Warnings : Angst, Twisted ppl with twisted ideas (no I am not talking about me! *glare*), Harsh language and the first chapter is lemonish while the last chapter is Lemon *goes red* Ah almost forgot there's probably some OOC in there too *nods*
I'll let you get on with the fic but first I just have to say that I'm swedish which means that english is not my first language so please have that in mind when you weep from the bad spelling and the grama-errors…
TELL ME TO STOP
Chapter 3 - Follow Your Heart
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Night after night I hear myself say
Why can't this feeling just fade away
There's no one like you, you speak to my heart
It's such a shame we're worlds apart
I'm too shy to ask, I'm too proud to lose
But sooner or later I've gotta choose
And once again I'm thinkin' about
Taking the easy way out
But if I let you go
I will never know
What my life would be
Holding you close to me
-Westlife, If I Let You Go-
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Zelgadis sat up in the darkness and rubbed his forehead. That was by far the strangest dream he had ever had in his intire life. But for some reason he couldn't shake the feeling that perhaps it was more than just a weird dream. Some of the things that two-faced woman had said made sense. There were people who considered him their friend no matter how freaky he looked. Since that day two weeks ago when Amelia had left him he had been almost sick with loneliness. And if he was completely honest with himself he didn't just long for company but for the company of Amelia. Her smile, the sound of her voice, her scent, the way her skin and lips felt. Zel frowned and shook his head.
"Oh stop that!" he growled into the darkness. When she told him she was leaving he should have objected harder. Not because he knew she didn't want to leave but because he had wanted her to stay, needed her to stay. He had made a mess of his life and the question was; did he still have time to make it right? Could he be honest and brave enough to find out just how deeply Amelia did care for him? Was there reason enough for him to allow him to admitt that he did love her? Zel shivered at the torment these questions shot through his body. He didn't know the answers and still he couldn't walk away from them. But did Amelia love and want him? Could she see pass his apperence? Now you're being unfair again, the voice in his head commented. Amelia has never shown you any reason to doubt her or her friendship.
"No she hasn't but there is a diffrence between accepting a friend and living your life with a freak like me," he objected out loud. You know there's only one way to find out, the voice whispered.
Amelia kept on walking the road in front of her but her thoughts wandered on their own. Her head was filled with thoughts and questions concerning Zelgadis. All her life had been dedicated to justice, but just where was the justice in what she had done? It had been so obvious that something was wrong with Zel and still she had walked out on him. She had told him the reason for her leaving him was the fact that he was uneasy around her. That was true but it wasn't the only one. Besides the reason she had given him laid another. Just as much to help him she had parted with him to help herself and the ache in her heart. Every second Amelia spent with the chimera hurt her. And most of all his complete lack of recognition for her friendship and caring hurt.
"Is it so difficult for Zelgadis-san to understand that touching me won't break me or hurt me?" she asked out loud, "And just why do I have such strong needs of being around a man who just brushes me off and ignores me all the time?" Her subconsciousness chuckled at her questions before answering with its familier dry voice. Because you love him… it mumbled, and because he loves you.
"He loves me? Well that's a laugh," Amelia sighed. Now, now don't judge him so quickly, the voice objected. You know how he is. He simply can't see it that's all.
"He can't see it because it isn't there," the Princess frowned. "To him I'm just a clingy, troublemaking justice-freak." Those words hurt her so much and still she knew they were true. Zelgadis did think that about her. The voice in her head kept silence and that made her feel even worse. Amelia felt like a horse between two piles of hay. On one hand she wanted the pain inside her to stop, on the other hand she wanted to help the chimera. But could she help him? Did she know how to? The Princess frowned and drew her mind away from the questions. Something was wrong here… Her reaction came too late and she was struck to the ground.
Zelgadis walked faster and shook his head. He had had another dream but this time the two-faces woman had been diffrent. The cold ugly side had glared at him while the beautiful side had started to fade away. Something had happened to Amelia he knew it. He should have gone after her straight away! Dammit he should never have let her go at all!
"Amelia, Amelia," he chanted and walked faster. The town he entered was to say the least scabby. He'd been here before and every time he couldn't leave fast enough. This town was famous, no notorious was a better word for it, for its freak-shows and complete lack of humanity when it came to amusing twisted people. Zel pulled his hood further down over his face and his mask further up and walked as fast as he could. A smothered scream made him look up and he found himself standing just outside an area with cages. With a shudder the chimera started walking again. This was the famous freak-show and it made his skin crawl in disgust. How anyone found it amusing to stare at these poor creatures was beyond his understanding.
"Come, come see the mute naked lady!" a hoarse voice screamed. "And be sure not to miss the two headed monster from the forest!" Zelgadis glared to his right. The man who tried to convince the people passing by to come to his show was dirty, fat and just plain repulsive. The chimera passed him by and threw another glance at one of the cages. In it sat a badly beaten, dirty and naked young woman. Her black hair was hoplessly entangled with blood, grass and twigs. He pulled his eyes away from her miserable being and walked on for a few steps before he stopped again. Slowly he turned his head and looked at her again. For a second he met her sad blue eyes. No, no, no, he moaned inside. It couldn't be… Carefully he walked closer. As soon as he came close to the cage she yelped in fear and threw herself against the bars behind her. Zelgadis pulled down the mask covering he face and pushed back the hood. The fear in her face and the fever glistening in her eyes brought tears to his eyes. No matter how hard he tried to deny it this creature, this girl was Amelia. Her body was striped with bruises and wounds just as her face but it was obvious who she was.
"Amelia," he whispered and reached out his hand towards her.
"I see you like my newest addition," a voice said behind him. "You just have to love her tits." Shaking with anger the chimera turned around and faced the man who earlier had been screaming out the attractions in his show.
"Listen to me you bastard," Zel snarled at him. "I give you two seconds to let her go or I'll rearange your face so badly you'll fit nicely in one of your own cages!" The man just laughed at him.
"She's mine! I bought her," he snorted. "If you want her I might consider selling her to you." So fast that the disgusting man couldn't see it Zelgadis sent him flying through the air. His rage wouldn't allow him to stop as the chimera jumped the man and hit him over and over again. Finally the screams from the crowd that had gathered around them brought Zel back to the real world. As fast as he could he lifted himself up and over the crowd. He had barely landed before his hands broke the cage holding Amelia captive and lifted the limp Princess out of it. With a warning look towards the men that were closing in on him Zelgadis took the young woman in his arm and flew out of there.
It had been hours and still no sign of life from Amelia. Zel closed his eyes and moaned. Had he been too late? He didn't know how many times he had changed the wet cloth on her forehead but he did it again. Most of her wounds had been healed but still she didn't open her eyes. It was like she was dead, but he could see her chest moving and hear her shallow breathing. Everything was so clear to him now. He loved her, there was no getting around it anymore. But it wasn't that simple. If he believed what his dreams had been telling him Amelia was his ticket to a normal, better life. It was she and nobody else who would save him from perishing in gloom and loneliness. But how much was he willing to put her through to get what he wanted and needed? It wasn't just that he wanted a normal life, he wanted her in that normal life. He wasn't just being selfish at least not as selfish as it might look. In his confused, unused and unsecure heart laid a love for this Princess that he didn't understand and didn't fully dare to believe in. Again Zel looked at the young woman lying on the ground. There was another problem that made the chimera shiver in fear and sadness. What if Amelia didn't wake up again? Sure he had gone after her to save her, but had he been too late? Had his stupidity cost too much? She had recived several hard blows to the head and Zel estimated that it had happened about a week ago. From what the repulsiv man had said the chimera could only guess that Amelia had lost her ability to speak but he had no idea what had happened to her.
Shakingly she lifted her head and looked around. Her hands were chained to the wall infront of her. Cuffs made out of steel bound her to the chains and only allowed her to move an inch or two. She was trapped she understood that much and now something was poking her in the back. Trembling from fear and confusion she turned around when the piece of cloth that had been covering her eyes was removed. Behind her a huge man stood with a grim look on his ugly face. It was he who was poking her with a stick.
"Ah come on my beauty you can't lay around all day long. I can't sell you if you don't show yourself!" he snarled. "Up and show your body!" It wasn't until then she realised that she was completely naked. With a yelp the young woman tried to cover as much of her body that she could with her hands, but the chains kept her from succeeding. The over-sized man laughed at her. What had happened to her? The only thing she could remember was that she had been hit over the head with something very hard. She had passed out and when she woke up she had been blindfolded and tied up. Voices she couldn't make out had surrounded her and then someone had grabbed her and carried her away. A sudden flash of pain made her scream in agony.
"I told you get up you little bitch!" Again the man hit her with the stick. Whimpering in fright and pain she tried to curl up to protect herself from the beating. But the man seemed to enjoy himself as he again and again brought down the wooden stick on her body. If anything her whimpers seemed to drive him to beat her more. A primitive part of her brain dragged her into the calm darkness of unconsciousness.
"Come on now that is a very good price and you know it!" She slowly opened her eyes as the harsh voice penetreted her foggy brain.
"I dunno…" A second voice entered her mind. "I have to see her better to pay that much money. I don't want no skinny little freak!" A rough pull in the chains caused her to whimper with pain.
"Get up you useless slut!" The huge man that had beaten her before came into view. Beside her stood a smaller man that was so repulsive and filthy it made her skin crawl. His eyes traveled over her naked body.
"Nice tits," he grinned and reached out a hand to touch her.
"Hey! No touching unless you buy her!" This couldn't be happened, a voice in her mind moaned. Who were these men? Why was she there? And just who was she? Her body ached after the beating and her head pounded with pain.
"Hm well okay I will buy her then," sighed the disgusting man. She wanted to scream NO to him but it seemed like she had forgotten how to speak. The word just refused to come out no matter how hard she tried.
"Good, good, good. You won't regret it." Money changed hands and the chains around her hands were removed. Huge hands placed a collar around her neck and handed the chain attached to it to the man who just had bought her.
"Always a pleasure doing business with you Jaxin," the filthy man smirked. He turned around to leave and pulled her with him.
Chapter4