A/N: Here's chapter six! Will Phaedra get her wish? (Spoiler alert: She gets something even better!) Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Bloodlines, but I do own my OCs. Also Phaedra.

It was instinct to look over in the direction of a loud and sudden noise.

That direction just happened to be the open bathroom.

He knew she was in there too, which made it all the more humiliating and embarrassing that he looked over in the first place. The sound of the splashing water was just startling to him in the quiet of the hallway.

And now that he started looking, he couldn't stop. Half the reason was because he wanted to ensure she hadn't seen him there, peeping, and the other half was…well…

Turns out the noise was her leg emerging from the water. She slid a soapy hand over her smooth, shining skin, slipping her hand over her foot, rubbing at the arch, like they were sore. The rest of her body was submerged in the water, covered with either that or suds.

Her warm red eyes hadn't yet looked over at him yet. She must not have noticed him yet. The bathroom was quite the spa, anyway, with all those lit candles and incense burning. A little overboard, he was tempted to believe, but it was quite the sight.

When she finally looked over at him, he looked away sheepishly, "Why do you leave the door open?"

Her lips curved in a smile, "To let the steam out. I don't want mold."

"Something suspicious tells me that isn't the only reason…"

"Mmm…" Phaedra slowly brought the leg back into the water, "Maybe it isn't."

"More like definitely…"

"Well, you could close the door if you don't want to look."

He approached the door slowly, squinting and making a face at all the steam, "Ugh…how do you even think in here?"

She chuckled softly, "It'll take a moment. It loosens you up."

"Okay…I'm going to…to close the door now…"

"Very well." She smirked, "I'll be out soon."

Sure enough, he only sat and relaxed for a little while before Phaedra came out in one of her soft bathrobes. "I thought for sure you would want to join me."

"Maybe next time."

She giggled softly, kissing his cheek softly, "What have you been up to?"

He grabbed her hand, "Thinking about you."

"Oh, really?" She grinned, "How flattering."

He gave her a squeeze, "What have you been thinking about?"

"Well, now I'll feel quite insulting if I don't say you."

"No…that's not what I meant…I meant aside from me…"

"I've been wondering what our next plans are. As the Camarilla. And hoping we can rid of that Setite."

He started rubbing her shoulders, "He's been causing you a lot of problems, hasn't he?"

She moved back out of the way to offer him more room as her body relaxed under his touch, "He has…it's still a bit difficult to go outside…"

"You should lay down and let me take care of you…"

She smiled and followed his instructions, slowly turning and lying back, "Oh, I could really use this, you know. It isn't as if I've done anything exhausting, but after you're finished with me, I sure feel like I have…"

He moved over her and kissed her lips, slipping a hand through her robe so he could rub her stomach.

As he started to feel her up, he realized she wasn't naked. He felt fabric here and there, lacy fabric. And…wait, were those straps? Her lips curled into a smile as she pulled the robe back so he could see the deep red lingerie, "You like it?"

"I do." He smiled back, "It looks nice."

She sat up a bit to take her robe off, then laid back again to let him continue his rubdown. She gently held his shoulders and pulled him down a bit so she could go back to kissing him and holding his face, reveling in his beauty.

He wrapped an arm around her waist, rubbing her stomach closely, until he got down to her lower abdomen. Her eyes closed as she slowly slid her legs around him, reaching down to give his shoulders a good rub. He did what he could to get some of her lingerie off, or at the very least move it aside, as he got even closer to her womanhood.

Her breath hitched a bit as he got closer, her legs unintentionally opened a little wider. She unclipped the panties and threw them aside. He closed his eyes and squeezed her close, exploring her entrance as thoroughly as he could before he ventured in deeper.

"Oh god…Polon-nius! …P-Poe…" She gasped out, quickly moving her hands to the cushions so she wouldn't claw his back. She felt her lower abdomen shudder as her legs spread even wider.

He leaned in a kissed her lips before she could say anything else. Then he moved his lips around her jaw gradually, leaving little kisses here and there. And with his free hand, he held onto her bottom jaw, rubbing at it with his thumb.

"Poe…!" She moaned shamelessly, completely submitting to everything he gave her. Her hips bucked as his fingers grazed over sensitive spots, her core boiling with a burning desire.

He moved towards her ear, whispering, "I'm going to be inside you forever…" He kissed the shell of her ear.

She tensed up before an orgasm consumed her. Her hands flew up to his back where she grabbed on without digging in, feeling the muscles in his shoulders flex as he pushed his fingers in and out at a faster pace to carry out her climax.

He moved his hand away, but only after a long while. He moved back and unbuttoned his pants, pulling that and his underwear down slightly to reveal his package. It was huge, she was surprised he didn't address it earlier, there was no telling how long it welled up for. Without any warning, he penetrated her, building up a quick rhythm as he relaxed slightly.

She grunted as she grit her teeth, letting out a pleasant sigh as he continued at a rapid pace. It took her a short while to get accustomed to his thrusts and recover from the peak she had reached before, but every thrust of his brought her closer and closer to another. "You've…really been thinking about me, hmm?" She asked as she held onto his hips.

"Yes…a lot…" He said, still having yet to orgasm himself, but that didn't stop him from deepening the penetration. He made sure that the rest of her lingerie was off, then he palmed both of her breasts, giving them a massage as he continued his thrust.

She rolled her head back out of the way, clawing the cushions as he somehow moved in even deeper, "You know…just what to do for me…"

"This…this feels so good…" He said, trying not to collapse on top of her, giving shaky sighs every once and a while, "I can't wait to go…it's going to feel so good…it's nice and warm in here…"

She couldn't help but laugh, "You think we could…synchronize…?"

He gave a nod, "Hearing you go will most likely make me go too…I'm surprised it didn't the other times…"

She struggled not to bite her lip as he thrusted in deeper and hit a particularly sensitive spot. Her voice grew a bit shaky, "I'm quite c-close…"

"Did you want me to release?"

She shook her head, reaching her hands up to his shoulders, "Polonius…w-why are you…clothed?"

He looked down at his clothes, then he smirked, "I don't know. I think it's because I saw you in the bath and I just wanted to get inside of you so badly that clothes weren't really on my mind. The only thing on my mind was watching you orgasm a few times."

She closed her eyes tightly, clenching her teeth before she pulled him down towards her chest, "P-Poe, please…" She begged. He gave her neck a tiny bite as he finally began his own orgasm.

There wasn't really anyway he could penetrate her further than he already was, so he settled for increasing his pace instead. Her body eagerly accepted the change in tempo as her hips rose faster to meet his, her arms held tighter to keep the distance as small as possible. This left her breasts pressed against his chest, though she was certain he couldn't feel it as well as he might have if he weren't clothed.

His hands were primarily on her bum, occasionally he would give her thigh a soft, yet strong pat, as if he was trying to spank some more moisture out of her. His goading inspired her to roll over and take over on top. The change in angles spurred the fire in the pit of her belly, especially the feeling of Poe grappling her tightly by the ass and handling her to his liking.

She rolled around again as he pulled himself away, letting him rest on top. She seemed quite exhausted, "I don't think I've ever felt so sated…"

His eyes were happy, pleased, satisfied, but it wasn't long until they lost all of those qualities. Before they looked paranoid and painful, most likely like whenever he thought about Celia or his time in the Baali well. She honestly hated it when he wandered to those dark places alone. "We need to be careful." He said.

"Careful?" She asked, reaching up to hold his face, "Why?"

"What if this blissful sex is a result of a young relationship that falls apart in six months?"

"Polonius, do you plan on leaving me for a livelier, prettier woman?"

"No. I don't think our relationship would fail because I would cheat on you or otherwise leave you for another woman." He said, starting to now finally take his clothes off, "Who's better than you?"

"That's the very reason I would never leave you. You're perfection in the form of a human. Kindred. I would never want anything else. You give my life so much purpose."

"How am I so perfect?"

"I don't know. You just are. Maybe you aren't, but you satisfy every need I have."

"That much was evident by how wet you were."

She grinned, "Was it?"

He nodded, resting on top of her, both of them completely naked now. He pet her hair briefly, closing his eyes. The other hand rubbed her side. She kissed one of his temples, gently running her fingers down his back, "Just relax, sweetheart. Everything is fine, you're safe."

"I was about to tell you that." He said, "This started because you were worried about Sirius."

"Hmm?"

"The Follower of Set." He said, "I couldn't take seeing you so stressed about him."

"Yes…well, it does make hunting a bit nerve-racking…"

"It…it's surprising to see him again…after all these years…at least…"

"Yes, I can imagine it must be…I'm sorry if it…takes you back."

"No…it's okay…I just…didn't think he would be against me…this time…I thought he would be on the same side as Gottfried and I…I…I guess it's a little silly…"

"It is strange, how things can change…how minds can be lead astray like that…"

He gave her a squeeze, then kissed her lips, "What were you doing during the war? Nothing fun I assume…"

"I was being a woman in Greece. Nothing noteworthy."

"I figured it wasn't fun." He said, "Being a man in America wasn't much better. The difference was I was fooled like a sap into thinking my life was good. You situation was more or less honest with you."

"Yes, I suppose that's true…I'm not sure which is worse, really…knowing the truth of your situation but having nothing to do to change it, or not knowing what's right or wrong at all…"

"I'm just glad that I can make you feel better for it now."

"You make me feel wonderful." She kissed his lips briefly.

He kissed her back. Then he put a hand on her stomach, "Phaedra…"

"Yes?" She smiled warmly.

"I'd like to go again…if it's okay."

"Really?" Her eyes widened, "Oh, I'll do my best to keep up."

"It's just…watching you lie here like this…without anything on…it makes me frisky again…especially…" He looked back at her legs, "Sorry…"

"Go ahead."

He scooted back and starting rubbing her legs, the bottom, near the shin, where he knew the boots squeezed the tightest. She hummed pleasantly, her low voice creating one of the most beautiful sounds Poe swore he ever heard.

He moved his hands back even more and started rubbing her feet, aiming specifically for the arches. He bit his lip as he did so. She opened her mouth and let a moan slide from her lips as she laid her head back on the pillow.

He lowered himself a bit and swallowed as much of one of her ankles as possible. He chewed on it mercilessly to get some cracks out. He could have easily used his hands, but causing cracks with his teeth got him all the more excited.

"Oh, Polonius…" She sighed blissfully, sliding her hands against the cushions as she felt the pressure in her feet ease up.

He switched out to his tongue, as he began licking the arch of her foot. His arms shook as he tried to get a stable hold on Phaedra's leg, and his length meanwhile was beginning to swell to massive proportions. It was surprising to see it so ready for action after the massive load he gave off earlier. She gasped at the sensation in such a sensitive part of her foot, "P-Poe…"

He backed away a little, like a spooked animal, "Sorry…"

"Please don't stop…"

He timidly resumed his position, with the other foot this time. He started licking the arch, until he bit her foot down hard with a lot of passion, letting a shameless groan out. She sighed as she clutched at the cushions, trembling under his touch.

He swallowed hard, sucking on her foot, and holding his length with one hand in an effort to ease the throbbing, "P-Phaedra…" She tried to spread her legs a bit to let him know she was as ready as he was.

He moved away, "That's not fair to you though." He reached out and gently massaged her lower abdomen with both hands, "I didn't get to stimulate you."

"I'm plenty ready…" If her words didn't say it, her eyes did.

This thrust was a bit quicker, and unlike the previous time, he wasn't able to linger in without letting his load go. But honestly given the expression on his face, it didn't look possible anyway. She practically melted underneath him, giving in to let him do as he pleased, letting her body take full control of when her hips bucked up against his or when they decided to take his feverish pace.

He let out a satisfied sigh, humping her just as quickly as before. He groaned a few times as well as he helplessly clung onto her. Her voice suddenly grew in volume as her orgasm snuck up on her, he could feel her walls clench around him tightly, despite how worn she must have been. He died out a bit quicker this time, given how exhausted he was in the first place, but he did what he could to keep her aroused.

She let out a charming little moan as he removed himself and met her gaze, "Polonius, I love you…" She reached up to kiss him.

"I love you too." He kissed her back, "We should do something special after we've been together for six months…" He said, "And I don't just mean three love-making sessions…"

She had a good laugh, "I think a nice date would do wonders…"

"Still…given that we can't eat…or…we can't eat normal food…it's a little challenging to do one of those…"

"We could invite some friends over then, for drinks…"

"…you have many more friends than I do…"

"Quality over quantity, dear."

"Mmm-hmm…" He nodded, "You're right…"

"If you have any other ideas…I would love to host…"

"I don't…really…you're a bit more of a…social being…than me…but…that isn't a very hard award to win…"

She giggled, "I think you'll have fun."

He gave another nod, squeezing her close, "Goodnight Phaedra."

"Goodnight Polonius…"

The whole house rattled as Cissy slammed the door behind herself. Damsel set down another huge cooler of blood, but no one was looking at that.

They were looking at the corpse, or maybe just unconscious form draped over her shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

But the dripping blood from the corpse's mouth said otherwise.

It didn't help that this corpse was dressed in uniform.

"So yeah, we uh…ran into a problem."

Skelter pushed through and came upstairs, his eyes burning as he saw the dead officer, "The hell did you do…?" He growled.

"He was trailing us." Damsel said, "We had to get rid of him. We didn't have any other choice!"

He snarled, putting his head down and looking away, trying to restrain from losing it. Killian came inside, one of his brow's twitching a bit as he saw the amount of blood on the floor. Then he looked over at Damsel. He looked back to the floor, "We have to get rid of it, right?"

"No doubt his radio's goin' off." Skelter said, "Killian, you wanna help? Fine. Take the body, put it in the passenger seat. Drive the car and him off a cliff, into a river, into the ocean."

Killian glared at him for only a second, but it melted into a blank expression rather quickly. "Fine." He took the body from Damsel and left.

"You're going to get him killed…" Damsel said quietly.

"Kill two birds with one stone." Skelter said, "Clean up the blood. All of you. I want nothin' left behind." The sound of the engine roaring outside fired off before the sound grew distant as Killian floored it.

"I feel like all of this could have been avoided…" Sirius crossed his arms and leaned against the wall.

"I'd like to think so too." Skelter said, "I don't know who the hell was responsible for it, but it ain't gonna happen again. We can't get away with killin' people left and right as easily as we could before."

"Yeah, alright, I get it, genius." Damsel said, "It was a one-time thing."

"Well, now that one-time thing's got our location pinpointed. We're gonna have to relocate."

"Where?" Catalina asked, on her knees with a rag.

Skelter shook his head and looked away, "I got no clue. I have an old property we could look at, but…I moved for a reason."

"Roaches?" Cissy guessed, trying not to eye Catalina's rear from the position they were in.

"Evidence."

"So you're no saint either." Damsel spat.

"I knew enough to act when we had the fortitude to handle it. The hell were you thinking, attracting attention when we're like this?"

She snarled and nearly butt heads with him as she stood even closer, "Maybe electing you as a leader was a terrible idea. I didn't know you'd have the temper of a raging thirteen year old girl."

Skelter was too angry for words. He looked more like he was about to bite her face off.

"Look, all we have to do is clean up blood and Killian's already driving the body off the cliff." Catalina stood up and tried to split them up, "There's no reason to fight. We'll just be more careful next time."

Damsel took a deep breath and nodded, "Yeah, good point." She glared up at Skelter briefly before she started cleaning, "Poor Anastasia."

Skelter's bright gaze landed on Anastasia quickly before he looked back at the floor they were cleaning. Seemed he got too fed up after that, he turned and headed back into the basement.

Catalina also returned to cleaning, "Wonder what the hell he keeps doing down there." Sirius said.

Anastasia kept cleaning, ignoring him, but she knew the answer. Decorating the place for Victor, of course. "Probably hiding from us." Cissy said, crossing her arms, "Bet he doesn't want to cry in front of us." She snickered, "I don't know, I just feel like this whole Nines thing is incredibly blown up. So what, he's dead? We'll just find somewhere else to live. I don't get it."

Damsel gave her a bitter look, but decided not to say anything. "Damn, takes a lot of guts to say that." Sirius spoke up.

"I can't be the only one who's thinking it." She looked at everyone else, "What the fuck, I thought the Anarchs were all about not having a leader? Why are we so sad that he's dead? He hardly did anything. He led us into a death pit. If anything, we're all better than him, we made it out alive."

Sirius crossed his arms, "Don't look at me. I'm still relatively new to all this."

"Don't talk about him like that anymore unless you want my boot up your ass." Damsel really couldn't take much more.

Cissy crossed her arms and stood back, "It's true, isn't it?"

"No, it's not. Nines was involved in the Anarch movement for decades. He was practically involved when he was a human! He brought Skelter into this movement, he brought me, Killian, Lark, Anastasia. Just because you came into our movement when the load was too heavy doesn't mean he never did anything. He did tons. He did more than you or anyone you could imagine. So stop throwing a fit."

Sirius gave a surprised whistle, "Who's fighting next?"

"No one." Damsel said, "Alright? We're not here for drama."

Cissy smirked, "Maybe Anastasia could chime in." She looked over at Anastasia, "She looks like she's about to bite someone's head off."

"Hey!" Damsel grabbed her by the arm, "You piss off and leave her alone!"

Catalina's eye twitched, "Honestly, more cleaning would be done if everyone just stayed quiet, seeing that we're probably just going to be yelling at each other for the next several days…"

"Maybe you should keep your Gypsy on a leash." Damsel fumed.

Sirius gave another whistle, this time an excited one, "Now the blatant racism is coming out!"

"That'd be easy if you didn't constantly stoop to her level." Catalina said.

Damsel snorted, "I have never once stooped to that." She pointed at Cissy, "I have a brain."

"She's a fledging, alright? She's going to be more curious and openly question some of the ways of the Jyhad. That's just how things work. You're taking everything she says to heart and snapping back at her like she's as old as any of the rest of us. She just wants to learn."

Damsel let her shoulder droop a bit as she looked over at Cissy. "Right. Just…don't let her turn into Killian."

"Yeah, I just have to make sure she doesn't assault anyone." She said, "Shouldn't be too difficult."

Damsel grabbed a blood bag and downed it, Cissy leaning against the wall in a huff.

"Doesn't answer any of my questions."

"Anarchs don't believe in leaders, but Nines was a special person to us." Sirius said, "Reader's digest version."

She still seemed unhappy with that, but nodded and said, "Okay."

Damsel looked down at the floors, "Well, it looks clean enough. Cleaner than the rest of the house."

"Well, now the place is clean, and we have all our supplies." Catalina said, "There's just the matter of moving."

"I'm sure we'll be fine." Damsel said, "We're moving in a few days anyway. It's no big deal He's just got a stick up his ass the size of Texas."

"Sure does, I wonder why…" Sirius muttered.

"Cause he's…a wreck. He's just a wreck." Damsel sighed, "And I told him he had to lead. So it's my fault. I put way too much stress on him and he's gonna go fucking nuts any day now."

"Great. Sounds fun."

"Is there like…some kinda sedative we could put him on?" Cissy asked.

Damsel snorted, "No. Nor should we. That would be way too dangerous. Gangrel are high strung for a reason. They have an amazing sixth sense for danger."
"I have faith as long as we ride this out, things will get better." Catalina said.

The new Chantry, all in all, looked very similar to the previous Chantry, aside from the fact that the colors were a bit brighter and less dull. This Chantry glowed with a certain youth that the previous one didn't have. Nothing was broken in or worn with age in the slightest. Some would say it lacked the age and charm that its predecessor had, but nevertheless it still made Victor carry the same amount of weight and pride as he always did.

When he entered one of the libraries, he was almost surprised to see Iphigenia sitting there, a book open in her lap as she drank presumably blood from a thermos. "Ah. Mister Madison. Pleasant seeing you in the new Chantry."

"Yes, I'm just…exploring…spotting differences…Strauss was here previously to enchant the building with its highest grade defenses, as he did with the other one, many years ago. It was a brief visit, as he has his duties as a Prince to attend to."

"Yes, I feel the enchantments. They're wonderful." She said, then her dark lips smiled, "I also quite like the smell of the new stones bricks. It's nice, the plywood too."

"I'm pleased the construction was finished as quickly as it was." He said, then he frowned, "Though I cannot find that oaf anywhere. The day of the attack he was completely absent…"

"Who?" She asked, running through all of Victor's potential enemies in her mind.

"The current Regent."

"Ah, yes, I did mean to ask you about that." She said, "Leo wouldn't be dead if they didn't want the Chantry destroyed so badly. And I'm sure it wasn't Tremere that destroyed the Last Round."

"Strauss also knows little about the Last Round's destruction…" He said, "The Anarchs were adamant that the Camarilla was behind the attack, but such is not the case, at least according to those in the red tower I've spoken to."

She sighed, closing her eyes, "Have you seen the ruins? Of the Last Round?" She looked back up at him, "I would never side with the Anarchs, but they…they were right. It was all burned. Entirely. No signs of gunpowder, besides their own, no shells, trace of any sort of incendiary. The fire seemed to appear out of nowhere. It sounds like our type of fire, but you're the only person I know who would be able to do that. Lure of Flames isn't something easy to come across."

"No, it isn't." He said, "But I'm not inclined to disbelieve Strauss either. There are more vampire sects than just the Camarilla and the Anarchs…maybe there was a third force involved."

"One that the Tremere align to?"

He paused and thought for another long while, "No…I suppose the Sabbat are out of Tremere Antitribu, ever since Neo and Ebony died. Mind you dear, Tremere are not the only clans capable of producing fire…"

"Oh?"

"Plenty of clans may be able to, or at least so I've heard." He said, "Disciplines…once they reach a high level, can do wonders to transcend the imagination." He waved a hand out, "Power that causes lesser Kindred to quiver in their boots. Though, I suppose that is why diablerie is such a tempting avenue to lower generation, is it not?"

"Something I would never dream of." She turned back to her book, "Far too likely to lose yourself to the beast."

"Nevertheless…I suppose it is fortunate that I haven't found Mister Sorrentino yet…" He said, "What a disgrace to the clan…I didn't know we were that desperate for substitutes…"

"I still think you would serve best as a replacement."

He chuckled modestly, although only partially so, "Strauss deems me not ready for the position, therefore I respect his wishes."

"Mmm…yes, I suppose so…we should still look into someone else…"

"Yes, I thought that oaf abandoning his post at the last second would be good reason to have him ousted…but…Strauss is in no mood to search for another replacement."

"Really?" She asked, "I feel like my safety is being compromised…"

"Now, now, the Anarchs are gone, and the Sabbat are not foolish enough to launch a full-scale assault on the Chantry." He grinned, "I made sure of the former at least. Me and my twelve new friends."

"Your twelve friends are quite cute."

"Yes." He said, then got slightly more serious, "Strauss does not need to hear of them, at all."

"Of course." Iphigenia said, "Despite the fact we….removed one for him…"

He looked surprised, "I had nearly forgotten about that…perhaps he would be more accepting of my experiments than I thought." He smiled, "Though, for the time being they're hidden in one of the many rooms in the Chantry. We'll keep them a secret for now."

"Very well. They don't…eat, right? Or…defecate? They're more like statues than living beings, yes?"

"They drink blood, they are Kindred after all."

"Ah. That shouldn't be too difficult to disguise then."

He smiled, "I send the smaller, more agile ones to scout out and kill any remaining Anarchs in the city, in a silent, quick, and yet bloody execution, and for the most part it's worked. There are only mere whispers of Anarch activity now. And most of it is coming from Isaac Abrams himself." He frowned, "That old fool is going to get himself killed, causing so much attention. He is in an inescapable vice grip between the Camarilla and the Sabbat now."

"Have a Gargoyle hunt him down then. I've seen him before, he doesn't appear to be much of a fighter."

"Yes, once the streets are fully clear of Anarch activity, that will be my next move. I doubt he'll see what's coming."

She nodded, a small smile, "Strauss will surely be pleased with Hollywood." Her phone buzzed in her back pocket. Her eyes nervously flicked down before she took out her phone, then glimpsed at the number. She rolled her eyes and flipped it open, only to shut it and end the call. "Forgive me."

He was about to speak again when the phone rang once again. She sighed and opened it, "Yes?"

The voice on the other line was so loud, Victor could hear it like he was standing right in the room with them. "Did you just hang up on me, Crystallia!?"

Iphigenia flinched, lifting the phone away from her ear before she brought it closer again, "What can I help you with, I'm very busy."

It was much quieter now. A decent volume. Victor picked up, "Sister," "Cash," "Photos," and "Business," before Iphigenia finally chimed in. "I can manage. I'm not entirely dependent."

He must have leaned right into the phone because Victor could hear his creepy voice in a hushed whisper, right up against the microphone, "I wouldn't be so sure about that, Iggy."

Iphigenia's eyes uncomfortably shifted up to Victor before she turned to the phone and said quietly, "I do not give you permission to do anything to her. Even if she consents to it, I do not. I have to go." She hung up, "Sorry, sir."

He was facing away by the time she hung up, "Sounds as though your sister Halcyon has gotten herself in a bit of trouble again…"

"It's under control. She's fine."

"And that was Mister Golden on the line, was it not?"

"It was."

"You know, he brings you up an awful lot, at Primogen meetings." He crossed his arms, "I wonder what he and Halcyon have to do with one another."

"Mister Golden and I have…a bit of family history, in a way. We knew each other when I was alive. It's nothing, really."

"Is that so?"

"Yes."

"Why does it hurt you so much?" He asked, "Why does it hurt you to ask for help?"

She slowly closed her book, "It doesn't." She crossed her legs, "One should be self-sufficient enough in this economy to function without the aid of others. Balancing the weight of two others takes some strength, but it's nothing I'm incapable of. Occasionally it lands me on my knees, but I always get back to my feet."

"Yes, I would certainly call selling your sister to the Nosferatu as an occasion where you're 'on your knees'."

Her gaze hardened, she seemed quite offended, "I would never sell my family. You know they're the only thing that matters to me." She almost grimaced, "I'm offended you think I would do such a thing."

"So I imagined Gary's call?"

"Halcyon has been working in the warrens as a computer agent. Gary wanted more, he was offering more, and I denied it. That's all."

"You know not everything is as it seems with that man."

"I know, but I trust him enough. Regardless, Halcyon has another outside source of protection if something does happen."

"This is all very rich, what unfolds before me." He said, "You must have an amazing sense of pride."

"I can't tell if you're offering help or judgement."

"I am merely observing." He said, "Observing my student who previously lectured me on asking for help fail to do so herself. You questioned my sanity…when the Gargoyles were in their development phase, you claimed I needed to reach out for aid more. And yet you choose a risky deal with the Nosferatu over your surface-level Camarilla allies."

She grit her teeth, "That was different." She sat back, "I figure you want nothing to do with it. I'm not sure I have any other allies. Delilah wouldn't be of much help…there's no way I could take the issue any higher."

"I would be very inclined to assist you." He said, "That is, if you think I'm fit enough."

"I think you're beyond fit." She said dryly.

"Then I'm sure financial aid from myself would perhaps be a little more appropriate than risking it with Gary."

She looked down, perhaps ashamed, "I think it would."

"It would keep Halcyon a bit safer."

"I agree." Yes, that was definitely shame.

"And, in turn, you'll have further time to study with your sister out of the underground. You can gain the strength you've always wanted…"

"Yes, I can."

He looked at the exit, debating on whether to leave her some time to think or not, "Did you want me to give you what I have now?"

"No. I…maybe…" She rubbed a hand over her forehead, "Save it, for now. I'll call the deal off."

"Yes of course." He said, "Well, if you need assistance, you'll know where to find me." He said, adding with a smile, "There are no more experiments to work on anymore, I'll be a bit more approachable, I'm sure."

"Yes of course…" Iphigenia stared at the floor, not sure whether to apologize, ask for forgiveness, or thank him, so she remained silent.

"Goodnight, Miss Crystallia."

"Goodnight Mister Madison."

A/N: Seems like those two are just always on a different chord now-a-days…well, thanks for reading!