Maxis nodded. "I told you before... I have never seen such potential in a young man, not like I see it in you."

For once of a few times, Maxis sounded serious, and I couldn't say that I didn't thoroughly enjoy the compliment. I smiled.

"Well... thank you for this, Ludvig." I nodded. So that was the story. At least I finally knew.

Samantha came running in as I folded my coat back into the box.

"Come on, Teddy!" She giggled. "Eddy plus T. Teddy." She laughed again and threw a bunch of assorted dolls on the rug.

I couldn't help but smile at her little nickname for me.

"Alright, Sam." I lowered myself onto the carpet and grabbed a figure. "Teddy is here to play."

Sam smiled a grin with her small baby teeth. "You are the bad guy! I'm the good guy who saves all the people in the city! Yipee!" She picked up a small figurine that looked like a soldier, and held him in her left hand. She put another soldier in the right, and handed me a different one.

"So, should we play a game to save the city from the giant man who would otherwise crush it?" I smiled as she burst into laugher at the scene I was acting out with sounds of bombs and explosions.

"Hah, no silly! You have to be the zombies!" She knocked the man figure out of my hand, and gave me a mangled toy, one with torn, rotten looking flesh... and glowing blue eyes.

I looked at the peculiar figure, my face twisting into confusion. "Huh? Zombies..."

She laughed. "Yeah, Eddie!" She smiled, fake shooting my character with her toy soldier.

I scratched my head, and glanced up at Maxis, who simply rolled his eyes. That was odd. A girl her age should be playing with princesses and knights... not guns. And especially not... zombies.

How peculiar.

At any rate, I played along with her game. "Alright, Sam. But don't let me bite you! You'll get infected!" I moved the zombie closer to her soldiers, taking one down imaginarily.

"Ah! Don't worry! My soldiers will always come back! Only if all of them are killed at once, will they truly die!"

I laughed at Sam making up her own silly rules. "Well then, I guess I'll just have to get more minions!" I grabbed two more zombies, and Sam grabbed two more people, one of them being a girl, I think.

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Maxis pick up the paper, and Eliza leaning against the doorframe. I glanced at her, and she had the sweetest expression upon her calm features as she watched Samantha and I play. I almost invited her too, but I knew what would happen.

"Eddie! Pay attention to the game!" Sam cried momentarily, causing me to snap back down. I laughed. "Okay, Okay!" I went back to fighting off her soldiers. I noticed her infinite shooting, which was taking out all of my creatures. "Goodness, do you ever run out of bullets?" I asked, just jokingly.

However, Samantha seemed to really think about it for a moment.

"Hah! Max Ammo!" She yelled finally and resumed shooting.

I rolled my eyes and just chuckled.

A shiny figure caught my eye next. "Who's this big guy?" I picked up a bigger metal toy, that looked like some kind of space gear, and had a person inside of it.

"That's the big bad zombie, he's got a flamethrower!"

I smirked. "Huh..." I examined the armor. "Actually... its not a bad design for excavation armor..."

"Hah! Caught you off guard, Eddie!" She fake-shot down all of my remaining forces. I pouted.

"But wait, you forget, Samantha! Zombies never die!!!" I exclaimed this, and then used my zombies to wipe out all four of her soldiers.

Sam burst into a laughing fit, rolling around and coughing. I found myself actually smiling... It was like being a child with her.

"Uncle Eddie, you are the best zombies player in the world!" She jumped onto me, taking me by surprise. "Daddy never plays with me..." She mumbled.

I pat her back. "Well... I'm sure you just let me win this time," I said, ignoring the sad parts.

Sam smiled up at me, and soon after that, it was dinner time.

After dinner, Maxis and Samantha left with haste, for Ludvig said that they had to visit someone else's home. As I locked the door after seeing them into the night, I felt tired. I was just glad that Maxis was finally out of our hair.

"Oh, Edward..." Eliza came to me, and already I was blushing.

"I am so sorry..." I said, embracing her softly.

She met my eyes with hers as she looked at me tiredly. "It isn't your fault that Maxis is obsessed with you..." She yawned.

I scoffed. "It seems to be that way. But no... I meant... for telling him that I punished you.... I-I didn't mean any of it I swear, I-I,"

"I know... You have to say what you say, Edward. You're good with people thank goodness.... I-I mean if you weren't... We may not be here today." I felt warm as Eliza tippy-toed to kiss my gently on the cheek. I beamed down at her beauty.

I simply held her there, in my arms, and watched the snow fall outside the dark window, where the gramophone lay. And then, an idea popped into my mind.

"Eliza... would you care to dance?" She pulled away just enough to look up deeply into my eyes. She fluttered her lashes and smiled softly, nodding her head.

"I would so love to, Edward." She spoke gently. I broke away from her for a moment, simply to start the music... obviously her favorite one.

Then came another thought. I looked over her.

"Say, Eliza... Why don't you try on your new dress?" I asked as my face heated considerably.

Eliza's eyes widened and she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, blushing.

"I-I don't know, Edward..."

"Please? For me..." I prayed that she would say yes.

She faced me and nodded nervously. "A-Alright..." She disappeared to the attic and I waited, anticipating.

My mind still drifted to this morning. Such force and compassion Eliza had used with that kiss, Verdammt it was so unlike her. So... different. Just a taste, a mere taste of her sent me into shock. I couldn't imagine anything further, what nirvana would await.

Just then, a shuffling was heard, and I wheeled to face it.

Nein.

My eyes fool me.

I have been blinded... by an angel in blue...

I felt as if the breath had been stolen from my body, my lungs would cave in any moment. She walked into the room, like a goddess, with her hands in front of her and her eyes on the floor. Her face was red and so was mine, as I tried to control the tingling happening all over my body. Her curves, her simply braided hair, her fluttering eyelashes, her perfect, fair skin, her plump pink lips, her everything. Her everything was so beautiful.

"I knew I wouldn't look good in this... should I take it off?"

I advanced toward her, and she gazed up at me as I took her in. "Breathtaking... Leave it on. Leave it on." I grinned and kissed her lovingly. She blushed and looked up at me.

I fall in love with her more each time she does that.

"Thank you." She said it simply, and smiled. I laughed and started the music.

Oddly enough, I was more nervous than ever, yet in the same sense, more relaxed that I had expected. She laughed.

"Do you remember how I taught you?"

"I could never forget that night." I said honestly, gripping her small waist, that was cinched, allowing the dress to fit each perfection. The music began and I pulled my beauty even closer to me, so that we were touching. She wrapped her arms around my neck, closer than ever before. I could see it in her eyes... trust.

I stepped to the rhythm, as did she, and we shared many little kissed along the slow ride as we talked.

"Maxis gave you a promotion." Eliza brought up.

"Yes. He did... and he told me that he knew my family." I said to her.

She seemed concerned. "He did...hmm." She said no more about the subject, and I wondered if it was alright.

Soon, the song came to an end.

It was time... time to break yet another rule.

My heart was beating uncontrollably as our bodies separated. She smiled and blushed.

"Now... put on your gloves and hat." I said to Eliza, before she could sit down.

Eliza's POV

"W-What?" I asked, as he told me to put on the gloves and hat. I was confused as to why I would do such a thing. "It's not cold in here...." I observed.

"Please, trust me." He spoke softly, smiling.

I complied and trusted him, getting my gloves and hat, along with my earmuffs. "Here I am... Edward... what are you-" I stopped my sentence when I felt him shift a big coat onto my shoulders, and I put my arms into the warm sleeves. He remained silent while he put on his scarf and coat. He walked o me then, and took my hands.

"Edward...?" I asked cautiously.

"Eliza," He stated, matter-of-factly.

"Edward please tell me, what are you doing?" I begged.

Eddie turned to face me. "I'm doing something I should have done long ago." He led me toward to back door.

"Richtofen, I can't! You know I can't-"

"You can. I am your master. I am your lover....and you are mine. I cannot stand to see you this way. I can't stand to see you trapped like this." Edward lifted my hand, and his lips kissed my warm glove.

"But if Maxis finds out-"

"He won't..." He kissed my palm, causing me to blush. "He won't know. It's dark and the yard is fenced in." He opened the door and my heart began to murmur. For the first time in years, I stepped my foot out of that wretched house... and I felt the crackle of snow under my feet.

"Hold onto me... It's slick." He spoke firmly, as he held my hands.

"E-Edward...." I trailed off, not meaning to even call his attention.

"If you want to go back inside... tell me."

We made our way out into the yard, and already I felt like bursting. I was scared and I knew that was trouble.

But I smiled. I smiled so widely that you could probably see it from space. Snowflakes fell ever-so-gently from the navy blue sky, and I opened my mouth to catch one on my tongue. Suddenly, as fast as the flakes began to fall, my emotions began to rise again.

Edward looked at me, his deep eyes holding his emotions in check. "You alright?"

The funny part was, that even though the snow and the outside was beautiful, as marvelous as it was...

I still couldn't push Richtofen from my heart, not even for one second to enjoy the world around me.

Our noses touched when I pulled him close.

"You are so beautiful..." I sniffled, as he warmed me with his internal heat.

"M-Me? Hah..." He seemed to be flustered and it was so cute to me. "You haven't looked in the mirror lately, have you?" He blushed and I closed the gap between us, comfortable with him once again, for now. Blinded by the compassion of this man whom I had grown to love so quickly. It wasn't fair for him to be stuck with me. Some psychotic girl stuck inside her own mind for ninety percent of each day... but I was sure glad that I had him in my sad little life.

Edward's POV

Happiness was beauty for Eliza. I loved seeing her finally be able to confide in me for comfort... I wanted to be this person for her. I wanted to make her feel like she deserved all of this... no one eve had.

She suddenly began to shiver, as the temperature continued to drop. I grinned and grabbed her hands.

"Come," I said, a bit shyly. "You should get warm." I led her back inside the house and fixed her a cup of hot cocoa. I had her sit on the couch. There was on last, final thing I had to do for her on this Christmas day.

Her journal.

I stalked to my bedroom, where I had held the remains of her torn notebook for over a month. Each night I had worked on it, worked to piece the ripped and scattered pages back together, and back into their original positions. Of course, it would never be the same, but I couldn't let her lose the memories.

I grabbed the book, and after settling into my nightclothes, I came back down to give Eliza her final present.

"Eliza..." I walked into the living room, but stopped and smiled when I was met with the lady's state of slumber. I lay the book down on the end table, and went over to her sleepy form.

Do it, Edward.

Nein! What if she spooks... thinks I'm some sort of creep!

Desire is a powerful thing... and finally, I gave into it.

I slid my arms gently under her body, and lifted her into my strong arms.

You can do this. She is yours, Edward...

I began to step up the stairs and down the long corridor to my bedroom. The room was dark except for the luminous light of the lit moon outside.

I carefully and gently lay my sleeping beauty into my bed, and took a moment to congratulate myself on passing my fears.

I did it. Finally.

I shut the door, blowing out all the candles and shutting down the lights. Slowly and as quietly as possible, I climbed under the covers, next to her. At last, I was able to share the bed with my one and only... to feel her warmth next to me all night, and to keep her safe from all of her nightmares. I spent the whole night simply reveling in the fact that we could spend the night here.

Together.

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Boomsauce! Two Updates in one week, plus my other book! Too bad that's not possible always!!!

Sorry guys, it's almost 5:00 A.M where I am at right now, And I have spent all night writing this... So I KNOW there are mistakes! Please ignore them and I will proofread later! Thank you guys so much, enjoy!!! :)

~Mac