Chapter 16: The Vulnerable Side

Gwen was serious as she cleared it up for Tacker since there were some parts that caught him confused. Slavica even added something to finish it off for him.

"Planning it meticulously, the authorities or the high vampire councils will see that every evidence will be pointed at him and not to the person who will perform the deed. He might not be the one who made the command on killing his granddaughter but he already plotted on murdering his granddaughter's husband. The vampire councils will take that as a sign of betrayal and death was the only sentence for it unless that legitimate family will state their punishment for him." Slavica finished for Tacker's confusion. He even gulped and didn't ask any more after hearing what they'd told him.

"But how to make them see it?" Gwen wondered since they already managed to settle the case and the only left was how they will listen to that conclusion if the one who plotted was already dead.

"Don't worry about it, Gwen. We'll take it from here." Slavica just waved it off and didn't want Gwen to be involved further in the case that they were handling.

Slavica has her reason for not letting Gwen be involved deeply in their work. First, she still didn't hear from Gwen about what she'll be choosing which she was fine with waiting for it. Second, even if Gwen had already decided through her mind, she still needed to undergo training which she was still not done yet.

"Irina, make that report and Tacker checks the perimeter and Yui tries your best to track this assassin." Slavica commanded but there was something began to radiate around Gwen.

Gwen didn't like what she just heard from her. She wanted to know what they will do in the case but Slavica was preventing her which made her slam her hand on the table.

Everyone jolted but Gwen's glare was directly at Slavica. They didn't react to Gwen's slammed hands on the table but to what she was releasing. It was a very taunting energy that Gwen was sending directly toward Slavica. Nobody taught her to do that. As Slavica and Gwen were having already a staring contest, Slavica made a signal nod at Irina and the others to do what she assigned to them. They all excused themselves and went upstairs leaving the two of them in the basement. They were already alone and none of them dared to speak not until Slavica sighed in defeat.

"I have my reason why didn't want you to be involved further in this case that we're facing. You're still in the middle of deciding which one to take and even if you already did, you're still not in training. Not even in the process of physical or mental training." Slavica gave in and started informing Gwen what was preventing Slavica from getting her involved with their workloads.

"I'm only giving you some time to process and let you learn how things work with us." She added as she looked over Gwen's direction. She wanted to know what reaction she'll make so she'll be prepared on how to react to it.

"Fair enough. But care to tell me what you think I will choose in case you're in my position based on how you know me already?" Gwen nodded in understanding yet she wondered what Slavica would be thinking about what she'll choosing for this matter.

"Hmm, I am not sure but based on how you progress and how you are taking the new things happening around you, you'll be choosing on working with us. Yet, there's also a part that you'll be still doing what you usually had been doing before things happened." Slavica only answered what she thought Gwen will be choosing.

"I see…if you already could see that around me, don't stop involving me further because I'm already involved with you." Gwen firmly informed Slavica but blushed when she realized what she just said there.

"I mean, along with your team." She quickly added to correct what she was trying to say and Slavica sighed while smiling.

"It seems to me that you're the only one who can deal and argue with me better than Irina." Slavica smiled genuinely which made Gwen smile back.

"I hope it was in a positive way." Slavica chuckled slightly when she heard Gwen's hopeful comment.

"Indeed it does." She nodded but suddenly something began flashing that caught Slavica on humming.

Slavica suddenly stared at Gwen after they talked and went on humming a song. Gwen caught it and the melody that Slavica was humming was familiar to her hearing. She knew the lyrics of the song In Your Eyes by Dan Hill and it was playing in her mind while listening carefully to the serene humming of her mysterious-scarred savior.

And I think I finally know you

I can see beyond your smile

I think that I can show you

That what we have is still worthwhile

"Why all of a sudden I heard the melody of that song? I'm not a fan of old songs but when it comes from Vica, I'm lured to listen." Gwen wondered to herself while her eyes glued on Slavica's caring gazes through her soul and her hearing to her serene humming. She can't help but to find herself smiling out of the blue.

Don't you know that love is like a thread

That keeps unraveling in bed

It ties us back together in the end

Somewhere in Gwen's mind when she heard those lines, she could recall how Slavica and she talked. There were times words were heated that caused confusion and some misunderstanding or argument just like what happened earlier. It might not be intense but it could lead to that. Yet, there was something that they felt pulled back together and made them compromise to understand where the other was coming from.

"I might not understand fully what pull Vica had inside of me but I love watching her. I love those eyes only looking at me in those kinds of stares. It was full of love and affection…wait, what?" Gwen was caught up in her thoughts but suddenly snapped when she realized where it was leading. She was not sure how can she even tell the meaning of Slavica's stares at her.

In your eyes

I can see my dreams reflections

"Oh boy…my heart rate, my tears…oh, my God…my dreams started to have the meaning as soon as I met her. I'm not afraid of them anymore…and to add on it…I'm looking forward to being with her…damn this heart from falling for her." Gwen muttered to her thoughts as she was failing on holding back her tears away from her face.

In your eyes

I found the answers to my questions

"I still have questions running deeply inside my thoughts but whenever I looked at Gwen like this, everything seems to be answered…I love what I'm feeling toward her…wait, love?" Slavica thought to herself and wondered when she started falling in love with Gwen.

In your eyes

I can see the reason why our love's alive

"Love…" Gwen thought.

"She's my mate…" Slavica thought as she reached her hand to wipe those tears away from Gwen's face.

In your eyes

We're drifting safely back to shore

And I think I've finally learned to love you more

"Slavica…" Gwen tried to say something but her tears won't stop from falling.

"Don't cry, Gwen. Please, it hurts me when I see you cry like this… it's breaking me." Slavica pulled her closer and she sounded vulnerable that catching Gwen's attention.

"Why?" she wanted to know what made her feel vulnerable around her presence.

"I am not sure if I'm falling in love with you already but you beginning to be special to me. To my heart and life, so, please, don't cry. I'm here." Slavica was totally honest around Gwen and she could not hide anything from her any longer. Gwen had that effect on her which she didn't see it coming.

"I'm not crying because I'm hurting. I'm crying because I think I am falling for you as well. I am not sure what kind of pull you had in me but I can't ignore it anymore that you're special to me too." Gwen explained what made her cry since it was the first time in her entire existence that she'll ever feel something without forcing it. It was like God blessed her with something that she could only dream of having.

But then something began flashing to Slavica which made her flinch and stepped back from being close to Gwen. Gwen took notice of it as she wondered what happened but before she could even speak to ask, Slavica's mind has been shaken up. Slavica began to feel the tingling sadness from her creeping past to the surface.

"Not now. I don't need this. Past is past. I have to stay in the present." Slavica muttered to herself as she was trying to suppress or fight back the past that was crawling to the surface.

She knew that the past belonged to the past and not to the present. It was just a reminder to look back and not to stay to imprison oneself. She must stick to the present and keep going toward the unknown future. It was already a great plus now that she met and had Gwen around her. They might already confess what they were feeling already but both of them didn't want to jump without going beyond physical attraction. Both wanted to have an emotional connection before going to have intimate physical attachment.

"SLAVICA! COME BACK TO ME PLEASE!" Gwen shouted as she heavily punched Slavica's face to snap her from being lost in the flashing past to her sight.

Gwen's punch was totally powerful to the point of making Slavica stumbled like a bouncing ball from the silver table down to the ground before her back hits that wall. Slavica groaned in pain but her body can tolerate it and finally came back to her senses. She saw how frightened Gwen was while crying. Slavica didn't know what to do when she saw that reaction and it scares her for some reason.

"Oh Gwen, I'm sorry if that scares you…I'm just lost and…I…I don't know what to do when you're scared of me… it scares me, Gwen…" Slavica's voice began to quiver and Gwen looked at how shaken up she was already.

"…you scare me…" she added in her weak and defeated voice before she let herself be weak and defeated on the ground and in front of Gwen.

"Wha-what are you saying? Why are you scared of me?" Gwen wiped her tears away but she was totally taken back by what Slavica suddenly confessed to her. She was totally surprised and shocked as she didn't expect Slavica would break down in front of her again.

"I'm scared that you're frightened of me which made me feel that I'm gonna lose you anytime…I am scared that you're going to leave me for good…I am scared of hurting you…I am so scared that I don't know how deep my feelings are for you…I'm scared Gwen…so scared…" She was stuttering as she confessed to Gwen who really didn't have any idea how to react since it was the first time she saw her vulnerable side like that.

It wasn't about Gwen seeing the monster beneath her mask but she was scared of something else that made Gwen's heartache for it. She was fine with seeing the vulnerable side of someone she cared for and loved from time to time because it indicates that she was trusted with it. But at the moment, Gwen didn't like what Slavica showing her.

Out of the blue and according to Gwen's feeling at the moment, she went closer to Slavica to carefully removed the facemask that was covering the hideous part of her face. Slavica wanted to look away but Gwen didn't let her. Instead, she cupped Slavica's face with both of her hands and let herself look deeply into her eyes. Gwen really saw the broken knight lying deep inside of her.

"No matter what happens in between, a sincere talk will do for each other's way of thinking and it will meet halfway. Don't be scared as it scares me and doesn't cry as it saddens me as well. I am not sure why I can't find any right words to say but it was totally more than words to express what I am feeling for you. And these feelings were something that I couldn't compare to anyone as it really made me see the beauty beneath the hideous scar. I love how it made me feel too many emotions which only you can cause, Vica." Gwen confessed as she stared deeply and dearly into Slavica's sad and longing orbs.

"You may not be my ideal partner to be with but even in a very short period of time that we spend together, I know that I have to look at what lies beneath the physical appearance. Not to base on the hideous scar, a skeleton in their closet, or their gender since what matter the most is the heart and personality of the person who made me greatly happy, grateful, and blessed." Gwen added that made Slavica cry since nobody dare to tell her something beautiful that came from a sincere and kind heart that Gwen has. She's already been broken for years and Gwen was the only person who truly sees her aside from the man above the highest sky.

"Such a lovely point of view in life that I strive to be shined on yet, they won't let me once they saw how imperfect I could be." Slavica couldn't find the right word as her mind really run a million miles just to find the right one for Gwen. Yet, she knew that there was no right or wrong to what she was saying. It was just about how she should deliver it to Gwen.