The water on the tiles mixed with the tears that rolled down her cheeks. Ruby had stood in the shower for more then an hour, the water having already gone cold, but she'd made no effort to get out. She just let herself cry, realizing it was the only way to finish the grieving process she'd stymied all those years ago. Her brother was finally at peace, she was safe and…married.

A soft knock at the door and the sound of David clearing his throat broke the silence. "Ruby?"

She didn't answer. But he'd know she was listening.

"You need to come out here, it's important." Ruby blinked as the sound of his footsteps retreating down the hallway grew softer. There was something very wrong. His voice had been calm, but their blood bond spoke high volumes of just the opposite. Ruby rushed, nearly twisting the taps out of the shower wall in effort to turn the water off. Hurriedly she toweled off, struggling back into a shirt and jeans.

She nearly jogged down the short hall to the living room, when the sudden realization of three more vampire presences in the house smacked her nearly on her ass.

"Hey, it's Ruby!" Paul grinned, despite the anxiousness rolling off him. He had his hand jammed in a bag of potato chips, standing in the small kitchenette.

"Hey!" Ruby called back. Suddenly a blur of moment danced before her eyes and she was swallowed in Marko's arms. He was hugging her so tightly, squeezing hard.

"We thought…you and David weren't here…" he was mumbling, his hands all over her sides and shoulders as if to make sure she was actually in one piece and not an illusion.

"What Marko?" Ruby blinked, grabbing his hands and trying to calm him. A tug at the blood bond and her attention snapped to David, who was sitting in the recliner, tense as a cat about to pounce.

He scowled angrily. "Someone entered the cave while the Boys were out. They found traces, scents and some things missing, but nothing to really give any clue who it was."

"The lingering scents points towards vampires." Dwayne interjected. David glared at the dark haired vampire.

"You mean…" Ruby turned it over in her mind. Her mind flashed the vision she'd had and her veins turned ice cold.

"I think it was the Bloods, yes." David nodded. "It happened while we were gone. The Boys came here, looking for us, and…"

"You weren't here!" Marko cried, glaring at David then Ruby, in a mixture of anger and fear.

Dwayne tipped his head. "We were afraid something had happened to you and David. But there were no signs of a struggle and everything was locked tight. Where'd you go?"

"Business." David growled, voice low.

"Ah." Dwayne nodded in satisfaction. Ruby knew Dwayne read more emotional and unseen signals then the others, and almost always was better at interpretation of them. He probably gauged where Ruby and David had gone.

Marko turned to David. "Did you know the Bloods were coming?" David's eyes widened, nostrils flaring in sudden anger.

"WHAT!" he roared, up from his chair. "You think I'd abandon my brothers if I knew we were going to be attacked?" Dwayne grabbed David's arm quickly and held him strongly, his head dipped to David's ear and whispering.

Marko looked at Ruby. The scars of their relationship's end were evident in his eyes.

"Marko, you really don't believe that." Ruby said quietly. Marko's head dropped, his gaze directed to the floor. Dwayne released his grip on David. The blond leader was still angry but not going to act so rashly now.

"Really Marko. Listen to Ruby for once." He muttered, turning and walking into the kitchenette and snatching the bag of chips from Paul. Paul sputtered protest, his mouth half full of chips. "We're going to the cave. I need to inspect the wards, see if I can pull anything. Ruby, you ride with Marko and take Paul. Go the long route. Dwayne and I will go the regular way."

"Why?" Paul asked.

"In case we're being watched." Dwayne was already turning off the lights and opening the front door.

Ruby walked to the bedroom without a word. She heard David and Dwayne's bikes roar to life and disappear down the street. Silently she changed clothes into something more suitable for the evening.

"I'm sorry." Marko stood in the doorway, watching. She'd felt him follow her but hadn't acknowledged him.

"You're still angry."

Marko looked at the door jam. "Yeah."

Ruby ran her fingers through her hair, pulling it up in a ponytail with an elastic band. "Marko, I'm not the girl you loved anymore. I've changed. And not just because of what David did, or…"

"What's that?" Marko frowned, grabbing Ruby's left hand. He eyed the platinum band, grabbed her right hand and found it had been separated from the puzzle ring the Boys had given her years before. "You didn't… you didn't!" he roared, pushing her hands away in rage.

"What's going on?" Paul's form filled the doorway. Marko was shaking, his anger spilling out in the only way he could, would allow himself to express it, his eyes red and fangs descended. "Whoa! Marko?" Paul grabbed Marko's shoulder. "Ruby? What happened!"

"David and I are husband and wife." Ruby's voice was so soft it barely carried to Paul and Marko's ears. Marko visibly flinched at her admission. Paul's eyebrows rose so high they looked almost comical.

"Wow… some 'business' trip." Paul replied after a long moment.

"It wasn't part of it, actually. It just… happened." Ruby picked up her coat from the back of the chair. "I'm sorry, Marko. I'm sorry you have been hurt so deeply, by my doing. I never meant to do that. I'm sorry you suffer so greatly." Her words achingly sincere, she hoped she could reach Marko through his anger. The silence was again awkward, but Ruby caught Marko's head make a tiny nod, a fraction of acknowledgement. He wasn't ready to be at peace with the news, but he had heard her.

"Well…we better go." Paul ventured hesitantly, stepping out of the room. Ruby continued to look at Marko, who was still shaking but seemed to be coming down. Ruby dropped her head and followed Paul outside. Finally Marko came out.

"Ruby can ride with me." Paul offered.

"No." Marko shook his head, his blond curls spread wildly over his shoulders. Ruby locked the front door, reset the ward as David had taught her, and joined Marko on his bike just as he gunned it up the street. Paul gave a cry, startled by Marko's sudden departure, but caught up alongside in a few seconds.

All the way to the cave, they rode in silent acceptance that everything would be dealt with. At hand was a more pressing problem. David was waiting on the bluff as Marko, Paul, and Ruby arrived.

"The Bloods have tracked us down." His mouth was a grim line.