|
|
Post by Diana Ward on Jan 7, 2017 1:54:16 GMT -5
She nodded not entirely convinced either. She sighed and for a single moment the weariness showed on her face.
"You were right..." she said with a hint of despair, "I mean I don't know if you were full of sh*t or telling the truth, but at least when you were the assassin after me I didn't really have anything to worry about. I mean if... well hell I guess I'll never know now." she shook her head, "It's not important. I'm just...tired."
And she was, she had a few months of peace, but the chaos had returned tenfold.
|
|
|
|
Post by Christian Ward on Jan 7, 2017 2:00:53 GMT -5
Christian's brow raised slightly. "You should have just used veritaserum," he commented before adding "or did I not trust you with access to my potions?"
|
|
|
|
Post by Diana Ward on Jan 7, 2017 2:15:44 GMT -5
She laughed, there was no bitterness in it at least not directed at Christian, "I did...more than once, and I had my own stash thank you very much. Believe me baby I had access." she smirked then sighed, "I was just...scared. You were hired to kill me for Godric's sake."
She narrowed her eyes at him, "You almost did kill me." she said drawing herself up. She knew he wouldn't kill her now, not when he believed their lives were tethered, but that didn't make his initial intentions towards her any less disturbing. She frowned, it was no use bringing their strange history up, but she couldn't understand how he could do that to her. The answer was simple, he didn't love her and she was just another job. Just because he enjoyed having sex with her didn't mean he held any real feelings for her. So then how could she trust that he had held any feelings for her before she obliviated him either?
Feeling herself get emotional she clenched her jaw, "Just forget I said anything. It's been a long day."
'I cleaned the house. You didn't notice. I went over the mission. You didn't ask. I didn't bother you about the paperwork I asked you to get because you seemed like you had a long day. You probably forgot it. I almost drowned. You saved me...probably to save your own skin. I played nice, you played indifferent.'
She sipped her tea, "Thank you. For the Tea...for saving me." she swallowed.
'It's not about me. It's about the kids. If only I didn't love him so much.'
|
|
|
|
Post by Christian Ward on Jan 7, 2017 2:23:10 GMT -5
If she wasn't worth the disgustingly large amount that Christian now knew was hers (or would be hers after the last board member was laid to rest) then he would have wagered that she'd have gone for the bounty as well. He didn't say this as he hadn't finished looking over the papers he'd stolen for her, he'd keep them until she asked for them and maybe even then he'd figure out a way to retain some of the information.
Christian nodded at her thanks. They sat in silence for a while as Christian's thoughts flip flopped between Diana's mind intruder and the fortune that was waiting for her.
|
|
|
|
Post by Diana Ward on Jan 7, 2017 2:31:35 GMT -5
But Diana didn't care about the money, not really. Of course, only the wealthy could say such a thing. All she wanted was to live with her children in peace. Okay, she wanted to live with her children and Christian in peace.
Diana wasn't a happy person, she had tried to be, but she didn't have a happy life. Her mother died when she was too young, her father put her in boarding schools until Hogwarts which was also a boarding school. She had been awkward at making friends, and awkward in general. Just as her life had looked as though it might change, disaster after disaster, and money didn't fix any of it.
She would have traded every penny to know whether or not Christian truly loved her, hell she might have been desperate enough to trade every penny just so Christian could pretend to love her, and she hated that weakness inside of herself.
Just before the silence became awkward there was a knock at the door. Diana's eyes lit up, "Derek..."
|
|
|
|
Post by Christian Ward on Jan 7, 2017 2:39:08 GMT -5
Christian caught the excitement in her voice and didn't hide the annoyed expression on his face as he stood to answer the door.
"Burke, thanks for coming. I have an urgent matter I hear you might be able to help me with." He let Derek into the house and then into the sitting room where Diana was waiting. "Help us with, actually."
|
|
|
|
Post by Derek Burke on Jan 7, 2017 2:46:39 GMT -5
"You know, I'm a little surprised you owled-" he looked up when Christian said 'us'.
"Diana?" he blinked in surprise confusion clearly taking over his features as he just stared between her and Christian.
"Derek!" she said her response much more enthusiastic than he had ever seen before. She shot out of her chair and met him with another surprise: a hug.
"Okay...I'm a little confused." he said placing his arms around her tentatively, looking at Christian for an explanation.
|
|
|
|
Post by Christian Ward on Jan 7, 2017 2:51:14 GMT -5
Christian snorted, "you're confused?" It was almost a joke that Derek, who had full knowledge of not only the last several months but also of the relationship between Christian and Diana, claimed to be confused in the presence of Christian.
"You're girl couldn't stay away from me," he said snidely as the pair embraced.
|
|
|
|
Post by Diana Ward on Jan 7, 2017 2:57:09 GMT -5
Diana pulled back to see her friend. She missed him. Though she had never really told him how grateful she had been for his help in the past. They had been a team for so long, and then Christian came around, and once again things had changed. But Derek was reliable, he was honest (with her anyway...mostly), and he'd never hurt her the way Christian had.
"Come in, I'll explain everything." she said keeping a hold of his arm.
Derek meanwhile was keeping an eye on Christian, something was going on and by the way Diana was holding on to him he knew he wasn't going to like it. He also had a feeling Christian wouldn't like Diana's hold either considering the man's snide remark.
|
|
|
|
Post by Christian Ward on Jan 7, 2017 3:06:30 GMT -5
Christian didn't like any of it but desperate times called for desperate measures. After Diana gave Derek a quick rundown of how she came to be at Christian's house, Christian explained the spirit ritual problem they were having.
He leaned back in his chair, resting his ankle on the opposite knee. "Whoever's behind it is not just accessing her through her dreams but pulling her into unconsciousness. Do you have any idea how to fend it off or reverse the connection so we can figure out who's doing it?"
|
|
|
|
Post by Derek Burke on Jan 7, 2017 3:19:25 GMT -5
Derek was still looking between them as the story became more and more fantastical. When Christian asked if there was anything he could do, he had several smart answers, but curbed them all in favor of keeping his teeth.
He was still astonished that Diana was there, and angry that Christian was essentially keeping her prisoner, though she had tried to maintain that she was fine.
"I know a bit about it." he said finally, "But I'd like to do a little more research. There is a way to keep whoever it is from possessing her, but..."
The spell required intimacy, Diana had to fully trust the person or else it wouldn't work.
|
|
|
|
Post by Christian Ward on Jan 7, 2017 3:26:14 GMT -5
Christian was conflicted. He had hoped, irrationally perhaps, that Derek would have been a walking encyclopedia and simply pull the answers off the top of his head. Research was going to take time which meant that 1) Derek would have to leave with the knowledge that Diana was here, and 2) there would be more opportunities for her dreams to be taken over.
"But?" he asked as Derek trailed off. They didn't have time for theatrical pauses and silent revelations.
|
|
|
|
Post by Diana Ward on Jan 7, 2017 3:31:55 GMT -5
"But...I need to do more research." he said between the two of them. He needed to talk to each of them privately, because he knew neither of them would speak openly in front of the other. They were a frustrating pair, and Derek didn't fancy himself playing between the couple.
Diana, who could read Derek far easier than Christian could, nodded. She wondered if she would be able to speak to Derek in private, if Christian would allow it. She highly doubted it.
"Can I talk to him for a minute Christian?" she dared to ask.
|
|
|
|
Post by Christian Ward on Jan 7, 2017 3:40:46 GMT -5
Christian's eyes narrowed as Diana asked to speak with Derek alone. He didn't like it. Even if he was going to wipe Derek's memory, the two of them cohorting could be dangerous. "Why?" he asked her speculatively.
|
|
|
|
Post by Diana Ward on Jan 7, 2017 3:48:34 GMT -5
She sighed, "Because you're hovering and intimidating and he won't say what's bothering him with you standing there looking like an angry gorilla whom he knows is exceedingly skilled with and without a wand. So please. Just give me a minute with him."
This Christian wouldn't know it, but that minute could have been very dangerous if Diana had any actual plans to betray Christian, but as it was she really only needed to get the truth from Derek.
|
|
|
|
Post by Christian Ward on Jan 7, 2017 3:58:18 GMT -5
He eyed her, weighing the options, then turned to Burke. "Give me your wand," he demanded. If Diana wanted a minute alone she'd find no reprieve in an escape plan.
|
|
|
|
Post by Derek Burke on Jan 9, 2017 12:40:23 GMT -5
Derek frowned watching them. Christian still didn't remember the past four months, but somehow the pair was still the same. He handed his wand over without hesitation. He was skilled in wandless magic, but he also trusted Christian. The man had ample opportunity to do damage to Derek before and had resisted, Derek trusted that for the sake of moving things along he was safe enough.
|
|
|
|
Post by Christian Ward on Jan 9, 2017 16:32:00 GMT -5
Safe enough, so long as neither of them tried anything. Christian took Derek's wand as he sized up the man again, determining what other ways he might try to sneak Diana away from Christian's protection. But Diana was locked inside the house by a powerful spell that only Christian could alter.
Christian turned to look at Diana - his apparent wife, the mother of his children, his prisoner, and the key to his undoing. "You've got five minutes, use them well."
Christian retired to the kitchen where he was within range to hear if they tried to make an escape, but far enough that he actually couldn't hear their conversation. If Derek had some vital information that could help them with this mess, and if he was only willing to share it with Diana, then he'd allow them a moment of privacy to get it done.
|
|
|
|
Post by Diana Ward on Jan 10, 2017 1:25:33 GMT -5
Once alone Derek fought the urge to ask how she truly was. He knew she'd prefer to get straight to business, so it came as quite a shock when she asked him how he had been. He answered in a dazed fashion as she seemed to indulge in the small talk.
He had to ask if she was alright, and she assured him she was fine, but the answer didn't quite reach her eyes. He was surprised then to realize that she was a different Diana than she had been in recent months. He had been accustomed to the terse, hopeless, and hardened warrior she had been, and he had seen a change in her as she and Christian had grown closer. But looking at her now almost made him ache. She was soft, defeated, and the hope was gone from her eyes. Something new that chilled him was a calm sort of resignation.
She ended the small talk quickly enough and he pressed on. He explained what would need to be done in order to perform the spell to keep the assassin out of her subconscious. She appeared hesitant at first, then resigned once more.
"It's up to you love, we can do the spell tomorrow if you're sure. I just have to gather a few things."
Impulsively she hugged him, "Thank you Derek. Thank you for always being there for me." she said emotionally, unaware that her five minutes were up.
|
|
|
|
Post by Christian Ward on Jan 10, 2017 1:35:02 GMT -5
He had been keeping an eye on the clock that hung in the kitchen. After four minutes he began to get impatient and drummed his fingers on the table incessantly until exactly five minutes had passed. He rose and headed back to the sitting room.
Diana and Burke were hugging and Christian frowned as he re-entered the room. He wasn't sure why but something about the intimacy of the two bothered him. They had better not be plotting anything, he thought to himself, assuming the feeling was suspicion.
"Alright, love birds. There's no need for that," he said with a slight sneer.
He looked to Diana. "I take it you got what you needed?"
|
|
