Searching For A Better Life

by Danally

After Viktor's death Selene left Michael with the Lycans but he didn't want to stay with them so he searched for her, they decided to go in the search of a renegades group that could help them to bring the peace in the Underworld.

7. A Proposition And A Shoking Discovery

CHAP 7: A PROPOSITION AND A SHOCKING DISCOVERY.

Michael leans in his back, with his arms behind his head, he is tired after the day he had, so much had been going on in the last four months, he closes his eyes, for him it had been strange at the beginning but he had adapted more easily than Selene. Everyday he follows the same routine, he wakes up, eats, then training, he eats, then to the laboratory, eat and training again and finally sleep, sometimes he goes out to buy some things that they need, but never alone, that was one of the rules. Now he knows how to control his change, how fight and handle some guns and several gadgets that he never had seen, he also knows the basis of vampires and lycans, physical and nature, and Gabriel has recently authorized him and others medics work in an investigation about himself and his DNA.
The life here is very different than when he was human, now he always had to be alert if someone or a group attacks them, he doesn't like it but he has learned to accept it, it certainly wasn't as hard as he supposed it was to Lucian's den, here everybody was more relaxed and comfortable around the other kind, they were friends between them and although they had lived together for some centuries it had been count relationships between members of different kinds and although some pregnancies had happened they never get to their end, always happened something with the fetus and he died sometimes with its mother. He has made some 'friendships' with some lycans and some vampires.
But there is one thing that he has not adapted and that is Selene's behavior, he has learned to know her even more in this time, for him there are several Selenes, the one that is distant with him that barely tolerates his presence, the warrior with little patience and the women that sometimes unconsciously let him see her doubts, that sometimes shows interest in him and in what he is doing, although those times he could count them with the fingers of a hand.

Flashback:

He has received several lessons in how to fight properly, ones where easy and others not like the one he is practicing, they begun his training as a human, 'a very strongly human' they knew he wasn't as powerful than when he changed and maybe because of that he couldn't do it, he has been two days in the training room and he couldn't do it, now he is feeling frustrated, trying to relax he close his eyes and ignores the vampires and lycans around him, the sounds, the tiredness, after a couple of minutes he opens his eyes and looks with a purpose at the wall, breathing deeply he runs towards it and when he is close he puts a foot in the wall, then the other suddenly he knows that he is not going to make it and he slips as he puts his foot again, he feels as he falls but with so many practice he now knows how to muffle it. He stays lie down in the floor and suddenly he feels that he is being watched, thing that is not new here, since he came everyone wanted to know him and that annoyed him, but the smell of the vampiress that he hadn't see in three days and that he wanted to see is what makes him open his eyes and look towards her direction, she is there leaning in the wall with her arms crossed and she has an amused look as she smirks at him, in that instant he becomes aware that even in the few moments that she smirks her melancholy never let her eyes, "That's not funny." He says feigning indignation, but he can't take his eyes of her face.

She drops her smirk and arms as she walks towards him "You are doing it bad."

"Really? I hadn't notice it." He rises from the floor as she stops in front of him.

"I already told you that the key is the impulse when you give the first steps in the wall, not the speed." she says scolding him.

"I tried that but it didn't work." Tired he begins to massage his neck, "Maybe if you would had helped me to practice I would had made it by now…" he had to recriminate her that, she had left him practically alone since they got there, she only was present in some lessons, in 'war techniques', and she had been very aggressive with him. In the last two weeks he barely has seen her.

What he meant is true she had been busy, thing that she liked, "I had things to do." she says looking at him, she is not going to say anything more and he must know it by now. She indicates the wall "I know it's hard at the beginning but-" she is interrupted.

"What kind of things?" He asks her maybe too rudely, he knows that he shouldn't have asked that, but it was an impulse that he had, he is bothered because she never explains him anything.

Selene clenches her teeth at his attitude, she knows that he is not going to like what she is going to say "I came to tell you that I'm leaving, your training–"

He feels hurt by those words, "You are leaving?" he notes that his voice is shaking as he is, "Why are you going to-"

Seeing his reaction she knows that he misunderstood her so she interrupts him before he says something else, "I will go in a mission for three days…" she sees him sighing relieved, those words calmed him a little but she knows that he still has his doubts. "Don't worry your training will be now in Brianna hands." she says in a weird attempt to reassurance him.

He looks at her eyes as he gets closer "That's not why I was concerned… I thought that you were going to leave me…" when he says that he knows that he didn't explain it well and that she might take it bad, "I don't trust everybody here, I mean." he adds quickly, he can have been with them for two weeks but he is very distrustful, he also knows that he can't go with her even if he asks Gabriel.

She nods, she neither trusted in some lycans and vampires but that's not going to stop her, "I'm going tomorrow." she says as she begins to walk away, feeling him staring at her she stops and turns "Well keep practicing staying there standing is not going to make you better at it."

"Of course" He says tiredly as she walks away, after thinking for a moment he calls her "Selene?"

"Yeah?" She says without stop walking.

"Don't you have time to talk a little bit?" He already knows the answer for that but maybe she changes the answer this time.

She stops walking and turns "I'm sorry, I can't." she sees the deception in his eyes and she feels a little guilty.

"Oh… Ok" He says as he sees Brianna approaching them, he makes a gesture to her as Selene turns to see who he is greeting.

"Gabriel is waiting for you." She says to Selene as she walks towards Michael "You did it?" Michael shakes his head "Don't worry, you will, we will help you." He smiles at her and when he looks where Selene was standing, she is not there anymore.
The next day he goes to say good bye to her but she is already gone.

End Flashback.

Sighing Michael opens his eyes and stares at the ceiling while a cool breeze enters through his window, everyday the same image keeps coming to his mind, the face of a strikingly gorgeous and complex vampire with auburn hair dangling in her face, eyes that changed depending of the light, sometimes green sometimes brown, her intense stares, her luscious lips, always dressed in dark colors and sometimes with a leather suit.

Flashback:

Michael was standing in front of a mirror doubting if he should change, he knows that he has to learn to control it but just to think in the last time he lost control sent a chill through his back, although he knows that the circumstances are not the same he still fears that part of him.

"Go on change." Selene is a little impatience because of what may happen, but she conceals it well, "We have tranquilizers if anything happens." she says showing him the guns although she doesn't want to use them.

She hasn't talked with him for more than a week and the first thing she says is that she is going to shot him?. Looking at the guns that they have he knows that maybe the silver and liquid bullets may make him weaker but not the tranquilizers, he knows that thanks to Fionna "That's not going to work."

"Why?" Charles a lycan doctor asks.

"I don't know, but it's not going to work."

Brianna sighs, she understood his fears but now she is tired of that, they had spend the last couple of days trying to convince him but it never worked "Could you stop to be so pessimistic?"

"Its not be pessimistic it's being realistic."

"Michael, eventually you will have to do it!" Selene scolds him loosing the little patience she has, she had noted a couple of days ago that she doesn't have patience when she is training with him and when she has she loses it very quickly.

"You haven't lost the same quantity of blood that you told us you did when you lost control, so we don't think -" says Sophie another doctor and lycan, but she is interrupted by Charles.

"Stop of being so coward man."

"Enough! If he doesn't want we can't oblige him" Gabriel is already tired of this, it is obvious that Michael is not going to do it.

"Of course we can." Sophie smirks at Michael who glares at her.

"The images we have of the warehouse are a little blurry, but" Gabriel ignores the comment of Sophie "Selene and Michael will tell us how he transforms and how he looks, how he fights… I think that it has to work for now."

Selene frowns and walks towards Gabriel as she notices something "Now that you mention it… I never have seen how he chan-"

Michael sees Selene approaching Gabriel and he and everybody in the room hear what she says, but he confused interrupts her "What are you talking about? You are the only person here that has seen me changed."

Selene is of course angry at him, first for resist to change and then for interrupt her "I meant while you change" she says looking at him and then she ignores him as she looks at Gabriel "Always that I look at him he is are already changed."

"Oh, I hadn't noticed that…" Michael is now aware of it, knowing that everyone is angry at him for making them lose their time he remembers something, "Give me a week more and we will do it." He says to Gabriel showing with his hand at Charles and Sophie as they raise a brow at him.

"Why a week? Why not now?" Selene says as she glares at him.

"Stop of being so impatiently! I have a plan." Michael says to Selene who is indignant by what he just said, then he looks at Gabriel waiting for his approval.

Brianna looks how Michael talks to Selene, and she can't avoid smirk at see that Selene doesn't react as she expected "What kind of plan?"

Gabriel sighs as he touches his eyes tiredly "Let's all go to discuss that at my office."

Several days later:

"Don't worry, everything will be fine." Sophie whispers as she looks confident at him.

He nods and tries to calm himself as he breaths deeply, he concentrates and after a couple of seconds he feels that he is changing, he can feel how his muscles expand without pain, how his senses sharpen, he feels stronger by the moment, when he opens his eyes he can see more clearly everyone around him, surprised.
He nodes at Charles that gets close to him with a syringe it contains a liquid that they had prepared, the basic of it is that increase the debilities of the 'enemy', but they had changed a little its consistency to be used on Michael. He doesn't feel the needle, when Robert retires it, everybody in the room aim at him with tranquilizers.
After a couple of minutes he begins to feel dizzy and anxious at the same time that the bloodlust comes to him, he looks around and he can see the look of preoccupation and alarm in the face of everyone, he breaths deeply and he growls as he close his eyes.
Selene didn't like their plan and she had told it to Michael and Gabriel but they hadn't listened to her. Now seeing him swing in the spot she knows that something is wrong. Another thing that discomforts her is the two lycans that are in the room and that she doesn't trust, they didn't have the knowledge to stop Michael if he lose control, they only have brute strength, she can't understand why Gabriel let them in, if he wanted lycans present he could at least put ones that were more adequate.

"Come on."
"You can do it."

"I'm trying" He growls exhausted but he can see the worry in Selene's face. After half an hour of them making several tests to him, he begins to change, when he is in human form he loses his balance and feels a sharp pain in his head before passing out. The only thing he can think as this happens is in the last time that he passed out.
When he opens his eyes he sees Selene at his side crouching but she immediately stands and backs away, then he sees everyone aiming at him. Did he lost control again, Why he is transformed, What's this anxiety he is feeling?.

"Michael, are you ok?" Gabriel asks him still aiming at him.

Michael nods and then looks at Selene that it's a little close to him, "Did I hurt you?" he asks her fearful, although his voice doesn't let it notice.

"No, you didn't." As she says that she notes the relieved sigh she does.

"The rest of us are fine by the way." Charles says smirking but keeping his distance.

Michael and Selene ignore his comment, "I feel nervous, that's why I can't change back?" He asks at Charles and Sophie, who nod. After a couple of seconds Charles lets his guns and moves towards Michael but then he remembers a little container where he has the syringe and the liquids, he is going for it but Robert one of the lycans gives it to him and no one notices that he changed the liquids.
When he gets it he approaches to Michael and makes a sign to Selene to approach him too, she does with her guns close. When Michael sees them come near him he begins to sit up but he is too weak, when he finally makes it they are already crouching at his side. "Don't -"

Selene knows that he is afraid, "Don't worry." she says trying to calm him as at the same time she gently puts her hand in his shoulder, the other still supporting the gun. He closes his eyes, he doesn't know if her words are to him or to herself, the only thing he knows is that her touch is making him relax.
Seeing this Charles looks at Selene and with a look tells her to continue, she reluctantly does it, she begins to low her hand to his elbow and then towards his fingers always making pressure in certain points but at the same time softly, he gives in to the gentle motions she gives to his arm, this makes him relax even more as she does the same over and over again.

"Michael now I'm going to inject you, I need to know that you are ready." Charles says when he sees Michael totally relaxed.

Michael opens his eyes and nodes looking at him, then he looks at Selene, she is frowning and looking at his arm "What did I do?"

She lifts her eyes to his "You didn't do anything, you just passed out." Michael doesn't feel when he is injected or when he begins to transform again the only thing he feels is Selene touching him. "Are you ok?" Selene asks frowning, she doesn't notice that she keeps touching Michael even after he changes.

Michael becomes aware that her glance is slightly soft, "I'm fine." he says smiling and nodding, and for a second he can swear that he saw a barely noticeable grin in her face.

"Huh, I guess this stuff does work." Charles says and suddenly Selene notices what she is doing, so she looks at Charles and ceases to stroke Michael.

"You mean that you weren't sure that it might work?" she asks trying to dissimulate her worry.

"We weren't one hundred percent sure, we were concerned because certain complications might had presented." Charles says to her.

"Well, you did it." Sophie says smiling as she puts her guns on a table.

"I passed out, that's not good." Michael says as Selene takes off her hand of his arm but stays still crouching.

"That's good." Charles says smirking.

Selene explains Michael when she sees his confused face "For you enemy." Michael looks at her and nods.

"You don't look all right." Sophie says as she approaches to them and offers a glass of blood at Michael "Drink this."

Michael sighs as he sees Selene raising, he takes the glass of blood and begins to drink it as he sees her walking towards Gabriel who looks at her disconcerted, she avoids Gabriel's glance and Michael sees Brianna lifting a brow and smirking at her, he hears as Selene says "Shut up". That makes him smirk.

End Flashback.

Why her? Of all woman why it had to be her? She always tries to keep distant with everybody, she goes for weeks and then he keeps after her like a lost puppy, It is not 'love' what he feels is more an attraction, he can't avoid to feel drawn to her even when he tries, although at the beginning was hard to accepted he also feels drawn to her warrior image, she is strong, brave, confident, determined, qualities that he doesn't have and that's why he seeks her. He just wishes not to think in her every freaking moment or to dream with her, the longing and the want are too much, he wants to kiss her and feel her body pressed against his, he groans knowing that its impossible to that happens, he doesn't have any chance with her even if she feels attracted to him. Is he just stupid or absolutely naïve, she doesn't like him at all, she just pities him.
How many restless nights has it been of this way? As he thinks this he remembers something that he heard once in a Tv show a couple of years ago 'We humans are often attracted to those who despise us.'

Flashback:

It is a stormy night when Michael's door is yanked open and Selene is very piss off standing in the door "Get the hell up".

When his door is open he immediately sits and rubs his eyes as he sees Selene mouthing something, "Sorry, I had a bad night, could you repeat that?" when he sees Selene disgusted he stands up. She knows.

"Why you did that? You know the repercussions this might have to this house?" She shouts at him as she enters to his room and slams the door.

He doesn't like the way she is looking at him, "I did it in another town, and besides that call can't be tracked."

"You can't be sure of that!" She yells as she glances defiantly at him.

"I thought that if someone might understand me it was you…" He says calmly as he approaches her but as always she backs away.

"So why didn't you tell me anything?" She says slamming her hands in the table trying to calm herself.

Michael is beginning to feel irate, he breaths deeply "I know that you weren't going to let me do it, but once that I explained everything to you-"

"Michael, get over it, you can't do that and you knew it." She interrupts him.

"Don't be a hypocrite with me." Michael says feigning a chuckle, he sees as her eyes get even colder and harder, but he is not going to retract because he knows what he is saying its true "I know that if you would be in my position you would do the same."

"No I wouldn't!" She says bluntly and after a second she knows that she lied.

"That's a fucking lie and we both know it!" He screams at her. Something that he had noticed in this time was that always he fights with her he always is the one who apologizes but not this time, he tries to repress the urge, he knows that if he apologize this only would make the situation worse.

When she sees him struggling with himself she breaths and tries to control her anger. Knowing that words between them always tends to mess things up she thinks very well what she is going to say, "Michael, for their well being you have to forget them."

"Like you did?" It was an impulse that made him say that, and he knows he went too far "I didn't mean-"

How could he say something like that, she thinks hurt. "You don't know anything about me, just because I told you my past doesn't mean that you know me!"

He glares at her in silence for a couple of seconds then showing a calm that he doesn't have says "That's where you're mistaken, I know you and not because of that, I know you because I have spent the last two months with you although you always are avoiding me, I know that you still have doubts of everybody here include me, I know how hard has been for you to adapt, I know that you sometimes feel intimidated for certain lycans, I know that your damn attitude always gets the better of you, I know your past with Gabriel, and Brianna." He knows that she is listening although she is not looking at him.

Everything that he has said is true, but she is not going to confirm it, instead she rolls her eyes showing her impatience with him "Look-"

"Do you mind? I'm not over" Michael says interrupting her and he doesn't give her the opportunity to answer him, he sees how she grits her teeth and clenched her fists, but he ignores it, "I know you are thinking 'That doesn't have anything to do with my family' and that's true, all the other things I know them by experience…" He knows that she is going to hate him for what he is going to say "…but your feelings about your family… I know them because I have your memories." He finishes saying that looking at her eyes.

Selene stares at Michael incredulous, she feels a wave of emotions hit her in that instant, principally anger, sadness and hate "When were you going to tell me, or you expected that I heard it from Charles and Sophie?"

Michael sighs, the hurt evidently in her attitude "I was going to tell you but you-"

"Since when!" Selene shouts at him.

He looks at her with an apologetic glance "…Three weeks."

Selene disregards his stare as she turns and walks away, "I've been here for more than a week and you haven't told me anything." she slams the door as she leaves. The way she said that makes his heart clench painfully.

A few hours later Michael enters to the training room to find Brianna and Selene with Joseph, a lycan, "…That means that If you don't pass...well, let's just say it's going to be a hard week for you…" Brianna says seriously as she explains what they have to do, she looks at him and acknowledges his presence, but Selene totally ignores him.

"You know what it would be good?" One vampire says interrupting Brianna.

"No, what would be good?" Brianna says displeased and rolling her eyes.

"Selene giving us a demonstration of her power fighting against Michael." At hear her name Selene lifts her head away of the chronometer she was looking at.

"That's not a good idea." Brianna says looking at the shocked face of Michael.

"Why not? She is the strongest of the Death Dealers, the most powerful and she is in our house, it would be a fun challenge." The vampire is very animated as he speaks, his companions begin to nod and cheer in approval.

"Michael is stronger than me, there's nothing I can do against him." Selene says looking at the vampire and trying to avoid Michael, although at that moment she really wanted to hit him.

Everyone in the room is shocked to hear her admit her defeat, even Michael and Brianna. "Come on! I think you can knock the shit out of him even before he notes it." The vampire says trying to animate everyone.

"Ok, calm down, Selene is stronger than everyone here except for Michael and although she can represent a challenge for him, we are not here to see them fighting." Brianna tries to calm everyone and she looks at Michael as she remembers her first class with him, "Besides he is a gentleman, you all know what he thinks about hit women."

Selene feels the look of Michael on her and this makes her impatient "Enough, let's begin with your test…" she shows little patience, "You'll be the first." Selene says at the vampire. He looks taking aback as the others smirk at him.

"Why are you afraid to fight against Michael?" Robert one of the lycans she doesn't trust asks her.

"Oh no…" Brianna whispers as she looks at Selene.

"I'm not afraid." Selene says defensively. Michael knows too well to not 'interfere in her businesses' and let alone now that she is furious with him. "And-"

"Oh, please! You told us that is not only the strength that makes you succeed, is the concentration, the skill, the decisions you take, your reflex and the ingeniousness to fight under pressure." The vampire says interrupting her and enumerating them with his hands.

"And Michael definitely doesn't have all that…" Brianna interjects. Michael and Selene knows that this is true but also know that she doesn't have a opportunity against him even though she was sired for Viktor and some of his strength was transferred at her.

Robert doesn't listen to them "Do you fear that he wins or the fact the he may kill you?"

At that Selene eyes turn blue as she feels fury but she tries to control it. "Robert stop!" Brianna warns him when she sees the change in Selene.

"Don't take it against her just because she kicked your ass." Joseph says to him.

"I didn't mean that way, I have nothing against her… is just that I want to see them fighting, like eve-" he says in a conciliatory tone.

"Could all you stop? I'm not going to fight against her." Michael finally says interrupting them.

"Why not?" Asks the vampire.

"Because I'm not going to hurt her!" Michael says looking at the vampire and when he looks at Selene she is looking back at him with irritation and anger, he supports her look although with the blue eyes she is more intimidating.

"Ok, what about Michael at the defensive just blocking Selene blows?" Says the vampire again and that makes Michael averts her eyes.

"Let's do it…" Joseph says smirking as he gets the attention of everybody "…the test." Everyone sigh with deception as he begins to walk followed by Brianna and Selene.

"Selene" Robert calls her and she lifts a brow, Brianna makes a sign to the others to follow Joseph and they do it as she stays with Selene… just in case "I have a proposal."

"One decent I hope." Brianna murmurs and Robert smirks.

"If I pass the test you will fight against him." He says to Selene.

She looks at him with disbelief, then she looks at his hand extended and after few seconds of doubt she puts all her beliefs at a side and takes his hand, making the deal. "Done."

Brianna looks at Selene as if she is crazy, "Ok, but if you pass only you'll see it". Robert nodes and goes towards his partners. After thinking for a moment Brianna adds "Well… I want to see it too and I think Gabriel may want it…" she can't hide her emotion as she says this, "Although I don't like it."

Selene looks at her amazed at her change of attitude, "Whatever." she turns around to follow Joseph and she sees Michael looking at her disconcerted, she sighs and sees that the vampire is the first in take the test.

"Why did you do that?" Brianna asks her as they approach them.

"He is not going to make it." Selene says secure.

"You don't know it."

"I saw him last night training and he couldn't do it." Selene says as her eyes go back to their usual color.

"Ok, but if he passes… Michael will not be very happy." Brianna says knowing something happened between Michael and Selene but that wasn't weird, they passed half of their time fighting. She waits to Selene say something but as always she doesn't, "Something you want to share?"

Selene looks at her frowning, doubting if she should tell her, "It's nothing."

"I'll bet" Brianna says looking at Michael.
After waiting for more than two hours Robert doesn't pass the test. "I guess you were right…" She says to Selene, as she sees Gabriel entering the room.

"I heard that you are going to fight with Michael, Can I watch?" He says very animated.

Selene immediately glares at Brianna "I didn't say anything to him."

Gabriel nods at Selene "That's true, I heard it from a group that was very animated with the prospect…"

"We had a deal and he didn't pass… so I'm not going to fight." Selene says indignant as she crosses her hands and leans against a wall.

"Oh, come on! I came equipped." he says smirking and taking out a camera.

"I told you I'm not going to do it." She says stubbornly.

"Well, remember that we already had talked about it, I told it to our Benefactor and guess what? He wants to see it, I will filming it and then I will - "

Selene is tired of the same excuse of 'him not be in the continent' "Who is your benefactor anyways? You promised that you were going to tell me and -"

"Calm down" He says laughing "You will meet him sooner than what you think."

"When?" Selene asks impatiently.

"Believe me soon…" He says as he begins to walk towards Michael.

"He is not going to like this…" Brianna says to Gabriel that ignores her and keeps walking.

"Michael, did you passed the test?" Michael is going to answer but he is interrupted "Oh, what I'm asking, of course you did!" Michael nods as he dries with a towel "Joseph! I need Selene, Brianna and Michael, could you do it without them?"

"Yeah, we are almost finished, just two others."

"Ok" Gabriel looks at Michael, "Follow me", Michael does it.

"Where are we going?" He asks concerned.

"Don't worry we are going to the other training room." Gabriel says as they pass Brianna and Selene.

He didn't know they had another, by the look in the face of Selene she already knew but she keeps avoiding him "Other training room?"

"Yeah, one more private." Brianna says to Michael. They walk by several alleys and they descend three floors, when they get there Michael notes that it's really big and has several gadgets he hadn't see. Gabriel sits in a chair.

"What's going on? Why are we here?" Michael asks very suspicious.

"Michael you are going to do a demonstration of what you have learned, I'm going to filming and send it to our Benefactor" Michael knows that he is plotting something, after all he could have done it upstairs "The incommode part is that you have to do it against Selene".

Michael immediately looks at Selene "You are not agreeing with this, don't you?"

She looks at him and shrugs "There's nothing I can do."

"Of course there is, you can say no!" Michael yells anxious and angry.

"Calm down Michael I know this is difficult for you, but -" Gabriel is interrupted.

"Do you?" Michael asks with rage.

"This is a usual step if you are training to be a Death Dealer and everyone has to do it here, so it was just matter of time."

The calmness with he says that makes Michael mad "That's the point I'm just training because I have to learn to defend myself not because I'm going to a fucking hunt." He yells.

"We know that but-" Brianna is interrupted.

"Why don't you fight against me instead?" Michael says looking at Gabriel challenging him.

"I'm not even equal of stronger than Selene, besides -" He stands but he is interrupted again.

"Let's do it." Selene says as she begins to walk towards the center of the room.

Michael looks as she walks away, "Are you serious?" Michael follows her even angrier. "I know you are furious with me but-"

"That has nothing to do with this." Selene warns him as she stops. She doesn't want to do it either… well maybe a little, but she still has her doubts.

"I'm not going to hit you!" He stops in front of her.

"Look I already have passed for this, so don't worry. I'll be fine." She says seriously as she looks at Gabriel that looks impatiently as he films them and Brianna that looks worry.

"What if I lose control? I don't want to-"

She interrupts him tired of his excuses, "You will not!" she assumes a defensive position, "Now be a man and let's begin with this."

"Be a man? By hitting you?" Michael asks insulted, certainly her logic was very different than his. Abruptly Selene grabs him and pushes him against a wall. Michael is surprised and he raises shocked, "Why are you doing this?" He sees the gleam in her eyes and in his mind there's no doubt that she surely is enjoying it. He tenses as he waits for her next move.

"Michael defend yourself!" Selene knows that for him it's hard, but she also knows that if she pushes him he'll have to attack.

Michael looks at her and backs away "OK, but I will do just that…" When she lunges in to punch him, he catches her arm and pulls her towards him hard, but without harm her, then when she is about to stumble into him, he dodges to the side. Selene instead of stop, runs towards the wall and jumps it making impulse with her legs, she turns around in the air and extends her leg, she kicks Michael in the chest, he yelps more for surprise than for pain as he falls to the floor.

"Now attack me." Selene says as she drops standing in front of him, she sees Michael's gaze harden as he raises, when he is standing her fist connect with his face, she gives him time to react but seeing that he doesn't she delivers another uppercut directly to his jaw and although it hurts him he doesn't flinch. Michael gets his balance as he makes his mind to attack her but knowing that he will not use all his force. Suddenly Selene sees that he is going to kick her in the ribs but she dodges him, immediately after she dodges a punch.
Taking an opportunity she looses a left hook but Michael eludes it, he quickly grabs her wrist as it pass by his side and with a movement he throws her to the ground, swiftly she turns and drives her boot to his abdomen and immediately she gets up from the ground as Michael flies backwards, when he lands on his back he is confused at her swiftness, he sees Selene looking at him as she approaches him but as he is going to stand up she puts her foot in his neck but without harming him, only doing pressure as to say to him to stay there. She diverts her attention towards Gabriel.

"I think it's enough." Brianna says without consult Gabriel. And Selene takes her foot off Michael's neck.

"No, it's not, we hadn't seen anything surprising-" Gabriel protest but he is interrupted by Brianna.

"By now he is death, Selene gets out her guns, aims, and empties her entire clips in his head, I think not even him can stand that." She says looking at Michael that now is standing at Selene's side.

"Go on." Gabriel says to Selene and he sits again.

Brianna sighs as she looks at Michael "Keep going, the majority don't endure her assaults but you do."

Michael nods and looks at Selene, she launches at him, but he dodges, now with more confidence in himself he eludes almost all of Selene's blows. Every time he can he attacks her but being careful to not hut her much, everyone noted it even her and maybe for that she is putting more strength.
"You are doing it well." she says and Michael can't help to smile proud of himself this make Selene's mouth start to curl up but she stops it scolding herself, taking advantage of his distraction Selene punches him and he drops to the floor, as he falls at the same time she leaps into the air and intends to hit Michael in the abdomen but he surprises her and very quickly stands and turns, so when she falls he is at her back, with ease he grabs her by the waist and picks her up and sends her flying against… anything, Selene in mid air turns and lands graceful on the floor.

"That was nice." Is the only thing Michael occurs to say as he begins to walks towards her, Selene tries to get out of his reach but she is too slow and is unable to block his attack, he is very precise and Selene is driven back hitting the wall, he is concerned for her but this dissipates as she stands up and glares at him, Michael gulps "Now you are going to kill me right?" The glare in Selene's face soft, then she walks towards him as he thinks what she is plotting and he knows it when she crouches and sweeps her legs, not giving him time to jump he falls to the ground and immediately after she, still crouched, extends her leg and kicks him in his stomach with all her strength, she lifts as Michael is on his arms and knees gasping for air, without thinking she kicks him again in his ribs, Michael leaves the ground and comes back down with a thud.

"Are you ok?" She asks him concerned after a couple of seconds seeing that he doesn't lift, she knows that she was too hard with him.

Michael looks at her and then sits as he shakes off the pain and dizziness, after that he stands up. He looks at Gabriel that doesn't say anything and then at Brianna that tells him with her hand to continue, Michael sighs as he looks at Selene. "That hurt by the way" He says as he gets out of her reach and rubs at the stinging spot.
Selene looks at him disconcerted and after a couple of seconds he runs towards her but she jumps towards the ceiling and stays there hanging up, she is so fast that he can't see how she did it. Then he remembers when he was in her room and the same passed with another vampire, Michael hadn't done that before so he tries to imitates her moves, he takes impulse and jumps he makes it then he looks at her not knowing what to do he waits for her to attack him but she doesn't so he throws a punch at her, as he does that he feels that he is sliding down, she alludes the punch knowing that he is going to be distracted thinking in the fall, he looks at her again but she doesn't do anything so he tries to punch her again, this time she catches his arm and puts it on the roof and immediately kicks him in the shoulder and releases his arm with that he falls crouched to the floor, he immediately takes impulse again and jumps up at the same time she drops but Michael catches her in mid air and hits her against the floor, hard, knowing what he did he looks at her remorseful and gets down he backs away some steps and Selene drops to the floor.
He waits a couple of seconds and then presses an attack again but she catches his fist but doesn't let go of his arm, instead she makes pressure and throws him against a wall, while he is down she puts her boot against his shoulder, quickly he takes her foot and tosses it backwards making her stumble, before she knows it he stands and hurls her against the wall and puts his hands in her shoulders, pinning and at the same time upholding her, she tries to move but his hands holds her maddeningly still. She hastily puts her hands in his arms and tightens her grip, but this is only a distraction, she puts her legs against the wall then with one leg she kicks him in his thigh, immediately Michael releases her, Selene moves away just behind him, she is going to kick him in the back part of his knee. Michael feeling her in his back abruptly turns around and begins to run but he didn't know that she was too close, Selene feels all of her air is taken out of her lungs as Michael bumps with her, not being prepared for that both end in the ground, with Michael on top of her, he looks at her concerned but she glares at him, that makes him know that she is well, "Now you are death." he whispers to her smiling, Selene's pulse rises as she feels tingles, this makes her shift uneasily, she is going to say something but instead she lifts her gaze off him and sees Gabriel and Brianna casting their gaze downwards, towards them, by the look in Brianna's face she wants to make a comment but she is trying not to. Michael sees that Selene is disgusted but she averts her gaze, he notes the strange silence that descends upon all them.

Brianna smiles at Michael "But you are already death." she decides to speak breaking the awkward silence that had settled.

"Shouldn't we get up?" Selene asks sarcastically and lifting an eyebrow when Michael looks back at her, he blushes slightly at her caustic tone of voice.

"Yeah, you look too comfortable like that." Brianna says making fun of him, Michael gulps embarrassed and immediately sits, Brianna chuckles at this as Selene glares at her.

"That was better than the first time." Gabriel says to Michael, "I know you can do it better that's why since now on you also will be training just with Selene and Joseph, here" Michael nodes and looks at Selene that is sited at his side, but he can't see anything in her emotionless face.

"Consider it private lessons." Brianna says as she winks at him. Selene ignores her comments as she stands.

"So is this over?" Michael asks incredulous as Brianna extends her hand and helps him to stand up.

"It's over for now." Gabriel says as he gets out of the room and they follow him "I want to see you attacking someone with all your potential, I know you did almost all you could with Selene but I also know that you didn't put all your strength in some of your blows."

Selene interrupts Michael when he is going to answer "I know Michael will never attack someone if his life is not in danger, so I don't think we will get that far." She speaks as if he wasn't there and he can't help to think that she is trying to convince Gabriel of the training with him, but something in her words makes him think different.

"I heard that she kicked your ass." Robert says as he stands in front of Michael.

"Yeah, and very hard." Michael says remembering how she let him gasping for air.

"Oh, man what I would give to had seen that." Robert says as he walks away.

After the fight they all had gone to do different things, right now he is waiting out of the training room to talk with her. As a custom everyone knew what happened but just some had asked him about it. When he finally sees the door open he waits for everybody to get out but she doesn't so he gets in there. "Hey" He says softly. Selene turns around to see him and lifts a brow by way of interrogation. "I want to talk with you about what happened early."

"Not everything needs to be talked about." Selene says as she turns and walks towards the shooting range.

"I know, I just wanted to… I'm… Why are you angry with me? Because I had your memories or… because I hid that and my fam- "

"I'm not angry for that, I'm angry because you didn't tell me." She says as she begins to shot at the target in front of her.

Michael waits to her clip is finished to speak "But how I was going to said it if you are never here? And when you are you are too busy…" Selene looks at him "When I was going to tell you, you always were with Gabriel or with someone else… And then I didn't know how to tell you, I was afraid of how you were going to take it."

"I would have taken it… normal" Selene says as she puts another clip in the gun.

"That's what I didn't know, you are very strange with me, sometimes you are patience, sometimes you barely tolerate me-" She begins to shot again.

"For someone that says that knows me very well -" She says as she keeps shooting.

"And I do!" Michael interrupts her raising his voice to make his voice audible, he sighs when she doesn't say anything "Look, I know that you don't want me close to you and I accept it. But we have to do an effort while you teach me, and after that…"

Selene looks at him thinking in his words, "I will do it" she says and then begins to shot again. When she hears him sighing and turning away she sets down her gun and turns. "I'm like that with everybody, it's not just with you…"

"I know, but I can't… I..." Michael is speechless that she says that to him, so he turns.

Realizing that she opened up with him and seeing his reaction, she changes of attitude, "I always have been like that, and if you don't like, I'm sorry but I'm not going to change." She says as she turns around and takes her gun.

Michael notices her change but he dismiss it and approaches her "But I don't want you to change, I like you the way you are." Selene feels Michael eyes studying her as she hears that, making her feel more uncomfortable, so she begins to shut at the new target. Michael smiles sadly, "I just came to tell you… I know that I have been saying this very often and by now it might be lost it meaning but I'm sorry." In the middle of that Selene notes, that she is out of ammo, and the sadness in Michael voice. "That's my face you are seeing, don't you?", he knows she is not going to answer any more so he begins to retreat but before he goes for several magazines.

"I lied." She says still seeing the target, noting he doesn't understand what she is talking about, she clears her throat and continues "I would have done the same you did… call my family."

Michael nods "I know" he says as he gives her the magazines.

She receives it and then looks back at him doubtfully "Do you want to try? I know this doesn't like you, but you will have to do it eventually…"

Michael doesn't even think about it "Ok" then he smiles as Selene moves aside "If I'm going to be taught, better that be with the best."

She inserts the magazine in the gun "Ok, have you ever…" Michael nods as she gives him the gun "Shot it between the eyes." Michael does it but the bullet just grazes the target.

He looks at her asking her if he should try again and she nodes "Should I imagine that it's somebody I hate?" He asks her with a mischievous grin.

"If it works for you do it…" She says and then looks at the target avoiding his face. Michael moves his head and shoulders as preparing to shot, then he looks intently at the target, he doesn't notice the look of amuse Selene gives him, he shots several times and then smiles. He didn't miss.

"I see that you method works." Michael says as he searches a button to put the new target.

Seeing he doesn't find it Selene pushes the button that is under the table and immediately is heard the mechanism that begins to change it, then not holding her curiosity "Who do you imagined it was?"

Michael turns smiling and leans on the table "I tell you if you answer the same."

"I suspect who it was."

"You suspect but you are not one hundred percent sure." Michael says moving his hands, still with the gun in it. Seeing the look Selene gives him he turns a little and puts it on the table.

"You have to be careful with it."

"Yeah, I got distracted for a second…" Michael waits for Selene to ask him again but she doesn't "It was Gabriel."

"After all I did know it." Selene says diverting her gaze towards the target, but she sees Michael looking at her intensely.

So she looks at him again. "Do you saw my face?"

"I -"

"Yes or not?"

"Maybe." Selene says with a look that says yes, Michael smiles brightly at her.

After a moment he gets serious "About the call… Did you tell it to Gabriel?"

"He already knew, he has microphones and cameras in the entire house, he knew the same way I did."

"What he said? I know I don't like him much, but…"

"Don't worry, I talked to him and he understood" Selene sees the face of disbelief of Michael "Well kind of… and is not like you don't like him, he is very reserved and cautious with people he doesn't know."

"Are all the Death Dealers like that? ...At exception of Brianna, of course." He adds smirking.

"The majority."

"Why don't you two get along?"

"I don't know, character's incompatibility." Selene says looking at her gun and not liking be talking about Brianna.

"You know… You have some kick, there." He says feigning still pain in his side but grinning.

She looks at him "I know that I was hard with you but that is the purpose… and besides you didn't put all your… abilities," she says scolding him "if you had done it the result would had been different."

"But like you said, I would never attack someone if is not a life death kind of situation." Michael says seriously but then grins "It isn't like you didn't enjoy it, you were angry at me, so I suppose that you took some kind of satisfaction kicking my ass, better my ribs."

Selene smirks a little although her tone of voice is still scolding "You will have to get used if you keep with that absurd mentality of not hit women."

"I know that in some point I will have to fight against one, and I'm not referring like training, and when the moment comes I will do it." Selene nodes and looks again at the gun as Michael takes it and changes the clips, then he begins to shot. "How was that?" He asks pointing the target, which has a side totally destroyed.

Selene lifts an eyebrow surprised "You're a fast learning."

"I know" He says with a smile suggesting he is joking. At this Selene lowers her head and takes the gun and inserts a new clip, "Why always you let your hair fall in your face?" he says softly as he brushes a strand of hair off her face, she stiffens and then looks back at him with an annoyed expression, seeing this Michael drops totally his arm and turns to look at the target.

"Let's see if I can do it better." Selene says as she aims, and then she shots destroying it totally, and using just the half of the bullets he did.

"I can say with all sincerity… I saw that coming." Michael says as he sees Selene putting her gun in her holster, giving for finished their talk. "You know…" Michael waits for her to look back at him to continue "…this is the first 'civilized' talk we have had since we are here." Selene frowns trying to remember another conversation in which they hadn't scream at each other but she can't. "I enjoyed our talk, didn't you?" Michael asks smiling as Selene lowers her eyes.

She looks back at him "Yes, I suppose I did." She says with sarcasm but something in her eyes tells Michael that she enjoyed it, this makes him smile broadly and he sees Selene's eyes gleaming for an instant.

"Don't worry I will not telling anyone you said that." Michael says joking as they get out of the training room. "You know, I find your technique to relieve the anger very useful…"

End Flashback.

Although he has some of her memories he doesn't know her past at all, just what he saw and the little she has said, the only memory he really 'view' was when she found her family killed, the worst of all he felt her pain, then it were others, she had told him it were the first time she killed a lycan, and one of when she drank from a human. She also told him she had learned the 'hard way' a lot of things.
He suspected that her desire for kill lycans became even stronger as the time passed of this way she overshadowed all love in her life, except the one of Viktor's. That's why he thinks that by her nature she is not capable of love, she is distant with everybody, doesn't trust in anyone, she only thinks that she can rely on herself. And even if she could love he doesn't imagine her acting loving and caring because all the people that really loved her was gone too soon, she must have forgotten it.
Michael closes his eyes again, and to think that he is going to meet their benefactor in a few hours and he is still thinking in her…

Michael is standing in front of his mirror, at least the reunion is a casual one, he can't imagine using a tuxedo in the circumstances he is… although he is not that far. Tonight is important to them because finally they are going to meet him after all this months, he just hopes everything will be fine, after all you don't know what the future might bring you. He puts his jacket as a knock in the door is heard, he opens the door and sees Brianna standing in front of him.

She grins and raises an eyebrow "You look really good."

"You are not bad yourself." He says smiling and getting out of the room, she is using a long skirt and a tight blouse with a low neck.

"Please, this is not different at what I usually wear."

"Oh, I don't think I had seen you wearing a skirt."

"I use them very frequent, well… just in this kind of meetings."

"I never thought see you wearing one." Seeing her face he corrects himself "What I meant was that you are a Death Dealer and I don't think that kind of clothes be practical in a fight."

She looks at him and smirks "I see that Selene has been teaching you some things…" she suddenly gets serious and looks at him wary as she closes a little her eyes "but what calls my attention is that you said fight… " Michael knows by the expression in her face that she is going to make some joke or a funny comment "Have you been conspiring against us for all this time, and now, in this meeting you consider do something against us?" she asks with fake suspect.

Michael looks at her and shakes his head "Yeah, right I would tell you that… I referred… if some one attacks us."

"Believe me I can fight with this put on, it wouldn't be comfortable but I can do it, besides if plan A falls I'll move to plan B." She says playful.

This makes his interest to pick and knowing that if he doesn't ask she won't answer, "Which is?"

She winks at him and puts a hand in his shoulder, "…I could seduce them."

He looks around them and sees various vampires gawking at her, "I'm sure you could." He says smiling. When he looks the door of Gabriel's office he begins to walk slowly "What… Is this… Is he a…"

"You have been waiting for three months, I think you can wait a little more…" She says in a faking scolding tone when she sees his insecurity. Michael nods knowing that she is right. "Better think in do a good impression and don't show your insecurities, if there is something you don't like, say it respectful." she says knowing his impulsiveness.

"Is there something I will not like?" Michael asks with suspect.

"Always there is something you will not like." She says as she friendly tightens her grip in his shoulder. Now seeing how their conversation has turned serious she tries to lighten it up "You know, although I'm very secure that you are imagining how Selene looks like, I have to tell you something…"

Michael looks at her disbelieving at how easily she changed their topic and for one that he feels uncomfortable, "I don't know what you are talking about." he says frowning. He had been thinking that but he didn't like to recognize it to others even to Brianna although she is the first and only person who he has said that he felt attracted to Selene.

Flashback:

"That's so obvious." She says laughing

"Is it?" He asks incredulous and letting his defense position.

"Yeah, but I think than it's more than 'a simple attraction'" She says as she hits his ribs with a pole.

"No, its not, believe me." He says as they simulate to be fighting with swords.

"Ok, let's see…" she says as she avoids to be hit "There are gratitude, trustiness, that weird kind of protectiveness… and a very and powerful attraction of course."

"Oh, this was a bad idea." He says doing a rapier.

"Why?"

"Because I don't need to be analyzed by anyone." He says as he waits for her move.

"I'm not analyzing you." She looks at him and then smiles as she attacks again "I'm analyzing your feelings for Selene."

"It's not what you think. Believe me."

End Flashback.

"Uh, uh…" She looks at him knowingly.

"Oh, God!" He says tiredly of her jocks about his supposed 'feelings' for Selene.

"As I was saying" she says ignoring his comment "You are not going to be disappointed when you see her" Michael looks at her and she smiles at him "the one surprised is going to be her, believe me she will have to wipe the drool off her face with the back of her hand, I mean you are handsome enough just like you are but with this clothes…" she shakes her head feigning to be confused by his good looking "…Anyways you are going to like it, although… she didn't change her image using a dress or a skirt as I suggested, she was acerbate when-" Looking at him she knows that she began to divagate again, she grins "But she looks nice enough. Hell! She could use the most outrageous thing and she still would be beautiful in your eyes."

Michael rolls his eyes again "Stop it, okay?" He says as he stops in front of the door and opens it to her.

"You are such a gentleman." She says smirking at him.

Michael looks around the room and sees Selene facing Gabriel with her back towards him, "I suppose it's alright." she says to Gabriel, since this point she looks very good, she is using some kind of tight jacket with tight pants and heels, all black, the only thing different are the heels 'she didn't change her image using a dress or a skirt as I suggested' but certainly he likes how she fills them nicely, specially her lower back, subtly he shakes his head at that thought, this was no the time or the place to think such things, he immediately begins to roam the room with his gaze but there is not anyone else besides Gabriel and Selene. He looks at Brianna confused.

"Mmm yeah, I forgot to tell you that we will meet him in other place." She says apologetic.

She forgot to tell him, that's why she went for him, what was so important that made her 'forget' to tell him or what were they talking about that made her forget, Selene looks over her shoulder annoyed, "That's so typical of you…" it's the only thing she says then the only things she can perceives is Michael's good looking, he is wearing a black suit and a light blue shirt that made his eyes look even clearer and he has his hair combed but still it showed its usual disorder, and Brianna's hand in his shoulder, aware of her staring and not liking her reaction she ignores them walking towards Gabriel's desk there she takes some papers and begins to read them as she sits in a chair.

"Take a sit we are waiting for Joseph and Sophie." Gabriel says seeing Brianna's grin at Selene reaction.

"So we'll be there in half an hour after we leave the house." Gabriel says as he sits in his chair.

"Why are we not going to meet him here?" Michael asks as he and Brianna walk towards the chairs.

"That was his request." Gabriel says looking at Selene evidently she had asked the same question. "And no, he is not plotting something." He adds knowing that that was the answer to his next question.

"Ok…" Michael says as he sits at Brianna's side. After a couple of minutes of anyone say anything he looks at Gabriel.

"So, how are you feeling with your training?" Gabriel asks looking at Brianna.

"It's hard but I'm beginning to get used to it..."

"Yeah, Mike is not as bad as he seems." Brianna says smirking.

That makes Gabriel and Michael smile, "I heard that you had problems with swordsmanship a couple of weeks ago?"

"Yeah, but I'm better with it now, don't I?" He asks to Brianna who nods discouraging. After a couple of seconds the door is open again and Joseph and Sophie get in the room.

"Are you ready?" Gabriel asks to everyone as everyone nods and stands up Joseph handles a close envelop to Gabriel who takes it and puts them in his desk "That can wait until tomorrow." He says and then looks at a couple of pictures that Joseph gives to him.

Sophie raises an eyebrow when Michael stands up and faces her. "Yeah, I thought the same…" Brianna says as she looks at Selene that is still reading or better pretending she is reading.

"Ok, could you stop?" Michael knows that they are just making fun of him "You look great." He says as he approaches Sophie.

"Oh I know, but thanks anyway." She says waving her hands.

When Selene finally stands and turns around Michael can't help to blink rapidly at what he sees, she is using under the jacket a tatted black blouse with the first buttons unbuttoned, all her attire hug and highlighted all her curves like that Death Dealer suit but this is better, he is unable to stop to gape at her, he just had wanted it to be a quick glance but now he can't stop it even though he knows that he is making her feel uncomfortable, better annoyed. Seeing the looks that Selene and Michael are exchanging Brianna grins, "So what do you think?" she asks to Selene but she only makes a face of confusion "What do you think of Mike?", she explains.

Selene glares at Brianna and then looks at Sophie that is still lifting a brow amused by the hostility still present between them, "Your opinion would be good, after all he has to be presentable." She says knowing that Selene is not going to like it.

He is presentable Ok, Selene thinks as she turns her glance towards Michael and takes a deep breath, she looks at him from toes to head, only stopping to look at his lips and his eyes that are staring back at her, apparently she was putting him nervous, as he did with her some seconds ago, "I have seen him worse." she says with disdain looking at Brianna that keeps grinning.

"Everything is ready Sir." A vampire says from the door, interrupting Brianna to say something nasty to Selene. As they made the way out of the office Brianna looks at Michael with a look of 'I told you'.

---

When they got to the place everyone but Gabriel can't believe where they are going to be, in front of them was a building of two levels with red bricks walls but that wasn't what called their attention it was the loud music playing, "A night Club?" Michael asks as Gabriel gets down of the car.

"I know that it's not the more appropriate but he wanted it that way." Gabriel says to everyone when they are all reunited.

Selene sighs not liking it "Is he in there already?" she asks a little uneasy.

"Yeah, let's get in." Gabriel says as he walks towards the entrance.

As they pass people they turned around to look at them, Michael recognizes that they are all humans, he only can perceive three different scents belonging to one vampire and two lycans, he was nervous enough for what it may occur here and now he is more knowing that more innocent people is in danger. He sighs and Selene that it's at his side looks at him questioning "I didn't expect to be this nervous… I mean I was nervous but now… here… with all this people… Why here? …I don't know if he is going to try something or… And couldn't we just-"

Seeing Michael nervous she interrupts him "You are rambling, calm down." It's the only thing she says and he nods, but she can see in his eyes that he is still preoccupied, she is too for all the same reasons he is, after all Gabriel is one thing but this vampire or lycan that they are going to meet could be plotting something.

Suddenly Gabriel turns and looks at Selene "You two wait here, we will go to the second floor and talk to him and then I'll call you."

"No, we will go with you." Selene says and then she feels someone looking at her intensely, so she looks and in front of her just behind Gabriel is a tall vampire dressed in all black, letter pants, a shirt with a gabardine, he has deep blue eyes, thick brows and short brown hair he also has several piercing, he is very attractive.

"Of course you will." The strange says in a deep tone of voice and smirking at her, then he looks a little hostile at Michael but then after study him for a couple of seconds his eyes soften.

"He is-" Gabriel begins to say but he is interrupted.

"You hadn't told them who I am?" He asks pretending to be offended but all the way staring at Selene, "I know everything about them and you didn't tell them who I am?". He looks familiar to her, she knows that she has seen him but she can't remember where or when.
Michael doesn't like the interest glance that they are throwing at each other, he feels jealous and although he knows that he shouldn't he can't help it, unconsciously or better impulsively he gets closer to Selene.
Where she saw him, she is beginning to feel frustrated because she can't remember it, her thoughts are interrupted when she feels Michael's arm wrap possessively around her waist, and pulling her close to him. What is he doing? This is not the place to his childishness, she thinks as he looks angrily at him but he ignores her, gripping her even tightly against him, she is going to push him off but she remembers in front of whom they are present, so she stays awkwardly in place.
Although Micahel is staring at him defiantly the benefactor seems amused by that and teasingly he smirks and raises and lowers his eyebrows, "I didn't know this." he falsely scolds Gabriel who just shrugs. "I'm Sebastian by the way." He says taking Selene hand and kissing it, she just looks at him frowning as she puts her hand away, then he extends his hand to Michael that shakes it but still glares at him.

"I'm Michael and she is Selene." He says knowing that he is making Selene even angrier by speak for her.

"I already know that, and for your tranquility I'm not going to try anything." Sebastian says, he evidently had listened what Michael had told to Selene. "Care to join me?" he asks as he turns around and begins to walk.
Everyone walks away but Selene and Michael stayed where they are. Knowing that she is going to scold him he looks at her apologetic but she just glares at him, then she removes his hand of her waist and begins to walk towards the stairs, letting him there.
When he catches up with them, they are going to sit "Selene, Michael this are my trusted men Joshua and Edward." They acknowledge their presence and sit with Sebastian, Sophie and Gabriel and, in front of them are Selene, Joseph, Michael and Brianna, respectively, everyone with a glass of blood with wine.
"Michael I recently accepted an investigation you just beginning to do with Sophie's help," Sebastian begins to say very seriously "and I'm worry of the consequences that it might bring for our species, if someone, one of our enemies heard it and could obtain some of your blood, that would be… for fault of a better term catastrophic. Now we have, with you, the upper hand in this war that it's to come and we can't for any motive allow an army of 'hybrids' against us, that's why-"

Michael is confused "Are you going to cancel our research?" He interrupts angrily. That could help them and now for a couple of doubts they will lost all they had learned?

"No, I'm not going to; I just wanted to tell you to be very careful… I don't think you have figured the ramifications."

"I have done it, if someone has done it it's me." Michael says haughty and with rage, he continues "you think I'm at ease knowing I could hurt vampires, lycans and humans for one of my stupid decisions?" Suddenly he feels Brianna hand in his leg, remembering him to be confident but at the same time respectful, he takes a deep breath as he tries to calm himself "Believe me I spend all the time thinking in that and the troubles that it may carry."

"I know you do, but believe me infiltrate someone in a house is not as difficult as it seems and if someone takes a sample from the laboratory…" Sebastian says very worried.

"Actually the laboratory is isolated from the house and just five of us have the access code to it, Michael, Gabriel, Charles, Robert and my self, and we are using the latest technology to protect it." As Sophie speaks she shows some papers with photographs and details of the room at Sebastian. Selene is surprised to listen that Robert has the code, she can't see why he has it, he is just a lycan with not knowledge in anything that it has to be with the biologic part of their races. "As you see is almost impossible to someone else enter."

Sebastian sighs relieved "Well, that indeed makes me feel comfortable." He then looks at Michael "I'm sorry if I offended you."

Michael shakes his head and shrugs "Its ok, I think I could have done the same to you…"

"Don't worry." He says and then looks at Joshua "Well like we are here to know each other, I will like to talk with you alone Michael, if that's ok for you of course." He says as he sees that Michael is not comfortable with that.

"Yeah, is ok." Michael says knowing that he has to accept, after all he is here for that. When everyone are leaving the table he meets Brianna eyes make him remember her advise, he nodes at her and then he looks at Selene that it's looking at them she seems confused but why he doesn't know.

"Michael I'm happy to have you as an allied although my attitude some minutes ago didn't show it." Seeing Michael nodding he continues "I want to know how has it been all this, how you feel in my house…"

"To say the true at the beginning I was uncomfortable and I didn't trust in no one after all that had happened, but after a couple of weeks I find myself trusting in Brianna and Sophie, Joseph and Charles, that made it easy, they helped me when I needed it and they still help me, what causes me more difficult is learn how to fight, at the beginning I didn't like it but now… I still don't like it but I have learned to live with it."

"You are very good apprentice, I personally have read and seen all the documents that talk about you and I'm impressed your progress had been more than satisfactory, that's why I put you to train with Selene, she is now one of the strongest vampires alive, not to mention one hell of a kick ass Death Dealer…" He finishes say that laughing.

Michael smiles "Yeah, I've seen that, she can kill everything around her in a couple of seconds."

"Very scary huh?" Sebastian asks jokingly.

"Well… for someone who is not familiarized."

"…And for her victim." Sebastian says as he takes a sip of his blood with wine, then he is serious again but tries to keep the mood as light as possible "And she has teaching you all she knows, I'm glad that you had learned from her, that's why I'm going to propose you something." The direction that the conversation is taking Michael doesn't like. Although Sebastian knows the answer to the question he is going to ask he does it "I live with the most prominent beings of our world and you still have too much to learn that I want you to come with me, tonight."

Michael is surprised he waited anything else but that "What happens if I say that I don't want to?" He asks worry as he diverts his glance, he sees Selene in a corner in the first floor staring at Sebastian as Gabriel and Brianna that are at her side are arguing about something.

Sebastian sighs "It doesn't happen anything, you still be living in Gabriel's house in the same conditions you had been living." He says seeing Michael tensing. "Can I ask you why don't you want to come?" Although he already has the answer for that, he wanted to hear it from Michael.

Michael sighs tiredly "It's because I finally accepted myself as what I am now with the help of this people, now I feel like I'm adapted and I'm comfortable with the people around me, I don't think I would like to begin again… not so soon." Michael says looking at Sebastian that shakes his head with disappointment "Maybe in the future, but right now I have to negate."

"I understand your reasons and I know that there is something else you don't want to say."

"And what would be that?" Michael asks defensive.

"Selene." Sebastian stays plainly.

"Look I don't want to-"

"I'm not going to ask you to talk to me about that because I don't care, I care for you well being and mind stability, that's why I'm going to give you an advise." Sebastian says as Michael looks intensely at the table "Do you want to hear it?"

"Do I have another alternative?" Michael asks sarcastically.

"No you don't, I understand why you feel attracted to her, she saved you, she has personality, she is gorgeous, she has been with you through all this, and much more things that I'm not aware. But she has the pride of a warrior and that impedes her to act in the attraction she may have, she is not going to wake up one day and reciprocate the feelings you deny to accept." At that Michael raises his head, how could he know all that? He is sure that Brianna would never say what he told her. "And you have seen how the relationships in our conditions are, people like us, warriors or Death Dealers, we act like that because we know that we will die in battle, love is a feeling that it not exists, not anymore. For us immortals Love is a strange concept because, the ones that born being humans with time forget it and even simpler to the purebloods because we don't learn it. Our life is tough the only things closed to love that we can feel for someone is possessiveness, attraction and need, that's why you see that for us it's too common to have multiple partners." Seeing Michael face he knows what he is thinking.

For Michael that didn't have sense, you can hate with all your being, but you can't love, and what about the family love? They must feel something like love, don't they? "What are you telling is that I have to stop 'loving' everything that I do because this will bring me pain in the future?"

"No, what I tried to say was that eventually you will loose the capacity to love as she did, that's why I don't think you should stay in Gabriel's house waiting to be noted by her. You should forget your emotions and try to improve to my side."

Still Michael wasn't convinced of the things he had said, "I'm not staying just for her, what I told you before its true, and I don't feel ready to take this step." Michael says dismissively.

"Ok, I accept it, but when you are ready just tell it to Gabriel." Sebastian says cordially and extending his hand towards Michael.

"I will." Michael says as he takes his hand, then Sebastian calls Edward and says something in his ear, he nodes and let them alone again.

"Michael, it was interesting to meet you, and I hope that this not be the last time you join Gabriel, I hope you be present in all our meetings from now on."

"I will, and for me was a pleasure to meet you too." Michael says standing.

"Good, then I will tell Gabriel that informs you everything, that trusts in you as I do." Sebastian also stands and joins him until the stairs, then he gives him a tap in the back. As Michael descends the stairways he sees Edward ascending and behind him is Selene. She is curious about what he talked with Sebastian but she knows that she will have to wait until later. She asks him with her look if everything had go out well, he nods and keeps descending, he then goes where Brianna and Gabriel are.

As Selene follows Sebastian towards the table she still doesn't know where she has seen him. "I'm familiar to you?" He asks her seriously as he sits.

"Yes, you are but I can't remember from where."

"From Ordoghaz, I was there once, and I saw you on the top of a stairs looking at me."

He was in Ordoghaz, "I don't remember you, to say the truth I never put attention to all the vampires that got there." Selene says awkwardly for the way he is looking at her, as if he knows something she doesn't.

"We never talked, but I felt something when I saw you."

At that she raises an eyebrow "When where you there? Maybe if you say it I could remember it."

He smirks "I doubt you can remember it, it was almost two hundred years ago."

Two hundred years ago she had just been turned by Viktor, which meant that Viktor met him because no one that didn't belong to the coven could get in without the consent of the ruler elder, "You were with Viktor…" But how could this had happened, Was Viktor that blind that let one of his enemies get in the house? Apart of Kraven of course, How far had they go all this centuries in front of their noses and no one had noticed it?.

"Yeah, I was, and I know what you are thinking, and let's say that Viktor had entire trust in me" The hate evident in his voice "He didn't imagined that I was using him, like he did with everyone" He says laughing bitterly.

Selene used to think that the elders didn't have enemies except the lycans, oh but how wrong she had been "What did you do to gain his trust?" She asked suspiciously knowing how hard was to gain the trust of the elder.

"Let's say we had a history together" He says harshly.

"No, I want to know everything." She says with a strict tone that makes him look at her intensely.

After a few seconds of his staring he takes a sip of his blood "You are like him, he taught you well indeed." She feels uncomfortable under his scrutiny but she knows that all this talk is going to somewhere. "I perceived it all that centuries ago, something in his eyes told me what he was planning for you. And although he didn't want to tell me what he was going to do with you I knew it, he was going to give you empties promises and a bunch of lies, he destroyed your life as human and let you with lost hopes and pain in that night, besides that –"

"I'm aware of all the things that he did with me." Selene says angry of have to be reminded of her naivety.

He is astonished at her reaction "Pride is your weakness, the day you put it a side, that they you will be-"

"Pride is my strength and I only will let it the day I die." Selene interrupts him defiantly and looking at his eyes. Now revenge doesn't drive her, she thinks as for the first time she sees his eyes shinning, he has the same look that made her bend her head and apologize to Viktor, but she is not going to do it although he does deserve her respect.

After a couple of seconds his countenance gets softly "If I offended you believe me that that wasn't my intention."

The tension it was palpable after a couple of seconds of silence. Selene sighs and bluntly asks what she wanted to know "What was your relationship with Viktor, anyways you talk as if you two were too closed."

He looks at the table knowing that that it's not going to like her "Before of that I want to tell you that I'm glad for what you did to that deceitful, dishonest piece of shit, if I could have done it I would have." Seeing the confusion in her face he explains "I'm his son."
Selene feels like she had been stuck by Viktor again. That's not true, that can't be true, he never told her that. No one ever told her that not even Kahn, Kraven or Gabriel. Instinctively she tries to stand up but he stops her putting his hand over hers "I want to explain everything if you let me." He says looking at her eyes and releasing her hand.

She doubts for a couple of seconds but then nodes "I want all the truth." rage evidently in her voice.

"After he killed Sonja it was difficult for me to deal with him, I didn't agree with her but she didn't deserve be killed for that, I would had protect her if I would had been close but I just get informed by a letter of the council where it notified what had happened and that Viktor wanted to see me. I couldn't believe that he hadn't even write me, he did it through his servants, since that moment I got full of hate and rancor towards him and I said it to him, but he only ignored it. Two centuries after I heard of a group of vampires that wanted to take the power with the help of some lycans, my hate for Viktor hadn't reduce so I put in contact with them and I became one of their integrants, as the time passed the leaders were killed and I was proposed to take the total power, I agreed and we kept to our plan. I was irked when I knew that he had carried to Ordoghaz a kid that he had turned, he had took the life of my sister and now give life to an unknown. Every time he was awakened he demanded my presence and this time I went, I hadn't spoke with him since he killed Sonja. He was surprised when he saw me but I coldly, as he had taught me, told him that I didn't want to see him again, to stop to contact me, that he had lost his son so many centuries ago. I knew he was hurt, thing that made me happy, I left and as I was leaving I saw you, I don't know why but I suspected it was you. A couple of months later I saw you with him and all my doubts where put at a side." He gets quiet thinking if he should tell her or not.

Selene was shocked to hear all this "And then?"

"I made a plan I wanted to make him suffer, so years later when you were allowed to go with the Death Dealers, I sent a group of lycans to kill you, but I never thought about your motivations to kill lycans so I just thought that you would be some inefficient beginner, but when I saw you fighting for your life I knew that he had trained you. Noticing your delayed he went to search for you and he got just in time to see you killing one, by then you were badly hurt, he immediately killed one and let you finish the other. In his face I saw proud and emotion and I pitied you because I saw that you still had human emotions inside you, and how he was modeling you…" Selene remembered well enough although it hadn't been the first time she killed a lycan it was the first time she was close to die. "I didn't try anything more for several months and when I was ready to do it again I began to hear about how great warrior you were, so I stopped to trying to kill you and put my men in danger, although every time that I heard of a massacre I hoped you were there. Then Viktor went to sleep again and I resigned to wait another two centuries for my revenge but then you awaked him and then killed him. That was my closure to all this history, at least for me."

They stayed in silence for a couple of minutes as Selene assimilated all this. "Do you still want me dead?" She asks knowing that he would have tried if he stills wanted to.

"I want you to know that I don't hold resentments against you" He says sincerity but he can see that she has reservations "As Viktor slept I learned that it wasn't your fault, you were just another 'innocent' pawn in his game, a victim more…"

After another moment of silence Sebastian is going to give for finished their conversation but Selene stops him "What's going to happen if we win this war?"

"WHEN we win the war," he corrects her, "We will exterminate all lycans and vampires that be against us, some rules will be demolished, and only the most outstanding and powerful lycans and vampires will be in charge of the big houses, Michael too if he wants to… I know that it will emerge problems in the way, but first we will take a step at a time." He can see that she still has doubts thing that annoys him. Why has she still doubts after all the help that he and his group have given to her and Michael? "Something more you need to know?"

She notes the irritate tone with he asks her, but she ignores it "How do you get the money?"

That wasn't a surprise for him, everyone that he met made the same question although she already knows it because one of the vampires that joined her in a mission had seen her researching information and had said it to Gabriel. "We have big companies all around the world, and although they have big profits we are too much and the money barely is enough… All legal" He ads when he sees her face.
Selene nods not knowing what else to ask, to say the truth she only was thinking that he is Viktor's son. Suddenly she feels the presence of someone at her side and she looks up to see Edward standing at her side, knowing what this means she says goodbye and follows Edwards towards the table.

When she gets to the table she looks at Brianna and Gabriel intensely, Gabriel nodes at Edward and then looks at her feeling guilty. As Edward leaves them Gabriel stands up "I'm sorry to not have told you, but I couldn't." He says as Selene avoids his eyes, evidently hurt. "Look, why don't we talk about this later or tomorrow?" He sighs and looks up to see Sebastian looking at them.

"Okay." She says to his surprise, evidently she still was a little shocked. Knowing that if they talked anything important about the battle she would be notified immediately by Brianna, she takes a decision "I'll go anyway, I don't see why stay." Gabriel understanding nodes. As Selene makes her way through the crowd she feels Michael following her but she doesn't turn she keeps walking, when she gets out she waits for him. "What do you want?"

"Are you leaving?" Michael asks ignoring her bad mood.

"Yes." Is the only thing she answers as she walks towards her car. As she feels that he is still following her she turns around "You should go back."

Michael shakes his head obstinately "What happened there?"

"Nothing" Selene looks at him and then she opens the door and gets in, as she turns on the car Michael also gets in "What are you doing?"

Knowing that she is surprised by his actions he answers quickly before she can say something more "I know something is bothering you and I'm not going to let you go alone like this."

Selene looks at him for a long time, "You should go back."

"I'm going with you." Michael says as he puts the seat belt. She looks at him confused and then nodded, to his surprise. After a long time of silence Michael decides to break it. "What happened there?"

Selene doesn't answer immediately because she still has problems to accept it "He is Viktor's son." she says after a couple of minutes.

Michael could imagine all the emotions she might be feeling and doesn't know what to say, "Are you ok?" is the only thing that comes to his mind.

"Shocked…" She says with her eyes still on the road.

Michael has so many questions but he knows he shouldn't push her so he waits a couple of minutes before to ask again "Did you know that he had a son?"

"…No."

"And what he thinks of what you did to Viktor?" He didn't know how to make that question because he knows that she is still touchy with that topic.

She frowns "He is… comfortable with that." Not being comfortable she sighs audible and changes the topic towards him "What did he tell you?"

"He talked about the investigation, my progress in fighting, that he wants me in the meetings…" That calls her attention, he asked him to stay and he is with her? She shakes her head trying to erase that. She knew that she shouldn't have let him come with her "…He asked me to go with him and learn other things…"

At that she looks at him but he is looking out of the car, she doesn't like what she is feeling and she tries to ignore it but she can't. "What did you said?" She asks feigning disinterest.

Well that's obvious, he thinks as he looks at her but she is looking the road "I'm not ready yet." He sees her nodding but what he doesn't know is that she is a little relieved.

The rest of the way they pass it in silence. As they enter in the house Selene sees Michael constantly looking at her, obviously trying to ask her something. "What?" she asks when she can't stand it anymore.

He shakes his head but keeps looking at her, he doesn't know how she would react if he asks what he has in mind, when he notes that she is going to say something, he interrupts her making his mind "Do immortals are capable to love?" he asks very quickly, he waits for an answer but she doesn't say anything so he decides to ask again. "Do they?"

Where did that come from? Selene thinks as she looks at him. To say the truth she didn't know the answer to that question, she didn't even have thought about it in several years. "I'm not the more suitable to answer that."

"What's that suppose to mean?"

"I can't give you an answer for that. Or not the one you hope." She says shrugging.

"Have you never loved somebody?" Michael asks incredulous at what he hears.

"No." She answers without doubt.

"But you must feel something besides anger and that sort..." He says hoping that they really do.

"Of course, but not the kind of love you felt when you were human…" She says a little hurt and close to lose her patience "The feelings are not as… intense."

"I don't believe that." Michael says shaking his head.

"You can think anything you want…" She says without interest as she enters in her room letting the door open.

"And I do, I think that you don't lose your humanity if you don't want to and if you don't lose it you can love the same way than when you were human." Michael says as he doubting enters in the room.

"Tell me that in ten years." She says sarcastically as she sits in the bed and takes off her shoes. When she looks up at him he is looking at her smirking and surprised "I'm not used to that kind of shoes." She says defensively and rolling her eyes.

After that he gets serious again "So you are saying that I will lose my humanity in ten years?"

"Not really, for everyone is distinct…" She says as she stands up, then looks at him frowning "Why are you asking me all this?"

Obviously he is not going to tell her the true of what he had talked with Sebastian "I don't want to loose my humanity…" He sees in her face that she doesn't know what to say, as he sees her looking at the floor he decides to change the topic a little, "And I don't think that it's true, because you are not lost yours yet, so I have hope." At that she raises her head "Don't look at me that way", he says as he sees her face of incredulity and approaches her. "You are more human than other vampires and lycans here."

She shakes her head "I lost my humanity the night that my family was killed…" she says as she looks at the floor.

"No, because if you had lost it you wouldn't be loving them still" He says as he stands in front of her, taking advantage of her shocked expression he begins to caresses her face "you would not have passed all your immortal life with a revenge determination." She never had thought about it in that way, but still that is something that she wouldn't accept. Michael tilts her head up to face him as he notes that her skin is soft, delicate and cold "You would have forgot them…"

"I…" Due to the attraction that she feels when she looks at his green eyes she can't continue, she hadn't notice until that moment how close he is, her heart misses a beat when she feels his arms around her waist and his forehead press against hers as he looks intensely at her, she wants to move or say anything but something impedes her.

"Please don't say that you are not because you are." He waits but she doesn't say anything "You showed it when you helped me, when you didn't fight Fionna, when you were in that mission with Sophie…" He sees her looking at his lips, he remembers the two times he has kissed her, in those occasions she had been apprehensive and coy… Although he is dying to kiss her first he is going to say what he has in mind "I know that you are afraid to be betrayed again and that's why you avoid people or keep a distance, but if you'll give yourself the opportunity all that pain and loneliness would finish…" He says as he is going to kiss her but he sees how her stance changes.

As she hears that she looks back at him coldly and clenches her teeth "When I need an advice I will ask for it." then she pushes back from him. Although it may be true what he had just said she wasn't going to accept it. She turns around and hears him sighing. That's the way she is and she is very comfortable being that way. Who does he believe he is?

Knowing that everything he says is going to be taken against him he walks out and closes the door. Why always is she like that? He thinks as he begins to walk towards his room.

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