"Father!" Eli yelled busting through the doors and prying Erik off of Luke.

"Let me at him!" Erik spat, "I swear I will break every bone in his body while naming them."

In the struggle, Erik fell backward on Eli's foot and Eli gave out a yelp of pain.

So unaccustomed was everyone to any vocal expression from Eli that the matter was quickly settled and Erik worriedly helped Eli to a chair.

"I'm fine," Eli barked, "Really don't think anything more of it."

Gustave looked over his brother in troubled anxiety and worked to remove his shoe.

"Gustave," Eli pleaded desperately, "Please."

Christine gave a small yelp and covered her mouth as Elis twisted and blue toe was exposed.

"Is it broken?" Erik asked Gustave.

"I don't know," Came his son's honest reply. "I can't tell."

"I've taken a few medical classes," Luke grumbled begrudgingly, "Let me look."

Erik shot him a look of death and Luke made his way warily to Eli.

"I don't remeber you taking any medical classes," Gustave noted skeptically.

"You never ask," Luke sighed, "Or write."

Luke affirmed that it was indeed broken but time rest and proper care would set all right. But he shouldn't walk on it, not for a few days at least.

When all had been settled Erik looked as if he might like to go on Luke again but as the panic calmed, Erik realized his daughter's absence.

Understanding slowly crept in and he gave Luke a stupefied look of injury.

"Sorry," Luke mouthed silently. "She wanted to go."

"Say no more," Erik's eyes warned.

He looked around the room and prayed Ilios was back before they returned, or even he wouldn't be able to protect her from her Mothers wrath.

"Eli Destler!" Christine exclaimed, "You're soaking wet."

Every head turned and there was no misconception that yes, Eli was shaking in the cold head to toe.

"What happened?" Gustave chuckled looking over the sorry sight that was his brother.

"Well," Eli stammered looking down, "I got my foot stuck in one of the traps and lost my balance."

Erik grunted something of the nature of Eli's response being a lie but no one else seemed to notice.

Eli winced at the sight of his Father. He should have known better, or rather, should have lied better. There was no fooling Erik, not where Eli was concerned.

"Come," Erik barked, trying his best to repress his anger at being lied to. "Christine you let Mary and Winnie enjoy the rest of their evening. Gustave will sort Luke out I have NO doubts."

"Yes Father," Gustave mumbled like a scared little boy.

Erik hoisted Eli but by the collar and escorted him out of the room.

"The River Sein?!" Erik fumed the moment they had left earshot and entered the boat.

"What? How?"

Erik gasped and pointed at him accusingly, "Not only the river! A girl! You brought a girl to the river!"

"I wasn't!" Eli denied, "I wouldn't!"

"A lie!" Erik spluttered smacking Eli in the back of the head.

Eli let his jaw drop, his Father had never hit him, even playfully a day in his life.

"I didn't mean to fall in," Eli said sheepishly.

"Wait!" Erik exclaimed, "So you really went?"

"You just said I did!" Eli yelled back in exasperation.

"That was a trick to see if you would fess up!"

Eli groaned and bit his inner lip till it bled. He should have stayed silent, shouldn't have let his temper rule him.

"What happened?!" Erik growled impatiently. "Well?! Go on!"

Eli closed his eyes and began to recount the incident, leaving out parts as he chooses to.

Those small details left aside, I will now recount here.

Clara had led him along the Sein, neither talking much or looking anywhere in particular. The silence of the river was enough.

"I have missed Paris." Clara sighed with a faint smile, "I think it a wonderful city don't you?"

Eli gave a small shrug and limped along, giving a pebble a kick with his good foot.

"Does it hurt?" She stammered wringing her hands together and gesturing towards a bench.

He shook his head no.

The two sat in a silence, stealing glances at one anothet and wishing.

Clara, finally,  gave a loud groan and stood.

"I like you okay!" She shouted angrily, her eyes ablaze, throwing her hands up at her sides.

Eli stopped and stared, unable to grasp at any words within his comprehension.

"Well!" Clara nearly whispered, "Say something!"

Eli approached her slowly, his hand shaking and tensing as his blood pulsed in his veins.

"Eli?" she asked slowly, his face pale and emotionless, "Eli you're scaring me. Please answer."

As he drew closer, Clara retreated, slowly backing up away from the reality of what she had just admitted. He looked horrifying, so pale in the moonlight

Eli crept closer and closer until she could barely breathe, the air stuck heavy within her chest. She looked up breathlessly as he towered above her and then-

"Watch out!" He ordered stomping on something to her right and falling to the ground to tackle it.

Clara screamed and stumbled backward further, right of the edge of the walkway.

"I can't swim!" she quavered, "Eli!"

Eli seemed deaf to her pleas and he struggled with some unseen foe on the ground. Clara clung to the edge of the walkway, her skirts growing heavy and dragging her down.

She had held on for quite some time, watching in terror as Eli seemed possesed as a mad man, beating the ground and cursing away. How heavy her dress seemed! How easy it would be to simply-

She could hold on no longer. With a scream she let her fingers slip from the wet grains of concrete and though trashing violently, submitted herself into the cool murky deep.

She wasn't sure exactly how long it had been, two seconds? Two minites? But she soon felt two strong hands raising her up to the surface again.

She was lifted, with some struggle on the part of both individuals to the surface.

But dear reader, as you may have noticed, they did not technically fall into the Sein.

Not yet.

"Eli!" Clara yelled, "What on Earth?"

"A snake," Eli laughed collapsing and laying down on the cold bank. "Viper aspis. Deadly Viper. It was climbing on your skirt."

"What?!" Clara gaped hoarsely.

Eli closed his eyes and coughed violently, pointing a little way down the bank.

"I crushed its skull don't worry. It's dead."

Clara peered and saw the limp string that might have been her undoing.

She gave a small cry of horror, contemplating what might have happened had Eli's eyes not been so shrewd and said a silent prayer of thanks.

"I never thanked you-you know," She whimpered helping him to a nearby bench, "For saving me from my Father. That day on the dock."

"I did what anyone would have," Eli replied honestly, rising and wringing out his overcoat.

"No," Clara sighed in deep reflection, "I think some people would had just carried on. The world is cruel-"

"You don't have to tell me," Eli interjected bluntly.

Clara coughed and spewed water, unaware of Elis concerned glances every time she winced.

"You didn't hear?" She asked slowly, "What I said before you tackled that thing did you?"

Eli looked at her in great interest, "Afraid not. I'm sorry."

She rose and walked briskly to the edge overlooking the water and giving a sigh of relief.

Her heart still beat fast after almost losing her life, fast with urgency and fear she felt anxious to silence.

"How shall I ever thank you?"

"Don't bother," Eli shrugged, joining her side.

She bit her fingernail anxiously, pacing five feet in either direction.

"I won't be indebted to you!" She claimed profusely, "I must think of something."

Eli gave a small shrug and a hint of a smile before feeling for the damp and useless cigars in his pocket.

It was funny but he didn't feel he needed them.

He watched as the funny girl traveled back and forth across the length of the pavement, muttering all sorts of incoherent nonsense.

Clara turned around and covered her mouth, "Eli!" She exclaimed rushing toward him.

She drew so near, so quickly, running to him and clutching at his suit.

He wasn't sure what to do.

There were three seconds.

One in which she came toward him, one in which she pulled his suit and in the last, a choice for him to make.

A choice on what to do now.

What else could she possibly want?

It was clear, he had often read about it at least, girls being saved and wishing to bestow affection on their saviors.

He had no interest in her poor girl!

At least he thought he didn't.

Did he?

No.

Yes?

Returned or not-

But she was his friend and such a dear one at that.

Out of pity, he made his choice.

As she grabbed the edge of his vest, he grabbed her waist and pulled her into him, kissing her ardently. It seemed to come naturally to his suprise, his lips on hers, until she pulled away, or attempted to.

Her face was pale, horrified.

Realizing his grave error and feeling the chill of somber horror, he recoiled to the side, unaware that his hand was still wrapped tightly around her waist.

Together they fell into the Sein.

"Eli!" she stammered sputtering water as she came up, "What in heavens name..."

"Hurry up!" he snapped flushing red with embarssment. "Before the security come."

"Why did you-" Clara stuttered, "Eli you know I-"

"Why did you grab my vest?!" Eli protested, "Why did you rush at me and pull at me and-"

"Because your make up is coming off stupid!" Clara shouted, "Your disguise isn't waterproof, You want the whole of Paris after you?!"

Eli put a hand to his face and felt deep-seated terror as he realized indeed, his plaster and hard work had come off.

"It's wet," Clara whispered handing him her shawl, "But it will do."

"Clara I'm sorry I-"

"No!" She said sternly with a sigh as she closed her eyes and held up one finger to him, "I don't want to discuss it any further."

"That makes two of us," Eli said angrilly.

As they hailed the cab, he made sure to explain that he only kissed her out of regard for her feelings, not his. That he intended it as a kindness.

"It's alright," Clara sighed biting her lip and thinking things over, "We're both grown. We've kissed people before. That was kind of you."

Eli wanted to ask if he had indeed, not mistaken her actions but hadn't the energy or the heart.

"A snake?" Clara thought to herself, "Of all the nights, there had to be a venomous snake?"

If there really was one.

"What will you tell your Father?" Clara asked Eli slowly, "We're thoroughly soaked."

"I'll say I fell into a trap," Eli muttered drawing the shawl tighter around his face.

Clara despite her best efforts still gave a shudder as he adjusted it, revealing for a moment the twisted flesh beneath.

How she hated herself. Hated how she cowered at the sight of pain, of hideousness.

Of course, Eli meant a trap in more ways than one.

He had long since felt himself becoming ensnared in a business in which he wanted no part.

He had no need for friends, for companionship or walks along the Sein.

The world was dark and dangerous and bound to get him into trouble.

But as Clara, alone in her dressing room raised a trembling hand to her damp lip, she could still manage to feel his own presence there as well.

And as Eli stood, telling his tale in plainest terms to a father who seemed too distracted to listen, Eli wondered what it was that had made him misinterpret her actions in the first place.

What had made him act in such a brash manner, to do something he never even dreamed.

What made something inside him tremble in her embrace.

The answer, though neither seemed to understand it at the time is truly quite simple.

A universal fact, we all must ascertain in our own time.

We are all fools when it comes love.