AN: Alright so Otto's back! Because well, someone has to reign Dara in and let me tell you, Sav's just not cutting it. If you couldn't tell *grins* I overstate the obvious! Anyway, so here we have it, the beginning of the end of Dara and Otto! (Oh yeah, make it sound like we're killing them! That's just great!) So sit back, relax, and enjoy!
Disclaimer: I own Fie and Roman owns Dara and Grace!
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"Boy. Where. Is. Otto?" Sav demanded once more.
Nick shrugged. "Should be in Tartarus with Hades."
Hades rolled his eyes. Did he not just say Otto wasn't down there?
"Should be doesn't make it so. Where. Is. He?" Ash said.
Their attention turned to Dara as she fell to her knees, sobs racking her body.
"Boy you have 15 seconds to tell me where he is, not where he SHOULD be. If you don't, killing you will be fairly easy when my powers will rival hers in a second."
Nick gulped. He really should have thought this out a bit better.
"Fine."
Nick snapped his fingers and Otto appeared in the room, pale and tired looking. He ignored the other occupants of the room, focusing all of his attention on Dara. He didn't know what to do first, kill Nick for making her like that or comfort her. Well it was a no brainer. The others could kill Nick, he'd help Dara.
"Tesoro," he said softly. Dara looked up and Otto rushed to her, cupping her face in his hands and brushing her tears away with his thumbs. "I'm here tesoro. We're both fine."
"Otto, you're...you're not dead." she said, her powers slowing down.
He smiled at her softly and she threw her arms around his neck, her powers finally reigned in. Nick curled his lip at the two.
"Well at least I can kill you together." he said. Zarek burst out laughing. "Shut it Psycho-ass!"
Zarek waved his warning away. "You're even dumber than I thought. You just threatened Sav's daughter while he and a bunch of Gods are standing here."
Astrid smiled as she realized what her husband found so amusing. It was rather stupid of Nick.
"There will be no blood in my temple!" Artie squealed.
Ash crossed his arms over his chest and gave her a knowing stare. "You spill blood all the time here. Don't play dumb Artie, you know what I'm talking about. I suggest," he said turning to Nick, "you leave before Savitar loses hold of the tiny bit of restraint that's holding him back. And Nick? Never touch Dara again. Do I make, everyone's intentions clear?"
Nick nodded once and disappeared.
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"No Tory!"
Tory pouted at Ash. "Come on! The bitch is getting ripped a new one! I have to see that!"
Grace crossed her arms. "I'm with Tory on this one."
Savitar gave his wife a look. "I'm gonna add on to what Ash said. No fucking way, Grace."
Dara smiled at her parents, aunt and uncle from the shelter of Otto's arms. She was on her mom and aunt's side too. She wanted to watch Zeus rip into Artemis. Finally the bitch would be called on all the shit she'd done over the years. Sure the other gods wouldn't get justice for what Ash had gone through but just knowing she was finally being put on a much shorter leash felt right.
"I dunno Ash," Fie said. "someone should really be there with a video camera. This is something that must be recorded."
Valerius and Kyl looked at Fie. "Don't you get any ideas." then at each other. "Cut that out."
The large group broke into laughter as Valerius and Kyl continued to glare at each other. However, Dara's breaking away from Otto had them all looking at her.
She noticed this. "Relax people, I'm just going to the bathroom."
Fie rolled her eyes as they all kept staring. "People, she's been able to pee alone since she was three. Back down, at ease, go back to your drinks. Breathe for crying out loud."
Dara gave her best friend a look. "Thanks for that, Fie."
Fie smiled. "Welcome."
Dara shook her head and headed upstairs to the bathroom. As she got further away from her friends and family, she felt bad but knew none of them would understand what she was about to do. Once she was behind the bathroom door, Dara exhaled slowly before flashing out.
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Nick looked up with a smirk. "You are the last person I expected to see."
Dara cocked a brow. "Really? It didn't dawn on you I might want to kick your ass for almost killing my boyfriend?"
Nick waved a dismissive hand. "I wasn't going to kill him. He isn't who I wanted dead."
Dara nodded. "No, I am. And I gotta ask Nick, since no one knows, why? What did I do to you? I didn't even come into this world until after you, in your words, got screwed over by Uncle Ash and the others. So why would you want me dead?"
Nick met her dead on with a harsh glare. "Because you are one of the things they all hold dear. One of the weaker things, meaning you were easier to get to. Up until you came into the picture with your mother, I never had a way to take Savitar down. Now I do, or did."
Dara watched Nick as Takeshi's words came flooding back into her mind.
'It is up for you to find your heart in order to show him he is wrong.'
Up until now Takeshi's words had just confused Dara but now she could see what he meant.
"Nick," Dara stepped closer. "why do you want to hurt my family?"
Nick turned away from her. "They're the reason I lost my mother."
"So you want them to feel the pain you felt." Dara didn't have to guess on that. Nick nodded. "Pretend it wasn't them who hurt you, pretend it wasn't their fault. Pretend you still care about them. Would you really want any of them to go through the pain you did? Would you really want someone else to feel that?"
Nick shifted his shoulders. "I don't remember caring about them so I couldn't honestly tell you."
Dara shook her head. "I don't believe that. You used to be Uncle Ash's brother. Otto's best friend. Everyone I know still cares so much about you and I know you still feel that same for them, even if it's buried deep down. You just have to find it again."
Nick looked at her. "You're wasting your breath."
Dara smiled softly. "If that was true, I wouldn't still be standing here. You would have killed me already." she closed the gap between them to a few inches and placed her hand on Nick's spider web while her eyes traced his double bow and arrow. "I know the man who believes in what these stand for is still in there, wanting to come home. He just needs help finding the way."
Nick cocked a brow. "You offering that help?"
Dara gave a slight nod. "If you're accepting."
Nick gave a humorless laugh. "Kid, you don't know what you're messing with."
"And neither did you," Dara pointed out. "until you hit the wrong button and I lost control. We both have some pretty strong powers that we're not in complete control of. Face it, we could help each other."
"And what would Daddy and Uncle think of that?" Nick asked.
Dara shrugged. "Who said they had to know?"
"And Otto?" Nick asked.
"He'll go along with it if it helps me." Dara said. "Do we have a deal?"
Nick turned over the hand with his tattoo and shook Dara's hand. "You've got a deal."
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"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?"
Dara jumped as she came out of the bathroom to find Fie and Marissa waiting for her. Damn, how long had she been gone?
"I was-"
Fie cut her off. "Don't say you were peeing. Even Dev doesn't take that long."
Dara sighed. "I was solving a problem."
Marissa frowned. "What problem?"
Dara shook her head. "Don't worry about it, Riss. I've got it under control."
Her best friends frowned but let it go. They trusted Dara to do the right thing and ask for help if she needed it. With that settled, the three headed back down to their family.
~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~
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Yeah, in case you couldn't tell, this isn't the last we'll see of Dara. There will be another story. *points* Katie okayed it! *grins* And before anyone, *gives Katie look* thinks I'm going to screw with Otto and Dara by having her fall for Nick or Nick fall for her, breathe. The only feelings for Nick that Dara might have will be sisterly. Okay? Okay. There will probably be one more chapter to this before it ends and the next story begins so let us know what you think, flame policy stands and thanks for reading.
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