Just then someone cleared their throat next to her, catching her attention. Her looked up to see red. Long red, almost blood colored hair, matching eyes and light tan skin. The man was at least six foot five. And a damn handsome devil too.

"Sorry, but do you mind?"

Gemina recovered quickly and smirked, eying him up and down.

"Go for it," she offered, leaning forward as he sat. She couldn't sense anything about him, so unless she was missing a piece of her memories and he was part of her past, he was obviously too powerful for her to read. Her gaze flicked out of the booth to make sure no one without powers was near enough to hear, automatically checking on Sinsa and Axel in the process. "So... Dark-Hunter, Were-Hunter, god, or none of the above?"

He smirked, at which a pair of fangs was noticeable. "None of the above, sweetheart." He looked out to the dance floor and inwardly was surprised to see his friend with a girl. He was not expecting that, not after splitting with Athena. "Damn Kamali..." He muttered quietly.

"Hey, attention here, cowboy," Gemina said, snapping her fingers in front of him. "I'm interested now; you're obviously not a Daimon, so what does that leave in the fanged world?" She subconsciously ran her tongue across her own newly formed canines, making a mental note to be a little more careful about hiding them. Couldn't have normal humans freaking out now could she?

His smirk grew a little. The girl had spunk and seemed to have no problem making herself heard. That was something he hardly ever saw in a human.

"Demon." He answered, his accent seemed to be more of an older version of Romanian. "Course there are a countless different breeds, but for the most part. I'm one of two people that keeps them all in line."

"Demon, huh," Gemina hummed, visibly licking her fangs now. "Sounds exciting. Name's Gemina, by the way, assuming you didn't read my mind or anything; I'm still figuring out the extent of my powers, so I probably can't block you out, if you're as powerful as I think you are."

"You're gonna need a lot more power and at least a thousand years' experience to keep me out." He wasn't bragging, just stating as a fact. "I'm Demetrius. I easily give Axel a run for his money."

"Yeah, I rather figured," Gemina chuckled. The song finished then and Axel and Sinsa returned, the latter still blushing, but smiling with exhilaration.

"Demetrius," Axel greeted.

"Axel."

"You're just in time, Sin," Gemina grinned, focusing on her demon companion. "Demetrius was just about to book my Friday night."

"Oh my god, Gem," Sinsa scoffed a laugh, rolling her eyes. "Aren't you moving a little fast? You've known him, what, two minutes? Sorry about my sister; she's always been a bit pushy..."

Demetrius waved it off. "Trust me. This is not bad. The demons' whining and bitching is much worse."

Axel snickered as he and Sinsa joined them in the booth. "I agree. Banshees are the worst in my option."

Demetrius knew where the reference was coming from and smirked. "Well, you can always just say when you next see the bitch'I personally hate banshees. They're loud and their screeching kills my hearing, but you put them all to shame in one go, Artemis.'"

Axel laughed at that. "You know what. I will do that!"

"Is she really that bad?" Sinsa asked, giving him a look touched with worry.

"Sin," Gemina warned. "Don't ask." Sinsa frowned, but Gemina gave her a sharp look that only women understand.

"Never mind," Sinsa murmured, dropping her gaze to the table. Gemina quickly turned the subject, smirking at Demetrius.

"So about Friday night..." she purred.

Demetrius couldn't resist giving an amused smirk. "If you really want to have sex with me, why wait till Friday?"

Axel hid his laughter by taking a swig from his beer. Sinsa turned red as a tomato at the thought. The fact he openly said it shocked her.

"He's always blunt. He doesn't beat around the bush."

"Y-yeah, I got that," Sinsa blinked as Gemina eyed the demon as though deciding. "I'm used to that from Gem, not from guys..."

"Well, in that case, why wait at all?" the older girl grinned. "I'm sure the Weres have a room somewhere we can dirty up."

"GEMINA!" Sinsa blurted, her blush deepening.

"Oh, like you've never 'done the deed,'" she teased her sister.

"You don't have to be so graphic!" the younger girl protested.

"Oh honey, trust me, that was nothing," Gemina scoffed. "You live with Daimons for seven years, you lose all sense of privacy, seriously."

Demetrius smirked more. "I know they do cause I'm using it at the moment."

Axel shrugged. "This is actually putting it lightly. Hell sometimes the two of us talk about it graphically just for the hell of it."

The demon snorted as he got up. "You make it sound like we sleep together."

"That's what most assume, my friend. Last I checked, neither of us care."

An image of the two men half naked and sweaty flashed through Sinsa's mind and she squealed, covering her face.

"What I wouldn't give for mind bleach!" she whined, trying to push the thought away. Gemina laughed.

"Poor thing," she ribbed. "You wouldn't last a day with Daimons."

Both men chuckled before Demetrius led Gemina upstairs. Axel patted Sinsa's back, even though he still had the smile on his face.

Sinsa made a face.

"I feel like I should hate you," she said blandly, casting a sidelong glare at Axel that held no heat at all. "After all, you're the reason I'm in this mess in the first place." Then a small smile tugged at her lips. "But I wouldn't have Gem back without you, so... Thanks." Leaning over, she pressed a gentle kiss to his mouth.

He gently kissed back, not wanting to push her further than she wanted to.

They both heard the click of a camera and looked up. Emily was grinning and had a camera in her hands. "You two are just adorable." She smiled almost evilly as Sinsa turned red. "When are you two getting married and when do we get to see the kids?" She ran off laughing before Axel could grab her.

"Damn fox..."

"Oh god, this is going to haunt me!" Sinsa mock sobbed. "I'm telling you, I'm cursed. Even in the little things." She shook her head, dropping the act and smiling. "She's going to blackmail me or something, isn't she?"

"Nah." Axel shook his head. "She does it for fun. Although... I think I remember Tory mention in passing that they were trying to get pictures of everyone for some kind of project."

"A project, eh?" Sinsa giggled. "So long as it doesn't involve bikini car washes, I'm in. Had a rather... interesting experience with that a couple of years ago. It was one of the last straws that brought me out of New York and down here to New Orleans." She slipped automatically back into her accent, not even noticing. "Oh, and speaking of; you wouldn't happen to know anyone with a job opening would you? No pressure on 'em please; just get me an interview?"

"Not off the top of my head, but I can ask around." He shrugged then smiled a bit. "Though I wouldn't put it pass Emily and Gemina to double team on you to try to do that."

"Ugh, don't remind me," Sinsa said, wrinkling her nose. "Worst part of having her back, definitely." Without meaning to, she yawned, a huge, gaping yawn that brought tears to her eyes. "Ah, wow... I think I cracked my jaw with that..." She blinked a couple of times, realizing how tired she was. A glance at her watch told her it was already almost two in the morning. "Damn... I haven't slept in almost... thirty hours? Feels like more..."

Axel leaned to place a soft kiss on her cheek. "I'll take you back to my apartment and you can get some sleep alright? Gemina will be fine with Demetrius."

"Yeah... Try anything and you'll lose a couple of things I'm sure are very precious to you," she warned. "I don't care if you're a god or a Saint Bernard; I've got no qualms about gelding a man who can't keep his mitts to himself."

He chuckled. "I actually was gonna offer to give you a massage earlier."

"Uh-huh, sure," Sinsa nodded, rolling her eyes as she let him lead her up to the teleport room. The day's events pressed on her like a physical burden, and she looked forward to dropping it off in dreamland.

He shrugged and wrapped an arm around her waist once they were in the door and the door shut, and flashed them back to the apartment. He showed her to the bedroom. "You can take the bed, I'll crash on the couch."

Sinsa fell asleep in record time, too tired to protest taking his bed. She didn't even bother undressing or taking off her make-up.

Her dreams were jumbled memories and nightmares, jumping from one thing to the next with no transition or order. Donovan advanced on her with a knife, Gemina screamed for help, shadows wrapped around her like a blanket... A tall, dark-haired man she'd never seen before stood surrounded by Daimons, laughing victoriously as they ripped into screaming humans.

Gasping, she jolted upright. For a moment she sat in the darkness, panting and shivering. When the pattering of her heart slowed, she slipped out of the bed and left the room, going down the hall to the living room. Axel was sound asleep on the couch, light from the lampposts outside slicing across his bare chest. She considered tried to curl up next to him, but dismissed the idea and went to the window instead. The sky was lightening in the east with the first touches of dawn, but there was a while yet before the sun showed itself; she'd only slept three or four hours. Leaning her forehead against the cool glass pane, she sighed.

"I can't sleep again, Ma," she whispered, breath lightly fogging the window. "New nightmares replaced the old ones. How long am I going to suffer, Daddy? I've tried so hard to break this curse, but it's still here; I'm still messing things up, still losing people around me. What should I do, Jerrall?" Closing her eyes and taking a breath, she wondered where Gemina was. Probably sleeping off the aftereffects of bedding a demon. She considered going to find her sister, but this was her problem, not Gem's. She'd just have to bear with it.

Axel was actually a fairly light sleeper most of the time. So he had heard her getting out of bed and walking into the room, then the soft whispering of the questions she was asking to family that was long since gone from this world. He let out a silent sigh before standing without making a sound as he was used to doing and came to stand behind her, reaching up to brush some hair out of her face.

"Can't sleep?" He asked quietly as to not ruin the currently peaceful atmosphere. He pretended to have not heard her words so she wouldn't think he was eavesdropping on her.

A soft gasp fell from her lips and she stiffened slightly, relaxing a moment later when she realized who it was.

"...No," she answered, staring at the dancing lights of the city around them. Even at this quietest time of night, people still roamed the streets, laughing and talking. "Never can..." She wished she could be as carefree as the girl outside, giggling as she tried to support her male companion, who was obviously drunk as could be. "...It's all nightmares and terrible memories..." Placing her splayed fingers on the glass, she stared forlornly at the contours of her hand, remembering how her mother used to comfort her after her father died.

He's still here, my child, her mother would say. Just look; these are his hands, hardworking hands that could just as easily cradle a baby bird as every hardship thrown at him. Remember him, little Sin, and honor his memory; find a goal, work hard for it, and never give up. Never lower your hands in defeat.

"...I'm sorry, Dad..." Tears streaked her cheeks. "I put my hands down."

Axel slowly turned her around and pulled her close in a comforting embrace. He started running a hand through her hair as he spoke words of advice he had heard years ago. It had changed his life and his view on it. "It's only when you stop trying to affect the outcome of your life that you are truly defeated. What will come will come. It's how we deal with the shit in between that shapes us."

She slipped her arms around his waist and cried silently, just letting the tears flow, absorbing his warmth and taking in the comfort of silence. He was right, and she knew that, but she still felt weak, messed up. Maybe one day she'd finally get over it, but that day seemed impossibly far away.

Axel carefully picked her up and carried her back to the bedroom. He set her down on top of it but sat on the edge as she wasn't going to be letting go anytime soon. He continued to hold her as he buried his nose in her soft hair, silently offering what comfort he could. He was most likely one of few people who understood about being so weak and helpless, not being able to do anything as everything falls around them.

But as of 2,500 years ago, he was given a reason to get up and keep on fighting after thousands of years of being alone. That reason was not his best friend as any who knew of his history were lead to believe. It was actually the freedom from the hell he suffered in since he was a child. This reason had been sparked when he had done the one thing he had never done before that day. To actually open up and ask for help.

Somehow, Sinsa was able to drift asleep, dreams nothing more than fuzzy bits that she forgot immediately. Here, she didn't have to be strong, or afraid. Here, she was safe, protected, and that's all it took to ease the tension keeping her awake and restless.

Axel went to lay her down and go back to the couch, but her hands tightened on the skin of his lower back. He smiled a little and laid down next to her, bring her closer to let her head rest on his chest as she slept on peacefully.

Warmth edged along Sinsa's shoulder. She wiggled, groggily trying to avoid the light before it reached her eyes. The pillow she was cuddling shifted, pulling her farther from deep sleep, and she groaned, prying open an eye to see who dared to try and take her pillow away. Only to discover it wasn't a pillow.

Squealing in surprise, she scrambled away from Axel, falling off the edge of the bed and landing elbow first on the floor.

"Ow-ho-ho..." she whimpered, gingerly cupping the sore spot. "Funny bone isn't freaking funny..."

Axel woke up when he heard her squeal. He sat up to see if she was alright, the blanket pooling at his waist leaving his chest bare to her view, even though he was wearing pants. "You okay, Sin?"

"Yeah," she muttered. "No, I just broke my elbow thanks to you." She flexed her fingers, slowly working feeling and movement back into her hand. With a satisfied huff, she pulled herself up onto the edge of the bed. And immediately regretted it; he was much too good-looking shirtless!

Blushing, she glanced away, aware of just how messy she was in her rumpled summer dress with her mussed hair and no doubt splotchy make-up. Splotched from tears, she remembered.

"Um, sorry... about last night. This morning," she corrected. "I didn't mean to bother you."

He set his hand on top of her hair before letting it fall down her back, smoothing out the tangles. "It's alright. Sometimes you just need to let it out."

It was then when she glanced back at him that she noticed a tattoo. It was a grey owl sitting on an olive branch just below his right collarbone, it was small in size, but large enough that she could make out what it was.

Reaching out, she gently brushed a finger over it.

"The owl is Athena's mark," she noted, intrigued. "I thought you said Dark-Hunters were Artemis'."

He brought a hand up to cover her own, giving it a gentle squeeze. "They are. The mark of a Dark Hunter is a double bow and arrow." He squeezed her hand again. "Athena is a good friend of mine, and my ex-wife, but she placed her mark on me about a little while after we meet as a warning to two certain individuals to back off and leave me alone."

"Mm, I'm gonna guess mother dearest is one of them," she said, a touch of agitation in her expression that she didn't even realize was there. "Who's the other?"

A tick worked its way to his jaw as he grit his teeth. His answer came out in a husky whisper that was barely suppressing raw emotions. "Apollo."

It was the pain she recognized first. Lifting her hand, she brushed the backs of her fingers against his jaw, searching his face worriedly.

"What did he do to you?" she asked quietly, terrified for him in a way she didn't understand.

A look of hesitation filled his liquid mercury eyes. He turned his face away as he tried to bury his emotions and his memories. He didn't want to see her face gain the look of disgust he had been used to getting back then or throw him out and scream to never come near her again. It would cause so much pain in his heart... and it would surely kill him.

A veil fell over his expression and a tiny bubble of panic built in Sinsa's chest.

Don't you leave me too!

"Axel," she said, forcing her voice to stay calm and even, though inwardly she was practically hyperventilating. "Don't pick and choose with me. You told me the truth about Daimons and Dark-Hunters; it takes a lot of courage to tell anyone that kind of thing, especially when most people would have you committed just for thinking it." She paused to rearrange the rest of her thoughts. "After losing so many people in my life, I know what it's like to fear scaring people away, so believe me when I say nothing you tell me will scare me off." He didn't move for a long moment and the bubble in her chest grew. Closing her eyes and leaning her head on his shoulder, she tried to suppress the trembling.

"Don't shut me out..." she whispered. "Please..."

She it was a shock to her when she felt him start to shake. It didn't feel like one would in laughter or rage. It felt almost like... Fear... His arms slowly wrapped around her and he trembled. His voice even sounded shaken to the core of trying to tell her the truth without bringing up any of the emotions or memories connected to it. "I... I was their tsoulus..." There was a paused before he translated the word for her. "...sex slave."