(A/N): A very complicated chapter. Leo gets to hear a little bit more about Lisbet and Jerremyah's relationship from Lisbet, and they discuss what they're going to do about Jerremyah's control issues.

Leo

After we had explained that Herc was my half brother, and- one of- Nicholai's children, Jerremyah left to fetch whatever personal belongings he had from wherever he had previously been staying. Once I was absolutely certain he was out of hearing range, I whirled around to face Lisbet, who didn't seem at all surprised.

"What the fuck, Lis?" She seemed to consider me carefully for a second, and I silently noted that, despite the fact I was currently clearly upset with her, the tension she had previously been carrying was completely gone- because Jerremyah was.

"Leo- I know maybe I wasn't quite as truthful as I could have been-" I cut her off, scoffing.

"'Quite as truthful' isn't exactly the way I would describe it." She paused for a second, as if waiting for me to continue, but I didn't. I wanted her to explain why she had done what she did, rather than come up with my own reasoning and have her falsely confirm that as why, in order to save her own skin.

"There's... a lot to say. Too much to talk about, even if I was ready to talk about it all, and you were ready to hear it." Huh? "Jerremyah and I have a lot of history- for more than three centuries we've been at each others throats in every possible connotation. Even when we were on good terms it wasn't without contestation- we bickered, quarreled, squabbled, however you want to describe it." She took a deep breath.

"I knew, if I told you that, you would have fought me about contacting him. You would have said I didn't have to compromise my feelings or soften my convictions just to make our clan stronger- But I thought it was time. I thought it had been long enough that he knew I was serious about being able to cut him out of my life if he didn't shape up, and honestly... I missed him, more than anything." I felt my expression soften at that, knowing it must have taken Lisbet a lot to admit such a thing.

"That doesn't explain why you lied." Her eyebrows furrowed at my statement.

"I mean, I think it does. If I had told you the truth, you would've stopped me-" I cut her off.

"I wasn't asking why you lied to me... I mean, sure, it would've been helpful to know certain things about your relationship before he got here- like the fact you apparently told him you never wanted to speak to him again-" She looked a bit sheepish here. "But you don't owe me your life story. I just don't think its a good idea to lie to the person we're trying to convince to join our clan, especially if that person is someone you care about. And clearly you care about Jerremyah very much." I paused for a second, and gave her a pointed look. "Maybe a bit too much." She flushed, and I thought it was a bit odd to blush at such a thing, when Jerremyah had been trying his hardest to get in her pants for the better part of an hour not five minutes ago.

"Jerremyah... Jerremyah isn't dumb." Okay? Good for him? "He almost certainly knows I'm lying to him-" Whether that's because he knows her so well, or because we're all awful liars, I don't know. "And he chose to accept anyway. Whether thats because he's desperate enough to take the small chance that you are in fact some sort of self control guru-"

"Which we all know I'm not." Lisbet didn't look completely convinced, which was odd.

"Or because he's- Here for me, I guess time will tell." I narrowed my eyes at her.

"And on the slim chance he doesn't know we're lying? How were you planning on me convincing him I'm helping him get a better hold on his urges? As a matter of fact, how were you planning on us keeping him under control in the first place? It's not like our only problem is the fact the Folley's are human- Mia lives here too! What if he loses control, and-" She cut me off with a quick shake of her head.

"As far as I know, Jerremyah has only ever lost control when he's already been... indulging. He shouldn't be any more of a threat to her safety than the Twins." The Twins, who both looked unhappy, but begrudgingly accepted her statement. "Besides, worst comes to worst, we make sure someone capable of stopping Jerremyah from attacking her is around at all times." I gave her a skeptical look.

Someone capable of stopping Jerremyah.

Jerremyah, who Lisbet clearly had strong feelings for. Jerremyah, who had sired the Twins, and was not only much older, stronger and experienced, but who I had just told Jo she wasn't allowed to harm. Jerremyah, who probably could have snapped Shari like a twig before everything, and definitely could now that she was grieving and malnourished. Jerremyah, who my father was convinced I could at least half kick his ass, but I wasn't so sure.

At least when the Twins lost control, they weren't likely to take out half the clan if we got in their way.

"You'd better hope you're right." Was all I said on the matter. "You didn't answer the question. How were you planning on me convincing him I'm helping?" Lisbet seemed hesitant.

"Well... You mentioned something to me once, that got me thinking." Which was never a good thing. "You said your mother was a Legilimens, right?" I cautiously nodded, not knowing where she was going with this. "And that you used some rudimentary Occlumency once or twice to hide something from her?" It was more than once or twice, but I wasn't going to tell her that.

"Yeah, once or twice." She narrowed her eyes at that, and I wondered whether I was just a bad liar in general today, or something physiological was giving away my less-than-truth.

"And you've influenced someone before, right?" I nodded quickly, before I realised that I absolutely should not have admitted to that, considering I really wasn't supposed to have done that. Lisbet didn't seemed phased, so I guess she thought my father or Shari had taught me- My eyes darted to Shari, and- rather sadly- I was relieved that she was once again completely zoned out. I guess all the talk about Lisbet's love life had pushed her over the edge.

"You can't Influence vampires though, right? I mean, I'm sure there's been plenty of times where you would have loved to influence me to shut up or do what I was told, and you haven't, so I figure its impossible." A look of pain flashed in Lisbet's eyes for only a split second before it was gone, so quickly I almost convinced myself I hadn't seen it.

"No, you can't Influence vampires, not that I would typically want to anyway. But they can be affected by Legilemency." I frowned, not seeing what she was getting at.

"I mean, theoretically yes, but you'd need both a strong Legilimens and a weak minded vampire, and we have neither." Lisbet grinned in a way I immediately didn't like.

"Weak minded, no. But if Jerremyah willingly allowed himself to be affected, maybe it wouldn't matter." Maybe. Maybe not.

"Maybe that would work. Maybe. But even if you could find a strong Legilimens, its a huge risk to allow someone with that sort of power access to a member of the clan. And you still haven't explained how I'm supposed to-" I stopped dead. "Lisbet." She gave me a look that told me she knew I had finally figured out what she was trying to say. "Lisbet, I'm a novice Occlumens at best, not-" She cut me off.

"Legilimency is, at its most basic, mind reading- or, mind navigation. Whatever. Influencing is mind control. I figure, considering you know how to shield against Legilimency, and you can Influence people- maybe, with a willing subject, and some practice- you can get inside Jerremyah's head." A simple enough thought. For a crazy person.

"But- Even if- What- That doesn't- Ugh!" She looked like she expected such an outburst, and gave me time to properly organise my thoughts so I could voice them. "Even if Jerremyah was willing- which is a big if, by the way- my limited experience with Occlumency doesn't mean I can use Legilimency, and even if I can, I don't see how that's supposed to help. Legilimency isn't mind control, and while Influencing is mind control, it doesn't work on vampires. And even if I could use mind control on Jerremyah- and he was willing to let me do so, because there's no way I would do that sort of thing without his explicit permission- What would that even accomplish? What would I tell him? Not to lose control? Not to over indulge? There are so many things that could go wrong with that, I don't know what you want me to do." Lisbet shrugged, seeming slightly melancholy.

"Try. I want you to try."

(A/N): Lisbet: 'Jerremyah isn't dumb.'

Leo: 'Prove it.'

also

Lisbet: 'You've Influenced someone before, right?'

Leo: 'Yeah.' Shouldn't have said that. I should not have said that.

also

Leo: 'I bet there's plenty of times you would have loved to be able to Influence me to shut up or do what I was told.'

Lisbet: 'Did you hear that sound? It was the sound of my heart breaking.'