This Night

I was totally surprised and thrilled to find that I'd actually received a REVIEW on "This Night" (thanks Joy!) because I mostly only posted the story for myself and I didn't think anyone would read it. But Joy's very sweet review and the hit counter (currently at 20) have inspired me to write another Meggie/Dustfinger story. This was difficult as I actually have no computer. Thank goodness for internet cafes, oder? I also have only the German edition of the book to work from, which is cool because it was originally written in German, but I have actually only been learning the language since September and I don't understand it THAT well. So there are probably lots of mistakes in this story due to the fact that I can't easily skim through the book and find details and descriptions that I need. If you notice something wrong and it bothers you, feel free to let me know and I'll fix it. Otherwise I don't think it's really that important because what I care about are the characters' emotions and all that jazz.

I'm also, by the way, planning a new Meggie/Dustfinger story (that will also feature Farid!) totally unrelated to this one that takes place a few years in the future. That way they can have sex, because I simply won't allow Dustfinger to have sex with a 12 year old. Nope, he can fool around with her all he wants but he can't do THAT!

So yeah, this is sort of a continuation of "This Night" even though that story was supposed to be a one shot. It's another way the scene in the dungeon when Meggie goes with Basta to see Dustfinger and her mother could have gone.

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Meggie wasn't sure if she could trust her own eyes anymore. In the last week she had seen men with guns, a marten with horns, a fairy and a tin soldier summoned from words on a page. And now she saw Dustfinger, her Dustfinger, shoving Basta against the wall of a cell in which the fire-lover himself had only a few moments before been imprisoned, Basta's knife pressed against his own throat. It was the second time Meggie had seen Dustfinger pull Basta's own knife on him, but this time she really wanted him to do it. She wanted Basta to feel the blade press into his soft mortal flesh, to have his last thoughts and feelings be the same as those of his many victims. And for a few moments in which time seemed to stand still and Meggie forgot how to breathe, she thought he would do it.

But she was wrong.

"Of course you're right," muttered Dustfinger and Basta stared, dumbstruck, as the scar-faced man took the keys from his belt with his nimble fingers. "I know nothing of killing. And I'm not going to learn it for your sake." He unleashed one last venomous glare on Basta, turned, and grasped Resa's hand as he began to make his escape up the stairs. But Resa didn't follow, and when Dustfinger turned his head to see what had stopped her, he saw that she was gripping her daughter's hand tightly. Damnit, he thought, as his eyes roamed over Meggie's pale, shocked face. Her eyes seemed to say, "You're going to take my mother but not me?" He remembered how she had felt pressed up against him, her mouth roaming over his bare chest, her inexperienced hand bringing him pleasure beyond his wildest imaginings. Not now, he said to himself, not now!

"Let her go," he urged Resa, forcing his eyes away from Megge's imploring gaze. "Believe me, nothing will happen to her and we can't take her with us." Behind them, back in the cell, he heard Basta's hateful voice taunting him. A sick feeling swelled in Dustfinger's stomach. What if they didn't make it out in time? But Resa stood firm, her hand firmly clasping Meggie's.

"They will kill you if you stay!" But he had already let go of her hand. He wasn't stupid, and he knew when he had been defeated.

"Hey! Guards! Help, the prisoners are escaping!" came Basta from behind. Dustfinger gave Resa one last imploring look, silently begging her to come. He knew it was pointless, and without sparing Meggie a glance he ran up the stairs.

Meggie had been able neither to speak nor to move during the entire interaction, but as soon as Dustfinger was gone, it was as though she remembered how to breathe again. Not even entirely sure why she was doing it, she wrenched her hand from her mother's tight grip and raced up the stairs after Dustfinger. Resa didn't follow her. It was almost as though she understood, though of course how could she?

"Dustfinger!" Meggie cried as soon as he was in sight. He whipped around at the sound of her voice, and Meggie was sure that along with fear and slight annoyance she also saw a hint of pleasure flit across his face. Could it be he was glad she had gone after him? He went to her but did not touch her.

"Go back, Meggie." His voice was low and full of fear. For her? "You're safest back there. You'll never make it out alive with me. They'll shoot us both before they even realize you're there." Meggie suddenly found that she had so many things to say, her tongue wasn't capable of forming the words. She merely stared up at his face. She thought of how he had looked standing over her in her bed, sleep's gentle fingers still clouding her mind, and how he had touched her so gently, like she was something fragile and precious that might break. But this time Dustfinger was anything but gentle as he lay both hands on her shoulders and looked directly into her eyes. "Please Meggie," he begged, "don't do this!"

Suddenly, it was as though a flood gate had been opened as Meggie found her voice again.

"You knew all along," she whispered, the words flowing furiously like ink from a pen. "You knew she was my mother. You liked me because I look like her. You love her, and you wanted to take her away from me. You didn't want to take me..." Dustfinger silenced her with his lips.

It was a hard, bruising kiss, completely unlike those they had shared at the hotel. Dustfinger wanted to tell her that she was wrong, that he had thought that he loved Resa until he met her, that he had wanted Resa partly only as a way to hurt Silvertongue, that he wanted nothing more than to take Meggie away to safety and bathe in the softness of her body where no one would ever find them. But there was no time for words, and he was no poet. He didn't possess the words that Meggie needed to hear in order to understand. So instead, he just kissed her. She didn't respond at first, pushing against his chest with her small fists as her held her firmly around her narrow hips. And then with gentle fingers, he began slowly to caress her hair, and then the soft skin at her neck that he had earlier been so enamored of. With an involuntary moan, she opened up to him, allowing his tongue entry to her small mouth as she scraped at his lips with her teeth. She remembered from before that he liked that especially.

The sound of footsteps from above jarred them out of their passionate embrace. Meggie jumped back, shocked at what had just transpired--hadn't she been furious with him? Hadn't he betrayed her back in the dungeon? But she knew the truth. Dustfinger's kiss had told her all she needed to know.

"I need to go. You'll be safe down there," he whispered, cupping her face with one hand. He brushed away a few stray tears with one finger. Where had those come from? He hadn't noticed that she was crying.

"Be careful," Meggie pleaded. She tried to burn the the feel of his callused fingers against her soft skin into her memory. What if she never felt that again?

Dustfinger smiled, a sad smile that seemed to tell her that he understood what she was thinking. "Of course, Princess." And then he was gone, vanished up the stairs and out of Meggie's life once again. Meggie turned slowly, her mind attempting to make sense of what had just happened, and made her way back down the stairs. Her mother was waiting for her, her arms soft and warm as she enveloped Meggie in a hug. And there they waited in silence for the guards to come and find them.

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Yeah, it's short and I'm not entirely happy with it, but I think that's what would have happened. Meggie probably would have whined and complained a bit more (she does a lot of that in the book), but gosh darnit, there just wasn't time! I don't intend to continue with this story, unless anyone wants me to. If I get just one request for another chapter, I'll be happy to write one, but otherwise I'm going to concentrate on the aforementioned new Meggie/Dustfinger story. And learning German, ha!