't about to let that happen again.

LaCroix looked down at her and realized she had fallen into a deep sleep. He brushed his lips lightly over her forehead and closed his eyes. She was not the only one who had slept poorly during their separation. In spite of his immortal nature his rest could be fitful and he still felt the heaviness of exhaustion when it was.