It's Dangerous Loving You But That Is What I'm Going To Do

We're Killing Strangers

John walks into the tailors in search of Arminda when he finds her the tailor Charon hired was fitting her for a evening dress and he stops and stares at her beauty in awe he's also never seen her wear a dress of any kind so it was a bit of a shock as well "John!"  Arminda says softly when she notices him "got plans for a date!?!"  he asks with a half teasing tone "well my brother could use a break from fixing your car!"  she replies he chuckles then walks over to her and says with a smile "you look radiant!"  she miles then says "honestly I just wanted to be prepared for just about anything I mean the last time we were here I stayed in the hotel this time I figured I'd "take in the sights".."  he chuckles then asks "ever been to Rome!?!"  she shakes her head "want to go!?!"  he asks "is that where he's sending you!?!"  she asks he nods "are you sure you want me....!?!"  she starts to ask "yes!"  he replies she smiles then says "well let me go change they made me a few "normal" outfits.... and a few dresses"  he chuckles then nods she looks at the female tailor who was assigned to her who nods with a smile and John helps her off the podium she was standing on then walks her to the dressing room and waits outside the door for her to change then come back out even though he felt the undeniable urge to walk in there and "help" her remove the dress from her body plus so much more he knew she wouldn't want to do that here so he fought that urge with everything he had.... John was shocked when he saw her come out in another dress and when Arminda saw his expression she became nervous and started to head back into the dressing room to change once again she feels him gently grip her arm and she stops as he asks "where are you going!?!"  she turns to face him and he sees the nervousness she felt in her eyes then tells her softly "you look absolutely stunning!"  he gently pulls her to him and kisses her lips seeing her in the dress she's in now made it harder to fight the urge that is until he hears her whisper with a nervous scared tone "not here!"  he nods then takes a step back he feels relief when he sees her smile "I... uh got something for you"  she says he tilts his head curiously at her then watches as she walks back into the dressing room then back out with a long small black box and she hands it to him his curiosity grows as he opens it and finds a phone inside and his curiosity becomes confusion he turns it on and after the "hello" loading screen he sees a familiar picture of him and Helen staring up at him he looks up at her confused "well I figured you lost your old phone in the fire so I upgraded it everything that was saved on the "cloud" including the video you're always watching should be on it"  she tells him and his confusion becomes surprise and he hugs her she chuckles softly and hugs him back.... a few minutes later John and Arminda were at the airport and he saw her become nervous again "I've never flown before!"  she tells him softly he takes her hand in his and gives it a light squeeze she smiles then says "you know I hate cages! and to me these things are like cages that's why I like motorcycles and horseback riding it's more freeing than cars, trains, planes.... maybe a boat would have been better I could have spent my time on the deck or something!"  he chuckles "I'll be ok it's just..... nerve-racking, but that's what I've got you for to protect me!"  she says he nods with a smile.... once they get to Rome he has her wait outside as he goes into the bank to get what he had out of his safe deposit box/luggage and when he comes out of the building she looks at him with a raised eyebrow "what!?!"  he asks with a chuckle in his tone "that must have been quite the show!.... did they tip you good!?!"  she teases he laughs then says "lets go"  she purrs with a Transylvanian accent "yes master!"  he shakes his head with a smile and they head to their next destination which was the Rome Continental Arminda turns when she feels eyes on her or well John and John looks at her with a curious expression on his face she looks at him then shakes her head he nods then they continue on their way inside he feels her nervousness return and whispers "you'll be ok"  she replies "this isn't New York this is something entirely different they may not be a lenient as Winston or Charon"  he smiles then assures "you'll be fine Julius is going to love you!"  she shakes her head he chuckles "especially in that dress!"  he whispers she slaps his arm he laughs they walk up to the front desk where a dark skinned woman stands and once they reach her she says in Italian "welcome to the Continental of Rome how might I be of assistance?"  John replies in Italian as he slides two gold coins onto the counter "I would like two rooms adjacent from one another"  and as the woman takes the two coins and slides them down the counter a man says from behind John and Arminda "Johnathan!"  Arminda whispers teasingly in Italian "now you done it! he's going to make you pay double!"  the woman at the counter smiles and John chuckles then turns around and sees a familiar grey bearded/goateed man then says "Julius"  the man walks over to him "ciao nice to see you"  John says as he shakes the mans hand the man looks at Arminda and asks "who is this!?"  John looks at her and says "a friend"  Arminda explains with a smile "my brother hired him as protection, I think he worries too much!"  Julius chuckles John raises a eyebrow at her she looks at him and says as she stares into his sad eyes "I'm going to go wander, don't worry I'll stay in sight you have some catching up to do"  then she walks away and both men watch her departing figure "I'm surprised to see you with a woman so soon after your wife's death..... who is she!?! and what makes her so special!?!"  Julius asks "she's Aurelio's sister who I hired to help me take care of the pup my wife had posthumously gifted me and.... I can't help it!"  John replies "no, I suppose you can't"  Julius says his eyes never leaving Arminda who was now having a conversation with some random woman the two men walk over to the sitting area and chat and as they speak a conversation he once had with Arminda comes to mind a conversation about his wife it was he morning after they had slept in one anothers arms for the first time "I understand, she's your guardian angel I'm.... still trying to figure out what I am to you, she's the innocent who came into your life and in a way saved it I'm the one who came into your life when you were forced to go back into the way you no longer want to be in.... I'm not as innocent as she is, I was born into a similar life that you were I will never be that innocent but if you ask me you needed her innocence and she.... in her own way needed your "roughness" and you needed her "softness" you both helped one another become stronger in a sense she made you the man you are today the man who existed beforehand but was unsure how to "properly" live that way because of the dark life he was born in she helped you live, you say we would have been friends but if you think about it that may have made whatever this is or may become worse..... not as bad as loving her sister but still it would be awkward"  she says softly as she looks into his eyes he chuckles "I think that in some unique way we help each other.... you taught me what it's like to be loved since the last time I tried I never got a chance to fully experience it I.... am quite possibly teaching you that you are still capable of being loved"  she adds he smiles then kisses her lips Julius gives John a key to "one of his best rooms" and the one adjacent to it he thanks him then stands up and walks over to Arminda then takes her to their rooms then once they enter the room he was "giving" to her to stay in tells her to "stay here and rest I should be back soon"  she nods then kisses his lips which starts the fire that he tried so hard to fight and has now become an inferno as he allows himself to follow through and answer the urges he had since he saw her at the tailors in BOTH dresses that they made for her and she allows him to follow through as he strips her of dress number two and makes love to her on her hotel room bed and he doesn't leave her side until he knows she has fallen into a deep slumber for if she was tired before.... mainly because of jet lag.... she's exhausted now but happy for he gave her one of the best gifts she could receive as gently as he could give her for he knew it was her first time and he wanted her to enjoy it as much as he does without hurting her someday it may happen again and he will take her to places she's never been without ever leaving the bed but for now he was going to revel in the moment they had gifted one another and unlike the last few times she didn't ask if he was sure she just let it be which showed him that she wanted that moment to happen as well though he did in a way ask for consent for that moment to happen at all he did it without ever saying a word and took the fact that she allowed him to even begin stripping her of her dress.... as slowly and sensually as possible and not just because he knew that at the moment it was the only outfit she had.... as permission and if he were to die either tonight or later on he would die a happy man with the memory of the gift they gave one another in his brain and heart he would also be glad to finally be able to join his wife wherever she is but somewhere in his heart and soul he knew that would never happen for like Arminda said Helen is a "innocent", a civilian and he has too much blood on his hands and done too much "wrong" to truly be able to join her there....