So what now? (Katydid50 x 5Bulletproof-Marshmellows)

[Katydid50]

Wolf looked over at her, not saying anything but his expression clearly telling that he would know if she had been killed. Not much happened out there. If someone went missing, everyone heard about it, even more so if the person was found dead. More than once his father and grandfather had been asked to help find someone. He himself had never been asked, being a minor, but he had helped anyway... when the adults weren't looking. After all, his ability at tracking was better than twice his father's, easily. Just because he wasn't considered an adult in white culture didn't mean that he couldn't track with the best of them.

When Grace stated that she needed to go to the creek, he changed course and followed after her. He didn't lead this time. She was so determined to prove him wrong about her, he would give her the chance. He would be surprised if she found the creek at all without falling into it. Granted, her younger brother, Nicholas, had managed to find it without falling into it. Then again, her brother seemed much more at ease here. Grace was not the same. She belonged in the city. Nicholas could be taught how to see; Grace simply did not want to.


Everything hurt. His back. His neck. His head most of all. It felt like someone was trying to split it with a pick axe. The room stank. Cracking open one of his eyes, Daniel was met with the sight of broken bottles and puddles of what he hoped was spilled alcohol. He must have thrown up sometime during the night because he could smell that, too, and taste it. It was foul but he was in too much pain to be disgusted. Besides, he'd woken up with that taste in his mouth before, with increasing frequency recently.

Slowly pushing himself up, he frowned when he realized he was on the floor. He'd passed out on the floor? With a quick glance around, he sighed. At least he hadn't gotten anyone knocked up this time. A deep mrrow caught his attention, pulling it to the orange tom that was sitting in the doorway, looking at him with all the contempt a cat could muster.

Sitting up, he groaned, pressing the heels of his hands against his eyes. He wanted nothing so much as to climb into bed and go to sleep... with warm arms to hold him and a soft voice to whisper comforts to him. He would have shaken his head if he'd thought he could do it without worsening his hangover. He was being stupid. It was best for Elenore that she stay away from him. Besides that, he had to go to work. He couldn't miss another day without raising suspicion and he needed the distraction.

((When did you want Daniel to have the confrontation with Ruggles?))  

[5Bulletproof-Marshmellows]

Okay, so maybe he would find out if she died. If they had only said to walk her out of the forest that probably would have been better for her pride, but she was being walked home, Aunt Rose's house. Now that she thought about it, she had never been walked home before. Biting her lower lip, she looked out ahead. It was definitely different to have someone actually try save her. Most just left or tried to finish the job. Of course she had friends but they usually just made sure that she was able to stand on her own two feet. That had always been good enough for her. Glancing over at Wolf, she knew he wasn't doing this out of his own will but it still.. was nice in a strange kind of way.

Looking back ahead, she kept a steady pace. It didn't take too long before they reached the creek. They hadn't really run into any large wild animals so she felt good about that. Sitting on a boulder that was on the edge of the creek, she slowly took off the first sleeve of her jacket. The second was much more difficult but she managed to slip it off without hurting her sore wound. Closing her eyes for a moment, she then leaned over and soaked the sleeve in the water for a couple of seconds. It was cold and made her shiver as she ran her fingers along the water. Hopefully it wouldn't take too long.

Swallowing thickly once more, she slowly moved to a sitting position. Her breathing was shaky but she knew she had to pull herself together before anyone saw her. Her children needed a strong mother. She could only hope that she was doing what was best for them. Deserai had no problems besides trying to figure out who her father was. Nicholas and Grace had different stories. He went on walks late at night and was bullied. She got into fights and refused to give respect to authoritative figures.

They were her children and she loved them dearly. With a fourth one on the way, she knew she would love the kid equally and try to do her best to raise them all. If they were able to stand on there own, independently, do what they loved for a living, and were happy, she would be happy as well. She wanted the best for them. It was probably the only thing that kept her going during her hardest times. Lowering her gaze, she wished that Daniel could be a part of that equation.

Shaking her head, she got up and moved to put on a clean shirt and pants. She would make breakfast like usual. It was the least that she could do for Aunt Rose. Elenore walked down the stairs and rubbed her shoulders that were tense. They hadn't been relaxed for a long time. Her eyes scanned the kitchen before she began pulling out kitchen utensils and ingredients.

((Today or tomorrow would be good))  

[Katydid50]

Keeping his attention focused on their surroundings, Wolf all but ignored Grace now that she seemed content to remain quiet. Granted, she had seemed like that before but now his thoughts had finally settled into silence. The sound of running water caught his attention, hearlding their arrival at the creek. He stood back, scanning the undergrowth for any sign of movement while Grace removed her jacket, something he was surprised she could do on her own considering the pain she must have been in. She was tough. He'd give her that.

A quick glance up at the sky revealed its quickly-changing color. The darkness was fading fast, the sky shifting from dark blue to a much paler shade. They would have to move quickly. Even still, he held back from stating as such. He was reluctant to disturb the tentative peace they had achieved.

Content that the cost was clear, for the time being, he took the opportunity to study Grace without her glaring at him. Her hair was loose, or had come loose, and hung around her shoulders in ringlets the color of dried blood. Her skin was slightly tanned, for a white person, but she still seemed far too pale. Then again, that could have been the bloodloss followed by little food and exertion. The tear in her sleeve couldn't be missed but the rest of her clothes seemed fine albeit a little dirty but what else could be expected after everything she'd done?

He sighed to himself, once again checking the area. She was truly something else. The only problem was: He didn't know what.


Daniel trudged into the kitchen, Max trailing after silently. He'd just taken as much aspirin as he dared but it had yet to take effect. Crossing over to the fridge, he pulled it open. He knew he should eat but the idea of having something in his stomach made it turn. Closing the door again, he shot a weak glare at the cat who merely blinked at him. Stupid furball couldn't let him sleep. He was a cat for goodness' sake! He didn't rely on anyone for food! "Useless, lazy ball of fur," he muttered under his breath even as he dug out the cat food.

Once Max was fed and no longer in danger of harassing Daniel more, the man slowly walked back to the bathroom. He still had a couple hours before he had to be at work but he knew he wouldn't sleep. Stripping down, he climbed in the shower, taking as little time as possible. The morning was cold and the water was taking too long to heat up. By the time he was finished, the medication had started to kick in.

Wrapped in only a towel, he made his way to the bedroom where he wasted no time in getting dressed. Sitting on the edge of his bed, a pair of socks in hand, he stared down at the floor between his barefeet. His bedroom had escaped most of the damage but it still stank of alcohol like the rest of the house.

Sitting there, he felt sick again. But, this time, his upset stomach was down to guilt. He felt terrible. Everything that was happening was his fault. It was his fault that Elenore was going to have to raise another kid on her own -granted, he would help financially but that was it- and it was his fault that his child would, hopefully, never know their father... because he didn't have any business raising a child... because he had no right to. When Micheal found out, which he undoubtedly would, he was going to shoot him for sure.
((Sure thing))  

[5Bulletproof-Marshmellows]

Grace gently scrubbed the blood out, not wanting to push her injury any further. It was hard to clean it off with her wound but she did her best. It would be worth having a clean jacket than having to confront her mother about her injury. Deserai would no doubt ask questions that no one else would be able to think of and that would only get her into a deeper hole.

Wringing the water out of the sleeve of her jacket, she then straightened it out, her fingers briefly pausing on the tear that Wolf had mended. It still surprised her that he had done that for her. Then again he had yelled at her in the morning so perhaps that was the price in some way, shape, or form. Slipping it back on despite it being wet, she shivered a bit but then got up. Her arm was starting to irritate her even more. She was just going to have to wait it out though. Redressing the wound wouldn't be too hard but she would have to wait another nine hours or so.

Looking up, she met Wolf's eyes briefly, realizing that he had been watching her. Her eyes narrowed and a moment later she spoke. "Let's go." Grace moved away from the water and rocky shore to the taller grass right before they were back in the trees. The rest of the way would be about a five to ten minute walk.

Elenore made pancake batter, taking her time making breakfast. She did like to cook but she rarely had time to enjoy it. Mixing the ingredients once more, she then looked into the fridge to find a dozen eggs and bacon. The bacon and eggs could wait until everyone was awake. They wouldn't be as good when they were cold. Finding a large pan in one of the cabinets, she placed it on the stove and turned it on. Now it would only be a matter of time before it was hot enough to cook food on.

The pancakes went first. She had only gotten to making about three of them when she heard little feet running down the stairs. Looking up, she saw her youngest redheaded girl running up to her bringing a smile to her face.

Deserai hugged her mother and then tried to get a good look at what was in the pan. "I thought you left." she told her as she jumped up, finally catching a glance of the pancake that was cooking. She hadn't been able to find her mother in the bed she had fallen asleep in, so she had gone downstairs to investigate. She had yet to wake Nicolas, Aunt Rose, and she still thought she needed to wake up Grace.

"Are we having those for breakfast?" Deserai asked, looking up at her mom with big light colored eyes and pointing towards the stove. She received a yes before Deserai went to look around the rest of the kitchen, curious as always.
((Should we make profiles for Aunt Rose, Micheal, and Wolf? ))  

[Katydid50]

Wolf watched passively as she cleaned the sleeve of her jacket. It was still slightly tinted but at least it wasn't red anymore. She might actually be able to get away with it. Of course, he didn't know how sharp her mother's eyes were or how intrusive she was into her daughter's life. His own father and grandfather would let such things go but he knew other people were not as likely to do such.

Finally, Grace slipped on the still-wet jacket and stood. When she turned her attention to him, her eyes narrowed, as though she knew he had been watching her. She probably did. Playing innocent, he raised an eyebrow in unspoken question. Unlike in white culture, in his culture it was not rude to stare at someone. However, it did not last long as she spoke before moving on.

Wolf silently followed her away from the creek and back into the cover of the trees. It would not take them long to get to the house from there. If Grace had not been injured, he would have let her go on her own. But the fact was that she was injured, bleeding and she didn't know about the area let alone the forest. She would probably attract some sort of predator, like that damned coyote. He glanced around, ever aware of the fact that they were probably being watched by something.

Glancing around, he lightly touched the handle of his knife. He didn't like this, having to move with an injured person, a person who knew nothing of the forest or how to defend herself against its hunters. And he only brought his knife. Great.


Nicholas stared at the wall across the room from him. Elsewhere in the house, he could hear people moving and talking. Probably his mother and Deserai. They were usually the first ones up. His stomach growled angrily but he didn't want to get up. If he got up, he would have to face reality. He wanted to put that off for as long as possible. Unfortunately, the thoughts were already in his head and he could not escape them.

His mother was pregnant. She was going to have a baby. They were going to have another sibling. He knew their mother didn't want them to know but he did know. They were barely hanging on as it was. She didn't like her job, or her boss, but she stayed there because they needed the money. Times were already hard. How were they going to make it now?

Sighing, Nicholas reluctantly pushed himself up, climbing out of bed with all the enthusiasm of a man on death row. Slowly getting dressed, he looked himself over in the mirror. His hair stuck up in every direction but he only made a vague attempt at trying to tame it. All the while, he kept trying to think of ways he could help. Nothing came to him but he had to try. He couldn't just sit back and do nothing.

Leaving the room he had claimed for his own, Nicholas made his way downstairs. Food smells were wafting through the house, becoming stronger as he apporached the kitchen. "Morning," he said, taking note that while his mother and Deserai were up, there was no sign of Grace. That wasn't unusual but he couldn't help but think of how she had taken the news last night.

((If you want to. I've got two made up for Micheal and Wolf already. I made them up for myself a while ago.))  

[5Bulletproof-Marshmellows]

She didn't say anything concerning him when he raised his eyebrow in question.She knew he had been watching her when he usually would have been scanning the area for animals, predators. Running her fingers through her hair, she wished that she was at home already. The city. Walking back in the direction of Aunt Rose's, she knew it wasn't long before they would split ways. It was better that way. They barely got along now and that probably was due to her injury.

Now that she thought about it, she was surprised they hadn't gotten into an actual physical fight before she had gotten her wound. She was sure he would have no problem fighting with her, even if he had a thing against hitting girls. Holding her arm gently, she glanced over her shoulder briefly before she continued to walk. Her eyes scanned the area ahead, making sure she didn't run into any uninvited visitors. Running into a bear again was not going to be on her wishlist any time soon.

Seeing house up ahead between the trees, she guessed that it wouldn't be long. She would eat, go to school, come back home and figure out what was going to happen next. There was still the whole dilemma of them having to move somewhere else. There really was no room for a baby in the house that they were in now and she had no idea if they would be living with Aunt Rose again. And then there was father of the child. Sighing, she closed her eyes for a brief moment.

Nodding her head at Deserai's question, she put the cooked food on plates. She could hear movement upstairs. Nicholas and Aunt Rose were probably waking up. Maybe even Grace though she probably would sleep in a little bit longer than the rest of them since Deserai hadn't gone to wake them all up yet.

Seeing Nicholas walk down the stairs, she gave him a small smile. "Good morning." Elenore finished up with pancakes, having them all stacked on one plate and started to cook the bacon. "Could you put those on the table Nick?" She gestured towards the plate of food. "And Deserai put forks and napkins on the table."

Deserai happily skipped over to the drawer that was filled with silverware and opened it. Barely seeing inside it, she grabbed as many forks as her hands could hold and then closed it. She ran over to the table and set the forks down, making sure that they were as straight as possible just as Aunt Rose entered the kitchen and greeted everyone.
((Sorry it took me so long >< ))  

[Katydid50]

When Grace started walking again, Wolf followed her without a word. He knew the value of silence and it seemed she did too. At least that was one thing they had in common. Perhaps the city wasn't so different, at least when it came to surviving there. Silence was necessary to avoid gaining unwanted attention. She had that much sense at least.

As they walked, he forced himself to keep scanning around them when he wanted nothing more than to simply watch her. And he hated himself for it. There was just something about her. The way the light made her hair turn different shades of red and brown fascinated him. She had an iron core that rivaled his own. She stood up to him and he knew she probably wanted to physically hurt him at least once during the previous twelve or so hours. Risking a glance at her, his eyes trailed over her hair where it cascaded down her back, following the line of her hip, her legs. He swallowed thickly, fighting back a surge of wanting that both left him breathless and reminded him that he was still only sixteen.

When Grace looked back, he looked away. This was dangerous. This was stupid. He hated himself for it. And he hated her for making him feel this way. What right did she have? What was so special about her? She was nothing but a white stae twes who didn't even have enough sense to keep from running straight into a bear or stop from stepping into the path of an arrow. Really! What kind of white person went out into the forest at night?

Glancing ahead, he spotted the house in the distance. The trees ended not far in front of them. She should be fine on her own from there. He was about to say so when a sudden sigh from her caught his attention. "I am no expert on the ways of white people but I'm sure they don't sigh for no reason," he said. It was the closest he would ever come to asking her what was on her mind.


Nicholas couldn't believe it. Everything seemed so... so... normal. Their mother was going to have another kid, they were going to have another sibling... and yet nothing seemed out of place. Their entire world had shifted and yet it still kept turning. It was almost hard to believe. But when his mother told him to put the food on the table, he did it, almost mechanically. This couldn't be right. Then again, Grace wasn't there. He and her were the only two who would probably say anything. Their mother wouldn't for fear of upsetting the peace. Deserai was too young to understand what was going on. Aunt Rose, well, she was Aunt Rose.

Looking around, he frowned. Where was Grace? Surely she wasn't still asleep. If she was anything like him, she would have had a hard time sleeping and would probably be awake by now. Maybe she was avoiding having anything to do with any of them. He could understand that, but she would have to come down eventually if she wanted to be fed.  

[5Bulletproof-Marshmellows]

When she had looked back, she couldn't help but notice that he had looked away. Had he been watching her? And even if he had.. he hadn't looked away when she was by the creek. What had gotten into him all of a sudden? She didn't voice any of her questions as she looked back ahead. He was definitely strange. Every time she thought she had him figured out, things took a sharp turn. In a strange way.. it was rather intriguing. Then again, she would probably forget all about it in a matter of hours.. days.

Looking at the house in the distance, she couldn't help but wonder what was going on in it at the moment. Hearing his voice, she blinked before looking over at him once more, and then back at the house. She waited a moment before speaking, wondering what to say. "It's just going to be a long day.." her voice was low. In reality it would be long months. Perhaps even long years. She had no idea what was in store for her. Grace could only hope for the best..

Aunt Rose walked into the kitchen, smiling a little as the smell of a cooked breakfast wafted up to her. "Something smells good," she said, looking over at Elenore who was currently cooking the bacon. Placing a hand on the woman's tense shoulders, she couldn't help but shake her head. She really did work herself too much. Down to the core really. How she had managed to get into such an intimate relationship was a mystery to her. She still didn't know who the father was, but whoever it was, Elenore did love him.

"Here, let me take over. Get some drinks on the table." she told her even though Elenore began to protest but she shooed her away from the stove.

Shaking her head at Aunt Rose, she then opened the fridge. "What do you all want to drink?" she asked them, looking at the homemade lemonade, orange juice, and milk. She pulled out the orange juice for herself and Deserai since she had already answered her. Milk was what Aunt Rose wanted. Filling three cups with liquid, she set them on the table. Going back to the counter, she waited for Nicholas to say what he wanted so she could pour it.

Her eyes briefly looked back over a the staircase. Grace sure did seem to be taking a long time...  

[Katydid50]

She couldn't know. She'd think him a laughing stock. It was all Wolf could do not to laugh at himself, though out of disbelief rather than amusement. She couldn't read his thoughts just from his eyes. He tried to tell himself that and yet he still looked away when she looked back. Part of him was hoping he'd scare her off. Another, smaller part was hoping she would come back. Try as he might, he couldn't quite silence that tiny part of him that wanted her attention. But it was wrong. It was so wrong. He couldn't forget everything his uncle had taught him, no matter how much his father and grandfather tried to distill it. Whites were inferior, destructive creatures. They had no respect for the earth, the animals or even each other. They didn't deserve what they had. His hatred didn't run as deep as his uncle's -'death is too good for them'- but it was certainly close. And then Grace showed up.

What right did she have to make him feel this way? Not even Sparrows had made him feel this way. Surely he would have felt this way for Sparrows had they been given more time but Sparrows was gone and Grace was here and he wanted her. And he hated himself for it.

When he spoke, he watched her. There was so much to be said in that moment of thought. Most white people he had come across did not hesitate to speak, even when they should not, when it would be better to think. It was a disconcerting relief to see that she did not, always, act and speak without thinking.

At her response, Wolf's eyes narrowed thoughtfully and he looked to the building ahead. He was silent for several moments before he looked back to Grace. "There is trouble among your people." It didn't take a genius to figure it out and Wolf was not stupid by any means. His grandfather said he had a gift for reading people, said it was the eagle in him. "There is much change ahead but all will be well in the end. Trust your totem and he will not lead you wrong." Deciding that they were close enough to the treeline that she could not possibly encounter any trouble, he turned away. "Until we meet again, Grace Darling." For they would surely meet again, no matter how much he both dreaded and long for it.

Wolf walked away, looking back only once, when he was deep enough in the shadows that Grace would only be able to make out the twinkle of sun catching his earring.


Nicholas took his seat at the table, looking thoughtfull at the plate of pancakes. Something was wrong. Grace should have been up by now. He was sure she hadn't eaten last night so she would be hungry. The arrival of Aunt Rose momentarily distracted him. He considered excusing himself to go check on Grace but he couldn't think of any good enough excuse. When his mother asked about drinks, he muttered something incoherent but sounded along the lines of 'Don't care'.  

[5Bulletproof-Marshmellows]

She could sense him watching her. She didn't even know why she answered him and why he wanted to know even if the question has simply been implied. Of course she hadn't given him a whole lot to go off of and she wanted to keep it that way. He didn't need to know what had happened. She didn't even know what he would think but she certainly didn't want him to think negatively of her family. She loved them. If he didn't like them.. well then the small hope for anything besides hatred for them would be gone. Did she even want them to be friends? What if it was something more? What if it was nothing? Grace couldn't answer any of those questions that rang in her mind.

Hearing his voice once more after he took a minute to think, she glanced over at him. He sounded like a know-it-all, yet there was something mysterious about his voice. How in the world did he know what was going on? Narrowing her eyes slightly at him, she then looked back ahead. There was no way that he could know what had happened. She had barely found out yesterday. Staying silent in response to his words, she almost paused before stepping further. They would go in separate directions in a moment's notice.

A pleasant chill ran down her spine when he said her full name. Her eyes followed him for a moment. She was about to say good bye when she realized how stupid that sounded compared to the words he had used. Ugh. Walking, she shook her head. Since when did she care about saying good bye to him. Her eyes briefly looked over her shoulder though and she caught the small glimmer of his earring in the shadows. A swarm of butterflies rose in her stomach and she quickly turned away.

Damn it! Stomping back towards the house, she tried to push that last image out of her mind. She barely even realized when she went up to the house and opened the door that everyone was already awake.

Elenore shook her head and Nicholas but poured him a drink of orange juice anyway. She did the same for Grace since she wasn't downstairs yet. Setting everything on the table, she then got the cooked bacon and placed it there as well. The eggs would be ready in about a minute.

"Grace!" Deserai ran towards the opened door and hugged her big sister around her legs, almost causing her to fall. This only brought Grace back to reality.

"Grace Darling, where have you been?" Elenore crossed her arms and looked at her eldest child.  

[Katydid50]

Wolf watched her from the shadows. She looked back. She looked back. That had to mean something, right? But what did he care? She was nothing to him! She was just the girl he accidentally shot with an arrow and had to bring home for medical attention before bringing her back to her home. He almost groaned aloud. He wanted her but he was supposed to hate her. He could have kept his distance after they first met, after the incident with the coyote, but now he was involved. Destrae mehk rovnsk, he thought bitterly as he turned away.

The walk back was made in silence. Try as he might, he couldn't focus on his surroundings. He was just lucky that he didn't come across a predator of some kind.

His mind raced with thoughts, most of Grace but some of what his uncle had taught him. But she wasn't like the others. She didn't pretend to like him just to get on his good side. She didn't take what she hadn't earned. She hadn't taken advantage of them. She was nothing like his uncle had taught him. But she was still white. If nothing else, that would surely keep them apart. His people had been diluted enough. His own great-grandfather was white. Surely he owed it to his people to take a red wife? Sustain what little blood of theirs was left? And yet... he couldn't get Grace out of his head. The fire in her eyes when she was angry. The determination and stubbornness to do what she wanted. That lucious hair and wonderful curves. This time he did groan aloud. It just wasn't fair.


Nicholas looked up suddenly when Deserai called out Grace's name. He watched as his little sister ran up to his older sister. He didn't follow suit. He didn't do anything but stare at her. She looked worse for the wear. Her hair was a mess -not that great a mess but noticeable- and her clothes were dirty. She looked like she'd spent the night in the forest. If he didn't know her better, he would have thought that was exactly what she did. But she hated the forest. She was a city girl through and through. But she'd come in from outside looking like she'd rolled around in dirt and leaf litter.

When their mother spoke, he added, "And what happened? You look like you lost a fight with a tree." Okay, maybe she didn't look that bad but she wasn't far off.

((Destrae mehk rovnsk : F**k my life. ))  

[5Bulletproof-Marshmellows]

The butterflies fell just as quickly as they had flown up. She had forgotten about the fact that she was supposed to sneak into the house, not stomp into it to let everyone know that she was back. Looking at Deserai, she was glad that she hadn't tugged on her arm yet. Turning the girl around, she lead her back to the table. Hearing her mother's voice, she couldn't help but lower her head a little. She was just about to answer her when Nicholas added his two cents to the pile.

Shooting a glare at him, she then looked at table that was filled with food. "I went for a walk to the creek," she said, that was partly true. It would also explain why her jacket was wet. "I'll be right back," she told them and quickly dashed up the stairs. Well at least no one had mentioned her jacket. Her mother probably noticed it though. Going into the bathroom, she frowned when she saw herself in the mirror. Her hair looked horrible. She looked horrible and still a little paler than usual. What in the world did Wolf think of her?

Elenore frowned at her daughter's response and then left to go upstairs. She would question Grace after she came back from school. When Nicholas and Deserai wouldn't be able to intervene. "Alright, let's all sit down and eat," she told them and moved to one of the chairs.

Aunt Rose placed the cooked scrambled eggs on the table and let the children fill up their plates before she filled up her own. She knew that Grace hadn't been home all night, though she wasn't sure Elenore was aware of that. Now how she had managed to survive there for one night was something that was quite curious indeed.

"Why didn't I get to ask any questions?" Deserai pouted as she then took a bite of her bacon. She was usually the first one to ask anything in the family and now she hadn't even gotten a chance to.
((We can do a time skip to where Elenore and Daniel are already at work if you want to. ))  

[Katydid50]

Daniel sighed deeply as he pulled into the parking lot of the company. He didn't hate his job like most people but he really didn't want to show up today, and not just because he was still slightly hungover. Elenore would be there. They would undoubtedly cross paths. How could he possibly look her in the eye? He already knew the answer to that: He couldn't. The only relief for his guilt was that he would be helping her, at least financially. He didn't make much on his job but he had plenty of items left over from his time among the gangs that would see him through and more. Money was not an issue for him.

Pulling into a spot, he turned off his truck but hesitated in getting out. He was still having trouble coming to terms with the fact of his parenthood. Granted, he was sure that he had other kids somewhere in the world but none that he knew of. Besides, their mothers were all nobodies. Whores or sluts or something like that. But Elenore wasn't. She was a good woman who had gotten involved with the wrong guy -again, it seemed- and was now pregnant because of it. "You really are a**," he said to himself before climbing out.

Making his way isnide, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. No one gave him any strange looks. No one even looked at him except the woman behind the front counter who nodded to him before going back to whatever she was doing on her computer. Walking past her, he headed to his closet. Already the delivery bin was full of packages. Luckily, none of them were for Elenore. Pulling them out, he sorted them by floor, then person. Since the largest number were for Ruggles, he decided to get that over with. Hauling them up into his arms, he left the room, making a beeline for the elevator.

Stepping in when it opened, he didn't acknowledge the two other people that got on with him. He recognized the man but had never spoken to him, nor had he ever seen the woman before. In any event, they didn't acknowledge him either and the ride was spent in silence save for the music that played over the speaker.

When they finally reached the floor, he stepped off. He glanced around, relaxing slightly when he didn't see Elenore. Even still, he kept an eye out for her as he made his way to Ruggles' office.  

[5Bulletproof-Marshmellows]

After getting the kids to school, she drove to work. It wasn't that long of a drive, but she knew that she would have to face Daniel that day. The thought of Ruggles being there didn't even bother her at the moment. She simply wanted to make things right with Daniel. He would probably want to see the child some day.. They would at least have to be able to have a civil conversation. Be friends maybe. Rubbing her arm, she spun in her chair slowly ignoring the flashing screen on her computer. She was here to do work. She had to remember that and yet she couldn't bring herself to even look at it.

A moment later the phone rang. Startled, she grabbed it just as it began to ring a second time. "Hello, this is Ms. Darling speaking," she was glad that she could at least answer the phone properly. Then again.. who would be calling at this time. It could be Grace's school again but it was too early for her to get into too much trouble. School had started a mere fifteen minutes ago.

Federico couldn't help but smile when she answered the phone. "Darling, I was wondering how your current project has been going along. It's due in a few days and I was hoping to see the final product before our consumers did." He was always good at coming up with excuses. She would come none-the-less. She had no choice.

Elenore froze when she heard the sly fox's words. He knew very well that with the last day that she had taken off of work, she wouldn't be that far into the project. "I can send what I have through an email," she said, hoping that he wouldn't insist on seeing her. Then again, she was probably hoping for too much.

"Just bring up to my office on a flash drive in five minutes," he told her, clicking a pen that was in his hands before his eyes glanced at the door. It wouldn't be long before he was able to get what he had been working for. She was always able to slip away.. but this time he doubt that someone would come to her rescue. After saying a brief farewell, he hung up the phone and leaned back in his seat, briefly glancing at his own computer screen.

Letting out a long, dreadful sigh, Elenore slowly pulled out a flashdrive. She had to get this over with quickly. Ruggles had left her alone for the past two weeks so she doubted he would try anything. He did have a new secretary now, so that should keep him busy. Downloading the file onto the drive, she then took it out. Running her fingers through her hair once last time, she then moved out of the small office, locking the door behind her.

In a minute she found herself in the elevator. How bad could all of this really be? She felt the palms of her hands sweat though as the elevator opened on the highest floor. There was no turning back now.. Stepping out, she tried to regain her composition and look like everything was alright. She could hear Ruggles talking on the other side of the door, thanking someone for packages. Daniel. Her heart clenched.  

[Katydid50]

Daniel sighed in relief when he arrived at Ruggles' office. It was an odd sensation, since he always dreaded going to see his boss, but he had not come across Elenore and that was a greater relief than what lay ahead. Besides, he was male, and while Ruggles' sexuality beyond 'insatiable' was still being questioned, he thought he was pretty safe for the time being.

With another quick glance around, he knocked on the door, only entering when he heard something along the lines of an 'enter'. As he stepped in, he watched as the anticipation on Ruggles' face dropped, replaced with disappointment, then annoyance. Daniel raised an eyebrow but didn't comment. "Just got some stuff for you." Obviously. At Ruggles' direction, he placed them off to one side of his desk. At the man's thanks, he just shrugged. "It's what I'm paid to do." As he well knew, since he was the one paying him.

Then, he turned to leave. He opened the door only to freeze as he came face-to-face with the one person he didn't want to see. His mouth dropped open to say something but it clicked shut again when nothing came out. He swallowed thickly, trying desperately to think of something to say but nothing came to him. But, really, what did a person say to the mother of their child? He considered 'Hi' but then immediately shot it down with the subsequent thought of 'You dumbshit'. Deciding the situation was already too awkward, he cleared his throat, nodded sharply to her and left.

He'd had to get out of there. He'd had no reason to stay. He'd done what he'd come for. And yet... His brisk walk slowed as coherent thought returned to him. It was best for Elenore and the kids that they stay away from him. He was dangerous and brutal and everything that a father and husband shouldn't be. But he still didn't trust Ruggles with her. He pulled himself to a stop. He was dangerous but he would never intentionally hurt her. Ruggles, on the other hand, had no qualms about forcing women into horrible situations. His jaw clenched and it was all he could do not to curse himself aloud. He had just left the mother of his child alone with that... that... thing. What was wrong with him?

Spinning on his heel, he went back the way he'd come. As he drew closer to the office, he could hear sounds coming from inside, terrible sounds that reminded him of the dark days when he used to frequent the worst places in the city. Images flashed through his mind of dimly-lit rooms where women sold themselves for pocket change, dark alleys where people were dragged to their deaths or worse. He could smell the alcohol, the tobacco and other smells that he had no names for but more images than he cared to consider. He could hear the pitiful whimpers, the snarls so beastial that it was hard to believe a human had made them, the demands and pleas of people with too much power or too little.

Without a moment's hesitation, he rammed his shoulder into the office door, surprised when it gave way with such ease, so much so that the force of his blow ripped out one of the hinges. It was that more than anything that reminded him that he was not in a whorehouse or drug den. He was not going to face some drugged-up looney or a man with more power and dark intent than brain cells. He was, however, going to face a man with more money and libido than good sense. Scanning the room, his eyes fell on the pair. The look that fell over his face was one that he had not worn in years. A look of such cold rage that men twice Ruggles' size had blanched with fear. A look that drove men to murder and beyond.