Chapter 6

She didn’t move, didn’t speak, and it took awhile before she remembered to breathe. “Uh…I can explain this” she told him.
He looked her over, lying on the ground, with a complete face of fear. One that he’d gotten used to seeing out of her. “What are you doing here?” he asked.
“I…I…I was trying to find you” she stuttered ‘Good one Tala, next time he rejects you just get it over with and jump him.’
“Why were you looking for me?” he asked.
This wasn’t going well “I just, wanted to talk to you.”
His eyes turned to shock, as if he couldn’t believe that she would want anything to do with him. But it disappeared quickly and was replaced by curiosity “Why would you want to talk with me?” he asked.
“I don’t know, this place is just so big…it’s kind of lonely. So I came to look for you, I kinda got lost before I heard you singing.”
He immediately looked away as if ashamed she heard him sing. “You…you have a beautiful voice” she told him “I’ve never heard anything like it.”
“Yeah…great voice” he said bitterly “That would get me far.”
She watched him fidget and avoid her stare. “Your really insecure about yourself aren’t you?”
“Is that what you think?” he asked with a glare up at her.
She had learned to fear his icy eyes in only the day she’d spent with him, but she kept talking “I think you were insecure even before whatever happened to your face happened.
I think that it just made you more insecure about yourself and your abilities…I see the way you walk, like your trying to hide something, or that your suspicious all of this is a big prank and your waiting for who ever played it on you is going to jump out at any moment. Whenever you look at me you somehow try not to show your face so that you hope I won’t see it. And when you talk you speak low, and shaky like your afraid that I’m going to run away. I think you enjoy that I’m here, and I think that apart of you never wants me to leave, but your pride and anger and bitterness toward the world is holding you back from falling into that.”
Her knowledge of the situation was something that stunned him beyond belief, he almost didn’t have a response…almost. “So I bet you now think you have everything figured out right? You know everything right?”
“I don’t know everything Nick, I’m not psychic but you’re an open book, your vulnerability towards emotions gives you away.”
“You don’t know anything about me” he grumbled.
She took a stepped toward him while she spoke “Then let me…help me understand you. I know you don’t want to and you probably want to be left alone, but how long have you been completely along in this dark castle? How long has it been since a human has been here with you?…I just want to help you Nick.”
“You want to help me?” Nick asked in anger through gritted teeth “Then…leave…me… alone!”
He stood up and turned to walk away. But she refused to give up. She ran up and took his hand ignoring the shock she got from the warmth and smoothness of it. “Nick” she said “If you haven’t noticed, we are the only two human things here, and although I’d not like to stay here forever I get the feeling I won’t be leaving for awhile, so my only solution to the problem is for the both of us to at least try to understand one another.”
Nick sneered at her bitterly “There’s nothing for us to understand!” he said “I’m a monster, you’re a beauty…I’m going to stay like this forever and you’re going to leave and marry some Prince Charming…that’s it!”
“Do I look that damn shallow!” she exclaimed “If I wanted a Leo, I would be with him right now, instead of trying to stay as far away from him as possible after what he tried to do to me!”

Nick stopped “What?” he asked.
Realizing what she’d said she shook her head “Nevermind…” she turned and tried to walk away not wanting to discuss it, but Nick grabbed her arm and she couldn’t help but notice that hers looked like a twig in his hard “Did he hurt you?” Nick asked in anger.
“It doesn’t matter” she told him.
She pulled her arm back, but he held her tightly “Answer my question Tala!” he demanded.
“Why? So you can understand!” she retorted “We don’t need to understand remember!”
She looked into his eyes and saw the anger burning in them, but not towards her, he looked so angry at something that it made her shiver “Did…he…hurt…you?” he asked slowly and through gritted teeth.
“Yes!” she replied “Yes he hurt me but what does it matter? After all, I’m just a tease right? With the way I look I don’t know how to fall for someone as ugly as you right? I’m just some shallow bitch…Just someone who deserved…”
“No man should ever hurt you” Nick replied in anger, yet in a little shock that she’d heard him say those things in his own blind denial “No matter what you look like.”
She pulled her arm out of his grasp “Why should you care? After all…I mean nothing to you…remember…Nick?”
The anger melted and formed to surprise then into guilt, his attention turned to the ground “Look Tala…I, I didn’t mean all those things, I don’t know if you heard them through the wall or whatever but…but I’m…I’m sorry.”
“No.”
His head shot up to look into her angry eyes “What?” he asked.
“No” she repeated “No I don’t except your apology…do you know how much that hurt me to hear you say those things? To speak of me like I’m just some…some nobody…some nothing in your life. Like I don’t even matter? Do you?”
“I…”
“I haven’t ever made you feel like that or tried to make you feel like that Nick. I’ll admit I’ve been confused of my feeling for you too but I didn’t ever say thing like that to you.”
He stood there looking like he was in complete shock “Feelings?” he asked.
“Yes! Feelings…okay? I have feeling for you, and not feeling that I’ve ever had before. They scare and excite me, they make me feel like I’m flying sometimes, especially when I’m with you…am I getting through here? I care about you…I’m even falling for you. Not your face, not your body, not your former status…you. And until you understand that…stay away from me.”
She stomped off leaving Nick in complete shock. He registered everything before slapping his head “You dumbass Carter” he told himself.

“Four weeks! FOUR weeks and we still haven’t found her! This is fucking pathetic!” he screamed.
“Give it up!” Shelton screamed back “She’s dead! She’s gone and not coming back. Her parents have even schedualed a funeral service for her. Give it up John…she’s gone.”
“I refuse to believe that.” “Amazing, the only man not willing to give it up is only after her for a good lay” the man shook his head.
“Shut up” John said.
He shook his head as he sat down. John sighed “Did you find anything at all?” “Only what I told you” Shelton told him “there were foot prints leading up to a creek, and into it, but after that…it’s like she vanished into thin air. There’s nothing.”
“But that’s not possible!” John exclaimed “Women on huge horses don’t just disappear! That’s impossible! She’s out there…she out there and she’s alive…wait…did…did you cross the creek?”
“Of course not, there’s nothing there!” Shelton told him.
“But…but what if…what if she ran up the creek?” John asked.
“It was storming, she was frightened, not to mention wet and most likely catching a cold, I doubt she’d be able to think that clearly” Shelton told her.
“The mere fact that you just said that means you know nothing about her” John said as he grabbed his coat “I’m going to look again.”
As he walked out Shelton shook his head “God help her if he finds her.”

Lucy took her husbands hand and shook her head “I’m so sorry honey.” He sniffled and tears fell down his cheeks “My daughter…my love…is gone.”
Lucy’s eyes burned into the coffin filled with Tala’s belongings ‘His love!’ she thought angrily ‘I guess I mean nothing at all! Well…it’s a good thing the little bitch is dead. Now he can focus on more important things…like me.’ She took his hand, and walked up to the coffin with him, they’d been the last ones left. “I’m sorry baby” she whispered “I know how much you loved her.”
Jake leaned on Lucy and tears fell down his face again.
Janet walked up to the coffin, she watched as Lucy led Jake away, and noticed if anything the glare that was directed at the coffin. She knew Lucy had something to do with the Police calling off the search for Tala three weeks earlier. She knew she also had something to do with her disappearance…she just didn’t know how to prove it. Looking back to the coffin she shook her head, she knew Tala wasn’t dead…she knew it. She could feel it in her gut. Tala was still alive…but how was she going to prove it?
‘What am I going to do…go find her?’ A light bulb clicked off in her head. That’s it! She’d go find her!…But John had been going out to try find her since she disappeared. But he didn’t know…he didn’t know about the passage the two had found when they were kids riding their horses, from even close up it looked like it was just bushes, but if you went directly in front of it…you’d see the passage way that lead into a few really nice places. She nodded when she’d made up her mind. She would find Tala. No matter what, she’d go out and get her best friend, and she’d find her. With a determined look she looked down at the coffin before nodding in respect and leaving ‘I swear to find Tala Hawk and bring her home!’

Raven turned his head when he heard a noise. “Don’t worry boy” a voice said “it’s only me.”
He then looked down to see a small man standing with a ladder beside him, he set the ladder down and then climbed on it with a brush in his hand as he began to brush Raven. “I know your worried about her” he said as he brushed “She is alright. A little confused and hurt but she will be fine.”
Raven turned to him “She talks of him whenever she comes to see me, or ride me” he said “She is young, yet I see in her heart and her words that she cares for him, maybe even loves him. It worries me because…is he capable of love?”
Maritte looked to Raven, “I believe so, he was once a great man…do not worry for her, she will be safe with him.”
“I do not trust anyone with her” Raven replied “She was once hurt by a man…and I will not let it happen again.”
“You speak of John?” Maritte asked.
Raven nodded “He tried to hurt her.”
“That’s what brought you here.”
“Yes.”
Maritte paused for a second “What did he do?”
“Stop being nosey Maritte” they heard a voice say.
Raven turned to Kane “I wasn’t going to answer anyways.”
Kane walked up “He’s sometimes too nosey and asked too many questions.”
“I do not!” Maritte argued.
“What about the time you asked why the Master was so angry? He didn’t come back for two weeks, what do you call that?”
“Misunderstanding?”
Kane rolled her head before shaking it “Were you punished for your stupidity?”
“I’ll remember the next time you get stuck in the rain with Gr…The Master.” “You’re a real laugh.”
Raven looked between the two and shook his head…these creatures were crazy. “So have you seen Tala lately?” Kane asked.
“She came by earlier…she seemed sad” Maritte told him.
Raven hmphed “Crying over him” he sneered.
Kane turned to him “Jealous?” she asked.
Raven sneered “I know she loves me.”
“But you’re not the only one.”

Nick paced back and forth, her words replaying over in his head…what did she mean? Did she mean feelings? Or FEELINGS? He growled as he grabbed his head, this was so confusing…things used to be so much simpler…but then again everything was simple back then. Did she really mean it? Was she really falling for him? It had only been a week…but an amazing week. “Sire?” he turned to the painting beside him to see Phillip there.
“I haven’t seen you for awhile.”
“After out previous encounter I chose to stay behind the scenes and watch.”
“So you know about the fight?”
“The palace is buzzing about it…they’re both nervous and excited for the both of you.”
“Exited?”
“Why yes sire…she said she was falling for you…some are exited for you, some for the curse, some for themselves.”
“Curse? Oh! Yeah the curse! It…must’ve slipped my mind.”
Phillip smiled knowingly “If I may sire…an apology is in order?”
“I’ve already apologized…she won’t listen to me.”
“Well sire…perhaps if you offered…a small gift with the apology.”
Nick shook his head and sat down “Something tells me she’s not the kind of girl that would take it.”
“I’m not talking about jewels or coins…I was suggesting…well…what does she like? Does she enjoy history? This is a very old castle. Nature? The gardens are beautiful, and the countryside is breathtaking? Books? Our library is something worth seeing? Horses? Our stables…”
“Horses!” Nick exclaimed.
Phillip jumped, “Sorry” Nick apologized.
“That’s quite alright sir…did…did you just apologize to me?”
Nick didn’t hear him, he was forming a plan in his head. “There’s a small valley a few miles away, it would take only two or three hours to get there and to get back. It has that water fall and small lake beside it, the horses can graze while we stay there, I could pack a lunch and snacks for us…it would be perfect. Of course we would get back at night but the stars are something to be seen…”
“Sire?”
Nick turned to Phillip “Yes?” he asked.
“Well sire…I was just thinking…when will you take this trip? And…how will you convince her to…to go with you.”
Nick turned in thought, then a plan formed in his head “Phillip, call the gardeners…I’m going to need them for this.”

Tala had found the library and was reading one of her favorite books but couldn’t seem to concentrate.
Katarina glanced around the room with a satisfied grin. Holly, poinsettias, tinsel and other staple Christmas decorations definitely converted Caroline’s living room into a festive wonderland. And the tree…with the twinkling lights, glimmering ornaments and the immensely bright star at the tip, it was the most beautiful tree she’d ever seen.
Of course, she was admittedly biased!
Nick’s arms wrapped around her waist and she leaned back against him and sighed. “It’s perfect Nick.”
“I agree,” he murmured, “you know, Caroline’s in the kitchen…”
She giggled and turned to face him. Noting the mischievous sparkles in his lively blue eyes, she grinned. “What do you have in mind?”
“If you knew, you’d be smacking me right now.”
She shook her head. “Perv.”
He laughed and pulled her into a hug. “You don’t have to worry about me, Rina. I’m as harmless as a kitten.”
Immediately she stiffened and pulled away from his embrace. Kitten... "Is that you Kitty Kat?...I've been looking everywhere for you Kat."
She hated that word. The sudden memory of Kris and his hands invading her body assaulted her mind and she began to tremble.
“Rina? Are you okay?” He rested a hand on her shoulder, but she pulled away and whirled around.
“Don’t touch me!”
Nick’s surprise was soon replaced with hurt. “Did I do something wrong?”
Katarina took a deep breath and schooled her frightened emotions. “I’m sorry Nick. I just…was thinking about something else.”
“Did I push you? I didn’t mean to…”
“No, no.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a reassuring hug. “You didn’t do anything wrong. It was just me.”
“Are you sure?” he held her tightly. “I don’t want to scare you away.”
She drew back slightly and tenderly kissed one of the ragged scars near his left eye, trying to calm the uncertainty in his voice. “You could never do anything to scare me away Nick.”*
She slammed the book down when her mind drifted off again…she knew she shouldn’t have picked a book with his name in it. The book was about a man who was formally of a famous group, then was turned into a monster after a terrible accident and disappeared, after a year a girl found the place he’d been staying, and although bitter and angry with her help he began to feel human again. Ironic that it was almost the exact situation she was in the middle of. Yet it made her think…she was a very practical person, but…but what if the stories…the myths of these beauty’s and beast’s coming together were true? What if these stories about a woman bringing a man who’d lost hope in an inhuman disfigurement were fact, instead of fiction. It was a classic tale that everyone loved, hell it was even a TV series. She smiled remembering watching the series…nothing made her more angry when they killed the Beauty, when all the audience ever wanted was a ‘happily ever after’…she shook her head. Completely off the topic…well…not completely. She huffed, ‘I’m sitting in the middle of an enchanted castle, analyzing the stories of Beauty and the Beast…this is classic.’
“Hello dear” she looked up to see Denise in a painting before her.
“Oh…hi Denise…how are you?”
“I’m very well dear, and you.”
“Board…amazingly, I can’t seem to concentrate lately.”
Denise smiled knowingly “Thinking of something…or someone?”

Tala blushed and looked down at the book in her hands, running over the face of the man on it. “Yes…no…maybe…kind of…I don’t know…ugh…is falling in love always this…this…”
“Confusing? Well sorry to burst your bubble but…yes. Falling in love, or being in love can be very confusing because you really don’t know what to do with your feelings, or how to express them like you want to. But no one ever said it was going to be easy.”
Tala sighed, “Have…have you seen Nick? Is…is he okay after…after yesterday?”
Denise laughed “You really cleaned his clock…but yes. He will be okay. I’ve never heard anyone really talk to him like that before.”
Tala blushed “Well…I was angry. And he really shouldn’t treat people with such disrespect when he wants so much of it.”
Denise smiled “Yes…well, I came here to tell you that lunch has been prepared and is in your room…”
“Oh…well…I guess I’ll go eat…is…is Nick…”
“In your room?” Denise finished “Why dear…I don’t think I’ve ever heard you as toung tied as you have been.”
“It’s…it’s just…nerves…I mean…I…it’s…it’s…I’m going.”
She jumped up and walked as quickly as she could out of the library. Denise smiled “It’s love…”
Tala walked out of the library down the hall and towards her room, she slapped herself in the head. “Could I be a little more obvious, next time someone asks I’ll just say ‘yes…I would love to sex Nick up’…ugh.’”
She wondered down the halls when she heard music, she stopped, and listened closely. It was Edwin McCain’s ‘I’ll Be’. “No way am I going towards the music this time” she told herself “I think I’ve embarrassed myself enough.”
She then turned toward her bedroom, and noticed the music getting louder “It’s probably in the room beside mine.”
But as she came closer to her bedroom it got louder, she then got more nervous, yet still figured it was in the room beside hers. So she just walked into her room, and froze. There was roses everywhere, with the fire lighting the room, and the smell of sweet food on the air. Music was playing and she saw that near her room was a trolly of sweets and food. “Wow!” she said “Who did all this?”
“Nick was sorry…he doesn’t really know how to say it yet…but this is his way of showing it.”
She looked up to the painting to see Denise looking down at her. “Oh” she said walking over to the bed “Well…this is very sweet but…”
“But you’d rather hear the apology then see it.”
She froze when she heard his voice. She then turned to see Nick standing by the door. She then nodded “Call me old fashion but…” her voice trailed off.
Nick nodded, he then took a deep breath and approached her “Look. Tala…I’m not really used to people being here…I’ve been here for the past…well a few years and…well...”
“Nick”
He looked up at her, she smiled “A simple ‘I’m sorry’ will do.”
He nodded “I’m sorry.”
“Thank you…so am I.”
“You? Why would you be sorry?”
“I didn’t listen to you. I should’ve respected your wishes by not going into your room like you told me to. But I let my curiosity get the best of me. So I’m sorry too.”
He nodded with a slight smile that looked more like a smirk “Accepted.”
She smiled then looked around “So…may I have this dance?”
He looked surprised at her. “What? Do you expect me to dance to this beautiful music myself?”
An actual smile crept across his face as he took her hand and pulled her close.

*I'm an idiot...I completly forgot what this story is called! AHHHHHH what a bitch...well...I'll figure it out and tell all of you. I DO remember that the writer had a website called Words2Remember but I don't think it's up anymore...she also has another site http://www.dlsonline.net...

Chapter 8 *Not Yet Up

Devi