Confessions 1/2

Disclaimers: QOS Characters belong to Fireworks Entertainment. I'm just borrowing them for the time being.

Rating: PG-13

Synopsis: The truth finally comes out… (Sequel to "Testing a Theory")

Tessa glanced down at her father's pocket watch, still questioning her sanity for walking into what was obviously some sort of trap. Five minutes to midnight. Grisham would be arriving any minute now. She read the note one more time, trying to figure out what game the Captain was playing. It had been addressed to Tessa, but was clearly meant for the Queen. 'What's going on here, Grisham? What are you trying to prove?'

She heard footsteps from out in the darkness, beyond the range of the small lantern hanging from the post behind her. Her hands closed around the pair of dueling pistols at her sides, held in place by the red sash she always wore. Normally, she didn't carry guns, but she wanted extra protection this time, in case it really was a trap and she became outnumbered.

"Who's there?" Tessa called out, slowly drawing the pistols.

"Those aren't for me, are they?" Grisham stepped into the light, hands in the air. He appeared to be unarmed, but that didn't really mean anything. The sneaky bastard could easily be hiding a dagger in his boot or a pistol behind his back. Not taking any chances, Tessa kept the guns leveled at his chest.

"That depends."

"On what?"

"On whether or not this meeting turns out to be a trap."

"Oh, come on now…where's the trust?" He inched closer. Tessa cocked the pistol in her right hand and aimed it as his head. "Okay, okay…no need to get testy," he said, backing up to where he'd stood before.

"Trust, Captain? While the last two weeks have been…interesting…they hardly give me a reason to trust you. How do I know that you're not hiding a weapon somewhere? That you don't have men lying in wait to ambush me?"

"I can assure you I'm alone."

"And I'm just supposed to take you at your word?"

"In this case, yeah. As for weapons…well, you can just go ahead and search me if it'll make you feel better." He took a step forward, arms wide open. Tessa returned the uncocked pistol to her sash and, keeping the other pistol trained on Grisham's head, used her free hand to pat him down. As she conducted her search, Grisham stood there patiently with his usual self-satisfied smirk. She found herself staring at his face. At the way his eyes seemed to twinkle in amusement as he watched her work…the way the corners of his lips turned up ever so slightly, offering the barest hint of a genuine smile. And to kiss those lips…try as she might, Tessa couldn't forget that mistaken kiss. She knew it was wrong. After all, she loved Helm—right? And yet, kissing Grisham had felt so good…so different from kissing Robert. The doctor was always so cautious, so unsure of himself. Not Grisham. His kiss had been so full of fire…of unbridled passion unlike anything she'd ever felt before. Not even Antonio could have come close to what the Captain had made her feel with that one kiss.

As her attention was focused elsewhere, Tessa's hand accidentally drifted over between the Captain's legs. His rather…surprising reaction to her touch was enough to bring her back to reality. With a rather undignified squeal, she pulled her hand away and backed up. In her haste to put some distance between them, Tessa sacrificed even more of her dignity by tripping over her own two feet and landing squarely on her bum.

Laughing, Grisham strode over and offered her a hand.

"Find what you were looking for?"

"Not really…" She pushed his hand away, climbing back to her feet without any help. Once standing, she uncocked the other pistol and put it away. "Okay, so you came here unarmed and without backup. What's the game here, Grisham? What are you playing at?"

"What makes you think I'm playing at anything?"

"Let's start with that strange note. Why the hell would you send a note for me to that spoiled Alvarado brat?"

"First, tell me how you got it."

"Senorita Alvarado had Marta pass it on to me once she realized who it was for."

"And how did Senorita Alvarado come to that conclusion?"

"For starters, she hasn't been to the mines since—"

"Ah-ha! I never said anything about the mines in the note. At least, not directly. I made sure that only the Queen could decipher the note's meaning. Isn't that right…Tessa!" Before she could react, Grisham moved in and pushed the mask up to her forehead. "I knew it!"

"H-how?"

"The kiss. Last time someone kissed me like that was when you tried to seduce me, looking for the fever medicine, no doubt. I never forgot that kiss, and after last week it wasn't that hard to put two and two together. But I couldn't be completely sure, which is why I asked you here tonight. I just had to know."

"You bastard! So, what now? You gonna hand me over to Montoya so he can-"Grisham cut off her tirade with another mind-blowing kiss that was sure to leave her weak at the knees. Tessa tried to resist at first, but soon gave in and returned the kiss with as much fervor as she had in Grisham's quarters. Soon, air became an issue and they were forced to part. They locked eyes for a moment, but Tessa quickly turned away. "Go on then. Wouldn't want to miss your big chance at a promotion now, would you?" Gently, Grisham cupped her face in his hand and turned it so they were looking in each other's eyes once more.

"Tessa, the last thing I ever want to do is hand you over to that monster."

Now Tessa was confused. This was the last thing she'd ever expected to happen when Grisham discovered her identity.

"Since when do you think of Montoya as a monster?"

"Since always. The man has made death into an art form, and all I've ever done is stand by and watch."

"You do more than watch, Grisham. You help him."

"True…I am a killer. Never said I wasn't. But I don't take pleasure in it…not the way Montoya does. He gets off on causing pain and suffering."

"I've seen you kill. You seem to enjoy it enough."

"Thrill of the hunt, that's all. I don't fantasize about it…well, almost never. But even so, I do have enough restraint not to act on those fantasies. What about you? I mean, I know you don't like killing. So why do you do this?"

Tessa tore herself away from him, retreating over to the support beam where she had hung the lantern. She leaned back against it and stared down at her feet, trying to compose herself. This was hardly the kind of thing she wanted to discuss with the Captain. But then, he already knew her secret, so there was no going back now.

"My father…he was murdered. I know it. I started this to find those responsible, but the longer I do it, the more it becomes about keeping Montoya from turning into a tyrant."

Grisham suddenly seemed less sure of himself. He too started looking at his feet. Several moments of deafening silence passed between them.

"You really are your father's daughter, Tessa," Grisham said, his voice breaking into the quiet. "I don't care what anyone else says about it."

"What do you mean?"

"Your father was a good man…only one around here who ever treated me like a real person. He found out about Montoya's plans for and empire and tried to put a stop to them. That's why he died…why I had to…"

"It was you!" Upon hearing his confession, Tessa was overcome with rage. She practically leapt over to where he stood and landed a solid right hook to his jaw, sending him sprawling in the dirt. As he sat up, cradling his now-bruised jaw, Tessa pulled her sword and leveled the tip right at his heart. "I should kill you where you sit…give Papa the justice he so rightfully deserves."

"Justice…or vengeance?"

"Does it matter?"

"It would to him. Tessa, please…just give me a chance to explain."

"Why should I?"

"Because, believe it or not, I'm on your side."

TBC