Chapter 22

I didn't sleep much that night.

My mind whirled back and forth on what I'd heard and learned the night before. About the mayor's wife, about the sins…

About Meliodas.

I was so torn.

There seemed to be two sides to every one of them. A side that made me question if I could do my job at the end of all of this, and another that made me remember why they were wanted criminals.

To make matters worse, today I was supposed to be receiving a package from Gil. One that could very well mean I was breaking my promise to Meliodas.

But I couldn't help it anymore.

The Commandments, the drugs, the criminal underworld - no one just stumbled on to these things. I needed to know why Meliodas was involved. Why he was so damned determined to put himself and his underlings in the line of fire.

Because it was important that I know. At least, that's what I had convinced myself.

The next problem was figuring out how I was going to sneak it past the sins - who all seemed to have eyes in the back of their heads.

Flopping back and forth on the issue didn't make for very restful sleep, but I refused to come out of my room until I'd managed to get a hold of my wayward thoughts on the matter.

By the time I came down to the bar the next morning, I was surprised to find I was the only one on the floor. I guess I shouldn't have been so shocked. Despite the lack of sleep, I had opted to go to bed long before everyone else. Meliodas and Ban had mentioned wanting to wait for King and Diane to get back.

I wanted to wait too… but after so many turbulent emotions from the day, I couldn't imagine I was going to keep my thoughts to myself for much longer.

"Guess I'll get the bar ready for opening," I mumbled to the empty room, finding that the motions of getting ready for customers helped calm me.

It was late morning when someone let themselves in the bar. I had just finished restocking the bar area when I noticed and stared at her quizzically, glancing around the room and finding only myself and the stranger still. Not a Sin in sight.

"Hello." I greeted the young woman with a somewhat forced smile. After last night my head still wasn't on quite right. "May I help you with something? We aren't open yet."

"Oh." The blonde blinked her honey gaze up at me in surprise. "Who are you?" She tilted her head curiously, giving me the once over. "I didn't hear about them hiring anyone new."

My brows furrowed at her response to me. Who is she? Another one of the sins many contacts?

"I'm Princess." I introduced myself with a smile. "I just started a week or so ago."

"Ah, that explains it." She accepted the odd name without so much as a bat of her eyes. "Is no one else here?" She frowned lightly as she walked farther into the bar. "Seems odd he'd reach out if he wasn't going to be here."

"Who-?"

The door to the basement opened, taking my attention. King walked out, shutting the door behind him with a yawn. He sent a lazy wave in my direction as he made a beeline for the coffee pot - having most likely slept down there. He still had his dress pants on and his white button-up was disheveled and untucked from his pants in random places. I felt myself tense, anxious about what the Sin of Sloth would do with this newcomer.

To my surprise, the blonde woman was the first to break the silence. "Morning, Harlequin." There was an easy smile on her face. One of familiarity.

"Morning, Elaine." He responded without a glance in her direction as he filled his mug with coffee.

I'm dumbfounded as I glanced between the ginger and the woman.

Elaine? As in… his little sister, Elaine?

The familiarity suddenly made sense. That didn't make the situation any less tense or strange as I eyed her.

The woman turned to me with an amused smile as the ginger shuffled sleepilly back towards the basement. "Wait for it," Elaine whispered to me, clearly amused and unfazed by her brother's state.

His hand was on the basement door before he paused. "Hold on," I thought I heard him mumble from across the room.

He spun back around, almost dropping his coffee as the woman next to me waved.

"E-Elaine!" King stuttered, shock clearly etched out across his face. A second later it turned to a deep scowl as he stomped towards us. "What are you doing here? I told you never to come here unless it was an absolute emergency!"

The small blonde woman who conversed with me so easily merely rolled her eyes. "Oh calm down, Harlequin. It's been awhile since you visited, so I thought I'd just take the initiative."

That confirmed it. This really was the Elaine Ban spoke so fondly of. The one both King and Ban nearly bit my head off about. But, wait… Harlequin? That wasn't a name I'd heard before.

"There's a reason for that-"

"There always is," Elaine huffed, cutting the man off with a pointed stare.

King's mouth snapped shut and he cast her a weary glare. I had the feeling this was a conversation they had often.

"I know you don't like it when I come here, but I missed you guys, okay?" Her sharp stare morphed into a small pout and King's expression immediately softened.

"Elaine," he sighed, seemingly torn between scolding her and making her feel better. "It's too-"

"Dangerous. I know."

"It's not just that this time," King urged her to listen. For a second, his gaze shifted to mine, an unfamiliar expression on his pinched features, before shifting back to hers. "This was about the worst possible time for you to decide on a spur of the moment visit."

Then it hit me.

King wasn't just mad at his sister. He was scared. Not just because Elaine walked into their base of operations, which it sounded like she wasn't supposed to be doing, but because of me. He was anxious that I was going to do something about her being here.

"Relax, King." Ban's voice suddenly rang through the bar as he made his way from the hall, presumably just waking up. "I told her to come by. Figured it'd be frowned upon if I left, so I invited her."

King rounded on Ban with barely contained fury. "Are you an absolute moron?" He ground out at the much taller man. "Do you have any idea what you just did?" His tone grew louder with each word. "How can you be so fucking stupid?!"

Ban just blinked blankly at him. Apparently surprised by his anger. I find myself mimicking the action. I hadn't ever seen King this mad before. Sure, he and Ban got in arguments but it was never real. This time the ginger haired man seemed genuinely furious.

"Whoa," Meliodas and Diane appeared from the hall behind Ban. "What's going on out here?"

"This-This oaf, just invited Elaine here."

"So?"

"Let me remind you guys of something all of you seemed to have forgotten. Elizabeth," he spun towards me, nothing but distrust in his eyes, "isn't one of us. What's to stop her from turning Elaine in? I can bet my sister wasn't apart of your little deal, Boss."

My eyes widened and my mouth dried. I never would have expected King to speak so harshly to anyone but Ban. Hell, if there was one Sin who made their stance of distrust against me clear from the beginning it was the white haired man.

But King…

He was the one who pacified Ban my first night here. Told the man to wait and see, that I hadn't done anything to sway his opinion one way or another.

Everything I had done so far proved King was right. That I could be trusted. I hated to admit it, but his words hurt. All those morning sessions together and yet the Sin of Sloth still thought of me as nothing more than an enemy. Someone to be wary of. His words a few days ago about me trying to get answers from him rung in my head;

"Too bad I have to take everything you say as you trying to dig for information."

Perhaps I shouldn't have been so surprised by his sudden outburst. He'd likely never trusted me in the first place.

"King, Elizabeth's not-" Diane tried to approach her boyfriend.

"Not what!?" He snapped at her. Upon seeing her flinch in face of his rage, he deflated, anger gone as quick as it came. "I-I'm sorry," he choked out an apology and I noticed he was barely fighting back tears. "I-I didn't mean- I just-"

"Shhh," Diane soothed, wrapping him up in a hug and cutting off his words. "It's okay. I understand." He buried his face in her neck, returning her embrace as he tried to calm his breathing.

"Oh, Harlequin," Elaine's voice was soft.

I glanced at her and found tears in her eyes. She quickly blinked them away and walked over to hug her brother along with Diane, the man squished between the two women. The brunette placed a gentle kiss to his forehead before letting him go, guiding him into his sister's embrace. Elaine gave her a shaky smile.

I'm equally confused as I am touched by the scene before me. It was obvious King was worried about his sister, but… it seemed deeper than that. Like he honestly believed that I was just going to… what? Lock her up?

A heavy sigh drug me out of my thoughts. I turned in time to see Ban running a hand through his messy hair. The look on his face was as close to guilt as I think he could ever get.

He placed a hand on King's head and mumbled, "Sorry, buddy. Shoulda told you first."

The siblings separated and King rubbed harshly at his eyes. "It's fine. I'm fine."

"Always such a crybaby," Elaine joked. Her words lacking the normal mocking tone that would come from saying such a phrase. She said it almost endearingly.

"Don't forget blabbermouth," Meliodas helped to lighten the mood. His shoulders lost their tension as he shot King a smile, almost reassuring the man about his breakdown. That it was okay and he understood.

I wish I could say the same.

Diane wrapped her arms around King's shoulders from behind, resting her head next to his. "All you guys are doing is listing off things I like about him." A small quirk formed on her lips.

"H-hey!" King blushed. Or maybe it's the aftereffects of his… whatever that was.

Everyone shared a laugh.

One last kiss to the cheek from Diane and she released her hostage. King attempted to scowl at her, but it fell short at the sight of her bright smile. He sighed and turned to me.

I found myself stiffening involuntarily.

Those intense amber eyes were different now, apologetic. "Sorry, Princess. I," his adam's apple bobbed with remorse, "uh, overreacted."

Ban snorted, "like always." He mused King's hair again and I had to wonder how deep their friendship went.

Despite my mixed feelings on King trying to accuse me of turning his sister in, I couldn't blame him.

If this was any other situation but the one I was in, he would have been right.

I would have had her hauled away for questioning. To find out what she knew of her brother's involvement in such a ruthless gang as the Seven Deadly Sins. But… I believed him and Ban when they said she wasn't involved in this. King's reaction, how scared he was that I would do just what he feared, told me her entanglement was only on the surface at best.

At least that's what I convinced myself of as I looked at the two of them.

It was easy to tell they were siblings now that I really paid attention. Their eyes were similar, almost the same shade of orange, but Elaine's were a bit lighter, almost gold compared to King's amber. They were both small and lightly built, neither very tall. Even their facial features were easily recognizable.

"It's alright, King," I told him and watched the tension leave his shoulders. "I understand." I responded simply - even though I didn't.

I understood his fear, sure. Just not the reason behind it. But something told me I was never going to understand. That there was something else driving that fear. Something that had left deep scars on him.

He smiled softly and I'm reminded of our time spent together in the basement. When I thought he was just a nerdy member of the Sins. Not a man capable of putting on an act for the richest people in the city.

"Well, I don't," Elaine frowned, eyes darting between the two of us. "Elizabeth seems nice enough," she picked up on the name he'd used, not the one I gave her, "I don't know why you were so mean to her, Harlequin."

Again with that name. I should have realized King was an alias. But why? It's a question that I'm finding harder and harder to ignore as I spend more time with him. With all of the Sins.

"Uh, Princess is-" What little color the ginger had regained was gone again and he paused with a questioning glance over to Meliodas.

"Why do you keep calling her Princess, Harlequin?" Elaine poked his chest, forcing his gaze back to her. "That's rude. It's obvious you know her name, so use it."

"Ah, well you see-" King shifted anxiously at her ruthless attack.

"Unless she's in the same kind of situation as you," her eyebrows shot up and suddenly she was back looking at me. Her expression was contemplative but her eyes were tinged with curiosity. "Oh my gosh. She isn't, is she? There's no way! Ah, but if she is then that would explain-"

"Not quite, Elaine," Ban stopped her ranting by physically picking her up and placing her on top of the bar before she could get any further into what King's situation could be.

Elaine pouted up at him, crossing her arms in front of her small chest. "Then why is she here, Ban?"

He looked torn. Another expression I thought I'd never see on the Sin of Greed. He always seemed so sure of things. Even the choices he obviously hadn't thought through. Like inviting his girlfriend here and somehow causing King a massive panic attack.

"She's undercover Elaine," Meliodas answered, sparing the man the trouble, choosing thee truth over any other explanation. A choice that surprised me.

"Undercover?" Her brows furrowed. "Then that would mean… oh… OH!" Elaine's eyes went wide once again with realization as she studied at me in a whole new light. "Well that makes sense." Her eyes flashed to her brother once more.

Did the two of them have a bad run in with cops or something?

"So, do me a favor will ya?" Meliodas smiled at the young woman. "Don't tell anyone what I just told you and in turn, I'm sure Elizabeth will realize you don't know a damn thing about what we do here." His last part was more directed at me than her.

A thinly veiled threat perhaps?

Maybe not… there was a hint of pleading to his eyes as he looked at me. The hero complex again. No sign of the cold mastermind from the night before. I spent a second longer searching his emerald gaze than I would have liked. Looking for any tell that this was the real him. But unable to find it.

As wary as I was of Meliodas' ever-shifting personalities, I merely turned a soft small soft smile on Elaine as if to promise that I would do my best to ignore her involvement.

"What are you doing here anyway, Elaine?" King redirected the conversation. "You shouldn't come here unless it's an emergency."

"I know," she sighed. "But I missed you guys! And I was texting Ban and he said it would be fine if I stopped by for awhile," King and Meliodas both stare at the white haired man who shrugged, clearly not caring anymore, "I finished all my homework and I was bored sooo, here I am!" Elaine finished with a bright smile.

"We missed you too Elaine!" Diane jumped in on her enthusiasm. "It's been too long," she wrapped the smaller woman up in a hug. "How have you been? School going alright?"

"I'm great and school's been going really well so far! I'm really enjoying it," Elaine explained in an excited rush. "How are things here? You been keeping the boys in line?"

"Of course," Diane winked.

"Some of us more than others," Ban snickered as he elbowed King in the side.

"Ban!" The siblings exasperated together. Elaine continued with a, "that's gross!"

"You think that's bad? You should spend the night here onc-"

King elbowed the man sharply below the ribs. "I'm glad to hear school is going well." The ginger ignored the dirty look from his victim.

"It is. I wish you could go too, Harlequin."

He chuckled awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck as he refused to meet anyone's eyes. "You and I both know I wouldn't do so well."

Elaine pursed her lips. "You would too! I know you would. You're smart! Not Gowther or maybe Merlin smart, but really nobody's quite like them. But you're up there!"

"... is that supposed to be reassuring?" King quirked a brow.

"Ugh!" Elaine blushed and and leaned over to smack his arm. "You know what I mean! You should be going to school with me."

"We've been over this a thousand times, Elaine," he shook his head. "It's not for me."

"School is for everyone."

"I'm too old."

"You are not too old!" She smacked his arm again. "Twenty-five is too soon to be giving up on a different kind of future, Harlequin."

Wait...

"What?" I couldn't stop myself from blurting out. They all turned to me, surprised, as if they forgot I was even there. "No way you're only... I thought you were way younger than me."

Diane giggled at the offended expression on her boyfriends face. "Just how old do you think we all are?" She tilted her head as she gave me a sly smirk.

"Huh." A smug grin settled on Meliodas' lips. "I'm actually curious too, now that you mention it."

I somehow felt like I just walked myself into a trap. "Uh, w-well-"

"Ah, come on guys." Elaine came to my rescue with a shake of her head. "You guys are hard to figure out." She turned to me with a kind smile. "I'll save you the ruthless guessing game they probably had in mind-" huffs of displeasure from Meliodas, Ban and Diane, "-I'm obviously King's younger sister." She placed a hand to her chest. "I'm 22. Harlequin is 25. And Diane is-"

"Hold on!" Diane interrupted her quickly. "I want her to guess for me!"

"She's 23." Elaine continued anyways with a roll of her eyes.

"Elaine!" The brunette wailed. "Not fair!"

"Though you wouldn't guess it from how she acts sometimes." The blonde leaned over to whisper to me with a giggle.

Elaine was right. But I would have probably guessed the other way. Diane's mannerisms had always made me believe she was older and just had a youthful spirit. Not the other way around.

"And those guys." Elaine waved towards Meliodas and Ban. "They're old."

"Ah that's not very nice, Elaine. One of us is your boyfriend." Meliodas pointed out with an amused shake of his head. "She just says that cause she's barely old enough to drink." He teased the other blonde goodnaturedly as he addressed me with a grin.

She flushed. "I've been old enough for over a year, Meliodas!"

"Not like that stopped her anyways." Ban chuckled as he wrapped an arm around her waist.

"It should have," King grumbled.

"Oh please! Where did you meet Diane again?" Elaine scoffed with a roll of her eyes.

Meliodas and Ban laughed.

"Do I finally get to hear this story?" My curiosity was peaked. Just what was so interesting about the way King and Diane met?

"No." The ginger shook his head insistently. "No you do not."

"Come on, King." I bit the inside of my lip to keep from smiling. The banter was refreshing. "You did say another time when I asked you earlier this week."

His eyes lit up in amusement. "No. I said another time, maybe. Extra emphasis on that maybe part."

"So if it's up to you, I'll never hear it?"

"You got it, Princess."

I laughed despite myself. "I'll just get it from Diane, then."

"Probably should have just asked her in the first place." Meliodas piped up by my side. "She's not as good of a storyteller, but at least you'll get the story."

"Hey!" Diane pinched his arm. "I'm great at telling stories! And that one." She sent King a sultry smile over her shoulder that had the ginger the same shade of red as his hair. "Is one of my favorites to tell."

"Ew, Diane." Elaine scrunched up her features. "I don't want to hear it."

The room laughed.

"Well, Elaine," Meliodas addressed her. "You know the rules. You show up, you gotta work."

"Just how I want to spend my Saturday night." The blonde woman responded sarcastically.

The more I heard her talk, the more I realized how much like King she was. Right down to the sarcastic comments. Though, she was obviously more charismatic and willing to go out of her way to help someone than her brother was, whose interests have always seemed to be geared towards two things: the mission and Diane.

"Shoulda came on a Sunday if you didn't want to work." King told her flatly. "Or you know, any day but today."

Elaine made a face at him that soon had the two bickering. It honestly reminded me of how Vernoica and I got on each other's nerves sometimes. But even I could tell the love between them ran deep.

I suppose Elaine would be included as well in what was important to King. I filed the information away in the back of my mind, ignoring the tinge of guilt I felt at doing so. This was probably one of the very reasons that he didn't want me to meet his sister. So she couldn't be used against him.

Elaine readily told me all about herself and the major she was working towards - botany - despite her brother's grievances and mumbled reasons why she shouldn't. The small blonde woman seemed to believe I didn't really mean any harm with how well I got along with them.

"And you're the hardest one to get along with, Harlequin" Elaine poked her brother in the side. "So she can't be all bad."

We both huffed for different reasons.

"I am not!" King insisted stubbornly. "That would be your ass of a boyfriend, actually."

"What?" Elaine scrunched up her features. "No way. Ban's a total sweetheart!"

I snorted in my drink. Diane giggled at my side as she handed me a napkin.

"See!" King waved a hand in my direction. "No one thinks that but you!"

"Ah come on King," a teasing smile tugged at Meliodas' lips. "Don't be so harsh. Obviously Ban is the sweetheart of the group. I mean, look at that face!"

Ban fluttered his eyelashes. King gagged as Daine and I busted out in laughter.

"This-this conversation is… is absolutely ridiculous!" I struggled to get out.

"Ouch, Princess, ouch." Ban made a face at me.

Elaine patted his cheek with a small smile. "Well, I think you are."

"You're the only one that matters."

"Ouch, Ban, ouch." Meliodas mimicked the white haired man's words with a hurt expression.

"And of course you too, Boss."

Meliodas chuckled and glanced at the time. "Alright, we better open up the doors and get to work."

"Thought the doors were never locked?" I pointed out the little bit of information I had gathered two nights ago.

Instead of responding sarcastically like I expected him to, he merely smiled with a wink. "Right. Flip the sign I mean."

"You still have a spare uniform?" Elaine asked, eyes flickering to me with pursed lips. "One that'll actually fit me."

"Course I do." A crooked grin spread across Meliodas' lips. "I mean, the top may actually be a full shirt on you compared to the other girls. But I have one."

Elaine flushed. "Meliodas!" She whined with puffed out cheeks. "It is not my fault, I'm flat chested! You know what, no. My boobs are just fine! It's not my fault you only hire girls with ginormous chests!" She pointed an accusing finger at me.

"H-hey!" I stuttered as heat built on my cheeks.

Diane stuck hers out proudly, inadvertently -or perhaps purposefully- drawing King's gaze. "If you got em' flaunt em!" The burnette sang merrily.

"Now, now, girls," that stupid smirk still danced across Meliodas' lips. "You all have wonderful-"

"Boss!" King interrupted him with a sharp glare. "No. Just no."

"Let the man finish, ya party pooper!" Ban chortled as he slapped King on the back. "This is like your favorite topic!"

"Ban!" Elaine made a horrified face "Ew!"

"Your brother's a perv, Elaine." The Sin of Greed told her flatly.

King's face flushed. "I am not!"

"Well…" Diane trailed off, trying, and failing to hide her amusement.

"Diane! Don't encourage him."

She merely laughed and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. She gave him a quick kiss to the cheek and whispered something in his ear.

I got out of my chair. Very much done with this whole exchange. "I'm going to change." I told Meliodas before he could say anything else.

"Oh, I'll come with!" Elaine hopped off the counter and quickly followed after me.

Ban huffed. "Look what you did Diane, scared the good women away."

"... did you just actually pay Princess a compliment?" King's disbelieving voice carried as Elaine and I made our way to the stairs. The blonde giggled.

"No. That was supposed to be more of a jab at Di than a praise to Princess."

"Hey!" Diane protested and I hear the sound of flesh meeting flesh.

"Ouch!" Ban shouts angrily. "What the fuck was that for?!"

King sighed heavily and Meliodas laughed.

"You deserved it!" Diane insisted with a stomp of her foot.

"Always so lively." Elaine's amused voice reminded me what we were suppose to be doing. "You must be having a lot of fun staying here!"

"Or something." I mumbled under my breath.

King's little sister merely laughed.

Dom: *Takes a long sip from a boozed-up concoction in a pineapple with a frilly umbrella, sighing with satisfaction as she bakes like a lobster under the summer sun*

Luv: *peaks her head from around a corner and stares jealousy* I wanna fruity drink. *slowly slips into the empty seat next to Dom.*

Dom: *Passes her a nice fruit smoothie with a smile and a wag of her finger* NOPE! Gotta keep you nice and healthy! This has lots of vitamins and the dom's love for the luv. *big dopey smile*

Luv: *scrunches up her nose but takes the drink anyways* Healthy is sooooo much work. *sighs and starts sipping.* Oh… okay… this is actually pretty good!

Dom: *slides up close and whispers* It's all the dom's love for the luv that makes it tasty. *Slides back into her chair looking more like a lobster each second*

Luv: Uh….. *blinks at Dom's red skin.* Thanks but… do you need like, sunscreen? Or… *searches for a large umbrella* shade?

Dom: *Examines her skin* Nope. I'm not adequately broiled yet.

Luv: Well if you're sure…. *sips at her drink*. Who's turn is it to give the preview?

Dom: Mine… I think… I dono… I'm on Vacation! *Sighs contentedly as she pears out over their backyard and the tiny pile of sand they'd propped up at their feet from the park… because adulting sucks and who actually has time for vacations?*

Luv: Think you can spare like 30 seconds for it? It's totally your turn! Plus I DO need the sunscreen *starts lathering on the sunscreen and whispers* All the sunscreen...

Dom: SSSSIIIIIIIGGGHHHHHHHH… Okay. For you. And the readers. Because I love the readers. Next time on Don't Trust Me: Elizabeth is expecting mail, but it's hard to sneak materials past a bunch of sins with their eyes trained on you every moment! But, our rookie may just get some help from an unexpected source. But, when all is said and done, will she like what she discovers when she finally gets the truth?

Luv: Ahhhh *sighs contently, now covered head to toe in sun protection.* The luv is safe...

Dom: *Flips over as her front side has reached the optimal red* See you guys next time!

Disclaimer: WEAR SUNSCREEN. DO IT. SUN BAD.