ALBERT'S POV (CHAPTER 2 OF VENDETTA)

ALBERT

I winced as the rays of the midday sun escaped from the heavy curtains and scorched my bare chest. I flexed my muscles, careful not to disturb the fragile creature next to me. Our journey from London to Paris was exhausting. I smiled to myself as I remembered how last night's "horizontal tango" drained what's left of our energy.

Her naked figure snuggled next to mine. Honey breath and ivory skin, I traced the arch of her hips to the slope of her slender waist. Even after all these years, I still want her as I did on our wedding night. I thank God everyday for blessing me many things but above them all, for having the woman I love, loving me in return.

So many times I have deliberated to myself before…. "How long would I be able to justify her presence in my life? How much time do I have enjoying the sunshine she brings each time she writes me a letter… the warm anticipation in my heart knowing she awaits my return? Would she only look at me with fraternal adoration? Would someone else take her heart before I had the chance to tell her mine? Would I ever be enough to compare to what she had felt for Anthony and Terry? Would she run if people knew about my feelings for her…. my adopted… daughter?"

All those doubts are gone now; we have crossed the sea that separated us for so long and now we face a new mountain. Our paths, tied since our childhood, had no logical explanation how we ran into each other each time we stand in front of a tragedy. The threads that tied us were stronger now, as we realize our destinies… together.

She said I had saved her life countless times…yet little did she know how she was my myriad of salvation since the day we met.

"Albert? What are you thinking about?" she prepped herself higher on the pillow and held my gaze.

I pulled the duvet up to cover her exposed torso. "Nothing, Candy. I was just thinking about how much I love you."

"And how much do you love me my prince?" relieved, she replied with my favorite mischievous grin spreading across her freckled face.

"Let me show you thy ways my sweet." I grinned back.

Northern Africa 1920's

Dawn in the Suguta Valley. I woke up with a start, sweat covered my forehead and my pants were damp with wet fluid. I tossed my blanket, grabbed a towel and headed outside. I scooped the icy liquid from the drum; rapidly diminishing our camp's water supply. The others would hang me for this…. but I needed it.

I dreamed of fire; I saw her face in the flames and her shadows danced in the shape of my desires. I needed to quench it before it takes over me. I know for a fact that there are longings from which hardly anyone is exempt, except a man whose thoughts are completely vile or one who has trained himself by a perfect system of discipline and has completely tamed the power of his angry soul. And I am not that man.

It's been years since I last visited Africa, our team settled in the Suguta Valley, a dried fossilized river in the Chalbi Desert of Nothern Kenya. There was not much significant change since we left. At our camp, we would still have to haul water in drums for fifty miles, lived in the same faded tents and travel to the same bush tracks that we had made years before. Once again, our visitors would be lions, brown hyenas, jackals, springbok, giraffes, hornbills and lizards; but most importantly, the wounded of the African bushmen. The tribal clashes between the Gabbras, Turkanas and Rendilles had been going on for a while. I found my place in the middle of it as assistant medical personnel in a Missionary Group that helped them.

I came back to give supplies and see the construction of the clinic that the Ardley foundation donated. But… the truth is… I came here firstly to cure this avid desire. I tried to escape the concealed thoughts in my soul, run to the ends of the earth if I had to in order to forget my dilemma. The object of my desire, so young and innocent does not deserve to be pictured as the vision in my dreams. She was sacred to me.

Our brief encounter at the hills in my troubled teenage years would be the first of our many encounters that will forever be sketched in my memory.

I saw myself in her; lonesome and pitiful … at that time, I hated the world. We were both orphans but she had it worse than me, I had my name to protect me, she had none. Ironic enough that gave me courage and shed new light to my life. I decided to repay her with a happy tune, to lift her spirits up as she did mine.

To my surprise I saw her again, lost in the darkness like myself. It was that time when I got tired of my own calm façade. I was done with others' and their obsession for vanity. I had enough of the conspiracy that my aunt carefully planned to hide my true identity. I wanted to leave it all; the name, the heritage of my bloodline, the money and the security of my social rank. I was on my way to journey and find my own way when I heard her scream.

"This girl; it's her." I said as I carried her away from the strong current.

"What happened to me?"

"Good, you're awake." I said and she freaked.

"Whaaaaaa a Pirate!"

"Hey! I saved your life and you thank me by flopping over again?" I took my glasses off and rubbed the wet lenses with my sleeves. "Is my face really that scary?"

She reopened her eyes and took a good look at me; something humorous twinkled in her green orbs, a private joke that I didn't get. "You're a funny guy Mister."

"You're an amusing girl yourself." I chuckled.

"If I haven't pulled you out from the waterfall on time, you'd be in heaven by now. Here, wrap yourself with this." I handed her my blanket.

"Thank you. You look so much better without your sunglasses Mister. you don't look like a pirate at all! " She relaxed more and surprised me with her open remarks.

"The light hurts my eyes." I explained and raised an eyebrow. "Besides… I'm not a pirate and I'm hardly a "mister" yet. I'm Albert and this is Poupe."

"A skunk!" she shrieked.

"That's ridiculous. Poupe could even make the flowers blush; she's a lady you know."

"Oh… I'm sorry. It's nice to meet you Poupe. My name is Candy." She took Poupe's tiny paws and shook it gently.

I closed my eyes as the sweet intoxication of her memories tortured me. The sweet orphan girl, the teenager I saw in London and then to the

sunny nurse who saved me from my own oblivion.

In Italy I was passed from a field hospital to another. No wonder, I have lost my memory and nobody knew who I was.

"When you recover your strength, your memory will come back. You should focus on your fast recovery."

I looked intently at the young nurse; her words assured me in more ways I could ask for. Her presence was the only warmth and welcome company I had since I came to Chicago. I had no memories, no recollection of myself. "Where did I come from? How did I get here? What is my history? What am I?" I had thought about that mystery over and over until my head felt like splitting in half. More dreadful thoughts follow after, "Am I alone? Was I so dangerous that made the others showed nothing but intense hostility?"

"You'd better not care about a patient deserted by a hospital. I might as well die in here." I said out loud in an exhausted whisper, looking outside the dirty window. I could see nothing but the end waiting for me.

But she never gave up; even when I decided to leave St. Joanna's dying room. For some reason, she knew where to find me.

"Don't go! No! I won't let you! You saved me after I fell from the waterfall. When Anthony died… you don't know how you healed me. When you left London, how I longed to see you and talk to you." She cried out as she ran after me. She caught the seam of my jacket, determined not to let go. "This time, this time… It's my turn."

"Candy…" I turned my head. My heart melted at the sight of her teary eyes.

"Please let me take care of you. Let me return at least half of the kindness you've given me."

Those were the days God granted my wish. I was free. Freedom as I knew the sun and the warmth of her shine. Air in my lungs, wind in my hair, no where a wall to be seen. I gazed outside the window looking at the clouds,

"If I could live with her like this, I don't need my memory of the past. If days would pass by peacefully, I want nothing more."

"I want nothing more." That was a lie. As days passed by, I began wanting more. Many nights I ran my eyes through her freckled face over and over again. I could tell by the expression on her sleep that she was still hurting. Her kind words for Susanna; her sacrifice for Terry's peace of mind; seeing her hard at work at Dr. Martin's Happy Clinic. They say that challenges in life bring out our true colors. Candy's pure heart shined thru it all and I helplessly began falling for her. Sometimes I could hear her whisper in her sleep calling out his name, "Terry." And sometimes she would say, "Albert… don't leave me." I vowed to myself to do everything and anything to give her the happiness she deserves.

She slept with her hands folded under her cheeks like a small child. Her slightly opened lips looked very soft and warm, I would imagine touching them with my fingertips, but that was exactly the kind of mistake I wanted to avoid. I didn't want to confuse her. She trusted me. She needed me as her brother.

Brother and sister. That's what we pretended to be. Even when I regained my memory, it was family ties that defined our relationship. Brother and sister to father and daughter. My stomached swelled with vile realizing the horror of the image it painted. No. I am not her father, guardian maybe, but not father. Nonetheless, what right do I have to feel this way to her without taking advantage of her position and mine?

Apparently, her charm didn't escape any the single male members of the Ardley clan. Even Neil had his eyes on her. One day as I came to pick her up from the clinic, she wasn't there. The children told me that she left with a man in a car and drove east. I had a very bad feeling about it and floored the gas of my first car, my old Hudson 33 torpedo. It wasn't in its best condition but it held great memories so I decided to keep it. I combed the streets of Chicago without any luck of finding her. I decided to head on to the suburbs. I guess I was pushing my old Torpedo to its limits as it gave up on me starting with the lights to one tire then another. Exhausted from shaking from its worn out suspension, I thought about continuing my search on foot.

Like another expected miracle, I found her wandering in the woods.

"Candy!"

She froze her back was to mine. It took a few minutes before she could turn her head and when she saw my face, she launched herself at me.

"Albert? Albert!"

"I was looking all over for you." I hugged her tightly.

"On foot? Really?" she asked.

"No, in my car."

"Where is it?"

"Over there. It's been totaled so we'll have to stay here for the night and wait for daylight to get help. I'm glad you were all right. Some kids told me you left with a stranger… Candy? What's wrong?"

I was too relieved to have found her that I forgot the reason for her sudden disappearance. I felt cold sweat trickle down at the back of my neck, expecting the worse judging from her reaction. Her eyes swelled with tears showing fear and shock.

"Candy." I shook her. "What happened? Are you hurt?"

She didn't respond for a while. Her gaze was blank. I covered her with my coat and held her close.

"Someone tricked me," her voice cracked, " telling me that Terry was here in Chicago, that he wanted to see me. But there was no Terry, instead, it was Neil that showed up."

I felt my rage building up. If Neil had put his hands on her, I would strangle him to death with my bare hands and enjoy it. But first, I had to know for sure, I tried my best to contain my voice.

"Did he hurt you Candy?" the words tasted like acid as they came out of my mouth.

"No." Perhaps realizing the meaning behind my words, she promptly shook her head from side to side. "I ran away before he…."

"Candy…." I embraced her, "That Neil is pathetic." I wanted to add more death threats to his name but my violent plans melted as I peeked at her distraught face.

"He was just desperate to have someone to love. Forget about it okay."

I could feel her heartbeats pounding loudly next to mine. We stared at each other's eyes; her green emeralds glistening with tears were like grass on a misty meadow. She gave me a look with tender affection dancing in her gaze. I swallowed hard and pressed my lips on her forehead. I closed my eyes as I inhaled her scent. Was it a moment that urged for a kiss?

I took her shoulders and held her back to closely examine her state. Her dress was a little dirty showing no significant damage to it. I sighed in relief. It was then that I noticed something familiar and shiny on her neck.

" Um, what is this?" I held the gold object in my palm. I had to keep my face from grinning ear to ear already knowing what it was. She had kept it close after all these years.

"Oh this? It's my good luck charm! It helps keep danger away."

"Then you must feel very safe because of it. Aaaachooo!" I sneezed.

"You're getting cold. Here, use the other side." She lifted the coat with her right arm offering for us to huddle.

"No thanks. I'm fine." Then, I added to myself. " I'd rather not stay too close or else I'll probably end up finishing what Neil had started."

As the wheel of fortune turned, our time living together in the apartment had come to an end. One night, I overheard Candy and Mrs. Gloria, the landlady arguing. The old lady threatened to bring the police if Candy's so-called gangster brother didn't leave. We weren't fooling anybody after all.

Then it hit me, all this time, my stay with Candy was also hurting her reputation. I could easily imagine what goes thru the dirty minds of the neighbors. I'd rather leave than let Candy suffer more. I took some money from the bank. Hoping that it will be enough to help Candy get started without me. With a heavy heart, I covered her with a blanket and left her a note.

"You will always be on my mind Candy. Always." I whispered as I took one last look at my sleeping nurse and our little haven. I took nothing but Poupe with me and closed the door. I dragged myself outside. I wanted to take her with me, but where? To the Ardley mansion? To live in constant ridicule from Aunt Elroy and the Reagans? No, she should be happier here."

My bodyguard came to me as I approached the dark alley. It was George's idea to have them with me, back then the crime rate and kidnap for ransom was at its all time high in Chicago. Since I went missing, the family took extra precaution to secure my safety. Sometimes I thought, it also served a double purpose, to keep me from disappearing again.

My days lulled without her. Her scent, her touch, her smiles. Without a doubt, the feelings I have for her was more than a protective brother. But what could I possibly offer her? Her heart longed for someone else. If she was happy, it would be enough.

Candy,

Always thinking of you.

Albert

My hand trembled as I signed the parcel addressed at Rocktown. If she could meet Terence again, nothing would stop them from being together.

To be continued….

A/N I'd like to thank the master of clever dialog Arwyn T for her quick mind, helping me avoid a possible avalanche of tomatoes and keeping my Albert in character.