I stood in the hall of the Lucky Star Motel, staring at Damsel. The driver that Jack had gotten to help me had brought me here after I had told him that I needed to help the Anarchs. The sight of her caused tears to start coursing down my cheeks. How could I tell her that Nines was dead? Would she be angry that I couldn't save him?
Damsel looked up at me and smiled before her expression turned to one of worry at the sight of my tears.
"Girl, what's wrong?" she asked, putting her hand on my shoulder when I approached her. "You're not that upset over a blood hunt, are you? Surely you knew LaCroix…"
"Nines is dead," I sobbed, covering my face with my hands. "I'm sorry! I tried to help him but there were werewolves and fire and…" I started crying so vigorously, I could no longer speak. Damsel looked at me confused for a moment, then gave me a gentle smile and grabbed my shoulder, opening the door behind her.
"Hun, look," she said, pushing me into the room. I dropped my hands from my face to see Nines, sitting on the desk in the room, beat up and bloody, but alive. He smiled at me.
"Those tears for me?" he asked. "You sure know how to make a guy feel special, kid." I flung myself into his arms, sobbing into his shirt.
"I'll be outside," I heard Damsel say. I felt his arms come up around me and heard the rumble of his chuckle through his chest.
"Nines," I wailed, winding my arms around his waist and squeezing with all my strength.
"Shhh, I'm okay, shhh," he soothed. "Ya had me worried there, too, kid. By the time I'd gotten the beast off me, you were gone and I didn't know if you had survived. I phoned Jack, who was surprised I was alive. Jack starts laughing and saying how you'll be so surprised. Says you cried the whole ride home from the park."
I blushed. Leave it to a Dad, of any kind, to say that kind of thing to the last person you want to hear it. My tears slowed and I allowed Nines to pull me into his lap, dragging my legs over his one knee. He bent down and pressed his face into my neck.
"Don't scare me like that again," he murmured. I sighed as I felt his lips graze the skin of my throat.
"I'll try not to, but I still have to fight Ming Xiao and LaCroix," I said.
"I'll go with you," he said.
"Not in that state," I said.
"You can't go alone," he argued.
"I've killed the Sabbat, I've killed a Tzimisce and his creations, I've run through a mansion of crazy Malkavians and made it out alive, I've defeated plaugebearers, I've killed hunters, escaped bombs…"
"Your point?" Nines interrupted.
"I've done all that without your help; can't you show a little faith in me one more time?" I asked.
"Do I have to like it?" he asked, leaning closer.
"Not a bit," I said.