-This chapter picks up at the end of ch 10 when Lax leaves Ivy in NYC to contemplate a relationship as he heads off to interview Herman Howards-

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Lax struggled not to call Ivy from Iowa. He found himself wanting to talk to her about the kid. He wanted to vent and throw his ideas out to her. He needed her voice the way he'd never needed Isa's. This kid...the kid was so messed up. The more he filmed and talked to him the more ambiguous he felt. Herman Howards had killed his classmates and three of his teachers. His tales of bullying,..what did it prove? Did it justify his actions? Was it an excuse? No. Still Lax had been bullied so a part of him understood. He may have wanted to get even with his tormentors, but thoughts and actions are two separate things. Why didn't Herman just wait and go to college and make friends there?

He didn't call the first day. He didn't want to push her. He focused on editing tape and scribbling thoughts as to how to put it together for his show. What kind of message did he want to express with this. Anti-death penalty, gun control, violent video games or pro kids murdering their bullies. Was the Howards kid a victim or a monster?

On the second afternoon, Herman brought up Jerome Johnson. He knew about Lax's time in Georgia.

"You're just like me…" the kid had said. No, he wasn't. Lax had killed to stop a race war. Lax had killed because he had no choice; not to get media attention….or had he? It reminded him of Isa's question all those weeks ago. Why did you do it?

"So this was all a game to you huh Herman?"

"It's all a game Lax. Wasn't it a game when you bashed that nigger's head in with a bat?"

"Excuse me?"

"Down in Georgia. You killed that nigger. Did that seem real to you?"

"The official investigation confirmed that never happened."

"Well, all the of other guys who were there say it did."

"Where did you get that?" Lax leaned forward on the table separating them. He'd rolled the sleeves of his black button down shirt above his forearms revealing the wolf head tattoo that now covered his SS bolts.

"WWW dot KKK dot com. Georgia faction When you won the Pulitzer for writing about them they had a few things to say about you Lax."

"What else do you think you know about me Herman? Oh and do you make it a habit to surf hate sites?" He asked chewing the pen cap he held between his teeth. God he needed a cigarette.

"I have respect for anyone willing to stand up for their beliefs. Besides people's websites are where you really learn stuff. The web is the truth the way people really are. You should know that Lax." Herman paused. "Lax Morales. Sound Puerto Rican or something. "

"Mexican. Does that make you want to kill me too?"

"No. Just think its funny."

"Well, that's it for today. I'll be back tomorrow."

He wrestled with the images and questions in his hotel room for a while. Finally, unable to stand looking at the blank walls, he went downstairs to the Holiday Inn bar. He noticed Isa sitting at a table with her news editor and cameraman. She motioned asking if she could come over. He shook his head. He needed to be alone. How could he let some fifteen-year-old kid make him doubt himself?

After a few whiskeys, he headed back to his room. He wasn't drunk, but he was feeling the alcohol and told himself that's why he called.

"Hey, Lax." Ivy's sleepy voice met his ears and immediately set a calm pulsing through him. "Are you home already?" She asked.

"No" His voice was rough and raspy from day long interviews and drinking. "Just needed to hear your voice."

"Sweet, but Lax we agreed…we need to think about this."

"He knows Ivy. Herman, the kid, he knows about Georgia. He said I was like him...no better than him; a media whore…" Lax slurred.

"Stop it. You saved a lot of lives. You made a difference. You did one of the bravest things anyone could do. You risked your own life to save others. You stopped them."

He lay on his side holding the phone to his ear pretending she was laying beside him. "You understand…even after what I did to you and what happened to you, you get it…'

"Shhh... I know. It's okay…."

"Man, it's so much worse than I thought. This kid...is he really the future? They are going to execute him and make his a martyr. A symbol. That's gonna encourage more like him. And me...am I just adding to it all... giving him what he wants? Media attention. He'll be a celebrity. I'm creating more monsters. How am going to spin this Ivy? What's my angle?'

"Truth. Just tell the truth Lax. You don't need to spin anything about Herman. Tell other kids it's not worth it. There are other ways to be heard. Do something else to get attention in positive ways. Tell the truth Lax that's all you have to do. You made it out of a tough childhood. You didn't kill your bullies. You worked hard to get where you are. Now you have a voice. Lax, use your position to help; offer hope. That's how you honor Jerome Johnson."

Lax sighed, nodding. "And honor what happened to you Ivy. You're pretty smart, know that?"

"And what he did...it's not your fault."

"I've thought enough. I want you Ivy. When I get back…I want us to try..., please."

"Hey, no 'what are you wearing' first?" She asked weakly trying to be funny.

"Ivy."

He heard her sigh and her voice caught as she answered, "Okay. Yeah. I want it too."

"Are you smiling? I'm picturing your smile Ives."

Before she could answer there was a knock on his door. Lax groaned, rolling over and up off the bed. He opened it to see Isa and motioned for her to wait.

"Gotta go, but I'll call when I'm home. Hey, I love you."

"Who was that?" Isa asked surprised.

"Nobody."

"You don't say I love you to nobody."

He sighed. "We need to talk Isa. I'm seeing someone."

"You're drunk."

"No. I'm being honest. Finally."

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The next day Lax felt back on his game. Talking with Ivy had restored his confidence and calm. Finally telling Isa once and for all it was over was like losing a dead weight from his shoulders. He set up his camera more focused than he'd been since he'd arrived at the prison.

"Is it hard knowing you're going to be dead in two days?" Lax asked, trying to read the boy's expression.

"Your compassion is touching."

"See that's the thing Herman I don't know that I even give a fuck anymore."

"What?"

"We have real problems in this world. Melting glaciers, massive unemployment, crumbling nations with nuclear missiles You think I have time to worry about some depressed kid from the suburbs going to his school and killing people to express his rage?"

"It worked didn't it?"

"How did it work?"

"You're here aren't you?"

"You did it for this?" It was what Lax had been afraid of.

"It was the only way to get you to pay attention to me.'

"You're going to be killed. You destroyed hundreds of lives. You inflicted pain on innocent people. You gave up everything and you did it all just to be on my show?"

"You have to do the unspeakable to be noticed."

"You are so twisted. You think anyone is gonna care about you in two months? You're gonna be a footnote listed next to a bunch of other forgotten footnotes." Lax started to raise his voice.

"Google me in twenty years Lax then we'll see who's right."

"Don't you see what kind of person it takes to plan and carry out the massacre of thirty-nine children and three adults?"

"What kind of person Lax?"

"Evil, Herman."

"Were you evil when you hit that kid with a bat?" The boy countered.

"Yes. Yes I was, I had to be."

"So did I."

Lax shook his head in disbelief. "I was saving lives. It was a war. In a war, when it comes down to it you use basic arithmetic. I let one boy die so thousands could live. One life for a thousand. That's why I did it. That's why I allowed myself to do it. Why did you allow yourself to become evil?"

"You know why.'

"No, I don't."

"Because it felt good! Because for one moment in my nothing life I got to know what it feels like to be God. And it feels good. You don't have to say it Lax I know you understand. You tasted it."

"You think we're alike?" Lax shook head. "I felt like God before sure, but it was when I saw Sean Gall slapped on a table handcuffed and arrested. Tell you the truth, that turned me on. But I didn't feel like God when I hit that child. That child who had been tied up and gagged by bullies just like the ones you hate. You and I are nothing alike."

Lax stood and put his camera away gathering his papers. "I think I have all I need here. Thanks for your time."

"That's it?"

"That's your fifteen minutes kid. Hope it was worth it.'

"Hey, Lax you think the nightmares will ever go away?"

Lax was thoughtful and Ivy came into his mind. "Yes. I do. Now I do."

"Lax you think I'm going to hell?"

… … … … … .. .. … .. … … … .

New York

Isa checked the peephole surprised to hear rapping at the door. It was a woman. Blood red hair, tattoos. It had to be that Ivy. She quickly stripped her dress over her head and reached for one of Lax's button down shirts. She threw it on and mussed up her hair

Ivy had planned to surprise Lax. He'd called her that morning to let her know he was back so she headed to his apartment. She figured he'd be wound up from the interviews and need to talk.

She knocked and was taken by surprise when a woman answered the door. She thought she had the wrong loft. She felt bad she'd obviously pulled this woman out of bed.

"I'm sorry I think I'm at the wrong door." Ivy smiled and was about to move down the hall when the woman asked, "who are you looking for?'

"Lax Morales," I have the address here, I probably wrote the number wrong…"

"No, this is his..anything I can help you with?"

Her anticipation turned to a lead weight that dropped into her stomach. Ivy was lost for words as her eyes traveled the woman's body bristling at her appearance. "I…"

"You must be Ivy."

"How do you know my…"

"I'm Isa, Lax's girlfriend, fiancé actually. He's mentioned you. You are doing a tattoo for him?"

"Girlfr ...? What the hell are you talking about. Lax is single, he…"

"Look honey why don't you come in. Lax hasn't been completely honest with you and I think it's just terrible. We are engaged. We've been together for a very long time. Years."

"Years?" When he was in Georgia, he wasn't with anyone.

" I'm sorry he led you on. I'm just trying to help you, tell you the truth. I think he was going through something, wanted to ….experiment…."

The tone of the woman's voice was dismissive and judgmental. Ivy didn't need that on top of everything else.

"I see." Ivy couldn't speak her throat closed and her stomach twisted in a knot. "I have to go."

She turned to the door and walked straight into Lax.

'Ivy…"

Her look was cold but panicked. She shoved past him.

He stopped her in the hall by the elevator.

"Wait what's going on?"

"Why didn't you tell me about her? All this time. In Georgia even. God damn you…"

"What? What what did she say? I'm not with Isa. Is that what she said? She's here to help me with some tape edits..."

"Yeah, she looks dressed for work. You know, save it. Too many times Lax. Too may times you expect me to just take you back. I can't."

"She's lying."

"I fucking trusted you. My mistake."

She had wanted him for free. Not a single one of those other assholes like Isa could say that. As much as they looked down on her she knew what they were really about. They all wanted something from him; just waiting for him to hit it big, riding along on his coattails, getting antsy and eager now that success seemed imminent. She never wanted anything from him, she just wanted him. And he had said he was hers no matter what.

Forever.

That's what he'd said.

Liar.

"Goddamn, motherfucking liar!" She shouted as she tripped down the front steps to the street.

Lax stormed back into his apartment. "What did you do?"

Isa's smile disappeared. "I am saving you and your career. We are good together. Professionally and personally. You know that. Come on Lax, her? Really? Are you trying to marginalize yourself? Keep yourself as a fringe reporter? You have a damn Pulitzer and I'm going to help you ride it to the top. I'm good for you; we're good together. That girl...well come on...you're not serious? She's a ... "

"What Isa, what is she?"

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Ivy wasn't holding back tears. She was little too rambunctious, a little too buzzed for that. She'd been at the première of her Tattoo Shop's reality show. After the confrontation with Lax's fiancé Isa something or other, Ivy had almost begged off of the party. However, friends convinced her to attend. Lax was supposed to have been her date. Lax was supposed to have been a lot of things. Dressed for combat in a full-skirted fifties prom dress and 14 hole Doc Martens boots a six-pack off Bud dangled casually from her wrist. With ease, she climbed the fire escape and rickety roof ladder of her apartment building in Greenwich Village. Now as the sun was setting with a pink and orange glow over the buildings around her, she sipped her beer and realized Lax had put her in the same place she'd been in Georgia. Sitting on a roof calling him an asshole and motherfucker. As the sky became dark, night-blooming jasmine and damp tar paper scented the warm air. I am too naïve. I never should have believed him…I am stronger than any man any man but him...

"I'm fucking Poison Ivy. I don't need Lax!" She stood teetering a bit as she said the words with triumph.

Fuck, Jack White's been trying to get me to go out with him since I did a tattoo a couple months back... and that actor from the zombie show on TV keeps sending flowers wanting an appointment. I think I call him. I'll call them both. Fuck Lax.

Below the street was a whisper. She surveyed New York City wondering how she could be so tough; she absently touched the scar on her face. How could survive everything except this man who continually brought her to her knees? The city was twinkling like a sequined black velvet Mexican painting. She wouldn't waste any more tears on Lax Morales.

Don't say you need me you'll just leave me again. I'm done...

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He stared at the phone in his hand. The seven digits stared back at him. He could do this. He could dial the number... He couldn't do it.

"God, stop being such a fucking pussy and call the fucking number," he muttered to himself. It and been three days since Ivy had stormed out and he'd kicked Isa to the curb. Isa was gone. Once and for all. He had to tell Ivy she was lying. He stood quickly, and in three strides he paced while he dialed the number before he could think about it again. He listened to the ring one, twice... three times. He was just about to hang up when he heard a breathy greeting.

"Hello?"

"Hi."

Even over the phone he could feel the tension. He heard her sharp intake of breath, waited to hear the click and dial tone as she hung up on him. He deserved nothing less. He had taken something innocent and good and turned it into...

"What do you want, Lax?"

That was a loaded question. What did he want? He wanted her not to hate him. He wanted to start over. He wanted to pretend like the past couple of days hadn't happened. He wanted not to see her eyes filled with tears as she stood in by the elevator while the doors shut before he walked away.

"I want to see you."

"We have nothing to talk about."

"We have everything to talk about. You don't know what you saw."

"I got the message loud and clear when your girlfriend told me the truth. You are with someone else. You used me."

He hated the dejected tone of her voice. Hated that it was because of him that she didn't sound vibrant, happy, and giggly. He hated that he'd listened to Isa. Believed they could just work together. That he'd taken the easy road and the connections that came with her. That he'd kept her in his life at all since Ivy had come back to him.

"Ivy... listen... it wasn't..."

"You listen, you bastard. There is nothing that you could say right now that would make me want to see you."

"Ivy... I love you... please, hear me out."

Silence greeted his declaration. She'd told him time and again how she felt, professed her love, made him feel loved... he'd done the same but when it came time to walk the walk he'd let her down. Twice now. He was a coward. But he was trying to change everything. Trying to make it the way it should've been.

"Please," he begged one more time. He heard a sniffle on the other end of the line.

"Fine come to my apartment. You can say you're sorry."

"I don't want to just apologize."

She made some garbled noise that might have been an insult to him. He wasn't sure. But then she clicked off and he put the phone back before sprinting out the door and down the steps to the busy street. He made it to her house in an obscenely short amount of time.

Taking the steps up to her door two at a time, he froze before he could knock. He didn't know how to start explaining. Didn't know how to get his point across. What if he said the wrong thing and she told him to leave? He pressed his head against the wood and counted to three before tentatively knocking.

He heard footsteps slowly dragging across the hardwood floor and backed up so he didn't look like a complete jackass. She opened the door and he stared down at her, taking in the tear-stained cheeks, the red nose, the bloodshot eyes.

Fuck, I made her cry again.

"Ivy.."

The sting of her hand spread across the entire right side of his face as she slapped him as hard as she could. The blow made a loud crack and he was pretty sure the noise bounced off the walls of her entryway. He looked at her, completely shocked, and opened his mouth to apologize when she reared back and hit him again.

"You lying, cheating, no-good, slimy, two-timing sonofabitch! Did you really think you could just come over here and tell me that you were sorry and I'd magically fall into your arms again? That I'd believe the lies, you said over the phone? Who does that?"

He was so surprised by her outburst that he didn't have time to protect himself when she reached out and started hitting him. The punches didn't hurt, and he knew she needed to get this out of her system, but he wanted to at least do this inside, so that nosy neighbors didn't end up calling the cops.

Lax grabbed her arms and pushed her through the door, shutting it tightly behind him. She was still attempting half-hearted blows and sobbing. He did the only thing he could think of and pulled her to him. As he enveloped her in his embrace, he felt her shudder out a breath and the sobs turned into wails as she clutched at his shirt.

"Shhhh, Ives, I'm here. I'm here and I'll never leave you again," he said quietly. She sagged against him and he let them both slide down to the floor. Leaning back against the door he rocked her in his arms, praying he could find the words to tell her exactly how stupid he was for what he'd done, and the pain he'd caused.

"I want to hate you so much. I want to rip out your heart and put it in my food processor. On high speed." The last part was broken up by a hiccup and he had to bite his cheek to keep from laughing at how adorable she was right now. If he did laugh, or if she saw the smile on his face right now, she'd no doubt start her tirade all over again.

"Take it."

"What?" She looked up at him, her eyes wide with shock and glistening beautifully because of the tears she'd just cried. He didn't think she'd ever looked so beautiful.

"Take my heart. It's always been yours. I was just too big of an idiot to realize what you meant to me until I didn't have you anymore."

"Please! Now you want to make me puke? Save the pathetic lines. You really hurt me Lax."

"I know. And I can't take it back... But I want to spend the rest of my life trying to make it up to you. Just... just give me that chance. Isa and I are not together. We weren't together when I was in Surville. And we haven't been together since I found out you were in New York. What you saw the other day it wasn't...she was trying to cause trouble. Isa and I have never been right for each other, but she wouldn't accept it. She's gone. I am not even working with her. Please believe me Ivy."

"No more Isa?"

"No. Just you and me, the way it should've been from the beginning."

He felt her shift in his arms and she leaned back to look at him, peering up from beneath those long fucking lashes that drove him crazy.

He still took her breath being near him. She'd been lying to herself thinking she could let him go.

"If you ever make some stupid mistake like that again…its over. I can't do this again. I've been through too much shit in my life to be treated this way…."

She didn't get to finish her sentence because he pulled her close and covered her mouth with his. He kissed her senseless and then kissed her some more. When they finally broke apart, he stared lovingly into her eyes while they both fought to catch their breath.

"Say you're sorry," she murmured.

"I love you," he countered. He watched the tentative smile bloom on her face until it reached her eyes.

"That'll do," she said with a sad smile and pulled him back for another kiss, dragging him forward until he was lying on top of her on the floor. "Now show me."

Lax's lips came down on hers, searching, molding. It was tender and exploring. His tongue swept across her lips and they parted. She drew his tongue into her mouth and rubbed her own against it. It was slow, leisurely. They didn't have to hurry. They had forever.

Lax settled himself more firmly between her legs and Ivy hiked her knees up, opening herself to him. His hand moved up and brushed her hair back from her face, then rested on her neck. He could feel the beat of her pulse with his thumb and it almost met the speed of his own.

"Touch me Lax." Ivy's back arched as she pressed her hips up into him turning his own phrase back on him.

Lax and his damn fingers. His hand slid down and brushed across her breast. She gasped and her nipple hardened under his fingertips. He trailed slow, lazy circles around it, then moved over to undo the buttons of her shirt. Once undone, he unsnapped the front clasp of her bra and he leaned back so he could enjoy the view.

He scooted down and took one nipple into his mouth. It was already hard, but he pulled back and blew on it lightly. Ivy shivered, a small moan escaped her lips. He moved on to the other side and gave that one the same attention.

Ivy swept her hands down the muscles of his back, then up his sides. Her hips wriggled beneath him, feeling how hard he was through the layers of their jeans. She wanted more. Reaching down, she tried to unfasten his pants, but their hips were too close.

"Let's go to the bedroom. I need room to work." Ivy smiled and pushed up against him.

Lax stood, then helped her up. Once in the bedroom, she stopped at the edge of the bed and turned to face him. Her hair was tousled, her shirt undone, her breasts swaying free. Lax thought she'd never looked more beautiful.

He stopped in front of her and her hands went for his pants. Once undone, he helped her slide them down his legs. Then down his boxers went. When he straightened, he reached for her jeans.

"I think you're overdressed."

"Says the man still wearing his shirt."

Lax paused and stripped the rest of the way down.

Ivy pushed her jeans down her legs, and her thong followed soon after. She let her shirt and bra fall off her arms.

For a moment, the pair just stared at each other. Then Lax dropped to his knees in front of her, lifting one of her legs over his shoulder. Ivy reached down and balanced herself with his other shoulder. She gasped as she felt his tongue lap along her inner thigh. He placed light kisses up her leg until he came to the center of her. The tip of his tongue traced along the seam of her lips, then plundered in deeply. Ivy whimpered as her body shook.

Lax lifted his hands to her hips to steady her, and he let his tongue seek out, then find her clit. His lips sealed around it and he sucked, flicking his tongue across it. Ivy's knees almost buckled. She was already wet, but with this attention she felt a whole new rush of moisture. When she felt his fingers gently probing entrance, her whole body quivered.

"Lax that's enough.. I need.."

He gave her clit a graze with his teeth and she whimpered again.

"You need what?" His tongue lapped out to drink in her essence.

"You.. God, Lax... please..."

He pulled back and set her leg back down. She turned and crawled up onto the bed, her limbs shaking. He moved right behind her.

"How do you want me?" Ivy's body was thrumming with unfulfilled want.

"On your back."

She rolled over and he came up between her legs. He caught her under her thighs and pushed them back so they were almost level with her shoulders. His cock was at her entrance, gently probing. Ivy's hips writhed and pushed, trying to get him inside of her. A startled yelp escaped as he thrust his hips and embedded himself fully on the first stroke. It didn't hurt, but she felt him hit her womb.

"Shit.…Lax.…"

Lax set the rhythm. He kept it shallow for a time, then started pulling out farther. She clamped her muscles around him each time he withdrew and Lax moaned in time with her moves. He shoved her legs up higher and she tilted her hips so he hit bottom each time. He started moving faster. He could feel it building, and it wasn't going to last much longer. He released one of her legs and moved his hand to her pussy. Spreading her wetness up, his fingers slipped over her clit. Ivy's head tossed restlessly on the pillow, and her hands tangled in the sheets.

"Come on baby.." Lax's fingers pulsed against her clit, then rubbed circles. Ivy's hands weren't bound, but she felt just as much at his mercy as if they were. "Want you to come for me..." His hips thrust faster as his fingers circled. He wasn't going to come without her. He didn't have long to wait as the sensations assaulting her body pushed her quickly toward climax and her first orgasm hit hard. Her whole body shook and she pulled against his hold on her leg, the sharp pain shooting her up even higher into the stratosphere. Her back arched as she moaned, her hips jerking up against his frantically. Her pussy clasped around him, quivering. Lax didn't slow down when he felt her contract around him, if anything he sped up and pounded into her harder, only vaguely aware of her fingernails digging into his shoulders and the animalistic noises she was making. It wasn't until she came the second time and her legs clamped so tight around him they restricted his movement that he finally slowed, letting her come down long enough to allow her legs to fall away.

"Say it," he said, his voice hoarse in her ear, his hips still rocking steadily against her. He hooked his hand behind her knee and pulled it up to his waist. Ivy's mind was spinning. She was a limp, incoherent puddle of pleasure and she had no idea what he was talking about.

"Say it," he demanded louder, thrusting hard and grinding into her mercilessly.

"Fuck me," she murmured, beginning to return to her senses.

Lax pulled her head to the side and licked all the way up her neck from her collarbone to her ear, sending shivers down her spine. "All of it," he growled and then snaked his tongue deep into her ear.

"Oh god," she gasped as the sensation took her breath away. "Fuck me hard. Please, Lax. Fuck me hard."

In one smooth motion, he let go of her hair and pushed his body up as he thrust deep inside her. He pulled her leg from his waist and hooked it over his shoulder, sliding even deeper, completely robbing her of breath as he pounded into her. Lax watched through hooded eyes as she writhed and shook under him; words he'd never heard her use pouring out of her mouth as she begged for more.

She cried when she came, arching up off the bed and pressing against him, trying to take more of him inside her. Watching her in the throes of such intense pleasure pushed him over the edge and he thrust one final time. Lax groaned and gave a few last pumps with his hips, gasping at the force of his orgasm. The entire time he came, Ivy's muscles clamped and released, milking every last drop from exploding inside her. As the tension drained from his body, he let her leg slip from his shoulder and collapsed on top of her, cradled between her legs with her arms wrapped tightly around his body.

Several minutes later Lax smiled when he felt her fingers gently playing with the wisps at the back of his neck. "I know you probably can't breathe, but I don't ever want to move." He turned his head to bury it in her hair and took a deep breath, absorbing her fresh scent.

She tightened her arms around him, holding him in place. "Breathing is overrated."

After a few seconds, he rolled so that she was on top of him. "I didn't want to crush you." Lax panted.

"Mmm, this is nice too." Ivy pushed her hair from her eyes. She lay down on his chest and nuzzled his shoulder.

Their heartbeats finally slowed, and Ivy felt him softening in her. She squeezed him.

"Shit, don't do that." Lax groaned a chuckle.

"I just wanted you to stay longer." Ivy's tongue darted out and lapped at his ear.

"Oh yeah, I'm sure you were innocent."

"I was." To demonstrate her point, she rocked her hips against him and squeezed again.

"What the...Ives you're going to start it up again."

She could already feel him twitching.

"So?" She nibbled his earlobe and moved against him, rubbing herself on his chest.

"A man doesn't even get time to recharge." Lax laughed.

"Mmm, feels pretty recharged to me." She rolled her hips, feeling him hard inside her again.

"You asked for it." With a growl, Lax lunged up and rolled her to her back. His hands pinned her wrists above her head.

"Say it." He licked his lips above her.

"Fuck me." Ivy lifted her hips invitingly. "Slow this time...slow..."

"If you insist."

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Ivy rolled over, stretching towards Lax's side of the bed. It was empty. And cold. So he had been up for a while. Opening one eye, she spotted him across the room at her desk. He was checking his email. A glance at the clock told her it was a little after ten.

"Why didn't you wake me?" She yawned.

"You looked sweet. I wanted to keep that image as long as I could." Lax smiled slightly.

"Shush. Where's my coffee and breakfast in bed?"

"Sorry, but that must be your other boyfriend." Lax laughed as he stood. "Actually, coffee I can do."

As he left the room, Ivy sprang from the bed and ran to the bathroom. She ran back in and dove under the covers just as he was walking back in.

"Cheater! You could have gotten it yourself!" Lax acted like he wasn't going to give her the coffee.

"Please! I just had to pee. You couldn't do that for me." Ivy laughed, pulling Lax's shirt on.

"You're right. I lose again." He sat on the edge of the bed and passed her the steaming cup.

"Ivy, we need to talk."

"Uh oh. I know how these conversations go."

"You're beautiful, all sleepy-eyed, your hair a mess, your make up smeared.."

"Okay, Romeo."

"You are. I love it. I want to see you like this every day..."

Ivy took a sip of her coffee.

"..for the rest of my life."

Ivy set her coffee on the nightstand and as he shifted reaching for something in his pocket Ivy opened her mouth, almost in shock. "Lax, are you…You're not. Are you?"

"Marry me," He implored, holding a ring box.

"You don't have to do this." She gasped moving back and hugging her knees to her chest.

"Yes, I do. Look, I'm not going anywhere. Enough talking. This means I'm committing. I want to be with you for the rest of my life and its time for me to put up or shut up. I need to to do this. So I'm asking. Will you marry me?"

"Yes. Fuck yes.." Ivy smiled.

Lax nodded and smiled back. "That's just how I thought you'd answer."

... ... ...

It was chilly and Ivy adjusted her scarf and zipped her leather motorcycle jacket as she and Lax stepped out onto the street heading to Altar her tattoo shop. The swastika would finally be covered. They could really move forward. He had needed to keep it there until he knew he had Ivy. Now that he knew they were one he didn't need that small piece of their past no matter how distasteful it was. Now he didn't need any reminders because he had her, the woman.

She twisted the simple antique, white gold and diamond engagement ring on her finger over the inked I in the world pain, feeling unreal.

"Give me a minute," she skipped toward a street vendor's cart that sold her favorite incense. He caught up and she held one package out for him to smell. He nodded but stiffened, suddenly feeling a hand on his arm. Ivy noticed the change in his demeanor and that he began to move away as if someone was pulling him. She set the boxes down and turned fully, seeing Isa with her hand running up and down Lax's back trying to get close and whisper to him.

"Fuck off bitch. He's mine." Ivy said with a steady voice surprising Lax, who couldn't help but smile. Ivy was not playing nice. He stepped back toward her.

"Excuse me?" Isa asked looking at Lax, not Ivy.

Lax smiled and pulled Ivy tightly to him.

"Lax, did you hear what she said to me?"

"Your cab is waiting Isa." He answered bluntly.

Lax turned, slinging an arm around Ivy's shoulder and pulled her so she fell against him, but gracefully.

"Back off bitch?" He teased. "Really?"

"Fuck you. Heat of the moment." She giggled.

As they began walking through the city crowd they were inseparable, their pace perfectly in sync.

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... .. .. .. ... ... .

Thanks for taking this journey with Lax and Ivy. I appreciate all of you who read and reviewed so consistently. It means the world. Love to all you guys

xx