The ringing of the phone jolted Selina up from her pillow. She put a hand to her forehead. "For the love of god," she whispered to herself. "Not again. Please just let me sleep, for crying out loud!" She threw the covers over her head and tried to shut her eyes again, but the ringing was insistent. Finally, she threw her covers aside and picked up the phone. "Listen, Nicky, I told you last night, at two a.m. and every hour after that, that we're done and I don't want..."
She trailed off as she realized it wasn't Klaus on the phone. "Elijah. Good morning." She cleared her throat. "Sorry. I was just...never mind. What's up?"
"I could come over, if you need to talk," he said. "It sounds like you do. And Astrid told me you're walking now."
Selina nodded. "Yeah, I am. I don't even fall over anymore. At least not more than usual, anyway."
"So, do you need me to come over?" He asked.
She shrugged. "Sure, why not? I was thinking about making waffles. I'll make an extra couple for you."
"Sounds wonderful," he replied.
Selina hung up the phone and went to Lucy's room, picking her up out of her crib and spinning her around. "Uncle Elijah's coming for breakfast. Won't that be nice?" She then put her down standing on the floor. "Wanna race to the kitchen?" She asked. "I'm gonna beat you! I'm gonna beat you!"
She began striding away and Lucy ran very capably after her, actually passing her as they reached the living room. Then, Selina picked her up off her feet and put her down on the carpet, tickling her. They were both laughing hard when Selina heard a voice over her head.
"I see you don't dress for breakfast." Selina looked up, blushing. Elijah stood over her, looking amused.
"We're just having fun," she said, standing up.
"That's good," he nodded. "I was wondering what you looked like when you smiled."
She noticed him looking her over. She'd worn a tank top and hot pink sweatshorts to bed. "Look but don't touch," she said, winking. She picked Lucy up and put her in her high chair, plunked a bowl of dry Cheerios in front of her, and then walked to the sink, turning the faucet on. "I'm a little off my game this morning," she said. "I had a long night."
Elijah sat down at the kitchen table. "Well, what happened?"
She turned. "Apparently, the whole 'Nicky avenging me' idea has gone south completely. He called at two a.m. just to say hi. I know he was drunk when he did it. And then he called again every hour after that. Each call wasn't very long, but even when he wasn't talking, I dreamed that he was going to call and I was so tense waiting for the phone to ring that I couldn't even relax to sleep. Finally, around six-thirty, I put on Aquarium, you know, the movement from Carnival of the Animals? It helped me doze off, like it always does. But those phone calls from Nicky were the last straw. I already have kids to raise and I'm tired of always feeling like I have to raise him too. I just can't do it anymore. So that's why I told him we were done."
She paused. He was looking at her strangely. "What?" She asked.
"How is it that you know Saens-Saint?" He asked.
She laughed a little and turned back to the sink so that her back was to him. "What are you saying? That women who wear tank tops and short shorts to bed can't like classical music?"
"Of course not," he shook his head. "I'm just a little surprised, that's all."
She got eye to eye with him. "Well, I'm full of surprises." Her tank top was low cut and he did his best to keep his eyes on her face. She winked and stood back up and sauntered away from him, getting stuff out of the cupboards and refrigerator to make waffles.
She mixed the batter up when it was made and put it in the waffle iron. "How many do you think you can eat?" She asked Elijah. "Just one?"
He nodded. "Yes, thank you."
She made them up and plunked a plateful on the table, taking two for herself. After they ate, Selina stood up. "Would you mind watching Lucy while I shower and dress?" She asked.
"Of course," he nodded. She began to walk away, and he said, "Just a minute." She paused and turned. "Yes?"
"Do you need any help?" He asked. "Because I wouldn't mind..."
She grinned. "I'll be fine. But thanks for asking." She turned back again and walked away. He shook his head and picked up Lucy and her Cheerios and went into the living room, turning on the television to see if there was anything sufficiently stimulating on.
Selina got to her bedroom and undressed quickly, getting into the shower right after she turned the water on. She groaned as the hot water hit her skin, but got used to it after awhile.
As she shampooed her hair, she thought about what to do with herself. With Nicky out of the way, it made things a little easier, but what to do about Damon? She couldn't take him out of her life because of Sam, but she had to do something so he wouldn't think of her as sexually available anymore. She thought as the water flowed over her body. Then, it hit her: get him another girlfriend!
She hit her forehead. Why hadn't she thought of this before? He dated. He'd been with Margaret before she'd been killed. And that girl who'd dumped him last because she was paranoid and stupid and had no idea about what she was leaving behind. And this whole thing had started because they'd drunk a toast to him being dumped by a woman who was unworthy of him, not to mention incredibly stupid. She scrubbed off quickly and got out of the shower, toweling off, drying her hair and dressing.
"Hey!" She said, running excitedly into the living room. "Want to hear about the idea I had while I was in the shower?"
Elijah looked up at her. "I don't know," he said. "Do I?"
She smirked and turned her head towards the television. She saw a woman lying dead on a stage. A man clutched a dagger to his chest and was singing some aria.
"What in the world are you watching?" She asked. "Is this Otello? Please don't tell me you and Lucy are watching Otello."
"Why shouldn't we?" He asked. "It's a splendid piece of work."
"No it isn't," Selina said, sitting down on the sofa. "It's unrealistic, melodramatic garbage, that's what it is. I mean, that guy just stabbed himself, and he's still singing! Who would even be able to do that realistically?"
"I bet if I stabbed you, you'd keep talking," he said.
She looked at him. "Ha ha. Why couldn't you pick something more appropriate for a little kid, like, oh, I don't know, The Magic Flute?"
"How is The Magic Flute appropriate for a child?" He asked.
"It has a giant talking bird!" Selina said. "Lucy likes big talking birds! Like the one one Sesame Street, although I really hate watching that since they give that annoying red muppet with the high voice and speech problem all the attention."
Elijah was smirking. "I can't believe you derided Italian opera for being unrealistic and then suggest Lucy watch an opera with a talking bird in it. How are talking birds realistic?"
"They aren't," Selina said simply. "But at least they're entertaining."
"To each his own," Elijah said. "Myself, I find German opera to be inferior because it's purely entertaining and lacks any intellectual value."
Selina scoffed. "Whatever. Now, on to the idea I had in the shower..."
Elijah put Lucy down and picked Selina up, carrying her to a corner a little ways away. Then, he put her up against the wall and kissed her deeply. When he pulled away, Selina's eyes were wide. She opened her mouth to speak, but she couldn't get a word out. Elijah smiled with satisfaction and carried her to the sofa, sitting her down. Then, he got next to Lucy. "There," he said. "Now I'll be able to watch my opera in peace."
Later that day, Selina brought Lucy over to Damon's. She was curious to see how he would react to her idea.
"What do you want?" He asked gruffly when he opened the door.
"I just want to talk," she said. "I have something I need to ask you. Can I come in?"
He stepped aside reluctantly. "Sure," he said. "But let me tell you right now that I'm in no mood to hear the 'I love you but I'm not in love with you' speech."
Selina sat down on the sofa and took Sam in her lap, shaking her head. "I'm not going to do that," she said. "I just want to tell you about an idea I had in the shower today."
Damon's eyebrow went up and he grinned. "Interesting. I'm listening."
"I want to help you find a girlfriend!" She said. "After all, it's kind of my fault you lost your last one."
Damon frowned. "That's the idea you had in the shower that you wanted to tell me about?"
"Well, yeah," Selina said. "Look, you know you and I can't date anymore, but we can't be apart because of Sam, and I know you can date other women besides me. You've done it before, so why not give it another shot?"
"I don't know if that'll work," he said.
"Why not?" Selina asked. "If you're worried that Sam will hamper your chances, he'll actually be a boon for you. Women are suckers for caring single fathers."
"Really?" Damon asked.
Selina nodded. "Yeah, I mean he's cute, you're handsome, if the two of you went to a playground or a library or something, I bet you'd do really well."
"Yeah," Damon said. "And I'd even have a fun story to tell about my ex. That'll win me some sympathy."
"Okay, okay," Selina said. "I know I deserve that, but will you at least give it a shot? It could make you happy. I swear there are other women on this planet who are much better and less complicated than me."
He smiled at her. "I don't know about much better, but I won't deny that anyone else would be less complicated."
Selina nodded. "Good." She stood up and moved toward the door.
"Hey," Damon said. She turned.
"Could I watch Lucy for a bit?" He asked.
She nodded. "Sure."
She left, confident that she'd averted another crisis, but once she'd gone, Damon took Sam back in his lap. "What are we going to do about Mommy?" He asked him. "Should we humor her and let her think we're okay with this? At least for now?"
Sam just grinned at him. Damon nodded. That was what he'd have to do for the moment. Maybe if she saw him with another woman, she'd get jealous and come to her senses. There was that. It was a start.
He eyed Sam and Lucy who looked at him curiously. "So," he said to them, "What would the two of you say to a trip to the playground?"
When Selina arrived back at the house, she found Elijah waiting for her in the living room. "Where's Lucy?" He asked.
"Oh, I let Damon watch her for a bit," Selina said. "And I told him my idea about helping him find a new girlfriend."
"And what did he say about that?" Elijah asked.
"He took it surprisingly well," Selina said. "I thought he'd kick up a fuss, but he didn't."
"Well, that's good," Elijah said.
Selina nodded. "That and actually being able to walk again are the two best things that have happened to me recently."
"I'd love to take you out to lunch to celebrate," Elijah said. "Would you want to go? I know a nice place not far from here. It even has a dance floor."
"You mean for people to do real dancing?" Selina asked, surprised. "I didn't know there were enough people who knew how anymore."
He gave a bow and held out his hand. "Well, I certainly do."
She took his hand and he spun her into a hold, then did a wide dip and brought her back up again.
"Wow," she said. "Usually when I dance with somebody new, I worry that they're going to drop me, but you're good."
He grinned. "Well, thank you. So, shall we go?"
She nodded. "Just let me get changed. I want to look nice."
She emerged later with her hair up, wearing black heels and a red dress that reached her knees and had a black rose embellishment on the skirt. "Ready," she said. She gave him a look. "Are you ready?"
He nodded and gave her his arm. "Let's go."
They got in his car and drove to the restaurant. When Selina got out, she was surprised. It was actually kind of a dive. "Is this really the place?" She asked him. He nodded and propelled her through the door. They took a seat in the middle of the bunch of tables, which were set against the back wall, turning half of the main room into a decent sized dance floor. The room was dimly lit with odd red lights.
They got drinks and then after they had time to have a few sips, music started. Selina stood up. "Tango. Do you know it?"
He grinned at her. "Of course I know it." He held out his hand. "Would you be my partner?"
Selina laughed a little, looking around. "What? Right now? Nobody else is dancing."
He pulled her up. "That doesn't matter," he said. "Come. Dance with me."
"Okay," she said and he led her to the front of the room. Everyone was staring at them from what she could see underneath all the cigarette smoke.
"What are they looking at?" She whispered as the song that was playing ended.
"You," he whispered. "Because you're so beautiful."
When the next song started up, they stood facing the crowd, holding hands with their other hands behind their backs. Then, they immediately looked toward one another, pivoting. Then her right leg went up around his hip, and he brought up their conjoined hands while her free hand went in his hair and down his neck. She pulled her leg away and stood straight on the floor as he slid his left foot out to the side and she did the same with her opposite foot. They both looked out at the crowd and then came back to face one another, their hands moving slowly to their hips for a moment before she left hold and took several steps away from him before he caught up to her and grabbed her arm, pulling her back to face him. Then, he pulled her down so that she was kneeling between his legs with her hands on his ankles and his hands on her shoulders. She slowly worked her hands up his legs as she pulled her back leg out so she could come back to stand. Then, he pulled her back into hold and they crossed they went across the floor in a criss-cross pattern, both kicking out once firmly, their eyes locked on one another. In unison, their legs extended, then went back in and down to the floor. He held her close to him and she slid her back leg forward, then brought her front leg back and forth, weaving it between his legs. He then led her down the floor for a few steps, and then they paused as he weaved his right leg between hers. He then led her down the floor one last time, picking her up and and then bringing her down to the floor. Then the music sped up a little, their holds and turns becoming more succint. Then finally, he picked her up and held her and let her down, holding her close, so that when the music stopped, she had no choice but to kiss him. Everyone was on their feet and cheering. When Elijah finally let her down, Selina was flushed and exhausted, but she felt wonderful.
Everyone was eager to buy them drinks after that. Selina took advantage of the offers, and when they left the cafe, it was Elijah who drove them home.
As they pulled into the driveway, Elijah looked at Selina. "Are you going to need to lie down?" He asked her, looking amused.
She nodded. "Maybe for a little while. If anyone calls, tell them I'm not home."
Roxie growled angrily and threw her phone against the hotel room wall.
"And just what is the matter with you?" Vince asked her.
"I can't get hold of my mother," she said. "It was Uncle Elijah again. He says she's out."
Vince came to stand next to her. "I don't know why you're so desperate to talk to her anyway. You can always talk to me." He ran a finger down her cheek and she pushed it off. "No I can't," she said. "I can't talk to you at all anymore."
"Why not?" He asked.
"Because you've picked my dad over me," she said. "You'll tell him everything. I can't believe you want to spend the rest of your life as his puppet."
He scoffed. "It's better than being yours," he said.
"What's that supposed to mean?" She asked.
He turned to face her. "It means you're only happy if everyone around you does whatever you say. The only person you care about is you. Not me or anybody else."
"That's not fair," Roxie said. "When we were six and Dad tried to turn you, I was so upset that I didn't talk to him for ten years, remember that? And do you not also remember how much I cried when he turned you this time? How can you say that I don't care about you?"
"I think you're just jealous," he told her. "The whole time we've known each other, you've always been above me, more powerful, stronger. Now that I've made us equals, you can't handle it. You can't stand the thought that I'm on the same level as you and it's driving you crazy."
"Well if you have such a low opinion of me, then why did you stay with me all this time?" Roxie shot back. "Why did you just let me stomp all over you?"
"Cause it's how you are," he said. "And I loved you. I thought if I was patient with you and cared about you, you'd show me the same courtesy, but obviously, I was wrong. I don't have to put up with this anymore. I don't want to."
"So you're just going to leave without giving me a chance to explain anything?" Roxie asked, hurrying after him.
"What's there to explain?" He asked, hand on the hotel room door. He then turned and walked away.
"Well fine!" She called after him. "Be a jerk and leave. See if I care! Because I don't. Do you hear me?"
But he was gone by then. He hadn't heard a word. Her lip trembling, she went back into the room, picked her phone up off the floor and got on the bed, dialing her mother again. This time, Selina picked up.
"What's the matter?" She asked.
"Vince and I broke up, I think!" She said. "He called me selfish and jealous and says he doesn't want to deal with me anymore."
Selina sighed. "Well, sometimes people just grow apart."
"Yeah," Roxie said, sniffling. "Like you and Dad. Why'd you have to do that to him anyway?"
Selina sighed. "Roxanne, I had to do what was best for me. Your father and I don't have a healthy relationship. He never let me find my own way or anything. He always wanted me to do what he said, and I was so attached to him that I just went along with it."
"Do you think Vince is telling me that that's what I do to him?" Roxie asked.
"Maybe," Selina said. "What happened before he told you that you were controlling and jealous?"
"I told him that I was upset about how happy he was that Daddy had made him a hybrid," Roxie said. "He wouldn't even let me explain why I was upset about it!"
"Why are you?" Selina asked. "Is it because you don't want Vince to be as strong as you?"
"That's what he thinks," Roxie said. "But it's really because of Dad. Now Vince is going to think that he owes Dad some kind of debt for making it so that he doesn't have to turn when the full moon's out. He's going to be under Dad's thumb and do who knows what and that scares me so much because I know that there's going to be a point where he gets in too deep and won't be able to get out."
Selina sighed. "Roxanne, you know what I admire about you?"
"What?" Roxie said in surprise.
"That you were able to realize that your father was making you unhappy and you did find the strength to get out before you got in too deep. I can't say that. And that's why I got Lucy as far away from your father as possible. I would much rather she end up a strong girl like you than a desperate girl like I was."
Roxie choked back a sob. "You aren't desperate, Mom. You just weren't loved very well. Thanks for making sure I was."
"You're welcome," Selina said. "Now, about Vince, obviously telling him the truth of his situation won't get you anywhere."
"No," Roxie said. "Should I let him make his own mistakes?"
"You know you won't do that," Selina said. "Try talking to your father first. He's past me being able to anything for him, but at least he'll probably still listen to you. You are with him, right?"
"Yep," Roxie said. "As soon as Vince told Dad he wanted to come with him and Adrian, I said that I wanted to come to. Of course we were on vacation so the timing sucked, but what can you do?"
"If things don't work out right away with Vince, try seeing this period as a time to explore your interests," Selina told her. "It'll make you a more well-rounded person and I promise you you'll be happier."
"Are you?" Roxie asked.
"Yeah," Selina nodded. "I am."