22. Engaged to Mr. Luci Grouch

Arthur pulled her into his arms and embraced her while she cried. It dawned on him that he seems to be hugging her quite often now, almost daily in fact.

Now that we're destined to a shotgun wedding, might as well get used to touching her, he thought wryly. Besides, as a lecherous thought entered his head, he definitely wouldn't mind doing more than holding hands, preferably somewhere along the lines of what had happened at the Plaza Hotel.

In the past, he never had been a hugger. Hell, he still refuses to be one.

But Victory appeared so fragile and lost that it compelled him to reassure her that things will be alright. This innocent, former nun wannabe is crying and the least that he could do is offer a shoulder for her to cry on.

As the proverb goes, there will be sunshine after the rain. In his case, it's a bloody thunderstorm.

They've experienced two storms back to back now, in the form of Typhoon Aaron and Hurricane Edward.