• "Oh, don't be such a baby. It can't hurt that damned much."

    "Charlotte, watch your mouth," her father shouted from the other room. Snickering, she smiled up at Goliath, who had been whining about how vigorously she was going at the cuts on his face for the past half hour. But she couldn’t help it. He-who-was-dubbed-Goliath was hurt, and Charlotte had already promised herself back in the woods that she’d try to help him by any means necessary. He should have been thanking her. The big man’s face was already going to be covered in scars. Infections and sickness would be more unpleasant, in Charlotte’s opinion.

    By the time they had reached the house, Goliath had almost been walking on his own. Turned out that even his legs had been bloodied also in whatever trouble he had gotten himself into before. Charlotte was simply enamored by every aspect of the guy. The way he walked, the way he talked, that secretive vibe he had about him. Everything. Curiosity was one of her greatest attributes, and he was just the epitome of mystery. She was eating all this up. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

    Goliath sat there on the Preston's clean, expensive, white couch. At first, he had somewhat panicked, claiming he was too dirty and didn't want to cause them any more trouble. Charlotte's father had thrown a hissy fit in the other room, but the girl had insisted Goliath take a seat. They had more than enough cash to clean the furniture, and replace it if necessary.

    Now all he seemed to be wishing was to leave the place, but for some reason, he had stayed. He had been offered a thousand different ways out of the house when he had expressed a few concerns on the way there, but each time he had politely refused. Observant Charlotte noticed that every time he did so, his eyes had flickered her way.

    Wiping more blood from his forehead, she laughed again as he tensed every time she moved a bit closer.

    "Jesus Christ... You'd think I have a disease or something. Seriously, Goliath. What are you afraid of?" she asked.

    He winced, and peaked up at Charlotte through one eye. "You're causing me more trouble than helping. I'll be fine, please just stop..."

    She only shook her head, setting her hand softly on one of his cheeks, dabbing at the other with the rag in her other hand. He’d had blood all over his face. Finally, she was seeing more and more of what he really looked like. He wasn’t as ugly as he’d been before, but still not quite model material.

    Biting her tongue in concentration, Charlotte leaned closer to him, her face only inches from his own as she wiped up the remnants of the blood. She watched him wince and lean away, which only caused her to laugh even more. Smile lingering on her face, she smacked Goliath's cheek playfully, her grin widening as he hissed from the pain of it. "All clean."

    "******** finally..." he muttered quietly. Too quietly for her eavesdropping father to hear from the other room.

    Standing from the couch to give him more room, Charlotte walked toward the bathroom that jointed with the room, and with the door open so she could see Goliath the Great, and began to scrub blood and dirt from her hands. Behind her, the man stayed completely silent, and although she couldn't quite bring herself to turn to look at him, she felt the weight of his eyes on her.

    He had been doing that since his arrival. Staring and staring. And every time she met his eyes, he’d gaze at her for just a moment more, then would quickly shift them away as if her own look was burning a hole through his head. Goliath was thoroughly confusing, and was putting her a bit off her game. It wasn’t often that confident Charlotte felt uneasy in the slightest, but she found herself having to give him more and more forced smiles. They always came so easily. But not now.

    She brushed at her hands more slowly, playing with the water, taking her time. Softly, her voice low enough that she thought Dad wouldn't hear her, she said, "What's wrong, Goliath?"

    And he stayed silent. All she could think to do was close her eyes as she listened to the quiet behind her, and the running water in front. What in hell was he thinking? She didn't like being kept in the dark. Charlotte considered herself a good girl, a respectful one, but she had to admit that she was spoiled. She just wasn't used to not getting what she wanted.

    "Goliath?" Charlotte turned, her green eyes searching his beaten face for answers. He looked slightly panicked, and a wave of alarm rushed through her body. He stared, he exhaled, and he turned away. The hair on the back of her neck stood on end, and she furrowed her brow in utter confusion and apprehension. "Goliath?" she said once more.

    "Don't have much time, Kiddo," he said, speaking as softly as Charlotte did. How could a voice sound so gentle, yet so scared? Goliath shifted uneasily on the white couch, his dirty clothing pressing mud to the white cloth. He was sweating, although it was fairly cool in the house, and he was turned, looking out a window as if something was about to jump straight through it.

    Walking slowly back into the room, Charlotte's suddenly suspicious eyes bolted to the window, then back again to Goliath's uneasy face. "Don't have much time for what?" she asked.

    Goliath responded. "How long ago did you say you discovered your freezing ability, Charlotte?"

    She paused, considering just being silent. She really liked the guy. Really she did. But he wasn't meeting her even halfway. Why should she tell him whatever he wants when he would give her nothing? "Two years."

    "s**t."

    "What?" He was seriously worrying her now. Charlotte crossed her arms in front of her chest, and leaned her hip to the side. He wasn't answering her, and she didn’t deal well with frustration. "Want to explain what's going on or are you going to keep up the secretive bullshit?"

    Goliath winced at her words, glancing up at her momentarily, however his eyes reverted back to the window. "I shouldn't have come here."

    "Why?"

    He spoke slowly. "Because now you're in danger."

    "Danger?"

    Goliath nodded. "I think."

    What in God's name was he talking about? Curious, she walked to the window herself, blocking the big man's view. It was rather annoying that already he had flipped her mood. Five minutes ago, she had been joking with him... or at him. He hadn't really participated. Now, he was just making her angry, frustrated, worried. Who was he to say they were in danger? What that a threat? Or was he seriously afraid? A big guy like him… afraid?

    Still, she trusted him. Somehow, Charlotte trusted him. And the word 'danger' immediately meant something dire to her. The tips of her fingers became cold at the very thought of it.

    "You're scaring me," she whispered.

    "You won't get hurt,” he replied hastily, determination dripping from his words.

    She shifted on her feet, turning to meet his eyes with a confused expression. "I thought I was in danger."

    The giant buried his face in his hands, and despite his big size, for a moment he looked like a child. It seemed he was just as afraid as she herself.

    "Listen," he said, his voice suddenly frantic. "You've got to trust me, Charlotte. We really don't have any time at all. No time to explain. I need you to hide. Now."