marysuevirus | The Mary Sue Virus: Beyond Death (Reply)

Title: The Mary Sue Virus: Beyond Death
Chapter Seventy One: The Plot Thickens
Fandom: Anita Blake universe
Rating: 18 and up
Warnings: graphic sex and violence, language, anything else i can toss in.
Disclaimer: the recognizable characters and places contained herein are the property of LKH. i'm merely borrowing for the sake of entertainment. no money is being made from this venture. the Sues are the sole property of their originators, Ginevra, Dazzledfirestar, Nanaea, SilverFoxChan and ladydeathfaerie. the concept and title of The Mary Sue Virus are used with permission from Dazzledfirestar.

Author's Notes: things are really getting going now. look for two or three more chapters in the next few days. cos... yeah.

The Mary Sue Virus: Beyond Death - Index Link

Janika took point, leading them back the way they'd come. Her hands clasped the bigger, heavier gun Edward had given to her just before leaving. The .22 seemed too small in the face of what she'd seen. Anyone who crossed her path deserved to die a slow and painful death for what they'd done to another human being. For what they'd done to her friend. They deserved the bigger cartridges that the nine mill he'd handed her earlier would deliver them. They deserved that and a whole lot more.

The notion came to her so suddenly and so easily. She should have been worried. Just as she should have been worried about not being a shaking mess. But she wasn't. She wasn't at all curious about the utter calm that had stolen over her. Normally, when she was out on some kind of mission like this, she was filled with a riot of emotions. Not now. Not today. Today, she was going to be as ruthless a killer as the man behind her. And she wasn't going to lose one ounce of sleep if she happened to put a bullet in the head of some fuck who had participated in what had happened to Aedan. Or had known and hadn't done a damn thing to stop it.

There was no one waiting for them on the landing as they stepped out the door. And no one was rushing up the stairs toward them, guns or knives bare in their hands. It made her nervous. She honestly felt there should have been people there. There should have been more bad guys to deal with. When they made it to the bottom of the stairs, she found the hallway empty. Some voice in her brain piped up, warning her that this was too easy. Something bad was going to happen. It just had to. Casting a glance back at Edward, Janika adjusted her grip on the weapon in her hand and started forward.

When she reached the door they'd come through earlier, she paused and strained her ears to hear anything. Not a sound came from the main part of the warehouse, but that didn't mean there wasn't someone there. It was possible someone was waiting for them on the other side of the door. It was possible they'd tripped some silent alarm and brought bad guys to their location. If that was the case, she had to hope that she was more than enough to protect them. Because Edward's hands were full.

Drawing a breath, she shot a look Edward's way to let him know that she was ready to move. His face was blank, keeping her from learning anything he might be thinking or feeling. But he nodded at her to let her know he was ready. She took a moment to calm her suddenly jittery nerves, then carefully slipped around the door into the entryway. And found herself face to face with four men. Two of them had dogs on chains. Dogs that began snapping and snarling the moment they saw her.

"Where are you going with the whore?" The question came from one of the men who stood without a canine companion. Tall. Thin. Well dressed. Blonde hair and blue eyes. Janika thought there was something familiar about him, thought she'd seen him before. But she couldn't place what or when or where.

He wasn't looking at her. Instead, he was looking past her, to where Edward stood. To Aedan, cradled in the other man's arms. The look on his face was some weird mixture of hate and lust, eyes dark with the emotions. Janika took a moment to look him over, from his perfectly styled hair to the shiny tips of his shoes. He reminded her of the televangelists she saw on cable TV at odd hours in the morning. The ones that preached hellfire and damnation and asked their gullible congregation to send money to help save man kind. The ones that, all the while, were banging some cheap and easy woman with a five dollar hair style and bright blue eye shadow.

She frowned at him. There was something about the way he'd called Aedan a whore... "She isn't a whore. She's my friend. And I'm getting her the fuck away from you crazy ass people."

"I'm afraid I can't let you do that," the man said. He lifted one hand and made a gesture that saw the two men with the dogs tugging ever so slightly on the chains they held. That action saw the dogs snarling and struggling to be let free. She knew, if the dogs were let off their chains, they'd maul her and Edward until death. Before any more could be said, before any other action could be taken, Janika pushed all thought aside and leveled her weapon. She really didn't want to do it, but she felt she had no choice. Her finger tapped the trigger once. Twice. In less than ten seconds, both dogs had been dispatched.

The man frowned at her and sighed, shook his head almost regretfully. "I really wish you hadn't done that. But now it seems I'll have to purify your soul, too."

Purify her soul? Is that what they'd been trying to do to Aedan? And what the hell did that even mean? What was he trying to purify from her soul? And why did purifying her come with abuse and torture? A flash of her friend's battered body running through her mind was all she needed to know that she wouldn't enjoy it. Nor would she survive. Janika shot him a look that plainly told him she had problems with that idea. "You can go to hell."

One man started moving. She didn't even register turning toward him. The gun jumped in her hand as she squeezed off a third round and the man dropped like a stone. She didn't bother trying to think about what she was doing. All she did was shift, aim and shoot. Three more times. The last shot was delivered to the man who had spoken. But where as she'd shot the other men in the head, she took this one in the stomach. A slow, bloody, painful death. It was the least he deserved.

Gun still raised, she once more began the trek toward the door. She heard Edward coming behind her. Together, they stopped by the man who was still alive. Again, Janika saw something familiar in his face. "She's a whore. She always has been." He paused and gasped for air, his hands slick with red as they attempted to stem the flow of blood. His suit was already dark with it, the fluid running fast and free from the hole she'd put in his gut. Those blue eyes, the eyes of a zealot, latched onto Aedan's body. "The power of the Devil lives inside of her. No matter what our father does, he'll never rid her of it."

"Shoot him in the head, Janika." Edward's voice was still just as cold as it had been earlier. She nodded and took aim, watching as his blue eyes rolled her way. Laughter shook his shoulders and ended with him coughing up blood.

"Father's little mistake. Father's little whore. Father's big sin." His words were the last piece of the puzzle and it all just suddenly clicked into place. He looked familiar because he looked like Aedan. Which meant that he was some kind of family member. And if what he'd said was true, he was a sibling. A brother. He was Aedan's brother and he knew what had been done to her. He knew and he hadn't tried to stop it.

Brothers weren't supposed to do that to their sisters. They were supposed to protect them. They were supposed to do anything and everything they could to keep their sisters safe! They weren't supposed to torture them. They weren't supposed to let other people hurt them. Rage such as she'd never felt in all her life boiled up inside of her. She lifted the gun and pointed it at his head. Her finger tapped the trigger. Again and again and again. She didn't stop pulling the trigger until the gun clicked hollowly, letting her know she'd emptied the rest of the magazine into him. Didn't lower her weapon until she saw that she'd made so much hamburger of the man's face and head.

Janika said nothing. She didn't look at Edward. She simply shoved the gun away in a pocket and drew her .22, then started across the floor to the door. She swore she could feel Edward's approval touching her back as he followed after her.

They made it to the car with little trouble. It was one of those ones that had a keypad outside the driver's door, making the need for keys mostly unnecessary. Edward rattled off the combination to open it, watching her as she punched the buttons in the right order. When the lock clicked open, she pulled open the door and hit the auto locks, unlocking the rest of the doors. She had the rear door open before he could say anything. He was careful to load Aedan into the vehicle as gently as possible. Still, she let off a soft moan a time or two when Edward jostled her. He made sure the coat stayed wrapped firmly around her, one hand reaching up to brush her hair away from her face in as tender an action as Janika had seen him use. Then he shut the door softly and went around to the trunk.

After bringing the keys from his pocket, he opened the trunk and passed them off to Janika. "Start the car. Then get in the backseat with Aedan and sit with her." Janika watched as he pulled back a blanket and started dragging equipment from the trunk of the vehicle.

"What are you going to do?" She had an idea, but she wanted to be sure.

Edward held a wand like apparatus in his hand. A hose ran between it a tank he carried in his free hand. The smile he gave her would have made her shiver if it had been directed at her. "I'm going to finish this. Go start the car." She watched him walk off, then climbed into the car to do as she'd been told.

He was inside for what felt like a long time. When he finally emerged from the warehouse, Janika could see that flames were already starting to eat through the roof. Thick black smoke was billowing unchecked up into the sky. She sat in the backseat with Aedan's head cradled in her lap. The other woman was still unconscious, for which Janika was truly thankful. After playing in the trunk for a few seconds, Edward slammed the lid down and slid in behind the wheel. The car flowed into motion, pulling away from the warehouse and leaving it in the dust.

Janika watched the burning building grow smaller, head turned so that she looked over her shoulder and out the rear window. Watched as the smoke poured out into the sky, staining the blue with black. The entire time, her hands moved gently against Aedan's hair and face with the need to reassure herself that this wasn't some kind of dream, that it was real and Aedan was safe.

~*~

"Janika! Where the hell are you? Are you out of your mind? You know that no one is supposed to leave the Circus without having someone at their side! What the fuck were you thinking?" Minette's voice was strident with fear and worry. Which was why Janika ignored her tirade. But before she could answer any of the woman's questions, Minette went on. "We damn near had kittens when we realized you were gone! Do you know what Jean Claude is going to do to you when he rises this evening? He's already out of his mind about Aedan. If something had happened to you..."

Janika sighed loudly. She'd stepped outside to place the call, leaving Edward to sit and hold vigil. So far, the doctors hadn't told them much of anything that they didn't already know. And she'd needed the break. The adrenalin was starting to wear off and that left Janika with nothing but a lovely case of emptiness and exhaustion coupled with the shakes and the fear that she'd be plagued by nightmares for years to come. "Minette! Would you shut the fuck up for five minutes and let me get a word in?" she snapped, letting some of her emotional turmoil out in her voice. That brought the other woman to silence. After a few moments, when she was sure that Minette wasn't going to start back up, Janika drew a breath and sighed again. "I didn't leave by myself. I'm with Edward. He got... information from someone and we acted on it. We have Aedan."

The last was said softly enough that she could hear the other woman's gasp even before she stopped speaking. Janika vaguely heard a masculine voice from the other end of the line and realized that Minette was with either Micah or Jason. Maybe both. When she spoke again, Minette sounded both hopeful and frightened. "You have her?"

"We have her." Janika allowed all of the relief she felt to pour into her voice. "She's unconscious right now. The bastards holding her did a real number on her. I don't know when she's going to wake up. I just thought I'd call and let you know what was going on. So you didn't freak out or anything."

There was silence from the other end for a moment. Then Minette sighed. "Right. I'm sorry. But this whole mess has had me on the edge and... Wait. Why are you with Edward?"

"I rode shotgun." Janika told her. And that was all she told her. Anything Minette wanted to know, she could ask Edward. Maybe he'd tell her. Maybe he wouldn't. That was up to him. Janika didn't ever want to think about it again if she could help it. "I just thought I should take a minute to call and let everyone know that we have Aedan and she's going to be okay. Eventually. Its going to take a while."

"Where are you, Janika? We'll come immediately." Micah was the one who asked the question. For some reason, she was relieved that he was there. She'd come to realize that Micah was ever the voice of reason and he could instill a sense of calm on people when they were on the verge of panicking. No doubt Minette would need his soothing nature around her for a while longer. When she saw what had been done to Aedan... Those men were lucky they were already dead.

She dutifully rattled off the name of the hospital, St. Louis University Hospital, and told him that they had yet to put Aedan into a room. Some of her exhaustion must have sounded in her voice, because Micah's tone was gentle when next he spoke. "Go get some rest, Janika. Its been a long day for you already. I'll get the word out and we'll be there soon."

Janika sighed into the phone. "Thank you, Micah." He said nothing else, simply hung the phone up. She closed her cell phone and turned to look at the Emergency Room entrance. "Please, God or whoever up there is listening. Let her be okay."

Prayer said, she started for the door.

~*~*~*~*~

The nerve biting energy brought her out of the comfortable, safe arms of unconsciousness. She didn't want to wake up, didn't want to find herself in that horrible little room with those horrible men who'd done horrible things to her. She just didn't think she could take it anymore. She'd tried to be strong, had done so for days. She'd blocked Jean Claude and Minette out of her mind, kept them from knowing what was happening to the best of her abilities. But when the pain had been too much, they'd been there with her. They'd lived through what she'd lived through. And that had given her reason to fight to keep them safe all over again.

She was too tired to fight anymore. Too tired to protect them. Something had to give. And soon. If they didn't kill her, she was going to give them every last bit of information they needed to know. She'd do it just to feel some kind of relief. Until the guilt started to eat at her. Then she'd wish they'd simply kill her and be done with it.

She wanted to fall back into the emptiness of unconsciousness again. She wanted to escape her fate. Even death was preferable to the hell she was in. She reached for the lingering wisps of safety, only to have them brushed aside by another wash of stinging energy. It brought a soft moan from her lips while she struggled to open her eyes. Sit up. Do something.

A hand touched her forehead, cool as the first winter wind, and she found herself bathed in the cold waters of death as power flooded over her. She sighed softly, her body responding to it so easily. She knew that power as well as she knew her own name. "Jean Claude." She murmured the words aloud, her voice hoarse.

"Oui, ma mie. I am here." he replied. Despite the softness of his voice, she still heard him clearly. Relief washed through her so sharply that she thought she might become giddy with it. But then she remembered where she was and she struggled against the lethargy that held her. It took effort to pry her eye open so that she could seek him out. Fear ran through her. He was smiling when her gaze landed on him. And his hand stroked across her forehead again. Filled her with that sweet sensation of death again. "Rest, ma mie. You are safe. You are in the hospital."

She relaxed back into the mattress beneath her and sighed. Just that small bit of moving had exhausted her pitiful energy stores. And she could feel the faint sensation of deep pain clinging just under the surface of the drugs that the hospital had pumped into her system. It was distant and unimportant in the face of the meds that were being fed to her through the IV. "How'd I get here?" she asked, voice raw and hoarse.

"I brought you." The sound of a second voice saw her turning her head, oh so very slowly, to the side. She found Edward leaning against the far wall, arms over his chest. He was watching her closely, as if he expected her to simply disappear. His expression was empty, his face impassive. It was still one of the best sights she'd ever laid her eyes on in all her life. She offered him a smile, understanding without being told that he'd been the one to find her and rescue her.

"Thank you." She whispered the words and closed her eye. That lasted for as long as it took her to remember the men who'd tried their best to get her to give Jean Claude up to them. She sought Edward out again. "What about the...?"

"They're gone. They'll never harm another person ever again," Edward assured her. Even though his voice was even and normal, there was an underlying sense of dark pleasure to his words that let her know just what had happened to those men. Aedan sighed and allowed her eye to slip shut once more. The cool touch of Jean Claude's power was a soothing balm that urged her back toward sleep. She was drifting off when she thought she felt something warm brush her forehead. Edward's voice came again, this time for just above her. It was a whisper of sound filled with tenderness. "Get some rest, Aedan. I'll be here when you wake up."

She barely heard the door swish shut behind him.

"And I will sit with you through the night, ma mie" Jean Claude promised her softly. That promise made her want to stay awake. It had been days since she'd seen him. She didn't want to close her eyes and drift off, only to find him gone when she lifted her lids the next time. She was so afraid that this was nothing more than a dream. Her hand found his even as she forced her untouched eye open again. Jean Claude's deep blue gaze met her blueish-grey one.

"How'd he find me?"

"You should not worry so about such things. Get some rest. You have taken..."

"I know how badly they beat me. I was there. I tried to keep the worst of it from you, but I was still there," Aedan said softly. Sighing, she tried to rein in her temper. It wasn't going to help anything at the moment. Leveling out her voice, making it sound more normal, she tried again. "I haven't seen you in days. I was starting to think I'd never see you again. I just want to look at you, Jean Claude. Please."

He sighed, but eventually nodded and inched the chair behind him closer to the bed. His hand closed around hers and held it tightly. "When it was discovered that you had been taken, Edward wasted no time. He went through every one of his contacts in the hopes that they could tell him something. It was purely by luck that he happened to overhear Gretchen and Peter speaking to one another. He thought it odd. So he asked my permission to question them. I agreed."

"You mean he tortured them." There was no question in her words. He nodded, not holding the truth back. Aedan considered that for a moment, then gave a sigh. "Good. Its no less than they deserve."

"Deserved. Gretchen and Peter are dead. Edward saw to it that they would never be able to hurt you again," Jean Claude told her. She gave him a faint smile.

"Remind me to send him a gift basket."

"You will need to send one to Janika, as well. She was instrumental in securing your release," Jean Claude said. His thumb stroked back and forth over her palm, a gentle, soothing motion that made her sigh. Before she could ask him anything about the other woman, he volunteered the information. "She went with Edward and helped retrieve you from the men who were holding you." He paused and she swore he wanted to tell her something else. But he didn't. Only moments later, the door to her room swung open and the woman in question walked in. Asher was behind her. She threw them both a smile. Based on the looks they gave her in return, she had to look bad.

"Well, don't all be so happy to see me," she croaked softly. While Janika only frowned, Asher dredged up a small, pained smile that did little to hide his disgust. "I know I look bad. But you should see the other guy."

"I did. He died too fast," Janika told her. "Both of them died too fast. If you hadn't needed to get to a doctor, I think Edward might have taken a little more time with them."

"I wasn't dying. He should have taken the time." Aedan's hand sought out the controls for the bed, adjusting it so that she sat up higher. The shift of positions left her pale and sweaty, her breath coming in painful gasps. That told her someone had gone through the trouble of breaking at least one rib. And just when she'd gotten over the demon's attack. Damn her luck.

It took her a moment to regain her breath and though no one said anything, she was sure she could feel their displeasure pressing down on her shoulders. Aedan ignored that displeasure. There was nothing to be done for the ribs other than move slowly, wait for them to heal. She looked at Janika and let the woman see the darkness that lived inside of her. "Better yet, he should have taken them prisoner and let me take my time with them when I could hold a knife."

For a few beats of her heart, those words hung in the air, tainting it with something foul and evil. Then Jean Claude's fingers grazed her forehead again. Aedan found herself swept up in the familiar embrace of his power and such thoughts kind of faded into the background. "It is better that they are dead and you are not, ma mie," he said gently.

"Don't baby me. I'm not the naïve little girl every one thinks I am. They deserved more than they got. Knowing Edward, he didn't waste any time and simply shot them in the head."

"One of them had a knife. It had blood on it. The dowel that the other one held was bloody, as well. I don't want to know what he did with it, Aedan." Janika told her. There was such a serious look on her face that Aedan found she had nothing to say. "We were more concerned about you than just how much torture those two Neanderthals deserved for what they'd done."

Silence fell between them as Aedan weighed the other woman's statement. She felt certain that there was something Janika wasn't telling her. Something that the other woman deemed important. Something she wasn't sure she was ready to tell her friend. Aedan wondered if she should push it. In the end, it didn't matter and she left it alone. Finally, she heaved a sigh and closed her eye. "Thank you. I don't think I could have taken much more."

"I'm just glad you're still in one piece," Janika said softly.

"Me, too," Aedan replied. She might have drifted off again, surrounded as she was by so much dead power and Janika's quiet presence. But a stinging, frenetic burst of power played across her skin, hot and annoying as ants biting, to let her know that somewhere outside of her room was an anxious lycanthrope with a ton of power. "Fuck. What the hell is going on out there? Did I lose enough time that its the full moon and I didn't know?"

"That would be Minette," Jean Claude told her with a faint chuckle. Aedan opened her good eye to look up at him. Apparently, there was something humorous about the situation. A single brow going up let him know he could explain that one to her. "Edward asked her to leave your room earlier when it became obvious she could not control her temper."

"Edward asked Minette to leave?" Even to Aedan, her words sounded skeptical.

"Apparently at the end of his gun. How he got it past hospital security, I do not know. But he told her that she could not visit you until she had herself under control."

"He's a Federal Marshal. He can carry his gun just about anywhere so long as he has his credentials with him. You know that. And I think he just got himself taken off her Christmas card list," Aedan managed, a chuckle rasping its way up her throat. The vampire at her side only inclined his head in response. Even Janika managed a faint snicker. Asher was the only one who said nothing. In fact, if she hadn't been able to feel his power, Aedan would have sworn that he wasn't there. Turning her attention to the blonde vampire, she offered him a smile. "Don't tell me you're repulsed by my looks. I mean, I'm sure I look a fright but I can't be that scary."

"You were almost killed, Aedan," Asher said softly. While Janika had moved closer to the bed the moment she'd stepped into the room, he'd taken up a position on the far wall, his face turned so that he could stare out the window. All she could see was the tip of his nose and a hint of lip as he spoke. The rest was hidden behind the veil of his golden hair. Aedan sighed.

"And you blame yourself for this?" she asked.

"If I had not been late to meet you..." he began. Her snort cut him off and she watched as the hand at his side flexed, the fingers curling to form a fist.

"Don't, Asher. It wasn't your fault."

"If I had been there..."

"Do you think I'd have been able to forgive myself if any harm had befallen you? They wanted me." Though no one had said anything, she was smart enough to know that her bodyguards had likely been dealt with. In a really death inducing way. If the men who had taken her had been willing to kill the rats, they likely would have been willing to do the same to Asher. When he didn't react to her words, she turned her gaze on Jean Claude. "He doesn't know, does he? You didn't tell him?"

Blue eyes regarded her for a few seconds before he shook his head. Any other time, she might have been entranced by the way his ebony curls moved, but Asher was more important at the moment. Jean Claude's hand found hers and squeezed it gently. Have care how you tread, ma mie. You know Asher is fragile.

"Gretchen." The single name brought that blonde head around and Aedan found herself pinned by the weight of Asher's icy stare. Had she not been protected by her necromancy and the marks Jean Claude had given her, she knew she'd have been drowning in the depths of his eyes while he pulled every last ounce of information he wanted from her. "It was Gretchen, Asher. She was desperate to get me away from Jean Claude. The man that attempted to blow up the Church of Eternal Life convinced her the way to do it was to give me over to some psycho religious sect." She kept everything else to herself. They couldn't know.

He remained silent, but he was looking at her again. Offering him a faint smile, she tugged her hand from Jean Claude's hold and reached for him with it. The other arm didn't really want to work well enough to do any reaching. Not to mention the doctors had done some ingenious binding to keep her from moving her shoulder and messing it up again before it could put itself back together. He stared at her hand for a moment or two, then crossed the room and wrapped his fingers around it. His power jolted up her arm, cool and sweet as the grave. She sighed and squeezed his hand. "If it hadn't been that night, Asher, it would have been another. Gretchen would have found a way. And I shudder to think what she might have tried to do to you, had you gotten in her way. Its better this way."

They all knew that she meant it was better she'd been the one battered and beaten. Asher had already suffered more than anyone should be forced to. He wore the evidence of that abuse on his body and his soul and it forever tainted how he saw people. And himself. Aedan would heal. The scars would heal. Asher wouldn't be quite that lucky.

She watched as his eyes moved slowly over her face. They took in every mark, every cut, every scratch, every bruise they could see. No doubt if she tossed back the covers, he'd catalogue every last inch of her flesh and commit to memory each sin those men had perpetrated against her. And those marks would be his justification for anything he did to those who had been involved.

"She dies," Asher spat coldly.

"It is already done, mon chardonneret. Edward brought her to me in pieces." Jean Claude's voice held smug satisfaction. Asher looked up at him.

"And the other? The one she conspired with?"

"Brought to me the same way. They will trouble us no longer." The two men stared at one another over her bed, sharing a look that spoke volumes without uttering a word. Aedan gave them a moment, then tugged on Asher's hand to draw his attention back to her. When he looked down again, she could see that some of the guilt had left his eyes. Not all of it, but enough that she knew he would be okay.

"This wasn't your fault, Asher. Please don't blame yourself." She offered him a smile and knew that it was likely less impressive than usual. Those men had taken such pleasure in smacking her around when she'd made a wise crack about their sexual prowess, she was surprised she still had teeth in her head. "I'm glad you're here."

"And I am glad you are safe." He smiled then, an honest and real smile. It felt to her as if the sun had come out from behind the clouds. Her eye fluttered closed when he leaned down to press a kiss to her forehead. It made her wonder how badly her face was bruised if no one dared touch her anywhere but her head.

"Can't leave my family behind, can I?" she asked, mouth pulling wide in a yawn. The move made her aware that bruises likely ran the length of one side of her face. Asher reached out and gently stroked the hair back from her face.

"You should rest, Aedan. You need sleep." His voice was deep, the tone coaxing. It made her yawn despite herself. She knew he was right, but she didn't want to let go. She was afraid that they'd all be gone when she woke the next time, that this was all a dream meant to torment her even further. "We will not leave your side tonight. I promise you this."

"This isn't a dream?" she whispered, already halfway lost. Asher smiled at her, then lifted her hand to press a kiss into the palm. He settled it against the mattress and shook his head.

"This is no dream," he told her. She needed nothing else. Sleep came for her and she went.

~*~*~*~*~

"Who the hell do you think you are, kicking me out of Aedan's room?" Minette snarled at Edward, every ounce of anger she felt fed into her words. It apparently wasn't enough to do much more than see the man blink at her, as if he was trying to figure out why she was talking to him. Which only served to make her angrier than she was. Micah's hand settled on her arm She didn't know if he'd done so to hold her back. Or maybe to warn her. She didn't care what he meant by it. Edward had a lot of nerve if he thought he could keep her from her best friend's side.

"The person who happens to be looking after her best interests," he replied, tone almost negligent. It made her think he was only answering her because it amused him to do so.

"Excuse you? You're looking after her best interests? Seriously? You're going to stand there and say that to me with a straight face. When we all know you're lying," she accused. Her hand motioned to the chairs behind her, where the rest of Aedan's friends and family sat.

"I'm going to stand here and say that to you because its the truth. And before you get yourself all fluffed up in anger, little kitty, let me remind you that Aedan has made me part of her family. Her choice. Not yours. Not mine. Hers," Edward told her, voice mild. As if she was amusing him. "As such, its well within my rights to make sure she gets the rest she needs after having been beaten the way she was. After having been tortured the way she was. You were unable or unwilling to control yourself earlier. Your histrionics would have woken Aedan and what she needs most right now is sleep."

Edward paused and stared at Minette. Watched her intently, as if waiting for something. She glared at him, her temper spiking with his attitude, and opened her mouth to give him a piece of her mind. "Also, I have to wonder why you're making such a big deal about it all. You were the one who told her she had no right, that you couldn't ignore what she'd done."

"That isn't fair, Edward." Jason stepped up next to Minette, settling a hand on her arm. Minette watched as those cold blue eyes slid Jason's way. The smile that he gave the man at her side lacked warmth or emotion or even a sense of realism. It wasn't quite the smile Death gifted to his victims, but Minette thought it was damn close. To his credit, Jason didn't shrink back. Minette was pretty sure the urge was there, though. It was creeping along under her skin at the moment. "You can't expect her to let something like that go."

"Ah. I see. I'm supposed to forget that you all ignored her after she got out of the hospital, that you more or less let her think none of you wanted anything to do with her."

"Where were you during the week after she got out of the hospital?" Minette asked, grabbing hold of his words with both hands.

"She knew exactly where I was. Also, it may come as a surprise to you, but I do know how to use a phone," he pointed out. "But that's not my point. My point is, every last one of you told her you would never be able to forgive her for acting as she did. And then you walked out on her. And you only showed any kind of remorse for such actions when you found out she had been taken. Which makes me question your motives now."

It hurt, having her words thrown back in her face. No matter how right Minette had been when she'd spoken them. Which made her temper spike even higher. "And yet, Janika is in visiting her. I seem to recall she walked out of the room first. What makes her so special? Why was she the one you took with you?"

"Because Janika didn't allow her emotions to run wild at a crucial moment. Because she wasn't going to rely solely on brute strength to get the job done," Edward told her pointedly. That comment served to drive the barb in a little deeper. To make it all hurt a little more. Minette was ready to explode, energy boiling under her skin that begged her to let it out.

"You're an insufferable prick," she growled. And, just like that, Edward's eyes went glacial. His posture didn't change. Nothing but his eyes really changed. But everyone in the waiting area knew he was ready to draw his weapon. All she had to do was say the right word.

"Don't make me hurt you, little kitty," he warned, voice cold. "For some reason or another, Aedan still considers you her family. I would hate to hurt her any more than she already has been."

Minette's stare intensified a moment before she narrowed her eyes on him. "Are you threatening me, human?" Her voice had deepened and the leopard was audible in it. Edward looked absolutely unruffled by the change.

"If I was threatening you, Minette, you'd know. You wouldn't have to ask," he told her evenly. "And your behavior right now? This is exactly why I threw you out of Aedan's hospital room. You can't control your temper, which means you can't control your energy. I could tell when it spiked, because Aedan reacted to it. You might be her best friend," he said and stopped, the look on his face and the tone of his voice suggesting plainly that he had a hard time believing that. "But I am the one who was charged with the task of looking out for her. To protect her. To keep her safe. And I take my job seriously. When you can calm down and act like a rational adult, then you can go in to see her. But not until then."

"I don't think you're treating us very fairly, Edward," Rhiannon said, her voice soft in the sudden silence of the waiting room. She was seated on one of the couches, Nathaniel at her side. She was the only one in the group who was wearing a contrite look, though Minette wasn't sure why. "You know why we were upset with Aedan. Don't tell me you actually agree with what she did."

Edward's attention shifted to Rhiannon, though Minette felt it was a safe bet that he was more than aware of what she was doing. Each move she made. Each breath she took. "Of course I don't agree with what she did. I made sure she was aware just how stupid I thought her actions were. But not once, when we were talking about it, did I tell her that I'd never forgive her for doing what she felt was right. I heard her out. I made my feelings known. And that was the end of it. No guilt trips. No acting like she was some kind of leper. I made sure she knew I was still part of her family, despite my feelings on her actions. He let his gaze slide from face to face, finally stopping when it came to rest on Minette again. "Can any of you say the same?"

Minette noticed that no one said anything. A quick glance around showed her that Rhia and Isis were wearing looks that suggested they were feeling properly chastised. She snarled out a curse and glared at Edward. "She played fast and loose with her life, Edward. Not a care or concern for any of us. For what we would feel and go through. She just made the choice and did it."

"And it never occurred to you that she did what she did because of the care and concern she felt for you?" he asked. Minette blinked. It felt like an odd question when she'd just heard him call Aedan's actions stupid. "She literally gave her life to ensure that none of you would have to die. You, specifically, Rhiannon. But all of you, in general. Because if she hadn't stopped the demon, who would have?"

"It was supposed to be me," Rhia whispered. She sounded upset. Rattled.

"And how did you plan on surviving? Did you even think about that part? Did you have a plan at all?" Edward asked, letting his gaze slide the other woman's way. Minette shifted her attention to Rhia, found that the woman was looking a little lost and a little pale. Which told Minette that the answer to two of Edward's questions was no. "As stupid and as reckless as Aedan's actions were, she had a plan."

"That still didn't stop her from dying," Minette pointed out.

"No. It didn't. But it kept her from dying sooner," Edward returned. Minette frowned at that. What did it even mean? "Aedan managed to survive the demon as long as she did because she planned for it. She siphoned energy off her rat guards. Which served two purposes. It rendered them incapable of stopping her. And it gave her enough energy to last through the whole thing so that the demon could be dealt with. So, reckless as it was, she had a plan. She knew what she was doing."

"And she did it without telling anyone," Rhia reminded him.

"You don't have to remind me. I was there. I saw the aftermath. I know how idiotic she was. And I'm not saying you aren't entitled to be angry at her for that. What we're discussing here is the fact that she literally laid down her life to keep you all safe. Selflessly. Because she cares about you all. And you, in your anger, abandoned her." Edward's gaze slid around the room, once again landing on the three of them. Minette didn't like the fact that Death had some how managed to lay a guilt trip. And a damn good one. Because she suddenly felt like shit and she didn't think she had any reason to feel bad about the way things had gone.

Edward heaved a sigh and just like that, he was simply Edward again. The look he gave Minette was almost sympathetic. "I get it. I do. You want to strangle her for her recklessness one second, then hug her for not dying the next. Right or wrong, she did this for you guys. She loves you. All of you. You may or may not believe me, but she's more open around you guys than I've ever known her to be. I'm not saying you have to give up your anger. Just... remember that she cares. That she loves you. Maybe take it a little easier on her."

They all watched as Edward turned and left the waiting area. Minette could only stare. It was Isis who broke the silence, her voice filled with disbelief. "Did Edward just... go Dad on us?"

"I think he did, Isis. I really think he did," Rhia replied.

~*~*~*~*~

It felt like the four of them congregating in a hospital room was becoming common place, even though this was only the second time. But it was the second time in the space of two weeks. And considering they'd all been in St. Louis and involved in Jean Claude's kiss for just over three months, it was two too many. Two too fast. Rhia let her gaze take in the room, with its soothing but bland pale blue walls, the tiny closet meant to hold exactly one shoe, half a bra, and a pair of thong underwear, the door opened on a utilitarian bathroom, and the bank of windows that looked out at the other side of the hospital building.

There was a single bed in the room, marking it as a private room. And Aedan was settled in the center of the bed, eyes closed and head laid back against the pillows. The side of her face was puffy and bruised, letting Rhia know that her captors had smacked her upside the head more than once. Her right arm was settled on the mattress beside her while her left lay across her belly. There were red marks up and down both arms that looked to be in various stages of healing. She could only imagine what the rest of the woman's body looked like.

"Quit staring at me. I feel like pheasant under glass," Aedan ordered, voice soft and raspy. She pried her eyes open in order to stare back. For just a moment, she looked like she was startled to see all of them standing there. But the look was gone and she motioned to the room with her left hand. "Health care chic. Gotta love it."

"We need to stop meeting like this," Isis commented, the first one to move further into the room.

"Tell that to the fuckers who grabbed me. Oh, wait. You can't. They were dispatched with extreme prejudice," Aedan told them. Her gaze slid around the room, landing on each of them in turn. She started with Isis, who stood at the foot of her bed, then shifted her gaze to Janika. A faint smile graced Aedan's lips. Rhia saw a matching one flash across Janika's face before it faded away. Aedan's eyes found Rhia's face next and Rhia could see the question in the other woman's gaze. Were they okay? Had things changed? Before Rhia could answer, Aedan's focus shifted over to Minette, who was still standing near the door.

Silence hung heavy in the room for a moment or two, then Aedan blinked and nodded her head. Lifted one shoulder in a shrug. "Its cool. I get it. Its cool. You have every right to be mad and you don't have to feel obligated to stay here if you don't want to." The necromancer's voice sounded steady and even, but Rhia knew it was a well crafted ruse. How, she couldn't say. Maybe it was her gift. Maybe it was just that she knew how her friends worked. Whatever the reason, she could tell that Aedan was not as laid back as she wanted them to think.

"Of course I want to be here," Minette replied. There was a touch of hesitance in her voice that belied her words. She paused to draw a breath. Cleared her throat, Stepped further into the room. "I was lost while you were gone. I felt some of what you felt. I don't know how you withstood it all. I want to be here, Aedan. But I don't know if I'm welcome."

Aedan stared at the woman a moment. Two. Her face was blank, not even a hint of what she felt in her eyes. Then a soft smile came and she lifted her left hand. Held it out toward Minette. "Of course you're welcome. You're family. Right?" With her last word, her gaze once more slid around the room so that it touched all of them. The question was meant for all of them. Rhia heard, in that single word, all of Aedan's hope and fear.

Minette closed the distance between them, took hold of Aedan's hand and pressed it against her face. Pressed a kiss into the woman's palm. "We're always family, Aedan," she whispered. It was a promise.

"I owe you all an apology," she told them, voice soft. "I know what I did was selfish and wrong. I didn't realize just how much it would hurt anyone."

"I'd say its water under the bridge, but that would give you the impression it was okay to do such a stupid and foolhardy thing again. So I won't. And I'll accept your apology," Janika replied, her expression serious. "Just don't... Don't do anything like that again. We might not get so lucky the next time."

She moved in to lean over the bed. They all watched as Janika delivered a quick hug, then pressed a lingering kiss against Aedan's lips. A silent reminder of what she would have left behind. After Janika pulled back, Isis took her turn giving the woman a hug. It was awkward and one armed, making Rhia wonder if Isis knew something she didn't. When the lioness stepped back, Aedan's eyes came to rest on Rhia. A silent question lingered in them.

"You had no right to take my choice from me without explaining to me why you took it away," Rhia reminded her, not quite ready to let her off the hook for her stupidity. Aedan cringed at the harshness of her tone, but she didn't look away.

"You're right. I didn't. I should have asked you. Or explained things. I thought I was protecting you. All of you."

"I'm with Janika. I'm not ready to let you off the hook just yet. But I am so glad that your kidnappers didn't harm you any worse than they did," Rhia said, finally giving in and crossing the room. She leaned down and pressed a kiss to Aedan's forehead. Brushed her hair back from her face. "What did they even want with you? Why did they take you?"

For a moment, it looked like Aedan wasn't going to answer. Her eyes went flat and her face lost any life that had been in it. She sighed, letting her gaze once more circle the room. Rhia was certain that she saw the same questions in the faces of the other three women. "They wanted to know where Jean Claude's daytime resting place was."

"What?" Minette exclaimed, forehead crinkled in confusion.

"Why?" Isis added.

"They wanted to kill him," Janika said quietly. Furiously. Rhia's gaze shifted the redhead's way. There was such a look of rage on her face that it was almost frightening.

"Yes. Well, not them. They were working for someone else. A third party wanted his location so that they could kill him. Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum weren't very inventive in their torture methods. They weren't very subtle, either. Which is what helped make it easy to cut myself off from you and Jean Claude." The last was said to Minette.

"So someone hired these men to kidnap you and torture the location of Jean Claude's lair out of you. How did they even know?"

"Gretchen and the fire bomber," Aedan said quietly.

Minette actually snarled. "Gretchen? That rotten bitch. I'm going to tear her apart with my bare hands."

"Not necessary," Aedan replied.

"What do you mean, not necessary?" Minette demanded. "Of course its necessary! She nearly got you killed! Does Jean Claude know? What does he have to say about this? Surely he won't let her actions go without punishment."

"Of course he knows. And it isn't necessary because Edward already dealt with her. The fire bomber, too. They're dead. He got to do what I didn't," she replied. Her eyes drifted over to where Janika stood. The redhead frowned and crossed her arms over her chest.

"You're not going to let that go, are you?" she asked. "I told you. We were more worried about you than about letting you have a crack at those two pieces of crap. They were a pestilence upon the earth and good riddance to them. Their kind should be wiped out."

"I've heard a lot of that lately," Aedan muttered. Rhia frowned, curious as to what Aedan meant by that. She suspected it had something to do with her run ins with Cassadore and she once again kicked herself for being star struck by the man. If she never ran into him again, it would be too soon. Of course, he might make sure such a thing never happened, after she'd nearly wiped him off the face of the earth not even two weeks ago. Rhia frowned. She couldn't get so lucky.

"I had every right to confront my attackers and show them just how much fun it is when you can't fight back," Aedan returned.

"And Edward and I had every right to ensure that you were safe. Not in the vicinity of death," Janika shot back.

"Which I wasn't. You could have tied them up. Let them stew while I recovered. I could have had some real fun with a boning knife," Aedan retorted. It left Rhia with that same feeling she'd had before, that there was more to Aedan than any of them really knew. It left Rhia wondering if she ever actually wanted to find out if she was right.

"We're not arguing about this, Aedan," Janika said firmly. "If you want to discuss the fate of your kidnappers, take it up with Edward. He's the one who shot them in the heads. Not me."

"You can be damn certain I will," Aedan said, a frown creeping across her face. Rhia was mildly surprised by that. She could remember a time when Aedan would have run screaming from the man if he'd simply looked at her the right way. Or at all. She couldn't decide if Aedan had grown more reckless or if something had changed in their relationship. Hell, maybe it was both.

"How long will you be out of commission this time?" Minette asked. Likely as a means of changing the subject. Aedan frowned as she considered that.

"According to my doctor, it should be a good few weeks before I'm capable of getting up and getting around. He's concerned that there was permanent damage done to the soles of my feet. I don't want to tell him that they're already starting to itch. And he hasn't looked at them since yesterday. I got the distinct impression that he won't be in again until tomorrow morning. All I can do is hope that Jean Claude decides to take me back to the lair before that happens. I pity the man if Doctor Lillian is involved. I can only imagine how intimidating that woman can be."

"I'm sure Jean Claude's already thinking about it," Minette assured her. "I wouldn't be surprised if he tries to get you released tonight."

"More than likely. I don't need medical professionals looking at me like I'm some weird new species of human being." Aedan visibly stifled a shudder at that.

"I'll mention it to him after he's risen," Minette promised.

"I would appreciate that," Aedan returned.

The room lapsed into silence for a bit as the need to talk seemed to die. Or maybe it was simply that none of them really knew what to say. How did you have a lighthearted conversation with a friend who had almost died twice in less than two weeks? What did you talk about?

"I want to have a get together when you get out of here," Isis said suddenly, effectively breaking the silence that had fallen over them. Aedan blinked and turned to look questioningly at the lioness.

"A get together? What kind of a get together?" she asked. Rhia thought she sounded a touch suspicious.

"You know. A get together. The pride. The pard. Your family. I think it would be good for everyone involved," Isis told her. "I don't know about the pard, but the pride was upset when they found out you'd been marked for death. And they want to protect you. They consider you part of the family."

Aedan looked positively shocked by that admission. "I... think I'd like that, Isis. But maybe we can have it after I've healed up some? I don't think I'm up to a party just yet."

"Oh. Of course. Of course we can wait until you're all healed and rested. I didn't mean right away," Isis replied. The lioness shifted her gaze Minette's way. "Do you think the pard would join in? I'd like them to be part of this. I know that Aedan is as much a part of the pard as she is the pride."

"I think they'd like it very much," Minette nodded. "I can ask them when things settle down a little bit. Then we can plan where to have it. Who will be invited. That kind of thing. Are we inviting the vampires? Technically, they're as much a part of Aedan's family as the pride and the pard."

"I mean..." Isis began, eyebrows rising as she made a face that really didn't mean anything. She shrugged, shoulders raising up as her hands lifted in an 'I guess' type of gesture. "I don't see why we can't. We'll have to sit down and work out logistics and all."

"We can definitely do that," Minette nodded. A look at the Nimir-Ra said she was already making plans in her head. Rhia saw Aedan roll her eyes, but she was smiling indulgently all the same.

"Any excuse to have a party," she grumbled good-naturedly. "You're as bad as Jean Claude. And speaking of, let me tell you right now. I am not wearing some long, flowing, tight gown to this thing. Jeans and a t-shirt. Coat. My gun. Don't even think about doing anything fancier than that." The look Aedan gave them said she absolutely meant it. Given that the last two times she'd been dressed up for a fancy party, bad things had happened, Rhia felt it was a safe bet that this get together would be a casual affair.

"You don't like putting on a long, flowing, tight gown?" Minette teased.

"Can I wear you as a fur coat?" Aedan responded, only a small measure of seriousness in her voice.

"You're no fun," Isis declared.

"I'm plenty of fun. As long as I can be fun in casual attire that allows for a weapon or sixty," Aedan told the lioness. It brought a series of chuckles up their throats and, as if that was some kind of signal, whatever tension had been hanging in the air was gone and the five of them were just simply relaxed around one another.

Chatter following that statement was idle, drifting from one topic to the next without rhyme or reason. The atmosphere between them felt the way Rhia thought it was supposed to feel. Comfortable. Calm. Gentle. Caring. Loving. She hadn't realized just how much she'd missed that the past couple weeks until it was back. She hadn't even realized that it had been gone. Maybe Edward was right and they'd been too hard on Aedan. Maybe she should apologize. But she wasn't going to. Like Janika had said. She wasn't about to let Aedan off the hook just yet for her incredible display of stupidity. But Edward was likely correct in the assessment that things could have been handled much better than they had. If nothing else came of it, it was still a good learning experience for all of them and Rhia could only hope that Aedan wouldn't be quite so eager to run headlong toward her death the next time.

"Aedan, can I ask a question?" Minette asked softly, when there was a lull in the conversation. The tone of her voice said that it was likely Aedan wouldn't like it, which was why she was requesting permission before just coming out with her question.

"Sure. I may or may not answer you. But you can ask," Aedan nodded.

"I felt some of what those two did to you. And even that little bit felt horrible. How did you stand it? How did you put up with it for days and keep the worst of it from me and Jean Claude?"

Aedan gave her a considering look before drawing a shallow breath. Rhia took note of the way she kept herself steady, the way she kept her face empty. Something hurt and she was trying to keep it from them. Just how badly had Aedan's kidnappers hurt her? "I put up with it for days and kept it away from you because I had to," she finally responded, voice lacking in any emotion. Almost as if she was reporting on a duty performed. But then her face softened, her eyes warming with her feelings. "I did it because I love you and I didn't want you to suffer with me."

"But how?"

"Sheer stubbornness," Aedan told them. Rhia felt it was the truth. In as much as Aedan wanted to tell them the truth. There was still something she was keeping to herself, making her admission more like a half-truth. Rhia had to wonder what it was that she kept hidden from everyone. Did she think it was so terrible that her friends, her family, would shun her? It was possible. Rhia had gotten the impression over the passing weeks and months that whatever had happened to Aedan in her youth, it had scarred her in ways that the rest of them couldn't even being to fathom.

"Aedan," Minette chided. It was obvious she didn't believe it, either.

"I learned a long time ago how to build walls and keep people out," Aedan said quietly. The response came as something of a surprise, because it was more than Rhia expected from the woman. And, if the looks the others were giving her were anything to go by, they felt the same.

"Someone fucked you up royally, didn't they?" Isis asked. There was a touch of a growl in her voice. Aedan turned to look at her. "Tell me who it is and I'll shred them for you. So that they can't do it to anyone else."

Aedan offered the lioness a smile. "Down, girl. It isn't anything so terrible," Aedan said. They all knew it was a lie, but no one called her on it. "Besides, its old news and it doesn't matter anymore. We have bigger fish to fry. Like what kind of party you think we're having when I get out of here. It better be small and intimate, or you'll end up as a rug on my floor."

No one took the threat to heart, least of all Isis. The woman grinned at that, obviously amused. "I am so scared," she teased.

"I can tell," Aedan said, a snort telling them exactly what she thought of Isis' words. The room devolved into laughter and, again, Rhia was hit by the sense of how right it felt that they were laughing and smiling with one another. How much she hadn't realized it had been absent until now. She really hoped that they could keep their relationship on a steady, even keel from now on. Goddess, let it be so.

~*~*~*~*~

The sound of laughter leaking through the door was enough to put a momentary smile on his face. It was good that she'd made up with her friends. And he hated to be the one to spoil it. But there were matters to discuss. Important matters. Things needed to be set in motion, had needed to be set in motion for a long time. And now was the best time to do it. Recent events had presented him with the perfect opportunity to do so. But he was going to have to break up the reunion in order to do so. For some reason, he felt a touch guilty about it.

Carefully wiping anything from his face that might give his motives away, he pushed the door open and stepped silently into Aedan's hospital room. It warmed his heart to see her surrounded by her friends, smiling and looking very much like the carefree young woman she'd never actually get to be. Minette had settled into the chair next to the bed and, once again, had taken hold of Aedan's hand. Her fingers curled around it, held it tightly enough that Aedan would have to put some strength into pulling away if she wanted it back any time soon. Isis leaned against the wall on the other side of the bed, her pose negligent and relaxed. Janika hovered near the end of the bed, while Rhia stood halfway between her and Minette.

Isis looked up when he entered and stared at him curiously. He had no doubt that Minette knew he was there. She'd not doubt heard him come in, had heard his heartbeat and the door. Sensed his presence. Something. Isis' stare saw Janika and Rhia turning to look at him. Both of them looked slightly contrite, as if maybe they were sure he'd come to chew them out again. Aedan's gaze finally drifted his way and he saw the way her expression changed. It was minute, something other people might have missed. But he knew her well enough to know her moods almost better than she did.

"Something on your mind, Edward?" she asked evenly.

"Yes. You need your rest. You've had a rough couple of weeks. Much as I hate to break this party up, I'm going to have to ask your friends to leave so you can sleep," he told her. The comment earned him some dark looks from just about all of them. Oddly, it was Minette who broke the sudden rise of tension.

"Edward's right. Aedan needs to sleep. And if we stay, we'll only keep her awake. So we'll go. Get some lunch. Let you get some rest. But we'll be back later tonight. Be sure of it." She rose from her chair and leaned over the bed so she could drop a kiss on Aedan's forehead before turning for the door. The other three followed suit, giving Aedan a kiss then heading for the door. As a group, they looked back at her. The door opened and they stepped out into the hallway.

Aedan waited all of a minute before she turned a scowl on him. "What the hell was all that about?"

Edward gave her a look that saw her falling silent. He moved toward the bed and took her chair, then leveled a look on her. "We need to talk."