(A/N): A slightly shorter chapter, but still over 1k words. Jerremyah addresses Leo's question about who Evie is.

Leo

Jerremyah blinked- then, rolled his eyes, huffing out a slightly exasperated laugh.

"Oh, of course." He shook his head, as if he couldn't believe that we had ended up here. "Evie's a friend- a good friend. She's- she's a very accepting, empathetic person, who also happens to be one of the most understatedly randy people I have ever met." Now, it was my turn to blink.

"Sounds... fun?" His lips quirked up, and he shrugged.

"Not as fun as I'm sure either of us would have liked. Despite being single these past almost ten years, I haven't exactly been 'on the market'- and Evie... she's not just randy in the sexual sense, she's like... randy for love? Does that make sense?" Oh, um...

"Like... like a hopeless romantic?" Jerremyah's face lit up, and he snapped his fingers at me.

"A hopeless romantic! Right, yes! She- she flirts with everyone, unintentionally. She's just very earnest about appreciating the physical form. She comes across as very innocent, but she holds her own. She- honestly, she was a beacon of light, during my time away from Lisbet." He paused for a second, then said, "I can't wait for Lisbet to see her again- to show her how much she's grown. She... she hasn't seen her much, since she left, which is especially sad, considering that she was kind of the one that brought her into the fold." She had? Why though? And what, exactly, did that mean?

"Lisbet brought her in? Why?" Jerremyah opened his mouth, then winced.

"It- it's a long story." I stared at him.

"And I should ask Lisbet about it...?" He hesitated.

I- no." He sighed, then took a second, before pushing on. "It was an accident. We were just supposed to drink from her, wipe her memory, and part ways- but we were a bit reckless, and we were attacked by Hunters. In order to evade the attack, I apparated us away- with Evie still between us." 'Between us'? I fought to keep my face straight.

"You were both drinking from her?" Jerremyah winced again.

"As I said, I wasn't as bad then- and Lisbet had ways of handling me, that were... mostly effective." Mostly? "She was incredibly relaxed about the whole thing. Lisbet had influenced her to stay calm before we bit her, but... honestly, she was just as calm after the influencing wore off. She took everything really well- did I mention she was muggle?" Uh, no?

"No, no you didn't." So not only was she exposed to the existence of vampires, but magic, as well? ...wow, she must be really laid-back.

"We took her to Nuria's- which was hilarious, because Evie was... very into Nuria, and not exactly shy about it. Well, she was shy, but... her reactions were not subtle in the slightest." Oh, so they eavesdropped on her heartbeat, like they did to me? "And I don't mean to brag- okay, maybe a little-" At least he was upfront about it. "-but she was very attracted to me. Most people are-" I huffed out a laugh.

"So modest." He shrugged, bearing a particularly dimpled grin.

"Hey, look, I've been proven out. I've been market tested- people like the way I look." One person in particular sprang to mind.

"But only one person's opinion actually matters to you, and she's playing hard to get." He blinked, then flushed slightly.

"She-" I cut him off- well, he had paused, so technically, did I cut him off?

"She's not exactly playing 'hard to get' though, is she? It's more like she's playing, 'just out of reach'." His face slackened, then twisted- like he didn't disagree, but he didn't particularly want to agree. "She just- she needs time." He stared at me, his face softening slightly, as he looked conflicted between feeling hopeful, and like he didn't believe me- or that I shouldn't have said it.

"That..." He took a second to compose himself. "You're only saying that because you don't understand why we-" He cut himself off with a particularly pained wince. "Separated." Right. Yeah. Because that was way less painful than saying that they 'broke up.'

"Because you refused to tell me." He made a face, like he was acknowledging that this was a fact, but not one that he felt like changing.

"I don't... I don't think it's my place." He'd said that same thing a couple of times now, and I felt my eyebrows furrow as he said it yet again.

"What is, 'your place'? I'm not sure I know what you mean by that, especially in this situation. It was your relationship too, wasn't it?" He stared at me again for a few seconds, clearly shocked.

"I- I mean, yes, but-" He hesitated. "But she's your..." My what? Did he have a better answer than I had come up with- which was to say, nothing? "Your Lisbet." Ah. I guess that was a 'no', then. It wasn't incorrect, but certainly not as descriptive as I was looking for.

"She's your Lisbet, too." He got a wistful look on his face, before he clearly tried to wipe it away- and mostly failed.

"I'm not sure she would still say that- once, yes, but... maybe not now." I'd think she would be more hesitant to refer to herself as 'mine', actually.

"Hey, we can tell her we're a package deal- she's both of ours, or neither." I wouldn't do that to her, and I was pretty sure he knew that too, but even so, his expression softened.

"You don't have to do that- you don't have to tie yourself to me like that." I frowned.

"I mean, I already inducted you into the clan- by vampire standards, I'm responsible for you. I am, by just about every measure, already 'tied to you'." He blinked, tilting his head to the side.

"That's... that really wasn't a good decision, on your part." He said rather frankly, and I shrugged.

"We needed more members, and Lisbet suggested you. I trust Lisbet- but when her emotions got the better of her that first day, I had to step in." I said, just as frankly. "I think I made the right decision." He seemed a little taken aback by this. "If not for the clan, then for Lisbet, at the very least." He winced.

"Leo, I..." He paused briefly, then sucked in a breath and held it for a second, as if he were bracing himself for something. "When I said that Lisbet made me a better person, I... I'm not so sure that the opposite is also true." What was that supposed to mean?

"What do you mean?" I asked, eyebrows furrowed, and he sighed like he was exhaling his very last breath- only to have to take in another one, to be able to answer my question.

"I think I- my presence- my love... isn't good for her. I think... I think she's better off, without me."

(A/N): Leo: 'Wow, she must be REALLY laid-back.'

Leo: 'Can't relate, honestly.'

also

Jerremyah: 'I'm hot. I'm a stud. Women want me, men want me- everybody wants me.'

Jerremyah, five seconds later: 'I am trash. I am not worthy of love. I ruin everything I touch.'

also

Leo: 'I think I made the right decision. If not for the clan, then for Lisbet, at the very least.'

Jerremyah: *doubt*

also

Leo: 'Hey, we can tell her we're a package deal- she's both of ours, or neither.'

Jerremyah: 'You don't have to do that- you don't have to tie yourself to me like that.'

Leo: *looks up from tying the rope in a knot around their waists* 'Sorry, did you say something?'

also

Jerremyah: 'She's not just randy in the sexual sense, she's like... randy for love? Does that make sense?'

Leo: 'Like... like a hopeless romantic?'

Jerremyah: 'A hopeless romantic! Right, yes!'

Evie: 'Where's my goddamn demigod?!'