"Nathan, how are you?" Her voice is clear and melodic.

In spite of himself, he feels a warmth in his stomach as he turns to see her. He's clutching a mug of coffee, steeling himself to face another day of performing surgeries and taking care of his patients. He smiled softly at Marni, as she stood in the doorway, twirling one strand of her dark hair around her finger, eyes burning at him from her pale face.

"Congratulations on your engagement." Nathan said, not unkindly, making to leave.

She looked a little sad, not moving from the doorway, blocking his way out. This was ridiculous.

"What?" Nathan asked, wanting to take his leave of this woman who confused him so, but he found himself concerned for her despite himself.

Marni gave him a tight smile, shaking her head causing her wavy hair to ripple in cascades. She wore it loose and it hung long down her back, strands framing her face. She was wearing a delicate, white lacey blouse with a black skirt. There was a black ribbon about her throat. She reminded him of a porcelain doll.

Nathan swallowed slowly, still clutching his mug of coffee. With his free hand he reached out and tucked a stray strand of her hair behind her ear. He felt her hand touch his, holding it to her cheek as she gazed at him with undisguised longing. He faltered, pulling away from her hurriedly. This was not an appropriate situation. He pushed past her hurriedly, spilling some coffee as he did.

"See you." He mumbled, all but running down the hall.

After that ill fated night of drinks, dancing and little umbrellas, and Marni and Rotti's engagement, 'Rotti's fiancée' became a mantra which Nathan repeated in his head whenever he saw her. Willing himself not to notice her, not to feel his heart hurt. There had been a time when they had talked easily. She was a very likeable person, animated and warm. It made him desperately sad, but he wanted to put as much distance between them as he could. Christmas was approaching, the days growing shorter and colder. He walked to work from his small apartment, hugging his thick jacket around him tightly against the chill in the air. It never snowed here but it was still bitterly cold, especially early in the mornings. His breath was like steam in the air. He reached the Geneco building which loomed ominously up into the sky, so far above any other building in the city. It was a foreboding beacon and the centre of the crumbling dystopia which was his home. That building was the centre point around which the city lived and breathed. He entered the building, ready to lose himself in a long day of work.

-------------------

Marni sat, feeling restless, at the dressing table in the large room she shared with Rotti. It was beautifully furnished in a timeless style, all dark shining surfaces and crisp off white carpet. Tapestries hung on the walls which were covered in ornate wallpaper. Everything gleamed, and seemed to exude wealth and luxury. She sat, applying her makeup with a particular attention to detail. She'd never worn much makeup before she became involved with Rotti. She'd been so innocent, back then. She'd arrived in the huge city with hopes of making a good life for herself, after being offered a position at Geneco. Nothing particularly flashy or interesting, just data entry and customer service in the office portion of the immense building. Rotti had noticed her, singled her out one day in passing as he was doing a routine inspection of the building. She'd seen a hunger in his eyes as he approached her. It gave her a thrill of expectance that this powerful and influential man would look at her in such a way. He'd asked her how she was finding the job, said she had been doing good work. That's how it had started. He called her into his office a few weeks later, asked her cordially to accompany him to a benefit. She'd stood there, barely twenty years old and confused.

"You want me to go?"

He'd smiled at her then, standing up from his desk and advancing on her. He'd touched her shoulder with just the lightest of contact, but enough to send shivers of warmth through her body. Rotti Largo, head of Geneco, savior of the world, paying attention to her?

And so it had began, slowly at first but rapidly the relationship had grown. He'd bought her expensive clothes and makeup, hinting to her how he liked her to wear her hair. She'd done it, of course. She'd been so eager to please. Looking back now, she supposed, she had been very naïve in her hero worship of him. Certainly she had grown to love him, in a way. Sometimes she was concerned that she perhaps only loved how he treated her, not Rotti himself.

She finished applying her eyeliner and looked at herself thoughtfully. Then her eyes fell on the large diamond ring on her left ring finger. It was such a large stone, which glittered and gleamed at any small movement of her hand. It wasn't her taste. She liked rather simpler jewelry. But who was she to complain about something like that? It was certainly beautiful and extravagant. Rotti was fond of extravagance. She had a good life with him. She knew that she would never want for anything, with him. He would never deny her gifts, money or his adoration. He said that he loved her, too. Sometimes though, she did wonder. She felt as if she were required to constantly on her best behavior with him, as if she had to keep the real Marni somewhat hidden. She couldn't be loud or silly with him. They never seemed to just talk. It was all extravagant gestures and precise seduction with him. She stared at the ring, feeling apprehensive and confused. Was the promise of a good life enough of a reason to marry him?

She thought of that one brief kiss she had shared with Nathan. Nathan; who made her laugh and who she could talk to for hours about anything. They had known each other less than six months, yet she felt as if she knew him as well as she knew Mag whom she had been friends with since her school days. Marni chewed her bottom lip, still gazing at the ring.

Rotti was powerful, forceful and yet also sweet and caring in his way. Marni felt so lost. She stood up from the vanity, casting one last look at herself. Then she walked purposefully out of the apartment, to board the lift and travel down to her office. Rotti had told her many times that she need not work any longer, but she liked to work. She liked to do something with her days, earn her own money. She liked to maintain the illusion of independence, despite the fact that deep down, she knew that she was his. She was Rotti's property, a fact which had filled her with pride at one time. She tried not to think about it.

------------------

It was Christmas Eve, and it was the Geneco Christmas staff party, held in a huge function hall in the city. GENterns worked the crowds of employees, handing out drinks and passing around trays of food. Small tables had been set up throughout the hall. Employees sat and talked, or flitted around socializing. Some of the drunker staff members danced enthusiastically on the small dance floor in the middle of the room. Nathan shoved his hands in his pockets, brow furrowed. He would have preferred to give the whole thing a miss, but Rotti had insisted he be there. It looked beautiful, he would admit that. The hall had been decorated with expensive Christmas decorations; glittering silver and gold wreaths, bunches of ornamental holly. There were several Christmas trees, which stood around the edges of the room, dressed in glittering white and gold lights that blinked and sparkled as if they were alight with fairies. Nathan sat at a table by himself, very determinedly only looking at the drink he had been handed. The thought of alcohol still made him flush with unwanted memories. Marni. He really didn't want to see her. But oh God, he also wanted to see her so badly. He looked around the room, searching for familiar faces. He didn't really know anyone on Geneco's staff very well at all. He rarely spoke to his colleagues, other than to say hello and goodbye, and things like 'Pass the scalpel'.

Over the softly thrumming music (rock opera versions of classic Christmas carols which were all the rage), Nathan could hear the collective murmur of chatter all around him. He felt oddly separate from all of them. He regarded his untouched drink, coldly. He almost broke a smile, recalling that the fact it didn't have an umbrella in it, meant it wasn't a nice drink. He forced himself not to smile though, forcing the corners of his mouth down. Oh, what the hell. He downed the drink, mostly for the lack of anything else to do. He heard a female's laughter, and he looked up to see a couple of GENterns looking at him from the next table. They were clearly off waitressing duty, and were sharing a large bottle of red wine which they poured haphazardly into their dainty glasses, sloshing the red liquid on the pristine white tablecloth with abandon. Nathan gave them a scathing look – he hadn't much patience for the rather vapid women who stalked about the place, doing the menial tasks that other employees hadn't time for. The two of them both grinned at him and waved. They whispered to each other, grinning broadly, and stood up from their table, stalking over to Nathan's table and sitting down on either side of him. The shorter of the two, a redhead with glowing ivory skin and freckles, spoke first.

"Ooooh, Mr Wallace!" She giggled, taking a large gulp from her glass of red wine, "Would you like some wine?"

Her friend, a deeply tanned brunette with strange, glowing amber eyes, stroked Nathan's arm and eyed him hungrily.

Nathan was torn between being repulsed by these inebriated women, and a little amused at the entire exchange.

"I don't drink red wine, it makes my lips purple." He quipped.

The two girls exploded into laughter again – Nathan wondered if his initial assumption of GENterns may have been astute, that they were all lobotomized – and the redhead pulled a hipflask from the front of her white mini dress that she wore. She had tinsel around her head like a wreath.

"Vodka!" She exclaimed, handing it to Nathan.

Nathan shifted uncomfortably, as the amber eyed girl began to fondle his thigh. He grabbed her hand and placed it firmly up on the table, glaring at her. He took the offered flask and had a sip. It burned. Seeing his disgusted expression set the GENterns off giggling again and they both leaned in close to him, one hanging off each arm. They smelt strongly of a mixture of liquors; red wine and bourbon the most noticeable, each scent seeming to fight for domination of the other. He was very aware of each of the girl's warmth against him, both uncomfortable and slightly amused he disentangled himself from them.

"So, what are your names?" He asked, as the redhead pouted at him, her lips stained purple from the red wine.

"I'm Tequilla!" Exclaimed the brunette, and both girls laughed uncontrollably.

The copper haired girl recovered enough to add, "I'm…Whiskey."

Nathan sighed, as a passing GENtern giggled right along with his two companions, handing him a strange blue drink. There was an umbrella in it. His attention left his companions suddenly and he looked up at the GENtern inquiringly, as she continued to giggle, her red tinted visor all but hiding her eyes. The girls with him did not wear them, he expected it was because they were off duty.

A hush was falling over the room, and Nathan glanced around expectantly. Rotti Largo had just entered, flanked by his bodyguards. Marni was at his side, and Nathan felt his stomach do a strange flip flop movement. The two giggling GENterns, Tequilla and Whiskey (apparently), were all but crawling into his lap, but he was distracted enough by Marni not to deter them. They only took this as an invitation and murmured softly in appreciation, stroking his arms and ruffling his hair.

Marni and Rotti were both smiling and greeting guests, wandering through the crowds, Rotti leading the way. He stopped and chatted briefly to people, shook hands a lot. Suddenly Marni spotted Nathan, who was still being rather compromised by his two female companions, who were drunkenly murmuring suggestions against him. Marni's eyes seemed to widen in horror, and she gave him a look of absolute disbelief. Nathan stood up hurriedly, pushing the two alcohol fuelled GENterns away from him. They pouted and muttered to each other. Rotti spotted Nathan and hurriedly made his way over.

"Nathan! So good of you to come!" He exclaimed, looking as sleek and well presented as ever in his suit of charcoal grey.

He clapped Nathan on the shoulder in a friendly gesture, and Nathan said hello curtly, avoiding looking at Marni.

"Hello Nathan." She said, smiling in a rather forced manner.

Nathan nodded to her, glancing at her and then averting his eyes. She was wearing a cream coloured dress tonight, complete with elbow length gloves. About her neck was a simple cameo necklace, an antique he'd often seen her wearing. It seemed out of place with her more elegant clothes, such as this dress, but it suited her.

Rotti didn't seem to notice the awkwardness and he laughed heartily, "Enjoy the party Nathan, and do let me know if you decide to come for dinner tomorrow night. We'd love to see you there, isn't that right?" He directed this question at Marni, who continued to smile in the forced manner.

"Oh, yes." She said. Her eyes flicked to the two GENterns, who were inching closer to Nathan. "Are these…friends of yours?"

Nathan flinched as Whiskey pinched him playfully on the arm, "Uh, no. I think perhaps they've just had rather too many drinks with umbrellas in them."

Marni looked startled, and a look of pain flashed across her face.

"Must be going, Nathan." Rotti grasped Nathan's shoulder again, before turning and walking away to greet more guests, his arm firmly around Marni.

Marni looked back at Nathan and then turned away. Nathan was left standing there with the two strange girls. He glanced at each of them in turn, mentally weighing up his options for the night.

"I don't' mind if your lips are purple." Giggled Whiskey, as she handed him the bottle of red wine which still had a good deal left in it.

Ah, what the hell. It was Christmas, after all. Nathan took a deep drink from the bottle. Luigi's eldest son had appeared in the doorway. So, his kids were visiting for Christmas. Nathan had rarely seen them, since they spent most of their time with their respective nannies or in boarding schools.

"Merry fuckin Christmas you lame old fucks!" Nathan heard Luigi Largo bellowing from across the room.

Nathan smiled sardonically, those were his sentiments exactly. Whiskey and Tequilla leered at him openly.

Author's note: Feedback really appreciated – do you think it would be terribly ooc for Nathan to get with the GENterns, lol?