"You thought there was something else involved??" Price asked, seeming genuinely surprised. Granted, his sparkling eyes gave lie to that, but it was still funny. "And no, I'm pretty sure everything about you would dim and go away if you were bloated and dead. That's the thing about death, you know."
    He smiled at the host when they were seated, the younger man in return trying not to give them weird looks before he went away. Price chuckled, opening up his menu to look over it. "Yum. Even though I don't get to order anything, I still love looking at menus. Just seeing all of the different things restaurants come up with to serve people." He peeked teasingly over the top of his menu. "Shall I start a guess list on what they put into their food??"
    Her inquiry made him fold up the menu and set it aside. "About the same, except behind the scenes. I talked to some very interesting people today, and saw some very interesting sights."

    "I guess that's true," Julianna had to admit. "Oh well. The problems happening to her aren't happening to us." A brief grin. It likely sounded cruel and careless, but only to the people who didn't know Gift.
    She giggled again at his words. "Well yeah, you could do that too. Though people might start to talk about you then, thinking about what else you'd be willing to take off for physical pleasure." Reaching over when his fingers came close enough, she kissed the back of his hand, then lifted her head when she heard the doorbell ring. "Oh good, food."
    Giving his hair a ruffle, she swung her leg around and dropped to the floor. Pulling her wallet from her backpocket, she padded to the door and opened it. The delivery boy passed over the food, she passed over the money and a generous tip, they wished each other a goodnight, and she closed the door with her hip.
    "Ahh, love the smell of Chinese," she sighed happily, breathing in the bags as she toed off her shoes. "Where do you wanna eat, sweetheart?? And no, I'm not talking to you," she added to the sudden crowd of dogs who surrounded her.

    Another brow rose slightly in her direction. "That's the worst you've got?? We both know I'm brilliant, so you must be slipping." He straightened his shirt again, then headed for the door. The bell jingled as he pulled it open, stopping briefly to toss over his shoulder, "Until next time, Peepee."

    Standing outside by the curb, a slender young-looking man was smoking a cigarette. At least what appeared to be a cigarette, except when one got close enough, there was a faintly sweet smell mixed in with the tobacco.
    Hazy, deeply bagged eyes glanced over when Ai stepped out, and just studied her for a minute. "Hi," he said, in a slow, thoughtful voice. "Do you need some company tonight??"

    Galen was nodding in agreement with Keller, because it would be impossible to keep Daybreak out of it if someone innocent, or especially if someone innocent and ignorant, like a human, became involved. It was still their responsibility to keep people safe, now more than ever.
    The nodding stopped when Gift compared the two men to herself. Somehow, he did not find that reassuring. He opened his mouth, and closed it again. "Well, you've never tried to take over the world," he said finally, although it was almost too soft to be heard.
    Not that they knew of, at least, he added silently.

    "I think we worried that nice young man with all our talk of bloated death," Anna mused, after the host had departed. "He's probably calling the authorities as we speak. Try to look innocent and harmless." She had just picked up her menu when he started speculating about the food, and she closed her eyes, as if in pain. "Come on, Price, don't do this for me. It's hard enough for me to eat food that someone else prepares without you making guesses about the beef actually being alley cat."
    "Define interesting," Anna said immediately, because there were just so many possible meanings for that word and so few of them were actually good.

    "That's true," Gamble said, grinning into the sofa cushions. "I wouldn't want people to start talkin' about how easy I am. A boy's got to maintain his reputation, you know."
    He turned over onto his back when she climbed off of him, frowning a brief reproach when she got the door first and payed for the food. He was just old-fashioned enough to want to pay for a date, even if it was taking place in his livingroom. Instead of protesting, he rose to his feet and relieved her of the delivery bags, carrying them over to the coffee table. "Why don't we just get comfortable in here? No need to fuss with the dining room, I don't think. Besides, the boys aren't allowed in there, and they whine something awful if they're locked away from the food."
    He glanced meaningfully at the crowd of dogs, who seemed determined to prove his point.

    "Only you, Paul, would think that the only thing to be improved in the mind is the intellect," Phaedra responded curtly. She grimaced at the nickname, but simply shut the door firmly behind him.
    Edan was just approaching the Harman store when she saw the man step out - the last customer of the day, no doubt, since the sign on the door was already turned to closed. She smiled at him in an abstracted sort of way, then stepped around him to approach the door, shaking her head and raising her hand to knock when she heard the lock tumble into place.

    A voice intruded into Ai's thoughts, and she opened her eyes, turning her head to study the speaker silently for a moment. It was harder to tell in Las Vegas, where the tourists tended to buy into the glitz and glamour of debauchery, but her trained eye placed him as a professional, and not just a young man looking for a good time. He wasn't local, though, because she thought that she could hear a trace of the familiar Michigan cadence in his voice. "Hello," she replied politely. "I'm afraid that I already have plans for the evening."

    An amused look was sent to Galen as he spoke, and her smile widened slightly, as if she could read the thought that followed that. "Mr. Drache. I don't need to take over the world to control it."
    "Gift," Keller said, in a slightly pained voice, and Gift chuckled again as she rose to her face.
    "If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave." She waited a moment, but when neither of them spoke, she inclined her head to Galen, winked at Keller, and turned to leave.
    Before she disappeared, Keller held up a finger to Galen and slid from the bench. With a quick step, she caught up to the Redfern and murmured something. Gift stopped at what she was saying, one brow raising at what the panther was saying, before she shrugged and answered. Their voices were too soft for Galen to hear, but Keller's face was intent to combat the amusement still on Gift's.
    After another moment, Keller nodded her head in thanks and headed back to Galen. And Gift disappeared.

    A snort caught in Price's throat so he cleared it, and praciticed looking cute and harmless. Big gray eyes, hands clasped neatly on the table, an innocent smile on his face. Did that work??
    Of course, the smile turned impish when Anna's eyes closed. "I just want you to be aware of what you might be ingesting," he defended himself. "Purely out of concern for you, sweetheart. That's all."
    Her request made him pause for a second, as he tried to pick a way to describe it. "I saw Darshan in action today. And I saw him and Gift together."

    "Yes, a guy's reputation is a very fragile thing," Julianna giggled. "Wouldn't want to give the wrong impression and all. Especially among your clients."
    Then the food arrived, and she was all too happy to pay for it just to smell it. Of course she saw the frown on his face when she turned back around, and tossed him a winning smile. "You're paying for dessert, probably in more ways than one, so I figured it's only fair. I'll let you buy me flowers or something tomorrow, if it'll make you feel better." She pecked his cheek when he came to relieve her of those really heavy bags, not protesting the action. She knew him well enough to know the gentleman in him.
    "Works for me," she agreed, tagging after him. The dogs had left her to trail after the food, clearly showing their favoritism. Julianna blew out an exaggerated sigh. "Replaced so easily. I feel so insignificant."
    The dogs whined at her, but were nudging insistently at Gamble. She giggled and dropped to the floor, crossing her legs Indian-style as she patiently waited for Gamble to dish out the good stuff.

    Paul raised a brow at the woman approaching the store, glancing back when he heard her knocking. Curious, but no, not that interesting. He sighed his most recent satisfaction, and ambled down the sidewalk. Now for a bit of food, and maybe back to the hotel then. He needed to talk to Black John and see if he'd had better luck spotting some of their advesaries.

    The woman was looking at him, and Varian Desces tilted just slightly, giving the best profile. He didn't like the fact that he'd been sent here with only the money Darion had given him to survive on. For however long he was here. It was strange, really, that Darion had even sent him here. He didn't know for what kind of purpose.
    "I could make it more memorable for you," he commented, taking another drag from his cigarette. He spoke in a soft sort of matter-of-factness that was hard to deny.

    Galen stood when the two women did, but neither moved nor spoke, simply remaining near the bench with watchful eyes as his soulmate approached Gift. He couldn't hear what they were saying, but the look on the latter woman's face never wavered, as amused as always.
    A trace of amazement wove its way though his thoughts when Gift disappeared, peppered with unease. He had been looking right at her, and he just didn't understand how she could do that, in the space of a blink. He held out a hand to Keller as she approached him. "What was that about?"

    The innocent look on Price's face made Anna laugh, in part because he was so ridiculously good at it, and in part because the expression hadn't changed in ten years. He still looked like a child trying to charm his way out of trouble when he did that.
    "Concern," she echoed, sounding entirely unconvinced. "Uh-huh. That's sweet of you. Of course, I must remind you, if I have to rush to the bathroom because you've told me that puppy noses have gone into the taco I'm eating, you'll be the one holding my hair."
    The humor faded from her face as he spoke, but she didn't look upset, merely thoughtful. "And?" she prompted.

    "I'm just such a delicate flower," Gamble drawled, straight-faced. "I just can't bare for folks to have wrong ideas about me."
    "That's true," he said easily, bobbing his head as he contemplated the prospect of dessert. "I mean, I am going to have to pay to redecorate my entire kitchen when we're done, I'm sure. And I'll probably have to replace the oven." He grinned at her as he sat down opposite her at the coffee table, then gave a stern look to the dogs nearest to him. "Sit." Because they had been trained, they did so. Because they were completely spoiled, they continued to whine and gaze sadly at the pair, as if they hadn't been fed in the past week and it was pure torture to be so near to food and not have any.
    He shook his head, and fished a pair of cheap wooden chopsticks out of the bag, handing them across the table to her. "Try not to get any splinters, darlin'. I don't think I have anything to treat blood poisoning." A joke, since she had seen his medicine cabinet and he had more first aid supplies than most humans. He worked with wood enough that it was a good idea not to rely entirely on vampiric healing powers.

    The door opened in front of her, and Edan's eyebrows arched towards her hairline when she saw her cousin, who had pulled on the rest of her clothes, but was still looking distinctly... well, ravished. "Have I come at a bad time?" She glanced over her shoulder at the man who was walking down the street, suddenly thinking he was a bit more interesting.
    Phaedra closed her eyes for a moment, and Edan got the impression that she was counting slowly down from ten. Or possibly twenty. "As good a time as any. Why are you here?"
    That was enough to erase the politely knowing smirk from Edan's face, as she brushed past Phaedra and into the store. "The representatives of the Twelve Families met today," she said, her voice deceptively mild, and watched as Phaedra whipped around to face her.
    The younger woman closed the door slowly, and locked it once again. When she spoke, each word was carefully enunciated. "I thought it was supposed to be a barbeque?"
    "It was," Edan said, with a shrug. She held up the plastic bag in her hand. "I have leftovers."

    "I'm sure that you could," Ai said, not inclined to argue, "but it would be rude of me to cancel my plans on such short notice." A bare smile tugged at her lips as she looked him over, but her gaze was assessing and not sexual. "Besides, I don't hire my dates. You might want to be careful about plying your trade here, sweetheart," she added, not unkindly. "It's legal in Las Vegas, but only under certain circumstances. Airport security won't hesitate to pick you up."

    Keller took his hand without hesitation, weaving their fingers together. She hesitated for a moment, looking into his face, before finally relenting. "I asked her where your brother is." She hadn't lied when she'd informed Gift that she did indeed tell Galen everything.

    Anna's laughter made the innocent smile turn to something more real, more natural. "What, does that mean it doesn't work anymore?? If you tell me so, I think I'll die of embarrassment. If I can't even pull off innocent, I'm a pretty lousy Daybreaker."
    The smile deepened into a grin, though his eyes were still mischeivous. "Why honey, I'll hold your hair anytime you need it. And it's all about the concern, don't you worry. I wouldn't want you to eat anything you couldn't properly digest later, you know, and those puppy noses are rought in the intestines."
    His fingers tapped consideringly on the table, before he shrugged and looked up at her. "He's kinda scary, Anna. And that's even to me. If Daybreak sees him in action, they're not going to let him walk away."

    "I know," Julianna replied just as solemnly. "You're such a sensitive guy. Everyone knows that. That's what makes you so likeable and all."
    A little giggle as he contemplated the future damage to his kitchen. "Hey, we're just going to make cookies. Maybe not the /entire/ kitchen. Definitely have to replace the oven though." She nodded sagely, already invisioning the fire they were going to have to put out. His poor kitchen. It would be fun though.
    She smiled lovingly at the dogs, reaching over to pet the nearest one. "Don't worry, you'll get some food. I'll make sure he doesn't hog it all." The dog whined happily and she grinned again, fondling his ear.
    Accepting the chopsticks, she broke them apart and gave him a pained look. "Since when have I given the impression that I'm clumsy?? Or dangerous with chopsticks, for that matter." She looked at the blunt sticks in her hand, then grinned. "Well."

    Varian shrugged easily, taking another drag and holding the smoke in his lungs. "Yeah, it probably would," he said in slow thought, just as slowly breathing the smoke out. "And that's a shame. Sometimes the best dates are hired."
    He considered her words about the legality of prostitution in Vegas, then shrugged. "Been to worse places, I'm sure."

    "Did she know?" Galen asked, and his voice was neutral. Part of that was refusal to show any worry, but part of it was simply that he wasn't worried yet. If Gift hadn't known, there were other ways to find out, and no matter what the case was, Mace was probably far away. The last time that the family had located him, he had been running wild on the East Coast.

    "You look like a little kid trying desperately - and successfully - to convince his mother that he hasn't done whatever it is that he's done," Anna told Price. "I'd say that you still have it, although I think that the very fact that you need to fake innocence is doomed to get you labeled as a very bad Daybreaker." Not that she minded that. She simply grimaced when he continued to talk about the restaurant's ingredients, and tried not to think too hard about puppy... bits... in any of her food.
    Her mind drifted back to the time she had spent with the band, trying to remember what she knew of the dragon. "I knew there was something about him from the start, but I never could place it. I'll be honest with you, Price: he never seemed that scary to me. I mean, he always carried himself like he was in charge and he knew it, but he was willing to do just about anything to make C.J. - that's the band's drummer - happy. They were all over each other. I know that I don't really know much about the situation, but I'm usually pretty good at reading people. If you want my opinion, Darshan was more interested in avoiding the tabloid reporters than causing anyone any kind of trouble."
    She shoved her glasses up on her nose, and gave him a troubled look across the table. "You think that they would put him back to sleep if they saw him being scary," she said, her voice slow and considering. "Do you think that they would be justified in doing so?" It was a valid question, and he had seen the dragon in action; she hadn't.

    "I think that my next wallpaper choice for the kitchen should somehow incorporate Kevlar into the design," Gamble teased her. "What to you think?" He didn't really believe that they would destroy his kitchen, but it was fun to tease her about it. Of course, he also wasn't sure that their finished product was even going to resemble something edible.
    "Mmm, I don't know," he said, giving the dogs a considering sideways glance. "I am awful hungry. There might not be anything left when I'm done." Not that this sort of food would really fill him up. Not that he really needed to eat anything.
    He followed her gaze to the wooden sticks, then looked up at her face. "Uh-huh. Some of my clients could turn a dried apricot and a piece of string into a deadly weapon, much less a pair of chopsticks."

    The expression on Ai's face softened, just a little, and her hand brushed over the chain around her neck, which disappeared into the front of her shirt. "I can't really argue that, since I've never hired a date. I suppose you could be right," she replied with a shrug, neatly dancing around the truth. You got good at that after a few decades.
    The cigarette smoke drifted in Ai's direction, and her nostrils flared, taking in the sweet scent that mingled with the smell of tobacco. Something a little stronger, then, which was hardly a surprise. "I'm sure. You're not local," she said idly. "What are you doing so far away from home?"

    Keller's eyes slid away and she looked out into the distance. Her fingers squeezed his gently as she slowly nodded. "She knew. He's here in Vegas, Galen."

    The look turned pleased on Price's face and he nodded in satisfaction. "Just what I needed to hear. I'll have to use it on Mom later, as the situation rises. And no, no, that's the whole point of practicing; people can't tell it's fake, so there's no reason for them to accuse me of being a bad Daybreaker." Another grin, as he was firmly settled in his beliefs. Everyone in Daybreak loved him, he was quite certain. Or else his mom would've heard about him, and told him.
    He listened to her words, nodding occasionally in agreement. "Yeah, that's pretty much he consensus I've been getting. He just wants to be left alone, preferably with C.J."
    There was a silence at her question, as he thought back to that moment on the street, when Darshan had been fighting with Terra. Terra, he thought, needed to be put back to sleep. She was a loose wire with too much power. Darshan...he had that kind of power, but he had a /control/ that Price had never heard of a dragon having. All in all... "No, I don't think so," he admitted, meeting his soulmate's eyes. "He won't abuse his power, not for anything. In this thing that's happening, he even seems to be on our side, because he and Terra are definitely /not/ friends."

    Julianna made a face at him. "Kevlar?? Gamble, I don't intend to /shoot/ your wall. Cover it in cookie dough, yes, but I don't think even Kevlar would help you with that." She winked teasingly, clacking her chopsticks together idly.
    The dogs let out loud whines of protest, edging closer, nudging at him with wet noses. Julianna giggled. "You're horrible. Those poor puppies." They turned liquid eyes to her and she made sympathetic noises. "Yes, I know, he's a bad, baaad man."
    Her eyes went back to her chopsticks, giving them a new-found fascinated look. "Is that so. I guess it's a good thing that I'm not one of your clients then, because I can think of only one thing to do with these, and that's pretty standard." She shrugged, grinning up at him, even as one of the dogs plopped across her lap with a mournful yowl. Stifling another giggle, she fondled his ear some more. "Gamble, you need to take better care of your boys," she teased. "Or else they wouldn't need it so much from me."

    Varian shrugged at her words and didn't add anything else, simply enjoying his cigarette. Sunny should be coming around pretty soon, he figured, and then they could go get that hotel room Darion had booked for them. He still wasn't entirely sure why he was here, but Darion had said someone would meet them and tell them what he wanted. It was all very strange.
    The woman's voice came back into his mind and he sent her a half-smile. "I don't know. I was just told to come here, and I don't argue."

    Tension suddenly sang through Galen, his hand jerking in surprise within her grip. "He's in Las Vegas?" Was that even possible? It seemed like it was almost too much of a coincidence.

    "I'll know," Anna pointed out, with a grin. "You're a very, very bad Daybreaker, Kee." Not that she was really one to comment; she was probably a worse Daybreaker than he was.
    She ran her finger along the edge of the coaster on the table, eyes down, nodding her agreement when he said that Darshan just wanted to be left alone. That sounded right. She looked up when he answered her question. "Then it really would be a bad thing if Daybreak decided to put him down," she said softly. "Not only would it be wrong, it would be leaving Terra on the loose without the benefit of anyone as powerful as another dragon to stop her." She pushed the coaster away from her. "I was in the band's suite this morning. They told me that she had been there, and that she was responsible for breaking C.J.'s arm. If that's the case, I don't wonder that Darshan isn't happy with Terra. I told you how he and C.J. are together."

    "Ah, but I'm worried about those flyin' chocolate chips denting my walls," Gamble said solemnly. "Not to mention my person. Maybe I should get out a couple of the ol' vests to use in leu of aprons."
    He shook his heads at the show that the dogs were putting on, and fished into one of the food cartons to grab a hunk of chicken, which he tossed to the nearest dog. "You're a bad influence," he informed Julianna. "They never show off like this when you're not here. I'm not impressed by it; they know that you're a fresh audience." He reached for another piece of chicken to feed to the dogs.

    "You were told?" Ai asked mildly, idle curiosity without any real force behind it. The only person she could think of who would be giving him orders would be his pimp, and most pimps didn't send their people out of state. It was too hard to control someone over that distance; there was nothing to guarantee that a whore wouldn't pocket the money themself, or just run off. Not to mention there was no advantage to it that she could see, not when the streets of Detroit or Grand Rapids were filled with more than enough vice to make a profit. Of course, it was always possible that he worked for the kind of establishment that Patrick managed, but she doubted it. Patrick's girls were unlikely to need to peddle themselves on the streets.

    Keller nodded, thumb stroking over the back of his hand as if to calm him. "Yes. Been for some months, she said." She studied him for a second, then sighed. "Galen, she didn't tell me any specifics, but she mentioned that this Terra has a...thing for him."

    His contorted into wounded lines. "I'm not a /bad/ Daybreaker. I'm just...naughty." Price grinned at her. "Plus, I know how to keep you quiet. You can know all you want."
    He nodded slowly at her words, face becoming grim as he thought about it. "It would. I hope Mom comes to realize that, because she's going to have a lot of say in what happens to Darshan right now. Especially if he and that Christian character are friends, and they're both against Terra."
    A low whistle emitted from his lips at that news. "I didn't know she broke C.J.'s arm. That would definitely explain why Darshan was spiking the power charts." A puzzled frown was sent in Anna's direction. "If Darshan's so powerful and everyone knows how he feels about C.J. though, why would Terra so something like that??"

    Julianna giggled again, just at the image of thousands of chocolate chips bring thrown at Gamble, and him trying to bat them away. "Yes, those chips are pretty dangerous, aren't they?? Maybe we'd better stick to sugar cookies."
    The flying chicken produced a few yelps from the dogs, as a couple tried to scramble to grab it from the air. And when one dog got a hold of it, another snapped at him, clearly testing the waters. Only to receive a warning growl in reply, as the dog chomped on the chicken.
Julianna tsked. "What horrible manners. It's all about sharing." The dog in her lap thumped his tail again, panting happily as she scratched his ears. She grinned innocently at Gamble. "Me?? What did I do?? I'm not even the one holding the food."
    When Gamble's hand disappeared, a few of the dogs crowded up close, all sitting down. One even leaned up, putting both front paws in the air, clearly demonstrating he deserved it most. Another clever one was sneaking up behind Gamble, sniffing experimentally at the other bags. Julianna laughed at them all.

    Varian nodded again, puffing on the last few millimeters of his cigarette before reluctantly putting it out. "Yeah. I'd still be at home otherwise. But I was told to come here, and put on a plane, so here I am." He gave her a bit of a fuzzy-eyed look. "What are you doing here??"

    Galen shook his head, but not as if he didn't believe her. Then she told him what other information Gift had given her, and he went still. He didn't want that for anyone in his family, even Mace. He hesitated, his bright eyes gone dark with concern. "Do you think that I should try to find him?" he asked, after a moment's hesitation.
    It was rare for Galen to be unable to make a decision on his own, but he wanted her guidance on this. Because if there was one thing that he was sure about, it was that Mace didn't want to be found. Not by him, anyway.

    "You know how to keep me quiet, do you?" Anna asked, with a raised brow, hiding a smile. "How exactly do you intend to do that?" The smile grew a notch. "I know you can't be intending to kill me in order to ensure your silence. Your mom would get mad at you. Even if you did use the innocent look on her."
    "I hope that she's willing to be convinced," she said, with a wry smile. Because she liked and admired Keller, but she also knew that the other woman could be very stubborn when she wanted to be. She tilted her head, considering his question. "Maybe she doesn't know? No, that's night right. Maybe she wanted to make him angry? That would just be stupid, from what you've said about him. Could she have been trying to scare him? Show him that she could hurt C.J., and use that to coerce him?"

    "That might be wise," Gamble agreed. "I think I have some Christmas cookie cutters around here. We could always make icing and decorate them."
    "You encourage them," he said firmly, with a grin that took any hint of reproach out of his voice and face. "Really, Juli, it's all your fault." He tossed the chicken in his hand to the dog sneaking up behind him without looking, because really, cleverness deserved a reward. Also, it would keep him from rifling through the other bags.
    He fixed a look on the one with his paws in the air. It was the smallest dog he owned, a standard schnauzer with shaggy gray whiskers and big dark eyes. "Cujo," he scolded. "Sit. Is that any way to behave in front of a lady, I ask you?"

    "How strange," was all that Ai said, not pursuing the subject any further. It didn't really matter, and besides, he didn't seem to know why he was here. She tilted her head to look at him, long dark hair falling to one side. "I'm here on business, and to visit some old friends of mine."

    Keller stroked his hand again when she saw the look on his face. Sometimes, just sometimes, she was glad she didn't have a family, other people to worry about when bad things happened. Especially someone like Mace Drache.
    "No, I don't," she finally decided, eyes serious as she looked at him. "He doesn't want to be found, and if you did, he'd only resent it, no matter the good intentions behind it. But I think I will ask Gift to keep an eye on him, and to let us know if anything happens that endangers him." And she'd ask for Mace's location, so they'd at least know where to find him if it became necessary.

    "Oh no, she'd be mad at me at least until I used the innocent look on her," Price assured his soulmate with a teasing grin. "My mom can't deny me anything, and she just can't stay mad at me for too long. Don't take it personally. Though if you're really good, I shouldn't have to kill you." He gave her a contemplative look, as if wondering where he should hide the pieces.
    "She seemed...receptive," he mused, thinking about the meeting earlier. "Stubborn and mistrustful, of course, but she said she'd withhold judgment until she actually met him." Oh, what he'd give to be there for /that/ meeting. "And I think she'll treat him fairly." At least until she sensed any kind of danger coming from him, then she'd probably try to kill him. And that would suck.
    The problem with Terra was a bit more of a stumper. "The scaring thing sounds likely, but seems just as stupid. He doesn't seem like the type to scare easily, and to be coerced into anything." He fell into another musing silence. "That's just weird. I don't know what to think of that, and that makes me uneasy."

    Julianna laughed, a light and happy sound. "Icing?? Now that's dangerous. You could like drown in it or something," she teased. "Might be better to stick with the chocolate chips." Though the thought of sugar cookies with about an inch of icing made her sigh happily.
    "I think you're just looking for an excuse," she decided, shaking her head at him. "You've taught them horrible manners and taking it out on me. I don't think you should get to have any chicken." The dogs instantly whined their agreement to that, since it clearly meant they got more.
    The sneaking dog gave a whine of thanks and retreated to gnaw on his piece. Cujo whined again, and pawed at the air in a quite demanding way. "Horrible," Julianna reiterated. "And what about me, do I have to wait until all of your boys are fed?? Do I need to get in line and pull out the puppy eyes too now??"

    Varian flicked his used cigarette out into the street and nodded in thought. "Do your friends hire companions??" In his kind of work, networking was always important.

    "Keller," Galen protested, but gently, because he didn't like to contradict her, especially when he had asked her opinion on the matter. "I think you're right about not approaching Mace directly, but... I don't like the idea of asking Gift to watch him on my behalf. I know she's your friend, and I respect her talents, but I don't trust her, and I can't help that. Would you ask someone who you didn't entirely trust to watch out for Price?" It wasn't a perfect analogy, since his relationship with Mace was somewhat more complex and... hostile... than the one she had with Price, but it was the best he could come up with.

    Anna leaned across the table, and tweaked his nose. "You're so cute when you're threatening my life," she joked. "I suppose I'll keep quiet about your being a naughty Daybreaker, then."
    "If she said that she'd wait until she meets him to judge, she will," Anna agreed softly, and conjured up a bare smile. "Do you think that Darshan will refrain from scaring anyone long enough to make a good impression?" It was still hard for her to even picture the withdrawn, civil man ever doing something scary. Like he would consider such a display... uncouth.
    "Just because she's powerful, doesn't mean she's smart," she pointed out. "It's possible that she just misjudged him. She thought that if she cornered him, he would back down, and instead he turned around and attacked her." It was always possible, but it made her uncomfortable as well, like she had a puzzle but was missing several key pieces.

    "Nah, the icing is easy," Gamble said. "The thing that worries me is still the baking. I really don't want my oven to explode." He pasted on a mock-mournful look, but was unable to maintain it, and smiled instead. "Especially if I'm not going to be allowed chicken. Then having my oven explode would be even worse, because I'd be cleanin' up the mess on an empty stomach."
    He nudged the bags that the sly dog had been trying to steal from closer to her. "There's more in the bag, whenever you want it. Please, don't give me the puppy eyes. I don't think I could bare it." He held out the carton of chicken to her. "Would you like to give a piece to the very demanding Cujo while you're at it?"

    Ai's eyes swiveled towards him, and she raised her brows slightly. She couldn't honestly say no, but she didn't think that Patrick was very much into pretty young men, and she knew that Leigh wasn't. She was also relatively certain that none of the people she knew, most of them Night Worlders, had ever needed to exchange money for sex. "I'm sorry," she said, sure that she should be offended by the question but sounding more amused than angry, "but I'm not sure who I would be soliciting for in that situation; you, or them."

    "No, I wouldn't," she admitted, stroking his hand again. "But I would ask someone you trusted to watch him. Galen, please, listen to me. Now that you know he's here, you'll be worried about him, and that will distract you. We can't ask anyone from Daybreak to watch him, because not only would that make Mace mad, but it'd put them in danger from Terra. There's no one more qualified to watch over him and make sure nothing happens, or to at least let us know if something is happening." She squeezed his hand, meeting his eyes. "If you have a better idea, let's hear it, but that's all I can think of right now."

    "Well good, that's what I like to hear," Price grinned back, wrinkling his nose when she'd released it. "Your life is perfectly safe as long as you keep quiet about that little secret."
    He returned the faint smile. "Yeah, Mom's always good to her word. As for Darshan...I don't know. Don't know the guy well enough to say for sure. Though, from what I /do/ know, he doesn't seem to go around scaring people anyway. Unless, you know, someone's threatening C.J."
    Her words made him nod slowly, though a frown appeared again. "That sounds likely, considering what we know. That it worries me, having someone that powerful be that stupid. What's the next misconception she'll make, you know??"
    He shook his head this time, then looked up when their waiter arrived. Ordering a beer for himself, he smiled at Anna and let her order what she wanted.

    "Oh honey, if you think it's possible to explode your oven by baking cookies, I fear for your future," she teased, laughing at the idea. Poor Gamble. He was so lucky he didn't need to eat regular food. "And that is true, so I guess you'll have to be very careful with the cookies, 'cause you're still not getting any of this chicken."
    Teasing grin matched her eyes before she hauled the bags closer to her. "Oh well, why didn't you say so?? You greedy thing." Opening the bags, she extracted the cartons and peered inside, seeing what all he'd ordered. "Oh, you got some of those noodles. I /love/ those noodles. I guess you get spared the puppy eyes this time." She grinned at him, catching some noodles expertly with the chopsticks, and popping them into her mouth. Yuuum.
    Nodding at his following words, she took the carton of chicken and felt all dog eyes instantly shift to her. Giggling, she held up a piece of chicken, and Cujo instantly leaned forward. Clicking her tongue, she held it up a bit higher, and he raised back on his hindquarters. "Oh, what a good boy," she said approvingly, and gave him the chicken.
    The other dogs immediately began trying to do their own tricks. Julianna couldn't keep up with the amount of paws she was offered, and she rolled her eyes tolerantly and just began tossing the chicken into the air. Not a single piece ever reached the floor.

    Varian shrugged. "Either way. Did that answer my question??"

    Galen looked down, obviously thinking over what she said. He didn't like it, but he didn't just love Keller, he respected her, and he owed it to her to give serious consideration to any suggestion of hers. As her words tumbled over in his mind, he found that he liked the conclusion that they led him to even less. Because she was right; they didn't have another alternative, and even he could admit that Gift was deadly enough that nothing, /nothing/, would get past her. "You're right," he said finally, "and I do trust your judgment when it comes to Gift. I would like to know where he is, though. Just in case." And, although he didn't say it, he knew that he would be worried no matter what. It was bad enough that his wayward little brother was in a city plagued by so many troubles; worse that one of those troubles seemed to be fixated on him.

    "Well, you're obviously far too menacing for me to betray your secret," Anna teased him, with an expressive roll of the eyes to punctuate her point.
    "I think it would be best if someone made sure that C.J. didn't get threatened, then," she commented. "Best for everyone," she added, since a dragon on a rampage would likely be as bad for any bystanders as it ultimately would be for the dragon, once the witches found out.
    She waved the waiter off after requesting water for herself, and waited until he was gone to continue speaking. "I don't want to just assume she's stupid, though. It would be dangerous to underestimate her without knowing for sure, and without positively knowing what her motive for provoking him was... well, everything is really just speculation, isn't it?" She smiled wryly at him, because it seemed like that was really all they had in this sort of situation: confusion and speculation. "Honestly, though, I'd find someone smart with that much power to be much more scary. I mean, you don't have to worry about misconceptions then, because everything they do and plan is right on the mark. That would be worse."

    "I've never been good at baking," Gamble admitted, with a grin. "I make a mean chili, though. And you liked my gumbo." He gave her mournful eyes when she refused him the chicken, a good imitation of the begging dogs that surrounded them. It seemed that even if she was willing to spare him the puppy eyes in favor of her noodles, he wasn't willing to return the favor. After a moment, he abandoned the eyes, and reached out to snag some of the noodles with the tips of his chopsticks.
    The dogs began mugging for Julianna's attention after Cujo got his share, and Gamble sat back to watch the show, chicken flying everywhere and none of it coming close enough to the floor to leave a stain on his carpet.

    "No," Ai said, answering both of his questions with one word. She shrugged. "I'm sorry." Her eyes lifted to the line of cars that stretched back from the passenger pick-up point, spotting a promising looking vehicle as it pulled into the back of the line. She turned back to the young man behind her, one corner of her mouth lifting into a faint almost-smile. "Since my talking has so rudely kept you from your work, would you allow me to give you a little something for your time?"
    A soft little voice in the back of her mind urged her to offer more than that, to give him a place to stay and a chance to get off the streets. But she had learned better than to pick up any stray who crossed her path, and she would only be in Vegas for a short time. Handouts were the best she was going to be able to do right then.

    There was still a great deal of noise coming from the den as Darshan came downstairs, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw what looked like a shoe go sailing through the darkness at the glowing TV screen, only to bounce off harmlessly. He ignored it, proceeding instead to the front door.
    Christian hadn't knocked yet, but Darshan had seen his car pull up the driveway from the window upstairs. He pulled the door open, and raised his hand in a vague greeting.
    "Darshan?" someone asked, and he turned to find that Sahar had come out of the den behind him. When he raised a brow, she grinned at him in a manner that bordered on devious and said, "Is C.J. still upstairs?"
    "Yeees," he said slowly, and not without trepidation. Before he had a chance to say anything else, she waved at him and went bounding up the stairs, looking far too cheerful for his comfort. He sighed and turned to watch Christian approach, trying not to think about why Sahar wanted his soulmate and hoping that it wouldn't involve any more nudity on the stairs.

    Keller caressed his hand again and waited patiently for him to make up his own mind. Even when she knew she was right, and had given plenty of evidence to support her rightness, she wanted him to come to the same conclusion himself.
    His words brought a small smile to her lips and she nodded. "Alright. I'll call Gift a little later and get his exact address, and ask her to watch him until this sorts itself out." And she would never tell Galen when Gift asked for the payment in return of services rendered. That, he didn't need to know.

    "That's what I like to hear too," Price said, voice infinitely pleased, though it was hard to tell if it was real or not. His eyes were still laughing, anyway.
    He nodded in agreement with her words, face becoming more serious. "I gave Darshan my card, when we met earlier," he recalled, realizing he hadn't mentioned that to his mother. This day had been so long already. "I told him if he wanted to get C.J. into a safe place, he could call me, and I'd arrange it." He frowned in thought, trying to remember everything else that had been discussed. Oh right, just warnings about Blaire and her parents.
    Running his hand though his hair, he nodded again as she spoke. "That's true, as I've never met Terra myself. I saw her and Darshan fighting, but that's probably not the best impression to make of her. Speculation," he echoed musingly. He hated not knowing. And he remembered that woman who'd stopped him from interfering earlier, whom Gift had named Ms. Dayton. Who was that??
    There were too many new people in Vegas.
    "That's true too," he observed with a wry grin of his own. "Stupid people are fairly predictable. Cunning would be worse." He sighed at the thought, then gave her a scrutinizing look. "Have you heard about Jayden Sadi, Anna??"

    "Okay, I can't fault your chili, or your gumbo," Julianna agreed mock-grudgingly, still smiling at him. "So you're the master of the stove top, just not the oven. I see where your weaknesses lie now."
    His big eyes made her own widen, before narrowing in laughing accusation. "Cheater! How dare you pull out the puppy eyes on me. Cheap shot. And now you're stealing my noodles," she exclaimed as his chopsticks dipped into the carton. "That is so not the way to get some chicken, sweetheart."
    Giving a superior sniff at the vampire, she turned adoringly to the dogs that were starting to crowd around her. "Yes, you get all of the chicken, boyos. And I'll probably let you have Gamble's share of cookies too, since you have an excuse for your eyes and he doesn't." She rested a piece of chicken on her palm and held it out, and one of the humongous creatures gently lipped it up. "What gooood boys." Taking a brief break, she shoveled some more noodles in her mouth, giggling a protest when a wet nose nuzzled at her face, trying to lick the extra sauce off.

    Merely nodding in acceptance, Varian didn't pursue. He'd learned long ago that no did indeed often mean NO. Her following words did make him blink slowly though. "I didn't do anything for you. Why should you pay me for standing beside me??" It /was/ a decently free country, the last time he'd checked.

    Christian beeped the doors locked on his Jaguar and strolled up to the Drache's front stoop. He saw Darshan already waiting and gave the dragon a small nod, before glancing over his shoulder when he heard a soft purr. A sleek black motorcycle pulled neatly into the driveway next to his car, the slender rider kicking the stand down and turning off the engine. A jean-clad leg swung over and she removed her helmet, shaking her hair out. Christian idly thought about the last time he'd seen Gift with her hair loose like that.
    Reaching the opened door, he paused there to wait for the Redfern to reach them. A brow lifted as the noise from the den trickled out of the house. "Where are we going to talk, Darshan??"

    The sound of a knock from across the hallway pulled Queenie from the room she shared with Wes, who was snoring happily on the bed. He was sprawled over his belly, his beautiful bare butt displayed to the world, and Queenie grinned. Her fingernails tickled lightly over his ass, making him squirm in his sleep, before she tip-toed to the door and cracked it open.
    Seeing Sahar pushing C.J.'s door open made her brows lift, and she silently exited her own room to go prop herself on the doorframe beside Sahar. C.J. was on the other side, looking heavy-eyed and drowsy and like she'd just had the best time of her life. The sweet smell of pot drifted from the cigarette between her lips. "What's up, girls??"
    "I was wondering that myself," Queenie admitted with a smirk, raising her brows at Sahar. "Whatcha thinking, little cub??"

    "Keller," he said softly, lifting her hand to his lips. "Promise me that you won't negotiate with her for anything that you can't or don't want to give. Mace... isn't worth it." It was almost physically painful to say those words, and it was difficult to say whether he was remembering their earlier conversation about paying Gift's price, or if he had picked up on some clue through the soulmate bond. But he still didn't trust Gift, and he wasn't going to risk Keller, not even for his baby brother. Mace had turned his back on the family years ago, and that meant that he ranked below Keller and Price and Iliana on Galen's list of priorities. He had to. Still, it hurt to say it out loud, and to know that he meant it.

    "Maybe he'll take you up on it," Anna said, but she sounded dubious. Those outside of Daybreak didn't usually trust the organization, and Anna could understand that. It was hard to trust someone who thought that they had all the answers for everyone. Discontent bubbled through her, but she brushed it away. Not now, not after a hard day, and especially not when she was with Price. "At least the offer is out there. Do you think that we /could/ protect her against another dragon?"
    "Cunning would be worse," she echoed, one again running a finger over the coaster thoughtfully. She frowned at his question, and shook her head. "The name doesn't sound familiar. Should I have?"

    "I have many weaknesses," Gamble said, wrapping his free hand around her ankle beneath the coffee table and giving it a warm little squeeze. "For instance, I seem to have a big one for you." The grin on his face just widened when she accused him of cheating, and he stole another bite of noodles from her carton. "It doesn't matter. I got a whole ‘nother order of chicken, and I'm goin' to save that one all for myself."
    He just laughed as she continued to pamper his dogs. "Why am I beginnin' to suspect that you love me only for my dogs?"

    Oh, that was such a fine question, and not one that Ai had any intention of answering. "Call it a whim," she said blithely, and her lips curved into a little self-deprecating smile. "I'm rich. I can afford whimsy, can't I?" She reached into her black leather briefcase, and fished out two neatly folded bills; tens on first glance, but with an extra zero folded behind the first one, and Ben Franklin's picture tucked away between the creases. She didn't give him a chance to protest or to look at the money too closely, simply reaching out and tucking the bills into the waistband on his pants, a gesture so careful and graceful that her fingers didn't even brush his skin.
    "Have a good night," she told him, "and watch out for airport security." With that, she stepped off the curb, weaving through the stand-still traffic to the car that she had spotted earlier rather than waiting for it to come to her.

    The light was behind Darshan, and that made it hard to see his face, but his mouth curved into the barest of all smiles when he saw Gift pull up and shake out her hair. "The den is taken, I'm afraid," he remarked mildly, as a loud crash came from the aforementioned room. "However, the kitchen is free, if you don't mind the hole in the ceiling. I haven't had much time to investigate what other rooms are in the house that we might conference in." He shrugged apologetically. "I would have suggested that we meet somewhere quieter, but I find myself bound to stay here, for the time being at least."

    Sahar practically purred when she found herself surrounded by her favorite girls in the whole wide world. She looped a friendly arm around Queenie's shoulders, as a wide, wicked smile bloomed on her face. "Well, since I have been so cruelly forbidden from causing an orgy in the house, I thought that maybe we could go out and cause one." The smile turned into a highly theatrical pout. "Also, since you two have been thoroughly debauched, and I'm obviously not getting /any/ tonight, I feel that it is your responsibility and privilege to entertain me." The smile returned. "Does that sound reasonable?"

    The words brought a sweet pang to Keller's heart and she squeezed his hand again, eyes gentle on his face. "Galen, family is worth anything." He'd taught her that, him and his family, and Iliana, and Price. And she'd pay an awful lot to see his family safe. "And Gift rarely asks for something I can't give." Her fingers, already so close to his mouth, reached out to lightly caress his cheek. "We'll take care of it."

    He had to smirk at the doubtful tone in Anna's voice, though he agreed with that sentiment as well. "Yeah, he might." Deciding it was best not to mention the idea of putting C.J. and Anna together in a safehouse, Price just smiled again. Anna would not appreciate being shipped to a safehouse. Though there didn't currently seem to be a reason for it. He would definitely be keeping his eyes open though. "Actually protecting her, that I'm not so sure about," he hated to admit. "With enough witches, maybe, but so few people have ever had to deal with dragons, it'd be a stretch. We might be able to hide her in a place Terra would never find her, but that's probably it."
    His face became solemn, his eyes deeply serious as she admitted to ignorance. "He's a friend of Terra's. Anna, he's a bad, bad guy. I've heard he's got a personal vendetta against any and all women. I know you are already, but would you just be really careful when you're out on your own?? Try not to walk alone anywhere, and use your car as much as possible."

    Julianna smiled at him, that hundred-watt smile that seemed to light up the room. "You don't have /that/ many weaknesses. I think I feel privileged to be counted as one." Her hand sneaked beneath the table, catching the hand that had squeezed her ankle and giving it a squeeze in return. Then returned above the table and she gave the back of his hand a playful smack with her chopsticks. "Hey!"
    His observation about his own chicken made her giggle. "Well that's just being greedy," she informed him playfully, as many dog ears perked up at the sound of "chicken." "Keeping all of the good stuff from your loyal followers. For shame." The dogs' looks seemed to agree with that.
    "I always wanted a dog," she admitted, smiling as Cujo edged closer to her, clearly seeking seconds. The big mutt sprawled over her lap whined piteously and she gave them both extras, then set the empty carton back on the table. "But I'm always moving around, and I'd only want a big dog, and it just wouldn't be fair to cart a big dog around in my little car all the time." She scratched Cujo lovingly beneath the chin, causing him to whine ecstatically, which made her smile in turn.
    "Plus, it just lets me pamper your dogs even more," she added, turning another smile to Gamble. "And you, for that matter." One long leg uncurled from beneath her, stretching out beneath the table to rub her socked foot gently along his calf. "I just have so much affection to give, you know." A wink, and she popped another bite of noodles in her mouth.

    Varian's mouth had already opened in protest, but he had no time to voice it as the woman disappeared into the stalled traffic. The pointy edges of the bills poked into his skin and he pulled them free, frowning at the tens he saw. Then his fingers stretched the bills apart, and his gaze widened just slightly at the…hundreds…he saw.
    Head lifting quickly, he surveyed the street, but she'd long disappeared. What a very strange woman she was.

    Christian's brows lifted a bit higher at the noise he heard from the den, but he refrained from comment on that. A house full of shifters, what else could one suspect. "The kitchen should work fine," he said easily, clearly in no need to be fussy at the moment. Though his gaze did take on the slightest quizzical edges as he studied the dragon. "Bound??"
    "I've heard tales about that," Gift commented as she joined the two men. She cast them one of her rare smiles before focusing on the dragon. "Did you really take over the whole gang, Darshan??"

    Queenie tilted her head to absently nuzzle at Sahar's temple, a purely feline gesture, before she smirked again at the younger woman's words. "Debauched?? Is that what you call it??"
    "I prefer earthier terms," C.J. offered, grinning herself. "And poor Sahar, not getting any. Must be sad to be left out like that, so of course we'll entertain you! What did you have in mind??"
    Queenie's smirk deepened. "The Happy Lap??" That strip club was just far too well named, that was for sure. They'd been there a couple of times in the past and never been disappointed. "She can at least live vicariously."

    "Not worth risking you," Galen said firmly, tugging her closer by the hand that she was holding until he could wrap his arms around her. "We," he added, just as firmly, latching onto the fact that she had used the plural when she had spoken about fulfilling whatever request Gift made.

    "Maybe," Anna said, doubtfully. "Honestly, I would think that she would be safer with your scary dragon friend than with us. He can protect her; the best we can do is try to hide her, and maybe not even that."
    Her expression turned solemn when he started to speak, as much in response to the seriousness in his eyes as to his words. She reached across the table, touching his hand tentatively. "I'll be careful. I'm never alone, anyway, between home and work and school. I can even have one of the guys from hotel security walk me out to my car after work, if it will make you feel better." Not that she thought a human would do much good against a... "What is he?"

    A smile was Gamble's only response, both when she protested his stealing her noodles and when she reproached him for being greedy with the chicken.
    His expression turned thoughtful when she mentioned wanting a dog, and he nodded slowly when she mentioned the problems with owning a dog in her line of work. "What about Cujo there?" he suggested after a moment, pointing to the schnauzer. "He's just a medium-sized fellow, but he doesn't yap or anything. He's a good breed to travel with, too. They used to use them as guard dogs in caravans, 'cause they're small enough to fit comfortably inside a cart and they're smart enough to train." A grin spread across his face as he heard Cujo's ecstatic whine. "Besides, he obviously likes you."
    He caught her foot as she rubbed it along his leg, and took the chance to return the favor of a massage, strong thumbs playing lightly over the bottom of her foot through the sock.

    It took some ingenuity to weave her way through the mass of cars, but Ai managed it, until she could wrap lightly on the tinted glass of the BMW's back window. It wasn't so dark that she couldn't tell who was inside, and she leaned a hip against the side of the car, waiting. She did cast one last glance back at the boy on the curb, her own body blocked from sight by the car, memorizing his face and scent. Just in case.

    "I actually didn't mean that literally," Darshan mused, "simply that I have things here which need to be guarded, and that means that here is where I must remain. But I suppose you're right." He grimaced, very faintly. "Yes. The whole gang, as well as the incorrigible Ms. Gulab." He shrugged, the grimace slipping from his face. "It was necessary, I'm afraid, and it will remain so until Terra is taken care of. But that's what we're here to discuss, is it not?"
    Gift's question answered, her turned his attention to the one that Christian had asked. "We did not command the shapeshifters only because we were the most powerful among them," he said simply. "Those of us with a greater number of horns have ways of imposing our will. Terra took control of Mace's gang, so I had to take that control away from her. That, however, means that I am now the one in control." He flicked a glance towards the den, and humor threaded its way through his voice. "In a manner of speaking, of course."

    "The Happy Lap," Sahar crooned, wiggling her hips in anticipation of happiness of her own. "Yes, that will do quite nicely. So much... prettiness." Her eyes became dreamy, and she rested her head against Queenie's shoulder for a moment before perking up, a grin tracing its way across her lips. "Of course, we will have to go to an ATM first. Whose car are we taking?"

    "Galen, Gift has never done anything that threatened me harm," she pointed out gently, stepping willingly into his arms. Her arm slid around his shoulders and she pressed a kiss to the side of his neck. "Of course we'll do it, just like we've taken care of everything else that ever hit us." Everything had worked out in the past. This was just another notch in a long string of runs.

    "That's true," he nodded, tapping his chin in thought. "And being the rock star that she is, she probably wouldn't want to be remain hidden anyway. Maybe staying with Darshan would be her best bet after all." Even if it put her right in the line of fire. That probably irked Darshan more than anything else.
    Her tentative touch made his fingers unfurl, only to wrap lightly around hers in a small squeeze. "If you would, just for a while. I mean, I don't think there's any reason for you to be an actual target right now, but there's no sense in taking chances." Especially since she was human. So fragile, delicate, no matter how tough she was mentally. "And he's a vampire and some kind of shifter. I don't know for sure."

    Julianna put another mouthful of noodles past her lips as Gamble spoke, making her brows raise in some surprise. Chewing slowly, she looked over to see Cujo's stub tail wagging enthusiastically. "And he is a right good fellow," she agreed, grinning at the dog, whose ears pricked towards her. "But I'm still not sure. It seems so unfair, and he seems pretty happy here. All that space to run and chase squirrels and beg for food." Cujo whined again and she reached over to scratch his head.
    Gamble's thumbs working over her foot made a little moan rumble from her chest, eyes closing briefly in a sort of painful pleasure. Her feet were probably the hardest thing worked on her body and she sighed happily, munching the rest of her noodles.

    A slight movement behind the tinted glass, and the lock popped open. Patrick smiled lazily as Ai joined him, one arm stretched along the back of the seat. "'Allo darlin'. Find a new friend already??" He nodded in the direction he'd seen her look, where a slender figure was still studying the traffic.

    Gift inclined her head, not seeming surprised at his words. "Sahar isn't quite as surprising as it should be. Her mother would expect you to take whatever measures were necessary, I'm sure." Her eyes gleamed briefly, reflecting the light from the kitchen as he spoke of Terra. "It is indeed."
    Christian chuckled at her, then listened attentively to Darshan's explanation. "Control is always relative," he agreed, casting another look towards the den. "I'm sure the majority of them enjoyed the experience, at that."
    A moment passed before a figure stepped from that area. Mace paused when he saw the three of them standing there, brows raising. He didn't appear uneasy or scared shitless by the startling amount of scary people on his front stoop. He even tossed a smirk at Gift. "Saw your bike, Gift."
    Gift's voice was amused as she said, "If anyone touches that bike, Mr. Drache, I'm going to blow your house down."
    That wiped the smirk off his face, replaced with an aggrieved expression. Christian chuckled and the hyena rolled his eyes. "Well, feel free to make yourselves at home, I guess. Just try not to scare my gang, eh?? I don't need them running away or something."
    "We'll try to restrain ourselves," Christian said neutrally, which just made Mace's eyes roll again.

    "Though of course no amount of prettiness can compare to my D," C.J. said quite loyally.
    Queenie wiggled her brows at her friends. "Doesn't hurt to take a look and make sure though."
    C.J. bit her lip to stifle a giggle, and only when Sahar asked about a car did she really hesitate. "Girls, as much fun as it sounds, maybe I shouldn't. If D found out, he'd be really mad, I think, and with Jayden out there..."
    "Come on C.J.," Queenie coaxed. "It'll do you good to get out and have some fun, especially since you can't perform with your band for a while. It'll probably do us /all/ some good to get out. And it sounds like your man is having some fun of his own downstairs anyway." Her shifter ears had picked up the sound of unfamiliar voices in the foyer, in tandem with Darshan's, which meant he had friends over. "Why should you be left to wither??"
    C.J. hmmed thoughtfully, pulling a deep drag on her joint. And that about decided her. Gooood pot. "We'll have to sneak past," she finally said, voice a bit squeezed before she slowly blew out smoke. "D and Mace, I think."
    She gave the other girls critical looks and Queenie just grinned. "Not a problem. I know all the ins and outs of this house." She ruffled Sahar's hair. "And we can take my car. Let's just throw on some clothes and we can go."
    "Okay," C.J. chirped, starting to get enthusiastic about the idea. A lot of lovin' and a little pot had gone a long way in taking care of the terror and anxiety of the earlier events, and she was excited about going out and having fun now.

    "I know Gift won't hurt you," Galen said, and it was true, because he did know that she and Keller were friends and Gift didn't harm her friends. He knew. Intellectually, at least.
    "We will," he agreed tiredly, resting his cheek against her hair and just enjoying the feeling of her pressed against his chest and her arm looped around his neck. It was comforting and comfortable in its familiarity, and he really didn't want to move from that position.

    "Poor guy," Anna said, with sudden and unexpected sympathy. "He must be really worried. It can't be easy, knowing that your soulmate is a target for an enemy that powerful."
    "Of course I'll be careful, but like you said, there's no real reason for him to target me," she said, her eyes drifting down to their joined hands. "It can't hurt to be a little bit cautious, though. Not just because of this Jayden Sadi, either. The water's getting a little bit hot here, isn't it?"

    "Ah, but the travelin' life is what he was bred for," Gamble said lightly, "and I'd feel much better if you had a nice fellow like him around to guard you while you're doing what it is that you do. Why don't you take him on a trial basis, and if the two of you don't get along, you can bring him back to live with me, no harm, no foul?"
    He continued to work on her foot, his fingers careful but firm. He dug his thumb gently into her instep, then inwards along the arch of her foot and back again.

    Ai climbed into the car when the door opened, settling comfortable into the seat and dropping her briefcase at her feet. She followed his nod, and shrugged, not quite self-consciously. "He's a sweet boy." She paused, and flashed him a quick smile. "I hope you don't mind, but I told him that you wouldn't be interested in his company this evening."

    "Ah, yes. Amira," Darshan said tonelessly, and then said nothing else on the subject of Sahar and her mother.
    He shook his head at Christian's works, and looked up when Mace approached them. He simply raised his eyebrows at the other man's request. "Now, now, Mr. Drache. If none of them ran screaming into the night after this afternoon's adventure, I doubt that the three of us conferring is going to strike terror," he said, with deceptive mildness. He motioned courteously to Gift, indicating that she should proceed him to the kitchen.

    Sahar gave a soft little whoop as C.J. abandoned her doubts and agreed to their plan, practically bouncing in place as the other two women laid out the details. "I don't think that C.J. has any clothes," she said, in a speculative sort of tone, "and if we're going to do this, I'm going to need to borrow some really sexy shoes." Because you couldn't go out on the town without a nice pair of shoes. She tilted her head, looking down at the shirt she had taken from Wes earlier. "Also, I still don't know where my shirt is. Huh." She shrugged that last bit off, and looked expectantly at the other two.

    Keller ran her fingers lightly down the back of his neck, wishing idly that she could make it better for him. She knew how much he disliked Gift and hated having to put them together like this, but...no one was more efficient than Gift. In a jam, she was the answer woman, and Keller wasn't above using that if it became necessary.
    The tiredness in his voice made her start to knead the back of his neck. She leaned her head into his, enjoying the feel and warmth of his body against hers, as they stood there in front of the crowded mall. With no real inclination to move herself, she was happy to just stand there, though her eyes did keep moving around.

    Price nodded, the sympathy showing on his own face. "And he does really care about her. Anyone can see that. I'm not going to blame him for any power spikes he makes, with that much on the line." Now if only the majority of Daybreak felt the same.
    He gave her fingers another squeeze, then loosened the grip, in case she wanted to pull away. "Sadi's the one that really scares me right now, because he's something we can handle better, but he's a woman beater. And that just /really/ pisses me off." The thought of a bigger, stronger man beating on any woman would make him mad, much less someone doing it to Anna.
    A wry smile came to his face. "The water isn't quite boiling, but at this point, it's pretty close to it. And it's only going to get hotter."

    Julianna looked at him for a minute, chopsticks poised over the noodles. There was still a smile on her face, though her eyes were a bit more serious. Finally, her expression softened, and her eyes caressed his face tenderly. "You got it, honey." Looking over, she saw Cujo was looking rather ridiculously happy. "Oh, so you think that means you're getting chicken every night?? What a good guard dog you'll be, overweight and coughing up fat balls."
    Cujo whined and offered her a paw. Julianna giggled again and ate some more noodles, and couldn't resist reaching over to shake the schnauzer's paw. "Thank you. So polite."
    Then Gamble's hands were on her foot and she slowly savored the last mouthful of noodles. Closing up the carton, she set it aside and gazed at Gamble adoringly. "You have magic fingers. I know you've heard that thousands of times before, but I'll repeat it. Magic."

    "Ah darlin', now I'm 'eartbroken," he teased, tapping the headrest in front of him. The driver expertly pulled into the middle lane and started making its way through the airport traffic. "I dun 'ave an'one tae keep ma 'appy tonight now. Guess ye'll 'ave tae do."

    Gift and Christian exchanged amused glances at Darshan's tone, and lack of follow up. Both of them seemed quite used to it by now though, and didn't press for more.
    "You underestimate the effect Gift has," Mace said dryly. "The girls run screaming, the guys try to throw themselves at her and /then/ run screaming. Sorry," he said to Christian, "they don't know you well enough to be afraid."
    "No offense taken," Christian chuckled and Mace rolled his eyes again. Fingers wiggled as Gift inclined her head to the men, then headed for the kitchen. Christian fell into step with Darshan as they followed her, and Mace trailed back into the den. If that trio needed anything, he had no doubt they could get it on their own.
    Stepping into the kitchen, Gift's attention was immediately drawn to the ceiling above, where the steady rhythm of a pounding hammer was quite obviously droning above. Not to mention the hole in the ceiling. Now that she wasn't going through it, she had an opportunity to observe it objectively. A nice sized one, if she said so herself.
    Christian raised brows at Darshan but before the dragon could say anything, someone walked through the open backdoor. Oblivion paused when he saw the three of them, empty gaze moving from one face to the next, before he continued walking through the kitchen. "I'll have the crew stop for the night."
    "I've always rather liked that man," Gift admitted as she pulled out a chair at the table.

    "I only have Darshan's clothes," C.J. agreed, with a cheeky little grin, and Queenie rolled her eyes expressively.
    "You girls are helpless," she declared and turned, strutting naked back to her room. C.J. wiggled her brows at Sahar and followed the lioness. Queenie had a closet she /loved/ to go through.
    The fair-haired woman was throwing back the doors of said closet as the others joined her, waving at the contents. "Help yourselves."
    A grunt came from the bed, and naked Wes lifted his head to look drowsily at the three women in his room. "Ooohh, my own personal show??"
    Queenie smirked. "Girls, I'll take care of this," she told him, gesturing for them to hit the closet as she prowled towards her mate. Whose brows lifted, even as she pounced on him.

    Galen didn't move for a few minutes, simply enjoying the feeling of her in his arms, before he stepped back. Only a few inches, just far enough for him to look at her face. "Since we've agreed not to say anything until we've had a chance to meet Guivre, I would suggest that we find something else to occupy us for the evening."

    "No," Anna agreed softly, fixing her eyes on his face, "and if you put it that way, there are a plenty of other people who aren't going to be able to blame him for it, either. There are a lot of people in a lot of high positions within Daybreak who know exactly what it's like to worry about a soulmate." On that, at least, she couldn't fault Daybreak. Maybe once, but not now, when she knew for herself what it was like.
    She didn't pull away when he loosened his grip, her hand remaining limp in his. "I know," she said, because that was all that she could say. It surprised her, though, to hear him speak against Jayden so strongly... and at the same time, it didn't, because Price was just a good guy and that was the sort of thing that was bound to make him angry.
    His next comment gave her pause, and she considered for a moment, before smiling. "Ah, well. It's been a bit chilly around here recently, anyway."

    Gamble tilted his head, remaining still and silent as her eyes ran over his face, his own eyes turning serious when he noted the look in hers. A grin split his face when she agreed. "Good," he said. He laughed softly as she addressed Cujo. "You're goin' to spoil him rotten, I know it. The next time I see him, you're going to be rolling him around, he'll be so fat. Isn't that right, buddy?" he said to the dog, reaching out to give him an affectionate pat before continuing his ministrations to Julianna's feet.
    "To be fair, I've rarely heard about my magic fingers in this context," he replied. When it came to the making of weapons, yes. But foot rubs?

    "Oh, Patrick," Ai said, with soft regret that was almost ruined by the half-laughing curve to her mouth. "I'm sorry. I couldn't bear it if you were unhappy, sweet man that you are." She paused, as if considering something. "If that really is the case, I suppose I could go out and retrieve that nice young man," she said slyly. "I know that you would treat him right, and I wouldn't want you to have to settle for little ol' me."

    As he and Christian walked into the kitchen together, Darshan too stopped to examine the hole in the ceiling. He saw Christian's raised brows, but before he could say anything, Oblivion entered.
    Gift's comment made him smile. "Yes, he is quite tolerable," the dragon allowed.
    Then his eyes moved back to the hole in the ceiling. "Very impressive," he remarked to Gift. "I commend you. You know, I think that the hole is vaguely Terra-shaped. I thought that only happened in the most infantile of cartoon shows, but I can clearly see the outline of her head in that corner there."

    "We're not helpless," Sahar protested, following Queenie into the bedroom, "we're clothesless. You should clothe us. Charity is a virtue, I think, and since you're obviously not going to win any points on chastity..." She grinned as she let her eyes wander to Wes, who also seemed to be clothing-challenged.
    She laughed as Queenie went to distract her mate, thus proving her point, and turned to the closet. "Queenie's closet is like Christmas and a candy store all wrapped up in one," she remarked to C.J., her eyes roving over the wide variety of clothing available.

    Keller looked up at him, fingers starting to lightly knead the back of his neck some more. A bit of a smile curved her mouth. "And what did you have in mind, my lord??"

    "That's true," he murmured, thinking of all of the people he knew that had soulmates. Most of the key positions filling Daybreak actually had their significant other. He wasn't entirely sure what kind of impact that would have on the reactions to a dragon, but hopefully some kind.
    Fingers tightened again on hers, thumb lightly brushing her knuckles, as he met her gaze seriously for another moment. He'd traveled the road in Daybreak that housed a lot of domestic problems, safehouses for women hiding from their husbands and boyfriends. It was a very serious offense in his eyes, and he was going to make sure it didn't happen to the women in his life.
    Her summary of the situation made his eyes roll playfully. "Please, like Vegas ever gets chilly. Even in December." He thought about that. "Well, as long as you stay out of the desert."

    Julianna nibbled on a noodle as she pondered what she'd seen in Gamble's eyes. He hadn't been lying, when he'd said she was a big weakness for him. It made her feel warm and rather glowy inside. A really nice guy really cared about her. He was even giving her a guard dog. It was nice.
    "No way," she protested. "He's going to be a lean, mean, guarding machine, the next time you see him. Dry dog food and an occasional bone for good behavior is what he's going to be looking forward to from now on." She looked at the dog in question, whose stump was still wagging. Ears pricked, tongue starting to loll a little. He knew she was lying. She rolled her eyes as Cujo licked Gamble's hand.
    "I'm sure you have magic fingers in all contexts of the phrase," Julianna assured him, voice bordering on blissful. It was said so many major tendons and muscles ended in the foot, so it was possible to feel pressure release in the head, shoulders, arms, legs, pretty much everywhere just from a foot rub. "If the gun thing ever goes sour, you could definitely make a fortune doing this."

    Patrick slid her an amused look, brilliant blue eyes glittering in the darkness of the car. "Does tha' mean I could then 'ave both o' ya, luv??" There was a sharpness behind his gaze though, a penetrating thoughtfulness. He kept tabs on the people he considered his friends, and he knew about Ai's infrequent tendency to take in stray whores. And that man had definitely been a whore. If she wanted him, he wasn't opposed to picking him up as long as it made her happy.

    Gift smiled back at Darshan, actually slouching a bit in her seat, kicking the chair back with one outstretched leg. They all studied the hole for a few more seconds before Gift nodded. "I can see the head. A bit of a wing, though it's mostly lost to crumbling. The one leading outside was better. It took out pretty much the whole wall, I believe."
    "Seems I missed the party," Christian said dryly as the sound of pounding hammers abruptly and completely deceased. He went around the kitchen, closing and locking the backdoor and the doors leading to other parts of the house. "Darshan, how's the privacy??"
    With the dragon taking care of that, he followed a quick sniff to the liquor cabinet. A low whistle emitted as he pulled open the cupboards and observed the contents. "Mace does believe in being fully loaded, doesn't he??"
    "Need an early start??" Gift asked with amusement, seeming to relax minutely in her seat. It was with these two men that she was often able to relax the most, for they were all intensely similar in different ways. With The Hunters, even the RoA, a good deal of business was usually involved, but here...it was just fun.
    "Never hurts," Christian agreed, bringing various hard liquor bottles to the table.

    "I think it amounts to the same," C.J. contemplated. "Most people associate clothing with their sense of vulnerability. It's society related, I think." She took another deep drag on her joint, just slightly foggy eyes going thoughtful.
    Queenie rolled her eyes. "If you start spouting that kind of shit, we're leaving you here. Tonight is about fun, miss thang, nothing else. And chastity is over-rated," she added to Sahar with a toothy grin, and went over to Wes. He turned over on the bed so she could straddle his hips, his gold eyes a little wide and intensely curious as she leaned down, nibbling along his jaw line. "Alright sugar pie, this is how it's gonna work. The three of us are busting out of here for a wee while, to get shit-faced and grope very pretty, half-clothed men to our heart's delight. If you remain quiet on the situation, and don't alert the bosses, I will allow you to remain free."
    "Or else??" Wes inquired lazily, clasping his hands behind his head. His expression was now amused, the curiosity mostly sated.
    Queenie grinned at him. "I gag you and tie you to the bed. No one will question it and they'll leave you hanging there if they peek in."
    "Hang??" Wes repeated with some alarm, and her eyes gleamed wickedly.
    "It iiiis," C.J. breathed, focused on the closet in front of her instead of the domestic drama behind her. "Oh my god, I love this closet." Leaving the joint between her lips, she starting rifling through its contents. "Hey Sahar, isn't this yours??" she suddenly asked, lifting a miniskirt without taking her eyes from the array of clothes in front of her.

    Galen leaned forward to place a gentle kiss on her mouth, and smiled wryly. "Sleep with one eye open? I have the feeling that tomorrow is going to be a long day, but I'm almost afraid to go to sleep, just because of what might happen when we're not paying attention."

    While Price's fingers once again tightened around hers, Anna's eyes remained fixed on his face, dark and solemn. After a moment, she lifted his hand off the table, and placed a light kiss on the palm, the closest she could come to offering comfort. She let their joined hands fall back to the table, looking faintly embarrassed.
    The sobriety faded away, to be replaced by a glint of humor. "Chillier that July," she told him. Her expression turned wistful. "Sweet, hot July, without a cloud in sight. Oh, how I miss thee."

    "You hear that, boy?" Gamble drawled. "I've given you to a cruel, harsh mistress. She's gonna whip you into shape, she is. I'm not sure how the KFC she's plannin' on feeding you is going to fit into that plan, but I'm sure she'll manage, and you won't be too flabby when I see you again." From the lick that the dog gave him, he surmised that he didn't believe Julianna, either.
    "For the gun thing to go sour, your sister would have to join the Peace Corps," he remarked with a grin. "Still, I'll keep that in mind." He finished the one foot and reached for the other, pulling it towards him.

    "I don't know, Patrick," Ai said lightly, and made a face of exaggerated concern, which just barely avoided being goofy. "You are getting on in your years. I worry that you won't be able to handle us both. You might hurt yourself trying." She saw the sharpness in his gaze, and her expression melted into a warm smile. "No, I think you'll have to make do with me, tonight," she told him gently, and there was a serious note in her reply. She had made a few mistakes in her time, and she now knew better than to take someone in after a few minutes of conversation, no matter how much they tugged at her heartstrings. "Maybe another night," she added, because she was already turning over the idea of looking this particular young man up again, in order to see if he was the sort of person who would take advantage of a kindness if it was offered to him

    "It may be one of those rare parties where the aftermath is more amusing than the party itself," Darshan said. "You didn't miss much." When Christian mentioned privacy, he closed his eyes, a trickle of his power assuring that even the most determined of eavesdroppers would go away disappointed, and that no one would even consider opening the doors uninvited. "The privacy is quite adequate," he said, once he was done.
    He eyed the liquor as Christian brought it over to the table, and gave a rare, full smile. "I believe that if anyone deserves it, we do." He let out a long breath, and relaxed back into his chair. He didn't slump, but some of the tension left his shoulders, and his eyelids lowered sleepily, thick black lashes falling to screen the gold of his eyes.

    A low chuckle was Sahar's only response to the half-heard conversation taking place on the bed, as she continued to contemplate the clothing choices before her. Her eyes flicked towards the skirt, and she nodded. "Uh-huh. You're welcome to borrow it, if you want." After all, what was the fun of borrowing your own clothes from someone else's closet?
    She pulled Queenie's shirt over her head and stepped out of her shoes without taking her eyes off the contents of the closet, figuring that she might as well disrobe while she made her choice. She would need to do so eventually, anyway.

    Keller chuckled wryly herself. For, as sad as it sounded at just past ten, she was feeling the weight of the day start pressing on her shoulders. Sleep didn't sound half-bad. Curse that getting old business. "Even bad guys need to sleep, right??"

    Price smiled gently as he felt her lips on his palm but didn't say anything, because her expression was telling enough. Not to mention the humor bled back into the conversation quickly enough. "Don't you worry, July will be here soon enough. And you'll still be too young to enjoy the heat with one of these." He winked teasingly, leaning back as the waitress appeared then. His beer was set in front in front of him, and Anna's water, and the young woman looked inquiringly between them.

    "KFC??" Julianna echoed with exaggerated horror. "Never! They like cover their chicken in fat. Ew." She reached into another bag, pulling out some steak and onions. Retrieving her chopsticks, she mumbled into the carton, "Maybe McD's though."
    Cujo rowrled happily and grinned at Gamble.
    Scooping a piece of steak in her mouth, Julianna pondered Gamble's statement. "Gift in the Peace Corps. I think I should sign her up, just to see what she'd do." She grinned at the vampire, obligingly extending her other leg. "We can give her that at the same time as your singing telegram. Then we can die together."

    A stricken look passed Patrick's face. "If ya think ma years are wha' affects ma ability, ye've got somethin' tae learn, darlin'." He simply nodded acceptance of her decision, though his expression remained thoughtful when she put in an addendum. Interesting.
    As the car pulled free of airport traffic and settled into the busy Las Vegas streets, he settled his large body comfortably in the seat and turned slightly towards her. Eyes ran over her, assessing but warm. "'Ow 'ave ye been, Ai??"

    "I missed enough," Christian pointed out, looking up to the see-through ceiling. Though he'd had his own fun with Mr. Sadi tonight as well. They'd missed that, woe was them.
    "Darshan popped Terra's eye," Gift said, and there was a wistful note to her voice as she rewound that memory in her head. "I'm so envious."
    "I got to fry Jayden," Christian recalled as he hit the liquor cabinet. "It's absolutely disgusting how fast that man recovers. Sonya hit him with elephant tranquilizers and he was up in eight minutes."
    They both nodded approvingly at Darshan's privacy methods. Christian collected the bottles on the table, then snooped for shot glasses. "We definitely do," he agreed, claiming his own seat at the table.
    Gift reached forward, opening the full bottle of whiskey and pouring a good dose into three shot glasses. She passed them around, then lifted hers in a silent toast. Christian followed suit, and they waited for Darshan as well before tossing it back.
    "So should we start with battle wounds, victories, or relive the good old days??" Gift inquired with a half-smirk, refilling her glass. It wasn't time for the brainstorming just yet.

    C.J. grunted her acknowledgement, taking another deep puff on her cigarette. Yep, tonight was definitely going to be a skirt night. Hmmm.
    Bending over, she delved through the depths of Queenie's closet as the lioness deliciously terrorized her mate on the bed. By the time she was done, Wes's eyes were rolled back in his head and he was grinning stupidly in a pure male way. Smirking some more, Queenie moved to join her friends at the closet. "Find anything good??"
    "Oh yeah," came C.J.'s muffled voice, as she pulled her choice for the night and went over to the bed. Draping the clothes over it, she didn't even seem to notice naked Wes on the bed. He didn't compare to Darshan, that was for sure.
    Pulling on one of Queenie's miniskirts, the black leather stopped at very high upper-thigh. Knee-high heeled boots added impossible length to her already long legs and it took her a minute to figure out how the shirt came on. It was more straps of varied-colored cloth crisscrossing strategically than any real shirt, leaving her arms, back, and most of her belly bare. She bent over, running her fingers through her hair, then flipped it back and fluffed it carelessly. Moving into the adjacent bathroom, she found earrings and makeup and applied the final touches.
    Queenie was still trying to decide. "What're you thinking, little cub??"

    "I wouldn't count on that," Galen said, with a wry half-smile of his own. "I imagine that Terra Drago has had more than enough sleep. But even if they don't, we do." There was no helping it, unfortunately. If they didn't rest and take care of themselves, they wouldn't be a lot of use to anyone.

    "Jerk," Anna said, but without any real heat, and she was smiling as she picked up her water and took a sip of it. "Are you sure that you're allowed to have one if you're perpetually..." Twenty, but she allowed the sentence to die, because there was a waitress standing right there, and that would sound even stranger than their earlier conversation about being dead and bloated. Instead, she gave the woman her order, and sat back to watch Price expectantly.

    Gamble only laughed, since her words were not sufficiently muffled by the carton. "Darlin', unless you plan on feeding him salad, I don't think that McDonald's is going to be much of an improvement. Maybe you can take him somewhere real classy instead, and feed him pate and steak tartar?" He released Julianna's foot long enough to give the dog another scratch behind the ears.
    "She'd probably go, and leave the rest of us here to rot," he replied merrily. "Of course, I don't think that's fair. You'll only be offending your sister; I'll be baiting the whole da...darn RoA."

    "I'm sure that age has only improved you," Ai agreed, without any fuss, giving him a friendly pat on the knee. She relaxed back into the comfortable seat, allowing her body to sink in and her head to flop back a little. A moment's consideration was required for his question, and finally she shrugged. "Well enough. Busy, as usual, but I'm sure that you understand that. I've been all over recently; I don't think I've seen Detroit for more than a day at a time in the past four months. What about you?"

    A low, happy sigh rumbled out of Darshan's chest when he heard the word 'Jayden' and 'fry' in the same sentence. "I'm glad that I wasn't the only one," he remarked dryly. "Unfortunately, I'm sure that Terra's eye has completely reformed by now. I didn't manage to completely remove it, so there was probably enough remaining tissue for her to grow it back." He sounded regretful. "I do believe that I managed to cook some of her gray matter, though."
    His glass was raised in a brief toast before he tossed the contents back, and placed it on the table for a refill. "Battle wounds," he suggested, after a moment's thought. More entertaining that victories, and the 'good old days' rarely coincided, since Christian had been the only one both alive and awake for most of them.