Don't Ever Let Me Go

[MELANIE WHITFIELD]

It was all still a blur in Melanie’s mind. She could remember running beside her brother and Jo and Jo’s friend Gina, running down the road that led to the camps. The gunfire had quieted some now that most of the prisoners were escaping the same as them. There were men and women with guns shouting orders as they ran. She knew they were probably Gargoyles too, considering it was a Gargoyle who released the female Avisailles from their barracks. His name had been Stokes. If she ever saw him again, she was going to thank him. Even though her heart was racing and her legs were cramping, she just ran as fast as she could, clinging to Brandon’s hand. She was gasping for air and hardly noticed the world around her, the way her body was protesting. If only she could fly! The next she knew they were emerging from the woods, their pace slower as they came upon a road. It led back towards the town and people were pulled over to offer rides to the escaping guardians. How had these people known they would be there? The woman who picked them up told them they had been protestors stationed there to offer rides to those who escaped. She was a Gargoyle too, she said…Eponine. Her soft voice was soothing after the harsh voices she’d been met with in the camps.

Eponine took them to hers and Brandon’s house, but Melanie asked if they could make another stop. Brandon didn’t want to be separated. “It’s okay. I just…I need to see Kevin. I’ll be home.” It was obvious he didn’t like it, but he closed the door and Eponine drove her to Kevin’s apartment complex. Coincidentally, Gina lived there too. The ride passed in silence as Melanie still couldn’t grasp that she was really out of the camps. She was free. But she wouldn’t believe this was really until she could see Kevin. There were tears at the back of her eyes, but they wouldn’t fall, not when she was still so anxious. It was like a dream, riding in Eponine’s car to her lover’s home. When at last they were outside the building, Melanie’s heart was racing. Gina jumped out almost immediately, thanking Eponine. With big, almost frightened eyes, she looked at the lovely woman staring at her from the driver’s seat. “Thank you,” she all but whispered. “What’s your last name?” The woman smiled a little wider. “Gascoigne.” Melanie nodded, opening her door. “I will never forget that.” With that she practically jumped from the car, racing inside with Gina to avoid being seen. The bid each other good luck when they parted ways, Gina dropping off one floor before Melanie. She just continued, still ignoring the ache in her body.

She was running down the hall, her heart in her throat as she got closer to Kevin’s apartment. When she arrived, her fists knocked frantically at the door, needing desperately to see Kevin. At last the sound of the chain on the door coming undone made her heart stop all together. There in the doorway was Kevin, shirtless and his hair messy from sleep, but his blue eyes were wide. That was when the tears began. Melanie knew this wasn’t a dream anymore. It was Kevin…her Kevin…staring down at her with shock. “Kevin!” she sobbed. They practically fell into each other’s arms, her arms linked tightly around his neck. She knew she would never release him. She could never do that again. “Kevin…Kevin…Kevin!” she whimpered over and over again. Her tears wouldn’t stop flowing and she felt weak with the physical exertion and the freedom she felt. She couldn’t even kiss him at this point. All she could do was cling to him to confirm that he was real.

[KEVIN WHITFIELD]

The day Melanie disappeared had been a difficult one for Kevin. He had no idea where she had gone or what had caused her to leave, but he was sure it had been him. Then he wondered if maybe that hadn't been the case at all. She had disappeared the day they had to get tested for that disease. The pair lived in different parts of the city so he didn't even get to go to the same testing facility as her. All he could think was that maybe she was sick and had been quarantined but as the days passed he was sure maybe she had died. Still, there had been no death toll to speak of and no word about what happened to those who had been discovered to have the disease. Brandon's ship had been deserted and so had their home.

It had been over a week before he had heard something. A man had come to his home and told him Mel and Brandon had been brought to a camp for what they were. That was when Kevin really began to panic, but what could he do? He didn't know where the place was and he would surely be killed if he did and went there. Security was high and Marius wouldn't tell him where it was anyway. The whole situation ate at him, but like every other situation in his life he was helpless to do anything to fix it.

The days passed and then the weeks did. The darkness didn't get better and neither did the dull ache in his heart. He'd really liked Melanie and it wasn't fair that this perfect woman who had accepted him despite his many, many flaws, was taken from him. It only served to deepen his depression and he soon found he cared about nothing. He buried himself in his work, picking up as many extra hours doing construction as he could, and his nights were always spent at Kit's bar. He figured that camp was where his friend went as well, which made everything that much worse. Jo was missing too, not that he kept tabs on Jo but despite what she'd done he still didn't want her to get hurt or suffer. Kelsey was kinder to him these days and steered clear from him for the most part. He didn't want company. He simply wanted to work, eat and sleep.

That was Kevin's existence over the weeks that followed Melanie's disappearance. He didn't have the energy to do anything other than work it seemed, and he buried himself in it when he did. Kit's bar had never been so clean and he'd even hired someone only to have them quit shortly after.

It was one of those rare occasions where Kevin wasn't needed at work until the afternoon and he was sleeping in. Kelsey hadn't come home the night before, but she had at least called to tell Kevin not to worry and to promise she was safe and not doing anything stupid. As promised, he gave her the benefit of the doubt. She hadn't given him a reason to question her motives in months, and for the most part she seemed well adjusted and happy but most importantly clean. When the door knocked he sat up with a start, immediately checking the clock. It was a little after nine in the morning and he was terrified something had happened to Kelsey. He scrambled off the couch, dazed but aware, and made his way to the door, tripping over his shoes as he went.

The last person he expected to see was Mel on the other side of the door, but there she was; worn and disheveled. His jaw dropped, his eyes widening as he stared in shock. How was she there? Had she escaped? “Kevin!” she sobbed suddenly, pulling him from his reverie. His arms opened instinctively and he wrapped her in his embrace, squeezing her body tight to his, his fingers brushing over the soft downy feathers of her wings. "Oh god, Mel.." He groaned as she whimpered his name over and over. was it really her? He realized suddenly they were in his open doorway and her wings were out! He pulled away a little to look down at her before pulling her back against his bare torso and lifting her up. He felt her arms and legs snake around him and he pulled her insider, shutting the door behind him and locking both the handle and the bolt.

"I was so worried.." He offered hoarsely, still hardly believing she was in his arms. He simply stood there holding her, feeling and hearing her sobs which brought tears to his own eyes. "Baby it's okay.. I'm here, it's okay.. I won't let anyone take you again, okay? I promise.." He reassured, turning and pressing his face to the side of her head. She didn't even smell like her anymore. "I missed you so much.. I'm so glad you're here, I was so, so worried.." The words just spilled out as he cling to her as tightly as she did him. He wondered if he was dreaming.

[MELANIE WHITFIELD]

When Kevin nudged her back to look in her face, Melanie looked up at him with her big teary eyes, still clutching him tightly. She didn’t want to let him go, not ever. The look on his face told her he had no intention of letting her go either. He pulled her back to him, lifting her up, and she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and her legs around his hips, clinging to him like a baby monkey. She heard the door shut, but her face was buried in the crevice between his neck and shoulder, sobbing into his skin and trembling like a leaf. “I was so worried…” He just held her and it served to ease her some, though she continued to tremble. “Baby it’s okay…I’m here, it’s okay…I won’t let anyone take you again, okay? I promise…” She cried more at her relief with his promise. His face pressed against her head and she held tighter. All she wanted was to curl into him and hide from the world forever. “I missed you so much…I’m so glad you’re here, I was so, so worried…” She couldn’t speak his words affected her so. He’d missed her, worried for her, wanted her here. She’d never really doubted it, but she had wondered if she was never let go from the camps, would he move on and forget her? There was certainly no way she could forget him.

Finally, she pulled away and pushed his shaggy hair from his face so she could see it better. His hair had gotten longer since she’d seen him last. The tears were still dripping onto her cheeks, but she’d found her voice again. “I missed you too. You have no idea how much I missed you. All I dreamed about was coming home and seeing you again.” Her face scrunched up with more tears before she squeezed around his neck tightly. “Please don’t let me go.” For a couple minutes she just held onto him again, feeling him moving so they weren’t awkwardly standing in the doorway, her wrapped around him. He was strong, but she didn’t think she was that light, and he must have been getting tired. Even so, she couldn’t steady herself unless she was holding onto him. They found their way to his couch, and she kneeled over him on the couch as he continued to hold her tightly. She rested her head completely on his shoulder facing his neck and sniffling. “I’m so sorry I left you. I asked Marius to come find you. He told me he told you where I was. I’m so sorry…If I hadn’t gone to that cover-up vaccine center, none of this would have happened. I’m so sorry…” Melanie felt like it was all her fault for Kevin being abandoned. How lonely he must have been! She didn’t even think of her own loneliness, what she had been through in the camps; no, she could only think about how hard it must have been for him not to know where she was and if she was alive.

By now she was looking into his eyes, holding his face gently. How she had missed that face, those beautiful blue-green eyes. She pressed her lips against his, a kiss that quickly deepened as her fingers found their way into his brown hair and twined into the locks. She’d dreamed about it so many times, she wondered if this was just another one of those dreams. It couldn’t be…this was too real. He was warm against her, firm and solid beneath her hands that had slipped from his hair so her arms could twine around his shoulders again. She couldn’t say whether she was in love with Kevin yet or not, but the camps had made her realize she was certainly well on her way. Her lips brushed across his, tears slipping past her closed eyes and she couldn’t remember a happier reunion.

[KEVIN WHITFIELD]

Kevin held Melanie awkwardly tight to him as she sobbed into his neck, cradling her as he would a child. She was so light, lighter than he remembered. She had probably lost weight at the camp and the thought upset him. He wanted to feed her but he wasn't sure how much actual food was in the house. He could probably make a box of macaroni and cheese, and with the extra money he'd been making he could probably afford a pizza or maybe some Chinese food for her.

Finally Mel pushed away a little and looked into his eyes, moving his long brown hair out of his face. He'd been meaning to get a haircut, but hadn't gotten to it yet. He was also in desperate need of a shave. “I missed you too. You have no idea how much I missed you. All I dreamed about was coming home and seeing you again.” His heart throbbed at her words. He hated that she'd been taken from him and hated that she had missed him so much but there was a part of him the relished in being wanted so severely. It was such a rare feeling, knowing someone actually wanted him there with them. “Please don’t let me go.” She whimpered as she cling to him once more and his grip tightened. "Never." He promised in a low whisper, not even loud enough for the dust bunnies to overhear.

Kevin took the opportunity to move them to the couch, slipping down onto the old worn furniture that was covered with a sheet for him to sleep on and a blanket pushed to the ground. Melanie curled into his lap, straddling him and Kevin cradled her to him, holding and loving her as she needed to be. He had no problem doing this, being her rock. He was used to being the rock and his left hand moved from her back to the nape of her neck getting lost in the mess of dark brown hair.

“I’m so sorry I left you. I asked Marius to come find you. He told me he told you where I was. I’m so sorry…If I hadn’t gone to that cover-up vaccine center, none of this would have happened. I’m so sorry…” His brows rose and his mouth gaped open slightly in shock at her words. She was sorry? That was ludicrous! "Baby, no.. no that wasn't your fault! Don't ever think that." He begged as her eyes met his and her lips came to his. He mashed his lips to hers and in a matter of seconds he was holding her tighter to him and kissing her deeper. How he'd missed her, missed this... her warmth, her love, her sweet lips against his.. It was if he couldn't get enough of her! His mouth worked frantically against hers, desperate to be close with her once more, his one hand holding her face close to his as the other roamed over her back and down her wings. He could feel the feathers had been thinned out and the strange way they were cut at the edge and he pulled his mouth from hers to look. His hand pulled the end of her wing up and he peered over her shoulder at the damage they'd done. They looked so sad and there were some parts where he could clearly see her wing through the loss of feather. "What did they do to you?" He croaked, his voice sad and on the verge of tears as he felt his heart sank. He felt so angry and helpless all over again, wanting to do something to those bastards who did this to Melanie! How could they do this to her?! The look on his face was clearly angry as he frowned at their handiwork. "No one will ever hurt you again." He practically growled, pulling her close once more, though he didn't kiss her. Kevin wanted to punch something but he fought the urge, his heart pounding in his chest as the injustice of it all.

[MELANIE WHITFIELD]

Kevin was pulling Melanie closer to him and she was glad to comply, that old, familiar excitement bubbling in her stomach. His kisses were hungry and passionate, and hers were the same. She kept her hands buried in his hair, pulling his face closer as he did the same to her. It was the happiest moment of her life just being back in his arms like this. She thought she had loved a man before, but she couldn’t remember it ever being like this with Paolo. Kevin was so sweet and loving and so obviously excited to have her back, it made her heart ache and her lips lean into his. She could feel his hand on her wing, but it didn’t occur to her how strange they must have felt now. Her feathers had long since begun to fall out and the feathers they had clipped hadn’t grown back yet. She hoped with another month or so they would be back to normal, but it was a thin hope considering she’d begun losing feathers when the darkness fell over the city. Right now, she wanted to focus more on his lips and being close to him again. Apparently, he had other thoughts as he pulled away from her lips and looked to her wings. Biting her lip, she did the same and she could see how haggard they looked. His fingers continued to run over them, his face sad and furious at the same time. “What did they do to you?” It made tears rush to her eyes once more and she sniffed as she looked down to his bare chest, shaking her head. She couldn’t even talk about it.

“No one will ever hurt you again.” Melanie could hear the anger in his voice, his indignation at what her captors had done to her, and it was all the comfort she needed. Knowing that he was so upset about her treatment, that he wanted to keep her safe from now on, made her so incredibly happy she could hardly stand it. It made her sob and she buried her face in his neck again, clinging to his shoulders tightly. “Thank you…” she said so softly it was hardly even a whisper. For a few minutes all she could do was hug his neck, letting her fear subside and give way to relief that she was back in Kevin’s arms. Her Kevin…She pulled back from him a little, but instead of looking him in the eye, she looked down at his jaw as she played with the ends of his hair. “They…they clipped my wings. They did it to all of us so we couldn’t fly away. One Avisaille…he tried to fly away anyway…and they amputated his wings. I was so scared they would do that to all of us. One of my friends, they broke her wing just to see how it would heal. For me…they made me…they wanted to see how…how my reproductive system looked. They took x-rays and put dye in me…” She sobbed again, remembering how it hurt and how violated she felt afterward. Her eyes came back to his finally, seeing how her words affected him. He looked both agonized and furious and while she didn’t want him to feel those emotions, she was somehow glad he did. It showed her how much he cared about her.

Her hands smoothed over the thin beard on his cheeks and jaw, her fingers tracing his lovely face. “I’m so happy I’m back with you. The worst part of being in the camps was being away from you.” More tears slipped onto her cheeks, but she didn’t want to think about the camps anymore. She wanted to lose herself in Kevin, forget everything and just love him. Her hands buried in his face again as she kissed him once more, sweet and passionate. She never wanted to be apart from him again. If she could melt into him so she would never have to go another day wondering if he was okay or what he was doing, then she would do it in a heartbeat. For now, their sweet, devouring kisses as they pressed against each other would be enough.

[KEVIN WHITFIELD]

He was happy to oblige her need to be held as she snuggled into him once more, wanting nothing more than to protect her and wipe away the last six weeks. She pulled back for a moment and their eyes met once more before she looked down to his lips, her fingers playing with the scraggly ends of his hair.

She pulled back from him a little, but instead of looking him in the eye, she looked down at his jaw as she played with the ends of his hair. “They…they clipped my wings. They did it to all of us so we couldn’t fly away. One Avisaille…he tried to fly away anyway…and they amputated his wings. I was so scared they would do that to all of us." Kevin suddenly felt ill and the look on his face showed how her words were affecting him, but she didn't stop there. She continued to talk about what they'd done and he could feel his temper rising, not at her but at the people who'd done this to her. He couldn't look at her anymore, wanting desperately to block the images that she was painting in his mind and his body grew tense as his brows lowered deeply over his normally warm and kind eyes. Kevin felt his heart racing as he thought of all the things he'd like to do to those people who had hurt her and her kind, but like every other horrible situation in his life he was helpless to do anything about it. He'd failed to save Kelsey from the harsh life they had led and now he failed to save Melanie from the injustice done to her. He was useless and worthless and he could promise again and again that he would never let them touch her again, but the damage was done and in the end he knew they would likely still win if they wanted her bad enough.

He felt her finger gently caressing his face but it did little to ease his mind. “I’m so happy I’m back with you. The worst part of being in the camps was being away from you.” Her words stung though they weren't meant to. Why would that be the worst thing? He couldn't save her. He couldn't do anything. Kevin was completely useless, he hadn't even tried to get her back! He simply let it eat at him. He was a coward. Melanie brought her face closer, her lips finding his as she kissed him sweetly. Despite how awful and sick he felt with himself and with what had happened, he gave in because he had missed her. Kevin cared a great deal for Melanie and as much as he wanted to fight her and tell her she deserved better he didn't want to hurt her after the ordeal she'd just suffered and he knew how upset she would become if he insisted he was worthless. Besides, it was comforting having her there, thinking the world of him even though he was far from deserving of it.

It didn't take long for Kevin to lose himself in Melanie once more, his mouth mashed hungrily against hers as he tried to think of only that moment, only having her back with him in his arms. He ran his hands down the length of her long, soft wings, ignoring the sparse spots on it and then moved his hands under them, touching her back and resting his hands low above her rear. "I'm sorry.." He all but whispered against her lips, slowing their kisses down despite the heat bubbling in his stomach. "I'm sorry I didn't do more for you." He told her softly. "I'm sorry I let them take you.." He pressed his forehead against hers and sighed, their noses nuzzled close. "Are you hungry? Can I get you something? Do you want a shower or anything? You could b borrow some of Kelsey's stuff, I don't think she'll mind.." He offered, unsure what to do with her now that he had her back.

[MELANIE WHITFIELD]

A familiar, sweet heat was rising in Melanie’s body again as Kevin continued to kiss her hungrily. She’d missed the way it felt to kiss him, have his hands on her. Those hands were so soothing as they ran down the length of her wings, settling low on her back and making her fingers clench a little in his hair. “I’m sorry…” She opened her eyes to his again, confused by his words. “I’m sorry I didn’t do more for you. I’m sorry I let them take you…” Tears welled in her eyes again as she shook her head. No…she didn’t blame him for anything. How could he think she would? When his forehead pressed against hers, she continued to stare at his eyes, sniffling. “No, baby, it wasn’t your fault. There was nothing you could do to keep them from getting me or to get me out.” Her voice was soft and reassuring, wanting desperately for him to not blame himself. She knew Kevin had a propensity for self-loathing, and the last thing she wanted was to perpetuate that. “Are you hungry? Can I get you something? Do you want a shower or anything? You could borrow some of Kelsey’s stuff, I don’t think she’ll mind…” For the first time since seeing him again, she smiled a little and nodded gently. “Yeah…all of that sounds nice.” She smiled more before kissing him again, much less heatedly than before. A shower all alone sounded wonderful…

When she pulled away, she smiled softly, her hands running along his jaw once more before she started to slide off his lap. “I could really use a shower, if you don’t mind. And food. Anything would be fine.” She would eat anything put in front of her at this point. Her stomach was rumbling at just the thought of food. Standing in her worn camp-issued jumpsuit, she suddenly felt a little embarrassed at having been all over Kevin. She probably smelled bad or at least a little off and she honestly couldn’t wait to get the damn thing off her body. Biting her lip a little, she looked up at him as he got to his feet too. “Sorry if I’m a little stinky.” She offered a small, bashful smile, feeling a little bit more like herself now that she was safely back with Kevin. He helped her get some towels and showed her where the bathroom was, but before she closed the bathroom door, she put her arms around his shoulders and kissed him one more time. Even taking a shower away from him felt strange and uncomfortable since all she wanted to do was curl into him and stay there forever. But she knew it would be best if she cleaned herself up.

As the water ran and warmed up, Melanie stripped her clothes away and inspected herself in the mirror. Her ribs were showing more as well as her hipbones and she ran her fingers slowly over the changes. She didn’t like those constant reminders of the camps and she resolved to get back to her normal weight to erase them. Her face also looked gaunter, the bags under her eyes deeper than ever before. She looked like hell, but she knew it would get better over the next few days. The hot shower was delightful. She felt the camps washing down the drain, slowly returning to herself and pushing down the part of her that was merely surviving. It would take a long time to fully readjust, but clearing away the last six weeks in that shower was a tiny step in the right direction. Thankfully there was even a razor which she used to clear away all the excess hair that had grown on her legs and under her arms. When she stepped out, she felt truly clean. She dried her hair and then the rest of her body, using what she assumed to be Kelsey’s brush to rearrange her long hair and made sure to clean it out afterward. She didn’t want to upset Kevin’s sister…Finally she exited the bathroom, her towel wrapped around her, and she smiled bashfully again at Kevin when her eyes fell on him. “Did you find any clothes I could borrow?” she asked softly, feeling a little strange standing practically naked in front of Kevin for the first time in weeks. It just reminded her how much she’d missed him.

[KEVIN WHITFIELD]

“Yeah…all of that sounds nice.” He offered a weak smile, letting her get up off his lap as she kissed him once more. He led her to the bathroom, which wasn't entirely clean, but Kevin didn't really think much of it. He pulled a couple of towels and a wash cloth out for her and was about to hand it to her when he caught the look in her eye and the way she bit her lip. “Sorry if I’m a little stinky.” She said a little bashfully and Kevin couldn't help but smile. "You smell better now than you did after getting off your brothers boat." He teased gently, kissing her briefly before bringing showing her how the shower turned on. There was everything she would need in there for a shower and he told her she could use whatever was in there. Kevin and Kelsey were used to sharing with people because they've had to their whole lives.

Once Melanie was in the shower Kevin went back to the living room and realized it was a little messy. He called a pizza place and ordered a plain cheese pizza and a soda and then got to work clearing some of the glasses and dirty plates that were left around. The floor could use a vacuuming but he wasn't about to do that. Once it was sort of neatened he went to his sisters room and poked around. It was sort of a mess but he was able to find some shirts in her closet that he knew she didn't really wear much which meant she probably didn't care about them at all. He grabbed some jeans and a sports bra and then went back to the living room finding a clean pair of boxers, sweat pants and a plain white t shirt of his. He didn't really know what she would want to wear or if his sisters jeans would fit, and he was sure she wouldn't want his sisters underwear. At least the sweats had a drawstring and his shirt would conceal her chest and maybe her wings sort of.

It was a long time before he heard the water turn off and Kevin sat up a little straighter, not sure if he should go hand her the clothes or not. She was taking a while which meant maybe she was waiting for him to bring them to her, and when he was about to get up and do so he heard the door open. He looked up at his practically naked girlfriend, her thin legs poking out of the bottom of the towel, her damp hair laying over her shoulders and her cleavage showing enough to make his stomach twist excitedly. He looked her over, his eyes lingering a little too long where they shouldn't before catching her eyes and the bashful look on her face, making him blush.

“Did you find any clothes I could borrow?” she asked softly, and he nodded, getting up a little too quickly, tripping over his feet a little as he grabbed the clothes and came to her. "Uhh.. I got some of Kelsey's stuff and some of mine, because.. well her stuff might not fit right and mine will be baggy but.. well it has a drawstring, so.. uhh.. you could tie it." He offered handing the clothes to her a little shyly. He chanced a glance into her eyes and gave a soft smile. She was so beautiful. She looked so thin, too. He noticed her collarbone protruding more than usual and her face seemed thinner than it had, her cheekbones more prominent. Kevin reached up and tucked her hair behind her ear and gave a small smile again. "I ordered pizza. Should be here in, like ten minutes." He offered softly.

[MELANIE WHITFIELD]

As Kevin jumped to his feet, he tripped over his own feet slightly, making Melanie giggle. She’d seen the way his eyes lingered on her and she guessed the tripping was from being thrown off by his excitement. He scooped up some clothes, coming over to her. “Uhh…I got some of Kelsey’s stuff and some of mine, because…well her stuff might not fit right and mine will be baggy but…well it has a drawstring, so…uhh…you could tie it.” He was so nervous that it made her blush a little more and smile wide as she bit her lip. Why was he so cute? He didn’t even know how cute he was. The soft smile he gave made her heart pump a little faster and she held his blue-eyed gaze. It was like the night they met on the boardwalk, all cute shyness and awkwardness, except back then she wasn’t standing in only a towel while he wore nothing but sweats. Had the weeks changed them so much?

No…not with the way he was looking at her and the way his hand came up to push some hair behind her ear. It made her smile more warmly, her heart jumping. “I ordered pizza. Should be here in, like ten minutes.” She nodded, stepping closer to him and taking the clothes in her hands, letting her eyes fall to them. There was a pair of Kelsey’s jeans and a sports bra, a baggy t-shirt and some sweats. She would definitely borrow the sports bra, but that was probably the only thing she would borrow of Kelsey’s. “I think I’ll be more comfortable going commando in your sweats than in her jeans.” Her comment was playful and a little flirty and she turned back to the bathroom to set the clothes on the counter in there. Instead of getting dressed, though, she turned back to Kevin with a coy smile, still a little flushed. She walked back to him, putting her arms up around his bare shoulders and stood on tiptoe as she pulled him down into a kiss.

It wasn’t a calm, sweet kiss. Seeing Kevin standing in just sweats and feeling his eyes on her made her realize she hadn’t just missed him emotionally over the last six weeks; she’d missed him physically too. She wanted Kevin, wanted to be back where they left off making wild love on her couch at the risk of being caught by her brother. When she felt his hands on her, she whimpered against his mouth, gasping between heated kisses. Her hands raked through his long hair, her body pressed against his, and she sighed as their tongues danced. Pulling back, she was on fire and her lips stayed close as she asked, “Do we have enough time until the pizza gets here?” She didn’t want to wait any longer.

[KEVIN WHITFIELD]

“I think I’ll be more comfortable going commando in your sweats than in her jeans.” Kevin gulped, her words making his stomach swirl excitedly. He gave a nervous sort of laugh as she took the clothes and headed to the bathroom, watching her as she went. Her wings were still damp but beautiful, and he was in awe of them. He was in awe of her, and Kevin was still in shock she was standing there in his apartment. It was like he had dreamed her back!

When Melanie put the clothes down on the counter in the bathroom and started to head back to him he raised his brows curiously. What was she doing? She slid her arms around his shoulders and he instinctively slid his own hands onto her hips lightly, barely touching them. He was far too aware at how nearly naked she was as she stood on her toes to kiss him. He sighed against her mouth, his eyes shutting as he accepted her affection, matching it with his own. He'd truly missed her. The longer they kissed, the more comfortable he got with her again, his hands gripping her hips a little more now, pulling her towards him. She hummed her appreciation and he sighed his own as her hand found his hair, making chills run down his spine.

When Mel pulled back he looked down into her eyes lovingly, a small smile on his face. “Do we have enough time until the pizza gets here?” It took Kevin a second to get what she meant, and he immediately felt her words in his groin. He gulped and gave her an incredulous look. Was she serious? After everything she wanted to be with him? Kevin couldn't deny he wanted her and after he was certain she had meant what he thought she meant, he leaned back down kissing her harder. When she returned the passionate kiss he boldly brought his hand up, finding the top of the towel that was keeping him from all of her and tugged gently, feeling it come loose and then fall to their feet...

---

Kevin was silently freaking out. He had just told Melanie he thought he loved her, laying there on top of her while the pizza man was outside their door. He felt like a dear in the headlights, surprised by his own proclamation. Melanie was too good for him, he knew this. He had screwed up royally and for some crazy reason she still wanted him and then for six weeks she was locked away in some damn camp and she didn't even hate him for not trying to get her out or even look for her! He'd wondered about her and worried about her constantly, but it didn't change the fact that he hadn't done anything, and now he was professing his love to her? He wanted to disappear, but Melanie's reaction through him for a complete loop. She grabbed his face, grinning as tears glistened in her eyes. He suddenly felt like a small boy again, eager and willing to do whatever the beautiful woman wanted him to. He was captivated by her and for a moment he wondered if he hadn't screwed it all up after all.

“I think I’m in love with you too…”

Kevin forgot to breathe at her words. She barely knew him, this fuck up of a man, and she thought she loved him, too? Kevin gulped, but he didn't have time to really process her words as she pulled him close with both her arms and legs and nestled her lips against his. Kevin eased instantly, elated at her reaction, even if he knew how wrong for her he was. He giggled and he couldn't help the smile the spread over his lips as he eased a little.

Their moment was ruined by another sharper knock on the door followed by a man yelling that he had their food. "Coming!" Melanie yelled before he had a chance to scream at the door. Kevin smiled down at her again and then rolled off of her and threw his pants on as she moved quickly towards the bathroom. His eyes followed her the whole way and he smiled at her when she threw a grin at him over her shoulder. What had he ever done to deserve her?

Kevin grabbed his wallet and opened the door in just his sweats. He paid the impatient man for their food and shut the door, bringing the pizza to the coffee table. He set it down and went to the kitchen to grab some plates and cups, filling them with the soda he'd ordered from the pizza place. He brought them all back to the living room just as Melanie was emerging. Kevin licked his lips and smiled bashfully at her. "Umm.. pizza's here.." He said softly, smiling a little more genuinely now. He set the stuff down and then turned back to Melanie, biting his lip and running a hand through his hair. "I, uhh.. I didn't mean to say that, but.. well, it's true. I like you, Mel. A lot, and I thought about you constantly. And I know you said it too, but.. well, we left things sort of weird before this whole.. uhh.. whatever, but.. but, I want to make it up to you, yah know? I'm not going to lie to you anymore, and I know that might mean I'll scare you away but you should know who you're dating, who you think you might love, and I haven't painted the most honest picture of myself, so.. uhh.. yeah. Yeah I guess that's it.." He gulped and looked at her nervously, unsure how she felt.

[MELANIE WHITFIELD]

Melanie looked at her reflection in the mirror as Kevin got the pizza. She looked worse for the wear, but there was a glow in her cheeks now that she’d made love to Kevin. Love…she and Kevin were in love! The thought made her blush happily and she bit her lip gently as she stared at herself in the mirror. How had she found someone so sweet and attentive as Kevin? Sure, he had lied to her, but it was about silly things. He didn’t lie to her about what he did for a living or cover up any past crimes. She knew he was insecure and it was the only reason he lied to her. At least he had come clean, and that was the most important thing. Her weeks in the camp made his lies all the more insignificant. She didn’t care what he’d said, only that she get back to him and the safety and comfort of his embrace. The lies didn’t hide the fact that he was a good person, albeit a little flawed. But who wasn’t flawed? She wouldn’t love him if he wasn’t flawed. And he loved her…he loved her even though she was different, shy, too much of a pushover, and even naïve. How could she not love him in return?

When she emerged from the bathroom, she found he’d set up the pizza, a couple plates and a couple cups of soda. Soda! She hadn’t had soda in such a long time. Even that simple touch elated her. She wished she could stay in that apartment with just Kevin for the rest of eternity, safe, warm and in love. “Umm…pizza’s here…” She smiled broadly, making her way over to him and their simple meal. It looked so good. He had more to say, though, and she kept her eyes on him patiently. “I, uhh…I didn’t mean to say that, but…well, it’s true. I like you Mel. A lot, and I thought about you constantly. And I know you said it too, but…well, we left things sort of weird before this whole…uhh…whatever, but…but I want to make it up to you, yah know? I’m not going to lie to you anymore, and I know that might mean I’ll scare you away but you should know who you’re dating, who you think you might love, and I haven’t painted the most honest picture of myself, so…uhh…yeah. Yeah I guess that’s it.” Her smile was wide and warm as she looked up at him. His nervousness was one of his most endearing qualities for her. It made her feel warm to see the effect she had on him. She took a step closer to him, standing close and taking his hands gently in hers, her brown eyes gazing into his.

“I’m not scared to know the real you, Kevin. I want to know everything about you, the good and the bad. Even if you think it’ll scare me or upset me, I want to know you better than anybody else. I want to know because…well, like I said, I think I’m in love with you. All that time away from you…I thought about you all the time. Every day, a hundred times or more a day, I thought about you. I just wanted to be close to you again. It just made me realize how silly it would be for me to be mad about little lies like the ones you told. I really care about you, Kevin; why would I give that up over something so small? Not that I’m encouraging you to keep doing it, but I want you to know that I don’t hold it against you. So we’ll start fresh, okay?” She smiled sweetly up at him and then stood on tiptoe to kiss him, still holding his hands as she did so. When she pulled away, she smiled brightly again before turning back to the pizza and released his hands. “But let’s eat! I’m so hungry.” She put two pieces on her plate and then took a seat on the couch, scooting nice and close to Kevin once he’d taken his seat. Just being close to him was enough to make her glow. When she bit into her pizza it was like biting into a piece of heaven. She briefly wondered if manna tasted like pizza…She studied Kevin’s face, really noticing how shaggy he looked now. He needed a haircut…maybe a shave too. She rested her head on his shoulder as she continued to eat, staring at nothing in particular. “What have you been up to since…well, since I’ve been gone?” she asked softly. She didn’t want to upset him, but she was curious. Was it her fault he looked so unkempt? Not that she minded it; he would always be cute in her eyes. But he’d obviously let himself go and she hoped he wasn’t as worse for wear as she was.

[KEVIN WHITFIELD]

Kevin watched as she came closer, gulping. “I’m not scared to know the real you, Kevin. I want to know everything about you, the good and the bad. Even if you think it’ll scare me or upset me, I want to know you better than anybody else." Why? Why do you want to know me better than anyone else? What if things don't work out? What if I say something wrong? What if you decide that you couldn't handle someone like me? "I want to know because…well, like I said, I think I’m in love with you. All that time away from you…I thought about you all the time. Every day, a hundred times or more a day, I thought about you. I just wanted to be close to you again. It just made me realize how silly it would be for me to be mad about little lies like the ones you told." Kevin chewed on his bottom lip and stared at her anxiously, afraid she would change her mind any minute. "I really care about you, Kevin; why would I give that up over something so small? Not that I’m encouraging you to keep doing it, but I want you to know that I don’t hold it against you. So we’ll start fresh, okay?” Her smile was so sweet and comforting, like everything else about her. His own smile was small and unsure, but pleased at the same time. He nodded, clearing his throat and offered a small "Okay." In return. “But let’s eat! I’m so hungry.” She said chipperly and he smiled, nodding again and coming to sit with her and eat.

Kevin dug in, actually really hungry now that he'd been up for a bit and had sex. He pushed a few slices of pizza onto his place and shoved one in his mouth. He chewed and sighed, looking over at Melanie, surprised to see her staring at him. He swallowed the food in his mouth which hadn't been properly chewed and in turn made his eyes water as it went down as a large lump. That hurt.. She moved to rest her head on his shoulder and he turned his own head to nuzzle her soft, damp hair for a moment before bringing his brunch to his lips and taking another bite. “What have you been up to since…well, since I’ve been gone?” she asked softly making his chewing stop.

Kevin was afraid to answer the question. Would she be mad he hadn't been searching for her? That he had been keeping himself as busy as possible? "Uhh.." He cleared his throat and looked down at the pizza with pursed lips. "Work, mostly." He offered softly, putting his food down and wiping his hands on his pants. "I tried picking up as many construction shifts as I could plus doing some odd jobs I found on craigslist and stuff.. just... yah know, work.." He gulped. "I spent every night over at Kit's bar taking care of it for him. I tried hanging out with Kelsey a few times but she didn't like hanging around me as much because I was sort of down.. I just didn't want to think about you not being around." He explained softly, knowing he sounded like a pathetic sap. "How's Brandon?" He asked nervously, still cautious about Melanie's brother. "And have you heard from Kit? Or Jo?" He was anxious to know about his best friend and he suddenly realized he would probably be at the bar! He would have to go over there later. Maybe if Mel needed to nap..

[MELANIE WHITFIELD]

“Uhh…Work, mostly.” Melanie nodded, biting into her pizza again. At least Kevin had been keeping busy and not moping around. “I tried picking up as many construction shifts as I could plus doing some odd jobs I found on Craigslist and stuff…just…yah know, work…” She slowed her chewing, knowing it was his depression that drove him to work. “I spent every night over at Kit’s bar taking care of it for him. I tried hanging out with Kelsey a few times but she didn’t like hanging around me as much because I was sort of down…I just didn’t want to think about you not being around.” She bit her lip and looking up at him with sad eyes. He’d been that upset at her disappearance? It meant so much to her, but it also stifled her appetite. She’d never wanted Kevin to be so upset because of her. Not that she wanted him to be all chipper that she was gone, but it sounded like he’d been really down. Then again, Kit was gone too. She’d actually met Kit once or twice when hanging out with Brandon and Jo. He’d come over and while he’d been cold and mostly addressed Jo, he figured that was because Brandon was there. The one time she’d spoken to him when Brandon wasn’t there, he’d been a little friendlier…but not much.

“How’s Brandon? And have you heard from Kit? Or Jo?” Those were all questions she could answer positively and she felt her wave of guilt passing. “Brandon, Jo and I all escaped together. It was such a panic in the camps, I didn’t see Kit, but I’m sure he got out okay. In the camps I saw him a few times. He seemed healthy and okay, or at least as okay as you can be in that situation. Jo was doing okay for a while…but then they took her to the infirmary. She says she was sick, and she looked like she was, but I think they might have experimented on her too. I never got a chance to ask her, though. We had a bit of an argument. Thankfully, Brandon didn’t get experimented on. The hardest thing for him was seeing Jo through the electric fence between the camps and not being able to touch her. It was hard for both of them. She’s at my house with Bran now.” A thought occurred to her and she gave a small hopeful smile to Kevin. “I bet Kit will be back at his bar now. If you wanted, you could go see him. I don’t mind being here by myself as long as I don’t surprise Kelsey when she gets home.” She gave him a wider smile, then went back to eating her pizza.

“I’m glad you kept yourself busy. I know that was part of how I didn’t go crazy every day. We had chores assigned to us each week to keep us working in the camps. Kitchen duty, bathroom duty, shower duty…they were menial chores, but they kept me busy. They also got me tired so I could actually sleep at night. If I wasn’t exhausted at the end of the day, I would stay up for hours just thinking about you.” She snuggled into him more, her head still rested on his shoulder. When she looked up at him again, her chin rested on his shoulder as she smiled. “It was sweet of you to look after Kit’s bar. I’m sure he’ll appreciate that. I hope Jo was lucky enough to have one of her employees look after the store for her while she was gone. I know Brandon didn’t get so lucky. Speaking of, did you go to the dock at all? I wonder if the guys have an idea of what happened to us…” She bit into her pizza again, considering the amount of money they’d missed out on because of this stupid imprisonment. She’d thought about it from time to time, but she was so depressed most of the time, she didn’t think about it often. “I wonder if I still have a job…” she pondered out loud. There were so many things to figure out now that they were back in the city…

[KEVIN WHITFIELD]

“Brandon, Jo and I all escaped together. It was such a panic in the camps, I didn’t see Kit, but I’m sure he got out okay." Kevin seriously hoped so. If anything happened to Kit he didn't know what he'd do. It was bad enough he thought he'd lost Mel, but to lose Kit? He didn't want to think of it. Kevin listened patiently as Melanie talked about Jo being experimented on possibly, and how hard it was for Bran and Jo. He was still hurt about what Jo had done, but he knew he really could only blame himself for the lies.

“I bet Kit will be back at his bar now. If you wanted, you could go see him. I don’t mind being here by myself as long as I don’t surprise Kelsey when she gets home.” She smiled at him and Kevin offered a grin in return, less bright than hers. He wanted to go see his friend, but he didn't want to leave Mel. Not yet. Besides Kit would want to drink himself into oblivion and pass out first and Kevin wanted to make sure he got to his friend during a better time. Also, Kit knew where he lived and if he needed him, he would come over. "Maybe later." He offered softly. "I don't want to leave you yet."

“I’m glad you kept yourself busy. I know that was part of how I didn’t go crazy every day. We had chores assigned to us each week to keep us working in the camps. Kitchen duty, bathroom duty, shower duty…they were menial chores, but they kept me busy. They also got me tired so I could actually sleep at night. If I wasn’t exhausted at the end of the day, I would stay up for hours just thinking about you.” Kevin gulped, feeling his heart hammer. "You did?" He asked meekly. He hated that they had done all that to her, but he was touched how she thought of him. How had he captivated someone so perfect? He put his food down as she rested her head on his shoulder, moving his arm to slide behind her back and pull her close.

She was talking about other things now, like how he had been kind to watch Kit's bar. It was nothing, really. Kit was his best friend and had it not been for Kit, he wouldn't have been able to get Kelsey out there and away from her bad influences, or have met Melanie. "...Speaking of, did you go to the dock at all? I wonder if the guys have an idea of what happened to us… I wonder if I still have a job…” He had gone. Kevin leaned back and kept his arm around Melanie. "I went down for a while but the guys kept telling me to go home if they were there. Sometimes no one was there. The have my number and promised to call if they'd heard anything, but for a while there were guards there not allowing anyone on the boats. They've stopped that, though.. but I wonder since you guys got out if they'll be back or not." He wondered out loud, his fingers grazing over her shoulder. "But we don't need to think about that now. If you guys need money I bet I could get Bran a job with the contractors I work with. And I bet Kit would hire you! A hottie like you behind the bar would keep the boys coming back." He teased with a blue, grinning at her. "We'll get everything settled, Mel. I promise I'll help you and your brother as much as I can. Okay?"

[MELANIE WHITFIELD]

“I went down for a while but the guys kept telling me to go home if they were there. Sometimes no one was there. They have my number and promised to call if they’d heard anything, but for a while there were guards there not allowing anyone on the boats. They’ve stopped that, though…but I wonder since you guys got out if they’ll be back or not.” That didn’t sit too well with Melanie, considering that was her brother’s bread and butter those guards would be keeping him from. Kevin’s fingers lightly grazing over her shoulder eased her worries somewhat and she took another bite of pizza. She couldn’t help the slight feeling of panic at the thought of not being able to leave Scriptor Bay, though… “But we don’t need to think about that now. If you guys need money I bet I could get Bran a job with the contractors I work with. And I bet Kit would hire you! A hottie like you behind the bar would keep the boys coming back.” Melanie laughed, feeling more at ease the more he talked about the help he would give her and her brother. She really, really appreciated it, more than she could say. That was reciprocity, though; she’d helped Kevin, and now he was helping her. They had plenty of savings, she and Brandon, but any little bit of money to help from dipping into those savings would be wonderful. She might actually enjoy working in a bar if she was alongside Kevin. At least then she would get to know his best friend more.

“We’ll get everything settled, Mel. I promise I’ll help you and your brother as much as I can. Okay?” She smiled warmly at Kevin, her lips stretched across her pretty face. “Okay. Thank you, honey.” Leaning into him more, she planted a sweet kiss on his lips, still balancing her pizza in one hand while curled up to his hard body. She wanted to always be able to curl up to him like this. “I don’t think I’d mind working in a bar. It’s not the hospital, but I can’t go back there until this whole mess is sorted out and I feel safe again. I just don’t know if they would rat me out for escaping or anything, you know? At least I know Kit wouldn’t rat me out.” Her smile was amused as she looked at Kevin. “And I think Bran would really appreciate the construction work if they close off the docks. I just don’t know what he and Jo are planning to do. For all I know, they could be making plans to sail away.” With a soft sigh, she leaned back and placed her head on his shoulder again, considering the thought of leaving Scriptor Bay for a while. “Jo was pretty freaked out. I could see Bran wanted to get her as far away from this place as possible. I just don’t know that I would want to go. I mean, I would like to be back in the sunshine and away from the camps and all, but then I’d have to leave you again. I don’t want to leave you again.” She turned her warm brown eyes to his face, smiling softly and perhaps a little sadly. What she would give for some sunshine…but it wasn’t worth leaving Kevin behind. There was nothing in the world worth that price. On top of that, she just didn’t want to leave home.

“I just know I would miss home a lot if I left. I’ve been all over the world and I’ve never been happier than here in Scriptor Bay. I’d suggest all four of us go somewhere together, but I know you have Kelsey and I couldn’t ask you to just up and leave your job and everything.” She smiled brighter at him. “Either way, I’m not leaving your side for a while. I missed you too much.” Leaning in, she planted a kiss on his cheek before smiling sweetly and getting back to her pizza. She sighed as she chewed slowly, perfectly content with the world for the moment. She knew as soon as she and Kevin were separated again, she would be frightened and paranoid once more and reality would set back in, but at this moment she felt so safe and comfortable. “This is the best pizza I’ve ever had. I don’t know if it’s really the best pizza, though, or if I’ve just gone too long without it. I almost want to make up a song for it.” Giggling, she felt like she could get back to her silly self now. Not everyone saw this silly side of her, but Kevin was one of the few she liked to show it too. It was kind of like that evening on the beach after they’d spent the day on her brother’s boat. She wanted to feel that happy and carefree again. She wanted this gloom to be gone.