I'd like to first start with my apologies for the wait. I have had a very hard time finding Liette again and I know many of you have now waited months for this chapter. Once again I'd like to thank you all for your continued support with this story. I'm about to leave on a summer exchange in Florida so things will likely still be slow but I hope to get you a chapter every week or so. As always, please tell me what you think!

"I'm very delighted that you agreed to join me Liette." Joe's grin spread across his face as he held the car door open for Liette, holding out a hand to help her step out. She was uneasy on the heels she had tossed on her feet but she knew the cocktail dress would have looked childish with a pair of flats. This was far more formal than she was used to.

"How could I pass up an opportunity to watch you poetic for two days in some fancy manor filled with free food." she teased, hesitating before she took Joe's arm to step towards the old pillared mansion that stood in front of them. Liette had only ever seen places like this from the outside, unless they had been old houses turned into museums. This was someone's home. It was easily six times the size of the Louisiana house that she had grown up in.

"So remind me again, what is this all exactly?"

Joe smiled over at her as they made their way up the drive, his lips opening for the courtesy of smalltalk."Once a year, my colleagues and I get together to discuss different perspectives on some of the classics from the romantic period."

"Like a little renaissance fan club." Liette mused "I almost feel like we could have cosplayed."

"Pardon?" the last word on Liette's lips was clearly foreign to the man beside her.

"Cosplay." she repeated, looking for recognition in Joe's eyes but he still looked puzzled as ever. The young blonde bit her lip, a pink blush flushing over her face in just mere seconds. Embarrassment swept through her as her mind tried to find the words to explain the term she had just used. She realized that no matter how she phrased it, the whole idea of dressing up as a favorite character from a book or movie would come out as seemingly immature. Joe already made her well aware of her own youth, it wasn't something that she needed reminding of. "Forget about it, you'll just think I'm weird." she dismissed quickly.

"That is rarely the word that crosses my mind when I'm thinking of you." Joe searched his brain for any mention of the word in his personal history but he came up empty. Odd ideas about what Liette could have been talking about spread through his mind but quickly dissipated like smoke in a strong wind.

With Joe's compliment keeping the pink blush on Liette's cheeks the smitten young woman decided to turn her attention elsewhere. She had been nervous about coming here with Joe in the first place, insisting that she pay for her own hotel room and that she'd stay home if Claire would rather be his plus one. It felt too much like a date for Liette's liking, in the sense that she knew she couldn't lose her head or she'd treat it like one. It was one thing to cosplay and dress up as a character and play out a story as that character, you couldn't do the same thing with real people, especially not with your married soon to be father of a professor.

"This place is amazing." Liette spoke as they stepped onto the wrap around porch and Joe loosed his arm from hers in order to get the door. Liette's words were meant to take Joe's attention off of her but his gaze remained on the young woman as she marveled about the white columns and burnt red details.

As always, Joe's attention was captured by the blonde, they could have been at any house in any part of the country. His focus was on her, trying not to get trapped again by her beauty, his hand caught the door handle and he led them inside. "Come, I want to introduce you to a few old friends and then I'll give you the grand tour."

The grand tour had ended in the very room that Liette was now standing in; a home library with dozens of first editions and mahogany bookshelves that were built right into the walls. It had once been something out of a dream but now it was a waking nightmare. Liette found herself tied into every detail of Joe's twisted plans. Their past was written in as the prologue of Joe's new book and he had made sure to place traces it all over the lines of the new story.

It took a number of deep breaths and a lengthy internal monologue to get Liette moving again. She back up from the library and moved towards the door once more. Hearing nothing in the hall she stepped outside of the room, wanting to leave her memories of that hauntingly beautiful library behind her. With no luck, Liette came to the top of the stairs to find Roderick standing at the bottom. He looked up at her, licking his lips like a predator that had just spotted dinner.

"Going somewhere?" his Southern drawl leaked from his lips, poison snaking its way up the bannister towards Liette.

"I was just looking for some towels." Liette made up an excuse quickly.

"They're under the sink."

"Guess that makes sense."

There was no safe escape, not yet. She could try to make a run for it, hope that her hand to hand was better than his but Liette had a feeling she'd only end up wounded. She saw no hesitation in Roderick, no hint that he wouldn't hurt her. She only hoped that Joe's fondness for her would at least keep her alive long enough for the FBI to find her.