DarkLove12489: Thanks for your review. I would have sent a proper, more prompt reply but I couldn't PM you.

Warning: chapter includes Elleward getting rough with each other.

Chapter 27: Visitation

"Get in there. Don't try to leave." Eden wondered why she had to order the new prisoner to stay in his cell. Only the ones with really scary powers, like Stephen Canfield and Flint Gordon, stood any chance of escaping, and Level Five had kept them contained for years. Edward Cullen was just a telepath. Then again, she reflected as she locked his cell door, he had breached a high-security part of the facility. If he got in, it might not be such a stretch to assume he could also get out…

She was standing at the cell's observation window, looking in at him, and suddenly he was standing on the other side, looking back at her. The glass was bulletproof but did nothing to diffuse the intensity of his stare; unused to anyone else's powers of persuasion working on her, Eden was taken aback, pinned like a butterfly in a display case by the vampire's captivating golden eyes.

"Tell Elle to come see me," he ordered in a seductively persuasive voice. "We have a lot to discuss." Then he turned away, ignoring her so thoroughly that a hole might have opened up in the floor and swallowed her without him noticing.

Eden shivered and hurried to the stairs leading off Level Five, which she didn't intend to enter alone again - or at all unless forced - as long as he was there. I'll pass the message on to Elle, all right; I'll tell her to stay away from him! Something's off about that guy. Elle might be a sadistic sociopath, but Edward Cullen was just plain creepy.

###

Seventeen hours later, just when Edward had made up his mind that Elle was never going to show up - she obviously didn't want to see him even though there were only a few floors separating them; he might as well be on the moon for all she cared, and why had he taken Jasper's word as proof that she actually had feelings for him? He should have known the empath's talent wasn't reliable when it came to someone with Antisocial Personality Disorder - she came.

"What the hell did you do?" She was almost shouting as she stormed into his cell and kicked the door shut with a reverberating clang. "I just spent a day getting poked and prodded like a guinea pig by every damn doctor in the place because they were afraid you'd infected me! I swear, if you've turned me into some kind of night-crawler…"

Edward sensed the atmosphere becoming charged and knew she was about to bleed off her anger by releasing her power, probably with him as her target. "Elle, stop. Just calm down. I promise I have not changed you in any way."

She simmered down somewhat, but her suspicious glare remained. "They tested my DNA and said it didn't look any different, but-"

"Of course not - because I never bit you. That is the only way for a human to become 'infected'."

Elle knew perfectly well that she had never been bitten by a vampire; she would have noticed bite marks on her own body, and the doctors had also reported that her blood count was normal. It was the second part she wasn't sure about. "You've never told me exactly how someone becomes a vampire."

"I didn't want to give you ideas."

"Please. From what I've seen vampires either repeat high school forever or wander around hunting people and have gross red eyes like James. I don't like those choices."

Edward was relieved to hear that; although changing her was the only way he could have healed her, the idea of risking Elle's soul to repair her broken body hadn't sat well with him. "Then there's no harm in telling you how the conversion works. We produce venom that creates pain, to incapacitate our prey so we can feed more easily."

"You have venom?" she asked doubtfully. "Where?"

"It's produced in our mouths, like a snake's. We inject it into our prey's bloodstream by biting them, then either drink from them or leave the venom to spread. It takes days and is excruciating for the victim, but unless their heart stops before the venom can spread throughout their body, they become one of us."

"How do I know you aren't just making this up?"

"I suppose you can't. You just have to trust me."

Trust him? Not likely. Look where that got me last time. Still, she thought she'd better pass this information to the scientists, in case he was telling the truth. Before leaving, she zapped him from across the cell. "Something to remember me by."

"Does that mean you won't be coming back?" He hoped not. Eden's command prevented him breaking out however badly he wanted to; vampires weren't built to live in confinement, and being stuck here was more than a little insulting when this cell shouldn't be able to hold him, but being near Elle made the situation almost tolerable.

Already gripping the door handle, she paused to glance quickly, almost involuntarily over her shoulder. Common sense told her she shouldn't want to be anywhere near him, and yet… "No. I think we'll see a lot of each other."

###

Unlike most American teenagers, Elle did not own a cell phone. Although she was allowed to carry one while working outside the facility, it was taken away from her when she came home. This time Arthur had let her keep the phone she had used in Forks, which seemed pointless to her - she had no friends to call, and nobody ever called her - until that night.

She almost fell off her bed in shock when her phone rang, but she answered out of curiosity.

"Good, this number still works. This is Alice Cullen."

Elle had figured as much; the voice was too euphonic to belong to a human, and as far as she knew Esme and Rosalie didn't have her number. She didn't remember giving it to Alice either, but she wouldn't put it past the nosy precog to get it by other means. "What do you want?"

"I want my brother back."

"That isn't up to me. You don't leave until they decide to let you go. Coming here was his bright idea anyway."

"Yes, and he did it for you! You have a funny way of showing gratitude."

"What are you talking about? From where I'm sitting he didn't do anything I should be grateful for."

"Ask him; he's the one you have issues to sort out with, not me."

"Who says I have issues?" Elle asked indignantly.

"Considering that you helped lock up the guy who loves you - after you spent months lying about why you were with him in the first place - I would say it's obvious," Alice snapped.

"And I'd say you're full of it. I was just doing my job."

"Then you need a new j-"

Elle angrily cut her off. "I can't get a new job, okay? I've worked here my entire life! What else am I supposed to do!"

"Fine." Alice's voice had become quieter, and she sounded sad. "Maybe I was wrong about you; maybe the person they've turned you into doesn't bother you. But I know you cared about Edward at least a little, and you really hurt him."

"Shut up. I haven't done anything too bad to him."

"I didn't mean you hurt him in the physical sense, and you had better see that you don't, or I will kill you - unless the others beat me to it. They'd get pretty angry if I shared what I've seen you doing since Edward broke into that lab you live in, especially Rosalie. She strongly dislikes you already, you know."

"Rosalie doesn't scare me; neither do you. Now if you'll excuse me, I have other things I'd rather do than trade threats - I'm more of a take-action type. Later." She hung up and turned the phone off. It figured that the first time someone called her it wouldn't be pleasant. I hate my life. I think I hate Alice too - calling me just to make sure I'm not hurting her precious Edward. Nobody worries about me like that.

Elle lay on her back, her breath coming fast and shallow as she got angry. There was no way she'd be able to sleep now, so she decided to vent on her new favorite target. It was past her curfew but she thought she could slip down to Edward's cell unnoticed. She was wrong.

"Elle?"

She stopped with an irritated sigh. "What, Eden?"

"Where are you going?"

"None of your business."

"You're going to see Edward Cullen, aren't you?"

"So what if I am?"

Eden looked troubled. "I wish you wouldn't; he gives me the creeps, Elle. Even the scientists that are meant to be studying him are afraid to go near him! They've been letting you handle him because you have some connection, but I'm not convinced it's safe for you."

"Wow, I never knew you cared," Elle said sarcastically. "Gonna make me stay away from him?"

"No, it's not my problem if you're suicidal. I just thought you should know your boyfriend scares the hell out of every sane person in the building."

Elle's temper flared again. "Then it's too bad I'm crazy, isn't it? Don't bother denying it - I know that's how everyone thinks of me." Eden said nothing, silently confirming her accusation. "That's what I thought." She walked away, leaving Eden behind. If Eden didn't care enough to stop her, she probably wouldn't report her either.

###

Edward lay on the narrow cot the Company had furnished his cell with, arms crossed under his head, eyes closed. To the casual observer he appeared to be sleeping, but Elle knew better. "I know you don't sleep. Get up." She sent an electrical bolt at him.

He jumped out of the way, reappearing on the other side of the cell. "Isn't it late for you to be up?"

"I got a call from your nosy sister. She pissed me off, and so did Eden."

She lashed out once more, and this time he didn't move. "So you're here to take it out on me." He flinched as she electrocuted him a third time - she felt it as she placed her hands on his chest and discharged enough electricity that she could have restarted his heart if that were at all possible - but he didn't scream. She had to admit that was impressive. When she finally ran out of juice and paused to recharge, he asked, "What have I done to make you hate me so much, Elle?"

Pain showed clearly in his eyes, though she couldn't tell whether it was caused by the shocks she'd administered or the thought of her hating him. Whichever, it elicited no sympathy. "You left me. After I broke my back blowing up James, you just left me there! Mr. Petrelli said you could've fixed me, but you didn't bother once Bennet told you what kind of work I do. Did you hate me that much?"

"First I'd like to point out that it's unfair to blame me for 'just leaving you'. Bennet brought your friend Eden with him; she forced us not to interfere with their taking you." He paused, listening to her thoughts as she processed this information. "Ah, so you weren't aware Eden was there. Well, you were badly hurt - I'm not surprised you failed to notice her. Afterward, it's obvious you were told only what your boss wanted you to know. He wouldn't have wanted your loyalties divided; I imagine it suited his purposes to make you think I willingly abandoned you."

"You're avoiding the main question," Elle snapped. "How'd you react when you found out about my real job?"

"I won't deny that I was extremely angry," Edward said slowly. "Our entire relationship was a lie. Then, when Carlisle told me the damage to your spine had paralyzed you, I knew I couldn't leave you like that; in spite of everything, I couldn't bear the thought of you suffering. I loved you too much."

She looked away. "You weren't meant to love me. I'm…sorry."

"Is that why you sent me that message?"

"What message?"

"The text message you sent me in Seattle, presumably on your way to the parking garage where you met James. 'I had to do it. Sorry.'"

"Oh, that. No, I just thought you'd be put out that I sneaked off."

"Well, of course I was. I never understood what possessed you to run off to a rendezvous with a vampire who wanted to kill you."

"He kidnapped my partner, Thompson, and made him tell me to meet him alone. I didn't know James was behind it till I got there, but I still didn't like having to run out on you, so that's what the message was about. Sorry if you thought it meant something else."

Edward ignored the apology; he was more interested in what she said just prior to it. "Partner? What do you mean, your partner?"

"Company agents work in pairs - someone like me with someone normal. They call it the 'one of us, one of them' system."

"So it's a business relationship."

"Most of the time, although partners can get pretty close if they're together long enough."

"Were you and Thompson close?"

"I couldn't stand the jerk. Hey, wait a minute… Are you jealous?"

"Don't be ridiculous." He stalked off as far as the cell would allow.

Elle followed him. "You are! Admit it, you can't stand the idea that I might have liked Thompson." Neither could she - in fact she found it revolting - but she was unable to stop herself from teasing him with it. She came up behind him where he stood with his back toward her and reached out to touch him…

His hand closed around her wrist; she was pulled around in a half circle so fast that her feet barely skimmed the floor. When he set her down she was in front of him, facing him with her back against the wall. One of his hands was pressed to the wall too, bracing him; the other went around her neck. For a second she thought he might choke her, but he only gripped her hair at the base of her skull and bent her head backward so that she stared up into his face.

Maybe I finally pushed him too far, she thought dizzily. Maybe the choking comes later.

"You're right," he said silkily, "I don't like the idea. I don't like the idea of you having feelings for your partner or anyone else. You are my mate, remember?" Her betrayal ceased to matter at that matter; the only thing that did matter was that she belonged to him, and apparently she needed to be reminded of that fact. He claimed her mouth in a fierce, possessive kiss.

Elle enjoyed it at first…but it went on too long. Edward seemed to have forgotten that she needed to breathe - he was actually sucking the breath from her lungs with his kiss and his crushing embrace, so maybe he hadn't forgotten anything. This could be some sort of punishment. Maybe she deserved it, and she was too curious about this new experience to put a stop to it just yet.

Then, just as she started to black out, he pulled back, saying something her oxygen-deprived brain couldn't process. She was aware of him catching her when her legs buckled and sitting her on the cot, holding her as she gulped in air. "I didn't…know you could…knock someone out by kissing them. What…what was that for?"

Edward pinched the bridge of his nose with his free hand. "It's a vampire's nature to be possessive of their mate…also, I was angry with you. I let it go too far, and for that I'm sorry."

"So you still think of me as your mate? You still…want me?" This was not at all what she expected when Alice told her to work out her issues with Edward.

"Yes. I don't know how I'll ever trust you again, but it seems nothing you do will ever stop me wanting you."

"So where does that leave us?"

This time he had no answer for her.

Next up: Elle tells the story of her first assignment, and another piece of our characters' personal history is uncovered. I can't take full credit for the second revelation by the way; the idea was originally put to me by a reader of Resurgence. I think it was Raiko Toho, but it's been a while so I'm not 100% sure.