Chapter Two

The Healing Process

-oOo-

Fache left soon after being assured Chloe would go and speak to Silas before returning home, leaving her alone in the office with her godfather. There was an awkward silence at first.

Chloe didn't know whether to be angry or glad that she was their little spy in this controversial war she had no interest in joining. But she wanted to allow him to speak first, so she could figure out how she felt. Finally after some waiting and fidgeting, he finally spoke.

"I don't know if I made the right decision here, Chloe. Since your parents left I've been doing the best I can for you. Please don't hate me for that" he said sadly. Chloe almost melted under that gaze that she was all too familiar with. It was true her parents had abandoned her at the age of thirteen when they had left her at a girl's boarding school in Paris. She didn't know why they left her and she had no clue as to where they were now. She had no interest in finding them, it was Jerome who had come to her school to tell her she would be spending most of her holidays with him, the rest of the time she remained at the school with the other pupils who's parents were either out of the country or were orphaned. Although she only saw Collet a few times a month out of work, he was as near as a father she could get and for that she was always willing to help him at any opportunity. She owed him that for not abandoning her along with her parents all those years ago.

She still didn't understand why he thought he was making a good decision in assigning her this case, "I'm not angry at you, Jerome" she sighed, which was true, whenever she felt any kind of tinge of unhappiness towards the man she was given flashbacks of all the kindness he had shown her, then her temper automatically went tepid, "I'm just not ready for a case like this. You know I have a completely negative view of religion and I don't know anything about Opus Dei or the church. It's way over my head. I don't want to let you down" she added, voicing her true concern. She had always strived to make Jerome proud, as he was the only person who would be if she made some kind of success. She had always rushed to the phone and called her godfather back at boarding school when she had won an award.

Jerome smiled, "Mon petit poisson" he said, calling her by her pet name, "You could never let me down. And what Fache said wasn't entirely accurate. I didn't choose you just because I knew you would keep this whole religious situation under wraps. These past six months have changed you" he said, sadness and pity etched into every line of his face. Chloe had to look away, it was the way everyone looked at her when they found out what she had been through those six painful months ago.

"I've been surviving Jerome, I've been doing what I've had to since I was thirteen. I can handle it," she said defiantly. Jerome nodded but she knew he wasn't convinced.

"I thought a distraction might be the key to the healing process. Keeping your mind on something else, something that will require all your attention. I know you despise God and the church, but this is your chance to learn something new, add something to your credentials" he replied.

Chloe sighed, he was right of course, in her profession she couldn't afford to let her own personal beliefs get in the way of the job. Yes she was as unreligious as you could get because of experiences, but to this Opus Dei, to this Silas, God was everything, so it seemed he would have to be to Chloe, if she was going to solve this case.

"Okay. I'll just go talk to the monk for a minute or two, just to get an idea of how he works" she said, picking up the file from her chair.

"There's one thing, Chloe" Jerome begun, "When the monk was arrested, he was shot by armed police. His patron Aringarosa was at the scene. Fache told him Silas was dead to keep this Council of Shadows from using their influences to get him out of custody. We were very luckily; the monk was so badly wounded we almost lost him. That's why this is such a Godsend, Chloe" he finished.

Chloe nodded, "I understand, which interrogation room is he in?"

After finalising the details with Jerome, she bade farewell and promised to visit him that coming weekend. With her coat slung over one arm and the file tucked under the other, she marched down the corridor listing off all the interrogation room door numbers until she reached number five.

Normally a guard would be standing by to unlock the door for her, but as this case was top-secret, Fache had left her the key with Jerome. Awkwardly she unlocked the door and stepped into the dimly lit room. Without looking at the man chained to the chair in the centre of the small room, she closed and locked the door behind her. Then she walked over to the spare chair perched under the small desk, separating herself from the monk.

She draped her coat over the seat and dropped the closed file on the table before taking a seat. Then she took her first good look at the monk.

The first thing she encountered were his strangely beautiful, yet angry pink eyes surrounded by fair eyelashes. She remained defiant under his gaze and clenched her hands together to get comfortable.

The man, Silas, was incredibly pale, just as the photo detailed. His hair was almost white but was slightly yellow. His face was slightly scarred. There was a deep semi-circle grooved into the flesh under his left eye and a small scar above his lip.

He was wearing a usual prison jumpsuit and his hands were cuffed behind his back. Before, Chloe thought it a ridiculous notion to cuff a monk dedicated to Gods work, and that it couldn't be true he had slain four people, but now as she looked into the hateful eyes, she could definitely see it.

"Hello Silas. My name is Chloe Blanc. I'm from the Criminal Psychological Department, Capitaine Fache has asked me to come in this evening to talk with you" she began with the introduction she had used many times.

She studied Silas' expression, but it still remained the same, he just starred at her silently, his mouth pursed into a thin line as he glared straight into her eyes. She found it rather unsettling, but she didn't let him see it.

"I understand that you haven't got much to say. I do know how often people in your position are asked to repeat their stories several times, but I'm not here to interrogate you or accuse you of anything. I just need you to listen" she said strengthening her voice, "I'll admit religion isn't the strongest of my subjects" she began, leaning back on her chair in a relaxed posture, "But I know that people like yourself are often used as pawns in other peoples games, they convince you that you're doing the work of God but secretly they're doing the opposite" she added.

To her surprise, his gaze lightened somewhat, as if he had registered what she had just said, so she decided to push it, "I understand your patron is a very influential man, but Aringarosa is potentially a dangerous one too. We have evidence to believe he is involved in a secret society called The Council of Shadows. We believe your serves were sold to their partner, a very dangerous man, Sir Leigh Teabing"

Silas seemed to be taking in all she had to say, but he shook his head subtling, "Bishop Aringarosa would never betray me" he growled in an accent she could not place.

Chloe nodded and jotted something down on the notes she had been provided. Apparently it seemed Aringarosa was an important and statual man to Silas. But this also made it hard if she was to convince him to expose the Bishop as a member of this secret society. But then something occured to her. Silas was only a lowly murderer in the eyes of this Council, he was only a monk patroned by a powerful Bishop. Why would he be exposed to the Council? Surely he wouldn't have been allowed anywhere near them.

"Do you know anything about this Council? Have you ever been invited to one of their meetings?"

I hope I'm right about this. She thought. But then he disappointed her.

"Miss Blanc," Silas snapped, "I have been held against my will for almost two weeks. I have been denied my robe and denied my right to pray at a church. I will answer no more of your questions until I am given back my rights to repent my sins"

Chloe almost frowned. Repent? What did that mean? She was starting to feel like a complete idiot in front of the monk, which was not how this was supposed to go. She silently cursed Fache for pushing her into the deep end too soon. She felt like she would only make matters worse rather then assist Fache with his secret battle with the Council.

"I'm sorry, Silas, I don't have the authority to orgaise that, but I will speak to Captaine Fache" she said quickly, trying to assure him that his demands were not impossible.

Silas nodded, "Then I will speak to you only when I am satisifed" he said stifly. Chloe didn't like the way he was seemingly in charge of this conversation. It was unnerving, especially the way he kept looking at her.

Chloe decided she could only leave this room on her own terms, not on the monks. She was surprised by how calm he was, which meant she would have to rile him to talk.

"Do you realise how much trouble you are in, Silas? You are implicated in four murders? And because Opus Dei is involved, your patron is automatically a suspect, if you care about him at all, you will tell me what you know about the Council. Now" she demanded.

Silas' eyes darkened and he glared angrily at Chloe, "To even suggest that the Bishop is capable of murder is a sin!"

Chloe smiled, satisifed in his response, "And if I'm a sinner, what does that make you?" she raised an eyebrow as she watched the internal conflict continue behind the albino's pink eyes.

"I did what I had to to protect my family against those blasphemers" he snapped.

Chloe frowned, "You mean the Priory of Sion?" she asked, Silas spat angrily on the ground, obviously disgusted to even hear their name.

"They're nothing but theives and liars" he replied simply leaning back on his chair, "Now, I will say no more until I recieve my rights to repent!"

Chloe watched him for a moment and thought it best to leave now. She had met Silas and was unimaginable frightened, detesting and intrigued by him. Without another word she got to her feet and collected her things. Only then did she turn back to Silas to say, "I will return tomorrow, but think about this; if Aringarosa cares for you so as your Patron. How is it that he doesn't fight for you? Or even visits you?" she rose an eyebrow as he glared at her, then casually walked out of the room. Once she had locked the door, she leaned against it, closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

She had never met anyone that intense before; it scared and interested her at the same time. And those eyes? Those beautiful but vicious eyes.

"Congratulations, Officer Blanc" a voice said.

Chloe jumped and saw Fache stroll towards her with his hands in his pockets, "Oh, Capitaine".

"That was different," he said, stopping a foot from her.

Chloe looked absently at the door she had just exited, "You were watching?" she asked.

"Of course. And he said to you very much what he said to the rest of us. Except I think he's taken a particular dislike to you, Miss Blanc" he smirked.

Chloe sighed, "Like I said before, Capitaine, I am a little out of my league here. But I am doing my best. Perhaps tomorrow will be a bit more productive once I've looked over these notes" she waved the file in the air, "and perhaps had some dinner and sleep" she hinted.

Fache smiled, "Of course, you are free to leave. I look forward to your report tomorrow" he said, "If you'll excuse me, I need to take the prisoner back to his cell" he said, starting to move off.

"Capitaine, about his request? I think it would be a small favour to offer him if he can help us with the case" she asked.

Fache stood still for a moment, then he looked at her from over his shoulder, "If you knew how he repented, you wouldn't call it a small favour. But I will think about it"

Chloe rolled her eyes at the floor and bid him farewell before back tracking her way back to Collet's office. She rapped her knuckles on the door once more, but on finding the office door locked she assumed he had gone home for the evening and set about doing the same thing.

As she walked down the corridor she came across the man she had shared the lift with, he smiled at her again, but she averted her gaze to the floor and hurried right past him back towards the lift. Once there, she checked behind her and let out a reluctant sigh.

Things are never going to be the same again, she thought sadly.

And with that, she left headquarters' and flagged down a taxi to take her back to her little dark apartment where her frozen meal was probably ruined and the white wine warmed.

-oOo-

pheonix rising06 - Thanks, glad you're liking it so far. No much to go on at the moment as there is only 2 chapters but glad you think it's got potential.

princesse-of-ithilien - Ah, you see I did think of that before I started the story. That's why I have Collet fill in that little plot hole in the beginning of this chapter.

daygonna - Thanks! I good start is always a good thing.

Laura - Another nice review. Cheers!

A/N : Just to avoid repetition. I have read the book and seen the movie. I am aware that Silas dies, but in this fan fiction which is essential AU. Silas is still alive but Aringarosa and the other Council of Shadow's members don't know this. Okay?!