It was hard to believe it, but the interior of the headquarters was even more impressive than the exterior.

The main hall of the building they had entered was lined with an impressive amount of decorative foliage with a staircase on the other end of the great space. However, decorative foliage was the wrong word for it, it was closer to an enclosed jungle. Ferns and bromeliads sprouted up in well-kept beds, placed neatly every couple of steps around the perimeter of the hall. Beautiful leafy trees with long roaming branches sprouted high above their head. Sparse enough to let in the fading light of sunset from the west illuminate the glass building and shower everything in a pink and golden glow.

"You live here?" Fiona whispered to Marshall for the second time. Embarrassed at the awe in her voice. It made the high rise apartment she lived in look like a hovel. It even bested Bernabon's palace of an estate.

"Well, technically yes, I do live here." He teased, mimicking a grand gesture and waving to one of the guards like he was a prince starring in a parade, not someone who had promised unending punishment to rain down upon those who had hurt those who had harmed someone he cared dearly about. He turned his attention back on to her.

"But growing up here was like growing up in a tomb..."

"Even with all of this life?" She asked, glancing at the beauty all around her.

"This..." Marshall gestured "Is all rather new. I am not exactly sure what my mother was thinking, but she gets an idea in her head, and there is no stopping her. I think it is her way of... showing off in the most ridiculous ways possible."

"Where are we going?" She asked, finally realizing that he never really told her where they were going once, they got inside.

"Oh, you will see Bunny." He grinned back at her. Taking her hand in his and squeezing it quickly before releasing it again.

They made their way up the long set of modern black and white stairs in front of them and up to the second level of the building. At the top of the stairs was a fairly empty level. The floors were a sparkling grey granite, and a few sets of white leather chairs and couches with plush black carpets were strewn about the area that appeared to be an oversized waiting area. Everything here seemed to be a little over the top.

Looking forward, there was a large set of black onyx doors with two intimidating guards standing on either side. Fiona looked them up and down, knowing full well that she could take them with both her hands tied behind her back. But she would leave this up to Marshall.

"M-M-Master Marshall..." One of the suited guards stuttered. "W-W-We did n-n-not expect you..."

"Well, that is the point of a surprise, isn't it?" Marshall sneered. "You never know when I might show up."

The other guard gulped and answered, "The mistress is engaged right now..."

"Then I suggest," Marshall replied through gritted teeth "You make sure she finishes her engagement in the next 90 seconds, or I am going to burst in there and it will be your heads."

The guards looked at each other for a brief moment as if silently weighing the odds with the other. Finally, the original guard who addressed them bowed his head and then hastily opened one of the doors and slipped inside the closed room, never breaking eye contact with them. There was a pause, then some mumbling then muffled yelling, and then more silence.

Fiona counted down the seconds in her head 17...16...15...

Right before she reached 0, the doors swung open from within and a now pale guard stepped out of the way to reveal the cavernous meeting room behind him. After straightening his tie and offering a shallow nod to the two of them, he opened the door wider for them to proceed. Marshall shrugged and waltzed inside the room, not even offering the guard a second glance.

Fiona nodded to the guard, who avoided her gaze as she fell into step behind Marshall.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't my ungrateful son." A voice like silk with a razor's edge echoed from the far end of the room.

Fiona had heard a voice like this before, it promised danger.

"Ungrateful is a strong word for your devoted son." Marshall mused back at her. The picture of arrogance. As he swept his hair back with his hand and leaned a little farther back as he placed his hands casually in his pockets, making his way to a long desk on the far end of the door where a dark figure stood.

"Aren't you going to introduce me to your little friend?" His mother purred.

No doubt this was their typical banter.

Continuing his act, he glanced back at Fiona and pretended to pay little mind to her and shrugged. "Friend, this is my mother. The head of the Methusela Clan and I am her heir apparent." He turned and bowed deeply to Fiona, continuing to walk with his back towards his mother. "In case you didn't know." He finished flipping back around after giving her a quick wink.

"Oh, she is already aware of what you are, and what we are... but I am not too sure you know what she is." Marshall's mother mused. If her words had any effect on him, he didn't let it show as they reached her desk. A dark, solid piece of stone that seemed to vibrate with a sleeping power.

Strange, Fiona thought to herself and filed this away in her mind to look into later.

An elegantly dressed woman in a designer black suit and matching black designer heels glared at her adopted son. Her fingernails taping in an impatient rhythm against the sleeping stone. Her hair was long, perfectly straight, and a deep blue-black. Her skin was impossibly smooth it seemed to shine in the sunset glow silhouetted behind her. Her nails were painted a crimson red, and no rings or any kind of jewelry adorned her fingers or wrists. Her eyes were unsettlingly dark and cloaked in even darker lashes. She was beautiful but dangerous. Very dangerous.

"I know who you are, Fiona." She continued. "I know everything that goes on in my son's life, and you are no exception. I also know that you do not belong here."

Fiona blinked. Unsure of what she meant, there was no way that she could possibly... Could she?

Sensing her panic, Marshall interjected. "Breeding should be no concern of yours, mother... Considering you picked up a street rat and turned him into a prince." He grinned at her. Leaning on her desk with his left hand.

His mother looked at him and then his hand. Crisis adverted. He had her full attention again.

"Breeding aside, I am here to ask you why you allowed those vermin to lay hands on my trusted driver and bodyguard." His voice tightening on the word vermin.

His mother flicked an invisible piece of lint off of the front of her suit. "Because he was given a job, and he couldn't complete it."

Her dagger eyes met his searing gaze. "Marshall, really. Isn't it time you moved past this overgrown nanny of yours? Your dedication to him will wind you both up in trouble. As it has tonight. Did you really think your little stunt wouldn't have consequences? If you cared for Hambo that much, then why you would put him in a situation where he could be hurt by people like me?"

He hissed at her words but remained silent. "I know you know that all could have been avoided if you hadn't pulled this little stunt. Really, you should be blaming it all on her." Her gaze fell on Fiona now.

Fiona glared defiantly back at her. "What will it take, girl? For you to leave my son alone. A way back home perhaps?"

Something in her eyes must have revealed her surprise because she gave her a wicked grin. She knew she had the upper hand. But how did she know? Or was Fiona just panicking? Perhaps Marshall was right, and his mother was just referring to her lack of status in an upper-crust elite she had suddenly found herself intermixed with.

But what... what if this whole thing... Hambo, getting Marshall here. Luring her here, was all a part of her plan. Had they been played?

Marshall stepped in between the two again.

"Mother, I really suggest that we get back to the point at hand."

"Fine, have it your way." His mother waved her hand dismissively. "But I am warning you," Her eyes narrowed once more on Fiona "both of you."

Marshall continued "I will take full responsibility for my actions, but no one should put their hands on my men without my permission."

His mother scoffed "YOUR men?" she emphasized the word 'your' and then began to laugh. "Forgive me, SON, but if I am not mistaken, for them to be YOUR men, you have to show a little interest in the family business. Since I enrolled you in that fancy and ridiculously expensive school of yours, which I might add you RARELY bother to attend... All you have wanted to do is distance yourself as much as you can from the family business and MY men."

Marshall remained silent. No doubt calculating his next move.

She raised an eyebrow. "No words from our little prince?" She purred.

Marshall knew if he spoke out now, it could mean consequences that extended past him. She was threatening people he cared for. People he couldn't protect yet because he was just an heir.

"That is what I thought." She smirked. "Now if you do not mind, SON, I have some business to attend to out of the country for the next couple of days."

"Where...?" Marshall began.

"Ah, ah, ah." She teased. "Don't ask questions you don't want the answer to." She moved from behind her desk and strutted towards him. Resting her hand on his cheek. A mocking display of affection. "Remember, I chose you for a reason. Do not let me down."

He looked away and refused to meet her gaze. She sighed and turned to leave.

"Oh, boys!" She called out. Suddenly, the two burly guards from before were clamping down on Fiona's arms from both sides. Not daring to lay a hand on Marshall. He yelled for them to let her go.

Without thinking Fiona was fighting to break free. Thrashing and pulling at the hands that tried to restrain her. Finally landing a disarming blow with her foot to the left guard's groin, and the threw the right guard off of her arm with one fluid motion which sent him spiraling onto the floor severe feet in front of them. The strength, she knew it wasn't normal.

Marshall gaped.

"Like I said," His mother purred. "She doesn't belong here."

And with that, she walked out of the room and slammed the door behind her.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**

Well, well, well. This chapter took a little longer, but I am pretty pleased with the results. What do you think will happen next?

The next chapter will have an M warning. I know this is not everyone's cup of tea, so I will include a summary of what happens in the following chapter.

If you are a reader who likes mature content, what are things you think are WAY overdone in fanfic?

I'll go first: The words pounding and throbbing. Get a thesaurus kids!