"Rae, it's time to get up," Abigail spoke loudly that Scylla could hear from the hallway as she brought in a trayful of food.
"Go away," Raelle complained, throwing a pillow towards Abigail barely missing her.
"I blame you for this, necro," Abigail directed at Scylla.
"Leave her alone, Abs," Raelle warned, trying to stay in bed longer but ready to defend Scylla if needed.
"Actually, you should thank me, High Atlantic," Scylla countered. "If it weren't for me, Raelle wouldn't be fully recharged to go on training." She carefully lay down the tray before kissing the back of Raelle's head because she buried her face on the pillow to keep the sunlight out.
"It doesn't look like it," Abigail countered.
"I'm up!" Raelle declared to stop Abigail's nagging.
"I have to go," Scylla told Raelle, seeing Nicte beckon her over. "There's a rally downtown and we'll try to see if we can find some Camarilla members among them."
"Be careful," Raelle requested, knowing how quickly it could deteriorate in the current atmosphere. She got her response in the form of a quick kiss.
"I'd appreciate it if you returned her without a scratch; I'll check every inch of her tonight," Scylla warned Abigail sternly but with a sweet smile on her way out.
"Your girlfriend is weird," Abigail noted, trying not to be intimidated.
"Sexy weird," Raelle corrected with pride. She could see Abigail wasn't amused so decided to get ready for training. "Can I at least have breakfast first?"
"We leave in twenty minutes."
Raelle picked up the tray Scylla had left for her and started to have breakfast. She unfolded the note tucked under the plate and smiled as she traced the sigil drawn on it.
"Did she leave already?" Tally asked popping in on Raelle.
"Abs is probably on her way to the truck," Raelle guessed.
"No, not her; Scylla," Tally clarified. "I wanted to give her this as an apology for last night."
"What is it?"
"A cupcake," Tally showed her. "She likes cupcakes, doesn't she?"
"I can give it to her," Raelle offered, eyeing it keenly.
"It's my apology, I'll give it to her myself," Tally said, leaving with it for safekeeping.
"I like cupcakes, too," Raelle shouted after her.
.
Scylla mingled among the rallyists trying to get a sense of how it was organized. She was slowly working her way back to Nicte when someone tapped her shoulder.
"Justine!" a man greeted her. "It's me Ben; Shane's friend. We met at a protest once."
Scylla tried to recall who he was and tried to place him around the time she was befriending Shane and Bonnie.
"You might not remember," he continued. "We met at the testing center."
"It's just that I haven't seen you since then," she fibbed trying to get a better sense of his involvement with the Camarilla.
"Because they sent me here for a special project," he explained his disappearance. "What brings you here?"
Scylla explained that she needed a change in scenery after what happened to Shane.
"That was tragic," he agreed. "Who would've thought Bonnie was one of them. It's a good thing you left before she got to you."
Scylla's curiosity was piqued and wondered what had become of them. "Any development on the case?"
"They're still looking for her," he replied. "If you ask me, I hope they find her soon then burn her and her spawn."
Scylla clenched her fist to maintain her composure.
"He spoke highly of you," he continued. "He thought you could go places together."
"What do you mean?"
"He believed that you could attract more like-minded people to our organization," he revealed. "I agree with him; I think you'll be a great asset."
"What do I have to do?" she volunteered, seizing the opportunity.
"Why don't we discuss it over dinner tonight," he suggested.
"Unfortunately, I promised my girlfriend I was going to help her get through a terrible first day at the office," she gave as an excuse. "Perhaps tomorrow night, at your place?" She purposefully added the last part to keep him interested and sure enough he took the bait.
.
Raelle returned quite exhausted but that didn't stop her from hopping off the truck as soon as they arrived home to look for Scylla. She couldn't wait to see her smile and wasn't disappointed.
"You don't look worse for wear," Scylla noted, walking around and taking a quick visual check of her.
"Abigail will never admit this but I think she's a little afraid of you," Raelle teased, letting Scylla take off her hoodie for closer inspection.
Scylla ran her hands up Raelle's arms before pulling her in for a kiss.
"Let me get a shower first," Raelle suggested, pulling away.
"When have I let that get in the way?" Scylla asked, pulling Raelle back into her arms.
Raelle expertly unbuckled Scylla's belt and moved closer to her. She felt laughter while kissing her neck so looked into her eyes quizzically.
"You're getting better each time," Scylla noted quite pleased with her progress.
"I have a good teacher," Raelle whispered in her ear.
"Raelle," Abigail said, walking in on them.
"Abigail!" Raelle complained. "We don't share a room anymore. You can't just come in and out of mine anytime."
"Anacostia is here," Abigail said without blinking an eye. "She wants to talk to us; you, too, necro."
"We need to do something about this door," Raelle said, kicking it close before pulling a clean shirt from the drawer when Abigail left.
Scylla walked over and worked on it. "There, no one else can open it from now on except us."
Raelle looked skeptical but didn't have to wait long to see it in effect. She heard someone trying to open it unsuccessfully. "Give us a minute." She pulled open the door ready to confront Abigail for her impatience only to find Tally.
"There you are," Tally said walking past Raelle to Scylla. "I wanted to give you this as an apology for last night."
Scylla looked past her to Raelle for a clue of what she may have missed the previous night that led to this.
"What's taking you so long?" Abigail asked impatiently finding the three of them. "We don't have all night."
.
Scylla gave Anacostia a quick hug before the latter turned to the business at hand.
Anacostia brought the group up to speed on what the Army had been doing to protect the witches both within and outside of the Army. "These might help as well if you could get into the school system to disrupt the testing."
"What do these do?" Raelle asked picking up one of the earbuds.
"It shields your ears from the tone that the Camarilla is using to identify us as witches," Anacostia explained. "Can you get your agents to help us protect the young girls?"
Nicte confirmed as her agents started taking the devices to take with them to do just that as they infiltrate the school system.
"Petra wanted me to extend her thanks for suspending Spree activities," Anacostia delivered to Nicte.
"This is just the calm before the storm," Nicte warned. "To lull the Camarilla into believing they have the upper hand."
"We are well aware of that," Anacostia assured her. "And in agreement. Have you been able to find a way into their organization?"
"I may have a lead," Scylla revealed. "I met one of Shane's friends who seems further up the chain."
"Shane?" Anacostia repeated with concern.
Scylla pulled her away from Raelle's earshot. "It's our best lead at the moment."
"I guess it goes without saying that I don't trust the situation," Anacostia cautioned, looking at Raelle who seemed preoccupied helping distribute the earbuds as agents came and went.
"Which is why I asked for your help," Scylla agreed. "Do you have something for me?"
"We've modified it so you can pre-record your work," Anacostia said, handing her a small cylinder. "As for the dampeners, I think you'll need to ask Tally for help on that."
"I guess I need more than a cupcake from her then," Scylla joked. "It's a long story." She explained when she realized Anacostia didn't get it.
"Have you been training?" Anacostia asked, changing the subject when Raelle joined them.
"Abigail is worse than you ever were," Raelle complained. "I wished Adil was here to keep her distracted."
"Where are Adil and Khalida?" Anacostia noting their absence.
"They decided to stay in the Cession," Raelle explained. "Quinn found them a safe place to stay."
.
Raelle watched Scylla prepare for her date with Ben the following night. "Maybe I can run around the block a few times; just in case you need help."
Scylla looked through the mirror at Raelle lounging on their bed before responding. "I work alone."
"You worked with Anacostia," Raelle reminded her. "Besides, wouldn't you want me around in case he gets pushy?"
"I'll push back," Scylla assured her, walking over to give her a kiss on the forehead. "You should rest so you're ready for anything Abigail throws at you tomorrow."
"I guess you're right," Raelle agreed. "I kicked her butt today so she's probably planning her payback."
"Just remember that you're the most powerful witch," Scylla reminded her.
Raelle swung her legs over the edge of the bed and caught Scylla before she walked away. "Be careful."
"I'll be back in time to tuck you in," Scylla promised before heading out. Once at her destination, she wondered if it would've been more prudent to bring Raelle along. She looked around before ringing the doorbell.
"Welcome," Ben greeted her. As he took Scylla's coat, he pressed a button that played a tone that would've made her cringe if it weren't for her earbuds.
"This is a lovely house," Scylla noted looking around. "Have you been here long?"
"Not long; one of the perks of the job," he replied, seemingly quite pleased that she passed the test and began to relax. He tried his very best to impress her with his knowledge of the organization and its extensive reach over dinner.
"So, this organization sounds very powerful," she noted, trying flattery to get him to divulge more information.
"Very," he agreed. "As a matter of fact, I'm invited to my boss' daughter's wedding. If you're free, you can be my plus one." He offered her a glass of wine and sat next to her on the living room couch.
.
Scylla got back later than she hoped because she managed to put Ben to sleep and snoop through his house. She found Raelle already fast asleep and felt bad she couldn't keep her promise.
"You're late," Raelle whispered, sensing her in the room.
"You're still awake," Scylla said, jumping into bed beside her. "I'm sorry, I lost track of time."
"Was he worth the effort?" Raelle asked, snuggling next to her.
"He seems well connected," Scylla confirmed. "I've also been invited to a Camarilla wedding."
"Can I come?" Raelle asked.
"I'm the plus one," Scylla reminded her.
"I just don't like the idea of you alone in a room full of them," Raelle reasoned for wanting to go. "You had Anacostia to watch your back the last time."
"That's why I have this now," Scylla said, showing her the small cylinder Anacostia gave her. She watched Raelle study the device.
"It looks like a small version of the device at the testing center," Raelle noted.
"Yes, Petra's team studied that and made this," Scylla confirmed. "It allows me to do some work to counter the Camarilla's."
"I'd just feel better if you had someone with you, preferably me," Raelle insisted.
"I'll be very careful," Scylla promised, kissing away any further objections.
"Here, take this with you," Raelle said, pulling out her mom's combat charm. "Keep it safe."
"Was this your mom's?" Scylla asked, remembering a conversation about it. She held it reverently and saw Raelle nod.
"Did my mom know, about us?" Raelle asked, wondering how much her mom knew about her.
Scylla felt herself blush and grateful for the dimly lit room to hide it. "Yes."
"What did she say?" Raelle continued, curiosity getting the better of her.
"She just wants you to be happy and safe." Scylla thought back to how helpless she felt as Willa tried to save Raelle. It was the same helplessness she felt when her parents were killed; something she swore she never would be again.
"I am happy and I feel safe when I'm with you," Raelle declared before falling back to sleep.
.
Raelle was up early the following morning to Abigail's surprise.
"You're up early," Abigail noted.
"I figured if we start early, we can end early," Raelle reasoned.
"End what early?" Tally asked joining the two. "Wait, why are you up early?"
Raelle rolled her eyes. "When I'm early, you don't like it either?" She heard the phone ring so being the one nearest to it, she answered. "Hello. Yeah, she's here, looking very annoyed with me. I'm not sure it's a good time to talk to her, Adil." She tried to keep the phone away from Abigail as long as she could before it was snatched from her.
"I wish I could talk to Gregorio," Tally said watching Abigail speak on the phone.
"Why don't you just call him," Raelle suggested. "Or if you'd like, we can ask Scylla to send her bird friends to give him a message." She chuckled when Tally made a face.
"She's very brave to be going into enemy territory by herself," Tally said with admiration. She didn't notice Raelle's face darken as the other remembered seeing Scylla in chains.
"Let's go," Abigail said after her call. "We need to be back before Adil gets here."
"He's coming here?" Tally asked happily.
"Oh, so it's alright for you to decide that we end early," Raelle complained, following them out to the truck.
Motivated by wanting to be done early, the unit performed quite well in training that Quinn was quite impressed.
"You ladies are getting really good," Quinn noted as she drove them back.
"But are we good enough to defeat the Camarilla?" Abigail wondered out loud.
"You don't have to fight them alone," Quinn reminded her. "We're all fighting the same enemy."
Raelle was the first out of the truck and saw Adil. She gave him a quick hug before heading inside. She knew that with him around, Abigail would be too distracted to notice her absence. She quickly got changed and worked on her hair.
.
Scylla looked stunning that Ben couldn't help stealing a look every moment he could while the ceremony was going on. When it was over, he escorted her to meet the father of the bride at the reception.
"Justine, this is Dr. Alban Hearst," Ben introduced her.
"Congratulations," Scylla greeted him. "She is a lovely bride."
"Just like her mom," Alban replied. "Ben tells me you're interested in joining our organization."
"I hope to put my unique skills to good use," she said confidently.
"We are always looking for enthusiastic like-minded people," Alban said before being interrupted by a man who whispered into his ear. "I'm afraid I have to go; an urgent business to attend to. Ben can bring you to the research facility to see where you might be able to use your skills in."
Ben looked quite pleased with the outcome of the introduction. "What did I tell you, my boss is a great guy."
Scylla forced a smile and asked for a drink to calm her nerves which he quickly obliged. Her heart stopped when out of the corner of her eye she saw a familiar face albeit disguised with black hair.
"Hi," Raelle greeted her when she walked over.
"What are you doing here?" Scylla asked quite distressed. "You shouldn't be here."
"I could say the same to you," Raelle joked, trying not to draw attention to them.
Scylla could tell there was no getting Raelle out so she pulled her into a secluded area to do her work. "Does Abigail know you're here?" She knew that Abigail would never have allowed this to happen.
"Nope," Raelle confirmed, checking her reflection on Scylla's lighter. "Not bad."
"Stay close," Scylla requested as they rejoined the party. It didn't take long before Ben found her.
"There you are," Ben said, holding two glasses of wine. "Who's this?"
"I'm Jack," Raelle introduced herself.
"My cousin," Scylla added. "He forgot his keys and can't get back into the apartment."
.
Raelle looked around the floor as she and Scylla danced. She compared this wedding to the Bellweather one she previously attended and noted how similar they were. She was so deep in thought that she had stopped dancing.
"What's wrong?" Scylla asked. "Are you alright?"
"These people, they're just like us," Raelle observed. "Living their lives like we do."
"Except they're trying to kill us all," Scylla reminded her.
"They attack us, we attack them," Raelle continued. "It keeps going on and on."
"Which is why we have to end it once and for all," Scylla said. "Don't lose focus of the mission."
"Your mark is heading our way," Raelle warned her, seeing Ben make his way to them balancing three wine glasses.
Scylla turned in time to make Ben spill the drinks on himself. "Oh, I'm so sorry."
Ben started wiping himself down. "It's alright, it happens."
"Actually, I think it's time for us to leave," Scylla said. "I'm glad you invited me to this and I got to meet your boss."
"Of course, let me know when you'd like to come to the facility for a tour," he offered. He made a move to kiss her but came face to face with Jack.
"Thanks," Raelle said. "Justine and I really have to go."
"Can I give you a lift?" he offered, hoping to spend more time with Justine.
"I have a car," Raelle said, hoping that Ben would take a hint.
"Since when do you have a car?" Scylla asked, walking next to her to the parking lot.
"I was hoping you'd help me with that," Raelle said sheepishly.
Scylla looked around and found one that they could use and drove off with it. She parked it in the garage away from prying eyes and hoped to deal with it in the morning.