A Weekend Affair # 5 - The White Brunch

Though it would seem boring to some, Daniel had enjoyed his night monitoring Archer. He was a man who liked to work, and every bit of service he put in now only moved him further into the arms of The Inner Circle which was where he wanted to be. The White Queen was now testing him, and that he would not fail, not even if he had to rip Juliette and Liam limb from limb to keep them away from Archer, which he was secretly wishing would be required of him.

The Hellfire Mansion was surprisingly quiet for what had transpired that evening, but in a place like Hellfire, this was simply business as usual. Archer was a unic and his Queen seemed more interested in getting her back blown out than she did in trying to play the games Hellfire required, so he was sure he had the easiest job, and that was probably why he found himself spying on The Black Queen and The White Rook. Brienne's guard was easily placated by his empathic power, and for such a technological gem, the walls of the mansion seemed to be paper thin. Daniel curled his mouth up with intrigue and surprise at the burgeoning relationship that was developing between Zach and Brienne with his ear openly pressed against the door.

He couldn't help but laugh. Both of them led with sex. He had seen it countless times. Brienne used it to protect herself, and Zach used it because somewhere along the way he decided that it was the only thing he could do that he thought his own court saw any value in. Both of them engaged in self fullfilling prophecies and were somehow shocked and surprised when people treated them accordingly. Daniel was a man who knew that you taught people how to treat you. It was part of the reason he had been able to maneuver through the American court so effectively. He knew his value, was confident in it, and he made sure not to treat those around him as opponents. That being said, there was one particularly interesting tidbit of gossip that The Black Bishop had gleaned from his spying.

Brienne: "Is it because I used magick on your Queen? I told you...I didn't know about Cameron's aversion to magick. I didn't hurt Haleigh."

Zach: "This isn't about them anymore, Brienne. This is about you and me?"

Daniel's lips curled into a smile as he could sense the passion and longing between them. Their connection was genuine, but it was highly outrageous. The Black Queen of Hellfire Europe had just admitted to working magick on Zach's Queen and he draws no line in the sand? In fact, he pulls her closer to him?

"Oh this is rich..."

The Black Bishop had a bottle of champagne delivered to The Black Corridor as he took a flute in his hand and sipped it, deciding that brunch was going to require more alcohol than would be provided. Brienne hadn't checked in on Archer, not even once, which spoke volumes. It could be the thing that saved her in the end, but Daniel had to remind himself where he was. He was no longer a part of the European Court. He was The Black Bishop of Hellfire America. Brienne was his friend, and while he may have done a bit more to 'protect' her than he would others, at the end of the day, she would kill him to save herself and that was a fact. And it was at this time, that Daniel realized he was in an empty corridor. The Black Knight and Rook were busy and the Queen and King were gone. This was the perfect opportunity for him to make himself even more valuable and that meant, he needed to see just exactly what The Black King was planning to do when he woke up.

"Thank god for those Chelsea acting classes..."

Downing his flute of champagne, he moved past the guards of The Black King's room and entered the very dark and very cold room of Archer Fairchild. Moving through the room, he sat down at the edge of the bed and attempted to jostle Archer from his slumber. At the second Daniel sensed the stir of consciousness from The Black King, he used his illusory powers. Archer would wake up not to see Daniel Reed at his side, but The Black Queen herself, Brienne Shaw.
 
Haleigh: "First of all Brienne is just a conniving little shrew who's best trick is using her witchy voodoo sex magic to lure men to their deaths. And while that may be impressive enough, she is not capable of silencing Cameron King. He's gone off on his own, and he's actively avoiding our detection for some nefarious reason."

Erika furrowed her brow. Perhaps it was the hormones, but The White Princess felt that her Queen was severely underestimating the skill (and the pettiness) of Brienne Shaw. While Erika would never admit it out loud, Brienne was a very powerful witch capable of feats that not many new about, because she downplayed it with her personality. Her lineage was strong. There was a reason The Kings and The Shaws entertained each other socially, and that was because they would rather be friends than enemies. Outside of that, it didn't sit well with her that Haleigh just decided Cameron had gone rogue and was out to get her.

"Nefarious reasons?"

His wife had just gotten pregnant by another man while she was already pregnant with his baby. He deserved to be a little bit of a mess. Erika was more concerned with Cameron's well being, and Haleigh, as usual was more concerned with herself. Though of course she still wanted him to fight for her.

Haleigh: "Secondly...do you mean to tell me that Cameron knew Brienne had hexed me somehow, and instead of warning me, or even discussing it at all, he decided it was a good time to pick a fight with me about my relationship with Alek."

[calmly]

"There seems to be a great deal of miscommunication..on many sides. But I digress."

Haleigh: "Erika, you wanna get to work? Find your brother. Save your King from homself. Whatever he's doing right now, all cloak and dagger, can only be destructive. If he's thinking about killing Alek, or the baby--or all three--he needs to be stopped. Forget about Brienne, she's not important. Alek and I will deicde what to do with the European Black Queen."

Alek: "Whatever you might feel about Haleigh, if he comes in here and starts attacking, it's not going to be good for anyone. Including you, including him."

"My brother is not an idiot, Alek. Nor is he stupid. And he's not planning some kind of coupe. He's hurt. Though I will be sure to inform him when I find him just how scared everybody seems to be of him. He'll like that."

There was much she could have said. Mostly, it involved the idea that if Haleigh wanted to know what her husband was up to, she should probably nut up and find him herself, and talk to him about their issues. She seemed to feel a bit too comfortable in standing behind Alek and painting Erika's brother out to be some kind of horrible beast. She didn't like it, and if this had been any other circumstance other than what it was, she would have slit The White Queen's throat, cut The Red King's dick off and feed it to the Red Guard that appeared in the doorway. But if she was going to help her brother, she had to remain for the most part neutral, if only so information wasn't shielded from her.

Haleigh: "Silence. You will escort Miss King back out of the Red Wing, and maybe we'll let you live."

"He most certainly will not. I know my place around this mansion, and while everybody else around me seems a bit too comfortable to wear red...I prefer white. The last thing we need is somebody seeing The White Princess being escorted out by some scarlet letter guard. I know where I'm going Haleigh..."

Haleigh: "Run along now, Princess, and advise me if you manage to succeed. Oh, and I'll need something to wear to brunch. Have a servant bring me a sundress, and some sandals."

Erika smirked.

"I'll try, but I'm not quite sure of what kind of a maternity selection this place has. See you soon."

The door slammed behind her as she was left alone, eyeing the guard in such a way that he realized it was best for him not to touch her as she made her way out of the corridor. None of this was settling for her. It seemed as if everybody was against her brother, even his own Queen. Whatever Cameron was doing, he needed to get his ass back into the mansion, grab his wife, and lay the proverbial smack down on the others.

"Ugh...Cameron where ARE you?"
 
The Red Lounge

Savage reminded her that Cameron had been about to talk to her when his sister had sidetracked him. She assumed he was pissed because she was at the party and not telling Alek about Archer's "betrayal".

Savage: "If he HAD started yelling at you I'd have put my fist down his throat. I don't care whose King he is, he has no right to reprimand my Ashley."

She patted his arm but gave him a smile that could only have been called lusty. Damn it was sexy when he threatened violence to protect her. It made her want to forget the whole Cameron thing and go back to bed. But when the idea appeared that maybe Haleigh had left Cameron, they really had to go to the horse's mouth. So she sent Amanda on her way - whatever was going on in the Red Wing was probably not her business, and anyway, she didn't like how she had her eyes all over AJ. And she said so.

Savage: "Was she? I barely paid her any attention."

That soothed her jealousy some, and she stood up on her toes so she could kiss his cheek.

They reached her suite, and Ashley a bit reluctantly pounded on the locked door between her and Alek's suites. Her reluctance turned to annoyance as she got started firing off the things no one had thought to tell her.

Haleigh: "Well, at what point during your pizza, beer and sex last night would you have liked us to interrupt?"

She thought about the answer to that question. But there was none. And then she had it, and snapped her fingers and pointed at Haleigh.

"A text! You could have sent a text."

Then she noticed what Haleigh was wearing. Ashley's arms crossed over her chest and she smirked so hard there was a chance her face would stay that way.

"Nice robe. The color suits you."

She raised an eyebrow.

"You know we have an open Rook position, if you're interested."

Ashley gave Haleigh a sweet smile.

"Okay, but anyway, now: Cameron, Red Wing, you. Go."

Haleigh: "Cameron's not missing, he’s gone rogue. There’s a high probability he will attack the Red King, and he may also be coming after me. That’s why Alek tightened security.”

Ashley looked confused, then skeptical. She DID leave Cameron. She glanced at AJ, and her eyes said, Aha!

Haleigh: “As for the cause of that...The White King has evidently begun harboring a significant amount of resentment towards the Red King. It probably didn’t help matters when it turned out I was carrying twins, and both were not his.”

Ashley felt like all the air was sucked out of the room. She pointed at Haleigh, then her stomach, then at Alek. And THAT motherfucker smiled at her.

"Well I guess I don't need to ask who the father is."

She closed her eyes for a brief moment.

"Does Ava know this?"

If they needed to talk Cameron down off a ledge, she was the best one to do it, with Haleigh surely persona non grata.

"Okay."

She rested her hands on the top of the vanity, leaning on it. She took in a deep breath. That bastard. That fucking bastard. His dick had landed them all in deep shit. Cameron might come back and just kill Alek. Or he might kill Haleigh. Or the child. Or all of them in a bloody supernova of psychotic rage.

"Okay."

No time to ask how in the hell this happened. She had to focus. She blew the air out of her lungs, then looked up.

"The Red Guard are already under orders to protect Haleigh's child above all else."

She turned her head to Savage.

"AJ, make it known to the men that the White Queen carries the Red King's child. They will find out soon enough and it can't hurt to play on their loyalty. I want my Praetorians assigned to watch Haleigh night and day, two man shifts."

Her head shifted back to Haleigh to explain.

"Elite Red Guard, all super powered, all psi screened. Their function is to the protect the queen but with AJ I haven't felt the need to use them. The White Guard can no longer be depended on, not until we know where Cameron stands."

Which would be loyal to Cameron and which to Haleigh was a factor they couldn't know or count on.

"Either Alek or Zach should be with you at all times. And we should get you to a safe house."

She walked to the bed and picked up the phone on the nightstand, and asked for Security.

"If the White King is found or arrives at the Mansion I want the White Queen, Red King, myself and the Red Knight informed immediately. In that order."

Ashley hung up and turned back to the others.

"Savage will know what to do from there. Did Cameron say anything before he left? Do we have any leads on him?"

She pinched the bridge of her nose. This was fucked up. This was really fucked up.

"He must be found. He came right out and told me he would never raise another man's child. And that was before you were pregnant, Haleigh."

And the only reason he hasn't killed Alek already, is because I wouldn't allow it.

"We need to know his intentions."
 
The Red King's Suite

The absolute last thing he wanted to do was have it out with Ashley. He told her it was a bad time, but, of course, she didn't listen, coming right on in.

Ashley: "Ugh...put some clothes on will you."

He turned, not shutting the door in time to keep the dog out in the yard.

"Never bothered you before, sweetheart."

Ashley: "Then I must have had brain damage."

He chuckled, slipping into the bathroom and picking up a towel that he then draped around his waist. By that time she was rattling off her injuries. They hadn't told her this, they hadn't told her that. At that point Haleigh arrived, and he was pleased to see she hadn't changed clothes. She was embarrassed for them to know exactly what they had been doing.

Haleigh: "Well, at what point during your pizza, beer and sex last night would you have liked us to interrupt?"

"Excellent point: why would we think you'd start caring about this stuff now?"

He gestured towards Savage.

"Does he need to be here for this?"

Ashley, of course, looked offended.

Ashley: "This affects him as our Red Knight, so yes."

"Our Red Knight. Right."

Haleigh laid out the situation, but not before Ashley commented on Haleigh's robe and its color. Never going to happen, she'd said. He was happy to show her she was wrong. Haleigh told Ashley about the twins, and she looked speechless. She looked at him, and he grinned at her. He wish he could have a picture of her face. he waited for her to crumple into a puddle. But...she didn't.

She went full on general, issuing orders like he wasn't standing right there. But she did say some interesting things, like she had ordered their guards to protect Haleigh. Without consulting him, though of course he would have agreed.

Ashley: "Either Alek or Zach should be with you at all times. And we should get you to a safe house."

He stepped forward.

"I can protect them."

Ashley: "Savage will know what to do from there. Did Cameron say anything before he left? Do we have any leads on him?"

"I'm perfectly capable, I don't need Savage to run our offense, thank you. Our people are mobilizing as we speak. Haleigh is going to provide a list of Cameron's most probably locations."

Ashley: "He must be found. He came right out and told me he would never raise another man's child. And that was before you were pregnant, Haleigh."

"Thanks for sharing that, Ash."

He shook his head. What secret conversations was she having with Cameron?

"But obviously, yes, finding Cameron should be our top priority. We need to know what he's planning to do."
 
Hellfire Club – Black Lounge


:: Cass was sitting at the table, drumming her fingers on the top of it when Ben [finally?] walked in. Oh look, he sent a smile her way. Wasn’t that nice? He probably thought that he was rewarding her. Cass was done playing. Nevertheless, she smiled back. She could see that he looked exhausted, and she had been about to apologize for making him get up, when he went all ‘formal’ on her. Like they hadn’t been best friends; like she didn’t matter. ::

Ben: "Good morning, Red Princess. Are you excited for brunch? Should be pretty interesting with all the shit that decided to go down last night."

:: There was a bit of dullness in her eyes when he said that, and her smile faltered. ::

“Could we not do this, Ben? I don’t really feel like playing the role of a ‘Stranger-Who-Treats-Another-Person-Like-Another-Stranger-When-They-Used-To-Be-Best-Friends’. It’s demeaning to me.”

:: Ordinarily, there would have been many dramatics on her part due to what he had said. She would have screamed at him and then stormed off. But she didn’t. She stayed. Inside, though, she was seething. She shrugged her shoulders. ::

“You understand.”

:: She didn’t have to be there – she wanted to be. She had a very busy day ahead of her, and she actually had to reschedule some of her plans in order to meet with Ben. She did not appreciate that he had made her feel like she was unimportant; that she wasn’t worth it. ::

“And no, I’m not excited for brunch.”
 
La Hacienda Estrada

He really was a pinche cabrón. Coming in there, and being angry at her that she wasn't angrier. She showed him her power, her passion, and asked him in her mind if that's what he wanted.

Cameron: I want you to talk to me like you know who I am.

Do I?

There was a time when she thought no one knew him better. But apparently, Haleigh did.

She let the knives drop. She wouldn't be a wimpering mess for him, or an out of control lunatic, no matter how much he wanted to see it. He didn't control her anymore. He was seven years too late.

Cameron: "It's never too late."

She laughed.

"There's the Cameron I know. So sure of himself."

She shook her head. She didn't care to give him his atonement, make him feel better about what did. He could keep feeling like shit forever, not that he would. This would pass and he'd be on to something else, just like always.

Cameron: "We both know there is no feeling better for me. I live among the flames of Hell. There is no such thing as catharsis...not for me."

"Oh, poor baby."

Elena rolled her eyes.

"You've come here, but somehow it's still all about you."

He had left her to deal with her pain alone, so why should she help with his? He deserved it. All of it.

Cameron: "And I didn't leave you alone. I looked for you. For a LONG time. You hid from me. Hid from me until you found a way to make it impossible for me to track you."

"Maybe I just made it so you couldn't find me until you really wanted to."

If he wanted to hear it, then fine. He left her like she was nothing. Without an explanation other than he loved Haleigh. Suddenly Haleigh. And now that SHE wasn't being his perfect wife anymore, he was back. If he wanted to hear that she hadn't been able to forget him, then she would tell him. The lanterns hanging around the bar shattered with her aggravation.

Cameron: "I didn't forget, either. Every time I read the paper, I look for your call sign. I look for the sparrow. Every time I see a bottle of Estrada, I think of you..."

"But you still didn't choose me, Cameron. Even now."

Cameron: "I haven't come here to feel better about myself. You know me. Despite how you feel, you know I don't need anybody to make me feel good about me. I've never had that problem. If anything, I'm a glutton for punishment. So I'm sure that's part of it. I'm sure there is a part of me that said 'Hey you're wife is pregnant with another man's baby, so why don't you seek out the woman you almost married just to really dig in the feeling of what a failure you are'. And I'm wrong for that..Elena, I know that I am."

"Yes, you are. Because other people have lives, Cameron. Lives that you interrupt. Because you don't give a damn."

Cameron: "You ran, and it gave me a free pass to not have to ever face you. Maybe I should have tried harder, maybe I should never have stopped, but come on, Elle. I broke up with you in the worst way possible...stalking you would have just added insult to injury. I didn't want that. I never..."

She threw up her hands in exasperation.

"I didn't want you to stalk me, Cameron. I wanted you to say you were wrong! To change your mind! But you never came."

Cameron: "I never wanted to hurt you, but I also didn't care that I did. Because you're right. I am a SELFISH child. I always have been. From the moment I was born, I never saw anything other than a crown and a throne, and I knew that both belonged to me. And I've done some very morally depraved things to get it, that much is true. And all of those things? I can deal with. I can rest my head down on my pillow at night and be okay with, because they got me where I am. Because I have a vision of the world that is much different than the one we live in now..and I feel it..deep in my bones, in my soul, that I am the one who can bring it into fruition. So I persist..."

He returned the knives to their places, repaired the lanterns. As if that repaired any of the pain he'd caused her.

Cameron: "Haleigh wasn't over night. And you knew that. You are a telepath, Elena. And a damn good one. So good that if I didn't love you, I might try to kill you to snuff out my competition. There was no way you didn't know how I felt about her, and while that absolves me of nothing, it doesn't change the fact that I carried a torch for her, and she carried one for me, and you knew all of this, and you still held my hand and were willing to jump into the fire..."

"Because I LOVED you! I knew how you felt about her but I still thought you would choose ME, because you loved me and wanted to be my husband. But I was wrong, about everything. About you."

Cameron: "You were the reason she told me she loved me."

She scoffed.

"Oh, so it's MY fault?"

Cameron: "She saw...that I was going to choose you. That I was going to marry you..and it made her realize that she could no longer deny how she felt. I didn't know what to do. All I knew was that I did love her. She had never been so honest with me. I had never seen her...emotional about anything. I knew that if I didn't act...I might lose the chance to be with a woman I had dreamed of my entire life. So I acted. It was brash. It was unacceptable to you and everything that you gave me..and did for me. It was horrible, and if I could go back? I don't know that I would have made a different decision, but I would have handled it differently....because you DID deserve more than that."

She turned away from him. She couldn't look at him as he talked about her. As he told her he wouldn't change a thing about what he'd done. Why was he here, now, opening old wounds?

Cameron: "My marital problems are just that. My marital problems..and I shouldn't even have mentioned anything. I'm sorry, it's just...seeing you here, after all this time. It just made me..I don't know like I needed to say something that let you know I wasn't as happy as you maybe might have imagined over the years?"

She turned back around when she heard him get up from the barstool.

"Oh no...I never imagined you happy, Cameron. I always pictured you miserable."

Her look was cold, her words full of spite.

Cameron: "You're right. You didn't ask me to come here, and I probably shouldn't have. I was just...following a feeling. And I guess it was the wrong one. I'm really sorry to have disturbed your life..and I promise..It won't happen again."

"Good."

She crossed her arms over her chest, swallowing hard, refusing to allow herself to become emotional.

Cameron: "A lo hecho, pecho."

She scoffed, shaking her head. What's done is done. Not for her. But better he go. Back to his wife. He wasn't here for her anyway. He still chose la puta.

From behind her, she heard the back door from the veranda open, and scurrying feet. A small voice cried out, "Mamá!" She stared at Cameron a second more, then blinked the tears from her eyes. She wiped them away as she turned and pushed open the hinged door so she could come out from behind the bar. She knelt and a pretty brown haired girl ran into her arms. Elena gave her a kiss and lifted her with an exaggerated grunt as she stood.

"Tuviste una buena siesta?" [Did you have a good nap?]

The little girl twirled Elena's hair around her fingers.

Little Girl: "Sí."

"Sí?"

Elena kissed the end of her nose. An older woman, clearly the nanny, had followed the little girl into the bar, and seemed a little bit out of breath.

Nanny: "Lo siento, Senora, íbamos camino a los establos y ella quería saludarnos." [I'm sorry, Senora, we were on our way to the stables and she wanted to say hello.]

"Está bien."

Elena smiled at the woman, rocking the little girl back and forth.

Little Girl: "Abuelo me dio un nuevo caballo!" [Grandpa gave me a new horse!]

Elena finally glanced at Cameron.

"He did?"

She was going to have to have a word with that old man...

"Carolina..."

She turned so they both faced Cameron and closed the distance between them.

"Would you like to practice your English and say hello to Senor King?"

Carolina spoke her words carefully, but well.

Carolina: "It is very nice to meet you, Senor King."

Carolina then smiled proudly at Elena, who smiled warmly back at her.

Carolina: "Your beard is different from Abuelo's. And you don't have a mustache. I like it much better."

"Carolina."

Elena gave her a stern look. But the little girl was not to be deterred from talking to her new friend.

Carolina: "I'm going to be seven soon."

She leaned in towards Cameron conspiratorially, then whispered to him.

Carolina: "I hope I get a unicorn."

"Okay, I think it's time for your ride. Go with Miss Rosa."

Elena swung the little girl around and into the arms of the waiting nanny.

Carolina: "Can't you come riding with us mami?"

Elena pushed back a lock of Carolina's hair.

"Not today. But I will be home for dinner, and we can eat outside together."

Carolina: "Can we play princess after?"

Elena smiled and patted her head.

"Yes we can play princess after. Now be good for Rosa."

Carolina: "Okay."

Elena scooted her towards Rosa, who took Carolina by the hand and started to lead her out the door. Carolina turned back and waved with her free hand.

Carolina: "Goodbye mamá, goodbye Senor King!"

When they were out of sight, Elena turned around to face Cameron, the warmth gone from her face.

"Carolina is my daughter."
 

Attachments

  • carolina.jpeg
    carolina.jpeg
    151.7 KB · Views: 7
Last edited by a moderator:
That was it. Anticlimactic. No stopping him. Nothing. Not that he deserved it. He had pictured running into Elena many times over the years. Of the things he might say, of the things she might say. None of it matched anything he had conjured up. Perhaps it was better this way. Perhaps he wasn't following a feeling. Maybe she was right. He was just going to her because he felt weak and vulnerable and he needed to feel like a man. Her goodbye to him replayed in his mind.

"Good."

So simple and succinct and yet so..final. He spun on his heels as she made her way over the bar when all at once the energy shifted in the area around him, so much so that it almost knocked him to his fit. He turned his head to see a young girl in Elena's arms. One she seemed to be intimately familiar with. One that Cameron could not stop staring at.

The White King watched their interaction as an aide entered the bar area, apologizing for the arrival of the girl. Who was she? The child of a family member? A young cousin perhaps? The Estradas were a big family. He realized that he was lying to himself to attempt to protect him from what it was that he was thinking. He swallowed hard in his throat, finding it hard to control the wave of emotion he felt rush over him.

Elena approached him, closing the distance between them. She had wanted him to leave, and now here she was, offering to introduce him to some child?

Elena: "Would you like to practice your English and say hello to Senor King?"

Carolina: "It's very nice to meet you, Senor King."

His heart fell into his stomach. Her face, the way she carried herself. Her sharpness. Her beauty. Whatever pain he had been feeling, whatever turmoil he had over his situation at home, it melted away in this moment.

"The pleasure is all mine, Princessa."

He wanted to reach for her, touch her..to make sure that she was real. That this was actually happening and not some grand illusion concocted by somebody who wished him harm.

Carolina: "Your beard is different from Abuelo's. And you don't have a mustache. I like it much better."

"Why thank you, I grew it myself!"

Carolina: "I'm going to be seven soon."

"Ah yes, seven. Good age. I remember it fondly."

Her face turned mischeviously and so familiar as she leaned into him, whispering, as her breath seemed to send a wave of euphoria through his soul. He felt baptised by her presence.

Carolina: "I hope I get a unicorn."

Cameron leaned in, his conspiratory smile matching hers identically.

"You're in luck..I know a guy who knows a guy who knows a unicorn. I could talk-"

Elena: "Okay, I think it's time for your ride. Go with Miss Rosa."

And just like that his heart broke. But he couldn't well fall apart in front of such a beautiful and innocent creature like Carolina.

Carolina: "Can't you come riding with us mami?"

Her last word confirmed everything he needed to know.

Elena: "Not today. But I will be home for dinner, and we can eat outside together."

Carolina: "Can we play princess after?"

Elena: "..Now be good for Rosa."

Carolina: "Okay. Goodbye mama, goodbye Senor King!"

"Good--goodbye, Carolina..."

"My sweet girl..."

They were alone again, all the warmth that Elena had for Carolina had dissappeared as she eyed him coldly. He became overwhelmed again.

Elena: "Carolina is my daughter."

"I...I know."

Tears began to fall down from his face as he cupped his face in his hands, his chest heaving a bit heavy as he tried to gain composure but couldn't. Carolina was't just Elena's daughter, she was his. And he had no idea of her existence. But he wasn't angry. Whatever anger he had was nullified by the pure and abject joy and love he felt for a little girl he had just met. He had never thought he would be a father, though it was what he wanted. And now he found out he WAS a father, and was about to have another child on the way. The weight of the world felt that much heavier as he wiped his face with his hands.

"She's...beautiful."

[sniffing]

"Perfect."

[catching his breath]

"Why have you hidden her? Elena, I could have helped. I could have been there. I WOULD have been there. I would have done what I needed to do. I would have been a good father, I would have been there for her...I would have read her books, I would have given her horses...I would have found her a unicorn..."

He began to cry a bit more freely, though he was a bit calm. It was a combination of being overwhelmed and insatiably curious. He couldn't leave. Not now. He needed to be around her. He needed to know her. He needed to know what it felt like to be a father.
 
Cassandra: "Could we not do this, Ben? I don't really feel like playing the role of a 'Stranger-Who-Treats-Another-Person-Like-Another-Stranger-When-They-Used-To-Be-Best-Friends. Its demeaning to me. You understand. And no, I'm not excited for brunch."

Ben rolled his eyes and took a sip of his irish coffee as he sat down at a chair.

"I literally just said hello to you and asked you a personal question? What exactly were you looking for me to do just now? I just sat down for fuck's sake, give me a break."

[sighing]

"I'm not doing this if you're just going to direct the narrative, or get pissed off because you don't like how it turns out. I am who I am, Cass. And I am never going to be the guy you want me to be because that guy is dead. More than that? I like who I am now. So if this is going to be some concocted siloliquoy about how you want us to be besties in Britain, then I'd rather not waste my time. Our past is our past, and this weekend has shown me that living there? It's like trying to cure cancer with toothpaste. It doesn't make any sense and it just leaves you foaming at the mouth."

He slammed his coffee down at the table.

"YOU were the one who invited me here. Not the other way around. I'm here. But you DON'T get to control my feelings about any of it. This is your problem Cass, you take two steps forward before turning around and jumping into the pool. We don't have any bad blood between us, and we've gone over how things used to be so many times, that I can't stomach it any more."

Shaking his head.

"God. Why do you have to do this shit? Why can't you just leave well enough alone. We've got new positions, new lives, and so much opportunity. Can't we just live in THAT space, and that space ALONE? Why do you always want to dig deep? This is Hellfire. There is no closure here."
 
Hellfire - The Black Wing

Zach took it slow with Brienne now, though he wanted desperately to rush in. He laid down next to her and drew her leg up over his, calling her name. She put her finger to his lips, telling him to call her Brie as she got on top of him. His hands slid up her legs, grasping her hips as she brought them together. He groaned with pleasure as she kissed him. She held still at first, her forehead resting on his, and linked them with her power.

"Oh, Brie...."

He said quietly, his arms wrapping around her. She began to move her hips against his, and he met her pace eagerly, his head dropping back as she kissed his neck. It was almost overwhelming this time, the sensations she was feeding him. He wanted her so badly that it seemed even having her wouldn't be enough.

Brienne: You feel that....I'm so close...

"Gods.... you feel...... so good..."

He uttered, guiding her chin back up so he could kiss her again. The passion was building so much he thought he might explode. He vented it through his fingertips, into her skin, heightening the emotional connection. He reached up so he could hold her hair back as he looked into her eyes. He thrust himself up into her ardently, and when her body shook he cried out in climax too. He hugged her close to his chest afterward as he tried to catch his breath.

"See.... wasn't that better?"

He asked with a jocular smile.
 
Valkyrie
Valkyrie
Do not like...do not like...
La Hacienda Estrada

She answered the question she saw in his mind, that the child was her daughter.

And Cameron started to cry, his face in his hands. This was not the man she knew. She looked at him, wondering what had happened. Not knowing what to do.

Cameron: "She's...beautiful. Perfect."

"Yes, she is."

She supposed she owed that to him, for sending her away from Hellfire, where no child could grow up as innocent as Carolina. But her child was her world, and she would never let her be harmed by anyone.

Cameron: "Why have you hidden her? Elena, I could have helped. I could have been there. I WOULD have been there. I would have done what I needed to do. I would have been a good father, I would have been there for her...I would have read her books, I would have given her horses...I would have found her a unicorn..."

He was rambling a bit now, and crying still. She grabbed his arm.

"Get a hold of yourself. You're Cameron King for Christ sake."

She couldn't talk to him while he was like this. She turned and picked up the bottle of tequila from the top of the bar and a rocks glass, pouring him some.

"Here. Drink this."

She heard her name and turned to see her father coming down the stairs from the office on the second floor.

"Yes, Papi? I'm here."

Alejandro: "Elena, mija, necesito esos recibos de la..." [I need those receipts from the...]

He noticed Cameron, and realized that Elena had addressed him in English. He looked at Cameron suspiciously.

Alejandro: "So, we are opening the bar before noon on a Sunday now?"

"No, Papi. The señor was just asking about having some bottles shipped to America."

She crossed the room to intercept her father, straightening his tie for him and giving him a stern look.

"And we will need to have a discussion about a certain caballo, Papá."

Alejandro: "It was a gift for the Feast of Saint Antidius. How else will she learn to be a good Catholic?"

She narrowed her eyes playfully.

"Uh huh."

She smoothed the tie down and patted his chest.

"Papito, could you watch the bar for a little bit? I need to run an errand."

Her father nodded.

Alejandro: "Sure, sure. I ran this place by myself long before you came along, mi vida."

She smiled at him.

"And much better too. Gracias, Papi."

She kissed his cheek, then turned back to Cameron.

"I'll show you out, señor."

She led the way out the front of the hacienda, then to a path that had been cut through a field of wildflowers.

"My house is this way."

She ran her hands through the tall flowers as they went, picking off a long one here and there and twirling them in her fingers.

"Papi wanted to go to New York and murder you, when I showed up pregnant with no husband."

She tossed the stems to the ground.

"Murder me too, maybe."

She shook her head.

"Now he loves Carolina more than anything in the world. And spoils her."

Elena stared off in the distance, the beautiful landscape opening before her, everything bright in the late morning sun.

"I didn't tell you because I didn't want you to stay with me out of duty. You would have been miserable, and that's no way to live. I didn't want you to resent her. And at first, I thought you would realize your mistake and come for me."

She sighed.

"But you didn't."

They reached a clearing, with a veranda off the back and children's playground toys in the grass. It only became clear it was the guest house when the main house came into view in the distance. She waved for him to follow her, and she climbed the steps up onto the porch and opened the door that led to the large kitchen.

"Have a seat."

She motioned towards the large wooden antique table, and headed around the butcher block to reach into a high cabinet, pulling out a bottle of scotch. She found two rocks glasses, and poured some of the liquor into each with some ice. Grabbing something from the island, she returned to the table and placed one glass in front of Cameron before sitting down beside him.

"I know tequila was never really your drink of choice."

She took a sip of her own glass, then set it down, cupping her hands around it for a moment in silence, as if centering herself. Then she pulled a photo album from her lap, and placed it between them, opening it to the first page to show him.

"Her name is Carolina Isabel. Her birthday is July 7."

She flipped through the first few pages, before letting him do it himself.

"She is my life, now, Cameron. I will do whatever I have to to keep her safe."
 
Hellfire -- The Red King's Suite

Ash was in a huff about not being told, but when Haleigh asked her to name a good time to have been interrupted, Ash couldn't answer. Not right away, at least. It took some serious searching before she snapped her fingers and proclaimed that Haleigh could have sent her a text. Haleigh gave an incredulous little laugh at the idea that she could’ve just texted about this whole clusterfuck. Ash just had no idea what was going on.

Ash: Nice robe. The color suits you.

Haleigh gave a sharp smile but said nothing.

Ash: You know we have an open Rook position, if you're interested.

“I’m honored you’d offer, considering I didn’t think you’d stand for another woman being on your Court..... but I’ll have to politely decline, since I much prefer being Queen.”

She replied, her tone droll. Then they discussed the situation at hand. Haleigh tried to be as succinct as possible. Ashley was speechless for a moment, while behind her, AJ’s jaw dropped. Ash figured out pretty quick that Alek was responsible for the other twin, since he was over there grinning like he’d won the lottery. She needed to be serious, but couldn’t help the small smile that fought its way onto her lips. He was just so happy about their daughter that it was contagious.

Ash: Does Ava know this?

“I’m pretty sure. Cameron went to her first right away, and he scrambled the surveillance in her office so they could plot privately, then she got the fuck out of dodge too. Her and John holed up for the night at Arklay. They told Amanda to cover for them, but, suspiciously, now they’re back.”

Ash emitted a couple of stabilizing ‘okays’, as she processed the new intel. The waiting was unbearable. It got to a point where Haleigh just wanted Ash to get mad and start yelling again, because at least that would be progress, and if their friendship was about to be ruined then she wanted to get it over with quick.

“It’s cool, you can just text me your reply.”

Haleigh said, a little humor to diffuse the tension. And then her eyebrows lifted, because Ash surprised her. The Red Queen went straight to tactics, and it was awesome to see. She told them the Red Guard was already operating under orders to protect the baby, and then instructed Savage to make sure the men knew that there was also the Red King’s child to consider now. She also wanted to lend Haleigh her Elite Guard, to watch over her night and day. Haleigh was so overwhelmed with relief she wasn’t sure if she was going to cry or hug and kiss her friend, or do all of that at once. Then she remembered that Ash would be freaked out by any and all of those things.

“Thanks...”

She coughed out, and then she made a sincere effort to get her pregnancy hormones under control before she went totally insane pregnant lady on them.

Ash: The White Guard can no longer be depended on, not until we know where Cameron stands.

Haleigh nodded, clearing her throat.

“There will be Queen’s men, and some loyal to the King as well. This development will divide my Court along a fault line.”

She replied grimly. It seemed surreal that just yesterday morning she had been at a peak, yet today she felt in she was in the shadow of a mountain. Ashley suggested that either Alek or Zach also be stationed with Haleigh at all times. Haleigh glanced at Alek, who immediately stepped up and said he’d protect them. They had that covered, though Haleigh was still resolutely against Ash’s other idea, the safe house.

“I’m not going off somewhere to hide in shame or fear, Ash. I didn’t expect this — I mean who fucking double-ovulates?? But just because I didn’t plan to have a daughter with Alek doesn’t mean I won’t, and our home is Hellfire.”

Ash and Alek discussed possible leads on where Cameron went, and then both agreed that he must be found, and that they really needed to know what his intentions were. Their guess was as good as Haleigh’s. As well as she thought she knew her husband, he had seemed a little unstable lately. She was not surprised to hear Ash say that Cameron had told her he would never raise another man’s child. Haleigh took a deep breath and ran her hands through her hair, then she sighed with a soft shake of her head.

“I have no idea what he’s thinking or doing or planning right now. We had a huge fight after the hunt yesterday. He wasn’t even happy to find out I was carrying his son. He was just so pissed about Alek, and that was also before I found out about our daughter. And when I did find out? Cameron was right there, but he wouldn’t even glance in my direction, let alone speak to me. All I know is he talked to Ava, and his sister, and then he smashed all the pictures of us, left his wedding ring on the coffee table, and disappeared. And I just HIGHLY DOUBT he’s going to come back here, suddenly accepting or supportive of this. No he’s.... too proud for that.”
 
Elena: "Get a hold of yourself. You're Cameron King for Christ Sake."

He wiped his face and nodded at her command. She was right. Using his years of experience at shielding his emotions underneath the roof of the Hellfire mansion, he pulled his composure together at an alarmingly quick speed, though his eyes were still a bit wet and sparkling against the sun. Cameron felt that he had just ran through a brick wall. And it brought up a lot in him that he didn't know was there. Some good. Some bad. Whatever the case, he knew that if he was going to get any further information on this, he was going to have to play it carefully. And she was grabbing his arm. The hours on the plane had left him feeling very cold. He had gone from anger to sadness to rage and regret at the situation he was going to have to face at home, even though it was of his own creation. Elena's touch felt electric and reminded him that he was not just a man, but a King. In more than one sense of that word.

"Sorry."

She grabbed a bottle of tequila as well as a glass. It was a welcome distraction.

Elena: "Here. Drink this."

He took down the fire quickly, as it stung his mouth with a heart warm. Cameron wasn't a tequila man persay, but Estrada tequila was damn good. He heard the deep voice of a man entering the courtyard bar from the stairs.

Elena: "Yes, Papi? I'm here!"

Alejandro: "Elena, mija, necesito esos recibos de la..."

Cameron cocked an eyebrow. So this was the famous Alejandro Estrada. Though Elena and Cameron were together for five years, he had never been introduced to him. But soon he could understand why.

Alejandro: "So are we opening the bare before noon on a Sunday now?"

Elena: "No, Papi. The senor was just asking about having some bottles shipped to America..."

He watched with pervase pleasure as she strolled over to her father, straightening his tie, something that oddly comforted him. For a moment he thought of them in the fifties, him coming home, putting his briefcase down, being presented a martini and a kiss on the cheek. He smirked.

Elena: "And we will need to have a discussion about a certain caballo, Papa."

Alejandro: "It was a gift for the Feast of Saint Antidius. How else will she learn to be a good Catholic?"

This was the most subvervise family interaction he had ever encountered in his life. To see such a working relationship between child and parent was so odd to him. These kind of exchanges just hadn't happened for him growing up. And it made him question what kind of father he would actually be. If his selfishness, would he end up doing to some new soul the same things that had been done to him by the people around him, his family.

Elena: "Uh huh. Papito, could you watch the bar for a little bit? I need to run an errand."

She smoothed down his suit.

Alejandro: "Sure, sure. I ran this place by myself long before you came along, mi vida."

Cameron watched as she gave her father a kiss on the cheek and offered to escort The White King out of here. She led him towards one of the most gorgeous roads he had ever seen in his life, flanked by a beautiful field of wildflowers.

Elena: "My house is this way."

Something about her demeanor had shifted. It was as if now that she knew that he knew, it had released her from something she had been holding on to. Cameron was grateful for it, and benefitting from it. She needed to steer this conversation.

Elena: "Papi wanted to go to New York and murder you, when I showed up pregnant with no husband..."

He watched her pick the flowers and twirl them and she looked like some kind of very expensive, very worth it perfume and he began to realize how strong the attraction he had for her all those years ago was. The second he laid eyes on her as a younger man, he wanted to be near her. Inside of her. She was like a living photograph.

Elena: Murder me too, maybe. Now he loves Carolina more than anything in the world. And spoils her."

"Everyone deserves a little spoiling."

He watched her look off into the distance, her hair gently swaying against the morning breeze.

Elena: "I didn't tell you because I didn't want to stay with me out of duty. You would have been miserable, and that's no way to live. I didn't want you to resent her. And at first, I thought you would realize your mistake and come for me."

Cameron blushed lightly for a moment. All of a sudden he realized just how unimportant he felt. Haleigh decided to have a baby without him. In more than one way. She had made the decision without hesitation, without thinking to talk to him about it. Of course he wanted a child, but he wanted certain things for that child. It should have been a conversation. He had been so caught up in joy at the prospect that he hadn't been able to think. And now here was Elena, who bore his child and raised her without his knowledge. He didn't like how deeply people thought they knew him, or worse actually did know him. But with Elena, he felt as if he could be less Hellfire and more Cameron.

She walked him towards a very large guest house, decorated with children's toys and beautiful flowers. There were far worse places to be raised. Sitting him down in the kitchen she grabbed them another drink and set it down in front of him.

Elena: "I know tequila was never really your drink of choice."

"What can I say? My blood runs blue."

He took a sip as Elena grabbed a photo album from her lap and placed it on the center of the table, opening the first page. Cameron was enchanted.

Elena: "Her name is Carolina Isabel. Her birthday is July 7th. She is my life now, Cameron. I will do whatever I have to, to keep her safe."

He was so lost in every inch of his daughter's beautiful face that he could almost not make out the words that Elena was saying as she flipped through the pages. She was so warm. And so happy. And mischevious and smart. He mind tapped Elena to fill in the spaces between the photographs in his mind, as if he were watching some home projector movie in his head. A few moments later, her words became clearer.

"I will do whatever I have to, to keep her safe."

Cameron gripped his glass. He could not leave this place and never see his daughter again. He wouldn't allow that to happen, but if the others at Hellfire knew that he had a daughter, eventually...somebody would come for her, and she wouldn't be under the protection of her father. He would never be able to ensure her safety, and as he took in the beautiful surroundings around him, he knew he couldn't very well take her from here. Cameron didn't even want to leave himself.

"She's the most perfect thing I've ever seen in my life."

He glanced up at Elena softly.

"You've done such a good job with her. She's so smart...I mean, she's smart right? And cheeky. Possibly naughty. The way her face mov-"

Cameron stopped himself as he was rambling again.

"Sorry."

[pausing]

"I should have never let you do this alone..."

Boom. Those words hit him swiftly as he thought of his wife. She was pregnant with his child. And as he sat next to a woman who's heart he had broken at the drop of a hat and was now having a civilized conversation with, he realized that he could make this work with Haleigh, at least in some sense of the word. The photo album proved it to him. He didn't want to have to search through Haleigh's mind for visions of his child. He wanted to experience him. But he was still so hurt.

"Do...do you need anything? Is there anything that I can do..in any way to help? I'll mow lawns, I'll chop wood, I'll babysit..."

[softly] "Elena...I can't leave here and never see her again. I can't."
 
Hellfire Club – Black Lounge



Ben: "I literally just said hello to you and asked you a personal question? What exactly were you looking for me to do just now? I just sat down for fuck's sake, give me a break. I'm not doing this if you're just going to direct the narrative, or get pissed off because you don't like how it turns out. I am who I am, Cass. And I am never going to be the guy you want me to be because that guy is dead. More than that? I like who I am now. So if this is going to be some concocted siloliquoy about how you want us to be besties in Britain, then I'd rather not waste my time. Our past is our past, and this weekend has shown me that living there? It's like trying to cure cancer with toothpaste. It doesn't make any sense and it just leaves you foaming at the mouth."

:: Cass just sat there and stared at him. Was it really too much to ask that he not demean her like she was somebody unimportant? He slammed his coffee on the table. ::

Guess it was.

“You know what? This was a mistake – a bloody, fucking, mistake.”

Ben: "YOU were the one who invited me here. Not the other way around. I'm here. But you DON'T get to control my feelings about any of it. This is your problem Cass, you take two steps forward before turning around and jumping into the pool. We don't have any bad blood between us, and we've gone over how things used to be so many times, that I can't stomach it any more. God. Why do you have to do this shit? Why can't you just leave well enough alone. We've got new positions, new lives, and so much opportunity. Can't we just live in THAT space, and that space ALONE? Why do you always want to dig deep? This is Hellfire. There is no closure here."

“After Mandy and I made peace...I honestly don’t know what the fuck I was thinking. She listened. No, wait. She stayed and listened. She didn’t demean me or demoralize me beforehand. As unemotional as she is – she still stayed and she listened to me. YOU think you know what this is about but I have news for you, Benjamin Lewis. You don’t know everything and you don’t know what I’m going to say. You think you do, but you actually don’t know.”

:: Cass took a deep breath and leaned back in her chair. Inside, she was seething, yes. But she wasn’t pissed off enough to just let go and really let him have it. Why was she even here? What the fuck did she hope to gain from this meeting? It was clear that he didn’t give a damn about her. He probably never did. What she really wanted was to be so full of hatred for him that she could just leave and not say another word...except that that wasn’t who she was. ::

Dig deep, girl. Dig deep for that anger, that rage.

“Just who do you think that I want you to be? No, tell me. I asked you here, yes. But you know what? You could’ve said no. You could’ve made some excuse and just not show up; just have somebody else be the messenger. I am not forcing you to be here. You are more than welcome to leave at any time. If I’m so unimportant, and if I never mattered to you, if I’m not worth a damn to you – then WHY THE FUCK ARE YOU STILL HERE?!”

:: Cass now stood up, with fire in her eyes. ::

“You think that I enjoyed these past few years? You think that I enjoyed being driven insane? You think I fucking wanted to be insane? Do you actually think that I enjoyed being – and feeling – isolated from everyone?”

:: Now she was the one who slammed a fist on the table. ::

*screaming*: “DO YOU HONESTLY BELIEVE THAT I NEVER WANTED TO MOVE ON?! I COULDN’T, YOU FUCKING BASTARD! I WAS NEVER ALLOWED TO MOVE ON!!! FUCKING KELLY MADE IT SO THAT I WAS NEVER ABLE TO MOURN PROPERLY!!! I NEVER ASKED FOR THIS, BEN!!"

:: Now she was trembling, angry tears running down her face. And to think that she was going to apologize for not being there for him, for not being strong enough for him. When she spoke again, her voice was hoarse from screaming. ::

*hoarsely*: “So don’t you dare act like you’re better than me. You weren’t there. You were the one who turned your back on me. You were the one who abandoned me, who rejected me.” *crying*: "I was your best friend and you just left me when I needed you the most."
 
The Red King's Suite

When Haleigh entered the room, wearing a red robe, Ashley asked if she wanted their open Rook position.

Haleigh: “I’m honored you’d offer, considering I didn’t think you’d stand for another woman being on your Court..... but I’ll have to politely decline, since I much prefer being Queen.”

Ashley laughed in amusement, waving a hand in the air.

"Oh, Haleigh, I don't think of you as a woman."

But she just shrugged at Haleigh's declination of her offer.

Alek was an ass, and then Haleigh actually told her what was going on. She couldn't think about what it all really meant, she just had to focus on what they had to do to get through this. She asked if Ava knew about all this mess.

Haleigh: “I’m pretty sure. Cameron went to her first right away, and he scrambled the surveillance in her office so they could plot privately, then she got the fuck out of dodge too. Her and John holed up for the night at Arklay. They told Amanda to cover for them, but, suspiciously, now they’re back.”

"Ava wouldn't side with Cameron against you. Not where your child's safety is concerned. She's probably just doing that whole, 'Oh, my dad is such a dick, woe is me' thing she does."

Ashley pursed her lips.

"If she expected an attack on the mansion, she would have pulled her entire court to Arklay."

It was suspicious that Cameron and Ava had met in secret like that, but maybe he was trying to get her support in sending Alek to London and didn't want Haleigh to know? She thought about telling them about Cameron's plan, but then figured that then there would be no chance for everything to go back to normal, because Alek would never let Cameron live knowing how close he was to taking Alek out himself. It would be a miracle if Alek didn't try to kill Cameron as soon as he was found, no matter what Haleigh said about it.

They discussed Haleigh's personal security.

Haleigh: “There will be Queen’s men, and some loyal to the King as well. This development will divide my Court along a fault line.”

"If you choose to keep them around you, we will have to monitor them closely. Who knows what men will do in the name of their king."

And then Haleigh got all stubborn, and wouldn't let them move her some place safe.

Haleigh: “I’m not going off somewhere to hide in shame or fear, Ash. I didn’t expect this — I mean who fucking double-ovulates?? But just because I didn’t plan to have a daughter with Alek doesn’t mean I won’t, and our home is Hellfire.”

Ashley nodded, because there was nothing she could say that would convince her. So she moved on. And then Alek was trying to play the big man for Haleigh, instead of doing the smart thing, which would be to let Zach and Savage help protect her.

Alek: "I'm perfectly capable, I don't need Savage to run our offense, thank you. Our people are mobilizing as we speak. Haleigh is going to provide a list of Cameron's most probably locations."

Ashley rolled her eyes, and wanted to scream.

"Stop thinking with your dick for a moment if at all possible, and let Savage do his damn job. So that YOU can focus on HALEIGH and this baby you so stupidly conceived. Alright?"

But their main problem was Cameron, and she said so. At least that was something Alek would agree with her on.

Haleigh: “I have no idea what he’s thinking or doing or planning right now. We had a huge fight after the hunt yesterday. He wasn’t even happy to find out I was carrying his son. He was just so pissed about Alek, and that was also before I found out about our daughter. And when I did find out? Cameron was right there, but he wouldn’t even glance in my direction, let alone speak to me. All I know is he talked to Ava, and his sister, and then he smashed all the pictures of us, left his wedding ring on the coffee table, and disappeared. And I just HIGHLY DOUBT he’s going to come back here, suddenly accepting or supportive of this. No he’s....too proud for that.”

"You know him best, Haleigh. What will he do?"

They had to narrow down the variables, so they could figure out how to prepare.

"And we need to know what Cameron told Ava."
 
He watched her erupt, sighing with both anger and boredom. It had been exactly what he anticipated. Ben may have been a bit aggressive but it was because SHE had been aggressive, and he needed to draw a few clear lines with her, especially now that she was no longer a member of The Black Court. He let her say her very loud and very painful truth, taking a sip of his coffee before setting it down on the table.

"Cassandra?"

"Get. The Fuck. OVER IT."

Ben looked from left to right, surveying the parlour for a moment.

"And lower your goddamn voice in The Black Corridor. You do not have the freedom to yell and scream and cry here like you used to, so you'd be wise to remember that."

Goliath exhaled deeply his large chest moving up and down for a moment. She was so unfuriating, and she was a broken record. And Ben decided that he would at the very least try and get her to see why exactly she got the reaction out of people that she did, but he doubted she would get it.

"Do you think yourself to be unique? Do you think your situation and your circumstances are anything different or somehow worse than anything that's transpired to any of us over the years? Some of us for decades? Because they AREN'T..."

Ben let out a deep grunt as he gripped his fist.

"If anything, the games that Kelly played with you were child like in comparison to what she did to the rest of us. It is what makes The Black Court what it is. All of us, we have earned our stripes with physical and sexual violence, or any other number of unspeakable things. The things she's done to me? (Kelly) They would make you recoil in horror. She's a part of who I am, Cassandra, but she isn't ALL of it. At some point you have to take responsibility for yourself. You have to say I was a mess because I was a mess, not because The Black Queen was mean to you, because nobody cares about that, and nobody has been spared from her. You want us to see you in deep pain, but you refuse to acknowledge that pain in those around you. All you see is your SELF."

[air quoting]

"What do people think of me. Why doesn't she like me? Do you hate me? Do you love me? Can we be friends?"

He scoffed with anger.

"All the while IGNORANT to the fact that everybody was busy dealing with their own shit, their own 'stench' from Kelly. She killed my fucking parents and hi--"

"Hid my sister from me..."

He didn't dare say the words out loud. That was one secret he would not tell. There was no way in hell he was going to fuck up a chance to know Erika as his sister.

"She operated on me as a leisurely activity. Day after day, it was a fresh wound. Emotionally. Physically. Spiritually. And it never stopped. So excuse me or Amanda for that matter for not being a good enough friend to you, Cass, but we were all kind of busy with our own shit. NOBODY ASKED FOR THIS, Cassandra. But we most definitely agreed to endure it. You didn't have to take a court position. She hasn't been on the court in some time now, you could have left. You could have done whatever the hell you wanted and now here you are on a new court. So if you want to blame Kelly and Hellfire for your problems, you might think about not being in part of it's governmental body."

The Black Rook shook his head

"I can't do this anymore. I have tried to meet you at your measure, in a way that honors the way that *I* feel about things, but you don't ever hear. All you hear is you, you, you. I'm damned if I do, I'm damned if I don't. I'm damned unless I do and say and feel about YOU exactly how you want me to. It's bullshit."
 
The Red King's Suite

Ashley asked if Ava knew what was going on.

Haleigh: “I’m pretty sure. Cameron went to her first right away, and he scrambled the surveillance in her office so they could plot privately, then she got the fuck out of dodge too. Her and John holed up for the night at Arklay. They told Amanda to cover for them, but, suspiciously, now they’re back.”

Ashley: "Ava wouldn't side with Cameron against you. Not where your child's safety is concerned. She's probably just doing that whole, 'Oh, my dad is such a dick, woe is me' thing she does."

"Agreed. Ava will back a queen before a king, especially in this scenario, where you've done nothing wrong. She won't sit back and watch Cameron hurt either of you."

Me, however...but that was a secondary concern. He could take care of himself. Ashley suggested a safe house, and Alek gave her a look and made a gesture as if to say, See? But she declined it again.

Haleigh: “I’m not going off somewhere to hide in shame or fear, Ash. I didn’t expect this — I mean who fucking double-ovulates?? But just because I didn’t plan to have a daughter with Alek doesn’t mean I won’t, and our home is Hellfire.”

He smiled at her, and moved to stand by her side. It surprised him how quickly it had all become real. He was already imagining Haleigh holding his daughter, the times they would have together. Home.

Haleigh: “I have no idea what he’s thinking or doing or planning right now. We had a huge fight after the hunt yesterday. He wasn’t even happy to find out I was carrying his son. He was just so pissed about Alek, and that was also before I found out about our daughter. And when I did find out? Cameron was right there, but he wouldn’t even glance in my direction, let alone speak to me. All I know is he talked to Ava, and his sister, and then he smashed all the pictures of us, left his wedding ring on the coffee table, and disappeared. And I just HIGHLY DOUBT he’s going to come back here, suddenly accepting or supportive of this. No he’s....too proud for that.”

"Any chance he'll just...stay away?"

He looked blankly back at the others.

"Decide not to attack. Maybe he just wants out."

Though it seemed unlikely that someone as power hungry as Cameron would just give it all up. But maybe it was like a breakdown, or a mid life crisis or something.

Ashley asked what Haleigh thought Cameron would do.

"We need to figure out what we're going to do. How far are we going to take this?"
 
La Casa Del Estrada - Guest House

Once he had seen her, she knew she would have to tell him everything. Anger, hatred - it would not make him pack up and go home, never to come back. As much as her mind screamed that Carolina was hers, she knew it was something that had to be shared with him, even if it was just in pictures.

So she showed her the little photo album Elena kept in the kitchen, of the most important events in her daughter's short life.

Cameron: "She's the most perfect thing I've ever seen in my life."

A touch of a smile came to her lips, as she thought about her daughter. She nodded.

Cameron: "You've done such a good job with her. She's so smart...I mean, she's smart right? And cheeky. Possibly naughty. The way her face mov- Sorry."

Elena looked at Cameron for a long moment, so full of wonder at this revelation. She could almost see him as a father. Almost. But he did deserve to have something, some knowledge of the daughter he had never knew. Her smile grew, proudly.

"She is smart. She is like you, in a lot of ways. She has your sense of humor. And she can charm anyone she meets. But she is very loving too."

Cameron: "I should have never let you do this alone..."

Elena stood abruptly from the table, taking her glass with her. She folded her arms around her as if she were cold, staring out the French doors towards the farmland beyond. She finished the rest of her scotch.

"When you left me, that was the only way to do it."

It was supposed to have been the three of them. And when he had dumped her, she couldn't bear the thought that he would reject their daughter too. Or worse, that he would take her.

Cameron: "Do...do you need anything? Is there anything that I can do..in any way to help? I'll mow lawns, I'll chop wood, I'll babysit..."

She turned back towards him, and shook her head.

"I run the distillery for my father. And one day it will be her's. And of course I have other talents, should she ever need anything. We're fine. Just fine. But thank you."

She gave him a little smile then, the first time she allowed herself to see him the old way.

Cameron: [softly] "Elena...I can't leave here and never see her again. I can't."

Elena took a deep breath in and let it out. Her words were cruel, but her voice was gentle.

"Cameron, you can't...you can't treat our daughter like a new toy that you play with for a week then stick on the shelf and never touch again. I won't let you do that to her."

She touched his arm.

"Stay for dinner. We're having chilaquiles. It's Carolina's favorite."
 
Zach: "Oh, Brie...."

The way he moaned her name was overwhelming, his tone soft and filled with such a need. Normally men grunted at her, slapped her ass, called her 'baby' or some other pet name that punctuated the fact that she was an object for their sexual pleasure. But she could feel his desire for her, beyond just sex, beyond just the physical, and she wanted more. She began to roll her hips against him, moaning softly as he gripped her hips and thrusted into her, meeting her in perfect synchrony. Brienne linked them together, making him feel everything she was feeling - everything he was making her feel. Her fingers brushed along his beard as her lips and tongue traveled down his neck. She could feel the pleasure within her building with each connection of their hips.

Zach: "Gods.... you feel...... so good..."

"Don't stop..."

Brienne softly moaned against his neck. But she wasn't speaking of just the sex. The emotions he shared with her and the way he was treating her? It was like a drug. She wanted more - she needed more. Zach guided her chin up, his mouth capturing hers, Brienne increasing her movements as she began to reach her pique. It was then she felt a warmth radiate over her from Zach's touch, causing her to break the kiss and gasp in, her eyes shutting at the overwhelming sensation of emotions he was flooding her with. She was breathless, her body tingling with goosebumps. Her mind dizzy.

"Zach.."

She felt Zach's hand come to her face, pushing her hair back away from it. She finally opened her eyes to meet with his. She could see the desire and passion in his eyes that she just felt him push into her. His thrusts became more powerful, each connection making Brienne cry out in ecstasy until finally he pushed her over the edge into the abyss of pleasure. She began to come, her powers pushing that feeling into Zach just a powerfully as she felt it. She felt him come with her, Brienne's body trembling above his as she rode the wave with him. Panting out, Brienne shut her eyes as her body slowly recovered from what he had done to her; her body pulsing around him still as they remained connected. Brienne felt Zach's arms wrap around her and pull her down against his body, hugger her to him. Normally she would have fought it - told him to fuck off and get out. But Brienne didn't fight it. She laid her head on his chest, staring across the room as what just happened began to sink in.

Zach: "See.... wasn't that better?"

She didn't answer at first, trying to gather her thoughts. Finally, she gently nodded her head against his chest.

"..It was great."

Doubt began to creep in. Fear. Uncertainty. She knew he would feel it, her eyes shutting. She hated feeling like she couldn't protect herself from his powers. That she couldn't put up her walls and act like nothing bothered her when it most obviously did.

"I'm sorry.."

She started softly.

"I'm not used to this...what just happened. I'm used to men being interested in my body and powers...nothing more."

She finally lifted her head to look into his eyes, her own filled with apprehension.

"I still don't understand why you're doing this..."

I'm not worth it...Brienne wanted to say the words but stopped herself. She had gotten a taste of the forbidden fruit and now she wanted more despite knowing that she could never be seen as anything more than a casual fling; the thought engrained into her since childhood. Her fingers gently brushed down his beard, her lips brushing against his.

"But I don't want it to end.."
 
Hellfire -- The Red King's Suite

Ash: Oh, Haleigh, I don't think of you as a woman.

Haleigh chuckled. She could have said 'your King does', or even 'I am pregnant with twins, I rest my case', but both of those quips seemed cattier than was necessary, especially considering they really needed to move on to discuss the threat her husband posed right now.

They got down to brass tacks, and Ash asked first if Ava knew. Haleigh said sh was pretty sure, given the super sketchy meeting Cameron had with her as soon as he found out. Haleigh's mind drifted back to the argument at Arklay, when Cameron mentioned having plans for dealing with Alek already in place.

She'd tried to get him to say more, but he kept the details from her, just like he'd kept the details about Brienne a secret. It seemed logical to draw the conclusion that Ava was in on Cameron's plans. After all, Ava and Alek were not friends. Cameron had said something about Ava softening on Alek, but that was probably just his way of saying she wasn't willing to kill Alek like Cameron obviously wanted.

Ashley and Alek didn't think Ava would take Cameron's side over hers, however. Ashley thought Ava was just upset about her father, but Ava had gone back to the party after that, and when Haleigh had talked to her, she seemed like she was dealing with it okay, even if she was a bit peeved. Ash argued further that if Ava had thought there was going to be an attack, she'd have pulled her whole Court from the mansion.

"She might have known it would be too obvious a move to do that, and didn't want to tip her hand."

She suggested. They went on to discuss a new arrangement of the Guards, since it was questionable whether or not Haleigh could trust her own. Haleigh was so grateful for the support she almost cried. She thanked Ash, and agreed that while there would be men who were loyal to her, there were also some who would stand with the King. She lamented that her Court would be divided over this, but there wasn't much she could do about it, so they focused on what they could do.

Ash: If you choose to keep them around you, we will have to monitor them closely. Who knows what men will do in the name of their king.

"Best not to risk it, really. With Alek at my side, and your Praetorians to back us up, we should be well covered for now. I'll have Zach feel the rest out. He should be able to determine who we can trust."

Ashley tried suggesting a safehouse, and Alek looked vindicated, but it didn't matter who suggested it. Haleigh wasn't going to leave, and she said as much. She may not have intended to have a child with Alek, but she was going to, and they both called Hellfire home. Alek moved closer to her, with a comforting smile, which she returned gently as Ash got a little testy about Alek wanting to run the offense, snapping at him to stop thinking with his dick for once, and for stupidly conceiving their daughter. Haleigh sighed at the bickering.

"Come on Ash, go easy on him, will you? He didn't even know I could get pregnant until I already was. It's my fault for not realizing Kelly's 'gift' would be a double-edged sword. YOU knew it, and tried to warn me. And I, in my hubris, refused to accept it. I'm sorry I got us all into this mess."

She said, and then she told them a bit more about where Cameron's head was at before he left, how they'd fought over Alek at Arklay, how he'd hadn't even seemed to be happy about his son, and that she highly doubted he was going to accept this. Ash said that Haleigh knew Cameron best, and asked what she thought he'd do, but Haleigh was at a loss.

All she could think of was the stuff that scared her most, and it was hard to see past that. She tried to be logical in her assessment, which was easier now that she had the support of the Red Court, if not her own, but even still, Cameron's actions did not appear logical from Haleigh's point of view. Alek asked if Cameron would just stay away, decide not to attack, and just get out. Haleigh shook her head grimly.

"No.... he may have turned in his wedding band at the first sign of trouble, but there's no way he'd surrender his crown without a fight. I don't know when he'll return, or what exactly he'll do, but there's no doubt he's coming back."

Alek: We need to figure out what we're going to do. How far are we going to take this?

"As far as we have to. I don't think he'll try a sneak attack. He's going to want to air his grievances first. If we have a strong defense set up when he confronts us, it may be enough to deter him from attacking. I guess it would depend on how much support he has, from the Black Court."

Ash: And we need to know what Cameron told Ava.

"Well.... I apologized to her last night, I thought we were good, but that was before Cameron talked to her. Considering she bugged out to Arklay and was planning on skipping Brunch, I don't think she wants to hear from me right now. And anyway I doubt she'd tell me the truth. Ash, you think you could talk to her? Alek and I still need to find out what spell Brienne cast on me at the Red Hunt...."

There was another knock at the front door, the guardsmen announcing they were here to provide escort to the Great Hall. Haleigh caught herself spinning her engagement ring around her finger with her thumb out of habit, and stopped abruptly.

"Right, the Brunch.... let's hit that first, play it cool, get the announcement over with, do the toast, and then see what we can find out. If there is going to be an attack at Brunch, it'd be best if we were all together when it happened. If not, we'll have an opportunity to get more intel."
 
Last edited:
Hellfire - The Black Wing

Zach hugged Brienne close, and asked her if that had been better than before, because he certainly thought so. There was a paused before she agreed that it was great, and then Zach sensed her apprehension again. His hands rubbed her back gently.

"You don't have to be afraid, Brie..."

He said quietly, and she apologized, explaining that she wasn't used to this kind of thing, that men were usually not interested in anything more than her body and her powers. He wanted to hurt the men who'd given her such an outlook, but more importantly he wanted to change her mind.

"Well your powers are pretty awesome.... and you've got a rockin' body.... but come on. You're more than that, and if other men can't see that? They don't deserve you."

He said, wondering if he even deserved her, considering his original approach. She lifted her head, and her eyes locked with his. She told him she still didn't understand why he was doing this, and kissed him.

"Because I crave it as much as you do..."

He explained simply, and then she admitted she didn't want it to end. That was good, because he thought if she'd tried to kick him out just now like she had when they first woke up, it might've broken him. Her hand on his face felt blissful, and though he knew they couldn't stay in bed forever, he didn't want this to end either.

"It doesn't have too, Brie..."

He said, and then somewhere on the floor in the pocket of his pants, an alarm on his phone went off. He sighed, reluctance in his gaze as he looked up at her.

"But I do have to attend Brunch.... won't you come with me?"
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top