What We Do In The Shadows: "Jen..."

Summary: There are unexpected consequences when Laszlo seeks a new human familiar…

Part XXXV…

Booth, Hyman Diner…About 5:30am…

"Gui?" Phyllis eyes a forlorn Guillermo, picking at his toast and eggs. "Is anything wrong?"

"Hmmn? No, no, not really…" he sighs.

"Try some of my potatoes, this is the best diner on the Island…In my humble." She smiles, forking over some potatoes to his plate.

"Please?" winsome look…He nods and takes a dutiful forkful.

"They're good. Really."

"Like yours truly. Good. Really." Phyllis, wan smile.

"No…I don't mean that." He shakes head.

"Good." She smiles. "Then tell me I look great for 5:30 am and make me feel like a million bucks."

"You're always beautiful, Phyllis." He eyes her. "I'm sorry…"

"Now that's what I want to hear…" beam. "But don't be sorry, tell me what's wrong? Guillermo…You know you can tell me anything." Hand on his wrist.

"Is it about Sue? Are you in love with her? It's ok, you know…I told you before, you know? Though…" rueful smile. "Maybe I was too quick there."

"No, God, no. I mean, she's great, you're great. It's great you like me…I couldn't be more flattered."

"And yet…Flattery gets Phyl nowhere…" wry smile. "Gui? What is wrong? Is it your aunt? Or…Us?"

He eyes her anxious face, his own rather stricken.

"I know a guy like you must wonder if he's doing the right thing…I mean, don't get me wrong, I am happier than I ever been in my life. I've never been so at peace with myself, Gui. But I could get, you know, you might be feeling say, a little guilty. Like maybe you're afraid the thrall is letting you take advantage?" careful stare.

"Do we have to talk about this?" he nervously looks away.

"So that is it, some?" she asks, intent look. "Guillermo, I didn't choose for Mistress Nadja to take me but really, I am happy. And you've done nothing wrong. Nor has she, really. It's just what she does, her nature. I've done a few things in this life I'm not proud of…"

"Did you kill…" choking off.

Think of whom you're speaking to…He tells himself, eyeing her worried face.

"I aborted my ex's kid while we were still married, though separated. He hurt me and I wanted to get back at him." Calm tone.

"That's not the same as luring someone to your home and killing them…Or just luring them and letting someone else…Please, lets not talk about this. I know you're concerned for your Mistress, I'm not gonna do anything to hurt her."

"You'd never…I know that." She shakes head. "No, no…No, Gui…" taking his hand. "I'm not a faithful slave tryin' to see if you want to hurt my Mistress, I'm asking for your sake. Gui, I love you. I hate to see you troubled and unhappy."

"Thanks…You shouldn't waste it on me."

"You're not responsible for killing anyone." She insists. "You're just helping a glorious creature survive. And I'm sure the Mistress never kills good people."

"Aren't you a good person?" he sighs.

"I'm not dead, Gui." She eyes him. "And I don't want to die, not for a long time. And, well…I'm…Pretty good, mostly." Smile. Brown eyes sparkling at him.

"Yes, I am Nadja's servant. Yes, I would die for her and kill for her. But we're all slaves in some ways to different things. This career of mine…" she shrugs. "In college I wanted to be an architect. I'm not bad at design. But I saw I wasn't really good enough. What I was good enough at was selling places better people in the field designed. Though I do know enough to be able to tell people what they're getting...And to keep the money coming, I've lied about that, sometimes. It was killing me, Gui. I was a slave to my job and my salary. I was miserable…"

"Please…" he put up a hand. "I know you mean well, but I've heard all of you say things like this."

"And because we're enthralled, we're lying." She eyes him firmly. "Well, maybe…Maybe in some ways, some of us are…But I'm not lying when I say I'm happy, for the first time in my life. You saw how I was the first days…I was still troubled and tryin' to show off for the Mistress. But that's passed and I really am at peace now. If you wanna call it addiction, a drug…A crutch…Fine." She shrugs. "But I've never felt so content with life. So, please Gui. If you have to feel bad or guilty about us, don't for me."

"I'd like to believe that, Phyllis." He shakes head. "It would make things a lot easier."

"Well, at least…Don't fret about it." She smiles. "Though if you'd like to make the girl even happier to ease that guilt, she won't mind."

"I'm glad you feel happy…" he nods. "Could we change the subject though?"

"Sure…So what are you up to today, out here?" she resumes eating.

"A few things I need to pick up…And I wanted to try to call my auntie, away from the house."

"I get that. Family matters should stay private." Nods. "Is she very bad?"

"I don't know, I suppose so."

"You should go to her. The deal won't finish for weeks and we can start the packing and take care of things. Though…" cocking head at him. "If you'd like to show off your pretty if experienced new girlfriend, probably make your aunt feel better to know someone loves you." Smile. Quickly raising hand. "Not pushin' Gui. But I'm a girl who makes the most of opportunities. And I'd love to see Mexico and your home town…" coy look, patting hand.

"Don't worry, I won't push it. But see? I'm not all selfless devotion to my Mistress." Grin.

"Phyllis…You have a son. What if…?"

"She'd never ask me to hurt him, I'm sure. If she did…" sigh. "I won't lie to you, I'd have to obey. But she's not like that, Gui."

"I hate to think how you'd all feel about me if…" he pauses.

"If we 'came out of it'? I don't know." She shrugs. "If I didn't remember it all, just sorta ran into you, like we'd never met under these…Unique…circumstances?" grin… "…maybe I'd misjudge you, just see the surface. Maybe, if I remembered everything I'd even hate you. I'm being frank here, honey. But there's something real here in how I feel about you, I swear. And I'd bet that would survive even my coming out of thrall. Oh, Guillermo…Don't cry. Oh, honey…Please don't cry." She rises and hurries to him, patting him, embracing him, finally kissing him.

A waitress bearing more coffee to them eyeing the two…

"We're fine, my friend's worried about a relative…" Phyllis frowns at her. "Just bring the check, please, thanks."

"I love you, Guillermo." She kisses him, stroking hair. "You gotta believe that."

"Phyllis…You're killing me…You're going to kill me." He sighs.

"Don't say anything. Don't tell me anything." She whispers. "I don't want to know." Kissing him again. "And you know, I should." Firm stare at his stricken face.

"Come on, sit down and eat your eggs." She smiles at him. "And since I understand a certain Chief Familiar is finally getting the salary he deserves, he can take the check." Grin.

Home of David Chu and Jennifer Steinecke…6:00 am…

"Mornin'…" Jen rolls over on bed to face the set face of her husband.

"I know you're mad." She sighs.

"You got in at 12:30 am, again. And you looked like you'd been in a fight or something."

"I had to tramp around the Fieldersen, I told you that. And it wasn't that bad, just some scratches I got. Something spooked me and I ran…It was just a raccoon or something. Eloise and the security team were there." She eyes him. "You think I'm up to something, Davy?" frown.

"I don't know…But I have to ask…Are you?"

"This is the biggest deal of my life, maybe ever. This is Suzette's ticket to college and ours to a great retirement. It's gonna require work, I told you that. You knew that."

"After midnight, every other night for nearly two weeks?"

"You got Sue the other night on the phone. Do you think she was lying for me?"

"No…Jen…" he sighs.

"Lets have this out. Do you think I'm seeing someone?" she eyes him. "Did I look like I'd been seeing someone last night?"

"God, Jen…" he sighs again. "No…"

"I've been up front with you when we were dating. You knew I'd been with a few guys and sometimes it was for business, but only when I chose to…Do you think I'm what? Sleeping with Mr. Cravensworth?" stern regard. "He's married you know. And has a pretty full house at his old place. Plus he's a bit old if rather charming for me." Grin.

"I don't…It just…Suzette and I miss you."

"And I miss you…But I'm doing this at least in large part for us. And it won't be much longer…David, you took a second tour in Iraq when I didn't want you to and what did I say? I said I'd accept it, even if I didn't like it. That was a full year, babe. A year when I worried day and night about you. All I'm asking for is a couple of weeks where I get home late on some days."

"Yeah…Well, I can't help worrying…And wondering why you need to spend so much time on this."

"It's people service, David. The Cravensworths are old-fashioned and they expect top service. That's what I give…And Ginny and Erika and Sue and sometimes Phyl are all involved in this. It's a big deal for the firm. It'll make us very comfortable and me, likely, a full partner."

He eyes her…

Yeah…She nods.

"Ginny agreed to that?"

"She did…Hey, I'm too valuable to let run off to another place with this one under my belt." Smile.

"Congrats. But I thought you said so long as Jackie was partner, Ginny wouldn't take on anyone as better than associate."

"Well, things have changed…And as for Jackie, well…Ginny and she are going to settle things between them, finally. Soon."

He regards her… "Can she? I mean, does she finally have the goods on Roy and Jackie?"

"I think they'll have to make a fair settlement between them now." Jen nods.

"I thought you said Ginny had too much riding here to risk cutting her out?"

"Things change. Jackie is going to be more amenable to settling things."

"Really? Will she hand back the money Roy stole?"

"Dave…" cautioning look. "That's not our business and we don't want to be involved there."

"I said before, if Ginny's involved in what Roy did, you need to get out of Zeller before she goes down." He notes, firmly.

"I don't think there's anything solid there. Ginny made mistakes trusting him, but she's not implicated."

"The feds seemed to think she might be before…" he sighs.

"But they didn't come up with anything…Even Jackie dodged them." Jen shrugs.

"And you said, they're still digging. And if Jackie does have Roy's cash squirreled away and used some of it to buy her way to that partnership…Ginny was a fool to do it, take her money, especially if she was clear." He frowns.

"She had no choice. It was either take the cash and let Jackie have the partnership or go under, thanks to good ole Roy…Her dear felon ex. But lets leave that." She shakes head, putting arm round him. "I said I'd leave if it started to really look bad and I will, but we can't just walk away from 600000 plus, David. I mean so long as nothing can touch me in this. And really, I think things will be settled soon."

"Don't be foolish on this, Jenny. I don't want to see you involved, if things get bad. The earlier stuff with Roy was bad enough. Even if you're not implicated, there's sure to be collateral damage." Urgent tone. "Promise me you'll get out, even if you have to give up the deal if things really look bad."

"Cross my heart." She made cross.

Hmmn…That hurt a little, geesh.

"I will, David. I promise."

"Ok."

"Now, as to my affair with the distinguished Mr. Cravensworth…" she grins. "I am rather charmed by the guy…And his wife and friend…They're amazing. Frankly I do enjoy spending time there, talking. And once you meet them, I think you'll see why."

He frowns. "Oh? Really?"

"But I promise to try to keep a lid on hours. I will be home early today, I just have to go over things with Erika as she's taking Ms. Reynolds through their old place later today. And Ginny needs me for a couple of hours at the office. But home by four, I promise. Ok?"

"Ok." Nod. "I know you're doing all this for us but…Jen?" he eyes her earnestly. "Don't go too far trying to please everyone. You take perfectionism to a whole new level sometimes, you know. Let someone else take some of the pressure and stress."

"I am…I told you…" she nods. "I got plenty of help on this. And, honey. You've noticed it yourself…I've never been so serene as these last two weeks. And when this deal is done, I swear…I'm going to be focusing on you and Suzette a lot more. The office doesn't matter to me the way it did. I can let it rest a bit, after this. In fact…" grin. "I may be after you to take some time from the lab. We need a vacation."

"That'll be nice. And yeah, you have seemed pretty together all through this, though I worry it's just complete exhaustion." Grin to her mock frown.

"Ok, I'll try to be easier-going on this. But just take it a little easier."

"Done. Now take me…" coy smile.

"With pleasure…But could you leave out the 'master' kinkiness?"

"Yes…Master." Smile, chuckle.

….