P2 XVI

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Venus's hip was swollen and sore from the fall, but she tried to mask the pain in front of the others.  

Peter was worse off than she was, and she didn't want unnecessary attention drawn to her.  She knew she wasn't badly hurt and Peter would just fuss over her and not take care of himself.

As the others busied themselves with their own tasks, Venus snuck off to tend to herself.   Once she knew that Peter was fine the pain really set in.

Once out of sight, but within earshot, Venus pulled down the waistband of her pants.  Her hip was a deep purple and a nice lump formed where she landed.

To help reduce the swelling, she picked up a handful of snow, and slowly placed it against her hip.  The cold hit her with a sharp hit to her skin.  She resisted the urge to pull her hand away.

"Venus!" Mars exclaimed, when he came around the tree she was hiding behind.

Mars noticed she vanished and was worried.  He didn't expect to find her like that, and the shock of a large purple blotch on her side took him completely by surprise.

"Mars," Venus scowled, as she threw the snow to the ground and covered herself.

"I thought you said you weren't hurt."

"I'm not," she replied, "it's just a bruise."

"A bruise that's covering your entire side!" He exclaimed. "Why didn't you tell us it was that bad?"

"I was focused on Peter, at the time.  He was attacked...by a lion!  A bruise didn't seem that important."

"It's important to me," he told her.

"Oh, please," Venus scoffed, "If I mattered to you then you wouldn't have been thinking of leaving me behind just because I'm moving to slow."

"I would never leave you behind," he told her again.

"Peter saw you and Bridgit talking," she pointed out.

"He saw Bridgit talking.  Not me.  I will always be here for you," he told her as she reached out to take her hand but she drew away.

"You already have left me, Mars, you've been avoiding me for months!"

Venus could see guilt fill Mars's eyes.  

"V, I..." he tried to explain, but he had no excuse for the way he had treated her over the last few months.  

At first, he was angry that she didn't trust him enough to at least tell him of her escape plan while still in The Cube.  When the anger finally started to fade he was too embarrassed with himself to talk to her.  Then Peter started hanging around her more and she seemed to enjoy his company.  He felt replaced.  He blamed himself, mostly, but the pain grew and grew, the closer the other two got. 

"Do you have any idea what it's like to have your best friend hate you because you tried to save his life?"

"I'm sorry, V." he quietly apologized, "I was being stupid."

"You think?!"

"I'm here now," he told her.  

"I'm an idiot, but we both know that," he joked, "but I won't leave you again.  I'm here for you and I'm here for the babies."

"Maybe it's too late now," she told him.

A chill ran through him as the thought of what she could mean ran through his head.  Visions of Peter holding his children crossed his mind.  The thought of Peter's arms wrapped around his Venus made his blood boil.  He tried to remain calm, but his first clinched at his side.

"You can't just pop in and out of our lives at every whim," she said.

"I'm not popping out again," he assured her.

"Says you!"

"I promise, V, and I've never broken a promise to you, have I?"

"No," she muttered.

"And I'm not going to start now," he told her.

"You've been a little preoccupied with your new 'friend.'  I  just feel like you've completely forgotten about me."

"I could never forget about you," he softly smiled, "I care about you, V, and I care about them," he added pointing to her belly.

It was reassuring for her to know that he thought about the twins too.

Mars to a step closer to her and brushed a finger against her cheek, "I love all three of my girls."

Her heart caught in her throat.  Three girls?  Bridget, her and who? Cas, maybe?

Mars was expecting a smile to show up on her face,  but a frown appeared and a small worry line deepened between her brows.

"What's the matter?" He asked.

"Nothing, " she said shaking off her depression.

He knew something was wrong.   He had just confessed his love for her.  Instead of it making her happy,  like he thought it would,  it seemed to bother her more.

Was it because she wasn't sure how to turn him down?  She was obviously growing closer to Peter.  She looked at Peter the same way she had once looked at him.   It wasn't love, exactly, but  Mars wasn't sure if Venus was capable of love.   He wasn't sure he was capable of it either until he met Venus.

Venus sighed deeply, even though things were getting better between her and Mars, it still felt like there was something between them.   Like an invisible barrier that wouldn't let them be as close as they once were.

She didn't regret leaving the Cube, not for a second,  but she didn't expect the price it was going to cost her to be so steep.

"I better get back to camp," she finally said.   Her eyes were cast down onto the snow in front of her and her voice was heavy with despair.

"I'll walk with you," Mars offered.

In silence they return to find that Bridget had started a small fire.  Peter was resting near it and Bridget flashed Venus and Mars an obvious fake smile.

"You found her," she said.

Peter's eyes flew open and his head popped up to see the both settling in next to the fire.  Mars had ahold of Venus's hand while he helped her to sit down.

Peter knew he had no right to be upset about the two of them being together.   Venus wasn't "his girl."  She wasn't anyone's girl but her owns.  She had to decide who she wanted to be with and he could only hope that it was him.

He didn't have much to offer her.  He wasn't her children's father, and he didn't know her as well as Mars did.  But that didn't mean that he loved her any less.

He didn't want to push her though.   He told her how he felt.   He showed her how he felt.   Now the decision was hers.

A/N:
I know it's been a while.   I have been super busy.   Between the holidays and family stuff I haven't had time to do much writing.   Hopefully this chapter wasn't a let down and will hold you over until I can get the next one written.
Lots of love,
The Reading Mermaid


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