(A/N): We're back with Leo, Jerremyah, Lisbet, Greygorry, Danniel, and Jo (though I don't think Jo is mentioned even once). Minor foreshadowing.

Leo

Jerremyah's beard scraped against the skin of my cheek- just below my eye, but to the side, toward my temple- and it reminded me so strongly of the rare times my father used to hug me that I had to force it from my brain lest it drive me to distraction. Thankfully, Lisbet seemed prepared to deliver a different distraction for me. "In my defense," She started, which was odd, because I couldn't imagine what she might need to defend right now. "I'm trying to support my fellow cl- family members." Huh? "As someone who's known Grey for over three hundred years... not only do I know he can handle it, I know he perhaps deserves it, in some ways." That didn't give Danniel the right to try to tell him off on my behalf, though. Nice as it was.

I saw Greygorry roll his eyes at her, before he turned to face me more head on. "Don't worry about it, kid," He said, literally waving off my concern. "First of all, it'd take a lot more than calling me a prick to get me to- well, stop being a prick. Second of all... he's right." Danniel? Well, I guess that wasn't all that surprising, given how intuitive he tended to be, and how earnest he was in general. "It's not okay for me to push you away like that just because I'm uncomfortable." Uncomfortable. "It isn't fair to you- and while Lis and Jer know how to tell when I'm being facetious... you don't have the history and experience to be able to tell."

I considered this for a moment- longer than I probably should have- before I did my best to try to let him off the hook for the whole thing. "So, what you're saying is... you don't want to be family?" It seemed obvious to me that was what he meant- how he felt- but by the way everyone reacted, I suddenly got the feeling I was wrong. "Or... did I misunderstand you?" Greygorry hesitated, but I suspected it was more because he didn't know how to deal with me in a way Lisbet would approve of, rather than not knowing how he felt about the whole thing.

"I... You have to remember, I don't typically consider clan to be... family. Sidonie's clan is- Sidonie is... Well, she's not the 'familial' sort. The kind of relationship she fosters with us isn't exactly conducive to that sort of thing-" I snorted; no, I suppose it wasn't. "-so I'm not really..." He fell quiet for a second, lips rolling as though he was struggling to form words- or maybe to hold them back. "I haven't had family for almost three hundred and fifty years- other than Jerremyah and Lisbet, of course, but I more mean family that I definitely don't want to fu-" Lisbet hissed at him, and I barely managed to muffle my laughter into Jerremyah's shoulder. "Lis. Come on. I think we've already established that he's well aware of-" She hissed at him again, and I saw him bite his lip to limit his smile, probably because he knew she'd give him hell for it.

I pulled back slightly in an attempt to share an amused look with Jerremyah, but as I moved my head away, his followed it- as though he was chasing the contact I'd taken away. He avoided my eyes- which I thought was unusual for him, but I suppose I wasn't in any position to judge- so just as he started, I leaned back in as well, and rubbed my cheek against his briefly. Against the scruff of his beard. I didn't trust myself to know when to stop- when enough was enough- so I kept the encounter as short as possible, lest I unwittingly make him uncomfortable. After that, I hooked my chin over the muscle in his shoulder and angled myself so that the side of my head, above my temple, was notched into the hollow under his cheekbone, which was a slightly safer prospect. Or at least it was, until he tilted his head to press a kiss to the top of mine; that certainly felt like something dangerous, even if he'd done that sort of thing before... barely.

I felt my cheeks heat, but when I tucked my head into his shoulder- missing burying my face into his neck as a courtesy, even if something not as deep within me as I would've liked clamoured to do so- it wasn't from embarrassment, but a different kind of overwhelment. I felt movement, and for a split second I worried he would pull away- that I'd pushed things too far- but as it turns out, he was simply adjusting so he could pat my side comfortingly again... and it worked just as well as it had the last time.

"Family is... a complicated concept for me," Greygorry said quietly, sounding somewhat unsure- though whether that was because of the subject, or because he was concerned about the possibility of disturbing us, I couldn't tell. "My family- the one I was born with, anyway- didn't take my turning, and subsequent absence, well. Actually, that's... a bit of an understatement. They, um... Well, I'll just say that I went back once, then never again- and they didn't want me back, either." Oh. Was that- Could that have been part of why he hadn't gone back to see Lavinia in the past twelve years? Because he was worried she'd react to his absence the way his family had? If so, I could understand a little better, now- considering my own fears over disappearing. "All that said- long story slightly shorter- I'm uncomfortable with the idea of family in general, not the idea of you being my family. Just to clear that up." Lisbet stared at me over Jerremyah's shoulder as though she was expecting me to take this poorly.

"...do you want me to not address you as such directly?" Unfortunately, judging by the way the corner of Lisbet's eyes tightened when I said that, perhaps this wasn't exactly what she'd been worried about, but it'd definitely been somewhere on the list. "I mean, I offered the same thing to Jerremyah, so it's not like it's anything new-"

Greygorry shot me a look that was almost pitying; since I had the odd feeling it had more to do with Jerremyah than me, I let it slide... for now. Lisbet, in response to what I'd said, or maybe the way I'd cut myself off, gave me such a soft look that I heavily considered beckoning her over, even if I knew such an invitation would inevitably end with me falling over that edge again. "I bet he said no to that, too," Greygorry said, which- too? "As I said, you're fine. And even if I don't act the most enthusiastic all the time... Well, if nothing else, it'll be good practice." Lisbet elbowed him hard in the ribs, though I suspected he'd already been on his way to amending himself. "Right. Not fair. Sorry, I just- It's very hard for me to be sincere without immediately backtracking and ruining it. I'd say it's part of my charm, but I really don't want Lisbet to eviscerate me- verbally, and literally." Fair. That seemed like it might be a genuine concern, which I appreciated, even if I wanted my clan members to get along- and even more, my family to get along.

"It's fine," I told them both. "And I'm being sincere, when I say that. I can understand being a bit gun-shy when it comes to... platonic- familial- intimacy. You know I can relate. I wouldn't hold that against you- against anyone. And I don't-" Remembering they could smell if I lied, I reconsidered my approach. "If it hurts me at all, it's not your fault- I know you don't mean to hurt me, just like you know I don't mean to be hurt. As a rather wise man once told me: People have pasts. You can't expect yourself to get through life without accidentally hurting people, sometimes."

They stared at me for several long moments, appearing both stunned and a smidge awed- shouldn't they be focusing on Jerremyah though, if that was the case? Speaking of the devil- or devilishly handsome, as I'm sure he'd prefer- he snorted with equal parts amusement and something akin to self-deprecation. "Wow," He said, clearly trying to drawl into the hair behind my ear but coming closer to a croak instead. "That bloke sounds like a giant wanker."

(A/N): Leo referring to Jerremyah as 'a rather wise man': "Look at my new dad! Isn't he just the greatest?"

Nicholai (from the afterlife): "...really? THIS is the thanks I get?"

So, a few chapters back I told you guys I had just finished writing chapter 653. Well, I've had a bit of trouble writing since then, so in the following weeks I've only managed to write up to chapter 661, but I now have a plan for the chapters leading up to 666 (from chapter 660 onward, actually) so I know what I'm doing, I just don't have the motivation to write those particular chapters right now.

Also, the treadmill road rash got worse (a lot worse) and now I have a hydrocolloid bandaid on half of my lower leg because it's the only way my wound will stop causing me quite so much trouble (but still a little trouble).

Also also, I came up with the premise for yet another book series (and it's prequel series), so... yay?