Knight

Axel's typical faint smile reappears as he takes the bookmark. He gives a little nod - Jess was so thoughtful. "Thank you." One day she would need a bookmark too. He didn't know when or how, but someday, he would be able to share more of his life with her than he had already. And when he did, he knew God would work through him. Jess had been broken in more ways than one. Axel was helping her heal. But only God could fully restore her.

Slipping the bookmark into his shirt pocket, he then opens up Jess' palm. He lets the dogtags fall into her hand, then curls her fingers over them. "Keep this for me," he says quietly.

Slowly leaning in, Axel gives Jess' lips a tender but lingering kiss. Then drawing back, he lets his eyes stare into her own for a moment. He didn't mind the silence. He rather liked it, when words really couldn't do justice.

But like all moments, it had to end. Axel straightens and reaches into his jeans pocket to pull out his keys, and hands them to Jess. "I don't want to drive with just one hand," he admits. His right hand didn't hurt at the moment, after she'd worked on it, but it was completely numb. "Guess I'll have to wait for another evening to be the knight in shining armor."


Ryder's eyes fly open as he hears the front door. Sitting up on the couch, he squints in the dark. Hearing Henry's meow, he knows that it's just Laura, and he flops back down again.

Laura grins, just seeing Ryder's head disappear again. Wandering up behind the couch, she looks down at him, grinning. "Sorry I woke you up."

"No worries. You saved me from the fate of a big ol' croc anyway."

"Dreaming?"

"Mm-hmm." Ryder's eyes are closed again, but as he hears Laura move away, he opens them once more. "Laura?"

She returns. "Yeah?"

"How's things?"

She smiles, knowing good and well what he meant. "They're good. Real good."

"Gonna marry the poor guy?"

She laughs and shakes her head. "No... not yet."

"Sounds like there's some chance left though."

"I think so." Laura reaches down to shove Ryder's head further into his pillow. "If it were anyone else I was having this conversation with, I would have put them in their place by now."

Ryder grins, looking up at her. "Yeah, but no matter how much I pry into your personal affairs, you just can't bear to hurt this innocent face."

"Oh please." Laura scoffs teasingly and turns back around again. "When you get up in the morning be careful - your head might not fit through the doorway anymore."