salvation

Celeste sunk further down into the bathtub, letting the hot water comfort every inch of bruised skin. New patches of purple and brown bruises were already beginning to show around her lower arms. They were the reminders of how hard he had held her arms over her head when he had been...

Her fingers ran over the bruises across her chest and over her hips. He had been so angry over nothing. Jarring her from her thoughts, Celeste's phone began buzzing on top of the toilet. She let it ring and ring, betting it was Henry calling to ask if they were still on for the weekend at the cabin.

The dynamic Henry found himself in wasn't lost on him. Celeste had been very forthcoming with her situation. They had met in a shitty 24/7 diner almost four months ago. More specifically, he had taken a seat next to her when he spotted her, all alone, crying into her coffee. The black eye she had been wearing that night told him the story before she could even begin to. That night ended with her sleeping in his bed, thinking it was just a one night stand. Instead, it had turned out to be something completely different. The very next day he had been knocking on her door.

Pushing herself to get out of the water, she threw a towel around her body and grabbed the phone. 2 Missed Calls - 911 It was a very stupid secret name for him on her phone, but with all the times she had threatened to call the cops on her boyfriend, it wouldn't be suspicious. Considering he was a cop, it wasn't even a lie. She called him back, leaning against the wall in her bathroom, a searing hot pain shooting down her lower back. How was she supposed to go anywhere with him like this?

Celeste had been looking forward to nothing else since he had asked her. Henry had invited her out to his cabin up in the mountains and she didn't even have to think about it. Not only would it be wonderful to get to spend the time with him, but it was also an escape from her psycho boyfriend. Her only normal relief from him was the fact that they didn't live together, thankfully. Her boyfriend was there often, but not always. He usually disappeared for a few days after he would hurt her.

But after the tantrum he had thrown and the beating she had taken the night before, how was she supposed to enjoy herself? How would Henry react when he saw her? It wouldn't be surprising, but still... It was hard for her to even look at herself.

There weren't very many things in Henry's life that genuinely made him feel like a failure. All throughout school, Henry had had good grades. When he graduated high school, Henry had been a bit torn because he wasn't sure what he wanted to do. College seemed like the best option because that's what everyone was doing. That was what was expected of you but Henry had known it wasn't for him so he hadn't even bothered to apply to any schools. A few short months later, Henry had applied to the police academy on a whim and that was all that it had taken for Henry to find his path in life. He hadn't been sure about his choice of career at first but as time wore on and he was able to help more and more people, Henry knew that he had made the right choice.

He had gotten good at reading people, being able to pick up on the things that people didn't want to talk about for one reason or another. A lot of the time, Henry could understand why they didn't want to talk about whatever the situation was.

Which may have been what led Henry to sitting across from Celeste in that shitty, run-down diner after a long shift one night. He was supposed to be off at 6pm after starting at 6am but he sat across from Celeste, shortly after one in the morning. Henry hadn't meant to sit across from anyone but then he spotted her and something had pulled him toward her. The moment his eyes met hers Henry had realized two things: that he would one day marry the woman and that she was in a terrible relationship.

Henry wasn't going to rush into things because it was so clear that Celeste was struggling with her current relationship. He really hadn't meant to find her in his bed but that had simply been how the night ended. From that day forward, Henry vowed that he would do any and everything that he could to help her. How he would manage it, Henry wasn't sure but he was determined to and if you knew anything at all about Henry, you would know just how stubborn he was.

"Angel," Hery breathed when he picked up his phone, relieved to hear Celeste's voice. His brows pulled together, his stomach twisting into a knot at the way she sounded. Something was wrong but the thing was, he didn't even need to ask. He knew what it was about without needing to even ask and that was what made him feel like a failure. He wasn't doing everything in his power to protect Celeste. She was being hurt by a little boy who claimed to be a man.

"Are you ready to go on our trip?" Henry prompted, knowing that he would have to talk to her about her situation while they were away but for now, Henry didn't want to cause her any more trouble than she was already dealing with.

Celesete had laid her head against the tile wall of her shitty bathroom, listening to the ringing in her ear. When the phone rang a few too many times, she started to worry he had already left, already out of town, somewhere without service. How long had she spaced out in the bath?

Finally, the ringing stopped and she was greeted by Henry's soft voice. His voice was low and thick, but sounded worried and uneasy. Knowing she was the cause, she lowered her eyes to the floor, watching the water droplets racing down her legs. "Yeah, I just got out of the shower, I'll be ready when you get here." Still needing to pack, Celeste hadn't been able to find the time earlier. Erin would've found a way to make sure she couldn't go if he had spotted a packed suitcase last night when he was with her. It wouldn't take her long to throw some clothes and her toothbrush in a bag.

She just wanted to go, far away from where she was now.

Guilt ate her alive though, she constantly held a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach when she talked to Henry. He was the ideal man; gorgeous, he had a career, seemed completely mentally stable... Unlike.... But she was terrified to make that jump. Celeste would lay awake at night and think about it, how happy it would make her to get rid of Erin, but he always told her that wasn't an option.

He'd kill her first.

"I'm really excited." Celeste pushed herself away from the wall and opened her bathroom door, staring down the dark, quiet hall of her apartment. She didn't feel safe in her own home, instead, it felt anxious and haunted, like at any moment she was worried Erin would come banging on the door. Leaving the bathroom, she quickly moved to her bedroom, shutting the door behind her before opening her closet.

@ castle.

Henry breathed a small sigh of relief when Celeste answered and he finally got the chance to hear her voice. It was a relief because no matter how much he had tried to ignore it, Henry had been afraid deep down. If Erin had seriously hurt Celeste, or worse, he would have never known. The one blessing, he thought, was that he knew exactly who was the one responsible. If something happened to Celeste, he would at least get to get justice for her. The thought of having to do that made his heartache but for now, Henry did his best to ignore the fear that seemed to always be focused in the pit of his stomach.

He glanced to the passenger seat and grinned a bit at the image that met him. "I'm excited too," Henry replied quietly, letting his excitement build. He may have been a bit nervous because he didn't know how bad Celeste was at the moment but he was still more than willing to do whatever was required. Henry would do anything he could to keep her happy ad make sure she was safe.

"I'm excited to give you your surprise, too," Henry teased in a low voice. "Do you want to take a guess what it might be?" Henry had tried reasoning with her in the beginning, to show her that she could have better but that hadn't worked at all. So now he was trying an entirely different tactic now. He was going to do whatever he had to, to show her that she could have more. Henry was going to be the model boyfriend, he would eventually show her that he could be that for her.

Henry grinned, knowing full well he wasn't going to tell Celeste what her present was, even if she guessed properly. "I'm about ten minutes away. You want to go finish getting ready and I'll give you a call when I'm here before I come up?" Henry offered, figuring that Celeste would want a few last minutes to gather whatever she needed.

Ana leaned against the frame of the closet, chewing on the inside of her lip as she listened to him. Just hearing his voice, especially so low and quiet, it was sending goosebumps down her arms. "You got me a present?" A little smile had found its way on to her face before she could even try to fight it. Her hand pulled to her mouth and she started chewing on her thumb nail, feeling butterflies begin to float around in her stomach. How long had it been since she felt butterflies because of a man?

Usually she had a nervous pit in her stomach for completely different reasons. Standing up straight, she ran a hand through her damp hair. "Yeah, yeah. I'll hurry up and finish getting ready!" Ana told him to be safe driving before hanging up her phone, tossing it back onto her bed before turning back to the closet. The moment she knew Henry wasn't there anymore- even just via a phone- the butterflies melted away and were replaced with a thick feeling of dread. Anastasia was constantly in a state of fear, especially when she was on her way to meet Henry, or if Henry was coming over. Her biggest fear was Erin catching her, or finding anything out about what she was doing.

Thinking of what he might do... Sometimes she wondered if it might be the best decision to tell Henry they couldn't talk anymore or see each other, that it wasn't safe for her. Every time she thought about it, she couldn't help but come to the conclusion that that was impossible. She already loved him and didn't she need some happiness? Lost in her thoughts, she autonomously begin pulling outfits from the closet, tossing them into a bag before moving over to her dresser and getting a few more things. When everything was packed and ready, Ana pulled on an oversized gray sweat shirt and black leggings, wanting to make sure most of her bruises were completely covered.

Throwing her bag onto her shoulder, she left her bedroom and went to sit on the arm of the couch. She hated how quiet and dark her apartment was, hated how she knew it was empty, but still she found herself tiptoeing around, as if Erin was just outside. Ana was always so scared, that's why she was so excited for this trip. A weekend away, somewhere Erin would never be able to find her even if he was looking, hopefully without phone service... Even if there was, she knew she'd be leaving her phone turned off in, left lying in the front seat of Henry's car.

This weekend, Erin would not exist. She would let her body relax, enjoy herself and pretend that the monster in her life was not real.

@ castle.

{psst, her name is celeste! }

Henry pulled into a parking spot right outside of Celeste's apartment. His heart was hammering away and he was a bit desperate to see her because he never really calmed down until he had Celeste standing in front of him. It was only then that he was able to fully relax because he knew that she was safe and sound. That nothing could hurt her when she was with him because he would never allow it. Henry wasn't the least bit concerned about Erin ever catching him coming or going from Celeste's apartment. The thing that he knew was going to happen if that ever occurred was he would absolutely lose his mind. He knew the sort of man that Erin was. Erin would overreact and he would have to protect Celeste. It was awful and he knew something like that would probably scare Celeste but it would be the last time that she ever had to suffer through him. Would the pain be worth it? He thought so but he didn't know how Celeste would react to that.

I'm here. Be up in a minute! Henry decided to send Celeste a text message instead of calling her. Henry climbed out of his car with the present held carefully to his chest. He headed up to Celeste's apartment and paused in front of her door, smoothing down the material of his shirt. He wore a dark sweater and a pair of pants, nothing too fancy, but he still wanted to look presentable. Henry looked back up, knocking gently on the door before he took a small step backward so that Celeste could see him properly through her peephole if she decided to look. Her present hidden behind his back, it wasn't until Celeste opened her door that he revealed it to her. His smile grew as he held it out to her.

"Magnolias for the prettiest girl I've ever met," Henry teased as he held out the flowers to her. He'd never been a fan of roses because they were always done and he didn't want to be predictable. He wanted to show that he could adore her and think outside of the box - that he could prove to her that she was special to him. More special than he had ever admitted to Celeste because he didn't want to overwhelm her.

He offered them to her, the anxiety he'd been feeling had visibly disappeared as his shoulders relaxed and his face calmed to allow a gentle smile to settle on his features. "Do you want to bring these with us or do you want to put them in some water for the weekend?" Henry asked. He knew that she would have to get rid of them when the weekend was over but for just a few short days, they could pretend that everything was completely okay for the two of them.

(why do i always do that too many names lol!)

When Ana had been expecting her phone to ring and it buzzed instead, she couldn't help the way her heart sank. All she could think about was Erin. Erin was messaging her that he would be over soon, or he was already on his way... With her phone already in her hand, she gulped before looking down at it, relieved when it was just Henry. She felt her cheeks heat up, quietly embarrassed at how easily she had almost sent herself into a panic.

She jumped again when he knocked, reminding herself that she just needed to breathe. Hopping to her feet, she hurried over to the door, out of habit- she glanced through the peephole first. Henry was waiting out in the hall, his hands hidden behind his back, his messy brown curls were tucked behind his ears.

Celeste couldn't help but think freedom when she looked at him. Slowly pulling the door open, she slipped outside, almost too quick to shut the door before he handed her the flowers. She was almost too surprised to even know how to respond. Thankfully, a huge smile broke out on her face before she could even think about it. "Wow." Her breath caught in the back of her throat, taken off guard by the gift. "I've ... never been given flowers before."

Celeste glanced back up at Henry, her face turning a burning pink from how happy it made her. "Yes, let's put them in water!" She stepped back into her apartment, leaving the door wide open for Henry to follow her inside. Letting her bag slide off of her shoulder and hit the ground, she hurried into the kitchen to find a vase.

Erin had never given her a gift, not even a single flower. It felt pathetic to even think about, but he had also been her first serious relationship. Maybe that's part of why she found it so hard to leave, but he had never gifted her anything before. She thought it would be a nice sight to return home to, beautiful flowers in her kitchen... Even if she knew she'd have to throw them out.

@ castle.

{it's okay! }

Henry felt far too triumphant when Celeste's smile broke into a grin. It warmed his heart because he knew that she suffered - the few bruises that he could see were proof of that. But she was here with him and he knew she was safe for now. His lips twisted upward as he nodded, stepping into the apartment after her. He turned, pushed her door closed before he locked it. He knew the lock being in place would help ease Celeste's nerves and God forbid Erin did show up, Henry would have enough time to hide her before confronting the bastard.

"Well, you know. There's plenty more where that comes from. And who knows, maybe that's not the only present that I have coming your way this weekend," Henry teased lowly. He leaned against the counter as he watched Celeste put the flowers into a vase. Henry wondered if he was ever moving too fast for her but he prayed that eventually, she would realize that she could have more.

Henry straightened up when Celeste had finished. He flashed her a brilliant smile, offering his hand out to her. "Is there anywhere that you want to stop at before we head out of town?" He asked, lacing his fingers through hers. Henry gave her a light squeeze to reassure her that he was here and not going anywhere. No matter what happened, Celeste would always have him. There was never going to be anything that could take him away from her.

Reaching over, Henry plucked her bag from the floor and tossed it over his shoulder. "Can I kiss you?" His voice lowered as he turned to her, taking a small step forward. He wanted to kiss her but when it was the first kiss of them meeting up again, Henry was always careful to ask her if it was okay because he didn't know everything that she had gone through while they were apart and Henry wanted to respect her as much as he possibly could.

Celeste sat the vase down on the kitchen counter, centering it before she stepped back to just admire it. Weird how something so little could bring her so much happiness. She was sure he put thought into the flowers, but at the end of the day, it was as simple as walking to a shop and picking up a bouquet and bringing them to her, but it was still something no one else had ever done. It seemed so special. "No." She answered him, shaking her head before she followed him out of the kitchen into the dimly lit living room. "I don't need to stop anywhere."

Before she could even try to reach for her bag, Henry was throwing it over his shoulder before stepping right in front of her, stopping her from reaching for her jacket. She let her eyes explore his body, blushing a bit from embarrassment when she realized just how dressed he was compared to her. Wondering why she hadn't thought to dress up for him, to impress him, she started to doubt herself, feeling like she looked like a slob more than anything. He looked good, even if he was still in something as casual as jeans. She could've tried a little harder than a sweater she usually slept in, but it was late. The moon was already hanging in the sky among many twinkling stars and she figured she might end up falling asleep on the drive. It also spoke to just how comfortable she felt with Henry, that she could just be relaxed around him.

Regardless, she was embarrassed. The blush on her face only deepened more red when he asked if he could kiss her. He always asked. Henry was always so timid, but for good reasons. Celeste hated every time that she would instinctively flinch when Henry would reach out for her, even though she knew Henry would never hurt her, it was something that she couldn't help. Celeste just nodded, moving a bit closer to him before stepping up on her tip toes. Resting her hand against his arm for balance, she pressed her lips against his. Their kisses were always so different than the ones she shared with Erin. They were never bad with Henry, or forced, or weird... Just perfect.

@ castle.

Henry never reacted to Celeste's flinching because he understood why it happened. He didn't want to make her feel any worse about the situation than she undoubtedly already did. But inside, it killed him. It absolutely broke his heart because he realized what she was going through and he wasn't able to make her situation any better. Henry knew that he would be put Erin away for one thing or another but he was waiting until Celeste asked for help because he didn't want her resenting him nor did he want her going back to Erin when this was all said and done.

When Celeste leaned forward to kiss him, Henry couldn't stop the smile that practically split his face in two. He reached out with his free hand, pulling Celeste to his chest. He leaned forward and kissed her deeply, trying to convey all of the emotions he was feeling. All of the ones that he was afraid to Celeste about because he didn't want to overwhelm her. Henry was always thinking about her and he hoped that she would one day come to realize that. After this trip, Henry hoped that Celeste would start realizing everything that Henry could offer her. Everything that he was willing to offer her.

"C'mon, angel. Wanna whisk you away to paradise," Henry teased, pressing a chaste kiss to her lips after he pulled away long enough to speak. He turned, leading the way out of her apartment. He paused outside just long enough so she could lock the door but he didn't drop her hand, not wanting to so much as let go of her for a few moments. Dropping Celeste's bag into the trunk of his car, Henry jogged around to the passenger's side so that he could pull open Celeste's door. It was something he held himself to - be the perfect chivalrous gentleman. The man that she deserved. "C'mon angel. Get in then we can get going," Henry murmured, a shy little grin on his face. He had a teddy bear and chocolates in the passenger seat, wondering when she would see them. He only hoped she didn't accidentally sit on them while trying to get in.

Celeste blushed, stepping up to his car and glancing inside before she got in. She wasn't expecting to be surprised again, and so soon. "Oh?" She looked away from the bear and candy, back towards Henry who was leaning against the door. "You're really too sweet..." Celeste couldn't stop smiling, leaning into the car to grab them before she sat down.

The bear was a dark gray color with black button eyes and a black nose. The threading up the sides of the bear made it look almost hand stitched. Henry closed the door on her as she admired the bear. She sat the chocolates to the side, fiddling with the bear in her hands. Watching Henry slide into the driver side, she felt like something was tugging at her heart. Guilt.

Henry had begged her before to leave Erin, to be with him, to really be with him. She didn't know how to and thinking about these gifts, even if to someone else they would be such a little gesture... To her, they were massive. She had never been shown any form of love or affection from a man, she almost didn't know how to process it or react to it. Squeezing the bear in her hand, her fingers pulling at the bowtie around it's neck, Celeste tried to blink away the tears that were pooling in her eyes. "Thank you, I love it."

@ castle.

Henry smirked as he glanced toward Celeste, shrugging his shoulders. To him, everything that he did for Celeste was expected of him. He was supposed to show her that he cared and that she was everything to him because in truth, she was. He couldn’t deny it, even if he wanted to. And he wouldn’t. Anyone in t he world, they could ask and he would tell them everything about Celeste. About how much he cared about her. He wouldn’t mind one bit.

“You’re welcome, angel. I’d do anything for you,” Henry spoke gently. It had.a double meaning that he was sure Celeste probably could pick up on. He would help her escape Erin when she was ready, he would be her shoulder to cry on while she healed from the trauma of her relationship. It frustrated him beyond belief that Erin had gotten his hands on Celeste before he met her. Before he could show her what she deserved.

He reached over, setting his hand on Celeste’s thigh. Henry made sure to keep his fingers pointed forward, not wanting her to get nervous about him doing something. He knew that she knew it would never happen but it would still cause a sort of reaction that Celeste couldn’t help and he never wanted to be the source of that. “Is there anything specific you were wanted to or over the weekend or is it all up to me?” He teased softly, glancing over to her before turning his attention back to the road.

Henry smirked as he glanced toward Celeste, shrugging his shoulders. To him, everything that he did for Celeste was expected of him. He was supposed to show her that he cared and that she was everything to him because in truth, she was. He couldn’t deny it, even if he wanted to. And he wouldn’t. Anyone in t he world, they could ask and he would tell them everything about Celeste. About how much he cared about her. He wouldn’t mind one bit.

“You’re welcome, angel. I’d do anything for you,” Henry spoke gently. It had.a double meaning that he was sure Celeste probably could pick up on. He would help her escape Erin when she was ready, he would be her shoulder to cry on while she healed from the trauma of her relationship. It frustrated him beyond belief that Erin had gotten his hands on Celeste before he met her. Before he could show her what she deserved.

He reached over, setting his hand on Celeste’s thigh. Henry made sure to keep his fingers pointed forward, not wanting her to get nervous about him doing something. He knew that she knew it would never happen but it would still cause a sort of reaction that Celeste couldn’t help and he never wanted to be the source of that. “Is there anything specific you were wanted to or over the weekend or is it all up to me?” He teased softly, glancing over to her before turning his attention back to the road.

Once Henry's hand was placed gently on her thigh, she relaxed. Sometimes she just had to take a deep breath and remind her who she was with, that Henry wasn't Erin. The touch was so different, warm and gentle, enticing. Celeste wanted his touch everywhere. She moved her hand over his, not wanting him to move his hand away. "I've never spent a weekend up in the mountains. You'll have to show me everything there is to do."

Celeste was still partly hung up on how he said he'd do anything for her. Sometimes Erin said that, but in a completely different tone. In an intimidating one, threatening, and usually after he had beat the shit out of her. Henry said it so differently. She tried to relax against the seat of the car, letting her head lay against the headrest. "How long of a drive is it?"

Henry hadn't told her much about the trip, it had been a rather casual question. I'm going up to my cabin this weekend? Probably going to fish a lot... Want to come with me? Other than mentioning out in the mountains, she didn't know how actually far away, or where exactly it was. Not that she minded either way, the farther away from the city and Erin, the better. She looked forward to the peace and quiet... and the uninterrupted time with Henry. His career didn't necessarily give him much free time, working around the clock and always on call, she didn't see him often. They usually just spoke on the phone a lot, so knowing they had a whole weekend together... Celeste was both excited and nervous.

@ castle.

"Well, first off. My cabin is just a short hike from the river so we can walk over to it and then we can go fishing. I brought two poles in case you want to try it out," Henry offered in a soft, hopeful voice. He thought that she would come with him, even if she didn't want to actually go fishing. "If not, that's fine too. It's really peaceful so you can just relax in the middle of nature. You don't have to worry about anything else that's going on in your life because you just feel so..." Henry trailed off, shrugging. It was a bit hard to describe for him because it was such a unique feeling. He was so at peace with himself and the world when he was fishing in the middle of the mountains. "Then there's a small town with a bunch of cute shops that we can go to. If you want to," Henry offered after a moment of consideration.

"There's a couple nice hikes that we can do if you feel up to it," Henry offered. "I'm sure we could do some horseback riding if you wanted," he added, knowing that some were super infatuated with the idea of horseback riding in the mountains. "I'll catch a few fish for us and then cook up the best home meal you've had in forever," Henry teased. He winked when Celeste chanced a look in his direction.

"It'll be a few hours so you can feel free to sleep, okay? If you get hungry or if you want something to drink, just let me know and I'll stop at the next place," Henry said. To him, it was no big deal because simply taking care of her most basic needs was perhaps one of the most important things because if he couldn't even do that, then what could he do?

Celeste relaxed back in the seat, laying her head back against the headrest and shutting her eyes, listening to Henry talk. It all sounded wonderful, no matter what it was. Leaning the seat back, she shifted on her side, glancing up at Henry as he drove. She would spend the whole weekend sitting next to him watching him fish and doing nothing else if that meant she at least got to be with him.

Closing her eyes, she let her hand reach over to relax against his thigh, gently rubbing her fingers against the denim of his jeans. She had been so exhausted, worrying herself sick all day that now that she could relax, it was easy to fall asleep even if it was in the front seat of a car.



They arrived at Henry's cabin around four in the morning, the car pulling to a stop enough to gently pull Celeste awake. She rubbed the corners of her eyes, looking up at the cabin in front of them, surrounded by a dense forest with nothing but mountains surrounding them. It was pitch black, the only light coming from the stars overhead. Celeste stepped out of the car, looking up at the sky with a small smile on her face, admiring the view of the sky.

Shutting her door, she came around to the trunk to help Henry. "Sorry, I slept the whole may. You must've been bored to death." Celeste couldn't help but laugh, even if she really did feel bad. "So far, worst road trip partner, huh?" She grabbed a few of the bags and followed him up to the cabin.

@ castle.

Truth be told, by the time that he pulled into the driveway to his cabin, Henry was ready to head right to the bedroom and sleep. He wasn't concerned with the bags truthfully because honestly, he just wanted to sleep. He'd been driving for a few hours and while he had been alone, that had been fine. It didn't matter that Celeste was sleeping because at least she was here, with him. She was safe, nothing could hurt her when she was close to him. Henry wouldn't let it happen.

Killing the engine, Henry looked over when Celeste started to stir. He gave her a tired smile before he reached over to squeeze her hand gently. He climbed out of the car, groaning as he stretched his arms above his head. He glanced to Celeste, waving off her apology. "It's okay, angel. You just needed sleep," he said as they stepped around to the back of the car. Tossing his bag over his shoulder, he resisted the urge to reach out and pull Celeste close to him.

"S'okay, angel. It's late, of course, you're tired. If I didn't want you sleeping, I would have suggested we leave tomorrow morning. But here we are," Henry teased as he lea the way inside. Henry kicked the door shut, quick to lock the door. He wasn't worried that anyone was going to come knocking but it was always safer than sorry.

Henry tossed his bag at the bottom of the stairs before he turned toward Celeste, raising an eyebrow. "You hungry or do you want to head straight to bed?" He asked, ready to provide her with just about anything she asked for.

Celeste stepped into his cabin, letting her bag fall to the floor next to the stairs. It was dark, but she could see just how cozy the place seemed. There was a large fireplace, a bear skin rug on the floor and many different animal heads mounted on the walls as trophies. Enough to know Henry must love to hunt, without having to ask. She turned to face him when he spoke, hating how her stomach turned at the sound of the lock clicking. She couldn't turn off her fear or the little voice warning her in her head. They were alone, up in the mountains, no cellphone service, no one knew where she was... If Henry wanted to hurt her ...

She had to stop thinking like that. Henry wasn't like Erin.

Her eyes fell over him, noting just how exhausted he looked, the dark circles under his eyes apparent. "We can go to bed." She smiled, stepping back up to him and taking his hands in hers. "You look exhausted and I bet your bed is comfy." She teased, a smile spreading across her face. "Lead the way?"

She guided him to the stairs, hanging onto his hand as she followed him up. His hand swallowed hers, just another thing that made her timid. Henry was so much larger than herself, so much larger than Erin even. Sometimes she couldn't help but think about what would happen if Henry tried to dominate her.

@ castle.

Henry turned toward Celeste, giving her a lazy smile when she decided that it was time to go to sleep. He was content to do anything that Celeste wanted because he didn't care, so long as Celeste was happy and safe in his arms. He smiled as he pulled her close to him, careful not to actually wrap his arms around her. He leaned down, kissing Celeste gently before he pulled away from her. He turned, squeezing her hand gently as he led the way upstairs to his bedroom. He paused only long enough to grab their bags, his thumb brushing back and forth over her hand.

"Why don't you head into the bathroom and get changed? I'll get changed out here," Henry offered, figuring that Celeste wouldn't quite be comfortable enough to change in front of him. He wanted to give her every chance she needed before she was comfortable with him again. It broke his heart that he always had to go through this stage with her but Henry was willing to do just about anything for Celeste. She would realize that one day.

Henry changed into a pair of sweats and a plain shirt before he moved over to the bed, pulling back the covers for them both. He climbed into the bed and let out a tired sigh, waiting for Celeste to join him. Truthfully, he would be happy just to hold her and know that nothing could happen to her while she was with him.