Take My Hand

Twenty-One

Mark Harmon as Eric

"Love and compassion are necessities not luxuries. Without them, humanity cannot survive." -Dalai Lama

He wasn't there in the morning. The bed beside me was cold too and it made me second guess him actually being there. The only reason I knew he was once here, is the open book on the night stand.

I tense when there is a knock at the door and slowly sit up.

"Come in." I say softly then the door cracks open. Eric smiles at me and sets a white towel on the back of the desk chair.

"Would you like me to start the shower for you?" He asks.

"Yes please." I respond and he makes his way to the bathroom. I take a second to get up and I grab some clothes from the closet. As I'm walking out of the closet, Eric is walking out of the room and closing the door. I take the towel from the chair and make my way into the bathroom. The room is already filled with steam and the mirror is already foggy.

I don't take long in the shower and I quickly get dressed when I get out of the shower. When I step out of the bathroom I'm hit with a wall of beautiful notes. I follow the sound to the basement stairs and hesitate before walking down them. At the bottom of the stairs, I stand and just listen to the piano. Eric hasn't noticed me yet and I plan on waiting till he is done before I make myself known.

His fingers move so fast across the piano, but its steady and amazing. Finally, he finishes and sits back a bit. I slowly walk forward.

"That was beautiful, Eric." I say softly and he turns to face me.

"Thank you, Chloe." He says softly and stands.

"Would you like something to eat?" He asks and stand from the piano bench.

"Uh. Yes please." I respond and follow him upstairs to the kitchen. When we get to the top of the stairs I notice a black thing tucked in the back of his pants.

"What's that?" I ask and he looks at me.

"My gun. It's for protection incase someone does find our location." Eric explains and lead he way to the kitchen. I sit on a backless chair at the counter and watch him cook.

"Anything specific that you'd like?" He asks and I shake my head. He starts cooking and a few minutes later he is finished. He hands me a plate of what he made and sits next to me with a plate of his own.

When we finish eating we clean the kitchen together and we sit in the living room together.

"Why don't you go do something for about half an hour and then we will watch a movie." He says and I nod.

"Ok." I say and go upstairs to my room. I make the bed and lay on it trying to read some more. I sound it out but some words I just don't know. I'll have to have Carter go over what I read when he visits again. I take about an hour to read before Eric comes to get me.

"Chloe, would you like to watch a movie now?" He asks.

"Sure." I say and follow him down to the living room. He puts a movie in and sits down next to me.

"What movie?" I ask.

"The Incredible Hulk was one of carters favorite movies when he was little." Eric says and I nod. The movie starts.

"Why don't they listen to him if they don't understand?" I ask when the movie ends.

"They don't like to be told what to do." He says and pauses for a second.

"Come. Quick." He says and quickly stand. He opens a closet and lifts the floor.

"Go down there Chloe. And don't make a sound. Don't come up. I will come down to get you. There is food and water down there if I don't come get you. Do. Not. Come. Up. Unless. Carter. Or. Myself. Comes. To. Get. You. Do you understand?" He asks and I nod. I get in and climb down as fast as I can. Eric waits till I turn on the light before he closes the door. I hear the door to the closet close and I sit in the chair. How'd he get it down here?

I keep as quiet as possible and jump when there is a loud bang of wood on wood. It's followed by soft foot steps.

Soon it's followed by a small explosion and then there are a lot of bangs. Like when Carter saved me.

"Who sent you?" Eric asks and there is a muffled voice.

"She was moved. This house was a decoy." Eric says and there is another bang followed something heavy hitting the ground and foot steps.

"Damnit. We are too late." A new voice says and there is a bang. I stay where I am and wait. While I wait for Eric to come get me I start to doze off and slowly I fall asleep.

When I wake up I jump when I see Carter.

"Chloe. Oh thank god your ok." He says and I nod hugging him.

"Is Eric ok?" I ask and he has tears in his eyes.

"He is in critical condition. He is very hurt. Doctors say that he might not make it but I don't believe them. Eric is the strongest man I know. He has had much worse." He says and I feel my eyes burn.

"What if this is it Carter. What if he doesn't come back." I say softly.

"I don't know Chloe. I just know that Eric made a promise to himself that he wouldn't let himself die at the hands of bad people. That he would choose his own time. And by god. He will succeed or die trying." He says and I nod.

"Can we go now?" I ask and he nods.

"Let me go first." He says and I nod. He climbs up the ladder and I wait. He looks over the ladder and nods.

"Come on." He says and I climb the ladder.

"We are going somewhere else. And this time. I'm staying with you." He says.

"Wait. The book." I say and he smiles.

"Lets go get it." He says softly and we go get it together. Then we quickly get out of the house and into his car.

"Ready?" He asks and I stare at the house for a second before nodding.

"Yeah. Let's go." I say and he starts the car.

"I really hope Eric is ok." I say as he nods.

"Me too."

"Carter I'm sacred." I whisper softly and he looks over at me.

"Why?" He asks.

"Because the guy that shot Eric or something, he sounded familiar. What if he's one of the guys that hurt me." I say quietly and feel the car slow down. He stops it and looks at me.

"Chloe. I promise you, I will protect you with my life. You are everything to me. I am never letting you go." He says softly and gently holds my face in his hands.

"I love you, Carter." I say softly. He leans forward and kisses me softly.

"I love you too, Chloe."

Nuvole Bianche performed by Alexander Flemming

Terribly sorry that I haven't posted anything all summer. I started work and I've seriously been drowning in work. This is the end of this book. But be calm. There will be a third book. I don't know the details on it but it will be starting shortly after I go back to school on September 5th.