(AJ's POV)

Sisky had gone into William's office, probably to talk to him about what his ability had done to him. Knowing Sisky would be one of the easiest of the Dandies to get rid of, Adeline set on taking care of Butcher next.

She found him in the kitchen, heading after another bag of blood. Leaning against the refrigerator, she started casually, "So… I guess Sisky won't shut up about this trip, lately."

"What trip?" he asked, raising an eyebrow in confusion.

"Uh…" Damn, what she wouldn't have given to have William's modifying memory ability at that moment.

"Y'know, the one where you guys are like going away into the wilderness for a while because there's that new threat and William wants to like, keep you guys safe. Because like, you know what happened to Mike and Brendon, right?" she tried.

To her surprise, he nodded.

"Yeah, he had said something about some trip – I thought he just wanted to go hunting and we'd be back soon, I didn't realize William had an ulterior motive for getting us out of here so soon."

"Well, you two are the youngest, besides me." She laughed, still is disbelief that he'd believed what she'd told him.

"I'm just wondering why he's not telling us to take you with us, that's all." He added as an afterthought, throwing the now empty AB- blood bag away.

She smiled, having already thought that answer out.

"He figures I'm safer if I'm with him. Because of the imprint and all. Plus, I'd think just because I'm a girl I'm the one that whoever went after Brendon and Mike would come after next, and if I stay with William I'd think I'd have the better chance just because he's the oldest and strongest out of all of us."

Butcher snorted, "Yeah, you just want him to-"

"I get it, you guys all think I'm some type of a vampire whore, I get it. I hear that all the time. So what? I'm attracted to the thrill and the adrenalin. Never thought I'd ever see the leader of the most powerful coven in Chicago speechless with the most goofy little grin on his face as he looks at me. Never dreamed, and now it's being threatened. I just can't wait til this all blows over. I'm gonna hunt down and fucking kill whoever went after Brendon and Mike, that's all I'm saying. I think you guys are leaving as soon as Sisky finishes talking to William, I think they're just going over the final details."

He nodded, "Good thing I'm already packed."

And with that, Adeline turned and walked back upstairs toward her bedroom, leaving the older tattooed vampire behind with a head full of lies and anticipation on his tongue.

The minute she heard the front door slam shut, she knew Sisky had been planning on going hunting, and had probably taking Butcher with him. Good, four down, two to go.

"You okay?"

She looked up from the trance the music box had put her into to see William leaning against the doorframe, smiling as though he already had plans in mind.

"Yeah, I just can't believe things have changed so fast around here. It's weird, with no Mike and Brendon," she started, closing the music box with a sigh, "Really weird. And I mean, if I'm right, that door slamming meant Sisky and Butcher went out hunting..."

"And Michael's out tonight too, I figured letting him have a night out on the town would help his mind clear. He'd known the two of them just as long as I did."

He shook his head as soon as he noticed the look on her face, "And that doesn't mean-"

"But baby! Come on! How often do we get the house to ourselves? That means no having to keep me quiet! Hm, wonder if I can actually howl this time...no, that'd be- eh, I don't-"

"No. I actually came in here because I need to talk to you. And, if you wouldn't mind, I think my office would be the...better setting."

Reluctantly she got and followed, grumbling about how he'd just thrown away their only legitimate night alone.

When she gets into his office, she takes the chair in front of his desk, while he sits down behind it, moving this and that before reaching for the wineglass of blood that sat next to the stapler.

(William's POV)

"Adeline." He starts, trying to think of how he should word this.

"I'm not in trouble, am I? I feel like I'm in trouble."

"Well, no, you're not. Not exactly. I just want to understand."

"About?" she stated, her voice actually wavering a bit, she knew he knew what she'd done.

"Why you did it. What could possibly drive you to murder, darling? I just...I wish you'd explain."

Gentle as that was, even with the added term of endearment, it hadn't been gentle enough, because she lashed out.

"No. You sound like Charlotte! You don't want to understand! You just want to kill me, like Charlotte wanted to kill me!" She started instantly, knees curling up to her stomach as a defensive distancing technique.

William sighs, "I don't want to hurt you. I really, really don't. I love you, Adeline Jeanette. You're the most perfect person I've ever met and I just want you to tell me what's happening."

AJ bit her lip and looked at her nails, much like she had when Amelia had asked her about Charlotte.

"I felt threatened. So I took care of things, obviously the same way I had before. I don't get why you of all people have a hard time with the fact that maybe I'm just as twisted as the rest of you. I mean, I like killing when there's the need. Hunting just gets boring going after the mortals day after day; I need something that'll...make me feel alive again. Honestly, I haven't felt this good since we were sneaking around in the 20's, transporting liquor and stuff and hiding from the cops even though we were already dead so there was nothing they could do anyways in the first place."

William got up; surprised to see her flinch and walked around her to, bending so he was eye level with her.

"Love, I'm not going to hurt you, you needn't be so jumpy." He stated, tipping her chin up with his thumb, making her meet his gaze.

Her irises burned with inner turmoil, he could sense the heaviness of the air around her.

"I…I know you w-won't. It's not y-you I'm w-worried a-about." She stuttered, voice thick with the tears she was holding back.

"Well, then why the-"

And before he knew what happened, she was kissing him, tearing streaming down her face, her body

shaking.

He went to put his arms around her, to hold her, and then pick her up, but the moment his arms went around her waist she pulled away, protesting.

"No…no…stop, no, it's not like that…" she mumbled, and for a second he wasn't sure if she was talking to him or herself.

Looking at him, she smiled and then put her hands out in front of her, pushing against his chest, in turn scooting her chair back, where she jumped to stand on it, then back flipped off of it, giggling like a little girl.

"See? He's not going to do anything."

She blinked, just as he took a step toward her.

"Adeline, who are you talking to? I'm concerned…your behavior just isn't-"

"Normal?" she tried, tilting her head, inching toward the door, "There's no such thing."

That was it. Being nice wasn't going to change anything with her, so before she could move any further, William closed the gap between them in three steps and wrapped his hand around her wrist, tight enough to where she couldn't pull away.

Her eyes widened and she squeaked, trying to tug away.

"Baby! Let me go, please? Why're you-"

"I want answers. And since just talking isn't apparently getting through to you, I'm going to have to change my method."

"You won't hurt me." She said, although it sounded more like a challenge.

But then, remembering the old self defense techniques she'd learned, she knew it'd be easy to get out of. Pulling back and shifting her weight, she rotated her elbow as she pulled, freeing her arm, automatically pulling back into defense mode, and without a second thought, allowed the hand she'd freed to follow through with the momentum, still in disbelief that'd she'd just thrown the first punch.

She blinked and tried to pretend she hadn't just intended to knock him out, but it was too late, William was already glaring at her, upper lip curled into a snarl.

"Adeline, doll, did you really just try to hit me?"

The tone of his voice scared her more than anything else at that moment, it wasn't that she really was afraid of him doing anything, it was more along the lines of how calm he'd said it.

She shook her head so fast she started getting dizzy.

He laughed, already having seen through her.

"Don't lie to me now...I can recognize self defense techniques, there's one thing you've forgotten to check for after it's been completed."

Her eyes darted around the room, what now?

"And what's that?"

She shuddered as he raised a hand and cupped her face, thumb brushing across her cheek.

"Always make sure your assailant doesn't have another option."

She gasped, great, she had forgotten that, and she was pretty much screwed as to being able to make a run for it. What only made things worse was that despite the fact she'd just attempted to knock him to the floor, he was still being intimate, if only to change her mind, she realized.

Trying to focus on anything but the feel of his lips against her skin and his free hand on her hip, she sighed, trying to stay one step ahead.

"Oh, and your little comment about me not being able to hurt you?" he started, smirking as he remembered how he'd been before their game had ended, the way he'd been so cold towards her, "Watch me."

And although he knew it would hurt them both, he moved faster than her, and put her wrist behind her back and then put pressure on her elbow pressing upwards, not enough to fully dislocate her shoulder, just enough to cause her to cry out, stomping the ground in frustration and whimpering in pain.

He held her there, watched her fall apart in front of his eyes.

"L-Let me go…this isn't f-funny!" She protested, twisting her head around to look at him, eyes wide.

"You weren't listening, darling. I'm only doing this so you understand me; that I know you're paying attention."

He put more pressure on her elbow, earning another yelp from the hybrid, this time coupled with tears.

"St-stop it…pl-please!"

Something about that, the way she sounded, the way he could hear the pain in her voice, should have made him stop. But it was like the game all over again, the thrill of the hunt and the feelings lingering in the air.

"Now you're listening, aren't you, love? Why did you kill Mike and Brendon, hm?"

"I…I didn't kill them! I didn't mean to! I promise, it wasn't my fault – I can't-"

His free hand went to her hair and tugged her curls, turning her head at a sharper angle while still keeping her arm behind her back.

"You'll not lie to me, I am understood? This wasn't your best friend you just killed, although the circumstances appear about the same. You're aware you've killed two of my best men, the likes of which will be impossible to replace. And all I'm asking, dear, is why. What would cause you to do such a thing?"

"I…It's not me! It's them! Them! If you even knew with what I've had to live with since I killed Charlotte, you'd – AH!"

'Finding out what she had to live with, why didn't I do this sooner? I could have prevented-' William thought, fangs sinking into her neck as he released her arm and in turn wrapped his own around her waist, keeping her still.

Sifting through the surface memories, he was amazed at the amount of apathy she possessed; it was like she was completely numb. A light fog coated these memories; perhaps she'd been trying to repress them?

One of a brunette mortal not much older than twenty, she tangled in his arms, lips locked. Then daylight, she cowering as she clutched a small music box in her hands, the box she often listened to before they slept. Another of a blonde, blood dripping down his neck, she dressing and humming a tune, oblivious to the fact her partner was dead. And yet another, of her and another man, splayed out in a truck bed, her eyes wide and the familiar hunger in their irises.

And then of her sleeping, tossing and turning beside him for what could have been merely a week prior, soft whimpers and words escaping her lips.

'Don't hurt me. I won't listen. Leave me alone. I'd done you no wrong, move on! Leave me…leave me…why won't you let me rest?'

And then he remembered her reaction, how she'd woken him than, tear tracks visible on her smooth skin, lip trembling and unable to properly explain herself. And how he understood then, at least, her lack of empathy and insistence that it hadn't been her that had killed his men.

Pulling his fangs out, he kissed the puncture marks, feeling her trying to pull away from him. The minute his arms loosened from her waist, she sunk to her knees, crying.

"Are you happy now? Look at me, look. I don't know what I've become, all I know is I don't like it…I don't want this. I didn't ask for this. And they won't leave me alone…you've seen what they're capable of. I don't…I don't want…w-want you t-to be n-next!" she howled, grabbing his suit jacket and tugging him down to her level, where she immediately kissed him with such urgency and desperation that he actually felt guilty for resorting to physical contact to get to the point they were at.

When he finally managed to break her kiss, he lifted her into his arms and simply held her, not wanting to let her feel alone.

"I'm sorry, my love…I had no idea…your arm, I'm sorry for that as well, I had no right to-"

"Hey, I tried to knock you out and missed," she laughed weakly, smiling, looking somewhat back to normal.

"That still doesn't excuse my actions. I promise, we'll get through whatever is ailing you – together. I've seen enough to know you should not be left alone in times like this."

"Really?"

"Ow!" She'd lifted her head so fast, the top of her head had collided with his chin, a nice little pop being heard before he rubbed it, opening and closing his mouth to get rid of the sting.

"Yes, really. Ouch, baby, you've got a bony head…but that's not my point. My point is, I'm here for you, no matter what happens next."

But the truth was, William wasn't quite sure how long he could uphold that in the first place.