- Chapter Seventy-Seven -

Maybe, Aye

Blinking rapidly against the bleeding orangish-gold glow, the steady beat of fading sunlight left a sun-kissed pattern across deeply drowsy lids. Limbs protesting against even the slightest movement, the seeping ache hit on a cellular level, and it hit hard - optic nerve feeling pinched and each piggy like it weighed four times what it should have, there wasn't a part of her body that wasn't sore. Emotional distress the most culpable, the beach had taken a considerable toll as well, although it was nothing compared to just missing out on a proper restorative rest.

Just lemme sleep! Practically begging at this point, even the thoughts in her head sounded exhausted.

Tongue feeling sluggish and dry in the back of her throat, the heiress's first thought might have been of Sam, if not for the grogginess and the guilt. He'd been really great about the little things, truly.

Yawn unceremoniously shoving out all the major and minor woes that hounded her every waking step, Daniella closed her eyes to the low whirl-hum of the rotating ceiling fan. Shutting down the past, present, and future pain as well as the memories, it was too much to deal with the drowning uncertainty and the absolute dread. The renewed grief and the fledgling hope that refused to be smothered in her preemptive fist. All that could wait.

"What have I done?" Breathing forced into being an almost convincing show of control, Nadine moved just enough on the mattress to alert the younger female to her presence.

Technically it might have been Chloe up there, though the clipped movement sounded too stiff to be her, the language too formal. No, if Daniella had to guess who it was above her, she would have staked it all on the former mercenary. From the sounds of it they were actually in fairly similar straits, suffering from a build-up of emotion that couldn't adequately surface when the moment called for it.

[Best Steer Clear, Love]

Stupid.

It was all so incredibly stupid! None of that had gone remotely according to plan, and like usual part of the reason why could be laid on the shoulders of super soldier extraordinaire. Gah, even thinking of Nadine in broad terms was aggravating for the woman, causing her hackles to rise even further as she stormed off down the hall. Feet coming down like a lumbering storybook giant over an unsuspecting village, the locksmith had no idea of where she was going, only that she needed some distance between the two of them.

Not entirely alone, some bit with a popular summer book in hand was casually reading in the space between the mid-height railing and the first room on the landing. A rather large bloke with tattoos and sunglasses over the top of his waxy cranium, Chloe was in such a rage that a single glance had convinced the bystander to make himself scarce.

Good, you better get the hell outta my way!

Angry with everything and everyone when her real frustration was much more focused, as she seethed the silver-streaked fireball could almost hear the voices of cooler heads in her ear. Reason infinitely easier when one had an anchor, her mind flashed specifically to Nate and Elena. Picturing them surrounded at present by all the brats and semi-functioning adults, that was going to be a hard pass.

Charlie would be there though, and he could be good company, especially if Mary-Elizabeth was driving him up the wall. Not entirely sure if she even wanted to be around people at the moment, in that same fleeting instant she considered it, Chloe's mind also flashed to the one other geographically doable friend in the area. It would drive Nadine up the wall to know that that was where she had gone, but between his precious little piker tuckering him out and the way he had been checking them out on the way to his room (poor bloke thought he was so crafty, but she at least knew what he was looking at), even if she bothered he probably wouldn't be up for the kind of company she needed.

Why did everything have to be so...!?

[7 hours later, 1~ am]

Skin prickling due to the frozen chill of midnight, Daniella rolled over in her sleep for something that wasn't there. Innermost mechanism faulty, it felt rather like a lock without a key inside, a shaped mold lacking outer ridges, a metallic outline that was sculpted perfectly for a single unique fitting. Whole, it made the world secure... lacking that elusive something, everything was dangerous and just a smidgen off. A part is missing, where did it go? Feeling nearly enough to knock the legs from under her, the thought didn't quite make it to the rest of the brain, however it was still tangible, a shining wet sensation behind rapidly fluttering lashes.

Time less than a vague construct to the floating mind visiting shades of consciousness, a clock would have shown that that was roughly forty minutes ago, just shy of the first stroke of the bell. Now?

Hand groping blindly through empty space, her stiff fingers awkwardly grazed thin air. Nothing. Marble gemstones refusing to shine in the futile hopes that slumber might come again, by the third failed attempt the heiress resigned herself to defeat, turning once more to her other side. Mind adrift in a space between waking and sleeping, the only thing Dells could feel through her alabaster summer shrug was the cool evening air seeping deep through into her bones. So cold... Body finding no comfort no matter which way she tossed, the young woman continued to fidget restlessly in order to fill the void.

Mind blank from the brief yet eerie dreams that festered, there was no similar luxury in escaping from the ever-building list of problems. Least of all being the low temperature and the most pressing being much closer to the vest, Dells ran sleep-numbed pads across a field of snow-white eyelets. Only occasionally touching the goose-prickled skin below, she was legitimately shivering laying there on the floor - the pillow was looking awful cozy at that moment - and more than that, Daniella was missing her own room. And everything that came with it.

Knocked out for the count, Nadine made a most alarming noise from the top of the large double bed. Mostly akin to a snore, embedded deep within the transcript was a sniffling undertone, a distorted warble that positively reeked of paralytic distress. Fitful at best, the woman could be heard thrashing around on the top of the mattress at increasingly frequent intervals, her heavy limbs not unlike an uprooted tree trunk caught in a tornado. An obsidian-eyed whirlwind, most probably.

Lingering like a bad cold, the nagging sense that something important was missing only grew inside the heiress, leaving her unable to get comfortable. Desperate to find some compromise so that she might check back out for a while longer, no matter how Daniella moved her body nothing was working. Shifting her weight to her hip, rolling her shoulder underneath her neck, even throwing her extremities out like the missing piece was still in place, absolutely nothing mattered. The incessant gnaw wouldn't be stifled: in fact, it was only growing stronger.

Accepting that this was a losing battle, Dells rose with a strained sigh. Fine, maybe a bed would be better tonight.

Ready to depart like a... well, a thief in the night as it were, the young woman paused at the jarring crinkle of bed sheets. Asking herself if she should leave a note, between the lack of a certain mischievous beauty and the apparent nightmare of the other, it wasn't too hard to guess that there was a problem in paradise. More specifically, it wasn't hard to guess what the cause of the problem was. Who. Maybe it would only inflame the situation...? Or maybe it would be best to just slip off quietly...

Answer hitting too close to home, the heiress frowned down at her feet. Regardless of how this thing shook out, she couldn't in good conscious just leave Nadine there like that, body rocking back and forth as she attempted to fight off her monsters. Pulling the thin summer blanket over the mercenary with care, Dells gingerly touched the older female's shoulder, lingering just long enough to ease some of the edge away. Just like Shen had done for her when she came crying from a bad dream. Once Nadine had calmed a bit, Daniella took her leave.

Outside the room, the young woman glanced around the deserted corridor to get a semblance of her darkened bearings. Plants imitating overgrown spiders perched atop a gravestone for their meal, the shadows had washed everything out, leaving nothing but a persistent chill. Not the latest she'd seen these same halls, it was markedly different seeing things from this angle, or maybe it just seemed that much grimmer because she was alone. Except, she wasn't; leaning against the opposite wall and engrossed in his phone, a scrawny Asian man about Jian's age with gaudy tattoos glanced up as the door opened and shut. The timing and placement was a little too convenient to be a mere coincidence.

"Can't sleep?" Still groggy, Daniella was too out-of-it to immediately recognize that he was speaking to her in Cantonese, and that his gaze flickered in a certain direction. "Or can't sleep without your gwailou?"

It didn't take long for her to clue in to what he had just said, although it was more attributed to his mocking tone than anything else. Raised in surroundings that glorified 'proper etiquette and polite manners', her mother might have been briefly taken back that she was familiar with such slang, debated as the word itself was. Improper or not, there weren't a lot of questionable words, phrases, and expressions that she hadn't heard half a hundred times before. This was just one of the rare times it had been directed at someone else. She didn't like it.

Not up to taking the high ground, her reply was just as crass.

Brow arching more from amusement than any sense of insult, the stranger's lips quirked at the corner. "Sharp tongue. Between the two of us, I don't know if Jian will be up to breaking you... by himself. I suppose that's to be expected from American trash." Straightening up to an imposing height that rivaled that of the Drakes, he snatched her arm unexpectedly, "Best remember that you aren't the only one with muscle around here. My guy has love too."

Anxiety spiking until it clouded her vision, the heiress gasped too loudly when he released her; exerting enough force so that she nearly teetered backwards, he left it at that. Disdain plainly written all over his face, whoever he was, at least he made his feelings known.

Hurrying away once she was free - that hazy pretender that was charading as logic told her that Jian needed her in one piece - Dells practically ran back to the room. Lungs grateful for the break as she froze just inside the door, under different circumstances she probably would have psyched herself out before entering. But not this time. Alarmed by the encounter, just the once the heiress only took long enough to let herself in. There weren't any signs that she was being pursued directly, but even half brain-dead as she was, it was hardly a secret that there was a menacing doom looming that had no intention of letting her escape.

Wondering bleakly if that was a sample of what she would have to look forward to with her fiancé, it was next to impossible to not think on his final words to her. Assuming for a moment that she were to take him up on his offer, this would be to the perfect time to vanish, as her sleepover with Chloe and Nadine had brought a decent head start. Seriously considering how easy it could be to steal herself away even now, the darkest grays in her gaze seemed to dim to a dull brown as her eyes flickered over towards the exit.

Except, it wasn't going to be that easy. While it all seemed so simple on paper, the truth was that if Daniella were to just mysteriously up and vanish on the eve of the party, it would steal the spotlight off of Cassie. Obviously the girl wouldn't care one way or another if the teen showed up, but Elena had put so much work into planning the event, it was unthinkably cruel. Even if Sam could somehow keep her leaving to himself, that was still hurting one person too many. Even if it was only a bit, he deserved to have the time with his niece! No, she couldn't do that to them. If she were to agree to Jian's proposal, it would have to be after the party for sure. Keyword being if.

Gaze drifting over the wooden Nile to the last raft at sea, darling daughter Adler pondered what her dear daddy would have done in her position. Remembering a lot of broken glasses and paper apocalypses from her childhood, she knew without thought that his first reaction would be to throw something (a nasty family habit, Shen had done his damnedest to break his step-daughter of the impulse with only moderate success). Temper aside, once the flare had subsided her father would do whatever was necessary to get things done. Realizing now that his idea of a negotiation probably concluded with someone dying, the end result was what mattered. Say what you would about Rafe Adler, but he was a man that acted according to his own vision.

Managing the family business (granted he had her mom for that), hunting down lost treasures to carve out his legacy (how did that work out for him, ultimately?). He nearly did it too...

Right, she'd almost forgotten about the family business, what with fearing for her life and all.

Sooner or later it would fall to Daniella to take over responsibilities from her mother, to dedicate the rest of her time and energy into running the conglomerate. To pour her blood, sweat, and tears into commanding an enterprise. While she could appreciate the fact that it was a position so many would kill for, the heiress had never wanted any part of it, like at all. Sure, the artist formerly known as her mother had done what she could to prep the heir apparent, but they'd mostly danced around the subject under the pretext that she'd learn the ropes in college and from the shadows in silent apprenticeships. Now that she was aware of the shadier aspects of the business, as well as the other half of her linage, her opinion really hadn't changed all that much.

But what else would she do with the rest of her life? Chase after lost artifacts like her father and all the rest? Elena was living proof that there was a more legitimate avenue to being in the thick of the action, however reporting really wasn't all that interesting. Although, looking at the blonde's professional career from a more recent point, the options weren't strictly limited to journalism. Shame that D&F Fortunes didn't have any current openings. Or was that for the best? Weary of going into work with people that she could consider her friends, there was still Chloe... Well, at any rate it was worth visiting the idea more fully when the opportunity arose.

If it had the chance.

At least if she married Jian she would be honoring her grandfather's wishes by embracing her heritage, not to mention that such an arrangement would mean an increase to the areas influenced by the Adler name. In theory she would be safe and secure, but in exchange she would probably never get to make another major decision for the rest of her life. In essence there would be no danger, virtually no deadly thrill, no adrenaline whatsoever. But that was was fine, right? It wasn't as if she needed those things in her life, yeah?

Yeah, right.

Veins running cold as her every last cell remembered the feeling of sheer terror she'd felt while escaping from the old police station, Dells was hit with the memory of her laces hitting the ground. Shrapnel everywhere, blood oozing freely, every last inch of her trembling being utterly petrified that she could get caught at any minute. Pulse hammering as she was being relentlessly hunted down by the Orange Tiger, she could almost taste her heart in the back of her throat. Horrible as that whole experience had been, it struck her that she would much rather relive that night for the rest of her life than be stuck cutting deals while her husband cut heads.

Husband. Maybe it was a freakish flash of perfect clarity in the midst of a fog, but the gravity of the word hit her at long last.

"That's not what I want." Voice deathly quiet, the lost child may not have had a direction in mind as of yet, but she could feel it deep down that that was the wrong path. Unaware that she had blurted anything out, Dells held herself tight, jumping slightly when her back touched the door.

Married life had never seemed particularly desirable to Daniella as a child, but when one had the kind of example that she had, that was fairly understandable. Then she saw what a good marriage looked like. Nate and Elena were so very much in love, and they were actually perfect for one another; Chloe and Nadine might not have hit 'just right' on the spectrum, but they fit together, and they weren't married. At least, the girl was pretty sure that they weren't... Anyways, for the sake of argument they weren't. Whatever happened tonight aside, there was genuine affection and trust there, and that was what mattered. Granted she may not have been all that long in the tooth, the heiress wasn't strictly swearing anything off, but she wasn't going out of her way to advocate it either.

Too young for a walk down the aisle and not remotely invested in investments, all Dells knew in that moment was that she wanted no part of what came immediately before. Grandfather would have to watch his line end with her, Mama would have to find someone else to replace her, and Jian would have to find another opportunity. Daddy... Daddy didn't get to have a say. Not about this.

Hands automatically reaching for the dark tresses that were identical to the portrait only to stumble and find that the shorn locks were no longer a rich umber but the ghastly imitation of platinum, she recovered by brushing the shoulder of her jacket. Figuring that it would be alright, she worked hurriedly to remove the coat for bed; as she shed the extra fabric and stood there in her bathing suit, it occurred to the faux blonde that she didn't need to have an answer that very minute.

Not about a future ten years from now that might be. Not about potentially tying herself down to someone for the rest of her life.

Still a ways away from graduating high school before all this mess even started, there was time to make those kinds of decisions for herself. Clearly not right this minute per say, but in the morning maybe she could take the time to think of some way to get out of the arrangement and not put everyone's lives at risk... Perhaps it could even be a group effort? Between the former leader of a militaristic company and a band of experienced thieves, surely someone could come up with something!

Days of playing pirate at least mostly behind her, all she had to do now was tell everyone the full story about the angry pink splotch on her cheek.

Whatever else happened, Daniella couldn't - she wouldn't! - give in to everyone else's demands. Not the ghost of the man that had died to his own possession, not the woman that tried to twist all the players like her own personal pawns. Not a grandfather that she had never even heard tale of, nor the jerk that wanted to stake his place in the underworld. Not even...

Eyes softening considerably as they fell upon the one person that saw the girl she was as well as the woman that she could be, the heiress was less sure about how to proceed, and in the climate of this newfound power and understanding that scared her more than anything else. Well, obviously not Angel and Ashley, but in general. Stripping it down to the basics, the truth was that a part of her still craved the man, still yearned for the way that only he could comfort her. Despite little things like getting jealous whenever a fresh new threat entered the picture, living without him was... unlikely.

Not that it was love or anything foolish like that.

Unless, just maybe, it was something very much like that...? Far more complicated than advanced calculus, while the question of if the young lady could honestly get past everything between him and her parents remained, she figured that she should probably start by trying to look him in the eye. You know, once they were awake. Right now, they were asleep (cough, cough, wink, wink).

[As They Say]

Early morning sun brightening the shell of his ear a fleshy, translucent pink and intensifying the highlights of silver in his auburn hair, it wasn't the natural warmth tickling his nose that woke him but the return of a familiar weight. One arm tucked behind her back on the mussed up sheets, the other was cradled across his chest, her pinkie a mere flicker away from the right atrium (he had been helping Cassie with her homework again). Just like an antique key in a simple lock, Sam didn't for a moment stop to second-guess anything about this arrangement. She came back.

It wasn't until he had settled into position that the man realized how dangerous that line of thinking was, but by that time he was too late - Dells had already gotten in. Breathing too measured, every tiny movement was calculated, almost as if the heiress were counting down the remaining minutes the same as he was. Not about to get swept up in some false narrative again, Sam understood that this very well might be their final time to spend alone together before Cassie's party, that this was the time to hash everything out. Fine, but that didn't mean that he couldn't enjoy this a little longer.

Scent just as he remembered it, the bleached bone blonde hair spilling across his abdomen may have been fried, but to the thief it was as good as gold. Driven by the desire to run his fingers through her hair, instead the explorer settled on tracing an imaginary line across her bare shoulder. Mind lingering in that lusty haze where he could so much more than that, he knew better. Baby girl was still hurting, and he didn't want to take advantage.

Not that he loved her anything like that, but... if they were twelve years old, he definitely would have invited her back to the clubhouse, rules be damned.

Come to think of it, maybe he was starting to see her that way... Despite everything - including the fact that his sorry old ass should have known better - it seemed as if the signs had been pointing in that direction all along. Although to be clear, making justifications and addenda in his mind when he should have been thinking of literally anything else, Sam tried to cover his own ass by leaving a backdoor open, that's a strong word for it.

Unable to pretend for forever, they took one last deep breath.

Author's Note:

According to Wikipedia at least, that's a debated term for "white foreigners". I have no clue about that, but I felt like it was fitting for the character. Hopefully it's accurate and offensive ONLY WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF THE STORY!

Also, did this feel rushed to anyone else? I dunno, maybe I'm just getting in my own way again. Either way, hope you all enjoyed!