The Mary Sue Virus: Beyond Death

[ladydeathfaerie]

Title: The Mary Sue Virus: Beyond Death
Chapter Seventy Three: Can't Tame the Lion
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: so much plot. we're drowning in it. all the damn plot. some of it not even planned!

The Mary Sue Virus: Beyond Death - Index Link

"You used me."

The accusation came out of nowhere, filling the room with all the displeasure that could be poured into three little words. There was also an underlying thread of hurt. It prompted a sigh and he turned to find that her eyes were filled with the same emotions. With silent accusation. Edward held on to his temper and gave Aedan a considering look. It lasted for several long seconds before he leaned back in his chair and held her gaze with his. "Yes. And no."

It was obviously not the answer that Aedan had expected, because she frowned at him in confusion. He considered letting her work out his meaning on her own, but the pain killers left her sleepy and loopy. So he bit the bullet and just told her. "Yes, I used you. But at the same time I didn't. Because I didn't use you the way you think I did."

"You don't know what I think," she replied steadily. He could tell she wanted to yell at him, but she was holding her temper. The least he could do was tell her what she needed to know. So she could understand.

"You're right. I don't. But I can guess well enough. And I did not use you to get to your father," Edward told her.

The look of venomous hate that clouded her face at that statement would have leveled a full garrison of men if such a thing had been possible. "That man was not my father. He was a sperm donor. And a shitty one at that."

"Fine," he replied, allowing a touch of impatience into his voice. "I did not use you to get to Carter Solomon."

"Oh, you absolutely did," she replied, sounding very sure of herself. He watched as she slowly pulled herself into a sitting position, her actions slow and cautious. Which meant that she still had some healing to do. At least the bruising that had discolored the side of her face was mostly gone and the swelling had gone down. She looked almost completely normal. "When did you decide to use me as bait to get your revenge? When you first met me?"

"I didn't know you were Penny's daughter the first time we met. I knew Carter Solomon was calling you his daughter and he told me when he contracted with me that you were a loose cannon that needed dealing with. He never once said you were a scared teenager who had no clue what was happening to you. If I had followed through on his contract, you never would have gotten into that fight with Amelia Turner after Phys Ed that day."

Aedan blinked at him a moment, then her eyes went wide. The day he was referring to had taken place almost a week before he'd shown himself to her. "You were watching me that long?" she asked, voice a whisper.

"Solomon was too eager to see you dead. His earnestness set off warning bells. So I decided I had to figure out why he was so adamant about you dying. Yes. I was watching you. I watched you for quite a while before I made myself known to you."

"But... Why?" she asked. It was obvious she didn't understand and Edward had a moment of feeling like he should be upset that she apparently didn't know him well enough to have not figured it out yet. Then again, she'd just discovered that her father had wanted her dead and that he'd killed her mother. It had been a rough week. He was going to let it go for now.

"Because you were a child. A scared, lonely, confused child. I'm not so much a monster that I'd kill a child without damn good cause. There was no reason to pull the trigger, Aedan. None at all. So I watched you longer than I normally would have, to see what it was Solomon was frightened of. And I realized, watching you with the small army of dead animals following in your wake, that he was frightened of you. He wanted you dead because he couldn't control you."

"How long had you been watching me when you finally made yourself known to me?" she asked, obviously confused and trying to figure it all out.

"Nearly a month," he admitted. There was no reason not to.

Aedan's frown had a great deal of weight to it. "You watched me for nearly a month? Really? Why? Why take so long?"

"I had to know what I was dealing with," he replied. "Solomon told me next to nothing about you. Only that you were a problem he needed dealt with."

"I know that he was a piece of shit, but I really didn't think he'd go in for killing his own children," she said softly. He could hear the pain of betrayal in her voice. No matter how she'd felt about the man growing up, no matter how she'd felt about the family that had grown up around her, they'd still been her family. The only one she'd know for all of her life. And she'd never been able to figure out why he'd hated her so much.

"He couldn't control you, Aedan. That's what he wanted. He didn't want to rid you of your powers. He wanted to control you and, through you, them. That's what he tried to do all those times he laid hands on you and told you that you had to purge the evil." Edward paused and let her consider that a moment before he pushed on. "Just imagine what kind of problems Carter Solomon would have posed for the preternatural world if he'd brain washed you into following his line of thinking. If he'd had control of your powers."

There was silence a moment or two as Aedan considered that. And then she shuddered. She looked absolutely horrified by whatever it was she'd imagined. He had no doubt she had ample reason to look that way. He had no doubt that Carter Solomon would have forced his own child to use her powers in ways they weren't meant to be used. He would have perverted them, and her, if he'd had the chance.

"So when did you realize that I was related to you?" she questioned. Some days, he really hated the way her mind worked. How determined she was. How she refused to let something go until she fully understood it. Until she picked it apart and found what made it work. This was going to be one of those times.

"It took a couple months. I hadn't seen Penny in a very long time when I stumbled across you. But things you did, things you said, they reminded me of her. So I started digging."

"And you discovered that I was your long lost second cousin. And that your cousin had been murdered. And you could use me to get back at the man responsible for her death."

Edward heaved a sigh and shook his head at her. She could be such a stubborn brat at times. "I didn't know that Solomon had killed her when I first met you. It took a good long while to discover that bit of news, Aedan. And by then... I'd already grown attached. I don't have much family. And I didn't like the idea of losing the only bit of it I did have."

"That didn't stop you from using me to your own ends." The accusation was back. And her face was blank. Anything she felt was carefully locked away. Even her eyes were empty. Which he absolutely didn't like. He hated that she was working on keeping herself from him. Almost before he could even consider denying her words, she frowned at him. "Don't you dare say you didn't use me. I'm tired of everyone lying to me. The goddamn truth is, no matter what you think, you used me to get your revenge on Carter Solomon."

"What do you want me to say, Aedan? You were my best chance at getting close to that sick bastard and making him pay for what he did to my cousin," he shot back. It was obviously the wrong thing to say because she closed off even further. Something Edward hadn't thought possible.

"Yes. Your cousin. The woman you said you hadn't seen in ages. The woman you hadn't seen in ages who'd had a daughter that you didn't even fucking know about. Just admit that I was just a tool to get what you wanted. Fuck what anyone else wanted. Fuck everyone else. If it doesn't benefit you in some way, it isn't worth your time." Anger brought color to her pale cheeks, made her eyes flash with emotion. And he absolutely hated that he was the cause of that anger.

"You don't know a thing about me, Aedan," he said, voice low with warning.

"No shit, Edward. Because you are even worse at sharing yourself than I am." She shifted her gaze until she was staring at the wall. "You lied to me. You used me. And now you're trying to justify it to me. The same way everyone has tried to use me all my life. The same way everyone has lied to me all my life. I should have known you were blood. All blood has ever done to me is lie and use."

"Do you even hear yourself?" he asked, trying to cut her temper off before she said something they'd both regret. And it was moving in that direction. He could read the signs. Once upon a time, such an event wouldn't have bothered him. But he'd gotten used to Aedan being a part of his life. Gotten used to her prickly nature and her loyalty and her fierce friendship. "Do you really understand the garbage you're spewing?"

"For as long as I can remember, I have been someone's tool. Someone's thing to direct and use as they would. Solomon used me to punish his wife and children. My powers used me when I didn't understand what they were. And you used me. First as a means to keep an eye on Anita, which you accused me of fucking up. Then as a means to get back at the man you held responsible for destroying your family. A woman you hadn't even seen in ages. All those threats, Edward. All the promises of calling him and telling him where I was. That was just shit talk. To bend me to your will. To keep me scared and obedient. Fuck you."

"I did not use you--"

"That line is getting old, Edward. At least you've showed me your true colors finally. Probably a good thing. Wouldn't want me to develop any kind of familial bond with you. You wouldn't be able to use me if that were to happen. What do you want me to do next, Edward? Help you destroy the kiss? Jesus fuck, I should have known." Tears were sliding down her cheeks, silent and ignored. She stared at him, the hurt and accusation back in her eyes. "No wonder you didn't want me here. I'm sorry I'm such a fucking disappointment, cuz."

"Aedan--"

"Don't. Don't try to deny it. Don't try and spin another lie. Just don't say anything. There's nothing you can say that will make any of this better." She fell silent a moment, still glaring hate at him, and slowly crossed her arms over her chest. The color drained from her cheeks, letting him know that it was an action she was going to pay for later. She huffed a sound in his general direction. "You know, I actually thought that you were a friend. Someone who cared about who I was. About me. I should have known you'd turn out to be like all the rest."

"I think that's enough, Chastity," he warned.

"No, Edward. It isn't. It isn't enough. Your scare tactics won't work on me anymore. I know better. You wanna hurt me? Guess what? You already have. There's nothing you can do to me that will rival what I feel right now. Great job. You managed to kill that last bit of youth and naivete that lingered. I bet you're really fucking proud."

"Will you shut up and listen to me? For just five minutes?" he barked at her.

"No. I have no desire to listen to anything you might want to say. There's nothing you can say that will make any of this okay."

"God damn it, Aedan. Why are you so pig-headed?" he grumbled.

"Its how I fucking survived the hell of my childhood. Not that you care one fucking bit about that. I mean, you didn't offer me any love or sympathy when you found out what a shitty life I'd lived. So why should you care how I feel now. Just get out and leave me alone," she said.

"Aedan. Let me explain this to you."

She glared at him, eyes practically forming daggers. "I don't have to let you do anything. You had your chance. You could have told me all of this at any time. Of your own free will. But you kept it to yourself. You left it until you had no choice."

"And just who was it that came and got you?" he asked her, jaw tight.

"Wow. Yay. Go you. You tortured someone and got information, then rode to the rescue. Saved the wee little cousin you weren't able to save before. I bet you feel real goddamn special right about now. Good job. Get out."

"Aedan," he tried again.

"No. I don't want to hear it. I don't care. I don't want or need you in my life. I don't need family that uses me for their own gain. Just get out and don't come back. Leave me alone."

"You don't know what you're saying."

"Don't I?" she asked, eyes going wide in mock surprise. "Are you so sure about that? Are you going to tell me what I can think and say and do now? Fuck that noise. Get. Out. I can't make it any clearer. Get out of my room. Leave the Circus. Leave St. Louis. Leave and just... don't come back. Forget you even know who I am. Lose my phone number. Don't call. Don't write," she said, voice low and quiet so that he'd have to really listen to hear her. "Go and don't come back. I don't want you in my life. I don't need you."

He considered trying once more to convince her that she was wrong about him. But he could tell by the look in her eyes, the set of her mouth, that she wasn't going to listen to him. So he got up out of the chair and headed for the door. Paused with his hand on the knob, considering turning back and apologizing. But he could feel the anger radiating off her. Could feel her stubbornness drawing around her like a cloak. She wasn't going to listen to anything he had to say. So he let himself out of the room.

Even before he had the door shut behind him, he could hear her soft sobs. And, for the first time in his life, he wished that maybe he'd grown into a different person. Because, for the first time in his life, he regretted hurting someone the way he'd hurt just Aedan.

~*~*~*~*~

Edward looked especially displeased as he was let into Jean Claude's office. Surprisingly, it was written all over his face. Jean Claude couldn't remember ever seeing the man look so... human before. He wondered if Edward's sudden acquisition of emotions had anything to do with the dull feel he'd gotten from Aedan when he'd risen. Of course he'd checked on her, but she'd been on the verge of sleep, the painkillers leaving her unconscious more than awake. Not that he minded. The rest would help speed her healing. But it meant he'd had no chance to ask her about the things he'd felt coming from her before he'd headed off to Guilty Pleasures to deal with business matters that had been put aside while she'd been missing. "You wished to see me?" he asked, deciding that cutting to the chase was the best course of action here.

"I came to collect my payment from you," Edward stated, voice steady and even. Almost completely empty. Almost, but for the small spark of something that felt suspiciously like regret.

Jean Claude lifted a brow at that. "You are resigning your position as Aedan's body guard?"

"I have a better offer."

Jean Claude considered that. He was sure that Edward was lying, but he couldn't find a thread of it in the man's voice or his emotions to tell him he was right. Now he was certain that Edward's appearance was related to Aedan's mood. "I see," he said and opened a drawer. There was a small safe at the back of it, where he kept cash for such occasions. He punched in the combination by feel, not taking his gaze off the other man. "And what will I tell Aedan?"

"Whatever you think will work best," Edward replied, without so much as a blink of his eyes. Oh, yes. The man was definitely responsible for Aedan's mood.

"I should think you would want to stick around and spend time being a family," Jean Claude suggested lightly.

"I already know everything I need to know about Aedan. And there isn't anything I can tell her about me that she needs to know. To be honest, there's much of my life that she doesn't need to know."

"I see," Jean Claude said. He withdrew several bundles of cash from the safe and laid them on the desk before him. The safe was closed up, the drawer shut, before he said anything else. "How angry with you is she?"

For a moment, he thought Edward would claim he had no idea what Jean Claude was talking about. But some of the tension slid from his shoulders and the man almost slumped in the chair he was occupying. "Mad enough that she told me not to come back," he admitted.

"She has reason to be angry," Jean Claude said. Edward's mouth thinned into a faint frown.

"I don't need to hear this crap from you, too," Edward told him.

"I am not giving you any crap, Edward. I am merely stating a truth. Aedan has a right to be upset. She has suffered several large blows in a very short amount of time. Whatever her reason for being mad at you, she is entitled to her emotions." When he finished, he saw Edward prepare to give him a piece of his mind. Jean Claude held up a hand to forestall the man's next sentence. "I did not say that her anger is just. Merely that she is allowed to be angry. What has she accused you of?"

"Lying to her. Using her."

"And you do not think she is entitled to feel that way?" Jean Claude asked him. "You have steered her life for a long time now. And you have kept the reasons for doing so to yourself. And now, she has found out that you knew she was related to you and you said nothing. Worse, you knew that her father was responsible for killing her mother and you said nothing. She found out about all of that when you killed her father for murdering your cousin. She is entitled to her anger."

"I didn't use her. Nor did I lie," Edward insisted.

"A lie by omission is still a lie. You never told her that she was related to you until it was convenient for you to do so. And you did use her to strike back at the man who killed your cousin. You told Carter Solomon last night it was not about Aedan, but her mother. What is she supposed to think when you phrase things that way?"

Edward muttered a curse under his breath. It was rather uncomplimentary about Jean Claude's parentage. He pretended not to hear it. "Can you cut the crap and just pay me so I can go back to New Mexico? Which, by the way, is what Aedan wants."

"Of course," Jean Claude agreed and pushed the bundles of cash across the surface of his desk. "I only ask that you look at this from Aedan's point of view. And keep in mind that she will not always remain angry with you."

That had Edward chuckling and Jean Claude watched as he pocketed the cash. "Are you sure we're talking about the same woman? Because I don't think I've met anyone who holds a grudge better."

Jean Claude smiled. Edward had a point. But he made a negligent motion with one hand that meant nothing and everything. "Give her time. She will find that she was harsh and she will invite you back into her life. When she does, I recommend you apologize for being an ass."

Edward rose from his seat and stared down at Jean Claude. "Be glad that her happiness is directly related to your continued existence. Because if it wasn't, I'd see if it was possible to undo the binds that tie you to her without hurting her. Just for that comment." The man turned and headed for the door. He hesitated at the closed panel for a moment or two, almost as if he had more that he wanted to say, but in the end he reached out and grasped the knob. Tugged the door open. Disappeared out into the hallway without saying a thing.

Jean Claude sat at his desk for several long moments, considering what had just happened. He'd willingly invited Death into his life. Damn the consequences that might come with doing such a thing. All he'd cared about was Aedan's happiness. He must have it bad if he was more worried about Aedan's continued happiness than his own existence.

Speaking of Aedan's happiness... Jean Claude sighed and rose from his chair. It looked like he was going to have to cut his evening short and return to the Circus. Whether she was willing to admit it or not, Aedan needed his shoulder to lean on. Truth be told, business would keep. It practically ran itself. He'd much rather be at Aedan's side. offering her the comfort she so obviously needed.

~*~

Bobby Lee was lounging in the hallway when Jean Claude arrived, face drawn in lines of deep concern. His arms were crossed over his chest and his gaze was locked on the door across from him. Though he didn't stir when Jean Claude approached, the vampire knew that the other man was aware of his presence. He stopped a short distance from the door and waited, knowing that Bobby Lee would inform him as to what troubled him in short order. He wasn't disappointed. The rat turned to look at him, lips pulling down in a frown. "She won't let anyone in the room."

"Her emotions are in turmoil," Jean Claude reported softly.

"She hasn't eaten, either," Bobby Lee informed him.

"Of course she hasn't," he sighed and shook his head. "I will take care of it."

Bobby Lee glanced at him a moment, then his gaze returned to the door. Heaving a sigh, the rat nodded his head and pushed away from the wall. "You want me to hang around?" he asked.

It was on the tip of Jean Claude's tongue to tell the man to go home and rest, but he thought better of it. Aedan needed someone to lean on who didn't have a vested interest in her beyond being a friend. She'd sent Edward away, feeling betrayed by his actions. And she'd likely send Jean Claude packing when he started asking questions. And he was going to ask them, because he deserved answers. He'd taken her into his home and his life with absolutely no idea who she was or what he was letting himself in for. He deserved to know some things. And he was fairly certain she'd be angry at him for the asking of them. Should it come to pass that she pushed him away, she would need someone who wanted nothing from her beyond friendship. Bobby Lee seemed well suited to that purpose. And if he acted like a father to her, then that was a good thing.

"Please," Jean Claude finally said. "It is entirely likely that she will want to cry on your shoulder at some point before the night ends."

Bobby Lee eyed him a moment. "Try not to be too much of a dick to her."

The comment earned the rat a smile. "I will do my best. Please feel free to help yourself to foodstuffs from the kitchen. And if you would put together something for Aedan, I would appreciate it."

"You got it," the man nodded, then pushed away from the wall and made his way up the hall. Jean Claude waited until he'd turned a corner before taking the last few steps to Aedan's door. He waited a second or two, used his connection to determine that she was awake and alone, then pushed the door open after a brief knock. The room was dark, prompting him to seek out the lamp he knew stood on a table near the door. It came on with a soft click and cast its pale golden illumination across the floor.

Aedan lay in bed, her back turned to the door. Jean Claude could feel the aura of hurt and sadness that surrounded her. The room was empty and silent, even the large flat screen on the wall dark and seemingly forgotten. For a moment, he was reminded of how very young she was. He considered how to handle her, first considering using kid gloves. But he eventually put that aside in favor of simply ripping the bandage off and getting it over with. Coddling her would do nothing for either one of them. And Aedan needed to understand that the people she cared about would, at some point or another, do something that would upset her. That would hurt her. It didn't mean they didn't care. It merely meant they were human and they'd made a mistake.

He crossed the room and joined her on the bed, unperturbed by the fact that she had yet to turn and face him. He knew she wasn't sleeping, though it was the impression she struggled to give people in order to be left alone. Edward's seeming duplicity had to have hurt her badly. "Tell me what troubles you, ma mie," he said softly.

"Go away," she replied. Her voice was thick with emotion. Mostly grief, but the hurt and the sadness lingered beneath that. She did not turn to face him.

"Aedan, you cannot lay here and do nothing," he returned.

"Yes, I can. I can do whatever I fucking want," she retorted. It was a childish response and he was forced to stifle a smile, lest she turn and see it. It wouldn't do to have her thinking that he was laughing at her.

"Aedan... Ma mie," he said, one hand reaching out to settle on her arm. "Please talk to me. I know you are hurt. I only wish to help."

"You can't." She tried huddling in on herself, but her ribs obviously weren't fully healed because she gave a soft gasp and stopped moving.

Jean Claude sighed and, very carefully, shifted her around until she was on her back. "So stubborn for one so young," he muttered.

"Go away," she admonished and attempted to turn back over. His hand on her arm stopped her, prompting her to turn a very unfriendly look his way. If looks could kill...

"So you can lie here in the darkness and mope? I do not think so. I put aside business to come and offer you a shoulder to cry upon. The least you can do is lay bare your soul to me." He made sure to make his response sound just the slightest bit corny. She side eyed him for it, but it didn't bring forth a smile. He sighed and shook his head. "I know you argued with Edward."

"Are you here to defend his actions? If you are, you'll just be wasting your time and your breath. He lied to me. He used me. End of story. I don't need that in my life. If I wanted that kind of treatment from family, I would never have..." her words trailed off and it was her turn to shake her head, as if what she had to say wasn't important. Or as if she didn't want to give voice to the thoughts.

"You never would have what? Left your family?" he asked quietly.

"They weren't my family. They were never my family," she responded, voice harsh. It clashed with the lost look she wore. He didn't need to dig to know she was confused and heart broken. Had she been sitting up, he would have wrapped an arm around her shoulder and offered her a hug. Since she was laying, he reached out and took hold of her hand.

"No matter how you feel about them, they still took care of you," he reminded her.

"Took care of me?" She barked out a hollow laugh and, despite obviously still being in pain, she pulled her hand from his hold and slid from bed. He allowed her her space, watching as she slowly stalked across the room until she had put some distance between the two of them. "They didn't take care of me. They ignored me. They shunned me. They treated me like some kind of plague."

"Carter Solomon was still your father," Jean Claude pointed out reasonably.

"The fuck he was. He was a power hungry madman who used anyone he thought could further his plans. And when he discovered he couldn't use me, he did everything in his power to make me cower in fear. To shove me into a small, dark box. And I let him do it. I let him make me so afraid of him that it colored everything that happened to me from that day on," she retorted. By then, she'd settled herself in one of the arm chairs across the room. The way she sat suggested that her ribs were unhappy with her. It also seemed she held herself erect as if to protect herself. He wasn't sure if it was from him or her memories or something else entirely.

Jean Claude considered how to respond to that. He could push her further on her parentage, but to do so meant driving her anger into realms that were unhealthy for all involved. He could comment on her statement about fear, but he knew instinctively that that fear hadn't just been for her sire. He knew now, looking back on the behavior he'd witnessed from her, that the fear she spoke of had been extended to Edward. To himself. Men with power who used it as they saw fit. He wasn't sure if he should be insulted that she was willing to compare him with the likes of her insane, religious zealot father or if he should be amused. But it was plain to see that she'd allowed that fear to dictate her actions for years.

"You act as if being afraid somehow makes you less than if you had not been afraid," he returned lightly. "Despite your fears, you faced what life threw your way. You faced Edward every time he laid a threat upon your shoulders. You faced a life with me when I no doubt reminded you of the one you had left behind. Being afraid does not make you less. It makes you more, because you take that fear and use it to your advantage," he told her quietly.

"And it opened me up to the possibility that people would use me to their own ends," she reminded him sharply. As if she perhaps thought it was only a matter of time before he, too, ended up in that category. He sighed and slid off the bed so that he could move closer to where she sat. She eyed him warily, like an injured animal that had been backed into a corner. She was looking for the right moment to lash out and injure in return.

"And you have never used anyone in such a manner?" he asked her. She frowned at the question, but didn't answer. Which meant she was either guilty of doing so herself, or she was considering his question intently. "Perhaps Edward did use you. But do you think he did so to hurt you? Or do you think that, maybe, he was attempting to right a wrong done to himself? One that was done to your mother. And to yourself. You are so focused on whether or not people are going to betray you that you do not think that they are suffering right along with you. Edward lost a blood relative. Just as you did. He had every right to deal with that loss as he saw fit."

"He killed Solomon before I had a chance to. That was my kill," Aedan insisted. The look on her face was alien to him, devoid of all emotion. Devoid of even her humanity.

"And how many other kills have there been, Aedan? Who else has fallen victim to your wrath and rage?" he asked. He closed the distance and moved to sit on the couch, close to her but not too close. She stared at him, jaw tense, and remained silent. He went on. "The homeless man who attempted to kill both Janika and Asher. Was he one of your kills?"

"I didn't kill him," she said. He could feel the truth in her words. But it wasn't the whole story.

"What did you do to him, Aedan?"

"I didn't do anything." Again, a truth, but not quite a truth.

"And the brother killing lycanthropes in St. Louis. Did you kill him?"

"No." He got that same sense of truth as her previous two answers. She hadn't personally killed them. But she knew how they'd died. She'd more than likely instigated their deaths. Jean Claude considered her a moment. He couldn't be certain if her actions were her own or if they'd been influenced by Anita's gifts to her. Either way, he wasn't sure he liked that she'd taken things into her own hands and dealt with them accordingly.

It was time to turn the conversation to less pleasant things. If one could call talk about death and killing pleasant. "Your brother was the one who attacked Minette." He was sure he had the right of it, which was why he didn't ask it as a question. But the sentence was spoken in such a way that it demanded a response.

"Stop that. Stop calling those people my family. None of them were my family. None of them gave a shit what happened to me. None of them cared what that sick bastard did to me. None of them cared about me at all," she snarled.

"And what did he do to you?" Jean Claude asked softly.

"I don't want to talk about it. I want to forget it ever happened. I want to forget him and the whole lot of his deranged offspring ever existed. I just want to get on with my life and leave all of this shit behind me," she said, anger making her words sharp and edged. Had they been the blade of a knife, he would have been bleeding.

"And that has worked so well for you these past years," he commented, letting her know with his tone of voice that he knew it hadn't. She shot a glare at him. "You cannot keep it all bottled up inside, Aedan. What that man did eats at you. It has affected your behavior the past few months. And, somehow, you managed to keep it from everyone until it was almost too late. Did you learn to hide yourself away so well at his hands?"

She glared at him, teeth clenched hard as she did so. He wondered if she'd tell him what Carter Solomon had done. He decided to see if he could open the flood gates. "Did he abuse you sexually?"

"No." The denial took a moment, and it was filled with such vehement honesty that he had no reason to doubt it. But the haunted look in her eyes said that the man had engaged in such behavior.

"But he did so with his other children?" he asked.

"He warped them with his power and with his actions," she whispered. She wasn't looking at him anymore, eyes turned inward as she no doubt recalled her youth. Something flickered at the edge of his consciousness a second or two, then he found himself drowning in memories. Aedan's memories. He saw in them Carter Solomon, larger than life in the eyes of a small child. The man smiling in a manner that wasn't threatening and still entirely was. The man putting his hands on the viewer, speaking to her in a serious tone as he told her that she was evil. Glimpses of him through cracked doors with his children, naked and speaking in a voice that radiated power. They sped by, faster and faster, until they were a blur. And then they were simply gone.

Jean Claude found Aedan huddled in the chair, arms wrapped tightly around her knees, face pale and eyes filled with emotion. He reached for her, intent on putting a hand on her arm. To try and pull her back to there here and now. But she saw him move and shot a look his direction that made him stop. "Why did you not tell me about this, Aedan?"

"Admit to you that I was raised by the same religious nut who was trying to destroy all of vampire kind? Admit that he did horrible things to his own flesh and blood and I just sat back and let it happen?" She turned eyes to him that were wide with disbelief. And he could see in them that she thought he would have turned her out into the cold if she'd admitted such things to him. He moved this time, got up off the couch so that he could kneel before the chair she occupied. He reached out and cupped her cheeks in his hands and looked her in the eye.

"You were a child, Aedan. Barely older than the children around you. How were you supposed to stop him from hurting them? Or hurting you? He terrorized you. Traumatized you. And you live with those horrors to this day. What he did to you and to the others was wrong. How can you believe that I would have seen you as less than human if you admitted to me what he'd done? To you and to them. If you'd admitted that your own flesh and blood was responsible for what happened to Asher and Janika, for what happened to the lycanthropes around the city, I would have offered to help you find him and make him pay. For everything."

"I tried so hard to forget," she whispered.

"And you did for a time," he guessed.

"Yes. Minette... She became my family and it got easier. And then I came here."

"And the murders started up. And when you realized that your siblings were involved, it brought all of that back."

She nodded. "And then Paul went after Minette. He made it personal. Some of his victims died because of me."

"You cannot know that, Aedan. You have no idea what Paul was thinking," Jean Claude assured her.

Tears filled her eyes, traced silently down cheeks made pale by the rush of memories. "Yes, I can. I know exactly what he was thinking when he killed a preacher, his wife, and his little girl named Katherine."

Katherine. The name he'd heard Carter Solomon use last night in the cemetery. The name the man had called his daughter when trying to convince her he'd done the right and just thing when he'd killed her mother.

Aedan was watching him with wide, frightened eyes. The fear made them such a deep blue that it would have been easy to get lost in them. She was waiting for him to do something, to say something, that would lay the blame for that family's death at her feet. Because it was where she placed the blame. He understood then more of the behavior he'd seen over the past few months. "It is not your fault that Paul killed that family. He was twisted beyond reason. And it is not your fault that Paul attempted to hurt Minette. You must stop blaming yourself for things beyond your control."

"He wouldn't have attempted to kill Minette if not for me." She closed her eyes, likely in an attempt to shut out memories she didn't want to deal with. "He went after her because she was my new family. He knew that. So he targeted her. He was trying to kill her. Trying to destroy my family so I'd have no choice but to go back."

"That still does not mean you are to blame for his actions. Carter Solomon is responsible for everything that Paul did. He is the one who forced his children into committing such horrific acts." He paused to give her a soft look. One that said she was not the monster she believed herself to be. He could tell that she wasn't ready to believe him. And he was willing to concede that, perhaps, she had reason to feel Edward had used her. He put that aside for the moment, knowing there would be time to discuss it later. For now, he wanted to help her purge all of the dark things that seeing her father face to face had brought back to life.

Carefully, he reached for her. She didn't stop him, apparently ready for the comfort of his touch, so he did his best to lift her from the chair without jarring her abused ribs. She tucked her head under his chin when he pulled her body close to his chest, arms sliding up around his neck automatically. They crossed the room to the bed. He settled her on it before slipping in to sit beside her. "I know that you do not wish to talk about it, but tell me what the kidnappers did to you."

"I... I'm not ready to do that yet. I'm sorry. But I can't. Its--" she shuddered, gaze fixed on the rich blue bed covers.

"I understand," he replied. There was no need to push. If she wasn't ready, he wasn't going to force her to relive it. There would be time later for such things. "Can you at least tell me why they took you? Do you know the reason?"

That question brought a frown. She shuddered at his words, memories still fresh and painful, and he thought that she would simply stop speaking. But she lifted her gaze to his face and stared at him a moment before answering. Her voice was a whisper of sound in the silence of the room, but he could still hear the fear in it.

"You."

Jean Claude frowned. "Me? They wanted me?"

"They wanted me to give them your location. They wanted to know where you slept during the day." She took a breath slowly before letting it out. "Carter Solomon was seeking the Master of the City's resting location so he could go in and destroy the head blood sucker. That's what they told me. And they told me they were going to make me spill everything."

He didn't really know what to say to that. She'd been kidnapped because of her association with him. She'd been tortured for days in order to convince her to give up his location. She could have simply told them where to find him and let it all be done with. But she'd done her best to protect him. To protect the kiss. He was filled with a rush of pleasure. A flood of warmth. And he had to wonder what he'd done to win that kind of loyalty from her.

"Come here, ma mie," he said before gently wrapping his arms around her. She inched closer, put her head against his chest and leaned against him. The warmth in his chest grew and expanded. In the span of a little less than two weeks, Aedan had professed her love and then had proven it by withstanding a great deal of abuse to keep him safe. He wasn't sure he deserved it, but he was going to do everything in his power to ensure that she had not suffered in vain.

~*~*~*~*~

"Ted?" Donna asked around a yawn. She found him sitting in the dark, beer in hand as he stared at the wall. "What are you doing home? I thought you were working. And why are you sitting in the dark?"

He wondered what to tell her. If he should tell her. Not everything, of course. He couldn't tell her all the ins and outs. But he could possibly tell her something. Maybe she had some pearls of wisdom that would help him sort through the emotions that roiled mercilessly at the back of his brain. He was off balance, and he didn't like that feeling. He was pretty sure the last time he'd felt like this had been when Peter and Becca had been taken. He wasn't sure if he wanted to put Donna through that again, because he was certain that's where her thoughts would go if he mentioned Aedan's kidnapping. He hadn't before he'd left, saying simply that he'd had a job and he wasn't sure how long it would take. That he'd call her later and be back when he was able.

"Ted?" she asked again as she moved deeper into the room. He'd obviously been silent too long. He could hear the worry in her voice. The light came on with a soft click and he found himself squinting against the bulbs shining overhead. Donna came around the table so she could face him, stared a moment, then frowned. Deeply. "Ted, you look terrible. Tell me what's going on."

For the first time in his life, he didn't want to keep a secret. He wanted to share. But he didn't know how. He'd spent too many years keeping the truth buried. Keeping it safe. He didn't think he could share, even if he tried. So it was fortunate that Donna took things into her own hands. "This isn't about Aedan, is it? I never see you this worked up about anything. The last time I saw you act this way was when... "

Her words trailed off, face going pale. "Did something bad happen to Aedan?"

"Someone kidnapped her," he said, letting the words fall out of his mouth before he thought better of it. Donna gasped softly, reaching out to tug one of the chairs closer to his own. She positioned it in front of him, took a seat, and reached out to take hold of the hand not wrapped around his beer.

"Why? Who would do such a thing?"

"Her father," he replied, even as he told himself he shouldn't be spilling secrets that weren't his to share. But they were his, weren't they? Aedan was related to him, after all.

Donna stared a moment, blinked a couple times, and shook her head. "I don't understand. Why would her father kidnap her? What kind of parent is he?"

"The worst kind," Edward admitted with a huff of sound.

"Ted, that doesn't make any sense. There has to be more to the story than what you've just told me. So why don't you get it all off your chest. Its plain to see that you're upset and this kidnapping has a great deal to do with it."

He let his gaze shift to her face. There was such an earnest look on it that he found himself doing exactly what she'd suggested. He got it off his chest. "Let me tell you the story of a small ministry called Pure Heart Ministries, a man named Carter Solomon, and his secret affair with Penny Lynn Hayes."

~*~*~*~*~

Her gaze slid around the park and took in the moderate gathering of people. True to her word, Isis had gotten together with Minette and planned a little celebratory get together for Aedan and her family almost as soon as they'd left Aedan's hospital room that day. They'd almost had to put it on hold when they'd found out the idiot had checked herself out of the hospital that very same afternoon. And Isis wasn't so blind as to notice that Edward was terribly absent from this affair. She knew that Aedan had made him part of her family. She'd thought that the man would have gotten an invitation from Aedan herself. It was telling that Isis hadn't see hide nor hair of him since that day in the hospital.

Aedan, the guest of honor, sat at a picnic table with a plate of food settled before her. Jean Claude on one side, while Bobby Lee sat on the other. Minette occupied the other side, along with Janika and Asher. There was plates before all three women and Bobby Lee. Isis could tell, even from where she sat, that Aedan was picking at her food. It was a direct contrast with the smile on her face and the animated way she conversed with those people around her. Something was bothering the woman and Isis was more than willing to bet it had everything to do with Edward and his absence.

The covered area was home to a dozen picnic tables. A couple of them had been designated for holding the food and drinks, one table laden with burgers and hot dogs and chips and salads and other traditional picnic type foods. There were buns and condiments, plates and plasticware, and napkins piled to the sky. The other table was held down by a half dozen coolers. There were bottles of water, cans of carbonated beverages, beer, and even some juice. It was obviously a serve yourself type deal and there was a constant stream of people at one table or the other.

A pair of grills, those small squarish ones that were installed by the city at local parks, were glowing with red hot embers. Travis manned one, Jason at the other. The two of them had volunteered to cook the burgers and hot dogs and other various meats being served to those who consumed actual food. The two of them were trash talking one another, each claiming that he was the better grillmeister. It was a good-natured rivalry and Isis knew that there had been a couple of bets placed as to who would be crowned the cook out king.

A radio on one of the empty tables was tuned to a local station that played rock music. It was being used as background noise, filling in the spaces between conversations to keep people from finding themselves uncomfortable. That didn't stop some of her guests from actually listening and enjoying it. Several heads were bouncing in time with the music, and Isis saw one or two attendees mouthing the lyrics to the songs that came on.

Micah and Nathaniel were deep in conversation at one table, Rhia sitting beside the young leopard quietly. She was nibbling at an ear of grilled corn, but didn't look very interested in her food. Isis thought she looked deep in thought. Given the way she frowned occasionally, her thoughts couldn't contain anything good. When, on occasion, Nathaniel turned to speak to her directly, Rhia put aside whatever things plagued her to listen and converse with the men at the table with her.

Asher and Damian stood off to one side, chatting with one another. To her, it looked like they were only doing so because they stood near each other. She wasn't sure if they were avoiding the gathering at large or if they were taking a break from it. She wouldn't blame them if they were. The pride was there in its entirety and they were being loud and boisterous. For them, this was just another one of their monthly get togethers, and being some place public allowed for a little more vocalization than usual. Lettie was telling a story to anyone who would listen, her face lit up with enjoyment and each one of her moves energetic and animated to go along with her words. The lions surrounding her were smiling and laughing. Isis noticed that a few members of the pard were listening, paying close attention to the whole affair.

All things considered, it was a good night for a small party. The weather was starting to turn, cooler air gliding across their cheeks when the wind blew. But it wasn't so cold that they couldn't enjoy the night. The fires from the grills helped warm the air, as did all the bodies clustered together. Each table had a series of candles burning on them, adding heat and light to the party. Someone had insisted on coming out and stringing faerie lights around the rafters of the picnic area's covering. So those glittered over their heads, sparkling white and blue and purple that dotted the entire area with tiny spots of color.

"I think this thing is a success," Rosamund said, coming up to stand beside Isis. She turned to look at the woman and offered a smile.

"I think you're right. Which is good, considering it was something of a nightmare to get the city to allow this."

"You had to get a permit?" Rosamund frowned at the notion.

"Not really a permit," Isis returned. "But it took some work to get permission to have this here after dark. We still have to clear out before the park closes. But that's not for a while yet, so we've got time to enjoy ourselves."

"Why didn't you have Jean Claude talk to the city? No doubt they would have bent over backward for him." Rosamund looked confused that she'd apparently done things the hard way.

"Trying to keep things as low key as possible," Isis explained. She let her gaze slide back to the table where Aedan sat with Jean Claude. It had been a week since Edward had gotten her back from her kidnappers and, according to Doctor Lillian, Aedan was back to normal, but there was something in the way she held herself that told Isis maybe she wasn't. Not really. At the moment, she was leaning against Jean Claude as if she was exhausted. He'd casually wound an arm around her shoulder and the way he looked at her said that maybe he thought this was not the best time to have had this party. "Aedan is still under a death threat. And using his name or having him arrange things would only offer up a target for the would be assassins."

Rosamund frowned. "No one has discovered who wants her dead, yet?"

"No. Aedan's tried looking into it, but she hasn't had much luck. And, to be honest, she needs time to bounce back after everything that's happened in the past few weeks. Nearly dying at a demon's hands was bad enough. The things her captors likely did to her only compounded it all." Isis studied the woman a little bit more, then turned a softer smile Rosamund's way. "She probably won't say it, but she really appreciates that you guys view her as part of the pride."

"She'd obviously die for us," Rosamund replied. For a moment, she looked awestruck by the truth of it. Then the look died away and her frown returned. "Not many people would."

"Well, those people are all idiots," Isis declared steadily. Rosamund looked up at her.

"Thank you for taking control of the pride and giving us something to cling to. It was bad before. You made things better. Damian made things better."

Isis said nothing, simply pulled Rosamund into her arms for a hug to tell her how much her words meant. The other woman hugged back for a few moments, until power touched them both. Then she pulled back and turned to look at Damian. Wordlessly, she hugged him, too. It threw the vampire for a loop, if only for a moment. Then his arms came up to wrap around her and hold her close for as long as she'd allow it. The hug lasted long enough to convey her feelings before she pulled away from him. Offering them both a knowing smile, she wandered off to rejoin the rest of the pride.

Damian took his place at Isis' side and slid his arm around her shoulder. His gaze shifted to take in the small gathering. "This is a good thing, Isis," he told her softly.

She tilted her head back so that she could offer him her lips. He obliged and pressed a kiss upon them. "I hope so. It kind of feels like its too soon."

"You worry for no reason. It is a perfect time to celebrate the life of a friend," he assured her.

"You're sure? Because I don't know. I get the feeling that something's off."

He frowned at that, letting his gaze once more touch upon each and every person gathered under the covering. She knew that he was looking for signs that something was, in fact, off. And she knew that he wouldn't find any such signs. It was simply a feeling, as she'd said. But she couldn't shake the notion that things weren't entirely right. "You are sure? Because I get no such feeling."

Isis drew a breath, let it out on a sigh. "I don't know. I really don't know. Maybe I'm just imaging things. So many horrible things have happened lately that maybe my brain is stuck in panic mode. Its just that there's something here," she said, reaching up to tap at her chest right over the spot where her heart was located.

"Do not borrow trouble, Isis," he murmured gently against her ear. "There is no point in worrying over something that may not come to pass."

"I know. I do. But... Ugh," she shook her head.

Raucous laughter stopped any other words she might have uttered, bringing her attention up to a large group of people standing around one of the picnic tables. Lettie was standing on the bench seat, putting her head above the rest of them, and the look on her face said she was telling an unbelievable tale. Isis often wondered if the woman really experienced as many things as she claimed or if she was simply gifted with a very fertile imagination. She smiled at the expression the young woman wore. Lettie held everyone's attention and she knew it. "I should encourage her to write books. Or maybe do stand up. Her energy is boundless and her imagination is out of the world. She should do something with it."

Damian considered the girl a moment. "I think stand up would be better suited to her talents. I do not believe Lettie would be able to sit still long enough to write a book."

"True. She's never been one to sit for very long. Even a ninety minute Disney film has a hard time keeping her contained," Isis replied. "But she's a natural story teller. I would hate for that talent to go to waste."

"She is," Damian conceded. "Perhaps encourage her to attempt both. There is no reason she cannot do both."

Isis nodded and frowned. "I worry about her. All of them, you know. But especially Lettie. She's so boisterous. I worry that she'll stumble across the wrong people and they'll see what she is. And she won't be able to protect herself."

"You have that worry about all of them," he pointed out steadily. "Even if you say nothing about it to me, I know. I can tell. They must be allowed to live their own lives."

"They're all so young, Damian. I feel like I'm their mother. I feel like I should be giving them talks about sex and the dangers that exist in the world. I want to protect them from the violence I know will eventually find them," she told him softly.

"That is because you are a good Regina, Isis. You care about your pride. They are your family," Damian told her. She turned to smile up at him.

"You're just saying that because you're madly in love with me," she replied with a smirk.

"I am saying it because it is truth. It does not matter that I am madly in love with you," he said in return. Isis' smirk slid off her face as she stared up at him. Blinked up at him. Tried to wrap her mind around what he'd just said.

"Are you really?" she asked, voice a whisper.

"Madly," he said, deep conviction in both syllables of the word.

"Oh. Wow. I... wasn't expecting that," she admitted.

"You look so shocked. Did you think me incapable of loving you?" he asked. Though his face was a mask of polite curiosity, there was an edge to his voice that told her her answer was terribly important.

"No. I... No, Damian. That isn't it at all. I'm just... Those are big words for anyone to say to another person, Damian. Huge. I am at a loss because... Wow. You love me. You really love me and I love you. So, so much. And..." She forced herself to quiet, sure she was babbling. He'd surprised her with his admission. She hadn't actually expected it. Not now. Maybe some time in the future. But not now. Things were still fairly new between them. Not just them but everyone. Still. Feelings would go where they chose. And her feelings had been inching ever closer to him since the very first moment she'd laid eyes on him, when the lid of his coffin had lifted and she'd put her hand on him.

She wound herself around him, arms clutching at the back of his shirt tightly while she pressed her lips to his own. Damian obliged her need for a kiss, his hands coming to rest on her ass. They cupped her against him, held her close while she opened herself to him. His tongue had just slid inside, had just become something far more intimate than a simple kiss, when a voice broke them apart. "Get a room!"

Isis broke away to find Aedan grinning at her. She felt a blush creep up into her cheeks. "When's the big day?" the necromancer asked shamelessly. Isis blinked at her, not immediately grasping the meaning of the question. Then it became obvious what Aedan was asking and a blush crept up into Isis' cheeks. She might have returned the question, but a cry shattered the jovial atmosphere. Tension sprang to life in an instant and everyone was suddenly on alert.

Isis shifted around to see if she could find the origin of the cry but the park was empty. Then it came again, a high, animalistic cry that made Isis think of pain. An injured animal in pain. She frowned and looked around again, trying to figure out where it was coming from. Who it was coming from. And then she realized that Lettie was nowhere to be seen. She felt panic try to climb up into her belly and take hold. She stomped it down. Ruthlessly. And felt her lioness stir.

Something was coming their way. Something with power.

She pulled away from Damian, stepping off the concrete slab and onto the hard ground surrounding the picnic area. A figure was moving toward them, still hidden among the trees. She could feel power reaching out toward her. And it was familiar. She frowned, her entire being on high alert, because surely she was wrong.

The figure came out of the trees, stepping into the light. Her heart dropped out of her chest, replaced by equal measures of fear and anger. Haven, his blue hair somehow bright in the darkness, moved toward her slowly. As if he had all day. His hands were curled around Lettie, one at her throat and one against her abdomen, just under her chest. Even across the distance, Isis could smell blood. The dim light glistened off it where his claws had cut into Lettie's skin. "Let her go, Haven," Isis said softly.

"Good to see you, too, Isis. I've come to claim my pride. Step aside or the little bitch loses some organs."

"I can't let you do that, Haven. The pride is mine. You lost it in a fair fight. Remember?" There was cold cruelty in her words at the reminder. She saw how it struck him, how it left him floundering in anger and shame. Lettie whimpered softly, telling Isis that Haven's claws had delved a little deeper.

"Let the girl go, Haven. Or you and I will find out if your capable of withstanding silver ammunition," Aedan's voice rang out, steady and clear and filled with deadly intent. Isis watched as Haven sought her out, the smile on his face anything but pleasant.

"Ah. There she is. The little Anita wanna-be. The shitty ass bitch who didn't bother to save a dying woman." Haven gave her a cold look that was filled with deadly promise. "Wait your turn, bitch. I'll deal with you after I'm done with this one." He shook Lettie to emphasize his point.

"Can't let you do that, Haven," Aedan replied. Isis heard the hammer on her gun cock back.

"This is my fight, Aedan. Let me deal with him," Isis said, letting her voice ring out around the park with power and authority. She made sure her gaze never left Haven's face. "You're going to regret coming back here, Haven. You're going to regret threatening a member of my pride. I'm going to see to it that you suffer."

"What are you going to do? Have your pet vampire fight me again? He doesn't have a sword this time. I'll rip his head off," Haven growled. His power crept across Isis' skin, letting her know he was ready to turn, would do so at a moment's notice.

"No, Haven. Damian won't be fighting you this time," Isis told him and let her own power ripple across the clearing toward him. "This time, you'll have to deal with me."

"Think I'm scared of you? I'll rip you to shreds," he snarled.

"You and what army, Haven?" she asked softly. "You came alone. You came filled with rage. You came to your death."

"I'm going to rip you apart. Then I'm going to rip this whimpering little kitten to pieces. Then I'll shred your vampire. And, just because I can, I'm going to go after the bitch with the gun and rip her apart, too. I'm in that kind of mood."

"To quote the bitch with the gun," Isis said as she took a step forward. "I can't let you do that."

Haven snarled at her, flashing cat's fangs in an all too human mouth. "Bring it on, bitch."

"Someone's been learning new words," Aedan snarked from where she stood. Isis ignored it. Haven didn't. He turned to face her, taking his eyes off Isis. She let go a roar that made the leaves on the trees tremble and shifted.