Wanted
Chapters 6 - 10 (Receive, Peace, No Way Out, Celebrate, Class)
Receive
Vala pulled the near-empty bottle from Daniel's pliable fingers as it slipped from his grasp. She placed it at her side, out of his reach.
"Wasn't fin'shed." Daniel mumbled against her shoulder, feebly trying to reach across her body to find the bottle. Vala caught his hand in hers slowly. She brought it to her lips and kissed the back of it softly.
"You've had enough." She soothed, brushing her other hand through his hair, still soaking with sweat. He nodded against her, and snuggled in deeper. His injured leg was resting atop hers and he lifted it experimentally.
Daniel buried his face into the fabric of her shirt, and snorted. "Don't hurt no more."
Vala laughed quietly. "I'm not surprised." Inside she was relieved to hear it. Daniel had struggled to help her find somewhere safe. He was nearly blind with pain, and exhausted from the fever that had set in by the time they'd found shelter. With no medicine at hand, Vala figured the best way to flush the infection out was with the stuff in the bottle. The only problem was it made him careless, so she had been extra watchful, keeping both of his guns by her side just incase.
Daniel moved to rest his head just below her chin, and Vala kissed the top of it tenderly. She felt the tiny shivers still wracking his body and gently wrapped the blanket tighter around him. Despite saying he couldn't feel it, Daniel whimpered slightly as the material brushed his wound. Vala placed her hand on the side of his head comfortingly. She hated seeing him so vulnerable, and was thankful for the storms raging just outside the cave they were camped in. It would keep their pursurers away, and give Daniel enough time to heal.
"So lucky." He mumbled lovingly. "My one perfect thing..."
Vala couldn't resist asking. "What's that?" When she got no response, her hand rubbed along his arm. "Still with me?"
Daniel tried to shift deeper into her. "Always." She could tell by his voice he was fading fast.
"Daniel..."
"Hmm?" He replied sleepily.
"What's your one perfect thing?" Vala rested her cheek in his hair. She felt him laugh tiredly.
"You." Daniel sighed, drifting off to sleep on the word.
Vala smiled, feeling tears come to her eyes. She finally released his hand, grabbing for the bottle. She put the opening to her lip, and drained the contents. The warmth down the back of her throat complimented the feeling in her chest. She was far from the best he could have. She knew that, and Daniel did too.
But best wasn't perfect. She wouldn't trade perfect for anything.
Peace
He lay on his back, legs crossed at the ankles, staring up at the stars. A cigarette burned between his fingers, and he brought it to his mouth for a drag.
She lay on her stomach, head resting on one arm, staring down into the clear depths of the stream that flowed by. Her hand played in the cool water, while the tips of her raven hair swirled in the current.
The stars were his escape. So vast and unconquered - they brought to him a peace only found one other place.
The water was her escape. So carefree and untamable - it brought to her a peace only found one other place.
He loved how they sparkled in the darkness. Like all the pretty things he risked his life to steal and trade for the greater good of the people who cared nothing about him. These he couldn't steal - wouldn't steal - for anyone but one.
She loved how it shimmered as it raced past. Like all the pretty things she risked her life to steal and trade for the greater good of people who cared nothing about her. This she couldn't steal - wouldn't steal - for anyone but one.
He exhaled blue smoke and scratched absently just above his eye, continuing to take in the beauty of the power above him. Power that, he knew, could overwhelm him if he allowed it.
She sighed and rubbed her chilled nose against her arm, her other hand twisting its fingers around a stalk of seaweed gently, continuing to take in the beauty of the power below her. Power that, she knew, could overwhelm her if she allowed it.
Alone with the stars, he almost felt compelled to let them.
Alone with the stream, she almost felt compelled to let it.
It was so hard to remember what he was truly fighting for. He shifted slightly, taking another drag from the cigarette, and thought about the cause. A cause he wasn't sure he'd believe in if it wasn't for-
It was so hard to remember what she was truly fighting for. She shifted slightly, moving her hand to skim a tall stone jutting up from the mud, and thought about the cause. A cause she wasn't sure she'd believe in if it wasn't for-
He smiled sadly, closing his eyes a moment to get lost in the image in his mind.
She smiled sadly, closing her eyes a moment to get lost in the image in her mind.
Being without that peace he loved so much could break a stronger man. But he wouldn't allow himself to break. Not when he knew he would find that peace again soon. So soon he could almost feel it.
Being without that peace she loved so much could break a stronger woman. But she wouldn't allow herself to break. Not when she knew she would find that peace again soon. So soon she could almost feel it.
Her name came to his lips, and he whispered it to the stars.
His name came to her lips, and she whispered it to the stream.
Vala.
Daniel.
He sat up slowly, a smile coming to his lips. He'd heard her elegant voice like a whisper on the wind.
She sat up slowly, a smile coming to her lips. She'd heard his deep voice like a whisper on the wind.
He moved to stare down at the stream through the trees, flowing past several feet below his perch on the boulder. He breathed in deeply, a shiver passing through his body.
She moved to stare up at the stars through the trees, dominating on high hundreds of miles above her perch on the shore. She breathed deeply, a shiver passing through her body.
She was thinking of him.
He was thinking of her.
No Way Out
"What do you want from us?" The owner of the hotel asked in a shaky voice. It wasn't so much of the gun being point at him that was making him nervous, but the person who was pointing the gun and making the demands.
Vala smiled from across the table where she sat in Daniel's lap. She could see how uncomfortable the fat man was. Maybe it had something to do with how she was dressed. The calf high boots worn over stolen fishnets and a short pair of skin-tight dancer's shorts just a little too small didn't leave much to the imagination. She was lacking in a shirt, her long black hair being the only thing covering her breasts - barely. Or maybe it was the way Daniel was assaulting her neck with warm, wet kisses, one hand ghosting up her bare arm, the other running the barrel of his own gun playfully along the inside of her thigh.
"I don't want much of anything, actually." She shrugged, noticing how the fat man's breathing hitched as her hair shifted with the movement. She smiled some more.
Boots clicked on the wood floor beneath them as a woman came to stand next to the man. Her arms were crossed and she was scowling at the pair. Whether she was the fat man's wife or whore, Vala didn't know or care.
"And what does HE want?" She asked with venom in her voice, her head nodding towards Daniel. From the way she looked at them, Vala figured she knew who they were. It was hard not to - their faces were plastered on wanted signs everywhere in most cities and towns within a hundred miles.
Daniel paid no mind to the woman's question as he continued to kiss and explore Vala's body. It wasn't that he wasn't paying attention. Vala knew he was focused on the task at hand, but was just letting her take a hold of the reins this time. Which gave him an opportunity to thoroughly enjoy her outfit, or lack there of.
"Oh, don't worry about him." Vala flinched slightly as Daniel's teeth nipped at her shoulder. His lips began to move south. "This little deal is between us."
The woman snorted humorlessly. "Then what is he doing here? Not a strong enough woman to handle your jobs on your own?"
Vala laughed loudly. "Please! He's here because I want him to be, not because I need him here." She felt Daniel smile against her skin as he lifted up her right arm and began to nip and suck down her side. Vala looked pointedly towards the hotel owner again, casually shifting the barrel of her gun in the direction of the woman. "She is starting to ruin my calm."
The hotel owner placed a hand on his woman's back, and whispered something to her. She sighed and moved off a little bit. Vala smiled and moved the gun to point at him once more. "Now, back to what I want. I'm low on provisions and funds. I need everything you have available to give me, including some durable clothing."
"When you say funds, you mean..." The hotel owner placed his hands on the table, and Vala watched his movements carefully, making sure he didn't push any hidden buttons. The type of hotel they were in always had one somewhere.
"All the currency this place has." She stated.
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It didn't take long for the fat man to remove all the money from the safe. When he was finished, two full bags sat beside Vala on the floor.
"Now, about those supplies and clothes." She smiled as the hotel owner moved to sit back down in the chair opposite her. Daniel, who had stopped his exploration with his mouth to watch the fat man carefully as he got the cash, returned to his fun. His gaze flicked up as he began to suck just at the base of Vala's right breast. His blue eyes landed on the woman, who had backed up to the wall unnoticed. He brought his gun up just as her hand pushed a button concealed in the wood.
"Dammit!" Daniel growled as he pulled his lips away from Vala. He fired a warning shot just above her head, and she sank to the floor shrieking. Vala jumped up from his lap, gun trained on the owner, and he pushed up from the chair, walking over to the wall. He turned to look at Vala. "She set off the silent alarm."
Vala cursed loudly, and Daniel turned back to the alarm and shot at it.
"You're too late." The owner laughed. "This room is locked down, and the city guards will be here in a matter of minutes."
"You criminals won't get away this time." The woman stated from her spot on the floor.
Daniel ignored their comments, and moved back over to Vala. He took of his long coat and handed it to her. "Time to go." He watched the owner and woman while Vala put on his coat, and fastened it around her chest. When she finished, she moved to get the loot while Daniel tested the doors and window for escape. The bullets he fired at them were absorbed by a force shield.
"Don't you get it?" The fat man smiled. "This is the end of the line for you my friends. No way out."
Daniel looked at Vala and saw the uncertainty in her eyes. For half a second, he felt failure creeping up on them. Then his gaze flicked down, and he grinned. He crossed over to her, and pushed his chest tight against her back. He turned them back to face their dim-witted captors.
"Push as close to me as possible." Daniel said in a focused tone. Vala nodded and pressed against him tightly. She holstered her gun, and Daniel pulled out his second, cocking it quickly. The sound of boots coming from many floors down could be heard.
Daniel leaned in and kissed Vala's cheek quickly. "This might be painful." He whispered just before he started to fire his guns in a circle around them, moving the guns from around his back to the front and back again. The owner jumped up from his chair, and the woman came to stand.
"What are you doing?!" She shouted over the noise.
Daniel's guns went quiet as the floor beneath them cracked loudly. He immediately brought his arms around Vala's chest, and crushed her body against his as the wood buckled. Just as it was about to give out from under them, Vala blew a kiss to the shocked faces of the hotel owner and his whore. Then the floor snapped, and they were falling together.
The drop was a short one, but Daniel's knees still almost buckled as he tried to absorb most of the impact when their feet slammed into the next floor. They stumbled back a bit, but he managed to keep them standing. For a moment, it felt as if that floor would give out as well with the sudden impact, but the quivering in the wood stopped after a second.
Vala pulled out of his grasp, turning to kiss his smiling lips. "Brilliant!" She laughed.
Daniel nodded, then sobered as the sound of boots got louder. "Now it's really time to go!" He reloaded his guns quickly, then snatched one of the bags from her grasp.
Vala grabbed for her weapon. Before they burst from the room, guns blazing, she looked up at the still shocked faces of the idiots they'd just robbed. Vala smiled and laughed.
"So much for no way out!"
Celebrate
The sounds of celebration filtered in with the cool evening breeze. The city was alive as the New Year approached upon them, and everyone was partying. From the lowest wretch to the swankiest citizens, there wasn't a person who wasn't living it up.
Daniel and Vala were no exception.
They would lie in bed together, living it up in the company of each other. New Year's for them was a chance to have their own private party with no restrictions, no weapons, no worries, no...clothes. Just a few bottles, some cigarettes, them, and the bed.
Vala tapped the bottle to her lips, a cigarette burning between her fingers wrapped around the glass neck. She lay on her side, head propped up on her other hand, body entwined with the sheets, watching the city through the open window of their shabby second story hotel room. Over the rooftops she could see the high end part of town, where the parties were the most expensive and fabulous.
"Daniel?" She questioned lazily as she placed the cigarette back in her mouth. She rested the bottle against her stomach.
"Hmmm?" Daniel murmured in reply as his mouth traveled along her side with wet kisses. His hand massaged the inside of her thigh.
Vala placed her fingers around the cigarette, took a drag, and pulled it out. She placed the hand on the back of Daniel's head as he worked, rubbing through his hair lovingly.
"If you could be doing anything right now, what would it be?" She asked as she exhaled the smoke slowly.
Daniel's head came up, and he looked at her with hazy blue eyes, a combination of lust, love, and booze the cause. "Are you serious?" He laughed quietly. Vala nodded, and took another drag from the cigarette.
"This..." He sighed as he kissed her warm flesh, still looking at her. His hand ghosted over her crotch in a teasing manner before rubbing up her slender stomach. "Is what I want to be doing."
"Even if you could do anything else in the world?"
Daniel shifted up to her neck, and began to suck. "Why would I want to?" He murmured in between each sensual touch of his lips.
Vala turned her head, causing him to stop. She looked at him with curiosity. "You wouldn't want to be doing what all those powerful, rich people are doing?"
He tilted his head to the side, a curious look coming to his face. His hand brushed her hair out of her eyes, and then he traced her mouth with his finger. "Would you?" She nipped at its tip.
Vala shrugged and moved to lay on her back. Daniel remained propped up on his elbow, and caught the bottle as she shifted. He took a swig, and rested the bottle on the nightstand. Vala pulled from the cigarette as he leaned across her. She turned her head, and blew the smoke out against his chest as he settled back into place. "I think I would like to know what they do for fun." She placed the cigarette against Daniel's moist lips, and he took a drag, eyes watching her. "See what they have."
Daniel blew out the smoke away from her face, then leaned in and kissed her tenderly. His hand slid up her side, and he cupped her breast gently. He deepened the kiss, pushing his tongue into her mouth. She sighed into him, tossing the cigarette out the window, and he pulled away. He looked into her grey eyes with love.
"What do they have that's so great?" Daniel questioned, bringing his hand up to stroke her cheek. "How could they have anything better than this?"
Vala knew he wasn't expecting an answer. She brushed her hand along his jawline. Daniel bent down to kiss her again and moved to bring himself on top of her. Once more they became one as he pushed inside her.
Daniel moved his lips to her neck as Vala brought her fingers to twist in his short, messy hair. They moved against each other in a steady, familiar rhythm of love.
This was their celebration.
Class
Daniel looked into her eyes through the mirror. They held that edge of uncertainty that said she wasn't sure things would work out this time. He leaned in and kissed the back of her neck comfortingly.
"We're gonna be fine." He smiled at her reflection as he pulled back. His hands continued to pull the strings of her corset tight. His blue eyes were apologetic when she gasped slightly as he worked his way up.
Vala placed her hand to her constricted chest, and swallowed. "You'll be fine." She muttered. "I'm not so sure I can pull this off." She flinched and braced against the mirror with her other hand, as he pulled another string that tightened the corset around her.
"Sorry." Daniel said sincerely. "Almost done."
"Good." Vala sighed as best as she could. "Because I don't think I'll be able to breathe if you go any farther."
Daniel tied off the last set of string and sighed as well. "Done." He placed his hands on her shoulders and turned her around. "Now let me see."
She slowly turned for him, and Daniel felt the air leave him at the sight of her. She looked so stunning in the long, flowing green dress and gold-colored corset. Her black hairs were done up in a beautiful, and stolen, clip that allowed a few of her curls to hang loose.
"Perfect." Daniel breathed.
Vala looked down at herself, and shook her head. "I'll never be able to do this."
Daniel stepped up to her, and lifted her chin with his hand so he could look in her eyes. He bent down to kiss her gently, then pulled back up. "I'll be right there beside you. And it's going to be easy."
Vala laughed nervously. "That's easy for you to say."
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They strolled into the high end bank, looking like the pompous couple they were pretending to be. Vala had her arm linked through Daniel's. She looked at him as he took in the immediate area, calculating their plan.
The suit he wore was grey, and made his sleek body look even hotter. He wore a nice leather coat, in much better shape then his usual long coat, and a top hat sat at an angle a top his nicely done hair. He looked at her, and gave a dashing grin.
They moved deeper into the crowd of people. The other couples just looked at them, and nodded or smiled. There was the occasional hello as they strolled. Finally, Daniel brought them to a stop. He leaned in close to Vala, who was now grinning comfortably.
"Feeling better?" He whispered, then inclined his head to a passing gentlemen.
"Tons." She squeezed his arm. "Who knew we could be such wonderful actors?"
Daniel moved her closer to him, and Vala casually snaked her hand under his coat. A small sign of affection between the couple was all it looked like. "I told you. Perfect."
Vala smiled at a single young man who looked at her approvingly. "So you don't think they suspect anything?"
Daniel laughed, and leaned in to kiss her lips quickly. "Not a chance in hell." He pulled up and winked. She took that as her action cue, and pulled her gun from its concealed spot behind his back. Daniel moved just as fast, arms whipping out his own guns.
"EVERYBODY DOWN!"
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