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Post by Dorian Humbert on Nov 5, 2016 22:44:28 GMT -5
An alarm sounded in Dorian's head. He did not like what Grayson was suggesting. Christine had been through enough.
"Sir," he said quietly addressing Grayson with his back to Christine. "Are you sure this is the best approach?"
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Post by Grayson Steele on Nov 5, 2016 23:01:30 GMT -5
Was it best for Christine? No. Was it a desperate attempt to find the remaining girls? Yes.
"I understand your concern Dorian." He turned his attention back on Christine, "It's a long shot either way, and it certainly won't be pleasant." he said making no promises.
"If it will help at all, I'll do it." she said eagerly, "Please. Please let me help." she pleaded with him.
Grayson nodded. Dorian was overruled.
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Post by Dorian Humbert on Nov 5, 2016 23:17:31 GMT -5
Dorian's jaw tensed and he inhaled sharply as he turned to look at Christine. She was so eager to save the girls and redeem herself, how could Dorian deny her the opportunity? Simply put, he couldn't. Grayson was the lead on the case and outranked him in title and seniority. Dorian could only watch.
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Christine Montgomery
Seventh Year[M:10]
In order for the light to shine so brightly, the darkness must be present.
Posts: 925
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Post by Christine Montgomery on Nov 5, 2016 23:29:22 GMT -5
Grayson gestured to the chaise lounge by the window and Christine went to sit on it.
He took a seat across from her and began pulling out crystals from the suitcase he had brought and set them on the table, "Miss Montgomery, do you trust Agent Humbert?" he asked seemingly indifferent.
Christine had been staring at the crystals as well as Grayson's movements as she laid on the couch, his question surprised her, "What?"
Her eyes darted to Dorian, there was pain there, "Y-yes, I trust him." she said.
"Agent Humbert, if you don't mind." he gestured toward the other seat, "She'll do better with an anchor."
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Post by Dorian Humbert on Nov 5, 2016 23:45:25 GMT -5
Grayson's question surprised Dorian too but when Christine looked at him his expression softened. Grayson gestured toward the chair and Dorian pursed his lips. He looked at Christine again. He couldn't let her go through it alone again. He sat and looked to Grayson for his next instructions.
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Christine Montgomery
Seventh Year[M:10]
In order for the light to shine so brightly, the darkness must be present.
Posts: 925
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Post by Christine Montgomery on Nov 5, 2016 23:54:28 GMT -5
Christine was trembling, she wanted to help, but the last thing she wanted to do was go back to that place.
"Go ahead and take her hand." he said still setting up his crystals.
Christine looked at Dorian, then his hand, she held hers out for his.
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Post by Dorian Humbert on Nov 6, 2016 0:19:08 GMT -5
Dorian looked at Christine as he took her hand. "It will be okay," he mouthed silently to her. He squeezed her hand and smiled at her. Christine needed to know that she was safe before Grayson sent her back to M, even if it was only in her mind.
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Christine Montgomery
Seventh Year[M:10]
In order for the light to shine so brightly, the darkness must be present.
Posts: 925
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Post by Christine Montgomery on Nov 6, 2016 0:29:04 GMT -5
Christine took a deep breath as the trembling stopped. She nodded toward Dorian and felt as though she could handle whatever would come next. She found herself drowning in the darkness of his eyes, the perfect angles of his face. She was still so deeply in love with him it fractured her.
"Alright, let's begin." Grayson said causing Christine to look away.
"What do I do?" she asked with more confidence than she felt.
"Just focus here on the crystal, try and find the tiny flaw in the center."
Christine stared at the crystal, she couldn't see a flaw, but soon the world around her seemed to fade away.
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Post by Dorian Humbert on Nov 6, 2016 0:50:06 GMT -5
Dorian wasn't ready for them to start, he wanted to back out of it and insist Grayson not ask her to relive her nightmare ever again. But it was too late. Dorian stared intently at Christine's face, watching her eyes flicker.
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Post by Grayson Steele on Nov 6, 2016 0:57:11 GMT -5
"Christine?" Grayson tested seeing her expression flatten and her awareness disappear, "Christine I want you to listen to my voice." he said confidently, "I want you to listen to the sound of my voice, and I want you to know that you are safe. You are safe. Can you do that for me? Can you tell me that you're safe?"
"I'm safe." she replied doll like.
"I want you to go with me now, we're going back to the forest."
Christine took a deep breath but seemed to move forward.
"We're in the forest now, and now we're going further back, we're going to the cell."
Christine's hand tightened on Dorian's.
"It's alright, you're safe. Listen to my voice Christine, you're safe."
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Post by Dorian Humbert on Nov 6, 2016 1:14:02 GMT -5
Dorian felt his heart beat steadily increase as Grayson began their journey. It seemed too sudden, to just force her back into the cell the madman had tortured her in and the pressure around his hand signaled that Christine felt it too. He gave Grayson a look, something between mistrust and determination.
Dorian placed his free hand on top of Christine's, sandwiching hers between his. He stroked the back of her hand with his thumb.
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Post by Grayson Steele on Nov 6, 2016 1:36:06 GMT -5
Grayson spent a few more minutes calming Christine and easing her into the situation sensing that he had gone too fast.
The connection between Dorian and Christine was good, it would keep her strong and tethered.
After a few more questions as Christine seemed calm and capable Grayson continued.
"What do you hear? Wolves?" he asked knowing that there were wolves in the forbidden forest where she had been found.
"No"
"Any kind of creatures? Centaurs? Hippogriffs? Thestrals?"
"I don't know."
"Do you hear the river?" Grayson asked, but Christine shook her head no.
"I hear him...whispering."
"What does he say?"
"I can feel...his mouth on my ear, his breath. He tells me that he loves me."
"Tell me about his face. Tell me about his eyes, his mouth."
Christine began to breathe heavily recalling Dorian's face, eyes, and mouth.
"No." she said shaking her head and squeezing Dorian's hand hard, "It's not his face. It's a mask. He always wears a mask."
"What kind of mask?"
"I can't..."
"What does it look like?" Grayson pressed gently.
"It changes. I can't show him that I hate him." Christine was rocking back and forth slightly, her voice raw with emotion though she fought it. She was still gripping Dorian's hand with all of her strength.
"But you escape." Grayson said taking her away from her focus on M. "What do you see when you escape?"
"I don't know. I'm just running...and my legs are heavy from the potions. And then I'm lost. I'm running through hallways ... and there are all these rooms, and I don't know where to turn." She was panicking now as she slurred her words and began to cry," He's behind me!" she gasped.
"He's not behind you Christine, you get away. How? How do you get out?"
Christine's breathing became shorter gasps as her heart rate and panic increased, "Light. Light! The light and the sun."
"Do you see anything? A cave?"
"No!"
"A house?"
"No! No! There's nothing! Just the light. It hurts my eyes. And then the trees, the trees again." Christine was sobbing at this point, "And the rocks are digging into my feet! And I hear him, shouting behind me, and I try to run faster! That's all I'm thinking: just run faster!"
Christine began to hyperventilate as her sobs became uncontrollable and she gasped for breath.
"And I left those girls behind! I wasn't thinking, I just told myself to run, to run, run!"
Grayson reached out for his crystals to break Christine's concentration, "It's alright, it's all right." he said trying to comfort her and bring her back.
Christine's eyes gained recognition, but it didn't stop the sobs, "I left those girls!" she cried guilt and shame pouring out of her.
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Post by Dorian Humbert on Nov 6, 2016 1:56:41 GMT -5
Dorian couldn't bear seeing Christine in such agony. He sat quietly with her, afraid that if he interrupted it would fracture something inside Christine.
The second Grayson touched the crystals Dorian reached out and pulled the sobbing Christine to him. He stroked her hair and shushed her. The he looked to Grayson with a hard determination, despite being his junior in both age and rank. "You're done. You're not trying that again."
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Christine Montgomery
Seventh Year[M:10]
In order for the light to shine so brightly, the darkness must be present.
Posts: 925
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Post by Christine Montgomery on Nov 6, 2016 2:05:58 GMT -5
Grayson shook his head no. They wouldn't need to try it again. They had pushed Christine to open up and acknowledge her guilt in leaving the girls behind, which had been the key behind getting to her other memories.
Christine sobbed against Dorian letting the guilt truly wash over her.
"It wasn't your fault. There was nothing you could do for those other women. You did the right thing Christine. You survived. You got out, and because of you we're one step closer to catching this son of a b*tch."
Christine felt better. While she had told herself and had been told by others what Grayson had just told her, she hadn't accepted that truth. she still felt the guilt over leaving the other girls behind. Now that it was out in the open it was as though a weight had been lifted from her shoulders.
"May I?" Grayson asked holding a vial.
Christine nodded, "Take them." she whispered fragile as he pressed the vial to her cheek and collected her tears. He would be able to access her memories now in a pensieve and hopefully find something they had missed.
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Post by Dorian Humbert on Nov 6, 2016 2:30:56 GMT -5
Dorian wanted to scold Grayson for making Christine experience that again but the crying girl on his chest prevented him. It took everything within him to not kiss away her tears and speak tenderly to her as he had before when she was frightened. He hated himself for wanting to care for her in such a way.
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Christine Montgomery
Seventh Year[M:10]
In order for the light to shine so brightly, the darkness must be present.
Posts: 925
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Post by Christine Montgomery on Nov 6, 2016 2:37:17 GMT -5
"Thank you Ms. Montgomery. You've been extremely helpful." he said then gave Dorian a nod. He didn't mind the younger man's protectiveness, and it didn't take a detective, particularly one of Grayson's caliber, to see that there were tender feelings between the two of them. He finished collecting his things and stood.
Christine felt more relieved to have been of some help to the investigation, though she also questioned how much her dim memories really helped.
"I'll be in touch." Grayson said heading out the door.
Christine buried her face in Dorian's chest. When Grayson was gone she swallowed hard, "Do you think that really helped at all?"
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Post by Dorian Humbert on Nov 6, 2016 3:04:49 GMT -5
Dorian looked down on Christine and nodded. "Because of you they'll find those girls." If they are still alive.
Dorian held her again, more keenly aware of M's use of Dorian's face to torment Christine. He knew, of course, that M had used polyjuice potion to disguise himself, but seeing Christine's panic at revisiting it forced it into the forefront of his mind. How could she possibly still love him?
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Christine Montgomery
Seventh Year[M:10]
In order for the light to shine so brightly, the darkness must be present.
Posts: 925
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Post by Christine Montgomery on Nov 6, 2016 3:14:02 GMT -5
She broke away from him at last, the comfort she felt in his arms wouldn't last when he left and she needed to find a way of being strong without him. But that didn't mean she wouldn't ask him for help.
"I want to do something else." she said stern.
"He killed that girl because of me, and he's going to hurt others." she looked back at him, "I want to do a press conference."
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Post by Dorian Humbert on Nov 6, 2016 3:48:38 GMT -5
He sighed and shook his head at her. She was blaming herself for another murder when it was M's fault and his alone. But her next words stunned him and his face grew instantly hard.
"No. Absolutely not! You're not speaking out against him in front of everyone. He's already after you, Christine, you're not taunting him further!" M already had a reporter at the Daily Prophet writing for him, he didn't need Christine on the radio, as well.
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Christine Montgomery
Seventh Year[M:10]
In order for the light to shine so brightly, the darkness must be present.
Posts: 925
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Post by Christine Montgomery on Nov 6, 2016 12:11:26 GMT -5
Christine stiffened her spine lifting her chin a notch, "If that means he spends more time trying to get to me than attacking those other girls, so be it."
She didn't tell him that she would gladly trade places with the girl who had been sacrificed on her behalf. She would give her life for all of those girls if she could. Not she wanted to talk. She had declined then feeling as though she had nothing to offer, but she didn't feel that way anymore. M was clearly still obsessed with her, she had no problem using his obsession against him.
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