Side Stories: Jaxle

Piper looked at it for a few seconds and turned her head sideways. "It's cute, In a sort of depressing way." she said, she never really liked cottages. It looked a bit like her grandma's cottage, the one she grew old in and died in. Making all cottages depressing for her.

Jaxle stepped out of the van, going round to collect the bags. He pulled them out of the van, opening the door with one hand. "Wow...I haven't been here in ages." He said, smiling. He put the bags down and clicked his fingers. The fire started up in the fireplace. He walked over to a chair and sat down, then looked over at Piper. "Make yourself at home, and when you're ready, choose a bedroom upstairs." He said, smiling.

Piper looked around the cottage; it was bigger than her grandma’s. She stared at the walls, surprised there weren’t animal heads hanging over the fireplace.
She looked back at Jaxel. “I’m not even going to ask how you got this cottage.” She said with a smile.
She trailed her fingers along the stair railing and walked up the stairs. She looked around the second floor seeing a few bedrooms. She picked one with a big window and that was close to the stairs. Just in case of a quick get-away.

Jaxle sat in the armchair, staring at the fire, thinking. What the hell had he got himself in to? More importantly, what the hell had he got Piper in to? He shut his eyes like he was asleep.

Piper brought her bags up and when she came down she took one look at Jaxel and smiled. He looked like he was asleep.
Piper walked towards him. "Jaxel?"

Jaxle opened one eye. "Hmm?"

"How long will we have to stay here?" She asked brushing her hair over one shoulder and sitting on a chair across from him.

"Not for too long. Why? don't you like it?" He asked, or don't you like me? he added in his head. He couldn't blame her. He closed his eye again, resting his head on his hand.

Piper shook her head. "No, I like it here. I just was wondering how long i have to make up an exscuse for my absents at work. My boss wouldn't believe me if i said my house was blown up." she put a nervous laugh at the end of the sentence.
Piper yawned.
She rubbed her eyes, being too stubborn to let sleep take over.

Jackal paused. "Job? Stuff that..." He said, pulling out a thick wad of money and throwing it on to Piper's lap. "Who needs a job when you have money?" he asked, grinning and winking.

Piper smiled but threw it back. "I can't take that, you probably will need it way more than me. Considering the fact that you probably move around alot." She brushed hair away from her eyes and rubbed sleep away.

Jaxle sighed. "Well, suit yourself." He said, then paused for a second, opening his eyes. "Tired?" He asked, then felt stupid for doing so.

Piper shook her head. "i'm not going to sleep." She said blinking hard. Her eyelids began to droop close and she quickly opened them. She didn't like sleep, Sleep was the only time you were vulnerable. And she hated to feel weak.

Jaxle pulled out his revolver. "Look..." He said tipping out the shells. "I couldn't bring myself to try thst again..." he said, looking down. He put the revolver on a table next to him.

Piper chuckled. "My stubbornness for not sleeping has nothing to do with you or that gun." She said her eyelids feeling heavy. "It started after my brother died. I feared sleep because I had reoccurring dreams, and I never felt safe during the night." She felt like how she felt after she had found out her brother was using drugs, she felt helpless and sad, and tired.

Jaxle brought his legs up, curling up on the chair. "Well trust me, you're safe here. I have a bagload of guns right here," He reminded her, in as soothing a voice as he could manage. The fire flickered over them, in the darkness, casting distorted shadows.

Piper nodded slightly. "thanks again." her voice was almost a whisper, her eyelids closed and she fell asleep.

Jaxle watched her sleeping for a few minuites, then sighed. The fire flickered out, and the only light left in the room was two electric blue circles of glowing light, then they went out as Jaxle shut his eyes.

Piper dreamt of her brother again, the same dream she had whenever she slept. it was just them sitting in an interrogation room, the clock ticking away and always when the hand reached the three the scene would change to the alleyway where the assassin would shoot her brother till he was just a corps full of holes covered in blood. Then the assassin would turn to her and she would be staring down the barrel of the gun. She'd see the fire, the bullet, and she'd feel the pain
She opened her eyes and gasped, she'd always wake up at the same time, after the shot was fired.
She sat up on the couch blinded by the sunlight.

Jaxle was sitting in the chair, his eyes closed, sleeping. Actually sleeping. In his dream, he knew it was morning. He didn't care. He hadn't slept in a year. But the sun was beginning to shine in his eyes.

Piper stood to her feet and began to pace. The dream flashed again in her mind. she froze and ran up the stairs. She needed a warm shower to wake her up. To get her out of her daze.
Piper got undressed and stepped in the shower. She let the warm water run over her face and washed her body. When she was done she slipped out and wrapped a towel around her body. She forgot about the dream.

Jaxle finally woke up, looking around. Piper wasn't there. He decided she must have went to the kitchen to get some breakfast or something. He sighed, deciding he might as well take a shower to wake him up. He threw off his shirt, revealing the scars on his body. He was covered in them, most of them knife or bullet wounds. All of them were deep. He looked like a bomb had landed on him. He sighed, walking upstairs.

Piper walked out of the bathroom, the towle wrapped tightly against her body, water dripped from her hair and she looked up seeing Jaxel. She froze.
"Well this is awkward." she said nervously.

Jaxle looked up, shocked. "Woah!" He shouted, stepping back, in to thin air. "Oh shi--" He started, then fell backawrds down the stairs. He lay in a heap at the bottom of the stairs and sighed, slowly picking himself back up. He quickly put a T-shirt that he'd left on his chair on.

Piper winced. "Sorry." She said slightly and rushed to her room. Her cheeks turned probably five different shades of red. She pressed her back against her door and got dressed.