Chapter 11: The Ties That Bind Them All

"Have you forgotten what its like to make a woman happy and to be made happy yourself?"

- Marquise de Merteuil

"Of course not."

-Vicomte de Valmont

"We loved each other once didn't we? At least I think it was love. And I was made very happy."

- Marquise de Merteuil

"And I could again. We just untied the knot. It was never broken."

-Vicomte de Valmont

It wasn't the fact that Annette had noticed the abrupt change in Sebastian's behavior, because she had been given plenty of warnings by a certain smirking blonde model who she had meeting on a regular basis for the past few weeks that made her feel restless. It was watching the interaction between the two unfold that caused her apprehension to increase more and more each time.

"He's shifting toward her." She admitted, her eyes downcast. "I can feel it, the way he looks at me, the way we make love… It's not the same anymore."

"Of course he is. Kathryn expects him to betray you for her, to leave you as he left her three years ago." Belinda pulled out a cigarette, flicking open the silver lighter. She offered one to her companion, "Want one?"

"No thanks." Annette replied, fidgeting with the hem of her skirt as the smoke billowed from Belinda's sensual mouth.

Belinda looked at her pointedly, "Live a little, Hargrove. My sister's stealing your boyfriend right under your nose. According to my calculations, you're the next name on her list. Surely that merits at least one stick."

"You're smart, you're beautiful, you're determined. You're everything I'd want in a girlfriend."

"You know I'm seeing someone"

"Oh yes, the infamous Trevor. It's funny how you never mentioned him until now."

"He's backpacking through Europe. He's great… I really miss him…"

"I care." He whispered, his smoldering gaze burning into her.

Sebastian's slow seduction for Annette's heart resounded in her head like taunting sneers of the nightmares she'd tried to fend off. Even as she now knew of the bet, Annette wondered if Sebastian's change was due to her influence or Kathryn's absence, and if she and Kathryn were both responsible, which factor was stronger? Kathryn's return, no doubt, aside from the obvious ruination of three lives in the mere span of two weeks has caused Sebastian to slowly retreat back to his old ways. He was slowly slipping into Kathryn's tangled web of deceit and revenge again, although he was armed with the knowledge of their past betrayal, he still finds himself drawn to her. Entranced and dazed, it seemed like he was a snake and his stepsister was holding the flute, playing the sweet lullaby that causes him to stand up and dance. Kathryn was the snake charmer, with her deadly beauty and vengeance. Hadn't being with Annette help Sebastian become immune to such haunting music? Or was it merely because Annette herself had played a different song he'd taken fancy in for a while, only to realize it was Kathryn's breath going through flute that he wanted all along?

"Why can't we be together?"

"Who are you to criticize something you've never experienced?"

"You're a hypocrite. I don't associate with hypocrites."

"How am I a hypocrite?"

"Oh, please Annette. You spend all your time preaching about waiting for love, well here it is, right in front of you and you're gonna turn your back on it."

"I'm impressed." The look on her face was priceless upon seeing him slowly appear while the escalator steadily went up. The blue shirt that matched his eyes, that serious, intense look he'd been giving her while he waited for her to step off.

"Well, I'm in love." He replied, a real smile on his full lips showing as he leaned in to kiss her.

That was before. The past and they'd been living with each other, knowing each other's idiosyncrasies, understanding that the relationship that once excited them both had turned into a routine that was too comfortable to break. But, God, she loved Sebastian. She would never grow tired of listening to his steady breathing beside her, or opening her eyes as she rose from sleep to find him in his darkroom, fastidiously working on his photographs with the same intense blue gaze he'd given her that day on the train station… Oh, God, the train station…

The weight of his body on top of hers, his warm skin on her own… The feeling of Sebastian being inside of her for the first time… The pain… Then it didn't hurt anymore, but he had been so worried. "Are you okay?"

A foreboding chill swept through Annette as the thought of Sebastian slowly growing closer to Kathryn angered her. "So far, you've only told me what Kathryn intended to do with Sebastian, and then you've explicitly made it clear that I couldn't tell him. You haven't told me what she intends for me, any detail whatsoever, Belinda. You want a partnership? You tell me what I need to know."

Belinda only smiled, still holding out the open cigarette case in front of her. "Take your poison and I'll tell you more."

The reasonable voice inside her yelled at her to stop associating with Belinda, as if the Merteuil by birth woman shouldn't be trusted, but by then Annette had gone in too deep to ever turn back. She was in, and as it was, the least she could do was adapt. Taking a cigarette, she leaned in as Belinda lit it, the smoke making Annette's inexperienced lungs shake and cough at the foreign smoke that entered her system. "Tell me."

"Would you like to keep Sebastian?"

"I love him." She answered truthfully, her heart aching at the realization that Sebastian was becoming more and more distant the longer Kathryn stayed in New York.

"Yes, but would you like to keep him? To own him, to have his attention directed to you once again the way it has been for the past few years?"

"I want things to go back to what they were." She answered, taking a long drag from the cigarette, finally getting accustomed to it.

"You want the truth, Annette?" Belinda paused, cocking her head to the right in deep thought. "I've watched them; I've seen how they act when they know the whole world's watching and when they're unaware of anybody else's presence save their own. When they know that the society that frowns upon the taboo relationship between the stepsiblings is scrutinizing them, they reject their cravings, they reject the far from familial longing to be around each other. They argue, they say hurtful things, they fuck other people, and they do it to prove to the other that they're stronger. They want to show that they're gods in their own right, to be able to resist such strong emotions that would normally overpower an individual. And my siblings, so to speak, do it so convincingly it amazes me because despite the unbelievable tension between Kathryn and Sebastian, the insipid Upper East Side morons still don't see it. Why? Because they dismiss it as forbidden yet it doesn't make it any less true. But it's there; it exists in every word that comes out of their mouths when they bitch at each other… Surely you've noticed?"

She had, but Annette couldn't bring herself to say it. Belinda was confirming her worst fears; she was giving voice to the worries that ran through Annette's mind each time she was in Sebastian's arms.

"But let me tell you… In the instances when they believe that they're truly alone, that's the part that amazes me the most. I've witnessed the intimacy, the gentleness I never would've known Kathryn to be capable of. Somehow, in Sebastian's company during those circumstances, she bares the soul you never thought she had. When they're alone, they allow themselves to be human, they yield to their longing and they burn themselves with the fire from their scandalous craving because it's the main thing that keeps them from being truly numbed. And though they spend their lives giving the impression that they're not susceptible to feeling something, they're secretly afraid that one day they're going to wake up not feeling anything at all. And it scares the fuck out of them."

"Sebastian would never do that…" Her large blue eyes filled with tears. "He would never betray me. He loves me."

"He loves you, yes. Sebastian loves your gentleness, your kindness, and your ability to surrender yourself to this so called love. You've introduced him to new shades of colors in his monochrome inspired world, and I believe he holds that knowledge dear. However," Her fingers dropped the unfinished cigarette on the silver ashtray, the thoughtful look never leaving her face. "He loves Kathryn with a fierce passion stronger than that of what you've offered him. He's too stubborn to admit it, but I know he does. He appreciates you; otherwise, he would've left you a long time ago. Sebastian cherishes you as he would take into heart the important lessons he's learned, but it's Kathryn he'll always want. That's why, despite the frequent warnings of how my sister could only mean the coming of bad things, he finds his way to her. In spite of myself, I find it truly impressive, Annette. The things I've just said couldn't possibly even offer half of the reason behind their connection."

"I just want Kathryn gone." She replied, brushing the tears from her eyes. "We were happy before this entire thing happened."

"Then stop interfering with Kathryn's plans and let me handle it." Belinda said sharply, her tone making Annette squirm.

"Wha-what do you mean?"

"Court Reynolds came over to beat the living shit out of Kathryn; do you honestly expect me to believe you didn't give him some sort of confirmation for his suspicions?"

"Court?"

"What?" he mumbled, still half asleep.

"It's Kathryn's fault." Annette said before hanging up.

"Who is this? What are you talking about?" his voice was still slightly slurred, due to the drugs and the alcohol. Annette knew that he would make sense of her words as he woke up the next day and she felt the thrill of knowing that she'd somehow one-upped Kathryn.

"I'm sorry, okay? I just didn't think—"

"That's right, you didn't think." Belinda snapped. "It's a good thing she didn't figure it out, otherwise she would have suspected that I had been telling somebody else of her plans. Now you understand why you're on a need to know basis, I only told you what she plans for Sebastian to assure you that our interests are on the same level. I want to get rid of her, too. As for her plans against you, I know for a fact that she would never act so quickly after Court Reynolds had been dealt with. Kathryn's patient when it comes to timing, but I promise that I'll mention it when she starts her next move. If I tell you now, you're likely to be so overcome by paranoia you'd go accuse her with these insane ramblings of how I've divulged her malevolent plans to you. That must never happen."

"How can I get Sebastian to stay with me?"

Belinda gave a hollow laugh that scared her, "Honey, Sebastian was with you for three years, but he never really stayed with you. However, I believe we've uncovered the vital part of Sebastian's newfound personality you've induced during the bet."

Annette unbuttoned her shirt, exposing the expanse of smooth skin between her breasts. She leaned back on the bed, offering herself to Sebastian who only stared at her with an unreadable look in his eyes.

"I'm sorry, I can't." He abruptly turned away from her and slammed the door.

"He's capable of guilt." Belinda smiled at the realization dawning on Annette's face. "Use it to your advantage… I believe your father's illness has taken a turn for the worst?"

There was a twinkle in her light colored eyes that said it all.

---

Her long, dark hair was spread across the soft white pillow as she fumbled to reach for her hollow crucifix for some much needed coke fix when there was a knock on her door.

"Who is it?" she called out, desperately wishing whoever was outside would just leave her the hell alone.

"It's Sebastian."

"Go away." She answered, unscrewing the top with a greedy smile on her face. He was not what she wanted to deal with, but the coke, on the other hand…

"Stop that." He demanded, crossing the room in confident strides and grabbing the crucifix from her hand. The first thing she noticed about Sebastian was that he was now sporting a cut on his left cheek and a nasty looking red bruise on his jaw. Right away, Kathryn knew he'd gone after Court before the asshole could have the chance to leave for rehab.

"Hey!" she cried out indignantly, a very much larger part of her wanted to claw Sebastian's eyes out at that very moment. And she would have, if she actually could move a lot. Fighting for her honor was a charming trait, but depriving her of one of the pleasures in life she indulged in was a different story. "I said go away!"

"Oh, you're speaking in rhymes now, how sweet." He threw an appraising look over her bruises, glad to see the doctor had treated most of them and they didn't look as bad as they did the other day. "I wonder though, did the bruises actually teach you not to fuck people up?"

Kathryn sat up, wincing. "Au contraire, Monsieur Valmont." She grabbed Court's framed picture (why the fuck was it even still there?) and hurled it across the room, the two watching in satisfaction at the loud shattering of the glass everywhere. "I've taken the liberty of sending the photographs to Court's future military school so that those poor boys will know what the fag is capable of. Let him heal at Methadone Clinic, he'll need it for when those homophobic buff boys butter him up… Of course, I take it you've already started the job?"

"Interesting theory." He commented smiling, refusing to admit he'd beaten up Court Reynolds for her. "And Cecile?"

"She should be able to watch herself on the internet, and if I recall correctly, the video should be playing on their very first school assembly. Ronald Clifford, last I heard, is still being sued for all that he's worth… And so much more."

"You're evil." He said softly, noticing as one corner of her pale crimson mouth turned up into a nefarious smile. There it was again, that feeling of danger and peace mixing and molding well into him as he stared at her refined, attractive features. He wanted to touch her, but he held himself back. Kathryn was a tempestuous creature that had to be treated with the utmost care if one wanted to survive.

"I'm aggravated." She answered, a secret smile hidden in her eyes as if she knew what Sebastian was thinking and what he really wanted to do. "Did you come here for the sole purpose of banning me from my religious tendencies?"

"No."

"What, then?"

The battle of wills had begun again between the two as they looked for flaws that would crack their indifferent expressions, but found none. Sebastian was slowly making his ascent as her equal again, but it was a fact Kathryn would never admit. He'd deserted her, plain and simple. He wanted to shack up with Ms. Blonde and Virtuous, and in doing so, he'd turned into a pawn. Kathryn's bright green eyes met his cocky deep blue ones, the intensity of their challenging stare enough to make any other normal human being run away and admit defeat.

"I came to talk." He finally relented, not at all enjoying the look of victory that came over her eyes but all the while enjoying at the thought that he'd made her inwardly smile.

"About?"

"What happened the other day."

Her brow furrowed, "And what did happen, Sebastian?"

Temptation and sin. A kiss that got to him more than any other girl he's fucked. Light crimson parted lips of debauchery and mischief. An opening into the world he'd forsaken through the mouth of treacherous beauty. As sip of delicious poison that his rationality screamed against. I don't know, choose one. Sebastian thought. "You know what happened."

She shrugged, obviously enjoying his discomfort. Kathryn Merteuil, a bitch through and through. "Remind me."

"Fine." He bent over and captured her warm lips with his, that intense feeling of somehow being reborn and exploding at the same time overpowering him once again. Kathryn Merteuil, his drug of choice… Her light fingers grabbed at his shirt, pulling him on top of her. Kathryn's tongue slipped in and out of his mouth, teasing as Sebastian lost his balance and crashed into her, his full weight pinning Kathryn down and causing her to cry out instinctively.

"OW!" she yelled, and he quickly placed his palms flat on the bed and pulled himself up.

"Sorry." His gorgeous deep blue eyes were still half closed and a slight smile on his pouty lips as he peered at her worriedly.

"Apologizing again, Valmont? That's so unlike you." Her fingers touched the area of the angry red bruise on his face before bringing her mouth to kiss it, dulling the throbbing pain he'd felt earlier. The surprising gentleness of her touch reminded him of the days when they were still together, before The Bet happened. His emotions, along with his body, were in turmoil as her arms wrapped themselves around his neck, invoking the teasing, profound moments of their twisted relationship in the past. Kathryn's nimble fingers unbuttoned his shirt, her gaze never leaving his, their mouths parted open and lungs breathless. The brunette's manicured nails brushed against his bare chest as his shirt slipped from his body and rested on Kathryn's bed, the five hundred dollar material falling into a wrinkled heap as its owner worshipped the auburn haired woman's flawless skin with his hands.

A pleased whimper came from deep down inside of her as Sebastian pushed his hand deeper between her inner thighs, her breathing becoming sharper and faster as he pushed the thin material aside, inserting his fingers into her.

"Dammit, Sebastian, you're… ahh… not… playing… fair." She protested half heartedly, her face flushed.

"I wasn't aware there were any rules." He breathed against her neck, accidentally pressing his limbs against her wounded legs.

"Fuck!" she screamed, her upper torso pulling back from him as the stinging pain continued. Fucking stitches.

Sebastian quickly got off her, the sight of his defined shoulders and half naked body adding to her frustration more. Kathryn turned her back on him and curled up, her green eyes flashing in annoyance at her temporary limitations. "I guess you're not going to get what you really came for." She snapped, "And I suppose you'll want to leave now. Lock the door when you do."

She waited to hear his footsteps, those sharp sounding long strides of confidence only Sebastian did. Kathryn prepared herself to feel the coldness beside her that she would experience once the heat that emanated from her stepbrother's body dissipated in his departure. Her ears pricked up, even expecting a sarcastic comment from him, possibly one loaded with profanities that would be typical of him to say. She tensed as she awaited all these things, yet there was no movement coming from the other side.

When Kathryn finally thought he had, by some miracle, fallen asleep or disappeared without her noticing, she felt his hand on her waist and his breath against her bare shoulder.

"I'm not going anywhere." He said, wrapping a muscular arm around her, his palm touching her flat stomach. A relieved smile appeared on his chiseled features as Kathryn's small hand found his, their fingers filling the empty spaces between.

"Are you coming back to me, Sebastian?" she yawned, already in that place between reality and slumber. As her beautifully colored green eyes fluttered to stay awake and her mind began to lose its usual perceptive consciousness, she could've sworn she heard him answer quietly, but his words were lost on her as she surrendered to the numbing spell of sleep.

---
While there was a moment of utter tranquility in Kathryn Merteuil's bedroom, the world that interceded with theirs wasn't as peaceful. As Kathryn slept and Sebastian's gaze turned to the window, lost in his own thoughts, that evil, evil emotion called doubt was spreading in the minds of people who had initially been unperturbed until the past few weeks.

Annette Hargrove, for instance, was seated on the leather couch, an array of opened medical textbooks and scribbled notes in front of her, waiting to be noticed. But she did not pay attention to the facts waiting to be memorized because she was too busy staring at the door of Sebastian's darkroom, his place of work and solitude from the world. She was half expecting that door to open and he would come out, eyeglasses perched on top of his nose and his blue eyes crinkling as he smiled at her. By now he would come up to her and with that teasing smile, Sebastian would hug her and try to kiss her, but Annette would just laugh and push him away, jokingly, telling him he was a bad influence on her. Just like before, and the days before that. As if that wasn't enough to add to her worries, she'd just heard that the Manchester Prep dean had taken a sick leave, which meant that her father was really ill. William Hargrove hadn't taken a sick leave for thirty years, and now that he had, the thought of losing both her father and the love of her life scared her.

Now, the large expanse of minimal yet luxurious modernized townhouse was cold and barren. He was not home, and as much as Annette would like to think he'd just gotten too tired to drive back and just slept at a nearby hotel (as he usually did when he had a lot of papers to finish and projects to do), she knew it wasn't the case this time. Sebastian would always call her to say that he'd be home late, or if he'd be home at all.

The phone hasn't rung. She's checked the machine and the red, glowing number zero flashed in front of her sad eyes, taunting her. His silence was paining her, and the way he'd been staring off into space recently… Why did it have to be so difficult?

Finally relenting, Annette picked up the cordless phone and dialed his cell, her boyfriend quickly picking up.

"Annette." He said in a hushed voice. "What's wrong?"

You're what's wrong! "Nothing," she said instead, remembering Belinda's warning. "I just… miss you. Where are you?"

"At my dad's house." He was still speaking in whispers, almost confirming her suspicion that he was with Her.

"Why are you so quiet?"

"Look, can we talk about it tomorrow? I've had a really long day and—"

"It's just… It's my dad." Annette interrupted in a strangled voice. "He's back in Kansas and I want to visit him, but I don't think I can go alone… Sebastian, I'm scared he might not make it, the tumor's worse than they thought. Can you go with me?"

A pause. "Fine, I'll fix my schedule. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

No apologies for being unable to call her and let her know where he was, no explanations as to why he was staying the night in that God forsaken house once again, no words of affection or any indication that he still cared. Did he? "Okay… I love you."

A longer pause, and then he managed to get it out. "I love you, too."

As she hung up, another disturbing thought flitted her anxious mind. Was Sebastian looking at Her when he'd replied?

---

The ties that bound them all extended its reach beyond the swanky Upper East Side community as a phone in Paris rang, causing a tall, dark haired man with piercing brown eyes to look up from the pile of paperwork that lay before him. As he reached over to answer the call, a brief smile crossed his handsome features as he caught a glimpse of himself and a beautiful, breathtaking woman with bright emerald eyes and long, brown hair captured in a photograph that was cased in a platinum frame from Tiffany's. Her thin wrist was rested on his hand as he hugged her, the glinting five million dollar ring on her finger causing him to remember when he finally proposed to her.

"Hello?"

"Mathieu? It's Belinda."

A/N: To those of you who fastidiously review every chapter in this story, I LOVE YOU GUYS! Hahaha! Especially since not all of them have that special K/S thing!

J: Aww that's maybe one of the best compliments I've gotten. Glad you liked chap 10, because I loved writing it. Say hey to your sister for me and I hope I've written enough to keep her updated on the story. ;-D

Nicole: Haven't you heard? Apparently Annette's joining the dark bitchy villain side. I agree, Belinda is a bitch, but she does serve a purpose right? Sebastian and Kathryn could easily fuck poor virtuous Annette up, but somehow adding Belinda into the mix complicates things a bit. ;-P

Katie: You're quite clever, but I'm not saying anything further about the details. ;-P

Sam: Read the reviews for BtB, and there was this one comment about Belinda Van Ryan stirring up trouble between Kathryn and Sebastian. Can you sense the irony? Also, let me know if you're still stuck, I'll try to help out. ;-D

WashedOut: Thanks! That line in your profile? That's by John Keats in case you still wanted to know. ;-)