You can't hold me down| Finished.

[RICHARD PLANTAGENET]

"HOW COULD YOU.. "

Anne's voice was cold, piercing like shards of ice. Even as she spoke the car drew to a stop; Anne flung open the door and got out as though she couldn't wait to be rid of him...

As soon as the car drew up the media turned and hurried towards it like a pack of wild dogs who'd at last caught their prey. Richard couldn't see Anne's face as she got out of the car but judging by the expressions on the faces of the camera men and reporters she was doing something right. She must be smiling, Richard thought. Thank God.

Richard got himself out of the car as quickly as his bad leg would allow, his worries about Anne forgotten in face of the flashing lights. A few reporters were brave enough to approach him and attempt to ask questions; Was that really Anne Lancaster with him? Why had they come here? How long had they known each other? Were they on a date or was this some sort of business dinner between the rival factions of Lancaster and York?

Richard, being Richard, answered the questions with ease and flair; elegantly crafted and clever replies rolling off his tongue as though he'd prepared his answers before arriving. It was clear the paparazzi were impressed; not just with him and his clever use of words but with Anne as well.

Having answered all the questions he cared to for the time being, Richard graced the assembled press with a final winning smile before ducking into the restaurant after Anne. One of the bus-boy's took his coat and Richard noticed the man held Anne's shawl...

Where was she?

Having scanned the place at last he spotted her in a corner, her face turned away from him, shoulders slumped in defeat. Richard hesitantly made his way over to her, reaching out to take her hand in his again.

"Anne..."

[ANNE SOPHIE PLANTAGENET]

Anne saw Richard from a distance handle the media as she cowered away an saw him anwser questions an give replys to those dirty men an women out there who only cared about her private life. Giving the shawl to the boy she half smiled an stood a little straighter , an saw Richard come in.

Crossing her arms she waited for him to get closer to her, as she saw him being taken off his coat she noticed that his eyes had a gloom about them an only made her sigh. This is what he deserved an nothing was going to satisfy her more than seeing him suffer.

Walking up towards him, she only brushed her hair out of her face, an raised her hand giving him a gentle slap. " Is everything a game for you Richard, I was enjoying my self back there. " she told him an cleaned her eyes, as she saw her makeup all smudged an sighed.

She hated him for this, for exposing her to the media, what was she going to explain to the papers once they were asking her for interviews, an just at the nick of time too since they had pestered her all they wanted for the death of her husband.

Had he really been planning all this or did he pay all those reporters out there just so that they could get a chance at runing her life, An the most sickening thing that was going in her head was that she was thinking that maybe maybe she could get along with him now hah what a big fat joke she was playing in her head indeed.

[RICHARD PLANTAGENET]

Wasn't it funny, Richard thought, how the minute things between him and Anne seemed to have changed from open hostility to civility and maybe even a renewal of their old friendship...at that point wasn't it funny how everything started going wrong?

Take Anne's hand connecting with his cheek, for example. which seconds before she'd been so willing to caress. The slap had been unexpected, so much so that despite the fact that it was gentle Richard found himself reeling backwards a little, his good hand going to his cheek as if to assure himself that yes, Anne had just gone and hit him.

He deserved it. He knew he deserved it. He should try and be kind now, he thought, he'd achieved what he wanted, they would both be in the papers, together, just like he wanted... But was that what he wanted?

Anne had said she'd been enjoying herself back there and it certainly seemed as though she had...was it possible, was it truly possible, that even after all these years, after what he'd done, was it possible that she had feelings for him? Surely this was what he wanted...not his face in the papers alongside hers. He wanted her...and now d'Anjou was gone he could have her...

But this was not the way to go about it. He realized that now...but it was too late. Maybe he should pay the reporters to leave...?

If his train of thought had been real instead of figurative it would have screeched to a halt at that point. What was he thinking? He wasn't about to apologize for what he'd done...he had to get himself a good public image, didn't he? Surely that would only improve with Anne on his arm?

Then again, he hadn't really factored Anne lashing out at him as she had done into all of this. But if he wasn't going to waste all the effort he'd gone to to get her here in the first place he would have to remain calm and collected...and not strike back.

"Is everything a game for you Richard, I was enjoying my self back there. "

A game...was this all a game to him? It had felt like a game before...but it didn't now. Perhaps there was something there, beneath her curses and her tears, some feeling she was desperately trying to hide...

He scolded himself inside his head. Now was not the time for sentimentality. He had to deal with the situation at hand, and deal with it before it got out of control. He didn't particularly wish to be slapped again.

"This is not a game for me, Anne," he replied, stepping back towards her a little but making no move to touch her or control her in any way. "You said you wanted a table somewhere quiet away from everyone else...you never said a thing about the restaurant itself."

This was true; Richard recalled every detail of their last meeting. The curses, the questions, the kiss...

[ANNE SOPHIE PLANTAGENET]

Anne just saw him aproach her an turned her face away after she had given him the slap he deserved, an waited for their waiter to lead them to the table, she really did not want to hear or see Rickys face at all an just wanted to sit down an get the lunch over with.

she was finding it most disagreable to be with him, but his sudden change in expression an in words made her think otherwise, but she would have to be cautious an not let that dirty rat get to her again.

Yes she was being cruel to him, yes she was being a bitch but so what had he not made her suffer equally with her husbands death,with trying to win her heart, with trying to just stop her from doing what ever she wished to do.

He was like a snake that was chocking the life out of her, when was he going to learn that his tactics for winning her heart were just not working an where actually making her feel the most dissagrable thing in the world, no the whole cosmos.


But try as she might she could not make him reason , an in fact never would an would just be a hopeless end to it, but Right now she just had to stay calm, an stay at peace of else she might slap him again an this time harder than before.

" As you wish mister Plantagent "she told him an sighed an moved her hair away as she looked through her bag an took out her hanky an cleaned her eyes, she always had to look her best ,even in the worst of situations she would always shine like a rainbow.

[RICHARD PLANTAGENET]

As Richard approached her again Anne turned her head away and refused to even look at him. He'd completely blown it; that much was obvious. He felt like kicking himself, yet at the same time he knew this was what he deserved for all he'd done to Anne.

But this wasn't to say that what he deserved was the same as what he wanted.

"As you wish mister Plantagenet..."

Richard was surprised at how calm Anne was (little did he know of her plans to hit him again if things went any further awry). But the fact that she'd called him Mister Plantagenet and not by his given name...she was distancing herself from him as much as she could given the circumstances. Inwardly, Richard cursed.

"You know my name, Anne," he said, gently, with an attempt at a smile.

Only moments after Richard had said this, one of the waiter's hesitantly approached them (the man could see Anne was attempting to dry her eyes).

"I apologize for the wait, sir," he said to Richard, all formality before turning to Anne and acknowledging her with a nod as well, and a brief smile. "Your table is ready now, sir, if you would care to follow me..."

Richard nodded to the waiter and turned to Anne, wanting to offer her his arm again as a gesture of politeness but not daring to in case this provoking another unexpected and unwanted reaction. He said nothing at all; what else was there to be said?

He was not going to apologize. He wasn't.

[ANNE SOPHIE PLANTAGENET]

She only noticed with the corner of her eye how he aproached her cautiosly an she only crossed her arms an started to notice the unavoidable silence between the two an only rolled her eyes, an then just turned to look at him, an half smiled.

She did not want to make him feel like he could still take advantage of her but just wanted to make him feel like he could still talk to her, she hated when his silence plagued the room it felt like she was just a lonely thing.

Yes he made her feel like that but she could never really bring up the courage to actually say something about that since he was always using her words to create something around them that was not real, but now she would not handle that at all, an would actually set him straight if she could.

Seeing their waiter come an start to walk away towards their table she started to walk straight ahead an not grabbed his arm as she was still pissed off at him.

Who was he to offer his arm for her, but seeing him trying to struggle in the stairs she turned around an wrapped her arm around his an helped him down an slid away an wrapped her arms behind her back an continued walking as he walked next to the waiter an sat down on the table an saw the paparrazi at a distance an set down her napking in her lap.

Looking from the distance at him, she only sighed as they were finally sitting down , a step ahead in their plans for the evening that was for sure. But how long would it last she had not even noticed the small details that he had put into the arrangement of everything, champagne ah how he knew her an what a romantic he was.

[RICHARD PLANTAGENET]

Anne said nothing as Richard made to approach her; instead she folded her arms and made it clear that she didn't want him near her. Despite this she managed a half smile...one which Richard returned but was sure she didn't see, or refused to if she accidentally had done.

As she stalked off after the waiter Richard followed in her wake, trying once again to match her pace, which was considerably faster now as though she wanted this ordeal over with, yet with a sense of pride and purpose about it too.

The stairs, despite the fact that there weren't many of them, were slightly troublesome as always, even twenty years after having sustained the injury. He was prepared under the circumstances for Anne to laugh at his misfortunes but, to his great surprise, she helped him. He turned as if to smile gratefully at her but she quickly slipped away, hands behind her back, and kept walking to the table without a look back.

Having reached the table Richard sat down opposite Anne, following suit as he unfolded his napkin and placed it on his lap. He looked over at Anne and wandered how best to attempt to rectify the situation, meanwhile the waiter set about pouring each of them a small measure of champagne. He then offered the menus to Anne and Richard in turn before excusing himself to give them time to make their choices.

Richard knew now was the time to say something, anything...but for once in his life words failed him. He cleared his throat, only serving to emphasize the awkward and frosty silence that had descended upon the pair of them, before taking a large swig of his champagne. He got the feeling he was going to need it.

[ANNE SOPHIE PLANTAGENET]

Seeing him sit down, she only glanced at the menu asking for a filet mignon an fries with a cesar salad as an entry and Coffee expreso dark, an cheerry pie, if they could not serve her cherry pie, chocolate 3 layer cake would do.

But now she just had to concentrate on what she was doing here, now with him an nothing else matter, no talking, no gestures, no smiles, no laugh just be emotionless she told herself in her mind.

Being emotionless was hard to do she knew this but she had managed it before, an he was now not saying much an just staying quiet the silence filling their space as she sighed an rubbed her neck leaving the menu on her plate.

" How are the laws that you are applying an have you decided on what to eat ? "she asked him an nipped her lip wondering if she was beibg boring.

An so what if she was being boring she hated this silence it made her stress out some more, " Richard if you don't stop this I am going to stop talking to you an order an leave "she threaten him an kicked him bellow the table.

She did not mean to be so cruel, but it was just nerve wracking that she had to do all the effort to maintain a steady flow of words between each other, she just wished , wished with all her might that he would relax.

Yes the media were here,they would take their pictures of them, they would write their articles, they would do whatever they wanted yet he an she could just enjoy each others company.


Or was something else in his head plaguing his mind an distracting him from the purpose that he had for the dinner, " I hate you" she told him an raised her menu again an started to turn the pages bored because she had alredy decided on what she was going to eat.


Noticing the Waiter had served her a glass of champagne she only smiled an took it with her delicate fingers an drank a bit to relax her nerves.

[RICHARD PLANTAGENET]

"How are the laws that you are applying an have you decided on what to eat ? "

Thank goodness women are so naturally inclined to talk, Richard thought drily, looking up at Anne from his perusal of the menu as she spoke.

"It's mostly Edward who applies the laws, dear," he said with a wry smile. "But I must admit I have been taking over a lot of his duties as of late, what with him being ill and all." He returned his attention to the menu for a moment before looking up again, having made his decision.

He was about to inform Anne of this as per her question when he felt her high heeled shoe connect sharply with his leg. He let out an involuntary hiss of pain and scowled at her across the table, momentarily forgetting he was supposed to act in a civilized and friendly manner towards her if he wanted the evening to succeed.

"Richard if you don't stop this I am going to stop talking to you an order an leave "

Biting back an insult, Richard curtly informed her that yes, he had decided what he was going to have and having done so summoned the waiter.

He ignored her harsh last three word comment; he'd heard it so often before. Besides, Richard got the impression she was just saying it in an attempt to fool both herself and him...hadn't she just said she'd been enjoying herself? Maybe she still hated him, but not as much as she once had done...

"May I take your order, sir?"

The waiter had reappeared, pad of paper at the ready in his hand. He looked to Richard first and the comptroller placed his order (spinach salad as a starter followed by a rib-eye steak) before turning to Anne.

"And for you, madam?" he asked, all politeness, seemingly oblivious to the nerves and tension that seemed almost tangible between the pair he was serving.

[ANNE SOPHIE PLANTAGENET]

Closing the menu she turned to the waiter an cocked her head a little an smiled, "Could I have a filet mignon with fries, an dip, an a cesar salad for an entry,"she told the boy an saw him jot down her order and take hers an Richards menu an bit her lip when he saw the young man walk away towards the kitchen.

Turning her head she grabbed Richards hand an turned to one of the softest of her expressions an raised her glass of chapagne, "Richard you annoy me sometimes, but our friendship is always present in my heart " she told him an waited for him to grab his glass an start to do a toast as well.


She really never meant to be such a nusiance it was just her way of acting an she had become so used to it, an today today was a very odd day for her, she had never been acting so well , but maybe she should not.

" I loved you Richard back in college " she heard herself say an covered her hands an started to look down at the plate right in front of her, he would use that as another advantage,Anne behave like the lady that you are god dammit she told herself mentally an removed her hand from her mouth an hoped that Richard had not heard that.

[RICHARD PLANTAGENET]

As the waiter moved away Richard returned his attention to Anne. A strange, serene sort of expression had come over her face; this startled Richard when he compared it to her former glare.

What surprised him even more was when she leant across the table and took his hand in hers, the other holding her champagne glass aloft. Richard's eyes flicked from the champagne to Anne's face and back again; he hoped the waiter had done his job.

Richard normally wasn't a copycat (he'd taken the idea from Faustus at the Capulet's Ball), but he needed to test the effects of this particular drug...before he used it on Edward. Of course with Edward he would overdose the relaxant enough to kill him...but with Anne...he just wanted to see if it worked. Was that so wrong of him?

"Richard you annoy me sometimes, but our friendship is always present in my heart "

If Richard had been surprised at Anne's gesture he was even more surprised at her words. So she hadn't forgotten their old friendship...she still remembered the times they spent together just as he did...there was hope after all that they could put the past behind them...

Amazed but pleased Richard was about to extricate his hand from Anne's grip so he could raise his glass as well. Even as he moved to do so however Anne said something that wiped all ideas of a mere toast from his mind.

"I loved you Richard back in college "

Richard was certain that, if he had been holding the glass at that point, he would have dropped it. His mouth fell open in shock at Anne's revelation, though he quickly closed it again as he tried to think of something, anything to say...

Meanwhile Anne had let go of his hand and appeared almost as shocked as he felt, a hand over her mouth to stifle a gasp of her own. She hurriedly removed this hand however and looked to compose herself, but it was too late...Richard had seen and heard it all.

This is even before she's drunk any of the champagne, he mused.

She'd loved him? Was this an act she was putting on, a lie she was spinning him so he wouldn't try to take advantage of her any further? But it didn't seem like that at all. It couldn't be.

But if she'd loved me, Richard thought to himself, why did she marry d'Anjou?

Had he, Richard, been right all along? Had d'Anjou not been the gentle, mild, virtuous husband Anne had always made him out to be? There were so many questions buzzing round in his head it was almost impossible to settle on one to ask.

But then, he thought, instead of pestering her with questions, he should instead tell her how he felt. Take off the mask for once in his life. Tell her that he loved her, he had done then and he still did now. Could he bring himself to do that?

"Anne..." he said, his face wearing the smile of one who is truly happy, for that was how Anne's words made him feel. "Anne...I felt the same way." He paused, praying she wouldn't take this the wrong way.

"And I still do."

Was this real; was it truly how he felt? He'd been trying to use Anne as a pawn in his games for so long...yet he couldn't deny he felt something for her...was it really love? Or was he lying to himself, as well as Anne? He had no idea.

[ANNE SOPHIE PLANTAGENET]

Noticing Richard start to speek she hoped that he had not noticed her little comment about him, but then quite suddenly she saw his expression change an started to stand up a little bit more in her chair, an the words that would be spilled out of Richards mouth were just to much for her an made her turn her face around


Anne turned around when she heard Richard say that he felt the same an started to grip the table sheet an bit her lower lip, as she started to gulp down every last bit of the chapagne an just felt her heart suddenly race.

No he had to take his words back , he just had to she could not accept it this was not happening he could not be in love, with her of all people, she loved her husband, she loved her child an not this man who had ruined everything.

Her life , her beautiful life an now she had just spilled it out that she had loved him, an he loved her back what was she going to do she did not know what to do, " I am still loving you" she told him all of a sudden an grasped her mouth, " But something made me fall in love with Edward, he was there when you were not we made love in our room an thats when I got pregnant " she told him an felt like she was goingto puke.

[RICHARD PLANTAGENET]

As Richard finished speaking he looked to Anne for her reaction, praying it would be the one he expected and hoped for. When she stood up Richard's stomach turned over; she was going to simply up, walk away and leave him there, after what he'd said? After a confession like that?

One of her hands gripped the tablecloth so hard her knuckles had gone white, the other grabbed the champagne glass. Richard watched, with a sort of shocked fascination, as Anne downed the whole thing without a second thought.

This would be...interesting. He never would have expected that.

As Anne turned back around Richard steeled himself for a barrage of insults, a torrent of verbal abuse, it was obvious from her actions she did not, could not, accept what he'd said...

But the words that spilled out of Anne's mouth next made Richard almost forget her obvious slight against him. So she'd loved both of them...but she'd loved Edward more...

"That...that doesn't mean he loved you more than I did," Richard said, in a somewhat strangled voice. It was bad enough that he wasn't even entirely sure of his own feelings towards Anne, without having all this divulged to him. He didn't know whether to be angry that Anne was rejecting his words, or shocked at her revelations; both emotions battled for dominance with neither the victor.

"Anne...don't you realize he was using you? If he'd really cared for you he wouldn't have done what he did...it was wrong of him to take advantage of you like that, surely you can see that?"

All the reasons he'd ever had for hating d'Anjou, the reasons he'd used time and time again to persuade Anne that d'Anjou had not been worthy of her...he felt he had to make them known again.

[ANNE SOPHIE PLANTAGENET]

Anne was petrified now of the information she had just told Richard as she did not know what was happening to her body, it made her feel dirty an really really scared of Richard, but also wondering if he had done this at all or if he had planned for her to act this way.

But then hearing him say that Edward had abused her , had mistreated her that was far enough an kicked him again an slapped his face a little bit more harder now than before, he had no right, he had not right to tell her what she had done right in her life an what she had done wrong.

Maybe she had exagerated on giving him that slap, but he had no right to say what he had said about Edward, an also what right did he have in front of her to treat her so, to say of her late husband what he had done an what he had not done to her. Yes she loved him in the beggining but now she just was on a very short line of actually caring for him.

She only hoped that she could have told him what she had told him in her head, an the way she had slapped him, she would have love to do that but her body suddenly not wanted to move or attack the person who had caused the greatest pain in her life.

What a sad Pathetic thing she was now, could she at least not defend herself say what she thought, then something else began to sprout an she cocked her head wondering if he would be capable of actually having a subtance that would bend her some more to his will.

[RICHARD PLANTAGENET]

Richard hadn't the faintest clue of the violent nature of Anne's thoughts. He simply saw her standing there, seemingly rooted to the spot, speechless.

He was immensely glad he'd thought to test the drug on Anne; he supposed that was the reason she wasn't attacking him at that moment, for he strongly suspected that was what she would do, knowing how violent she could get when she was angry.

The drug was working perfectly, he thought. Now to get through this dinner without any further incident.

As Anne hadn't said a word it seemed to be up to him to regain control of the situation and the conversation. He indicated her vacant chair and said, with a smile;

"Anne, my dear, why don't you sit yourself down again? The food should be here soon."

This being said he took the champagne bottle from its stand and refilled Anne's empty glass; the bottle itself didn't have the drug in it but giving Anne more alcohol, he figured, would only help heighten its effects. Besides, he reasoned, there was always the possibility there were some dregs of it left in the glass that Anne hadn't swallowed when she downed it originally.

Richard realized the conversation would have to revert back to what had been said; how could it not when it was of such gravity? But he knew he had to proceed carefully and so refrained for further mention of himself and Anne, or Anne and d'Anjou for the time being.