Disclaimer: Twilight is the property of Stephenie Meyer
This chapter is dedicated to Noble, Bibika94, Fadewind, Alphabloodwolf, justandsimplyme, Lsb123, BellaNessieCullen and Alexsandra
That Sunday morning I luxuriated in the shower. There was plenty of hot water since nobody else had decided to rise yet and I had the bathroom all to myself as I dried off and dressed. I wrapped my hair in a towel and bundled up my laundry to take back to my room.
I placed my laundry into the sack and sat at my workstation and began the long process of blow drying my hair and styling the curls into neat disarray. It was a compromise I had come to long ago. My hair wished to be wild a chaotic, I would allow it to be chaotic provided it was to my liking.
Once my hair was complete I rose to my feet and gathered my jacket and purse. After some consideration I picked up the laundry sack and placed it into the basket to take with me. It was Sunday after all and it was this day that I washed my clothing. Besides, it was a good cover for why I was out for the day.
"You doing laundry?" Dove asked.
"Yes." I replied.
"I've got a couple of things…" She began.
"I am not falling for that one again." I declared cutting her off as I placed the sack into my laundry basket. "Last time you asked me to help you out I ended up doing all of your laundry from the previous two weeks. I believe that was two weeks ago." I said with a chuckle. "We will come to some arrangement." I added after some consideration. "But today I have my own laundry to do."
"Well at least you're honest." Dove said with slight embarrassment.
"I will see you tonight." I said firmly, then left with my basket in my arms.
I arrived in the common room to find the good Mal sitting on the chair nearest my corridor. He had showered too, his mousy hair now shone beneath the lights and it was styled into disarray. I smiled slightly to think that his choice in hairstyle was similar to my own, although it was most likely for very different reasons.
"I thought we were going for coffee." Mal said with a frown as he spied my laundry.
"We are." I said with a smile. "But Sunday is laundry day and I like to stick to my schedule."
"But there's practically nothing there to wash." He observed.
"I like to stay abreast of things. If I neglect my laundry this week then perhaps I will do so next week and soon I will have no clean clothing and a months worth of laundry to attend to." I explained.
"That's a good point." Mal said nodding his head. "Hang on a mo. I'll just go get mine. I've been putting it off but I may as well get it done means we're going to the laundrette anyway."
"Very well." I said, taking the seat next to him.
He got to his feet and disappeared into his corridor. He returned a few moments later carrying a huge bundle of laundry in his arms.
"Have you no laundry bag?" I asked.
"Nope." He said, standing waiting for me.
"You can not transport your laundry in this manner. What if you were to drop an item?" I demanded.
"Meh!" Mal replied.
"This is not efficient at all." I said frowning at him. "But I believe I have a solution for the time being."
I went to the kitchen area and opened the little cupboard beneath the sink that was home to many cleaning products and also the garbage sacks. I tore one from the roll and opened it as I returned to where Mal stood.
"Here you go." I said, holding the sack open for him.
He looked at the sack for a moment before he dropped the clothes into it. I felt the weight but adjusted my arms accordingly to account for it. His laundry weighed more than my own and I wondered how long it had been since he had washed them. Perhaps he was one of those who took their laundry home during the holidays for their parents to tend to.
I closed the bag and handed it to him. Mal swung it over his shoulder as I picked up my basket and we headed for the stairs since the elevator was still out of order. Not that I minded the stairs, but I was unsure if Mal would manage them under the weight of his laundry.
"If we go to the laundrette, we can start our loads, then once the cycle has started I will go purchase our coffee, while you guard the machines." I said as we stepped out into the early morning light.
"Why do I have to guard the machines?" He asked.
"Would you prefer to get the coffee and I guard the machines?" I asked with a frown.
"Why would we need to guard the machines?" Mal asked.
"Have you even been to the laundrette?" I asked as we made our way across the campus.
"Not really." Mal said. "I wear the same clothes for about a week then wear the next lot. I wash all my clothes when I go home for the holidays."
"I suspected as much." I said with a smile. "But what of your delicates?"
"My what?" He asked, although I was certain he was being deliberately obtuse.
"Your underwear?" I asked.
"Oh. Well I make sure I have at least one lot for every day I'm here and then about ten spare pairs." He replied.
"That's not very efficient. You would decrease your load considerably if you were to pack enough for a fortnight and wash them every week." I pointed out.
"My system is working so far." He said with a shrug.
"I think you will find my system more to your liking once you have become accustomed to the pattern." I countered with a smile as I realised I was enjoying this back and forth.
"Well there's no harm in giving it a go." He conceded and I felt elated to have one the debate.
Finally we arrived at the laundrette, and as always at this time on a Sunday morning it was empty.
"Just the way I like it." I said.
"Why?" Mal asked.
"If there are less people." I replied as I placed my basket upon the counter, "Then I am not rationed to one machine and my laundry is ready in less time. It is more efficient." I said as I began to separate the loads.
"Why don't you just shove it all in the one machine?" He asked as he started to do just that.
"Heavens no!" I declared, taking the sack off him and placing it on the counter. "You can't wash them all together." I said as I began to quickly sort his clothes into piles. "If you were to wash your towels with your darks then you run the risk of fluff. If you wash your whites with your colours there's a chance the dyes will run. Woollens should always be washed separate from other loads and the same goes for your delicates."
"That's a lot of loads." He said, his eyes going over the piles I had created.
"But it makes your washing last longer." I said as I placed my colour load into the nearest machine.
Mal placed his colours into a machine and frowned.
"But that's barely half a load." He stated.
I bit my lip in consideration.
"What the hell!" I declared as I grabbed his colours and placed them in with mine. "Now it's a full load." I added as I slammed the door shut.
"But you just mixed our stuff up." He protested.
"We can separate them later. I think we can tell your clothes from mine fairly easily considering I tend toward feminine tops and you are over a foot taller than me."
"I guess." He said as I started the load.
I began to gather up the other loads, mixing his things with my own. It was better this way since we'd be taking up half the number of machines and I'd feel a little less guilty of hogging them.
"Even our delicates?" He asked as I came to our underwear.
"They are being cleansed." I pointed out as I threw my underwear into the drum. "You may add yours yourself if it makes you feel better."
Mal looked a little uneasy but he picked up the last pile of his clothing and threw them in with my own.
"Was that so difficult?" I asked with a grin as I closed the door.
"No. It just seems a little like couple territory." He said, wrinkling his nose slightly.
I giggled at the notion.
"It is only laundry Mal. It is hardly a marriage proposal." I teased as I patted him on the arm.
Mal wriggled his nose at me and I grinned widely.
Mal frowned.
"What's wrong?" I asked.
"You just remind me of someone." He muttered.
I shrugged.
"I get that a lot. I have one of those faces." I stated.
"I guess." Mal observed, looking uncertain.
"Never mind. What coffee would you like?"
"Latte. Two sugars." Mal replied.
"Snap." I said with a giggle. "That is what I drink. I will go buy us one each. If the timer goes before I return add a capful of my fabric softener to each machine." I stated.
"A capful?" He asked.
"Yes. No more. No less." I warned.
"Yes ma'am." He said with a salute.
"I shan't be long." I said with a laugh.
I went to buy the coffee from the shop across the road from the laundrette. When I returned Mal was pouring a capful of fabric softener into the last machine. I smiled as I made my way to him.
"I'm glad I brought you along." I said, as I handed him his latte. "I usually have to stand on a stool to reach the drawer."
"You're not that short." He said.
"Oh, but I am." I said as I stood next to the machine to demonstrate.
"Hmmm." He said, as he sat up on the counter. "What's it like being that short?"
"Since I have never been tall I have nothing to compare it to." I said, pulling myself up on to the counter beside him. "It is similar to when people ask me what it is like to be a twin."
"You have a twin?" He asked intrigued.
"Yes. But have no fear; there will be no Shakespearean style mix-up of identity. My twin happens to be a boy." I assured him jovially.
"What about Twelfth Night?" He pointed out.
"There is that play of course, but then my brother and I look nothing alike. He is a lot taller for a start. Taller than you in fact." I said with something akin to pride that I could boast this about a member of my family.
"Really?" Mal asked.
"Yes. So there has never been a risk of mistaken identity. Or the opportunity to play tricks on people." I said the latter rather sourly.
"What's the point in being twins if you can't confuse people." Mal observed with a chuckle.
"Exactly." I said with a smile.
"So are we gonna talk about last night?" He asked suddenly.
"Pardon?" I asked, taking a sip of my latte as I wished to avoid this discussion so soon.
"Well it's obvious you're avoiding the issue. We've discussed laundry and the fact that you're short, but you haven't said a thing about last night."
"This is hardly the place for such a discussion." I said flatly.
"Why not? There's nobody else here." He stated, gesturing at the empty laundrette, but at his words the door opened and a group of girls walked in.
"Hey Liza." Annis said cheerfully as she propped her basket up on the counter. "You here again?"
"Every Sunday on the dot." I said cheerfully thankful for the interruption.
"I see you've got some company this week." She said as she began to load all her laundry into the nearest machine.
I had to grit my teeth to avoid giving her advice.
"Won't Mal get upset?" She asked.
"Malcolm can go to hell for all I care." I said darkly.
"Really? But you seemed so loved up yesterday." She observed and I was unsure of this observation, but then I had no clear recollection of my behaviour at the party.
"I was the victim of mistaken identity." I replied. "The night I was given shelter I was too drunk to truly remember the face of my saviour. Having only one name to go by I foolishly assumed it to be the Mal I already knew. I did not consider the fact that there could be two people of the same name. This is the Mal who saved me, not that wretched cur I have wrongly courted these past weeks."
"Hey." Mal said, looking a little uncomfortable.
"Hi." Annis responded. "You're in my psychology class right?"
"Yeah." Mal said with a nod.
"Glad to finally know your name." She said "I've been wanting to speak to you for ages, but you're always the first to leave the class and well, I could never find the courage."
"Do I come off as scary?" He asked softly and there was a slight change to his accent, gone was the hints of Welsh and he sounded every bit an American.
"No. Just seems like you want to be left alone." Annis replied.
"Sometimes I do." Mal observed. "But I'll always talk to people if they strike up a conversation."
"I'll remember that in future." Annis said with a wistful smile.
The timer went and I got down from the counter to move the first load to the tumble dryer as Mal and Annis continued to banter. I felt a strange flutter in my stomach as I watched them talk. Why did I suddenly start thinking of Annis in a negative light? She had given me no cause to.
I reached for the second machine as the second timer chimed, but Mal opened the door for me.
"What's wrong?" He asked in a low voice, as he pulled the load from the washer and transferred it to a different dryer, and those hints of Welsh were back.
"Nothing." I assured him.
"You've just gone quiet all of a sudden."
"I like to get my laundry finished as soon as possible." I replied as I moved the third load. "And when I get into the flow of cleaning I tend to fade away from the bustle of life around me."
"Ok." He said although he didn't sound convinced.
I decided to lose myself once more in the delights of laundry.
"I'll leave you get this one." He said, when he reached the last load.
I sniggered as I removed the delicates and transferred them to the dryer.
"You're blushing." I teased, and nudged him with my shoulder.
He chuckled and nudged me back.
Then we stood there for a while watching the clothes tumble.
"Is it just me?" I whispered, "Or is there something soothing in watching clothing spin around?"
"It is kind of mesmerising." He observed in a dazed voice.
"I think I have found a kindred spirit in you Mal." I said softly as the clothes continued to tumble.
He laughed again and nudged me half-heartedly.
The timer chimed, rousing me from my daze. I removed the first load, which was towels, and began folding them before placing them in the bottom of my basket. I placed Mal's in a neat pile on the counter before putting them into his garbage sack.
I did this with each load and Mal had no objections until I came to the last load. The delicates. I was happily separating and folding when Mal stopped my hands and tore something from them. It was a pair of his boxer shorts.
"You don't have to fold my underwear." He said with panic evident in his voice.
"I must fold everything." I said, taking them back and folding them before placing them in his sack.
"Look, I don't mind you separating them, but you don't have to fold them."
"I must fold everything." I said firmly. "I like things neat, and clothes need to be folded." I added as I continued in my task.
"Well, if I promise to fold them will you not do it?" He asked.
"If you fold them correctly." I said, picking out a pair of my panties and folding them.
As Mal picked out his own pants and folded them, completely wrong I might add, I had to fight the urge to correct him. He might think me completely insane if he did not on evidence of my behaviour so far.
I managed to get through the rest of the delicates without commenting on his lack of skill at folding. It consisted of my ignoring him until the task was complete, but it saved argument.
"So what now?" He asked.
"We return the laundry to our rooms and the rest of the day is ours to do with as we please." I said happily as I picked up my basket, basking in the glow of a job well done.
"Yay!" He cheered as he swung his sack over his shoulder.
We made our way quickly across campus now in order to be rid of our clean laundry and start our day. As we ascended the stairs a thought occurred to me.
"I promised Dove I would be gone for the day. She is more than likely making use of our room with Dermot since she didn't last night. Would it be wrong of me to drop off my laundry?"
"Well technically it is your room too. But if you got some kind of agreement going then it's probably best not to breach it. Just dump it in my room. You can pick it up later." He said with a shrug.
"But I always place my laundry in my own room when I return from the laundrette." I said, feeling a slight panic.
Mal gave me a curious look.
"But I feel I can break from my schedule for this week." I stated as I felt my heart pound in my ears.
"Unless of course you change your schedule and I'll do my laundry with you on Sundays from now on and you can always leave it in my room afterwards. We can make the most of our Sundays then whilst giving your roomy free reign for the day. This will give you more ground to work on when she breeches your contract."
"A new schedule." I said, nodding my head. "I think I can adjust to a new schedule if it is to become a regular occurrence."
"Course it is." Mal said with a smile.
I managed a smile before I followed him to his room. He took the basket from me since my fingers would not let it go. He placed it on his desk and I had to resist the urge to request a less conspicuous location.
"Shall we go?" He asked, indicating the door.
I nodded my head and left his room, trying not to think of my poor laundry out on his desk.
"Let's grab some ice-cream." He declared.
"Ice-cream?" I asked.
"My treat. Nothing better than an ice-cream as you walk in the park on a hot Sunday." He said brightly.
"That sounds most enjoyable." I stated as we descended the stairs once more.
Ice cream is very messy, but I have developed a way in which to eat it without becoming sticky. I was employing this method now as we walked along the pathways in the little park near the campus.
"Can I ask you a personal question?" Mal asked.
"I believe you will ask whether I give permission or not. And if I refuse at first my curiosity will gnaw at me until I beg you to ask me. Therefore ask away and I will choose whether to answer or not."
"Ok. Do you have OCD?"
"Excuse me?" I demanded indignantly
"Look. It's no big deal if you have. One of my really good friends has it. It can get a little annoying at times, but I know what he can tolerate and what he can't. It makes life easier. So if you do have a touch of it just let me know and I'll try not to step outside your boundaries."
I looked at him for a long moment.
"I am merely a neat freak." I stated.
"Ok. You're a neat freak." He said with a laugh. "It's good that we're sharing."
I gave him a wary look as we sat on a bench. Mal chose to sit up on the backrest while I perched primly upon the seat.
"So, do you want to talk about last night?" He asked.
"There is nothing to discuss. Malcolm acted in an untoward manner, I fended him off and left the room." I stated.
"You should still report him." Mal said firmly.
"But nothing happened. Nothing will come of my report." I said, shaking my head sadly.
"Maybe they can't do anything now. But it might help some girl in the future if he's already got a mark against his name."
I thought about Sophie for a moment, but there was no guarantee that she would report it, even with the new evidence I had to offer. There was also a very good reason I couldn't share this with too many humans, because how would they believe that a little thing like me could fight Malcolm off?
"I can not take this to the authorities." I said sternly.
"Ok Liza. I think we need to pause a minuet." Mal said, holding his finger in the air as if he was pressing a pause button. "You're talking to me like I'm some ignorant human and I think it's because you've been letting your head guide your senses."
"Excuse me?" I demanded as I felt a sudden wave of unease.
"Liza, smell with your nose. What do I smell like?" He demanded.
I frowned, and sniffed at him.
"That cologne you were wearing last night." I replied.
"I don't wear any cologne, or any scents at all. You only cover yours with those yuchy chemicals to stop your roomy getting suspicious. Now let your nose do the smelling." He said, placing his finger gently against my nose. "Not your head."
I sighed but complied. I took in his scent and tried not to think of it.
"You smell of open spaces. The grass beneath the sky. Wool warmed by the sun. Dog before an open fire. Clean and humble, hardworking. So tantalising." I whispered.
I opened my eyes and looked up into his grinning face.
"Got it in one." He said. "Now feel with your hands." He commanded as he lowered his head, grabbed my hand and placed it against his forehead.
"You have a fever." I gasped. "Are you ill?"
"If I am then you have it too." He said, moving my hand and placing it against my own forehead, I fluttered my fingers and noted the similarities.
"Listen with your ears." He said softly.
I closed my eyes once more and I heard the thrum of his heart, just as I had the night before. The night before I had not taken in the similarity it had to a few others I had heard. I placed my hand to his chest and felt the quick thudding. I gasped slightly as I placed my hand over my own heart, caught in that same humming bird rhythm.
"You are like me." I gasped. "You are a half vampire."
Mal nodded happily.
I placed my hand to my mouth as I felt the shock rock through me. I let out a sudden burst of laughter.
"What's so funny?" He asked.
"I just gleaned the meaning of your joke from last night. 'Dhampir by Jeremy' indeed!" I said with a snigger.
"I thought it was a good joke myself." He observed.
"Oh it is most amusing now I understand it is a joke." I said kindly. "But how strange the twisting web of fate should bring us here together now I choose to seek a normal life."
"A normal life?" He asked.
"I came here to escape the otherness of my family. I'd like a few years of my life where I can forget that the supernatural exists."
"How are you gonna manage that when you need to feed?" He asked with a frown of concern.
"I'm good at denial." I said flatly. "And I have a strong will and can resist the temptation to feed."
"You're not feeding?" Mal gasped. "Do you know how dangerous that is?"
"Not at all." I stated firmly.
"No Liza, it's very dangerous." He said in suddenly serious voice. "When was the last time you fed?"
"About a month before I began college." I surmised, although I was unsure of the exact length.
"So about two months ago then?" He calculated.
"About that, yes." I conceded.
"Thank god!" Mal exclaimed. "Any longer and you might have snapped."
"I am doing well." I assured him.
"That's what I thought." Mal said darkly. "I left it four months before the burning got unbearable. You feel it right? In the back of your throat. Like really bad heartburn. But it growls in your stomach and urges you on. Luckily there weren't any humans around when I finally snapped. I don't think I could have coped with the guilt of that." He said, shaking his head bleakly.
"Then what do you suggest I do?" I asked, caught up in his undeniable honesty.
"I'm going hunting next Friday, you could come with me. But to keep up with your 'denial' thing we could always pretend we're just out hiking." He said with a grin.
"Just hiking?" I mused. "Yes. I think that would suffice." I conceded. "Do you hike often?"
"I find once a month is usually enough provided I have a good hike." Mal replied.
"I think it is a tempting offer, but I would wait until Thursday night to give you my answer if that is fine with you?" I asked.
"I'll give you until Thursday, but I really think you should go. You'll start getting shaky soon and find it hard to push those urges down. I know from experience."
"I will let you know on Thursday." I said firmly.
Mal nodded and we fell into an awkward silence. We finished our ice creams caught for a moment in that awkward place as I sought for subjects to alleviate the tension between us.
"Have you ever had any trouble with the Volturi?" Mal asked and the question came so out of the blue that I lost any caution I would have normally used in such a situation.
"Hell no!" I declared, the very idea!
"Come on, most half vampires have had trouble with the Volturi. Unless you're unknown!" He gasped. "You're taking a risk getting on the system like this. If the Volturi ever catch you you're dead."
"The Volturi know not to mess with my family." I declared smugly, until I realised my pride had revealed more than I'd intended.
"Ah… So you're one of the famous Cullens." Mal said watching me with new found interest.
"I am descended from them." I admitted.
"Hmmm…" He said as he scrutinised my face. "That's it!" He declared. "That's who you remind me of."
"Who?" I asked, feeling suddenly wary.
"Tobias. You talk like him. You have the same hair as him. You're a complete neat freak. I bet he's your father." Mal said, happy with his deduction.
I just looked at Mal, not answering either way, afraid of what he'd deduce next.
"Then if your father is Tobias then your mother is Essie." He said a little proud of himself, but I suddenly felt cold toward him.
I shot to my feet and began to walk away from him.
"What did I say?" He asked, catching up with me and taking my hand.
"I don't want to talk about…about her." I said.
"What? Why?"
"Because of what she did." I growled.
He turned me to face him and raised my chin so I had to look him in the eyes. "What did she do?"
"She abandoned us." I said harshly remembering back to the hate that had consumed me for the first years of my life.
"Essie left Tobias?" He asked with a frown.
"No. She took him with her." I said bitterly.
"I'm confused." Mal said with a frown.
"Do you know of the Battle of Volterra?" I asked, deciding to start at the beginning, at least my beginning.
"I was there." Mal said proudly.
I paused to look at him for a moment, "How old are you?"
"Thirty four." He admitted sheepishly as he kicked at the dust on the path.
"So why are you stalking teenage girls in college?" I demanded.
"I'm not." He protested.
I gave him a look.
"I had no intention of socialising beyond being on 'Hi. Bye.' terms with people, and even when I sensed what you were I decided to let you get on with your own business. But you just kept getting into trouble and I had to help you then. If us dhampires don't look out for each other who will, right?" He asked with a laugh and I was reminded of what Jericho had said the day before.
God was that only yesterday? It seemed as if years had passed since then.
"I did stay away from you since I thought you didn't want anything to do with me." Mal continued. "I thought you'd come here for the same reason I did and that didn't include contact with our world. What I came here for was to get some education so I can set myself up in the world. I'm tired of just travelling from place to place with no destination in mind. Having to look out for the real vamps because a lot of them think they'll score points with the Volturi if they kill our kind off."
"You've been alone for a very long time." I said, touching his cheek lightly as it became apparent how out of touch with our world he happened to be.
Mal looked at me for a moment as if lost, but then he blinked and shook his head.
"You were telling me about why you hate your mother." He said pointedly.
I stepped away from him before I continued.
"Were you there when the Fire Twins were destroyed?" I asked.
"I held them in place when Essie clamped down their mind powers so the Volturi guard could do their work." He said as if it were no great feat, despite the fact that it had helped win the battle, and now my pulse raced with excitement as I stood face to face with someone out of family legend who I had yet to make the acquaintance of.
"Malachite." I said slowly taking pleasure in speaking the name I had always found so beautiful, "You're Malachite." I said in wonder as I looked back up into his very green eyes.
"At your service." Malachite said with a bow.
I smiled for a moment before I continued. "Then you know that everyone who was there at their downfall lost a day of memory?"
"Yes."
"My parents spent it…" I trailed off, unable to phrase it.
"Right." Mal said with a knowing nod. "Tobias said."
"And without the precautions they had to follow when…"
"He told me about that too." Mal said, cutting me off and I realised that the thought of my parents' love life was as daunting to him as it was to me. Then a look of realisation crossed his face. "Oh my god, that was you?" He gasped placing his hands on my shoulders as if to confirm my existence. "You were the ones who were born after the battle?"
"Yes, that was Tony and I. Mother gave birth to us, then left us to be brought up by our relatives. What's worse she concocted a scenario to make my father think we were dead."
"They both thought you were dead." Mal said softly as he dropped his hands from my shoulders and he looked down at the floor sadly. "She had to protect you from Aro. She bought Hunter and Tina's freedom with her own and if she hadn't returned to Volterra at the right time then Aro would have sent people to bring her back and killed anyone who got in their way. You should have seen how cut up she was. She was a different person after that and I couldn't bear to see her that way so I left Volterra for good." He observed and I felt a sudden wave of animosity that he was so well informed, I had hoped my old anger would be excuse enough, I did not wish to delve into the depths of her new betrayal.
Then another thought came to mind, one that had often strayed through now and again in my darkest of hours.
"Why didn't she just use her power on them straight away?" I demanded.
"What do you mean?" He asked.
"When I went to Volterra with Tony she used her power on all the Volturi that stopped them from ever coming after us again. She Alphaed them and I don't know why she didn't do that in the first place. Maybe she liked being there, saved her having to raise us." I said sourly, allowing my anger to govern my words more than I should.
"That's a terrible thing to say." Mal snapped and he looked angry. "Essie is not like that. She's kind and protective and the only reason she went to Volterra was to stop a war. She didn't use her powers before because there wasn't anything she thought was worth the risk, not even her own life. But when she knew that the Volturi knew you existed she was willing to take the chance. If she hadn't you'd be a Volturi slave right now."
Mal could not possibly know the latter, but it was obvious he knew Mother well enough to know what would make her act. Her protective instinct had always been strong, until she thought you no longer needed protection. However I knew the new betrayal would be hard to explain and I decided to play at being stubborn Liza and remain on the same line of argument.
"That's what she said." I said, folding my arms.
"And she was telling the truth. Essie died inside when she thought you were dead." He said sadly and he wore a haunted look for a moment, and then he grinned. "Did she really put Aro in his place?"
"Yes." I said grudgingly.
"Yes! I'm so glad she did. If anyone could do it I knew it would be Essie. She just needed the right motivation, something that was worth fighting for beyond her own happiness."
I looked down feeling chastised. I knew I didn't want to think of my mother in a good light, my anger toward her, the new anger, was still fresh and raw and I felt unwilling to give Mother due praise, even where it was merited.
"You should feel ashamed." Mal said firmly, misinterpreting my expression, "But then I don't know what impression you were given of your mother before you met her, but I'm sure if you got to know Essie you'd know what I told you was true."
I shook my head unwilling to admit that I had met Mother and I knew full well what he said was true. He was very much a fan of my mother and would likely side with her and not understand my view at all. Just like Tony.
"It's too late for that now." I murmured, wishing to bring this subject to a close since I had been enjoying my time with Mal until the subject of my family was raised.
"Why? Is she dead?" He asked, sounding shocked and upset at the prospect.
I shook my head again.
"Then it's not too late. Come on, I'll drive you to wherever she is and you can make up with her."
"I said some terrible things that no amount of apologising will make up for." I stated, although I failed to add that she had also said things that I was yet unable to accept, and Tony had sided with her.
"Essie will forgive you." Mal said, placing his fingers beneath my chin and tilting my head so I would look at him again. "She forgave me."
I looked at him in confusion for my parents had never told me of an incident where Mal had needed forgiving.
"What did you do?" I asked.
"I grew an attachment to her and then I kissed her and I got angry when she rejected my advances. I left Volterra and that led to them thinking she was untrustworthy. Ok so most of that was down to them bitches controlling Aro's mind, but I gave them the ammunition they needed. They tortured her because of me, but she still forgave me." Mal informed me, finishing with a smile.
That did sound like Mother, so willing to forgive, but her betrayal was too great for me to do such a thing so soon.
"How old were you?" I asked, hoping to draw the conversation over to him, but I was also curious, I wanted to know more about him.
"Seven. But in my head I was fully-grown. You know how it is."
I nodded for I understood him well.
"Your body is ready but your mind is not yet able to cope with the complexities of relationships, even if it is brilliant academically." I stated.
"So you know?" He asked.
"I found it out the hard way." I said warily, but I was happy that we appeared to be moving away from the subject of my mother.
"How?"
"I met this boy when I was seven. This vampire who convinced me he loved me and seduced me until I lost all true judgement." I stated, thinking it was probably best not to mention the name of the vampire in question since it would bring us back to the subject of the Volturi and my mother.
"Did he… Did he hurt you?" Mal asked carefully.
"Yes. But not in any physical sense. The hurt was all to me adolescent heart."
"Sounds like it ended badly." Mal observed.
"Let us say that if I ever see the vampire in question again then I will not hesitate in tearing him apart and burning the pieces and scattering the ashes to the wind." I growled as I balled my fists.
"Quite bad then." Mal joked.
"Very much so." I agreed darkly, although I was feeling somewhat amused and relieved since we had clearly left the subject of why I had left home behind.
"Now we're back on the subject of douche bags can you tell me why you can't go to the authorities about what that other Mal did to you last night?" Mal asked, his taking on a more serious edge toward the end of his question.
"I threw him across the room and then lifted him by his shirtfront in a display of strength that someone of my stature could not possibly achieve." I said, and I found it was something of a relief to share my ordeal with someone and have him know full well what I spoke was the truth.
"Then what's the problem? Just go and report him. He's hardly going to say that you managed to lift him from the floor and if he does who'll believe him?" Mal said with a shrug.
"I suppose you have a point." I said with a frown, as I wondered why I had not considered this.
"You know I do."
I nodded.
"Then come on. We'll go to the college warden and you can report him for the monster he is." Mal said, gesturing toward the security building.
"But I fear they will not believe me." I said in a small voice.
"If they don't then at least the complaint's been logged and the college will be liable if he strikes again. They will act if only to avoid the risk of future prosecution." Mal said authoritively.
"Will you come with me?" I asked in a wave of sudden need.
"Of course I will bach." He said with a smile. "Us dhampires have to stick together."
"Thank you." I said and gave him a quick hug. "And I don't want to sound picky but it's dhampir, not dhampires, the plural is the same as the singular."
"Really?" Mal asked as we began to walk toward the security block.
"Yes. Although there is most likely no harm in using dhampires." I conceded.
"But it annoys the hell out of you." Mal stated. "Because you're a neat freak." He added with a grin.
I shrugged.
"Well that's not too much of a concession to make. Us dhampir have to stick together." He announced.
I smiled in thanks.
Thankfully the warden was there when we reached the security block, despite the fact it was Sunday. Mal accompanied me inside and we were there for an hour while I gave an account of what happened and gave my contact details. They also took a statement from Mal, although I had no idea why since he had not witnessed the incident himself. The warden assured us that she would look into it and then we were free to go.
It was nearing lunchtime, and although I felt subdued I still realised that I had to eat. Mal suggested that we go off campus and I thought it for the best since it would get me far enough away from the wrong Mal who I would from now on refer to as Malcolm for that was his name. If truth be told I would feel most glad to never look upon Malcolm ever again in my life.
Malachite on the other hand was every bit the gentleman I'd imagined from his brief note and every bit the person I'd always imagined from the stories I'd heard of him. As we were sharing a thin crust pizza in one of the many restaurants along the main street, I remembered something that had seemed so marvellous the first time I had heard tell of it.
The memory came upon me so suddenly that the excitement seemed too hard to contain now I had the one and only Malachite here in front of me. I beckoned him close and he leant closer. I leant closer to him until I could whisper for his benefit only, "Is it true you are telekinetic?"
Mal sat back in his chair and gave me a blank look and I settled back, my excitement having drained away in the light of the evidence that my parents may have been mistaken. Mal cast a quick look around the restaurant then winked at me, before he moved his hand quickly and the six paper cups that had been stacked in a triangle on the counter fell down.
I looked at him with awe and Mal dropped his head a little self-consciously.
"It's not all that great." He murmured. "It can be useful, but sometimes I do stuff without realising, like when my emotions are heightened."
"Most of those who possess powers seem to suffer the same." I stated. "My brother is most adverse to too many people in his vicinity thinking along the same lines. The singular thoughts become magnified and can cause him great pain. He has also stated that in moments of great upset he has felt every mind for miles around and it is an experience he enjoys very little."
"Your brother's telepathic?" Mal asked.
"Yes." I confirmed.
"How about you?"
"Only when I am near my twin. He calls it mind melding, of course that is the geek in him talking." I giggled. "However, when I am close to him and especially when we hold hands our minds become joined and I am able to use his telepathy as if it is my own. Otherwise I have no power. Other than the ability to dance up a storm."
"Oh yeah, you're a brill dancer, especially when surfboards are involved." Mal observed as he held his hands out as if he were balancing on a board.
I laughed at my nerve to attempt such a thing; it was hardly the safest of things to do with the board perched precariously upon those books. I was in danger of falling and breaking something. How would I have explained my healing so quickly?
I laughed as another thought occurred to me.
"I should be thankful there were no poles involved."
"Oh I don't know, I'm sure that would have been something to see." He joked.
"Oh my! I have an image of Cruella de Vil trying to best me at pole dancing as he tried to with the surfboard." I sniggered.
"Cruella de Vil?"
"The boy who owned the surfboard. I do not know his name, but half his hair was white and the other half black, much like Cruella." I explained.
"Oh him. Barney Chess." Mal said with a nod of his head.
"You know him?" I asked.
"Not really. We spoke once. He wanted to know what product I used on my hair to give it that effortless messed up look. He seemed a little peeved when I said it was just how my hair is." Mal replied with a shrug.
"He really thought your hair was styled that way?" I mused. "That you spent time on it?"
"Are you dissing my hair?" He asked darkly.
"Not exactly." I said with a laugh. "Merely that it is more than obvious that you have not spent anytime on it other than to keep it clean and run a brush though it once in a while. It looks far too light to have been hindered with product."
"Thanks for bolstering my ego." He said with a grin as he tapped my hand lightly.
"Any time you have need of it, please let me know." I replied and tapped his hand in return.
"I will." Mal said, nodding his head. "Are you finished here? I'd like to carry on chatting but I think the waiter is going to start charging us rent."
"Yes." I agreed with a chuckle as I spotted the waiter eyeing us impatiently. "However I will need the bathroom first. Is there one here?"
"Down them stairs." Mal answered, pointing to the stairs behind me.
"I need to take a call of nature before we proceed."
"And clean your teeth?" He asked.
"How did you know?" I asked in wonder that he could guess my reason so quickly after knowing me barely a day, while Malcolm had known me a full month and had assumed the worst of me.
"Lucky guess." Mal said with a shrug as he rose to his feet. "Besides it's something I do too." He confided and opened his jacket to reveal toothpaste and a toothbrush in the inside pocket. "Not that I'm a neat freak like you." He explained as I stood beside him and we walked down to the bathrooms, "But I got into the habit of cleaning my teeth whenever I eat because you'll never know when your next chance will arise."
Before I could question that revelation he disappeared into the men's bathroom. I stepped into the ladies and was rather impressed with the level of cleanliness as I brushed my teeth. As I went through my routine I thought about Mal and what I had learned of him so far this day. It is one thing to learn of someone in stories and then to meet them in the flesh is most peculiar because your own impression of somebody can vary considerably to what another may think.
I left the bathroom to find Malachite waiting for me with a wide grin to display that he'd cleaned his teeth. I laughed for he seemed like such a child. When I remarked upon this he shrugged.
"I want to meet your high standard of cleanliness Duchess." He said with a chuckle. "Are your teeth nice and clean Liza?"
I gave him a look.
"Come on, I want to make sure you done them right. You can't eat all them sugary foods and not look after your teeth." He said, in mock reproach.
I rolled my eyes, and then bared my teeth for inspection.
"Hmmm." Mal said, leaning closer for inspection. "You missed a bit."
"I did not!" I exclaimed, feeling thunderous.
"It was a joke." He said, holding his hands up in surrender.
"It was not funny." I said firmly.
"Then I won't comment on your hygiene again." He promised me.
"I hope not or I will be thoroughly annoyed." I declared, glaring at him as I folded my arms, yet I was feeling in sudden high spirits.
"How annoyed?" He asked.
"So annoyed that I will totally kick your ass." I growled with a playful grin before I could stop myself, I became abruptly silent as Mal looked as if he were about to comment before he thought better of it.
"So, now that we're full and have clean teeth, what's left to do today?" He asked lightly.
"I think I need to iron my clothing." I stated. "I would have done so by now on a normal Sunday."
"Sorry." He said.
"I have enjoyed myself most thoroughly, there's no need for apologies." I stated. "It does me good to think of having some fun of a Sunday rather than worry about my laundry for a change." I said with a smile. "Thank for showing me I can have fun without having to imbibe alcohol."
"No problamo Liza bach." He said as he hugged me briefly with one arm. "I'm glad you're having a good time. And for the record I haven't had this much fun in years. Not since I stopped travelling with Brendan and Maggie."
"Brendan is your uncle." I said, remembering the stories of the past. "And Maggie would be little Maggie of the Irish coven."
"Yes."
"But you're Welsh." I stated, sure I had his accent right.
"Because my dad was Welsh and him and Mam decided to take up residence on a sheep farm in Wales. My accent wasn't always this strong, but I spent a few years there after leaving Volterra and it deepened. Of course, if the whim takes me I can adopt any manner of accents old girl." He explained, his tones becoming plumy at the end of the sentence as his accent shifted class and location.
"I noticed that around the other students you sound American." I commented. "Why?"
"It's easier to get the documents as an American than to try and get a student visa. It's easier to keep my head low too. I don't want the Volturi finding out I'm here so for the record I'm not Malachite. I was christened just plain old Mal. Mal Rogers from down Texas way." He declared.
"You do not sound Texan." I observed.
"I hide my accent well." Mal said firmly.
"Very well." I said with a grin. "So tell me Mr Mal Rogers, do ya own anything in the way of a steam iron?"
"Hey, that was good. You sounded Texan then." He said with an impressed grin.
"Sam Ransome JR taught me the twang. He liked my grasp of languages."
"You're good with languages then?" Mal asked. "Like Tobias?"
"I pick them up quickly. I do not have Father's gift to know a language after hearing one sentence, but I find languages easy." I explained. "So, have you got an iron?"
"Not on me." He joked.
"How about in your room?"
"Nope. Left it in my house." He stated.
"Oh. Well… I will have to retrieve mine from my room, although considering the hour I could always return without going back on my word that Dove can have the room for the day." I reasoned.
"Or I could always use your expertise in picking out the best iron and most efficient laundry basket ready for next week. You could test run the iron for me." Mal suggested.
"And do your ironing?" I said with a snort.
"No. Do your own ironing. I can do my own later, but if it means I get to talk to you for longer then you're more than welcome to borrow my iron." Mal said firmly.
I regarded him carefully for a moment and I realised he was trying to be accommodating to my idiosyncrasies and not making fun of me. I smiled.
"I would be happy to advise you on your purchases if you are willing to allow me to borrow them."
"Then we have a deal." Mal said, holding out his hand.
"Yes." I said, shaking it firmly.
"Then where to first my shopping consultant?"
I laughed light-heartedly, feeling a darkness that had possessed me for a while, lift away.
"It's this way." I said as I lead him toward the home goods store.
It was an hour later that we arrived back at our building with a new iron, an ironing board, a laundry basket and a sack all for Mal's use. I sniggered at Mal's attempt to get the board up the stairs for it was cumbersome and we had to keep up appearances in case we passed any humans on the way. I was in much better spirits than I had been upon waking this morning and I thought nothing would deflate my mood.
I should have known I would be proved wrong, and I was, as soon as I entered the common room. It was not Malcolm who brought my mood crashing back to the floor; he was nowhere to be seen despite the fact that Trick and Gobbo were crowded around the TV with some of the other boys of our floor watching some sport or other.
I ignored them for it was not the actions of other people that made me feel sad, but my own thoughtless behaviour. I had been finding relief in Mal's company and the fact I had been able to report Malcolm for his crime. However Sophie was not so lucky and her memory loss of the first night still haunted her, it was apparent no matter how hard she attempted to cover it with a happy go lucky demeanour. The darkness was bubbling beneath the surface and I wished to save her from it.
"Mal." I whispered lowly and I pulled at his sleeve so he would lower his ear to my mouth. "Would you be so kind as to go ahead to your room and set up the ironing board? There is something I must do."
Mal looked between Sophie and me. He must have gleaned that there was a significant reason why I wished to speak with her, but he didn't question me.
"Ok. Just come straight in when you're ready." He instructed before he straightened up.
"Thank you." I said softly and touched his hand gently as I went to step toward Sophie.
"I may as well take these as well." He said, repositioning the ironing board beneath his arm and taking the basket from me that contained the iron and the sack.
"Thank you." I said with a small smile.
Mal nodded his head before he walked toward his corridor.
I pulled a smile to my face and stepped up to Sophie where she was speaking with Annis and Dahlia.
"Sophie, could I have a moment of your time please? There is something I wish to show you." I said, hoping she would understand this was a serious matter without the other girls gleaning it as such.
"What is it?" She asked.
"Come, and I will show you." I said eagerly.
She frowned at me, but rose to her feet regardless.
"I'll be back in a minuet." Sophie murmured to the girls before she led me into our corridor. "What's this about?"
"Is your room free?" I asked.
She looked at me in defiance for a moment, she knew this had something to do with the first night, but she wanted nothing to do with it.
"I have new information that may be of value to you." I stated.
She frowned, ready to become angry at my betrayal of her secret.
"The information I have, I stumbled upon it, I did not go seeking it." I assured her.
Sophie sighed.
"Ok. My rooms free." She said before unlocking the door on our left.
She led me inside and sank down onto her desk chair. I pulled across the one belonging to her roommate, Caggie, and sat down. I did not wish to dominate her.
"I know who took advantage of you on the first night." I stated.
"Who was it?" She asked.
"Malcolm Donaldson." I stated.
Sophie frowned and I grimaced to have to use the short form of his name to apply it to him now I knew what a cad he was.
"Mal." I said.
"Mal? The one…"
"The one I've been lavishing affection on this past month." I said bitterly.
"But I thought you spent the first night with him." She said with a frown.
"So did I." I said sadly. "But it transpires there is another Mal in this college. He's staying in the same corridor as Malcolm no less. I was so inebriated that first night that I remembered nothing of my saviour, all I had was his note in the morning that was signed 'Mal' and at the time there was but one Mal I knew."
"How did you find out?"
"He got me very drunk last night and tried to take advantage of me, but my aunt thought it best I learn martial arts since I am so small and I was able to throw him off and escape the room. That was when I ran into Mal Rogers coming from the room I remembered from that first night and suddenly it all fell into place."
"But you're ok now?" She asked in concern.
"Yes I am. Especially after I went to report Malcolm Donaldson to the warden this morning." I said, hoping that Sophie would follow my lead. "However I feel aggrieved now that I have caused you pain by inadvertently giving Malcolm an alibi for the night in question."
"It wasn't your fault. I guess it was an easy mistake to make. There must have been something wrong with that cocktail."
"That's my best guess." I said. "For alcohol alone should not have affected me in that way. I can get drunk but I am usually in full control of myself unless some other chemical is involved." I paused and frowned. "He must have tried it a few times."
"I should have reported him." Sophie said despondently.
"But you had no reason to believe it was him." I stated.
"But now I do." She said. "Now I know for sure."
"Are you going to report him?"
"Yeah, but I'd rather do it on my own." She said quietly.
"Are you sure?" I asked.
"Yes. I just rather nobody know. It's better if I just go on my own."
"Very well." I said. "But remember if you need to talk…"
"I'll come find you." She promised.
"Is there anything more I can do for you today?" I asked.
"No. You've helped a great deal." She stated.
"Are you sure? It doesn't feel as if I have."
"Liza, you have helped me a lot, I just need space to think now." She said in a steady voice.
"Then I will leave you to do so." I said as I rose to my feet.
"Thanks." Sophie said with a smile.
I smiled in return before I left her room and made my way back to Mal's room. I had a moment of worry as I passed through the common room when Gobbo spied me, I thought he looked ready to talk to me, but I ducked into Mal's corridor before he could. I felt such relief as I reached Mal's door. I knocked before I pushed the door open to find him bathed in steam.
"I know I said you could test it out." He stated. "But I just couldn't resist."
"You know I will have to inspect your ironing now." I stated.
"Yeah. That's why I thought I'd make a start on yours." He said.
I frowned then turned to a pile of folded t-shirts. They were mine and I picked one up to inspect it and was pleased with his effort.
"You have done a good job." I stated. "However, I prefer to do my own ironing."
"I thought you might." Mal said. "So this is the part where I be cheeky."
"Oh yes?" I asked with my hands on my hips.
"Yeah. You see I'm not so good at shirts and I have five of them that need ironing. I was wondering…"
"That since you have ironed five of my t-shirts would I iron your shirts?" I surmised.
Mal nodded.
"I would have done them had you asked." I stated.
"Yeah, but you wouldn't have let me iron yours in return." Mal stated. "This way we're equal."
"You are right on that count." I stated. "However we could have found some other way for you to make it up to me."
"How?"
"Oh, I don't know, but is it not always worthwhile to have a favour in the bank?" I asked with a grin.
"But it's not so good when you're the one in debt." He said.
"I doubt you would be indebted for long." I remarked. "I have a feeling that our friendship will be one of mutuality. And one that I hope will last for a very long time."
"I hope so." Mal said with a smile. "I think you'd make a good friend Liza."
"And I think you'll make a good friend Mal." I replied, matching his smile before I stepped up to the ironing board and nudged him with my hip. "Now move over, and possibly lower the board somewhat, and I will show you how to iron a shirt properly."
Mal obliged and we whiled away the rest of the afternoon in aimless chatter that was simply delightful.
Just so you know I'm posting the prologue of Tony's story 'When the Snows Thaw' straight after this
Thank you for reading
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Gemma x