Forgive me
Title: Forgive me.
Author: xcathainx.
Pairing: Kahlan/Cara.
Rating: NC-17.
Word count: 1810.
Warnings: Very much AU. A little bit of angst, a little bit of violence. Character death (sort of).
Summary: One choice can become the suffering of a lifetime. And yes, being vague is kind of my thing.
Disclaimer: I claim no ownership whatsoever over the characters, the show or the books.
Sheltered by the tent of some shop she really held no interest in, a lonely figure watched as people came and went in a hurry, minding their own business and blissfully oblivious to this city's true face. She couldn't blame them. Not long ago, she had been one of those fools too, so the young looking woman still remembered just how easy it was to believe a guy with a knife or a gun was the worst someone could encounter while walking these streets at night. Pulling the cell phone out of her pocket, the woman checked the time and for a split second, contemplated the thought of leaving... maybe she shouldn't be here. If hunger was her problem, then there certainly were better places for her to go on a Thursday evening and get exactly what she needed, but who was she kidding? This wasn't a quest for a random snack, oh no. Tonight, her hunger was very specific.
A few weeks ago, she walked into one of the many low profile diners this town seemed to have and when the waitress came over to take her order for something she had no intentions of eating, a true vision met her cynical gaze. The girl was pretty, no doubts about it, but what really caught her interest was the combination of lines and curves, along with a pair of eyes that almost reminded her of the kind of mischief she was once used to. 'Almost...' And yet, in that moment, she knew she wouldn't be able to help herself: it was only a matter of a short time before her future and the waitress' crossed again.
An expert on her craft, she'd been observing her prey from afar for the past two nights or so, just savouring the moment and taking into the girl's habits, learning a bit of her routine, while thinking about the next step. Jumping her right away would have been a rushed decision, and no fun in the least: she wasn't a horny fifteen year old boy on his first time with his high school sweetheart; she wouldn't be done with this one in less than two minutes.
Tonight was the night though, and much like there was no sense in hurrying things, there was also no sense in delaying the games any further. The woman just wasn't counting on two factors: one, the Creator apparently decided to pee on the heads of this fine city citizens for hours on end and two, the girl's shift had been a lot longer than the previous ones. It was alright. Rain was just rain, and she could muster up the patience of a monk philosophizing about the meaning of life when she wanted to. Her wait didn't go for much longer after that though, and now the waitress was on the run, meaning that her moment to face a second round in the downpour had arrived.
However, she only started moving for good after about ten seconds, letting the girl take a somewhat safe distance from her. There it was, the initial rush of the hunt spreading through her veins already, contrasting with the chill of the rain soaking her jeans and jacket, as if desperately trying to reach for bare skin. And indeed, in a matter of instants, her hair had gone darker and matted to the woman's skull, while a trickle of rainwater finally leaked down the collar of her clothes, sending an involuntary shiver down her spine. Still, she couldn't care less if they were having the storm of the century tonight: she was all too aware of the necessity to enjoy these first few moments, before the usual wave of jadedness settled down. So the figure walked, hips swaying in a tantalizing rhythm, following the purple umbrella and dodging her way through a mass of strangers.
And the more she watched, the more the woman realized that this girl's similarities with her stilled heart's desire went only skin deep. She's seen people like waitress girl enough times to know that these little birds enjoyed hugging themselves tighter, shutting the world outside and seeking a fake sense of safety through any means possible, making it clear by their body language they were not up to chitchat or niceties, while secretly hoping against hope nobody would really care to see them, but at the same time, wishing to be somehow noticed and have their silent screams heard. So dramatic. To these poor things usually there was nothing left, other than continue with their wraith like motions throughout a crowd of unseen souls. Those flesh and blood obstacles didn't last though, because waitress girl decided to take alternative routes and abandon the mainstream ones, almost as if the girl could feel another presence and was asking her to play. Oh, what a temptation.
A bolt of lightning ripped the sky open, giving a clear view of her features for a split second and the look in the woman's eyes could only be described as predatory. Pulling the hood of the jacket over her head, partially obscuring her face, she then reached down and wrapped her fingers around a rock, weighting it on her hand. Keeping her eyes on the big metal dumpster standing a few feet from them, she calmly aimed at the trash can and threw the rock at it before waitress girl could walk past the thing, just so the loud noise of the impact would be sensed as coming from ahead, rather than from behind. She hit her target spot on, rocking the metal in heavy vibrations and undoubtedly leaving a dent out. The waitress' heart took a single jump up to her throat and the hunter couldn't help but smile when the prey yelped, as if she herself had been hit with the projectile instead of the trash can. Waitress girl stumbled away from the noise, hurriedly trying to plant her feet firmly over one another but maintain a swift speed as she ducked into the darkness of an alley. At that, the woman almost shook her head in reproach: why was it always the alleyways?
One moment she was there, and in the next lightning bolt, she was not: the shadowy figure disappeared into the alleyway like a ghost. A loud thunder muffled the girl's scream as her cold hand cupped the gorgeous face in an almost gentle touch and the waitress even tried to put up a fight, but it was useless. She let the hunger take over, a thin trail of red cascading down a pale chin and mingling with the rain drops bathing the delicate skin. A monster, always ready to satisfy its blood lust with ever increasing ferocity and vanish leaving no trace, except for the now puzzle pieces of what used to be a human body: that was her true nature. Surrendering to it was unavoidable, so she'd stopped trying.
Once sated, she let go of the girl with an indecently satisfied moan, licking her lips as the waitress' body hit the ground in a wet thud. However, the other woman wasn't dead, just passed out; well, she would wake up feeling like shit and really confused, but hey... she would eventually wake up. It was a far better fate than her usual victims received. A quick glance at her latest dinner date and she took impulse, climbing over a fence with ease and silently landing on the other side. Another check on her cell phone and she was pleased to see that she'd be home in time to catch the late night rerun of CSI: Aydindril.
There was just one more stop to make before retiring for the night though.
* * *
"Please, forgive me..." The lonely figure whispered the words, knowing they'd be lost in the constant hiss of the rain as soon as they breezed past her cold lips. She looked like a drowned rat on the verge of an blood stained breakdown, but the sorrow and sadness, wrapped in longing and regret were already part of the ritual by now. If only she could go back in time, and change the seemingly insignificant choice that turned her world into a never ending night, she would.
She'd gladly enslave herself to the Keeper for one more chance to have this woman's scent clouding her mind as she lost herself in the delicate nuances on the taste of her lover's skin. Sweeter along some curves, saltier on others, but always so yielding under the assault of her tongue. "... for changing... for what I've become." Just one more chance to stare into her eyes first thing in the morning and stay like that for moments on end, in silent conversation. Curse, joke of fate or blessing, she was still able to reproduce by memory alone their beauty with enough accuracy and precision to make the best of the photographers to look down at their own lenses in disgust.
Was it too much to ask? More than she deserved? Yes, but a fool's life was made of impossible dreams and she couldn't help craving for nothing more than a single chance to hear the familiar voice saying she'd been missed, causing her blood to travel through her body a little too fast in the process, as if she'd abruptly stood up from her seat. The sound of that voice would be forever burned into her soul, haunting her into the sweetest of insanities. She's heard it in happiness, lust, annoyance and anger, delivered in a variety of ways... a unexpected giggle here, a moan there, and secrets whispered at the dead of night along with promises of forever.
But she knew better and this was all she'd ever allow herself to have: stolen moments watching from the rooftop of a neighbour building as the person who counted the most, her everything, twisted and turned on what used to be their bed, lost in the throes of a nightmare. "Please, forgive me for leaving you alone." She breathed out, proud shoulders slumping at the weight of the words caught up on her throat.
Suddenly, the desperation drilling a hole in her chest got too intense to bear and she had to take her eyes away from the other woman. Even troubled, her lover's beauty was unprecedented and whereas in the past it caused her breath to falter whenever she got lost in the sight of a body hand-crafted by the Creator during a very inspired heartbeat, right now it just hurt. And yet, much as it pained her to watch the obvious suffering, knowing she could end it with a mere soothing touch, she couldn't help but wish to be the main theme of whatever was plaguing her lover's mind in its sleeping state, because that'd mean she was still thought of... maybe, she was still loved. Useless hope, she reminded herself with a sigh and focused on dreaming form again. One last look, before turning her back and walking away from her heart, from her soul.
Kahlan would give anything to be by Cara's side again.
Author: xcathainx.
Pairing: Kahlan/Cara.
Rating: NC-17.
Word count: 1810.
Warnings: Very much AU. A little bit of angst, a little bit of violence. Character death (sort of).
Summary: One choice can become the suffering of a lifetime. And yes, being vague is kind of my thing.
Disclaimer: I claim no ownership whatsoever over the characters, the show or the books.
Sheltered by the tent of some shop she really held no interest in, a lonely figure watched as people came and went in a hurry, minding their own business and blissfully oblivious to this city's true face. She couldn't blame them. Not long ago, she had been one of those fools too, so the young looking woman still remembered just how easy it was to believe a guy with a knife or a gun was the worst someone could encounter while walking these streets at night. Pulling the cell phone out of her pocket, the woman checked the time and for a split second, contemplated the thought of leaving... maybe she shouldn't be here. If hunger was her problem, then there certainly were better places for her to go on a Thursday evening and get exactly what she needed, but who was she kidding? This wasn't a quest for a random snack, oh no. Tonight, her hunger was very specific.
A few weeks ago, she walked into one of the many low profile diners this town seemed to have and when the waitress came over to take her order for something she had no intentions of eating, a true vision met her cynical gaze. The girl was pretty, no doubts about it, but what really caught her interest was the combination of lines and curves, along with a pair of eyes that almost reminded her of the kind of mischief she was once used to. 'Almost...' And yet, in that moment, she knew she wouldn't be able to help herself: it was only a matter of a short time before her future and the waitress' crossed again.
An expert on her craft, she'd been observing her prey from afar for the past two nights or so, just savouring the moment and taking into the girl's habits, learning a bit of her routine, while thinking about the next step. Jumping her right away would have been a rushed decision, and no fun in the least: she wasn't a horny fifteen year old boy on his first time with his high school sweetheart; she wouldn't be done with this one in less than two minutes.
Tonight was the night though, and much like there was no sense in hurrying things, there was also no sense in delaying the games any further. The woman just wasn't counting on two factors: one, the Creator apparently decided to pee on the heads of this fine city citizens for hours on end and two, the girl's shift had been a lot longer than the previous ones. It was alright. Rain was just rain, and she could muster up the patience of a monk philosophizing about the meaning of life when she wanted to. Her wait didn't go for much longer after that though, and now the waitress was on the run, meaning that her moment to face a second round in the downpour had arrived.
However, she only started moving for good after about ten seconds, letting the girl take a somewhat safe distance from her. There it was, the initial rush of the hunt spreading through her veins already, contrasting with the chill of the rain soaking her jeans and jacket, as if desperately trying to reach for bare skin. And indeed, in a matter of instants, her hair had gone darker and matted to the woman's skull, while a trickle of rainwater finally leaked down the collar of her clothes, sending an involuntary shiver down her spine. Still, she couldn't care less if they were having the storm of the century tonight: she was all too aware of the necessity to enjoy these first few moments, before the usual wave of jadedness settled down. So the figure walked, hips swaying in a tantalizing rhythm, following the purple umbrella and dodging her way through a mass of strangers.
And the more she watched, the more the woman realized that this girl's similarities with her stilled heart's desire went only skin deep. She's seen people like waitress girl enough times to know that these little birds enjoyed hugging themselves tighter, shutting the world outside and seeking a fake sense of safety through any means possible, making it clear by their body language they were not up to chitchat or niceties, while secretly hoping against hope nobody would really care to see them, but at the same time, wishing to be somehow noticed and have their silent screams heard. So dramatic. To these poor things usually there was nothing left, other than continue with their wraith like motions throughout a crowd of unseen souls. Those flesh and blood obstacles didn't last though, because waitress girl decided to take alternative routes and abandon the mainstream ones, almost as if the girl could feel another presence and was asking her to play. Oh, what a temptation.
A bolt of lightning ripped the sky open, giving a clear view of her features for a split second and the look in the woman's eyes could only be described as predatory. Pulling the hood of the jacket over her head, partially obscuring her face, she then reached down and wrapped her fingers around a rock, weighting it on her hand. Keeping her eyes on the big metal dumpster standing a few feet from them, she calmly aimed at the trash can and threw the rock at it before waitress girl could walk past the thing, just so the loud noise of the impact would be sensed as coming from ahead, rather than from behind. She hit her target spot on, rocking the metal in heavy vibrations and undoubtedly leaving a dent out. The waitress' heart took a single jump up to her throat and the hunter couldn't help but smile when the prey yelped, as if she herself had been hit with the projectile instead of the trash can. Waitress girl stumbled away from the noise, hurriedly trying to plant her feet firmly over one another but maintain a swift speed as she ducked into the darkness of an alley. At that, the woman almost shook her head in reproach: why was it always the alleyways?
One moment she was there, and in the next lightning bolt, she was not: the shadowy figure disappeared into the alleyway like a ghost. A loud thunder muffled the girl's scream as her cold hand cupped the gorgeous face in an almost gentle touch and the waitress even tried to put up a fight, but it was useless. She let the hunger take over, a thin trail of red cascading down a pale chin and mingling with the rain drops bathing the delicate skin. A monster, always ready to satisfy its blood lust with ever increasing ferocity and vanish leaving no trace, except for the now puzzle pieces of what used to be a human body: that was her true nature. Surrendering to it was unavoidable, so she'd stopped trying.
Once sated, she let go of the girl with an indecently satisfied moan, licking her lips as the waitress' body hit the ground in a wet thud. However, the other woman wasn't dead, just passed out; well, she would wake up feeling like shit and really confused, but hey... she would eventually wake up. It was a far better fate than her usual victims received. A quick glance at her latest dinner date and she took impulse, climbing over a fence with ease and silently landing on the other side. Another check on her cell phone and she was pleased to see that she'd be home in time to catch the late night rerun of CSI: Aydindril.
There was just one more stop to make before retiring for the night though.
* * *
"Please, forgive me..." The lonely figure whispered the words, knowing they'd be lost in the constant hiss of the rain as soon as they breezed past her cold lips. She looked like a drowned rat on the verge of an blood stained breakdown, but the sorrow and sadness, wrapped in longing and regret were already part of the ritual by now. If only she could go back in time, and change the seemingly insignificant choice that turned her world into a never ending night, she would.
She'd gladly enslave herself to the Keeper for one more chance to have this woman's scent clouding her mind as she lost herself in the delicate nuances on the taste of her lover's skin. Sweeter along some curves, saltier on others, but always so yielding under the assault of her tongue. "... for changing... for what I've become." Just one more chance to stare into her eyes first thing in the morning and stay like that for moments on end, in silent conversation. Curse, joke of fate or blessing, she was still able to reproduce by memory alone their beauty with enough accuracy and precision to make the best of the photographers to look down at their own lenses in disgust.
Was it too much to ask? More than she deserved? Yes, but a fool's life was made of impossible dreams and she couldn't help craving for nothing more than a single chance to hear the familiar voice saying she'd been missed, causing her blood to travel through her body a little too fast in the process, as if she'd abruptly stood up from her seat. The sound of that voice would be forever burned into her soul, haunting her into the sweetest of insanities. She's heard it in happiness, lust, annoyance and anger, delivered in a variety of ways... a unexpected giggle here, a moan there, and secrets whispered at the dead of night along with promises of forever.
But she knew better and this was all she'd ever allow herself to have: stolen moments watching from the rooftop of a neighbour building as the person who counted the most, her everything, twisted and turned on what used to be their bed, lost in the throes of a nightmare. "Please, forgive me for leaving you alone." She breathed out, proud shoulders slumping at the weight of the words caught up on her throat.
Suddenly, the desperation drilling a hole in her chest got too intense to bear and she had to take her eyes away from the other woman. Even troubled, her lover's beauty was unprecedented and whereas in the past it caused her breath to falter whenever she got lost in the sight of a body hand-crafted by the Creator during a very inspired heartbeat, right now it just hurt. And yet, much as it pained her to watch the obvious suffering, knowing she could end it with a mere soothing touch, she couldn't help but wish to be the main theme of whatever was plaguing her lover's mind in its sleeping state, because that'd mean she was still thought of... maybe, she was still loved. Useless hope, she reminded herself with a sigh and focused on dreaming form again. One last look, before turning her back and walking away from her heart, from her soul.
Kahlan would give anything to be by Cara's side again.