So formal...tsk. Boring. You're showing your age, lovely. I thought we were going to have fun? You are being entirely too stuffy to have any fun. Loosen up.

An increase in adrenaline caused Kes to abandon the elevator, now decending the stairs. Perhaps she could escape this unscathed. Eslatar had no idea where she was to start with, nor could he possibly search through an entire hotel before she exited the doors. He wouldn't dare cause a scene either; as it wouldn't do well for him to be exposed any more than it would for her.

Mass panic.

Ending up in prison.

Or worse.

Her solace was in the thought of her miserable excuse for a sire enduring the same torment with her. Maybe even... Kes quickened her pace, footsteps echoing down through the stairwell as she hurried, spurred by the sudden desire to be rid of her demons.

===

Glancing over at his wife with a frown, Hook couldn't help but wonder why it sounded very much like Emma was trying to get rid of Latch... on purpose. Her tone sounded as if she were refraining from physically shoving the man out into the hall. His muddled confusion was slowly morphing into impatient confusion as his imagination continued to unfold even more.

It was more obvious to him now that she was hiding something. Guilt over his own hidden secrets held his tongue, however, unable to accuse without being accused. He instead cleared his throat, forehead wrinkling, as he gestured to the table across the room. "I think I'm going to find some punch," Hook accentuated the word with a bland smile at Richard.

Richard, unaware of the brewing tension between others, thought Hook to be a rather odd man. "Be my guest," he shrugged, formalities dropped as Hook shuffled by. Richard watched as the older man deftly avoided contact with anyone while making his way to the refreshment table.

"Is he always that..." Richard paused, taking another sip of his champagne, "Brusque?"

"I think he likes me," Curse replied and then frowned slightly as they entered the kitchen, "It's hard to see him these days though. He's always gone researching...I don't think Emmaline and him are very happy right now."

She went to the cupboard and opened it, eyes passing over the food within, "It's like they're dancing circles around each other...and no one's telling the truth," she mused.

---

Zaref nodded and took a step in the direction Timothy was leading them. He hoped these werewolves would be friendly...and squeezed Selena's hand.

It was some time before they arrived through a secret path, to the cave of the werewolves near the shelter of the waterfall. Zaref looked around. Even in the darkness he could see that this was an amazingly well-thought out stronghold. The natural shelter from the waterfall and the granite rock wall gave a great sense of security...even if they were walking into enemy territory.

Timothy shifted to human form and then into kitten upon realizing the new guests wouldn't be so used to naked werewolves walking around. He looked up at the guests, "Our mother should be around somewhere..." he offered and bounded into the cave mouth.

The wolf leading Cotton, Graeme, Indigo, Satin and Pavel led them around a different way, but they arrived only minutes after Timothy's stragglers. Seeing that it's job was done, the wolf left the group standing outside with the other two vampires and entered the cave.

Cotton glanced over at Selena and Zaref, glad at least that they would have some cover of vampire/werewolf fighting should it turn to that. He'd already imagined what way to sneak away quietly, but the sight of Satin's pale face urged him to stay at least a little longer.

---

Terrance turned to look at Neal, not very startled by the man's sudden appearance. "The dragon went beserk," Mr. T. answered, shifting into kitten form. He waited a moment, "Just kidding."

Arriving on the scene, Pepper looked around, feeling a startling sense of deja vu once again. "Was it Savage?" she asked, used to their leader's sense of humor- or lack of.

Terrance nodded, looking between Pepper, Neal and the elves. "We need to go to the werewolves. Abijah will help- especially when he finds out Lark's been taken."

"That or he'll just kill us," Pepper replied calmly and looked over as said werewolf suddenly appeared at the edge of the treeline. She was surprised to see him dressed and in human form.

Mr. T turned to look at the Sage Pack leader as he approached. "We need your help Abijah," he admitted, the words nearly sticking in his throat.

Abijah looked over the group with a deep frown, lines etching into his forehead. "Come," he responded simply, "We need to talk somewhere safer."

---

Elisabeth was a bit disappointed when the dance came to an end, but had equal feelings of being relieved. There was something so odd about this man...though she couldn't quite figure out what exactly was bothering her.

"Thank you for the dance," she offered to him with a slight curtsey.

"Exactly what I'm looking for," Cyrano replied, catching Thomas's glance and looking the same way. "Your sister seems to be quite the socialite and you...well you're the heir- don't have to worry much about making nice with people eh?"

Emmaline frowned slightly as Charles shuffled past. Looking back at Richard made her forget for a moment where she was and exactly which character she was to be playing. Stepping closer, she scowled at the man.

"Look- I'm not sure why you're at all interested in talking to me but I promise you if you say anything at all to my husband about exactly where we met I will make sure you pay very dearly."

She breathed in deeply and stepped back, feeling she would have been better suited delivering that line in her leather jacket than in this dress.

Kanti had been nearing the spot where Eslatar and Gwen stood in conversation. She hadn't really been paying attention to who the vampire was talking to until she got closer and realized it was a woman who looked very, very familiar.

"No...just a pest," Eslatar responded with another smirk.

He stepped closer, raising a hand to touch the side of Gwen's face softly. "I'd love to get reacquainted," he said in a low tone, moving his mouth near her ear, "But I've a problem I have to take care of- and it looks like you'll have problems of your own in a moment. The police officer behind us seems to have recognized you."

He sighed and moved his head to kiss Gwen's cheek before backing away and making a short bow. "I hope you aren't getting yourself into any trouble. I'd like to see you again when I've more time."

Eslatar smiled at her and then vanished into the crowd, weaving his way through dancing couples and chatting dignitaries.

I'm very much willing to show you exactly what my version of 'fun' is darling- but I'm afraid you won't enjoy it much after this game of hide and seek has ended.

He offered the mental communication while passing the refreshment table. Owing to his fast reflexes, Eslatar avoided a near collision with a familiar looking man who was currently pouring himself some punch. Distracted, Eslatar stopped short and stepped up beside Charles, ignoring the glares from others waiting in the line.

"I didn't know you were one to enjoy events like this Hook," he offered, trying to sound genial since they didn't have the best memories of each other, "Is Em around somewhere then?" he tried to sound distant from the question. Truth was he couldn't resist asking even if it would cause a bit of trouble. A drink would be just what he could use at the moment...especially before the games began.

"Fine time to go berserk...." Neal said with a grim chuckle. The sudden appearance of the Sage pack leader was a welcomed interruption from the depressing situation before Neal.

"I heartily agree." Neal muttered as he pulled his fedora brim down, glancing back at the destroyed chapel before looking at Terrence and Abijah.

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

The dance seemed to end almost as soon as it had begun, but the time spent with the Princess had been a welcomed escape from the brooding storm that was building up in the Hybrids mind. "Thank you for allowing me the honor and the pleasure of a dance." Karl said with polite bow. "I hope our paths may cross again, sometime." He added with smile before disappearing into the crowd.

Karl weaved his way through room towards Gwen who seemed to be in deep thought. "I'm afraid I just remembered some business that I must attend to this evening. I'll be back within the hour." the Hybrid said with a smile. "By the way, officer Kanti is approaching from behind. Just a friendly warning." Karl added with a wink before he nonchalantly headed for the elevators and made his way back to his room.

Once in his room again, Karl pulled out the package of writing paper that he carried with him, which was tucked in his suit case. Quickly writing a letter to the local paper, Karl folded the note and laid it on the bed as he grabbed some of his "normal" clothes and went into the bathroom. A few minutes latter, Karl emerged dressed in jeans, a dark long sleeve shirt and a leather jacket that was slightly to small for him. "Drop off the letter to the paper, then to the station...." the Hybrid said to himself as he grabbed the letter off of the bed and left his room.

Exiting the elevator, Karl made his way through the lobby to the main doors. As he walked pass the ball room, Karl caught the senators son talking with a very striking woman out of the corner of his eye. Well, one thing hasn't changed in Ditto Town.... the place has good stock in beautiful women. the Hybrid thought with a chuckle as he walked down the stairs and along the sidewalk to the Ditto Town newspaper building.

Caerwyn took a seat at the kitchen table and smiled humorlessly. In his many years of living, he had seen hundreds of marriages fall apart for the same reason Curse had just described.

I've seen that sort of thing many times, he mused. None of the marriages ended nicely. I hope for your sake this one stays intact. He gave her another wan smile.

----

Selena was nervous, which surprised her. She prided herself on not being one to be afraid of werewolves. But being in the heart of their territory . . . well, anything could happen. And that anything could end up with her and Zaref dead. Still, she was glad she was able to keep herself outwardly calm. Not like the new vampire. Glancing over at him, she curled her lip slightly in disgust.

To say Pavel was nervous would have been an understatement. His eyes were wide and shifted around restlessly. He held Satin to his chest as though to shield himself, and his hands were still trembling. The foul stench of werewolf pierced through his nostrils and burned his nose. It did not help that the large black wolf behind him kept so close Pavel could feel the dog's breath on the back of his neck. Each exhale sent a shiver down his spine.

----

Thomas jerked his head back around to stare at Cyrano, wondering if the man was mocking him. "I've never been very social," he said, trying to sound superior like Elisabeth would. "Gatherings like these just waste my time." He paused then, wondering if that had come across as rude. He sighed inwardly and fought a headache. Being uppity had no perks as far as he could see. It just made one seem like a snob.

"I'd rather be out fencing," he said in a more conversational tone, placing his hand on his foil. "At least then I'm doing something productive, other than pretending to like people just so I can get their money and support." He frowned pointedly over at his mother who was laughing gaily with some of Ms. Scope's followers.

Slightly irritated that she had been brushed aside in such a manner (although his words and touch had lit a small fire inside of her), Gwen decided to try that mind-melding now and attempt to find whoever it was that had Eslatar distracted. It was not fair that that someone should be taking him away from the party, and her. There was also that pesky Detective that was getting closer. Inclining her head briefly to Karl before the hybrid walked off, she began to make her way quickly and smoothly through the crowd and away from the approaching Detective.

Moving off to the side, she stood against a far wall and took a deep breath before opening her mind for the first time in 400 some years. She probed the room, but when she felt no vampires, she stretched her reach further and then even further, the strain causing her to frown slightly. Suddenly she felt her mind brush against another one. The contact resulted in an explosion of pain, and she gasped audibly, steadying herself on a refreshment table as she took an involuntary step backwards.

Simultaneously, Caerwyn, sitting where he was in the Hooks’ kitchen, suddenly cried out in pain, bending forward and clutching his head, his eyes shut tightly. Bits of memories flashed across the darkness. A dark braid whipped through the air. A burst of red from a winter cloak flapped in a breeze. A pair of full lips turned upwards in a tender smile. A burning sensation flooded across his body as a pale hand caressed his face. A moan emitted from stiff lips as Caerwyn shook his head back and forth slightly.

Gwen knew whose mind it was she had touched. Even after all these years she recognized it. Inhaling sharply at the excruciating pain, she pushed one word into the mind she had touched, recoiling immediately afterward as she felt her brain would explode from just that small contact.

YOU!

Caerwyn screamed suddenly as the pain tore through his mind and threatened to rip his brain in two. Almost immediately the pain reduced however, and he slumped forward onto the ground, sweat beading his forehead as he breathed heavily.

Gwen was incensed. How was it that he was still alive? He had been dead last time she had seen him. And even if he had not been, his body had been broken too severely to heal itself on what little blood had been left in the small form. How could he be alive? And here of all places? How had she not sensed it before? Growling under her breath, she glowered at a server who got too close.

Memories were shifting back, memories she had forgotten for a reason. There had to be a way to silence them forever. The release would come with the death of the boy. But that had been tried once and failed. Someone had to die though. Someone . . .

P.S."Brooklyn!"

The dragon bared his teeth and growled at both Mr. T and the man in black. Then looked at the appering Werewolf and lowered his head, better to keep it low than to get it biten off by this crowd.

Mark looked over at where Josh had dissapered to and saw him dragging Will over in a huff "Thank you for showing up, we are leaving" he said to both Josh and Will.
---
Von said "Yes sir" then continued circling the ballroom from the balcony above.

His fragile ego now somewhat bruised by Emmaline's threat, Richard raised a hand in surrender before a passing server caught his easily swayed attention with another tray of champagne. He traded the empty glass he was cradling in the opposite hand for a full one.

"Alright then. Forgive my poor attempts at being polite," he took a swig before continuing, "I hadn't the slightest inkling that your husband knew nothing of your... involvement with our mutual friends. Far be it from me to stir up any marital discourse between such a loving couple. My utmost apologies," he offered in a sardonic tone, raising his glass to her.

Heading towards the doors, Richard downed the rest of his liquid courage, his steps the slightest bit unbalanced as he avoided colliding with others in his path. Now insulted upon being bored out of his mind, he exited the ballroom in search of something to lighten his mood.

He found what he was looking for almost as soon as he turned the corner.

Down at the end of the hall, he saw a familiar glint of auburn emerge through a door near the elevator. Richard's eyes widened. He wasn't about to let her run away from him this time.

I can't stand the suspense, love, the whisper was droll, no longer interested in the reply... but also unable to resist goading the seeker one final time... Catch me if you can...old man.

It was too much risk to simply walk out of the front doors. Kes needed a way to disappear from sight, not walk directly into it. Her ruby eyes surveyed the hotel lobby in two heartbeats as she emerged soundlessly from the stairwell, the smell of blood from the far end of the hall enticing.

Kes turned to head for the vacated corridor that would lead her out the back door, to freedom.

"Eleste?"

Her blood ran cold.

Richard's voice was the last thing she expected to hear.

He had taken her by the elbow, turning her around to face him, his expression becoming thrilled but confused when he realized that it was really her standing there. "Rich-" her acknowledgment was anything but thrilled. Panic dripped down her spine, cold as ice, causing her heart to race in dread as her escape slowly imploded right in front of her, with Richard being the charge.

He didn't let go of her, afraid that she would vanish if he did. Reaching a hand out to touch her face, he was surprised when she flinched away from him.

Dressed in complete black, Eleste looked completely different from the temptress that he had first come to know. If anything, she looked more like a cornered snake with the expression that she was wearing; her eyes darting all around as though she were looking out for someone...

===

As the sickeningly familiar sound of Eslatar's voice invaded Hook's consciousness, the hairs on the back of the scientist's neck bristled. He nearly snapped the punch ladle in half as sheer fury began to flow through his veins. Turning to face the vampire, Hook adopted a tight smile, one that couldn't mask the hatred in his eyes. "Somewhere," he replied as his fingers twitched.

He had to be civil. Remain...calm. Everyone already thought he was crazy enough.

Memories of the night that he had been reunited with Emma began to resurface, tainting his better judgment. How was it that this... monster was allowed to roam free after what he had done. How was it that this monster was addressing his wife with such... familiarity. It was pure mockery.

Hook's smile turned cold. "Punch?" he offered... before tossing his drink into the vampire's face with a quick jerk, the red beverage sloshing down Eslatar's starched front. "Oh I am sorry. Allow me," he offered again, bringing his clenched fist up to connect harshly with Eslatar's jaw. "Oh dear. I'm afraid I've only made things worse. Clumsy me," shrugged Hook with indifference.

His smile vanished altogether as he stormed past the vampire. Finding Emmaline alone, he took her by the arm, anger clouding his face as he led her from the ballroom without speaking.

Curse was about to make some reply when Caerwyn suddenly doubled over. As he screamed and then slumped to the ground, she hurried over, brow furrowed worriedly as she looked at him.

"What's wrong?" she asked with a frown, stroking his hair as a rumble of thunder sounded in the distance.

---

"Then if you all are agreed- we should be leaving," Abijah offered, looking too intense to argue with at the moment.

Terrance nodded and looked over at the elves and Brand with a slight kitten smirk. "Let's go."

Pepper forced herself to match the pace of the group as they hurried through the woods towards the werewolf hideout.

---

"We need to hurry and get Satin help," Zaref said, but didn't step closer. The presence of Indigo and the smell of his friend's blood was enough to keep him at a distance.

Cotton nodded and helped Pavel to set the girl on the ground. "We need to build a fire," he said before touching the hastily bandaged arm, "We need the light to dress this properly and the heat would be good too."

The bounty hunter, nerve reaction heightened by his fear of the wolves, glanced up as soon as a figure came out of the cave.

Timothy, dressed and in human form, hurried out to the group with his usual grin visible in the darkness. "Mother will be out in a moment-" he offered and then stopped, glancing down at Satin, "What's wrong with her?"

"We'll explain later," Cotton replied impatiently. "Right now we need a fire going."

---

"Indeed," Elisabeth replied docilely and watched Karl disappear into the crowds. Her eyes narrowed slightly, just what the man was up to she'd probably never find out- but it didn't make her less curious. Shaking her head, Elisabeth straightened her shoulders and went over to the refreshment table for a drink.

"So you don't approve of gatherings like this?" Cyrano asked, eagerly scribbling Thomas's words in shorthand.

Kanti looked around in confusion. She was sure she'd just seen Gwen, and after that the other police officers had radioed in the same. Unfortunately in a crowd this size it would be hard to find her again until it was too late. At that thought, Kanti hurried on, making a x-route through the ballroom to get a good view of the different areas.

Cursing under her breath, Emmaline watched Richard go. She was almost about to follow, needing to make sure he wouldn't say anything when her husband suddenly appeared. She blinked at him a moment before he dragged her out of the ballroom.

"Wait, Charles," she said breathlessly, stumbling over the hem of her dress, "I can explain," she offered, figuring that he must have gathered enough from the conversation with Richard to make him suspicious.

Eslatar observed Charles marching Emmaline out the doors and wondered vaguely if he should follow. The stain on the front of his shirt attested otherwise. Frowning, he flexed his jaw and picked up the broken pieces of the glass on the floor before deciding that now was not the time to ruminate on how presentable he looked.

He calmly exited through a side door, abandoning his suit jacket and tie in a swift movement. Both landed on a statue standing guard outside the ballroom. The smell was close and drew him in, past the other people in the lobby and down a hall. He walked swiftly and turned a corner with a smile on his face.

The expression faded quickly upon seeing that another had interrupted his planned private party. Recognizing Richard, his eyes narrowed, but he continued down the hall, meeting Kes's eyes. He recognized the look, they were two of a kind after all.

((Sorry in advance for the gigantic post. I've made the font smaller so hopefully it won't stretch out the page too much. ))

Caerwyn moaned slightly and stirred, but his eyes did not open. His head twitched feverishly, his eyelids scrunching together tightly. His fingers tapped nervous patterns on the floor. Memories were coming sharper now, playing before his eyes like a bad dream.

The boy lived at the abbey for five years. Gwendolyn gave him the name Caerwyn, not knowing his real name, for he never told her. She picked the name because of its meaning. White fortress. The white for his pale skin, the fortress for the way he kept his innermost thoughts hidden from both her and the monks of the monastery. She had given herself over to the sole care of him, no one else wanting anything to do with him.

As the meeting took place, Caerwyn and Gwendolyn lay on their backs in the courtyard of the abbey, staring up at the stars.

What do you think they will do with me? The words felt fearful and quiet in Gwendolyn’s mind.

He slid his hand over into hers. I don’t want to be sent away.

“I pray that you won’t be.”

Turning his head as well, Caerwyn met Gwendolyn’s sad gaze. Truly? It seemed as though he could not dare to hope that someone, anyone, would want him to stay.

And then the sound of a horrible, agonized scream filled the courtyard. Then all was dark and silent.

Caerwyn's eyes snapped open, and he dragged in a painful breath. His eyes looked past Curse's head, toward the ceiling. However they seemed to look even beyond the ceiling to someplace unknown.

Gwendolyn.

The name was like a whisper that echoed throughout all the corners of the room.

----

Selena saw the concern for Satin on Zaref's face, but kept a firm hold on his hand. "They'll take care of her," she said confidently, glancing sidelong at Indigo. She knew that whatever happened here, the dog would keep Satin safe at least.

Pavel looked nervously between the two, moving backwards and wringing his hands. "Fire . . ." he said, almost choking on the word. He whipped his head around quickly, as if looking for flames to pop up suddenly. He jumped slightly when Indigo trotted up, several large sticks in his mouth. The wolf dropped them carefully at Cotton's feet, barely holding back a low growl in the back of its throat as it's head came up to meet the bounty hunter's gaze.

Pavel swallowed convulsively and did not relax until the wolf had backed up several paces. And then he only relaxed marginally, still tense and ready for anything to happen.

----

Thomas sighed slightly. "I don't really care," he said. "I just don't like it when I'm forced to attend them." He played restlessly with the hilt of his foil, his dark eyes darting around the room, as if searching for something, anything of interest to distract him.

"Do you like your job?" he asked the reporter suddenly, thinking that reporting must be a very interesting job if it meant getting all sorts of fascinating information from famous people.

Gwen massaged her temples, doing her best to calm herself. The last traces of the memory were disappear, the dreadful words the boy spoke still clinging painfully to the corners of her mind. So much raw power in such a little body . . . the unfairness fanned the flame of hatred deep within her.

Her eyes snapped open, the brown contacts falling away, revealing deep red eyes. Hungry eyes. They shifted to the right and saw the Detective, searching for her. Gwen ran her tongue slowly over her lips, a dark smile creasing the corners of her mouth. Turning, she made her way toward Detective Kanti, weaving throughout the crowd as easily as if she were pushing through curtains of beads or feathers.

"Detective Kanti," she purred, coming up beside the woman. "If you would come with me please." Her eyes darkened with lust and thirst. Taking a firm hold on the woman's elbow, she steered her forcefully toward the back of the room, near the door to the kitchens. Turning the Detective around, Gwen pushed her back against the wall and looked her up and down with scorn.

"Pity," she said. "You failed to see who was more valuable. If you had left me alone, I would have led you right to him." Her mouth opened wider, revealing elongated canines, dripping with venom. She moved her lips close to the other woman's ear. "You have failed," she whispered maliciously. "In that knowledge despair and die."

She bit deeply, draining the life from the woman. Only when the Detective went limp did Gwen draw back. It was then that she remembered she was in a public place, with many witnesses. Snarling slightly, she sat the body against the wall, arranging the dark hair around the neck so the puncture wounds would not be seen. From where the people stood, one would think she was only asleep. Standing slowly, Gwen grabbed a napkin and wiped the blood primly from her mouth.

"You will not keep me from my goal," she said in a low dangerous voice.

Turning away from the carefully laid body, she pushed her way into the kitchen and out of the back door, ignoring the shouts of indignation by the cooks and dish washers. Grabbing her skirt in both hands, Gwen took off with super-human speed toward the edge of town. She needed space to think and consider her next step carefully. It was an incredibly rash thing she had just done, and she needed to make sure she would not be blamed this time. A smiled tugged at her dark red lips. For the first time since her transformation, she was not craving attention.

It was time to lay low and plan. The boy knew she was here now and would probably come looking for her. She would wait. And when he arrived . . . she would kill.

And it would be good.

P.S."Brooklyn!"

The lock clicked as Taran turned her key in the door, pushing it open slowly as she shuffled in. Her cramped apartment had never looked so welcoming before, and she quickly found her self kicking off her shoes, filling a glass with cold water, and collapsing on the couch. She felt relieved to have finally found a stable job, but was a school secretary really what she saw herself doing. No matter, it was a job at least. As she sipped on her water, she thought back on the Coriander’s words.
So she was an unnatural, eh? Sent to a prison island…had she really been that much of a threat?
Taran had heard short briefings on the news about the “dangerous” un-naturals, public announcements asking for cooperation in the search and detainment of such people, and govt. officials requesting any information on suspected un-naturals. It was enough to make any person wary of those around them and more often than not innocent people were taken in for questioning. And even today, hadn’t she witnessed an “anti-unnatural” rally at the school. It seemed the government’s hand had reached far indeed, indoctrinating the minds of high schoolers. But what was all this to her, it wasn’t her battle; she was just trying to get by. Getting caught up in the fire fight didn’t seem like a good way to spend her time or energy.
Taran set her empty glass on the table, and meandered into her kitchen in search of something to make for dinner. She had just opened the freezer, when she heard a soft knock on the front door. She closed the freezer door with a sigh, almost secretly hoping it was Mr. Grey her very attractive landlord. She would be lying to herself if she said it wasn’t nice to see him. But as she opened the door, a very different person was there waiting. A person who was a much better surprise than Mr. Grey.

Haleh emerged from the cave behind Timothy soon after. Her eyes, darker than usual in the moonlight, surveyed the group standing outside, narrowing only slightly as she observed the vampires. Her gaze went straight to Satin, the only obviously injured one of the group. Moving forward, she crouched next to the girl, pressing a warm hand against Satin's sweating forehead.

Her forehead creased, but no other expression could be discerned besides one of seriousness. "One of you explain," she spoke, looking up at the rag-tag group who had invaded her home.

===

Reaching the hotel parking lot with quick strides, fueled by his building anger, Hook released Emma's arm as they reached the car. Pacing next to the vehicle, he ran his hands through his hair, looking around for somewhere to release his rage before it imploded. He raised a shaking fist towards the car window, but then decided against smashing it to smithereens.

Turning to Emma, he blinked in silence for a moment, before walking up to her. Hook stared down at his wife with an unreadable expression. Catching her face in his shaking hands, he leaned in... then kissed her softly, his anger slowly melting away instead.

"I'm sorry," he sighed after a moment, resting his forehead against hers with closed eyes. "I know that I-I shouldn't have done that, but he..." he shook his head, unable to continue.

===

Richard had opened his mouth to ask his wandering companion one of the dozens of questions that had entered his mind when he heard footsteps echoing behind him. Turning with a slight frown, he saw Eslatar standing there looking very grim which only confused him more.

Her chances slipping away faster with each moment she stood frozen, Kes knew that if she ran on her own now, she would lose. Richard still had a hold on her arm. Acting with wavering speed, she wrenched her arm free, catching his wrist in the same movement, tightly twisting his arm up behind his back. Her other hand had wrapped around his throat in an unrelenting vise, before he could even think to wrestle free.

Choking in surprise, Richard reached a hand up to grasp at the cold fingers but found he was unable to free himself from her hold. He felt sudden fear start to rise. "Eleste! What the-?" he was cut off when she tightened her grip, hearing a threatening hiss in his ear.

Kes hadn't taken her gaze away from her sire. Trapped, her options were disintegrating. Her lips twitched back, revealing the sharp glint of her elongated canines in subtle warning as she backed towards the elevator in seconds' time with her captive. "Press the button, dear," she murmured in Richard's ear.

Richard tried once again to understand just what was going on, "Now just wait a minute-" but Kes slowly cutting off his oxygen made him rethink negotiating in favor of saving his own neck. He reached around her thin frame with his free hand, following her orders.

"You won't follow me if you want this to end... cleanly," Kes offered the chaotic ultimatum to Eslatar as the doors opened behind her.

Curse frowned and looked over as a patter of rain began to make a noise against the darkened kitchen window. Slowly taking a deep breath she tried to calm herself. It must have been only a dream after all...

"Caerwyn," she said softly, wondering what she could do, "Are you alright?"

---

Zaref nodded at Selena and then looked over as the female werewolf emerged. He knew that she must be one of the leaders of the pack from the way Timothy was looking at her.

Cotton looked up at Haleh briefly as he arranged the wood that Indigo had brought over. "We were attacked- some were captured. The Unnatural camp was destroyed," he summarized, talking as quickly as possible while setting up a fire ring.

Reaching to his side, Cotton was glad that he'd been able to escape Kes with some of his belongings including a box of matches. Stilling his breathing he concentrated on setting the wood alight.

"Abijah sent us out to look for the stragglers," Timothy volunteered to Haleh in case she had missed that bit. "He said he'd go look for Lark and anyone else at camp."

---

Cyrano shrugged, "Used to. Now we just-" he stopped himself, remembering that Thomas was a member of the realm of politics, albeit a short one. "So- if you didn't have to be king what job would you like?" he asked, switching subjects rapidly.

He glanced around, hoping no one had seen his slip up and then stood frozen, eyes fixed on two figures moving quickly from the room. One was a detective...wasn't it that vampire expert? He looked back at Thomas. The memory of seeing Eslatar leave just moments ago also replayed in Cyrano's mind.

"Excuse me," he offered quickly before rushing through the crowd in the direction Kanti and the strange woman had gone. He came to the back of the ballroom near the kitchen doors and spotted Kanti sitting alone with her eyes closed.

Reporter's instinct denying all other decorum, Cyrano looked both ways and then stepped closer, moving the detective's hair away to reveal the vampire bite on the woman's neck. Her skin was cold as stone. Nearly hyperventilating at the sight of such an excellent scandal, Cyrano suddenly felt guilty.

She was dead...really dead. Morality already abandoned, Cyrano fished his cell phone out of his pocket and took a picture, knowing in no time this room would be in chaos.

"Well Cyrano, I've been looking for you all night and-" Ms. Scope began, standing next to the reporter. She stopped, looking in the direction that Cyrano's attention was fixed.

"Oh my...is she?"

Cyrano nodded.

Eyes wide, the anti-unnatural giantess opened her mouth and screamed.

---

"I'm beyond the point of negotiation, dear," Eslatar offered with a snarl. He marched forward, at the moment unheeding of any detriment it would cause to Richard's health. As he leapt towards the elevator the doors suddenly closed, leaving him scraping at the doors with animalistic fury.

With a roar, he suddenly transformed, body compacting into a small black shape that sprouted wings and flew rapidly towards the stairwell and through the open doors...

---

"Who? What?" Emmaline said softly, confused beyond belief at the turn of events. She raised a shaking hand to touch her husband's cheek. Her feelings calmed...had she been actually frightened of him? Dreading confrontation had been one thing but she couldn't remember a time when she'd actually been afraid of Charles.

A flash of a memory made her close her eyes and ball up her other hand as it shook wildly. Alone. Savage gone on some vacation. Lab techs unknowing or unwilling to know. The door opened. Her hand shook. Not again...

---

Azriel looked up as Taran opened the door. He tried to smile but it turned into a half-hearted expression that barely reached his eyes. He was genuinely glad to see her, but the guilt over ditching his pack again was starting to gnaw at him. It didn't help that all this was a secret from them...Abijah was still set on Lark and Azriel starting their own pack together.

"Can I come in?" he asked, meeting the eyes of his girlfriend.

At Curse's voice, Caerwyn seemed to come back to reality. His gaze shifted and focused on her worried face, and he sat up slowly, looking over at the window and the rain slapping against it in little, sharp plinks. Inhaling sharply, he looked back over at Curse and hastened to reassure her.

I'm fine. He gave her a thin, and not very convincing, smile, reaching up to brush his fingertips against her cheek. It's okay. Everything's fine. Even as he said that however, a flicker of pain crossed his forehead. He held back a wince resolutely and grasped the chair seat, pulling himself to his feet somewhat unsteadily.

----

The scream shot through the room and Jason's head went up fast. Swiveling around on his heel, he strode hurriedly through the crowd toward the woman who had screamed. Spotting her had not been difficult. When he reached the scene however, he stopped abruptly, his face paling faintly. Quickly he knelt and checked Kanti's pulse. Nothing.

Clenching his fist tightly, he stood, his face a mask void of emotion. Glancing around quickly, he noticed that both the vampire and the woman who had appeared familiar was gone. A cold feeling settled in his stomach as he lifted a hand to his ear and contacted his men on the radio. "We have a situation," he said. "Call in a medical team, now!"

He turned to the crowd of people gathering and held out his arms. "Step back," he ordered. "Everyone step back."

Thomas frowned at the reporter hurrying off right in the middle of the interview. Curious, the boy followed. He arrived too late to see what exactly had happened, as the crowd was pushing and shoving around the scene. Suddenly thankful that he was small and thin, Thomas pushed and wiggled his way to the front of the crowd. He then stared dumbfounded at the pale woman lying on the ground, blood seeping from a wound on her throat.

"Vampire," he murmured in awe, having never encountered a real victim before. The scene fascinated and revolted him.

Having heard the scream, Queen Katherine looked around quickly for her children. She saw Elisabeth right away, but failed to locate Thomas. Calling his name, she peered around the people in the crowd but was unable to see. Moving over to Elisabeth, she grabbed the girl's arm.

"Find your brother," she told the girl. "I can't find him." Her voice was steady, but her eyes were wide with panic.

P.S."Brooklyn!"

(((And here is a long post from me. Though, Ryan still has me beat on length.... )))

Neal followed Abijah as the werewolf led the survivors to his families din. The Darkling emerged from the forest slightly before the others. Seeing the small group of familiar faces made Neal feel slightly more comfortable around the strange, new surroundings, though the feeling was quickly replaced with concern when the man noticed Satin's limp form on the ground.

Kneeling down beside Cotton... Cotton? What are you doing here? Ahh, never mind... Neal examined Satin's shoulder. "Bullet wound from the attack on the camp?" The Darkling said, not really asking but more stating the fact.

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

It was easy enough for Karl to find the building that housed "Daily Ditto's", especially since it looked like every other newspaper building that the Hybrid had ever visited. Jogging up the front steps, Karl took out the letter he had written, opened it and glanced over the contents one more time before "posting" it:

Greetings, Mrs. Scope and co. ,

Karl, Agent of Chaos.

Smiling to himself as he folded the letter back, Karl pulled out one of his many knives from inside his jacket and stabbed the letter to the front door. The Hybrid chuckled to himself as he made his way back into town towards his next destination.

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

A few minutes latter, Karl was standing outside the Ditto Town police station. After eyeing the building, Karl walked up the front steps and stepped through the front door.

The young officer relaxing behind the front desk quickly snapped to attention as the Hybrid entered the station. "Can I help you sir?" The young man asked as Karl walked over to the desk.

"I'm afraid not...." Karl replied as his hands shifted into werewolf claws. Quickly clawing the chest of the young officer, Karl turned around in time to see a small handful of terrified cops come scrambling out of their various rooms trying to get their guns out. "Ahh, good. More pawns for the game...." Karl snarled as his face shifted into the snarling visage of a wolf. Leaping into the terrified group, the Hybrid ripped through all the officers in a matter of seconds.

After ripping the throat out of the last officer, Karl shifted his hands and face back into human form, wiping his bloody hands off on one of the deceased officers shirts. "Pity no one will be able to see all this." Karl said with a sigh as he stood up and walked to the back of the room where the old gas heater was located.

While turning the gas wide open, Karl began humming an old song he had heard on the radio a few months back. As the Hybrid made his way back to the front doors, a raspy voice spoke. "You... you're... a .. M-monster...." The half dead young officer said pointing a shaky finger at Karl. "We're all monsters, kid. Some of us are just better at it than others." The Hybrid said with a evil grin as he ripped the front door off of it's hinges.

Taking a few steps down from the front door, Karl pulled out his lighter and a pack of cigarets. After lighting and taking a puff from a cigaret, Karl tossed the lit piece of paper and tobacco into the police station. As Karl walked away from the building, a huge explosion and fireball erupted behind him. The windows on the station were blown out and quickly replaced with ravenous flames, while the roof was completely blown off.

Without even flinching or looking behind him at the explosion, Karl, the Agent of Chaos, walked on to the other side of the street with a demented smile on his face and his long canines glistening in the moonlight. Now, to watch the fun.... The Hybrid thought as he skillfully climbed the wall of the nearest building and perched himself on the roof, hiding in the shadows. "Here... we... go." He said as he watched a second small explosion erupt from the police station before turning his attention to the hotel, awaiting the reaction from the humans.

Haleh nodded, her attention occupied by Satin's deteriorating state. Questions circled her mind, but she felt that they would be better left for when Abijah returned. A small part of her worried about her mate's well-being, but there was no time for fear now. Returning to the cave, she gathered what supplies she saw fit to use, then returned to the injured girl's side.

===

Hissing another warning through her sharp teeth, pupils reduced to dangerous slits, the cornered snake retreated into the elevator with her prey before the hunter could reach her.

Richard stumbled backward when Kes released him without prior notice. He had been so ignorant. Jewel eyes, ivory skin, enticing scent, elusive behavior; everything that had intrigued him, everything that he had taken for allure, was now twisted into something grotesque.

He shook his head, mouth opening, closing, then opening again as he tried to comprehend.

"You're a... You're one of them?" he managed to state the obvious after a moment.

Her expression was preoccupied, her hands pressed up against the wall as she concentrated on listening. Tensing, she could hear the harsh sound of the hunter following. Her fists slammed against the wall, muttering a foreign curse as she turned around.

Nowhere left to run.

"Who is he?" Richard, unable to maintain any length of silence, ventured.

Massaging her temples with her fingers, struggling to keep her weakened mental barriers from collapsing under the strain, Kes rolled her eyes in growing irritation but said nothing.

Richard frowned. "I think I deserve to know something after you-" the rest of his bargain was suffocated by her hand seizing his jaw, slamming his head back into the wood paneling.

Kes tilted her head, "He," she turned her shirt collar down to reveal the ragged scar that would never heal, "is the reason that I exist this way. My sire, my maker, bane of my existence, etcetera. Now that you have what you deserve, do shut up," Kes shoved Richard aside then started to pace in front of the doors as the elevator neared the top floor.

A sudden rumble shook the elevator, knocking Richard off-balance. Kes looked up towards the ceiling as the lights flickered, dimmed, then altogether went out as the elevator came to a screeching halt. In a moment, the lights returned but the elevator remained motionless.

Richard felt a surge of dread start to rise. He was trapped in an elevator with a vampire. How had he never noticed that scar? He was trapped in an elevator with a vampire. Her heart was beating. How was that possible? He was trapped in an elevator with a vampire. He could use another drink. He could end up being a drink, since he was trapped in an elevator with a vampire, after all.

"Get the doors open," he blurted out, shutting his eyes tight.

Kes grinned slyly, unable to resist poking a little fun before her sentencing. "Scared, Rich?" she purred over her shoulder. Sensing his fear rising at an exponential level, she slowly turned on a heel, running her tongue along the back of her teeth as she let her eyes wander at the expense of toying with him.

"Look I'll pay you, whatever you want, just don't-"

Kes laughed, shaking her head in amusement as she watched Richard press further back into the wall as she came closer. Sighing, she reached out to brush some lint from his shoulders. "As much as I adore money," she began, feigning consideration as she smoothed down his collar, "You really just aren't my type," she shrugged, smirking when he flinched as she straightened his tie.

"Ple-" His plea ended before it began as Kes sent him crumpling to the floor with a swift strike.

Next, she managed to pry the elevator doors open, hoisting her body up through the small opening, into the shaft. "No hard feelings, Rich, but you were always more tolerable unconscious," she said with a slight wave of her fingers before disappearing from sight.

It wasn't very far to the entrance of the suite from where the elevator had stopped. Kes reached for the ledge above, hauling herself up into the light of the foyer, crawling forward onto the carpet, then stumbling to her feet. A royal suite from the look of things, but no royals in sight. A way out, she needed a way out. A window or a- the sound of thunder drifted across the room...or a balcony.

===

"Him...that-that...beast." Hook struggled to speak without losing rein on his temper, "He should have stayed locked up," he muttered with a scowl, taking note of Emma's trembling. He took hold of her hands, holding them close to his chest as he studied her expression. "Are you alright? He didn't upset you, did he?" he asked, fully ready to return to the ball just to-

His current thoughts were dislodged as the muffled blast from a nearby explosion carried over to his ears. Hook turned sharply to catch sight of an orange glow illuminating the sky from across the street, hauntings of his own past returning to the forefront of his mind.

Curse frowned and hastened to help Caerwyn up. "Are you sure?" she asked, knowing that something must be bothering him.

---

"Yeah," Cotton replied to Neal distractedly. He looked up as Haleh came with the supplies that the werewolves had.

Abijah looked over the stragglers that had found their way to his camp and then looked down at Haleh, kneeling beside the wounded human.

"Where's Azriel?" he asked aside to Timothy.

Timothy shrugged, "Dunno," he answered and then slunk back, remembering his last encounter with his blood brother.

Terrance however, didn't seem intent on beating up his fellow kitten this time around. Opting to stay in his feline form, he sat down by Satin's body, firelight flashing in his eyes.

"It was Savage," he announced for those who hadn't realized, "Button's son-in-law." He turned to look at Indigo, "He get Brick and Lark then?"

---

Elisabeth had been craning her neck, trying to discover what was making everyone panic. She started at her stepmother's voice and turned to look at the panicking woman. Nodding slightly, Elisabeth stepped away through the crowd to try and find Thomas. Thinking he might be as curious about the incident as she was, the princess pushed (rather un-royally) through the crowd to the front where she spotted him staring at...a corpse?

Elisabeth raised a hand to her mouth in surprise, her lost brother almost forgotten. A moment later she turned to him and put a hand on his shoulder, "Mother's worried about you," she offered, eyes straying back to the gruesome sight of the dead woman.

Cyrano took another picture with his phone and then stepped back as Jason ordered the crowd. He hoped Ian was around somewhere getting better shots but was a little too excited about a story to worry about that. He turned to glare at a person pushing him out of the way and found himself staring at a familiar face.

Why the woman's face was familiar at all, he couldn't be sure. After all he didn't think he'd seen her ever before...

The woman smiled at the reporter and winked slightly before stepping past the crowd of people. She knelt by Kanti's body, ignoring any orders from the police. Her right hand stretched out towards the young woman's forehead. She pushed the tendrils of loose hair away from the tan face and rested her palm against Kanti's cold cheek.

"Come awake little one," she offered with a cheeky grin before leaning forward to plant a red kiss against Kanti's temple.

Kanti's eyes fluttered open and then cleared, still their dark brown color.

"Wh-Wha-WHAT do you think you're doing!?" Ms. Scope exclaimed when a sudden explosion rocked the hotel. The town official looked like she'd swallowed her tongue for a few moments.

"Arrest both of them!" Ms. Scope said, pointing a finger at the strange woman and Kanti in turn before she turned and rushed from the room to discover where the explosion had come from. If Ruth was off destroying city property again, Ms. Scope swore she'd just kill the girl.

"What's going on?" Kanti said hoarsely, looking at the strange woman smiling back at her. She tried to remember what had just happened...

"All in good time," the woman replied before standing, "I better make my exit," she offered and then disappeared into the crowd before any police officer could stop her.

Kanti looked up at Jason, trying to sort out why she should be arrested. A sudden flash of Gwen's face made her gasp and raise a hand to her neck where the now healed wound was. Frowning she glanced up at her superior, thinking if she was a vampire, it wasn't at all like she thought it'd be...

---

Eslatar had quickly flown up the stairwell, finding his way to the elevator's destination by keen senses. A locked and guarded set of doors kept him from taking his flight straight to the elevator exit, but it was only a matter of moments before two guards lay unconscious on the ground in front of an open set of doors.

The vampire, now transformed back to human form, glided through the suite.

"Nice place," he commented, spotting Kes heading for the balcony. "I hope Richard didn't suffer from your temper."

---

Emmaline nearly fell to the ground at the explosion. Eyes wide, she blinked, focused on the flames bright against the night sky.

"What is going on?" she said hoarsely, memories forgotten for the present.