AN: Wow, chapter three already, what am I on?? Hmmm, I wonder if Ishandahalf's crack bunnies (it's an X-Men thing if you don't know) work for LXG too. Anyway people, enjoy.
Disclaimer: I own what I own, and I don't what I don't.
THE LAST CHANCE
Chapter three
The residence of Mr. Dorian Gray, exterior.
Once again Mina was struck by the overwhelming shabbiness of the area surrounding Dorian's home, something obviously shared by her fellow Leaguers if Skinner's sarcastic comment of, "Charming Spot. Does Jack the Ripper live here?" was anything to go by. Agreeing, she idly she wondered why someone with tastes as refined and expensive as Dorian's obviously were would ever lower themselves to be surrounded by such filth.
Expertly hiding her, almost overpowering, anticipation, Mina allowed the men to get to Dorian's door before stepping away from Nemo's automobile, which then sped away, and opening out her umbrella. Even from more than halfway across the wide road she heard Quatermain pound on the heavy oak door, much as she'd done days earlier, before Dorian's handsome face appeared in the grille. Seconds later she heard a bolt being slid back and the door opened smoothly.
"Are you Dorian Gray?" the old hunter asked curiously, as if it would be anybody other than Dorian standing before him.
The immortal gave them all a quick once over, seemingly unimpressed by what he saw, before answering, "I am indeed." Careful to avoid notice, his eyes flicked to Mina's form, standing tall and proud in the middle of the road, waiting patiently for her cue.
A raised eyebrow, barely visible beneath the stylish black veil, questioned him silently, checking that all was going as expected. Confirmation, in the form of a small, subtle nod, reassured the vampire greatly -- their entire plan revolved around things happening just as they had in Dorian's 'past experience' -- and her tense shoulders relaxed slightly, though no one watching her would have noticed.
Oblivious to the complex, silent communication going on around him, Quatermain continued on with his pre-planned spiel to recruit Dorian to the League, "We come by way of M."
Turning his attention away from the vampiress, though none of the League had noticed he'd seen her in the first place, Dorian smirked at the old man and posed himself slightly in the doorway, much to Mina's (restrained) amusement, "M for mystery," he mused to himself, slightly amused "I told him, as I'm telling you, I'm not interested."
And there it was, Mina's cue. Unhurriedly she made her way towards the small group of men, a slightly seductive smile gracing her full, red lips, "Dorian," she uttered, emphasising the dark, sultry lilt vampirism had put into her voice.
Dorian's wide-eyed amazement, an uncommon act in itself, when Mina approached him hadn't been at all feigned. In all the time they'd been together, which, for him at least, had been a considerable amount, he'd never failed to find the way she moved, the sound of her voice, everything abut her to be highly alluring, but he'd never felt it to the degree she was exhibiting at that moment. "Mina? Mina Harker?"
A brief moment of eye contact between the two and the darkly handsome man, confident smirk back in place, stepped back to allow the auburn haired beauty to enter his home.
The instant Mina crossed the threshold, Nemo, Quatermain and Skinner stepped up to follow her, only to have the heavy door slammed in their faces, cutting off any protests they way have had.
The residence of Mr. Dorian Gray, interior.
The moment the door closed behind them, the expressions of both Mina and Dorian changed from seductive and arrogant respectively to deathly serious. Glancing around, Mina used her enhanced vampiric senses to ensure no one was spying on them.
"Paranoid darling?" Dorian mocked lightly, intending to diffuse the tense atmosphere between them.
When she was finally satisfied that they were alone, aside from the three outside that was, Mina smiled at him, and it wasn't exactly a friendly expression. "Remember, dearest, there is a psychotic madman trying to create a world war for personal gain. A man who is also trying to blackmail you into helping him!" And may have succeeded, she silently admitted to her fears. She'd been pacing as she spoke, unusually agitated, worried about Dorian though she'd never admit to it, least of all to him.
In the face of Mina's unusual, highly uncharacteristic behaviour Dorian became uneasy, he'd never seen her so… so un-composed before. Reaching out instinctively, he caught her around the waist with one arm and pulled her close, simply holding her against him.
At first she stayed tense in his arms until his free hand carefully and gently removed her hat and unbound her hair before running repetitively through the soft, silken strands. "Mina," he breathed against the top of her head, "My Mina," wishing deep in his heart, corrupt and twisted as it may be, that they could stay like that for the rest of their eternity. Unfortunately the three men outside, and the madman who, even now, was making his way to the dockside house, made that wish impossible to grant.
It seemed Mina, too, realised this as she made a half-hearted move to pull away from him, causing him to clutch her tighter to his chest. "Dorian," she whispered softly, "We have to let the others in. We still have to stop M's plan." She tilted her head up to meet his black eyes, "We don't want dear Mr. Q. angry at us, do we?"
Dorian couldn't help but smile down on her, and not because of her partially teasing words. Gazing down on her smiling face he tried to resist the temptation to hold her ever closer, to let her know how much he truly loved her. Reading the effort and desire in his impossibly dark gaze, Mina decided to act herself, leaning up slightly she gently pressed her lips against his, smiling as she did so.
Elsewhere.
Groaning loudly, the spirit entity, Ria, covered her vibrant blue eyes, trying to block out the image of the embracing couple. Things were not going as planned. When she'd taken up this job the information -- read; rule book -- she'd been given had expressly forbade him to fall in love, or at least act on it, until after he'd re-done all this business.
"Are you trying to get me killed boy?" she questioned the silver-backed mirror in her hand even as her mind questioned just what was so wrong about it, wasn't being in love a good way to redeem himself?
"God, this is so bloody confusing!! I hate my bleedin' job!!" The sweet voice rose almost to a roar, echoing through the heavens like a peal of thunder, causing many people throughout the world to seek shelter for fear of a storm. And in her peaceful domicile, Ria turned her attention to the second mirror, seeking more amusing exploits sure to be found where Mr. Skinner was involved.
The residence of Mr. Dorian Gray, hallway.
"Bloody rude of them," Quatermain grumbled as he stared at the door that had almost broken his nose, the very door that was opening once again.
All three men watched the door for a short while, half expecting Mina to walk through it and declare that Dorian Gray was of absolutely no use to their cause. When nothing happened they crossed the threshold, Quatermain in the lead, to find the pair deep in conversation at the foot of the stairs.
Dorian's head turned as Skinner pushed the door shut behind himself. He said one final word to Mina before ascending the creaking staircase. Taking the man's silence as invitation, Quatermain followed closely behind Dorian, with the rest of the league trailing slowly after him.
"Interesting painting," the old hunter noted about halfway up the stairs, pointing out the very same portrait that had caught Mina's attention days earlier.
A strange look crossed Dorian's enchanting face, sorrow regret and hope mingled into one complex expression. "Yes, she's an… old friend."
Further down the stairs, a little in front of Mina who was at the very rear of the group, Skinner leered slightly, "I wonder how she'd feel about invisible men?" he mused softly.
"Well that depends really," a sweet female voice informed him from up ahead, audible to all yet wrapping around the invisible man like a blanket, "On whether he's an interesting person or not." A self-depreciating laugh followed, bitter and harsh, "And, of course, how he feels about immortal, non-corporeal entities who can only occasionally take physical form."
Stunned silence filled the gloomy hallway as the various League members digested the words. To some this had more meaning than others, Dorian recognised the voice as that of the creature who had given him his second chance and Mina correctly guessed the same. Skinner thought that perhaps she was interested in him. Nemo was slightly curious but, since it obviously wasn't science, didn't wonder too deeply about it.
Quatermain, however, was slightly sceptical, "Tricks Mr. Gray?" he asked, though, on the outside, the man in question seemed as confused as the rest.
"It's not my doing," was the truthful answer as they finally reached the end of the stairs.
The residence of Mr. Dorian Gray, library.
Upon entering the vast, book filled room, much more impressive than M's, Mina was struck with a strange sense of déjà vu. Both she and Dorian took the same seats they had the last time she'd been there, and sat in almost identical positions.
While the two exchanged meaningless, and vaguely insulting, banter concerning their past, Nemo took a place at the other side of the room, standing straight and still before the thick, leather bound books. In contrast to the small Indian man, Skinner made his way over to the drinks cabinet and helped himself to the spirits within, the amber liquid clearly visible as he swallowed it. Quatermain, wishing to get this meeting over with, stood directly before the immortal, saying something the man didn't bother listening to.
Dorian's mind was filled with the voice and image of his guardian spirit -- his short acquaintance with the creature had caused him to form the opinion that whatever she was, it wasn't even remotely angelic. "I like him!" she exclaimed silently, in reference to Skinner.
"Indeed," Dorian muttered scornfully, and in the real world Quatermain took this as disbelief in his words.
Delighted childish laughter filled Dorian's head in ringing peals, "Speak with your thought's, love, otherwise they'll think you're completely doolally," she informed him, sagely.
'Speak with my thoughts?' The amount scepticism colouring Dorian's mental voice was enough to have decorated both the interiors and exteriors of all the royal residences, with enough left over to give the houses of parliament a lick of paint.
"Good boy," Ria approved, that's the way. "Now, I have some things to tell you." She paused dramatically, much to Dorian's impatience, "It's about Mrs. Harker."
"Mina?" Dorian grew alarmed, was something going to happen to Mina?
Sensing the direction of his thoughts, another laugh followed, this one softer, more comforting, "No harm will come to her, honey. Its actually you and Mrs. Harker, see, I've been given this rule book for your redemption, and it says you can't fall in love just yet. If you do They might take all this away. Now, I think I might be able to find you a loophole but please, until then be careful."
Ending notes: Again I cut this short, this time because I need to refresh my memory on the library scene, but hey, at least Dorian was actually in this chappy. And you got a kiss, and some 'dire' warnings. And shall Ria fall for Skinner, whom I favour at the moment, or Sawyer (who will be in the next chapter, I promise).
Review responses
Ares: I am indeed an X-Men fan, my personal faves are Rogue and Remy (the perfect couple), and you are certainly not the only one, why, my dear friend Calliann is also an X-Men fan, and she is one of the most talented Evo fan fic writers ever. Go check out her stuff. Thank god I got Mina right, I always worry that they aren't believable when I write established characters, and you will get the library scene.
Calliann: Ah, work related insanity, I can certainly sympathise, in fact I've written most of this slice of insanity while at work, I only type at home. Writing from Mina's POV is fun, and Dorian's too, though he wasn't in the last chappy and I didn't even realise 'til I was at work this morning. Ooh, boy, Mina's meeting with Tom, I hope it lives up to your expectations when it happens. Don't apologise for tangents hon, they make life interesting.
Marah Valin: Dorian and Mina just go together don't they? I think it's a shared darkness thing. So glad you're enjoying this.
Graymoon74: Moi, funny? Surely you jest? But mmmmmmmmm… Dorian, I want. Fantastic? Nah. Vaguely talented I'll concede to though. Thanks for the compliments anyway. And before I forget, LXG goes pink, it will be updated right? I need more.