Hi there guys; welcome to Part II of the Nightfall Trilogy. If you haven't read the prequel, Ascending Darkness I highly recommend doing so. Without that, you'll be lost.

I own nothing except OCs, the original plot and poems.

Further Details:

T for violence, swearing and somewhat adult situations - nothing explicit.

Genre: Romance / Angst / Mystery/ Supernatural / Drama / Humour

Moving Shadows continues where Ascending Darkness left off. There are no cases in this story (from Apollo Justice) but a lot of the things in this set the ground for the conclusion to AJ as well as having a part in the events that happened 7 years ago. There's more character development, answers to some questions that arose in AD, the other Gavinners (Raoul and Seren) will play a greater part and, of course, the Klavier/Ema storyline continues.

If you've made it this far, thank you. Please stay with me - Moving Shadows is definitely (in my opinion at least) better than Ascending Darkness. Don't let the number of chapters scare you off. I have tried my best to throw some humour into all the angst and drama. Whatever you think of this, please let me know. Review only help me to get better.

Finally, my profile has a link to my Nightfall (Facebook) fanpage. Give it a look.

And now... we start.

Breathless

'.'

Pounding heart, sweating skin,

Lips apart, inviting sin.

Hovering fingers, roving eyes

Upon her lingers, as she dies.

.'.

He was dying.

It was his death painting the floor, pooling around them… it had to be. There was no way that her essence could be spilled like this, ever journey across the dirty ground; it was too pure, too precious, too important…

And the fact that the blood covered her, bathed her, was of no consequence – every fibre of his being screamed for her, raced to her… His blood was simply drawn to her, like a moth to a flame…It was his blood... Not hers... His...

He wanted to summon his blood back to himself, away from her, and he wanted to chastise it for soiling her virgin skin, for staining her perfection. His blood was impure and it had no business, no right, going anywhere near her… he wanted to scream but his mouth was dry, his mind dying with him…

And yet his sight wasn't dimming – it was fixed intently on her face; her eyes were fluttering close and her head was rolling and she was gasping. Why wasn't she looking at him? Was it the blood? And again, he wanted to scream at it to get away from her, to stop dirtying her…

Her eyes opened and he reeled at the unendurable agony that glazed her eyes. He shook his head, his mind denying what his eyes were seeing… those wounds weren't real, they were just a manifestation of his mind, he just didn't want to accept… yes… it had to be him dying… his eyes could not be trusted… his mind could not process…He shook his head and fixed her with his eyes. He wanted hers to be the last face he saw before he died. He opened his mouth to tell her he loved her, that he was sorry and that she was always going to be the one for him but then she whispered his name.

And his world ended.

Simon was quiet as Klavier drove. The prosecutor had expected a barrage of questions and, in preparation for the privacy that would require, he had instructed their police escort to follow separately. Yet, despite this, Simon had remained surprisingly silent so far and Klavier had not initiated conversation, wondering what was going through his mind.

Klavier didn't ask though; somewhere along the way, he'd developed an unexpected respect for the man; his perception of Simon had come a long way since the day he'd stepped into his cell. It was true he'd only met Simon twice but he'd learnt and seen enough to realise the man was nowhere near as bad as he sounded on paper. He may have taken part in the kidnapping – and this still made his jaw clench – but the suffering that saturated his skin was a stronger punishment than anything the legal system could give him.

Rafael Rainsford, on the other hand, was a different story.

Klavier wished he could punish the bastard internally, make him feel regret that would physically and psychologically torture him but he'd seen enough to know that there was no redemption for Rafael – and the only thing Klavier could do was make sure he got the death penalty. Not only as a punishment but also for the safety of everyone else. Klavier knew the test trial for the Jurist system was fast approaching and he also knew what the chain reaction of events could lead to – if the Jurist system was successful and implemented into the legal body, then the death penalty would, in all likelihood, be abolished. He didn't want to risk Rafael surviving that, leaving the future open for parole and possible release. There was no telling; some corrupt defense attorney could easily come along, driven by greed, and get Rafael off.

No, he had to find the proof to ensure that Rafael was executed as soon as legally possible. If he presented enough evidence of the threat Rafael posed to society, perhaps he could have the execution date moved up. As it was, there were only just over 2 weeks left but not knowing the exact date for the trial simulation made Klavier extremely nervous – if he knew when it was, he might be less anxious, however, considering who was heading the arrangements for the Jurist system, Klavier couldn't very well approach him and ask. It was simply a race against time.

His best bet was to stick with his current course and with this thought, he glanced at Simon from the corner of his eye, wondering if his plan was the right way to go. He had meant to go alone but his perusal of the latest information on the case had made him wonder about the possibility of taking Simon along. He knew the risks – Simon could close up completely.

On the other hand, he might open up about everything.

"Did you talk to Kade yet?" Simon asked suddenly and Klavier took his eyes off the road for a moment to look at him in surprise. He'd almost forgotten about Richards. Somehow, the man didn't seem as important to the whole case although, thinking about it now, he must be. Klavier kicked himself for overlooking this.

"No," he admitted. "His name does not appear much in the files I have."

Simon chuckled. "That's not because he's not important," he said. "It's because he's good at being invisible."

"What do you mean?" Klavier asked, frowning.

"Kade is good at covering his tracks. The only reason he was caught this time was because I named him – along with Rafael."

"What?" Klavier asked, surprised. He hadn't come across anything of the sort. In fact he didn't know any of the details of their capture. His frown deepened at this realisation.

"Yeah," Simon's voice was low. "They're virtually untraceable – both of them. They know how to escape exposure. I named them and the DNA found on Gale matched theirs – or so I hear."

"But why were you apprehended if you were helping the police to identify them?"

"I was found next to her," Simon said, turning to look at Klavier. "For someone investigating this murder, you don't seem to know very much, do you?"

"Believe me, Herr Lowes," Klavier ground out. "The ones responsible for collating this data will undergo some serious evaluation."

Simon grinned. "I feel sorry for them. Go easy on them – they are dealing with Rafael."

"Will you please tell me what I am missing?" Klavier asked and he tensed suddenly when he realised how much rested upon Simon's willingness to cooperate and again, he wondered whether his current path was the right one.

"Yes," Simon said after a pause and Klavier sighed in relief. Then he saw the Latino look away and he realised how difficult it must be for him to discuss this. He made a mental note to thank him later. "I was left with Gale after Rafael…" Simon quietened for a moment. "He untied me before he and his men left. They knew I wouldn't follow them when she was…" He stopped. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Simon's fists clench and he could almost taste Simon's grief on the air – it made Klavier feel sick, and almost angry at himself, for making Simon relive what was probably the worst experience of his life.

He took a deep breath. "You did not follow them?" Klavier asked

"Gale wasn't dead." Simon said hollowly. "I couldn't just leave her. She was bleeding…" His voice was becoming unsteady. "I tried to carry her to a hospital but I was weak from the beating…"

"Beating?" Klavier asked and then almost banged his head against the wheel when he realised the obvious answer to that question.

"Rafael was hardly going to just let me walk up to Gale and untie her and I wasn't going to just stand by and let him kill her. That sort of conflict can only, really, end in violence. Kade and Rafael ganged up on me."

"Of course," Klavier mumbled. "I am sorry."

"Anyway, I didn't make it far. I collapsed somewhere along the way. Woke up to an army of officers."

Klavier's breathing had turned ragged. All of the crime scenes he'd ever seen came together to form one with Gale as the body and the scarlet liquid, her blood. And now, with it, came the addition of the man beside him, holding her as she died and the desperation Simon must have felt stung Klavier. He'd never imagined she had died in Simon's arms; the revelation stunned him and somehow, the saturation of the image with love made it all the more heartbreaking. How had Simon survived such an experience? Klavier had no doubt Simon remembered the moment of her death every minute of every day, reliving the inevitable desperation. How did he still manage to walk and talk after dying daily? If Klavier had had to watch Ema being…

It was with a sharp breath and a curse that Klavier messaged the police escort to pull over at the approaching gas station. In the seconds it took for him to reach it, Klavier lost all awareness of everything except the suffocating sensation that had overtaken him; he needed to get out of the car.

As soon as the car halted to a stop, he was out of his vehicle, slamming the door behind him with more force than necessary. He took a deep breath, trying to eradicate the images of Ema and calm himself down. His heart was racing and despite the fresh air, he still felt as though something was clamped tightly around his chest. He could not imagine how Simon must feel if just the thought of Ema in that situation was doing this to him.

Klavier had survived the loneliness after his mother's passing and the sorrow of his father's death. He had dealt with his best friend's betrayal and even the absence of his brother, his last remaining family, his last connection to his mother. And yet he knew that if anything ever happened to Ema, he would not be able to last. He would die, whether by a broken heart or his own hand.

He didn't know if it was because he'd lost so much that he couldn't take any more or because he needed Ema in a way he'd never needed anyone else – apart from his mother. Whatever it was, he knew he couldn't survive without her.

A hand on his shoulder made him jump, breaking his line of thought. He turned to see the owner of the hand and found Simon staring at him, intensity radiating from him and Klavier wondered at the comforting look in his eyes.

"You're in love, aren't you?" Simon asked unexpectedly and Klavier's eyes widened in surprise.

"What?"

Simon smiled, putting his hands in his pockets. It was an unfamiliar smile; amused and kind. "I can see the look in your eyes. I used to see it every day in the mirror from the day I met Gale." When Klavier didn't answer straight away, Simon cocked his head to the side. "Don't imagine yourself in my situation. It'll make you paranoid."

Klavier's eyebrows shot up. "Your perception is almost unsettling, Herr Lowes."

Simon smirked. "Well, Gale taught me a lot." He looked off to the side, stuffing his hands in his pockets, and Klavier followed his gaze to the police officers who were standing by their cars, looking wary. "Looks like your friends think I'm going to cause trouble."

Klavier chuckled. "I am sorry. I found myself in a dire need of some fresh air."

Simon turned back to him. "Don't kill yourself over the what-ifs. You're not me and you don't have somebody like Rafael manipulating your life."

Klavier nodded. "Still I worry about her." As soon as these words left his lips, surprise arose in him. Simon was the last man he'd have thought he would open up to and yet he didn't feel unnerved at the idea. It was almost natural and the normality of it made him question what lay at the root of it.

"Why?" Simon asked, cocking his head.

"Because she is a detective," Klavier answered, crossing his arms. "It is hardly a safe profession."

"Hmmm. I would have to agree with you," Simon said and Klavier rose an eyebrow at the honesty of his answer. Still, he could hardly expect a comforting lie from Simon – Klavier didn't know him well but it was obvious he wasn't the type. "But like Gale always said, we die when we're meant to – no amount of worrying will ever prevent it." He pierced Klavier with his gaze again. "So live it to the full."

Klavier didn't answer – he crossed his arms and leaned back against his car, contemplating Simon. There was something strange about the man. He was an enigma and yet Klavier almost felt as though he understood him. There were times Simon said something that was almost predictable and at other times, he outright surprised Klavier by showing a side of himself that seemed non-existent. Klavier couldn't help but think that this deeper, more buried side of Simon was of Gale's doing.

"Herr Lowes," Klavier said, a question forming on his lips. "Might I ask you something?" Simon nodded. "If you could see Gale again… What would you say to her?"

He'd expected some sort of a reaction but all he saw was a flicker in the other's eyes; his face remained devoid of expression as he looked up at the sky, his hands still in his pockets and his body still. "I would tell her I love her."

"That's all?" Klavier asked.

Simon's face lowered until he was looking at him again and a small, bitter-sweet smile spread on his lips. "Nothing else matters."

The intensity of those three words shocked Klavier. He'd never thought of it like that. And it was true; what mattered except telling the person you love how you feel? What mattered aside from letting her know that she's the one who makes your world go around? What was more important than to let her feel safe and loved and special? And the irony was, he was hearing the coursing truth of those words from a man he was only meeting the second time. If that wasn't irony, he didn't know what was.

"Now, I want to ask you something," Simon said. Klavier nodded in turn and smiled at the question that came next; "Will you tell me where the heck we're going?"

Klavier nodded again. "You have been honest with me and I – "

"Prosecutor Gavin!" They both turned to see one of the officers sprinting over and Klavier turned to Simon who was rolling his eyes.

"All this mystery and these interruptions make me feel like I'm in some sort of story where the author doesn't want me to know just what the hell's going on," he scoffed. He turned to Klavier with a grin. "Quick, tell me what it is!"

Klavier laughed. "Well, we must acquiesce to the author's wishes. I am sure she has a perfectly good reason for all this intrigue."

"She?" Simon raised an eyebrow. "Are you confessing to something?" He eyed Klavier critically, before speaking, a thoughtful look in his eyes. "Yeah, it all makes sense now."

"What does?" Klavier asked with an amused smile.

"Why your hair is always so perfectly styled and why you – "

"Achtung!" Klavier laughed. "You know how to hit unter der Gűrtellinie!"

"Il colpevole ha deciso di dire la verità." Simon smirked at the dumbfounded look on Klavier's face. "Not nice being on the receiving end is it?"

Klavier chuckled and shook his head, turning towards the officer who'd reached them. "What is it, Officer?" He looked down at the phone that was in the man's hand.

"It's for you, sir."

"For me?" Klavier frowned. "But I have my phone on me, why…?"

"It's Mr Cavatin, sir," the officer quickly added, seemingly in a hurry. "He tried to ring yours but he couldn't get through to you. He says it's urgent."

He took the phone and, muttering an "excuse me" to Simon, Klavier took a few steps away, lifting the device to his ear.

"Ja, Deston, what is it?"

"We need you back here, K," Deston said and something in his voice made Klavier frown.

"I am on a job, Deston," Klavier said. "Can it not wait?"

"No, Klavier." Klavier's frown deepened at the use of his full name. What had Deston so worked up? "Look, please just get back. You know I wouldn't bother you if it wasn't important."

"What is the matter?" Klavier demanded, his worry increasing and all manner of thoughts passed through his mind – most of them featuring Ema.

"Just… Gavin, just haul your ass back and I'll explain. I'm at the Moor Hospital. This isn't – "

"If you are going to call me back from a job, I need a reason why," Klavier insisted. "I want to know what is wrong."

There was a pause on the other end in which Klavier could almost hear Deston arguing mentally with himself. And when he answered him, Klavier wished he hadn't asked.

"There's been an incident. Your apartment…" Deston sighed and fear crept into Klavier's heart. "Somebody blew up your apartment."

His world rocked.

Everything was turning bright, blinding him, and his eyes closed in protest.

His first thought was that his worst fears had come true. He'd lost Ema. He was rendered speechless by the thought, by the fact that he'd almost prophesied this. His second thought was he needed to die – he couldn't take another moment. He wasn't going to –

"K? Ema's alright, she's in hospital. I just need you back right now."

It was then that Klavier let go of the breath he'd been holding and when he next spoke, his voice was shaking, his mind blank; "I will be there as soon as possible." He didn't wait for a response before he hung up and turned on Simon and the officer. "I am sorry but I have to get back to the city," he said to no-one in particular. "There has been an…" he didn't finished the sentence and out of the corner of his eye, the part of him that still registered the environment saw Simon boring holes in him. The officer nodded and he was off towards the cars again, shouting something – no doubt the new orders Klavier had issued – and there was a flurry of activity from the men in blue.

Klavier opened the door to his car and slid in, slamming it shut behind him. He stared at the wheel for a long moment as his mind whirred with thoughts of Ema; how badly hurt was she? Was she afraid? And last night flickered before his eyes. Less than 24 hours ago she'd been crying in his arms, probably because she'd been living in fear, and now she was in hospital again.

Rage blinded him and, with it, rose a fierce determination to find the culprit and come down on him so hard, the bastard would wish he'd been born a fly and spent his life in a stable sucking up horse shit. And if the court system allowed him to get away with it, Klavier would personally kill him with his bare hands.

The passenger door slammed shut as Simon slid in beside him. He turned to look at him and he opened his mouth for some sort of apology but no words came out. Simon, seeming to understand, held up a hand and shook his head.

"I hope she's okay," Simon said. Klavier gave a short nod, his mind numb, as he turned on the ignition and moved onto the road, back the way he'd come. His speed increased with each passing second and his thoughts were all on the attacker. His jaw was clenched, his hands wrapped so tightly around the wheel that his knuckles turned white and his eyes steely, fixed on the road before him.

I will find you, you bastard. And when I do, I'm going to make you pay for every injury you ever caused her.

Klavier couldn't remember much between the call he'd received from Deston and walking up to the room where Ema lay. His feet were heavy, his heart had sunk somewhere beyond his reach and he was feeling colder than he had in years. He kept replaying his goodbye to her and his protests that she remain at home to rest. He'd been so certain she was safe in his apartment, so confident in his belief that nothing could reach her at the top of the building… He'd never thought anybody could be so determined as to blast his flat. The thought of a criminal with such a dogged agenda made Klavier's blood run cold.

What had Ema done to induce such a violent reaction? What was she involved in that Klavier didn't know about? He tried to list all of the cases that he was working with on her and he could not pin the attacks on any of them. His mind went back to the Cadaverinis again and he wondered if they were really threatened by her. Had she unearthed something particularly nasty about them?

"Mr Gavin." Klavier's eyes snapped up to Phoenix who was standing at a nearby desk. He held up a finger to the lady behind it and turned to Klavier, hands in his pocket once more. "I'm glad you could get here so fast. We sho – "

"Where is she?" Klavier cut across him blankly. He didn't want to listen to Phoenix or one of his lectures. He just wanted to see Ema. Phoenix, apparently noticing Klavier's mood, simply gestured towards a door to his left and Klavier was through it in a flash. His eyes didn't register what they saw and he was frozen for a split second as he took it all in; Ema was in a bed, cuts scattered across every visible patch of skin, bruises staining the milkiness of her skin all the way to the tips of her fingers which were engulfed by Deston's own hand. He barely noticed his friend's injuries though; all he could see was the way he was leaning towards Ema, his hand comfortingly wrapped around hers.

"K," Deston said, relief flooding his voice as he turned to him. "Thank God you're here."

Klavier nodded at him, walked to the other side of her bed, his eyes roaming over her. With each injury he saw, his being tingled unpleasantly as the rage ascended beyond his control.

"How are you feeling?" he asked quietly, returning his gaze to her eyes. She was staring at him with a strange expression. At first he thought it was fear or sadness but with each passing second, the expression became more and more alien until Klavier felt nothing but an overwhelming dread... and he didn't know why.

"I'm okay – thanks to Deston." She looked at him. "He managed to push me out of the way just in time."

Klavier looked at his friend properly for the first time since he'd entered the room and he saw that Deston's arm was in a sling, his face was practically striped red with cuts and there was a thick bandage to the side of his neck. It was this observation that kicked off the alarm bells in Klavier's mind and his eyes widened.

"Deston!" he exclaimed. "What the hell happened to your neck?"

"It's nothing, K," Deston reassured him. "We have more important things to worry about."

"What is going on?" Klavier demanded, looking from Deston to Ema. "Ema, what is going on?" he repeated, fixing her with a steady gaze. "What are you involved in? Who is after you?"

Ema hesitated and, to Klavier's surprise, Deston was the one who answered; "It's not her," he said. "I've been investigating a crime ring for some time now. I think it's their doing – to warn me off."

"Why did you not tell me before?" Klavier said, his eyes narrowing and his anger rising once more. "You knew she was in danger and you did not make the necessary – "

"I didn't think it was them at first," Deston interrupted. "It's only after – "

"That does not excuse your complacence!" Klavier shouted, striding towards Deston who'd risen to his feet and he pointed at Ema. "She is in a hospital bed because of you! She has been hurt because of you!"

"K – "

"Klavier," Ema said quietly and he turned to her now, taking the hand she was holding out to him. His eyes swept her face once more and he wanted to lean down and kiss her swollen lips and tell her she was okay, she was safe and that nothing in the world would get to her. He wanted to tell her that he would be her shield, that he was her protector and –

"It's okay," she said quietly. "It's not Deston's fault. If it wasn't for him, I would be dead." She looked over Klavier's shoulder to his friend and the prosecutor grit his teeth, remembering that if anyone had a right to be angry here, it was her boyfriend – and it wasn't Klavier. He was acting like he was her partner and Deston merely the bodyguard who had failed to take care of her when, ultimately, it was the other way around. It was Deston who had trusted Klavier to take care of Ema, even going so far as to letting her live with him, and it was Klavier who had failed to protect her. Closing his eyes, he clenched his jaw and turned to face Deston. He took a deep breath and opened his mouth to apologise but Deston held up a hand and smiled, shaking his head.

"It's alright, K," Deston said. "I get it."

For a moment Klavier was taken aback – it was almost as if Deston knew how he felt about Ema and that he was okay with it. But then he shook himself mentally and reminded himself that that wasn't possible. Deston was simply an understanding guy and it was so like him to appreciate Klavier's concern for Ema rather than get annoyed. He sighed heavily and turned back to Ema. She was looking at him with that odd expression again and he thought he saw a hint of desperation lurking beneath the veneer of calm. He frowned at her, trying to understand it but then she blinked and it was gone. Klavier continued to stare at her for a moment and she looked down at his hands, wrapped around hers. He followed her gaze and, strangely, the contrast between his tanned and her fair skin seemed to make his heart skip a beat. He didn't understand that either – his mind was such a scattered mess right now that he was all sound, sight, touch and smell – nothing was making sense. He was all sensation and no comprehension.

Something was yelling at him, trying to remind him of something and he was trying to ignore it because to listen to it would mean that he would have to look away from her, to let go of her hand and he wasn't willing...

"I'm sorry about your flat," Ema said, breaking the spell. Klavier's eyes snapped up to hers and in that moment, it hit him – Deston's watching. His finger slipped through hers and he glanced over his shoulder, only to see that they were alone. He frowned, wondering where his friend had gone, before turning back to Ema once more.

"Do not be so ludicrous, Fräulein," he murmured, stroking the back of her hand with his thumb. "I would rather all of my wealth was blown to bits than any harm befell you." And unable to help himself, driven by the desperation and fear that had filled him ever since Deston's call, Klavier lifted her hand to his mouth and placed a soft kiss on her fingers. He looked back up at her and saw that a faint blush had swept across her cheeks. He smiled and winked at her. "And I would give it all up for that blush too."

She scowled, all traces of a smile gone, and Klavier resisted the urge to grin. "If I had my Snackoos, you'd be careful what you say," she grumbled.

Klavier chuckled and glanced over his shoulder again to see if Deston had retuned. "Where has your boyfriend got to?" he asked and although he said it with a smile, his insides burned at the word. He was intrigued, however, when he saw the way Ema shifted uncomfortably and her next words instantly alleviated the fire in his chest.

"He's not my boyfriend, Klavier."

"What do you mean?" Klavier asked quickly, his heart starting to beat fast.

"We decided to separate," she said, avoiding his gaze.

Klavier watched her silently for a moment, wondering at the awkwardness of her tone and while a thousand questions went through his head at this statement, he decided not to pursue them – for now.

"I am sorry, Fräulein," he said.

"I'm okay," she smiled at him. "It was mutual and no drama. That's what makes break-ups so horrible. Do you know that, scientifically, 99% of the time, a nasty break up leaves – "

Klavier began to smile at the way her eyes were shining and the comments she was making. He was astonished, and relieved, to see that the attack and the break up hadn't reduced her to a trembling wreck. Most women he knew would have lived in fear for the rest of their lives after the first time but here she was, smiling and spouting statistics.

This also made him think about the nature of Deston and Ema's break up. Neither seemed particularly cut up about it which backed up what she said. What he wanted to know was the reason – no –

He wanted to know if he was the reason why.

"Are you listening to me fop?" Ema's indignant voice brought him back down to earth and when he focused on her face and it finally sunk in that he could touch her face without guilt, that he could hold her without staining his conscience and that he could tell her how he felt without betraying his friend, Klavier was filled with elation.

He chuckled, rising to his feet and bending over her. He smiled inwardly at the way she seemed to suck in a breath which she didn't release and his smile bubbled to the surface, spreading across his lips when they finally touched her forehead. He kissed her gently before moving back to look into her surprised eyes. "Ja, Fräulein," he murmured. "How could anyone ignore such a beautiful voice?"

Klavier stayed in that position for several long seconds, inches away from her... and he deliberated.

Simon's words rang in his ears suddenly and he recalled his thought that nothing mattered more than telling the one you loved how you felt. He remembered the look on her face the night before, the proximity of their bodies, the hitched breathing when he'd touched her, kissed her hand... And she had kissed him too. She had hugged him. She had touched him in unconventional ways. He could not be mistaken... She must feel something for him. And he could lean in now, press his lips to her soft ones and tell her she was his heart's one true desire. He could seal it all with just one kiss.

But he didn't.

Klavier slowly straightened, never wavering in his gaze. He could kiss her right now – he knew that. And he had a feeling she wouldn't reject him. But Klavier hadn't forgotten the fact that she had just been attacked – and broken up with Deston. As much as he wanted it, he had to respect the situation. He had stayed quiet through so much – he could last a few more days.

Make no mistake, Ema Skye, his eyes said to her. You'll know just how precious you are to me.

She was staring back at him, uncomprehending, almost frozen. When he smiled at her, she looked away and cleared her throat, clearly about to say something but, at that moment, there was a gentle knock at the open door and they both looked to Deston who was staring at them gravely.

"I think it's time we left," he said. "I'll explain everything once we get to our destination."

"Where are we going?" Ema asked as a nurse wheeled a chair in. "I don't need that," she said, flapping a hand and grimacing. "Although I will need one of you to help me up." Deston moved forward but Klavier was faster – he placed a hand around her waist and helped her into a sitting position and when he said she should probably take the chair, Ema snapped again; "I can walk."

Masking the smile on his face, Klavier gripped her gently, but firmly, around her waist. "Then allow me to assist you, my lady." He looked at the nurse who was lingering, hesitantly. "You can go, Fräulein," he said. When she was gone, he turned to look at Deston who was stood in the doorway, an apprehensive look on his face. "Now. Where are we going?"

"Somewhere safe."

Unter der Gűrtellinie! (German) - under the belt

Il colpevole ha deciso di dire la verità (Italian)... Well, why don't you all find out!