Cirque Degrassi

A/N I got a review asking if I was going to have Clare and Eli in my story. My answer…of course! Everyone who's an important character on the show will be in this. Anyway, we get a deeper look into Fiona and Declan, and maaaaay answer a question or two ;) Thanks for all the great feedback, guys & dolls…keep em coming!

Chapter 03 Choose Wisely…

Declan's attention was jolted when a glass slammed down on his wooden dressing room table. He looked up to see Fiona, wiping a corner of her lips delicately with a cloth napkin. He looked at the glass, thick crimson liquid sloshed around in it.

"I'm guessing that's not wine," he huffed, but stared intently at the crystal glass. She just laughed and exited his room. After a few moments of not blinking , he gently gripped the base, and brought it to his lips. Inhaling deeply, he could smell the freshness. He could even see the girls memories, what was her name? Kim? Irrelevent. It was so vibrant with life still. He took a long drink, finishing it in one swig. How good it felt. It's been far too long.

Holly J burst into the room, jolting his attention.

"That was great!" She exclaimed. "Did you see everyone's faces? I got such chills! Awesome first show. Awesome!"

"You were great Holly J," he said. She blushed.

"Thanks, but I don't think I could have done it without you. I mean, everything happened so fast, me saving your life, me asking you to be a part of the show, you agreeing to travel around with me and everyone…" She paused, and sniffed the air, "Why…does it smell like iron in here?" She looked around, puzzled.

Nervously glancing at the empty-but-stained wine glass, he propped up his sleeved elbow, concealing it.

"No idea. Maybe Riley left his weights around. They are surprisingly potent," he said quickly. Holly J raised an eyebrow.

"Hmm. Weird. I'll talk to him about it," She turned to leave the room, but Declan grabbed her wrist.

"Stay with me," he pleaded, looking at her intently.

"I can't, I've got a lot of work to do. Go out and enjoy the carnival, you recluse," Holly J teased.

"You want me to play games, Holly J?" He tilted his head.

"Carnival games, yes. Why not, it's fun. Maybe Eli and Clare will read your fortune for free," she winked, and dashed out of the room, still blushing.

He'd never understand how sometimes, it was so difficult for her to resist him, when his charm would work on everyone else.

Now that he thought about it, Holly J had such an incredulous pull on him, even from the first night they met. His memories drifted back, to just about a month ago.

/Flashback/

Perusing the streets of Prague, was his biggest fad then. He amused himself with the idea that such a beautiful old city could be so breath taking during the day, with its pointed towers and lustrous history. By nightfall, the whores and junkies would cloud the streets, the backalleys, the sex-trafficking terrorizers polluting, constantly drawing knives from their tattered pockets and syringes from their sallow, tracked skin.

He didn't feel bad here, in fact, he could feed on fear alone. One would think life is so easy when a well-placed hand on another's brittle neck could result in…contentment.

This is also the place where he had decided he would die.

On a freezing, rainy Prague summer night. Letting himself drop to his knees in a dirty clouded puddle swimming with all kinds of infected, diseased amoebas. He could hear the stumble of footsteps, drugged out killers debating whether or not to slice him and search him for cash or narcotics.

In a stupor, bled nearly dry, Declan closed his eyes for the last time.

At least, this was his plan, until a small but firm hand shook his shoulder.

"Oh my God," the faint sound of heels on cobblestone sprinting nearer. "

Hey, hey, can you hear me?" Something warm pressed against his chest; his nostrils filled with the scent of perfumed hair. He was shaken harder, though whomever it was had a hard time moving him. "Oh God, your breathing. Help! Someone help me!" Her voice rang through the chilled air like silver bells in a sunrise. His eyes cracked open, though his vision was blurry.

A dim streetlight was behind her, casting an angelic glow around her frame, her red hair a halo of frizz around the crown of her head. And even though her eyebrows knit forcefully together, and little folds appeared on her forehead, she had lovely bones in her face.

"Can you hear me?" She repeated. The disconcertment that laced her voice made him smile.

"What are you doing here, you…you" he muttered blearily, unable to think of any adjectives.

"What? Look, I don't know who you are, or how you ended up in this—" she scanned the filthy puddle he was crouched in "—here. But we need to get you to a hospital. Ok? Can you stand?" She wrapped both her arms around one of his.

"Don't…you know the rules…about injured people, you're not supposed to…lift them," Declan said with a groan.

"Well, sitting in this disgusting water can't be doing you much better," she said, straining. With a fair amount of effort, she half pulled, half dragged him to the stone wall of the alley. It took a bit for him to regain his breath, but he seemed to be stabilizing.

"Do you have any numbers for cabs? I don't have service out here, and my range is overseas, so it's going to cost a fortune…"

"I'm—cough—fine, I don't need to go to a hospital."

"Clearly."

"Don't you know not to talk to strangers, I could be a junkie. I could stick you with a heroin needle right now," he coughed.

"Doubtful, I gave you a pretty good pat-down when you were unconscious," she lied, but concern still lined her face.

"I could be a serial killer," he said weakly.

"Something tells me that's not the case," she said skeptically.

"You have a terrible judgment of character," He said, surprised, coughing again into his hand.

" I saw you in a café earlier, chatting up a whole group of people. I've seen you around town, too" she confessed, rolling her eyes.

"People said Bundy was a pretty charming guy," he murmered. She had seen him? How did this girl possibly slip under his radar. "You stalking me? Maybe…maybe I'm the one who should be scared," he felt dizzy.

"You are the one in the vulnerable position," she said with a tiny smile. She still looked dead set on getting him to a hospital. She tugged a stainless steel bottle from her gigantic leather purse, showing the opening to his lips.

"Here, drink this," she coaxed. Instinctually, he took a long drink, then quickly jolting he spit out the liquid, making a repulsed face.

"What's in that bottle?" He cried, his face squinting together as if he just sucked on a lemon. She blinked at him.

"Uhm, water?" She frowned, then began to stand. "I'm Holly J Sinclair. Let's get you out of here and to a doctor," she spoke calmly, so she could hold his attention, so he wouldn't get alarmed and slip back into unconsciousness.

"You're bleeding, Holly J Sinclair," he said, pointing to a gash on her wrist. She glanced down, absent mindedly. He took her wrist, and surprisingly she didn't protest. They locked eyes, and slowly, without looking away from her, he brought her wrist up to his mouth, and pressed his lips to her cut. He gently lapped at her wound, his yellow-green eyes, holding her frozen stare. Several moments passed, and he let one of his canines scrape against her wrist.

Snapping out of her trance, she quickly pulled her arm back. She blinked, confused, and looked at him, to her wrist, then back at him.

"Declan," he said, taking her hand again, shaking it gently. She did not remember the moments before…but she did not ask to take him to a hospital again. He also hadn't told her his name.