"Not there Adam! Dummy!"
"How do I know?"
"Well it's your own fault for picking a dress this complicated."
"It did not look that complicated when I picked it."
"Of course it did. I asked for strapless. This has like a hundred straps. What were you thinking?"
"That it shows a lot of skin?"
"You are such a GUY!"
"Thank you."
"ADAM!"
"Stop stomping on my foot!"
"Just shut up and get out! I'll put the dress on myself."
"You can't put it on with three hands. How are you going to put it on with just one?"
"I hate you."
"Nah. You love me; you said so yourself."
"I will hurt you if you keep annoying meEEEK! Stop trying to grope me."
"That was nota grope."
"It was so. Is that the only reason you're trying to help me dress? Jeez Adam."
"..."
"ADAM!"
"Thatwas a grope. See, I told you I was not trying to grope you. Just trying to tie that damned strap. This dress has too many of them."
"I have been saying that right from the start, and you are absolutely crazy."
"And that makes a difference how?"
"Fair enough. I like you crazy."
"Just like?"
"..."
"How about now?"
"Maybe more than like. Now stop kissing me and help me get into this dress of your choice. If you wanted me to wear backless you could have said so. I had other things that would have been easier to wear. Really Adam! It has like a whole fishnet at the back, and we have to weave the whole thing back together because of the cast on my arm."
"Turn around."
"What do you mean turn around? There is no way you'll be able to tie it all up on your own."
"Just shut up and turn around."
"..."
"There. It's all done."
"I don't believe this. If you could do this, why were you...? I mean... you did all of that messing around on purpose didn't you?"
"Maybe or maybe, I just needed you to say fishnet to finally figure out how to make the straps work. You'll never know."
"Oh fine! As long as I can finally leave this hospital. I was supposed to be discharged in three days, and instead I spent an entire week here. I wanna be gone already!"
"I know, love. Let's be on our way then. Ash is probably killing himself laughing outside."
"Oh GOD! I totally forgot that he was outside in the horror of the dress. He is never going to let me live this one down."
...
Adam opened the door, and sure enough, Ash was grinning from ear from ear.
"That was absolutely hilarious. I am so glad I recorded it." Ash said with an evil smirk.
"You did not!" Ellis cried out, horrified.
"Did so!" Ash taunted.
"Did not!" Ellis had to retort.
"Did so!"
"Did not!"
"Did so and I can prove it." Ash pulled out his cell phone and started playing the recording of Adam and Ellis's conversation on it. Adam snatched the phone out of his hand and pocketed it.
"What the hell?" Ash snapped.
"Delete IT!" Ellis yelled at the same time.
"Are we leaving or do we want to stay at the hospital all day while you two act like twelve year olds?" Adam asked coldly.
"Leaving." Ellis said taking his hand in hers, and sticking her tongue out at Ash who rolled his eyes.
"Right." Adam led Ellis out of the hospital. Ash had finished all the formalities while he had been "helping" Ellis dress.
"So which hotel have you booked for me?" Ellis asked as she slipped into the back seat with Adam. Ash threw them both a disgruntled look before slipping into the driver seat. He was not completely happy with being the chauffeur.
"It's a surprise." Adam answered drolly.
"It's just a hotel room. Seriously?" Ellis retorted.
"Yep. Not telling. I'll even cover your eyes with my hand later so you cannot see where we are going." Adam said wrapping his arm around her shoulders and pulling her close until the entire side of their bodies touched.
"Won't it be easier to just blindfold me?" Ellis asked amused.
"You don't like blindfolds do you?" Adam asked quietly and Ellis looked at him surprised before she smiled and snuggled closer to him.
"Since you're here, I won't be scared." then she reached up and stroked his face. "I still can hardly believe that you're mine."
"It comes with an important clause, my dear." Adam said leaning closer.
"What's that?"
"You're mine." Adam answered before he kissed her forehead.
Ellis felt safe in his arms. Safe and happy, as if she had finally come home. He picked her up and pulled her onto his lap, being very careful of her broken arm in spite of the cast. Ellis wrapped her other arm around his neck.
"Don't bother covering my eyes. Just kiss me, and I'll keep them closed." Ellis murmured.
Adam gave a low chuckle. "I have so corrupted you."
"I would have been happy to have been corrupted some more, but somebody decided to say no." Ellis pouted.
Adam grinned, and slowly dropped kisses along her jaw. "We'll fix that mistake asap."
"We will?" Ellis squeaked.
Adam chuckled again. "Oh yes. We definitely will." But then he straightened and hugged her, resting his cheek against the top of her head.
"Don't worry so much, love. You always have Veto power. If you say no, it stays no." he said gently.
"I'm sorry Adam." Ellis whispered.
"Look at me, Ell." Adam slipped his fingers in her hair, stroking her scalp and making her look him in the eyes at the same time. "I love you as you are. I would not change a single hair on your head. You have absolutely nothing to apologize for."
"We're here." Ash called from the front. Ellis gave Adam a quick kiss on the cheek before she slipped out of the car. She knew she was running, but at the same time, what could she say to something like that?
"So which hotel is..." Ellis stopped mid-sentence, gaping at the beautiful Greek-revival manor in front of her.
"She likes it." Ash said with a chuckle at her stunned expression.
"I love it!" Ellis said when she could finally speak.
"Good. I'll let Adam show you around. Later." Ash shrugged back into the car and drove off. Ellis barely even glanced at him, her eyes were completely glued to the manor in front of her.
"Would you like to see it from the inside?" Adam asked with a chuckle.
"Yes please." Ellis murmured.
Adam could not help but smile as he wrapped an arm around her and they walked into the house together.
...
"I still can't believe you got me my perfect house." Ellis said from her perch on the stairs of the front porch. "All my stuff is here too."
Adam did not say anything from where he was leaning against the railing next to her. Ellis looked up at him and he shrugged.
"What do you do for people you love Ellis? You make them happy. That's all there is to it."
"It's not as easy as you make it sound."
"Nothing worth having comes easy."
Ellis was silent for a long moment after that. "You're right." She said softly, and stood up. She took his hand in hers and slowly led him inside the house. Adam followed her, saying nothing, just watching her with eyes growing hotter with each second that passed.
She led him through the house, led him upstairs, until they were in the master bedroom, a room that had two walls made entirely of glass. Ellis turned to him, and placed the hand she had been holding around her waist, while she wrapped her own arm around his neck. Then she kissed him.
"No big declarations tonight?" Adam teased when they finally stopped a long while later. They were both lying down on the bed next to each other now, and clothes were starting to come off.
"Actions speak louder than words right?" Ellis murmured.
"That they do." Adam grinned. "That they do."
...
"This better be important Ash." Adam growled into his phone.
"It's 1 in the afternoon. You honestly cannot still be in bed." Ash retorted.
"And why is that?" Adam snarled.
"Because she is not that well." Ash said icily. "She just got out of the hospital yesterday. So tell me you had some restraint."
Adam closed his eyes, praying for patience. There was no answer from God, but Ellis did snuggle closer to him in her sleep, making him smile.
"Right. She's fine, and sleeping. What's up?" Adam asked, his tone almost cheerful.
"Your plan is in motion. Stage One was completed this morning. The bastards who hurt Ellis won't be alive for much longer." Ash replied after a small pause.
"Good." Adam said and hung up.
"Adam?" Ellis murmured sleepily.
"It was just Ash, baby. Go back to sleep, I kept you up all night."
Ellis blushed bright red. "Like I'll be able to sleep after you make comments like that." she snapped, burying herself inside the covers.
Adam chuckled as he dug her out, and cupped her face in both hands.
"Want me to go away and make breakfast? Or lunch, considering what time it is? You can catch some more sleep that way." he asked, even as he slid one of his hands into her hair.
Ellis cocked her head to one side, seeming to consider it. "Food sounds good, but I like you where you are. So until I get out of bed, you're not allowed to leave either."
"Is that so?"
"Yep."
"If Petri were dead, he'd be turning in his grave." Adam said with a smirk.
Ellis shook her head, and just snuggled into his embrace. "He is really going to freak now." she murmured against his skin before dropping a kiss there and closing her eyes.
"Would you rather we not tell him?"
"Like hell. I am proud of you Adam White, and if he has a problem, then he has to learn to deal with it."
Adam looked at the woman in his arms and smiled before kissing her softly. "I love you."
...
"So describe this new home of yours to me. I am stuck here and cannot even come see it for myself." Petri said grouchily.
"All right Uncle. It is a Greek-revival manor. So it's all white, with the pillars and everything on the front porch. There is a sitting room in the front left with huge windows. The front right side has a two step sunken living room, with a huge TV set, and Adam already has his gaming station hooked into it. The living room furniture is a mixture of the stuff I liked from both his house and mine as well as some new stuff."
"So he is definitely moving in with you?" Petri asked, sounding none too happy about it.
"Technically he bought the house, even if the deed is in my name. So I am moving in with him." Ellis answered. "Do you want to hear about the rest of the house or not Uncle?"
"I do. Please continue." Petri answered, immediately contrite.
"So also on the ground floor is a huge kitchen, and two offices, one for each of us, separated by a floor to ceiling aquarium that currently only has water. We'll get the fishes for it together. Maybe. Eventually. I don't really mind it having just water. Anyways, the best thing though is that at the back is a double heighted indoor garden and the entire back wall is made of glass to accommodate it. It's kind of like a solarium but some damn good architecture has it inbuilt into the manor rather than as an extension. It's stunning. The orchids in it, and some of the other plants, make it absolutely amazing. It even has a small waterfall in the corner."
"All right, I admit that even I am impressed." Petri said grudgingly.
Ellis laughed. "Yeah. Upstairs has three guest rooms, a small library, and our room."
"What do you mean ourroom?"
"Uncle please!"
"Ellis please!"
"He is my boyfriend, and I am living with him. What did you expect?"
"Yes but..." Petri sputtered.
"Ourroom happens to be a sort of corner room and two of the walls happen to be made of glass. It's really cool. Apparently, even though I can see out of the walls clear as day, no one can see anything inside. I love technology. Oh and the same is true for the glass walls in the garden. The sort of part means that one of the glass walls in our room actually looks inside into the garden like a huge window. Its right above the waterfall. It's seriously awesome." Ellis said cheerfully.
"Right. Are you really sure about this?" Petri asked.
"Are you kidding me? Have you heard of a better house?" Ellis retorted, deliberately misunderstanding.
"Ellis that is not what I am talking about."
Ellis sighed. "I already slept with Adam and it was amazing, and please don't worry so much. I already have to deal with his worrying. He does too much of it. Between the two of you, I actually feel like the reckless one."
"Did you just say what I think you said?" Petri asked in a choked voice.
"Don't ask questions you don't want answers to Uncle. You taught me that, or rather, you taught my Mother that. Since you gave her every answer she NEVER wanted about your sex life, I will be returning the favour." Ellis said happily.
"Dear God, I raised a demon." Petri said, but Ellis could tell he was amused more than horrified. She knew him better than anyone since he had been the one who had raised her since she was twelve years old.
"Anyways, I'm hungry so I gotta go now. Love you Uncle!" Ellis called before hanging up.
Petri stared at the phone in amazement. In the last five years she had never once sounded so happy when she had spoken to him. Not once. He had thought that his niece had forever retreated into a shell of her own making. But now she was starting to emerge, stronger than before. Silently he pushed his feelings for Adam aside. He might be a mercenary, but he loved Ellis, and he would keep her safe, and most importantly, he made her happy again. He was good enough.