Path of the Vampire forum

Grey was doing a little house cleaning. She was tidying up the living room, sitting down at the desk off in the corner which held some of Jesse's sketch books and fancy pencils. Taking a deep breath, she opened the laptop. It was shiny and well used. It was new, really. She had bought the Apple MacBook Air because it was slim, lightweight, and quiet when she had searched the Internet.

It was easier to use than her Mini iPad, allowing her to type faster the more nimble her fingers became from unscrewing bolts and tugging on electrical wires in cars all night. She had cleaned up the room from Jesse's recent sweep through. And now, she had settled in front of the computer and found her eMails to wipe clean.

One in particular stood out.

One that had lead to where she was sitting, quite literally, right now.

Her stomach twisted, but she was unable to take her eyes off the screen. Twisting her fingers, soon enough her fingers kept touching the down arrow as she read. And while she read, her lips parted. Quietly, gently, slowly sounding out each silent word. In the apartment alone, Grey relived the past again.


Micah,


I am trying to fix a mistake. I can assure you, any person would find that owning up to their mistakes and making apologies for it is admirable instead of lame. Because, truth be told, even as I sit here going behind Jesse's back - you yourself had said this was my problem earlier in the week in your text messages to me.

There is no excuse to be made. I told you why I did what I did. I was tired of Jesse asking for help and getting all of his past indiscretions brought against him. That still stands. What I am apologizing for is the way in which I brought that to light. Instead of being civil about it and biting my tongue, I was sarcastic about it.

What Jesse and I do in our private life should be, ultimately, none of your concern. I will have you know that I am perfectly capable of feeding and opening a blood pact with the use of my hands, teeth, or scissors. Although I am glad that you took time to check in with me, it is not needed. I doubt you want regular updates about our sex life, our feeding habits, or our hours we've clocked at our job when you removed, at least me, from Andras.

An opinion never needs to be needed. It is just that, an opinion. It is an observation from another person on a situation at hand. No one needed to ask me for my opinion. I gave it readily because that's what a family is supposed to do. They are supposed to be able to give advice, opinions, and concerns around the clock without fear of repercussions. But, I see where I was wrong in that assessment earlier this week.

Jesse's defense of me was no different than your defense of Velveteen when Jesse had upset her unintentionally. I didn't ask Jesse to reply to you. I didn't expect him to come to my defense. Despite what you think, I have broad shoulders and I have battled your rage before.

Your definition of a strong, independent woman is Velveteen. My observation is that after I posted to the Fforde family about their removal from Andras, she came onto the forum and insulted our members for having opinions and beliefs. Velveteen is the one that started the back and forth bitching between her and Victor. Victor came to Clover's defense and yet those two still carried on. If she had stopped reading the forum when she was asked to by Jesse, then Victor certainly wouldn’t have felt the need to respond so strongly to her. She has attacked him physically along with verbally without Victor sticking first, and yet I have not be verbally nasty to anyone in Andras since.

You assume my apology is flimsy. You can use whatever adjectives you want to describe my apology. That was, of course, why I asked for a meeting instead of carrying this conversation out in eMails. But, you find it best to do it here - so, I shall continue to reply to you here.

I am not kissing your ***. I am telling you that I am sorry for HOW I went about bringing to your attention that I felt the past did not need to be rehashed constantly against your cousin as he tried to continue on in his activities within the Masquerade.

Since I met Jesse, I have seen his complete and open adoration of you and your wife. I was so very enthusiastic that he had such respect for you both as a couple and as leaders. I could tell with each passing event that he felt the pressure to continue to meet your high expectations. I could see, with what he shared with me, that something had eventually changed.

You became short and bitter with him. Velveteen remained passive and pulled back her words from a man that was only seeking to understand and try to meet the expectations of his Sires. Soon enough, he became a pissant in your eyes and I've no idea why. You said he lied to you, and it seemed like you were even harder on him for that.

He did not turn his back on the family. He has struggled with the need to Sire and not Sire. He has struggled with trying to fill these large shoes you've put out for him with limited instructions and a eye of expectations.

So, I made my observation.

I stand by that.

I will not kiss your ***.

I will not get down on my knees and beg for my life.

I will, however, apologize for the way in which I told you my opinion of how you and others were treating Jesse at that time. I am coming to you because I was the source of the problem. I am coming to you because you currently hate me.

I hurt you. I hurt your family. And I am sorry for that. There is nothing flowery for that.

I will have you know that my vagina is not magical. I will have you know that he cares immensely for his family. He has tried to be open to Andras and there was no response. You and Velveteen have become so very judgmental of him, that I see him drowning in your unwritten expectations. He asks what he can do to be that man you want him to be and yet you cannot give him a straight answer. I will have you know that he will do anything and everything to support his Childers. He is a very caring man, constantly leaving the door open that they can go to him and he can look in on them and support them in any way they wish to be supported.

Ultimately, that is a conversation you will have to have with him if you so choose to.

It, after all, is your opinion that he doesn't care about his family. Ask any of the Fforde and they will tell you that Jesse has always given them the support that they need when they come to him.

I sleep knowing that the man I love and call mine is a man that can stand on his own two feet, speak for himself, and not take **** from those who upset him or disrespect him too.

Fault... Fault fault. We've already established it is all my fault. But you take no fault either. You pass it off as if you've made no mistakes. You pass it off as if you haven't also had a hand in pushing your cousin away for the anger and hostility you have shown him.

If you still want to meet, let me know where. If you want my head for revenge of the disrespect I've given your family, you have it.


I do not want to be Velveteen. I do not want to be like her.

Because, I am Grey.

I am different. I am my own woman, Micah.

I refuse to be a mirror image of someone else.


You hold onto the past with such a tight fist that your vision is skewed towards what lies before you. I cannot fathom what you think Jesse did wrong this time, Micah. I am the one that upset you.

Jesse now knows I had asked to meet you. He found me writing this reply to you. So, did you still care to or shall we just keep talking in eMails?

He hadn’t meant to stumble on the emails. His inbox was rapidly reaching its limit, he’d noticed after corresponding with Mari in regards to her binding with Nishaa. At times Micah was a bit of a pack rat. This included emails. He liked to hold on to things. One never knew when the need to have such things would pop up. At first he ignored it. But the longer he sat there going through his inbox the stronger the urge to open it and re-read it.

Over the past few months he hadn’t given much thought to Grey. Or her fiance who Micah refused to even refer to by name now. That bridge was completely and utterly destroyed and neither Micah or Vel had any intention of trying to repair it. Andras had been a drama free zone and the killer had to admit, it was nice to check in on the CrowNet and see no whining and bitching from that particular person. There was only so much he and his wife could take and they’d found the limit to their neverending well of patience and support. There was no going back and he was good with that.

Curiosity got the better of him and before he realized what he was doing he’d clicked the email and allowed himself to be pulled back to the night they’d occurred.

Grey -


If you stand behind everything you said then what are you apologizing for? Obviously you aren`t remorseful for what you`ve done so what do you think you`re going to accomplish here Grey?

Don`t compare yourself to Velveteen. You can`t even come close to the amount of class she has. You didn`t defend Jesse the way that I defend Vel and Jesse didn`t either. He got his panties in a bunch over you being raked across the coals as you so richly deserved. That`s not defending someone Grey, that`s sticking his nose where it doesn`t belong.

Jesse asked for help yes. But your pathetic excuse for a man doesn`t understand what constructive criticism is. You don`t ask for something, then get defensive when you don`t like what you hear, which is exactly what he did. That was none of your business. You had no right to insert yourself into a conversation that had ended hours before. What, were you that offended that you didn`t get the chance to be a ***** while it was going down? Be a little quicker on the draw next time. Oh wait. You don`t know how to do that because you`re weak and rely on someone to hold your hand, pat you on the *** and tell you that you`re a good little girl. Sorry honey that ain`t gonna be me.

I assure you, the amount of fucks I give about what you and Jesse do between the sheets is zero. Sometimes I find myself giving a **** but it certainly is never about you. Thanks for caring though. I was merely pointing out that you must have really pissed someone off. I don`t know how you have the skills to even compose such a
lengthy, well worded email full of a bunch of words that I admit I didn`t even read.

As for Victor? Vel stopped when Jesse asked, but since he allowed Victor to continue so did she. Whats good for one is good for everyone after all. And I have to wonder how Victor is going to feel when he finds out that Jesse doesn`t actually give a **** about him? Poor ickle Vicky. All that defending for no reason, only to
find out his sire thinks he`s a worthless piece of ****. Which he is.

Im bored of this. Either meet me to continue, or don`t Grey. This was your idea and I`m kinda sick of listening to you continue to defend your misplaced actions.

Stark sarcasm and bitterness had swirled within Grey's thoughts. She now managed to understand why her mother had taught her that children were to be seen and not heard. And though she had made that a regular practice as an adult, boundaries failed her. She should have kept her tongue that day and yet, Grey had been nothing but a pure disappointment.

At times, Grey mourned the loss of Micah and Velveteen for the pure link of family. There was the occasional text message. Never had Grey seen many Andras members coming or going from the sewers to the Quarantine Zone while she was hunting Zombies and training to firm muscles that hadn't ever had a need to be physically fit while she was drinking milk and stolen orange juice instead of human blood from plastic bags.

Though the eMail with Micah had ended there, Grey forced herself to shut that mail application program down on the Crow. As she slid that laptop into the black sleeve, complete with that charging cord, she began to remember that night with each step. Even now, there was the slightest tremble down her spine from the anxiety Micah's presence had washed over her.

As she made the bed with fresh, navy blue sheets, Grey's mind played the encounter with Micah out in every great detail she could remember. It was an evening that had brought her great relief and realization that she was ... someone. That she stood somewhere beyond the scum of someone's shoe.

The grimace on her feature wasn't vindication.

It was from the sadness as she lifted that ugly olive green bag and slid it over her shoulder.

She was leaving with the only thing that she came to this city with.



<Grey> There was a knock on the door. Knuckles rapped three times and that was it. Not even a creak of her weight outside upon the Welcome mat.

<Micah> He opened the door and stepped out of the doorway to let her inside. "Im surprised you actually came."

<Grey> "Why would you be surprised? I told you I would." Her voice was quiet and flat. She moved passed him wearing jeans, steel toe boots, and her typical layers and a hooded jacket atop her chest. She was, what looked like, dressed for a shift at Auto Doc for her hair was pulled up into a messy bun. She stepped inside the apartment as he opened the door.

<Micah> He closed the door behind her. "Yes. But I’m surprised that you managed to escape your jailer. I imagine he's not going to be too pleased with you once he finds out that you're here, since he seems to think you need to be wrapped in cotton wool like you're a fragile little human."

<Grey> "I actually told him that I was coming to meet you. And you can see, he let me go. He knew I was composing the reply you skimmed. We spoke. He doesn't think it will accomplish much, but I told him I had to talk to you. You are so hard on him." Grey managed the last bit. She didn't need to breath, but her chest lifted anyways. Looking around the apartment, soon enough... Her gaze settled on Micah's person. On his face. "I don't treat him like he's two. But I give him the support I think he needs to improve himself. Everyone grows differently, Micah. Some are shoved out of the nest and learn to fly. Other's die. Your hard love is just that, hard love. I didn't come to argue with you."

<Micah> He snorted. "Of course I'm hard on him. He's family no matter what he thinks. He's capable of more than what he shows Grey. What you may think of as me treating him as a pissant, is me pushing him to be the person I know he is. Vel and I took him in. Supported him through everything that he did. Stood by him, defended him. He's the one that grew distant. Snarky. Full of attitude for reasons that Vel and I could never understand. If we were distant, it was because we had no choice but to be."

<Grey> "Do you think I intentionally hinder him? Do you think I've pulled him aside and whispered dirty thing in his ear to turn him against you? To be more distant from you or Velveteen? I am not negating that you took him in. I am not negating that you have stood by, supported, or defended him. He's trying to be a better person." Grey swallowed slowly, keeping her calm and her pale exhausted face did not flex one emotion across it. "It hurt to see that when he came to that forum and asked for help, that he had all his past indiscretions shoved in his face. He has issues like all of us. I'm a vapid *****. You have a temper. He Sires a lot. He's trying. I could stand here and talk about him with you all night. But, I care not to emasculate him anymore. You think he has no balls, but he does."

Grey remained where she was standing. She didn't take a step back to the left or to the right. Her chin had just tilted to look up to the man. "I am sorry. I am sorry for upsetting you. I am sorry for disrespecting you in your own home. I am sorry for hurting your feelings and those of your family."

<Micah> He held his tongue. If she was going to be civil then so would he. "I think he's become a different person since y'all got together. That's not a bad thing. But when he allows you to come to his defense hours after the fact, then get pissed off when you're facing the firing squad as a result of your misplaced words then we have a problem. Change is inevitable." He mentally counted to ten. "No one was throwing anything in his face. If you had actually read everything you would have seen that he was cool. We were cool. In fact we had moved on to teasing. You need to actually look at things Grey instead of assuming the worst. We were trying to help. He got defensive and here we are."

<Grey> Grey's face was completely slack. Oh, the ashen gray appearance to once pale pink flesh was without a doubt slightly drawn. However, she nodded slowly. "He has become a different person. And that, in its entirety, is not a bad thing. He has tried to change to make himself what you and Velveteen expected him to be. You both guided him. He still, at times, rages at me that he doesn't know what is expected of him when he had come home a time or two upset from things I have no business knowing." She shook her head, just a bit. "He didn't allow me. He was gone when I made that reply. He was out working and I had woken up. There... I was training late and then I had a shift at Docs. It doesn't excuse anything. I am just saying that you are right. I probably should have held my tongue since the majority was after-the-fact and I didn't need to stir up trouble. At the very beginning, you had called him a liar. And there were others that had dug in their quips to him. I was not blind and I had read things, twice over. However, I agree with you that I should have let sleeping dogs lay."

<Micah> "He did lie to me Grey." He felt the need to point this out. "He swore that he was going to take the time to get to know someone before he sired again. And he didn't. I don't buy the addiction that he claims to have. Who is actually addicted to siring?" He held back a frustrated sigh. "We always expected Jesse to be himself. I think that he became so focused on trying to be who we thought that he needed to be, that he lost sight of who he was." He removed his sunglasses and set them on top of his head. "What do you hope to accomplish here Grey? You want a resolution? **** between Jesse and I square again? I guess I’m not understanding why you wanted this meeting."

<Grey> "Who do you think he hasn't taken the time to get to know so far? I don't question his Sirings. Half the time he hasn't even shared them with even me, Micah. And don't you think I get frustrated that he comes home or worse, I find out on the Crow that he's welcoming another family member that he has sunk his teeth into and that we, as a family, haven't even met?" She swallowed hard. "He is an addict. He needs to Sire. He needs to have his blood spilled. It's painful. It's wretched. Has he ever come to you in that state where he's so destitute that he presses a knife into your palm and he begs you to cut him just so he can bleed? Do you not know that it's something that ... gives him relief?" She was saying more than she should. She clamped her lips shut and looked away from Micah for a moment. Still, she stood before him. "Do you know what it’s like when someone knows every button you have and intentionally pushes them so that you'll get angry and shove them? Hurt them? That they hope to break something instead of laying their hands on you? He's ... miserable when he doesn't Sire. His temper is short and his fuse is quick and ..."

Grey stopped then. She stopped because her emotions that were pushed deep threatened to levitate just a moment and she swallowed hard as if she were swallowing them back down inside of her. She watched as he pushed his sunglasses up and she stared quietly at Micah. "Understanding, I suppose, Micah. Understanding that I'm not changing him. Understanding that he has tried. I don't speak for Jesse. Despite what you think, I don't... You two have to fix things between yourself. I just want you to know that I am very sorry for my words I spoke to you. I want you to know that... That I will pay for your irritation any way you please."

The curses, after all, were working. Though she was stubborn, she refused to be fragile. Despite the way she looked at the moment, Grey had fed off of blood packs most every day and trained yet between her shifts in the sewers. "Do what you have to do." She lifted her chin just a bit - not defiantly, just... acceptingly.

<Micah> He just kind of stared at her. "Considering that Vel and I are the ones that figured out what was going on when it first started then I think it’s safe to say that I know exactly how he gets. Who do you think found Aria? It wasn't him. He was blind, and on house arrest in the Eyrie. Vel and I went slumming and found Aria. Knocked her out and returned to the Eyrie so he could turn her. And yes. I know exactly how that is." Memories of his ex wife flashed to the front of his mind, of ashtrays crashing over his head, being stabbed, shot - just to piss him off so she would get the treatment she craved. "Im not going to lay a hand on you Grey." He anger had fled and now he was just...calm. "I'd like things to be resolved. Jesse is my blood and I care about him more than he'll ever know." He shook his head, trying to shake the memories from him mind but he was struggling.

<Grey> Grey just returned that stare to Micah. She shifted her weight from one foot to another, the laces of those boots flopped onto the ground. "Why does it not seem like you believe him, then? He has been talking to a few of his recent Sirings before hand. But... He has a problem. He needs your help. He needs your support and not your sarcasm and hatred about the situation. If you found Aria, then you know how badly Jesse can behave. You know that he has a problem." Grey swallowed hard again, and her mouth was so dry now. She turned and looked towards the door of the apartment before looking once again at Micah. Almost, in disbelief. She expected to die that night. She was sure that she'd feel Micah's complete angst and hatred pouring from him. She was sure she'd drown in his complete hatred. And here she stood, still intact in front of him and in a bit of disbelief for it.

"He thinks you hate him. He thinks that you are out for his blood. For my blood. For Fforde's blood. I didn't know what to think. I don't know what to do. Call me weak. Call me a vapid *****. Call me what you will... But I will do what I need to do in order to support Jesse, even if his tempers can get the better of him. It runs in the family, though." She murmured. Though there was no laughter, all she could think about in that moment was the way Jesse had screamed at her the night before. The blood on her hands from the stitches, and the complete loss of herself in Larch Court when she felt the walls were caving in. "He doesn't even know you care about him. At all." She said finally, thinking back to the way that Jesse's anger and complete confusion would vibrate from him and Grey'd just try to keep herself together for Jesse's sake.

<Micah>He shook his head. "He has always had my support. Vel's support. The problem is, he thinks that we are being harsh and critical of his choices, that we aren't listening to him. It's hard to listen to someone who just talks in circles, presses on the same points over and over again. No progress is ever made because he can't see past his own wall of self pity and doubt." He shrugged. "Had you asked me a few days ago I would have told you that I wouldn't rest until every last Fford who stuck their nose into this was dead. Maybe I still want that. What I really want is for him to man up and admit that he has a problem accepting help. That he has a problem accepting criticism. All of that is true Grey. Everyone can see it. It's not just Vel and I." A shrug. "I don't hate him. I pity him, feel sorry for him but its not hate."

And while we're on this - we're talking about family. But yet, not a single Andras was ever invited to a Fforde meeting or get together, when all of ours were open to Fforde. If we were family, then why wasn't that universal? Why was it always us giving, but never getting anything in return."

"And lets not forget how he put people above Vel and I that didn't deserve it. The way he continued to protect Victor when he neither deserved or appreciated it was always an issue. What about that Grey?"

<Grey> "Sometimes you beat him with your points over and over again, and he feels that you don't accept his either. There has to be a common ground, even in assisting and helping anyone with a problem or nothing is accomplished. You both have to feel heard and not ignored before there's progress. Would it kill you to sit down with him and literally tell him that you support him? Maybe he needs to hear those words." Grey knew. Grey knew sometimes Jesse had to have the words even with the actions. "I waited. I waited before I came to you. I can see this hurting him. It is my fault. I opened my big mouth. Had he known, he would have broken my phone sooner, I am sure."

She referenced the offending post once more, her weight shifting on her feet. "If he has a problem accepting help, even if it is just criticism; doesn't everyone have that problem to a point? It hurts when someone tells you that you have personal things to work on." She took a deep breath then. So much so that she pressed the tip of her tongue to her lower lip to dampen it and attempt to keep it from sticking to her upper lip. "Just like I have a problem being late to things." She stopped then. She considered Micah's next words with eyebrows that drew together. "Fforde doesn't much have meetings though, Micah. Not like Andras does. We really don't have fight nights or adventures or balls to celebrate accomplishments or celebrations for those that have gotten bound. Before last night, we had a night several weeks ago - couch night. Everyone just came over and hung out. Impromptu bonding. I... Jesse invited Andras to our new place. We opened it up and not a single person in the last two weeks have come to look at the remodeling or the plans for a new establishment."

She wasn't defensive, she was just informing Micah of the truth. "You and Velveteen came. When we were having trouble with being locked out." There was one more, but Grey was forgetful of their name in that moment. She could recognize faces pretty well for the most part. "Do you think we intentionally don't invite you? We don't ... We don't have anything much to invite you to."

Grey let out an exasperated breath with the last question of Micah's. Victor was an extremely loose cannon. She grimaced and shook her head. "Victor doesn't listen well. And honestly, Jesse barely has a handle on him. But he's steadfast. And Jesse was trying to keep the peace between the two. He was at work when the bickering between Velveteen and Victor happened. He wasn't able to rein him in until it was too late and they had both mouthed off to each other."

<Micah> Her words made him pause. Had he ever said that to Jesse? Thinking about that he couldn’t recall a single instance where he had actually told his cousin that he supported him. “I ain’t good with words. Actions speak louder. S’how I always felt. I don’t do emotion Grey, so things like that, that may seem so simple to someone else and come as easy as breathing - I struggle to understand that. I never considered that he might need to hear it, instead of just bein who I am underneath it all.” Again he saw the wisdom in what she was saying. “Yeah. Everyone has a problem accepting criticism. And maybe I have beaten a dead horse time and again but he gets so defensive that I have to wonder if he’s hearing me. If he actually knows that all I really wanna do is help him. He doesn’t make it easy.” Then, ‘neither do I,’ went unspoken, but he was definitely thinking it.

“Vel and I had made plans to come by once things settled down. Andras has been pretty quiet lately. It happens from time to time, everyone gets busy with other things and then you start to wonder if they fell off the face of the earth. I don’t think it was an intentional slight. It’s possible that they were just waiting for the remodeling to be done before they came by.” he shrugged a bit. “Ain’t makin excuses for them. They should have shown up to show their support for y’all, even if it is a cheesy name.” He smiled a bit then. “Sorry I called it lame. That was out of line, but I was feelin’ spiteful and vindictive. Shouldn’t have acted like a troll.”

“Victor. Yeah sorry but that’s Vel’s issue. I’m staying out of that one but he never deserved the protection Jesse offered him. Vel won’t stop until she’s bored, or until she thinks he’s paid enough. That was one grudge that would have never been let go of, until she was satisfied. And I have to say I agree with her.”

<Grey> While Micah was quiet for a moment, she could see the knobs turning in his head. The gears twisted and she could see the way that Micah had thought the importance of her words. Sure, Jesse knew that Velveteen and Micah had been there during the stages where he was a raging young man. She had heard from Jesse's own mouth that he was such an asshole when they had first met. But, Jesse kept coming back to Grey. From her work place, to her favorite diner, to stealing her away to run amok through the mall.

But, eventually he did change. He became more open and accepting and perhaps that was a reason... That was what Grey had done to him. She had made Jesse see that it wasn't always about just himself. And now, standing in front of Micah, ready to give the man her head for her injustices; Grey let her last gulp of air rush from her chest. "I can understand... You feel emotions. It is hard to put those into words at times. And yes, actions do speak louder than words. Jesse appreciates that... But sometimes when you hear one thing and see another, it sends too many mixed messages. It makes him feel lost. And angry. And bitter. And he doesn't know what to do or what is expected of him when those kind of blinders are put on." Grey took another deep breath, letting her chest fill as she continued to speak to Micah.

As he moved on to the criticism of Jesse, Grey's edges of her mouth downturned. "Oh, he hears you. He doesn't not here you, Micah. He hears you so much that you only have to say things one for Jesse to understand. It's when you beat that dead horse you shred his resolve at times. Could you imagine me saying over and over again on the Crow to mind your temper when someone pisses you off? Exhausting after a while and slightly irritating." She bit her lower lip, not trying to be too judgmental of Micah; just helping to try to see the light of things that had happened. "I appreciate the apology. And it is accepted. I know that 'Gresse's' might be more of a posh, fancy society name, but it makes Jesse happy. And that's all I want... For him to be happy." Shaking her head, her shoulders lifted for the first time in a shrug. That shrug, of course, was in regards to Victor's behavior.

"But he is Jesse's Childe. And even if he is an ***, he is still Jesse's blood. And I don't think that all of Victor's actions should directly reflect onto Jesse even if he is his Sire. Things are said and done and Jesse has no control over them. But... I too understand. You told me you wouldn't stop until you got bored, either, Micah. You were angry. You had every right to be. But know that... I ultimately hope to support Jesse and not break him down."

<Micah> “It wouldn’t be so hard for him to say, hey I hear you, I get it. And just leave it at that but he doesn’t do that. He argues, and argues, and argues. It’s like this vicious cycle that is neverending. And in the end everyone walks away pissed off. I may be the one continuing to drive the points hime but thats because he gets offended and irritated and he just can’t seem to flat out say what he means. I can’t read minds Grey. If I could it would be so much easier. **** wouldn’t be nearly so complicated, and it would never get to this point.” He shoved his hands in his pockets. “I think the blowup was coming. It was just a matter of time. Its just one of those things that had been brewing for ages and it just finally came to a head. Your post was the catalyst. And that ain’t me tryin to make you feel bad, just how I see it.”

His lip curled as the subject returned to Victor. “He may be Jesse’s blood Grey but that don’t matter. Sometimes you find a rotten one in the bunch and unfortunately that rotten one in Jesse’s bag is Victor. He’s mouthy, cocky and thinks he’s God’s gift. Jesse scraped the bottom of the barrel with that one and I ain’t ever gonna think differently.” He drew in a breath he didn’t need. “I’d rather not get started on that subject though if it’s all the same to you. We’re here to discuss Jesse, not Victor.”

<Grey> "I can understand that. I can even appreciate that you want to hear that from him. And I'll work it into conversation with him... But in truth, I think this is a discussion best to be determined for the two of you together. Again, you know I cannot speak exactly for Jesse, just what I feel has been ... enough." She nodded slowly, her eyes lifting once more to Micah's face.

"You feel that way. He did an injustice to you in the past and you were pissed then as you are pissed now. I cannot justify those actions one way or another. But I can, however, say I have heard in the past that blood is blood - and you don't give up on it. He's trying. And you don't have to like Victor. We don't expect that. Everyone has differences of opinion to irreconcilable at certain points. Jesse never shoved Victor down anyone's throat and I know it was a relief when he had departed from Andras for you."

<Micah> Blood is blood. Those three words spun round and through his mind. Blood is blood. She was right. Jesse may not have the same vampiric blood running through his veins as Micah did but he had something much more potent, much be important. Jesse had Savannah’s blood - he was family. So what if his cousin’s mother was a **** up? That was his mother’s sister and he should be holding tight to that instead of pushing it away and spitting on it like it meant absolutely nothing to him, just because of a fight over something that shouldn’t even be an issue.

“You’re right Grey. All of it. I’ve been too hard on him. I shouldn’t have been. I should have listened to him, and tried harder. I’ll...fix this.” God that had been so hard to say. But it was going to be up to him. Jesse was just as stubborn as he was. One of them was going to have the bend and in this case, it would be him.

<Grey> Grey was quiet for a long time. She saw that her words had an obvious impact on Micah. She swallowed hard, perhaps still slightly terrified that he'd sneeze and she'd sure go to the way of the Shadow Realm on his whim. But, that was the chance she had taken coming here to meet with him. Tempers ran in the Andras and Fforde line - both men were stubborn and at times did not want to admit fault or acknowledge the evidence in front of their faces. She bit her lower lip, appreciating that Micah had perhaps realized that there were differences in Andras and Fforde and they couldn't be the same; but to coexist on the understanding that ... blood is blood was a certainty.

"Thank you, Micah. Thank you for... letting me meet with you. For taking the time out of your busy schedule and letting me speak with you. You're both important. You both matter. And you both have every right to be heard and acknowledged." She said softly. She could see how hard it was for Micah to speak those words and she gave him the hint of a smile that held hope - he deserved it. He listened and heard what she had been saying. "I appreciate that. I appreciate your guidance that you have given Jesse."

<Micah> He just nodded, obviously preoccupied with what she had said. Grey had given him a lot to think about, in a good way. She knew Jesse better than anyone else did. She'd told him things, explained things to him that he never would have figured out on his own. "Could you tell Jesse to get in contact with me? Don't think he really wants to talk to me right now, but of he hears we worked our **** out, it might help smooth the way so to speak."

<Grey> Grey took a deep breath and blew it out past her dry lips. That pale, paste of a gray hue on her face nodded to Micah's request. Though her lips curled up at the corners now into a bit of a deeper smile, she was ever so respectful of the older cousin. "Yes, Micah. I will tell Jesse that you would like to speak to him. I think... I think that what will help that too is that Jesse won't need to find me in the Shadow Realm. He was sure I'd get slaughtered as soon as I stepped inside with you because of your recent anger. And again... I thank you for taking the time out to talk to me. I hope this helped both of us." Grey would most certainly keep her fingers quiet and her mouth shut unless she was in the thick of the discussion at any given time.

<Micah> He managed a small smile. "I think it has. I know that I feel better. I ain't the nicest guy around but my mama definitely taught me better manners than what I've shown you. Thank you Grey, for takin a chance. Ain't many people willin’ to face me when I’m angry. You've earned my respect."

<Grey> "I just hope you can remember that the next time you are raging in my face, Micah. I might be a vapid *****, but I like to consider myself also fighting for valid points." She nodded to him of course. Micah always had her respect, even if it was cinched off from time to time.

<Micah> "Pretty sure I will." He nodded and headed for the door. "Thank you Grey. I appreciate you coming to me, and I'm glad that we were able to sort things out. You've given me a lot to think about. And thank you, for passing my message along to Jesse." He gave her shoulder a slight squeeze as he moved past her. "Have a good night." He dropped his hand, and slipped out the door.

<Grey> "Thank you again, Micah." She said quietly to the man. And too, as the apartment wasn't hers and she was sure Jesse was expecting her home - no doubt the man had paced a hole into the floor; she too left behind Micah. But, Grey felt a need to stretch her legs even as exhausted as she was. So she took the stairs and decided to walk home, thinking about the time she spent with Micah.

----------------------------------------

Mich didn’t realize how long he’d been sitting there thinking about that night but when he finally snapped out of his thoughts he was surprised to see that well over an hour had flown by. There was a new email there from Eve. He’d been expecting one from her. Before he read it though, he deleted the emails from Grey.

The killer had gotten a text from Grey’s fiance a few nights after they had spoken. Nothing of major importance, just a request for time which Micah was cool with granting. Months had gone by and still nothing. Since time had been requested, he wasn’t going to bother to try and reach out. And as the months passed, the urge to fix what had been destroyed waned until there was nothing left. Micah no longer cared to speak to Jesse. He no longer gave a **** about the blood that the two of them shared through their respective mothers. It was no longer his problem. The fault was with Jesse now. That chapter if his life was closed and there would be no going back.

A quick reply was sent to Eve, letting her know he was on his way. But before he could get very far, his phone went off. His eyebrows shot up when he saw who the text was from. Grey. What were the odds of that? One quick text to Eve and he changed his immediate plans. He didn’t plan to be long, but curiosity was driving him and as he headed to the designated station one question continued to drift through his mind. What could she want now, after all this time?

Dressed in all black, like a thief in the night, the mechanic leaned against one of the large columns of Swansdale Station. She had a bus pamphlet in her hands, and her fingers ran across the edges of the stiff paper. She had left her phone next to a letter with Jesse's name sprawled across the corner of the very white envelope in her own handwriting. That letter and iPhone was back at their apartment in Veil Tower. As she stood within the station, those coming and going seeming to mind their own business, Grey tried not to fidget.

Instead, she tried to think about Jesse's words. She tried to think about the impression she last left upon him. Curiosity, anger, hurt, pain... She remembered all of those feelings very vividly from him. Did she owe an explanation to the Fforde family? Would they understand or even care when they barely knew her in the first place? Grey's fault, she knew. Her shoulders, though wide, were getting laden with all of the responsibilities that she should have attempted to take care of at the beginning.

To welcome another progeny into the Fforde fold with knowing nothing about them next to their name was not Grey's preferred way of delving into a tightly guarded and locked bag of luggage of her fiance's uncontrollable and often urgent whims. He had a problem. He had a need. She was not blind to his fault; and yet he was openly critical of her own problems where as she was to attempt to understand his. There was no misunderstanding. There was no hurtful language. Though there had been a lot of yelling and accusations that it was Grey's mother at the helm of the mechanic's own issues; Grey tried not to believe it.

She had simply nodded to Jesse, hoping to appease him that he was right - it was her mother's hold over her. It was the knowledge that her drunken debauchery that night that Grey had set fire to that rickety house was hopes her mother along with the broken down wood and the thick clogs of combustable chemicals within would charr the ashes of that woman whose temper got the better of her. He wanted that woman at the diner back. He wanted that waif, ever hungry for her next meal and ready to run from the cops at a hint of trouble. He wanted the woman who chattered endlessly and was easily made to blush whether it be from something she said or a look from him. He wanted the carefree spirit she had when she knew that there was no responsibilities upon her shoulders. He wanted the woman who had just been looking for a free meal and a coffee to go when instead she had crashed into that brick of a man whose mute voice broke over the winter winds.

Though she had stolen Jesse's black hooded sweatshirt, the zipper was notched down just so. It played with the strap of that ugly, olive green over-the-shoulder bag that she had arrived with over a year ago. She had asked, before she left the apartment to meet with Micah. She had already spoken to Brock. She had already told the only other person that would be expecting her to show up to work that she needed some time off. And he granted it to her without the blink of an eye, citing weeks and months worth of vacation time she never even bothered to use because she was too focused on showing that man the good, hard working job she could accomplish with his tools and his clients that she could do any job underneath a hood or underneath the body of any car that needed a bit of TLC.

Her black jeans weren't too terribly tight, cut in that boot fashion, Grey's steel toes were sticking out. After a hard night's work, another band deposit completed for Brock, and a letter left for her lover, Grey waited. She had been ignorant of everything around her. She had been quiet, delivering the message to Jesse that his cousin wanted to speak to him. And yet, she cared not to pester the man that had pounded into her that family was all that mattered. They had both turned their backs, Grey knowing very well that Jesse hadn't bothered to contact his cousin again when that bid for time was placed.

And now, Grey had no one else to look in on Jesse. She had not spoken to Velveteen since before the break of their families going opposite ways and she cared not to rock that boat. Clearly, Grey was uncomfortable with that possibility so she had turned to the only other stubborn man she knew. Micah. And while she had turned that iPhone off, having left it at the apartment was the only smart thing she could of done. This would give her time alone. This would give Jesse the time he needed - obviously - away from her. Though it might have not been his lips that instigated the kiss of one of his youngest progeny; Grey couldn't keep the taunt out of her head that history very well might repeat itself.

She had thought about a thousand ways to murder Clover. Her most favorite was ripping her very lips from her body and slicing her tongue out. Grey's vengeance would be silence, allowing for space to come between all of them. And yet, the clench in Grey's jaw could be noted from the way that her hood barely covered her forehead, just enough to disguise her from most people's perceptions and the security camera's long-range gift of pixels or digital imaging. Her ticket, ultimately for the end of the line, was Detroit, Michigan. That was the farthest she could get with this transportation system before she would find something else to take her farther.

As those heavy foot falls approached her, Grey lifted her gaze. Her face was pale, but she had eaten and not from Jesse's blood. Those dark circles underneath her eyes were from days of working and working and fighting the sun's grasp until she had fallen unconscious wherever she was - the bed, the couch, the kitchen table, or against the steering wheel of her most recent job - airbag reconstruction and configuration of internal wiring. Micah wouldn't like her request. He wouldn't like her words that would soon enough be uttered from pale, dry lips.

They both knew that Jesse was a grown man. They both knew that destruction was their main game and pleasure - an outlet for pent up hatred and emotions that were ignored. Grey wouldn't ask this of anyone else. She wouldn't dare dream to go to Velveteen with her request or concern. And in that moment, she could feel how done Micah had been with Fforde and with his cousin. But it didn't stop the words spoken in love from her lips. "Would you please check in on your cousin in a few days? Keep an eye on him?"

Grey's hands curled over the strap of her bag. She clutched it tightly now, hoping that Micah wouldn't give her too much resistance. An announcement just came overhead within the station. The last bus until the six o'clock Express was leaving in forty minutes. She had forty minutes to ensure that Micah would see to Jesse's behavior and ensure the man wouldn't accidentally set fire to himself in her absence.

The question remained as he started his trek through the tree to the elevator. What could Grey possibly want from him? He hadn’t given much thought to Grey, or Jesse, or any of Fforde. Once Vel had finally taken pity on ickle Vicky and put him out of his misery, Micah’s interest in any single Fforde had disappeared. Occasionally he’d come across one of them when he was out hunting in the city but he never stopped to try and strike up a conversation. He had nothing to say to any of them. They weren’t worth his time. And as far as he knew the last contact Vel had had with Jesse had been when he had tucked his tail between his legs like the ***** he was and left the faction. And as usual, Jesse had tried his poor me routine. Micah was glad he was gone. Andras AND Tytonidae were much better of without someone like that.

The killer used the network of portals to take him to his destination in a timely manner. He was tempted to take his time but truthfully, he wanted to find out what Grey wanted. Why she wanted to see him after so long. Micah hoped that she wasn’t going to try and get him to interfere in Fforde business. That bridge wasn’t only burned it had been completely obliterated. But if that’s the case then why are you meeting with one of them? A scowl crossed his face as that voice in the back of his mind asked that one single question. Why was he meeting with Grey? She was a Fforde. He should have told her to **** off just like he would anyone else in a situation such as this. Whatever the reason for it he refused to dwell on it now as he could see Grey standing on the platform waiting for him.

He had to wonder if she had asked to meet him in public so he couldn’t attack her. His stance on secrecy was well known so it would make sense for her to use his views to her advantage. Was she devious enough for it? Possibly. But he wasn’t going to allow her to draw him into a confrontation. He was only here to see what she wanted and when he found that out he was going to tell her to go jump off the ruined bridge. Liar. This time, Micah was able to easily ignore the condescending voice in his mind. She must have sensed his presence as her head lifted, her gaze burning holes into him. She was dressed casually, almost as if she were trying to hide. He noted the bag slung over her shoulder. Interesting. Was she going somewhere? The thought of trouble in paradise amused him to an extent but he kept all expression off of his face, though that changed when she opened her mouth to speak.

At first Micah thought he had heard her wrong. Did she really just ask him to check on Jesse of all people? Nah. Couldn’t have been that. But seeing her stand there, knuckles almost white as she gripped the strap of her bag...she was being serious. He licked his lips and thought long and hard about what he was going to say to her. “You…” Her drew in a breath he didn’t need and exhaled slowly before continuing. “You wanted to meet with me so you could ask me to check on Jesse?” He was incredulous and more than a little floored. “I ain’t sure what you been smokin Grey but my answer is no. No. I won’t do it Grey.”

Grey could sense from the moment she had seen Micah that he was full of disbelief, but curiosity too. She could see across the hard planes of his face that he came to strike every bargain hard and fast. As she blinked slowly, Grey remained still leaned back against the station's strong column. She had no intentions of causing and ruckus there in public. Nor, in truth, did she have any thoughts that Micah himself would wish to cause a scene. So, while his words started to infiltrate her ears and settle deep within the pit of her stomach, she shook her head.

She shook her head like she denied his words. She shook her head as if his feelings were not what she needed from him. The denial, though physically blatant, was not verbally slashed in that moment. She saw his deep breath. She saw the candor in his eyes and yet, Grey could not accept it. "He is your cousin. He is your blood. Your true blood, Micah. Are you just going to deny that because he needed more time? Are you going to wash that all away because his actions and words didn't come in a time frame that you thought was going to be enough?"

Her voice did not rise. Her concern was almost palpable. She still remained against that column as if her energy had wained long ago and she had no place else to be even as her time was ticking. "We both had our differences and we've both had said our piece. We've come to a common ground, but you haven't with Jesse. You let that go like a treasured artifact, burned around the edges and too hot to handle. Could you not just go see him? Could you not just put the hurt aside for one moment and realize that he needs you like he needs an older sibling to stand with him in solidarity and guide him when he too gets a little rough around the edges?"

Her voice became a little too tight. The influx of emotion at the end of the last question to the stubborn man in front of her became laden with just a little too much care. Instead of looking at Micah as he deserved, she took her own deep breath and looked towards the ceiling for a few brief seconds. As if gathering her own strength, her boots shifted underneath her as she straightened herself to that height of five-something. "I have to go. I don't know how long I'll be. I don't trust anyone else to be able to go to him and make sure he doesn't burn the God damn city to the ground."

It was not that the members of Fforde would not be strong enough for that. It was that most of them didn't have the tyrannical history that the cousins did. They had been through thick and thin, and Grey would be damned if Micah thought this was the thinnest and the snap of the tie that bound the blood together. This would not be the end for them. They were both so ******* hard headed that they couldn't put their differences behind them or admit that their point of views were different and okay. They couldn't respectfully come to terms with the fact that sometimes **** happened and it needed to be left in a pile that they both had to step over and leave behind.

"I've changed too much for him." Grey said, simply feeling her chest start to tighten and the ball of emotions choking off her next words. As her eyes glistened, she bit down so hard on her inner cheek that she could have drawn her own blood. She had refused to cry about this. Instead, she shook her head and twisted her chin to look once more to Micah's face. "I'm not happy enough. I'm not as entertaining as I could be. I don't want to do anything, but work and earn a paycheck. I don't know how to function when I'm not jumping from once city to another, running in hopes that my own mother doesn't find me. Jesse's given me the strength to stop running, but that has left me business to take care of in the States. He wanted to come, but this isn't his fight. He wanted to help me, but this is something I have to do on my own."

"I wasn't supposed to stay here, Micah." She continued, gathering her thoughts slowly. "I wasn't supposed to fall in love with your cousin and get a job that asked me to keep coming back and filling in since their business was picking up. I wasn't supposed to meet you or Velveteen and realize that you all were a family. I didn't know how to be a ******* worthwhile human being let alone a decent member of this society." She gestured to the space around them, easily referencing the Masquerade without needing to publicly spell it out. Her gut burned. Her admissions to Micah were something perhaps she had never before let someone else hear the deepest thoughts of her mind.

"Blood is blood, you once said. 'I'll fix this,' you told me. I won't be in your way now." She said quietly to him, still, her voice seemed to be without hurt, but filled with a certainty that she couldn't afford not to have with Micah when her bus was leaving in thirty minutes. "It will be just like it used to be. It will be just you guys and Velveteen like it had before. No odd fourth wheel." She smiled to Micah, almost trying to make light of the situation even as she was so confident when she used his words he spoke so adamantly months ago to her.

The answer to her questions was simple, delivered in a cold and clipped tone. “Yes. That is exactly what I can and will do. That tie that we share through our so called true blood as you call it, means nothing to me.” They were in public. Humans were moving around them heading for platforms and out into the street. It wasn’t quiet. Too many eyes could see something that they weren’t supposed to see and for that reason, Micah remained calm. No matter how much he wanted to tear into her he wouldn’t put either of them at risk of exposure.

He shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans just for something to do. “The difference Grey is that you faced me and were willing to hash it out like adults do. Coming to me the way that you did knowing that I could have easily killed you took guts. You earned my respect that night. And you gave me some things to think about. But Jesse? He doesn’t have the balls. He has had 4 months to suck it up and attempt to fix this but he’s not bothered. I understand that’s your chosen partner but seriously Grey, he needs to man up and try being an adult. The world doesn’t stop just because he wants to sit in a corner, sulk, and suck his thumb. No. I will not go see him. I don’t have the time to be chasing after him simply because you think that I should.”

Micah couldn’t understand why she was asking him of all people to check on Jesse. There were plenty of people in Fforde that could check on their sire. Jesse was no longer a blip on his radar. He was nothing to the killer, blood be damned. Chance after chance had been given and what had the killer gotten in return? Nothing. Just another weak willed, whiney little **** who thought that he should have the world handed to him on a silver platter just because he’d had a rough start. **** that. “While I’m flattered by your trust I’m going to deny your request. I will not check on Jesse.” Less than ten minutes and he already felt like he was having yet another one of those circular arguments only this time it wasn’t with Jesse.

While he was trying to figure out what to say next Grey started speaking again. Micah was silent throughout her speech. He bit the inside of his cheek hard enough to draw blood and the urge to interrupt her to ask if she was really surprised was strong. Truth was he wasn’t at all surprised that she had changed. Jesse had coddled her and probably would have wrapped her in cotton wool to keep her in a little protective bubble because that’s what he wanted to do. Protecting her was fine but now that he’d turned her into something entirely different it wasn’t enough? That was certainly how it sounded. Grey was who Jesse had made her into and if he wasn’t happy about that then that was no one’s fault but his own.

His thoughts turned to his wife. Micah would never dare try to change who Vel was. Her independence and her fire was what had drawn him to her like a moth to a flame. Almost from the start he’d known she was the only one he’d ever want. He would have waited for her forever if he had to but luckily he hadn’t needed to. The killer didn’t need to protect Vel. There was no need to try and shove her into a bubble because that woman was a badass. She could take care of herself and do it with one hand tied behind her back. She was his perfect match in every way and the mere thought of her being anything less than who she was made him sick.

“You weren’t what was standing in the way Grey. Jesse is who is standing in the way. And honestly? His last interaction with Vel when he resigned from Tytonidae shows me just how much he hasn’t changed. His attitude sucks. He was a complete and utter **** to her, telling her that he was a so called independent man who doesn’t grovel or pretend to be someone he’s not. He’s not independent, he’s ******* pathetic.” His anger was starting to show but surprisingly he didn’t raise his voice. “Blood is blood Grey, but Jesse ceased being my blood the minute he chose to make me wait four ******* months for a resolution to something that I had been willing to fix. It will never be like it used to be. Ever.”

The man that stood before her could have been of military grade. He could have been one man that was all machine and operated on basic black and white knowledge. With Micah, there was no gray area. There was no 'what ifs' or questions of curiosity that would cloud his peripheral judgement. With a deep breath, a grimace passed along the Allurist's face. Though she didn't want to argue with Micah there in public, Grey kept her voice down. She kept it level and calm just as Micah had spoken to her.

"He has balls. I can personally vouch for that, Micah." She said that with a hint of a smile on her lips. It was as if she were simply trying to lighten the moment, even with such a heavy subject at hand. "I gave him your message. Jesse asked you, if I can recall correctly, for time. Did you put a limit on that? If you just up and chopped him out of your life, you might have at least been so kind as to of informed him of an expiration date. I didn't think families had expiration dates. Is that something new here within this city?" Though her look to the killer before her was a curious one, the arch of her dark brow almost mimicked a little irritation and a hint of sarcasm.

"Why couldn't you go to him? Why couldn't you just give him some time, and when you had had enough time waiting... Find him. Make him listen. Hash **** out with him. Are you really tossing your hands up in the air and letting go as if you've had every enough? Do you think he would do the same thing to you if the roles and positions were reversed? Because I sure as **** think that he would come stand next to you six months ago and fight to the death in your name as much as his." Grey shook her head. She shook it so hard that she knocked the hood of that black sweatshirt off her head and it fell down to around her neck. Her skin was marred with pale pink slashes of recently scarred flesh across her cheek of her right face and it was hidden amongst the lazy curls at her neck. "I changed that. Do you not remember that this all happened because Jesse went to Andras with open arms and a target on his chest when he asked for help and ultimately was made to feel no more than a bad habit, worthless and weak? He accepted that. He admitted that he needed to work on it. And he was continued to be put down. And then, I stuck my nose in his business, Micah."

Grey swallowed hard, almost as if her mouth were so dry it was hard to speak because her tongue continued to stick to the roof of her mouth and her teeth. "You were right. You were. I changed him. I dug my fingers into him and I showed him that he couldn't be a complete asshole to people. I showed him that it wasn't kind to burn things down and be destructive for no other reason than blowing off steam. I changed his outlook and views and cracked his icy heart into something that you and Vel didn't appreciate. I... I don't see where he is pathetic. I don't see where he has every been anything, but trying to accommodate and acclimate himself to the strict demands and regimens that you wanted in Andras. Where did you ever accept him for his different thoughts that didn't exactly mirror your own? You two are both so ******* stubborn."

Though the mechanic did not ever wear a watch, she knew exactly what time it was. Eight more minutes gone from the arrival time of her bus. "Eternity, Micah. Eternity." It was all Grey said in reference to the fact that they could live forever. "You look at four months as if that is a life sentence. You could have reached out again. You could have given him the jostle he might have needed to be more responsive. Do you think he ignored you on purpose? Do you not think that he was just as angry as you are now?"

So many questions. There was no doubt Micah was drowning in questions, even if some were of the rhetorical nature. "I'm sorry. I am so sorry you have that limited outlook on a man that had at one time nothing but the utmost admiration and love for you. Through anger and hurt, one might claim that love is gone. One might claim that bridge is burned. I hope you can find the rope I've thrown you." Grey finishes quietly. She looks as if she had been denied even more a reason not to leave, but that would just end up with Jesse on a rampage. She hoped he wouldn't be too far gone when she returned. "But, thank you. Thank you for meeting with me. Thank you for pushing your cousin away because he was trying to protect me in a chaos I had created."

She licked her lower lip. "Yes, me. I created this mess. And I am only trying to fix it. I'm such a **** up, Micah, that it takes a lot for someone else to come in and destroy someone else's family. You have a huge responsibility to your family, now. You don't have room for others. You don't have room for Jesse or his slew of wonderful, pain-in-the-*** misfits. I'm sorry. I'm really sorry I asked you to care again." Her eyes were downcast, fallen to the platform underneath their feet until the squeal of hydraulic brakes sounded to note her bus had arrived and would soon be unloading the passengers that survived the long trip from the States.

She pulled the wrinkled bus schedule out of the front pocket of that hoodie. She checked the numbers and refolded the pamphlet almost with a bit of nerves to her pale hands. "I came to you because I was wrong. Because I did something wrong that day. Because, even if I feared your repercussions, it was important that you knew that I did ... care. Your thoughts and feelings, even though we were no longer family and you shouldn't have mattered to me ... mattered, Micah." She swallowed hard, choking down that ball of emotions that seemed to just get bigger the more she realized Jesse was just going to have the Fforde as his back - and ultimately, maybe that was Grey's lesson she needed to learn in all of this mess.

People changed.

“I dont really care to know that Grey as it ain’t my business.” Micah had granted Jesse the requested time. There had been no expiration date on it as Grey was accusing him of doing. But who really needed four ******* months to think about ****? He wasn’t known for his patience. “Your sarcasm isn’t helping your cause. You requested to see me remember? I didn’t have to come and listening to you now makes me think that I shouldn’t have bothered. No, there is no expiration date on family but if he clearly doesn’t give a **** then why should I?” The killer was curious to hear the answer to that one.

“Why should I have looked for him Grey? I don’t know why you seem to think that I have this well of patience. I don’t know why you seem to think that I should feel something here.” He was getting agitated and it showed. He didn’t appreciate her standing there giving him a lecture, bringing up **** from the past that had been beaten like a dead horse. “Six months ago I gave a ****. Six months ago I would have given my life to protect him, and I know he would have done the same for me. I don’t need a lecture Grey and I certainly don’t need you to stand here and once more insert yourself into something that is over and done with.”

He drew in a breath to try and calm himself. “I am so sick and tired of you accusing me of putting him down. Sick of it Grey. No one was putting him down. You have no idea why I said the things that I said or why I got sick of it. You don’t know. There are two sides to every story and since it’s Jesse, you’re only seeing and hearing his. That is incredibly unfair. You have no right to stand here and try to tell me how to feel and how to react. I had rules, but there are rules in every ******* family. Yes I expected them to be followed but no one complained about them before so don’t you dare stand there and try to throw that in my face by telling me I expected him to act in a certain way. ********. I only ever wanted every single member of Andras to be who they are meant to be, not who they think I want them to be.”

He’d said what he needed to. She’d ripped open wounds that he thought had long since healed and it made him angry. At her, at Jesse, even at himself and he hated that she made him feel like that. “No Grey, I couldn’t have. Jesse asked for time. I granted it. End of story. Don’t try to flip it and put it on me. That’s not my fault. It’s his. I’m sorry if you don’t agree with that but it is what it is.”

Disgusted, angry and so many other things he turned to walk away. “Take your rope and choke on it. I won’t be checking on Jesse.” He took a few steps then paused and looked back over his shoulder. “You should have left well enough alone Grey. I hope you find what you’re looking for though.” His piece said he started walking, allowing the night to swallow him as he turned his back on the past. Damn her for making him feel. Damn her to hell.