The Highwayman Reborn (JMontvale&NightDagger)

[NightDagger]

In the darkness of the Inn a lone figure stood before a window. At first glance it seemed to be a statue standing at attention with a gun at its side. Twist, Twist, Tug. Just a little bit more Twist, Twist her hands were slick with sweat or blood she wasn't sure and there! Her finger touched the trigger of the gun finally.

The Red Coats down below were laughing and drinking away her father's whiskey, she could hear them and just that made her feel...filthy. They'd done horrible things to her before this violating her body and mind. Her beloved hadn't arrived that night and she was relieved but with dawn approaching....there she could hear the familiar sound of his horse. A deep breath, she had to warn him then BOOM! She pulled the trigger of the musket and she was falling, falling in the darkness.

Celia woke with a start her heart pounding in her chest and tears trickling down her cheeks. She turned to her bedside clock it was 3 in the morning, lovely. The teen sighed softly as she threw herself back into bed rubbing her left breast gently. She could still feel the barrel of the gun pressed beneath it and gradually she drifted off to sleep once more, thankfully this time the reoccurring nightmare neglected to rear its head.

 

[JMontvale]

Edward saw the inn. He was running toward it, filled with such hopeless rage that he couldn't speak or even cry. He heard the laughter inside, and his fury only grew stronger. With a pistol in one hand and a sword in the other, Edward kicked the door open.

As he had expected, the tavern room was full of English soldiers in their filthy red coats. The nearest one turned to him, and Edward saw the Englishman's eyes glazed with drink and the leering smile begining to be replaced with a look of surprise. Edward shot him between the eyes.

Before the drunken red coats could react, Edward waded into them, his pistol now a club and his sword biting savagely into English flesh and bone. Edward felt no victory as his enemies fell before him. His heart was dead inside him. His love was dead, and Edward only wanted to be reunited with her.

There were too many English for even his berserk rage to defeat, and soon, a musket ball smashed into his arm, breaking it and causing Edward to drop his sword. Still, he fought, smashing at them wit his pistol, giving no quarter and asking none. Then, a bayonet was plunged into his lower back. Next, a sword slashed across his belly. Finally, a second bayonet was thrust into Edward's heart, and he fell into the darkness.

Edward set suddenly upright in his bed. The teen was breathing hard and his chest glistened with cold sweat. Edward could still feel the pain from the recurring dream, but as usual it was fading. He paused and listened for a minute. His room was directly next to his twin sisters, and Edward hoped he had not awakened Celia.

He thought he heard the softest hint of movement from Celia's room, so Edward got up and went quietly to his sister's room. Edward had always been good at moving silently, and he managed to gently open Celia's door without a sound.

Edward looked in, and saw his twin lying asleep in her bed. A soft smile crossed Edward's lips. She looked so peaceful in the moonlight... so lovely. Edward shook his head at his foolish thought and carefully closed the door before returning to his room. Celia would most likley laugh at him if he ever said that she was lovely. Edward hoped he could get back to sleep as he got back into bed. The cool dampness of his nightmare sweat on the sheets told the teen that it wouldn't be easy.

 

[NightDagger]

The dream, how long had she been having it? It was always the same, the window, a since of helplessness and a gun. It never made any sense to her when she woke up just a bunch of boggled images and a since of emptiness, as though she was missing something...or someone.

That morning when she woke she felt like she hadn't slept at all last night after the dream. Slipping into the shower she sighed and began to wash her hair. Celia was 16 same as her twin brother Edward, like most girls her age she was beginning to show what she would look like as an adult. Long graceful legs and inviting hips, not to wide, but not to narrow. Her breasts road high on her chest perky and proud, she'd been a late bloomer so gravity had yet to effect her too much.

She was a dancer too, trained in classical ballet and ballroom. Usually a reserved young woman. The teen kept to herself during the school year usually locking herself away in some corner of the library reading. Sure she'd had guys ask her out, even dated a few but it never lasted because she never....felt right with them. The only time it felt right was when she was with her brother, but of course....they were related so it wasn't as though she could date him. It was unnatural so she tended to distance herself from him. Sighing she slipped out of the bathroom and got dressed before heading downstairs for breakfast. "Morning Edward." she said softly avoid his eyes as usual.

 

[JMontvale]

The dream, how long had she been having it? It was always the same, the window, a since of helplessness and a gun. It never made any sense to her when she woke up just a bunch of boggled images and a since of emptiness, as though she was missing something...or someone.

That morning when she woke she felt like she hadn't slept at all last night after the dream. Slipping into the shower she sighed and began to wash her hair. Celia was 16 same as her twin brother Edward, like most girls her age she was beginning to show what she would look like as an adult. Long graceful legs and inviting hips, not to wide, but not to narrow. Her breasts road high on her chest perky and proud, she'd been a late bloomer so gravity had yet to effect her too much.

She was a dancer too, trained in classical ballet and ballroom. Usually a reserved young woman. The teen kept to herself during the school year usually locking herself away in some corner of the library reading. Sure she'd had guys ask her out, even dated a few but it never lasted because she never....felt right with them. The only time it felt right was when she was with her brother, but of course....they were related so it wasn't as though she could date him. It was unnatural so she tended to distance herself from him. Sighing she slipped out of the bathroom and got dressed before heading downstairs for breakfast. "Morning Edward." she said softly avoid his eyes as usual.

Edward groaned when his alarm went off. He hadn't slept well after the nightmare, not just because of the damp sheets but also because of the terrible feelings of heartbreak and helpless rage the dream always forced on him. He could never clearly remember the dream after waking, but the sense of fighting a hopeless battle and the painful emotions always lingered for a bit.

Of course, Edward didn't know anything about heartbreak. He had never had a serious relationship. Edward had dated a few times, of course, but he had never moved beyond kissing, and he had never given his heart to the girls he had dated.

None of those girls had ever... felt right to Edward. Dating was usually tedium bordering on discomfort for the teen. He never felt as is he belonged with any of them.

Edward used the front bathroom rather than the one that connected his room and Celia's. It was slightly inconvenient, but Edward always had put his twin sister's needs before his own.

As he showered, Edward thought it a sad irony that the only girl he was ever really comfortable with was Celia. He could open up to her and tell her his deepest secrets... all but one. She understood him when Edward was a bit of a puzzle to even his best friend. Of course, Edward could never admit to Celia that he had unbrotherly feelings for her, and he worked to supress them. He knew that if was wrong, and Edward would never upset his beloved sister by telling her how he felt.

Edward was on the school gymnastics team, and he had a lean, firm, agile body. Still, he wasn't the typical jock. He didn't bother to hang out with the "popular" crowd and chose friends who had a playful sense of humor.

Edward was a bit of a jokester. He targeted bullies for his practical jokes and was almost never caught. The bullies learned early to leave Celia alone. Any sort of threat to her, and his playful nature would be replaced by something darker.

Edward was a little quicker getting ready that his twin and was already in the kitchen when she arrived. He offered Celia a warm smile, but saw that she was avoiding his eyes again. Celia had been doing that a lot lately and it worried the boy. He was sure that if he had done something to upset Celia she would have told him... or at least pranked him for it. Not understanding what was wrong only made it worse for Edward.

"Good morning, Angel," Edward said, using his nickname for Celia. He poured himself some cereal and milk. He tried to not notice once more how beautiful his twin was, but it was like trying to ignore the sun. "How's the best sister in the world doing today?" He made himself smile in the hope of cheering Celia up.

 

[NightDagger]

When Edward used her nickname it always softened her up, what ever wall she tried to build to fight off the attraction crumbled. It was almost as though she couldn't help it. It drove her half mad; she wasn't supposed to be attracted to her brother! Especially her twin brother!

"I'm fine." she said smiling softly and hiding a yawn behind her hand. "I had a nightmare last night and I didn't seem to sleep well afterwards." she gave her head a shake and sat down across from him with a glass of orange juice in one hand and a bowl of cereal in the other. "On the brightside at least we're off school for the next two weeks. The spring carnival is in town."

Celia loved the spring carnival; it was a travelling circus that came to town every year during spring break. It stayed for two weeks before moving onwards. There were all sorts of games and rides not to mention fortune tellers and fire eaters. It had an old world charm that always relaxed her and made her never want to leave. "When are we going to go Edward?" she asked. "It has to be soon or else all the good prizes will be gone." and with that she began to eat.

Thier parents always seemed to be out of town for one reason or another and the twins would often find themselves home alone for weeks at a time. Due to this they pretty much raised one another with the assitance of various nannies and babysitters throughout the years. However since they were 12 thier parents had been letting them stay home alone so by now this was familer behavior eating together with no parents in sight.

 

[JMontvale]

When Edward used her nickname it always softened her up, what ever wall she tried to build to fight off the attraction crumbled. It was almost as though she couldn't help it. It drove her half mad; she wasn't supposed to be attracted to her brother! Especially her twin brother!

"I'm fine." she said smiling softly and hiding a yawn behind her hand. "I had a nightmare last night and I didn't seem to sleep well afterwards." she gave her head a shake and sat down across from him with a glass of orange juice in one hand and a bowl of cereal in the other. "On the brightside at least we're off school for the next two weeks. The spring carnival is in town."

Celia loved the spring carnival; it was a travelling circus that came to town every year during spring break. It stayed for two weeks before moving onwards. There were all sorts of games and rides not to mention fortune tellers and fire eaters. It had an old world charm that always relaxed her and made her never want to leave. "When are we going to go Edward?" she asked. "It has to be soon or else all the good prizes will be gone." and with that she began to eat.

Thier parents always seemed to be out of town for one reason or another and the twins would often find themselves home alone for weeks at a time. Due to this they pretty much raised one another with the assitance of various nannies and babysitters throughout the years. However since they were 12 thier parents had been letting them stay home alone so by now this was familer behavior eating together with no parents in sight.

"A nightmare?" Edward asked with a note of concern. He was pretty sure that Celia had been having trouble sleeping lately. She didn't complain, but Edward was Celia's twin brother. They both sometimes just seemed to pick up on things from each other, as if their souls were somehow joined. "Maybe you can sleep in tomorrow, while we have time off from school?" Edward smiled at the mention of the carnival.

Ever since they were very little, the twins had gone to the Spring Carnival. The games, rides, and carnival food, along with the old world entertainers and music were something Edward looked forward to every year. The last 2 years had been much less fun for Edward, however.

Edward had been dating when the time of the carnival rolled around the previous 2 years, and he had needed to take his girlfriend rather than go with Celia. Both trips had been miserable. The whole time, Edward couldn't stop thinking about how much more fun it was to ride the ferris wheel with Celia, win prizes for Celia at the games, or share a candy apple or funnel cake with Celia. In fact, while Edward had never failed to win a large stuffed animal for Celia since they were both 10, he had failed to win a single prize for either of his dates.

But this year, Edward wasn't dating, and once more he'd get to go to the carnival with his favorite girl in the world. He smiled at Celia and pulled a pair of gold passes out of his pocket. The teen had saved up all year to show Celia a good time at the carnival this year.

"We can go as soon as you want, and as many times as you want, sis," Edward said happily. "These passes are good for the whole time the carnival's here, every ride, all of the acts, and the big feast and fireworks at the end." He hoped Celia would like the surprise.

 

[NightDagger]

((Sorry about the wait I was out of town))

"It was nothing Edward, you know nightmares are just nightmares. I'll just sleep in tomorrow." she waved a hand and smiled at him. Celia knew as well that he'd been having trouble sleeping. Despite his sneaking skills she could feel him when he was in the room with her. Something she hadn't quite told him.

"Oh my god!" she exclaimed happily when she saw the shimmering passes. "You got the all week gold pass!" her eyes lit up and she was smiling brightly. Slipping out of her chair she kissed his cheek and embraced him. "You didn't have to save up for those, but it's going to be awsome! Everything is free!" Except of course the midway games, those still cost money.

Like her brother she'd been dating the past two years and every boyfriend that took here there made her miserable. They never wanted to spend the money to win the prizes, they just bought them and it wasn't the same as watching her brother work at a game for an hour before presenting her with the overstuffed prize. It didn't mean as much with the other boys as it had with him.

"We can go on Monday, by that point the games will be a bit broken in and all the acts will be there. Tomorrow we can get ready for it." she hugged him once more and smiled brightly. "I love you Edward."

 

[JMontvale]

((It's ok. I've been swamped with work and school all week))

Edward blushed a little at how wonderful and real Celia's kiss on his cheek had felt. He tried not to think about how much better the kiss might have felt on his lips. As his twin sister hugged him and he hugged her back, he tried to ignore wonderful her lovely body felt pressed against him and how right it felt to hold Celia in his arms. Why can't I find a girlfriend like you, sis? Edward wondered. What he really wanted, though he tried not to admit it even to himself, was not a girl like Celia, but Celia.

It gave Edward's heart a pleasant ache to see the happy, radiant smile on Celia's face. Nothing brought him as much joy as to see Celia happy. He went to kiss her on the cheek, but somehow missed and kissed his sister's soft lips instead. Edward pulled back almost instantly, but he couldn't deny the sweet, electric jolt of the innocent kiss. Edward blushed and tried to hide how strongly the kiss had affected him.

"Yeah... it's going to be great, sis," he said. "And I saved some money for the midway games too." He grinned confidently. "Any stuffed animal you want, I'll win it for you," the teen promised his favorite person in the world.

 

[NightDagger]

She quickly turned away the moment thier lips met. That way he couldn't see the blush of enjoyment that stained her cheeks. It was amazing how something so innocent made her body burn for something....less then innocent involving her brother. Such dirty thoughts were unbecoming. For the 13th time that morning she had to remind herself that it was her brother. Not some guy that she was having these thoughts about.

"Don't spend it all on me again Edward." she said teasingly. "I don't want you to go broke getting me oversized stuffed animals. Or else we won't be able to eat while we're there." she laughed softly and dried the dishes before putting them up. They had a dishwasher but for some reason Celia always preferred to hand wash the dishes like some sort of bar maid. She even hummed so obsecure Celtic drinking song while she did it.

"However you owe me three stuffed animals to make up for the two years you were with your girlfriend's around this time." she stuck her tongue out at him and laughed softly.