Chapter 13

"What the hell are you doing here Merlin?"

My insides twisted as I glare down a woman I know… or at least I thought I knew. She eyed me a moment, searching me before a cheshire grin spread over her lips, "I assume we're here for the same reason, detective."

"She's being called Princess." Gowther added, pushing his glasses back up his nose.

It didn't take a genius to figure out this was the woman Meliodas had mentioned the other night. The only person Gowther stuck around the bar for. Gluttony.

Ban leaned into my peripheral vision, and I try to ignore him as he looked between me and the object of my intense stare-off. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you two know each other~" his sing-song tone came off a bit suspicious, but given his previously stated distrust in cops, I suppose I'm not all that surprised.

King sighed with a shake of his head, "Get a clue, moron. Of course they know each other."

The second in command looked down at him petulantly and there was a flurry of insults thrown between the two, not that I could hear them. No, I didn't care to hear a repeat of an argument the two had almost daily. My jaw tightened as my focus switched to Meliodas.

His gaze was on me. Watching. Waiting. A bystander observing the implications of this encounter hit me, wave after wave. Merlin was a sin. The Sin of Gluttony. But that wasn't all. Merlin was a scientist. A forensic scientist and an outside consultant for the crime lab. This woman was responsible for helping our department crack some of our most high profile cases. Her expertise had aided in the incarceration of mob bosses, politicians, corrupt officials, serial killers...

This woman had been something of a hero in my eyes. A woman with fire. A woman who could stare the worst of men dead in the face and prove their guilt. A woman who could play hardball - refusing to be defined by age or sex. And she would do it with that same grin she was giving me now.

Right here… standing in the middle of a bar that was the headquarters of the Seven Deadly Sins.

It was no wonder we never found anything tying them to the crimes. That had been bothering me for a couple days now - wondering how a ragtag group of accident prone vigilantes managed to leave no trace. They probably had. They just had someone on the inside who could destroy or corrupt it. The department never once suspected they had infiltrated our ranks.

I couldn't help but feel this is some sort of power play. Meliodas could have told her to stay away. Forever kept me in the dark; kept me from knowing that my own office wasn't safe from his prying eyes.

It was like he was asking me, "What will you do now? Knowing this newest piece of information…"

Was it a test? For my resolve; of my loyalty to the cause; my loyalty to my word?

I glanced away from him, unable to speak. But my chest ached with the decision I'd made. I had no choice but to look the other way. It's the price I had to pay to break my case open.

"Esh, you really did it this time, Mer," Ban commented, leaning into the open doorway, careening his neck to better his view of what lay below - and again, I was forgotten. My presence, my plight, my struggle here; a changed subject in favor of something else.

"We may wanna call Pride…" King suggested with a quirked brow as he studied Gowther and Merlin. His gaze flickered from me over to Meliodas, but he made no comment on my obvious distress.

"That would be a wise decision." Gowther said without looking at anyone. "Merlin would have inhaled her concoction upon its explosion."

"I already called him," Diane assured them as she wiggled her cellphone. I hadn't even noticed she left to make the call. She too glanced my way, but said nothing to me. "Said he'd be right over."

Ban and Meliodas shared smug grins. "Course he will!" The blonde laughed, elbowing the much taller man in the stomach good naturedly.

"Never known the man to say no when it involved his, Sweet Gluttony," Ban chortled along with him.

King rolled his eyes at the pair but even he couldn't stop from cracking a smile. "He would have came either way, ya know."

"Of course, he would," Diane nodded and smiled along. "But he'll get here a lot faster knowing it's Merlin who needs his help." She giggled and bumped shoulders with the older woman.

They all started to push into the main bar area, chatting, exchanging remarks about only god knew what, leaving me where I stood.

How much of myself would I need to sacrifice to accomplish what I came here to do?

"You alright?"

I didn't realize Meliodas had stayed with me -and while his words were soft and concerned, I only found his presence infuriating. I turned an incredulous look on him, scoffing, "Does that even fucking matter to you?" I hissed at him rhetorically under my breath, catching a glimpse of his surprised expression before I found my way to the kitchen. The answer was simple. I didn't need him confirming or denying it to know the truth.

In the meantime though, there were still two people in need of medical attention. And until the person called Pride arrived, I would make sure all of the first aid was ready.

For the most part, the others left me to do just that. Thankfully. I just couldn't stand being in anyone's company for very long, right now. Unfortunately, there weren't enough things to gather to take up the time I needed to reign in my wayward thoughts. Mindless chores it was then. I found myself washing the dishes left in the sink before I'd even thought much on it. Anything to keep from going off.

Was nothing sacred anymore? My office. My records. My coworkers. What else did the Sins have their hands on?

I needed to talk to Howser. But what could I say? It'd been a week since my initial check in. He was bound to be worried again. Maybe it wouldn't matter so much what I said. The comfort of a longtime friend's voice would be far more soothing than just sitting here and wallowing in my own self pity. Even if I didn't offer specifics, Howser always had a way of knowing just what to say.

Now if only I could get to a phone…

Lost in my own thoughts, I hadn't noticed the sharp edge of the knife hiding beneath the bubbles, until I felt the undeniable ache of skin slicing open. "Ow! Fuck!" I pulled my hand out of the water quickly, waving it like it was on fire. I held my palm, watching as blood pooled to the surface, mixing with the water still on my hands.

It wasn't deep, but it was certainly painful. I cursed under my breath again, ready to turn to look for a towel, but found my view of the injury suddenly obscured by a white cloth pressed firmly to the open wound. And the person holding said cloth did so without looking up at me.

"You should be more careful," Meliodas murmured, peeling the cloth back to inspect the injury and then reapplying it. No grin. No sign of his typical devil-may-care attitude. But he also hadn't shifted to angry either. There was a tenderness with which he handled my hand and my wrist as he encouraged me to come to a chair in the back corner of the kitchen. A set of shelves sat to my left, and I watched him fish out another first aid kit that had been hidden behind a stack of pans.

Without a word, he knelt in front of me, pulling cotton swabs from the little pack he placed on the ground next to him, then dabbing and cleaning the hand he cradled in his own. He was so diligent, and it was probably the quietest and most thoughtful I've seen him.

Why?

Didn't this guy realize how much he pissed me off?

"I can bandage my own hand." my voice betrayed just how done I am.

"I'm sure you can." He replied, easily, but it didn't deter him from treating my wound. Always the chivalrous knight in shining armor...

My words to him earlier echo in my head. It made me angry that his actions towards me actually mattered to me in any way. He was a criminal. He was a means to an end. And when this was all over, I planned on taking him and all his other lackeys down…

So why did it bother me so much? Why did his acts of kindness and feigned interest get to me so bad?

"Why are you doing this?" I asked him, my heart taking the reigns. I wanted to know why he insisted on playing the good guy.

He was smart. Smarter than I gave him credit for. Every single move he'd made in this relationship had been expertly planned and executed. Every time I thought I had a leg up, he would prove me wrong - allowing me to know about Merlin was positive proof of that. He had all the cards. He had to realize that. So why? Why bother pretending?

I watched his eyes study his own movements as he expertly wrapped a gauze around my palm. His expression didn't shift and he made no attempt at answering my question. How very typical of him.

A frustrated sigh escaped through my nose. I'm angry. And humiliated. I was just another tool at his disposal. Just another pawn in his game. "Just stop it," I hissed, turning my face away, unable to watch him touching me, "You don't have to keep pretending, Meliodas. I'm a big girl. I can handle myself."

Stop pretending like I matter at all to you.

"You're wrong about me, Elizabeth."

I glanced back at him, surprised by how gently he said my name - the fact that he used my name at all. And this time, he was looking right at me. I'm caught by those emeralds. Entranced by their shine, by the resolve there. Why did my stomach always see fit to start a gymnastic routine when he looked at me?

He allowed himself another moment staring me in the eyes before he glanced down - long enough to finish off the tie of the gauze, "I'm not pretending. It does matter to me."

There was the smallest pull to his lips, as he passed to me the most genuine grin I've seen on his face. It was reassuring - kind. The type of grin that said "You matter to me. I'm on your side".

But was he really? Or was that my thudding heart putting words in my head, hoping that was the case? I swallowed hard, watching as he stood from his place on the floor and meandered to the door separating us from the rest of the bar, shooting one last soft smile over his shoulder as if to re-iterate his words. A plea for me to think on what he'd told me.

And then he was gone.

Was it wrong for me to hope he did mean what he said? My rational brain said yes - that this was nothing more than a poor attempt at getting me to sympathize with him. My less-rational heart, however, was less convinced. My mind replayed the words Meliodas had said at the party, about King and Diane. Lot easier to pretend you have feelings than actually admitting to having them, his voice rang in my head. The reminder did nothing to relieve any of my confusion and only made me wonder more.

Was he only talking about King and Diane?

I frowned down at the hand he had wrapped so carefully. There's no time right now to sift through all of the emotions I'm feeling. I'm too tired. Too much had happened for me to organize it neatly. I sighed again, much louder now that I'm the only one in the kitchen, and decided I've had enough time pouting.

I left the kitchen, finding everyone where I had left them, sans Meliodas, who now sat at one of the bar stools. He allowed more of his usual grin to filter through as he looked back at me and my reappearance, and I found that I couldn't keep eye contact with him without feeling heat in my face - instead, busying myself with filling a couple of mugs with beer and passing one to him.

I'm mad, not rude. No sense in drinking alone.

No sooner had I finished filling the second mug for myself that the bar's front door flew open and a blonde man with glasses stood there, panting heavily. "M-merlin? Is she… okay?"

His grand entrance had nearly made me jump out of my skin, but somehow I managed to keep a tight grip on my drink. This man had to be the one called Pride. Who else would be showing up at this time of night in such a bold fashion?

"I'm fine, Escanor," said woman assured him from her spot at a table with Gowther and King. I got the sense the three of them had been discussing something. "There was no need for you to come. Diane got a bit trigger happy with the phone."

The accused merely giggled and whispered something to Ban, both of them laughing loudly.

"You need to be checked," Gowther insisted - or at least what he could pass for insisting. "You did not wear a mask as I suggested."

"A calculated risk," Merlin answered with a smile.

"I told you, your calculations were wrong," Gowther responded flatly.

"Uh," Escanor interrupted the two swiftly. "I'd feel better if I could just take a look. At both of you."

"But I am fine." The young genius defended montone. "I took the necessary precautions, unlike Merlin."

If I didn't know anything about Gowther, I would almost think that he was arguing. But he wasn't. Just stating facts like he did the time before. He wasn't trying to be rude. Just trying to understand what, to him, must be a simple matter.

Escanor hummed. "That Merlin doesn't listen much, does she?" His question was directed at Gowther, neither men looking at each other. He set up a bag on the table and began digging within it. Apparently my gathering of the first aid kit was a fruitless effort.

"No."

For the first time since knowing Merlin, I saw a small scowl on her face. "I listen just fine. I chose to do the opposite for the sake of better understanding."

"I'm sure," Escanor answered her politely before ripping open, what I assume must be a disinfectant cloth. He approached Gowther and kindly asked, "may I take a blood sample? I know you are at a lower risk than Merlin, but I'd like to take one just in case. Better to be safe right, Gowther?" His ocean blue eyes were nothing but sincere as the young genius' gaze flickered to his and then away just as quickly.

"Very well."

"Thank you," Escanor's smile softened. "I know you don't much care for needles. I'll be quick."

Gowther said nothing in response and I realized the bar was weirdly quiet. One look around the room told me everyone was just as engrossed by the pair as I was. I had the feeling Gowther didn't converse with many people outside of Merlin and Meliodas. Was Escanor also on this list?

Escanor continued chatting, as if to distract the young man. His voice was calm and soothing, unlike when he'd first shown up. "It's a good thing Merlin has you here to look out for her."

"Yes," Gowther agreed with a single nod of his head. "She takes too many risks."

"Calculated," Merlin reminded them even as the small smile on her face renewed. "They aren't risks if they're calculated."

"By definition, risks are those that expose to danger, harm, or loss. Purposefully ignoring faulty calculations are, thus, risks." The genius replied flatly.

Merlin chuckled.

"There, all done," Escanor placed a band aid over the spot he drew blood from. "Thankfully I brought my kit with. We should know if you need further treatment within a few hours. Will you please stick around until then Gowther?"

"Yes."

"Thank you, now," he turned to the forensic scientist and suddenly, his calm demeanor seemed to dissipate as his gaze had skipped up from Merlin to me across the bar, and then he did a double-take. "Oh… uh…" He looked like a deer in the headlights. "I… had no idea we had company." He finished, stepping closer to Merlin, but peeking up at me like I might attack.

"No need to worry," Meliodas assured him with a grin. "This is just Elizabeth. Elizabeth, meet Pride. Pride, meet Elizabeth."

"I thought we were referring to her as Princess?" Gowther tilted his head.

"Princess?" Escanor repeated the code name. His eyes shifted to King as he said, "you have another sister?"

"No!" King shouted a little louder than necessary. His cheeks were pink and I had to wonder if it's from alcohol or embarrassment. "See!" he pointed an accusing finger at Meliodas. "Told you Princess was a bad name."

Meliodas rolled his eyes at the Sin of Sloth, an amused smile on his face. "It's fine King. At least he thought she was your sister and not your daughter."

"Uh," Escanor quirked a brow, making quick work of drawing blood from Merlin's arm. "Who would think that? King looks like he's sixteen… No offense of course."

"Offense taken," King grumbled as he downed the contents of his mug. "Take a wild guess Escanor. Who do we know that's a complete moron?"

"Ban?"

"Bingo!" He waved his empty mug in the air. "Who else but his drunk ass?"

"Hey!" The white haired man yelled.

The two men ignored him. "If I had to place a bet on her being someone's daughter, it would be Ban," Escanor commented thoughtfully. "Hair color is at least the same."

"Her features are more accurately in common with Diane," Gowther joined the disturbing topic. "They have the same round face and nose construction. Eighty percent likeness."

"Hear that Elizabeth!" The burnette threw an arm around me - somehow finding her way to me before I had realized it. "We're sisters!"

"Why am I the only one who's a father? I'm not that old!" Ban growled and slammed his mug on the table. "Fuck you guys!"

Definitely drunk, I thought as King, Ban and Diane got into another argument. All three of them.

"As lively as ever I see," Escanor chuckled. He's already pulling out something else from his bag. I didn't recognize the equipment, but assumed it must be how he's going to test the blood. He set it up on the bar, far away from the bickering trio.

"Been awhile, Escanor," Meliodas grinned at the fellow blonde. His whole attitude seemed to have shifted back to the jovial man I've gotten to know the past week. It's almost like everything that happened up till now was forgotten. Or maybe he's just that happy at having his team together again.

"I'd say that's a good thing," Escanor told him with a kind smile. "Considering the only time we see each other is when someone is hurt."

"True," Meliodas admitted with a chuckle, "but that doesn't mean you can't stop by more." The two paused in a contemplative silence. "Work tomorrow? Why don't you stay and have a beer with us while you wait for those results?"

"Well…"

"Come now, Escanor," Merlin placed a hand on his shoulder. "It's been too long since we last had everyone together. You can stay for a few hours. At least until the your test is finished." She fluttered her eyelashes at him.

Another first from Merlin that I hadn't seen before. Never once had I seen her pay mind to any man who tried hitting on her. And now here she was, fluttering her lashes just to get the man to stay for a drink or two.

"O-kay," Escanor agreed quickly, red splashing across all his visible features. That couldn't be healthy.

I found myself curious about what Escanor's role for the team was.

Meliodas was obviously the leader. Ban was his right hand man and carried out numerous tasks along with King. Diane helped to manage the bar and went out when needed. Gowther was a genius who could apparently hack into and access anything the Sins may need. While Merlin… she's the reason they never got caught. How she ended up with them was beyond me. But now wasn't the time for that question.

Instead I asked a different one. To someone who seemed less able to dodge my questions. "It's nice to meet you, Escanor," I held out my hand and offered the sincerest smile I could given all the shit I'd been through tonight. "I was thinking I wouldn't meet the rest of the Sins and yet I get to meet you three in the last twenty four hours." My eyes send an accusing glare at Merlin.

The woman just smirked.

"Ah, nice to meet you too, Elizabeth," He smiled kindly, taking my hand firmly - a business man's handshake. That, combined with his pressed buttoned-up shirt and dress slacks said something. Meliodas had mentioned work... "I actually didn't think I'd be meeting you at all. Unless you were injured."

I quirked a brow. So Meliodas had been playing his cards close to the chest.

"N-not that I think you'd be getting i-injured," he stuttered as he tried to explain himself, mistaking my expression for distaste. "I j-just don't come here unless it's for that reason, as you can see." He held up his bag and I finally realized what it was.

A medical bag.

"You're a doctor?" My jaw unhinged slightly.

Dom: *Places piece on the board* Knight to Queen four. Check. *smiles triumphantly*

Luv: *stares at the board, then Dom, then the board again* Okay… I know we don't live in the same area… like not even close but… aren't we playing monopoly? Where'd you even get that from? It's a checkers piece, not a knight...

Dom: *examines board intently, before placing another piece on the board over park place* I increase my army in madagascar!

Luv: ….. *blinks, extremely confused* … uh… you sunk my battleship?

Dom: Ha! Eat this! *places random playing card on table* Wild DRAW FOUR!

Luv: *gives up completely and just starts shouting random phrases.* GO FISH!

Dom: Damn! Your hungry hippo ate all the marbles!

Luv: Darn straight! And I'm gunna make it to the Candy Castle before you too! *starts cackling like a mad woman.*

Dom: RIGHT HAND RED! *dog piles luv with a goofy grin on her face, having successfully distracted Luv from winning Monopoly*… Next time on Don't Trust Me: Being an outsider has been tough, and the punches just keep coming for poor Elizabeth. Can she keep her composure long enough to get some answers, or will she walk away empty handed? Desperate times call for desperate measures, so when Elizabeth requests a favor from Meliodas, she finds support from an unlikely new friend. Who let's their kid walk into a bar in the middle of the day?

Luv: Simon says, get off! *struggles to escape Dom's clutches.*

Dom: *snuggles Luv* Tag you're it! *Jumps up and runs away* See you all next chapter!

Luv: *sighs heavily and dusts herself off as she sits up* Why must game night always be so exhausting?