[FIC] - Not Invincible - F - (2 Parts)

[Guest Eventide]

This is another one of my little fics that deal with my own little universe. I elaborated about this universe here: http://www.sneezefetishforum.org/forums/in...showtopic=15270. As I've said before, I write for plots, not for sneezing. It has some obviously, but not a ton.

This particular story is sort of a take on my other story 'Together' with a reversal of roles. Beth is sick, but she's not supposed to be able to get sick. Yes, the dilemma for my poor characters. It takes place a little later than 'Together' did.

Jamie is no longer pining after Beth. He's got a girlfriend now, in the form of Brooke, Beth's best female friend since Josephine moved away. In my explanation that I linked to above I neglected to mention Brooke. Brooke's involvement is a little different because she don't know all about Beth like the others do.

There are a couple little things to know that are talked about in this story. Whenever someone mentions Beth's father or the King, they're talking about the powerful, omniscient ruler of Beth's world. Also, Senka is Beth's real name and Enlil is what Ben (the story behind this whole Enlil thing is complicated) is called on her world.

Okay, the last thing is that I've decided to break this story into two parts. My stories are so long that this will make it easier for people to read that don't have as much time. Feedback on writing style and all that good stuff is very much appreciated! I want to improve my writing.

Not Invincible

Ben found Beth in the library, flipping through a book about demons. “Here you are,” he smiled as he put his arms around her neck.

“Here I am,” Beth agreed.

Her lack of enthusiasm was not lost on Ben. He looked around at her. “Are you all right?”

Smiling now, Beth nodded. “Yeah, fine. Why?”

“You haven’t seemed quite yourself today.”

“I think I’m having trouble adapting to the idea of not being able to go and fight Wesley,” Beth sighed. This was true but Ben’s comment about her seeming off was also true. She’d felt unusually tired and a little strange, something she couldn’t describe.

Ben kissed her cheek. “It’s rough, I know. You’re used to being free, able to get out your restless energy.”

“I’ll adjust,” shrugged Beth but she doubted it. She hated being cooped up!

Rico laughed triumphantly as he laid out his cards. “A full house!”

Ben sighed. “Rico, you’ve almost done it again.”

“What do you mean ‘almost’?” Rico asked slowly.

“Straight flush,” clarified Ben as he put down his cards.

Rico swore as Jamie, Swane, Samuel and Ben laughed. “He got you again,” grinned Jamie.

Rico groaned, “Why me?”

Beth, Brooke and Eve sat together off to the side, watching their men play poker. “Second place is fine, honey,” called Eve supportively.

“No it’s not,” whined Rico. “I’ve never beat this man!” He pointed at Ben, glaring. “Someday I will beat him so badly he won’t know what hit him.”

“Ben’s been playing forever.” Beth sniffed and smiled at the table. “Don’t lose heart, Rico, in fifteen years you’ll be just as good.”

Ben raised his eyebrows at her. “Who’s side are you on anyway?”

Beth just smiled.

“I don’t get poker,” Brooke admitted

“Me either,” Beth shrugged.

“I get it but don’t like playing. I prefer to watch,” Eve winked at the other girls. “Guys are funny when they lose.”

Beth suddenly felt a strange sensation in her nose. It was sort of a tickle. She rubbed at her nose but that didn’t help. Quickly she brought her hands to her face instinctively and sneezed. “Ah-choo!”

“Bless you,” Brooke said automatically.

“Thank you,” Beth sniffed. She felt slightly confused. She didn’t remember sneezing before. No one else seemed to think anything of it. The guys were playing poker, Brooke didn’t know about her oddities, and Eve didn’t notice. Beth decided that it couldn’t be that big of a deal.

“I’m just not a sports gal,” sighed Brooke. “Poker’s boring, I hate football, baseball and basketball. I think I’m just more into books and stuff.”

This is why Brooke was so good for Jamie. She was more cerebral, something that Jamie could identify with. Beth was just too active for him. She was glad that Brooke had finally won Jamie over. They were perfect for each other.

“Since I’ve majored in physical education and defense, I like active sports. I tend to be more of a physical person.”

Eve shrugged. “I can be active and I can be cerebral. I think I tend to be more like Brooke though.”

Beth was sitting on the arm of an overstuffed chair. Ben came over and sat in it. “I’m calling it quits tonight. Got to give Rico a chance,” he grinned.

“So kind of you,” Beth rolled her eyes.

“Isn’t it?”

The strange feeling was back in Beth’s nose, a little different this time. It was irritating, something Beth didn’t appreciate. She sniffed and crinkled her nose in hopes of getting rid of the itch. Again she brought her hands to her face. “Achoo! Achoo!” She lost balance and toppled into Ben’s lap.

“Are you okay, sweetheart?” Ben asked, surprised both by her sneezing and her loss of balance.

“I think so...” Beth sniffled and moved to sit up.

“Sure?” Ben pressed, keeping her down. He pushed her hair off her face.

Beth nodded. “Yes.”

Ben kissed her and then let her sit up. He turned his attention back to the poker game. “How goes it?”

“Yes!” laughed Jamie as he won that round.

“No!’ cried Rico, banging his head on the table.

Everyone laughed. “Next time,” grinned Swane.

“Come to bed, Beth,” urged Ben. “You look tired.”

Beth felt tired but she wanted to finish reading up on the most powerful demons that lived on Earth. Most of them didn’t exist in Montana. She sniffed and shook her head. “Just five more minutes,” she pleaded.

Ben leaned against the library door, his arms crossed. “Five more,” he agreed. “But that’s it.”

“Yeah, okay,” Beth said absently. She flipped through the book, her frustration increasing. She knew she shouldn’t be upset that she couldn’t fight Wesley, but she was bored. And to top that off, she still felt odd. Her throat felt a little scratchy, her nose was a little runny, her chest felt sort of tight, every now and then she’d get a painful pulsing in her temples... It wasn’t anything she’d experience before and it confused her.

For a few minutes, Ben waited. He wasn’t sure why but he felt a little anxious. There was something about Beth that wasn’t quite right but he couldn’t really place what it was. As he watched her, he noted her frustration, yet another thing he couldn’t figure out. She threw the book on the table in front of her and glowered at it. “Something wrong, kid?”

“Not even a little punch! I’m stuck in Tucker House, only allowed to kill normal demons!” she fumed. “It’s driving me crazy!”

“I’m sorry, sweetheart.” Ben could see that she was a bundle of nerves, restless. She was used to being able to stretch, to get out her pent up energy on what irritated her, but Samuel and her father wouldn’t let her fight Wesley.

Sighing, Beth leaned against the couch. “I’m sorry for complaining! I know that nobody else likes it either...”

“It’s all right to complain. Out of all of us, this is the hardest for you.” Ben held out his hand. “Come on, it’s late.”

Beth got up and took Ben’s hand. He led her to their bedroom where he started to get ready for bed. She stood against the dresser, lost in thought. Samuel said Wesley wouldn’t find them in Swane’s house. Why did they have to hide? It had been explained to her—the need to plan before attack—but Beth didn’t like waiting.

She wanted action...at least, her mind wanted action. At the moment her body just wanted to climb into bed and go to sleep. She hadn’t really felt like this before. She sniffed and her mind returned to reality. The irritating sensation was in the back of her nose again. She rubbed her nose with her wrist. Not feeling like sneezing again, she used her willpower to keep it at bay. She got into her pajamas and pulled her hair back into a braid. The itch was finally gone.

Climbing into bed, she smiled at Ben. “You’re incredible.”

“Why do you say that?” Ben asked. “I mean,” his lips twitched into a smile, “I know I am, I’m just curious to why you say that now.”

“Because you put up with me.”

Ben kissed her and pushed her down. “It’s because I love you,” he explained softly.

He was about to kiss her again when she yawned. “Sorry,” she said guilty.

“We’ll revisit this tomorrow,” Ben promised.

The tickle returned with a vengeance and Beth clapped a hand to her nose and mouth. “Ah-choo!”

“Bless you,” responded Ben, a slight crease in his forehead. “That’s not the first time you’ve done it tonight. I didn’t think you sneezed...”

“Neither did I,” Beth sniffed. She shrugged. “Maybe it’s dust.”

“Maybe...” Ben was skeptical. If it wasn’t dust, then what was it? He decided there was no point in saying anything else at the moment so he turned off his bedside light. “Good night, kiddo.” He kissed her once more before laying down next to her.

Beth was asleep almost immediately but Ben laid awake, watching her as she slept. It wasn’t only her unexpected symptoms that were troubling him, it was the entire predicament with Wesley. So often, even with all the fire within her, Beth struck him as extraordinarily vulnerable and he was afraid that Wesley would do something terrible to her...

A headache greeted Beth when she woke up. She coughed once and opened her eyes. Ben was leaning over her, a smile on his face. “Good morning, sunshine.”

Beth did not feel like it was a good morning or like a sunshine, but she bit her tongue, knowing she didn’t need to be sarcastic. “Good morning,” she replied, smiling back at him.

“Breakfast is ready.”

“All ready?” Beth glanced at the clock. It was 8:15. She shot up in bed and her head swam momentarily. “I have half an hour before my first class! I can’t believe I slept in!”

“Relax,” smiled Ben. “I’ll get you there in time.”

Quickly Beth got dressed and hurried downstairs. “I have exactly three minutes to eat,” she announced to the kitchen. Rico handed her two pieces of buttered toast and she inhaled. ‘Thanks!”

Then she ran to the study for her book bag. She coughed and sniffed. There was that sneezy feeling again. She growled to herself as she headed back to the kitchen.

“Ready?” Ben asked.

“Yeah, I think—” She was cut off by a sneeze. “Achoo!”

Swane didn’t even glance from the paper as he said, “Bless you.”

“Thanks,” Beth sniffed and rubbed her nose. She turned to Ben. “I’m ready. Let’s go. We have exactly twelve minutes to get there.”

Samuel looked at Ben, both sharing the same slightly concerned look. Then Ben turned and followed Beth out of the kitchen.

It had not been a good day for Beth. She’s been tired, her headache kept coming and going, she’d been coughing some, and sneezing. It was dark by six in the evening after Beth’s last class, and since it was one of Ben’s nights off, she started hunting early. It had been harder to hunt than usual because of the ache in her limbs and lack of her usual balance.

And of course, two hours later she’d gotten an urgent phone call giving her more news that was frustrating. Wesley had sent another threat and the majority had decided they needed to go to a neutral place to lay low for a few days while figuring out what to do next. Beth had protested loudly to Jamie who had made the call, but he said that it was final. She was supposed to go to the hotel in Drakeston which was a couple of miles from where Beth was.

As soon as she started walking, it began to rain. It was the soaking, cold, nasty rain that plagued the area when it wasn’t snowing during the month of January. She was frozen to her bones by the time she reached the hotel. The lady at the desk had thankfully given her no trouble when she’d said who she was with.

Knocking on the door, Beth coughed. Swane opened the door, relieved. “You’re here.” He let her in and locked the door behind her.

In the living room, Ben stood up when he saw her. “Sweetheart, you found the hotel!”

Beth was trying not to shiver. She was so cold that her hands and feet felt numb. She coughed once and hugged herself. “Who all’s here?”

“Brooke and Eve have the really little room down the hall. The rest of us get this suit. There were only two rooms left when we got here,” explained Swane.

“Okay,” Beth sniffed.

“It’s raining pretty hard, I see,” Jamie commented, taking in her appearance. He didn’t think she looked herself. She was pale, tired and cold-looking.

“Where’s your coat?” Ben asked, realizing she didn’t have.

Beth shrugged. “I forgot it this morning.”

“Kid...” Ben sighed. “What am I going to do with you?”

Samuel entered with Brooke and Eve. They all looked relieved to see her. “Oh, Beth, you’re here,” breathed Eve.

“That seems to be the general consensus,” Beth said, feeling the need to be droll to distract her from her current condition.

Rico came from the bedroom and smiled. “Hey, Beth. A little wet out there?”

“Just a tad.” Beth wiped the water out of her eyes. She rubbed her nose with the back of her hand.

Samuel was watching her closely. He caught the slight shiver that escaped from her. His eyes locked with Ben’s and the younger man gave a slight nod. “Beth, you should get out of those wet things,” Samuel said as he walked over to her.

“I don’t have anything to change into.”

“I brought your pajamas,” Ben told her.

Beth glanced around the room. “I can’t wear those, Hayden.”

“Sure you can. You’ll be decent.”

Sighing, Beth agreed. She was told that the suitcases were in the bedroom and she shut the door. Her hands were now shaking so that she could barely button up her pajamas and comb and pull her hair back into a ponytail. She forced herself to stop shaking as she emerged self-consciously in pajamas with little chicks all over them. They had been a gift from Chloe, Ben’s secretary.

Rico whistled when he saw her. She flushed but ignored him. Eve told him off for embarrassing her.

“Ah-choo!” Beth had barely had enough warning to sneeze into the crook of her arm. “Achoo!”

Eve blessed her and Ben caught her hand. He went over to a corner. The others, all except Samuel, were arguing over what TV channel to turn to. “Are you all right?” Ben asked quietly.

“Yeah,” Beth nodded. She hated herself for lying to Ben, but she didn’t know what was wrong with her and it was just not a good time to have anything be wrong.

Ben decided to wait and talk to a few of the others before pressing Beth. He knew she wasn’t really all right, but didn’t scold her for not telling the truth because he wasn’t sure how much she knew about what ailed her.

To be continued...

[Lalena]

I like this story! I can't wait to see what happens next!

[Ram]

Great story. I really like your way of writing it. I can´t wait for the next parts.

[And Beat Him When He Sneezes]

Yes, it is a good story. Thanks for sharing and keep it coming.

[Guest Eventide]

Here's the second half to the story. I hope you enjoy!

Brooke looked at Beth, concerned. The younger girl was trying to read, but she kept coughing. She caught Ben’s eye and nodded towards the door. He got up from his place in a chair, leaving the basketball game, and followed her. Samuel tagged along. Brooke stepped into the hall and asked, “Is Beth all right?”

Ben sighed and ran his fingers over his hair. “I don’t know...”

“She looks sick to me,” Brooke said anxiously.

“I think so too, but I don’t know if that’s possible...” Ben trailed off, not knowing what to do. Brooke was the only ones who didn’t know the whole story. She knew that there was a bad person named Wesley and that they had to fight him but the didn’t know about demons or Beth. To her knowledge, Beth was a normal person who got sick every now and then. How did he explain the fact that Beth had never had strep throat or even a cold.

“Why not?” Brooke raised her eyebrows.

Samuel stepped in. “Beth has an extraordinary immune system. She’s never been sick before.”

“Wow!” Brooke looked impressed. “I wish it was that way for the rest of us. Since she’s never been sick before, you’re not sure if she’s sick now?” she asked Ben, not sure if she understood. Beth seemed sick to her. “I think we need to find out.”

“I’m inclined to agree with Miss Cannady,” sighed Samuel.

Brooke walked into the room again and went straight to Beth. Ben and Samuel followed. Beth was hunched in a ball on the couch, a text book open. She was obviously cold and tired, and she looked pale. “Are you okay?” Brooke asked gently as she sat down next to Beth.

Beth looked up, startled. She sniffed and nodded. “Um, yes...” She knew people were going to start asking her this question more frequently but she didn’t quite know to respond.

The motherly Brooke felt Beth’s forehead with the back of her hand and pulled away quickly. She turned to Ben who was standing a little ways off with Samuel. “She’s pretty hot!”

Ben came over and touched Beth’s face with his knuckles. He put his other hand on her cheek. “You’ve got a fever, kiddo,” he stated.

“I’m all right,” Beth said hastily before coughing.

Samuel entered the little circle. “How do you feel?”

“Really, I’ll be okay,” said Beth shortly. She didn’t want for people to hover over her.

Sitting on the couch, Ben moved Beth close. He smoothed her wet hair and kissed her hot cheek. “Sweetheart, if you’re sick, we need to know. It’s important. You may not get sick often but you’re not invincible.”

Beth just wanted to curl up in her husband’s warm arms and sleep. A shiver passed through her. Ben tightened his hold on her.

“It’s really all right, Beth,” Brooke said kindly.

Samuel sighed as Beth coughed hard. “I’ll talk to your father and see if he knows anything.” He looked at her seriously before giving her a reassuring touch on the cheek. Then he left for the bedroom.

The other group was so into their basketball game that they didn’t notice what was going on at the other side of the room. Beth had started shaking, no longer able to control it. She leaned her head on Ben’s shoulder and allowed him to cradle her to himself. “I d-don’t know w-w-what’s wrong with m-me,” she said tiredly.

“Everybody gets sick,” smiled Brooke.

“Not m-me.”

Ben kissed the top of her head. “Even you, tiger.”

“Mmm-mmm,” Beth shook her head and was greeted by dizziness.

“Mmm-hmm,” countered Ben with a nod of his own head.

"I d-d-don’t know,” Beth groaned.

“Do you want anything?” Brooke asked.

Ben answered for Beth. “Would you get her some tea?”

“I don’t d-drink t-tea.”

“The tea,” repeated Ben, winking at Brooke.

Brooke smiled and went to the kitchen.

“NO!!” yelled Jamie and flopped off his stool.

“That was an awful shot,” moaned Swane. “This game is not going well...”

“It’s going fine for us,” grinned Rico, his arm around Eve.

Jamie glared at them. “You’re traitors!”

Eve laughed. “It depends on your point of view.”

Brooke returned to Ben and Beth with a cup of tea. “Thank you,” smiled Ben. He held it out to Beth who took it grudgingly.

“Th-thank you,” she managed a smile for Brooke. Her friend was being so nice that she had to be grateful and drink the tea. She hated tea! She took a sip and made a face.

Both Brooke and Ben laughed. “It’s good for you,” urged Brooke.

“Blech!” Beth grimaced as she swallowed some more.

“What’s ‘blech?’” Swane asked, turning around.

“They’re m-making me d-d-drink tea,” complained Beth. “It’s i-icky!”

“A better sport,” advertised Ben. “Watching Beth drink every last drop of that tea.”

Jamie turned around as well. “I’ll watch this. It beats another horrendous foul!”

Beth sighed mournfully. She didn’t want an audience. She sniffed and drank. She coughed after swallowing. “Licorice...” she moaned.

“It’s all they had,” shrugged Brooke. She hated to see Beth so miserable, but it was sort of funny to watch Beth make faces like an unhappy child. It was very unlike her. “Drink it all down fast so you don’t draw it out.”

Taking the advice, Beth drank it was fast as she could. She shuddered, both from cold and distaste as she finished. She set the cup down and crossed her arms, dejected. She felt worse, and was too exhausted and sick to hide it anymore. She buried her face in Ben’s neck after coughing.

“My poor, tired baby,” he sighed, holding her close.

“Are you all right?” Swane frowned.

Jamie had the same question as did Rico when he looked around. Eve paused her watching and faced the other side of the room.

Ben rested his head on top of Beth’s. “She’s sick.”

“Sick?” Rico raised his eyebrows. “Beth doesn’t get sick.”

Swane elbowed Rico and made a slight movement towards Brooke. “She has to get sick sometimes,” Swane said quickly in an attempt to cover up Rico’s confusion.

“Ben and Samuel were telling me that Beth has an exceptionally good immune system and has never been sick before. There has to be a reason she got sick now,” Brooke explained.

Ben’s warmth and familiar smell was making Beth sleepy. She curled up further into his lap and rested her head on his chest. Ben ran his fingers through her ponytail over and over, soothing her.

“Yes!” shouted Jamie as he looked at the TV. His team had just scored their first points.

“High five,” grinned Swane and slapped Jamie’s hand with his own.

“Samuel’s trying to figure out something,” Ben put in, bringing the conversation back to Beth.

“Good,” Rico said vaguely as he watched the game.

Eve’s attention was back on it too. “Come on, come on,” she whispered.

Brooke glared at them. “They’re not even concerned.”

“Don’t worry. Once the game is over they will be.” Ben looked at Beth who had fallen asleep. “She needs to sleep anyway.”

Eve walked through a dark house and stopped in a large, elegantly furnished room. A handsome man that looked to be in his late-thirties or early forties sat with a book. He looked up at the sound of her footsteps. “Ah, Eve,” he smiled.

“If you recall, your most recent request was to do something to distract Senka, her devoted husband, and their tagalongs.”

“Yes, I do remember,” said Wesley patiently. “And what did you do?”

“I have made Senka sick for the first time. She had that problem with an injury and her heat, but that wasn’t what these humans consider sick. The sick I’m talking about is irritating and makes a person feel rotten.”

Wesley smiled. “Something that won’t kill her but will keep her from planning, thus give us more time. Excellent. And I do hope it’s extremely unpleasant!”

“It is,” Eve smiled.

“Excellent!”

“Beth’s father isn’t making himself available,” said Samuel irritably. “I hate it when he’s like that! It probably means that whatever Beth’s going through doesn’t need his intervention. He’s going to make us go through it without any help.”

Everyone except Rico and Eve, who were at late dinner in the hotel’s café, sat together in the bedroom. The storm had reached the point where the power was blinking. Ben had started a fire in the living room where Beth was sleeping.

“Great,” sighed Swane. “What are we going to do?”

“Ride it out,” Ben shrugged. “There’s nothing much else we can do.”

“Is she going to be okay?” Brooke asked nervously.

Jamie squeezed Brooke’s hand comfortingly. “Beth’s been through some really hard stuff and always made it through.”

“It’s hard to see her like this, I know.” Swane looked upset. “I’ve always been so protective of her and hate it when I can’t help her with something.”

“It’ll be okay, boss,” Jamie said confidently.

Ben got off the bed. “We should probably figure out who’s sleeping where and all. If Beth’s awake we can see what she wants to do too.”

The group went back into the living room. Beth was just waking up when the entered. “Is something wrong?” she asked, seeing the serious faces. “Is it Wesley?”

“No, it’s all fine,” smiled Swane.

That sensation was in Beth’s nose again. This time though she couldn’t sneeze, it just toyed with her. She rubbed her nose and sniffed. “Um, okay... Is it another game that you want to watch on television? If I’m in the way, I can move...”

“No, kiddo,” Ben shook his head. “We just want to figure out how the sleeping arrangement’s going to go. You and I will bed together obviously. And since you’re sick, you get to pick where you want to sleep: the bedroom or the hide-a-bed.”

Jamie narrowed his eyes. “You’re trying to get the best spot.”

“No he’s not,” protested Brooke. “Ben’s doing it for the good of his wife.”

Beth sighed. “I don’t know...” She was distracted by the tickle in her nose. She brought a hand to her face and sneezed. “Ah-ah-choo! Achoo!” She sniffed and went at her nose with her wrist. “Achoo!” She sneezed once more and put her face in her hands. She was cold, sniffly, her chest hurt, her head hurt...her whole body hurt actually, and they wanted her to make a decision. She shivered and wrapped her arms around her knees.

“We’ll take in here,” Ben said decisively. “It’s got the fire and will be warmer. We’ll just need to bring in pillows and blankets.

“That’s a good idea,” agreed Swane. “Jamie, you and Rico can share the bed.”

Jamie nodded. He and Rico had been friends for years so it wouldn’t be too awkward. They would end up fighting about blankets, sides and pillows but it was all part of their way of dealing with each other. “Sounds good.”

“And we’ll take the chairs,” finished Samuel.

Beth looked distressed. “But, Samuel, you’re older, you should—“

“Nonsense, my dear,” smiled Samuel kindly. “I’m not to old to sleep in a chair.”

After coughing hard, Beth leaned against Swane who had sat on the couch next to her. He put his arm around her, glad to have her with him again. He was told to stay put while Ben, Brooke, Jamie and Samuel got the place situated again. Swane loved Beth with all his heart and it felt so good to be able to touch her. Part of him was afraid that they would once again be separated as they had so many times before.

Ben felt Beth shift in his arms and he opened his eyes. She was on her back and had her hand over her mouth, coughing hard. He hated to see her fighting to breathe!

She finally stopped coughing. She saw he was awake. “I’m sorry,” she sighed, exhausted.

“Oh, sweetheart,” Ben murmured. He pulled her close to him and rubbed her back. He frowned when he pressed a kiss to her forehead. “You’re hotter than you were. How are you feeling?”

Her dark eyes told him everything. She was not doing well at all. “Um, I’ll be fine...”

"That means you’re feeling awful,” translated Ben.

Beth was close to tears as she looked away. “Well, I...”

Kissing her lips softly, Ben smiled. “It’s difficult to be vulnerable, isn’t it?”

Glancing at Samuel and Swane who were both asleep, Beth nodded. “And I feel bad because I keep making noise and disturbing people!”

“Don’t worry about that,” chided Ben, still smiling. “You’re sick, you’re allowed to make noise and disturb people, and whine and complain.”

“I hate being out of it,” growled Beth.

“I know, I know.” Ben smoothed her hair back. “Try to sleep.”

Beth sniffed and rested against Ben’s chest. The rise and full of his breathing was nice... She closed her eyes and allowed it to put her to sleep.

Ben and Brooke sat next to Beth. Both looked grave. Beth’s fever had sky-rocketed and she was constantly coughing. Samuel and Swane were trying to figure out what was going on with Wesley. Eve, Rico and Jamie were trying to figure out what was wrong with Beth. Ben and Brooke were watching over Beth, reporting to Jamie any changes in her.

“Hang in there, tiger,” said Ben urgently as Beth shivered uncontrollably from her rising fever.

Brooke held Beth’s hand. “We’ll figure out what’s wrong with you,” she promised, more to comfort herself than her friend.

Eve was with Wesley again. “I assume you made some excuse to get here,” he said with a knowing smile.

“That I was checking out a herbalist.” Eve’s eyes held anxiety. “Please, lord, please let me heal her! She’s so sick. I’m afraid that if I continue to make her worse, I will kill her.”

“How sick is she?” asked Wesley coldly. He did not like the weakness on Eve’s face.

“I just told you! I think she’ll die if I continue to slowly collapse her lungs and make her temperature rise. I’ve already pushed it to 107˚. Her lungs are filling up with fluids. She will suffocate and burn up from the inside. Please, you know that if I don’t do it, then her husband will think she’s going to die and then he’ll cry. That will strengthen their bond even further. It’s already too strong!”

Wesley sighed. “Very well. Heal the Huntress. I will miss watching her suffer for a time, but,” a smile crossed his face, “she will suffer again.”

Beth whimpered and Samuel rested his hand on her scorching forehead. She quieted. He sighed. He had been sent as an overseer, to make sure things ran smoothly enough and keep others from tampering. He had always thought himself a man of strong faith but the more time he spent on Earth, with this girl, the weaker he realized his faith was. He had known things would be difficult but he thought once she was with Enlil, all would be well and she would go to her real home with her husband. It was not so.

Ben was sleeping next to Beth since it was late. The others were asleep as well. A lump formed in Samuel’s throat as he watched Ben move closer to Beth unconsciously. The man was so obviously in love with her and she with him. It reminded him of his own days with his wife before she died...

Samuel shook himself mentally. There was no time for reminiscing. He kissed Beth’s cheek and moved to his chair. It was time to trust in his King and go to sleep. It took almost half an hour but he finally felt peace wash over him and carry him off into the land of rest.

Eve crept down the hall and used her powers to open the door. She silently went into the living room where Beth lay locked in Ben’s arms. She was ghostly white and sweating. Eve carefully placed her hand on Beth’s stomach and concentrated. A second later, she went back to her own room.

Ben opened his eyes and looked at Beth. She was still, her chest barely rising. Panic raced through him and he felt her forehead. She was cool. Was she dying? “Beth,” he called softly. “Wake up!”

Slowly Beth’s eyes opened and she smiled at Ben, touching his cheek. “Good morning.”

“Are...are you all right?” Ben asked, startled.

“Tired but otherwise fine. I think my fever broke sometime in the night and my coughing went away. I don’t know what happened...”

Ben held her close. “It doesn’t matter. All that matters is that you’re all right.”

Eve stood just inside the kitchen wall, listening. A conflicted expression of happiness and guilt was on her face. A sadness took over both emotions as she heard Beth laugh softly. “I love you, Hayden!”

“And I love you, kid,” grinned Ben cheekily.

The Huntress wasn’t invincible physically, but Eve now knew that it was the physical that was important. It was the emotional. If Wesley really wanted to attack Beth, he’d have to do it emotionally. Eve had decided after healing Beth that Wesley would have to figure that out for himself. With her growing love for Rico and friendships with the others, she wasn’t sure she wanted to help Wesley any longer.

But that would have to be tackled another day. This day was a day of forgetting it all and being with the people that she cared about. Eve quietly slipped out the front door and then knocked on it so that she could be admitted the proper way.

The End

[And Beat Him When He Sneezes]

I wish there could have been more sneezing, but I have to say, that was a remarkably deep plot for a fetish fic and I enjoyed reading the story for its own sake.

[Daphine]

That really was a well written story .

Thank you for taking the time to write and for posting it for all to read .