Special Delivery

Smoke

Alek watched Ava's reactions as he talked, letting her know bit by bit what he knew. And then, bingo! Someone extra was returning with them from Paris. And when he mentioned that, Ava's usual sullen look turned murderous. Excellent.

Ava: “You would be wise to watch your tone, Hallbjörn.”

He raised an eyebrow charmingly.

"And what tone would that be, Cassadine?"

He decided to cut the crap. If she had done something that was bringing an attack their way, she needed to tell him.

Ava: “Look, I didn’t call you here to fight. Or kill you.”

She glanced in the direction of the guard outside the door. He shrugged his shoulders.

"Can't be too careful..."

Ava: “I don’t know how to say this without sounding absolutely certifiable but…six years ago Diana erased a chunk of both of our memories to protect a business deal made between Helena and Stavros.”

He scoffed, and pushed back from the table.

"You're right, you do sound crazy. If Helena was doing a business deal with Stavros, I'd know about it."

Helena never hid anything from him. He was her right hand. Helena had trusted him, completely.

Alek's eyes moved to the door, as Elena Estrada of all people came through it.

Elena: "So, what's this all about?"

Ava: “Thank you for coming.”

His eyes flicked back to Ava.

"Hey, what is this? You brought Elena here? If what you're saying is true, this is Court business."

Elena sat down next to him like she owned the place. Something was going on, and he didn't like it. He made it his business to know what was happening at Hellfire - seeing Ava apparently working with Elena? That smelled all kinds of wrong, and he hated that he didn't know why.

Ava: “Helena wanted an heir to the Red Court and Stavros wanted another chance at raising a child that he didn’t see as a failure.”

Alek pointed towards himself. This was lunacy.

"*I* was the heir to the Red Court!"

Ava: “Alek, we have a daughter.”

"Oh, bullshit."

He stood up. His hand rubbed his beard as he turned his back to her and took a few steps. Then he took a deep breath and turned back around. He held up his hands placatingly.

"Look, Ava, I get it. Haleigh's having two babies when she never thought she could have one. I can imagine it's hard for you to see that happen for her, but this? This is crazy."

He turned and looked at Elena, gesturing towards her.

"And you want me to let her, root around in my mind?"

He scoffed again.

"What are you really after here?"
 
Smoke

Ava: “Thank you for coming.”

Elena set her bag on the table. From Alek's thought patterns, she'd arrived just as they'd gotten to the good part.

Ava: “Helena wanted an heir to the Red Court and Stavros wanted another chance at raising a child that he didn’t see as a failure.”

Elena smirked. There was a lot of that going around with the children of the regents, back when Elena had been aligned with the Red Court. Neither Haleigh nor Ava had lived up to expectations. Diana had found a replacement - it wasn't a stretch to think Helena and Stavros would find theirs as well.

Ava: “Alek, we have a daughter.”

Elena could see the girl in Ava's mind.

Ava: “And I need your help unlocking our memories about what really happened.”

Elena nodded, her mind meanwhile going through the permutations. These two would owe her, and that was never a bad thing. Because of course she could do what Ava was asking, it would be nothing to help them remember what they had been made to forget. No one knew Diana's power better than Elena. Owing her meant protection for Carolina. As did showing her own usefulness. Would Cameron be upset? She thought about it. No, the more information she had on the other regents, the more it could only help him. Haleigh? Would finding this out, as she would surely do, be enough to drive her back to Cameron. She eyed Alek. No, he was good. No matter what the circumstances turned out to be, he'd be able to charm her back to his bed. Plus, she was going to find out anyway. Ava was going to go around saying Alek was her child's father whether he was or not, because that's what she believed.

There really was no downside.

Alek, in the meantime, was having a temper tantrum, which she had zoned out for most of. But it was getting old.

She held up her hands.

"Stop."

He looked at her.

"Sit."

She gestured to the chair and raised an eyebrow.

"Please."

Once he had acquiesced, she cleared her throat.

"Now. I understand that this seems insane. I can tell you that Ava believes what she is saying, she's not intentionally deceiving you. As for me,"

[to both Ava and Alek] "I can 'root around in your mind' whenever I feel like it, anyway."

She looked at Ava.

"I'll do what you ask, but I have a seven year old to put to bed in an hour, so if we're going to do this, we should get started."
 
Hellfire Mansion - DIning Hall

Elena: "Language, amado."

He smirked.

Elena: "You'll see, mija, you'll talk to papi all the time. And visit."

"See? Lots of fun times ahead."

Cameron gave Carolina a wink as he bit into his burger. He was glad he got to speak to her like this. It felt like the first honest conversation he'd had with his daughter. Elena still seemed unmoved, but he hadn't said any of that for her. It was nice to have a family dinner, it was nice to do things as a family. And he wanted to savor this moment because he wasn't sure how things would go with Haleigh tonight, or with Elena after meeting with Haleigh.

Elena: "It's Ava. She wants me to meet her."

"...really? She's back?"

Elena: "Probably wants to call me a homewrecker and tell me to leave the country."

[to Elena:] "What the fuck? That's strange, El."

There had been no real love lost between Ava and Elena. Not that they were adversaries, but Elena's return to the mansion had put everyone on edge and it was clear that Haleigh had primed the other queens to stand strong with their sister against them. None of them were outright rude, but it was clear she was only being tolerated. It couldn't be that she needed a telepath because why wouldn't Ava have asked him. Why would she be keeping something from him? He didn't like any of this.

Elena: "What do you think? Can you help papi clean up tonight while I go meet with his friend."

He didn't want her to leave, and he almost asked her to stay, but he didn't. Ava wasn't someone to ask for any kind of help or meeting unless she really needed it. And with his future at Hellfire and his possible future with Elena, any route they could take to build ties with the other courts was a good move. And if she was asking for Elena, it was clear this was something she was not sharing with her sister queens..possibly not even her court.

Carolina:"Sure"

Elena: "Will you be okay for an hour?"

"I'd love you to stay and finish your meal with us..but, seems important."

Elena walked over to Carolina and gave her a kiss on the cheek before returning the favor, kissing Cameron on the cheek as well. It was electric. Part of him was hopeful that she was melting the ice, but he was starting to lose hope, and he didn't want to count his chickens before they hatched. Especially in Hellfire, when you blink and suddenly have six more eggs.

Elena: "Be good."

Elena left the room as Carolina began to stare at Cameron with a mischevious grin as she munched on a french fry. But she didn't speak. Cameron stared down his daughter for a few seconds before shaking his head, letting out a bit of a chuckle.

"What?"

Carolina: "Papi...she KISSED you. I'm telling you right now, I think mami likes you again. Like you know...."

Carolina began to gesture wildly with her hands wrapping them around herself and making a series of kissing noises and faces.

Carolina: "Likes you..."

The two of them burst out into a fit of laughter as Cameron grabbed her and began to tickle her wildly.

"You stop that right now, you little turd. And you better not make those kissy faces to anybody else for a LONG time."

Carolina laughed as she pulled his hands away from him and leaned back in her chair.

Carolina: "I don't know, papi. I'm gonna be in the second grade. Maybe I'll fall in love!"

Cameron did not like the sound of that, but he smiled and gave her a faux stern look.

"How bout you fall into that salad, kid. Come on, if we finish up here, we can probably watch a show or a movie before mami comes back."

Carolina: "Okay, papicito."

The two finished up their plates and began to head into the kitchen. Whatever happened tonight, nothing could take away how much he had just made his daughter laugh and how much she had just made him laugh. He didn't know what parenthood really felt like, but this was a good start.
 
NYC - The Blond

Jack: "her needs are routinely satisfied, but it's thoughtful of you to be so genuinely concerned."

He had brought it up in the first place to be a bit of a cheeky bastard, but also because he was confused on the emotional signals he was picking up, specifically when it came to The White Court. He acredited this to Diana and Cameron. It made sense that members of the white court would be very well trained in concealing their thoughts and feelings. But they couldn't hide everything from someone like Daniel. Because a lot of times, people weren't aware of how they were truly feeling. Jack however, he could read very easily, and it was clear the man, in is own stoic way, was positively stoked about Heidi. He could sense Jack getting to Heidi's heart - but there was someone else there. And that was her King. It wasn't love persay, it was respect..and a desire to grow with him. And that wasn't necessarily surprising considered the rumors he'd heard about them in his short time here, but it was something that Daniel wanted to keep an eye on. Despite his professional desires, he did care about Heidi and he made note to make sure she knew that in the days to come.

"Well thoughtful is one way to put it, Jacky. But nosy is a bit more honest. But cheers, mate."

He raised a glass. He traded a bit of small talk with Calder about the upcoming babies, because he wanted to see if people would be honest about how they felt, and one thing was clear - people were concerned about all the increased security.

AJ: "You performed that yourself? I just paid a pawn a hundred dollars to install them all in our suite, along with the little cabinet and drawer catches, and furniture securing straps, and non-slip pads under the rugs, and, and, and..."

It was a bit sweet, he guessed - to know that Alek was so excited and that he was actively working to make sure his daughter would grow up safe, despite being raised in an environment where people died, fought, fucked and plotted more death every single day. Alek was another person who was hard to read in Hellfire, not because of some kind of mental training or subterfuge, he was actually a person who was pretty straightforward in their feelings, it was because it felt like he had allowed himself to not feel certain things for a very long time to the point of they were very hard to pick up on. And his Queen did not like him, so Daniel was working hard on cracking that nut.

Heidi: "Well, I'm afraid you won't find most of us bothered about that, on account of how comfortable we've all long since gotten with the fact that The White Queen hears anything done or said within range of a cellphone, or any other smart device with a microphone and a Wi-Fi connection. If you ever see someone silently insisting you put all your electronics in the microwave, it's not the American government alphabet agencies we're worried about."

"Jesus, she's must have seen me fap it so many times by now."

He laughed loudly and took another sip of his drink. He guessed he wasn't too worried about surveillance, considering he knew how everyone actually felt about each other, and that was a lot more valuable than footage or words. He suggested a change in mood, to play a game, merely throwing out a few American party games he had heard of and Ben backed his play. Daniel was seriously hoping that Ben would have a bit of fun tonight. The guy was in pain. Daniel had made someone of a silent pact with his court that he would not 'read' them unless he felt they were becoming a danger to the court or themselves. And The Reeds kept their promises.

Heidi: "Ooh, let's play 'Never Have I Ever'. It'll be a great way to get everyone acquainted."

AJ: "I don't know what that is."

Calder: "Ooh! It's fun! And everyone gets really drunk. It's great!"

Heidi: "It's a very simple drinking game, you'll catch on quickly. The rules are simple. We take turns making a statement of something never done. Anyone who's done the thing mentioned then takes a drink, while those who haven't, abstain. For example: Never have I ever played this particular game."

She was being surprisingly demure and kind in her explanation, but he had noticed with Heidi that she seemed a lot more comfortable on the American courts than back in London. Here, it felt like she had room to breathe, and that was nice to see. Eventually they were able to get the show on the road.

Jack: "Never have I ever wanted a crown."

Daniel drank a long and dramatic sip, finishing the rest of his drink as a VIP waiter came by and refreshed his drink. Even the wait staff could see how bad he wanted one, and he had no shame. A closed mouth didn't get fed.

AJ: "Never have I ever been to Mexico."

Calder: "Talk about drunk."

To this Daniel, abstained. Born and raised in London - Mexico was not a place that the brits really entertained as a viable vacation destination, and from what he had seen of it on late night American television, he had no desire to visit anytime soon. Heidi continued to move things along, urging somebody else to go.

Calder: "Never have I ever...slept with two different people in two separate instances in 24 hours."

"Oof..."

Daniel took another long drink.

"I feel attacked....[smirking] it does make me miss boarding school, though.."

It didn't seem fair because he couldn't ask any of the questions he wanted to. Never have I ever slept with a man. Never have I ever had a salacious thought about somebody of my same gender. So he went with something a bit more lighthearted.

"Never have I ever been in a long term romantic relationship. Monogamous, serious. Official."
 
NYC - The Blond

Heidi: "Ooh, let's play 'Never Have I Ever'. It'll be a great way to get everyone acquainted."

AJ: "I don't know what that is."

Calder: "Ooh! It's fun! And everyone gets really drunk. It's great!"

Ben suddenly found himself a bit nervous. While he had been essentially raised in Hellfire, he didn't have many close relationships outside of The Black Court and some of the reagents. Most of that was because he had a lot of self doubt and anxiety. When he was a bishop, this almost helped him. He was so quiet that people tended to forget about him despite his size and stature. But he was The Black Rook now. And he wanted to make John and Ava proud. To show them that he could be different. He needed to make ties with the other courts now in an elevated manner, and if he was being honest, he really needed friends. He was never going to be the man he wanted to be if he didn't put himself out there. He needed it and his court needed it.

Heidi explained the rules and Jack kicked things off right.

Jack: "Never have I ever wanted a crown."

Ben took a sip of his scotch, though he tried to do it discreetly. He had always been jealous that the kids he grew up with ended up with crowns and he didn't. But it wasn't something he was bloodthirsty for. Ben liked to be able to spend time away, alone, doing whatever he wanted. The level of presence required of a king or queen was on another level.

AJ: "Never have I ever been to Mexico."

The Black Rook loved Mexico. He spoke fluent Spanish and a lot of his free time was spent there when he could get it. He'd been wanting to get a condo there, he just couldn't decide where he would want to live.

Calder: "Talk about drunk."

Ben raised his glass in agreement.

"I've never met a taco or a Mexican beer I didn't want fifty of."

Heidi: "Well Ben, Calder, Daniel..who's going next? Don't be shy."

Calder: "Never have I ever...slept with two different people in two separate instances in 24 hours."

Thankfully he could get a break with this one. Ben was always a one woman kind of man. Chasing tail was never a huge priority for him. He wanted love. He wanted passion. He wanted one person he could give the world to.

Daniel: "I feel attacked...[smirking] it does make me miss boarding school, though.."

Ben laughed out loud with a bellow at that one.

"Daniel Reed, ya scamp!"

Daniel: "Never have I ever been in a long term romantic relationship. Monogamous, serious. Official."

"Well, I can't tell if I'm winning or losing this game? But I'm definitely drinking a lot."

He took a long swill. The only real relationship he had ever been in had been with Cassandra, who was now living overseas as The Red Princess. In the beginning, they had something genuine. And then Talisman ruined it. Warped her mind to the point of no return. Because Kelly King Cassadine always took every opportunity to take any bit of happiness he ever had to remind him how he was like the other people he'd grown up with. But Talisman was no longer queen, and he was no longer that guy.

'I guess it's my turn, innit?"

[thinking for a minute]

"Never Have I Ever had a job outside of Hellfire."

It was easy, but he was genuinely curious. Ben had been raised in Hellfire. He grew up there and when he was fourteen, he was put to work for The Black Court. Given a stipend. It was quite literally all he ever knew. He hadn't gone to college, never been a cashier, or a barista. He wanted to know who these people may have been before they were glamourous beautiful people with titles.
 
Ava was getting pissed at the tone in Alek's voice when mentioning he knew she had brought 'a guest' back with her to New York. She finally snapped at him, knowing she was giving into his baiting tactics, but her instincts were screaming to go for the jugular. Alek, the cocky bastard that he was, knew he got her and Ava raised her hands trying to defuse the situation knowing this was not getting them anywhere. She came here to get answers and tell him that they had a daughter, not argue about petty bullshit. So finally, Ava started offering him some information as to why she called him there.

Alek: "You're right, you do sound crazy. If Helena was doing a business deal with Stavros, I'd know about it."

"Which is why I need answers."

Ava didn't directly say it, but he was right. Out of all the regents, Helena placed Alek on a golden pedestal and treated him more like a King than a Prince. Even Haleigh and Cameron didn't get that type of treatment from their mothers. So it begged the question, did he know about this? Was he aware of what Stavros and Helena were planning. If he was, Cameron would be adopting another daughter. Then, Elena showed, downing the drink Ava had originally poured for Alek before taking a seat.

Alek: "Hey, what is this? You brought Elena here? If what you're saying is true, this is Court business."

"No, this goes beyond Court business."

And that was when she finally dropped the bomb that they had a daughter. Helena wanted an heir and her father wanted another child, one whom he could mold even more so than he had Ava.

Alek: "Oh, bullshit. Look, Ava, I get it. Haleigh's having two babies when she never thought she could have one. I can imagine it's hard for you to see that happen for her, but this? This is crazy."

Ava narrowed her eyes incredulously.

"This has nothing to do with jealousy, Alek! For weeks i've been getting memory flashes of being pregnant and...you. My father confirmed it, but given his history, i'm taking everything he says with a grain of salt. So I brought Elena here for help."

Alek: "And you want me to let her, root around in my mind? What are you really after here?"

Ava scoffed out, throwing her hands up in the air out of frustration.

"ANSWERS! I want answers! I'm not here to try and kill you, or overthrow your court, or gain more power! I'm here for my daughter! To know what happened and how it happened!"

Ava shot back angrily. It was then Elena's cooler voice rose to deescalate the situation.

Elena: "Stop, Sit. Please. Now. I understand that this seems insane. I can tell you that Ava believes what she is saying, she's not intentionally deceiving you. As for me, [telepathically] [to both Ava and Alek] "I can 'root around in your mind' whenever I feel like it, anyway. I'll do what you ask, but I have a seven year old to put to bed in an hour, so if we're going to do this, we should get started."

Ava didn't underestimate Elena's powers the way Alek seemed to. Her abilities were the reason she asked Elena there in the first place. But Ava also knew Elena wasn't doing this out of the kindness of her heart and would expect something in return. And whatever that was, the Black Court would provide it. So when Elena said she was ready to proceed, Ava slowly exhaled, not exactly ready, but knowing she needed to get this done and over with.

"Look, whatever memories Diana blocked, broadcast them to him. We're both going to see the truth tonight."

Ava was a private person, and the thought of sharing personal memories with Alek of all people made her extremely uncomfortable, but she wasn't going to continue to defend herself against him and be painted a jealous liar. So Ava closed her eyes, trying to steady her breathing as the memories began to flood back to her, one by one.

FLASH

Ava sat on the bathroom floor, closing the lid to her toilet before flushing it. She had just vomited, something that was alarming to say the least. She didn't get sick, it wasn't apart of her physiology. So to be throwing up set off alarm bells, and she knew she needed to go see her Queen. Kelly was a skilled doctor, especially when it came to Ava's own physiology. She had been studied by Kelly since being merged with Persephone, so if anyone knew what might be wrong, it would be her.

FLASH

Kelly: "Good news, you're not sick."

Kelly said as she entered the examination room of her Body Shoppe.

"You're pregnant."

Ava's expression immediately went to complete shock, her mouth falling agape as she stared at Kelly in disbelief.

"I...No, that's not...I can't.."

Kelly: "You're welcome."

Ava's brows furrowed, still utterly shocked by what was happening.

"What? You did this?"

Stavros: "We did this."

Her father's voice entering the room before he did. Helena followed behind, the Red Queen looking proud of herself as she crossed her arms and looked over Kelly's shoulder at Ava's chart.

"Daddy? What the hell is going on?!"

Helena: "I have to admit, I didn't think you'd actually be able to do it."

Kelly: "Fuck you, Hels."

Helena: "What?! You just made a 2,000 year old goddess who was barren, NOT barren. The odds weren't great, sweetie."

Kelly: "You're lack of confidence is heartwarming."

Ava was beginning to go from stunned to pissed as the Queen's were joking around about a pregnancy that apparently they both had a hand in.

"WHAT IS GOING ON!?"

Stavros: "Irémise." [Calm down.]

"I'm not going to calm down! I just found out that i'm pregnant with a child that you all apparently knew about?! Planned?! I don't fucking know! But someone better tell me what the FUCK is going on!"

Helena's signature haughty laugh cut through the tension of Ava's words, as if she had just said something comical.

Helena: "Oh calm down before you give yourself a miscarriage. [sauntering over] Your *father* came to me with a proposition. Apparently you're about as useless to him as Alexis is to me--"

Stavros: [warning] "Helena."

Helena: "Well, not AS useless, but not quite the Cassadine he wants. Tomato, tomatoe. Anyway! He brokered a deal with me. I give him my prince to impregnate his daughter so he can [turning around to Stavros and Kelly] what? Start fresh? Raise a little King/Cassadine brat? [rolling her eyes as she turned back to Ava] Either way, in return I get an heir to the Red Court. One who carries my Aleksander's qualities as well as the qualities of a fucking Goddess. Perfect breeding if I do say so myself! So, of course I was on board."

Ava's breathing was starting to escalate as she listened to the horror story Helena was telling. She didn't even remember having sex with Alek, how was this even possible?

"Alek? We never--"

Helena: "Oh but you did, with a little help of course."

Helena grinned triumphantly, and it was then that Ava knew that Helena had somehow used her powers to wrap reality. Or did Alek know? Was he helping his Queen? Bile began to rise in Ava's throat.

"He knew?"

Helena: [laughing] "Aleksander fucks anything with tits, but he's no rapist. He would have never agreed to this, even if I ordered him. An unfortunate noble quality that I hope isn't passed down."

Ava was done listening to Helena, she was too entertained by the entire ordeal, as if Ava and Alek's lives were some sort of fucking game to be played with. So she looked at her father, who was eerily quiet the entire time.

"Daddy..."

Stavros: "It's what's best for the future of the club, my love. It's your duty--"

"Duty?! I'm your daughter! Not a fucking business transaction!"

Stavros: "EVERYTHING is a business transaction within these walls, Ava! You know that! You were raised here, you know what it takes to run Hellfire. We're solidifying our family lineage within both Black AND Red Courts."

"You bred me like a DOG!"

Helena: "Well, you are a bitch."

"SHUT UP!"

Stavros: "Shut up."

Kelly: "While this is all riveting, Ava's blood pressure is sky rocketing and her heart rate is off the charts. I may have pulled off the impossible, but that doesn't mean this fetus will remain viable if she doesn't calm the fuck down. So this ends now."

Ava ignored Kelly as she gripped the edge of the examination table, trying to steady herself. She could feel her heart pounding, her breathing ragged. She could see stars in her eyes as if she was about to pass out. But Ava didn't care. She needed answers from the people who decided to play God with her life.

Ava: "I can't believe you did this to me...to US! [Alek]. Does he even know?!"

Helena: "Oh God no. My prince is a lot of things, but a father material is not one of them. He's already blissfully unaware thanks to Diana."

And that was when Diana slowly walked into the room like the predatory that she was. Ava took a step back, her hip hitting the examination table and preventing her from moving back even further. Diana wasn't there for the show, she was there to make *Ava* blissfully unaware. Stavros moved forward to Ava, placing his hands on her upper arms, squeezing them 'comfortingly'. She could already feel herself start to become hazy, the world dulling around her.

[tears in her eyes] "Daddy please. Don't do this..."

Stavros: "Just breathe, my love. Just breathe."

FLASH

She didn't know why, but she needed him more than she ever needed anyone in her life. It was like the oxygen had been taken from her and the only way she could breathe was through him. Ava's mouth opened, taking in Alek's tongue. She moaned, as she pulled her body against his. She could feel his arousal pressed against her thigh. Their kisses became more urgent, Ava's fingers clawing through Alek's long hair as he pushed her back against the bedroom door. His hands reached for her thighs, tearing her black skirt to her hips allowing her to wrap her legs around his waist.

"I need you."

Ava's voice husky as she ripped the buttons of his crimson shirt, pulling the fabric apart and pushing it off his shoulders. Alek in turned pulled at Ava's black silk button down top, tearing it open like butter revealing her black lace bra. He immediately pulled down the fabric from her breast, his mouth hungrily taking her and making Ava arch into his touch.

Alek: "God, you're so fucking beautiful."

His lips and tongue trailing up her chest and neck until they met her mouth again. This time, he turned them both from the door and walked them over to the bed. Ava let her legs drop, now standing with her back to the bed as her hands frantically unbuckled his belt and pants. And then he was free of the constraints of his clothes, Ava then pealing what was left of hers off with his help. Climbing backwards onto the bed, Alek crawled forward, hovering over Ava like a fucking God. Her midnight eyes met with his blue.

"Make me scream."

FLASH

Alek held Ava from behind, her back arched like a bow as he fucked her from behind, his hand gripping her neck dominantly. Ava's cries of pleasure filled the room as he pushed his fingers into her mouth and possessively guided it to his, kissing her aggressively. Ava felt her body begin to shake as she began to come, screaming like she begged him to make her do earlier.

FLASH

Ava's hands were on either side of Alek's head as she rode him, looking down at him as her body rolled on top of his. She pushed her hips down harder with each roll, taking every inch of him to the point of him groaning in ecstasy. His hand slapped her ass before grabbing her hips, helping her ride him faster and harder. She felt herself go over the edge again, her body shuddering through the wave. It was then she felt Alek explode inside her, his own cries of pleasure matching hers.

FLASH

Ava was in and out of what felt like a dream-like state. She was heavily sedated, and had been for the four months of her pregnancy. From what she could remember, Kelly said that due to her unique physiology, her gestation period was shorter than a normal human's. It meant that they were inducing her that day.

Helena: "Are you sure she's sedated enough?"

Kelly: "If I sedate her any more i'll kill her."

Stavros: "She's fine, Helena. She needs to be coherent enough to give birth."

Helena: "Can't we just cut the baby out of her?"

Stavros: "Me ti chári tou Ádi, tha skotóso aftí ti gynaíka an den sopásei." [By the grace of Hades, i'm going to kill this woman if she doesn't shut up."

Kelly: "She has acidic blood, Helena, no we can't just cut the baby out of her. Let me do the doctoring, you go do the celebratory drinking. This baby will be here within the next few hours."

FLASH

Ava screamed in pain as she continued to push, her body weak from being sedated for months. She felt like she couldn't push anymore.

[through exhausted tears] "I can't...I can't.."

Doctor: "You have to, Ava. She's crowning, I need you to push!"

Ava bared down, pushing with every bit of strength she had. The pain as so intense, until it wasn't. That was when she heard the loud cries of her baby. Immediately, tears fell from the corners of her eyes as she watched the doctor lift the baby up to show Ava.

Doctor: "It's a girl."

Ava coughed out a cry as the nurses took the baby from the doctor. She wanted skin to skin, to hold her child against her in these precious first moments of life. But they were taking her over to the cleaning station.

“I want to see her…”

Laying on the medical bed, she watched as the doctors began to quickly clean off her little girl, wrapping her in a pink blanket and putting a little pink cap on her.

“I want to hold her.”

No one was listening to Ava. Every nurse hustling around trying to assist in post birth care, while the doctor stood with her child in his arms. Now Ava was getting pissed. Something was off. Something didn’t feel right.

“Give her to me. NOW.”

The door opened and the doctor turned toward it.

“Give me my daughter!”
That’s when she saw her father and Kelly enter the room.

“No…”

The doctor gently handed her baby to Stavros and Kelly, both of them smiling down at the infant. And for the first time in her life, Ava was terrified. The room began to rumble as she thrashed forward. Her powers unstable from the sedatives.

“NO!! GIVE ME MY BABY!”

The nurses quickly began to restrain Ava, the doctor administering more sedative per Kelly’s orders. The room began to warp, Ava crying for her child as everything around her went dark.

FLASH

Gasping, Ava stumbled back off the bar stool she was sitting on as if an electric shock jolted her from it. She held her head, turning away from both Alek and Elena as she gripped a near by table to steady herself. It felt like her head was spinning and on fire all at the same time. The memories Diana had blocked now playing on repeat over and over again. Oh my Gods. She thought, not wanting to believe what her father had told her....but everything he said being 100% the truth. It made her sick to her stomach that they used both herself and Alek for a power play within Hellfire.

Alek. He was Lily's father, there was no doubt about it now. She had a child with the Red King. A man who hated her, and whom she hated in return. Everything was about to change in her life and within Hellfire. The room felt like it was closing in around her. She needed to stay calm. She couldn't let her mask drop in front of them [Alek and Elena]. Breathe. Just breathe...
 
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Tokyo — Imperial Palace, East Garden

Aito walked along the gravel path in the East Garden. He loved this time of year, when the trees began to change. Leaves awash with color, some the shade reminiscent of blood, and then they’d all fall. The flora would feign death for a while, only to be revived in the spring, as alive as ever. He knew exactly what that transformation was like. He’d been awash in blood himself once, and appeared quite dead, only to return months later, vibrant and strong. But he was not a tree. It had not been Mother Nature, but human nature, that had done that to him.

When he came back, he’d had to deal with some things. He’d had to avenge himself. It wasn’t that long ago, but it was all in his past now. He was looking forward, and enjoying his stroll through the garden. As usual there were tourists, but he didn’t mind them. He’d just come from a private meeting with the emperor, where he’d reassured the man that everything was progressing as expected. That was not exactly the truth. In some cases, yes. He had control of his yakuza branch. He was gaining power. Despite the loss of his friend and ally, Kenji’s widow had taken up the cause, and was cleaning up around town. Of course it could be said she was painting the town red with blood, but it was all in one’s perspective.

In other respects, things were not going so smoothly. His dealings with Archer Fairchild had turned sour. The Brit had ghosted him, and the assets Aito had been helping him acquire were now all identified as Tricell. And American company, and the rebranding made Aito quite uncomfortable in it’s unfamiliarity. He took a seat at a bench, so he could sit a while and appreciate the view while he mulled over his thoughts.

He wondered how Viv was fairing with the American. Though Aito was interested in learning how the man’s physiology worked, it wasn’t really the brother they were interested in. It was the sister. She was elusive, but from what they’d heard, she would be the one to talk to about this Tricell business. She was gaining quite the reputation in Japan lately, but most native Japanese were not comfortable dealing with outsiders. They’d been burned too many times by the capitalists. Aito had more of an open mind. He would work with whomever, if their interests were aligned. His gaze scanned the different tourists walking by. Could he be so lucky as to come across her here, serendipitously?
 
Smoke

Ava was trying to tell him that they had a child together, and neither of them knew about it. That no one knew about it. It was ludicrous. But he tried to calm down. What was going on was clear. Haleigh's pregnancy had affected her more than any of them had realized, and Alek wasn't completely heartless. He could understand, now that he'd experienced watching his daughter grow inside Haleigh, what it might feel like if you knew you could never experience that yourself. So he tried to sympathize.

Ava: "This has nothing to do with jealousy, Alek! For weeks I've been getting memory flashes of being pregnant and...you. My father confirmed it, but given his history, I'm taking everything he says with a grain of salt. So I brought Elena here for help."

He took exception to the idea that he would just let a telepath waltz right into his mind on some wild good chase. He suspected there was something else going on here, something else she wanted to know. How she could have enlisted Elena in it, he had no idea, because it seemed so unlikely. He had thought he had come to an understanding with Elena, actually.

Ava: "ANSWERS! I want answers! I'm not here to try and kill you, or overthrow your court, or gain more power! I'm here for my daughter! To know what happened and how it happened!"

Elena interrupted, and asked him to sit, which after a moment, he did. She confirmed, as much as she could be believed, that Ava at least believed what she was telling him. Realistically, Elena had no skin in an alliance with Ava. Ava was much more likely to help Haleigh have her deported. Alek, however, was an alliance that even Elena had considered valuable, enough to approach him about it her first day back in the mansion. It was much more dangerous for Elena to lie to him, he decided. She needed him on board so he wouldn't try to prevent her daughter from taking a position on the White Court, one that could conceivably go to Rebekah by birthright. He vaguely wondered if there had ever been a regent who had ruled two courts simultaneously...

In truth, Elena didn't seem like she was scheming. Though he knew she usually was. She actually seemed...bored.

He sighed out and shook his head, then wiped his hands over his face.

"Okay, then. But only so we can all see the truth and put this ridiculous fantasy behind us."

Ava: "Look, whatever memories Diana blocked, broadcast them to him. We're both going to see the truth tonight."

They both sat facing Elena, and when she was ready, he began to see memories in his head, playing like a movie. Except the ones that he was in, he could feel as well. Like he had been there. Because he had. It wasn't a trick. Somehow he knew that. He didn't want to believe it. But he could remember.

The connection broke, and Ava turned away from them. Alek was sweating, his breathing rapid. His hand went to his collar, as if to loosen the tie that wasn't there. He stood up abruptly and took a step towards Elena, his eyes pleading.

"I didn't rape her!"

He pointed at Ava. Then he turned towards Ava's back.

"I didn't rape you! They made me think...I felt..."

Alek rushed behind the nearby bar and retched into the garbage can. When he stood up, he barely looked at the two women before he fled through doors that led to the rooftop terrace.
 
Smoke

Alek was disbelieving, but Elena could see it was more denial than that he didn't believe what Ava was telling him. He didn't want to believe. Helena had betrayed him deeply, in his opinion, and this, if true, would be an even deeper one. But he agreed, albeit thinking it would disprove Ava's claims.

Ava: "Look, whatever memories Diana blocked, broadcast them to him. We're both going to see the truth tonight."

Elena cast a haughty eye on Ava.

"I know my own business, thank you."

Elena scooted her chair backwards, and motioned to the others.

"Face me."

She cleared her throat.

"Revealing the memories in real time will be easier for you, less traumatic, than letting them come all at one time. Don't fight me. Fighting me will make it more painful."

Elena closed her eyes, entering their minds at the same time, searching. It was like unlocking a puzzle. Moving the pieces just so. Until something clicked. It was excellent work. Brilliant really. And Elena would have expected nothing less from its artist. It was not lost on her that these were the people who had killed her. That she could get revenge for that egregious act right here and now. But no, there was no sense living in the past. She had to look to the future. Her daughter's future.

She slowly undid the block that was preventing them from remembering. And with their minds linked, they all saw those newly revealed memories. Even to Elena, it was horrific. That the White Queen had allowed this, that Helena had...this was a level of cruelty on someone who was not their enemy. Someone - two someones - who were supposed to be theirs.

Ava broke the connection first, then Alek. He ran out of the room, couldn't take it. She'd known that was a possibility, that it would break him. Altering someone's mind to this magnitude was risky. They had to have wanted the outcome badly.

Elena stood and went to Ava, put a hand on her shoulder. Taking someone's child was unconscionable. She couldn't justify what the queens had done. What Ava's own father had done. That they had made her forget her child completely was somehow worse.

"I'm sorry."

Elena pulled Ava back to her chair and sat her down. She poured her another drink, and put the glass into her hands. Elena knelt and looked up into Ava's face with sadness.

"Try not to be too hard on him. We all deal with violation in different ways. He didn't know. He didn't remember."

Elena mentally moved her chair closer, and sat in it, putting her hands around Ava's.

"There's something you should see."

Elena was in her mind again. This was a memory of Alek's, one she hadn't yet shared with Ava.

Helena reached over and patted his hand. There were sitting in the back of a limousine.

Helena: "I'm so glad you could accompany me to this meeting, Aleksander. You are such a help to me."

He smiled over at her, adoringly.

Alek: "That's what I'm here for, my Queen."

She smiled that cheshire cat smile of hers.

Helena: "Tell me, what do you think of Ava?"

This question surprised him.

Alek: "Well, she's really smart. And she has a really great dry sense of humor. Her business sense is off the charts - she's going to be running all her father's companies soon. And she's beautiful, of course."

Helena: "Have the two of you ever..."

She waved her hand in the air. He laughed.

Alek: "No, no. I tried a couple of times, but she wasn't interested, so I backed off."

Helena nodded, and seemed to muse on that for a moment.

Helena: "What if I asked you to seduce her?"

He smiled.

Alek: "Of course I'd do whatever you asked, but I can tell you, it wouldn't work. I can tell when a woman's not interested. She wouldn't go for it."

The car pulled up outside an exclusive hotel. Alek got out of the car and opened Helena's door, helping her out of the car. They rode up to the penthouse, and upon entering the suite he saw the White Queen in the room.

Helena: "It's a no go. You'll have to make him."

He turned to Helena in confusion. He could feel her power signature ramping up.

Alek: "What are you-"

Then there was a voice in his head.

"The woman you love is in the bedroom, Aleksander. Go to her..."

Elena let go of Ava's hands.

"After...she wiped his memory of what he'd done."

Elena rose from her chair. Now she needed a drink. She took Alek's glass and filled it.

"It was smart, actually. He couldn't have lived with himself if he'd known what he'd done."

She sat back down, and looked over at Ava, scrutinizing her.

"I could make you forget again, if you would like."

She took a drink.

"But I can't promise that the trauma wouldn't still manifest in you in other ways. Or that the memories would never come back, as they have this time."
 
The Red Queen's Suite

Ashley was just feeding the baby when she heard Haleigh come into her room. She wanted to get McDonald's, which Ashley was all for. Supposedly Haleigh was "cheating" on her "healthy" diet. Ashley scoffed at that. What was healthy about that shit?

Haleigh: ”I don’t know, something about essential minerals and nutrients? Look, I have to give Erika a victory somewhere, alright, I’m concerned if I fight her on the diet thing, she’ll curse my libido or my ability to climax or something absolutely crazy.”

"Minerals? Like the stuff they mine from the ground?"

Ashley didn't know whether Erika was crazier for suggesting it, or Haleigh for eating it. Luckily, "health food" was out, at least for tonight. She hurried into the sitting room to quickly hide the present she was making for Haleigh and Alek's daughter. Haleigh followed her in, bringing two containers of ice cream with her.

Haleigh: ”Appetizers?”

"Absolutely."

She took the carton and spoon that Haleigh offered, and peeled off the top. Ashley casually mentioned she was surprised Alek had left her side, since Ashley had thought he was glued there permanently.

Haleigh: ”You’re fucking with me, right? He leaves all the time now for ‘security issues’.”

"Oh, really?"

Ash responded with a mouth full of ice cream, so it came out mostly unintelligible.

Haleigh: ”At least this time it’s just a consult with Ava, who just got back from Europe. Every fuckin day, he‘s off to have hushed little discussions with that girl in security control.”

Ash swallowed.

"Zizi?"

Haleigh stabbed her spoon into her ice cream like she was stabbing it through Zizi's eye.

Haleigh: “I swear if I see them on a camera feed fucking somewhere, I’m gonna push her naked ass down the grand staircase in her fucking chair, and then probably impale her on a giant steel dick and set her up on a pedestal in the foyer.”

Ashley's eyes grew wide and she went back in for another large bite of ice cream.

"Damn."

Haleigh: ”Fuck, I said that out loud, didn’t I? Ugh, I‘m not seriously gonna do that. Probably. I’m just hangry. Or hormonal, I don’t know.”

She looked up at Haleigh quizzically.

"Probably. Because - Zizi? Really? I mean, she's pretty and everything, but I don't really see it."

She licked the back of her spoon.

"The thing you have to understand about Alek - he doesn't mess around like other men mess around. He's not looking to recapture his youth, or be reassured of his power, or make his wife jealous. It is completely about the sex. So as long as he's getting it from you, he doesn't need to go anywhere else."

Ashley pointed the spoon at Haleigh then.

"Plus, the only thing Alek's ever wanted since he came here, other than to be king, is you. Now that he has you? He's not looking at anyone else. Nobody knows that better than me."

Ashley pulled her legs up next to her on the sofa, and took another bite.

Haleigh: ”She’s not really an issue, just an easy target. Ash, I don’t know how you do it. The sheer fucking internal strength you must have, that I never even realized. I’ve been estranged from Cameron for three weeks, and it’s just… brutal. We pass each other in the hall and we don’t speak unless it’s court business. We’re gonna sign these papers and I just know it’s gonna make things worse. I can’t run a fucking court like this.”

Ashley sighed and set down the ice cream carton.

"You now how you do it? Every decision, every thing you do, is whatever is best for your court. If you and Cameron keep that front and center? You can do it. If you let every interaction disintegrate into you versus him, and end up screaming at each other? It's not going to work. And now you can do even one better: everything you do, is what's best for those babies."

She gave Haleigh a little smile.

"Someone reminded me of something recently: queens rule at Hellfire. YOU are the White Queen. Cameron is only the White King because of you. He's only on the White Court because of you. He doesn't get to dictate to you. And if that's not the relationship you have right now?"

She finished off the mug of wine that was still on the side table next to her.

"Then find a way to make it so."

She shook her head.

"Look, Alek hurt me. Badly. I wouldn't have survived if it wasn't for AJ. For a long time I wasn't in a place where I could scream at him. I was defeated. But it didn't last. And I took back my crown."

Ashley paused, then looked Haleigh in the eyes.

"Alek loves you. He's loved you I think since the first day he met you. I was a fool to think that would just go away because you weren't available. And I don't begrudge you that. If he makes you happy, that's wonderful. But I have to ask the question: is the reason you're having such a problem with this separation that you're not ready to let Cameron go? I mean, Cameron has made some questionable choices lately and I'm certainly not his champion, but - is this divorce what you really want?"
 
NYC — The Blonde

Adriana cupped Erika’s hand in her own for stability as she snorted up the powder, and then she made a pass at Erika when the opportunity presented itself. But she hedged that there would be no hard feelings, if Erika wasn’t into it. The way Erika smiled at that gave Adriana a thrill. Erika was warning her not to make promises she couldn’t keep, that she didn’t just fuck, she devoured. Adriana wondered if the air conditioning in this place had broken, or if it was just her that felt so hot. Maybe it was the cocaine, maybe it was the company.

“Duly noted.”

She replied, slaking her thirst with a big gulp. Then she turned the question on Erika, asking who the Princess would pursue if she had a free pass, and she admitted to being impressed by the fact that Erika had been for a ride on the lap of the former White Rook. She added, honestly, that she was sad to see him go to Europe. The man was a legendary lover, according to everyone. Erika started by saying that they hated him now.

“Oh shit really?”

She asked, and Erika explained it all, ending in his pursuit of Brienne Shaw. So we hate the European Black Queen then too, I guess. She thought, and then Erika went through the roster, offering her assessments. Heidi was hot but took her job too seriously. John, the King of the Black Court, was appealing.

“Oh, I think I misunderstood the assignment, professor.”

Adriana purred over the rim of her glass.

“I thought you meant only our tier. I suppose I should have known to include the Royals as well. Yes, I agree, who wouldn’t enjoy a good taste of that dark chocolate?”

Adriana remarked, and Erika declared that Ben was too sad.

“Hmm, he doesn’t strike me that way. More like pensive. And intriguing.”

Adriana interjected, and then Erika mentioned Amanda, noting an appeal that Adriana hadn’t considered. And then she shared some scandalous gossip that Adriana hadn’t heard yet, that the Black and Red Knights had spent a night together. Adriana would not have seen that coming. Tonight was the very first time she’d seen AJ without the Red Queen. Then Erika suggested she’d like to peg Daniel, and Adriana laughed at that visual.

“I honestly don’t think he’d let you, he only gazes longingly at guys.”

She said, and then Erika moved on to the Red Court. Erika would apparently do Jack to get under Heidi’s skin. It was a dangerous game to play, but Adriana admired her moxie. Erika found AJ attractive too, but Adriana just wrinkled her nose and finished her drink. Another was brought over to her promptly, as Erika shared her thoughts on Ashley. Getting head AND a cheeseburger from the Red Queen? Adriana’s head tilted back, her eyes closing briefly.

“Mmm, that fantasy will keep me wet for a while.”

She replied with a smirk. Her eyes snapped open again.

“Yeah I think the only way I’d let Savage paw at me is if it were part of a threesome with her. Any chance of THAT happening, in your professional opinion?”

Adriana asked playfully, and then Erika leaned in. What she said made Adriana’s pulse quicken. She smiled coquettishly, locking eyes with the Princess.

“Well, then… we probably shouldn’t. Because I guarantee you’ll be stuck thinking about it in the morning.”

She said. A slow jam started to play, and Adriana smiled as she recognized it. Then, she held up a finger.

“Oh, wait! You forgot a couple people. I’ll give you a pass on your brother, but what about our Queen? Pretty sure I’d let her do anything to ME. Have you seen too much of her pregnant to think of her that way? And then there’s Ava, of course. I think I know exactly why the Black King has kept her in Paris for three weeks. It’d take that long for me to do everything I wanted to do to her, too.”

Adriana said, her eyebrows wiggling. The song faded out, and suddenly Ben’s laughter bellowed nearby. Adriana looked over at the rest of the group, to find smiles all around.

“Well I’ll be damned, they actually started having fun. Maybe we should rejoin them now that they’ve all managed to shit out their sticks. But first, pharmaceutical?”

She suggested, pulling an altoids tin from her clutch and popping it open to reveal an assortment of pills normally requiring a prescription. She didn’t think she’d need to explain what was what to Erika, if she was getting the right impression.
 
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Ava jolted out of the memories, unable to take anymore of what she was seeing. It was a painful shock, causing her to stumble off of the barstool she was sitting on and toward a nearby table knocking it. She turned away, holding her head as she grabbed the edge of the table, steadying herself. Her breathing was rapid, feeling like she couldn't get enough air into her lungs. Her head spinning with everything she just saw. My own father...She thought to herself, her head hanging as she hunched over the table with her eyes shut trying to calm herself. The thought of ever doing anything as malicious as he had done to her to Lily was inconceivable, and she had just barely met her child. But Stavros? He raised Ava from the moment she was born. Tears fell onto her cheeks as she took in a shaky breath trying not to break down crying.

Alek: "I didn't rape her! I didn't rape you! They made me think...I felt..."

Ava didn't turn to look at Alek, her eyes shutting tightly and face contorting in pain as she heard him bellowing that this hadn't been an act of rape. The pain in his voice was evident, and him throwing up afterwards only solidified that this was just as horrifying for him as it was for Ava. She heard a commotion of what sounded like glass bottles clanking together, then the door to the terrace being forcefully pushed open. The cold winters air blew into the main lounge, blowing the hair that had been shielding Ava's face over her shoulders. Her breathing had steadied at this point though her body was still trembling from a combination of adrenaline, pain, and anger.

Elena: "I'm sorry."

The tears had stopped, dried now on her cheeks. She stared blankly at the table top, even as Elena placed her hand on Ava's shoulder. She could feel her guiding her back to her chair, but it felt like she wasn't even in her body in that moment. Elena poured her another drink, Ava's hands trembling as she took the glass. Elena then kneeled in front of her, forcing Ava to finally look at her. The sadness within Elena's eyes spoke volumes. This was why she didn't want Cameron doing this, she knew he would have flown off the handles, declaring murderous revenge on his mother after unblocking the memories. Elena remained calm, and fuck did Ava need calm.

Elena: "Try not to be too hard on him. We all deal with violation in different ways. He didn't know. He didn't remember."

Ava didn't respond, instead only drinking the drink Elena poured her. Elena soon sat back down, moving closer to Ava and putting her hands on her. Ava's body tensing just enough to show discomfort.

Elena: "There's something you should see."

With glassy eyes.

"I don't want to see anymore.."

Her words a whisper, the thought of there being more making her stomach turn. But Elena proceeded anyway, Ava shutting her eyes as she watched Alek's memory of that day. Helena had asked him to seduce her, but he declined, saying that he had tried his advances in the past but without success. It wasn't that Ava wasn't interested in him, he was incredibly sexy, smart, and charming as all hell. But Ava wasn't about to be another notch on his bed post for him to tick off. She didn't want to be another conquest fulfilled, so she turned him down. But to hear him tell his own Queen that he couldn't seduce her and watch as Helena lead him down a path of deception made Ava flinch within the memory. Helena had made Alek believe he was absolutely head over heels in love with Ava, the feeling being reciprocated by Ava toward him in that moment. That night they didn't fuck, they had made love to each other, both truly believing that they were IN love with each other. They were both willing participants, however the circumstances had been warped to benefit the situation. Ava’s eyes slowly opened as the memory faded.

Elena: "After...she wiped his memory of what he'd done. It was smart, actually. He couldn't have lived with himself if he'd known what he'd done."

Ava looked over toward the terrace doors. Maybe keeping these memories locked away was better than actually reliving them. Ava began to question why she went through with it.

Elena: "I could make you forget again, if you would like. But I can't promise that the trauma wouldn't still manifest in you in other ways. Or that the memories would never come back, as they have this time."

Looking back over at Elena at the offer she was proposing, it was tempting. To go back to being blissfully unaware of what happened but with full knowledge of her daughter. But Ava shook her head, declining. As much as she wanted to forget, she needed to live in this moment. A blinding reminder as to why they killed the old regime and what type of people they were to do this to their own loved ones.

"No. I was already getting flashbacks before you helped...these memories don't want to be suppressed any longer."

Ava mused softly. She took Elena's hand, her own finally had stopped trembling. The telepath didn't have to do this. She could have killed them both, lobotomize them, or worse. Ava wasn't naive to think it was done out of the kindness of her heart, but still, she owed Elena.

"Thank you."

Her eyes unwavering as she looked into Elena's.

"I owe you. Whatever you need. You have my word."

Ava stood, walking past Elena toward the terrace and out the doors. The air was even colder than it felt earlier as the wind blew pieces of Ava's chocolate hair across her face. The terrace had lounge seating around a giant fire pit, a smaller bar off to the side, and some small tables placed around the perimeter of the glass railing that allowed for a perfect city view. She saw Alek sitting on one of the loungers positioned around the fireplace, a bottle of Jack Daniels 12 year sitting next to him. Ava slowly approached, pausing a moment behind him before rounding the lounger and taking a seat next to him. She looked at the flames of the fire, quiet for a few moments.

"I'm sorry..."

She finally said softly. But apologizing felt so empty for such a heavy revelation.

"I never imagine it would -- that they could have...."

Shaking her head, Ava's words were lost to her as she lowered her head and sighed. She saw Alek's hand gripping the lounge cushion, his knuckles white. She placed her hand on his, gripping it, finally looking over at him. She could see the flames flickering against his glassy eyes, his face blank.

"I know you didn't rape me. Hey..."

Taking his face with her other hand, she guided it so he could look at her.

"You didn't rape me."

She wanted to make sure he heard her. That he understood this was not an act of violation on his part. This was an act of manipulation on Helena's part.

"I wanted to be there, in that moment, with you. I wanted you. The circumstances of the situation are what became a grey area. I don't want you thinking you hurt me....even though i'm sure you've dreamt of violence toward me many times before."

Ava grimly joked with a small scoff, trying to lighten the mood somewhat. But more so to show him she wasn't blaming him for what happened. If she had any inclination that he was involved or did this purposely, the terrace would have been painted red with his blood. But the Red King was many things, and a rapist was not one of them.
 
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Smoke - Terrace

Alek sat alone on an empty lounge chair, staring out over the city. He brought the bottle of liquor he'd taken from the bar on the way out to his lips and took a long drink. His face was blank. Everything seemed so unreal.

He felt Ava sit down next to him.

Ava: "I'm sorry...I never imagine it would -- that they could have...."

Her apologizing was the one thing he couldn't stand. His eyes glistened.

Ava: "I know you didn't rape me. Hey..."

She turned his face towards her, but he still averted his eyes.

Ava: "You didn't rape me."

He looked at her then, and he tilted his head, the pain evident in his eyes.

Ava: "I wanted to be there, in that moment, with you. I wanted you. The circumstances of the situation are what became a grey area. I don't want you thinking you hurt me....even though I'm sure you've dreamt of violence toward me many times before."

He turned his head away, looking back out over the city again. But there was the ghost of a smile on his lips.

"Ah. There's that sarcastic wit."

Alek didn't know that Ava had seen that memory, but the thought came to him without thinking about it.

"I wish-"

He took another drink from his bottle.

"I wish I could bring them back to life...so I could kill them all over again."

He didn't have to tell her who he was talking about. He shook his head.

"I loved Helena. Like she was my own mother. More than I loved my own mother, actually. That she would do this-"

His jaw clenched.

"I hate her."

A single tear rolled down his cheek. He wiped it away hastily.

"And the worst part? The very worst? They didn't need to do any of it. Kelly is a premier biological researcher. She could have taken a little of you and a little of me and made a child in a lab far from here. But that's not what they did. They made us..."

He swallowed.

"...do that. And then they had you carry that baby inside you. For what reason? To hurt you."

He finally turned and looked at her, his face full of anguish.

"I'm so sorry, Ava. I never would have done that to you, I swear. If I had known what was happening...I would have stopped them. I would have."

He was such a fraud. Only weeks ago he'd waxed poetic to Erika about how he would have protected her. And what had he done when Ava had needed him? Nothing. He turned away, looking down into his lap.

"What did you tell her about me? About..."

He waved a hand in the air.

"...all this? What are you going to tell her?"

He swallowed.

"I want to meet her."
 
Smoke - Inside

Elena offered to remove Ava's memories again, if they were too painful for her.

Ava: "No. I was already getting flashbacks before you helped...these memories don't want to be suppressed any longer."

Elena smiled.

"Good girl."

Ava took her hand, which she had to admit, surprised Elena.

Ava: "Thank you."

Elena nodded, a little taken aback.

Ava: "I owe you. Whatever you need. You have my word."

Ava stood, and Elena knew she was going after Alek.

"Ava-"

Elena stood as well, gathering her bag.

"You'll have to tell Cameron about your daughter. If you don't, I will."

She slipped her bag over her arm.

"But the details. They're between you and me."

She nodded.

"And also-"

Elena paused.

"No matter the pain surrounding her birth, your daughter is a gift. Trust me. She'll change your life."

She smiled and turned, heading out to the car. She could just make bed time.
 
The pain was evident in Alek's eyes, even as he stared forward at the fire. But guilt was what was written all over his face. She could tell he blamed himself, thinking that he somehow raped her on some level when that was the furthest thing from the truth. Helena had made them both believe they were in love with each other, and they both acted on it. So Ava placed her hand on his cheek, turning his face so he could look at her when she told him she knew he didn't rape her. He tried to avoid eye contact, tilting his face into her hand with a vulnerability Ava had never seen in Alek before. But she promised he didn't hurt her, at least not in the way he likely dreamt about in prior years. A dark joke to try and lighten the mood.

Alek: "Ah. There's that sarcastic wit."

Ava gave a half smile at that, the joke semi working.

Alek: "I wish- I wish I could bring them back to life...so I could kill them all over again."

Ava took the bottle from him, taking a swig herself.

"Me too."

Ava handed the bottle back to him, wishing she could have made Stavros suffer the way he had made her suffer.

Alek: "I loved Helena. Like she was my own mother. More than I loved my own mother, actually. That she would do this-I hate her."

Ava nodded, looking over at Alek as he wiped a rogue tear that had fallen. Helena had treated him like a golden boy since the moment he stepped foot into Hellfire. He never understood the trauma that she, Haleigh, Cameron, and Erika went through at the hands of their parents. He had never been present for that--experienced it first hand. At least not until now. On some level Ava had always resented Alek for how he was treated by Helena, and the way he in turn treated Ava as if she was a spoiled brat who got whatever she wanted handed to her because of her last name and familial ties to Hellfire. He had never understood the depths of the depravity the children who were raised in Hellfire went through. But now he did.

"I know..."

She said softly, sympathizing with him.

Alek: "And the worst part? The very worst? They didn't need to do any of it. Kelly is a premier biological researcher. She could have taken a little of you and a little of me and made a child in a lab far from here. But that's not what they did. They made us....do that. And then they had you carry that baby inside you. For what reason? To hurt you."

Ava's brows furrowed in pain at what he said, quickly looking away as the burn of tears returned. She looked out toward the skyline, breathing through the pain.

"It builds strength. At least, that's what Stavros told me for years."

Her father using traumatic moments like this and passing them off as 'life lessons' to make her stronger. It was all bullshit. Alek turned to her, prompting Ava to look back at him. She had kept herself from letting the tears fall, even now, with as vulnerable as Alek was being, Ava didn't want to break down in front of him.

Alek: "I'm so sorry, Ava. I never would have done that to you, I swear. If I had known what was happening...I would have stopped them. I would have."

Ava nodded, knowing that was true. Even though she had questioned him possibility being involved before, there was no doubt in her mind now that Alek would have never cross that line, no matter his prior dislike or hatred for her.

"I know. I know...Thank you for saying that."

Ava inhaled a deep breath as Alek moved onto the topic of Lily. This was why she had come to him, the memories only being a means of getting answers, but instead causing so much more pain than they both ever realized.

Alek: "What did you tell her about me? About......all this? What are you going to tell her?"

Ava hesitated for a moment, looking away from him.

"I um...I didn't know what to tell her. I was scared that you...wouldn't want anything to do with her...because of me."

Despite her best efforts, Ava's voice cracked as tears fell to her cheeks. She quickly wiped them away.

"I didn't want to break her heart, so I just told her that Stavros made a mistake...that he didn't know we were both alive. That she would come live with me and...that she would meet you when we got to New York. I tried to keep it as vague as possible..."

Just in case.

She finished the thought in her head. Ava pressed the tips of her fingers to her eyes, roughly rubbing them as she rested her elbows onto her knees. The truth was, there was no gauging how Alek would have reacted to this news when Ava was preparing this meeting. But this? This was not at all how she was expecting him to be. He seemed different. And a part of Ava felt guilty for the fear she felt before.

Alek: "I want to meet her."

Finally Ava looked over at Alek, gently nodding.

"John's bringing her here. They should be here any minute."

Ava studied Alek's expression for a moment, his eyes. Without thinking, she reached up and traced the pad of her thumb along his brow bone to the creases on his temple.

"She has your eyes.."

The color, the inquisitiveness, the fire. They looked so much like Aleks. Ava pulled her hand back, realizing what she did. She quickly changed the subject.

"Ellaria. Her name is Ellaria...but she goes by Lily."
 
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NYC — The Blonde

This was not where AJ would choose to be, nor what he would be doing, if it were entirely up to him. Yet, there was worth in spending time with the others. The White Princess had the right idea. A pack needed to be bonded to survive. So here he was. At least there was food, and whiskey. Unfortunately he could not have his Queen here with him, due to the nature of this arrangement. He reminded himself that he was doing it for her, though, and it made the chore easier.

She had been so torn up about losing him, at the cabin. She’d been so afraid. He came around to understanding that she felt like he was vulnerable. His only solid friend was Jack, so he supposed she had a point. He could fix that, though. He could make more friends. He could get to the point where nobody (who was anybody) would want to hurt him. Then maybe she would not feel that fear any longer. He helped himself to the snack food, wondering when the steaks would be delivered. He was comfortable sitting with Jack, and familiar with Heidi. Over the last few weeks he’d grown accustomed to Calder, too. The others, though. He didn’t know how to connect with any of them, so instead of blundering into the attempt, he sat back and observed. And ate, of course.

Erika thanked them for coming and wanted to dance to the loud noises that AJ would not have called ‘music’. He told her politely that Jack didn’t dance and this cacophony would not do for a foxtrot. He might’ve been half a beast now, but he’d once been a gentlemen. A thousand moons ago, but still, he remembered. He suggested Calder might be interested, but Adriana volunteered instead, warning Ben not to ‘roofie’ her drink, whatever that meant. Daniel Reed, the new Black Court member, brought up the thing that had take over their lives lately: preparations for the twins. Conversation ensued, about the increase in camera feeds. Daniel was concerned he wouldn’t be able to shit privately, but AJ didn’t see why that would be an issue. Calder remarked that Daniel needed more fiber in his diet, and AJ snorted at that. His mouth was full though, so he couldn’t comment, just back-handed Calder’s shoulder playfully, giving him a big grin.

Daniel suggested they play a party game, and Ben agreed. Heidi suggested Never have I ever, which AJ had never heard of. Calder seemed excited about it though, and it involved drinking, so AJ figured he’d be willing to try. Heidi, who was usually a bit standoffish, graciously explained the rules of the game, and demonstrated. It was rather straight forward, as it turned out. AJ got his first chance to drink when Jack mentioned wanting a crown. It wasn’t so much that he coveted the position for himself, but he would have done anything and everything necessary to be the King his Ashley deserved to have, and so he wanted it.

He drank, and actually found it interesting seeing who else did too. Jack had gotten everyone else to drink on his turn, even Ben, who tried to be sneaky about his sip. It was AJ’s turn then, and he had no idea of what to say at first. He thought about his life, the many years of it. Then he settled on never having been to Mexico. Calder was apparently a very big fan of drinking, which AJ could appreciate, and Ben started to come out of his shell.

Calder stepped up to go next, saying that he’d never slept with two different people separately within 24 hours. AJ’s mind didn’t have to go back very far for that, just to his ill-advised dalliance with the Black Night, which was followed up by his return to the Red Queen’s bed. He drank, and so did Jack, and Daniel, who said he felt attacked.

“I wouldn’t. 24 hours is a very long time in Hellfire, and it’s all too easy to get waylaid there.”

Heidi: “Wait, what qualifies as sleeping with someone?”

Jack: “Heidi if you have to ask, just drink.”

She smiled, shrugged, and drank. Ben didn’t, though he laughed about it. Then Daniel said he’d never been in a long term relationship, specifically a monogamous one. AJ drank once for his late wife, and then he drank deeply for the relationship he was in, which he hoped would never end. Neither Jack nor Heidi lifted their glass, but Ben did. AJ glanced curiously at Calder, to see if he’d drink.

AJ was starting to think this night was actually becoming enjoyable. Heidi had been correct, it was a fun way to get acquainted. Then Ben took his turn, saying that he’d never had a job outside of Hellfire. AJ, Jack, and Heidi, who’d all come to Hellfire as adults, drank. The waitress showed up to drop off a fresh round of refreshments, just in time.

Heidi: “Never Have I Ever… attended High School Prom.”

“Hmph. Never Have I Ever attended high school.”

He retorted, and Heidi smiled, then took a tiny sip before saying she’d dabbled once but not for long. Jack didn’t drink, though, and AJ realized suddenly that Jack never talked about his childhood. Then it occurred to him that he’d skipped Jack’s turn.

“Oh, sorry brother, I took your turn.”

Jack: “No harm, no foul. Never Have I Ever understood just how much we all have in common.”

Said the Red Bishop, raising his glass as if to toast. AJ smiled, and clinked his glass against Jack’s before drinking this time, because that was true before tonight, but he’d come to the realization now just as Jack had.
 
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NYC - The Blond

Adriana was a good time. It was nice to meet someone at Hellfire that just kind of matched her own pace, where she didn't feel she had to be as careful with her words. Not that she was every all that careful with her words, but being White Princess meant that she did have to take them into consideration at times, and it was hard work for Erika. A lot of the attention she got as a girl was being the one who made family gatherings painful and who was apt to spill any kind of secret loudly and in front of an audience and old habits died hard. These days, she was doing good - but still, it was nice to feel like she was in good company.

They shared their rankings of Hellfire's hottest as the music began to change to something aptly titled and setting the mood.

Adriana: "Oh, wait! You forgot a couple people. I'll give you a pass on your brother, but what about our Queen? Pretty sure I'd let her do anything to ME. Have you seen too much of her pregnant to think of her that way?"

"I've known her since I was born. And she's always been a bitch to me. And to my brother until she decided that she loved him back. And yes...I've seen way too much of her snatch in a clinical manner to ever feel the need to devour it. She's gorgeous, I'll give her that. But too much bad blood there."

Erika had actually been through a lot in Hellfire with Haleigh. Things that only the two of them knew. It had been unfortunate that their mothers had raised them as rivals, because there was a lot of connection between them. They were making up for lost time now, but she also knew who Haleigh really was - motherhood seemed to suit her, but she was just as hungry for power as Cameron, and she still couldn't be sure if this little truce between them was going to last.

Adriana: "And then there's Ava, of course. I think I know exactly why the Black King has kept her in Paris for three weeks. It'd take that long for me to do everything I wanted to do to her, too."

Erika groined and down the rest of her champagne quickly. Where as things were always kinds of shades of grey with Haleigh, she'd had a LOT more of an adversarial relationship with Ava growing up. Ava and Cameron were the favorites of The Black Court, and despite her mother HATING Ava, for some reason she was allowed to be Princess. SHE was the one everyone looked at, wanted to groom for leadership. Ava was the girl every boy wanted in Hellfire, and she knew it, and Erika would NEVER admit jealousy over Ava, but Erika used to wish she had as many eyes on her growing up. Maybe she wouldn't have been so reckless in her methods to get their attention.

"I say this with the knowledge of the entire breadth of her existence. She's hot - but she's a cunt. She's always had everything going for her, and she broods. She whines, she cries because her daddy didn't love her, meanwhile everybody else in the fucking world DID...so yeah no, not on my list of prospects..."

[smirking]

"But again, John all day everyday..."

She watched Adriana's beautiful eyes wander over to the group who actually looked like they were enjoying themselves, to which Erika felt a swell of pride. This was her event and gathering. People were having a good time! Nobody was trying to kill each other! And it was all three courts together.

"This is good, Erika...you're actually doing a good job..."

Adriana: "Well I'll be damned, they actually started having fun. Maybe we should rejoin them now that they've all managed to shit out their sticks. But first, pharmaceutical?"

The White Bishop produced a tin with an assortment of pills, to which Erika felt herself salivate. Oh the rollercoaster ride of prescription pills, The White Princess knew it well. In fact, she was a god in some circles because of it. She knew how to take people up down and around town, and the little blue ones looked exceptionally nice. She glanced over at the group of others enjoying themselves.

"Don't fuck this up..."

She smiled, grabbing another flute of champagne from a passing tray and took a sip. She leaned forward.

"I'm good for now thanks, but here..."

The White Princess grabbed a few specific pills from the tin and grabbed Adriana's free hand, turning it palm up, setting down a white circular pill first.

"Take this one now...."

She delicately dropped a diamond shape yellow pill next to it.

"This one in about twenty minutes..."

Finally the smallest blue oval shaped pill to which she gave a mischevious glance to Adriana, tucking a bit of hair behind her ears.

"Then have one more cocktail, and polish it off with that one. I'm telling you, you'll see God. And you'll feel Satan."

Erika laughed.

"And you're right, let's get back into the mix. Now that they've loosened up, maybe it's time to pop some of their tops."

She rose from her chair and sauntered over to the group at large who was busy laughing and having a good time. A good time because she had gathered them all together. Cameron and Haleigh were going to be proud of her, and while she hated how much she suddenly realized that meant to her, it felt - good.

Jack: "No harm, no foul. Never Have I Ever understood just how much we all have in common."

Erika took a spot in the circle, off center so as to make it appear she felt she commanded the group, even though, ya know she kind of did - Princess and all.

"Well, kumbaya to that."

Crossing her arms, she rose her glass to her lips and took a sip as Adriana joined her side.

"I'm glad your enjoying yourselves. Never Have I Ever? Hmm..That's a good start. I almost want to suggest a little game of truth or dare, but I know who I'd be playing with...maybe if we promised to be good spirited..to keep the good times rolling?"
 
Hellfire — The Red Queen’s Suite

Ash asked where Alek was, and Haleigh explained that this time he’d gone off to consult Ava about security stuff, but she also took the opportunity to gripe about how he was normally going to have his little ‘chats’ with the cute brunette girl in security control. She was so annoyed that she accidentally verbalized a quick fantasy about killing the girl. Then she saw Ashley’s reaction, and realized her error. Oops. She deflected that she was probably just hangry, or hormonal. Ash agreed with that, because she just didn’t see the appeal of stupid cute Zizi.

“I know,” Haleigh admitted miserably. “I’m being..”

The only words coming to mind were the insults her mother would hurl at her if she were here, so Haleigh didn’t finish her sentence. Ashley reassured her that Alek didn’t need or want to sleep around. Haleigh was taken aback by that.

“You think he wants to be… exclusive?”

She asked with surprise. It was a foreign concept to her. She hadn’t been in a monogamous relationship since her first puppy love attempt with Zach, which had lasted just long enough for her mother to find out about it. No daughter of Diana Carver was going to fall in love and belong to a man. Enter the assignment to do the dads. Lesson number 1001, sex was a weapon, a valuable strategy to be employed against one’s opponents. And it could be used on anybody, and it should.

Ashley told her that Alek had never wanted anything more than her except his crown. Haleigh hmphed at that. She had the Brienne-Alek sextape archived. She’d heard the things he’d said to that woman, and tried to dismiss them. She had her doubts, but maybe Alek had been employing the same strategy Haleigh had been taught. How could she ever know for sure?

Anyway, Zizi wasn’t the issue. Haleigh had long since learned to control her jealousy whenever Cameron took other women to bed, she could manage not to murder any of Alek’s lesser pursuits. Haleigh brought up the thing that had really been bothering her. The situation with Cameron was tentative at best, and if anybody knew how to work with a King after a breakup, it was Ash.

Ashley gave some solid advice. Of course Haleigh nodded, but she wished it were as easy as Ash made it sound. Doing what was best for their court? That was logical, but they could only make progress on routine issues and things of little consequence. Trying to fill the open Rook position? Impossible. Haleigh knew Cameron had Heidi in his pocket, despite the water elemental’s attempt to remain neutral and act as a mediator. That was not unexpected, so of course Haleigh had been showing Adriana some extra favor, to balance things out. A new person would shift power one direction or the other, and Cameron would veto any suggestion of Haleigh’s, then propose someone very clearly skewed to his advantage, which Haleigh would be a fool to agree to.

Making decisions in the babies best interest was sensible too, but the only problem was a fairly big one. Haleigh was no longer certain that her and Cameron had the same idea about what was best. They’d barely been able to agree to not murder each other, at least they’d seen THAT outcome. Ashley asserted that the Queens ruled Hellfire, and Cameron was only the White King because of Haleigh. That was true, otherwise he’d be Ava’s King right now. Fuck, that would be convenient, but John didn’t deserve the demotion. What was more, Haleigh had always thought of Cameron as her equal, her partner in crime. They didn’t dictate anything to each other, they conspired together, or at least they used to, until lately. Three short weeks ago, Haleigh had discovered that they could be unthinkably cruel to each other. And even though they were polite now, she’d never forget that night they fought, when she’d been ready to kill the man she’d married. Ash admitted that Alek had hurt her badly, but she’d recovered.

“I’m sorry you had to go through that. But AJ’s a real catch, so maybe it was all for the best. He obviously worships you.”

She replied, and Ash told her that Alek loved her, maybe since he’d first met her. Haleigh gave her a look.

“Now you’re just being hyperbolic.”

She interjected, because for a long time, her and Alek had just been satisfying desire, no strings. Ash asked Haleigh if the reason she was struggling was because she couldn’t let Cameron go, if she was sure she wanted the divorce.

“No. I mean, yes?”

She had answered both questions and it sounded confusing. She tried to organize her thoughts as she scooped ice cream into her mouth. After a moment, she gestured to her rotund belly, the undeniable evidence of her love for her husband.

“I chose to let Kelly inject me with nanites so I could give Cameron a child. Now I’m the size of a fucking school bus, and I wouldn’t change it, but…”

She started to carve off some more ice cream.

“When I got pregnant, all the things I had wanted from Cameron came from Alek instead. Alek was happy, he was supportive, he was protective. Cameron ran off to Mexico to find Elena. He left me for a woman who is not even putting out, did you know that? What a fucking slap in the face.”

She said, and savored a spoonful of rocky road.

“I might have been able to forgive him that mistake, but the fact that he let me be afraid of him for even a second? I’m never going to be able to forget that. I’m certain about the divorce. What it’s doing to our court, and how we’re going to raise a son together? That’s where my doubts are.”

She said, and there was a knock at the door. Haleigh checked the hall camera and then turned the door handle in her mind, popping it open so the praetorians could bring in the food.

“What do you think Cameron’s going to do when Elena tries to take Carolina back home? I’m worried it’ll make him unreasonably possessive of his son.”
 
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NYC — The Blonde

Adriana, who’d completely forgotten they’d come here with other people, was enjoying a little one-on-one time with the White Princess. They were ranking the Inner Circle in terms of fuckability, and it was amusing to Adriana how widely their tastes diverged. She spared Erika her curiosity about how good Cameron must be to have gotten Haleigh Victory to marry him, but she did ask what Erika thought of the Queens she’d neglected to mention. Apparently other than Ashley, Erika was not interested in bedding the top tier of ladies in this place. Maybe THAT was why everyone called her crazy.

Adriana smirked, and then glanced with surprise over at the others in their party, who had managed to remove the sticks from their asses and start having some kind of fun. Adriana suggested that her and Erika rejoin to group, but first offered some pharmaceutical enhancement. From the lust in Erika’s gaze at the little tin of treats, Adriana was surprised that the Princess declined the offer. Then Erika laid out a course of medication for Adriana to take, and Adriana smiled as it came together.

“My my. I think I’m looking at God right now,”

She purred in reply, her eyes locked on Erika.

“But you should know, I feel Satan all the time, no chemical assistance required.”

She added with a grin, leaning forward as she glanced at Erika’s lips. She was considering making the move when Erika stood up, saying they should indeed go back to the larger group. She let Erika get a bit ahead, because why not appreciate the slinking form if there was an opportunity? They arrived to find the others were playing Never Have I Ever. Adriana popped a pill and a mint into her mouth, rolling the mint under her tongue before she took a sip of her sidecar to wash down the pill. She was a little curious as to what they’d missed, but Erika declared it to be a good start, and suggested truth or dare, very cautiously, as if the crowd might be a bit too dangerous to play with.

“Ooh, let’s do it. I’ll go first,”

She said, looking over at Erika as a slow, sly smile spread across her lips.

“Dare.”
 
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Tokyo - Shibuya District

At this point, Vivica was used to men exclaiming their bravado, and the many reasons why their death or capture would be avenged by the many people who loved them. She didn't care. The man she loved was taken from her for no other reason than lesser man felt that they could do it better. Jax was no different than these men. She'd done her research. He was the heir of The Quartermaine family, except nobody wanted him to carry their legacy. He was constantly saved by his sister when he got into trouble. Partly because he controlled the money. And that was only because Helena Quartermaine didn't want his sister to have it.

But Vivica had watched her husband die, and had seen how very few men actually stood up to do something about it. Human life wasn't valued. It was simply a bargainning tool. She herself was a bargainning tool. And if she hadn't started slicing down yakuza left and right, somebody would have used her to get what they wanted. Vivica made sure that wasn't an option. To be honest, she was simply just wanting to play with Jax, to see what he said when she mentioned his sister, to gauge how close they were, to see how powerful of a bargainning chip he actually was.

Jax: "My sister is a fucking god. And whatever ropes you think you have her against...she'll kill you against them. You think your sharp little dainty nails inside of me is some kind of move? It's not. You're right...we do share more than a last name. The Quartermaines are like cockroaches, bitch. No matter what you do to us, we'll survive...and when she finds out you're trying to use her brother? To get an audience? Oh she'll kill you in front of me. Might as well make the best of the time you have left, hot stuff..."

She watched with abject disgust as he puckered his lips towards her. She moved closer and kissed him, making sure not to physically threaten him, or he might be able to break out of his chains. She stared at him for a few moments, grabbing his chin in her right hand, pulling his gaze onto hers.

"Our arrangement is simple, AJ.."

Jax: "It JAX. AJ was my father..."

Vivica smirked.

"My mistake. Our arrangement is simple, Jax. You owe me money. I want repayment. And unfortunately for you, rather than let you write a check for that amount, I'd rather get something more useful out of your debt. Your sister isn't a god, she's a rich little white girl with too much time on her hands in a land where she means almost as less a rich little black girl. But your little speech just now has shown me that she does in fact care about you as much as I anticipated she does. You may be cockroaches, Jax..."

[leaning in]

"But I'm an exterminator. I don't actually wish you harm. You're a contigency plan. And if we're being honest, i'd bet on my blade any day of the week against hers. So I'm not worried. I just wanted to meet the man who was able to bluff the man you bluffed last night. It's impressive. And should things not go sour tonight, should I not have to kill you...you should start thinking of ways you might be able to make up your debt to me. I already have more money than I know what to do with and absolutely no desire to fuck a man as easily captured as you are..."

Vivica spun on her heels away from him now, placing a hand in front of her to admire her manicure, wiping it clean from the blood of his abdomen with a napkin from inside her camel covered jacket.

"I have a feeling we're going to get to know each other very well, Jax. I simply wanted our relationship to start on clear terms."

She turned her head around and cocked it behind her shoulder, giving him a mischevious smirk.

"I make the rules...and you follow them. I'll keep you posted, love."

Jax: "Please do."

Vivica walked out of the warehouse and onto the street. The air was crisp and cold around her as she looked at the trees, slowly beginning to lose their leaves as she headed down the street. Aito wasn't far from her, and while she could have taken a car, she wanted to take a few moments to clear her head. Her life had been in a tailspin since Kenji had died. And if Aito hadn't found her, and given her vengeance purpose, she didn't know where she'd be. Putting in her airpods, she scrolled through her phone until she found an appropriate song for her walk. Pulling her jacket over her, she made her way down the street, to a meeting she was sure might change her life.
 
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