Tintin and the Secret of the Unicorn

The Letter That Was Never Sent

  Instead of warm, gritty sand, Chloe felt a mattress beneath her body and a pillow at her head. With a groan she forced her eyes to open though she wanted to enjoy her slumber again. "Ah, you're awake! It's about time!" An unfamiliar voice greeted suddenly, Chloe visibly stiffened – now completely aware she was alone in a room with a male. With a scramble she sat up with wide eyes, the thin blanket tangling up around her legs, "It's alright, I won't hurt you." The man spoke, dressed like a doctor stepping back with his hands in the air, Chloe's chest heaved up and down as she continued to look at him in fear. "My name is Lieutenant Delcourt, you're in the Afghar Outpost." He explained gently, Chloe's eyes darted around her – he wasn't lying about an outpost, everything was basic. "Your fiancé is waiting outside, want me to bring him in?" Lieutenant Delcourt asked, gesturing with his pipe to the door, Chloe froze again – how did Harry find her here?! She shook her head, "I-I don't have a fiancé." She replied, her voice failing with nerves and her dry throat. He looked at her as if she was someone that had forgotten their life, "Why, of course you do!" He smiled, leaving but shutting the door a little behind him, Chloe wrung her hands what would she say to Harry? Give the ring back? Would he beg for her hand in marriage again? Could she do that to Tintin, knowing she had become more attached to him lately.

The door opened with Snowy barking happily, trotting in with Tintin following close behind his hands behind his back, looking completely healthy but with a troubled look on his face, "I'll leave you two alone." Lieutenant Delcourt spoke, sensing the tension in the room closing the door behind him. A bit angered with Tintin, Chloe averted her gaze as she hugged her knees, Tintin sighed through his nose as he moved closer. "How are you feeling?" He asked, his voice a bit strained. "I don't want to talk to you." Chloe spat back, she had just parted ways with Harry and was now thrown into another adventure with the very best friend she had feelings for. Right now she didn't want to think about those feelings. "Chloe... we haven't go time for this!" Tintin replied in a whisper before speaking quicker, a sign of urgency in him. "Oh, I think you mean that you don't have time for this!" She shot back, frustration of everything that was going on around her. Tintin's eyes widened at Chloe's raised voice and stepped back a little while Snowy dipped his ears back. "Chloe..." He murmured, not used to seeing her angry, his heart beat fast in his chest with her eyes focused on him. "It's always about the story isn't it?! You probably just waltzed in here expecting me to be healthy enough to keep going!" She shouted, her cheeks turning red from her raised voice. Tintin opened his mouth to speak but for once no words came out, he forgot that Chloe could raise her voice and whenever she did it threw him off every time. "And you had the audacity to lie about being my fiancé??" She shouted, that hurt her more than she expected it to, she could deal with his obnoxious personality but when he lied it was a different story.

Tintin swallowed the lump in his throat, watching as Chloe yelled at him – he was obnoxious, it was half-true that he hoped she would be alright to continue on but the main reason he came to visit was to see for himself that Chloe was alright, he had panicked a little when she collapsed in the desert and seeing her now was a relief even if she was shouting at him. "Chloe, let me explain!" He pleaded, shifting closer to her. She moved towards the wall on the bed, the sheet still tangled up in her legs and body, "Go away. You've done enough." She coldly replied, taking her eyes off him. He shook his head, sitting on the bed with a determined look on his face, "I'm not leaving you, not for anything Chloe. You know that." He replied sternly, keeping the caring tone in his voice. Chloe shifted uncomfortably, he had struck a nerve in her. "If I need to wait for you to be ready then I will. You're more important than any story, any scroll."Tintin continued, "I've promised to never leave you, Chloe. I'll travel to the ends of the Earth for you, done it before and I'll do it again." His eyes fell onto the opened letter on the cabinet beside the bed, his breath hitched – she had read it. Chloe followed his gaze, feeling guilty for making his eyes shine for something she hadn't done, he picked it up warily and looked at her with all confidence gone.