A/N: Here's chapter fifteen! (whoop!) Here's what happens when there ain't enough elbow room in the Elbow Room…Enjoy!

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

"Hi, what can I get you today?"

This girl was too peppy for her. She was all bright smiles and platinum blonde hair, flawless figure and shining teeth. Her eyes were like separate universes, so many colors going on there, it was almost hard to really pick one out. Blues, greens, browns, all hues.

Harper brought her thin fingers over the bridge of her nose. She didn't pick up her old clothes, but she did purchase a tank top and jeans to put on, to cover herself up a little more. She tugged on the jeans to pull them up, "Black coffee, medium, please."

"No cream, no sugar?" The girl asked, seeming a little surprised, "You look like you could really use it…"

Harper offered a small smile, "Thank you, but I'll be alright."

"Okay. Is it…is it money?" She asked quietly.

"Hmm? No, I just want…I want a strong cup of coffee, please. Strongest."

"Alright. I'll give you everything we got." She winked and headed back behind the counter. Harper dragged herself to a table for two and sat, trying not to slump onto it.

Depression, inebriation, hangover. Depression, inebriation, hangover. Depression, inebriation, hangover. And, now she was weaning away from her blood bond, which made her feel even crazier. Her initial dull libido was slowly crawling up higher and higher, her senses feeling so much more acute. Every step felt like she was treading on a bed of pins, every bump or bruise felt like a truck. It had been absolutely ages since she last felt this way. LaCroix assured she always had enough, and tried to time it so she got it more than once a month, at least by a little.

It was like she had the flu, and a hangover, and a breakup, and a miscarriage.

She nearly collapsed into a deep slumber when the barista handed her the drink, "Here you go, sweetie-pie. Why don't I get you something to eat?" She asked softly, "On the house?"

Harper hoped the girl wouldn't notice the bags under her eyes, the shakiness in her hands, "I…I couldn't ask that of you…"

"Of course you can. Don't worry about it." She went around the counter and fetched her a croissant, handing it over, "Did you want to talk about anything?"

Harper almost cried from this girl's random kindness. But she shook her head. She wasn't dragging this poor, innocent creature into this mess. She was quite confident an angel was standing in front of her, "No, no…but…thank you…"

She gave a small nod, "Okay. Well, I'm always here every weekend, from seven to seven, if you wanted to talk. I'm Aurora."

"Aurora…?" She asked, "Thank you…"

"Mmm hmm!" She walked off behind the counter.

Harper tried to keep herself awake with the coffee and bread. She really did. A few customers flushed in and out, but there was one that stuck out a bit.

The bell sounded like it was going to break when they walked in. Aurora the barista looked a little startled, but they marched in with purpose. Harper didn't look up until they sat across from her.

"Well, this is a surprise." Cadmus said as he crossed his arms, "Thought it was going to take longer to find you."

She looked up at him, her deep blue eyes seemed so much bigger and wearier without all the hair. "Cadmus…" She said quietly, "Hello."

"Hello." He shot back dryly, "Seems like this is the only way we ever get in contact with each other, huh?"

She didn't acknowledge him. She just looked away, "I can't believe he sent you. He told me he wouldn't come crawling back, so he's sent you instead." She sighed, "He's a lot craftier than you think he'd be."

"Glad to see you spend a portion of your time debating on who's going to haul your ass back to L.A."

"I've had plenty of time to debate everything."

"And what's your conclusion?"

"I've made too many to count. But, I suppose what you're asking for is when and where I'm going. And, that all depends on who my next regnant is."

"Next regnant?"

"Yes. I'm still searching."

"And what would finding a new regnant even solve?"

"I wouldn't be involved in this Jyhad anymore. Not if they're Independent."

"I thought escaping the Jyhad was both a good, and possible idea too…once…"

"It's very different for a human and Kindred."

"How so?"

"I don't have the powers or capabilities of a Kindred. I'm just not as worthwhile."

"That's why thinking you'll escape me after our little discussion is so precious."

Her eyes narrowed a bit, "You can't force your vitae down my throat. You wouldn't, even if you could."

"I guess you know me better than I thought." He said, "Was I really that bad a master? Seriously, what's this Independent guy going to give you that I couldn't?"

"It wasn't you." She looked away, "You saved my life time and time again. It's not you. I just…I need to start over somewhere else."

"Why?"

She gave a shaky breath. "I don't know. Because I have a problem." She teared up, "Because I need help. After Dalton died, I was just…I was pushed into the World of Darkness with no say, I couldn't do anything but serve, serve, serve…if I even thought about it, I was threatened…and now that it's over…I realized I just can't pretend it never happened when I'm surrounded by constant reminders that it did. I need to go somewhere else, to get away…I'm not going to heal out here…"

"So it is my fault."

"What? I don't…I don't see how…"

"When Strauss took over, you were isolated in Santa Monica." He said, "You only saw us once a month, and most of the time I was being grumpy cause of all the crap my sister was doing. We…I never got a chance to see how you were really feeling…"

She shook her head, "No, don't blame yourself for that. I shouldn't have tried. Mercurio shouldn't have let me. The blame doesn't just fall on your shoulders."

"Look, I don't know what happened between you and Mercurio…but…why don't you just request a room in the red tower? You'd be closer to all of us that way, and safe from the Sabbat or anything else we come across." He said, "Whether you want to believe it or not, people are worried about you."

Her lower lip quivered, "What do I have to offer?" She asked softly.

"Let me worry about that." He said, "Strauss will give you a room, after I'm done talking to him."

"But I don't deserve one." She pleaded, "I'm just a ghoul…I can't do anything helpful…" She tried wiping at her tears, "Besides, this doesn't solve any problems, this just pushes them out of the way…I…I…" She stared at the table, "I still have an alcohol problem…I still feel sick, I still feel depressed…"

"Please…the Brujah Primogen plows a model in his room all the time, her and her dog practically live there…" He rolled his eyes, "I'll help you with your problems. Dalton and Elspeth probably died at around the same time, I know how it feels."

She met his gaze, chastising herself for even thinking about anything romantic, "Before we do anything…" She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, "I…I would like some blood…"

He gave a small smile, "Glad to see you change your mind." He stood up, "Come on, we'll do it outside."

"Okay…" She stood up and clutched his arm on the way out, putting a good amount of weight on him.

Was she going to regret this? She was almost positive she would. Living alone sounded like sheer chaos.

"And this…Elbow Room…club…is where this Giovanni is hiding?" Jasper asked.

"According to Mister Fitzroy." Remus said, his hands folded behind his back. He didn't know how he felt about having four Serpents of Light flanking him at all times. Part of him was pleased that he had a new, covert, effective army. Another part of him missed his old army. There was a certain loyalty and brotherly vibe among it. And of course, there was her.

"What are your plans for when we enter the structure?" Selina asked.

"All in due time, my young neonates, all in due time." Remus said, "I've been to this odious shack once before, but now I need to gaze upon it with a warrior's eye."

Jasper, Selina, Axle, and Drake all exchanged a glance, one with hungry eyes and confident grins. Like they were in on a joke that went straight over Remus's head, and by the time that he'd figure it all out, it would be too late for the Sabbat.

The five of them entering the Elbow Room turned more than a few heads. "So…those plans…you were referring to…do you have your warrior's eye view yet?" Jasper whispered.

Remus scanned the entire club, looking for the largest, burliest bouncer. He then held a hand out, a blue glow came from it. The bouncer collapsed on the ground, dead.

It didn't take long for people to start freaking out once they saw someone die out of nowhere. They all screamed and headed for the exit. Only Remus wouldn't let them, he drew his sword and began impaling the clientele.

The Serpents of Light exchanged a glance of shock, "He's killing them…all of them…" Drake said.

"But…but they're innocent…and he's breaking the Masquerade…" Axle said.

Jasper narrowed his eyes in thought, in order to keep up with the Sabbat, their humanity was surely going to take a toll for the worst.

Remus gave a bloodcurdling roar and he freshly bisected someone with his Potence-laced cursed sword. The sounds of children screaming in pain was heard as Remus's Obtenebration stretched around his body. He then began to drain one of the nearest dancers, decapitating another.

He held the severed girls head high in the air, "Show yourself, Giovanni!"

Giuseppe came out from his office, flanked by two bouncers. His eyes shrunk with shock, mortified at how slowly but surely his club was being destroyed. "Sabbat…" He hissed, he drew his own sword, powering himself up with Potence.

With his free hand, a chime was heard, as a purple glow of skulls went around his hand. Hundreds of zombies arose from the ground, as did a plentiful amount of spirits. He dashed at Remus with his sword, hoping to overwhelm the LaSombra with his undead warriors and his bouncers.

Remus and Giuseppe clashed furiously in the middle of the club. Their swords sang their metallic song quicker and quicker as their blades danced in the center of the battle. A zombie tried to make his way into the swordfight to help his master, but Remus ripped a glass table out of its foundation, throwing it at the zombie. The zombie flopped back on the ground as the table shattered into pieces.

The three ghosts Giuseppe summoned were a problem all their own. Remus looked up at the ghost of the black haired woman and two children. He shot a glare at the Serpents of Light, "Well? Are you going to stand about all night or are you going to assist me?"

Jasper half-smiled, giving a slight nod to his fellow Setites. He dashed in to Remus's side, holding his hands out as a green glow came from them. His cape billowed out furiously as mummies rose from the ground, the sandy brown corpses were wrapped in sacred burial linen. The mummies and zombies collided, duking it out with each other with nothing but their undead fists.

Axle snickered and turned into a large snake, while Selina turned into a jaguar. Drake meanwhile got out a pair of knives and flared up with Potence. They did what they could to kill the last of Giuseppe's resistance, or at the very least draw the specters away from Remus.

"Ah…so now you greet me with a zoo…" Giuseppe said, as they blades pressed against one another, "How did you find me…?"

"You should have accepted the final price when you had the chance…Giovanni…" Remus said.

He snarled, "I knew it! I knew that wretch was a ghoul…ghoul for what I wasn't certain…but he sniffed me out!"

"Indeed, and now this club…or…what's left of it, is going to belong to him." Remus said, "Like I said, you should have sold it when the price was at least fair, now it is being taken away from you…"

"I won't let you take my club from me!" He roared, clashing back at Remus with intensified fury.

Although this fury left his strikes sloppy. Even if Giuseppe connected, Remus was more or less protected by his shadowy barrier. He evaded all of Giuseppe's strikes, slashing him through the torso. Giuseppe screamed and stumbled back. The Potence and the cursed blade no doubt leaving a far bloodier scar than any other slash at that angle. "Please…" Remus scoffed, "You are a rat, a mere mud puddle towards my revenge." He said, "You are not my goal, but merely something I need to cut down in order to progress forward. A weed." He narrowed his eyes, "For my revenge burns for a far more brighter and powerful soul, one of the Tremere Clan."

"Yes, please…" Jasper said, joining the two Ancillae, "Do us all a favor and perish, will you? The only reason you've been alive for this long is because of your putrid promise with the Camarilla!" Jasper took a deep breath, blowing a huge sandstorm out.

Remus held an arm up to shield himself, but Giuseppe coughed up blood as he was flung back. All the windows in the club were shattered, and sand went everywhere.

When the immense dust storm finally died down, Remus chuckled for a while, "Exceptional work, my dear boy." He patted Jasper's shoulder, walking over to the withered Giuseppe.

He was bloodied, but conscious. So much sand was in one eye, it was shut, he growled and sprang at Remus with his sword.

Remus blocked the swipes easily, stabbing him yet again. Giuseppe screamed and stumbled back.

"You…" He coughed, "You have not seen the last of me…"

"Oh, I do believe I have." Remus said.

He panted, using the last of his blood to summon another batch of zombies and escape.

Remus swore under his breath, and then out loud a few times, killing the last scraps of the zombies, while Jasper crossed his arms and watched.

"Oh…looks like the Giovanni got away…" Drake said, as the Serpents of Light deactivated their passive Disciplines.

"Didn't…Archie want this club…?" Selina looked around as she turned back to her human form.

"Oh, I'm sure the old miser will be pleased with just this empty lot." Remus said, "Now come, we must report this event to Master Lafayette immediately."

Sometimes when Gottfried visited the second of the floor, he'd find Jeanette. Sometimes he'd find Therese. But what was even more fun about this little game was the personalities even within those two.

Therese referred to Jeanette's as her 'rare form'. Gottfried translated that to batshit crazy. Jeanette referred to Therese's as 'bitch mode', which Gottfried translated to crying and screaming, but a little tamer and more predictable than anything Jeanette would do. And of course, there were plenty more.

Overall, he felt like he had to roll a die to see what sort of mood he would find them in.

As he knocked on the door and stepped in, he saw Therese. Or at least, she was dressed in Therese's clothes. She was pacing back and forth, her arms crossed, but she stopped when he stepped in. "Gottfried." Her voice sounded tense, "Welcome."

"Something…on your mind?" He asked as he entered.

She nodded as she sighed, her shoulders shaking just a touch. Little things he didn't notice when he first met her, but now as he started spending more time with her, they were quite evident. "That…Sabbat." She spat the word out, "That vile creature…he's back. He's survived."

"You mean Remus the LaSombra." He said, crossing his arms. "Apparently he didn't meet Final Death but was in torpor. He destroyed a club in Hollywood, the Elbow Room, only because it was the one club not aligned to the Sabbat. Everyone in there aside from the Giovanni owner was slaughtered."

She held her forearms, moving back to sit on the edge of the bed. Something she would never normally do, if she wasn't about to have some sort of frenzied panic attack.

"Therese…I know what you're thinking…but…the Sabbat have no reason to attack your city. It's too far away from downtown and it wouldn't benefit them." He said, "They wouldn't risk a revival on trying to take your club. You're safe."

She gave another shaky sigh, "I think they would seek vengeance. They know you're here. They're not very pleased with your switching sides act." She closed her eyes, taking off her glasses and pressing her cool fingertips to her eyelids, "And to have a Primogen in Santa Monica…it's like hanging a piece of meat on a string in the middle of a forest. I'm so far away from them, they'll get rid of me with ease, no disruptions, no chance of getting stopped by anyone else. And the Camarilla won't hear about it until weeks later. By then it would be too late." She hunched over a bit, like she was going to vomit.

He closed his eyes, "If that's how you feel. I could be switched for another bodyguard. I don't want to jeopardize your safety."

"No. You're the only one I trust." She said firmly, sitting up tall. Then she looked away, a little ashamed of such a bold claim, despite the fact that they were in a romantic relationship. "We'll go down together." She said softly. Then a slight pause, "Perhaps I could just…hire another bodyguard. I could have two. I could afford it, for the risks presented…"

"Sit down, relax for a little while."

She gave a feeble nod, standing up and running her fingers over her hairdo to make sure there were no flyaways. Her gray eyes scanned around the room briefly, looking for somewhere to sit that didn't reek of Jeanette. And then there was the task of dabbing tears out of her eyes and hoping Gottfried wouldn't notice.

As she was paralyzed with fear, she felt an embrace from behind, "You're going to be fine." He said.

She leaned into him, which was very nice, considering how big he was. She essentially put all her weight on him and he held on without a problem. She was just a little nervous because she couldn't see his face, but that didn't last before she started softly sobbing.

He squeezed her, "Perhaps I should bring this up to the Prince…see what he can do to take out Remus."

She gave a little nod, "Yes, yes, I'll…I'll bring it up at a Primogen meeting…you don't need to take any action." She turned around so she could rest one side of her face against his chest and hold him back with both arms.

"You're going to be fine."

She gave a little nod, wiping away as many tears as she could, "I'm so sorry…it seems every time you come in for a visit, I'm having some sort of crisis…"

"It's alright, I just want to make sure that you're feeling okay. I'm here for you to voice your concerns to."

"Thank you…" She said softly, which, whether she meant it or not, came out sounding rather sultry. Something about the 'Therese' voice had more of a womanly tone to it, whereas Jeanette's was noticeably girlish. Another divide, he supposed, using Jeanette to make herself feel younger.

"Did you want to sit down somewhere?"

"Yes, I would like that." She met his gaze as she fumbled for her glasses and put them back on, "Where would you like to sit?"

He looked around, "I'm assuming Jeanette's bed is out of the question…should we just…go to your apartment?"

"Yes, that's a good idea." Her eyes seemed to brighten a bit as she gently broke the hug, dusting herself off. She quickly packed her suitcase with her laptop and paperwork, before she opened a drawer and took out a small stack of cash. She flipped her thumb over the bills before she handed them to Gottfried.

"I hope you're still making enough for yourself." He said.

"I am, don't worry." She assured as they headed out and she took more cash from the bartender, tucking that into her briefcase before they headed out. She stayed close to him on the way out, extremely paranoid that someone would be right there. She'd occasionally glimpse over her shoulder too, to make sure no one was there.

The taxi ride was fairly silent. Therese's eyes flickered around in the darkness, realizing that the driver had their eyes on the road, and wasn't really looking. It really wasn't like her to be naughty, but she reached over regardless to hold his hand. He looked over at her and smiled, giving her hand a small squeeze as the ride continued.

When they got out and entered the apartment, he was almost surprised with the sudden kiss she gave him as soon as the door shut. But, it wasn't anything like Jeanette's kisses, so at least he knew he was still with Therese.

He kissed her back, giving her a small squeeze, "Feeling a little better?"

She nodded, "Much better." She gently held both sides of his jacket and gave it a little tug, adjusting it. She fixed her glasses and looked over him again, seeming satisfied with his appearance. Though his outfit was nowhere near as 'approved' as he knew she was thinking, she seemed pleased enough. She approached the refrigerator and poured two glasses of blood for them, holding out one for him.

He took it and smiled, "Thank you." He sat at the table.

She sat across from him, crossing her legs as she drank from her glass, leaving a little lipstick stain. "I hope he doesn't go after Jeanette…"

"There would be no reason to." He said, "She doesn't align with the Camarilla, therefore in an odd way, she should be safe."

She nodded, "Yes…of course, you're right." She took another sip, then jumped as the phone started ringing. As Gottfried looked over, he almost snickered to see it was one of the oldest phone models he had seen in a while. "Pardon me." She stood up and went to the phone, slowly picking it up, "Therese Voerman."

He didn't hear a thing on the other line, but whoever it was made Therese freeze up like a statue. She hung on for a minute, at most, before she dropped the phone, held her head and shrieked like she was being murdered.

"Therese?" He sprang up and ran over, "What's wrong?"

She caught her breath and looked up at him, her eyes wide and frantic, her hands trembling. She scuttled away from the phone like it was diseased, crawling up against the door and fumbling for the knob.

Gottfried heard a tinny voice from the phone on the floor. The call hadn't ended yet. He picked the phone up, "Hello?"

"And who is this…?" It was a deep male voice with a hiss to it that oozed peculiarity.

"You go first."

The voice chuckled for an irrationally long time, "Where is my childe?"

"Busy."

"Very amusing." There was some sort of accent present, "Tell her to be a good little girl and answer the phone." He said, then he purred, "Or even better, bring me Jeanette."

"I don't think she's in a mood for chatting."

"Neither am I." He growled, "Is she there? Did she flee?"

Therese was still there, pressed up against the door, hyperventilating, if she could.

"Sorry." He said, "You'll have to catch her at another time."

"I will." The line cut off.

As Gottfried hung up the phone, Therese held her head, like someone was psychically controlling her.

He sighed, "I…didn't know you were still in contact with your sire. Or…rather he was still in contact with you…"

She panted as the sensation passed, then she pulled her hair out of the bun, hoping it would make the pain go away. However, another wave returned, worst than the last. She held in a scream through clenched teeth, clutching onto her head like it would literally burst. She fell to her rear, still up against the wall, in the corner, pushing herself up against it further and further.

"Therese!" He said, "Therese!" He got a little closer, getting to her level, "It's just me." He said, "Your sire's gone. It's just me. I told him you're not here, he hung up."

She panted and peered her eyes open, immediately running into his arms and holding on for dear life as her whole body trembled. "…make it stop…" She whispered.

His eyes darted around. He had no idea how to end her psychotic meltdown, but he could at least help with the pain, whether it was real or imagined. "You need to lie down." He hugged her, trying to secure her head and keep it warm without holding it with too much pressure, "Let me help you get some sleep."

She closed her eyes and seemed to settle into his arms, but she rejected the idea of laying down without him. When her eyes opened, one looked a lot greener than the other, her voice a little higher pitched, "No, don't leave me alone…"

"I won't." He said.

She tugged him into the bed and left kisses wherever she could reach, clutching onto him tightly, "They used to zap her…" Jeanette said softly, "That's when Esau met her…when she was being lobotomized…" She closed her eyes, "I don't feel it, but Therese does…"

"So…whenever her sire talks to her…she…she reacts like that?"

"It depends who she talks to. Jacob or Esau…"

"Hmm…" He said, chuckling despite the dark matter, "I should have known you guys got it from somewhere…"

She gave a little grin, giggling as she kissed his lips deeply in a very loving fashion, "Of course…"

"When does she usually get better…it's…not permanent right?"

"She'll be better very soon…I'm sorry cupcake…"

"It's alright…I practically live here anyway…it only makes sense."

"Well, let's get some sleep…" She slung her arms around him, "Therese will appreciate it tomorrow…"

"Alright." He said, "Thanks for the help, Jeanette."

"Night, pudding…"

A/N: Just in case Gottfried's life wasn't difficult enough…thanks for reading!