Your author lives again!

…

"We who are strong

have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak,

and not to please ourselves."

Romans 15:1

Chapter 23

The north bound train rocked and swayed gently to the beat of its chugging gears as its passengers slept in their respective box cars. It had to be nearly midnight, most were asleep, yet there were some on that train who couldn't find such desirable unconsciousness even if their lives depended on it.

Rosette slid open the door to box number 12 having returned from the toilet. Chrono was her only roommate, with Reverend Jack and Brother James further up in box 8 being the next closest allies on-board. The Order had been lucky to find enough available seats for them all. Rosette closed the door and sat down on the plush seat with a tired plop.

"Have any trouble?" Chrono whispered. He had no desire to wake the cars' sleeping occupants nearby.

"Not too much," she softly answered back. Sister Anna had shown them how to get to and from their small room to the toilet if they needed it in the night.

Their small enclosed room held two opposing benches with a shelf up above for their luggage. It wasn't spacious but it was a lot nicer than being in the cheap seats in the rear lower class cars. It was nice of the Order to allow the 16 of them traveling a bit more comfort than what would be minimally required for their journey. Chrono and Rosette sat opposite one another feeling more exhausted than ever. It had been an intense evening with all the hurried preparations. Sister Kate had worked tirelessly calling everyone you could imagine. It could have been a logistics nightmare, but she kept on top of it all. Churches all in the area were rapidly mobilizing to the north to hopefully stop the evil schemes that had been set in motion. The older woman had become pretty good at organizing large scale missions. However, unbeknownst to Sister Kate, Rosette had made a few of her own calls for assistance when they had departed their compound bound for the train station. Rosette had made her driver quickly swing by the café before dropping them off.

:::::: FLASH BACK ::::

"Okay Rosette we are almost to the train station," Eleanor, a new young recruit informed as they sped off into the night. "OH! And next to you on the seat is a stack of print copies of Mr. McCain's photo to take with you," she informed slightly distracted with reading street signs.

"Photo prints?" Rosette asked as she felt the seat next to her. "When did they have time to make these?"

Eleanor smiled. "Actually that would be me. I'm a good wood carver. My father is in the print shop business, so I had learned the craft at a young age," she sweetly reminisced. "When I heard a photo had been found, I quickly volunteered to carve a likeness so we could pass out fliers when we get to the Canadian train station."

Chrono was impressed.

"That won't be fast enough!" Rosette shot down as she quickly did the basic figures in her head. "If he's already broken the seal, he'll be heading south by now."

What could they do? It wasn't as if they could transmit a photo over a phone line and McCain surely wasn't traveling under his own name.

"I'VE GOT IT!" Rosette suddenly yelled causing Eleanor to swerve. "Quick! Stop by Caffe Pugliese!"

"Um, Sister Rosette, we really don't have time for coffee," she sheepishly informed.

Chrono caught on instantly.

"Do it!" Rosette pressed. "I don't have time to explain! I'll make it quick I promise!"

The urgency in her voice and the intensity in her face was enough for the young girl to concede. "Okay, but it will really have to be fast," she emphasized as she sped up.

The moment their car pulled up along the shop front, Rosette was already out the door before the wheels could fully stop.

"SETH!" Rosette yelled out as she stumbled forward with a stack of papers in her hand. "Seth!" she called again looking around. The two angels out front were unknowns to her, but then she spotted the familiar face flying down from the roof (most likely).

"What's wrong?" Seth asked immediately.

"It's bad! We need your help!" Rosette passed off the stack of prints to the angel with urgency. Eleanor watched in confusion from behind the wheel as Rosette talked with herself, but was then shocked to see her papers vanish from sight.

"That's the possessed man we saw earlier," Seth recognized instantly.

"Yes, his name is Herbert McCain and he may have released the locus demon swarm hive that was meant for the end times up in Canada!"

A righteous rage flashed across Seth's face. The two other angels by the door gathered round to see for themselves.

"What do you need?"

Rosette was thankful for his willingness. "We are heading north now, but he might try to leave before we get there and we can't have him opening any other hives. Aion put him up to this. We need you to get these photo's to our allies up in Montreal and other surrounding cites to pass out to every train station, bus station and plane run way. We have to find him!"

"It will be done," Seth promised and with that he nodded to his comrades, released his wings and shot into the sky.

::::::::::: END FLASHBACK ::::::::::::::

Chrono sat leaning up against the outer wall in silence. He earlier had rid the train of any pesky red imps the moment their box car pulled out from the station. He wanted to be able to see trouble coming easily. Their train had made one stop to pick up more passengers along the way, causing Chrono, with the aide from one off the brothers to guide him, to rid the train of demonic pests once more. It hadn't been that taxing however, it worried him that Rosette hadn't been saying much. He was proud of her quick thinking earlier, but knew despite her fire she had shown in her words and actions, he knew she still had yet to emotionally accept what was happening. Chrono took a deep breath. He had hated watching Rosette kiss her brother's forehead in goodbye; likewise the same with Azumaria. She had left them in Sister Kate's care unsure if she'd ever return alive.

Who were they kidding? When it came to Aion's plans, death followed and they knew it oh so well.

"Chrono," Rosette finally spoke.

"Hn?" he slightly looked up.

"Let me sit beside you," she bade. Sitting across from him wasn't enough. Rosette was feeling alone and distant. She needed contact with him to ground herself in the moment and not fall prey to her fears.

"Of course Rosette," Chrono easily answered as he slid fully against the far wall to give her room on his bench.

Rosette reached out to feel for the bench lip and then moved over with a slight wince; she still had several unhealed injuries from the bite wounds.

The faint sharp intake of breath from her, Chrono's ears caught easily, and his pulse quickened.

Rosette was about to curl into his side for comfort but was stopped with his hands gently guiding her shoulders to face him squarely.

"Chrono?" she whispered.

"Rosette… now that we are finally alone may I ask you something?" he asked quietly with a bit of nervousness hinted in his voice.

Rosette smirked at how timid he looked. "Anything," she answered.

Chrono's blind gaze slowly looked down her body with his hands trailing from her shoulders down to her waist.

Rosette didn't know what to make of his movements.

"Please," he began. "Please let me heal all of your injuries," he finally asked. "I'm stronger now," he reasoned. "I promise you I won't pass out and we have hours for me to recover before we hit Canada."

"Chrono-"

"I can't have you injured again," he cut off. "Who knows what we are about to face and I don't want either of us to hold back on account of your pain and I'm not certain I'll be quick enough to save you in my current sate either." Chrono felt purely miserable for having to admit his weakness.

Rosette lifted her hands from her lap and gently guided his hands from her waist into her own and squeezed. "Chrono… I trust you."

He looked up.

"If you tell me you won't faint on me, I'll believe you," she softly encouraged.

Chrono finally cracked a smile. What was he getting all worked up for? "You'll let me heal all of them?" he asked. "No matter how small?"

Rosette smiled. "If it has no negative effect on you, then sure."

He beamed down at her. She was his precious treasure he wanted to spoil and protect forever if he were allowed it.

The train jarred a bit as is crossed onto a new track causing Rosette to pitch forward onto Chrono. He quickly steadied her all the while still smiling; his precious little hazard. "So where first?" he asked.

"My leg, but let me first check the window curtains," she remembered. It may be late in the night, but she still didn't need any gawkers. She carefully stood and fingered the walls. Once she was fairly certain of their privacy, she sat back down and lifted her leg up for inspection. "The leg you already healed is perfectly fine," she explained. "But this left one still has a few nips, punctures and scratches."

Chrono gently took the leg into his lap and began unlacing her boot. It took a bit of twisting, but he managed to get it off easily enough. It was the moment when his hands began to ghost up her leg, his fingertips dipping around the lip of her thigh-high stockings, did they both begin to blush. "Is this okay?" he thickly asked for permission.

Rosette suddenly didn't trust her own voice and only nodded.

Chrono nodded in return, then began to pull her stocking down her leg, peeling it off her and disregarded the garment onto the opposing bench. He practically held his breath as he placed his hands on her bare calve. Gently Chrono began his focus on the few bandaged areas he could see, carefully removing the tape and gauze to allow him to place his palm directly on the wound to heal it.

Rosette couldn't help but bite her lip from both the dull ache from the wounds as well as the arousing sensation of his rough hands upon her skin. Her heart hammered within her as she watched Chrono give his full attention to the meticulous task of healing. It didn't take long before those areas that were bandaged on her leg were completely healed.

Seeing no protest from the woman who would forever be his master, Chrono moved to do a full once over by starting at her foot. Expertly, he began to massage Rosette's foot, kneading deep into her arch and heal. Rosette let her head fall back in pure bliss. Limping on and off all week had been taxing on her body. They had all the time in the world, so neither were in a hurry. Slowly, Chrono continued up her leg, giving a deep tissue massage all the while removing any inflammation he found there.

Rosette felt him work through her calve and up to her knee and it was only when his hands past over her knee and onto her thigh did his movements cease. Rosette lulled her head back up, "Chrono?" she whispered. She watched as he made hardly a move other than his Adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed before moving his hands once more. Rosette shivered involuntary as she felt his hands slide up her thigh.

No longer was he massaging deeply. All Chrono could control his focus on now was removing inflammation and healing minor mussel tares. There was so much more he would rather do with such an opportunity, but he valiantly tried to keep such thoughts from his mind. However, his attempts at a clear mind were all in vain as one hand began to trail up along the high slit of her dress as the other dipped beneath the fabric and up along her inner thigh.

Rosette inhaled sharply at the intimacy of his touch. No one had ever touched her like this before, but she made no move to stop him. Rather she leaned a bit back to allow him the ability to reach the top.

Chrono was sure his face was burning red from watching her move to allow him easier access. Did she have any idea what she made him feel? Carefully his hands continued up until finally reaching her hip. Chrono ghost his hands all along the crease of her leg, his fingertips gently grazing the edge of her panties and for the hundredth time in his life since he had known her, he wondered how he was still sane in her presence. His body shuddered. "I'm finished with your leg," he managed to say. Did she always smell this good? "Where next?" he asked thickly.

Rosette knew they were heading north to Canada, but she could swear it was getting rather hot in their train car. "My left side," she said when she finally found her voice. "And part of my back."

Nodding in reply, Chrono gently lowered her leg back down on the ground. "How does that feel?" he asked. He watched as she wiggled her toes and flex her leg.

"Better than new," she beamed.

"So how do you want me to do this?" Chrono sheepishly asked. "My skills are rusty at best and therefore can't really work through fabric all that well," he admitted.

They both looked at each other with a nervous energy between them. "I think we both know the answer to that," Rosette bravely spoke.

Chrono nodded dumbly as he watched with bated breath as Rosette began to unclasp her corset. Awkwardly setting it aside, Rosette carefully stood amidst the rocking of the train car. Chrono gave her a helping hand to steady her and guide her to stand in front of him. Now without her corset, her dress hung loosely on her frame.

"Um…" Chrono couldn't help but feel shy.

Rosette stiffed a nervous laugh; he raised an eyebrow. "Chrono… you are thousands of years old. Why are you so nervous? Aren't I supposed to be the one embarrassed about having your hands on my bare skin?"

Chrono's face felt like it was burning redder than hell fire. "This coming from the girl that would purposely try to entice me with that sweet rear end of yours just to entice me to give you the chance to gamble more at the slot machines," he deadpanned. "Not to mention that little map stunt you did earlier today."

Rosette chuckled quietly from the memory.

"And you have no idea the things I could do to you, you better believe I'm being shy," he mumbled as he grabbed her by the waist and jerked her a step forward so she was now standing between his legs.

Rosette's laughter swallowed up in her throat.

Hesitancy gone, Chrono pivoted his mistress so as to have better access to her left side. Gently he placed his hand along the exposed slit of her dress and began to snake his hand up.

Rosette shivered from his touch only briefly as he was quick to reach the large bandage that covered most of her left side and circled around to part of her back.

"Rosette!" Chrono said alarmed. "Why didn't you tell me you had another sever injury?" He began to fight her dress to lift it up a bit. Quickly Rosette took over, gathering up the fabric to hold it up as high as her bra line, exposing her entire left side. Chrono began to remove the bandage as carefully as he could. The sent of dry blood hit his nostrils causing his countenance to darken. Several wounds had lay beneath the gauze, many of them with stitches. He looked up, "Why didn't you say anything?" he asked darkly. He could have dealt with this earlier; these were no small wounds.

Rosette winced again, "Well, honestly Chrono… I've kind of gotten a higher tolerance for pain in recent years, ya know." She sighed and dropped her head. "It wasn't always like I had someone in the Magdalene Order to instantly heal me these past years, and frankly after dealing with the pain of being the 'Holy Woman'… it just takes a lot more to slow me down if you catch my meaning."

Sadly, Chrono did know what she was meaning. "I'm sorry," he finally said as he began to move his hands along her stomach and side.

"It's not your fault," she mumbled the familiar phrase.

Chrono didn't believe that for a heartbeat. "Even still… I wish you would have told me about this sooner. The way you've been moving and acting… even I couldn't tell," he admitted bitterly.

Rosette could only give him a sad smile.

As time ticked away at the night, Chrono gently eased Rosettes burden of discomfort and pain. By the time he was finished, he was physically drained and emotionally frazzled.

Rosette buried her embarrassment as she worked to make herself proper again. With the lacing of her boot, she finally was able to curl up against her protector and friend. "Thank you," she mumbled. The healing had been a great distraction. She reached for his hand and pulled his arm across her so he could hold her tight.

"You are welcome Rosette," he softly replied as he tightened his grip around her.

Swaying softly back and forth, comfortably in each other's embrace, both free from the pain of mortal wounds… they could feel the tangible desire to stay like that forever hanging in the air around them.

Eventually Rosette let out a big sigh.

"What is it?" he softly asked.

"Just everything," Rosette answered vaguely at first. "Ignoring the whole Aion mess we have to clean up… I wonder where Remington is. He was supposed to come back after three days and it has now been a week I think."

Chrono had forgotten about him. "I guess he must have a new assignment," Chrono reasoned. "He's probably long overdue for another job."

Rosette didn't care for that response. "Ya, but I feel like he would still pay me a visit. There is no way he would leave without saying good bye."

"You have a point." Chrono wasn't about to argue with her right now. "Try to get some sleep, Rosette," Chrono now coaxed. "We probably only have a few hours left until dawn."

He could feel her nod against his chest. The calm and warm embrace could easily lull her to sleep, but after a few moments she tilted her head up to see Chrono's face. "Are you planning on sleeping?" she whispered.

His lips cracked into a slight smile. "You know I don't really need to sleep anymore, right?" he teased.

"But doesn't sleeping help?"

His small smile faltered. This woman… how did she always manage to corner him. "Usually, yes," he answered honestly. "But since we have been resurrected… let's just say now that I'm getting my strength back, I'd prefer to stay awake."

Rosette tilted her head back down and deepened her snuggle against him. "Nightmares," she knowingly understood.

"Nightmares," Chrono softly repeated. The war that was raging within him was violent and torturous. It wasn't something he was eager to endure. At least it wasn't constant any more.

A sudden air pressure change alerted them someone had entered the far forward end of their train car. Their private little world was briefly interrupted as they watched an old tired train attendant slowly make his rounds past their box car door, and with another sudden rush of air and a noisy railing of train gears and rods chugging away, the man left their car and into the next without incident.

"If it makes you feel any better," Chrono softly continued. "I feel somehow less… restless, if that helps."

Rosette mumbled something incoherent as she buried her face in his shirt. The brief encounter with the train employee made Rosette realize just how tired she really was.

Chrono smiled at his charge and let her find her rest.

It was the early morning and the train was rapidly approaching the end of the line; the station in Montreal, Canada. Reverend Jack Guilliam left his group, who were gearing up for arrival, to go fetch their two blind allies.

Tap, tap

"Rosette, Chrono, it's me Reverend Guilliam. May I come in?" he called from outside their door. A few other passengers scooted by him, but he never heard a reply from within. "Rosette?" he called again, this time trying to hear any sounds. With no response, Jack tried the handle and found it unlocked. "I'm coming in," he called. The pine door creaked open and there he saw Rosette sprawled out on Chrono fast asleep and snoring. Chrono had his legs propped up at an angle on the opposing bench, and he had his head tilted back with his mouth wide open, clearly just as unconscious as his partner.

Jack could only shake his head and smirk. What a scene. Quietly he shut the door behind him.

Walking back, he caught Sister Mary coming down the passage way.

"Does Rosette need my help?" she asked the reverend.

He smiled down at her, "Not yet, let them sleep a bit more. Come wake her up once you feel the train slow down for arrival," he decided.

The blond knowingly understood. "That I can do."

Greetings! I am embarrassed to see how long it has been since I have posted. I seem to write only when I'm on ships, not when I am stationed on land. However, I am temporarily assigned elsewhere until September. I hope to get some writing done in my hotel room! Cross your fingers!

TBC…