Claire had never, actually, wanted to be a hero. In fact, one could go as far as to say she had strived not to be a hero. Well, if one was to take it farther they could say she was successful and not a hero at all. Currently she had taken another bedroom, near to Sonya's. There were serious advantages to having the kind of money that the Danvers had. She had her stuff in the car and had moved in rather easily.
"Where are you going?"
Claire turned around to see Tyler with his eyebrows raised looking at her. She realized just how it must look to him. She was wearing a black dress layered so the slip hit her mid thigh and the sheer part fell down to her ankle. She was painting her lips a bright red to match the high shoes she wore. She had her hair falling over her eyes, not quite long enough to touch her shoulders. She glared at him and finished, painting her lips before capping the stick and glaring at him.
"It's been two days," she said standing up and picking up her clutch, "I'm going to see how Sonya's doing."
"You know where Parker is?"
"No," she said fixing her heel, "but I know he will be at your little social event," he gave her a blank look, "the Charity dinner, most of your mothers are going to be there."
"I hate to tell you this but someone trying to take over the world is not going to go to a Charity dinner."
"Of course he is," she said brushing past him, "you see to the rest of the world Parker Donovan is a highly successful businessman. And like all of them he cares very much about appearance. He's not going to pass up this opportunity to show off Sonya. Remember, she comes from wealth so she's got some serious manners," she continued walking down the stairs, "wanna come and play house?"
"No," Tyler said.
"Suit yourself," she said walking out to where a black car was humming and sliding into the back seat seamlessly.
They arrived at the charity ball and she stepped out of the car, walking into the room with the well faked confidence of someone who had done it before. She felt someone come next to her and turned to see a handsome man with skin that spoke of an oasis. He was wearing a black suit with a pink shirt that on anyone else would look feminine.
"Merrick," she said kissing him on the cheek, "how are you?"
"You look lovely," he said, his voice accented, "shall we?" he asked pulling the invitation out of his pocket and offering his arm to her. She slid her arm in his and they walked through security, "Parker's been here for twenty minuets. He's got the girl with him."
"She's a little old to be called 'girl'," Claire said smiling at a few people, "where are they?"
"My two o'clock," he said, "I'll get us drinks. Don't do anything stupid."
She nodded, regretting handing her clutch to the man at the door when a smooth had ran the length of her arm. She turned around to see Parker who smiled wickedly and took her hand pulling her to the floor with predictable ease before placing a hand on her waist and taking her other with his.
"So," he said, "why are you here?"
"For the same reason you are," she said dipping backwards.
"You think that this is going to end well? We all get to go home, happily ever after?"
"Happy endings are just stories that aren't done," she said stepping around him.
"You know, sweetheart, your a lot more cynical then I remember," he said pulling her closer.
"Don't sweetheart me," she said spinning away as his hand went lower than the small of her back, "we haven't been together for a long time, remember? What were the last words you said to me again? I believe they involved the word cynical, cold hearted, bitch and betrayer."
"And you tried to blow me up," he shot back.
"Well you did deserve it," she said, "and the blowing up wasn't half as creative as what I was did with the knives," she shook her head, "our entire relationship was a lie. You wanted me, I needed you," she winked, "end of story."
"Not happy," he said with a smirk.
"Not happy," she confirmed.
"So the last time I saw you after our unfortunate parting of ways, you tried to kill me and then you stopped," he paused, "why?"
"I had a side back then," she said pulling away before coming back, "now the only thing keeping me from killing you is respect for Sonya."
"You haven't respected anyone but the person in the mirror ever," he said pushing her away, "people like you and me, we don't respect anyone else. Its part of our charm."
"I'm not like you anymore," she said, "because you see I don't have two separate organizations, three if you count the Covenants, who want me dead," she smiled brilliantly, "and yes, they know the truth. So don't think its because I was lying."
"You always lie," he accused softly.
"Oh don't go all chick flick on me," she said, "I'll still kill you if she doesn't," she said turning away from him and into Merrick's arms, "oh don't give me that look."
"I said don't do anything stupid," he said, "do you want the whole world to know that you did something with Parker Donovan?"
"The whole world already knows that," she said turning them around so Parker could take Sonya into his arms, her soft organza dress swirling around her form, "oh don't be stupid, I'm not going to go and kill him."
"Thats not the only thing I'm concerned about," Merrick said.
"For Gods sake," she said, "I'm not going to go and undress him either," she snapped, "you know, you really are a pleasure killer. No sex, no killing, what do you want me to do? Sit home a knit?"
"Just no killing or sex where Parker's concerned," he said and then did a double take, "you know how to knit?"
"You'd be shocked at what I know how to do," she said, "I'm good with my hands."
"Oh Christ," he said closing his eyes.
"Well at least Sonya seems to be doing okay," she said looking over at Sonya who laughed at something Parker said, "I have to say, she's very good at what she does."
"What, lie?" Merrick asked looking at Sonya.
"Hey, she's a lot more innocent than any of us," Claire defended.
Parker looked over and whispered something in Sonya's ear before stepping back. She nodded and walked off, two men heading with her. She turned back around to Claire and looked at her desperately. The despair wasn't the only thing that caught Claire off guard. Spreading across Sonya's right eye, hidden by some illusion that the light stripped away fractionally, was a massive bruise.
"Claire," Merrick hissed grabbing her arm, "don't."
"Don't what?" she demanded spinning around, "don't rip him apart like he deserves? Don't make him feel the pain he's caused everyone around him? I was already blamed for his murder once, this time at least I'll be guilty," she snapped starting forward.
"No," Merrick said, "Claire, listen to me. Not like this. Sonya needs to do this. Gabriel only let you come here because you swore your history wouldn't get in the way. Don't prove him right."
"Fine!" she said after a heartbeat, "but for the record, I'm also supposed to keep everyone alive and that's just getting harder and harder!" she stormed off, "and you are not making it any easier!"
"Claire!" Merrick raced after her.
By the time he got outside she was gone. He threw up his hands and turned around, looking for any sign of where she had gone. It slowly began to rain. Shaking his head, he went inside to try and complete what they were supposed to be doing. On the other side of the building Claire ducked her head and told herself that this was better than Plan A which was going in and making Parker Donovan a woman.
Parker had always, always loved excess. She kept that in mind as she walked into the parking lot. Even in the midst of all the expensive cars, she found his flame red Lamborghini Murcielago was easy to find. She reached into her purse and picked out the note Sonya had left--or rather, Parker had left. Turning it over, she scribbled something on it and pressed her red lips to the clean side. She dropped it onto the ground and stole his car.
"I'm going to kill her," Merrick said coming outside again, "I am going to kill her and really enjoy it."
"You wouldn't," she said stopping the car and looking over at him, "you spy on Parker, I've got two very big liabilities to take care of."
"You are such a pain in my ass!" he burst out, "I should let you just kill him so I can go home--whose care is that?"
"You don't want to know," she said, "what do you mean go home?"
"Gabriel's making me babysit you," he said crossing his arms defensively, "I was going to tell you later," he looked at her, "you thought after the last bodycount that he'd let you go alone?"
"Yes, maybe, okay no," she sighed, "get in the car."
For a moment they drove in silence.
"So Parker and you--"
"I don't want to talk about it," she said driving along, "okay what is he doing here? He's not supposed to be here! I can't have him here, I can't deal with him. I thought I could, seriously I did, but oh my God what am I going to do. People may not like me but they can't argue with the fact that I do my job very very well, that's why people keep hiring me. But when he's around I just--I can't function with him here."
"You know Parker and you, I wouldn't have thought that the two of you would have--" he paused and cocked his head to the side, "alright maybe a little bit. But still, Parker?"
"Okay we're not talking about this," she said turning the car onto the street, "and if you tell anyone that when Parker's around I turn--"
"Into a total whore?"
"I resent that. It rude and mean and completely true, oh my God what am I going to do?"
"As you would say, keep it in your pants and get the job done," he said to her.
"Right, okay, right," she said parking the car, "now, if you tell anyone--"
"You'll gut me in my sleep," Merrick said turning and grinning, "don't worry, I won't tell anyone you get the hots for bad boys."
"Shut up!" she said opening the door.
"Holy shit, there's another one," Reid said, "and this time it's a dude."
A few hours later, Claire wrapped her arms around her frame and looked out the window, her head against the cool glass as the rain tapped against it. The house was quiet and completely dead, filled with people she was sworn to protect. Even if she was loath to include Merrick in it. She sighed and brushed back her hair, looking around the room.
She ran her fingertips along the mantle and frowned, reaching under for the envelope taped there. She grabbed it and ripped it open, not even checking that it was for her. A note fell out along with something shiny and gold. She fell to her knees and opened the note with one hand, not daring to look at the shiny thing yet.
"Dear Claire, if your reading this then I'm gone, probably a prisoner to everyone's favorite asshole. I can't write much, I can only hope that your reading it. Here's a present. Get me out of there, I know you can. Xo, Sonya," she red aloud and picked up the locket, turning it over in her fingers.
"You bitch," she growled as she recognized the locket, "Everyone wake the fuck up! Now!"
"What?" Reid demanded coming down first.
"We have a big problem. You remember the locket I told you about?"
"The creepy-lord-of-the-rings one? Yeah--" he looked at the locket in her hands, "you're kidding me, right?"
"I wish," she glared at the locket, "so, do you want to be Legolas? Because if it's okay with you I'd like to be Aragon, I've got a thing for swords."
"You know how lame that sounds?" he asked.
"Hey buddy, we just became a fellowship out to destroy a magical artifact," she crossed her arms, "prepare for way more lameness."
"Where did you get that?" Merrick demanded, "Jesus, did you sleep with him?! it's been four hours!"
"Sleep with who? Parker?" Tyler asked coming down and stopping dead, "you slept with the guy trying to kill us?"
"I didn't sleep with him!" she cried.
"Then how'd you get the locket?" Merrick asked crossing his arms.
"Sonya left it for me you idiot," Claire growled, "do you remember what we talked about?"
"The gutting-me-if-I-revealed-your-wicked-red-hot-semi-relationship-with-a-phsycho-Warlock-talk?" he asked raising a finger, "oh God, don't kill me."
"Your what?!" Reid cried, "you did what?!"
"I'm going to kill you," Claire hissed before turning to the guys, "so Parker and I had a purely physical relationship, it was a long time ago, months ago."
"Oh my God, we're being protected by a psychotic whore," Tyler said, "we're so screwed."
"Hey! I want Parker dead a hell of a lot more than the rest of you," Claire snapped, "and I am not some psychotic whore! Just because your the wise-one doesn't mean you get to assume anything so keep your mouth shut so when I feel the need to take my anger out my mind lands on my babysitter here instead of your sorry ass."
"Your babysitter?" Caleb demanded, "okay obviously your going to have to give us your backstory, now."
"Alright fine!" she said throwing up her hands, "sit down and shut up," she looked at Merrick, "you're staying for storytime too?"
"They're going to want my story too," he said shrugging and sitting down, "and besides, knowing you the rumor mill is going to be a sleeper compared to the truth."
"Prepare to be disappointed," she said, "it's quite boring, really. Nothing worth telling at all."
"Talk," Caleb said.