Realize

((Continued from Everyday is exactly the same.

It's not that the same
No it's never the same
If you don't feel it too.
If you meet me half way
If you 'd meet me half way.
It could be the same for you.

If you just realize what I just realized
Then we'd be perfect for each other
And we'd never find another
Just realize what I just realized
We'd never have to wonder now
-Colbie Caillat

The open window was blowing Ellis' hair back, occasionally flying in front of her eyes and itching her nose. Her hand came up and tucked the errant hair behind her ear and she reflected on familiar things.

She looked down at her jacket and smiled a little. It was worn soft and had distressed scratches at the elbow joints and wrists. She hadn't seen it since she died, so imagine her surprise when she saw it after dying...again.

Waking up from the hyper blood lust coma was like waking from the best sleep you ever had. A soft bed, a dozen thick pillows and the heat of someone else's body warming the sheets. Only minus the other person. Still, Ellis woke with a deep sigh and a giggly yawn. Her eyes fluttered open and the stark whiteness of an unmistakable hospital ceiling greeted her. With a chesire cat grin she mentally ticked off one more life off of her nine.

One Doctor Hansen had refused to let her smoke in the room or leave to have one until he had checked her over thoroughly, but she knew what that meant. She was in Duibne Industries and they didn't want her to leave just yet. 'They' being Tacharan. So, she let Doctor Hansen 'check her over' with a smile and a hankering for a quick cig. Being in an unusually good mood had put the good Doctor in a nervous state, she figured, since he quickly fumbled through the examination and then exited.

She felt right as rain. Super fine. As good as it got. Everything had completely regenerated and she was able to reach out with her perception, wide and far. So the two men approaching her room were no surprise as she prepared to leave DI. Her clothes were gone so a pair of scrubs had to do. Her shoes were cleaned, at least. Boots like hers were hard to come by and she was smiling down at them when the knock at the door came.

'Come on in,' she said happily, still looking at her boots.

Their heartbeats were slow and calm, not at all like the hospital staff's. She knew exactly who these two men were. Without looking up she addressed them accordingly.

'Not everyday I get two Mercs to escort me safely to my car.' She lifted her boot and checked the tread - they had even cleaned out the bits of flesh stuck in between the ridged lines.

One Merc set down a stack of folded clothes on her bed and backed up. 'When you're ready, Miss Duban, if you would please?'

'If I would please what?' She looked up into the faces of the two men as they held the door open for her and held a hand out, showing her the way. That could only mean one thing.

So as they drove down the dirt roads of the old slaughthouse district she reflected on her situation. Another errant piece of hair crossed her face and she plucked at it, giving her two escorts seated up front a cursory glance.

A debriefing probably, she thought to herself. What's the worse that could happen?

Carol chewed on her nub of a fingernail, watching the car approach the south entrance. The heat signatures showed three bodies in the car. Closing her eyes she ignored the noises around her, but more specifically, the voice in her head.

Carol?

Cocking her head to the side, she waited for the voice to continue but kept her eye on the moving car on the monitor.

Carol, can you hear me?

The blond was alone in her office, her back to her desk, watching the monitors on the wall. She couldn't see Simon in his quarters, only his heat signature. Still, it could only be him trying to talk to her and she had been ignoring his bonded voice since he returned from Duibne Industries. Alec was fairly quiet after her outburst in his hospital room - the kicking and screaming was a bit much, she realized that now but at the time it seemed only prudent.

Her mind was silent again.

Carol had avoided speaking to Simon. She just wasn't sure what to say or how to feel. Simon loved her, she knew that, but how could she compete with fifteen hundred years of memories, good or bad?

'You can't.'

With a slow sigh she watched Ellis exit the car and the two Mercs escort her to the elevator. Carol checked her nubby fingernails and walked out of her office.

'One sec.'

Ellis stopped a few steps behind the two Mercs who turned and looked at her.

'I need one before we go in.'

The ventilation system in the Domicile had always prevented Ellis from smoking while inside and she wasn't sure when she'd get another chance to smoke one. She raised her eyebrows, looking at both men. The taller one on the right reached into his breast pocket and pulled out a red and white pack of cigarettes. Tucked in the cellophane was a book of matches.

'Keep them,' he said handing her the pack.

'Much obliged.' She pulled out the match book and looked at it. It was red and black with the words Babylon written across in white. Tapping out a cigarette, she slipped it in between her lips and pulled a match from the book lighting it.

There were cameras at at least two dozen angles zeroed in on her right now, she figured. The slaughter house district was under constant surveillance at all times, day and night. She wondered who was watching down below as she inhaled deeply on her cigarette.

Four minutes passed and she finished the last of her cigarette, flicking it to the side. 'Okay.' She followed the Mercs to the hidden elevator and stepped in as one of the Mercs used his hand print to activate the doors.

Ellis rolled her shoulders as she stood in front of the two Mercs, staring at the steel doors. There was no point in asking them anything, they probably knew less than she did. They were strictly henchmen with orders to bring her directly to the Domicile. Not even a little small talk. A few moments later the elevator slowed to a stop but the door did not open.

Movement behind her indicated that the Merc was in contact with someone inside. She could hear the tinny voice in his ear piece but chose not to listen. Instead she continued staring at the steel doors trying to remember just what had happened in that fruit cellar. Her dreams were muddled and full of pain. Michaels, the rogue werewolf's face kept taunting her, laughing at her and the stink of his breath pungent in her face. She had endured a lot in her time but with that bit of nightmare being so recent it was fresh in her mind. Her dreams had been in color with all five senses present. Lucky her.

'Copy that.'

Ellis almost jumped at the Merc's voice, instead she looked to the side waiting for them to open the doors. They slid open quietly and she walked into the lobby of the Domicile. She hadn't expected to see anyone there. Doubtful anyone would be greeting her for just a simple debriefing, but she wasn't surprised to see Simon walking down the opposite hallway toward her. He was always just on the edge of her senses, she noticed. Maybe she just assumed he'd be there.

The two Mercs stayed in the elevator and as the elevator doors closed Ellis turned to watch as they disappeared. Looking back at Simon she gave him a bored face.

'Theater or conference room?'

Conference room, he replied and held a hand out toward the hallway he had just come from. An escort from the big boss.

Lucky her.

Carol wasn't speaking to him, at least not in the bonded way. She was formal and polite in person but she absolutely refused to answer him when he spoke to her in his mind. He understood why though - the hospital staff being fairly forthcoming when he awoke and asked for her. Wiping his face with his hands he tried once more to speak to her but there was nothing but silence.

He had been watching the car containing Ellis speed toward the Domicile. Standing he exited his quarters to meet her at the lobby. Having her walking around alone or even with Mercs still made him nervous so he took upon himself to keep an eye on her. Pulling at his waist band, he fidgeted with his black slacks which only annoyed him more. He didn't like the situation he was in with Ellis. He didn't know how to even act around her now after they shared what they thought was their final moment together. Declaring his undying love to a woman that brought him nothing but misery had been a surprise, but it wasn't a lie. Telling Carol exactly what happened wasn't even an option. He'd lose her in more ways than one if he did.

The matching black polo he wore tucked into his black slacks was beginning to itch and he pulled at the short sleeves as he rounded the corner to the elevator that brought him up to the entry level. Still half a mile underground he met the entry elevator from the south entrance and watched as Ellis exited it, giving the Mercs a final look.

'Theater or conference room?' She asked.

'Conference room.' He held his hand out back down the hallway he had come from and she walked toward him silently with her head looking down at the ground.

They were both quiet as they walked the long hallway back toward the elevator. The tension between them was thick and awkward. He knew that all eyes were now on them and his nerves were starting to get to him. He reached up and ran his hands through his hair and as he lowered them he looked over at Ellis who was watching him with a small smile. He felt his stomach twist and flip but he kept his face neutral.

They entered the elevator and he palmed the panel on the wall. Simon stepped to the back of the elevator and leaned on the wall with his left shoulder. He soon discovered that acting relaxed and being relaxed were two very different things. Ellis elected to stand just slightly in front of him and she kept her hands busy by pulling out her pack of cigarettes, flipping it over in her right hand and then putting it back in.

Simon rested his head on the wall. We'll tell them the truth, he thought as he looked at the back of her head. There's nothing wrong with the truth. We'll just tell them what happened. He then reached up and rubbed his eyes with the palm of his hands when something interrupted his train of thought.

Ellis was mumbling, nodding her head.

He opened his mouth to ask her what she had said when the elevator slowed and opened its doors. There was a Merc standing outside the conference room door, waiting for their arrival. The Merc stepped in front of the doorway, causing it to open. Simon pushed off the back of the elevator and ushered Ellis out.

He paced himself to be a step ahead of her but still let her walk in first. Running his hands through his hair again, his agitation rising, he followed her in.

There were things about Simon that had always made her smile. Little things like the way he stood, the sound of his quiet laughter coupled with his small grin and the way he ran his hands through his hair was when he was agitated. He was doing the latter as they walked down the hall in silence and she couldn't help but watch him with a small smile of her own. He caught her looking but didn't have any reaction at all. She continued to watch the ground in front of her, walking the familiar path to the Domicile elevators.

The trip down to the conference room level was a short one, but she still pulled her cigarettes out of her pocket and flipped it over onto its side over and over again. Secretly she had always used her pack of cigs to calm her nerves or give her time to think. It helped give her the ability to look like she had nothing but time and all the answers, really giving her time to just think. Lighting a cigarette was always so distracting to people, especially if you did it slow and methodical. It took her years to learn how to do it with that little bit of sexiness that was mesmerizing. After a while she couldn't be without her cigarettes, even in the domicile when she knew she couldn't smoke.

Ellis was uncharacteristically nervous about this debriefing. Being down in the Domicile after being put into a forced exile was unnerving, insulting and annoying. She wondered just how much of the truth Simon was expecting her to tell.

We'll tell them the truth. There's nothing wrong with the truth. We'll just tell them what happened. And that's exactly what she thought he'd say.

'Yeah, I suppose,' she mumbled just below a whisper as the elevator doors opened up. A Merc was standing in front of the door and he opened it as they approached. With a deep breath Ellis prepared herself to enter, just as Simon stepped aside to let her in first. Always a gentlemen.

And with that, she entered.

The world carried on whether Nova was there to see it turn or not; she could not hold down everything, everywhere. And so, quite naturally, events had transpired in her absence. Unlife would not wait for her to swallow down all the repercussions of what came before – it persisted in moving. Not forward, necessarily, but moving.

She wore her hair down, streaming over her shoulders save for a little pinned up on each side. The reddish brown mass trailed and tangled as she hurried down the corridor, determined as always to defy stereotypes and show up on time.

She wasn’t late, but she was last. Simon, Ellis, Alec, Carol. She registered them all with varying weight, lingering a little on Alec, mostly because she couldn’t look at Ellis long without feeling something tug in her guts, but also because she’d never...

…well, now wasn’t the time.

Simon got barely a glance – her brain to mouth filter had always been crap and she didn’t want to blurt out something stupid to her creator. ‘Hur, what the fuck dude?’ Yeah, that sounded like something she’d say, especially if she’d been drinking, which she hadn’t. She felt a little drunk, dazed, all the same.

What did you say to Carol? She was always the one to diffuse uncomfortable situations by saying something disarming and hilarious. Pretty, charming, funny Carol…

She’d missed them all, she realized with a slow blink. The smell of Ellis’s cigarettes was almost nostalgic. Ellis, who’d tried to have her bumped off while she ripped off Simon’s head, but damn, it was so freakin beautiful to be back among her own kind, even if her kind leaned toward eating their young. A thousand years from now, they’d still be alive, and would any of this matter?

Too much time in the desert, getting perspective. She wondered if her trip had shaken loose a few screws.

Someone had to talk, but Nova took an uncharacteristic moment to think before she opened her mouth. In that second, she felt the twist in her stomach crawl up to her throat, and realized she was staring at Ellis. The craziest thought entered her mind, then, and she nearly laughed with relief when she didn’t say it out loud.

‘You look good.’

Yeah, definitely a few screws loose.

“Is that everyone?”

Ellis did a slow circle of the room, giving all the occupants a prolonged stare before turning to the next.

Alex looked armed, ready and a little tense.

Carol just looked unhappy. Ellis made a mental note of her wardrobe, apparently she broke into some other grown woman's closet to dress for the meeting.

Simon had moved over to stand next to Alex by the door. He crossed his arms and with his right hand began pulling softly at his bottom lip. She couldn't read the expression on his face.

There were two Mercs at the opposite end of the table standing on either side of a single chair. Apparently she was meant to sit there. There was a Merc stationed outside the door, all three she did not recognize. It had been two years since Simon had taken over, she hadn't expected to see familiar faces.

Nova seemed to have a case of nervous chatter. Was that everyone, Ellis wondered. No, someone was missing. With a smile she answered Nova's question.

'We appear to be missing Ginnie.'

As Ellis played the room, sized up the audience, she mentioned that Ginnie was missing after Nova's query. For a moment, Alec flushed, rage welling deep from within to destroy or be destroyed. Whole body tensing, he began to blurt

"Of course we."

Alarm bells rang in his head, and he considered them. He had been about to heed a very old Tacharan impulse that, given the circumstance, had been blessedly absent after his creation. The blood rage was very conditionally useful, but also could prove to be the possessor's undoing. Ellis would have smirked, he would be dead and none of it would increase the body count of the enemy. As reason chimed in, he shook his head once. Of course she would not know. Ellis was outside the fold, fallen by the wayside. Obsolete. Banished. Supposedly. Looking directly through her eyes, Alec coldly stated

"Ginnie has been dead for some time."

Tension was replaced once again by anger. Though he had learned the secrets that silver held from watching Ellis, he also wondered how it was she knew, and how her actions had brought things to their present state. Taking a deep breath, he released the frustration and heat that would get him nowhere. There were more than enough reason to be angry - seething over ancient history was pointless. Staring at her without emotion, safely cold, he waited for whatever would come next.

Ellis raised her eyebrows in surprise. She hadn't heard about Ginnie's death, not that she even knew her that well. Ginnie did invent that awesome pen bomb she used in the Hillman raid, and from what Ellis could remember, was quite a gifted demolition expert.

'Hmm,' she said. 'Shame.'

Ginnie hadn't been part of her small circle of acquaintances, Ellis was a snob in that regard. Anything beyond that would have been a lie but it certainly was a shame.

Alec responding was interesting though. Ellis seemed to recall hearing something between Alec and Ginnie...maybe. Again it wasn't something she kept up with but his extra tense behavior at Ellis' mentioning Ginnie's name was a rather good indicator that they were more than just people who fucked. Ellis gave Alec an appraising look and lowered her eyes with a slight nod.

Reaching into her pocket she pulled out her cigarettes and began flipping the box in her hand as she walked over to the chair between the two Mercs. She settled down into the black leather conference chair and made herself comfortable.

With an curious but open glare, she looked across the room at Simon and shrugged her shoulders.

'So what is it that I can do for you all?'

Carol could barely contain the seething hate brewing in her veins as Ellis casually settled down into the chair and talked directly to Simon. Simon hadn't called this meeting. Simon hadn't wanted them to interrogate Ellis. In fact, Simon had wanted to do it himself. No, looking at Simon was the wrong thing for Ellis to do - vampire or not.

Being short and blond meant nothing to Carol at that moment. She leaned down, planting her hands on the table, her knuckles turning white but her breathing slow and calm. Carol was far from it, though.

'We want to know what happened up to you both being taken at the house.'

She stopped herself from saying 'the house on Juniper Hill' although part of her wanted to say it in hopes of it hurting Simon as much as it hurt her. Carol blinked slowly, trying to keep her nerves in check as Ellis' gaze moved toward her. This was stupid, addressing Ellis like that, without the respect a vampire her age thought she deserved.

It was stupid but right then Carol didn't give a fuck.

Alec blinked. The response from Ellis had been completely unexpected. He had not realized that he had even HAD expectations toward a potential response from her. How...strange. Stunned into silence for a moment, he simply returned her slight nod with one slightly more curt. He was still angry, but unbalanced - this would require further processing to fit into his world view.

Winding through the avenues of his own private thoughts, he was somewhat startled when Carol blurted her question. Realizing that it was a response to a query, Alec smirked darkly. Why not.

"A few months ago I would have said that you could have fallen into the fiery pits of hell and burned...but I hear that it does not work so well on you. So instead I think we should figure out what is going on and get back about the business of committing genocide on the wolf-men. For fun and profit, of course."

Ellis would always be impressed with the size of Carol's balls. Slowly she blinked, moving her gaze across the room at Carol.

They must have clanked.

The cigarette pack in her hand stopped moving as Ellis gave Carol a sidelong glance. The tension in the air was palatable, if not painful. Her eyes snapped back across the room at Alec who had something more interesting to say and, at the very least, was a little more respectful. She'd get to Carol in due time.

Placing the pack on the table top, she centered it perfectly in front of her. Nudging it this way and that as Alec spoke. She smiled at his mention of the fiery pits of hell and its less than effective killing of her. However the word 'genocide' coming out of the normally quiet young man was interesting.

Ahh, she thought. That's how Ginnie must have died. A thought did occur to her, though.

'So the killing for fun and profit...does that apply to Marthinus, too?'

A little detail like that, she was sure, hadn't been overlooked.

The sharp scraping of nails caught her attention again from back on the other side of the room and table. Carol was standing prone again, her hands at her side. Oh...so brave, Ellis thought.

'I didn't answer your question did I, Carol?' This time she turned fully and faced the blond, her smile pulled back over her fangs and a not altogether pleasant smile crept up toward her green eyes.

With her hands up turned, she spread her fingers out and shrugged. 'Forgive me.'

Ellis crossed her legs, enjoying the comfortable chair and again reached out to center her pack of cigarettes in front of her.

'After Simon and I had our talk down in the sewers...or rather as it was drawing to a close, Simon was attacked with one of those cute little dart things. It escalated from there, forcing us above ground.'

Ellis stopped at that point, wondering if Carol would ask the inevitable question. One that she was going to be more than happy to answer.

Frowning, Alec shrugged.

"He was Tacharan before he was stolen. Even in his compromised state he has been useful to us - your little interaction with him is what confirmed the silver myths for me, plus his intervention allowed us to get Simon back in a more expedient manner. He is in a unique position to provide us with the information we need to dismantle enemy systems and communications, in addition to learning all of the unique weaknesses of their physiology. Discovering whatever hold is on him, and how to break it is of prime strategic importance. But yes. If that control is unable to be broken, he needs to be under lock and key, if not destroyed. He has too much operational knowledge of us to be allowed in the enemy camp should they continue to undermine his loyalties. With luck, the observation teams tasked to follow his new group will uncover the data I require, and the issue will become moot."

As Ellis turned her attention back to Carol, he wondered if he had given too much insight into his feelings. Someone could read what he had said as 'Hey, Marty is okay, we should help him out' or 'once he has outlived his usefulness, fuck him'. Well, damage done.

Her response to Carol left out more than it provided, but it did remind Alec to find out what the hell was in those darts and how to get some reverse engineered for his team. It also reminded him to think of other ways to weaponize silver for more destructive potential.

Ellis listened to Alec with renewed enthusiasm. Her smile grew as he detailed Marthinus' existence within the clan and outside of it. It was fucking poetry.

'Alec. Alec, Alec, Alec.' Ellis clapped her hands happily. 'Sir you do this clan much justice. That is exactly what I would do. Marthinus has always been a valuable asset to the clan, both in business and in extenuating circumstances, no offense of course Simon. What a wealth of information he must have about Hammerthynn and his pack. Imagine, a man caught between two loyalties is ultimately a useless man but bleeding him dry, so to speak, is strategically the smartest move. Hell if you're lucky, he'll self destruct out of guilt!'

Ellis nodded her head and a thinly veiled sinister grin touched her lips. 'Where you lack in experience, compared to my old Merc Trainer, you certainly make up for in creativity and leadership. Well done, Mr. Devereaux.'

Leaning back in her chair she let Alec take in her ill suited praise. Hate had a way of twisting your agenda and overlooking the needs of the many. It had taken Alec in a strangle hold, that if properly encouraged, would turn into a horribly foul thing.

God, she just wanted to know where to set up the camera.

Looking back over at Carol she saw the color drain out of her face. Little, blond, happy, stupid Carol. The realization must of hit her and oh...in such a sensitive spot. Recent events were random at best but she could not have planned this any better.

Simon listened carefully to the cold and calculating tone as his Merc Trainer described Marthinus as some sort of resource that, when he ceased to be useful, would be thrown to the way side. What horrified Simon more was the realization that Ginnie's death had affected Alec more than he himself had noticed. Vengeance laced his every word and Ellis ate it up with a spoon.

Simon narrowed his hazel eyes at Ellis as she applauded the young man. Stepping away from the wall and turning to face Alec he saw the look of pride cross over his face. Ellis showered him in her praise, encouraging the black thing that had taken up residence in Alec's heart to grow. Simon watched as Ellis dug her claws into him in hopes of festering that hate and quietly he mourned Alec Devereaux's soul. Simon knew the path that Alec was contemplating and he hoped to God that his need for vengeance didn't consume him.

Lifting his chin defiantly, Simon looked down his nose at Ellis who noticed him again and her smile faltered, her eyes dropping.

'He's not a resource and he is certainly not lost.' Simon gave Alec a hard stare. 'He could have let us die there in that cabin, but he didn't. Whatever he is now, the part of him that is us is still in him but more importantly he is MY blood and no one touches him but me.'

Simon looked back at Ellis and shook his head. She was on her way to hell and taking whoever wanted a ride with her. With contempt he thought, 'One soul at a time, eh Ellis?'

She was still looking down at her pack of cigarettes, reaching out to center it, but it was as if she heard his thought and her smile widened again.

In a softer voice Simon added, 'I will deal with Marthinus personally.'

'A fat lot of good that'll do.'

Carol blurted out the words before she could stop herself. They just pushed past her lips and tumbled out. They were angry, bloated with contempt, disgust and...she said it out loud in front of God and everyone.

All eyes were on her, even the Mercs who were standing on either side of Ellis, their guns poised and ready to shoot her. Ellis' hand hovered over her pack of cigarettes and a stunned look was frozen on her face. Carol's eyes flicked from Ellis to Simon and her heart sank into her stomach.

Simon walked slowly to the center of the room putting Ellis and the conference table in between them and his expression was far from stunned. Carol took a breath and did her best to look confident but she had just spoken against, not just her lover, but their clan leader. The need to wince, crawl away and die threatened to telescope her spine as she stood there, meeting his angry eyes but Carol was never one to not mean what she said or not say what she meant. Simon was losing control of the clan with his idiotic command of protection over Ellis. By all rights the both of them should be dead, but Simon took control of the clan and tried to do the right thing. He tried to kill his creator to keep the clan intact and when that didn't work - when Ellis had walked back into his life, he spared hers. And apparently, Ellis spared his.

They were working together again, maybe not lovers (Carol really did not think it had progressed that far yet) but it was inevitable. A thousand plus year control over someone just doesn't dissipate over a 'disagreement'. He may have hated her all that time, but he loved her just as much. Carol knew this, hell, everyone knew it but him.

Simon 'handling Ellis' meant absolutely nothing, which meant him handling the werewolf situation and Marthinus had as much weight. So Carol had said what everyone was thinking.

Still, this was fucking bad.

The sound of his yelling in the room was nothing compared to how loud it was in her head. Carol's legs buckled and she hit the chair near her as she fell to the ground. She had never felt anything like it - the fury in his voice nearly split her mind into pieces.

As she fell to the ground her world went white with pain. It must have been his close proximity that made the bond between them an amplifier transmitting the hate and rage from his mind into hers. It was almost on the same level as sharing their bond while in the throws of passion, but this almost knocked her out.

Carol raised her hands and covered her ears, trying to silence the ringing that was echoing in a dull thump in her head.

'Oh...Jesus,' she muttered. At least she thought she did, she couldn't even hear her own voice. She shook her head, trying to clear the blur as she planted her hands on the ground and tried to stand.

No one helped her and she didn't expect anyone to try. She had spoken against the clan leader and she was lucky she wasn't dead.

Grabbing the arm of the chair next to her, Carol got as high as she could before falling into the chair. She tasted the coppery bitterness of blood on her lips and realized that her nose was bleeding. Without looking up at Simon she wiped her nose and brought back a bloodied hand.

He might as well have hit her.

Carol leaned her head back and stared up at the ceiling. 'Ok, I'm...stopping now.'

Ellis was stunned into silence by Carol's insolence but Simon's response floored her. Save for dealing with young, stupid vampires Simon was always very passive aggressive. He had it in him, she knew that, seeing him not only put Carol in her place in front of the others was impressive, but having incontrovertible evidence that he punished her via their bond...well that turned her on a little.

More and more she was seeing that part of him she had so eagerly tried to nurture. Here was the stoic leader, the iron fist, that man she wanted him to be. Still, there was something about Simon the way he was that she loved.

Wait. What did she just say? Admired. No. Respected. She mentally rolled her eyes, she never respected anyone. Cared for? There, that's...acceptable, she thought to herself.

Ellis relaxed and pulled her hovering hand back into her lap, leaving her pack of cigarettes in front of her on the table. The room was painfully quiet. Carol bleeding in her chair, Alec and Nova watching Simon who was just standing in the middle of the room...fuming. She could practically feel the anger seeping out of his pores. It was all very sexy.

Damnit. Not sexy...boring. She was bored out of her mind, yes. He's just standing there, trying to play leader with his rigid jawline and dark hazel eyes. Ellis' eye drew itself down the length of Simon - his broad shoulders, flat stomach of which she was painfully familiar.

Ellis blinked her eyes and shook her head, trying to clear the nonsense. She should probably finish her story. Yeah, she'd do that.

'So, uh.'

Simon immediately turned his glare on Ellis and she fought against the urge to cringe back into her leather chair. Instead she maintained her blank expression and broke eye contact with him, spinning the chair slowly to her left. Seeing him again after their ordeal was odd to her. It was something almost tangible, as if she could reach out and just scoop his aura into her hand and tuck it into her pocket. Again she blinked at that description and spun her chair more, completely turning her back to him. She took a deep, slow breath and finished answering the original question.

'You and I were talking, Simon. I'm sure you remember. Down in the sewer. You had asked about the werewolves and I told you everything I could remember, which wasn't much. I had finished...rather we had finished talking save for...something...inconsequential,' she winced not sure why she was bringing that part up but continued. 'Uh, then you suddenly slumped to the ground. We should have felt him, I'm pretty sure I did but it was too late. So, I returned fire, grabbed you and surfaced to the Strip.'

Ellis spun back around, looking at Alec. 'Did you find my guns? Probably not. I think I had them at the house,' she trailed off thinking again of Simon and without looking at him she spun around in her chair, facing her back to him.

'I had silver tipped bullets. Pure silver is just too soft and anything more than just the tip would be awkward to have in the papers if the bullets were recovered. So, I tipped them with just enough silver to hurt a wolf, which it was and did. I could hear him splashing in the water after us and whoever it was trying to pull that bullet out. Two legs though, not four. Odd, he didn't change.'

Ellis considered that little fact for a moment and then continued.

'I found your car, Simon.' She spun back around and gave him a sad grin. 'And I crashed it into the Marina. My bad. But it was them that brought down the police and everyone else under the sky. Which is probably why it was just that thick necked fucker, Michaels, and his team that kept us in that cabin.'

Ellis stopped fidgeting in her chair and sat still. 'He,' suddenly her chest felt tight just recalling what had happened to them both. She wasn't sure how to put it, the torture. It had been a long time since she had been through something as twisted and painful as that, but it was the first time she had suffered along with Simon. Once again she felt the need to apologize to Simon, for putting him through that with her. That he had to suffer as well as watch.

'He, Michaels I mean,' she started again. Ellis laced her fingers together and leaned forward in her chair, trying to loosen the tight cramp in her chest. 'I don't know how long he tortured Simon before he started in on me.'

Ellis closed her eyes trying to will away Simon's disfigured face and all the blood she heard his voice. It was soft and soothing.

It wasn't your fault.

'You don't have to say that. It was...is, my fault, Simon. I just wish I knew why.'

Turning her chair around she looked back up into Simon's face and saw confusion and maybe just a hint of terror. Looking around the room she saw Carol look at her, then Simon and even the Mercs lowered their weapons slightly.

A blush burned her cheeks at the realization that she had shown her vulnerable side but when Carol stood and began to laugh, the embarassment vanished and was replaced with total confusion.

Simon maintained the look of annoyance as Ellis finished her account of what happened the night they were captured. He gave Carol a final look and then crossed his arms. She grazed over why they didn't pick up the assailant in the sewer but he knew that Carol could have probably guessed and had, if her reaction just a moment ago was any indication. He tried to channel out the fury he still had for Carol as he listened to the minutes between the sewer and when he woke up at the house on Juniper Hill when Ellis' tone changed.

'He...He, Michaels I mean...'

She had spun the chair around so no one in the room could see the look on her face. He wasn't sure he could have handled seeing the expression that matched her pained voice.

'I don't know how long he tortured Simon before he started in on me.'

He was still so unfamiliar with this side of Ellis - the remorse and regret so tangible yet foreign. Simon couldn't help but be awe struck by her emotions. It wasn't your fault, he thought as he looked at Ellis' chair.

'You don't have to say that. It was...is, my fault, Simon. I just wish I knew why.'

Simon dropped his arms and felt his jaw gape open. Ellis turned and looked at him. Oh god, he thought. She...heard him? How could she hear his thoughts? Then it hit him like a jackhammer in between the eyes.

Ellis heard him because they were bonded.

'Y-,' and that's when Carol stood up laughing. It was a strange laugh, an almost hysterical giggle. It appeared that she understood what had just happened as well.

The laughter erupted out of her before she could stop it. That was happening a lot to Carol, losing control over her mouth but this time seemed appropriate. Standing she began to clap, shaking her head.

'Whew. Can you fucking believe it?' She pushed the chair back and walked away from the table. 'Oh...oh that's just gold. Seriously.'

Carol walked to the door and it opened for her. Her world, as she knew it, was rapidly unraveling. Her love, her Leader was bonded not just with her...but with his creator, ex-lover and the woman he tried to kill. They were bonded. In the millennium they were together, not once had they had that bonding but now, right now, they were. And where did that leave Carol?

Humiliated, disgraced...and unprotected.

'They're bonded now. Enjoy, people.'

And with that, she was done.

((OOC - Carol out pending responses but she's gonna go get drunk)

Startled, Alec could only listen as Ellis revealed that not only did she maybe actually have feeling and remorse for things, but shocked that she might share them at all. Had he really only known her by reputation? Carol's laughter was very much at odds with the revelation, but somewhat reasonable - Alec did not understand this new development either, but apparently the human found it more humorous than puzzling.

The why of it all was much different than he had expected, however. Carol's declaration left Alec's mind in a state of panic, his jaw slack, and his eyes wide. Bonded. That meant that Ellis was part of the package deal. Fuck.

Hopefully the changes were genuine, or the clan was in for a very long fall, indeed. On the bright side, it did take the what to do with Ellis issue off of the table. Unfortunately, it left that one, horrible option that it had before - 'whatever the fuck she wants, since she will eat your soul otherwise'.

Fuck.

Alec removed his goggles and sighed. Holding them in his hands for a moment, he watched Carol flee. Smart woman, that one. And a potential liability if she was not watched. Arrangements would be easy enough...they would just have to be very much on the down low. Staring unblinkingly at Simon, and then settling on Ellis, he waited as time played out.

"Well...I feel entirely too much the voyeur right now. Someone say something."

'Someone say something.'

Without looking at Alec, Simon tried to maintain a sense of order, despite Carol and her hysterically laughing. He could not think of anything else to say.

'Everyone out. Right now.'

Aaronsmyth and Rosario looked at each other and lowered their weapons. The leader looked at them both and nodded. Without questioning the bizarre shit that just happened, both men eagerly left the room.

As the door closed behind them, Rosario turned to his partner.

'What just happened?'

'I have no fucking idea,' Aaronsmyth replied. 'And I don't want to know.'

((OOC Mercs out))

Alec nodded once, slid his goggles on and waited for the mercs to shuffle out before him. Whispering over their shoulders, he stated

"Not a word to anyone, and if you two discuss it with each other, make sure it is in your private quarters. If I hear tales from anyone through the grapevine, it is on both of you. So police the other. Be good."

Blending as he walked away, he wondered what the hell was going to happen. As usual, the pendulum of Simon's life swung from one extreme to another. Well, if nothing else it was exciting. Terrifying, but exciting. Horrifying, and with terrible consequences, but...

((Alec out))

Ellis waited for everyone to leave the conference room. Carol, the two Mercs guarding her, Alec and then finally Nova. She turned and looked at Simon.

'Ok...what now? Wait a second, what?' Ellis slowly stood up out of her chair. 'How?'

Then it occurred to her.

I love you, Simon.

'Oh shit.'

I always have and always will.

Ellis slumped back into her chair.

I never deserved you and you don't deserve this.

The declaration of love. Perfect. Ellis ran her hands over her face, remembering what she had said. And what had he replied?

It doesn't matter anymore. I love you.

'Well, this is awkward.'

((OOC Moved Nova out, player is afk))

Simon ran his hands through his hair. He was beyond agitated. Embarrassed, annoyed, authority questioned...hell he could go on but right then he just wanted to get her out of the Domicile and away from the clan.

'Come on.' He walked over to the table, picked up her cigarettes and tossed them to her. 'I'll take you back to the city.'

He couldn't deal with talking about it right then. Walking out the door he put his hand on the door frame, holding it open for her. He gave her an impatient look but didn't say anything further.

Ellis caught her cigs and watched Simon stand impatiently by the door. 'Guess we're leaving,' she mumbled softly to herself. Instead of tucking the cigarettes in her pocket, she kept them in her hand again nervously flipping the pack. She really, really wanted a smoke.

Following him out into the hallway he quickly headed for the elevator. She had to double time it to catch up with his long legs and make it to the elevator without him tapping his foot at her. He wanted her out of the Domicile and away from the clan, she wagered. This recent turn of events will undoubtedly make it dangerous for her to be there so she welcomed his urgency, annoying though it was.

They rode the elevator to the parking garage that was hidden about a hundred feet below the surface and they quickly walked to a familiar sight.

'Awesome sauce', she said as they neared one of the cars that belonged to her. Another Merc was present and waiting by the passenger door. He opened it without an expression but his eyes did dart from Simon back to her.

Guess she wasn't driving. Pulling her pack of cigs out of her pocket she quickly lit a cigarette, inhaling on its sweet burnt aroma, letting the smoke fill her lungs. Good god it was fantastic.

Ellis slipped into the Indianpolis metalic red BMW M6 Coupe, cigarette dangling from her lips. As she sat in the red leather interior, she realized that it actually wasn't one of hers but the 2009 model. It was disgusting how vampires flaunted their wealth but it still was fucking cool to have all sorts of expensive toys. There weren't too many who could call a one hundred thousand plus vehicle a toy but she enjoyed it just the same.

Running her hand over the buttery soft leather she looked over at Simon who sat in the driver seat and started the car. It purred as he dropped it into first gear and they smoothly ascended the ramp up to the surface.

((Simon and Ellis out))

Continues in An awkward situation