Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

A couple of days ago, Eden was finding leisure in Paris, treating herself to a stay at a five star hotel. It was mainly Chloe that talked her into it, insisting that she deserved a break from the long tiring years of treasure hunting. She was planning to stay for two weeks to indulge in tourist activities, ensuring to also take time for herself, like going to a spa, going shopping and her personal favourite, going out for a drink and coming back severely drunk. It may have been a bad idea to spend two weeks of her time on her own, but she didn't cut social contact completely. Her old friend Beth was staying in Paris around the same time, so she met up with her in the city at a tiny cafe, catching up on all of their recent life events they missed from their time apart. Despite Beth's short appearance, Eden found her ways to enjoy herself, that being bar hopping. It began fairly innocent, talking with the Parisian locals, then one night she made herself friendly with a man of her age. Black hair, moustache, dressed in a white shirt and a loose collar. It didn't take long for the two to exchange flirty remarks, and later she went back to his place, doing what one usually does when they find themselves in lust with a stranger. And that's all it really was in the end. When she accepted his request to go out for dinner, she had a chance to see what he was really like behind the handsome exterior. Unfortunately, his personality didn't seem to match his face. If it wasn't his unneeded rudeness towards the waitress, it was his overly personal questions and weird judgemental behaviour. When she told him about herself, although she tried hiding the shadiness of it all, her date wasn't having it. 'God, you seem like a lot to handle. I wouldn't be able to be with a woman like you.' He told her, delivering the sentence with a smiling face, but it didn't seem to take away the rudeness of the remark. Eden wasn't the type to conceal her bother, nor was the type to take shit from people. So she let her rage take full centre, rising from her seat to leave while giving the guests of the restaurant ten whole minutes of entertainment. Let's just say the wine stain on his shirt will be a pain in the ass to get out.

On her last day, she ensured to get an early night so she had enough sleep for the flight, however just when she was getting into bed, a loud security alarm sounded outside. She went to the window and spotted a house being broken into. Men dressed in black came out of the house, holding one item in particular that took her attention completely. A golden egg, dotted with red jewels and diamonds, and nothing that she had ever seen before. In a rush, she put on her coat and shoes and walked out into the night, taking cover behind her rented car while she watched the criminals drive away. Once they distanced themselves, she hopped into her car and trailed them cautiously, discovering their hideout and finding a swift entrance to steal the egg. Once she stealthed her way inside, one perfect opportunity manifested into the egg being in her possession. When she got the egg, she made a run for it and drove back to her hotel. She sat outside in her car, looking at the golden egg sitting on the passenger seat, then at the house that was recently broken into. A middle aged couple stood outside, the wife on the phone to what looked like the police. She briefly heard their conversation, translating their angry but sad words. Eden wasn't the type to steal from innocent people. The more she watched them, the more she felt she was unable to turn away. So she got out of the car with it in hand and approached the couple outside the house, explaining the situation and telling them that she brought it back to them. Relieved and filled with joy, the two showed their gratitude and thanked her for giving it back. Eden was still curious about the egg, so she asked if she could come inside to learn more about it. Luckily the couple weren't weirded out and let her stay for an hour, as she listened to the couple speak about the origins of the golden egg and how it came into their possession. The story was that it was first found by an ancestor of theirs in the middle of the Bay of Biscay, discovered by a French sailor in the 1900s. The egg was seen as a valuable item, however the sailor decided to keep it and carry it down as a family heirloom. Through many generations, the parents told either their sons or daughters to pass the egg down as they got older. It ended up in many different households, but the last household it was kept in ever so happened to be the house opposite Eden's hotel. At the end of their story, the treasure hunter made her intentions known about the egg, that she was an 'archaeologist' who took interest in examining the artefact. She tried to phrase the sentence as best she could incase the couple got the wrong idea, however they were more than happy to give it over as a reward to show their gratefulness for Eden's actions. With a wave goodbye, she left the house with it in hand, entering the hotel and placing the egg into her suitcase. She couldn't wait until she got home.

On the day of her departure, she left Paris and traveled back home to Belfast, missing the comfort of her cozy apartment. She arrived back around 8PM, and although she was physically drained from the long hours of flying, she couldn't wait to have a look at the golden arefact in her suitcase. As she unzipped her suitcase in her bedroom, she took the egg from inside and quickly walked to her office, flicking on the switch of her table lamp and placing the egg in the centre of her desk. Now she got to work. Eden pulled out the wooden drawer from below, retrieving an eye shaped magnifying glass from inside. She took a couple of minutes analysing the egg, deciphering if it's appearance had any historical significance she was aware of. However, in each moment of pondering, she found herself for the first time to be completely clueless. It wasn't a Faberge egg, she would've easily recognised it's design and it's hen egg shape. Something about it was completely unique to anything she'd seem before. It just looked rich, even more rich than a Faberge egg. Figuring she was getting nowhere, Eden carefully pulled the egg and discovered that the top could be opened. What rested inside was a worn and rolled piece of paper, kept together by a piece of string. After taking off the string and rolling out the paper, a message was written on the front. The writer introduced herself as the Duchess of Normandy, telling the reader that she had created a treasure hunt for her own enjoyment. Once she congratulated Eden for finding the egg, a short piece of text was written at the bottom, displaying the first clue. Eden read it aloud,

'You may have found this egg at sea, but now you must find another on land. Take a good look inside, in order for you to understand. Hm, okay.' Eden looked inside both ends of the open egg, the one at the top first, then the bottom. She couldn't see the writing so she laid the egg on the table, taking out a torch from the drawer and shining it on the inside. The light picked up writing engraved from within, she read the words,

'Hidden in plain sight, Versailles Palace. Hidden in plain sight?' She repeated. 'What the hell does that mean? Well shit, I'm not gonna be able to do this alone am I?'

Aware that she was walking on a new road, Eden knew that she would be in need of help sooner or later. With all of her other relic finding ventures, she had to rely on other people. She didn't expect this situation to be any less dangerous than what she's been through before. Stealing the egg from one of the most dangerous treasure hunting groups in France was one thing, but without help she feared the worst. She knew she wouldn't live in peace for long, so now she had to think of her options. Eden paused and flicked through all of the people who could possibly help her. The list was fairly short, consisting of two people, one being Chloe Frazer. She had experience working with Chloe for more than two years, and she was more than capable of getting the job done, but she was in Iceland so she knew she was out of the picture. If she couldn't ask Chloe to help, it left one other person, Sam Drake. Her and Sam had done multiple jobs together. They traveled the world finding all sorts of treasures and attracting all sorts of chaos. After their job in Austria a year ago, things fizzled out. The two were inseparable and sometimes hung out even when they didn't have a job, but out of the blue he immediately cut contact with her. Eden would be wide awake at night trying to think of all the possible reasons why he cut her off. After ruminating for hours, she got no answer, and that was the worst part. If she knew what she did wrong, at least then she could have some sort of clarity. But nothing came to mind. She didn't hate him for doing what he did, but she believed that she was obligated to some sort of answer. This situation always found a way to come back to her, and this moment was no different. However Eden believed she had started something she didn't want to walk away from, and walking into it alone would be too risky. Eden thought,

'If I can't call him, I'm gonna have to get someone else to. Chloe will do, hopefully she's not too busy.'

Eden took her phone out of her pocket and searched for Chloe's contact, clicking on it to start a call. She waiting patiently before the other line picked up.

'Hey Chloe.' She said enthusiastically.

'Oh hey Eden! How are you doing?'

'I'm fine, thank you. How are you? How's Iceland?'

'Honestly, it's been great. Me and Nadine are seeing the Northern Lights tonight, then for the next few days we're gonna tick off a couple more things on our to do list.''

'Oh that's amazing! Make sure to take pictures for me, although I'm sure that's what you'll be doing anyway.'

'Ha! You know me so well.'

There was a brief moment of silence.

'I'm not disturbing you am I?' Eden was scared she was interrupting her leisure time.

'Don't be daft, you're not disturbing me.' She reassured her.

'Okay, that's good.' Eden exhaled a sigh of relief.

'What's up? I can tell by your voice that you need help with something. I can cut the trip short but I don't want to leave Nadine on her own, especially when we've still got a lot to do.'

'No, no it's not that. Could you call Sam for me? I think he's deleted my number, none of my calls have been going through.'

'Oh, that's strange. I thought you guys were close, did you have an argument?'

'No, not that I can remember. We were fine after the Austria job, but I sent him a message and it didn't go through. Tried calling the bastard again and again but he just didn't pick up.'

'That's so odd, why would he do that? He's making a fool of himself if you ask me. Anyway, yeah I'll call him for you. Why do you need him anyway if you don't mind me asking?'

'I found a golden egg that belonged to Elodie de la Marche.'

'Elodie de la Marche? The French Duchess? She owned an golden egg? Weirdly I'm not surprised. But bloody hell, how did you get your hands on that?'

'I stole it off of these French treasure hunters. They stole it off a family, and apparently it's been a heirloom for years. I gave it back to them but they told me to keep it as an act of kindness.'

'Ah that's nice. So what about the egg? Are you going to sell it?'

'Well, that was my original thought until I saw an opening. I found a letter inside, it was addressed by Elodie saying something about there being another egg. Then she told me to look inside it. When I did, it had the words hidden in plain sight and Versailles Palace written on it. I have no idea what its referring to, I suppose I'll just have to figure it out. But I don't know, I'm worried Chloe. I have a funny feeling the people I stole from will really want the egg back.'

'Yeah, I don't doubt it. Is that why you're calling Sam for the job?'

'Yeah, I would've called for you if you weren't on holiday, but I know you're busy so I thought I'd let you relax.'

'Oh, I appreciate that Eden. But anyway I'll give him a call and let him know about your situation. I'll leave you to sort it out nevertheless. If you two end up squabbling I can always arrange a couple counselling session. Trust me, I'm great at it.' She joked.

'Chloe!'

'I know I know I'm just pulling your leg. Alright, well I'll see you later. Let me know if he gets in touch, okay?'

'Okay.'

'Okay, bye! And good luck with the egg!'

'Thanks, bye!' Eden smiled and hung up, putting her phone back in her pocket. It was nice to know her and Nadine were having a good time in Iceland. For now though, Eden focused on making herself an easy dinner and putting her feet up. It was better than stressing about the Sam situation. Eden got up from her chair and yawned loudly. The lack of sleep seemed to be catching up to her, but she pushed the tiredness aside and walked out of her office, moving over to the kitchen. Her hand reached for the fridge and she opened the door. Her eyes immediately gravitated to a big box of last night's left over pizza.

'Look's like I'm going to be lazy today.' She spoke her thoughts aloud, taking the box out from the fridge and putting it on the counter. Eden had chosen her most frequent order, meat feast pizza. But only a few slices remained. She took out a plate from below and placed the last three slices onto it, opening the oven and putting the plate inside. She gave it around 5 minutes so the pizza could be fully reheated. After taking it out, she reacted to the boiling hot plate.

'Ah shit!' She shouted, quickly putting the plate on the side as she took her fingers off the plate. 'Well, serves me right, should've worn my damn gloves.'

She took the oven gloves that were hanging from the corner and put them on, taking the pizza to the living room. After laying the plate on the coffee table, she took off the gloves and hung them back so she could get back to her food. Eden sat down on the couch and took the TV remote, turning it on and flicking through the channels. Eden went through each slice quickly as she attempted to find a somewhat interesting channel. But the tiredness she told herself to fight off soon fought back. She couldn't keep herself awake, and the boring TV didn't help her. Eden's eyes fluttered and eventually they sealed shut. Eden spent the entire night asleep on the sofa, waking up at six in the morning to a loud knock on her door. Who the hell is knocking on my door at this time of day? She thought, fighting herself awake and coming to a stance as the knocking persisted.

'Give me a break...' She spoke aloud, adjusting herself to reality while slowly approaching the door. As she got over, she grew more awake of the thought of Sam. A sickly feeling grew in her throat when her hand gripped the door handle. As she braced herself, she opened the door. A familiar face stood outside, looking almost as nervous as her.

'I'm not late am I?' He joked, resting a hand on the frame of the door. It was Sam.

Chapter Text

Eden didn't expect Sam to be this quick to turn up. She thought he would be busy with matters much more important than their friendship, but this may have proved it was more important than she thought.

'Late? You must be having a laugh. I've only just woken up.' Eden replied with a friendly smile, but she was still somewhat irritated by his sudden appearance.

'I can tell.' He took a short glance at her face, attempting to conceal his small burst of laughter. He was unable to do so, since a huge grin crawled over his face, 'Do you usually look like this when you wake up?'

'What do you mean?' Eden was in the dark to whatever Sam was seeing.

'You've got black stuff underneath your eyes.' He said, his grin becoming wider. It appeared that Eden forgot to remove her makeup before going to bed, so unfortunately after rubbing her eyes, the mascara coating her lashes managed to create a large smudge both underneath and above her eyes.

'Have I? Agh, goddamnit. I forgot to remove my bloody makeup.' She let out her annoyance for a moment, feeling somewhat embarrassed that her partner had to see her with black smudged eyes. Now she regretted not checking herself in the mirror. 'You do know if you hadn't of shown up so early I wouldn't be looking like this.'

'Like what? A raccoon?'

'Ugh, you're not funny you know.' She said in slight aggression, but the smile on her face said otherwise. 'You know what, just get inside will ye?' She waved an impatient hand towards him, letting him into her apartment. As Sam looked around the room, Eden said, 'Feel free to make yourself comfortable, I'm just gonna go to the bathroom to take care of this.' She pointed to her face.

'Oh, okay. You sure it'll come off?'

'Of course it'll come off.'

'Alright, alright, I was just asking.' He grinned as she walked off to the bathroom. As Eden closed the door, she realised how normal it was to talk to him. It was as if there was no bad blood between them, as if him blocking her number never happened. It made it all the more confusing. She looked in the mirror and removed the leftover mascara under her eyes, that did in fact make her look like a raccoon. Once the darkness under her eyes were gone, she left the bathroom and walked to the main room, finding Sam in the middle of opening one of her kitchen cupboards.

'What are you doing?' She questioned with a smile, catching him in the act of whatever he was doing. Sam turned around frantically at the sound of her voice, quickly shutting the cupboard with a loud thud.

'Just looking around.' He spat out an excuse.

'Rightt.' Sam leaned against the counter, as Eden changed the subject, 'So how come you've arrived so early?'

'I uh- took the first flight I could, after Chloe called. She told me about your discovery.' He explained.

'Oh I see. When did you land?' Sam glanced at his watch.

'Twenty minutes ago.' He confessed.

'Bloody hell, could you have at least booked a hotel or something?'

'Nah, felt like coming here instead. I hope you don't mind-'

'No, no it's alright. I mean you scared the life out of me when you knocked on the door, but it's fine.'

'You sure?' He questioned, 'You can shout at me for ruining your beauty sleep.'

'Nah, it's okay. Next time though, could you please knock on my door a little later please?' She requested in a friendly but jokey voice.

'I can try.' He laughed. Sam took notice of the finished plate and cutlery on the coffee table,

'I didn't think you were the lazy type, Eden.' She realised what he was looking at and quickly walked over, taking away the plate and hurrying over to her dish washer.

'I'm not lazy, I was just tired. I recently came back from a trip to Paris.' She explained herself while putting the plate and cutlery into the dish washer, closing it and pressing a button for it to start.

'Oh, and how did that go?'

'Good, it was good. Felt nice to relax for once. I don't think I've done that in a while.'

'Yeah, neither have I. Did you get up to much?'

'Well, I went to a spa, visited the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, all of the tourist attractions. Did some shopping, met up with an old friend, stuff like that. Oh- And I went out for drinks a couple of times. I met this local on one of my nights out, he had a pretty face but he was a complete arsehole. I'd rather not go into it.'

'Totally get it. It's always the pretty ones that are the most annoying bastards.' Eden laughed out loud,

'Tell me about it!' The atmosphere dulled, so Eden fired him another question, 'So what about you? What have you been up to?' At first he appeared awkward, but within a couple of seconds he was able to gather himself,

'Oh uh, the usual. Got my hands on a couple of new adventures. Very dangerous adventures to be exact but, also very fun. Oh man, if I told you the stuff we found you wouldn't believe it. I think I've finally given Nate some competition.' Adventures? That's what you've been doing all this time? Eden didn't exactly know how to feel about it. Nevertheless, she pushed it aside,

'Competition? The guys a father now. He's been out the competition since you went on that crazy trip finding Avery's treasure. So trust me Sam, I think you've won.' She laughed.

'Am I allowed to feel good about my achievements just once? I mean what have you found that's so revolutionary, huh? Cos I'm sensing a bit of-' He pretended to sniff the air, 'Jealousy.' Eden fake gasped at his comment,

'Jealousy? I'm a hell of a lot of things but I am not jealous.' That was a lie, 'I'm just saying, Nate's just one step ahead.'

'One step ahead, I cannot believe you right now. One step ahead.' He muttered, 'Y'know what, I don't care what you have to say. What is that thing that we're supposed to look at anyway?' He asked.

'Well, that thing is an extremely rare and valuable golden egg, belonging to a French Duchess. Follow me, I have an office, it'll be in there.' She informed him,

'Ooo, she has an office.' Sam commented humourously.

'Indeed she does. Follow me.' She turned around, walking in front towards the door in the distance. Whilst they walked, Sam muttered under his breath,

'Huh, I'm excited already.' The two walked inside the room, and Eden closed the door behind them. She traveled behind the desk and sat down, while Sam was already glued to the cabinet of relics to his left. The first object to catch his eye was a Chryselephantine head sculpture, carved to resemble Artemis, the Greek Goddess. Then he found a horned helmet, a small but impressively detailed pitcher painted colours of yellow and blue, and tons and tons of different kinds of historical items. Sam was impressed. He knew he hadn't been around for a long time to witness a lot of Eden's discoveries, but he was sure that what stood before him were excellent finds.

'Damn Eden, this is some really good stuff. A Chryselephantine sculpture, how the hell did you find that?'

'I just walked right past it.' She joked smugly as she was sat at the table, shining her teeth from across the room.

'Huh, yeah right.'

'In all seriousness, I found it when I was with Chloe. We did a couple of jobs a while back, while you were, y'know...'

'Well, I'm glad it didn't stop you from going on all those adventures.'

'Pssh, It almost did. I was convinced there was no point in me living that life anymore, not when you were supposedly dead. It took me a few years to get back in the game. Your brother helped a lot, made me get back my passion for it, Lord I don't know what I'd be doing if he wasn't there.' The mood of the conversation turned serious.

'I'm sure you would've been okay, even if he was the one who helped.'

'Trust me, you should've seen me when Nate gave me the news. I was a wreck, couldn't pull myself together for months, it was terrible. I was like a human water fountain, just constant tears.' She laughed at herself, although the thought of it still managed to feel painful.

'And I bet you're mad that I wasn't even dead.'

'Yeah, believe me I was. To think that I found you standing outside a Brazilian bar, smoking like a house chimney, God I almost wanted to punch you. I mean I was over the moon that you were still alive, but I definitely felt like giving you a good smack.'

'So why didn't you do it?' Sam walked over to the table.

'I think I was just too happy to care. It was a miracle, a goddamn miracle. Ah, that was a good night.' She reminisced, 'Anyway, less chatting, let's get down to business. This is what I found.' Eden placed the egg in the centre of the table, turning it to the main topic of conversation. Sam stood opposite her, eyeing the oval object that made itself comfortable on the worn wooden surface.

'So, this is the egg I've been hearing about.'

'Yup, formally owned by Elodie De la Marche.' Sam's face gave no clear acknowledgement of the woman, appearing clueless to who she was referring to. She had to explain a little bit more, 'Duchess of Normandy, married to Germain de Seselles?'

Sam became lost in thought for a moment, before saying in realisation, 'Oh, her! God I forgot all about her. She was close with Marie Antoinette wasn't she?'

'Yes, they were best friends.'

His eyebrows furrowed in thought as he looked at it, turning to her saying,

'Wait, isn't she the bird lady?'

'The what?' Eden laughed at his remark.

'Y'know, the one who's obsessed with swans?'

'Yeah, that's her.'

'So,' He pointed his finger, 'That egg over there...is a swan egg?'

'Yeah, come to think of it, you're right.'

'Okay, so how do you know that the egg was her's?'

'I found a piece of paper with the first clue, it was signed by her.'

'Oh, right, so you have no idea what the treasure is?'

'Nope, no clue.'

'Hm, y'know I usually do find comfort in knowing what I'm searching for, but it wouldn't hurt to switch things up for once. I mean what's the worst that could happen, right?

'Eh, well I'm already thinking of the worst. I forgot to tell you, I stole the egg from these treasure hunters, and I have a bad feeling that they're gonna want it back.'

'Well I guess we've got to show them that this egg is ours.'

'We? So you're in?' Eden sounded surprised.

'Of course, why wouldn't I be?'

The room faded into silence. Sam's face grew nervous after catching onto her questioning. He exhaled, then words began to tumble out,

'Eden...I'm sorry for cutting you off.' He told her genuinely. 'I errr, I was stupid. I shouldn't have done it. Chloe's call reminded me on how much of a dumb decision it was. I won't cut you off this time, I promise you.'

She exhaled, but inside she was happy he acknowledged his actions. Despite his odd answering, the apology was enough for the time being. But a part of her still wanted to know more.

'Thank you. But...I don't know, you just had me worried. You know how close we are, and for you to just block me from your life and not say a word for almost a year, it put a lot of bad thoughts into my head. I thought you were either in jail or dead, and you weren't far off the first time. Why did you do it though? Did you not want to be friends with me?'

'No, no, it wasn't that. I was just, going through some things, personal problems.' He let out a light hearted laugh, attempting to reduce the tense atmosphere.

'Oh, oh okay. I understand.'

'Thanks, I know it sounds stupid, but...err....it's true. Anyway, let's just put this past us, okay?'

Eden still felt something was missing, but she answered, 'Okay.' smiling alongside him. Sam became quick to change the subject,

'Could I have a look at that paper?' He asked, showing with his hands to what he was referring to.

'Yeah, sure.' She passed him the paper, and as soon as you know it he was speaking the words aloud,

'You have found my swan egg, which marks the beginning of my little adventure. But this is only the start, so don't get too comfortable. Here is the first clue. You may have found this egg at sea, but now you must find another on land. Take a good look inside, in order for you to understand. - Elodie de la Marche. Wow, what a poet.' He joked, making Eden laugh. 'So she planned this from the beginning? I didn't know the French enjoyed treasure hunting. Hold on, pass me the egg would you?'

She placed the egg in front of him on the table. He took he torch that was on the side, shining it over the engravings found from inside,

'Hidden in plain sight? What the hell is that supposed to mean?'

Eden snorted out a laugh, 'I said the exact same thing, look at the other one.'

'Okay.' He looked up at her with a confused expression before reading the other side. After looking, he put it down and said with a grin,

'She's telling us to go to the Versailles Palace? Isn't that the art gallery?'

'Mhm.'

'So the clue is in the art, but it's hidden in plain sight?' He guessed.

'That's what I'm guessing. 18th century art is a good example of things being hidden in plain sight. So if she's saying that the next egg will be on land, will we be able to find the egg from looking at a painting?'

Sam grinned at her, 'I think so. Well my friend, looks like we're going to France.'

'Looks like we are.' She smiled back. 'Wait, we'll need a plane won't we?' Would Sully mind?'

'I can't think of a reason why he would. But I'd best give him a call just to give him the heads up.'

'Okay. When do you think we should leave? Tomorrow morning?' Eden asked, wanting to be ready.

'Yeah, maybe at about 7.'

'Okay, sounds good.'

Sam then said, 'Y'know, I think I'm gonna take your advice and crash at a hotel. I'm exhausted.'

'I can imagine. Well make sure to get some sleep.'

'Trust me, I will.' They walked over to the door,

'Nice seeing you by the way. It's good to be back.' Eden turned to him,

'Yeah, I agree.' Saying it with a smile. 'See you tomorrow Sam.'

She moved out of the way and opened the door, holding it open for him to leave. He walked out and gave her one last look, saying,

'See you tomorrow.' Then he disappeared. Eden closed the door and went back to the sofa. She thought to herself with a smile,

'It really is good to be back.'

Chapter Text

Eden was relieved that her and Sam were back on track, but despite rekindling their friendship, she couldn't help but ponder the events of yesterday. For some reason, she couldn't make sense of it all. She couldn't grasp why he removed her from his life because of his personal problems. If anything, he was being awfully vague. A treasure hunt gone wrong, lost on a foreign island, running away from a group of organised criminals that wanted him dead, those were some of the reasons Eden found to be both believable and understandable. But personal problems? Something was off, really off. Part of her partially accepted why he might have cut contact with her, but was whatever going on in his life enough of an excuse to block her out for a whole year, especially with how close they were? Unfortunately, she didn't have the answer. After Sam left, she tried to spend her day in relaxation and gave herself an early night. Although she planned to get plenty of sleep for the following morning, her night consisted of constant rumination and overthinking. Personal problems? I didn't know he had personal problems. What kind of personal problems? Is he and Nate on good terms? Is he having girlfriend problems? Wait, he has a girlfriend? She spent four hours of her night listening to the overbearing sound of her inner thoughts, taking up every space in her mind. In the end, the tiredness of the day eventually sent her into slumber, and overall she woke up to a couple of hours sleep. The 5AM wake up was one thing, but combined with the lack of sleep made a terrible combination. Despite the sleep deprivation, she forced herself awake and prepared for the flight Sully would hopefully provide them with. She packed her suitcase with the essential items, and packed the usual gear in her backpack. One thing she didn't forget was the egg and the letter. That was the most important. When she finished packing, she waited outside of her apartment on the look out for her taxi that would take her to Dublin. Sam briefly spoke to her on the phone whilst she was packing, informing her that Sully was willing to come over to Ireland and wait at the nearest port. Her eyes followed the cars driving past, then at the towers of buildings that stood around her. A loud clanking noise could be heard in the distance. She looked to her left to see maintenance workers fixing the road near the bridge. Eden then noticed a woman down the road, making her business be known to the public whilst waiting for the bus. With everything going on around her, she tried to stay focused and keep on the look out. Just when she thought the driver would be late, she saw a black vehicle getting closer towards her. She raised her hand to get their attention, as the car gradually came to a stop next to her. A middle aged man came out from the door to help with her suitcase before she entered the taxi. From the 2 hour drive, she got to the port, paid for the taxi, retrieved her suitcase and wheeled it to the port. After a few minutes of walking, she found Sully's plane ready at the docks, as well as the old man himself. He stood outside with a cigar in his mouth, greeting her while she spotted her partner putting his belongings on the plane,

'Hello darlin, am I glad to see you here.' He smiled, bringing her in for a hug.

'Hey Sully! God I missed you. It's been a while hasn't it?' She told him as they both pulled away to talk.

'It has, I haven't seen you in ages. How long has it been? 2 years?'

'Mhm. And now we're back.'

'Well that's what I like to hear. Get on, we can talk on the plane about your new adventure.' He smiled, opening the compartment to allow Eden to put her suitcase inside. Whilst she was doing so, he opened the door of the plane so they could all climb on board. With the doors fully secured and the engine now running, the plane took off into the sky. Eden lost herself in the clouds, imagining herself hopping from one cloud to the next. Sully's voice brought her back on the plane.

'So what's this new job?'

'Uh, it's about an egg, a golden egg to be exact. I stole it off of these criminals thinking it would get me more money but apparently it's apart of a treasure hunt. Elodie de la Marche' treasure hunt.'

'Who on God's earth is that?' He questioned. French history wasn't his strong suit.

'She was a French Duchess in the mid to late 1700's, obsessed with swan's too. She was married to Germain de Sesselles, Duke of Normandy. but that's all I know. She wasn't that known compared to other French royals.' Sam explained.

'Honestly, if you asked me to name the French monarchy you'd get no answer from me.' He said, laughing straight after.

'That's fair enough.' Eden replied, snorting a laugh out.

'Anyway, I know you're heading to France, but where exactly are you guys going?'

'We're going to the Versailles Museum, she told us to go there. Apparently the clue will be hidden in plain sight.'

'I see, but what about the treasure? Do you at least know what you're looking for?'

'Sully that's sort of the bad part. We have no clue what the treasure is.'

'So you're telling me you're searching a myth? What's the point in doing this whole thing when you don't even know what the treasure looks like?'

'I don't think it's a myth. we have a pretty good lead. And besides, I think it could be fun.' Sam answered, optimism in his voice.

Sully snorted out a laugh, 'You know that's the last thing I thought he'd say. Eden, this man cares about treasure and treasure only.'

'Hey! That's not true. I don't just care about treasure-'

'See that Eden? Lying through his teeth.'

'Didn't I tell you it could be fun? We've found so many things, I don't mind coming back empty handed.'

'Really?' Eden said, smiling in disbelief.

'Yes, really.'

'Are you buying this act Eden? Cos I'm not.' Sully asked.

'I don't know, I guess we'll have to see if he's true to his word or not.'

'I wouldn't get your hopes up.' Sully replied, laughing afterwards.

The three chatted away about various topics, watching the spring morning turn to evening. The time became 6:49PM, and all of them landed safely at the port. Sully told them that he had his own opportunities to find, so he left Sam and Eden to travel to Paris. Upon their arrival, they took a long walk to the train station to head to Versailles. Once on the train, Sam couldn't help but make conversation,

'Y'know, it's kind of weird being on a train.'

'Why? Have you not been on a train before?' Eden said, laughing at him.

'Yeah, obviously. I did when I was young. But it's been ages since then. What about you?'

'To be honest it's been a while too. Maybe when I was back home in Ireland. Ever since I worked on that cruise ship I haven't been on a train since.'

'I can imagine. What was it like, the cruise ship job? Did you end up visiting any places while you traveled?'

'Yeah, that's kind of the perk of working on a ship, you get to travel the world. I visited Germany, Sweden, Norway, Switzerland, hm let me think. The Netherlands, Albania, Egypt, India, Greece, uhhhh I think that's it.'

'What about the trip to the Caribbean? Does that one count?' He laughed, knowing the context of the situation.

'Ehhh, maybe not. We didn't even get to the first destination without getting swarmed by pirates. It was a miracle we survived y'know. Getting washed ashore with you and Nate in Puerto Rico wasn't on my to do list.'

'I don't think it was on ours either.' He laughed. 'Man that was some time ago, feels like forever.'

July 21st, 1988

'How long are we staying in here?' Nate asked impatiently, sulking at his brother.

'Until they get to the first destination. They're traveling to Puerto Rico first, so we'll roughly be stuck in here for another 3 days. Nate, we'll be fine.'

'Will we? It doesn't feel good to be stuck in a storage room. I want to look outside, I hate being trapped here.'

'Nate, if they find out we've sneaked on board they'll kick us off. Trust me, staying here is better than being thrown off a huge cruise ship. Look, it won't be for long, okay? Just a couple more days and we'll be living it up in the Caribbean.'

Nathan sighed, before saying, 'Okay. But could you at least get some food? I'm starving, I haven't ate since this morning.'

'Okay, let me see what I can get you. Stay put.'

Sam approached the storage room door and opened it slightly, peeking through the tiny opening to see if anyone was in the area. Since no one was there, he exited the room and closed the door slowly to avoid attracting attention. The storage room was on the lower floor next to the kitchen, so he made his way there, hiding from some of the cruise ship workers who passed him on his right. Once they had gone, he looked through the door seeing more than a dozen chefs preparing dinner. The food looked luxurious and better than anything him and Nate had eaten. At this time, starters were being prepared, one of them being a food board consisting of different cheeses and sliced meats. A cluster of green grapes sat at the end of the wooden board, giving its presentation a hint of colour. It wasn't a big meal, but it was enough for Nate to eat. His attention from the food was now drawn towards a waiter entering the kitchen. He hid behind a plant pot and watched the waiter walk in, following him from behind in a crouched position. It was luck that no one spotted him. Sam hid away out of sight and watched a chef near him leave his work area, as well as the food board he had recently prepared. This was his moment. Sam reached his hands towards the counter to grab the board, peeking to see if anyone saw. But no one did. Continuing on, he lowered the board down to a comfortable position and crouched away with it in his hands, heading towards a clear exit. He hurried to the storage room and closed the door behind him. Nate's eyes lit up at the sight of food.

'Yes! You did it!' He said enthusiastically.

'Shh! Not too loud.' Sam reminded him, 'Here you go.' He laid the board on the floor for Nate to eat. He already made a start, gobbling the meats and cheese down whilst smacking his lips.

'Damn Nate, you really are hungry.'

'Duh, I haven't ate in hours, of course I am. But, thanks. Aren't you gonna eat something?' He asked in thought of his brother.

'Nah, I'm alright, you carry on eating.'

'Are you sure? You must be hungry, you should eat.' Nate insisted.

'Nathan, it's okay, I'll be fine.'

'Okay...' He replied, worried about him.

The sound of talking was heard outside the storage room, and soon footsteps were heard hitting the floorboards, progressively getting louder. The two looked at each other, both aware of the footsteps.

'Nate, hide.' The two separated, finding a place to conceal themselves. Suddenly, a young woman entered the room, red in the face from crying. She closed the door behind her, sobbing.

'I should've known...I should've known it was a lie! I'll kill him, I swear- I-I swear!' She shouted emotionally, her Irish accent becoming noticeable. She held a hand over her mouth to hide her crying as tears poured out. She found herself a seat on the floor, hiding her face in her arms. When she thought she was in a private space, she heard footsteps coming from the other side of the room. As she looked up, she saw a kid standing in the room watching her,

'Are you okay?' He asked, as Sam whispered for him to stop, but her sobbing managed to hide his voice. She jumped and went embarrassed,

'Oh um, yes, I'm fine, nothing to see here.' She quickly wiped the tears from her face, pulling herself together. As she got up, she questioned, 'Who are you? Why are you alone in here? Are you okay?'

Sam could be heard whispering at his brother, 'Nate, what are you doing?'

She heard the whispering and asked him, 'Is someone else in the room? I won't be mad at you, I promise.'

Nate froze, not knowing how to answer her question. Sam later answered it, coming out from his hiding place to see the young woman stood next to him. She quickly noticed the food board on the floor.

'Sorry, uh, it's a long story. Please don't tell anyone, please.' Sam pleaded her.

The woman looked as if she was panicking, 'Okay, um, uh- Shit.' She spoke to herself. 'If my boss hears about this he's going to kill me. I'm sorry, I have to tell someone.'

Sam was quick to say, 'No, don't. You can't tell anyone. Please. We're just trying to live, we have nowhere else to go.'

'I know, I know I'm sorry. I just, I have to.' She replied sadly, before looking at Nate. He looked at her in a sorry expression, causing her to sympathise with them. Maybe they were just trying to live. She exhaled, 'Okay, fine. I won't tell anyone, just make sure nobody sees you, then you'll make my job way easier. Does that sound good?'

'Yeah, sounds great.' Sam replied happily, relieved from the outcome.

'Thank you.' Nathan grinned, gratitude in his voice.

'Don't mention it.' She gave the kid a warm smile, then he said,

'Could you get us some more food? My brother needs to eat but he keeps on saying no.'

'Nathan, it's fine.' Sam insisted, but she said,

'I mean, sure. I think I can do that. I'll just have to be extra careful. What do you guys want? I could give you a menu, we have a lot of different food.'

Nate stared at Sam, telling him with his eyes to stop being so selfless. Sam sulked and said,

'Just give us anything and we'll really appreciate it, thank you.'

'Okay, let me see what I can get you. Do you both have any allergies?'

They both shook their head.

'Okay, would you want anything to drink first? You both must be thirsty.'

'Maybe some water, please. What about you Nate?'

'I'll have water too please.' He said politely.

'Alright, I'll be right back.'

'Wait.' Sam stopped her before she left the room. She paused and turned around to look at him. 'What's your name?'

'Oh um, my name is Eden.'

'Thank you, Eden.' He told her with gratitude.

'It's okay.' She smiled back at him and left.

For the next couple of days, Eden made it her job to keep the Drake brothers fed and hydrated. She would take whatever they ordered, bringing it to the storage room and repeating the cycle. The more she helped them, the more she got familiar with them. The brothers introduced themselves to her and made conversation, asking about the cruise ship and other minor details. Then they slowly opened up to her, talking about their current plans and ambitions. The plan was to find Culebra treasure east of Puerto Rico. Eden took quite an interest and spent more time in the storage room listening to the clues they had found, as well as the story of where the treasure was rumored to be. Sometimes when she was supposed to be sleeping, she'd sneak off to the storage room and listen to their childhood stories. Eden would sit with the brothers fascinated by myths and tales of treasure. One thing the two didn't know was that Eden had a secret love for treasure that she hadn't pursued due to scrutiny from her parents. But Sam's stories made her feel something again, lighting a spark that once lit a dull flame. On the last day, Eden let her feelings be known about joining the two of them.

'Are you sure you want to join us? Being with us will put you in danger. You have a great job, why would you want to leave it behind?' Sam was having doubts.

'Well, it's not all great. When you have to deal with snobby customers and rude co-workers, it sort of takes away from the job. And I'm just sick of being stuck on this damn boat. I feel like I'm going crazy. I'm ready to leave this ship for good.'

'And you're okay with that?'

'Yeah, more than fine, I'm in need of an adventure.'

'Are you sure you're going to be able to handle it? You don't look like the type that goes on adventures.'

'Just because I don't look like it doesn't mean I'm not capable. Please, just take me with you.'

'Let her come with us Sam.' Nate told him.

Sam sighed, 'Okay, fine. You can join us.'

'Thank you.' Eden said happily. She checked her watch and said, 'I've gotta go back for now, let me know if you guys need anything-' The sound of gunfire interrupted her sentence. The three looked around them as the sound became consistent. 'Oh no, that can't be good. We need to get out of here.'

'Right on that. Come on, lets go.' Sam said, opening the door for Nate and Eden. Before Sam moved out of the door, he paused to see crowds of people rushing through the corridor. Commotion sounded through the hallway and people pushed through impatiently, swiftly getting to the other side of the ship. Once he found a safe gap, he waved them out. An alarm began to ring, piercing through everyone's ears. Screaming could be heard from the upper deck, as gunfire persisted. After being stuck in a queue, all three of them made it to the emergency area. People were being sent away on life boats, and only a couple of them remained. From the excessive firing of the ship, it began to set on fire, glowing from the sides. Sam noticed,

'Oh shit. We need to get out of here, now. Quick get to the life boat!'

The crowds of people were taking the majority of the boats, but thankfully a couple remained. They ran to one of the remaining boats and Sam started up the engine. The boat now moved, and all three of them evacuated the ship. As they left, all they could see was the burning cruise ship becoming engulfed into flames. Eden's eyes stuck to the bright fire, unable to speak. Before they could move any further, the ship blew up, causing a huge explosion. The three were caught, as the eruption flew them far into the air. They landed into the sea on impact, hidden under the water until the tide carried them to the shore of an Island. Miraculously they had made it out alive. Nate was the first to wake up. After coughing up a concerning amount of sea water, he spotted Sam and Eden lying on the sand bed. He rushed to his brother first,

'Sam! Wake up!' He shook his shoulders before he summoned him awake, choking from the sea water. His eyes went to his brother,

'Hey- Nate- I'm glad you're still alive, that was close.' He coughed straight afterwards. As he gradually felt better, he spotted Eden lying on the sand, waking up to a coughing fit.

'Are you alright?'

Eden looked up to see the Drake brother's still alive. 'Barely- Thank God you guys are okay. We got caught in that explosion didn't we?'

'Yeah. everything went so fast.' Sam stopped himself and looked around. 'Wait a minute.' He took his compass from his jean pocket, opening it and coming to a stance. 'Nate, I think we're in Culebra.'

Chapter Text

Eden and Sam left the train station and found themselves in Versailles. They booked a hotel for the night as close to the Palace as possible and packed their things there. They had arrived at the Palace within 5 minutes, examining the area until they gathered that it was closed. The two stood outside the entrance,

'I wish Chloe was here. What do we do now? Should we break in?' Eden suggested.

'I don't think we have much of an option. I guess the only way now is up.' Sam balanced his foot onto the building, grasping a hold of the wall whilst finding a safe place to climb up. 'Keep a lookout, okay? This place ain't exactly private.'

'Will do.'

Sam started to climb the building as Eden kept a look out. They seemed to be lucky as on this occasion, nobody was around, making it much easier for them to find a way in without a disturbance. She watched the fountain in the distance before Sam called out to her, 'I'm up, come on Eden.'

'Alright.' She turned around and climbed up the wall to the top. Sam was waiting for her as she pulled herself up to a stance. 'Right, let's scope this place out. See if we can find a way of entrance somewhere.' She suggested.

'Good plan.' He said back as he followed her on the roof. They both could see the gardens from afar, just about seeing the greenery. As they both walked, Eden said,

'We should look out for windows, see if we can open one of them.'

'Alright.' Sam answered. The two went on either side and searched. After a couple of minutes, Eden spotted a window slightly open,

'Hey, this window's open. There must be cleaners inside. Come over here.'

Sam climbed over to Eden's side of the wall and found her hanging near the window. He went over to the other side. 'Well, ladies first.' He said, gesturing with his hand as he hung off the wall.

'Why thank you.' Her hands held the top of the window before she pushed herself through, landing inside the Palace. She looked around to see if there was anyone around her, but no one was there for the time being. She made him aware, 'Sam, it's all clear.'

He jumped through the window and landed smoothly, looking around at his surroundings. The two stood in a long hallway, with large paintings covering every inch of the walls. Pillars stood at the end of the hall, and the ceiling consisting of golden circular designs held a row of glass in the middle, revealing the nights sky. As beautiful as the room was, the two knew not to get distracted, so they carried on moving.

'Can't believe I've never been to this place. Just one room feels like a whole house.' Eden said. 'But we best keep moving.'

'What the hell are we even looking for?' Sam questioned. 'The egg can't be in here, that would be too easy. We should check every room, see if there's anything interesting.'

'I agree.'

The two walked to the end of the hallway and turned left, entering another corridor. It was differently designed than the last they walked through. The walls were painted from the Renaissance period, and gold was found everywhere. Still, there wasn't anything interesting regarding the egg, so they kept moving. The two followed the signs and went downstairs, searching each room for at least a hint, but they got nothing. Eden was right about the cleaners, as they heard French ladies speaking to each other downstairs. After they had gone through several hallways, a door stuck out to them, particularly to Eden. It may have been a cleaners room for all they knew, but Eden thought otherwise.

'There's something about this door.' She said. 'Should we go in?'

'We might as well. Let's give it a go.' He responded, pushing the door to find out it was locked. 'Agh, damn it. It's locked. Are you any good at lock picking?'

'Uhh, I'll try. Good thing I got a lock pick with me.' She knelt down and took out the lock pick, turning it around in different angles in attempt to unlock the door. She was nowhere as skilled as Chloe, so it took her around 3 minutes to make any progress. When she heard a click, she exclaimed her relief and opened the door for the both of them. They walked into another room full of paintings and sculptures. It was as if it was a private art exhibition.

'Oh wow, this is different.' Sam commented.

'Yeah. Why is this room hidden away? We should take a look around, I have a feeling we're onto something.'

The two split, wandering around the room in hopes to find a clue. To Eden's calculations, the instinctual feeling was proven to be right. Her eyes found a sculpture of a man, which she quickly gathered was Elodie's husband.

'Sam. This is Germain de Sesselles. This can't be a coincidence, the two were married.'

'And this, is our friend Elodie de la Marche.' He pointed to a painting opposite her. It was a self portrait of her posed by a lake with dozens of swans. She was dressed in a pale white court dress, designed with floral patterns. A pale pink bow was sown in the chest area, matching the flowers on the dresses exterior. She glowed with a smile as she was framed feeding the swans of the garden. What hung next to the painting was another portrait of Elodie, this time with the Duke. They posed on a long chair in the exterior of the palace, decorated with flowers and plants. Germain sat with a face of nonchalance, secretly taking notice to something in the corner of his eye. The Duchess smiled, but something about the expression felt artificial. Sam was the first to point it out, taken back by the odd atmosphere of the painting,

'Those two look awkward together.'

Eden walked up to him and observed two paintings. Elodie appeared as her true self in the first painting, but when she stood next to her husband, something was different. Eden picked up on it too, and later commented, 'Yeah, I mean, it was common for marriages in those times to fail, but I don't know. There's definitely something about it.'

'Let's keep looking.' Sam suggested. After walking to the other side, a small dark oak box sat on a small table in the corner. He quickly took interest, pulling the lid of the box off and laying it to one side. His eyes became stuck to an old 14th century coin resting comfortably inside. 'Well would you look at that.' He picked it up with his two fingers, holding it up closely for examining. Eden was busy looking at another wall, but she heard his comment. She questioned him,

'What have you found?'

'A 14th century coin. French, obviously. I'm not sure what it's got to do with Elodie's life, but-'

'Wait, a coin?' Eden had found a painting. It was a child sitting beside a mountain of dirt, holding up a coin with dirty hands. The painting captured the dirt on her knees and the redness of her face, as if it was painted in that exact moment. The child had a smile that couldn't be wiped off, it was as if you could feel how happy she was. 'There's a picture of a child holding a coin. Do you think that's Elodie?'

'Let me see.' Sam walked up to her with the coin and held it up next to the painting. It was a complete match. 'Eden, this is the same coin she found when she was younger.' He told her. 'If I found that coin at her age, I would've been on top of the world.'

Eden walked from one painting to the next, seeing if any of them connected somehow. Suddenly, she came up with something. 'Sam, hear me out. Do you see how Elodie is only happy in two of these paintings? She's happy because she's around the things she loves. She's loves swan's, and by looking at this painting, she loves finding treasure. But in the other portrait, she looks like she's suppressing that version of herself to fit her husband. She expressed herself differently in the swan painting, but it looks like she's conforming to societal expectations. She would've been happy if the Duke accepted her love for finding treasure, right? But she's not. Look, she's hiding the coin.' Sam examined the painting again, catching what he couldn't see before. Elodie held a gold object in the slots of her fingers. The painter managed to encapsulate a glow coming from her hand.

'Holy shit, you're right! She's hiding the coin. Do you think she was holding it for good luck? Why would she need the luck if she had a good marriage?'

'Yeah, I agree. Maybe she held the coin when they were getting their portrait done to get her through the hours of sitting next to him. But she's hiding it because she knows how Germain would react. A lot of men of that period didn't take to women with hobbies. That has to be why she's hiding the coin.'

'Yeah, it has to be. Wait, if we really think about it, this solidifies everything about this being her treasure hunt. She must love treasure hunting so much that she created one herself. This is all adding up. What do we need to do now?'

'Hm.' Eden paced the room and went towards Germain's sculpture. She took a closer look. From analyzing, the eye's looked like they could move. She moved them in the direction of the painting and suddenly, the head of the sculpture clicked, making it possible for the dome to be opened. She opened it and found a slot inside his head. 'Sam, could you give me the coin?'

He took the coin and passed it to Eden as she put the coin in the slot. One of the floorboards started to move, opening and revealing a new set of stairs that led downwards.

'Oh my God. How the hell is this in a public museum?' Sam questioned.

'I have no idea. But let's head down, maybe they'll be something about the next egg.'

The pair walked downstairs. They had been plunged into darkness, so Sam took out his lighter so they could see where they were going. Eden took a sniff and inhaled the dust in the air, causing her to cough violently.

'Hey, are you alright?' Sam asked with a smile, however slightly concerned by her coughing.

'Yeah.' She just about spoke. 'It's just the dust. I don't think anyone's been in here for centuries.'

'At least we know we don't have any competition, for now.'

They got towards the last step and entered the room. Sam discovered that there were unlit candles on some of the shelves, so he went over to each side of the room to light each candle. Now that they could see better, they could establish what was in the room. Even more paintings were on the walls. Some of them were landscapes, but others captured events of life. The two began looking. Eden came across a painting that illustrated a royal party. Elodie was painted in the lounge with an unknown man, talking to each other happily. She looked way happier than how she did in the couple painting. Eden pointed it out,

'Looks like Elodie is speaking to another man. Do you know who this is?' She turned to Sam. He stood near the painting and stared at the person in question, trying to think of who it was, until,

'Wait a minute, that's Stephano Rapallino. Italian crafter and...treasure hunter. They're talking about treasure hunting, aren't they? No wonder she's so happy.'

'Stephano? Wasn't he responsible for finding that Spanish gold? And the desert ruby? The crown of the lost kingdom too! She's probably listening to his stories. But hold on, look at their body language. Do you see the way they're looking at each other? This is more than just a conversation. She's having an affair.' She turned around to Sam, but realized he was across the room staring at another painting.

'You're right about the affair. Take a look at this.' Eden made her way over and looked at the other painting. A woman was painted running through the Palace corridor, going in the direction of a room. The lighting was dark, capturing the mystery of the night. 'I think Elodie is sneaking out to meet up with her secret lover.' He told her. 'See how she's pulling up her dress? She's running through the hall. She must be sneaking out.'

'Maybe Stephano was staying at the palace and told her to meet him at his suite. Oh my God, I know this was common in 18th century France but this is some scandalous stuff.' Eden looked around at the other paintings, then another poked out. 'This must be the next one. She's...left her wedding ring on the table. She must have ran off with him.' She paused and looked at some of the other paintings, finding one of a large ship sailing at sea. 'Yeah, she left with him on his ship.' She said with certainty. 'They must have traveled together.' Sam stood at her side, resting his hand on his chin in thought.

'From what I've read of him, he didn't seem the type to settle down. He was all about searching for a new adventure. Maybe Elodie wanted to live that life too, maybe she didn't want to settle down either. Anyway let's keep looking, this'll have to lead somewhere.'

The partners moved away and inspected the room. Not only were there paintings, but there were relics displayed on the walls and tables, as well as different shaped boxes. The relics already on show consisted of tall Greek vases, different types of swords like broadswords and rapiers, poems written by a Spanish poet in the 16th century, and other valuable heirlooms.

'There's a lot of interesting stuff here. I think Elodie's showing off some of her findings.'

'What have you found?' Sam walked over to join her, taking a look. 'Oh wow, they found a shit load of stuff. This is impressive.'

'I know, I don't think I've looked at everything yet, I've still got these boxes.' She pointed at them.

'Alright, well I'll leave you to it. I'm gonna look for clues.' He walked off towards the paintings whilst Eden inspected each box. The first box contained an ancient scroll dating back to the Roman era, and the second concealed a golden gauntlet believed to be owned by a king of the medieval period. She was impressed by the items the couple had found together, and more so excited by the pieces of history she herself knew were out there. But the last box hid something she couldn't believe. She discovered a golden ruby necklace, once worn by Queen Elizabeth I. She gasped at it's beauty, 'Oh wow...That's beautiful.' She took the necklace out of the box and held it out in front of her. The chain was thick and good quality, decorated in diamonds and pearls that looked like they were dripping from the chain. What dangled from below was a huge tear shaped ruby. It's exterior was decorated in the same materials, and held together in gold plating. The dull lighting of the room didn't do it justice. She muttered to herself in amazement, and Sam noticed her examining the valuable, smiling at her awe over it.

'I see you've taken a liking to whatever you're looking at?' He laughed, looking behind to see her holding it up.

'Yeah, it's looks like a royal necklace from the Tudor period. It's absolutely gorgeous. I haven't seen anything like it. I can't believe things like this are still out there. Surely this would have been rusty by now, but it looks almost untouched. Its incredible.' She shook her head, 'God I'm getting distracted. Um, could you carry on looking at the paintings, see if you can find this necklace in one of them?'

'While you carry on looking at the necklace?' He grinned.

'Uhhh, no. I am taking this seriously y'know?' She told him.

'Are you sure?' He teased her.

'Positive. See, I'm putting it back in the box.' She showed him her movements, putting the necklace back where it was.

'Alright, you're true to your word I can't deny that.' He smiled.

'Just keep looking.'

'Oh, right, um, Eden? About that, I've uh, found something.'

'Yeah?' She turned away from the box and moved forward to Sam, spotting what he was looking at. Elodie was captured fully bare wearing the ruby necklace, leaning against the wall of an archway. She was next to the lake of an unknown garden. Coincidentally, swans were painted resting in the lake, and one in particular was shown gliding across the water. Everything about it looked picturesque. 'I guess we know where the necklace comes from.' She laughed.

'Isn't this quite controversial for those days? Showing an ankle was considered erotic, but this is on another level. It's like he captured everything.'

'Yeah, Stephano probably painted this. She looks very comfortable for being fully nude in the middle of a garden. Props to her.'

'Would you ever be a nude model?' Sam asked daringly.

'Pfft. Depends on how much you pay me. I think I'd get stage fright with all of the eyes on me. It feels too intrusive for my liking.'

'Who said there'd be an audience?' He smirked.

'Oi, cut it out you!' She said playfully, however with a hint of sternness.

'I don't mean it like that! Sometimes nude models have private sessions.'

'Well that sounds even worse.' She chuckled.

'So you're 100% certain that there's no possibility of you becoming a nude model any time soon?' His voice became flirty.

'Did I not make it obvious enough?' She smiled, although puzzled by his constant questioning.

'Well, I'm just saying. I know a guy who can help you with that kind of thing. In his 40's, also does treasure hunting in his spare time. Did I mention he's also extremely handsome?"

Eden pulled a face and rolled her eyes, but his words tickled a laugh out of her. 'Y'know, that description sounds oddly familiar. I think I know him.'

'You do? Huh, small world.' A grin smothered his face, impossible for it to be erased.

'Come on, focus, you're distracting me.'

He exhaled, still with a grin on his face. 'Alright. Let's get back to work. Came to any conclusions yet?'

'No but, where do you think this is?'

'No idea, it could be anywhere. Wait, it says here, didn't even realize.'

The place and date were written at the bottom, writing,

Sicily, The Lost Garden, 1803

'Bingo. We should have a look at more of the paintings.' After viewing each painting, they came to the conclusion that there was sightings of swans in certain pictures. Even if it wasn't a swan entirely, it would give subtle hints of there being swans in that certain location. He discussed this with Eden, and she had understood what Elodie was trying to say.

'Sam, I think she's showing us where to go. She's telling us to go to the lost garden.'

'Okay, but how do we know if that's the right place?'

'All of the other paintings don't have swans in. They're just random landscape paintings. There's no sign of any of the treasures either. Those paintings are there to confuse us. It's the painting with the swans. It has to be.'

'Yeah, I agree with you. Let's take a couple of pictures, make sure we know where we're going.'

'Good idea.' Eden took out her phone and took multiple photos which would be relevant to the treasure hunt. As she finished taking photos, she called out,

'Let's leave. We've got all of our information.' She exited the room and went up the stairs, but it only took her until she was half way to realize Sam wasn't following her.

'Sam? Are you still down there?' She called from the staircase, looking down.

'Uh- yeah hold on, I'm still taking pictures.' His answering sounded awkward.

'Oh, okay. You don't need to, it's okay. I've got everything we need on my phone.'

'Oh, that's good then- just give me a minute-' Eden stood still at the staircase, unsure to why he was taking so long, until Sam could be seen at the bottom of the stairs.

'Alright come on let's go.' He said, as both of them walked upstairs. They found themselves back in the room above, and Eden fixed the hatch that had automatically opened, closing it shut. Since they had found what they needed, the partners eventually found their way out of the museum.

Chapter Text

Eden and Sam wandered through Versailles to the train station. While on the train, Sam had given Sully a call to tell him about their breakthrough, as well as asking for his whereabouts. Sully informed them that he had bumped into an old business partner in a Parisian bar who had been keeping him busy since they landed in Paris. The two of them planned to meet up with him. The night grew darker, and the two traveled through the streets of Paris to find the bar. When they found the place, they stepped inside, instantly noticing the warmth of the room and the sound of Jazz music. The atmosphere was set by multiple lamp shades sitting on the floor of the room, glowing a warm orange shade in every corner. The walls were painted in a deep red, and the ceiling was hand painted in complex patterns that appealed to the human eye. Just around the corner of the bar, Sully lounged on the sofa, smoking his cigar. Sam and Eden approached him, and he soon realized their presence.

'Oh hello, you're back. How was the trip to the palace? Find anything interesting?'

'Yeah, we found a spare room that had paintings of Elodie's past. We cracked the code pretty quickly and found a secret underground passage. Let's just say we're going to Italy.' Eden told him.

'Italy? You've only just landed in France.' He laughed. 'I suppose we should get there tomorrow as soon as possible. Anyway, there's someone I want you to meet, he's an old business partner of mine. Ah, there he is, he's just bringing our drinks.'

A tall man in glasses dressed in a suit and tie got closer to the lounge area, carrying two glasses of iced whiskey. His black hair was short in length, and stubble grew on his chin and the sides of his face. He looked in his early 40s. Eden established that he was conventionally attractive, and she weirdly could admit that he was her type. He set the drinks down on the table before looking at the new arrivals, introducing himself in a friendly manner. He spoke in a thick French accent, becoming noticeable in every word.

'Hello, are these the people you've been talking to me about?'

'Yes, they are my work partners.'

'Ah, I see. Sullivan has been talking about the pair of you.'

'He was?' Sam asked, unpleasantness in his tone. There was something about the French man that rubbed him the wrong way. He didn't know whether it was jealousy or intuition, but he was certain he didn't like the way he presented himself.

'Yes, very briefly, but we were talking more about business matters. We've crossed paths many times, just so you know. I'm Charles Legot. And who are you both?'

Since Sam was refusing to speak, Eden did the talking, 'Um, I'm Eden Foley, and this is my work partner, Sam Drake.'

Charles seemed to ignore Sam completely, distracted by the woman standing next to him, 'Ah, lovely to meet you both. Eden, what a beautiful name. A beautiful name for such a beautiful face.' He took her hand, immediately catching her off guard with a kiss. His actions made her slightly embarrassed, causing her cheeks to blush slightly. 'Are you Irish by any chance?'

'Yeah, I grew up in Belfast.' She answered, slightly on edge by his straight forward nature.

'I see, how interesting. Come, sit down.' He gestured for them both to sit, gesturing for her in particular to sit next to him. Eden shot Sam an uncomfortable look, but all he could do was look at her in sympathy. Eden sat next to Charles, while Sam found himself next to Sully.

'So, what has brought you to Paris?' He asked the two of them, but he directed the question to Eden.

'Well, we found an opportunity-' She was cut off by Sam.

'Me and Eden are choosing to keep our matters private, I hope you understand.'

'Sam, you can tell him. I've known this man for years, he's trustworthy.' Sully noticed Sam's closed off demeanor.

'Yes, you can trust me, I'm not going to tell anyone. Your business stays your business.'

Sam kept cautious, but eventually let his guard down, 'Alright, but if you say a word don't think we're going to forgive you. Eden, just explain it to him.'

'Alright, uh...I found an egg that belonged to Elodie de la Marche. If you've done your research then you'll know who she is. I thought it was just a relic until I found a letter inside. I ended up at the start of a treasure hunt, and I wasn't too sure if I was up to do it alone, so that's why I...called Sam.'

'I see. So you called your best man for the job, eh? How interesting. Tell me, how professional is your relationship?' Charles faced her with a smirk on his face, glaring at the pair in suspicion.

'As professional as it goes, why do you ask?'

'Just curious. I just thought I'd let you know from personal experience, partnerships between a man and a woman never stay professional. Trust me, I did business with a woman once, ended up sleeping with her.' He wheezed out an uncomfortable laugh, whacking his hand on the coffee table as Sam and Eden looked at each other awkwardly. 'If I had a partner as beautiful as you, I wouldn't be able to stay focused.' He shot his eyes to her, taking a sip of his whiskey as the ice rattled in his drink.

'Right, what are you trying to get at?' Sam asked the French man.

'Ah nothing.' He answered in amusement. 'Just impressed how you've gone this long being this, professional.' He air quoted.

'Well Charles, Sam and Eden have been working for each other for more than a decade, since the 90's. When Sam was in jail, she was the one who waited for him. They've certainly been on many adventures together.' Sully explained.

'Wow, such loyalty. So you're telling me these two have been with each other since the 90s? How fascinating. And through all of those years, you haven't once kissed? Not even a simple embrace? If I had a woman like her, I would have married her already.' Charles grinned, sparking a humorous reaction from Sully.

'Well it's nice to know that, but me and Eden are just business partners.' Sam established.

'Yeah, we prefer it that way.' Eden spoke after.

'Oh really? I don't believe that, not at all. Look at her. She's everything a man like you needs. If anything, she's the whole package. You're running away from a perfect opportunity, my friend. It's never too late. I know you're getting on a bit but if you ever decide to get married, make sure to add me to the wedding list.' After he spoke, he gave Sam a long and discomforting stare. The grin on his face didn't appear friendly in the slightest, and as it lingered, it started to become irritating. Why did he out of all people have to remind him of the feelings he didn't want to address? He couldn't stand the smugness of his expression, causing him to say,

'Excuse me.' He got up from the lounge chair and exited the bar, put off by the the topic of the conversation.

'Looks like you've ruffled some feathers.' Sully commented.

'It wasn't my intention to, I was just asking. I hope I haven't made you upset, Eden.'

'Oh no, I'm fine.' She replied, obviously lying. She did admit that Charles comments were making her uneasy.

'Eden, you should go and talk to Sam, see if he's alright.'

'Okay, hold on.' She got up from her seat and made her way to the exit. As subtle as it was, she didn't understand why Sam had to walk off. She knew that Charles' comments were less than charming, but causing him to leave must have been for some reason. As she left the bar, she found Sam standing outside in the bitter night, smoking a cigarette. He took notice of her standing at the door, taking his cigarette from his mouth.

'Hey, sorry for walking off like that.' Regret was in his voice.

Eden came closer and stood beside him, 'No, no, it's alright. Charles is a nosy character, he was bound to annoy someone. To be honest, I felt kind of embarrassed too, especially by the way he was talking about me.'

'Yeah, I know. Why was he being so invasive? He doesn't know us, why does he have to try and change what we have? It's not my problem that he can't keep his pants on. Trust me, I know his type.'

'Pfft, I'm sure you do. But yeah, I must admit I did feel kind of exposed the way he was talking about us. Out of all things to talk about it had to be that.'

'Don't worry about it, he's just messing with our heads.'

'I'm more worried about you, are you sure you're feeling alright?'

He exhaled, refusing to look in her direction, 'I don't want to talk about it, if that's okay.' He took another puff of his cigarette.

'I understand.' Eden told him in sympathy.

There was a moment of silence between the two. The cold breeze became harsher, creating a whistling noise that traveled through the air. Sam spoke again,

'I'm sorry, Eden.' His eyes sunk, only being able to glance at her for a second.

'Hey, don't apologize.'

She watched his facial expressions dull as he turned away to smoke. She knew something was on his mind, but what it was she didn't know. They stood in silence for a while, before her attention shifted to his cigarette,

'Hey, do you have any more cigarettes on you?'

'I thought you already have some?'

'Nah, I forgot them when I was packing.'

'You sure you ain't just saying that so you can steal my cigarettes?' His sad expression livened up.

'I wouldn't do such a thing.' She grinned. 'But no, I forgot them, honestly.'

'Then I suppose you can have one.' He dug his pockets and retrieved the pack, sliding the box open and fetching a cigarette from inside. He passed it to her,

'Here you go. Did you forget to bring your lighter too?' He joked.

'No, actually.' She took the lighter out from her pocket, smugly showing him.

'Oh well look at you. How do you bring your lighter but forget your cigarettes?' He taunted her.

'I don't know, I just forgot them, alright?' She laughed through her sentence.

'You confuse me, Eden.' He shook his head, grinning.

'Pretty sure I can say the same for you.' Before she could press down her lighter, he said,

'Ah, ah, give it over.' He waved his open hand in front of her as his cigarette hung from his mouth.

'Bloody hell, you're always so demanding!' She laughed, dropping the lighter into his hands as he went to relight his cigarette. She put hers against her lips, ready to take the lighter until Sam ordered,

'Turn your head closer to me.'

'Uh, why?' Eden was clueless for a moment.

'Cos I want to light your cigarette. Come on, little closer.' Sam would have been perfectly fine lighting her cigarette from where she was standing, but he wanted an excuse to get close to her. Eden moved her head slowly towards him, beginning to get nervous. The two had been through every situation imaginable, but she didn't expect this one to make her feel so scared. He flicked the lighter and lit her cigarette, all while their eyes met another. Their eye contact caught Eden off guard, but she was stuck to his eyes, unable to turn away from him. The moment became a bit too much, as Sam became flustered, moving away as she took her cigarette between her fingers, inhaling and exhaling the smoke. Her cheeks blushed red, so she hid herself to take a couple more puffs. Once she felt herself recovering, she spoke,

'I can light my own cigarette you know.' She found the lighter in his hand, swiftly retrieving it and shoving it back in her pocket.

'I know, I just wanted to do it for you.'

'Well I appreciate the kind gesture.' She looked at him funny, a confused smile on her face. 'Let's head back inside, they must be wondering where we are.'

'Yeah, good idea.'

The two partners disposed of their cigarettes and went back inside to their table. Sully and Charles noticed they were back.

'Have you decided to come back now?' Sully asked.

'Yeah, just needed some time by myself, that's all.' He answered.

'Charles, no more personal questions, for his sake.'

'Of course, of course. I'm sorry to have hurt you, Sam. Let's put this past us, pretend it never happened.'

'Okay, I think I can do that.'

'Good, that's great! Sit down, let me get you a drink as an apology.'

Sam had just visited Nate and Elena, and was now on his way to his hotel. Whilst he was driving home on his motorbike, a call rung his phone, causing him to stop and pull over on the street. He parked off the road and took out his phone, seeing that Chloe was calling him. He answered,

'Hey Chloe, how's it going? Iceland's not boring you is it?' He joked.

'No, it's been great so far, we're having an amazing time I have you know. Anyway, I'm not calling about that, I need to talk to you about something.'

'You do? What is it?'

'It's about Eden. She told me that she wants to get in touch, but you're not answering her calls. She's got a new job about this egg belonging to Elodie de la Marche.'

'Oh, right.' Sam became lost in thought. He had been blocking out the thought of her for ages, but now Chloe was the one to make him remember her.

'Sam, what the hell is going on between you two? She told me after the Austria job that you completely blanked her. Did you have an argument? Did at least something happen?'

'No, nothing happened.'

'Then why have you been ignoring her? This isn't like you, you two are inseparable. What's going on?'

'Nothing. I just haven't been speaking to her, that's all.' He tried to act nonchalant, but Chloe wasn't buying it.

'Well obviously, cos you've been ignoring her calls. Sam, it's alright, you can talk to me, I'm not going to tell anyone.'

It wasn't his plan to start telling people his feelings, but he trusted Chloe. He exhaled,

'Promise me you won't say anything, not even to her.'

'I promise, I won't say a word. Now tell me, what's been going on?'

He took a deep breath, then revealed, 'Chloe, I'm in love with her. I've been ignoring her calls, because- I'm in love...'

'Oh, oh okay.' She said in surprise. 'You're in love with her? It's taken you this long?' She laughed, baffled by his confession.

'Shut up. I don't know why it has. I've liked her for a long time, it's just taken a while to come to terms with it. The longer I've tried to ignore it, the worse it's gotten, and I think it's at it's worst.'

'But Sam, you can't just ignore her because of your feelings, she has no idea where you are. She's worried sick about you.'

'I know, I'm sorry. I'm just scared...'

'What could you possibly be scared of?'

'Everything. I don't know whether she feels the same way. I'm scared my feelings are going to ruin all our years of friendship.'

'Sam, they're not going to ruin anything. You need to believe that there's a chance, and there is, trust me.'

'Are you sure about that?'

'Yes, I'm sure. You two are practically made for each other. I haven't asked her about it but I know for a fact she feels the same way, she just hasn't told you yet.'

'Huh, okay. I'm just worried, I haven't been in a relationship for a long time, since Crystal, and that was a long time ago. I just don't know if I'll be good at the whole relationship thing, I'm not used to it.'

'Sam, stop overthinking. How much do you like her?'

He paused.

'A lot, too much.'

'Then you don't need to worry, it'll all come naturally.'

'Okay but, when should I tell her?'

'When you think it's best for her to know. If you don't think it's the right time, then wait, there's no harm in it. Then once you do find the right time, just tell her how you feel and see if she feels the same.'

'And if she doesn't?'

'I told you already, she likes you too. If there is a chance she doesn't, I suppose you'll just have to get over her. But I doubt that'll happen, just keep on thinking positively and you'll be fine.'

'Okay, keep thinking positively, got it.'

'Sam, love isn't meant to be easy, I've learnt that the hard way, but you and Eden will work out. Now for Christ's sake, call her back, visit her apartment, do something so that she knows you're okay.'

'She has an apartment?'

'Yeah, I'll send you the details if you want to swing by.'

'Alright, thank you Chloe, for talking sense into me, I don't know what I'd do without you.'

'Don't mention it, let me know how you get on, okay?'

'Okay, see you later.'

'Bye.'

Sam hung up the phone and saw his screen light up, immediately getting a message from Chloe. She gave him the details to Eden's apartment. As he gathered his bearings enough to know where to go, he adjusted himself on his bike before moving back onto the road, heading for the airport.

Chapter Text

In the next couple of hours, Charles had ordered drinks for the group. It started off with buying Sam a beer, then it ended with drinks pouring. He bought the group at least four rounds, serving beer, cherry wine and whiskey to the table. In midst of the drinking, the French man attempted to redeem himself, explaining interesting stories of his life of when he and Sully worked together. Everyone had their go at story telling, describing events from each others life as more alcohol was being consumed. Everyone was laughing and in high spirits, until the bar had to close. It was probably for the best, as if they had drank for any longer they'd all be intoxicated. Sully, Eden and Sam all said their goodbyes to Charles before heading to their hotel. Upon walking there, Eden had remembered the room situation. Almost every room in the hotel had been booked apart from two rooms, one single and one double. It was fine for Sully, since he was the only person in the room, but leaving the two with just a bed didn't sound ideal for Eden. She enjoyed her alone time, and she knew she wasn't going to get it if Sam was in the room. For some weird reason though, she was carrying nerves throughout their walk to the hotel. Eden had spent a lot of her time with Sam, but not once had she lived in the same room as him, let alone sleep in the same bed. The whole situation was scaring her, and she didn't know why. For all her life she had only seen him as a partner, a friend. But this situation was causing her to think of him in another way. Maybe it was the 4 glasses of wine talking to her, but all she could imagine was how things were going to pan out. As the two were walking together, Eden brought it up,

'Hey uh, should I ask the woman at the desk to see if a new rooms available?'

'If you want. Why, you want to get away from me that badly?' He laughed.

'No, it's not that. I just like to be on my own, that's all.'

'Oh, I understand, I'm the same. I've always found it funny how we're so alike.'

'Yeah, come to think of it, we are.' She smiled in agreement.

The three eventually got to the entrance of the hotel. Whilst walking into reception, they let Sully know about the room situation before letting him go to him room. When they saw he was gone, the partners stopped at the receptionist desk, waiting for someone to serve them. After a couple of minutes, a blonde haired woman came to the counter.

'Hello, how may I help you?'

'Hi, um, have there been any rooms made available recently? We booked the last available room and we're thinking of switching rooms if possible.'

'No, sorry, every room has been booked. What's your room number?'

'367.'

'Okay, we'll give you a call if anything changes.'

'Okay, thanks for the help.' She moved away from the counter to talk with Sam. She sighed,

'Guess the room will have to do.'

'Yeah, I'm sorry you couldn't get another room. But hey, just think of it as a sleepover.' He said playfully, making Eden smile through her annoyed expression.

'Right, sleepover.'

The two followed the three set of stairs to their room, entering and closing the door from behind. For a 3 star hotel, it got the job done. There was a TV, a wooden table and a comfortable yellow chair, as well as a door that led to the on suite bathroom. Then there was the bed. Eden reminded herself of what it looked like. It was just a simple white double bed, but she was absolutely terrified. She felt stupid for feeling so scared, but she couldn't stop the sickly feeling in her throat, and it wasn't planning on leaving anytime soon. Sam was just as scared as her. Sleeping in the same bed of a woman he's in love with was frightening, but as he always did, he masked his emotions to avoid any suspicion. He didn't understand why Eden was so adamant on being in her own room though. He could see her eyes stuck to the bed as if it was some sort of threat.

'It ain't that bad, is it?'

'No, not bad at all. I don't know, I'm not used to having company.'

'Neither am I. Well there's always a first time for everything, right?'

Eden nodded nervously, 'Right, I'm just going to brush my teeth.'

'Okay, you go do that.' He replied whilst nerves ran wild in his stomach. Eden entered the bathroom and slowly closed the door. As she closed it, she fled to the mirror in panic to give herself a pep talk.

'Okay, Eden, you're gonna be fine. Everything will be okay, just breathe. God, why am I making this such a big deal? He's your business partner, stop making it weird.' She wiped her face from exhaustion, taking the toothbrush that she had packed and applying a generous amount of toothpaste. She then began brushing her teeth. In the other room, Sam was suffering the same circumstance. He sat on the bottom of the bed, tapping his foot anxiously as he said to himself,

'You'll be alright Sam, everything's gonna be fine, just stay calm.' As a way to kill time, he walked over to his suitcase and opened it, scavenging through what he had packed. He took out a white t shirt and pajama bottoms, all neatly folded. He got up and held them by his chest, waiting in front of the bathroom door, although Sam didn't realise how close he was standing. The door swung open, and the first thing Eden saw was him right in front of her. She flinched from his sudden appearance,

'Agh!' She shouted, leaning over to take a deep breath. 'Sam, you scared me!'

'Oh, sorry! I was just waiting.'

'Yep, I know.' She carried on trying to get her breath back. 'God I think my soul just left my body.' She exhaled out a laugh. 'Anyway, the bathrooms all yours if you want to use it.'

'Thanks.' Sam gave her room to walk out before heading in to get changed. He took a look at himself in the mirror, analyzing his features. Although he might have made it sound like he was confident, on the inside he had quite a lot of insecurities, especially when it came to him and Eden. Before he could stare at himself for much longer, he focused on getting changed. Whilst he was dressing, Eden was in the other room, staring at the bathroom door. It had been a couple of minutes, but there was no sign of Sam. She found herself dared to quickly get changed so that she didn't have to stand around waiting for him. Before quickly making her decision, she went over to her suitcase and dug for her pajamas, a tank top and bottoms, taking them out and beginning to undress. She made sure to do it quickly in case he'd come out. Mid way taking off her trousers, Eden saw the door swing open in the corner of her eye. She panicked,

'Don't come out!'

Sam instantly closed the door after seeing a glimpse of her with her trousers down. His face became hot from embarrassment, 'Oh, sorry! I didn't know you were getting changed!' He called out from behind the door.

Although she was momentarily scared, she laughed awkwardly from the interaction and continued to change. Once she was done, she called out,

'Okay, I'm done now.'

He opened the door slowly, seeing Eden in the corner of the room now dressed in her pajamas. He had barely seen her, but the interaction caused a lingering blush on his cheeks. He awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck, finding it hard to keep his eye contact,

'Sorry, about that. I didn't know you were-'

'No, it's alright. I should've told you I was getting changed. Anyway.' She laughed, easing up the atmosphere. 'What should we do now? Are you thinking of going to bed?'

It was 11:04PM. It wasn't late, but it wasn't early either, but Sam knew either way he'd be struggling to sleep knowing Eden was in the same bed. 'Uhhh, no, not yet.'

'That's good, cos I'm not either.' The long flight to France did in fact make her fatigued, but the nerves mixed with the alcohol was keeping her awake. She needed something to do before sleeping.

'Okay, so, what do you want to do, as a way to pass time?'

'Um.' She tried to think among all of the thoughts swirling around in her mind. 'We could watch TV, see what's on the news, I don't know. It'll be boring but maybe it'll put us to sleep.' She laughed.

'Yeah, that's not a bad idea. Well, I'm just gonna sit on the bed. You don't have to if you don't want to.'

'No, no, I'll sit with you.' Something so simple as sitting next to each other was making Eden's heart race.

'Oh okay, glad that you want to join me.' He laughed, turning away to move onto the bed. As he chose the left side, he leaned himself back on the head board and rested his hand at the back of his head. Eden watched him before doing it herself, moving over to the other side and attempting to get comfortable. Once they were sat, she took the TV remote from the bedside table and aimed it at the TV. With one click, the TV was on, airing the news and a new headline. A news journalist stood outside Versailles Palace, talking to the news reporter on the other line. The two noticed the headline at the bottom of the screen, reading,

Treasure hunters broken into Versailles Palace, stealing millions worth of paintings and valuables.

The journalist spoke, 'An unknown group of thieves have broken into Versailles Museum, stealing millions worth of paintings and unknown treasures. CCTV captured the thieves walking away with valuables and leaving the scene before local police could intervene. Witnesses say that their entrance was violent and threatening to the public, and there's been a report that a cleaner who works at the Museum was killed in cold blood. Police are not able to make a statement at this time but are investigating the crime at this given moment. Back to you, Claude.'

The two looked at each other, shocked. Eden revealed, 'Shit, these are the same people I stole the egg from. How the hell did they know where to go? They haven't taken the egg have they?' She rushed off the bed to her suitcase, throwing everything her eyes saw out of the way. She was relieved to find the egg at the bottom. 'Thank God, it's still here.'

'That's a relief.' He said.

'Yeah, still don't know how they knew where to go. Or maybe...? Agh shit, maybe they had a look inside the egg and put everything back. They did a really good job of making me think I was the first to open it.'

'Do you think they found the secret passage?'

'I hope not, but by the sound of it they probably have. Shit, if they have found it, then I'm sure they know where to go. I'm just hoping they aren't that smart.'

'I'm sure we'll be fine. If they find us in Sicily, then I suppose we're gonna have to fight back.'

'No doubt about it.'

There was a moment of silence, before Sam quietly chuckled to himself. Eden questioned him with a smile,

'Why are you laughing?'

'Oh, I just think it's funny how we were never caught. We climbed a public building and walked the halls for ages, and not once were we noticed. You'd think CCTV would've picked us up, but apparently not.'

'Yeah, that is kind of funny, but we did do it the quiet way. Those guys chose to go in aggressively, no wonder they were spotted.'

'I guess you're right. Uh, would you wanna sit back down?' Eden was still standing by their belongings after finding the egg. She looked at him from across the room, still feeling the nauseating sensation in her throat.

'Yeah, just give me a moment.' She threw all of the clothes that were on the floor back into her bag, as well as a couple of items. Then she walked back to the bed, sitting on the side and centering herself. The news was onto another uninteresting topic, so Sam picked up the remote, ready to change the channel,

'Mind if I?'

'No, go ahead.'

He flicked through the stations before stopping randomly. The station was airing a classic French romance about a man and a woman who were childhood friends. They had just caught the confession scene. The two of them stood in a bedroom, as the man began to speak. Although it was in French, the two knew exactly what he was saying.

'Selene, there's something that I want to talk to you about.'

'Oh, there is?'

'Yes...' The man paused, exhaling deeply. 'You and I have been friends for a while, but I cannot deny what I've been feeling. All of our time together has made me realize a lot of things, about me, but more importantly about you. There are so many things I admire about you. You're never afraid to make mistakes, you are strong and fearless, and you stand up for what you know is right. You have an incredible sense of humor, a humor that is so similar to mine, and sometimes even when you're not trying to be funny, I cannot help but laugh. Our passions match effortlessly, and we both thrive from the same things. There's nothing that we can't talk about, and even when I feel weak, I always know I can call on you. You're so respectful and kind to those around you, but you're not scared to put someone in their place. Your presence is like a beacon of light, and I could never be sad when I see you smile. What I'm trying to say, is that I love the person that you are. When I look at you, all I see is someone I want to spend the rest of my life with. I'm in love with you, Selene.'

Out of anything that they could've watched, it had to be something that resonated with Sam. He couldn't help but see himself in the mans shoes, as if he was talking to Eden. Everything that he had listed were eerily similar to Eden's character. His heart rate increased, unable to take his eyes off the screen.

The woman was at a loss for words and shocked by his confession, but the corners of her mouth slowly moved upwards, revealing a glowing smile. 'Oh wow...I don't know what to say. I can't believe it's finally come to this. All of those years, and now you're confessing to me. Well, I'm quite shocked to say the least.' She laughed. 'But, Jean...I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm in love with you too. I have never met someone so calm and understanding, so kind, so passionate in his hobbies, so strong but so gentle, someone that I've been so eager to be myself around. You're everything that I love in a person. We have been friends for such a long time, but my feelings for you were always there, I just never brought them above the surface. I kept them hidden from you, worried that it would ruin what we have. But now, I can express them freely, like I've always wanted to, and that makes me truly happy. You are my safe haven, and for that I love you, I love you terribly much.'

The two got closer to each other, bringing each other into an embrace. Their heads moved inwards, seconds away from sealing a kiss, however before they could get any closer, a hand reached for the remote, turning off the TV.

'Hey, I was watching that!' Eden turned to Sam, slightly bummed that he ruined the moment.

'Oh, sorry!' He said in guilt. 'Not the biggest fan of Romance movies.' He didn't mean what he said, he just hated how the film made him remember his feelings for her.

'Eh it's fine, I think I pretty much established what was going to happen anyway.'

The atmosphere quietened as the pair sat in silence. Sam began to feel guilty,

'Do you want me to put it back on?'

'Um, yes please.'

'Alright.' He took the remote and turned the TV back on, getting back to the film. What the two didn't realize was that the characters would be in the middle of a very steamy exchange. Both of them became embarrassed from watching, as it started to become a bit too much. 'Uhh, Eden? Can I turn this off?'

Eden quickly spoke, 'Yep, yep, turn it off!'

The TV turned to black, and both of them tried erasing what they just saw.

'How in the hell is this being aired on TV?' Eden exclaimed, trying to recover.

'I have no idea. Maybe it's cos it's late at night, but still. The last thing I was expected was for them to have sex.'

'Well I guess a lot of old French films are known to be raunchy. Must have been a 70s film. Still though, bloody hell...' She laughed awkwardly as Sam joined in. 'Raunchiness aside, that film made me feel something. Maybe it was their way of words, but I found it quite touching. It's nice to have someone in your life who cares about you and knows you inside out. I think it's the best thing in life, besides finding treasure.' She chuckled.

'I knew you were going to say that!' He laughed.

'Ha, looks like you do know me well.' She grinned, then she thought about her words. They resonated a bit too much, causing her smile to fade. She wanted to go to bed and forget their interaction ever happened. 'I'm going to sleep.'

'Yeah, me too.'

The two stared at each other, waiting for one of them to move into the covers, but no one was budging. The two of them were frozen still, laughing from the awkward moment. Eventually, Eden slowly moved her legs inside the duvet, moving herself down so that her head could touch the pillow. Sam did the same, easing himself into bed. They faced each other, trying not to laugh.

'God, this feels so weird.' Eden laughed.

'I know, just pretend I'm not here and get some sleep.'

'Okay.' She turned around to face away from him, resting her head on the side of her pillow. Sam got up and switched off the lights, returning to his original position and facing away from her. It was quiet for a moment, until he said, 'Goodnight, Eden.' His words made her heart flutter for the first time, and she wanted it to stop. Despite her beating heart made her choke on her words, she said in return,

'Goodnight, Sam.'

They laid there in silence for around 30 minutes attempting to sleep, but they both lied there awake with open eyes. The nervousness in Eden's stomach wasn't going away either, it was only getting worse. Her stomach churned, making a loud noise. Sam reacted,

'Are you hungry?' He laughed.

'Uhhh, no, just got a loud stomach, sorry.' She felt flushed with embarrassment.

'It's okay, you don't need to apologize.' He told her kindly.

'Oh, okay.'

It became quiet. The two tried to sleep, but both of them knew they couldn't. Sam was shaking from nerves, and Eden started to ponder her relationship with Sam. From Charles' meddling words to watching the film, she was starting to rethink everything. All she kept hearing were the words, 'My feelings for you were always there, I just never brought them above the surface.' She had always felt a type of way about him, but she had buried those feelings deep into the ground so that it wouldn't over complicate their partnership. Time did its fair share of blowing away her feelings for him, but once they were reunited, she went through the same cycle. From then on, she only wanted to see him as her friend. But when he went after the Austria job, she didn't want to admit how much she missed him, and how good it felt to see him again. After minutes upon minutes of being in her imagination, she said out loud,

'Sam...Do you ever miss the old days?'

'Yeah, of course I do, why?'

'Because I miss it, quite a lot actually. Everything was so simple, so chaotic and dangerous, but simple. I wish I could go back.'

'I know what you mean. When I was in prison, it was the only thing I'd think about. It was the only thought that kept me sane. Just you, me and Nate exploring the world and searching for treasure. I'm happy you waited for me y'know, you didn't have to do that.'

'I know, but I was worried sick. I heard you were in the area, so I just...waited.'

'You waited for a pretty long time. How did you not go crazy?'

'Well, I distracted myself. Found myself a couple opportunities, did my fair share of exploring, but I made sure to stay close just in case I heard any word of you coming out.'

'At least you kept yourself occupied. Wait, do you remember that time-'

The pair carried on talking, remembering moments from their time together. Their talking kept them awake for hours until they eventually fell asleep.

Chapter Text

Eden's eyes opened to the rising sun, facing the golden sunlight that peeked through the sheer curtains. It shone brightly, giving natural light to the hotel room. The morning birds started to chirp away, singing in repeating rhythms. For once, she felt peaceful, but that peace didn't last for long. The memories of last night hit her like a brick. Charles words of 'wisdom', the bed, the film. Everything reeled it's way back to her, and an anxious feeling soon arose. She let out a deep sigh before tossing over, seeing if Sam was awake. It didn't surprise her to see him still sleeping. His eyes were sealed shut as he laid on his side with his mouth slightly parted. Through a decade of life together, she had not once woken up in the same bed as him, let alone seen him so up close. Their earlier jobs found them sleeping wherever they found, on the floor, on a bed, and in more recent years in different rooms. But this was so different. Despite her only wanting her own company, she was sleeping in a bed next to her so called 'partner'. She made sure not to overthink, pushing every doubt of their friendship aside and focusing on more important matters, the treasure. As she was about to turn over though, Sam's eyes fluttered open. She caught his sudden movement, her eyes clung to him and denying to leave his sight. He awoke to Eden staring right at him, jumping slightly at her presence before composing himself with an exhale,

'Oh- good morning. God, you made me jump.'

'Oh, sorry! I didn't mean to, I was just about to get up but I saw that you were awake.'

'So you wanted to greet me?' He smiled awkwardly.

'Yeah, I suppose you could say that.'

'What time is it?' He asked, sounding rough as he sat up to stretch his arms.

Eden turned to her phone and tapped the screen, revealing the time was 6:48AM.

'It's almost 10 to 7.'

'In normal language, please.'

Eden snorted out a laugh, 'Alright, 6:48.'

'Much better. I never got that analog crap.'

Eden shook her head, smiling, 'Okay, come on. We need to get up, get dressed and head to Sully's room. He should be flying us to Sicily today.'

'Can't we just stay in bed for five more minutes? Please.' He sounded exhausted.

'No, we need to get up, seriously. I want us to be ready.' She said in a non serious tone, however still getting her point across.

'I'm beginning to think you care more about the treasure than I do.' He grinned, rubbing the back of his hand against his forehead.

'You should try telling Sully that.'

The two laughed, then Eden got up out of bed. She waited for Sam who was still lounging around, and her impatience grew.

'Come on you lazy bastard, get up will ya?' She said playfully.

'Alright, alright, always so demanding.' He shone a grin, slowly moving out from the bed and coming to a stance.

'There we go, right, let's get ready.'

The two prepared themselves, brushing their teeth and getting dressed. They ensured they had packed everything before heading to Sully's room. Once they were ready, they left their room and went down the corridor. Sam gave his door a firm knock, and within a couple of seconds the door slowly opened. Sully was dressed in a magenta robe, looking how one usually does when they wake up.

'God, you two are keen, could you have waited a little longer? I thought I was gonna get a couple more hours of sleep.'

'I said the same thing, but Miss keen over here forced me out of bed.' He gestured with his head, pointing at Eden.

'We all want to find this treasure don't we?' She folded her arms.

'Yeah, obviously, just not at 6 o clock in the morning.'

'It isn't that early.' Eden defended. 'And plus we need a head start anyway. Sully, did you see the news headline?'

'What news headline? I was practically asleep when I came back from the bar.'

'Well, let's just say the competition is more fierce than we thought. The French treasure hunters, they broke into Versailles Palace.'

'What? That's impossible, how did they know where to go?'

'My guess is that they looked inside the egg before I did. I couldn't even tell, it's like everything was completely untouched.'

'Well surely as long as they didn't find the secret passage they won't be on our trail, right?'

'I don't know, we'll just have to see. All I'm saying is, we can't pretend that no one is following us, we need to be prepared.'

'Oh I wasn't saying that, of course we'll be prepared. I have weapons hidden on the plane.'

'Good, let me know when you're ready.'

'You got it.' Sully closed the door. After a few minutes, the door opened to Sully now fully dressed in his usual attire. 'Right, come on, let's get moving.' He told them, leaving his hotel room.

The three left the hotel with their belongings and traveled to the plane. They quickly collected a takeaway breakfast to fix their appetite before setting off into the clouds. While on the plane, Sam was busy sketching on a map, circling the areas in which the lost garden could be located.

'So the rural areas of Sicily are around here, here, and here.' He spoke to Eden, pointing with his pen at the specific places.

'Okay, so do we search all of those areas?'

'Well yeah, that's the only thing we can do, Elodie hasn't given us much of an option.'

'Yeah, I just hope we get to the second egg before they do.'

'We will, don't you worry.' He reassured her, sounding determined.

The duration of the flight was a lot speedier than their last, making it a lot easier to get through. An hour passed, and Sully's voice called out,

'We'll be landing shortly.' The plane landed at the docks and they all went outside, walking down the wooden flooring to find a vehicle to hire. They acquired the vehicle they usually drive, a dark colored Jeep that could take them on and off road. When they all got into the vehicle, they set off to find the garden. Eden drove for about 2 hours until they found the countryside, passing large patches of fields whilst being shaded by the canopy of pine trees. The air was fresh and the sky appeared clear, and the bright sun had no plan to die down any time soon. They winded down the path and followed a new road, until Eden had to break suddenly at the sight of cargo vehicles. The car stood disguised between bushes and trees, whilst a long queue of vehicles drove past on the other road. They looked like they were military trained, as Eden spotted armed men poking from the sides of the cars.

'Shit, I knew we'd have company. Those treasure hunters must have hired them, but there doesn't seem to be any sign of them-' She was instantly proved wrong. A long black car drove behind the last vehicle. From the window, you could see at least four of them in the car.

'Well, that's definitely them alright.' Sam said aloud, using his binoculars to track them. 'Okay, now that they know we're here, we've gotta tread carefully. If we end up finding some of these guys, we've gotta take them out. Sound good?'

'Sounds fine by me.' Eden replied.

'Okay, good, let's keep on moving.'

Eden pushed her foot on the accelerator, moving off the grass and back on the dirt path. As she had been driving for a while, she was mainly focusing ahead of her. However she noticed something in the corner of her eye whilst passing a long wall of bushes, a big ditch that lead downwards. She stopped the car,

'Hold on.' She pulled up her handbrake, getting out of the car and walking to what her eyes caught a glimpse of. Sam and Sully could barely see her by the time she walked off.

'Hey, where is she going?' Sully called out.

'I have no idea, I'd best follow her.' Sam got out from the backseat, trying to catch up with Eden who had almost disappeared. He just about saw the top of her head at the bottom of the ditch, staring at an opening between the bushes.

'Are you thinking of going through that hedge?' Sam asked.

'Yeah, something tells me that this area is the right spot.'

'But let's just say it isn't, then what?'

'Then we keep searching until we find the garden.'

'You make it sound so easy. Come on then, let's go. We should tell Victor to stay in the vehicle. Hey Victor! We're just gonna go off and explore for a bit, can you keep an eye out and wait in the Jeep?'

'Sure, go do your thing.'

'Alright, let's go.' Eden said. The pair went through the hole, discovering a small forest. Narrow trees populated the area, shading the bright sun. Moss grew against the large rocks that were scattered across the ground, and a small path showed them the way. After taking a generous amount of steps, they passed a waterfall on their right. It wasn't huge, but it was large enough to be recognised. Water trickled down the rocks into a small pool from below, creating an audible dripping sound that got louder as they approached.

'Nice waterfall.' Sam commented.

'Oh wow, that does look nice.'

'It feels good to be out in the woods, it weirdly feels quite calming.'

'Well it won't be calm when that military group finds us.'

'Hey, ease up will ya? We're gonna be okay, we've gone through situations ten times worse than this.'

'I know...But did you see the amount of vehicles that went past? It was too many, we need to concentrate.'

'Yeah, I suppose you're right.'

They progressed through the forest, walking through the wilderness one step at a time. The path they had followed became a dead end, showing a steep wall of dry dirt that blocked their path.

'Looks like we're getting our hands dirty.' Eden commented, holding herself up on the wall and progressing to the top. As she reached the end, she hooked her leg over on the grass, using her strength to pull herself upwards. Once she was up, she waited for Sam who had just started climbing. He reached to the top and swung himself over, getting up slowly. The two of them were ridden with dirt, covered from their palms and parts of their clothing.

'Jesus, look at us, we're dirty.' Sam said, holding out his dirty hands.

'Yeah, I must admit I'm a lot dirtier than I thought I'd be-' She lifted her leg high up to see a dirt mark trailing from her carve to her ankle. She twisted her leg around, examining the stain without keeping herself steady, causing her to lose her footing. She slipped, landing face first into the ground and eating the dirt. A mixture of laughter and worry came from Sam, as he came to her rescue.

'Oh my God! Eden, are you alright?' He laughed through his sentence, rushing over to her as she had just about lifted her face from the ground.

'Yeah...Just about...' She sounded slightly winded. 'Agh...I think I lost my balance...' She pushed herself up with her arms, standing on her knees before pulling herself up again.

'Do you need any help?'

'No, no, I'm fine, perfect actually.' She did her best to convince him, but he soon saw a layer of dirt sitting on her face. He immediately noticed, laughing,

'Eden, you've got dirt all over your face.' He said humorously.

'Ugh, really?' She sounded fed up.

'Yeah, you really did eat the dirt, didn't you?' He grinned.

'Shut up! Just- give me a moment.' She felt humiliated, hiding herself from his judgement and attempting to wipe her face. If anything she was making it worse, adding more dirt to her skin from her dirty hands.

'Hey, hey, easy. I'm the one with the bag, remember?' He took off his rucksack and pulled down the zipper, taking out a bottle of water that sat inside. He unscrewed the cap and poured water onto his hands, rubbing them together and removing any trace of dirt from his palms. He wiped his hands dry on his shirt and went back to his bag, taking out a small rag cloth. He edged closer to get a proper look of her face. Their proximity intimidated the both of them, especially Eden.

'What are you doing?' Eden asked, growing anxious by what he was planning to do.

'Just...stay still.' He tried to repress his fear, putting the water bottle against the rag and tipping it upwards to give the cloth a fair distribution of water. He then gently began wiping her face, starting with her cheeks, patiently removing the layers of dirt from top to bottom. In every touch, Eden felt her nerves boiling over. The intensity of the moment frightened her so much that she grabbed onto his arm in discomfort, telling him,

'Sam, you don't need to do this, I'm perfectly capable of doing this by myself-'

'Shh, shh. Just, let me, please.' He told her soothingly, causing her grasp on his arm to become lighter, taking her hand away from him. He was trying to keep his composure being this up close and personal with her, but he forced himself to carry on whilst his body lit on fire. Eden was still panicking. She hated the situation Sam had got her into, but the more it went on, she noticed herself letting go. She watched his face concentrate on her as he softly moved the rag against her skin, his eyes following the movement of his hand and sometimes catching her eyes. She weirdly took a liking to his expression, seeing him so focused. Once she finally gave in, she felt slightly peaceful, although her nervousness was mixing heavily with her relaxation. Sam had nearly finished cleaning the dirt from her skin, going in a second time with the water bottle and slowly erasing the dirt that was left on her forehead. He was in no need to rush, taking his time and gradually cleaning the rest of her face. When he was finished, he took a step back and let out a big exhale.

'There, all done.' His voice was tinged with anxiety, but the corners of his mouth curved upwards, feeling a temporary high from their moment. As nerve racking as it was, he enjoyed being so close to her. After all, it gave him an excuse to take in her beauty.

'Thanks...' She said, feeling very awkward.

'Don't mention it, okay, let's carry on.' He screwed the cap back on his water bottle and put it back in his rucksack, zipping it back up and putting the straps on his shoulders. Eden quickly walked off, reminded of the goal to why she was here in the first place. From a couple more minutes of walking and awkward tension, they both spotted a group of military men scattered around the forest. They stood nonchalantly holding weapons in their hands, on guard in case anyone made themselves known.

'Shit, there's soldiers, take cover in the trees.' Eden whispered, following her own orders. Sam did the same, finding a tree on the other side to conceal himself. The two hid without a word, eavesdropping on the soldiers conversation.

'Do we know who took the egg?' A guard questioned, talking to another one of his comrades.

'No, but they will have to be here somewhere, however many there are.'

'Well we should keep on the look out, they could be hiding for all we know.'

The pair remained hidden for a moment, until Eden slightly peeked from the tree. She saw two men beginning to walk on the path in their direction. They were further enough to not be noticed.

'Sam, there's two coming up the path. I'll take the left one, you take the right.'

'Got it.'

She waited for them to get closer, using the sound of their footsteps as an indicator of their distance. When she knew they were in the right place, she came out from behind the tree, subduing the soldier as Sam did the same. She laid the man to the floor, dragging him into a bush as her partner followed. They both returned to their cover.

'Who are these guys?' Sam questioned.

'Those French treasure hunters must have hired them, great.'

'What do we do now?' He whispered.

'We keep an eye on them, watch their movements.'

The group of men looked as if they were splitting off from their camp, moving in opposite directions. One of them spoke,

'So if we go west, that means we'll be getting closer to the grassy area, that could be where the garden is.'

'Yeah, but nine times out of ten it won't be the place. We're searched nearly the whole of Sicily and found nothing, it could be anywhere.'

'Why can't you think positive for once? We're gonna find it sooner or later, it can't be that hard.'

They watched the two guards move into the distance. As the other pair had been long gone, Eden and Sam moved up and found cover closer to the soldiers, until they crept behind them at a certain distance. One of the men were holding onto a map, a map that might offer them more information.

'Sam, that soldier has a map. I heard them saying something about searching the whole of Sicily, do you think they've searched this place longer than we have?' She whispered.

'Yeah, I wouldn't doubt it. Are you thinking of stealing the map?'

'Yeah, it could help us out. Stay by me, let's take them out.'

'Wait no, what if we ask one of them about it? If we pressure them enough they're bound to let something slip.'

'That isn't a bad idea. Alright, you take out the one with the map, I'll take the left one by surprise.' Eden ordered.

Sam nodded as they both got into position. He grabbed the map holder and subdued him, while Eden pounced and grabbed a hold of other soldier, keeping her knife close to his throat.

'Tell us what you know about the garden.' She pressured him, her voice hushed but aggressive.

'Who the hell are you? I'm not telling you shit.'

'Hm, right.' She put more pressure against his neck as he started to panic.

'Look, we've tried every rural area we could find, we traveled everywhere. This is the last spot we're checking, but it's not here, trust me.'

Eden furrowed her brows, agitated by his response. 'Don't lie in front of my face.'

'Lie? Pfft, I love how confident you are, but you're wrong. We've been searching this place for 4 hours and have found nothing. If I were you, I'd turn around and walk away with your little partner. You're wasting your time being here, but if this is the competition we're up against, Julien won't need to worry about the treasure.' He smirked, purposefully striking Eden's nerve.

'Yeah, alright, I'll take your word for it.' She took her knife away from his throat and knocked him out with a solid blow to the head. She let his body drop to the floor as she used her foot to move him off the path. 'That shut him up. What an arsehole, saying this 'Julien' is going to find the treasure. I think he was just saying that to wind me up. Still though, what a bastard.' She crossed her arms in annoyance.

'Try not to let it bother you Eden, they just want a reaction.'

'Yeah, I know, let's just keep moving.' She sighed, continuing at their usual pace in the forest. 'Take the map, we should see if it looks any different to ours.'

'Good idea.' Sam crouched over the soldiers body and stole their map, getting back up and unraveling it out of its folded position. Areas of Sicily were shaded in red marker, highlighting the places they had searched. It covered most of the grassy areas of Sicily.

'Jesus, they were right about searching everywhere. These guys were quick. I told you we should've come early.' Sam leaned over to have a look.

'Pfft, yeah, looks like they searched the whole of Sicily, they must really want the treasure.'

'That's why we need to keep an eye out.' Eden reinforced.

They continued their journey strolling through the forest. The path headed towards the right, so they carried on in it's direction. After following the path, they instantly saw the end of the forest, discovering a huge gap within the tall trees and bushes. When they got closer, they began to see the remains of a large row of pillars, decorated in lot's and lot's of flowers. This was a good sign.

'Wait, I see something, don't tell me this is what I think it is.' Eden grinned in excitement, increasing her walking speed to reach the end of the forest. Sam tried to keep up with her while following her tail. When they walked through the gap, their eyes met a huge garden, overgrown but still intact. Greenery sprouted from the ground, hiding some of the short stone fence that was on their left. There were dozens of apple trees separated in different areas, growing what looked to be small unripened Gala apples. And the flowers of the garden still grew as normal, adding various shades of colour to the tall grass. Eden couldn't believe it.

'Sam, this is it, it has to be, it's the lost garden. I don't think we're in the right area yet, but we should be soon. Come on, let's go!' Her voice grew with joy, speed walking through the pillars and spotting small stone stairs fenced with bushes of flowers. She ran up them, finding herself in the same place of the painting. An archway stood in the distance, and most importantly, there were a couple of swans swimming in the pond, a few adult but mostly babies. She couldn't comprehend she was standing in the exact same place Elodie was centuries ago. When she got up close to the archway, her eyes noticed a couple of words carved into the stone, reading,

'Dig below' A decently sized arrow was drawn aiming towards the ground. Eden's eyes sparkled back to Sam, shaking with happy nerves,

'Sam...? Could you find us a shovel?'

'On it.' He went down the stairs and searched around the area for a shovel, but moments later he came back empty handed. He got closer to Eden,

'I think she wants us to dig with our hands, like how she did when she found that coin.'

'Ah, of course! Okay, come on, help me out.' She knelt down near the side of the archway, scratching her hands on the ground and tearing away the layers of dirt. Sam helped her, scraping away the dirt and throwing it to the side, creating a small pile beside them. It didn't take long for them to see the top of the egg, catching the sun as it glowed in their eyes.

'Sam! This is the egg!' She exclaimed happily, digging quickly until they could get a hold of it. When they found the opportunity, they picked the egg up together, pulling it out from the ground and onto the floor. Eden's eyes lit up at the sight of it, beaming with a glowing smile.

'We've got it...The second egg...Wow...' She fell into laughter, unable to speak a word. She wiped away the dirt the clung to the egg, revealing it's shining exterior that illuminated in the sun's presence. She took it from Sam for a moment to inspect it. There were jewels of different colours scattered on the outside, revealing every new pattern of it's design as she rotated it in her hands. She carried on inspecting it, so much so that she forgot Sam was even there.

'Uhh, is there a chance I can have a look at the egg?' He said awkwardly.

'Oh yeah, sorry!' She laughed in embarrassment, handing it over to Sam. He held it in his hands, taking it all in.

'Wow, it's incredible.' He laughed. 'Well, let's open it shall we? You can do it.' He let her do the honors, passing the egg to her as they sat on the ground. She retrieved it and took it into her lap, opening the top. She dug her hand in to find a letter for the next clue. 'Wow this is so exciting.' She giggled, placing the egg to one side and reading the letter out,

'Congratulations on finding the second egg, you're an experienced treasure hunter I can tell, but the third egg is located somewhere only I will know well. I'm sure you will find it, I have faith in you. Good luck. - Elodie de la Marche.' At the very bottom, a set of co ordinates were written at the bottom. 'Sam, she's given us co ordinates. Hm, it feels like they're not far enough for it to be out of Italy. I think we're looking to be still in the country. I'm not too sure where about though...'

'Can I have a look at the letter?'

'Sure.' She passed it over as he read the co ordinates from the paper, scanning them with his eyes. After a moment of pondering, he came to the conclusion,

'I think she's telling us to go to Polignano a Mare, you know where that is don't you?' He grinned.

'Of course I do! It's uh...'

'You definitely don't know where it is.' He laughed, making fun of her lack of knowledge.

'Hey, I'm not supposed to know every single place in Italy am I? All I know is that it's a town and it's got some sort of significance I don't know about. Is that a good enough answer for you?' She huffed.

'I suppose that's a good enough answer.' He smirked, lifting his shoulders.

'Anyway let's get up, my arse is probably covered in dirt from all this sitting down.' She joked, moving herself up from the grassy floor.

'You want me to check it for you?' He grinned cheekily, striking a not so amusing reaction from Eden.

'I think I'd prefer it if you didn't, Sam.' She answered, wiping her bum with her hands before establishing she wasn't dirty. Sam got up, taking the egg and the letter to his backpack and putting them inside safely. Before he was about to reach for his bag subconsciously, he moved his hand away and told himself to keep the bag on the floor.

'I think we should stay here, maybe for an extra ten minutes.' He said, gazing at her playfully with an up to no good look.

'I'd love to, but Sully's probably losing his mind waiting for us out here, we should get to him as soon as possible.'

'No need, I've already messaged him. He had to move to get away from a few soldiers, but I told him he could rest up in town for a bit.'

'While we're stuck here?'

'We'll find our way back, I'll make sure to give him a call. Towns not too far from here anyway.'

'But isn't there loads of soldiers still roaming about? Surely it's not safe-'

'Eden, until we're being held at gunpoint, we have nothing to worry about. Try to loosen up a bit, it's good for you.' He shone a mischievous smile at her.

'Ugh, fine, I suppose you're right. I kind of wanted to stay here anyway.' She cheered up.

'That's the spirit, come on, let's have a look around.' The two strolled around the garden, soaking in the sun and observing their surroundings.

Chapter Text

Sam and Eden took a few laps around the garden, exploring what wasn't visible in the portrait. They found a stone gazebo held up by multiple pillars, overgrown with pink roses and other plants. A female sculpture presented itself in the center, posing with confidence. The gazebo was surrounded by a moat, with lily pads and flowers floating at the top of the sun reflective water.

'Who's this lady over here?' Sam questioned, pointing at the statue in the gazebo.

'It's Venus, Goddess of Love, did you seriously not know that?' She laughed, getting her revenge from earlier.

'Yeah, obviously, I was just testing your knowledge.' He blurted out an answer.

'Right.' She was unconvinced, 'But yeah, she's very famous in Roman mythology. She's said to be the embodiment of fertility, sex, and beauty.'

'Huh, I knew that.' He said cockily, not wanting to admit he was wrong.

'Sure you did, but yeah, she's quite a woman.' Venus stood with an arm posed at the side of her face, her elbow bent, and her hand reaching into the air. A robe was draped onto the lower half of her body, as she stood boldly in her naked chest.

'She's beautiful, isn't she?' Eden said, in awe over her.

'Eh, I've seen better women.'

'Wow.' She laughed at his comment, 'You've seen better women than a Roman Goddess?

'Yeah.' He said with certainty, shining an awkward smile that became suspicious.

'Right, I'm sure you've been with a list of women who outshine Venus here.' She held out her hand as a remembrance to the Goddess' appearance.

'Well, y'know, I've had a couple of flings here and there.'

'Ugh, don't get me started, you totally had a thing for that girl from Jakarta.'

'I mean, we definitely had fun together.' He tried to conceal the grin from his face, but it clearly wasn't working.

'Define fun.' Her eyebrows pulled upwards, shooting him a not so friendly expression.

'I think you know what I mean.' He smirked.

'God Sam, I didn't realise you were getting that personal with her. I thought she was just a friend.' She laughed.

'Well, we were, we just allowed ourselves to get to know each other, if you know what I mean.' Eden tutted out a response, not amused.

'What, you jealous or something?' He grinned, knowing he'd provoke a reaction.

'No! Definitely not, I'd rather be caught dead than sleep with you.' The sentence came out without much thought, she just wanted Sam to back off.

'Ouch, talk about a low blow.' He rubbed the back of his neck, his ego slightly wounded.

'Oh don't be dramatic, you've got at least five girls at home waiting for you.' She grinned. 'So is she the girl you're talking about?'

'Oh no, I mean she's a good looking girl, but no, she's not who I'm referring to.'

'Hm okay, then who is it? Who is the woman you think is more beautiful?'

Sam dug himself a hole he couldn't get out of. He's told many lies in his time, some more dangerous than others, but he couldn't make himself lie in front of her. He exhaled, 'Well, she's um...standing right in front of me...' He scratched his head awkwardly, turning away in embarrassment from what he had just said.

'She's what?' Eden moved her head frantically, before quickly coming to the realisation that his answer was directed at her. Her cheeks blushed awfully red, the heat prickling at her face like fire. Her eyes focused on him as she laughed at his confession, 'You think I'm beautiful?'

There was a moment of silence. The question scared him so badly he didn't know whether he was capable of telling her the truth. So he did what he always did,

'Nah, I'm just messing with you.' He played off confidently, trying to cover up whatever his clumsy mouth let slip.

'Sam, you're such an arsehole.' Her face was smiling, but her arms folded in slight agitation.

'What?' He laughed flirtatiously.

'Ugh, nothing.' She huffed.

'Jeez, didn't realise it affected you so much.'

She laughed it off, 'It's not, it's just-' until she couldn't find her words. Although she was smiling through it all, it weirdly made her jealous. She secretly knew why she felt this way, but she didn't want to think about it. Sam picked up on this quite quickly, tempted to bring out her jealous side for his own amusement.

'Just for your information, I was talking about Danielle.'

'Oh, is that right?' She rested her hands on her hips, gazing at him with cold eyes.

'Yeah, I think I still have a bit of a crush on her. I mean hey, maybe after this jobs over I'll give her a call, pick up where we left off.' The annoying smirk on his face was striking her with envy. Eden quietly grumbled in reaction to his comment.

'I swear to God, you're just doing this to wind me up.'

'Nope, I'm telling the truth. Actually you know what, I'm gonna call her right now-' He pretended to get out his phone.

'Ugh, I'm gonna kill you!'

'Hm, I would like to see you try.' Eden wanted to rub the smugness off his face. She stared at him, calculating her next move. She attacked him with her hands, tickling him aggressively. He scrunched his body in discomfort, however the continuous sound of laughing was heard right after. He tried to defend himself,

'Ah, Eden! You know I'm ticklish!' His eyes spotted the perfect opportunity for revenge. Without much thought, he ran a hand up the back of her top, hitting every ticklish nerve in her body. She burst out into laughter, trying to pull him away, but she simply couldn't do it. The sensation made her body weaken, causing her to lose her balance. She took him with her, falling to the ground as he toppled onto her. From the short impact of the fall, the two groaned, almost forgetting that they landed on each other. Their eyes lingered on another, staring deeply and for quite a moment. Despite the fear infiltrating her body, she couldn't quite help taking in his features. She found the creases of his wrinkles sitting on his forehead, then his dark thick eyebrows that brought depth to his brown eyes. In midst of her analysing, she saw an awkward smile blossom from his face. Just one flash of a simple smile brought Eden back to when they were younger, to the first time she developed an attraction to him. The same heat that rushed to her cheeks did the very same in this moment, but she didn't like this reminder one bit. She threw him off of her, slowing rising to a stance whilst Sam endured the consequence of being dumped to the floor. The swans quacked loudly all of a sudden, and Eden found it the perfect opportunity to fabricate.

'The swans, um, I'm just gonna go over there.'

'Yep- You go do that-' He groaned, still lying on the floor and recovering from the abrupt fall. He gradually recovered himself, but by the time he got up she was already gone, leaving Sam to reflect on their conversation. He may have saved himself in the end, but he hated how he let his words fall out so carelessly. Oddly, there was something nice about it. It felt nice to stop putting up a front and stop pretending that his feelings for her were non existent, because they weren't. They lived inside of him and frequently found a way to make themselves known, and that's what he was scared of. He knew that there'd be a time where he'd slip up again, and as good of a liar he was, he was afraid he wouldn't get away with it. And plus, he still didn't know if the time was right, or if there was even a right time for it. If he couldn't confess how he felt, the least he could do was give her something on behalf of his love for her. He saw Eden in his sight, talking to the swans in a cute voice whilst taking pictures of them.

'Look how many of you guys are! You're like one big happy family, aren't you?'

He felt a smile of joy wash over him, curling the sides of his mouth. He braced himself with a deep exhale, walking over to her and digging in his back pocket. After checking himself again and again, he realised it wasn't there. He went into panic.

'Ah shit, where the hell is it?' He patted himself in a rush, trying to find what he was looking for, but it was no where to be found. Eden's focus shifted from the swans to his random panicking.

'Sam, are you alright?' She asked concernedly.

'Yeah, uh, just trying to find something, give me a minute.'

'What are you looking for?' He got nervous by her response.

'Uh, it's nothing, don't worry about it.'

'Okay...' She said, unsure by what he was doing. After checking himself all over without much thought, he recalled where the item was.

'Oh, it's in my bag.' He said aloud, going to his rucksack and zipping it open in search for the mysterious object. He immediately found it at the bottom of the bag, taking it out and zipping his bag back up. He approached her cautiously with it in hand, whilst the tension made his heart thump strongly in his chest,

'Eden.' Hearing her name sent a rush of adrenaline down her body. She rotated herself, finding her partner holding a wooden box that he clutched tightly by his chest. Her eyes sprung into curiosity, wondering what was inside.

'What are you holding?' She smiled in slight confusion, then she remembered, 'Wait...no...you haven't...Sam, don't tell me you-'

'I thought, because you liked it so much, that I'd give it to you...' He opened the box, revealing the golden ruby necklace she was obsessed with. It's jewels glistened in the sun, and Eden's face dropped in shock,

'Sam...Oh my God. You didn't have to-'

'No, no, I want you to keep it.'

'Are you serious?' He gave her a reassuring nod, and her face grew excited. 'I- don't know what to say...'

'You don't need to say anything, don't worry.'

'Can I?' She said hesitantly, her hands gesturing towards the box.

'Of course, it's your necklace now.' He gave her a smile, watching her face go through several stages of joy. She took the necklace from the box, handling it with care before holding it up against the beaming sun, allowing it to shine in all of it's glory.

'Would you like to put it on?' He suggested, his mouth hurting from how intensely he was smiling.

'Yes, I'd love to.' She answered happily, grabbing a handful of her hair and draping it to one side. She slowly put the necklace against her skin, wrapping the chain around her neck whilst trying to clip it into place. But knowing her luck, she couldn't quite get the hang of it. She fiddled about with the clasp, trying to get it in between the hole, but it was no use. Sam could gather that she was struggling.

'Do you need a bit of help?'

'No, no, it's alright, I'm almost there-' She didn't want his help, not only because it made her feel bad, but that it would be another moment where they'd have to share the same space. And she didn't want that, not with all of her confused emotions running wild. So she attempted to connect the necklace by herself, but every time she thought she was nearly there, the clasp would slip, causing her to mutter to herself in annoyance. In the end, he had to intervene,

'Hey, it's okay, I've got it. Turn around for me, please.' Eden sulked, but she did what he asked. When she could feel how close they were, it brought her the same worry she felt in the forest, holding her breath and praying for what was to come to be over. But once he began tugging the necklace gently at the back of her neck, feeling his hands brush softly against her skin, she couldn't pretend to be annoyed. The two stood in silence as he played around with the clasp, attempting to hold it together. He had no idea what he was doing, but he knew it was better than watching her struggle. Eden noticed a warm exhale of air hit the back of her head in a noticeable rhythm. Her stomach grew with nerves as he continued to connect the clasp, and overtime his touch made her feelings overflow. They were rising above the surface, and she wanted it to stop, but as much as she disliked her feelings, she couldn't deny how great it felt for him to be so close to her. She was in a moment she had always wanted to be in, but never wanted to express it. And the more she thought about it, the more she stood near the man she quietly loved, she was finally coming to terms with her unresolved feelings. It was clear that her heart skipped a beat whenever their eyes met, when they'd share the same space, when he would make her laugh. Her realisation caused her to tense up, so much that she couldn't think straight. A gust of panicking thoughts swept through her. No, Eden, you can't be in love with him. This is going to affect the job. What if he doesn't feel the same? You're going to make yourself look like an idiot. You can't become distracted, you need to focus on the treasure. He's just going to laugh at you. He is your business partner, you cannot have feelings for him. Stop, God just stop! Everything was becoming too much, until she heard the clasp click at the back of her neck. Sam slowly moved away as he let her adjust the piece of jewelry to her liking. Her hands were sweating and trembling from the moment, but she shifted her attention to the necklace, lifting it from below and dropping it comfortably to her neck. She whipped her hair back, sectioning it into two and letting it sit on her shoulders. She exhaled deeply before looking down at the piece of jewelry. Despite the emotional chaos that was going on inside of her, a huge smile eventually bloomed on her face. 'Look's like someone's happy.' Sam commented, catching her infectious grin.

'It's so beautiful, thank you- for giving me the necklace.'

'Ah, it's no big deal.' He shrugged his shoulders, but he knew his feelings said otherwise.

'No, really, thank you.' She gazed at him hesitantly, fighting her doubts before stepping forward and wrapping her arms around him. She rested her head against his chest, making him freeze from the sudden action. He began to feel hot, and the same knot in his stomach came back from all their other awkward moments. But he forced himself out of the paralysing mold, curving his arms around her and finishing their embrace. The two of their bodies joined together as their grip on each other became tighter, grasping so tensely that you'd think they were going to lose each other. Eden embraced him, but she couldn't quite embrace her love for him. Eden, what are you doing? Let go of the poor bastard. Her internal thoughts were judging her sudden decision, but her fluttering heart didn't seem to care. From every rush of loving emotion that entered her body, she started caressing his back with her thumb, moving it around in a motion that brought Sam to a place even more peaceful than where they were standing. Sam knew that this could just be an ordinary hug, a hug that friends have once in a while, but he wanted to make the most of their closeness. He buried his head into her neck as he initiated a slow swaying movement, moving their bodies from left to right as if they were slow dancing. He was dared to run a hand through her hair, but his overthinking put him off, so he kept with how things were going. After a while, their prolonged hug was going on for more than they intended. It should've been over ages ago. But everything felt more intimate, and so romantic. Before it could go on for any longer, Sam's phone rang in his pocket, creating a loud buzzing noise that disrupted their moment entirely.

'Sorry.' He exhaled, feeling a wave of guilt from the interruption. His phone continued to ring, so he unwrapped himself from her and took out his phone, answering the call.

'Hello?' Eden could hear Sully coming from the speaker.

'Hey Victor, what's up?'

'I was just wondering when you guys were coming back. It's been ages, I'm sitting at this bar by myself with no clue in the world to where you two are. Have you found the egg yet?'

'Yep, we found it. I don't know how we did given the chances, but we did it nonetheless.'

'That's great news Sam, shall I pick up the both of you?'

'Actually, we'll get closer to you to make your life easier. Where about's are you?'

'I'm in Castellena, I'll send you my location. Bye Sam.'

'Okay, bye Victor.' He ended the call, lowering his phone to look at Eden. 'I guess we should get moving then.' He told her, feeling slightly awkward after their encounter.

'Yeah, good idea.' She watched Sam walk off and followed him from behind, reliving the moment of holding the man she couldn't admit to love so tightly.

Elodie had a spring in her step, taking in the nature of the forest around her. She wore a simple white cotton dress that came to her ankles, giving her enough room for walking. She had swapped the life of royalty for comfort, but that didn't mean she ignored her appearance. Both her lips and cheeks were tinted a reddish pink, and her hair was curled naturally, growing down to her back. Stephano didn't care how she presented herself, but she enjoyed making herself feel good, even if she didn't need to. From the square neckline of her dress, a golden ruby necklace hung around her, one that they had just recently found. Her lover was walking next to her, holding a sturdy rectangular bag that carried his essential art supplies. Elodie began to speak,

'I can't believe we found this necklace, doesn't it look stunning, darling?'

'Indeed it does, my love. It rather suits you, a little too much actually.' He grinned.

'Well I'm glad that you think that. Oh Stephano, I think I've fallen in love with it. I shall wear it when I bathe, when I sleep, I shall wear it everyday until it simply does not want me to wear it anymore.' She grinned happily.

'I hope your love for your necklace hasn't surpassed your love for me, my angel.' He smiled, knowing he'd get a reaction.

'Of course not! I might wear this necklace close to me, but you're the only thing in the world that is as close to my heart.'

'You know how to make me smile.' He smirked, gazing at his love with tender eyes.

'I know.' She smiled back.

The two carried on walking before the sound of crashing water could be heard hitting the rocks.

'Oh wow, would you look at that, there's a waterfall. This spot looks perfect for a portrait. Elodie, come here for a moment.' She walked over to the waterfall, taking a look at it.

'Hm, I think we could find a better place. It's beautiful, I'm not denying that, but something's telling me that we're going to find someplace better.'

'Okay my love, let's carry on walking.' They moved away from the waterfall and continued their walking. After a couple of minutes, they found themselves at a dead end, but there seemed to be a way up from above.

'Stephano, I think there's a way up here. We might need to get our hands dirty.' She looked down at her white dress. 'Agh, I shouldn't have worn such a bright colour. Darling, take my dress.' She bent her knees, holding the sides of her skirt and pulling the dress over her. Underneath, she wore drawers that covered the lower half of her body, and a beige coloured corset that fitted her not too tightly. Elodie threw her dress to Stephano, which caught him by surprise, but he caught it nonetheless. She started to climb the wall of dirt, making her way up with ease.

'I suppose you don't need any help then?' He laughed.

'Not at all, I'm doing just fine.' She shot a self assured smile back at him as she carried on moving up. She got to the top of the wall and moved herself over to the ground, getting up slowly. Stephano called out,

'Would you like your dress back?'

'Yes, if you wouldn't mind.' She leaned over the edge and caught Stephano's throw, moving away from the ledge to put her dress back on. Stephano now found himself by Elodie. They noticed the dirt on themselves,

'Oh dear, we couldn't have done it any other way, could we?' She laughed.

'I suppose not, but it didn't kill us, did it?'

'Not at all, if anything I feel more alive, especially around all of this nature.' She continued to walk with Stephano, taking in the sound of singing birds that were calling from the trees. When they had walked far enough, they began to see an opening within the bushes.

'Stephano, look at this. There's an opening, we should go through it.' She walked faster in excitement, getting closer towards the gap and letting herself through. Stephano hurried after her, and once they were out in the open, a garden stood before them, a place in which they had never seen. It looked as if it had been abandoned since the 17th century, but it still maintained its beauty through wildflowers and nature. Elodie laughed in shock,

'This is incredible...Look at this place. I feel like I'm standing in the Garden of Eden. Just, wow...' She twirled herself around, taking in every angle of the garden. With a smile on her face, she took a stroll with her partner. A small set of stairs sat in the distance on their left, so Elodie led him up them, holding her lovers hand. She suddenly heard swans quacking in the area, causing her to look around eagerly. She discovered a large pond at the corner of the garden, as a dozen of swans rested in the water.

'Darling, look! Look how many swans there are! Wow, so beautiful...This place is perfect.'

'I couldn't agree more, would you like me to take your portrait here?'

'Yes!'

'Alright, I think I know the perfect place for you to stand, follow me.' She followed him to her left, discovering a large stone archway that was overgrown with rose plants.

'Okay, stand here.' He stood from a distance as she got into position. 'Right, let me get my supplies.' He dropped his bag to the floor, kneeling down to open it up. He had a a decently sized canvas, a folded easel, as well as paints, brushes and a pan. He laid everything out on the grass, setting up the easel and putting the canvas into place. He was now set up.

'Okay, I think I'm ready. Now, I'm going to give you a set of instructions. Lean on the wall of the archway, darling. Okay, now move your arms up, and cross your wrists together. Okay good, yes, this is perfect. Now I want you to look at me. Don't let your eyes wander, please.' He grinned.

'Painter, I have a request.' She called out in a humorous voice.

'What is it, darling?'

'Well, since we are capturing the essence of the garden, it wouldn't be right if I too were limiting the potential of my beauty.'

'What are you trying to suggest?'

'What I'm suggesting, is that I undress.'

'Oh, I see.' He answered, feeling himself heating up. 'How much are you going to undress, if you don't mind me asking?'

'Until I am at one with nature. You wouldn't mind that now, would you?' She grinned.

'Most definitely not. I think it's a rather good idea.' He shone a smile back.

'Well good, I'm glad we have come to an agreement.' She maintained eye contact, taking the bottom of her dress and lifting it over her head. She then bunched it in her hands, throwing it to the floor. Her hands fiddled with the lacing of her corset, undoing the bow she had tied this morning. Once it loosened, she pushed it back, dropping down the straps and revealing her chest. Once she laid the garment aside, she pinched the sides of her drawers, lowering them down to her ankles and stepping out of them slowly. Then she removed her slippers, flicking them off her feet as they landed on the ground. She waited by the archway with only the necklace dangling around her neck, positioning herself at the wall and holding her arms above her head, just like he requested. Her lover became nervous at the sight of her body, but he told himself to be professional. She smiled with such confidence, posing by the archway. 'Is this good enough for you?' She asked flirtatiously.

'Yes, this is perfect. You really are something, Elodie.' He grinned, taken away by her beauty.

'I am? Why thank you. Now come on, start painting.' She said cheekily.

Stephano reached for his sketching lead, drawing a rough draft of everything in the frame. The archway, the flowers, her, and the pond of swans. When the outline was complete, he went in with his oil paint, painting the setting sky and the sun shining through the clouds. Then he painted the greenery, the grass and the nature. Portraits were a lengthy process, so they came back to the garden every evening for around 3 months. Although the autumn leaves covered the floor and the weather was getting colder, it didn't put the two off from finishing the painting. On a Friday evening, Stephano gave the painting it's final touches before saying,

'Elodie, the painting, it's complete.' Elodie jumped in joy, running over from the archway to his canvas. She faced the final piece, painted to perfection by the man she loved. She gasped, telling him in excitement,

'Stephano, this is incredible, I've never seen anything like it. You've captured everything, it's perfect, absolutely perfect!' She let out a laugh as her face was stuck to the portrait.

'I'm glad you like it, darling.'

'I love it, Stephano. Your eye for detail is just...outstanding! I'm going to pin this up in our home, away from any guests of course.' She giggled.

'That would be a good idea.' He agreed.

'Thank you for doing this. Being surrounded by such beauty is enough, but to capture the garden so vividly, as if it's a memory, it makes me a very happy woman.' She grazed a kiss onto his cheek as his mouth curved upwards. He took a hold of her hands whilst looking deep into her eyes of sapphire.

'Everything that I have painted is beautiful, but without you, it would have been nothing. You are the true beauty of this garden.'

'Oh Stephano, you're just saying that to make me feel flattered.' She grinned.

'No, no, I mean it. How you posed bare with such confidence, I couldn't take my eyes off of you, you were truly remarkable. And I think through all of your hard efforts, you deserve something in return.'

'Oh, and what may that be?'

He guided her through the wilderness, taking her to the centre of the garden. As they stood among the blooming flowers and towering trees, Stephano confessed,

'I want to show you how much you mean to me.'

'Then show me.' She gazed at him lustfully, her eyes stuck to him from anticipation. They gave each other a prolonged stare, as Stephano's hands went to his waistcoat, unbuttoning the garment before it became fully undone. She helped him in the process, rolling the straps of the waistcoat down his arms and off his body. She disposed the garment to the floor and aided his undressing, pushing the buttons out the holes of his shirt, all while removing the piece of clothing. She became impatient and pressed her lips onto his, tasting the sweet mouth of her lover. As they kissed passionately, she tugged at the sleeves and pushed them down, taking the shirt with her. After leaving the shirt to float to the ground, she placed her hands on his now exposed chest, gliding her fingers against his unclothed skin whilst catching some of his chest hair. Stephano kept his lips on hers and took a hand to his trousers, undoing and stepping out of them. Elodie helped with his undergarments, pulling them down so he could remove them. The couple were now bare in each others arms, and he embraced her tightly, colliding his body onto her as they shared each others body heat. His head rushed to her neck, catching his nose on her skin as he moved. Then he pressed his lips against her, giving her long warm kisses. She could feel the hot air from his mouth between each kiss, and the slight wetness of his lips gave her immediate bliss, causing her to orgasm quietly,

'Stephano...'

He grinned, surprising her with warm hands on her waist to turn around her body. He rested his hand on her stomach, as the other brushed her hair aside, draping it over her back. Then at once, his hands traveled slowly to her breasts, cupping them in a soft grasp and massaging them very slowly. She moaned from the stimulation, brushing harshly against his body as she held onto the back of his neck.

'I love you, my darling, I love you beyond words.' He told her in a raspy tone, continuing to massage her bosom before leaning back, taking his hands down to her waist to position himself. His pelvis went slowly into her, as Elodie felt something ease inside, causing her to gasp from arousal. His movements were slow and meaningful, gently moving in and out whilst giving her passionate wet kisses on the sides of her neck, leaving marks of where his tongue licked. Their bodies rocked back and forth as they moaned in unison, and Stephano's hands continued to massage her skin. He dug his hands into her stomach and let them go to her naked breasts once more, finding her hard nipples and swirling them with his fingers. She orgasmed loudly, unable to contain the pleasure he was giving her. His speed remained slow, but his passion increased, fondling her erect nipples whilst he went inside, going deeper as he took her to all the right places. From below she was dripping from the breath taking stimulation, and she quickly found herself on the verge of an intense climax. Her moans became frequent and longer as her partner met her after, letting out a deep orgasm as he finished. All of their tension now faded, and they were brought back into the surrounding nature, listening to the singing birds and feeling the cold breeze hit their naked bodies. He took Elodie into his arms once more, hugging her tightly.

'I love you, Stephano.' She exhaled, gazing deep into his soulful eyes.

'I love you more, don't you ever forget that. Now, let's get dressed.' He placed a soft kiss onto her cheek until they unraveled out of each other.

Chapter Text

Polignano a Mare, A day later...

Eden stood outside a local Cafe, on the phone looking out at the seafront,

'We found the second egg, I don't know how many more there are gonna be, but it's a start, a really good start.'

'That's great Eden. How did you find it?'

'We found a secret passage under Versailles Museum, and we ended up having to find a garden in Sicily.'

'A secret passage under a public museum, and a garden in Sicily? Bloody hell.' She chuckled in amusement, 'I presume that's where you found the egg then.'

'Mhm. Honestly, I've never seen somewhere so beautiful in my life, it was perfect.'

'Aw, that's lovely. What about you and Sam, is everything going okay? Have you butted heads yet? I know what the pair of you are like.' She laughed.

'Not yet I don't think. Well, I did have to share a bed with him, that was um, something.'

'Oh dear, what a nightmare that must've been. How was it being so close to him?' She joked cheekily. Eden already had many thoughts go through her mind, but she gave her a plain and watered down answer,

'It was normal, fine, I guess.'

'Ugh, borrringgg.' She exaggerated. 'I thought I was going to get all the details, I suppose not.' She sulked in disappointment. Eden felt slightly guilty she was withholding information, so she chose to confess something,

'Well, I have got something to tell. Whilst we were in the garden, he gave me this necklace that we found in the museum. I think he could tell how much I liked it, that's why he must've taken it when I wasn't looking.'

'He gave you a necklace? Eden, he's pretty much standing on one knee for you. Do you know how big of a deal that is?'

'Yeah...he's been acting really strange lately. I must admit, it took me by surprise seeing him standing there with a box in his hands.' She chuckled. 'I swear my heart started beating so fast. Then he offered to help me put it on, and God...I don't know what's wrong with me. I know we're meant to be partners but, I think I had butterflies.'

'Butterflies? Eden, are you meaning to tell me something?' Her voice became curious, scaring Eden slightly.

'Well, maybe not butterflies.' She played off, realising she had said too much. 'I think I was just nervous being so close to him.'

'And usually being nervous around someone means that you like them, so...'

'I don't like him! It just caught me by surprise that's all.' She swiftly defended, ensuring she didn't give her the wrong impression.

'Right, totally.' Chloe wasn't buying it. 'So what did you do after he gave you the necklace? Cos from what you're telling me it sounds like you two had a little moment.' Her tone became flirty.

'Nothing happened, I just hugged him as a way to say thank you. It was just a hug y'know, a hug that friends have.' She was lying, obviously.

'Hm, for some reason I'm not buying that, you totally kissed didn't you?'

'No! We didn't kiss.' She exclaimed. 'Really, I'm telling the truth, it was just a hug.'

'Okay, but what actually happened? No way he gave you the necklace and then hugged you for two seconds. You're missing out some important details, Eden.'

She exhaled. 'Alright. We hugged, but it went on for about I don't know...five minutes?'

'A five minute hug? Yeah, no friends hug for a minute, let alone five. Is there something going on between you two that I don't know about? I mean I always had my suspicions, but my Lord.' She laughed.

'No, nothings going on.'

'Are you sure? Because it sounds like there is. Look, you can tell me.'

'I have nothing to tell, seriously, there is absolutely nothing going on between me and Sam.' She lied, again.

An audible grumble could be heard from the other line.

'God, I swear you are just as bad as Sam. Spit it out Eden, please, I'm not going to judge you. And if I did, what kind of friend would I be? Just tell me.'

Eden fell silent for a couple of seconds, trying to calculate whether confessing her feelings to Chloe would be a good idea. In the end, the rapid train of thoughts led her to a solid conclusion. She's just going to find out anyway. She exhaled,

'You won't tell him, will you?'

'No, of course not. Just let it all out.'

'Um...' She panicked, unsure how to proceed. 'Chloe, I like him, I like him a lot. I've liked him since forever, but I've been keeping it hidden. I don't like it though, I shouldn't be feeling like this.'

'Why?' Chloe was confused.

'Because we're work partners. Yeah, we're friends, but we're also people that do business together.'

'And?' Chloe didn't exactly know what the problem was.

'And, that's why we won't work out. I can't have feelings for someone who I'm in a professional partnership with.'

'I mean you can, you're just afraid.'

'Afraid of what?'

'Your feelings.' The truth of her words hit her too close to home. 'Look, back when Nate and Elena weren't a thing, me and him had something. It might've looked like a short fling on the surface, but I loved him, y'know. But that isn't the point, the point is that you can still be in a relationship with someone you're in a partnership with. If anything, I'd say it makes it all the more fun. I know me and Nate didn't have a happy ending, but I chose that out of my own will, for his sake. But you're not in a weird love triangle like I was, you're in a partnership with a man that you so happen to be in love with.'

'Chloe!'

'I'm not wrong, am I?' She spoke confidently.

Eden sighed, 'No, you're not.'

'What I'm saying is, you shouldn't be scared of your feelings. They aren't going to affect anything, it'll just affect how you see him, and I don't think there's any harm in that, is there?'

'I guess you're right.'

'You've gotta stop thinking that the worlds going to end just because you have feelings for him, because that's far from the case. Embrace how you feel, see it as a good thing, and then you'll start to enjoy it. I promise you, once you stop worrying, you'll start to see things differently.'

'But what if he doesn't feel the same? What if I'm head over heels for this guy when he doesn't even like me back?'

'Eden, listen to yourself. He took the time out of his day to steal a necklace for you just because you liked it, no friend does that. Ugh, if only I could tell you.'

'Tell me what?'

'That's the thing, I can't. Look, Sam cares a lot about you, that's all I'm going to say.'

'Does he?'

'Of course he does. You'll see what I mean when the time comes-' A muffled voice came from the other line, speaking to Chloe. Although she was trying her best to keep quiet, the phone picked up her saying, 'Just one second, darling.' Eden immediately took notice, questioning with a laugh,

'Darling?'

'Oh blast, I should've muted myself. Eden, you heard nothing.'

'Hm, I'm sure I heard something. Who were you talking to?'

'It's none of your business!' She laughed. 'Look uh, I've got to go.'

'Go where?' She said, tormenting her.

'As I said, it's none of your business, alright? Anyway, back to you and Sam, you'll be fine. Don't work yourself up about it, trust me in a years time you'll be wondering why you were even stressed in the first place.'

Eden huffed, but her voice remained friendly. 'Alright, I guess I can try.'

'That's it. Anyways, it was nice catching up with you. I'll see you later, and keep me posted about the Sam situation.'

'I will. Bye Chloe.'

'Bye.' Eden hung up and faced the sea, watching the waves crash from afar. She took a deep breath and reflected on her conversation with Chloe. She hated how right she was. She was always the friend that talked sense into her, who brought clarity in a situation she felt helpless in, and every time she found her to be the bearer of truth. Maybe she was right, maybe having a relationship with Sam wasn't as bad as she was making it out to be. Despite Chloe's reassurance, she still was having doubts. She didn't know how to balance her complicated feelings with the job, and finding the treasure was already a stressful task, let alone trying to come to terms with her once buried love for Sam. With a long breath, she moved away from the seafront, walking back into the cafe with one thing in mind, the treasure. Sam and Sully had finished their plates of breakfast, keeping their beverages close to them. Eden got to the table, dropping her hands to the surface and leaning over as if she meant business.

'Let's get going.'

'God, I'm starting to think she's worse that you, Sam.' Sully joked. 'But you're right, we can't stay in this cafe forever, let's get moving.'

'Yeah.' Sam replied, downing the rest of his coffee while he rose from his seat. The two followed Eden out of the cafe, taking a walk towards the Jeep that was parked outside. Once they were all in, Eden drove slowly down the narrow roads, surrounded by rows of pale brick houses, hotels and places of hospitality. A local resident was seen from above hanging her laundry, pegging various colour's of clothing on the washing line. From below, locals and visitors were on the path, scattering across to where they needed to be. Eden followed the road until she asked her partner for guidance,

'Sam, where do I need to go?'

'Uh, give me a moment.' He took out his phone from his pocket, searching for their current location before gathering where to go. 'We need to take this turn on the right, you see it?'

'Yeah, I see it.' She got closer to the turn and went in the direction, driving down a new road.

'Okay, now uh, I think there's going to be a bridge somewhere. You need to cross it and go down the road on the left.'

'Alright.' She followed his directions, crossing the white bridge and finding the left road. As they were going down this left road, they began to drive towards a pebbled alleyway that took them in the direction of the houses.

'Okay, stop here.' The car became stationary, parking outside the alleyway. The three strolled through, finding a row of stairs on each side. Sam had his compass out at the ready, checking their co ordinates. 'I think we need to try these stairs.' He pointed at the stairs on their right, a couple of steps away from them.

'Okay, let's do that.' Eden took the lead, climbing up the stairs until they reached a long balcony. The exterior of the houses that surrounded them were decorated in different coloured flowers, particular lily's and roses that transitioned from shades of pink to white. Along the balcony stood a wooden door, in company of a tall olive plant. This door caught Eden's eye.

'Do you think this house matches Elodie's coordinates?'

'We could give it a try, let's stand closer.' Sully suggested. The three hovered by the door whilst waiting for Sam's verdict. He said in surprise,

'Yeah, we're in the exact spot. So what should we do now?'

'Let's knock on the door, see if anyone's in there. If they're out, I don't suppose we could break in.' Sully said.

'But what if we walk in to a whole family? We can't just ask them if we can have a look around, they'll think we're robbing the place.' Sam advised.

'Yeah, Sam's right. Let's just charm our way in there, state that we mean no harm and we're here on behalf of a job, that's all we can do really.' Eden said.

'Well, I guess we know who'll be doing that.' Sam pointed at Sully with his head.

'I knew this would happen, well I wouldn't do it any other way, here goes nothing folks.' Sam and Eden got out of his way, as Sully moved forward to knock on the door. They all waited in silence for a couple of moments until the door swung open, revealing a dark brunette woman in her 60's. She was dressed in a black nightgown that came just above her knees, detailed with lace across the line of her skirt. She stood with a cigarette in hand and slightly dampened hair, indicating that she had showered. She jumped slightly at their sudden appearance, before Sully greeted her,

'Hey Miss, you don't happen to speak English, do ya?'

'Well, today must be your lucky day. What's the problem?' She spoke in a slight Italian accent, but parts of her tone sounded as if she had lived some of her life in New York, specifically Brooklyn.

'There isn't a problem, we're just in need of a bit of help. You see, these are my work partners, Sam Drake and Eden Foley, and they are trying to find this treasure belonging to a French Duchess. One of the clues has ever so happened to lead here. It's no coincidence, trust me, we'd just like to have a look around your house. We'll be quick, I promise, it's like you wouldn't even know we're here.' She raised an eyebrow from curiosity, analysing the two strangers at his sides.

'Are you sure you're not trying to fool me? I had these men come up to my door hours ago asking the same thing, all for the sake of some made up treasure.'

Eden gave Sam a worried glance.

'I'm sorry that you experienced that, but we aren't them, nor is the treasure fake. Sam, could you show her the egg?'

'Okay.' Sam took off his rucksack and opened the bag, taking out the second egg they had found in Sicily. He picked it up and passed it to the New Yorker, as she took it hesitantly. Her eyes became stuck to it, digesting everything her eyes could see.

'Oh wow, okay, I see what you mean now. Where's the clue that's taken you here?'

'Take a look inside.' Eden said. The woman gave her a look before opening the egg, digging her hand inside to find a letter. She passed the egg back to Sam and had a read, and it was finally then that she was convinced.

'Okay, yeah this looks legit. Alright, you've convinced me, come in everyone.' She walked away from the door so that they could come in, closing the door as they all wandered inside. The interior of the house was slightly modernised, but it still kept certain elements of the 19th century. A small chandelier hung from the ceiling, and the kitchen was just in the distance.

'So, where about's do you need to look?'

'Well, everywhere if that's alright. How much has this house changed since you lived here?' Sam asked.

'I have no clue, I don't have that information unfortunately.'

'Oh, that's alright. Are there any documents, paintings, artifacts, treasure, anything that could've belonged to the Duchess?'

'The duchess owned treasure?'

'Yes, well it's her treasure hunt. It was signed by her on the letter.' Eden explained.

'Oh, yes! I remember now. Sorry, my memory's not what it used to be. Actually, hold on a minute.' She remained still in thought,

'I think there's some sort of trap door in the spare room. I've never opened it, but you might find something in there.'

'That's great, thank you. Could you take us to this room, please?'

'Of course, I'll lead the way. When you're both out the way though, I'd like to speak to your boss.' Her eyes sparkled in Sully's direction, taken interest to the silver fox.

'Sure, that's fine by us.' Sam replied.

'Alright, come on.' She took them to a corridor, standing next to the door of the spare room.

'Here it is. I wish I could help you find what you're looking for, but hopefully you won't need any help, you all seem capable anyways.' She smiled.

'Yeah, I'm sure we'll find something. Thank you for helping us, um-'

'Jennifer, Jennifer Marchetti.'

'Thank you, Jennifer.'

'No problem.'

Eden and Sam entered the spare room whilst Jennifer stood in the corridor, now alone with Sully. Her expression livened up,

'Now, I know a man who has traveled the globe when I see one. What's your name, honey?'

'The names Sullivan, darlin, but just call me Sully.'

'Sully, it is nice to meet you. I must say, you are a fine man.'

'You're a woman of kind words, Jennifer. Well, you don't look too bad yourself. I hope you don't mind me saying, but you look gorgeous.'

'Ah, you're ever so kind. Would you care to join me for a smoke? We can talk on the balcony.' She grinned widely.

'That sounds lovely, I'd love to.' He left the corridor with Jennifer, moving to the balcony. Meanwhile in the spare room, Eden and Sam were looking for the trap door.

'There isn't any sign of a trap door anywhere. Wait, I think we need to move this rug.' Eden leaned over towards the large rug covering half of the wooden flooring.

'Okay, let me help you.' The partners rolled the rug forward until it's appearance became a cylinder like shape. They moved it over in the corner to inspect the floor. To their calculations, a trap door had been hidden from underneath. They knelt down to have a look, now establishing it needed to be opened,

'Ah shit, I forgot trap doors come with a key. Care to open it for me, Eden?'

'Sure.' She took a lock pick from her pocket and began picking the lock. The process was a lot quicker than before, as within a minute or less, she heard a click that indicated the trap door was unlocked. 'Okay, that should do it.' She opened the door to a waft of dust, making her cough for a moment.

'Jesus, what is it with this job and breathing in dust?' She spluttered, facing away from what was giving her a coughing fit. Sam swished his hands about to help.

'There, you should be okay now.' He smiled.

'Alright, thanks.' She opened the door fully to two decently sized boxes underneath the floor. She picked up the first her eyes laid on, whilst Sam took the other. They propped the boxes down beside them before closing the trapdoor.

'Which one should we open first?' Eden asked.

'Let's try your box.' He said.

'Okay.' She opened the lid, discovering a stack of paper inside. She tipped the box around, allowing the paper to fall out. Now that the box was empty, she tidied the papers and placed them in the middle. Displayed at the top was a sketched drawing of the first egg, which looked to be Elodie and Stephano's planning of the treasure hunt.

'Look at this, it's a sketch of the first egg. See all of the patterns? It's like they designed it from scratch. Hold on.' She put the paper to one side, taking out from the pile and examining the next paper. It was the second egg.

'I think I'm beginning to see a pattern here. Maybe we could see what the other eggs look like.' She took some more paper from the pile and placed it in front of them. They now knew that they had to find two more eggs.

'Wow, these are some expensive looking eggs.' Sam commented.

'I know, what the hell was the budget for this?' She laughed. 'Anyway, let's look at the next paper.' From the stack of paper, she had found a sketch of all four eggs beside a waterfall, but what sat in front caught their attention.

'Eden, that's the final treasure, it's a golden swan.' He pointed at the drawing, aiming his finger at the swan. Although they weren't looking at the real thing, the drawing was enough to give them an idea of what it looked like.

'God, it looks so real, it's incredible.' She told him, lost for words. 'I really want to find this treasure now.'

'Yeah, me too, but we still don't know where the third egg is. We should keep looking at these papers, see if we find anything else.'

'Okay.' She dug her hands back into the pile, taking another paper from the last remaining documents. Her hand grabbed a map that had been ripped into two. Despite it's ripped appearance, the remains showed markings of each specific location of the eggs, including the third.

'Hey look, all these crosses on the map look like where the eggs are. There's a cross in the ocean, there's one in Sicily, then- Wait, this is where the next egg is!' Her finger pointed to the cross that was marked in Rhodes.

'Oh yeah, you're right! So we need to go to Rhodes for the third egg? Well, I must say this has probably been the easiest treasure hunt of my life.' He joked.

'I wouldn't speak too soon.' Eden laughed. 'It's not exactly in Rhodes, let me take another look.' She took the paper again, holding it up. 'Sam, check on your phone for me. Type in Kiotari Beach.'

'Okay.' He brought his phone out, tapping away on the screen until he said, 'Okay, did it.' He looked at his phone, swapping his eyes from the the marker on his map to the cross on the other. It was the exact spot.

'Jesus Eden, you're good at this. It's in Kiotari Beach, you're right.'

'Oh, is it? That's great! Okay, so we know where to go now.'

'Yeah, we should get out of here, we've got what we need.'

'No, no, we've still got that other box remember?'

'Oh shit, I forgot.' He smiled awkwardly. 'Well let's take a look then.' Eden put the documents back in the pile and into the box for the time being. Then, she moved to the other box, putting it in the center and opening it. Around 12 letters were found inside, as well as an old diary.

'Hm, let's see.' Eden took out a letter from the box and began reading it. The name and date were written at the top, reading 14th April 1785 'Stephano, I miss you. I cannot bear being in this palace without you, without your stories, your optimism, your kind heart. Our time together in the palace suite has been all my mind has thought about. I should have ran off with you on the last day you were in Versailles, but I didn't, because I'm foolish coward who's afraid to upset those around me. But I now understand that doesn't matter anymore. Nothing else matters when I am with you. I hope we can meet again soon, and maybe then I will be by your side. - Elodie de la Marche. Wow, this must've been when she was having the affair. He must have been a piece of shit for her to feel like this.'

'Yeah, arranged marriages were pretty common in those times, especially within the monarchy. I'm glad they had their happy ending, she didn't deserve to be stuck in a depressing marriage.'

'I couldn't agree more.' Eden had a peek at all the other letters, but she found they were pretty much the same. Just Elodie and Stephano going back and fourth expressing their love for another whilst she was stuck in her marriage. However she discovered a letter written two years later than the last. Eden read it aloud,

'Elodie, I am truly sorry. My actions have led you back to where you never wanted to be, with your husband. I should have listened when you told me about your parents and how they didn't want me to be with you. You told me that they are in favour of Germain, and that they will not want you anywhere but by his side, and I ignored that. It hurts to know that if I never had made you visit your parents, none of this would have happened. I was terribly foolish, and I have only myself to blame. The guilt I feel is tremendous, and I deeply feel your absence. But I have written this letter to inform you that I will be out at the docks tomorrow at sunrise. Please, come back, and I will make sure we will never see your family again. It will just be you and me, like it always has been. If you have gotten this letter, you will hopefully find the gift I have sent you. Every single second I spent creating this piece was with you in mind, so I hope it somewhat takes away the pain I have caused. Please, my swan, swim back to me. - Stephano Rapallino.'

'Her parents took her back to her husband because he wanted to meet her parents? Damn, sounds like he knew he messed up. She must have ran back to him after hearing he was at the docks.'

'And because he gave her a gift. Wait, he said that he created the gift with her in mind...Sam, he made her the golden swan.' Eden stated.

'Hold on a minute, yeah, he made the swan! So if I'm hearing this right, the treasure we're finding was what Stephano gave her as an apology gift.'

'Pretty much, maybe it was just her way of letting someone unravel her and Stephano's past as if they were living through their memories. Kiotari must be somewhere she had good memories of, just like Sicily with the painting and the necklace.'

'Exactly. So I guess this is just a walk down memory lane kind of treasure hunt.' He laughed.

'Mhm.' She smiled. 'Right, I think now's the time to leave. Let's take everything, it'll hopefully help us.'

'Good idea.' Sam began to pack everything into his rucksack. Eden's eyes caught a book besides the documents and letters, forgetting to inspect it. She hid it in Sam's bag whilst he wasn't looking, not like he would've judged her for it anyway. As he zipped up his bag they both got up from the floor and headed to the rug they had rolled up. They walked over with it in their hands, placing it on the floor and unrolling the rug until it was back in its original place. Then finally, they walked out of the room to inform Sully about their recent finds. The two took a slow walk through the corridor and found themselves in the kitchen. Sully and Jennifer were no where to be seen. Well, that's what they thought, before the sudden harsh winds blew the curtains of the balcony open, revealing them both clung on to each other and kissing passionately. Eden and Sam gave each other a grin, then looked back towards him and Jennifer, who were still in the midst of a steamy kiss. Sam turned to Eden with a grin on his face,

'God, you leave him alone with another woman for one minute and he's all over her.' He walked slightly closer to the balcony, attempting to get Sully's attention. 'Uh, Victor? Sullivan? Hello?' His voice brought them back, making their heads turn anxiously. You could hear Sully mutter,

'Agh, shit. Come on, let's move off of here.' They guiltily walked out from the balcony, brushing through the curtains and into the kitchen.

'What was that all about?' Sam asked, mischief lingering on his face.

'God, I swear I cannot get a moment of peace without you guys barging in, a little privacy would be nice.' He grumbled.

'We're not judging you, Sully. We just didn't expect you to be, y'know.' Eden giggled. Sully let out an exhausted exhale,

'Look, Jennifer is a lovely woman, we just ever so happened to have a moment, is there anything wrong with that?'

'No, not at all. Y'know what, let's just forget about what just happened.' Sam said.

'Gladly. What did you find in the trap door?'

'The next location of the egg, as well as a couple more things to help us along the way.'

'That's great! Where are we going?'

'Kiotari. We have a map that shows us where to go, but it's ripped apart. Somethings telling me that we're gonna find that missing piece in the next egg.'

'I don't doubt it. Well come on then, we best get moving.'

'Oh, don't go. Please stay for a minute so I can fix you all something to drink.' She urged. Sam and Eden gave each other another look before turning to Sully.

'You heard the woman, let's put our feet up for a bit. Eden, don't give me that look.' Sully could already see her face go sour.

'I'm not, I just think we should leave. I know we're one step ahead, but I'm just afraid that those treasure hunters are gonna show up.'

'Eden, we'll be fine, there's absolutely nothing to worry about-' Loud banging disrupted his sentence, and the three armed up quickly. After one final knock, the door swung open, and dozens of armed soldiers swarmed the room, aiming their weapons towards them. Around four of the members allowed themselves in, standing among the soldiers who completely outnumbered them all. Then the last member made a slow entrance, strolling into the room with a bright cheerful face. He stood smugly alongside his men and the military, gazing at the four in the kitchen,

'It is great to finally meet you all. I'm Julien, Julien Labouchere.'

Chapter Text

Julien appeared in his mid 30's, with stone like eyes and dark blonde hair that sat on his shoulders. His eyebrows were bold and his features were strong, wearing a moustache and a slightly grown beard. A dark grey beanie sat comfortably on his head, almost seeming as if he wore the accessory all year round. The wideness of his mouth and the obvious displaying of his teeth didn't feel friendly in the slightest, but more a dangerous reminder to his immoral behavior. His continuous grinning exposed multiple golden teeth that gave them the impression he was a modern day pirate. The leader made himself at home, reaching for his cigar and lighting it in the room whilst everyone watched him.

'You...' Eden spoke in disgust, glaring with menacing eyes as she aimed her pistol alongside the others.

'So,' He exhaled smoke into the air, resting his cigar between his fingers and gesturing the same hand towards her, 'You're the one that stole my egg, aren't you?'

'Yeah, what about it?'

'Well, I just think it's funny how you'll be giving it back to me, won't you?' The soldiers advanced forward with pointed weapons, telling them to surrender.

'Just give up, there's no point in trying, you'll all die anyway.' He smirked. Sam and Sully understood where things were going and surrendered their weapons. After a couple of nudges, Eden eventually stopped being stubborn, dropping hers too. 'There we are, much better. Now, I just want to try something. You, hold her hostage.' The soldier closest to Eden grabbed her by surprise, forcing her under his will and holding a knife to her neck. Julien gave him a look, and suddenly Eden's arm started to bleed, leaving a cut. Sam called out in panic,

'No! Eden!' Julien grinned in amusement.

'Just what I thought, I love being right.'

'What do you mean, just what I thought?' He exclaimed angrily.

'Look, let me make you all a deal. You can carry on finding this treasure, and we won't bother taking anything from you, but to do that, you must give her over. If you don't choose to give her over, we will take everything you have, every clue, every artifact, anything that'll bring us closer so that you'll have no chance finding the treasure. Oh and also, she makes the call.' Eden stared over at Sam, already knowing her decision.

'Sam, just let them take me.' She told him honestly.

'What? Are you crazy? I'm not letting you do that.' Eden shook her head sadly in disagreement.

'Please, just do what I say. This treasure means everything to me so find it, find it without me.'

'No, I can't do that.' He refused.

'Do it, you have to! Please.' She told him sternly.

'No...'

'Look, why can't we all talk this out?' Sully spoke before being cut off by Julien.

'It looks like she's made up her mind, is that your final decision, Eden?'

'Yes, yes it is.' Sam looked at her with sorrowful eyes, betrayed by the fate she had chosen. Julien approached him, taking out a rough battered hand.

'Pleasure doing business with you.' Sam gave him a hesitant look, but the soldiers around him appeared to judge his stillness, so he took his hand weakly, letting Julien do most of the shaking. 'Alright, handcuff her and take her outside.' The soldier holding her hostage took his knife from her neck and reached for his handcuffs, cuffing her from behind. He gave her an aggressive push before taking her by the shoulders, forcing her to move forward. The armed soldiers followed her through the door as a couple kept an eye on Sam until they all left the building. Julien was the last to leave, saying,

'Happy hunting, my friends.' He closed the door, leaving the rest of them to process what had just happened.

'What a goddamn mess...They can't get away with this.' Sully said.

'Well they did, and they took Eden in the process.' Sam replied.

'I just don't understand, why did she take herself in?' Jennifer asked in distress.

'Because she cares more about the treasure than herself.' Sam explained sadly.

'Christ, I just hope she knows what shes getting herself into. Well if those bastards aren't planning on coming here any time soon, I think it's time for a drink. Come sit in the kitchen and I'll fetch you all something.' Sully moved over to the table and sat in the middle of the kitchen, sitting himself down. Still in the same place, Sam was replaying what had just happened, witnessing Eden being taken away. He remembered the determination in her eyes despite the circumstance, as if she believed that he too would feel the same, but he didn't. He felt nothing but emptiness. Jennifer saw him standing there, glaring at the door as if something was there.

'Come on darlin, I'm sorry about what happened, but you can't do anything for now, just take a seat over here.' She guided him over to the kitchen as he moved away from the door, sitting himself down opposite Sully. His head faced down, staring at the nothingness of the table.

'What would you boys like to drink?'

'Just some water, please. Sam?' He looked over to him, seeing the lifelessness of his expression.

'I'm fine, thanks.' His head remained stuck to the table, as Jennifer looked at him in sympathy.

'Alright, I won't be a moment.' Whilst Jennifer was sorting out the water, Sully could tell that Sam wasn't his usual self.

'She'll be alright Sam, they won't do anything to her.'

'How do you know that? They cut her arm.' He said defensively.

Jennifer quietly put his drink on the table as she distanced herself away.

'Thank you, Jen.' He faced towards Sam. 'She'll be fine, they could've done worse and you know that. God, I think you're overreacting a little.'

'Overreacting? Sully, we're leaving her in the hands of a group of men, who knows what they're going to do to her.'

'I know, but we can't do anything about it, not now, we don't even know where they are.'

'Well we've got to do something, I can't leave her.' He said determinedly.

'Sam, as much as I want to kill those bastards, we'll be running into a dead end. Chances are they'll get information out of her and take her to Kiotari.'

'Then we go there and wait for them, we should go now.' He got out of his seat, ready to leave.

'No, they won't be there straight away. Sam, just...sit down will ya.' He let out an annoyed exhale, bringing himself back into his seat. It stayed quiet for a couple of minutes, until Sam asked,

'Why did she bring herself in...? Why couldn't she just let them take everything...?'

'Because she cares about the treasure, just like you. I'm sure you would've done the same thing.'

'No Victor, I wouldn't have.' He judged him. 'Treasure doesn't matter to me anymore. I might've made that decision years ago, but now I don't see the reason to, not if it costs someone like Eden. Now excuse me, I need some time alone...' He got up from his seat and walked out of the kitchen. Sully looked at Jennifer, who was leaning on the counter.

'He just needs some time to process everything, don't worry about it darlin.'

'I know, I just feel sorry for him, he must care about her.'

Sam rested his arms on the balcony, facing the night's sky and taking in the cold breeze hitting his face. His hands trembled reaching for his cigarette, as he struggled to take it out from his mouth. The situation hit him hard. He was spiraling around in endless worry, ruminating about Eden and her safety. As much as he wanted to run out of the house and find her on his own, his body wouldn't let him. He was paralysed from his emotions, and he couldn't bring himself to move. So he was stuck outside stargazing, barely puffing his cigarette from his short anxious breaths. Overtime, his eyes welled up from the intensity of his emotions, and newly formed tears traveled down to his face.

'God, why am I crying? Stop it, you're making a fool of yourself.' He wiped away his tears and sniffed his running nose, trying to remove any traces of him crying. He slightly panicked after hearing the curtains move, realising someone was behind him.

'Can I have a bit of privacy, please?' He sniffed, his voice low of energy.

'Sorry dear, I won't disturb you, I was just coming out for a smoke.' He started to feel bad for sending her away.

'Actually, it's fine, you can stay.'

'Oh, thank you.' She found herself a space next to Sam, taking out and lighting her cigarette. Within just one glance, she could already tell how he was feeling. 'I'm sorry...about everything, you must be taking things pretty hard.'

'Yeah, you could say that.' He carried on facing the balcony, blowing his smoke into the air.

'Look, I know I might be some random stranger, but you can talk to me. There's nothing wrong with expressing your feelings, it's quite good for you actually. The worst thing you can do is bottle up your emotions. Just tell me how you're feeling, no sugar coating.' Sam took his cigarette from his mouth, turning his head to Jennifer. He looked miserable.

'In all honesty, I feel like shit. I stood there like a coward and watched her get taken. I should've done something, I should've put a hole in every goddamn one of them, but I didn't. I feel like it's all my fault.'

'Nothing was your fault, Sam, you couldn't have done anything. There was about 30 men in the room, and I know it's hard to say, but you couldn't have stopped her from walking away. It was her decision, but you'll find her, I promise you.'

'I hope so, I just...What if she doesn't make it?' He looked at her with fear, his voice trembling.

'She'll be okay, they need her alive so that they can find the treasure. Now I'm gonna be honest with you, I don't know how she's going to look when you find her, but they won't kill her, I can say that for certain.'

'That's one hell of a statement Jennifer, but I guess you're right. I don't know...God...I don't know what's wrong with me-' He broke down, tears covering his face. 'I'm just scared that I don't have enough time- enough time to say-' He choked on his words, leaving Jennifer to ask,

'Enough time to say what, dear?'

'To say- that I love her...' Jennifer frowned in pity, reaching her hand out and patting his back to comfort him.

'Oh dear, I didn't know that you were in love with her, I'm sorry, darlin. I couldn't imagine what you're feeling right now.' Sam turned to her, red in the face with teary eyes,

'I've been- in love with her for a long time, we've been partners since the 90s. Funny story, we met on a cruise ship by accident.' He shone a smile through his sad face.

'What do you mean by accident?' She smiled.

'Well, me and my brother sneaked onto this ship a long time ago, when we were still kids. We hid in the storage room and she found us in there, so we made a deal for her to keep quiet. Then we ended up telling her our plan to find treasure in Culebra. She was all over it. We didn't realise how passionate she was until she started talking non stop asking us for every detail. I think after about two years, it was then that I started to like her, but I've been trying to forget about my love for her ever since. It felt easier back then to distract myself with whatever job I was doing. Now, I just can't anymore.' He paused for a moment, letting out a faint laugh, 'She found this necklace a few days back whilst we were in Versailles. She fell in love with it, so when she wasn't looking, I stole it, and I gave it to her in Sicily. It was sort of my way of telling her I loved her, but I don't think she caught on.' He smiled in remembrance.

'So that's where the necklace came from.' She grinned. 'What a lovely story, it isn't everyday you meet the love of your life on a cruise ship in the middle of no where. That's why you need to tell her, no subliminal messages, no beating around the bush, just the straight truth.'

'Yeah, I know. I've been terrified of telling her, but I think now I believe I have it in me to do it.'

'That's good. Tell her when you think it's right, and I'm sure you'll feel better.'

'Yeah.' Sully could be heard walking through the curtains.

'Ah, hey kid. How are you feeling?' Sam turned to him.

'Not great, but a bit better.'

'Are you alright to come back inside?'

'Yeah.' He nodded.

'Alright, come on then.' Sully walked out of the balcony, giving him space to go inside. He was hesitant for a moment, but when Jennifer patted him on the shoulder, he brought himself to leave the balcony to join the others.

Chapter Text

Eden awoke to bright nauseous lights, tied to an old wooden chair and bound by her wrists and ankles. Around eight soldiers stood in the room waiting for her to wake up. Most of them looked distracted in conversation, but one soldier saw her moving. He walked out of the room to tell the others, leaving the rest to fix their eyes on Eden. Two military men walked up to her, staring and talking among themselves in French. It wasn't long before she could translate what they were saying.

'It's not everyday Julien captures a woman like her. God, she's hot isn't she?' He laughed.

'Yeah, if he doesn't want her, I'll certainly have a piece.'

'I can understand what you're saying you arseholes! Goddamn pigs, I'll kill the whole lot of you.' She shouted in irritation, however the soldiers found her anger rather amusing.

'Not when you're tied to a chair, sweetheart.' They grinned, before their heads turned at the creaking door. Juilen walked in with a couple members of his group. They all looked around the same age as him, and it was an overstatement to say they looked appealing. The boss lead them over to her, as Julien and his men stood in front of her.

'Nice to see you're awake already. How was the car ride?' He joked.

'Can barely remember it.' She told him honestly.

'Good, cos we knocked you out.' He grinned. Julien could see a lot of soldiers, so he ordered, 'Can we have a bit of privacy, please?' All the soldiers left the room, leaving Eden with just Julien and his two other men. 'Anyway, I'm sure you're here wondering what you'll be doing since you've chosen to be with us. Well, we weren't going to give your friends an offer if it didn't benefit us in return. You're here to guide us to the treasure, and to give the information we need to find it.'

'Ugh, great, I knew this would happen. And what happens if I don't tell you?'

'Then we beat the information out of you. We're giving you two simple choices, either tell us now and save yourself a lot of trouble, or get used to being tortured for a while.' He smirked.

'That's if she doesn't die on us.' The other treasure hunter laughed.

'So then, Eden, that's your name isn't it? Tell us where to go.' He leaned himself in front of her, making her jolt her head back from his unnerving proximity.

'I ain't telling you shit.' Her eyes shot him a deadly look, but he wasn't afraid in the slightest.

'I knew she was stupid. Vincent, do what you need to do.' On Julien's right was Vincent, the leaders close associate. His face and head were completely shaven, no trace of stubble or hair in sight. His arms were tightly crossed, revealing huge tensing muscles that gave Eden a worrying idea of his physical strength. He possessed no clear emotion, just a face of nonchalance that caused her to feel slightly nervous through all her bravery. The other's moved back whilst he gave her a strong slap to the face, the sound making a long tail of reverb throughout the small room. Eden didn't flinch, she just closed her eyes and took it, but she couldn't deny how much his hand burned on her face. She remained quiet as she took another slap, worse than the first she endured. She quietly sounded her pain through her teeth, refusing to look weak. Then she was punched again, and again, and again, on the face, on her arms, in the stomach, anywhere they found. Within every strike to her body, she was mostly silent, but her face denied to hide her discomfort. She knew that as it went on that a couple of her bones must have been fractured, but somehow she wasn't bothered, she just wanted Sam and Sully to find the treasure. Throughout the ten minutes of non stop punching, slapping, shoving and so on, her physical state started to deteriorate. Everywhere was either bruised or very red, and her shoulders and arms began to kill from the pain. They gave her a minute to see if she would change her mind.

'Still quiet, Eden?' He asked.

'Yep, still quiet.' She winced. 'I really want that treasure, Julien.'

'I can see that. Well if you're not planning on changing your mind, I'm afraid we are only getting started. Gentleman, I'll handle her.' Julien walked over to a crate of weapons, taking out a knife and some pliers. He shoved the knife in his pocket to use later, but his right hand kept the pliers close. He walked up to her and forced her mouth open, applying extreme pressure to one of her back teeth. This time, she couldn't hide her pain. She shouted in agony as he moved the pliers around aggressively, pulling and pulling until her tooth came out. Her mouth flooded with blood as it dripped from her chin to her lap. He held her tooth against the pliers, showing her up close as if it was a prize.

'Look at all of that blood. I don't suppose you'd want another one taken out?' Eden wouldn't respond. She stared at him blankly, refusing to give him what he wanted. Julien began to grow impatient, 'Well I guess if that didn't work, I suppose I should move onto something worse.' He quickly drew his knife, instantly cutting off her pinkie finger. She screamed, feeling herself welling up from the amount of pain she was going through.

'Agh! Shit, shit, shit!' She shouted, her breath becoming shallow.

'Would you care to tell us now?' Through every shout and cry of pain, she slowly shook her head. She knew she was making a very bad mistake, but her drive to find the treasure was the only thing she was thinking about, until he cut her next finger. Somehow it hurt even more than the last, and the burning sensation still remained, as well as the excruciating pain. She became dizzy after losing so much blood, but she could still see Julien who was grinning in amusement to her suffering. His face just smiled, as if he wasn't the reason for the extreme pain she was barely enduring. She wanted to fight it for a little longer, but the intensity of the pain was making it extremely hard for her to do so. After seeing her detached fingers on the arm of the chair, she finally gave in,

'Alright, fine- I'll tell you- Agh! I'll, tell you- where to go.' Julien's face lit up, grinning an infuriating smile.

'I'm glad you've finally seen sense, you could've kept your fingers if you just told us.' He mocked her, striking Eden's nerve.

'You know- it wasn't that easy.'

'Sure it wasn't. Oh, and one more thing-' He gave her one more punch to the face. 'That was for wasting our time.' She winced, glaring up at him,

'Thanks.'

'You're welcome. Now tell us everything you know, now. If we catch you lying we'll cut off more than your fingers.' Eden exhaled. She knew she wasn't going to be able to trick them, they were too smart and too strong. She tried to control her quick breaths, ensuring to speak clearly,

'Kiotari Beach, Rhodes, the next eggs there.'

'Greece? You're telling me to take a holiday to Greece?'

'I'm not lying for God's sake! Why would I be lying? It's there, the second egg told us to go somewhere only Elodie knows, and it gave us coordinates.'

'Who's Elodie?'

'She's the creator of this whole thing! Have you not been paying attention?' She exclaimed in annoyance.

'No, I only care about the treasure, not the person behind it. Just shut up, tell us more.'

'Well, we went to the coordinates and found a map, and on that map had the number three right by Kiotari. After doing research we found that the egg is located on the beach.'

'Hm, okay. So the third egg is there, yes?'

'Yes! I'm not lying, I don't fancy losing another finger. It bloody kills...' Julien muttered among his men, discussing the situation. Once he was done, he faced back to Eden.

'Alright. If we find out you're lying and sending us on a getaway holiday to Kiotari, we will kill you.'

'Yep, I know, I wasn't doubting that.'

'Good, I'm glad we have an understanding. I won't be a moment.' Julien was about to turn around, but Eden asked,

'Can I ask you a question?'

'What is it? Do you want to lose another finger?' He joked.

'Ugh, no. What was the whole reason of taking me? I know you said I'm going to be an advantage, but surely you're giving us the upper hand, right?'

'Well, I did it to disorientate them, especially the guy, what's his name?'

'What...Sam?'

'Yeah, him. He reacted as if you had been sliced open, but you had just a scratch, can you not tell?'

'Tell what?'

'He's in love with you. No man acts like that towards a woman he doesn't care about. So taking you means I'm taking away his life support. Sounds drastic I know, but when he's on the verge of tears and unable to think because of your absence, I think in the end, we have the upper hand.' He grinned.

'Smart, very smart.' She muttered sarcastically, trying her best to act as if it didn't phase her. But his words were stuck in his head. He's in love with me? How can you know that with such certainty after one interaction?

'Oh, I almost forgot.' He went up to her and untied her necklace, taking it into his hands. 'I suppose you won't need this now, will you?'

'Ugh, just take it, stop trying to piss me off.' Eden rolled her eyes at his attempt to annoy her. Annoyingly, it was working though. With all the memories attached to just one necklace, she was sad that it was going to end up in the hands of a no good killer.

'Wow, look at it. I can't imagine what this is worth.' He smirked, digging the necklace into his back pocket. 'Anyway, keep an eye on the girl for me.' He left the room, leaving Eden in the company of the other two men. The one beside Vincent spoke,

'You're a tough woman, Eden. You took about 60 blows and didn't mutter a word. I'm not complimenting you but, I'm impressed.'

'I might've acted like it was nothing, but it hurts like a bitch. You broke my-' She pulled her jaw back into place just by moving it, causing it to click loudly. 'Agh! You broke my jaw.' She glared back at them before eyeing her broken shoulder, 'Can you just untie me for a second? I won't run off, I'm not stupid for God's sake. I just want to click my shoulder back into place. Am I allowed to do that?' The two men looked at each other.

'I suppose so, not like you'll make it out anyway with what shape you're in.' He used his knife to untie her wrists from the arms of the chair. As he took the rope away, she moved her hands around, feeling a sense of relief that she could move at least some part of her body. She then reached for her shoulder, clicking it into place as she shouted in pain.

'Jesus Christ! Okay, thank you. See, I wasn't going to run off, I'm pretty much outnumbered anyway.'

'Hm, okay. Since you'll be with us for a while, I suppose we should get to know each other. I'm Gaston, a treasure hunter like yourself.'

'Cool.' She said with no interest. 'I don't think I need to tell you my name.'

'Yes, you're right. Y'know Eden? You look like the type of person that could join us. We could make you very rich, we've found a lot of valuables that I'm sure you'll be interested in. And plus, we need a feminine touch.'

'Right, like you'll be needing that.' She joked.

'Shut up you bitch, I'm serious, this is a very good deal. If you join us, we have everything you could dream of. We're finding treasure almost every two months, think about it.'

'Look Gaston,' She shone him a fake smile. 'If this is the friendly introduction I get to joining your group, there's no way I'm joining you. I'm only helping you idiots because my life depends on it. You didn't give me much of a choice.'

'Feisty one, isn't she?' He turned to Vincent, who had just about cracked the first smile in history. 'Fine, suit yourself, but you're just as a bad as us, you know that right?'

'I didn't steal a heirloom from a hardworking family, and I most certainly didn't kill an innocent woman working at Versailles Museum. I kill in self defense, you kill in cold blood, think about that.'

'What a hero.' He mocked her sarcastically, turning his head as Julien came back. 'Nice to see you back, Julien. Eden's been chewing my ear off about the importance of morality.' He mocked her.

'How joyful. Well she's coming with us, the planes ready. Get her up and cuff her.' The two went on either side, cutting her other tie and bringing her up from the chair. She felt slightly dizzy as she arose, and the first couple of steps were full of aches and pains. She winced as she got walked to the door, and eventually she left the room.

Chapter Text

Sam and Sully stayed overnight at Jennifer's house to catch some sleep before their flight. She was sad to see them go, missing Sully particularly, but she knew it was best for them to leave. They set off at around six in the morning to prepare the plane for the long flight to Rhodes. As they were back in the morning sky, Sam was having doubts about their rescue mission. He had always been independent, not needing help in most situations, but in this scenario he feared the worst. He wanted all the help he could get to find Eden, so he knew the first person to call.

'Shit, shit, shit, shit! Oh God, this isn't good. Sam, you need to get to her! Do you know where she is?' Chloe was panicking.

'No, that's the problem. She's either told them the truth and is leading them to Kiotari Beach or...she's dead. I'm worried, Chloe, I'm really worried. You know how much she cares about the treasure, what if she's gotten herself killed?'

'Yeah, I know...I'm scared too. She's one stubborn son of a bitch, I just hope she uses her head. But even if we do find her alive, I don't know what kind of state she's going to be in. I've been in situations like this before, it took me about 3 months to recover from all the injuries. But maybe she'll be okay, we just don't know. Are you flying now?'

'Yeah, we've been flying for around two hours.'

Chloe exhaled loudly, 'Okay, I'm still on holiday with Nadine but we're gonna cut the trip short, we'll meet you in Kiotari.'

'Really? Thank you, Chloe.'

'Don't mention it, I'll do anything to save her from those bastards. Okay, where do we meet?'

'Let's just meet by the beach.'

'Alright, bye Sam.'

'Bye.' He ended the call with a deep exhale. 'Hey Sully, how far are we now?'

'We're still a couple of hours behind, we'll get there soon.'

'Okay...'

After 5 long hours of traveling, Sully and Sam arrived in Rhodes at around 11AM, finding the nearest docks to Kiotari. The two hired another vehicle to get to the beach and ended up there at almost half eleven. When they secured the car, they parked on the side of the road and headed towards the beach. They knew that Chloe and Nadine were going to be late, so they had to hang tight. As they walked along the sandy path, it didn't take long for them to realise something was happening nearby. Men were talking, and romantic music was playing by speaker. Once they had found the beach, they saw rows upon rows of white painted deck chairs being placed along the sand, and a long carpet leading towards a wooden archway, decorated in bright exotic flowers and covered in sheer creme curtains that blew in the hot breeze. The workmen were working hard, setting up the scene of the wedding. Sam and Sully stood from afar, observing the event,

'Looks like there's gonna be a wedding, that'll slow them down.' Sully joked.

'Well, I wouldn't doubt that Julien and his men would crash it.'

'Hm, yeah I guess you're right. But Julien aside, this wedding reminds me of when Nate and Elena got married.'

'Oh yeah, I'm kinda sad that I missed it.'

'It isn't your fault, Sam. Sometimes life just gets in the way of things. Anyway, I kinda like the thought of being married on a beach.'

'You, Sully, like the thought of being married? Are you feeling alright?' He chuckled.

'Hey! Is it wrong for a man my age to want to settle down?'

'Ain't you a bit old to settle? Wait, it's Jennifer, isn't it? You guys only met yesterday and it's like you're already a married couple.'

'She's a lovely woman, Sam. Weirdly I feel like I've known her all my life. We had a good chat on the balcony while you guys were gone, I mean who knows, maybe in a couple of years I'll be married to her.'

'Is this Sully I'm speaking to right now?'

'Quit it Sam, I'm serious. I know it's been a day but I think I'm in love with the woman, Lord help me.'

'Well, maybe after this whole thing you guys can get to know each other better.' He laughed.

'Yeah, I quite like that idea.' While the two stood chatting, they took a couple of glances at the workers still at the scene, almost finished with their hard work. To pass time, the two decided to take a walk around, and after 30 minutes the venue was completely set up. People started to gather at the beach, mostly friends and family, conversing happily about what was to come. They were all dressed smartly in their attire, wearing expensive suits and different coloured dresses. They both took another walk around, and within every lap, more people started turning up. It got to a point that in their fifth lap, every guest of the wedding had arrived, talking and waiting for the bride and groom. Sam glanced at Sully's watch, gathering that the time was coming to about twelve. Once the clock hit exactly twelve o clock, a long white limousine pulled up on the side of the road, attracting attention from local residents. The groom got out first, dressed in a formal black suit and tie. He went to the other side of the car, opening the door for the bride. She held up her dress to get her footing, stepping out from the car and taking her soon to be husband's hand. Just within a small glimpse of her, you could tell she looked incredibly rich. She was styled in a vintage white silk gown sown with floral patterns, and the skirt of her dress was ruffled from below, creating waves of fabric that made her appear like a white rose. Her hair was tightly curled, and a white lily was clipped to the back of her head, piecing together two small plaits. Sam and Sully stood at the scene watching the couple walk down to the beach, greeting their family and friends who had been waiting for the wedding to start.

'Wow, that wedding must have cost a fortune.' Sully said aloud.

'Yeah, I can imagine.' He said without much thought, his eyes trailing the bride of the wedding. For some reason, almost everything seemed to remind him of his partner. He couldn't help but think about her. He saw himself out on the beach, getting married to the woman he's been in love with for years, repeating his vows and finally kissing her. But that was far from reality. She could've been anywhere, either dead or barely alive. The temporary happiness soon slipped into sadness, letting out an exhausted sigh. The two watched the ceremony as friends and family sat down, smiling in anticipation to the bride and grown saying their vows. Sam found it hard to watch at times, so he had to turn away.

'Sully, can we leave?' He said in discomfort.

Sully checked his watch, 'Chloe and Nadine should be here soon, we should wait.'

'Ah yeah, I forgot.' As time passed by, the two spotted Chloe and Nadine walking towards the beach. They too were surprised to see something was going on, as they flashed each other a confused look. With a few more steps, they found Sam and Sully on the path, quickening their walk to get to them.

'Hey.' Chloe greeted, hugging the two of them. 'I'm glad to see you guys. Suppose you haven't found Eden yet...'

'No, we still don't know where she is.' Sully said.

'Well we need to find her, we can't keep her in the hands of those men. They're more than just thieves, they're trained killers with armed soldiers at their sides.' Nadine warned.

'That's why I'm worried.' Sam said.

'Look, we'll get her back. Eden is tough, she'll make it, but right now she's nowhere to be seen, all we can do is wait.'

'And it's not like we can steal the next egg from them either.' Chloe pointed over to the wedding.

'Yeah, I don't feel like crashing a wedding.'

'Neither do I, let's just stay on standby.' They all stood from afar, helplessly witnessing the wedding unfold. It had been almost 2 hours and it was still going on. Nadine was sent to investigate, and she came back to find out the wedding would end in 5 hours. So they waited, and waited, and waited, before the sun started to go down.

Eden was tied to the same chair, being held captive on Julien's plane. She still saw the same irritating faces that called out rude remarks to her as they passed, but she was now traveling to the place that would lead them to the third egg. Soldiers were either stood up or sat down, eating or arming up. A lot of chatter came from the far end of the room. Laughter, raised voices and a lot of noise. It was mainly Julien conversing with his group. After some time, he noticed Eden in the distance,

'So Eden, what was your life like back home in Ireland?' Her face scrunched up in annoyance.

'You cut off my fingers, took out one of my teeth, broke my bones and now you want to get to know me?'

'Well if you don't mind, you would have been fine if you just told us straight away, you made it far more difficult than it needed to be.'

'Yeah, whatever.'

'You still haven't answered my question.' She exhaled loudly in annoyance.

'Yeah, it was fine. Normal.' She said nonchalantly.

'Hm, right. What age were you when you started having a fascination for treasure?'

'Young.'

'No, you didn't answer my question, what age?'

'Five.'

'Wow, how fascinating. Have you had any boyfriends?' He grinned among his men.

'Shut up.'

'You're missing something.'

'For God's sake, do I have to answer every goddamn question you ask?'

'I thought you'd appreciate it, it's my way of saying sorry for troubling you.'

'Right, what a great apology.'

'So Eden, how many boyfriends have you had?'

'Does it really matter-' The loud sound of propellers cut through the air around them, becoming increasingly unbearable to listen to. Julien ran to a window and looked out, spotting at least six helicopters and fighter planes in the sky. Men were at the ready with machine guns and RPG's, and Julien made his men aware.

'Shit, it's that damn military group, we must've attracted unwanted attention. Open the door!' Multiple soldiers rushed to the door, pushing it open and running through the cargo area. Military vehicles and cargo shipments now became cover, as soldiers were using it to their advantage to shield themselves from the rapid firing of machine guns. The other treasure hunters joined them in the fight, shooting and taking cover. The plane turned suddenly, leaving Eden to fall on her side as she was tied to the chair. She landed on her bad shoulder, causing her to wince in pain. Julien had joined the other members to fight, which meant she was all alone in the room, watching the soldiers fight determinedly in the distance, witnessing some get caught. The plane turned again, making Eden fall on her other side. Because of the chair hitting the wall of the plane, the square interior curved into a sharp object, making it possible for her to untie herself. She frantically moved her head, glaring at the direction of the metal plate before shuffling herself and beginning to cut herself loose. She moved her arms from left to right, creating a motion that sawed through the rope until it completely untied her wrists. To untie herself once more, she shifted herself around so her feet faced the sharp object, putting pressure against the plating before the rope snapped apart. Before she could get up, she tumbled onto the floor from the planes unsteadiness. Her eyes shot towards one of the propellers bursting into flames.

'Shit!' She exclaimed, hurrying towards the seats of the plane and retrieving a parachute. She put her arms through the slots, fitting it onto her back whilst she was turned away. What she didn't notice was Julien creeping up behind her, seeing that she had untied herself.

'Just when I thought I could trust you.' Eden quickly turned around at the flash of his fist, catching it in the air before it hit her in the face. She then threw his arm away, greeting him with a solid punch to the face and a swift elbow to the chest. As he held onto his face, she ran towards him and grabbed his body, drop kicking him in the head and throwing him against the collapsing walls of the plane. He slowly got up as Eden was going to punch him, headbutting her and punching her in the face. From the hundred or so punches she had to endure the night before, the one he gave her struck her cheekbone. Eden grunted in pain, holding onto her face as he hit her again, and again. Whilst she almost lost her balance, the plane titled downwards, losing herself in the air and towards the open door. But as she flew across the room, she grabbed a hold of the corner of the archway, holding herself by a thread. She looked back at the soldiers at the ledge, who were focused on shooting the enemy. The plane's engine was cutting out, becoming harder for it to remain straight. Every soldier held tightly to whatever was around them. Some couldn't hold on for long and ended up flying out of the plane. Most of the treasure hunters were gone, since they had abandoned the plane before Julien did. But Julien wasn't finished. He was holding onto the wall around him, staring at her with menacing eyes before intentionally losing his grasp, trying to get as close to Eden as possible. He found the opposite side of the archway, grabbing her by the shoulder and refusing to let go. She struggled in his grasp until she came up with a solid escape. She sunk her teeth into his hand, making him cry out in pain as his hand poured with blood. Once he was distracted by the burning pain of his hand, she let go of the archway.

'See ya later, Julien!' She taunted him with a wave goodbye, allowing herself to fly out of the plane and into the clouds. Her body laid flat against the air whilst her eyes scanned around in panic. Eden never found herself jumping out of a plane before.

'Oh God, okay!' Her eyes discovered the Island of Rhodes in the distance. 'Thank God! Okay, I've just gotta-' Eden felt the weight of a body dragging her down through the air. Julien was clinging onto her, trying to finish what he started. She dodged the punch he threw at her, attempting to remove herself off of him, but he wasn't letting go. She pulled the string of her parachute, making it fly up into the air and hitting Julien on impact. Just before she thought she had lost him, he quickly grabbed a hold of her leg from the fall, pulling her downwards and towards a beach of the Island.

'Get! Off!' Eden wriggled her legs aggressively in attempts to fling him off, however it was already too late. They both crashed into the sand bed, leaving a mark of where their bodies had landed. The parachute was tangled on the floor, and although Julien's grasp of her was lost, he was still there. Eden pulled herself up slowly, her body aching worse than it had yesterday. Once she got up, she turned around, seeing him up on his feet. He held a walkie talkie to his mouth, as it screeched.

'Boss, we've landed at Apolakkia, over.'

'Good, I'm at the beach with the girl, we'll meet you there, over.' He clipped the walkie talkie onto his back pocket, approaching Eden. The sound of heavy footsteps hitting the sand bed awoke her senses, realising he was still there.

'Oh for Gods sake, go away! Please!'

'No, I'm afraid I can't.' He revealed his secret revolver, aiming it at her. 'Take us to the treasure.'

Chapter Text

The bright afternoon transitioned to shades of yellow and blue, while clouds of pink and muted purple scattered across the setting sky. Within that time, the group had been patiently waiting for the wedding to end. The 80s playlist that blasted by speaker still hadn't finished, and guests were still on their feet either dancing, laughing or talking. It was needless to say that the majority of the guests were intoxicated. All of them were watching from the sidelines, sitting out on the decking of a cafe. From above they watched the party, physically and mentally exhausted from the hours of waiting,

'God, this weddings been going on for ages, I feel like I'm slowly losing my mind.' Chloe commented, stopping her head from sinking to the table.

'I know right, how many song's have they played? Twenty? It's been a full track-list and there ain't any sign of them calming down.' Nadine replied after, matching her exhausted tone. Chloe directed her eyes to Sam, who's face was becoming worryingly pale. Her voice grew with concern,

'Sam, are you alright? You look awful.'

'Um, yeah...I'm fine, don't worry about me.' He was anything but fine. Every racing thought that entered his mind consisted of his partner, and within every one it took him further towards the edge. Despite the sweltering heat, he found his body experiencing chills from the anxiety, and his heart continued to race uncontrollably inside him. He was dizzy, panicking, and imagining every possible outcome that could unfold in the next few hours. Chloe immediately saw through his lying, placing a warm hand on top of his to console him,

'It's okay not to be alright, Sam. This is your partner. She's worked with you for years, decades even, and you've grown a bond together,' She gave him a meaningful glance, indicating something only the two of them know. 'Of course you're not going to be okay. She's the closest person in your life besides Nate.'

Sam took a prolonged and tired exhale, his voice quieter, 'I know, I know, I'm just scared, I'm really scared.'

'We're all scared, Sam, you're not the only one. I'm starting to feel nervous just by the thought of her.' Sully said.

'And me, the fact it's been so long and we haven't seen her, I'm starting to not feel so good myself.' Nadine confessed. The sound of cheering voices caught their attention from the beach. It just about looked as if the wedding was coming to an end. Unfortunately, it appeared that the last moments of the wedding would be ruined entirely. Around six vehicles pulled up on the hill, two black large cars and four military vehicles. Soldiers started to come out, armed with machine guns and other weaponry. The doors of the black cars began to open, before Julien revealed himself alongside a woman, cuffed and blinded by a bag. Sam immediately noticed her walking with the men.

'Guys, look! That has to be Eden.'

'Oh shit, you're right. Poor girl, come on we need to move.' Chloe ordered.

Julien forced her forward as she walked down the hill to the beach, until the soldiers and treasure hunters saw the event that was happening below. The soldiers stormed the area, running down and aiming their guns at the bride, groom and the guests of the wedding. Children cried and people screamed, as everyone ran up the hill to their cars. Once everyone had scattered, the treasure hunters started to dig the ground, searching for the egg. But Sam and everyone had already made a run to the scene with their guns at the ready.

'Hey you bastards!' Nadine shouted, instantly shooting one of the soldiers. They realised their presence and began shooting, as the group took cover behind parked cars. Nadine and Chloe started to pick them off one by one, shooting at every soldier their eyes saw. They started to drop like flies, and the more they lost, the more they became weaker. Although the group were severely outnumbered, the skill they possessed was enough to overthrow them. The treasure hunters carried on digging and the soldiers carried on shooting, blocking the treasure hunters from getting shot. A voice called out,

'We found it!' The group started to move forward at the sound of their discovery, taking cover behind the chairs and firing at the soldiers. Vincent protected the egg and raced up the hill to the cars. The rest of them soon followed as well as Julien, who was pulling Eden by the arm getting her to the car. He quickly opened the boot and threw her inside, but the group soon caught up with them, spraying bullets in his direction. Julien quickly dodged their oncoming fire and fled to the car, while the thieves and soldiers drove off the hill onto the road.

'Shit, get to the Jeep!' Sully shouted, causing them to run up the hill to their vehicle. They all hopped in as Chloe took the reigns, swiftly moving onto the road to catch up with them. She picked up her speed until they were near one of the treasure hunters vehicles. They began shooting at its exterior, however military vehicles were all around them, taking every chance they had to take them down. Nadine and Sam fired away at one of the cars, causing it to explode and stop in their tracks. After stopping a couple more vehicles, the military started to not become a threat. They were more worried about Eden.

'Where's Eden?' Sam questioned with worry.

'She has to be in one of these cars, we should shoot the back of them, see if there's any movements.' Nadine advised.

'Alright.' Sam fired his gun at the back screen of the black car. The windscreen glass collapsed to the floor, and they could now roughly see the inside of the boot. For a few moments, nothing seemed to appear in their sight, but then a figure poked their head out the car, shaking their head to get rid of the bag disrupting their sight. As the bag flew across the air, Eden revealed herself, battered and bruised from all the injuries she endured. Sam called,

'Eden! Oh my God, what the hell happened to you? Are you okay?' He called out, frightened by her physical state.

'I'm fine, just shoot these damn cuffs off me!' She ordered, turning around and holding her arms out to them as far to them as possible. Nadine shot them off as she wriggled her wrists out, flinging the cuffs off of her.

'Okay, much better.' She sighed in relief.

'Eden, we're gonna catch up to you. When we get close enough, jump to the car.'

'Sam, I can't, I need to get the egg back.'

'No, please, just jump!'

'No! Just, no. Let me handle it. Sully, throw me a gun will ya?'

'Coming right up.' Sully found a pistol in the back, taking it in his grasp and throwing it to her. She caught his throw, keeping the gun in her belt.

'Alright, I won't be long, okay! Just watch my back!' Running after the egg in her condition would have been a death wish, but not for Eden. Despite every awful injury that affected her physical ability to fight, and the aches and pains that disrupted every movement of her body, the one thing that was giving her strength was her determination. She wanted the egg within every fiber of her being, and she was going to get it in whatever state she was in, even if she was close to death. So she did just that. Eden climbed out of the boot and slowly shuffled herself around the black vehicle. She punched a solid hole through the window, catching two treasure hunters who were sitting in the back seat off guard. She grabbed the one closest to her by the throat and lunged him out of the vehicle, whilst greeting the other with a gunshot to the face. She moved over to the drivers door, shooting the window and continuing her fire at two soldiers. She gave them a swift death, killing both the passenger and the driver. Now, she needed to drive. She dug her hand through the window, opening the car door from the inside and throwing the driver from his seat. She jumped in and took his place, fueled with burning desire to get the egg. She put her foot down, speeding across to the next car. Once she was close enough, she shot the front screen, using her body to crash through and jump to the next vehicle. She repeated the same cycle, shooting the other treasure hunters from the backseat and moving herself forward to the drivers position, but more military vehicles showed up.

'Ah, shit. Guys! Cover me!' She caught their attention, as all of them immediately got to work, defending Eden from the oncoming fire. When she saw they were making progress, she broke the front window, surprising Vincent and Julien who were guarding the egg from inside the car. Julien quickly shielded it, taking it into his arms and fleeing the car. When he saw her climbing the top of the vehicle, he joined her instantly, finding her on the roof. Eden spotted the egg in his grasp and launched herself at him, attempting to smack him in the face with her fist. He dodged her attack and punched her with his remaining hand, as the other guarding the egg. She took the hit but refused to back down, as she whacked him around the face, causing him to drop the egg. The egg dropped onto the roof and slowly started to roll. The two had the same thought in mind, but Julien was the fastest, grabbing onto the egg before it could roll any further. As he crouched to get it, Eden tried to kick his back, but he soon turned to face her, grabbing her leg and throwing her to the floor. She fell against the roof, creating a large dent where she had fallen. Julien attempted to stomp her as she laid there, but she rolled away quickly. The second time he did it, she grabbed his leg, twisting it and making him to fall to his knees. The egg dropped once more and Eden ran to it, catching it before it could fall to the road. She would have been fine if she wasn't hanging off the roof with it in her hands. Julien slowly got up and saw her hanging by a thread, grinning widely and walking slowly towards her. He dragged her back to the roof by her legs, and Eden defensively tried to fight herself off of him. But overtime, she knew she was at a disadvantage. She was covering the egg with her body and shielding it from Julien, and at first it wasn't a bad strategy, until she realised her tactic wasn't working. Meanwhile, Sam, Nadine and Sully were fighting off the military vehicles that appeared whilst she was fighting. Sam couldn't concentrate on his shooting. All he could see from the corner of his eye was Eden struggling in Julien's grasp. Although Nadine was doing a good job at keeping the soldiers from edging closer, Sam warned the others.

'Guys, Eden needs help. We need to get over there!' Eden was beginning to struggle. She had managed to endure the pain of every punch she delivered, every dodge she made, but she had eventually pushed herself to the limit. She had already gotten herself into a lengthy and intense battle with Julien, and it was hard enough to fight him when every limb in her body ached tremendously from the hour of torture. Despite all her hard efforts to remain strong, Eden finally knew she couldn't go on any longer. She held onto the egg tightly as she took every kick, every punch, every shove, however her grasp was loosening within every sharp pain. Her physical strength was on a decline. She kept holding on, but her body gave in, leaving her to drop the egg. Eden laid flat against the roof of the car. Julien rolled her over, taking the egg from her and bringing it into his arms.

'I knew you were weak, Eden. Finally for once in your life, you have done the right thing.' He grinned, quickly throwing the egg into the car and finding himself in the front seat. Vincent drove rapidly on the road, causing Eden to glide to the edge of the car. Chloe quickly saw her hanging for dear life.

'Eden hold on, we're coming to get you!' Chloe drove closer to the black car, driving at a speedier pace to keep alongside her. Eden looked at the Jeep that was racing beside the car, widening her eyes.

'Eden, you're gonna have to jump. Do you think you can do that?'

'I-I think so...' She said weakly. Her eyes focused on the Jeep, bracing herself before she just about jumped to the vehicle. She caught Nadine's hand, pulling her up quickly. She did most of the weight lifting, since Eden could barely use her muscles. Her eyes began to close, and Nadine instantly noticed her critical condition,

'Jesus Christ, Eden, you look horrible! Hey, hey! Stay with us, alright, hang on!' Chloe took a quick look behind her, until she too began to panic.

'Oh my God! Is she okay? No, no, no this is bad, this is really bad.' Sam could barely see her from where he was sitting, but he could tell just from the atmosphere that it wasn't good.

'Is she responding?' Sam questioned anxiously. Nadine tried to shake her, but she wasn't waking up.

'Eden, come on, come on, wake up. Shit! Let me check her pulse.' Nadine put her hand against her chest, but thankfully her heart was beating, just at a slower pace.

'Thank God! She's alive, I think she's just unconscious. Still though, whatever they did to her must have affected her badly.'

'Should we take her to a hospital?' Sam said without thought.

'And try to explain what happened? I don't think that's the best idea.'

'Wait, I think I know someone who can help us, let's get to the plane, I'll explain there.' Sully said.

'Alright, let's get to the plane.'

Chapter Text

Polignano a Mare, 3 hours later...

'I didn't think after 10 years I'd be putting my nursing skills to use, but here we are. Poor girl, I was afraid this would happen.' Sully discovered through a conversation with Jennifer that she was a retired nurse. After learning this information, he found it was the only suitable place to take Eden. Throughout the plane journey, she lied on a hammock, still passed out, pale and critically injured. When they landed 3 hours later, Chloe and Nadine volunteered to carry her into the house and put her to rest in the spare bedroom. As much as Sam wanted to help, everyone knew that he was too out of it to do so. Jennifer got to work immediately and examined Eden's body. She found almost all of her body was covered in bruises and badly cut. She discovered new places the treasure hunters tortured her, like the tooth that was pulled out by Julien, and the very obvious sighting of her two missing fingers. That was the most shocking part. When Jennifer was finished disinfecting her wounds, everyone except Sam came to visit and see what the verdict was. She tugged at the duvet, ensuring she was comfortable whilst she slept off the days of physical fatigue. Once she tucked her in, she turned around to Sully and the girls.

'Is she gonna be okay?' Chloe asked in worry.

'At the moment, it's hard to tell. She's alive, but barely. She's going to need a lot of rest and a lot of medical attention. I don't know how long it's gonna take for her to move again, but it won't be now that's for sure. It's a miracle she's still alive.'

'You're telling me.' Sully responded. Chloe approached the bed, her eyes darting from one injury to the next. She frowned, exhaling sadly,

'Oh Eden...What did they do to you?'

'Um, that reminds me. I discovered a couple of things whilst checking over her. She's lost a tooth, looks like it's been forced out.'

'Sick bastards...' Sully muttered, shaking his head in annoyance.

'Unfortunately, that isn't the worst part. She lost two of her fingers, they were cut off.'

'What?' Chloe exclaimed. 'No, no they haven't.' She lowered the duvet and took a light grasp onto her left arm, immediately finding her hand with the amputated fingers. Chloe dropped her arm in disbelief, staring profusely at the injury in fear. 'No...no way. Guys, they cut off her fingers!' Sully and Nadine joined her around the bed, unable to take their eyes off the two stubs on her hands.

'God...' Sully spoke. 

'I knew we were playing a game with the wrong people. I suppose we should be happy it wasn't her hand, her arm even.' Nadine sighed, 'Poor girl.' With a shaky hand, Chloe reached for Eden's, lightly wrapping her hand around her cold palm. She closed her eyes in distraught, then turned back towards Nadine and Sully,

'We should've been here.'

'We couldn't have known.' Nadine replied.

'I know, but- We could've done something.'

'Yeah, we could've...Well let's make sure not to make the same mistake.' Chloe nodded slightly, now facing Eden.

'Whoever these men are, or whatever's left of them, we need to make sure they don't hurt her again.' Sully stated.

'I agree, but what's going on with the treasure? Will Eden want to continue after everything that's happened?' Nadine questioned.

'Pfft, this is nothing for her. She'll heal her wounds and continue on as if nothing happened.' Chloe joked.

'I hate that you're right. Once she remembers they've stolen the egg, there's no doubt that she'll be running after it.'

'What about Sam, how does he feel about everything?' Chloe mentioned.

'He's having a couple of doubts, I think. He didn't seem the greatest when she got taken, it's really taken a toll on him. I think he feels even worse after seeing her, especially in her condition.' Sully explained.

'I wondered why he wasn't here, is he doing alright?' Chloe asked in concern.

'I don't know, I haven't asked him. Last time I spoke to him it sounded as if he didn't want to see her. His face looked as pale as a ghost when you and Nadine brought her inside.'

'Maybe we should check on him, see if he's alright. We'd best leave Eden alone anyway, let her get some rest before she wakes up.' Chloe suggested.

'Yeah, good idea.' Nadine agreed with a small nod. Everyone exited the spare room as Jennifer followed behind, walking out of the corridor to the kitchen. Sam was leaning against the wall near the entrance hallway of the house, tapping his foot anxiously with nervous eyes that glared down to the wooden floor. Chloe made herself closer and eventually he looked up, exposing his very pale face and fearful eyes.

'Hey, God you look terrible.' Chloe stated.

'Do I?' He asked, attempting to pull the corners of his mouth into a convincing smile.

'Yeah...I just thought I'd let you know, Jennifer's looked over her. She's in pretty bad shape, but she's alive. She just needs a lot of rest and some medical attention.'

'Ah, right...' His voice didn't sound reassured in the slightest. Chloe lowered her eyes to his trembling hands, sending her into more worry.

'Sam, you're shaking! Come over here.' Chloe guided him away from the three who were in the kitchen, leading him over to the corridor where they could talk privately.

'Breathe, alright? Breathe.' Chloe took him through a brief breathing exercise, letting him slow down his breathing.

'There. Are you feeling alright, Sam? You've been a nervous wreck ever since she got taken, whats on your mind?'

'I'm worried, Chloe. I've never seen her in this bad of a way before, it's terrifying.'

'I know, I know, I can imagine. It's hard seeing someone you love have to endure this much pain. If you're not ready to see her then don't, just wait until she wakes up. But I think she'd appreciate it if you went to see her, even just for a couple of minutes. Do you think you'll be able to do that?'

'Yeah, I guess I can.'

'That's it. She'll be okay, Sam, I promise you.' She gave his shoulder a firm pat, giving an assured look before walking off to the kitchen. Sam was alone in the corridor, now facing the door of the spare room. He braced himself with a deep breath and entered the room, finding her tucked underneath the bed, eyes shut and breathing quietly. He traveled across the room and brought himself a chair, propping it next to her bed and sitting down next to her. Eden was filling the silence with slow drawn out breaths that momentarily frightened him. When the room would fall quiet, he stared at her in anticipation waiting for her to take the next breath. Then she'd breathe again, and he'd tell himself that his moment of panic was just overthinking. While his eyes were on her, he analysed the injuries on her face and neck. There was discoloration on the side of her forehead, and this theme seemed to continue across her face. A big dark bruise stood out on her cheekbone, and her left eye was black and swollen. He felt the hairs on his skin shoot up at the painful sight of her injuries, filling his throat with an unbearable nausea. For some reason, it angered him that she chose to give herself in. The French men may have erased every step of progress they made, and maybe he too would have brought himself in given the circumstance. However now, he saw things very differently. Eden was just like him, someone who had an undying passion for treasure and lost history. When the fire of determination burns, it's pretty much impossible for it to be put out, and Sam knew this feeling better than anyone. He himself did a lot of stupid things for treasure, almost getting himself killed just so he could find it, so he understood Eden's passion for it. But now after all of their years together, he finally seemed to grasp the danger of it all. The risks, the physical effects, the chance of death, that every negative possibility weighs over the positive. When he saw the dangerous aftermath affect someone with the same drive, same passion and most importantly someone he cared about, he believed that treasure had no significance to him anymore, not when it almost costed the life of his true love. His eyes darted around the room, spotting the drawn curtains, the table in the distance, the bookshelf, and the rug they moved hours ago. After staring at the rug among his thoughts, he took his gaze back to Eden, getting quite used to looking at her sleeping expression. Suddenly, her eyes gradually opened, and was greeted by the sight of Sam glaring at her. She became startled, jumping out of her own skin,

'Jesus Christ! You scared me.' She exhaled an anxious breath, slowly smiling.

'Ha, see, it ain't nice waking up to someone staring at you.'

'Yeah, I guess we're both even now. Um, where am I? Something about this place feels familiar...'

'You're in the spare room of Jennifer's place, y'know the room we searched?'

'Oh, that's it, that makes sense.' Eden tried to move, but she was met with a short burst of pain. 'Agh!'

'Hey, hey, try not to move. I think you exhausted yourself from all that fighting.' Eden slowly recalled what happened before she passed out.

'Oh shit, the egg! Did you get it?' She asked with panic.

'I'm afraid we didn't. I'm sorry, Eden.'

'Goddamn it! Why did you let them get away? We could have found it.'

'There was nothing we could do.'

'Surely there was something-' She tried to move again. 'Ow, ow, ow.'

'Eden, please...just try and rest.' He gently guided her back into the bed. She exhaled.

'I wish I could do something, I feel useless, I can barely move without feeling like I'm dying.'

'You're not useless, you're just resting.'

'Still feels like being useless to me. Sam, we have to get it back.'

'Look, stop thinking about the egg. It's gone, we can't do much about it.'

Eden grumbled unhappily, annoyed by the physical restrictions of her recovering body. Before she could sulk for much more, she came up with a bright idea,

'Wait...Could you get the book I put in your bag? I never had the chance to look at it.'

'Sure, but next time tell me when you're going to sneak something into my bag, I thought I was carrying a ton of bricks.' He joked. Sam got up from the chair and left the room, coming back to her with the book and sitting back down.

'Hand it over will you?'

'Hm, I don't know if that's a good idea.' His eyebrows furrowed.

'Hey, just let me-' She reached her hand out underneath the covers, regretting it instantly. 'Agh!'

'Eden! What did I say about moving?' He said with worry, however still delivering the sentence lightly with composure.

'Ugh...I know...Just let me know if you find anything interesting...' She sighed. Sam opened the book and began reading, going through entry to entry.

'Eden, this is Elodie's journal. This has entries going back to when she was a teenager.' His eyes followed the words on the pages, lost in the stories Elodie had written. A smile covered his face as he went from entry to entry, reading the transition from childhood to adulthood.

'Apparently Elodie was brought up in nobility. She worked in a hair salon among other women, she seemed very popular. Isn't really anything to do with the treasure, though.'

'Keep reading, I'm sure you'll find something.' She leaned her head slightly forward, watching her partner read.

'Okay.' Sam resumed examining Elodie's journal, now finding entries of when she was with the Duke. Almost every entry started with something negative about him. His temper, his seriousness, his lack of interest in her hobbies, his obsession with her bearing children. It seemed that her journal was the only safe place she could vent about her feelings. However in one entry, everything changed.

'Y'know the painting we found underneath the museum, the one of a royal party? I think I've found an entry about her and Stephano's first introduction.' He confessed.

'Really? What does it say?' She asked excitedly.

'Well,' He cleared his throat, 'It says, I think I have had quite possibly the most thrilling night of my life. I was acquainted with an Italian gentleman at one of Louis' weekly parties. He was so endearing and so different from the other French royals and nobles. While every male guest dressed in silk suits and powdered wigs, he came in a cream shirt, trousers and necktie, choosing to show his long brown hair. I was ever so lucky to have found him in the ballroom. When my husband ran off, we conversed for a while in the gambling room talking about many topics like mysteries of history and lost treasure. However just as he was letting me know his whereabouts, Germain interrupted us. Although the possibility of getting caught still frightens me, when we settled in bed, I quietly left our suite to go to Stephano's room west wing of the palace. We shared stories about our ambitions of finding treasure, and I was fortunate enough to listen to his adventures. It's oh so fascinating, I haven't felt this excited in years. I'm still living off the thrill of last night, the comfort of being in his arms, the tenderness of his uh- kisses. Before it got too late, I hurried back to the suite and got back into bed with my husband. For the first time, I feel a glimmer of hope, that I don't have to lay beside a hard shell of a man, and be with someone who completes me. I'm still afraid, yes, but as I lie beside him, all my mind thinks about is the man of my dreams, the love of my life, Stephano.'

'Oh wow, what a beginning to love story.' Eden grinned.

'I know right? I think I found myself smiling at some parts. It's just nice to see after all of those years, she finally met someone just like her. I don't even know the woman, but I feel happy for her.'

'I didn't take you for a romantic, Sam.' She teased.

'Well, clearly you do not know me well enough.' He smiled smugly.

'Pfft, right. When in your life have you ever been romantic?' Eden asked, sure that he was playing with her.

'Hm, let me think. I went stargazing with Crystal once. Found a place outside the city, on this tall grassy area looking out at all the skyscrapers. I laid out a blanket and a couple of lanterns and we just laid beside each other and...looked at the stars.'

'I'm assuming this was when you two were on good terms?' She joked.

'Yeah, obviously.'

'Well, that sounds nice. I like the sound of stargazing. I never really got the chance to do anything romantic. I've had boyfriends, but they weren't exactly the best.' She paused for a moment in thought, 'Do you remember when we first met each other in the storage room? Did you ever wonder why I was crying?'

'I did, I just never really had the opportunity to ask. Why?'

'Well, I was crying because I got cheated on. I was dating this bartender on the ship for around eight months. Mike was his name, I was stupidly in love with the guy. But anyway, one night I was passing the cabin corridor getting ready for bed, and I heard these weird noises coming from one of the doors. When I got closer I realised it was his room, so I stormed in and found him in the middle of getting down with one of my coworkers. She was my friend as well. Jesus, I can still remember it so vividly. He was like Eden, it's not what it looks like, well from the sounds I was hearing in the corridor and the sight of them both butt naked on each other, I think it was definitely what it looked like. And the girl, Taylor, she was barely covering herself with the duvet, spewing all sorts of nonsense saying I'm so sorry, please forgive me, I didn't know you two were together. Didn't know? God I swear I saw red that night. I could barely sleep from the noise they were making, I had to practically bury myself under my pillows just to block out the noise. But the next day I think the situation started to get to me, I couldn't serve any of the guests without being reminded of what happened. I was sent to pick up some wine for the guests of the top deck, and when I went into the bar room I saw the two of them talking. The goddamn prick had the nerve to say he never loved me. He said he only dated me so that he could get close with her. I just forgot about the wine and ran off. I had to hide my face cos I pretty much burst into tears when I left the room. So...if you were wondering why I was crying so much, then there's your answer.'

'Oh Eden, I'm so sorry.' He sympathised, following up with an annoyed exhale, 'What an asshole, I swear if I saw him on that ship I would've-'

'Hey, hey, it's fine, I'm over it now, it's been forever since it happened.'

'Still, it was a shit thing to do. You deserved someone better, not that idiot.'

'I'm glad you know my worth.' She let out a small laugh.

'Well I do. You're worth a lot more than any of those assholes.'

'Hm, well I've had a lot of those. I tried going on a few dates when I was back home. The amount of men that told me I was overbearing or a lot to handle, it was like hearing a broken record.'

'Well, there's nothing wrong with being too much to handle.' Eden's eyes tore through his confidence, 'Not that I'm talking about you or anything-'

'No, no, I get it. Definitely sounded like you were talking about me though.'

'So what if I was? You were just an example.'

'Wow, you really think I'm a lot to handle?' She pretended to take offence, 'In what way am I a lot to handle? Really, go on.'

'Uh- Well I mean, you're self assured, you know what you want in life, you don't take shit from anyone, and you're...y'know, conventionally attractive.'

'Conventionally attractive? You certainly know how to flatter a woman.' She joked with a giggle, becoming slightly flustered underneath the covers.

'Yeah...anyway, what I'm saying is, a lot of people don't know how to handle it.'

'And you're saying you'd be able to?' She smirked eagerly.

'Eh, more or less.' He returned a smirk back.

'Do you think you could handle me?' For some strange reason, Eden found herself in a flirtatious mood. She wouldn't have asked this question in a million years, but somehow she felt a gradual comfort in her feelings for Sam. It was a miracle that she was even entertaining this mans behaviour, let alone diving full force with a risky question that might have changed the course of their relationship. Maybe it was the near death experience that gave her enough clarity to just let go, and the realisation that continuing to hide her feelings could be more harm than good. Once this question left her mouth, Sam had to take a moment to compose himself. Hearing her ask something so bold caught him off guard. A wave of warmth traveled through his body, but he ensured the feeling wouldn't consume him. He answered,

'Oh, definitely, is that even a question? I mean it might be a little challenging, but it's nothing I can't handle.'

'Really?' She grinned.

'Oh absolutely.' The two gazed at each other, exchanging wide flirtatious grins that enticed the two more and more. Before they could stare at each other for much longer, a loud knock snapped them awake, taking their attention to the door. Sully stood outside,

'Oh, Eden, you're awake! God, I was scared you wouldn't wake up.'

'Don't worry, Sully. I'm still here.'

'I'm glad that you are, darlin. Jennifer's starting dinner, are you hungry?'

'More than you could imagine.'

'Well don't worry, she'll be ready in no time. Anyway um, I'll leave you both to it.'

'Okay, bye Sully.'

'Bye.' He slowly closed the door shut.

'I think I should go stretch my legs for a bit. I'll visit you after dinner.' He rose from his seat, walking to the door and staying there for a moment, looking at her from across the room, 'Bye, Eden.'

'Bye.' The two shared a long exchange of eye contact. Eden watched him open the door and take one last look at her before shutting the door closed.

Chapter Text

Eden was bed ridden for the next four weeks, slowly recovering from the days under Julien's captivity. Jennifer gave her medication for the pain, as well as daily checkups to see how she was getting on. By every week, she saw that the rest she was getting was helping her immensely, and overtime she began to look better too. The bruises she suffered on her face and body faded into shades of yellow, and her fractured bones were healing and becoming less painful. Despite this though, Jennifer was adamant on recommending her not to move to speed up the process. Jennifer fed her and helped her drink, but today her and Sully were out the house. Because of this, she left Sam to take on this role. Eden was sat up on her bed at around 6PM, waiting for Jennifer to come into the room to help with her dinner. When she thought she'd see her standing behind the door, she was surprised to see her partner taking her role, holding a bowl in his hand. Eden had always been independently driven, always choosing to do things by herself even if she needed help. And now in this treasure hunt, she had been doing even more things by herself. If she was doing the hunt with Chloe, she wouldn't be so stubborn with letting people help her. She was actually becoming more and more reliant on her partners throughout the years. But the problem in this case wasn't her independence, it was Sam. Cleaning her face, putting on her necklace, these were some of the situations that startled her at the time. When she was forced to recognise the feelings she buried beneath her, it scared her twice as much as it usually did, because now she knew she was in love with him. At the start she believed that love to be dangerous, possibly even more dangerous than the treasure hunt, that it was something that was ruining their partnership, the job, and a hell of a lot more. However being bed bound for almost a month allowed her to reflect on her inner feelings and the words of people around her. As she spent her days helplessly resting, Chloe's advice was becoming more and more believable, and the embarrassment and fear was fading away. She knew she could've died, and the thought of it was highlighting one question, would it really hurt to give it a try? Now that she had almost faced death, for the first time she felt a new desire, to let go. It might have not been the best time to confess her feelings whilst lying in bed, but she could at least let herself enjoy their conversations, in whatever direction they went. In the early stages of the treasure hunt, she would've rolled her eyes at one of Sam's suggestive remarks, however now it excited her, and she even felt dared to entertain it. He walked further into the room, facing her,

'Hey, sorry that Jennifer isn't here, she's gone out with Victor.'

'No worries, it's a nice surprise seeing you here.'

'Oh, is it? Good, I'm glad I didn't scare the life out of ya.'

'Don't worry, you've done that plenty of times already. I think I'm immune to it.'

'Immune to it.' He tutted playfully, 'Right, sit up, it's time for dinner.'

'And what's on tonight's menu, waiter?' She spoke humourously.

'Uhhh...' He looked down at the bowl, attempting to understand what was inside, 'Some sort of soup. Yeah, soup. Take a look.' Sam sat himself down next to her, leaning the soup near her so that she could inspect the bowl. The rich meaty aroma hit her nostrils, while her eyes looked over the green vegetables floating above the surface. The pleasant smell rose her eyebrows,

'Oh wow, this smells delicious.'

'Anyway, uh, I'm sure you know what happens now, right?'

'Yeah, I haven't forgotten.' She expressed with an unbothered attitude.

'So you're fine with it?' He questioned her, slightly confused by her openness.

'Of course I'm fine with it, someones gotta do it.' She smiled.

'Yeah...Are you feeling alright?' He asked, grinning.

'Yeah I'm great, why?'

'You're not usually this happy when people have to do things for you. What happened to the whole I can do it myself thing?'

'I don't know, I'm not that fussed about it. It would obviously be better if I could do it myself, but I can't, so y'know.'

'Ooookay, that went better than I was expecting. I thought I was gonna have to force feed you, trust me I was not looking forward to it.'

'Well don't worry, you won't have to. Now come on then.' She grinned.

'If you say so.' He grinned back, scooping up the broth and vegetables onto the spoon. He then let the spoon travel to her mouth as she opened wide, eating the spoonful. Her reaction to the taste was an immediate pleasantness, nodding her head with a good impression.

'It's delicious. God, Jennifer really knows how to cook.'

'Is it? Let me have a try.' He reached for the spoon, before Eden's voice made him freeze,

'Hey! That's my dinner you greedy bastard.' She laughed.

'Oh- Sorry.' He dropped the spoon back into the bowl, making a clanking noise as it hit the surface, 'Ah, what am I like?' He dunked the spoon into the soup, picking up some greens and small pieces of meats. He took the spoon to her mouth as she ate the soup. In every back and fourth manoeuvre, Eden let her eyes rest on his face as he fed her, beginning a long gaze into his eyes when he looked at her. The more she did it, the more she saw her partner's eyes flee from hers fearfully. What's up with him? She thought with a smile, even more tempted to look at him longer just to see what kind of state he'd end up in. When he looked up once more to Eden's piercing eyes staring down at him, he brought it up, his eyes flicking off of her instantly,

'What's with the uh-' He anxiously cleared his throat, 'The intense staring?'

'Oh? I didn't even realise I was doing it.' She grinned, knowing she was doing the opposite.

'Yeah right, you were practically demanding for a staring contest.'

'Was I?' She questioned again, grinning widely to his awkwardness.

'Yeah, so uh, could you stop it, please? You're making me nervous.' He confessed.

'Why would I be making you nervous? Wait-' She gasped in surprise, looking below to see her partners bulge poking from his trousers. She broke into laughter, 'Sam! Oh my God!' He looked down, going into panic,

'Oh no, oh no no no. Eden- Shit, I am so sorry, I am so so sorry.' He put her soup on the side and got up, covering his area in embarrassment, 'I need to go, like now.'

'Sam, Sam calm down, it's okay!' She attempted to minimize his embarrassment, but it wasn't working.

'No, no, you don't understand. Goddamn it.' His voice became shaky, exiting the room swiftly. Eden exhaled, shaking her head with a smile on her face. She may have not shown it, but her heart was racing. If anything, it confirmed that there was more to their friendship than she thought. She giggled to herself, hot in the face from the rush of emotions going through her. She managed to finish her dinner by herself, surprisingly finding herself capable of moving again. Sully and Jennifer came back a few minutes later, and Jennifer collected the empty bowl. Now that she knew she was better, the treasure became full centre in her mind, pushing aside the thoughts of her partner. Every night before bed, Sam offered to read an entry from Elodie's journal since he knew she was missing the thrill of the hunt. There was a certain entry that was sticking out to her, but she couldn't solidify the evidence due to her physical status. Because she was able to move, she brought herself out of bed for the first time, tip toeing to Elodie's journal and bringing it with her. When she sat on the edge of her bed, she brought the book into her lap and flicked through the pages, finding the specific entry that she was thinking about. She read the page over and over again, digesting every word and the potential of its meaning. With one last look over, she was certain she had found a clue. They may not have the egg, but she was confident of what she had discovered. Now she just needed someone to tell. The time was coming up to 10, so she patiently waited in her bed, putting the journal back in its designated place in case of any suspicion. When the clock hit 10PM, the door creaked open and Sam entered the room. He made himself scarce for a couple of hours due to the fear of seeing her again, but Eden was glad he didn't leave her hanging on her night of reading.

'Glad you didn't get cold feet.' Eden commented.

'Of course I didn't get cold feet. I know how much you want me to read, so I'm here.'

'Thank you. Oh, about that. Look, hear me out, I think I know where the next egg is.'

'You do? How? We don't have the egg do we? So how do you know? Wait, it's the journal ain't it?'

'Yeah. Trust me, I think I'm onto something. There's this one entry that's been sticking out to me. Could you get the journal for me?'

'Sure.' He got up from his chair, taking the book from the other bedside table and sitting back down with it in hand.

'What page is it? Do you remember?'

'Uh, Hallstatt, day one.' Sam flicked through the pages until he found the entry.

'Would you want me to read it again?' He suggested. Although she had read the page almost a thousand times, she knew it wouldn't hurt to hear it once more.

'Yes, that would be great.'

'Alright,' Sam began reading the entry, 'Me and Stephano have traveled to Hallstatt for our honeymoon. I was quite used to being surrounded by blue sea and bright sunshine, but now I am staying somewhere cold and cloudy. That's not to say it isn't a great spot, there are incredible landscapes and beautiful views, and I dare say I much prefer staying here. My darling has a way with words and has found us a place to stay, a stunning cabin that feels so homely, even more than our house in Italy. The cabin is in a neighborhood full of people, and the Austrians are ever so friendly, although I do have to exercise my German whilst conversing with them. It's only our first day, but I am ever so excited. I'm finally married to the man of my dreams, with the person I want to spend the rest of my life with. It feels so surreal, like I'm in a dream I cannot wake up from. I shall write more tomorrow morning.' He paused, 'So, what are you thinking?'

'Did you see anyone getting married on the beach while I was gone?'

'Uh, yeah, funnily enough I did. Why?'

'I think her and Stephano got married on Kiotari Beach. The egg was buried underneath the sand.'

'Meaning?'

'Meaning that was where Elodie stood when she was saying her vows. It was on the left of the archway. It makes sense, right?'

'Yeah, definitely. So you're saying that the next egg will be in Hallstatt?'

'Yeah, that's exactly what I was thinking.' Eden grinned. 'She's taking us to places of her life. Sailing at sea, being in the palace, being painted in the lost garden, getting married on the beach, and now on her honeymoon.'

'God, if you would've told me that this thing was just a walking down memory lane exhibition I wouldn't have been any wiser.' He laughed. 'This is different from any other treasure hunt, I can say that.'

'Yeah, it's way easier when we haven't got those bastards up our arses, but I suppose that can't be helped. I don't wanna know what Vincent and Julien are up to, I just hope they've hit a brick wall.'

Julien and Vincent are the last remaining treasure hunters of their group. Eden had fatally killed the rest of them, so they had no choice but to flee back home. It didn't stop them from giving up though, right now they were even more determined to find the treasure. Julien held the third egg in his hands, which was designed in silver and pearls. He opened the top and dug his hands in, retrieving a note from Elodie,

'You have found the third egg, duh duh duh duh duhhhhh, take the missing piece and put it together. Put what together?' He dug his hand in again, finding a small piece of a map that had been ripped apart. It barely gave them an answer. 'What the hell is this?' He exclaimed, showing it to Vincent.

'It's part of a map, looks like...Shit, I don't know, it's too small.'

'For Gods sake, I should've stolen all of their stuff whilst I was given the chance-'

'Hold on, stop complaining for a moment. It's Austria.'

'Austria? So the fourth egg will be there?'

'Yeah.'

'Alright then, why couldn't you just say that?' He lifted up to his feet with a spring in his step. 'Then we go to Austria.'

Chapter Text

One month later, 19:43PM

Eden was finally seeing a difference in her physical condition. The movement of her arms and legs were no longer restricted, and she was up on her feet after months of being bed bound. Now that she mostly recovered, she was more determined than ever to get to the treasure. Chloe and Nadine were relieved to see Eden's progress, but they still wanted to support her, so they chose to tag along to Austria. Whilst wheeling their suitcases to the docks, Chloe and Nadine walked up to her. Chloe got her attention,

'Eden, can we talk?' Chloe asked her with urgency, walking beside her as Sam was further in front with Sully.

'Sure, what's up?'

'Has Sam seen what's happened to your fingers?'

'No, I don't think so, why?

'Look, you're going to have to listen to me, you can't let him see it.' She urged.

'Why?' Eden replied, confusion tinging her voice.

'Because he'll freak out. He was a mess whilst you were gone, and now hes an even bigger mess now you’re back. Your injuries have healed, but your fingers haven't. If he sees what's happened to you I can't say what type of state he'll be in. He looked awful when we brought you back to Jennifer's.'

'I don't understand what you're saying, why do I have to hide them? We've been in situations much worse than this. Surely he'll be fine. Look, I can prove it to you right now.' Eden was convinced that Sam would be fine seeing her hand, but Chloe felt otherwise. Just as Eden was about to walk up to Sam, a swift hand grabbed her arm, forcing her back.

'Bad idea.' Chloe spoke harshly, disapproving her action, 'Just do yourself a favour and keep it hidden.'

'And what if I can't? What if he ends up seeing it?'

'Then we'll just have to handle him.'

'What do you mean, handle him?' She repeated Chloe's words, trying to grasp whatever sense she was trying to make.

'She means that there's a chance of him overreacting. Eden, put some faith in us alright? We're trying to do what's best for you.' Nadine advised.

'Alright...' She said with a huff, concluding their conversation. Eden didn't really know what to make of it. Hiding her hand felt like too much effort, but the more she was left to think by herself, she started to put faith in Chloe's advice. If Chloe was so adamant on hiding her hand, then maybe it was for the best. She hadn't seen Sam in her days of captivity, and come to think of it, his behavior had been unusual. The flirting, the necklace, the prolonged hug, and now his worrying. Something was definitely different. Eden tried to take her attention away from the matter and looked up at the clouds, appreciating the setting sky in its array of colours. Although the pinks and purples were pleasing to the eye, it took her attention briefly. She had no clue that Sam was turning around until a firm grasp sent her hand straight into her pocket. The action was so swift, Sam thought her hand was naturally resting there the whole time. She had just about processed that she needed to hide her hand. Sam noticed that she looked slightly off,

'You okay, Eden?' He said in his usual friendly tone.

'Um, yeah, fine thanks. You okay?' She felt Chloe and Nadine observing their conversation, keeping their eyes particularly close to Sam.

'Yeah, I'm fine.' He smiled, before turning away to talk to Sully.

'That was a close one.' Nadine exhaled in relief, whispering beside her.

'I know, too close. You need to be careful. I don't know how long you're going to be able to do this.' Chloe warned.

'He's going to find out one way or another, but for now let’s make sure he doesn’t see it.' Nadine replied.

Sully moved his head behind him, seeing the three bunched together at some distance,

'You girls doing alright back there? What are you all talking about?'

'Oh, we're just anticipating the trip to Austria, Sully. Haven't been there for years, I miss the scenery.' Chloe switched the narrative.

'Is that right?'

'Yeah, I'm just imagining myself snuggled up to a warm fire, in a nice cabin surrounded by mountain landscapes.'

'Sounds like a dream.' Nadine replied, shining a friendly look towards Chloe.

'Hm, I think I prefer the hot weather.' Sully stated.

'Course you do.' Chloe tutted.

'Well it seems you've taken a liking to this place, and that woman, what's her name?' Nadine questioned with a sly grin.

'Jennifer, she's his new fling apparently.' Chloe smirked.

'Surprisingly they're not a fling. I know he's always been one with the ladies, but I think she may be an exception, isn't that right Victor?' Sam challenged him.

'Can we please change the subject?' He grumbled.

'I don't think so, I wanna know what's going on between you two.' Chloe spoke.

'What's going on is that I'm interested in her, is that a good enough answer for you?'

'I'm just surprised, you haven't been one for relationships, we all know that.'

'Well maybe times have changed.' Sully declared confidently.

'Indeed they have.' Nadine replied.

After their nosy chatter, they got to the plane and climbed onboard. Sully refilled the tank to dull the chances of the plane dying on them mid flight, and once that was complete, they left Italy to fly to Austria. Chloe and Nadine sat on the left, whilst Eden and Sam sat opposite them. Eden was distracting herself with Elodie's journal, trying her best to keep her hand hidden from the man sitting next to her. Chloe was shooting her worrying glances every time her hand moved, however her eyes shot back an assured look, telling her she had it under control. Eden's eyes followed the words written on the page, diving into the world Elodie lived in. She found herself on Stephano's ship, hearing the ocean waves crash loudly as sea men chanted a lengthy song. She saw Elodie and Stephano dancing in the center of the ship, laughing and smiling joyfully as hands clapped in rhythm. Before she became too immersed, she took herself to another page more relevant to the treasure hunt. Eden continued her reading as Elodie told her about their second day in Hallstatt. She went on long hikes with Stephano, climbing the mountains and walking through forests. After their day, they socialised with the people, all while getting caught up in all types of shenanigans. Before she could read the last line, a voice woke her out of her imagination,

'Find anything interesting?' Sam asked eagerly.

'Oh um, nothing too out of the ordinary, just reading what her and Stephano got up to.'

'Ah, right. Would it hurt for me to have a look?' He gestured towards the journal. Eden felt brave, so she said,

'Go on then.' She carefully closed the journal with her hand, sliding the other down into her pocket. She then took the book from her lap and gave it over to him. As he retrieved it, he opened it up, reading the journal for a moment as Eden swallowed her fist into her severely injured hand, sitting them on her lap as she glanced around anxiously. He was less concentrated on the words on the page and more on Eden's strange body language. After he read the entry, he shut the book and began questioning her,

'I've never seen you sit like that before.'

'Oh, have you not? Well I guess that's a first.'

'Yeah...'

There was a moment of silence.

'Eden, you're not hiding anything from me, are you?' A surge of adrenaline kicked off inside Eden's body. She froze, unable to speak until she composed herself,

'Uh, no...I'm not hiding anything.' Chloe and Nadine caught on, looking among themselves awkwardly.

'Are you sure?' He was smiling, but she knew deep down it was just a facade.

'Yeah, yeah I'm sure.' Unfortunately her words were not convincing.

'Can you show me your hand for a quick second?' He asked in a change of tone.

'Uh, I uh-' Eden was struggling to speak.

'Sam, she's just resting her hands in her lap, she's not hiding anything.' Chloe attempted to defend her,

'Eden, just, show me your hand.' The girls gave her a worried glance, visibly on edge from the tense atmosphere. Eden sat in silence for a few moments, until she followed his orders,

'Promise me you won't freak out.' Eden gradually unwrapped her hand out of her right, exposing the hand with the amputated fingers. His eyes widened, scared from what she chose to hide.

'No...no...Eden...no! W-Where are your fingers?' His voice shook, barely able to look her in the eye.

'I- um, I...well, they-' Seeing how badly Sam was affected was beginning to rub off on her. She thought it wasn't a big deal, but his reaction was giving her anxiety.

'Look, Sam...they cut off her fingers...She wanted to tell you but-' Chloe spoke before being interrupted.

'Well I can see that! God...Eden...why did you let this happen? Why did you let them do that to you?' He asked her worriedly with slight anger.

'Because I wanted to find the treasure-'

'You were willing to get your fingers cut off for the sake of finding the treasure?' He questioned, slight agitation in his tone, 'That was a very stupid thing to do, Eden. I didn't expect you to be so shallow.' Before Eden could cut in to defend herself, Nadine swooped in with full force,

'You would've done the same! Don't try and act like you wouldn't.' She argued, her voice slightly raised.

'She's right, you're not exactly innocent when it comes to putting yourself at risk. You almost killed yourself finding Avery's treasure, you can't judge her when you would've made the same choice. God, I wouldn't want to think how you would've turned out if Julien was the one who took you.' Chloe chose her side.

'Why does everyone think I only care about the treasure?' His voice grew into frustration.

'Because you do! It's why you and Eden are partners. Hell, you lied to your own brother just so you could find the damn thing, made him believe a bunch of lies and put his life at risk. You remember that, don't you?' Nadine reminded him. Sam paused,

'Look...I've made some bad...choices, but that was the past. Now, all I care about is-' He tried to find his words without making his feelings known. 'All I care about is making sure people don't get hurt.'

'Ha.' She scoffed, 'I don't believe that one bit. You didn't seem to care about that when Nate and Sully were in the picture. You shamelessly put both of their lives in danger! Stop trying to paint this picture that you're this saint who looks out for others because you're far from it. Whatever this act is that you've got going on, drop it, it's not fooling anyone and it's certainly not fooling me.'

'Where is all of this coming from? I thought we were past this. Why are you making me have to prove that I care about people, that I have a heart?' He exclaimed.

'Because, Drake, I find it very hard to believe that you have one. It's foolish to shame her when you yourself would have wound up dead. Tell me, what would you have done if Julien took you?' She pressured him, glaring up at him and waiting for an answer.

'I would have lead them right to the treasure.' He told her smugly, however Nadine wasn't buying it.

'Don't be ridiculous. There's no way in hell you would do that. You would pretend to lead them, yes, then stab them in the back as one of your tricks to keep the treasure within arms reach.' In Nadine's eyes, Sam hadn't changed one bit. All she could see was the same man that wronged her years ago in search of Avery's treasure. Unfortunately, she couldn't see that there was a change. Her sentence struck a nerve within him, shouting,

'I'm telling the truth goddamnit! Nadine, I know it's very hard to believe but I would've ditched that treasure in a heart beat. I know where my priorities lie.' He stated with an assured look.

'Oh, do you now? And where do they lie? Because I'm not getting the impression that they are with the people you care about. Sam, you are a thief, a man with a golden heart, someone that gets what they want no matter the cost, and no matter the risk. Why can't you accept that this is the person you are? It's better than trying to pretend you're someone you're not.'

'I'm not pretending to be anybody! I might've been greedy and selfish and a hell of a lot of other things, but that isn't me, not anymore.'

'No? Well who are you then? Who are you, Sam Drake?' She shouted in irritation.

'Calm down the both of you! I can hear everything you're saying back there.' Sully snapped, turning his head from the cockpit.

'Yeah guys, this really isn't helping.' Chloe replied. Nadine exhaled,

'All I'm saying is that I find it very hard to believe that this man could put people before him. I've seen what he's like face to face, it doesn't take much to understand the person you are.'

'I've changed, Nadine, deal with it.'

'Yeah,' She snickered, 'I'll believe that when I see it.'

'Stop it! Just stop...' Chloe's sharp voice interrupted her, 'What are we even talking about? Look, Sam may have been reckless and maybe a little inconsiderate, but if the man himself says hes changed then you have to believe him.'

'People don't change overnight, Frazer.' Nadine spoke coldly.

'I know that, but come on. He isn't the same guy you met two years ago. You and me both know that, and we know why. I completely understand your reasoning, but you've got to put everything past you. Now Sam,' She began strongly, 'I had the same reaction when I saw what happened. It may have been a careless decision, but it was her decision. It was a shit situation, alright? So don't be mad at her, please.'

'I guess I can try.' He huffed.

'Good.'

As a couple of moments passed, Eden was frozen still, witnessing Sam process her hand injury. His head refused to leave the ground as he held onto the edge of his seat, visibly in distress. Chloe noticed the frown dulling her face and placed a warm palm on her knee, trying to reassure her. She mouthed,

'He'll get over it.' Eden exhaled as Chloe removed her hand. The atmosphere grew cold for a while, and Eden tried to say a word to him,

'Sam-'

'Let's just talk about it when we land, okay?' He interrupted her, trying his best to compose himself.

The bright sunny afternoon shifted to a cold and bitter evening as they landed in Hallstatt. Eden directed Sully to a place to land outside of the village, finding themselves transport. The road led them to a small neighborhood of cabins and hotels, surrounded by the nights sky and a background of towering mountains. They drove up hill towards a large wooden cabin and went inside to check in for the night. Chloe conversed in German to the man at reception, helping the group book their rooms. By coincidence, Sam and Eden caught themselves in the same situation they had two days ago, staying in a room together. Eden for once was actually okay with the outcome, however she was more worried about having to deal with Sam's tense behavior. She was already dreading the awkward atmosphere and the need for confrontation, but she knew she was ready in case things got heated. But just seeing the dullness of his dark eyes as they waited in reception gave her a lot to worry about. When the rooms were booked and paid for, the group split and went to their rooms, hoping to unwind from the day and go to sleep, however the two were unable to do so from their circumstances. Sam was hiding himself in the bathroom, and Eden was frozen in the middle of the room, facing their bed and the exposed window, gazing outside at the mountain peaks. Noticing that the room was getting darker, she focused on the bedside lamp, flicking the switch and turning on a orange golden light that gradually brightened the room enough to see. She made herself as comfortable as she could on their bed, darting her eyes around while waiting for her partner. She tilted her head to the ceiling, analysing the logs that lined the roof and walls of their room. Her eyes then caught a dark green near the window sill. A couple of seconds later, her vision sharpened, gathering that the monumental blur of green was a couple of artificial plant pots with very droopy leaves. Looking at the window made her remember to close the curtains, so she scooted herself on all fours onto the bed, crawling to the window and pulling the curtains shut. Now that they were closed, her eyes scanned the room in hopes to find something to do, to distract herself from her current situation. The chilliness of the room brought her attention to the fireplace, so she knelt down to get a proper look of how to turn it on. Thankfully, she figured it out quickly by the turn of the knob, however the split second of the igniting fire scared her with a slight jolt in her body. Before she was able to get herself warm, the bathroom door creaked open. She slowly turned her head, seeing Sam come out of his hiding spot.

'Hey...' He muttered with weak and nerving eye contact.

'Hey...' She returned, easing herself up from the floor as her full attention shifted to him.

'Look, we need to talk.' He said, finally giving her eye contact, but even his eyes felt weak.

'Yeah, we do.' She agreed, walking over and standing in front of him. There was a small moment of silence before Sam spoke,

'So then, why did you do it?' He interrogated, his tone instantly sounding unfriendly.

'Sam, you know this already. I did it because I wanted to find the treasure. I would've done anything just so they could stay away, you know that.'

'Well was it worth it? Losing two of your fingers?' His voice shifted.

'I don't know, I was doing it for you y'know! I would give everything I have for this treasure, even if it means that I come back losing something. Why are you so affected by all of this, why do you care so much?' Although she thought the fire within her wouldn't come out, his attacks were causing her anger to rise.

'Pfft, why do I care? I care because you're my partner! How am I not supposed to care! God Eden, you are so-' He raised his voice, matching her anger.

'I'm so what? Spit it out, go on!' She glared at him in anger, her voice rough and intimidating.

'You're so...selfish, you never seem to care when someone looks out for you.'

'Yeah, well I don't need anyone to look out for me, I can look out for myself.'

'Yeah, I'm sure you can. Eden, why are you pretending that those months at Jennifer's never happened? You could have died, you almost died!'

'Ugh, stop being dramatic! I wasn't going to die, I'm alive ain't I?'

'Yeah, by god's grace. You would've been dead if you hadn't have jumped. I know we used to be the same people, but this obsession that you have with the treasure, it's getting out of control.'

'Oh, so this is what it's about! My so called obsession, that's rich coming from someone who lied to their own brother about being in danger just so they could go on a treasure hunt.'

'Ugh, you are really starting to piss me off. I regret that decision now, you know that!'

'Pfft, yeah, like hell you do. Nadine's right, you're the same guy that I met on that boat. You weren't fussed one bit when I was taken by those Island cultists. All you cared about was finding,' She sparkled her hands as she spoke, 'The treasure of Culebra.'

'That's bullshit, Eden, we were going to find you.' He exhaled, 'That's not the point. Julien is still out there, if he finds out you're here hes going to kill you.'

'I couldn't give a shit. Listen to me, I'm not letting that bastard go anywhere near me or the treasure. I'm not going to die, no matter how many times you try and convince me, I won't let him.' She delivered her sentence with chest, saying every word meaningfully. Despite her confidence, he wasn't convinced,

'For some reason I don't believe that.'

'Of course you don't! I don't care what you think, I'm going to find the treasure whether you like it or not.'

'Why do you only seem to care about the treasure? Why can't you admit that you're obsessed with it?'

'Sam, I am not obsessed! God, you do know that you are just as bad as me. We are one in the same. We thrive off finding treasure, and we do whatever it takes to find it, even if we hurts ourselves.'

'No, we aren't the same, not anymore. I've been prone to making a lot of shitty choices but I'm not going to make that mistake again. Eden, I'm out.' Eden couldn't believe what she just heard. She laughed in shock, going through a state of surprise to a inevitable rush of anger,

'You're out? You, Samuel Drake, are out? Are you messing with me?' She laughed in surprise, until a face of frustration hid every emotion, 'I can't believe you...' She grinned, although her rage seemed to be saying otherwise, 'Who even are you, Sam? Are you the same man that I found all them years ago? Cos you don't seem to be acting like it. I don't even know who you are anymore-'

'Eden, I don't care what you think, I'm doing what's right, for you and your safety. What if they take you again? Better yet, what if they kill you? Then what?'

'Then find the treasure without me.'

'What the hell are you talking about? Find the treasure without me, are you goddamn crazy? Are you even listening to yourself right now? You sound nuts, like you've completely lost it! Eden, let me ask you this-'

'Oh, here we go.' She rolled her eyes, her head facing away from him.

'If we were in a life or death situation where you could only pick between me or the treasure, what would you pick?' He asked her, deadly serious.

'Sam, stop it-'

'Could you just listen to me!' His sharp voice cut through her, forcing her into dead silence. 'If you had to pick between me...or the treasure...who would you pick.' She fell quiet, succumbing to his bold question. She weighed both of his options on an imaginary scale, measuring the value in both of them. Through their time together in France and Italy, she realised straight away that Sam was quickly becoming just as important, if not more than the treasure. She knew her answer. It was as clear as day, but she was too afraid to say it. Although she came a long way with accepting her feelings, the moment was causing her a lot of doubts, and plus she felt ashamed to even tell him the truth, especially whilst in a heated argument. She gazed at him, forcing her mouth open to speak her answer. Sam's eyes stared in anticipation, waiting for her to say something.

'I-I would pick, I'd pick-' She just couldn't say it. She spoke a bunch of unintelligible words, but in the end, her voice shook and her sentence fell flat, failing to give him an answer. He looked at her in disappointment,

'I guess I'm an idiot to think you could answer that.' His gaze dropped to the floor, turning away from her and walking to the door. In that moment, Eden couldn't let him leave. She felt an immense wave of guilt hit her like a ton of bricks. She didn't want to hide the truth, but his question froze her into deep thought, leaving her to choose what really mattered, a valuable object with no emotion, or a person she was truly in love with. Before he could reach the door, a hand clenched onto his arm tightly, taking it strongly in her grasp. It stopped him in his tracks, as he slowly turned himself around, shaken by her sudden touch,

'W-What?' His gaze softened and his eyebrows raised, waiting for her to say something. Her voice trembled, but she confessed,

'Sam...I'd pick you. I-I'd pick you...' He raised his eyebrows in shock, staring deeply into her eyes.

'Y-You would?' For some reason, he couldn't believe her, 'You're not messing with me, are you?'

'Sam...I would never lie to you. You mean more than any treasure I've found.' Eden told him with direct eye contact. The two slowly felt themselves getting closer, looking in each others eyes,

'Well...thanks for the honesty...' She could feel his breath lightly hitting her face. As much as he was upset with her, her answer calmed him down and brought him back to the present, in front of the woman he loved.

'What would you choose?' Eden asked, reciprocating the question. Sam visibly tensed up at first, but their proximity and eye contact started to erase all memory of their bickering, and taking him back to her. He had always seemed to be nervous in any of their moments, but right now, there was something in the air, an undeniable force that was urging them to get closer. He took a step closer and just stared at her, swimming deep in the amber waters of her eyes, imagining the softness of her lips and her brown skin. Their breathing started to fill the silence, and the warm air gently touched their faces. Eden became awkward with their silence and attempted to fill it,

'Are you still thinking about it? It's okay if you can't answer-' The breath she was about to exhale was completely lost. Sam's lips were on hers, grazing them gently and slowly. She reacted quickly, taking her lips to the bottom of his and pressing them slowly. The moment caused the passion of their kiss to heighten, and Eden became lost and driven by the sensual atmosphere that grew within each kiss. By her overwhelming desire, her tongue ran to his mouth, aching to find her lovers. After a few moments, his tongue discovered hers, not waiting a second to greet her. As their lips locked, their tongues brushed against another, moving around and feeling them melt in another's presence. They enjoyed the kiss for a while, until Eden parted her lips from his, unwrapping from his grasp and crossing her arms over her top. She pulled it over her body, disposing it to the floor as he caught on. He let the sleeves of his jacket slide off as Eden helped him take it to the floor. He took the extra layer from his body, and with only his top covering him, he took off his shirt and found her lips again, now traveling onto her bare skin. Their bodies span around endlessly, finding themselves from one place to the next, but eventually within every step they knew where they'd be last. Eden searched for the the buckle of Sam's trousers, undoing them and allowing him to step out of them. He kicked them out of the way, reaching his hands to her bottoms and taking them off. Without any time to wait, their bodies landed on the mattress with their lips in tact, crawling and moving up the bed. Before Eden touched the pillows, she took her lips away from him to speak,

'Care to do the honours?' She grinned, her hands gesturing to her bra.

'It would be a pleasure.' He returned her grin, slowly moving his hands around her chest to undo the hooks. After unhooking each one, he took his hands away and watched her pull down the straps, glaring in anticipation. In one final movement, her bra dropped to the bed, and there he met her naked breasts. He looked up one glance at a time, gazing from her chest to her unafraid face, completely mesmerised.

'What? You never seen a pair of tits before?' She laughed.

'How dare you ask me a question like that.' He grinned, burying himself into her neck and smothering her in long wet kisses. She turned her neck at the sensation of his tongue, closing her eyes as a quiet moan escaped from her mouth. He took his lips off her skin, speaking deeply into her ear, 'I've just never seen a sight so beautiful in my life.' He continued to cover every part of her with his lips, finding a new patch of skin to kiss each time. At one point, he was completely enamored by her bare chest, swirling his tongue slowly around and taking her nipples into his mouth, softly pleasuring her. Her head knocked back and she moaned, embracing her partner tightly in her arms. Eden's eyes fluttered open to the feeling of his hands traveling down her body, pinching the sides of her underwear and taking them down slowly. She aided the process, lifting her body up ever so slightly while he took them to her ankles, sliding them off and throwing them to the floor. As she was now undressed, she put her hands to his underwear, taking extra care of the bulge that poked out of his boxers. Once Sam got rid of them, he gazed upon her, eyeing the beauty of the woman that laid before him. They grasped a hold of each other and kissed passionately, their bodies joining and rolling on their side. Eden rested her leg around his hip, connecting her arms around his shoulders. Sam glided a hand down her body, massaging her skin and letting the tip of his penis tease her momentarily. While she moaned, he lowered himself deeper inside, meeting the same satisfaction as her. He rocked himself slowly, letting himself pleasure her in slow motions. The warmth of his cock alongside the wetness and throbbing of her vagina blossomed into one big loud orgasm. Her grasp on him became tighter as she kissed him deeply, allowing her hips to swing back and fourth against him. Her sudden actions caused him to moan,

'God, Eden...'

She grinned, planning her revenge, 'That's funny, the guy I hooked up with in Paris said the same thing.' She saw a change in his eyes, anticipating his response with a devilish smile.

'You-I see how it is, this is your way at getting back at me. Well, it's working. You know I was lying, right?'

'Huh?'

'Back at the garden, I wasn't talking about Danielle, you were the one I was talking about.' He confessed, cupping her face with his hands.

'You bastard!' She laughed, 'I knew it...What about the dutch girl, did you lie about that too?'

'No, that wasn't a lie. Eden, you have nothing to worry about, I barely even think of her.'

'Hm, are you sure? She's pretty fierce competition if you ask me. Blue eyes, blonde hair, gorgeous smile, probably does modelling-'

'Eden...You are the only woman I want, no one could ever compare to you.'

'Really?'

'Yes, really.' He ran his hands over her leg, 'You are the only one.'

'God, you really know how to please a woman, come here you.' Their lips met again as they continued where they left off. Sam went back inside of her, rubbing her body down and covering her in sweet gentle kisses. He focused his lips onto her neck once more, his tongue brushing her skin in each kiss. The bliss of being in each others arms and being caressed and stimulated through pure love was a dream each of them thought would never happen. But now, they managed to be in a place of intimacy they never imagined to come true. The lighting of the room was set perfectly, and the fireplace still kept the room warm, although they didn't quite need it with their bodies heating each other. Sam took notice of her neglected breasts, so he went back in, wetting his lips on her nipples and pushing them around in his mouth, ensuring each breast was met with pure satisfaction. Eden gasped, taking her hands into his hair to stroke him. They panted in slow rhythmic breaths each time he eased into her, and it only got louder in each motion. She grew incredibly aroused, letting herself ride him whilst allowing the tip to create a sensation that pleasured her throughout. She orgasmed again, and again, kissing her partner softly as he too was on his way. As every sensation developed into the start of a gradual climax, each thrust became deeper and meaningful, causing the two to moan simultaneously. They held each other for dear life, grazing over their lips before they went back and fourth in orgasm. Finally, Sam felt a strong release, exhaling a deep moan into her mouth. Eden gasped in response, climaxing to him finishing inside of her. They moaned once more in unison, until their pleasureful sounds dulled and was left with the silence of the room and the crackling of fire. The two took a moment to catch their breath, staring deeply into another's eyes as they couldn't help but laugh,

'So, have you came up with an answer?' Eden played with him.

'You're asking this now after what we just did?' He laughed.

'Uhhh, well I didn't get an answer did I?' She responded jokingly.

'Well, for your peace of mind, I pick you. I will always pick you, Eden.'

'Ah, say it again.' She grinned.

'I pick you.' He repeated.

'I could get used to this.' She smiled warmly, and Sam laughed. He exhaled,

'That was amazing. You, you are amazing.' Eden fell embarrassed by his words, lightly shoving him.

'Oh stop it!'

'I mean it.' He cupped the side of her face, brushing his thumb against her jawline. She blushed,

'Oh, well...thank you.' She smiled warmly, somehow becoming awkward even after what they had done together. Sam took notice with a sly grin,

'Did you like my compliment?'

'Ah, shit, I'm going red ain't I?' She held onto her face in embarrassment, feeling the heat of her cheeks radiate through her hands.

'Mhm, quite red actually. You've got this very radiant glow going on.'

'Oh have I now? Dear Lord.' She laughed in embarrassment.

'No, no, it's not bad or anything. It's makes you look quite um, cute.' Whatever spell he had enchanted over her seemed to be working its magic. She hid her face again,

'Stop!' She giggled.

'What?' He questioned with a smile.

'You're making me go all red! I don't know, I'm like a bloody schoolgirl. Just ease off the compliments, will ya? I'll be a sweaty mess by the time we get to bed.'

'I can't guarantee that, Eden.' He smiled. 'Anyway...I can't believe that happened, I can't believe we-' He confessed, exhaling out a laugh.

'I know, I'm just as shocked as you are. Ah...' She exhaled, smiling at him happily. 'I can't believe it's taken us this long. All of those years, Sam. I've been practically dying to kiss you ever since we became partners.'

'Hm, well I guess we've got a lot of catching up to do.' He grinned, eyeing her eagerly.

'Looks like we do. I suppose it wouldn't hurt to start now, would it?'

'Hm, let me think...' He pretended to be in deep thought, when really it was the most easiest decision of his life. 'Nah, I don't suppose it would.'

'Then get over here and kiss me.' She flirted. Sam pulled her into his arms and kissed her again. The two made out with each other almost the whole night, before the tiredness of the day soon overcame them and sent them into slumber.