Borderlines

Chapter Twenty-Six

Warning: Another Romantic Chapter. I mean it's Travis so....just expect some heat with this one.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Travis had been right about the cold. Fawn woke up to find herself pressed against his body and her face buried in his neck. Heat radiated off him like a furnace and she figured he must have been a naturally warm person. Fawn laid there until Travis got up and still stayed until she heard him rustling around in the living room. Fawn sat up on one arm and looked at him, unpleasantly frightened at what she saw. Travis was holding a pistol and he was loading it. He looked up and saw her staring.
"It's for protection. Like I said, some people don't really like me." He said to her. Fawn climbed out of his bed.
"I thought we couldn't carry weapons, only the guards can." Travis smirked.
"The guards don't know." He clicked the magazine in place.
"I'm not sure about you, but I don't trust all of our guards." Fawn noticed how tense he was and remembered that they were traveling to Alaska at her request.
"You sure I can't change your mind about this?" He asked, as if reading her thoughts. Fawn shook her head. Travis left the gun on the table and went into the kitchen, grabbing some food. Fawn changed into her best casual clothes she packed, knowing that dressing as rich as she was wouldn't earn the people's favor. Travis was waiting with her at the door, when she came out.
"Nice outfit." He said before opening the door. Fawn rolled her eyes and followed after him, squeezing into his small car once again. The airport wasn't a terrible distance away and they were there in no time. They boarded their flight to Juneau which was going to be two hours and thirty minutes. Fawn pulled her sweater closer while the plane took off, Travis had grown eerily quiet, no doubt from being unhappy about this trip. Fawn hoped he would loosen up as the day went on. Fawn scooted over beside him, deciding to close the little space between them. His green eyes flickered to the side before he continued looking out the window. Fawn frowned and moved away from him. If he was going to be so grumpy she would leave him alone. She felt his rough hand tug her back towards him and she looked at his sullen face. He was still looking out the window, but Fawn knew he noticed her reaction. It wasn't much, but at least he wasn't completely shutting her out. Fawn kissed his cheek.
"Is this how you're going to act the whole day?" She asked, adding a tone of whine to her voice, hoping to sway his attitude a little. Travis looked at her and raised an eyebrow.
"I don't have much patience for whiners." He said. Fawn glared at him.
"Fine." She huffed and turned away from him. Let him be impossible if he wanted to be. Travis cupped her chin and dragged her face towards his.
"Don't do that again though, I don't like the effects it has on me." He fit her mouth onto his and kissed her slowly. Fawn closed her eyes, she liked this much better then the silence.

~

When the plane landed Fawn noticed Travis was tense once again. She zipped up her light sweater and let him help her out of the plane. He didn't release her hand this time, which Fawn didn't mind. Juneau looked like a busy town from what Fawn saw as they exited the airport. What Fawn couldn't ignore was the giant building surrounded by guards dressed in black. Fawn noticed some people who were walking by stop and watch her and Travis. Travis's hand slip toward her elbow and he pushed her lightly in front of him, towards the building entrance. He showed his ID to a guard who showed them in, walking close behind them. Someone walked toward Fawn.
"That won't be necessary." Travis said quickly. The guard stopped and nodded, their masked face concealed. Travis pulled Fawn along the corridor.
"What was that?" She asked, keeping her voice low so the following guard couldn't hear.
"They were going to pat you down, nothing you or I wanted to see happen. I don't trust a few of these guards not to get too touchy." Fawn shivered a little at the thought. Travis stopped at a giant door and bid the guard to open it. The guard scanned a card and then stepped away. Travis typed a code into a keypad and the door slid open. Fawn's eyes widened. She was surrounded by a room full of every weapon that was in possession of the United States.
"Wow." She said as guards shuffled by, carefully guarding the armory. Fawn had never seen so many guns in her life and they weren't the only things in the room. Grenades, rockets, and other large weapons lined the walls, all confiscated at the beginning of the reign of the first king and queen. Travis was talking to a man who had no mask on, but wore an air of authority. Travis was frowning and his green eyes were troubled. Fawn pretended not to pay attention until he walked back over with a sigh.
"What's wrong?" Fawn asked him. Travis rubbed his temple.
"Weapons got stolen again. Thirty guns and a few smoke bombs by the sound of it. No evidence left behind again. That's the third time in a week." Fawn felt a heavy weight in her stomach. That was not good.
"Do you suspect anyone? I read about the Black Ivy maybe they-" Travis gripped her arm tightly and brought a finger to his lips. Fawn saw the guard straighten behind her.
"Don't ever mention that group again." Travis hissed harshly and released her arm quickly. His eyes darted over to the guard who was pretending like he hadn't heard a thing. Fawn looked at her arm, the iron grip of Travis's hand could still be felt even though it was gone. Travis coughed and rolled his shoulders.
"Guard, I think we're done here." He said in a manner that suggested nothing had transpired. The guard turned on his heel swiftly and led them back to the door they had entered through. Fawn touched her arm and glanced at Travis. What about the Black Ivy could trigger such a reaction from him? He had almost seemed angry that she would suggest such a notion. He must know as much as she did, but he wasn't about to let onto it. One thing was clear though, Fawn should never mention the rebellious group again. When they walked down the corridor and out of the building, Fawn's skin prickled with unease. The guard that accompanied them showed them out of the gate. It felt like his gaze was boring into her. Fawn cast a glance over her shoulder and even though she couldn't see his eyes, she was sure he was watching her. Travis took Fawn downtown into Juneau and soon she noticed they were on the outskirts.
"You wanted to see it, now you can." He said quietly, Fawn noticed the steely edge to his voice. She took in the scene around her, never being able to forget what she saw. Poverty, it was everywhere. Fawn could see people tucked up in alleyways, sleeping on newspapers. There was a women on the street corner begging for money. Children in rags ran across the broken street, playing a game with some sort of ball. Fawn felt like she could be sick. How could people live like this? What had forced them to live like this? Travis squeezed her hand and she looked at him.
"Still think the crown doesn't show favoritism?" He asked bitterly. Fawn looked down, feeling ashamed. He had been right all along. The East looked nothing like this. Everyone had food, everyone was sheltered.
"I never knew it was this bad here." Travis just nodded, making her feel more guilty.
"Everytime, we asked the crown for so little, just enough to help these people get by. Everytime the crown promised." He chuckled sadly.
"Empty words that began to fall on deaf ears. Now you know why I do what I do. I can't stand by and watch my people dissolve into nothing, not like my parents did." Fawn looked at him and she could have sworn she saw moisture glittering in his eyes. He turned away from her, hiding his emerald green eyes. Fawn squeezed his hand and glanced over at a little girl who was watching her. Brown dirty hair surrounded a pale face and the girl was dressed in a tattered rag of a dress. Fawn left Travis's side for the first time today, unzipping her jacket as she moved closer to the girl. The girl didn't move, in fact she stared at Fawn with brown defiant eyes. Fawn bent down to the girls level.
"You look cold, would you like my jacket?" She asked. The little girl looked at Fawn and narrowed her eyes.
"Mommy says we don't take no charity from no one." Fawn looked up, seeing the women that stood a few feet back from the little girl. The women was regarding her coldly. Fawn swallowed, these people knew who she was, they knew she had ignored them. Fawn looked at the girl again.
"Don't think of it as charity. Think of it as an apology." Fawn knew the little girl wouldn't understand, but the mother would. The little girl glanced at her mother, who after a few seconds, nodded her head slowly. The girl took the jacket from Fawn wordlessly and ran to her mother. Fawn stepped away, almost backing into Travis. He was watching the whole situation tensely and took Fawn's hand as soon as she came back to him. When they exited the block, Travis stopped and took his jacket off and held it out to Fawn.
"You'll make me look bad if you walk around without a jacket and I do." Fawn smiled and took his small token of affection. It was big on her of course, but it smelled like him and it was warm. Travis gave her a small smile and it warmed her body more than the jacket did.

~

Fawn stretched her legs as she got out of Travis's cramped car. She might never get used to riding in that thing, but Travis loved that car. They walked together up to his house in the dark. The sun had set completely on their ride back. It was a breathtaking view from their plane. Travis turned on the light when they entered the house and Fawn began to shrug his jacket off. She could hear him setting his gun on the nightstand. She wondered if he always carried it.
"So what did you think?" Fawn looked at him.
"Of what?" She asked.
"Everything." Travis answered. Fawn sighed.
"I learned a lot and I needed too." She said quietly, still feeling guilt from earlier. Travis walked over to her, brushing hair out of her eyes.
"That was sweet of you, to give that girl your jacket." Fawn swallowed, when his lips touched her throat.
"It was kind of a turn on." He chuckled against her skin. Fawn's body filled with heat.
"I just did what I felt was right." She managed out. Fawn decided to play with his feelings the way he had messed with hers a little.
"Are you trying to beat Garth at romancing me?" She asked, sliding out of his reach. Travis regarded her with unreadable green eyes.
"I could beat Garth at any game he tries to play." He said coolly. Fawn looked at him.
"Try then." She smirked. Travis walked towards her and pressed his palms against her hips. His teeth touched the tip of her ear and trailed down it. Fawn's limbs felt like they were on fire. She was getting into a dangerous game.
"You'll have to try harder." She murmured and moved away again. In flash Travis had moved and suddenly the room was pitch black. Fawn laughed even though her heart rate jumped.
"Light's off? Really Travis? This is child's play." She tried to locate him as her eyes adjusted. She didn't have to. Strong hands wrapped around her waist lips met the side of her throat.
"Is it Fawn?" Travis's voice hit her ear and Fawn let out a hard breath. He held her tight, thumbs pressing down against her hips.
"There's a reason Ruth chose me out of everyone else." Fawn would have responded in anger if his hand moving didn't distract her. Travis spun her around and she came face to face with him. His form was outlined by the dark.
"You'll find that out soon enough." He said in sultry voice. Fawn was taken aback as his lips pressed against hers and he placed a hand on her throat. An explosion of heat coursed through her skin and Travis was acute to it as he slid his hand along the back of her shirt. He was moving her, she could feel their retreating footsteps and she knew exactly where he was taking her. He halted for only a second to let his lips trail down the front of her neck. Fawn closed her eyes and a moan slipped out of her lips whether she wanted to or not.
"Keep talking to me." Travis whispered as his teeth grazed her collarbone. Fawn came forward, catching his lips with her teeth. Travis gave a sound of pleasure and pushed her back a little. Fawn's calves hit a bed frame. Her breath caught in her throat. Travis placed his hand on the mattress, pushing her back. Fawn let her legs buckled willingly and dragged him down with her. Travis used her arms wrapped around him to drag her further up unto the bed. He sat up for a minute and Fawn felt his hips straddling hers. She watched as he peeled his shirt off, revealing his muscled body that reflected some moonlight from his window. Fawn felt adrenaline rush through her veins and he leaned down and molded his lips to hers, forcing her mouth open. Fawn let out a long groaning sound and pushed her fingers deep into his hair, wrapping her legs around him. She wanted him to take everything, she wanted him to keep pushing. He pulled her up and Fawn saw him flash a grin. His lips met her collarbone eagerly.
"Say my name." He whispered, pushing his body down onto hers.
"Travis." Fawn gasped, without thinking. He got off of her completely and Fawn scrambled up, trying to pull him back. He flipped on the light, shirt in hand. Fawn watched in astonishment as he pulled it on silently. Her cheeks burned with an intense heat. Fawn stared at him angrily. Her body was shaking from the intensity of the moment. Was he playing another game with her?
"Travis." She hissed out his name. He smirked at her.
"Have to save something for our wedding night." He said and smoothed down his crazy hair.
"Don't want to go breaking the rules do we?" Fawn glared at him, the hunger inside her dieing. He thought it was funny. Fawn got up and stomped out of his room, pushing him out of the way. She quickly changed into night clothing and stomped back into his room, sliding under the already warm blankets. Travis laid down beside her, turning off the light again. Fawn was able to ignore him trying to pull her against his chest for about half an hour before she gave up and let him hold her.
"Did I win?" He whispered in her ear. Fawn elbowed him and he gave an 'oof'.
"It took all of my willpower to pull out of that one, I just want you to know that." He settled his body against hers, his nose barely touching her neck. Fawn sighed, she couldn't stay mad at him for too long. He did ignite feelings deep inside of her in a different way then Garth had. Horror struck her. Tomorrow...tomorrow was the day. Travis must know the standings. He must know that he was probably going to lose.