UGH, I hate it when I have no internet...

Been typing like a crazy person these last few days, and have started on the next chapter as well :) Sorry for the wait again, I promise it isn't intentional...if I had luck like on Oblivion, it would be 2...maybe 3 XD

Thanks for your reviews everyone, will reply to them all when I get a few moments :D

"So she will recover?"

Babette fought the urge to roll her eyes and simply nodded to Morgan's question. Babette had heard the same question from Nazir, Astrid and even Cicero, and was beginning to get annoyed that hardly anyone seemed to appreciate her talents in alchemy.

"Yes. Nightshade poison is effective but luckily for everyone, I have been around a long time, and I know how to counter the effects if I have what I needed."

Morgan nodded this time as she continued to gently grip Gabriella's hand. She knew that Babette was taking good care of Gabriella, but seeing the dunmer woman seemingly helpless and unconscious shook her to the core.

"Maybe a day or two and she will be awake," Babette added as she patted Morgans hand gently before turning back to her alchemy table.

"Thank you Babette," Morgan said as she stood up and ruffled the vampire's hair playfully before ducking a bowl of troll fat that Babette slung at her a second later.

"Missed!" Morgan laughed as she exited the room.

Babette smirked as she once again turned back to her work.

"Am I the ONLY one who is mature in this frozen place?" Babette muttered.

"So…what's first?"

Astrid smiled a little at Morgans eagerness to begin. She reminded her of the few initiates that Astrid had met in the past. Eager to prove themselves, and eager to spill blood. But the smile faded when the reality of their situation dawned on her.

We have next to nothing, and yet it could get worse.

She was grateful when Nazir took over.

"Well, normally we would start by giving you contracts but seeing as we have no contacts left…" he trailed off as well.

Morgan nodded sadly as she also began to think about what had happened. The remainder of the most legendary group of assassins in Tamriel was reduced to three members and one other in a coma. And the same group had accepted her with open arms and were trying so hard to give her what she craved…and yet they could not.

"As long as we survive, the Dark Brotherhood yet lives."

Morgan looked sharply at the spirit that walked into the room, his arms held behind his back in a pose that Morgan had seen only once in her life…her father used to walk like that when he had been thinking. Lucien seemed to possess a calmness that radiated off him, and she noted that every single set of eyes were also locked onto the spirit as well.

Lucien LaChance didn't seem to notice that he everybody's undivided attention. He continued to walk around the room, pausing briefly to nod his head respectfully at the Night Mother's closed coffin before continuing to pace.

"Our numbers are few, yet there are still members of the Dark Brotherhood. There is Nazir, who follows his orders to the letter, and swears loyalty to our Family," he said, nodding to the Redguard, who gave a small nod back.

"There is the unchild, who has lived longer than I have. An expert in alchemy and a dangerous assassin is something that happens only rarely," Lucien continued.

Morgan agreed with that statement. Babette was also an expert in manipulation…that thought made her smirk for a moment before she focused back on Lucien.

"There is the young Dunmer lying in a deep sleep. Someone who appreciates that any moment may be her last, yet still goes forward with her life, serving the Unholy Matron with unmatched devotion."

Astrid ran her fingers along her eyebrows as she looked down at the stone table…what was left of it anyway, after Morgan had punched a hole into it the day before.. She didn't think that Lucien would say anything good about her. After all, more than half of her fellow assassins had died under her command.

"There is Astrid," Lucien said with a small smirk as he walked around the room, never meeting anybody's gaze as he passed them. "She does everything she can for her Family, and is always attempting to try anything to keep everybody in order."

Astrid shivered as Lucien's hands rested on her shoulders, the coldness spreading through her body.

"And you should not doubt yourself," he whispered into her ear. "Your husband and the others are watching you Astrid. Show them your strength has not wavered."

Morgan didn't know what the spirit had said, but the way that Astrid sat up a little straighter and had even smiled at the spirits back suggested that Lucien had said something to bolster her resolve. She blinked when she noted that Lucien now stood before herself and Serana, who had been leaning against the wall.

"Then there are the two children of darkness before me. One of them a vampire who has lived countless generations, yet unaware of the changed world around her. The other, a woman with the blood of a vampire and a soul of a dragon. Both of them have spilled blood for honour, for love and even for pleasure…"

Morgan never thought that she could ever block out the memories of what had happened in Markarth, but she could see the faces of the dozens of soul-less people she had cut down appear before her. Mane and women who had their souls removed and nothing but husks remained, but she had always felt guilty because she had ended their lives with a savage glee.

"I lost control," Morgan growled softly.

"No dear child, "Lucien said as he ran a transparent finger along her face. "You were in control of your power. You also knew deep down that you could not help them, their souls had already been taken. All you could think about was survival and doing what needed to be done. You pleased the Night Mother with your deeds, Morgan Aurelius."

Morgan opened her mouth to reply and closed it a second later. She never wanted to think about what had happened, but now that Lucien had brought those memories to the surface, she couldn't help but think about that night.

She had felt something before she had unsheathed her blade, but that thought had been smothered with the thoughts of blood running down those stone steps, and she had to admit that she had enjoyed the feeling of being able to use all those skills that she had been taught, without fear of being caught or penalised.

Lucien smiled as he walked away and Morgan shook her head to clear her thoughts, before looking over to Astrid.

"I can see why Lucien was highly respected," she remarked.

Astrid nodded as her eyes traced the slowly disappearing blue glow.

No-one spotted Lucien's smile as he left the room.

Lucien had always assumed that many of the assassins that he had met always needed to learn more about the art of killing. Most of them were forced to kill in defence, and it was only when their joy at spilling the blood of another was when they were noticed. But some of them were marked by the Dread father himself, sometimes even before birth.

His greatest apprentice and his lover had been one such person.

Lucinda Aurelius had come from a poor family, and had lost them all during a bandit attack on her farm near Anvil in Cyrodiil. Lucien had been asked to watch this young woman, and at first, he had seen nothing out of the ordinary. She was attractive, yet the loss of her sisters and her mother had clearly had an effect on her, her hair uncombed and slightly frayed.

Of course, that was when she had changed.

He had followed her as she tracked the bandits to their lair, a castle on the west coast on the province and watched silently as she infiltrated the stone ruins without a single person being alerted. Lucien had followed, and every so often, he would see a corpse on the floor as he had followed this broken soul. Every one of them had been slashed open with multiple lacerations, mostly around the throat which indicated a stealthy kill.

Lucien eventually came to watch Lucinda as she had disarmed the leader and last remaining survivor and had broken his arms and legs using nothing but her hands. She had then straddled the fallen leader and had stabbed the man so many times, her hilt of the small silver dagger she held had broken free, the blade remaining within the twitching corpse.

It was then that Lucien realised that she had been chosen for a very good reason. This woman knew how to kill, Sithis only knew who had taught her. But she was laughing as she stood up, unsheathing her blade and exiting the dark ruins, Lucien still shadowing her.

And he had visited her that same night and had offered her what she had wanted…an outlet for her killing pleasures. She had accepted and had become Listener after she had been led by that traitorous leech Mathieu Bellamont to wipe out most of the Black Hand. He had been captured and tortured by the remaining survivors before Lucinda had been able to return to him, and had died while screaming for his devotion to the Unholy Matron, even as Arquen ate his spleen in front of him.

But the night they had spent together a few weeks beforehand had been something that Lucien had never forgotten, and it was a memory that even the Night Mother found had found sweet. Of course, finding out that she had been pregnant had come a few hundred years late, but Lucien didn't mind. After all, he was required to stay silent unless asked to.

So now he watched Morgan Aurelius attack a training dummy with twin glass daggers, her lithe form darting in an unpredictable yet familiar pattern. Every attack hit a section of the dummy that would prove fatal would it be a real person. Every movement was precise and not once did the vampire Dragonborn miss a single step, her feet moving so fast even Lucien himself couldn't keep up with her.

So familiar. She looks like her. She moves like her. She even has the same witty sense of humour that I liked and loathed in equal measure. It's as though the Dread Father made her like this.

"Fast, isn't she?"

Lucien turned his head slightly to see the other vampire standing beside him. He hadn't even heard her footsteps.

She must have been a killer once too, she moves silently like an assassin.

"Indeed. Her style…I have seen something like hers before," Lucien replied as he fixed his gaze back on the Dragonborn.

"I have too…a long time ago," Serana sighed as she leaned against the wall.

"You remind me of a friend I had. Vicente was his name. A good assassin."

"Really? How so?"

"You are a vampire like he was. He also looked after those he cared about, yet could also kill if asked to."

"Anyone who tries to harm her will get sucked dry," Serana said simply as she smirked at him when he looked at her.

"I do not doubt it."

Serana smiled wider and looked back, just as Morgan finally ended her training by crossing the daggers across the throat of the dummy and slicing through the neck with ease, the straw head falling off and landing at Lucien's feet.

"That brings back memories too," Lucien muttered, thinking of when the Night Mother had told him about when Lucinda had thrown the head of Mathieu Bellamont's mother before him, and had smirked wickedly as the traitor had stammered and had almost blown his own composure.

Serana said nothing at that, but patted the spirits shoulder as she walked past him, greeting the Dragonborn and asking her to spar with her. Lucien was grateful for the gesture, but now his attention was directed towards the two vampires.

He loved a good sparring session.

"No weapons?"

"Sounds good to me," Morgan said as she threw the daggers into the second training dummy's forehead.

Serana did the same, the twin dragonbone daggers impaling themselves into the groin region.

"Ouch."

Serana chuckled as she held her hands raised.

Morgan was swift to attack, her arms wrapping around Serana's neck and leaning backwards to place pressure on the spine. Serana countered immediately, ducking under Morgan's arm to position herself behind her and applying the same hold.

"Sneaky," Morgan laughed as she ducked under Serana's legs and flipped the woman onto her back.

She then straddled her and attempted to pin her arms down, but Serana moved again, using her years of experience to flip Morgan onto her back and straddle her hips.

"We have been here before," Serana purred.

"You always have been the dominant bitch," Morgan smiled as she shifted from side to side to try and dislodge her.

"And you love it," Serana returned as she shifted forwards, her legs now pinning Morgan's shoulders down to the stone.

Morgan raised an eyebrow but said nothing, and with a surge of brute strength, she flipped Serana off her and stood up, facing the other woman, who was laughing.

"I love it when you fight back," Serana joked.

Morgan just winked and then darted forwards, her body colliding into Serana's. Both women ended up on the floor once again, Serana lying on Morgan's legs. Morgan giggled as she rolled Serana off her and sat behind her, wrapping her legs round her waist and coiling her arms round Serana's neck. She then leaned back so that Serana was lying on top of her, her arms and legs unable to gain any purchase on the rough ground.

"Got youuuuuu," Morgan cooed, kissing Serana's earlobe.

"Dammit," Serana growled as she violently rocked from side to side.

Morgan tightened her grip, her limbs gripping the other even more.

"Give in?"

"Nope."

Morgan laughed as Serana began to mutter several swear words, some of them were in a language she could only guess at, but she knew she was cursing.

Serana sighed and went limp.

"Okay, you win this one."

Morgan giggled.

"I quite like having you like this…all mine…"

"We do have people watching," Serana pointed out.

Morgan looked up to see Lucien, Astrid, Nazir and even Cicero watching them in the entrance of the room, three of them amused while of course the spirit simply nodded once.

"Good point," Morgan muttered as she released Serana.

And then yelped as Serana straddled her chest, pinning her arms under her thighs.

"Hey!"

"We didn't say it was over…but now it is," Serana winked at her. "And I lied about giving in."

Morgan simply lay her head on the stone as she could hear Cicero start yelling about how he wanted a go.

"Fuck."

"That's your reward for later tonight darling," Serana whispered in her ear before standing up and offering a hand to her.

Morgan smiled as she took the offered hand, before dragging Serana down and wrapping her legs round her waist again and kissing her full on the mouth.

"To Sithis for waiting until tonight," Morgan muttered.

"Nothing to see here!" Nazir boomed as he dragged Cicero from the room.

Astrid left with a soft chuckle, the spectre leaving a moment later, an amused smirk on his face again.

Lucien was a serious person, he had been told such a thing by Vicente several times. But that didn't mean he wouldn't appreciate humour amongst the Family. After all, family was everything. Even so, he made sure that no-one would burst into the training room anytime soon by closing the door and looking at the massive white snow wolf that lay there.

"Make sure no-one enters. Can you do that for her?"

Scar barked once and sat on her haunches before the door.

Lucien chuckled as he stroked the wolf on the top of the head and walked back to where the Night Mother resided. He wished to know when the killing would begin.

So eager aren't you Speaker?

"I simply wished to know if I can be of assistance My Lady," Lucien said with a small bow.

Astrid had sent him back to the Void at his request, and she had done so without even asking why. He was beginning to admire the woman a little for her restraint.

Lucien stood the garden where he had first met the Unholy Matron. Every time he was here, it felt as though nothing was wrong with the world, living or otherwise. There were no stars in the sky, yet an unnatural moonlight always shone down onto the endless plains of the Void.

Lucien loved this place.

He risked looking up to see that his words had amused the Night Mother, her smile evident on her Dunmer features.

You are doing everything you can Lucien, I could ask nothing more from you at this time the Night Mother said as she pressed her finger under Lucien's jaw and tilted it so he looked right at her.

"You are too kind My Lady."

I can tell that you are still having doubts Lucien. I know that within your blackened heart, you wish for the next Listener to be like her. But you know what happened to her. She has become one with a Daedric Prince. You will see her again, I am sure…it is just how she appears before you that may concern you.

"It is…difficult to see how she can bring the Dark Brotherhood back when she still retains so much honour within herself," Lucien said softly.

You know as well as I do that Morgan can be more destructive that a storm when she has to Lucien. But she needs that compassion to rein in her vampiric and Draconic emotions. Without her love and caring, she would become nothing more than a mindless monster.

"I understand."

Dear Lucien, have no fear. Continue to watch her, admire her as she kills. For she will kill…and she will kill many for our Dread Father.

Yes, My Lady."

Lucien looked into the all seeing eyes of the Night Mother and could see that she was serious. She knew more about Morgan Aurelius than he did….she probably knew more about her than what the Dragonborn herself did.

Good. I have one task for you. When you return, tell Astrid that I have one contract to be carried out, and Morgan is the one to be chosen for it. Do not tell Morgan of this, she must not know. When she leaves, you are to then tell Astrid that she needs to gain more members and gain the gold needed to make the Dawnstar Sanctuary a proper home.

"Is there anything else you require of me, My Lady?"

One more thing Lucien. The Dark Brotherhood needs to keep Morgan in check with her humanity, otherwise another Purification may occur. She needs her mother back, alive and well.

"How do…"

Ask Nazir or Babette to travel to the College of Winterhold and look for the vampire Dunmer that resides there. Simply tell her that the Dragonborn is in need of help, and she will come.

"It will be done, My Lady."

The Night Mother smiled and ran a loving finger along the strong jaw line of Lucien LaChance and closed her eyes as she sent him back to Tamriel. When she opened them, she chuckled as she looked into the pitch black sky.

"Everything is going as planned my love. Our name will be feared once again."