Barely A Maid.

Prologue

"Logan !!", she squealed as he tickled her viciously.

Her  childish squeals and laughs echoed in the large room.

"Say it, just once and i'll stop", he teased .

"O--kay kay, you're my hearo", she panted inbetween fits of giggles.

"I can't hear you", he sang.

"LOGAN!! you're my hearo", she squealed.

Abruptly he stopped, smiling fondly at her, "that was'nt so bad, now was it?" he asked helping her off the plush red carpet.

She glared at him playfully, "yes it was".  

He laughed heartily at her defiance. "will some ice cream make it better?" he baited.

"yaayyyyy" she squealed

Both children ran to the massive homely kitchen, thankfully unlike most days, the staff were not to be found. Thirteen year old Logan reached into the overstocked freezer.

"vannila, chocholate, strawberry or caramel?" he asked loking into her twinkling hazel eyes.                 

"chochlate and caramel please" she answere jumping excitedly.

She watched as spooned their ice cream, he pulled a stool out for his little friend and one for himself. They savoured their ice cream, making little effort to talk. When they finished their ice cream, they snuck into the library and he read her a story. This was their usual routine after school if they were'nt busy.

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"Logan!!! stop it", she screamed. Trying to get as far away from the hose he trained at her.                      

  " say it c'mon", he shouted back at her.

By now her uniform was soaked and she was shivering . "You're my hero", she shouted running to hide behind one of the cars in the driveway.

"What was that?", he asked cheekily coming around the car.

She shielded her face, "You're my hero", she screamed louder.

He turned the hose off and gave her a heart melting smile. Her mumbles and curses made him laugh even more, until she threw her shoe at him. He caught it on reflex and would'nt let her have it back. "Giv u little prick", she shouted annoyed and irritated .

"easy now with the language Miss Allen, what would your mother think?", he said a few feet away from her. She launched at his raised hand which held her shoe. In her haste she tripped on a garden loose garden tile. Before she could hit the floor, muscled arms pulled her up smoothly, she was now in Logan's strong arms.

She breathed a sigh of relief at the close call, just then did her body register how close he was, what made her even more aware were the icy blue eyes staring intensely at her. Not knowing what to do and feeling her heartbeat quicken, embarassment made her try and pull away. To her suprise he held her in his vice-like yet warm grip.

"I'm leaving tomorrow" he said in a whisper. His warm breat brushed her forehead . She looked up into those blue eyes that kept invading her dreams, her heart beat pounding a tatoo in her ears.    "Why?", she asked.

How could he go back so soon he's only been home for two months.

"I was called back in, they need me Zara".

"I don't want you to go", she whispered. Her eyes tearing up at the thought of him going away again. "I know i'll miss you the most" he said. His hand lifts her head to look at him. He'd never said that before- in her dreams maybe, but never in real life.

She was sad that he was going away again, she had'nt had much time to spend with him since he returned, he'dbeen busy running the Smith empire with his father and i'd been busy with work and school.

"When will you be back?" she asks vioce catching, from her unshed tears.

"I don't know Zee, i'll try and put in for an early leave".

Unwelcome her held back tears burst forth, "You'll miss my birthday again" she sobbed, "My 18th for that matter". She never got a lot of gifts, but his the one she anticipated the most, with the bonus of his prescence.

"I'll send my gift and try and call okay? Don't cry you know how much it upsets me" he answered softly wiping her tears away.
"Zara i love you", he whispered in her hair.

'What? did he just confess it?' she thought, 'finally' she was'nt the only one feeling this way'.                "I love you too" she whispered.

And in that moment all the two youngsters wanted to do was seal their feelings with a kiss.

"Zaraaaaa!!!!!!!"

Both of them jumped apart from where their lips were about to meet a second ago.

"Zaraa, you better get in here if you want to have a job by tomorrow" screamed Mary from an upstairs window.

She found it hard to meet his eyes, "see you", she murmed before making her way to the house.

She met her mother on the way , who gave her a disapproving look.
"Wach ya self gal, d bwoy be your employer son"

she sighed in defeat. Why did it have to be that way?

"Runna long gal, she be in a bad mood", her mother nudged, giving her a kiss on the cheek before going in.