A/N: Can't sleep sigh....

Ellie

My car pulled up a few weeks later in front of a brand new location. I see that even though Leo had barely changed over the last two years, the location of his house did. Now instead of a flat by the beach, he was living in a beach house. I shut off the ignition and sit there awhile pondering. I was so mad at Chris for setting this up for me. I didn't need fighting lessons.... well, I did, but not from Leo of all people. There were so many others to choose from, I mean I could've taken a class for free down at the community center, but oh no, he only wanted what was "best" for me. It was like selling my soul to the devil himself. 

I took a deep breath and slowly got out of my car and locked it. I walked up to the door, all the while enjoying the feel of the loose, shifting sand beneath my feet, rang the bell once, and then stepped back. A few seconds later he answered the door shirtless with a very messy bed head. He had the nerve to yawn and rub his eyes.

"Morning Ellie." He smirked

"You mean afternoon? It's three o'clock, are you seriously just getting out of bed?"

"Sorry, I had a uh...late night." He smiled slowly

And lo and behold came another set of feet walking from behind him fully dressed with her purse in hand. A blonde, how nice.

"Gotta go and uh, thanks for last night....and this morning." She smirked

He looked towards her with a lazy smile.

"Not a problem."

She scooted past him and walked by me with a slick side eye. I gave her one back and with a hip breaking sashay, she looked back at us and waved flirtatiously at Leo and he waved back with a forced smile. She walked to her car and got in it, driving off. And with that went his smile.

"Man I thought she'd never leave." He grumbled

"Lemme guess, your woman of the week?" I smirked

"Nah, just some skank I picked up from the bar last night." He said bluntly

I was taken aback more by the fact that he went to a bar than by him just picking up random skanks at bars (which she was, I mean, I saw the dress she was wearing. Wow, I've never seen so much skin).

"Since when did you start drinking?" I asked him as he showed me inside

"What do you mean, I've always drank."

"Yeah, wine. But looking around, I see wine isn't the only think you have anymore."

To prove my point, he picked up an unfinished beer from his coffee table and finished it off.

"So I've added some variety, what's the big deal?" He responded, chucking the empty bottle into a nearby trashcan.

"No big deal, it is your choice Mr. Calavry, I'm just saying."

"Seriously? You're at my house and you're still calling me Mr. Calavry? Just call me Leo already and stop being so damn stubborn." He suddenly said

I smirked at the sudden outburst.

"Someone's touchy. I would think a man of your caliber would respect me calling you by your proper title."

"That mouth of yours sure hasn't changed that's for sure." He grumbled.

"If I recall, you used to like the things I had to say. Found them very amusing."

I saw his hand twitch at his side while his green eyes bore into mine. I stifled a small gasp at seeing the beginning signs of a coming spanking. But then I internally smiled, because since I was no longer his submissive, he couldn't touch me.

"Had it had been two years ago, you'd so be over my knee right now."

"Not proper conversation for what we're supposed to be doing."

He closed his eyes and took in a deep breath, slowly letting it out.

"I suppose we should get your lessons started. But first I am going to go take a shower. Make yourself comfortable."

I heard him pad into the kitchen area, a clink of a bottle, and then heard him walk up the wooden stairs and a door closed. I sat down on the beige couch and looked around the house slyly and realized it didn't feel like Leo's house, but a stranger's. None of his paintings were on the walls, in fact I saw no easels anywhere, no paints or brushes. There was no color, only beige walls (and furniture). What the hell? I knew for a fact he had been here for almost three years now, and in all of that time he hadn't as so much as put up a picture of his? At his old flat all of his walls were adorned with art or a great color scheme. But being in this house made me wonder if Leo was abducted by aliens and an imposter left in his place. This wasn't Leo, but someone else. 

After sitting there for a few minutes, I decided to check my phone, so I fished my phone out of my small purse. I saw a text from Chris.

"How's it going?" It read

"We haven't even started yet. Late morning for him I guess."

"Wow.....wanna just come back another time?"

"No, because the quicker I start these lessons, the quicker they'll be over."

"Damn amour, you really hate this don't you?"

"More than you know. Leo was the last person I wanted to ask for help from."

"I know that....but I want you safe out here, and capable of protecting yourself. Leo was the best I knew of."

"Guess you didn't look that hard."

"I know you don't like this, but it's for the best alright? I'll talk to you later. See you when you come over."

The shower cut off upstairs then and I heard the door open and feet pad down the hallway with another door closing shut. And after another ten minutes, he finally came back down stairs in a form fitting black athletic shirt and red basketball shorts. I restrained my eyes from crawling all over his firm and erect frame. And successfully, I looked towards the floor.

"I do hope you have eaten something, cause we'll be doing a lot today."

"Yep. I made sure I ate my Wheaties this morning."

"Excellent. If you'll follow me, we can get started

Finally.

I followed behind him until we came outside onto the beach where I saw mats set up in front of the water's edge. I blacked out for a second remembering the day at his house when we chased each other into the water, splashed around laughing....falling asleep in his arms that night.

"Ellie?" I heard

I snapped back to reality quickly.

"Huh?"

"Are you ready?" He asked me with an amused smile on his face.

"Yeah."

He stepped on one mat and I stepped on the other mat next to him watching him from the corner of my eye. All he did was stare at the water, closing his eyes in the process and just watching it.

"So...what does this have to do with anything?"

"To be able to fight you have to have peace within yourself."

"So you think just staring at the ocean is going to make me have peace within myself?"

"This and the different techniques I'll be showing you. Also, we're going to do a bit of yoga as well."

"Oh. So what exactly are we starting with?"

"We'll do a few yoga poses some deep breathing and such."

"How does this even help me?"

"Just trust me Ellie....that's if you think you can manage that."

"Whatever. Let's just get started so I can go home." I remarked

He smirked amused and stared at me out of the corner of his eye.

"As you wish."