A Weekend Affair # 5 - The White Brunch

[Valkyrie]

Outside the Conservatory

Ashley left Ava to the ministrations of her king, while she and AJ went on a donut run and discussed the situation. She told him her and Ava's plan to intercept Cameron before Haleigh killed him pre-preemptively.

AJ: “Regardless of his intentions when he returns, his actions don’t reflect well.”

Ashley's brow furrowed.

"No, they don't. They are very un-kinglike. Even if their court survives this, their relationship may not."

She asked AJ his opinion on this Calder, if he thought they could trust what he was saying, and then she had a donut in her mouth and AJ was carrying a box with more. She was imagining what a donut made by McDonald's would taste like, when they reached their suite and headed in. AJ locked the door behind them, making her smile.

AJ: “My Queen shall have whatever her heart desires, if I have to raid the McDonald’s kitchen myself. But first....”

She looked up as if that was the most brilliant thing she'd ever heard.

"Maybe they could put a McDonald's in the mansion! No waiting!"

But then his arms were around her, his face close against her neck, and she forgot about food.

AJ: “I think My Ashley has mentioned other needs. A nap, perhaps?”

She shivered as she felt the zipper open at her back.

She looked up at him, a coy smile on her lips.

"But I'm not as sleepy as I thought...Oh, whatever could we do to tire me out?"

She grinned naughtily, her hands finding the hem of his shirt and sliding under it, lifting it up so he could pull it off. Her lips kissed the honey skin of his chest, his closeness at once soothing and exciting. Her hands undid the fly of his jeans, then she stepped back, pushing the dress down off her shoulder and letting it fall to the floor. She took his hand and led him backwards towards the bedroom, the sultry smile staying on her lips.

"We should really try out our bed and make sure you like it...wouldn't want you to be uncomfortable now that you're living here."

 

[Steel]

Central Park

John and Ava strolled through the park, munching their pretzels ravenously then putting their arms around each other as they walked. They both talked about how much they isolated themselves in the mansion, not really getting to see much of the city around them. John suggested they take a day to be tourists.

Ava: "That would be fun! We could book a suite at the Plaza, go to a Broadway show....shop..."

"Now see, I would have put shopping first..."

He matched her grin.

Ava: "Find a hole in the wall restaurant that serves authentic Indian or Thai food, or whatever we're craving that night."

"I think there's about a thousand of those in this town."

He chuckled.

Ava: "That sounds like the perfect little staycation."

He stopped and turned towards her, slipping his hands around her waist.

"Yeah, especially the hotel part."

He waggled his eyebrows at her, and leaned in for a kiss. As easy as it was at Hellfire to forget that they lived in New York City, it was equally so to forget that Hellfire existed, when it was just the two of them alone.

"How about a boat ride around the lake before we shop?"

 

[Sparrow]

La Casa de Estrada - Guest House

Cameron was promising not to mess this up, the way he had promised to love her and marry her. She wanted to believe him, but he had destroyed the trust between them, and it would take more than promises to get that back. Breaking her own heart was one thing, but breaking her daughter's? She couldn't bear it.

Before she could respond, her father was calling her name. She had to keep him from attacking Cameron when he discovered who he was, but she managed to calm him enough so that he left them alone - but not before refusing to join them for dinner. She wouldn't apologize for her father's words, though - he had taken care of them when he could have rejected them both completely.

Cameron: "It's amazing how people rise to the occasion when given the chance."

She smirked at him.

"Or fall flat on their face."

He was coming here and pretending like she was mistreating him.

Cameron: "Look...I know I don't deserve much. I know you're still...very angry at me, Elena."

That made her angrier. She threw up her hands.

Don't I deserve to be angry?!

Cameron: "But we both know that I am never going to hurt that little girl. My personal relationships may have always been a mess, but you know how loyal I am to family. I don't cross those lines, and I protect my blood. Always have. Always will. I'm not going to treat Carolina like she's some kind of stuffed animal. So stop treating me like you don't know who I am..because despite what has transpired between us? We have a daughter. And that's the most incredible fuckin' thing in the world that I can think of. There is not a single person in this world that I won't strike down to protect her, my wife included. So stop. None of this is ideal, but you know I would sooner DIE than to hurt her...."

"You may not want to hurt 'that little girl', but let's be real. Because I do know you, Cameron. You are going to go back to your family and your precious Hellfire Club and Carolina is going to be hurt. Don't act like I'm being unfair, because I'm the one whose going to have to explain to our daughter why you couldn't even stay a full day."

He grabbed her hands.

Cameron: "Please...can we just have a good day?"

She shook her head.

"You just don't get it. You get to 'just have a good day' and go home, you don't have to deal with the broken pieces you leave in your wake."

She looked into his eyes, pleading.

"You came here for what - to feel bad about yourself, to feel better about yourself? You fucked me and now you're going to leave, again."

Tears sprang unwanted to her eyes.

"I'm trying, Cameron. I want her to have a happy memory of the day she met her father. But this isn't easy for me either."

 

[Persephone]

The thought of having a weekend as tourist in the city sounded like a fun idea. They could book a hotel, see a show, shop, eat; it was perfect.

John: "Now see, I would have put shopping first..."

John grinned making Ava laugh.

"See, this is why I love you."

She gave him a little peck on the cheek.

"Most men would have groaned."

Ava moved a bit a head of John, taking his hands within hers as she turned around and walked backwards looking at him.

"I'll call up Victoria Secrets and ask them to shut it down for the day specifically for us. I'm most definitely going to need help deciding on some new lingerie..."

She flicked her eyebrows up suggestively, her grin becoming salacious in nature. Food, fucking, and fun? Sounded like the perfect staycation to Ava. She moved back to John's side as he agreed that it sounded like a great idea. His arms soon circled around her waist again, the both of them stopping, Ava leaning against his body.

John: "Yeah, especially the hotel part."

Ava laughed as John waggled his eyebrows.

"Oh yeah."

She agreed before their lips were meeting once again. Ava's arms slid around John's neck, pulling herself closer against him. She melted into his arms, the world around them falling away. She could have stayed like that for the rest of the hour that they were slated to be together, but John pulled back.

John: "How about a boat ride around the lake before we shop?"

"I mean...i'm already wet, so why not."

She joked with a warm smile. Ava followed John to the little boat rental stand by the lake, and soon they were both on the water, John paddling out and away from the crowds of people to a less populated area. Ava looked around with a smile, the city line in the distance, the day sunny and beautiful. She couldn't think of a better way to decompress before returning back to Hellfire. Her eyes moved to John, watching as he skillfully and easily moved the rows to guide them through the water. He had been so good to her this weekend, and she honestly didn't know if she would have gotten through it without him. He was her rock. He always had been. And all Ava wanted to do was to spend the rest of her life loving him like she should have years ago.

"So, Captain....where are you whisking me off to?"

Her smile became playful.

"Should I be worried?"

Ava leaned in a bit, conspiratorially.

"My boyfriend has a bit of a short temper....he tends to rip men who look at me the wrong way apart. I'm not sure how he would feel about you taking me to parts unknown..."

Ava's playful smile carried to her eyes, though there was an obvious lust to the thought of John ripping anyone who looked at Ava the wrong way apart. She loved how protective he was of her - always had. Add some torn appendages to the mix? It was a recipe for some sexy and bloody, fun.

 

[Orion]

Hellfire - The Elevators

Zach comforted Brienne the best way he knew how, holding her close and easing her emotions, until she finally explained that Archer was the one who’d put her in this state. Zach wanted to make him pay, but more than that he wanted to stay with Brienne, so he resolved to make Archer miserable later, while right now he began to brush Brienne’s hair back from her fingers.

“Archer Fairchild is an idiot and an asshole. All he’s succeeded in doing this weekend is piss everyone off, and if he thinks THAT is keeping ‘his court on top’ he’s crazy.”

Brienne ranted that it was her legacy, her throne, and that Archer was going behind her back and doing stupid things, creating messes for her to clean up. She vented some more, saying that Archer didn’t know what she went through, that no one did, that she’d had to fight for her place as Queen. Zach began to wipe away her tears with the pads of his thumbs as she added that Daniel Reed had thrown her out of the Black Wing. Zach was a little perturbed that the new guy suddenly had that kind of authority here, but with the tension between their courts right now, he wasn’t sure he could do anything about it. He had tried to offer that Brienne stay with him, but she’d balked, and now she was expressing concern that Haleigh would blame her for what happened. Zach shook his head gently.

“No, Haleigh may be vengeful, but she wouldn’t target someone unless she KNEW they were deserving. She’ll find out who’s really behind this, and they will pay.”

He replied evenly, and then his tone turned persuasive.

“You’ll be safe with me in the White Wing, I promise you that. Haleigh knows about us already, and she wasn’t upset or concerned about it. She was supportive, which means she doesn’t see you as too much a threat. She’s got bigger things to worry about now than you pranking her during the Red Hunt.”

 

[Masque]

Hellfire Club – Great Hall


Gia fought the urge to roll her eyes at Alek’s expression when she said that the past was the past. At least she was trying. Actions spoke louder than words, however, and Gia was more than ready to prove it. Haleigh began telling her about her father.

Haleigh: "As you know, your father was killed in prison, but the true story of his demise began much, much earlier. Your father, with his mafia organization, was quite the rising star. My mother lifted him from the pawns to be her Bishop, but that wasn't enough. He wanted to be King, of course, and he kept building his power, until my mother began to see him as a threat instead of an asset."

Gia wasn’t surprised. He, himself, had told her many, many, times that he had wanted to become King. He had lofty ideas too. ”Un giorno, mia cara ragazza, diventerò re e diventerai anche una principessa come Scion.” [One day, my dear girl, I will become King and you will also become a princess like Scion], he had told her more than once. He had been referring to the empty White Prince spot, implying that he would make it into a second White Princess spot. Gia, however, wasn’t at all interested. She had seen the cost of being White Princess in Haleigh’s own life and she couldn’t be bothered with it. Little did she know just how high that cost actually was.

“It’s true; he had told me many times that he wanted a Kingship...”

They now entered the catacombs and Gia took a moment to gaze at the passage lined with the bones and skulls of those unfortunate enough to come against Hellfire. Gia was one of the few who weren’t fazed by the eerie display. After all, she and her former lover, Samuel, were often found – intentionally and unintentionally – having sex right in the passageways. Having sex in a hallway filled with skeletons? That was hot; especially if it was after torturing somebody to the point of almost death. Both Gia and Samuel had found sadism extremely erotic. Gia really missed Samuel.

Haleigh: "I know my mother told you that your father got convicted on racketeering charges. And she pretended to be very sympathetic. That was all lies, meant to manipulate you and keep you pliant. If you had been allowed to know the truth, you'd have been quite unruly, and she wanted to use you to keep the Nefaria organization under her control."

Gia turned her head sharply towards Haleigh. Her grey eyes narrowed.

*suspiciously*: “What was the real reason?”

They had arrived at the dungeons. Gia had the thought that she was going to end up in a dungeon soon.

Haleigh: "I was fifteen when it started. My mother told me to seduce your father, to get good blackmail material against him and keep him in line. I didn't want to, but when your mother threatens to murder your boyfriend if you disobey..."

*murmuring*: “...you do it.”

Haleigh: "I don't really blame your dad, or any of the other dads after that. They were men, and I was egregiously insistent. Well, Zach's father was kind of horrible about it, but Zach killed him when he found out. Yours and Ava's and Ben's dads, I guess they weren't so bad. Anyways, at first it was quite an effective tactic. My mother blackmailed the Count, threatened to have him charged with statutory rape, and he was compliant. After a couple years though, he was resentful, and began to think her threats were empty, that she wouldn't really do it. He was wrong. She made the police believe it was much worse, out of spite, that I was some kind of underage sex slave he'd been keeping. She didn't trust me to go along with the lies in court, so Helena morphed into a younger version of me, and played the victim. Kelly fabricated some forensic evidence, and your father was doomed."

Gia felt sickened by what Haleigh told her. Gia had loved her father and now she felt sickened and saddened by Haleigh’s reveal. It didn’t matter if it was consensual – it was just plain icky.

Haleigh: "I was trying to get rid of that evidence, trying to get your father out of prison through the appeals, but he was killed. I thought after my mother was gone, that I could get him out, put him back on top of the Nefaria organization where he belonged, but Archer Fairchild wouldn't have a rival so strong. I gave you a shot at getting your revenge on Archer, but I think you misunderstood my reasoning for 'assigning' you to deal with him. I would've defended you if you'd killed him, I would've shielded you from retaliation. But it seems you thought I was asking you to do something else entirely. I apologize for not being clear with my intentions, for not telling you this sooner. I don't much like revisiting it."

Gia still was silent. She opened and closed her mouth a few times before words came back into her mind and she could speak them.

“Why on earth would you try to get him out of prison? I mean, Hales, he had sex with you! I mean, I know that he fell into a trap but he...you...I...that’s just EW! Ugh! Now there’s a mental image that I needed...NOT.”

Gia closed her eyes and turned around to compose herself.

Don’t think about it, don’t think about it, and don’t think about it. Think of... Archer.

Gia turned back around, her composure intact. She’d barf later.

“It certainly would have helped if I had known that fact about Archer killing my father before you placed me ‘on assignment’ to him. It didn’t feel good learning about it, even though it was subtle, from the new Black Bishop.”

Gia gazed into the cell where the server was being held. A smirk appeared on her lips as it appeared that he had lost control of his bladder just then. Gia sighed as she thought over Haleigh’s revelation about her father. All of a sudden she was just tired of all of this.

“You know what? I had been hanging on to the past, especially because of Samuel, but what I said is correct: the past is the past. I can’t change that, no matter how much I miss him. It wasn’t right to blame you, or even resent you, for his death. You didn’t kill him; he was collateral damage.”

Gia squared her shoulders and looked at Haleigh directly. She didn’t care that the wimpy guy was in the cell or that Alek was there.

*softly*: “I’d like to reaffirm my loyalty to you, Hales. I know that I made mistakes, and I know that I was a shoddy Bishop in the past. I also know that my words mean nothing without action. What is it that my Queen would like me to do?”

 

[Prophet]

Elena: "You may not want to hurt 'that little girl', but let's be real. Because I do know you, Cameron. You are going to go back to your family and your precious Hellfire Club and Carolina is going to be hurt. Dont act like I'm being unfair, because I'm the one whose going to have to explain to your daughter why you couldn't even stay a full day."

Cameron furrowed his brow. That wasn't necessarily a fair statement. Their reality may have sucked, but Elena was culpable in this as well. She may have been hurt, he may have not been good to her, but she had decided to have his baby. She had decided to have that baby and raise her. She could have said something. She should have said something. Because it would have changed things. It was this kind of parallel that was bothering him. Haleigh decided that she wanted to have his child without even discussing it with him, assuming what his feelings would be, how he would act, what he would be like, and Elena had given birth to his child, without him, assuming how he would act, and what he would be like. Cameron was a prideful man, and honestly, it hurt his feelings to know that both women thought they knew him so well that they didn't even require his input to make decisions that would impact his life forever. In fact, they felt rightful in doing so. Carolina was important to him. From the moment he laid eyes on her, he felt a love he didn't know could actually exist inside of him. It was life changing and renewing. He was selfish, but he wasn't a monster, and it was harrowing to know that the two women he had loved more than all the others in his life thought otherwise.

"Please...can we just have a good day?"

Elena: "You just don't get it. You get to just have a good day and go home, you don't have to deal with the broken pieces you leave in your wake. You came here for what - to feel bad about yourself, to feel better about yourself? You fucked me and now you're going to leave, again. I'm trying, Cameron. I want her to have a happy memory of the day she met her father. But this isn't easy for me either."

Cameron sighed.

"You know...I have my flaws...but one thing I've become painfully aware of in the last forty eight hours is that I wear them on my sleeve. And often times, people use that to their advantage. To make me a villain. To make me the bad guy. A monster. I get it..I paint the target on my back often willingly..because it's easier to just let people think about me what they want than to try to convince them otherwise. Labels were how I survived in Hellfire..."

[pausing]

"All my life...I've been surrounded by alpha females who took down any man around them that showed weakness. I had to be a certain way, act a certain way, convince them that I was a certain way in order to survive. My whole life, I've been the man in the land of women. And I'm sure that a lot of that has bled into my personal life. I give women what I think they want because it's what I know. And I let them think of me however they want, because one thing I learned early on was that when a man, especially in Hellfire, defies a woman, he is punished. Mostly by death..."

He gripped her hands.

"And the kicker there...is that nothing has ever shown me counter to that. Every decision I've ever made that's truly been my own, that's truly been outside of the desires of my mother and the women she surrounded herself with, has been foresaken. Viewed as a weakness. Painted me out to be just some other MAN. Some selfish and cold creature who treats people around him like objects. But it's not TRUE, Elena...It's not."

His voice was weak and so was his constitution as he gazed into her beautiful eyes, the chemistry between them sparking again as he did his best to fight against it.

"I am selfish..because I've had to be. Back then, it was just who I was. Now? It's because I don't have many other options. I didn't just put my feet in the water. I plunged my body into it's depths willingly. And I take responsibility for that. But I am more than just some impestuous, self concerned king. I'm loyal. I love those who love me. I never had the family I wanted...and so I created a family for myself. Ava...Haleigh...Ashley...even Benjamin. They're my family. Even now, I can sense the distrust brewing within the mansion. I can SENSE my own wife gathering forces, creating layers of protection..but I know it's fleeting. Because we're all that we have, Elena. It's not some precious little club to me. It's my LIFE. It's ALL I know. And it was all I knew when we were together. That's never changed for me..."

[softly]

"So just as you say that I don't get it...about Carolina, and what it means to be a parent..you don't get it either. You don't get that this isn't a job for me. That this isn't a choice. These people, they protected me. I wouldn't be alive, let alone have the freedom I have now without them. They made me who I was. And now we rule this place that once kept us prisoner together. And had they not done that? Our daughter wouldn't exist..."

He exhaled deeply dropping his hands from hers and rubbing his face with his hands for a moment, trying to center himself. He knew what he wanted to say but he didn't know how to say it.

"I hurt you. And I won't ever be able to fix that. And I won't ever be able to give you the kind of scenario that you dream of, and that...really it kills me. But you're no victim Elena. You had a baby with me...knowing who I was, knowing who I am, and knowing what a child with my blood brings into this world. And you still did it. So while I can let you beat me up however you want, you can't be ignorant to the fact that you knew this would come. You KNEW I would find you. Find her. And you knew, once I met her, I wouldn't be able to walk away..."

He grabbed her hands once more.

"You say you know me. But you don't know me as a father. You don't know what it's like for me to look at such a beautiful creature, one that emanates every quality of me I can imagine. You can't decide how it's going to be and just react out of fear. Because you can't protect her from being hurt. Because she's going to hurt...Look at her parents. You'll hurt her. I'll hurt her. It's the nature of the beast. It's the circle of life. I know this is hard for you, and I know that none of this ideal, but I am telling you Elena...you are not going to do this alone anymore. I promise you that. I have watched as every one of my loved one's parents have fallen. I have helped planned their deaths. And yet, every single person who has my blood in their veins lives. That's not a mistake. I protect my blood. I cherish it. I'm not saying I am ever going to be father of the year, but sometimes...you don't need father of the year. Sometimes you just need a dad. For good or bad. For whatever he is..because it just helps you know who you are. That was robbed from me. My dad was as good as dead when I was born. And I've never forgiven my mother for denying me him...and it's not a mistake I'm going to make with my own children, Elena..."

He tucked some stray hairs behind her ears.

"She will know who her father is. In every sense of the word. I promise."

 

[Black Widow]

Hellfire - The Catacombs

Haleigh had brought them all down to the catacombs, because next on the to-do list was taking care of the guilty server, but she still needed to speak with her Bishop, to clear up some misunderstandings, to ensure Gia wouldn't be more inclined to side with Cameron when he came back for his vengeance.

She wasn't looking forward to this discussion, but it needed to happen, and so she forged through it with no hesitation. Her demeanor was nonchalant, her tone neutral, unfitting for the subject, but she had found detachment to be a suitable coping mechanism for the unpleasantness of the memories.

She could feel Alek's pulse under her fingertips, racing, and she could hear the nearly imperceptible change in his breathing. He was getting angry, though he made no comment. She squeezed his forearm gently, as if to reassure him, but right now she had to finish explaining to Gia, who was asking why.

“Your father, despite his flaws, was one of the best crime bosses in America. Hellfire would have benefited greatly from his return, and if I had been the one to secure his freedom, I would have had his unwavering allegiance.”

She answered simply, but she could tell that her Bishop still did not understand.

"You said it yourself, Gia. The past is past. The... relationship... between your father and I was inappropriate, to say the least. But I made my choices. I couldn't let my mother kill Zach, just because I didn't want to do a few dads. And the men made their choices too. No one is innocent at Hellfire."

She replied with a sinister glint in her eyes.

“And now I have a Rook with unquestionable loyalty. You see, personal sacrifices must be made from time to time, yet it all works out in the end.”

Gia moved on to talk about Archer, about not knowing he’d killed her father until recently. Haleigh's eyebrows lifted in surprise.

"You didn't know? I thought for sure your men on the inside would have told you.... well, yes that certainly would have helped. Well, it’s no matter know. Archer will get exactly what he deserves soon enough. But Gia, you should definitely find out why the men in your organization didn’t tell you who killed your father. YOU are at the top of the Nefaria family business now, you shouldn’t be kept in the dark.”

She suggested, and then Gia sighed, and reaffirmed her loyalty to her Queen. Haleigh gave her Bishop a warm smile.

“I appreciate that, Gia. For now I need your main concern to remain on the Europeans. You’ve been doing well with their Red Court. Continue to strengthen those bonds, we may need them later.”

She said, and then she turned to look at Alek, who was staring through the cell door bars at their prisoner.

“Shall we?”

 

[Steel]

Central Park

They started talking about having a tourist day in New York, and Ava listed off the things she wanted to do, ending with shopping. So he mentioned with a grin that he would of course put shopping first on the list.

Ava: "See, this is why I love you. Most men would have groaned."

"I think I've spent enough time following you around to have passed that stage."

She took his hands and started walking backwards, leading him after her.

Ava: "I'll call up Victoria Secrets and ask them to shut it down for the day specifically for us. I'm most definitely going to need help deciding on some new lingerie..."

That raised John's temperature considerably, along with his eyebrows. His grin took on a decidedly more lascivious nature, and he stopped and put his arms around Ava's waist.

"See? I don't want you naked all the time."

He told her he especially liked the hotel part of her plan, and she agreed, pressing her lips as well as her body against him. He suggested a boat ride, and soon they had rented one of the little rowboats and were out on the water.

Ava: "So, Captain....where are you whisking me off to? Should I be worried?"

"Only if you have a strong fear of fish."

She leaned towards him as if she was going to tell him a secret, making him smile.

Ava: "My boyfriend has a bit of a short temper....he tends to rip men who look at me the wrong way apart. I'm not sure how he would feel about you taking me to parts unknown..."

"Well, then we'd better not tell him."

He laughed, and as they got to an open part of the lake, he put the oars up, and reached for her hand.

"I seem to have forgotten my pirate costume at home, and I was hoping to have my way with the beautiful damsel too."

 

[Berserker]

The Catacombs

He listened to Haleigh recount her story, more furious every second. She had been a child, and it had been her mother who had forced her into doing it. He could think of little worse than that, and once again was very glad that Diana was dead. Haleigh squeezed his arm, and he put his hand over hers in a too-small gesture of reassurance.

Haleigh: "You see, personal sacrifices must be made from time to time, yet it all works out in the end.”

Haleigh was the ultimate Queen, willing to sacrifice anything - even herself - to strengthen her rule. Gaining Nefaria's release from prison to ensure his loyalty was smart. But he wondered why Zach had allowed any of that to happen, and why he had stopped at killing only his own father.

Alek stayed out of the conversation between queen and bishop, but his ears perked up at the information that Nefaria's men had not told Gia who had killed her father. That was interesting, and something that could possibly be exploited.

Finally Haleigh turned to him.

Haleigh: “Shall we?”

Alek was staring into the cell, focusing on the servant they were about to torture, trying to keep his mind off of what Haleigh had just revealed. But once Gia had left, he turned towards Haleigh and wrapped his arms around her, his mouth near her ear.

"I will never allow that to happen to our daughter. I promise."

He pulled back and looked her in the eyes so she could see he was serious.

"And if you want me to kill Stavros for you, I will."

Alek moved to open the cell door. The servant had already been chained, and the implements of torture arranged where their victim could see them. Alek always liked for them to be primed for it. He cast his gaze over the items on a table, running his fingers over them almost lovingly before turning his head towards Haleigh.

"I'll need to go get a pair of pliers for the teeth. Unless you'd rather I start with carving your name on his dick?"

 

[Sparrow]

La Casa de Estrada - Guest House

He didn't get it. He had another life, but this, this was hers. Hers and Carolina's. And when he left, he would leave pain and hurt behind him while he was happy with his new family. And all he seemed to care about what how wrong it was for her to think badly of him. He wasn't really sorry he had left, and he was here for him, not for her.

Cameron: "You know...I have my flaws...but one thing I've become painfully aware of in the last forty eight hours is that I wear them on my sleeve. And often times, people use that to their advantage. To make me a villain. To make me the bad guy. A monster. I get it..I paint the target on my back often willingly..because it's easier to just let people think about me what they want than to try to convince them otherwise. Labels were how I survived in Hellfire..."

"You are the bad guy, Cameron! You told me you loved me and then you left me."

She couldn't help the tears that finally fell from her eyes then.

Cameron: "All my life...I've been surrounded by alpha females who took down any man around them that showed weakness. I had to be a certain way, act a certain way, convince them that I was a certain way in order to survive. My whole life, I've been the man in the land of women. And I'm sure that a lot of that has bled into my personal life. I give women what I think they want because it's what I know. And I let them think of me however they want, because one thing I learned early on was that when a man, especially in Hellfire, defies a woman, he is punished. Mostly by death..."

"Are you saying you never really loved me? That it was all some lie because you thought that was what I wanted?"

That was worse, somehow. But no, he couldn't have shielded that from her. He's not that good, to fake that, for so long. Not from her. He had loved her, he had been stolen, all for a crown. He gripped her hands and she looked down at them.

Cameron: "And the kicker there...is that nothing has ever shown me counter to that. Every decision I've ever made that's truly been my own, that's truly been outside of the desires of my mother and the women she surrounded herself with, has been forsaken. Viewed as a weakness. Painted me out to be just some other MAN. Some selfish and cold creature who treats people around him like objects. But it's not TRUE, Elena...It's not."

She looked up into his face.

"Then maybe you need to show people that. You showed it to me, once."

Cameron: "I am selfish...because I've had to be. Back then, it was just who I was. Now? It's because I don't have many other options. I didn't just put my feet in the water. I plunged my body into it's depths willingly. And I take responsibility for that. But I am more than just some impetuous, self concerned king. I'm loyal. I love those who love me. I never had the family I wanted...and so I created a family for myself. Ava...Haleigh...Ashley...even Benjamin. They're my family. Even now, I can sense the distrust brewing within the mansion. I can SENSE my own wife gathering forces, creating layers of protection..but I know it's fleeting. Because we're all that we have, Elena. It's not some precious little club to me. It's my LIFE. It's ALL I know. And it was all I knew when we were together. That's never changed for me..."

She blinked the tears away, and shut her eyes. That damn club. He would never be out from under its grip. It had ruined everything, and thoughts that he might finally have broken free were squashed.

Cameron: "So just as you say that I don't get it...about Carolina, and what it means to be a parent..you don't get it either. You don't get that this isn't a job for me. That this isn't a choice. These people, they protected me. I wouldn't be alive, let alone have the freedom I have now without them. They made me who I was. And now we rule this place that once kept us prisoner together. And had they not done that? Our daughter wouldn't exist..."

Cameron let go of her hands, and Elena silently made the sign of the cross, kissing her fingertips at the end. When she opened her eyes they were sad.

"You're right, I don't get it."

Cameron: "I hurt you. And I won't ever be able to fix that. And I won't ever be able to give you the kind of scenario that you dream of, and that...really it kills me. But you're no victim Elena. You had a baby with me...knowing who I was, knowing who I am, and knowing what a child with my blood brings into this world. And you still did it. So while I can let you beat me up however you want, you can't be ignorant to the fact that you knew this would come. You KNEW I would find you. Find her. And you knew, once I met her, I wouldn't be able to walk away..."

She had kept Carolina a secret, first because she couldn't bear to see him, and then because she was afraid he would take her. And she was all she had left of him. But it had always been there, the thought that someday he would come back to them, when he got tired of playing prince or king, and they would be a family.

"I had a baby with you because I loved you. Love you."

Cameron: "You say you know me. But you don't know me as a father. You don't know what it's like for me to look at such a beautiful creature, one that emanates every quality of me I can imagine. You can't decide how it's going to be and just react out of fear. Because you can't protect her from being hurt. Because she's going to hurt...Look at her parents. You'll hurt her. I'll hurt her. It's the nature of the beast. It's the circle of life. I know this is hard for you, and I know that none of this ideal, but I am telling you Elena...you are not going to do this alone anymore. I promise you that. I have watched as every one of my loved one's parents have fallen. I have helped planned their deaths. And yet, every single person who has my blood in their veins lives. That's not a mistake. I protect my blood. I cherish it. I'm not saying I am ever going to be father of the year, but sometimes...you don't need father of the year. Sometimes you just need a dad. For good or bad. For whatever he is..because it just helps you know who you are. That was robbed from me. My dad was as good as dead when I was born. And I've never forgiven my mother for denying me him...and it's not a mistake I'm going to make with my own children, Elena..."

Her eyes close briefly as he pushed her hair behind her ears.

Cameron: "She will know who her father is. In every sense of the word. I promise."

She nodded, and then she put her arms around his neck and pressed her cheek against his chest and cried.

 

[Black Widow]

Hellfire - The Catacombs

Haleigh turned to Alek to see if he was ready to get started on the guilty server, but he didn't answer her right away. He pulled her into a hug, and she held him tightly for a moment, then finally he spoke.

Alek: I will never allow that to happen to our daughter. I promise.

She nodded against his chest.

"Neither will I."

She replied quietly. He pulled back to find her gaze, and she looked up at him, her arms sliding around his neck.

Alek: And if you want me to kill Stavros for you, I will.

She smiled gently, and shook her head.

"That's sexy, but no. I can't allow you to do it, after I made Zach swear he wouldn't all those years ago. But thank you for the offer."

She replied before she kissed him. He opened the door to the holding cell, and they stepped inside. Haleigh's gaze locked on to the man chained to the back wall, this fiend who had almost killed her children. He was giving her a sullen stare, as Alek visited the table of tools they could use.

Alek: I'll need to go get a pair of pliers for the teeth. Unless you'd rather I start with carving your name on his dick?

Haleigh smiled wickedly, her gaze flicking over to her lover for a moment.

"I've got something else in mind. Grab the acetylene torch. I'll need you to cauterize the wounds so he doesn't bleed out too quickly."

She said, as she slinked closer to their victim. In her grip appeared two Desert Eagles, large hand cannons as far as pistols went, but Haleigh wielded them as if they weighed nothing. She held them up for the server to see.

"Kind of flashy, I know, but they're trophies of a sort. I pulled them off this bitchy district attorney I killed a couple years back. Alycia Barnett was her name, and she had a hard-on for me, always tried to nail me for some crime or another. I got her ass in the end though...."

She trailed off, her gaze distant, a smirk on her face, and then she snapped back to the present.

"But what am I doing, wandering off down memory lane, when I could be putting big gaping holes in you instead. Let's get on with it. Do you have anything to say for yourself before we get started? Maybe an apology? Or at least an explanation?"

Server: Go to hell.

Haleigh smiled sweetly, and she shifted her gaze to Alek.

"Oh, we've got a tough guy apparently. I wonder how long that act will last."

She aimed for the man's feet, and shot them both. He immediately gave a loud cry of pain, pulling against his shackles violently. Haleigh laughed coldly when she saw the results. The finer bones of his feet had been pulverized, and a few toes were missing, scattered around the floor with blood and other gore. And then the man started to shriek, when the torch seared his wounds to a blackened crisp.

"Feeling a little more talkative yet? Why'd you try to poison me? Did someone offer you a lot of money or power?"

Server: I did it.... I did it.... for revenge.... for Dahlia.

 

[Hex]

Zach: “Archer Fairchild is an idiot and an asshole. All he’s succeeded in doing this weekend is piss everyone off, and if he thinks THAT is keeping ‘his court on top’ he’s crazy.”

"You don't know the half of it.."

Brienne deadpanned as she leaned back against the wall of the elevator with a sigh.

"Then again, I haven't exactly been making friends either."

Both she and Archer had been doing a pretty shit job this weekend. Brienne came in with the mindset of not giving a fuck because, well...she didn't. Out of all the royals she was the only one who believed they didn't need the American's as allies. They were strong enough in their own right, as made evident by their uprising. But Juliette had convinced her to come with an open mind despite knowing they were stronger than the Americans - to look at it as a vacation of sorts. Make friends, drink, fuck, and shop. Juliette may have been dead, but for some reason she 'got' Brienne better than most. Maybe it was because Juliette's heart was as cold as hers was. Still, Brienne being Brienne, she was bullheaded and withdrew from the festivities while the other royals flourished in fanfare. Then Archer fucked up, she fucked up, and now she was sitting in an elevator crying like a two year old. Great vacation.

Brienne reached out with her minds eye to see Haleigh, Alek, and Gia in the catacombs with the servant who had poisoned Haleigh on Archer's behalf. Shutting her eyes as she pinched the bridge of her nose, she could have easily cast a spell and turn the servant to dust. But any action against the servant would be traced back to her, there was no doubt in her mind. Magick was like a fucking beacon of light to these people, and Erika would immediately sense the presents of it. Shutting her mind off, she wouldn't get herself killed for Archer despite knowing Haleigh would likely lump her into the scheme. She vocalized as much to Zach.

Zach: “No, Haleigh may be vengeful, but she wouldn’t target someone unless she KNEW they were deserving. She’ll find out who’s really behind this, and they will pay.”

"Even if it meant taking out the competition?"

She gave a half smile at the grim joke, knowing Haleigh was jealous of her prior involvement with Alek. But Zach didn't seem worried in the slightest, trusting Haleigh's 'honor' about finding and punishing the person who was truly responsible, and not being catty and vindictive.

Zach: “You’ll be safe with me in the White Wing, I promise you that. Haleigh knows about us already, and she wasn’t upset or concerned about it."

"Us?"

An us? She thought there was a fling, or a one night stand, but not an us. Despite Zach showing his desire and feelings for her, Brienne didn't really believe it went beyond that.

Zach: "She was supportive, which means she doesn’t see you as too much a threat. She’s got bigger things to worry about now than you pranking her during the Red Hunt.”

That was a little shocking to hear. Then again, her interest in Zach meant her lack of interest in Alek, so it made sense. Still, Brienne was taken aback by how quickly Zach was ready to support her and defend her. To ease her mind and concern. Her icy eyes met with Zach's, hesitant at first to his offer. But the longer their eyes stayed locked, the more Brienne believed Zach.

[softly] "Okay.."

Brienne nodded to herself.

"Okay."

Shaking the hair away from her face, she huffed out a big breath, putting her game face back on.

"I had my moment of self pity. I'm good. [pausing] I hate emotions...[side glance] no offense."

Brienne pushed herself up off the floor, smoothing down her skirt. She looked at Zach once again, her expression softening as she took one of his hands within hers.

"Thank you for being kind to me."

Shrugging one shoulder up with a little smile.

"I guess....I need a tour of my new accommodations?"

 

[Fathom]

Colima, Mexico

Heidi had enjoyed the swim, though it had been a long one. As she walked up on the beach, her clothes dried. She mussed up her hair a bit, so it wasn't so slicked back, and headed towards the restaurant. It was basically a giant hut, which made her question the quality of the food for a second.

She only stopped because she was famished, so she sat at the bartop and ate quickly, then had the staff call for a driver to take her to the Estrada Distillery. Of course she ended up with the most disgusting cab in world. She tried to touch as little as possible, and resolved to burn these clothes as soon as she could change.

"Gods, is this place remote or what?"

Driver: Que? [What?]

"Are we ever going to get there? Or is this rolling rubbish-mobile going to break down first?"

Driver: No hablo inglés. [I Don't speak English]

"That's daft. Don't you drive tourists around for a living?"

She asked, but he just repeated himself. She rolled her eyes. She understood some Spanish, but she didn't like trying to stammer through speaking it, so she wasn't about to waste her time trying to communicate with this neanderthal. It seemed like forever before they arrived at the distillery.

Heidi practically threw money in the back seat as she got out. She didn't look back as she glided across the Spanish stones into the hacienda. At least this place wasn't nasty and run down. She looked around for someone who was working.

"I'm looking for Elena Estrada..."

She said, since she wasn't even sure Cameron was here, or that anyone would know who he was, way out here in the middle of bloody nowhere.

 

[Berserker]

The Catacombs

Haleigh kissed him, after declining to let him kill Stavros for her, because she hadn't let Zach do it when it had happened.

"Back then, I wouldn't have asked you."

They entered the cell together, and Alek made a couple suggestions about where to begin.

Haleigh: "I've got something else in mind. Grab the acetylene torch. I'll need you to cauterize the wounds so he doesn't bleed out too quickly."

Alek nodded, picking up the torch and lighting it with the striker, making it blaze to life. He'd rather cause wounds with the torch rather than cauterize them, but he supposed it would hurt like a motherfucker when it did it, so that was okay. He watched Haleigh pull out a pair of guns that were too ostentatious for her taste, then explain how they were a trophy of an earlier kill.

Haleigh: "But what am I doing, wandering off down memory lane, when I could be putting big gaping holes in you instead. Let's get on with it. Do you have anything to say for yourself before we get started? Maybe an apology? Or at least an explanation?"

Server: Go to hell.

Alek chuckled.

"Wrong answer."

Haleigh looked at him, the expression on her face priceless. He could tell she was going to really enjoy this.

Haleigh: "Oh, we've got a tough guy apparently. I wonder how long that act will last."

"Until about five seconds before he's pissing his pants."

Which he thought might come pretty soon, especially after she put a bullet in each of the fucker's feet. That made Alek grin broadly. She was creative, and not afraid to cause permanent damage. Alek did his job, passing the torch over the wounds, the man's shrieks like music to his ears.

Haleigh: "Feeling a little more talkative yet? Why'd you try to poison me? Did someone offer you a lot of money or power?"

Server: I did it.... I did it.... for revenge.... for Dahlia.

Alek paused and glanced at Haleigh, before looking blankly at the servant.

"Who the fuck is Dahlia?"

 

[Sparrow]

La Hacienda Estrada

Carolina had ridden her new horse all over the farm, Rosa always struggling to keep up, which made the little girl squeal with delight. She always wanted to go faster, even though Rosa always yelled más despacio after her. [Slower.]

She had begged to stop and see Mamá before she had to go home and take a bath (yuck). After not too much pleading, she got her way, and ran into the large square shaped bar at the distillery. But it was Louisa she saw when she jumped up onto a stool.

Carolina: "Hola Louisa! Donde esta Mamá?"

Louisa: "Tenía que irse a casa, preciosa." [She had to go home, precious.]

Carolina frowned, then brightened.

Carolina: "Puedo tener una Coca, por favoooooor?" [Can I have a Coke pleeeeeeease?]

Louisa eyed the little girl, who was looking up at her with big pleading eyes, and then couldn't say no.

Louisa: "De acuerdo, pero no le digas a tu madre." [Okay, but don't tell your mother.]

Rosa, who was still out of breath from running after the little girl, looked nervous.

Rosa: "Carolina..."

But Carolina just smiled sweetly up at her, and patted her hand.

Carolina: "Está bien, Rosa, toma asiento." [It's okay, Rosa, have a seat.]

Louisa set a rocks glass with ice in front of Carolina, then filled it with Coke. She smiled and laughed when the girl watched her excitedly then reached quickly for the glass.

Carolina: "¡Detener! ¡Detener! ¡Quiero beber el burbujeo!" [Stop! Stop! I want to drink the fizz!]

Carolina put her face into the glass and laughed at the bubbles. But then her attention was caught by a beautiful woman walking into the bar. Carolina watched her with wide eyes. She looked like her Barbie.

Heidi: "I'm looking for Elena Estrada..."

Louisa had gone over to the woman's side of the bar, and now leaned against it before responding in English, sounding a bit put out.

Louisa: "She's supposed to be here, in the office, but she had to leave early today. Do you want to leave a message?"

Carolina scampered down off the stool and moved over to the side where the woman was, and hopped up into a chair near her.

Carolina: "Are you an American?"

Her voice was filled with wonder.

Carolina: "My mamá is teaching me English. I was just riding my new horse. His name is Sheldon. Like from Nemo."

 

[Persephone]

John: "I think I've spent enough time following you around to have passed that stage."

Ava frowned.

"Sorry..."

Then gave a little innocent smile knowing that being her body guard when she was younger probably wasn't the most riveting experience, but she was grateful for it nonetheless. However this time around, she decided to give him a little treat too, offering to call up Victoria Secrets and buy the place out for the day so she could give him a private show of the lingerie. John's eyebrows went up at the thought, a lustful grin spreading across his lips. Ava's smile matched his as he slipped his arm around her waist, pulling her close.

John: "See? I don't want you naked all the time."

She chuckled at that.

"Fair enough....maybe i'll pick something up for tonight at Sacks."

She bit her bottom lip playfully before giving him a kiss. They then headed over to the boating area by the lake to kill some time together before heading over to Sacks. John began to row them to a more secluded area of the lake, Ava joking how her boyfriend tended to man handle others who looked at her wrong.

John: "Well, then we'd better not tell him."

"I am quite skillful at keeping secrets."

They both laughed as John lifted he oars into the boat and extended his hand out to her. Taking it, Ava carefully moved across the rocking boat until she sat between John's legs, leaning her back up against his chest. Wrapping his arm around her waist, she smiled at the sight of the park and the city in the distance.

John: "I seem to have forgotten my pirate costume at home, and I was hoping to have my way with the beautiful damsel too."

"Damsel?"

Ava tilted her head back to look up at John.

"Hopefully not for long."

She added with a coy smile, playfully poking the marriage beast that they had talked about before. She then settled back into her comfortable position against John, the boat floating across the water in a soothing, calm motion.

"Just imagine.....in a couple weeks we'll be floating on the Seine looking at the Eiffel Tower."

Ava smiled at the thought. Every private moment they've had thus far had a time limit in some way because of the weekend. To know that they'd literally have all the time in the world together? It made going back to Hellfire and getting the last major event over with more tolerable.

"I can't wait to spend every moment with you knowing we don't have time limits. Just you, me....and Macrons."

Ava laughed with levity, giving John's bicep a little playful kiss.

 

[Fathom]

Colima, Mexico - La Hacienda De Estrada

Heidi had glided up to the bar, asking for Elena. The bartender was only marginally helpful and tried to ask if Heidi wanted to leave a message. No, she hadn't swam thousands of miles just to leave a message.

"No. It's very important that I speak with her directly. Can't you call her? Tell her it's urgent, that it's about a man named Cameron King."

Heidi replied, as a little girl clambered up into the bar stool near her. They let children in bars down here? Heidi paid her no attention at first, but then she spoke.

Carolina: "Are you an American?"

Heidi's gaze drifted to the little girl, who was quite clearly enamored by Heidi's presence. Obviously the girl was a keen judge of style and grace, so of course she would flock to Heidi. It made Heidi smile. Might as well show the girl a little favor, while the bartender got in touch with Elena.

"Not quite, little angel. But I am looking for an American, perhaps you've seen one today?"

She asked, knowing that small children didn't know how to keep secrets, and that if Cameron were here the girl would certainly have noticed him.

Carolina: "My mamá is teaching me English. I was just riding my new horse. His name is Sheldon. Like from Nemo."

"Well, your mamá must be proud, because your English is very good."

She replied at first, as she was trying to remember what Nemo was. The kids movie about the fish, she thought. She hadn't ever watched it, though she'd seen parts here and there. Logically then, Sheldon must have been a sea horse character from the movie. Heidi rested her elbow on the bartop and leaned into it a bit, bringing herself down slightly until she was eye level with the girl.

"Do you like sea creatures? Do you want to know a secret?"

Heidi leaned in close with a conspiratorial grin. She lowered her voice to just above a whisper.

"I am a sea creature myself."

 

[Black Widow]

Hellfire - The Catacombs

Alek:"Who the fuck is Dahlia?"

He asked, as the server huffed and puffed through the pain, taking too long to answer, in Haleigh's opinion. The guns made deafening booms as Haleigh shot both his kneecaps next, obliterating them and splattering her and Alek in his blood. There were fresh screams, which Haleigh found almost as rewarding as the sight of his lower limbs collapsing, the knee joints giving up at unnatural angles.

There would be no more standing up for this man, he hung by the shackles at his wrists. It seemed like too lax a punishment for a dirtbag who'd tried to murder her and her babies. The man looked up at her with bitter hatred, as sweat and tears poured down his face.

Server: "You... you.... killed her.... on Friday..."

The look of revelation appeared on Haleigh's face.

"Oh the florist! Yeah, she was too incompetent to live."

Server: "I-I-I was... going to... m-m-marry her..."

"OH boo hoo. Don't worry, you'll be with your dear dead Dahlia soon enough. Now, was there someone else helping you get your revenge?”

She asked. There was a long pause again. Haleigh almost shot him, but then he shook his head no, as he stared down at the floor. Haleigh lifted the guns to his groin.

"Are you sure?"

The man took a deep breath, and Haleigh could see him grit his teeth together, before he looked up to lock eyes with her.

Server: "No. But I hope someone else DOES help me get my revenge on you, you stupid whore queen."

Haleigh's lips curled into cold smile. The pistols disappeared from her hands, which fell to rest on Alek's shoulders, where he was knelt to work with the torch. Her eyes still on the server, she leaned down behind Alek until her mouth was near his ear.

"Your turn. Try not to damage his skull. I want to coat it in platinum and put it on display."

 

[Sparrow]

La Hacienda Estrada

Heidi: "No. It's very important that I speak with her directly. Can't you call her? Tell her it's urgent, that it's about a man named Cameron King."

Louisa was not about to call the owner just because some gringo wanted to speak to her. Probably wanted to sell her something, and if Louisa brought her all the way over here for that, she would be pissed. So she pretended like she was busy.

Carolina, on the other hand, had heard the mysterious and glamorous stranger ask for her mother, and about Senor King, and she was abubble with curiosity. But first things first: she asked if the woman was an American. She looked like she was, like a Hollywood movie star - not like the girls from the telenovelas.

Heidi: "Not quite, little angel. But I am looking for an American, perhaps you've seen one today?"

Carolina scrunched up her face, not because she couldn't remember, but because she was deciding whether or not to tell the lady. But finally, she decided that yes, she would tell the lady about the American.

"Senor King was here earlier. I think he was an American. Mamá had me practice my English with him."

She told the lady that mamá was teaching her English, and went on to say in English about her horse.

Heidi: "Well, your mamá must be proud, because your English is very good."

Carolina beamed at the praise.

Heidi: "Do you like sea creatures? Do you want to know a secret?"

Carolina nodded, wide-eyed.

"Oh yes, please tell me, I love secrets."

The lady leaned in towards her.

Heidi: "I am a sea creature myself."

Carolina was taken aback.

"No me diga! Really?! Are you a mermaid? You're pretty like one."

Rosa: "Carolina, deja a la buena señora sola." [Leave the nice lady alone.]

But Carolina was enthralled, and ignored her nanny.

"Why do you want to talk to my mamá?"