He's watching me intently from the bar. Drinking from a glass filled with Canadian. It had made me smirk when they had told him they didn't have his weird Aussie beer on tap...but they did have beer from my homeland. His response. "Still better than the American swill they pass off as a decent drink..."

I had laughed. Kissed him and walked to the dance floor. He didn't seem like the dancing type but we were in NYC. You had to check out the new and latest club. Part of what I loved about coming here.

He'd insisted on coming with me to visit my second eldest brother. And I was actually quite surprised that him and Jake chatted and got along on the plane ride.

I couldn't say the same for Peter.

I had held my Nephew for a good long while. My niece...my namesake, was back in the hospital for a nagging cough. I would visit her tomorrow.

Drake had watched me holding Leon and he’d smirked. why? was me holding a baby that hilarious?

I'm dancing with a bunch of other women. I can point out the lesbians right away. one brunette gets in real close, her hand moving down until it lightly smacks my ass. I smile and turn to catch drake still glued to my presence. he shifts in the chair.

The brunette moves close to my ear so I can hear her

Sexy Lezzy: You into me?

I lean back

Bliss: Normally yes but I'm kind of here with someone

She nods and I point to drake. the woman smiles at him and then pulls me against her for a quick kiss. drakes eyes go large and sets down the glass. The girl blows him a kiss before moving on. Then I feel someone behind me and I know by the feel of the hard muscle that this isn't another delicious woman. He spins me around so that we’re dancing face to face. I catch him looking at my rack and his smile widens. I take a better look at him. He looks eerily similar to Ronnie from jersey shore. He smiles and moves in closer. Then I look back to the bar. There's a half full glass of beer and an empty seat where Drake was only minutes before. I look back and Drake is suddenly standing beside us.

‘Ronnie’: Look dude I saw her first...

Drakes face turns up into a wicked smile and then in a smooth fluid motion Drake punches him. ‘Ronnie’ goes down into a sack of useless muscle as Drake takes a hold of my arm and hauls me across the dance floor and into the quieter street. The chilly New York air hits me and I wrench my arm away and sneer at him.

He rolls his eyes and crosses his arms. With a deep angry sigh I get right in his face.

Bliss: Just what the fuck was that?

Drake: Saving you.

I shake my head.

Bliss: I don't need saving Hunter, especially saving from you.

Drake: Oh are we back to last names again...so sorry that I helped you out. I’ll remember that next time your in need of some assistance...

Bliss: What the fuck does that mean?

Drake: What the fuck do you think it means? Are you saying you wanted him to be putting his disgusting greasy fingers all over you?

I stand back, the cold not even bothering me for a moment, I shake my head with a smirk.

Bliss: You were jealous.

Drake: What? Of course not.

Bliss: Yes.. you were. You hated seeing that woman touching me but wow...some guy does it and you move like the flash to try and make sure no one touches your property right?

He does an inward laugh

Drake: Believe whatever you want Kahlan.

Bliss: No... no... I see it for what it is. Let’s just put it this way Drake, if you want to play big bad boyfriend you’re going to have to actually be a boyfriend...

Drake: What are you saying exactly?

Bliss: What I’m saying is that if you wanna try and take stakes here...then be a man and actually call this what it is....a relationship...

He laughs.

Drake: Kahlan we’ve already talked about this. We’re simply friends with benefits. Now that your part of AoA I guess there is some more vested claim on you. nobody hurts one of our own...

I cut him off.

Bliss: You're going to try and turn this around and make it seem like the only reason you just took out that laundry sack of meat was because of our beliefs? Please.

Drake: This isn’t the place to talk about this...

A breeze moves in and I shiver, hugging myself. When you went to a club you didn't wear outerwear. You didn't bring a purse...just clothes that you wouldn't die in after dancing for hours. I was starting to realize that the short sleeved shirt and mini skirt were not enough to keep me warm in NYC as well they would when I was in Vegas....I brought shame to my Canadian heritage with this infernal shivering.

Drake moves in, taking off his leather jacket and draping it over my shoulders and then pulling me in toward his body, rubbing my arms.

Drake: Let’s get you some place warmer.

He starts to pull me into walking but I stop. He rolls his eyes at me.

Drake: You're really going to play this childish game Kah...you can stand in the street all you want, meanwhile you're going to get sick and you’ll only have yourself to blame.

I shake my head.

Bliss: Don’t try and change the subject. I’m not going anywhere until we hash this out.

He sighs deeply, now obviously irritated.

Drake: What do you want baby? You told me a couple weeks ago that you weren't good at the whole relationship thing and that suited me fine...

Bliss: I did...but that’s because I’ve never had a real relationship. I was with Kurt and it was like living in some frat boy’s wet dream all the time. endless parties, waking up in places I didn’t remember ever going too, one time I woke up in the arms of some woman that could kill a donkey with her morning breath. Jax well. hell he had worse commitment issues then you did and don’t even get me started about that insane ego maniac Adian was.

Drake chuckled.

Bliss: Look, I understand that after Alyssa...after Lexi...you are weary about being someone’s ‘boyfriend’. I know in this business...being that label gets you hurt sometimes but heck look at us. We’ve survived so far haven't we. Everyone knows what’s going on behind our closed doors...more or less...

I smirked and so did he.

Bliss: As I told Ash, told Roxi...you and I outside that ring is an entirely different animal and when it comes to insults, I’ve got a tough shell. I won’t let cheap tactics come between me and my goals. One day Drake, it will be you and I again in that ring and it’s going to be for that shiny new belt of yours...but not today and not anytime soon....and I would hope that when that happens, we will still be together. I still have a score to settle with you after all...

He moves in closer, only a breath of space between us. His voice is husky

Drake: You are never going to let me live that down are you. It was all part of the plan and now...you did exactly what I wanted you to do and your part of our family now....can’t you just let it go?

I shook my head.

Bliss: I could...

Drake’s eyebrows went up.

Drake: Blackmail?

I nod.

Bliss: I’m tired of everyone else seeing what we can’t seem to just make official already. I feel like a dumbass having them being able to lord it over me...

He shakes his head again.

Drake: You're falling back into old habits, letting THEM push you into making decisions. It’s okay, with time you will learn to not let petty comments bother you so bad.

Bliss: No... that's not really the part that bothers me the most Drake. Is it so wrong that a girl like me actually wants to feel like she belongs to somebody other than 4 overbearing brothers and a loving father? They’re great and all...sometimes...but it’s not the same as knowing that a man is yours and you’re his...god I sound like a sap.

Something crosses his face and I think maybe...just maybe I’ve gotten through to him, kind of like he got through to me only a week ago when it finally all made sense.

He crushes me to his chest. He smells good...and he’s so warm, even in just that thin black T-shirt. He brings his face down to my hair and I hear him inhale.

Drake: I want nothing more than to say that you are mine and only mine.

My heart started to beat faster. I was expecting a but.

Bliss: But...?

Drake shakes his head.

Drake: No but. That’s it.

I hug him tightly. Partly because I’m freezing and partly because its made me sickeningly happy to hear those words...finally. He’d finally given me the definition that I wanted so desperately when I’d started dating Jax...when I’d been helping Adian be a cheating asshole....finally...

Bliss: Ok so you wanna go back to the hotel already...I’m fucking freezing my nuts off here.

He laughs and releases me.

Drake: It never ceases to amaze me how you seem to be the only one that has this power over me....

Bliss: I just hope that you can stay true to your word. No personal shit in the ring...right?

He nods.

Drake: It’s the only way that we’ll survive. I told you about what happened in NYCCW...the shit that he put her through drove me over the edge and I don’t know what will happen if someone tried that again...I can’t be held responsible...

I put a hand up to his face, seeing the haunted look in his face as he remembers when he’d been tortured, mind fucked by a doofus in a paintball mask. I’d heard his part, I’d also heard the story from Lexi. Despite what he said, I didn’t think that it would drive him over the edge like it had before. He had already given in to the voices after all.

He nuzzles against it, reaching up and then taking my hand in his and urges me to walk. My boots are clicking on the sidewalk. there aren’t very many people out and about and the echo sounds loud to my ears. Apparently he think so too because he looks down and then another look crosses his face.

Drake: Are those....

My face breaks into a wide smile...

Bliss: Yup...

He groans gripping my hand tighter and then suddenly raises a hand at a passing yellow taxi cab.

Bliss: It’s only a couple blocks to the hotel...

He shakes his head as he slightly pushes me toward the now open back door.

Drake: I can’t wait that long.

I laugh as he climbs in beside me, gives the driver the address and we’re speeding along. He pulls me back toward him, practically in his lap.

Drake: I thought I’d regret this but I don’t...no...now you really are mine...

And then he kisses me so passionately I think that maybe I’ve gotten a new side of Drake. A man that was starting to worm his way into my very being...my soul...or what was left of it.