"Did she make you cry?

Make you break down?

Shatter your illusions of love?

Is it over now?

Do you know how

To pick up the pieces and go home?"

Fleetwood Mac

Hot Cocoa on the Wall

Cap did random patrols around the Home. His methods were unpredictable and because they were unpredictable, he could not be timed or ambushed. Ginny never asked what specifically he was on guard against, but it was enough to say that there were forces from where Cap came from that wanted something that was kept in secret in the Home. Why it was kept there was also confidential. Ginny never asked.

It was raining, a cold nasty drizzle. It rained in the desert more than most folks would think. Because of the porous limestone beneath the desert, it didn't hold much water at all. It also got cold. Ginny at first was amazed by this, but her New York constitution, that was used to the cold and wet, dealt with it easily.

Cap was out in the weather, very uncomfortable. He wanted to talk to Ginny again. The bad weather usually kept her indoors, and there were times she had to do lesson plans, grade papers, and go to the games that left Cap pretty much alone there at night. Those times Cap's loneliness creeped up on him like a bad cold. Ginny had been the best thing that ever happened to him. The two did wonders for each other to defeat their own personal hells. Cap wasn't sure what it was that ate at Ginny so much, but he didn't ask. If she wanted to talk about it, she would. Forcing the issue would only make it worse, or drive her away.

Cap wandered over by the wall, checking the gate, a few doors on the school buildings, and then eyeballing the playground. He stayed in the shadows and was never back lit. He was too experienced and well trained to make a mistake like that. Its how he had lived for so long in his dangerous occupation.

Ginny wasn't at the wall. Cap sighed and leaned against it. The drizzle came down. That old painful feeling of being alone again grabbed onto him. He pushed his visorless helm up and peered out under the brim. Life sure did stink at times like this. He let his melancholy take him.

The girl he had a horrible unrequited love for back when he was 18. Her scorn, denial, and aloofness of him. The hurt with what all happened. Her fall into debauchery. His efforts to help her and set it right, all in vain. That hurt worst of all. She wouldn't accept his help.

Pain. Pain. All was pain. Inside, ripping him to shreds. That horrid feeling of helplessness when someone won't let you help them, when you can. When you can set it right. But you can't. She won't let you.

Fortunately, it all ended well. For her anyway. Cap ended up hundreds of miles away, in obscurity.

Cap tells himself its all for the best. Is it? Is it really? He thinks of all the things he screwed up in his single-minded devotion to that one cause. Its part of what made him become a knight. He could no longer stay where he was. Everything back there was an awful failure, a total waste. If he stayed it would have killed him. There was no one and nothing left to keep him there.

Now here, he had a reason for being. Lots of people depended on him. Some admired him. Most treated him with respect and honor. And he had a wonderful female friend.

But like the song says: "The hurt doesn't show, but the pain still grows..."

The pain. Always the pain. Cap made a silent laugh to himself. "I'm a stupid fool." he mused.

Then he heard something. His hand went to the hilt of his sword and he turned his head quickly to his left. His helmet fell in place and he peered out of the eye slits.

Just as quickly he relaxed. And smiled. He raised the helmet back up.

"Hello Ginny!"

It was her! It was her! Oh YES!! She was walking toward him, her outline almost blacked out by the street lamp. She was carrying a cloth covered tray in her hands. She was wearing her usual winter coat, some khaki pants, and black shoes.

"Hi. Been here long? You were sure still there for a minute and I thought you had gone to sleep."

"Nah, just thinking. You know how it is."

"Yeah, I do, and you need to quit that. Its not good for you and its not worth it."

"What you got?"

She sat the tray on the wall and pulled the cloth cover off. There were two cups, a tea kettle, and several packets of instant cocoa.

"Oh, wow! Thats great!" Cap said.

Ginny picked up a packet and began to make a cup for Cap.

"I was sitting in my house and finished grading some exams when I thought about you out here in this nasty mess. I figured you might like some hot choccy!"

"It is a little chilly." Cap replied, taking off his helm and putting it on the wall.

She smiled, poured the cup full, stirred it and handed it to Cap. Cap took off his yellow gloves so he could handle the cup better. He stuffed the gloves in his white belt. He gratefully sipped the steaming liquid.

"That's good." he cooed.

Ginny made a cup for herself and they stood there for a while in the drizzle chatting quietly. The cold made her get more closer to Cap than usual and he didn't move away. Soon she was pressing up against him so close she could feel the steel armor under his livery. The guy is a walking tank, she thought. But he never clanked, squeaked or rattled when he moved. And when he moved you'd never guess he had armor on. It was strange.

A flash of anger came across her thoughts.

"You need to get 'that woman' off your mind. She's not worth what you put yourself through," she said.

Cap just nodded. He looked over at Ginny.

"Its been easier to deal with, lately."

"Good."

They sipped in silence for a while. Then Cap made a move. He draped his cloak with his left arm around Ginny's shoulders. That was the first time he ever touched her in any affectionate way. She didn't move away either, she just looked straight ahead like nothing happened. He looked at her long hair. It was belt length if an inch. Rich and full. The natural blond of it highlighted her already great beauty.

"Its nice to have a friend," Cap said, "somebody to talk to. And looking like a goddess makes it easier too."

Ginny smiled and gave Cap a peck on the cheek. She loved flattery. Cap could feel himself blush like a schoolboy. That was much more than he could ask for. He considered his options, but his arm felt very awkward draped over those shoulders. Should he take it away or leave it on her?

"Cold?" he asked her.

"Not now." she said, with a small grin.

Caps eyes got wide for a minute in the dark. Oh, boy....

She thought for a minute.

"You're right. It is nice to have a friend. Someone you can talk to. And trust. Thats been missing in my life for a long time. A very long time."

She got out from under Caps arm and cloak and proceeded to pack up the tray. The cocoa was all gone and the water had gone cold. It was time to go in, anyway.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Cap," she said, flashing him a smile.

Cap nodded. Then much to his surprise she pecked him on the cheek again. She picked up the tray, and turned as if to say goodbye then did something he never expected.

She quickly put the tray down on the wall again, and looked at him suddenly.

"Oh, what the heck!" she said.

She planted a great big powerful kiss full on his lips, throwing her arms around his neck as she did so. Stunned, Cap did not resist. He couldn't resist. This was a dream come true!

When they finally broke free they just stood there breathing hard and looking at each other by the lamp light in the cold drizzle. Caps eyes were wide in disbelief, and his legs were so weak he could only stand with effort.

Ginny picked the tray back up and looked back at Cap.

"See you tomorrow?"

"You can count on it." Cap mumbled, then said out loud "Uh, yeah. Same time."

Ginny walked back to the gate that lead to her bungalo, waving to him once as she went out of sight.

Then Cap almost sat down on the ground, but steadied himself on the wall.

What was that she said? "Its nice to have a friend"? Wow. Yeah. Darn nice.

Ginny walked down the sidewalk toward her bungalo. Mixed feelings were in her head. Should she have done that? A simple peck on the cheek would have been enough. But for some reason she really wanted to kiss that guy tonight. He was so nice to her and he didn't have to be. She hadn't kissed anyone for ages. He wasn't all that handsome, but then again, most of the handsome guys she had known were like a wild octopus on a date. The fact that Cap shyly touched her at all tonight was nice, and a pleasant surprise. They'd been at this about a year now and he never made any real physical contact with her. Until tonight.

But it didn't mean anything. They were just friends. And its nice to have a friend. Darn nice. She smiled to herself, walked up the steps to her bunaglo and went inside.

Darn nice.