outfit

~*~

Arya had taken her sweet time with William, getting the answers she wanted while getting back at him for what he'd done to her. In the end, she'd weakened him sufficiently so he wouldn't be a threat to anyone while he was tied up and just alive enough to be brought before the council and sentenced. The answers she'd gotten were not the ones she'd expected and in the end she was more confused than before. Hopefully Marcus could shed some light on the matter.

Leaving her playroom, Arya locked the doors behind her and went to find Marcus. She found him in her private sanctuary as agreed upon and looked at him for a moment before speaking: "You owe me an explanation." He didn't say anything at first, just put the book he'd been flipping through down and looked at her. "All in good time," he said and sat her down at the edge of a chair before he went to get a basin of hot water and a sponge.

The vampiress couldn't remember the last time she'd felt so hallow and utterly lost, she didn't even move until Marcus was back. She didn't move as he used the sponge to clean William's blood off of her face and arms, it just felt good to let him take care of her once more, like he'd done when she was still young. He talked while he cleaned her skin, telling her the reason why her fledgelings weren't quite right. He also explained the only way she could ever turn someone and they still remained sane was if she gave her blood to someone while trying to save them (from something that wasn't caused by herself) and they still died with her blood in their system.

By the time Marcus was done cleaning the blood off of her skin and had helped her change her dress once again, Arya didn't have any words. Why wouldn't he have told her this a long time ago and saved her a lot of misery? Why was he telling her this now? After being proud and free for so long, it was shocking how easy it was to fall right back into ancient habits and not fight Marcus at all.

Marcus led Arya back out into the living room and pulled her down on the sofa with him so she was sitting halfway on his lap. "I'm leaving, I have a letter for Damien, please give it to him when he wakes up." Holding his first fledgeling close for a moment, Marcus kissed her cheek before he thrust the letter into her hands and was gone.

She didn't understand any of this, why would he just up and leave like that without saying goodbye to Damien in person or tell her at the very least why he was leaving now all of a sudden? So Arya wound up sitting on her own living room couch, staring into space and clutching Marcus's letter for what felt like just a moment, but in reality was closer to a few hours. She only knew how much time had passed because Marcus had made sure she knew where he was at all times until his flight left and she could no longer track him. Damien should be getting up soon and she had no idea what to tell him. Their maker had been so good for so long, but all of a sudden something had changed.

Damien had woken up hours later, he didn't need to check the time to know how long he had slept. Damien put on his shirt, wondering now where Marcus was. He headed to the room that Marcus usually stayed in, but only found a empty bed and room, the room looked like it had never been used. This somewhat confuses him but he closed the door and headed downstairs, thats when he notices that Marcus scent or thoughts weren't even found.

He walked to the living room, finding Arya there. She looked...lost almost and notices a letter in her hand. "Wheres Marcus?" He asked.

The blonde had barely registered that Damien entered the room and didn't look up at him until he asked her a question. Snapping out of her confused state, she sighed softly. "He left," she said and handed Damien the letter that had been left for him. "He left this for you." With that, Arya got up from the sofa and picked slightly on her cameo choker, determined to leave Damien alone to read the letter in privacy. "Come find me when you're done?"

She hadn't actually read the letter herself, mainly because she was too distracted to do so, but also because it wasn't addressed to her. All she'd really noticed about it was that it was written on old paper from her hidden room in a practiced hand. The way he'd written Damien's name on the outside of the folded paper revealed that he had taken great care with writing the letter.

My dearest Damien,

By the time you read this, I will most likely be halfway across the Atlantic. I am terribly sorry I couldn't stay to say goodbye in person, but time is of the essence. In efforts to keep you out of harms way, I had to leave your side to deal with the Council of Old. You are truly all I ever wanted in this life, and I cannot stay by your side any longer, knowing I would be putting you in danger by doing so until things were resolved. Your safety is all that matters to me, and I hope some day you will forgive me for leaving like this. Until then, know that I love you with all my heart and I miss you, even as I write this because I know this is goodbye for now.

Yours forever,
Marcus.

Arya had returned to her hideaway and discovered a second letter for herself. She figured there was a reason why Marcus had used paper from that particular place in the house so she would go back and look. Sure enough, between the pages of an old journal, sticking out of the book like a bookmark was a note addressed to her. Leaving the door open, Arya sat down and pulled the book into her lap. Opening it on the pages marked by the note, she read those first as a clue as to what was going on.

"Marcus, you fool, they're gonna eat you alive," she muttered and put the diary face down on the table to leave it at the page while she opened her note. It wasn't a mushy note, or really a proper goodbye. It was a set of instructions basically. She was to take care of Damien, keep him out of trouble for the most part and most importantly make sure Alec didn't get hurt again. From the pages she'd read, she knew where he was most likely to have gone and the trouble he would be getting himself into if he wasn't careful enough.

After she'd finished with the note, Arya picked the diary back up and flipped through the pages, trying to find more answers in their past.

Damien was staring at Arya who finally seemed to snap out of the trance she was in. He blinked his eyes at what she said, not believing what she had said till she.handed him a letter. He felt like his whole world was crashing around him then and had to sit.down, he opened the letter and read over it. When he was finally done, he felt a tear run down his face. Why would he just leave like that.

He went to find Arya then."Where.did.he.go?" He asked, standing in front of her desk, he tried to look ok but it was clear that he was crushed.

However much she wanted to go after Marcus, Arya knew there would be no point. If Marcus had truly gone where she thought he had, there was nothing she could do to help him anyway other than to keep Damien safe as that was probably why he'd left in the first place judging from the set of instructions he'd left her. It wouldn't be good for anyone if she just sat there and didn't do anything, so she needed to be strong and not let all the information she'd been told the previous night get to her just yet.

The diary was put down on the table once more when Damien entered as she got to her feet and hugged her brother tightly. "We can't help him where he's gone," she said softly and let go of him again. "Whatever it is he set out to do, going after him would most likely get you killed, or him if he were distracted for too long." Pulling pulling out an old map of Europe and a more modern one, Arya placed them side by side on her desk to figure out where exactly the council would be located nowadays anyway.

Both maps showed signs of usage and were marked in various places with pen. It had been her project for a while, tracking the council when she wasn't with them because it always meant they left something behind when they moved on and that could sooner or later be used as leverage. Looking up at Damien over the maps, she smiled somewhat mischievously at her brother. "I can make some calls to keep us updated, if it gets too bad, I still remember the rules of their game and I doubt they've changed at all in the past few centuries." Of course, she still wouldn't take Damien to the actual Council if things went south as that would make Marcus's efforts be in vain.

"Call Jack and ask him to take William off of our hands, I'll call my contacts." With that said, she went and brought out a bottle of Jack Daniels and two glasses, pouring one for each of them.

So she did know where he had gone. He was surprised when his sister had hugged him. It must have been really bad for her to show him affection like this and really only sadden him more. He was angry once more than Arya always seemed to know where Marcus goes and understands his thoughts and feelings more than he did. He was very silent, only listening to everything she was telling him.

He heard someone listening outside the door, it was Alec. He said nothing to Arya on the matter, she probably could sense the hybrid. Alec had his ear pressed against the door, he was visibly upset that Marcus was gone as well, but learned from last time that going after the man would put Marcus in danger.

Damien looked down at the map she had sprawled out on the table. He just noddes at what she said. He contacted the alpha from Aryas contacts. Jack drove down with Hunter to collect the vampire, personally jaJack wanted to just kill the vampire off, but he knew that he couldn't give into his animalistic instincts and here bound the vampire with some cuffs that were made specially for vampires and took him down to the council where they were deliberate on what do to with him.

Damien sat down, looking at Arya."I'm going to be honest with you....sometimes wonder why Marcus wants to be with me instead of you, you understand him more and don't give him trouble.....not like I do..." He said softly, every word had sadness in them. It was the first time he had really opened up to Arya, so it was.deeply troubling him

It wasn't very often that she showed her brother any kind of affection, but the situation kind of called for it and she felt bad that Marcus had just left like that. Knocking back her drink, Arya poured herself another glass before she went to call her people. It didn't matter that Alec was listening outside of the door, he probably wanted to know what was going on anyway.

It was a relief to hand William over to Jack so they could deal with Marcus leaving without having to worry about Damien's little mind trick wearing off. It also made calling her so-called friends a lot easier. No one had seen Marcus since he landed in Rome, which meant finding him would be impossible from Bitter Springs. Didn't really help that no one who sounded like they knew anything at all wanted to say anything more than that they'd seen him arrive in town.

"He always put you before himself, in a way he falls into the same self-destructive patterns over and over of putting himself in danger to keep you safe. He cares for you a lot more than he ever did for me," she said with a sad smile. "Sooner or later, the two of us would end up drawing too much attention if we were to be together. Not only that, but we work best as just business partners and friends. Blind obedience is no better than slavery and that's just not a way of life." Sure, Arya wasn't always obedient, but more often than not, she found herself not questioning when Marcus gave her an order anyway.

"I might not have appreciated it at the time, but Marcus finding you gave me a chance to not be so dependent on him for every little thing anymore." That was quite a lot more sharing than she had intended and more than she had done in a long time.

He did often wonder why Marcus choose him. The man had told him it was because Damien pretty much made him work for it, which he did...maybe Marcus appreciated him more because unlike with Arya he didn't blindly followed orders. If Marcus gave him a order, more often than none, Damien would question it and sometimes not even do it. He listened to Arya explain it and it made him understand alittle bit more on Marcus choosing.

Alec finally showed himself, it was clear he was upset, but held it in."Is Marcus coming back?" He asked them. Damien looked to Arya then to him. "You know Marcus...takes alot to hurt him I'm sure he'll be fine." He reassuredthe worried hybrid who only nodded."I'm going to go see Casey." He said. Damien would have rathered Alec stay put but he knew that Alec was more safer with the dragon than with him.

Alec got some things together and left. Damien looked to his sister, drowning the.scotch she.prepared in one swig."I oftened wondered....about what would have.become of me if I didn't leave.Marcus when I was his pet...." He said.softly. "Do you wish though that Marcus and you could have ended up together?" He asked.

He did often wonder why Marcus choose him. The man had told him it was because Damien pretty much made him work for it, which he did...maybe Marcus appreciated him more because unlike with Arya he didn't blindly followed orders. If Marcus gave him a order, more often than none, Damien would question it and sometimes not even do it. He listened to Arya explain it and it made him understand alittle bit more on Marcus choosing.

Alec finally showed himself, it was clear he was upset, but held it in."Is Marcus coming back?" He asked them. Damien looked to Arya then to him. "You know Marcus...takes alot to hurt him I'm sure he'll be fine." He reassuredthe worried hybrid who only nodded."I'm going to go see Casey." He said. Damien would have rathered Alec stay put but he knew that Alec was more safer with the dragon than with him.

Alec got some things together and left. Damien looked to his sister, drowning the.scotch she.prepared in one swig."I oftened wondered....about what would have.become of me if I didn't leave.Marcus when I was his pet...." He said.softly. "Do you wish though that Marcus and you could have ended up together?" He asked.

It saddened her greatly to hear Alec ask about Marcus like that. She put away the maps and just looked at the young hybrid for a moment while listening to the brothers talk. It was probably for the best that Alec went to the graveyard though, he'd be safe there and probably a lot better off than he would be in the middle of her schemes for getting Marcus out of his current predicament when the time was right. And it had to be exactly the right time as well, otherwise it wouldn't work at all.

"If you hadn't left, he probably would have tried to change you to be more obedient," Arya said, chuckling slightly at the thought. An obedient Damien, not asking any kinds of questions or daring to say no might have bored Marcus after a while, so it was just as well that her brother had left to see the world and find himself along the way.

It was a highly personal question she was asked, regarding whether she wanted to be with Marcus or not and it made her pick up some books around the room and put them back in their shelves to give her a chance to think about a good way to word herself. "What we had was never truly love, it took seeing how much he cares for you to realize that. I mean sure, we've had our moments when they two of you weren't together, but it never lasted. It's like Icarus flying too close to the sun, we know it's not good for anyone if we stay together, but that doesn't stop us from repeating our mistakes over and over again."

Grabbing the bottle, she offered her brother another glass before she poured herself another as well. Sharing things with Damien wasn't really her style at all, but it seemed she didn't see any other way of keeping him from going after Marcus. "I would find and bring him home if I thought it was possible you know, but he's dealing with vampires older than me and their rules of engagement are complex and their game not one you get involved with lightly. The penalty for losing is often death or long term imprisonment."

Damien had a feeling that is what would have happened if he hadn't left. He was glad though to have left, it gave him a chance to grow as his own person and he enhanced his powers greatly. It also was a time for him to reflect his life, which surprisingly wasn't as bad as he thought it was.

He took what she said and drowned another shot."I just wish that people would leave me and him alone...all we want is to be happy together." He said.

"His risking that just to keep me safe?" He said.

Arya knew she wasn't really comforting Damien, but there was nothing he could do to comfort her at the moment either. Out of the stupid things Marcus had done for love, this probably topped all of them and it pissed her off to no end that he wouldn't be honest with her as to what he was planning before he left. He could've used someone who had his back to be on the safe side, now all she could do was try to figure out a way to get him out of there without risking all their lives in the process.

"I know it's not what you wanted to hear... On the bright side they haven't really executed anyone in centuries, so he'll probably just be locked up for however many years or until someone frees him if he loses." For some reason, the thought of having to come save Marcus for real made her giggle slightly. "He's sent me out to get caught and tortured so he'd have an excuse to get rid of enemies without being chastised for it by the council. I've seduced royals for his benefits, once he even ordered me to slaughter a convent because they had something he wanted. Bet he never thought he'd actually need me to get him out of trouble some day."

She had a reputation to maintain however, which meant she couldn't go after her maker. Her orders were clear: keep Damien and Alec safe. It didn't matter if she was known to be a monster, she'd never purposefully disobeyed a direct order from her maker. "It doesn't matter what I want to do about his situation, my place is here with you and Alec." Sitting down on the sofa, Arya brushed a hand through her hair, wishing there was a way she could be in two places at once without disobeying Marcus.

Marcus never asked him to do any of those things that Arya had just told him. He didn't know what to say or even how to feel anymore when it came to Marcus. That didn't mean his feelings hadn't changed, but he didn't know what to say or feel when he learned something new about his maker. Marcus and him were in love and it seemed that everyone around him knew the man he loved more than he did and it used to make him mad, now he felt indifferent.

He looked it the window for a moment before turning back to her."I've thought of maybe going off to train again...." he said.

It surprised her to learn that Damien had thought about leaving to do some more training. "What is it with the two of you? Can't you ever just sit back, relax and be happy? Let someone else take care of your safety for once?" It absolutely baffled her how Marcus would go to extremes to keep Damien safe and to himself then just leave repeatedly. "He needs to stop leaving and you need to stop taking him back, it's gonna be the end of one or both of you."

Arya truly wanted nothing more than for Marcus to be happy, but she needed to start thinking about how that affected the people around her maker. Not to mention how it was affecting Damien. If letting go of her humanity again was what it took to stop Marcus from trying to handle Damien's safety on his own, then so be it. She could be a monster and play by their rules one last time.

Walking across the room, Arya pulled a really old book out of one of the shelves and opened it carefully. Pulling out a letter she'd hidden between the pages, she smirked at her brother. "What if I told you there was a surefire way to get the council off of your back and get Marcus at the same time? It would require you to do exactly as I say, when I say it. With your permission, I'd like t take you to them and play their game. By showing them exactly what you can do and playing by their rules, they would see that you're not helpless and they best leave you alone." 

Somewhere deep down, she knew that what she was suggestion was exactly the opposite of what she'd told Damien earlier, but it hadn't occurred to her at first that there was a safe way to not only get Marcus back, but to get the vampires to leave him and Damien alone for good. Provided they didn't lose their footing and Damien did exactly as he was told.

He sigh as he listen to her and knew she had a point. "Maybe I want to take care of my own safety....." He said softly. He wanted to prove to Marcus that he didn't need to run off like this.

He was quiet and watched as she went and got a very old book from the shelves. "Then what would that be? " He asked, he would really do anything to just have peace.