A/N: So, I have never written for this show before, and I've never written with these characters, so I apologize if it seems disjointed or strange. I will get better with practice. This season has been such an emotional roller coaster for me, and I am so attached to these two characters that I couldn't resist filling up the blanks that were left after 2x07. So here is a continuation. I'm accepting prompts/critiques/suggestions both here, and on my tumblr! Hope you enjoy!

Another storm was blowing through and the raging thunder was the only thing that broke the heavy silence between them. He sat in the chair in front of the hearth, a heavy hand resting against his face as the fire blazed in front of him. She stood on the stairway, watching.

He was still upset. She could feel it, even without her sensitivity, the air between them was thick with emotion. She could feel his emotions, scratching at the back of her mind like an animal. There was anger, a deep seeded, passionate anger that resonated through to his very core, but there was also concern. A lot of it. His anger was as strong as it was because of his concern for her.

She'd done wrong. She knew it. She felt it deep in her soul, down to her very bones even. "Thou shalt not kill." But she'd done it anyway, consumed by anger, and a thirst for revenge that was stronger than anything she'd ever felt. But it had still been wrong, and his raised voice and fierce hands against her arms had forced that realization into her.
He'd been trying to protect her, and she'd neglected that. She could feel his disappointment in her, and she wanted to rectify that, with everything she had. She needed him, she knew that, and if she wanted him to stay in her life, she had to act.

She moved carefully over beside him, dropping to her knees beside his chair. She hesitated a moment before resting her head on his knee. He stiffened at her touch, but made no move to push her away, instead, she felt gentle fingers on the nape of her neck, tangling in her hair. His touch was reassuring, soothing to her troubled mind. They stayed that way for a while before she could gather the nerve to speak.

"Please don't hate me." Her voice trembled and she felt like a child. Knelt before him as she was, she felt exposed.

She asked not for his forgiveness, not even that he remain here with her,but simply that he didn't walk away with hatred in his heart. She needed him, wanted him in her life, but she would not force him. She only silently prayed that his affection was strong enough to keep him here, if there was any left.

"Vanessa..." her name rolled off his tongue like honey. "I don't hate you...I couldn't hate you..." he hesitated, wanting to keep going, but unsure of how.

"I'm not even angry with you...just.." he stopped again, unable to find the word.

"Disappointed." She finished for him, biting her lip at the idea. She'd already considered it, but hearing it confirmed was different.

"Yes. Exactly that. You are better than the ones that hunt you, I know you are, yet you use the same tactics. You feel it, I know you feel it. I can see it. I know what revenge feels like, but that wasn't you. I see who you are."

She drew away from him, curling in on herself and wrapping her arms around her legs.

"Yes, I know. You see me exactly for who I am." She sounded almost bitter, remembering the fire in his voice when he'd yelled the night before, lashing out at her and the monster she was.

Part of her was glad he'd seen it in her, it would keep things simple. But the other parts of her still tasted him on her lips.

"I do. I meant it when I said it, but I did not mean it the way that I said it, " He sighed, realizing just how much his words had stung her. She'd heard him, even though it seemed, at the time, that she was too stubborn to hear anything. "I see you Miss Ives. I see someone who is both strong and frail, someone who is good, and kind and gentle, but I also see someone who is afraid, and desperate for peace and resolution." He sat up in the chair and put his hand on her head, stroking her hair gently and hoping to coax her eyes in his direction.

She turned to face him and those big blue eyes were so full of emotion, a hurricane of conflict, relief and fear, peace and hurt, and so many more.

"Desperation drives people to lengths that they normally wouldn't go to. I fear that for you." He admitted patiently. Surely she had something to say.

"You were going to do it." She accused lightly, hoping to understand the meaning behind his actions.

"Desperation." He responded simply, "I swore I would protect you, and keep you from harm by any means. I know what that kind of guilt does to someone. I didn't want you to feel that."

There was a moment of silence where she took in the new information. She'd imagined that that had been his purpose, but she did not want him carrying the weight of her sins with him. There were too many, and it was a weight that only she could bare.

"I appreciate that more than I could put into words but it was a decision I had to make. It was something I had to do for myself, if only to put a few of these demons at bay. You're right in saying that I feel it, and you were right in saying that it was wrong. It was, and I accept full responsibility for that...:" She exhaled heavily, and although her words held conviction, her voice could not rise to meet it. She was still confused, still bundled in conflict in her own mind.

There was another long silence before she spoke again.

"I don't like killing things. I don't like violence. I don't like blood, and if I could leave it all behind, I would. " she admitted," but my vision was clouded by the past...by rage and fear..." she whispered, closing her eyes and shrinking further into herself. He waited for more, still gently stroking her hair, lost in the feeling against his calloused hand

"I apologize Ethan, for breaking your trust in such a way."

"I forgive you. But I want you to remember this in the future...you have too much good in you to throw it all away. And I apologize for my reaction. I frightened you and I wish I hadn't." He murmured, settling back in the chair, scratching his chin thoughtfully. After a while, she joined him again, settling her head against his knee once again, finding the sensation of his hand in her hair unbelievably relaxing.

"You don't scare me." She teased gently, hoping to bring back the air of domesticity that they'd shared before.

"Good." He teased in response and Vanessa felt her heart lighten at the sound.

For now, they would be just fine.

Opinions, darlings? I'd love to here!