AN: Alright so I'm waiting for Cassie to realize she sent me to start this instead of working on my Wicked Game story, where I left my main character dead, but in the mean time I will give you some of this! It's going to be dangerous and awesome all the way around! We will get to see our first appearance, well really real appearance, from Nick. Boy do we hate the new and not improved Nick. We want Kyrian's Nick back. So sit back relax and enjoy!
Disclaimer: I own Fie and Roman owns Grace and Dare!
~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/
Dara sat in class, waiting for the teacher to dismiss them. It was a big class, psychology, and everyone was anxious to leave. Especially Dara, she had a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach and Otto's refusal to go to college, again, left him waiting outside.
Last night after their dance, the bears kept throwing glances at both Kyl and Otto, none of them explaining what it was about to Fie and her. Was Otto leaving her? Her stomach dropped at the thought. Maybe he had done his job and was leaving to be a squire again. He couldn't. Otto was her best friend and he couldn't just leave like that.
She didn't even notice that everyone else was packing up and leaving. She shoved her books and laptop in her bag and stood up, making her way towards the back. Someone put their hand on her arm to stop her. She turned with a frown on her face. She took an instinctive step back as she looked at Nick Gautier, enemy to Uncle Ash and dad and Otto's ex-best friend. Nick Gautier the world's newest Malachai. He could easily kill her with a single thought, but something about his demeanor said he wouldn't hurt her, yet.
"You look just like your mother." he said. Dara didn't know whether to be complimented or insulted. "I'm surprised not even Otto would redo college to be by your side. He cares for you, you know? He was never good at words though."
Dara snorted. "Oh yeah, because from the stories I here, you had a way with them. I think Aunt Tabby once told Otto you weren't real swift in English. Now tell me, Nick. Are you still that person that everyone misses and tells me stories about?"
The anger on Nick's face made Dara rethink saying that. He took a threatening step forward, but before he could get any closer, Otto was standing between them. Dara was pressed firmly between Otto's back and the wall.
"How nice of you to join us, Carvalleti." Nick said. "I see you sensed your girlfriend was in danger. Maybe you should teach her to hold her tongue."
Otto looked like he was ready to pounce on Nick. If not for the fact that Dara's arms were wrapped tightly around him, while her head was buried in his shoulder, he probably would have. But she came first and always would.
"Maybe you should pick on someone in your own power level." Otto shot back. "Oh wait, that's you. Sucks to be alone, doesn't it Nick? Now, before Ash, Sav, and Apollymi find out you've threatened Dara's safety, I suggest you leave."
Nick sneered at Otto. "I'm not a squire you control anymore and I'm sure as hell not afraid of you or those with measly powers like Savitar." he looked at Dara, hidden behind Otto. "Be warned, Dara O'Neill. I'm not done with you or your little pet here just yet."
~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~
Dara could protect herself against daimons, much to the dislike of Savitar, Ash and Otto. Her powers were slowly becoming greater then her mother's and yet one encounter with Nick and she found herself shaking the entire rid home.
Otto had tried to lunge at Nick after his threat but the former Cajan had vanished into thin air before Otto could lift a foot. Otto had let out a nice string of curses in several different languages before pulling Dara into his arms and holding her for a good twenty minutes. Then he promised her that he would die before Nick laid a finger on her.
They arrived back at the house and Otto wasn't surprised to find Savitar waiting out front. The 'other' had probably picked up on something being wrong with his daughter when they were miles away.
Savitar pinned Otto with a look and Otto gave one of his own that said he'd explain once everyone was there. Everyone being Ash, Tory, Grace and Savitar. Otto wrapped an arm around Dara as they walked passed Savitar into the house. Thankfully everyone was in the house so Otto could deliver the news right away.
"Nick paid Dara a visit after class." he said.
Dara heard her uncle and father curse while feeling her mother and aunt's powers serge. She knew they'd be mad. Hell, she was mad. If Nick thought he was going to hurt her in any way, with or without her family around, he was out of his mind.
"Are you alright?" Savitar asked Dara.
She nodded, though she had yet to move from Otto's side. "He just rattled me. I'm fine. Pissed but fine." she saw Savitar getting ready to speak again and saw what he was going to say. "I'm not stopping school, Dad. Forget it. I'm not afraid of him."
"You should be." Everyone in the room echoed.
Dara's anger was shifting to them. "Tough. I know Nick is more powerful then you guys but until he does something that puts me in physical danger, I'm not putting my life on hold. You did that when I was younger after Stryker. I won't let it happen again."
"We just want you safe, Dara." Grace said.
"And I will be." Dara said. "I've got Otto, I've got my powers. I can protect myself."
Otto cocked a brow at her. "So that's why you were shaking like a leaf the whole way home? Because you can protect yourself?"
Otto was almost sure he heard the collective wince from Grace and Tory before Dara, Savitar and Ash turned on him. And the Italian steps in it. Again.
Dara glared. "Yes, I'll admit I was scared but I had never come face to face with Nick before. I'd only heard stories. So excuse me, Mr. Squire, if I had some trouble dealing with it."
Before Otto could fix his mistake, Dara grabbed her bag and stormed up the stairs. He went to follow but Ash and Savitar stopped him. And the hits just keep coming. Fuck.
"You are Dara's best friend," Savitar said in a low, calm voice that told those who knew him that he was ready to blow. "and you have the idiocy to say something like that to her? If you thought Nick was Gator Bait, that's nothing compared to what I'm going to do to you."
Grace stepped forward before Savitar could do anything. "Pull it in, Rambo. He spoke out of fear. We've all done it." she looked at Otto. "Get your ass up those stairs, now."
Otto needed no further prompting. He slipped passed Savitar and Ash and darted up the stairs.
~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~
Otto stopped outside Dara's room and felt a pang of guilt as he heard Dara muttering to herself in Italian. She was upset about what he said. Running a hand over his face, he resisted the urge to smack his head into the wall, like he knew Ash and Savitar wanted to do.
He knocked softly. "Dara? Can I come in?"
"Depends," she said through the door. "gonna be a complete asino again?"
Otto almost laughed. Jackass in Italian. Yeah that summed it up.
"I'm gonna try not to."
The door opened and Otto felt like he'd been punched as he saw the tears in Dara's eyes. Well shit.
"Oh tesoro," Otto muttered. He slipped and called her sweetheart but at the moment, he didn't care. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you cry."
Dara wiped her eyes. "It wasn't just you, Otto." she let him in the room and they both automatically moved to sit on Dara's window seat. "It's the whole thing. I know I was young when Stryker hit but I remember it and I don't want to feel like that again."
Otto pulled Dara into his arms. "You won't. I'm not going to let Nick anywhere near you."
Dara sniffed and pressed her forehead against Otto's neck. "You're not strong enough to stop him and I can't let you get hurt keeping me safe."
Otto slid a finger under Dara's chin and lifted her face so they were looking at each other.
"Who said anything about letting me?" Otto asked as he used his thumb to wipe away her tears. "I didn't call you tesoro for the fun of it. You are mine to protect and I'm not going to let a damn thing happen to you."
Dara didn't have any words. The happiness at knowing Otto cared about her as she cared about him was caught in her throat so she did the only sensible thing she knew. Closing the small gap between them, she kissed him.
~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~
Begin Transmission
*holds ear* I already need a hearing aid, Katie! Cut the squealing! *sighs* Alright peoples, Nick has set his first piece into play. Time for our guys to do the same. Let us know what you think, flame policy stands and thanks for reading.
End Transmission