(A/N): Leo and Lisbet start their conversation. These next few chapters are not going to be fun for her.

Lisbet

I had taken Leo's lunch bag from him, and tossed it in the bin on our way past it- as I did so, I saw Shari reach out from where she was sitting at the dining table, to gently bump Leo's arm with her hand. He flashed her a small, slightly tense smile in return, and patted her hand with his own.

"You good?" He murmured, and she made a face at him, before shrugging.

"You?" He glanced briefly at me- then Jerremyah- then turned back to Shari, and echoed her shrug.

"For now." That was not, at all, reassuring- and I could tell that Shari felt much the same way, because her eyebrows drew downwards, and she leaned in closer to him.

"Do you need-" He shook his head, before she could even finish.

"No. There's nothing you can do." He stared her down, obviously trying to make it clear to her that this wasn't because he thought she couldn't do anything- in general- but that no one could do anything- about this, specifically. Which was admittedly rather worrying. "Don't worry too much about it, it's not-" He cut himself off, briefly glancing back to Jerremyah, who was watching him with an expression that I expected only I could recognise as pained. "Well, just... don't worry about it." She opened her mouth to protest, and he cut her off again. "We'll get through it." I didn't like the wary look that Jerremyah was giving him.

"I'll hold you to that, Judy." Leo's lips twitched, and I wasn't sure he was on the edge of a smile, or a frown.

"Hey," He started. "Are you hungry?" She blinked, clearly surprised by the change of subject, and he continued. "I know you were full, after we hunted last time, but you should get some human- human blood- into you, too." Her eyebrows furrowed again, but he kept going, before she could actually say anything on the matter. "I should have more, too- because of my hand. We can share a bag." Was his hand hurting him?

For the quickest second, our eyes met over Shari's head, and I saw this for what it really was- not a lie, exactly, but a slight deception, certainly. His hand wasn't bothering him- but if Shari thought that it was, she would be much more likely to agree to it, because she knew if she didn't, he wouldn't end up doing it, and she thought that that meant he would suffer. It was sneaky- smart. His compassion was driving him to do whatever he had to do- even lie- in order to get her to help herself.

"I- okay... sure. We'll... yeah. Later." She seemed unsure about that, but Leo gave her a real smile now, a genuinely almost proud little thing, and that immediately seemed to assuage her worries. Yeah... a smile like that made most things worth it. He gave her one last pat on the arm, and stepped away from her- towards me.

"Shall we?" I swallowed thickly, and my eyes darted to Jerremyah, who looked concerned- for me, for Leo, or for both of us?

"Grey's in the hallway- just outside the library." He nodded- then seemed to register what I had said, and flashed me a dry look, rolling his eyes in an undoubtedly fond way.

"Of course he is." He muttered under his breath- which, invariably, Grey could hear. "I'll try to drag him away- get him physical." He glanced at Shari, then past her, to where Hercules was sitting, braiding a strip of leather cord. "Would you- would you two want to-?" He didn't finish, but we all knew what he was asking, and Shari stared at him like he was something unexpected- and not necessarily desired. Hercules looked up, and blinked.

"Oh, I... um? If... if that's... if I'm not..." Shari turned her gaze to him, and he winced slightly. "If you two want me there, and Shari doesn't need me more, if she's not going." It was incredibly noncommittal- none of that said what Herc wanted to do, simply that he would do whatever others wanted or expected of him- and Shari sighed slightly.

"We've talked about this." She said quietly, and I saw Leo's eyebrows furrow, before she crossed her arms over her chest. "Either way, it doesn't matter. I'm going- are you?" He looked vaguely chastised, before he nodded, and quickly knotted off the leather braid he had been working on, moving to join her.

"Don't see a reason why not." She gave him a look that was almost exasperated, and he flashed her a small, slightly chagrined smile. "There's no reason to stay here, if everyone else is leaving, and private conversations are to be had here- right?" Her lips pursed, like she was disappointed, and I almost felt bad for him.

"You could just stay here because you want to stay." His eyebrows furrowed, and she shook her head. "Anyway, it doesn't matter." She turned back to Jerremyah, and jerked her head in the direction of the library- where Grey was. "Go get your man- we'll wait here." Jerremyah glanced at me, and when I gave him a nod, he then glanced at Leo instead- which was a little bit of a surprise.

Leo flashed him a small, encouraging smile, and Jerremyah's face changed, ever so subtly- I knew that look. I had seen it more than a few times- a lot, in fact, because it was usually aimed at me, or Grey, or, most notably, Nuria. It was the look he wore, when he had sought approval from someone, and been surprised when they had given it. Jerremyah was always surprised when he received approval, and I doubted that would ever change- but I hadn't expected him to seek Leo's approval in this manner.

His acceptance as my mate, sure- not that I think any of us felt like that was requirement, but still, it... it would be nice, to know that Leo was okay with us, especially if... well, if... if Leo allowed me to me more just his 'aunt'. Not that I needed more than this- I wanted, yes... I wanted quite desperately- but I did not need. And I certainly, didn't expect.

"I'll... I'll just... Yeah." Jerremyah ducked out through the doorway, and I turned my attention to Leo, who quirked an eyebrow at me.

"So... do you want to wait until they leave, or do you want to cat a silencing charm?" I considered this for a second, before grimacing slightly.

"It... it could take a while. Depending on what he's gotten into- and how spiteful he's feeling- Grey could put up a hell of a fight." Seeing Shari's apprehensive look, I continued. "He wasn't too engrossed in it, earlier- when I left to go meet you two outside- but, knowing Grey..." I shrugged. "I've seen him go from holding a full conversation, to completely unreachable, in mere seconds. What I'm saying is... I don't think we should wait." Leo nodded- and then, a second later, held his hand out, gesturing towards the stairs.

"After you." I led the way up the stairs, to the floor where most of our bedrooms were, and it was only once we were at that point, that I realised that I didn't know where we were going. I glanced at him over my shoulder, and immediately met his eyes- like he was waiting for me to look back, and he appeared like he was trying to hide his considerable amusement- and was failing.

"Where are we-?" He shrugged.

"Where were you trying to go?" I didn't know- that was the issue! "Your feet were taking us somewhere- even if your brain didn't have a plan." I- was it? I guess I was just... going where I always go.

"I guess I was going to my room- that's usually where I go, when I come up here, so..." Once again, he waved me onward, so I led the way to my room- and once he had skirted past me, I slowly, carefully, closed the door behind him. When I turned around, I saw that, rather than taking his time to look around, Leo had zoned in on one thing in particular- the photographs on my dresser, much like Jerremyah had.

"Were these... here the whole time?" I blinked, and he glanced back at me, before refocusing on the pictures. "These have Jerremyah and Greygorry in them." He sounded surprised- and almost as if he felt betrayed.

"I mean... I brought them with me when I moved in, so... yeah." I watched him narrow his eyes at the images in front of him.

"How have I never seen these before?" I was quiet for a second- long enough that he looked back at me, and I shrugged.

"You don't come in here." He blinked, then seemed to take a second to think about this, before he crossed his arms over his chest, and turned to face me- leaning his hip against the dresser.

"I suppose that's true." He acknowledged, and I felt myself frown.

"Why is that?" He blinked again, then shrugged, ever so slightly tersely.

"You don't come into my room very often, either. What's your reason?" I hesitated.

"Well... you don't really... I mean, unless you're writing a letter, or writing in your journal- or diary- you don't really... spend all that much time in there, so... why would I go in there, when you're not there?" He swept a hand towards me.

"And you don't spend much time in your room- besides..." He hesitated slightly, and I felt myself perk up a little, paying closer attention. "I just think- I mean... it's your room. Your place- if I needed you, and you were in here, I would wait at the door, until you came out, or invited me in. I don't think..." He paused, and took in a breath. "With how long it takes to get the smell of others out of a place, I just don't think it would be right of me to barge in like that. On any of the clan, not just you." Oh.

I understood it now- he didn't want to enter other people's rooms- to 'barge in', as he had called it- because he didn't like people in his own room. Maybe- okay, maybe stronger than maybe- most likely, it was because of how he had grown up- the time he had spent in his mother's household, at least.

"You know, if you don't want people in your room, you can just say that, and we'll stay away." His eyebrows furrowed, and he stared at me for a second, before he tilted his head at me.

"I like people in my room." I blinked- what? "I don't like people in my bed." He paused, then, the corner of his lips quirked up. "Well." I rolled my eyes at him, crossing my arms over my chest.

"I knew Jerremyah would be a bad influence on you." Surprisingly, this didn't make him smile like I thought it would- instead, he frowned. In fact, he almost looked slightly... pained.

"I wouldn't say that." He denied quickly, and I blinked, shaking my head at him, a little bit mystified.

"Wha- why not?" I asked, and Leo winced his eyes dropping to the floor- no, not to the floor- through the floor, to where I could hear Jerremyah below us, talking to Greygorry, Shari and Herc.

"Just..." He hesitated once again, momentarily biting his lip, before he said, "It's not like I wouldn't have said that before he got here- in fact, I probably would have said worse, because you hadn't come up with your language mandate, yet." Was he... defending Jerremyah? Again? What was going on? I pursed my lips at him, and he sighed, and made a hand gesture at me- which I didn't understand, until he grimaced, and repeated it.

"Oh!" I whipped my wand out of the pocket of my trousers, and cast the silencing charm, like he had been trying to get me to do. "Silentium Sonus." The veil of magic descended on us, and as I watched, Leo worked his jaw, as if he was trying to pop his ears- like he had experienced a change in air pressure, rather than a silencing spell.

"Oh, not a fan of that." He informed me, and I winced, but there wasn't much I could do to fix that issue, without removing the spell- which he had asked me to cast, in the first place.

"Sorry." He shrugged, before he flashed me a small, almost hesitant smile.

"I'll get over it." Ugh... I hated when he said that, because I just wanted to fix it for him, and make it perfect, but even if I could have, I knew he wouldn't have let me. "It's working?" I nodded, and he took a second, letting out a long breath- almost like he had deflated a bit. "I don't think you should say that so casually- that he's a bad influence on me." I blinked, and my mouth dropped open. He was. He was defending Jerremyah! "Or that he's- bad, in general." I- what?

"I'm... sorry?" He scrubbed a hand up his face, then up through his hair, when that didn't end up being enough.

"Lis, he... we had a conversation. Several, in fact, but... a few of them were more... poignant, than others. He... he said some things- we both said some things, and, well... I'll get to my part in a little bit, but first, I feel I have to warn you about the Jerremyah situation- in case he doesn't feel like telling the truth... or making certain things as clear as I might like. I'm sure he'll do the same to me, when it's his turn." ...all of that was far from reassuring. In fact, it made my heart sink through my stomach with dread.

"I... okay." I managed to choke out, and Leo stepped forward- taking both of my hands in his. But at this point, I didn't know which of us he was trying to comfort.

"First of all, Tante, I think you should know that... I don't think I can make fun of you for it, anymore." Well that was a relief- wait, make fun of me for what? "Because... unfortunately, I think I might rather... like Jerremyah."

(A/N): Leo: 'Unfortunately, I think I might rather... like Jerremyah.'

Jerremyah: 'Unfortunately?!'

Jerremyah: '...No, yeah, I get it.'

also

Herc: *being noncommittal, and bending to the whims of others*

Shari: *disappointed* 'We've talked about this.'

Leo: 'We have?.?'

also

Leo: 'I like people in my room. I don't like people in my bed.'

Elaine, sitting on his bed all the time, without any complaint from him: 'Are you sure?'

also

Lisbet: *assuming she knows what Leo thinks of something and why*

Leo: *throws her a massive curve ball*

Leo: 'Hahaha, catch!'