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Post by Diana Ward on Feb 22, 2017 1:59:34 GMT -5
They didn't kiss and make up. Ordinarily after one of their fights they gave each other space and came back together as if nothing had happened, but that didn't happen. Diana was hurt. She was emotional. She was pregnant. She felt more alone now than she ever had, and she fed on the loneliness. She wore it like a shield and reminded herself anytime she was tempted to forgive and forget that pain would always follow.
But Christian wasn't a stupid man, just a stubborn one. He was probably well aware of Diana's wound licking and private moping, but neither was very good with apologies or compromise.
Neither was good with abstinence either. They were once again reaching their maximum number of days apart and it was evident in their short tempers what they needed. It was a matter of who would bend first, but for Diana it was also a test of strength. She was determined to keep things 'professional' between them.
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Post by Christian Ward on Feb 22, 2017 2:14:50 GMT -5
Christian returned to the safe house having been by his own home to attend to the damages. Silas was costing him an arm and a leg in home repairs and despite magic being extremely useful for most things, it did not make money appear out of thin air. Christian was not a wealthy man, he made a decent wage and the funds he had procured from Copperbottom as the first half of his payment for taking out Diana more than covered his and Diana's expenses from day to day, even if one were to include the ridiculous amount spent on alcohol each month. But the house had been destroyed and the contractor had told him it wouldn't be cheap.
He came inside and went straight to the kitchen, not bothering to greet Diana as he passed her. He opened the cupboard and pulled out the bottle of scotch only to find it empty. He set it down hard on the counter. He moved to the living room where the bar cart stood but the scotch bottle was missing. Then he remembered finishing it the day before. "F*ck it all," he said loudly to himself.
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Post by Diana Ward on Feb 22, 2017 2:25:22 GMT -5
Diana eyed him, watching his movements. He was predictable. She was starting to worry slightly however. Or perhaps it was just that she couldn't join him in drinking that she noticed just how much he imbibed.
"What's that? Four bottles in four days?" she asked with sass, and more than a little disgust.
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Post by Christian Ward on Feb 22, 2017 2:35:58 GMT -5
Christian turned as she addressed him, or addressed his drinking rather. She was much less caring in her accusations that he had a drinking problem than his mother had been. It had never interfered with work and therefore he reasoned it could not be a drinking problem. He admitted to himself that he was a high functioning alcoholic, but the only problem he had was with the woman giving him lip.
"Five bottles, actually," he retorted as he gave in and poured himself a glass of bourbon instead.
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Post by Diana Ward on Feb 22, 2017 23:39:23 GMT -5
She sneered at him, "You'll have to start paying them more if the alcohol impairs your ability to perform." she sassed while studying her weapons. She had already cleaned her guns, sharpened her knives, and tuned up other dark objects, but she was about to go through them again in a truly maniacal fashion.
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Post by Christian Ward on Feb 23, 2017 0:12:24 GMT -5
The only time Christian had problems performing was when the fidelity clause of their life bond came into play. Diana had seen him more than completely pissed and he still did things to her that made her scream. Christian sneered.
He watched her going over her weapons meticulously. "You should thank your father for putting so many bastards on the board. Without them trying to murder you, you'd be downright boring. At least this little bit of you is interesting."
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Post by Diana Ward on Feb 23, 2017 0:42:15 GMT -5
"Yes, yes." she waved him off without looking up, "We all know how inadequate you find me." she said in a bored tone that didn't convey the true pain of his words. Clearly he found her entertaining enough to marry and produce children with.
She chewed on her lip and tried not to think of where he often disappeared to throughout the day. Wondering what or who he was doing while he was away. She tried to remain indifferent, and she was learning to put on a good show, but her heart didn't listen to her head.
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Post by Christian Ward on Feb 23, 2017 0:55:41 GMT -5
If Diana wanted to be done with him then he was stubborn enough to allow to wallow in the unknown. Christian had not told her that he was going back to his house to oversee the repairs, and he had not expressed his intent to return home without her once the place was in order. He would work with Derek to find the final board member and eliminate him, then Christian would find Alyx. He had no plans for anything beyond that, as it would require a discussion with Diana and he had not been in the mood for a rational discussion in days. If ever.
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Post by Diana Ward on Feb 23, 2017 1:00:48 GMT -5
Diana didn't want to be done with him. She loved him. But he refused to acknowledge the feelings he had for her, and in turn he broke her down again and again. She was trying to be cautious now.
"I guess it's a good thing your vows fell through." she nearly snorted on the word 'vows' if they hadn't sworn oaths she wondered if he really could have been faithful to her.
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Post by Christian Ward on Feb 23, 2017 1:09:04 GMT -5
"It is," he agreed arrogantly. "Although, if they hadn't I could have always just relied on your vows and commanded you to do all the things Betty does." He hadn't seen Betty since he scared her off with his volatile anger over seeing Diana's figure while trying to screw his blonde bed mate.
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Post by Diana Ward on Feb 23, 2017 1:40:26 GMT -5
"Adding rape to your long list of attractive qualities Christian?" she hissed after a moment.
Betty? Who the f*ck was Betty?
Diana decided that whoever it was they had an insipid name and was probably blonde, big chested, and completely air headed. Betty. Hmph!
And the threat to command Diana to attend to him! The very nerve of such a thing.
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Post by Christian Ward on Feb 23, 2017 1:54:59 GMT -5
He smiled darkly at her over his glass of bourbon. "Lucky for you I can go elsewhere." But he couldn't. Christian's vows were no less present than Diana's though he did feel he should be given credit for not using them against her. There had been numerous times over the last few days that Christian had stopped himself just short of compelling. Though he had wondered several times whether a forceful request for her to 'go f*ck yourself' would result in something as appealing as what he imagined in his head.
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Post by Diana Ward on Feb 23, 2017 2:15:59 GMT -5
She had a game of her own to play, and maybe it was dangerous, but Christian had provoked her. At least that's the excuse her mind gave her as she smiled almost wickedly.
Diana was more or less concealed from view behind the high table where she sat. She moved from the seat to reveal an alluring in a silk kimono that fell short at her thighs. Having charmed the baby bump away there was nothing hiding her natural trim figure and curves that Christian often found appealing.
Her hair was pinned up, but with a long stretch she undid the clasp and dark waves of chestnut fell and framed her face, which she then brushed through with her fingertips tilting her head to one side and exposing a long expanse of her neck opening the kimono just a little beyond decent.
She turned then and sauntered slowly toward him til they were nearly chest to chest. She gave a soft gasp at the almost contact, and turned her dark eyes on his, she bit her bottom lip just centimeters beneath his.
Then the smirk came, "Well I suppose that makes two of us."
She slid her arm under his and grabbed the bottle of bourbon. She slid out of his grasp easily enough and walked back across the room, undoing the knot at her waist and letting the kimono slip off her shoulder as her back was turned to him.
"Drink the Gin, I think Derek likes bourbon." she called out before leaving the room.
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Post by Christian Ward on Feb 23, 2017 2:46:35 GMT -5
Time seemed to stop for a moment and Diana moved in slow motion, her actions purposeful and sensual. He was not ignorant to her motives but no less a slave to the desires that had been raging within him for the last several days. He was drawn to her like a moth to candle light and as she tilted her head and exposed her neck and the plunging neckline of the kimono he felt his body responding.
Her hips swayed as she moved in his direction, he was spellbound. It wasn't until she smirked that he felt the sinking sensation in his gut. She tore the bottle from his hand and made a comment about Burke that left Christian scowling at her perfectly shaped backside. When she had gone from the room Christian swallowed the rest of the bourbon and threw the empty glass at the wall before turning and heading back out the front door. He let it slam shut and shake the house as he exited.
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Post by Diana Ward on Feb 25, 2017 1:12:19 GMT -5
Diana didn't know what she was doing. She also wasn't sure why she was doing it. Did it all come back to Christian anyway?
After their earlier argument Diana decided that she would indeed follow through on her threat and 'go elsewhere'. Her motives were more scientific than spiteful. The truth was Diana had only ever been with one man in her life. She had only loved one man in her life. She had only truly kissed one man in her life. She had kissed during cons, but that was acting. She needed a comparison. She wanted to know if she could respond to another the way she responded to her husband or if Christian alone held some kind of power over her.
Several hours after Christian left Diana was in the dining room waiting for Derek to finish the meal she had made for him.
She didn't know how it happened, or really what she was thinking, but the next thing she knew she was chest to chest with the blonde Adonis, her lips molded against his. She remained unaware of the audience that watched her through the window.
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Post by Christian Ward on Feb 25, 2017 3:01:57 GMT -5
Christian had returned to his still destroyed home, after making a much needed stop at the liquor store. The kitchen was mostly intact though the breakfast table had been broken and one of the cabinets had been somehow pulled off the wall, destroying his dishes. Christian stocked the pantry with several bottles of scotch and bought one glass which was all he needed for the time being. Slightly drunk (no more than usual for days that he had no business plans) Christian wandered around the rubble that was once his home. The railing on the staircase was broken as was a large part of the railing from the second floor which looked down onto the stairs. The door to his bedroom, along with a sizeable chunk of the connecting wall, had been knocked down. His dresser had been blasted apart, clothes still strewn around on the floor though most of what remained had been kicked aside as Derek hastily packed their things after Silas had nearly killed both Diana and Christian in the ambush. He turned away from his bedroom and moved to the guestroom.
One of the memories he had regained in Silas' attack was of him looking at some records he had bought for his daughter. The memory had been strong enough to elicit those same feelings of love and concern, without having any real context to such emotions. Christian took another drink as he stared at the door to the guestroom. Similarly, the door had been busted in and from the hall he could see bits of broken furniture scattered around. He inhaled deeply before moving inside. The dresser where the records had been kept was tipped forward, fallen onto the bed. The lower drawers had fallen out in the crash but the top drawer, the drawer where his gift for daughter had been stashed, was wedged shut. The momentum of the dresser falling had pulled the drawer open and the force of the bed had slammed it back shut. Several shattered records rested in their sleeves, half poking out of the drawer. Christian pulled the heavy dresser to its upright position and grabbed for the records, setting his near empty glass on the dresser top. Shards of broken vinyl poured out of the cardboard sleeves. Angry, Christian threw the remnants of the only memory he had of his anticipation for his daughter's arrival and roared with fury.
He finished his drink, and one more, before returning to the safe house. Upon arrival he was greeted with a scene that did not improve his mood. She didn't even have the decency to close the blinds before sucking Derek's face off.
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Post by Diana Ward on Feb 26, 2017 1:37:20 GMT -5
It wasn't a long kiss. Derek pulled away before Diana could really test her affections. So far she had felt nothing. She pursued as he pulled back.
"Diana stop-" Derek said gathering his wits, though he was a little hazy. She attempted to kiss him again but he caught her arms "Are you crazy?" he asked looking both ways as though Christian would appear out of the shadows.
Diana frowned but kept to herself having been rebuffed, "Sorry I thought-"
"Christian would kill us. Me. Painfully. And you..." he said shaking his head.
She scoffed, "Trust me he doesn't care that much."
Derek just stared at her as if she had grown another head. "You're bloody off your rocker you are...Christian is mad for you."
"Stop Derek." she sighed turning away from him, "He used to be. I think he was. And I ruined it...whatever we have now it's ..." she didn't call it sh*t as she had with Christian the other day, but her thoughts were the same.
"It's what? Give the man a break D, having his memory wiped, finding out he has a 16 year old daughter and his ex flame is pregnant with his son while being chased by professional hit men is a lot to take in in a couple of months... What were you expecting?"
Put that way Derek had a point. It wasn't something she hadn't thought of herself, but she shrugged it off, "I've learned not to have expectations where he's concerned." she said distantly.
"Well for f*cks sake you know him well enough to have extremely bloody expectations if he had seen this little act. Particularly my blood."
Diana sighed.
"I mean it D. What was this?"
"I just wanted to know."
"Know what?" he asked annoyed.
"If I could feel something for another man."
Derek sighed, "How's that working out for you."
She gave him a baleful look and he didn't even feel bad about it. He laughed instead.
"It's nothing personal-"
"I know." he said with a soft smile.
"You're really handsome-"
"Diana you don't-"
"And I mean you've been there for me. I wish I could-"
Derek stopped her, "Diana. I get it. You know there was a time when I would have jumped at the chance, things have changed. Christian-"
Diana snarled when Derek said his name, "He's an arse!"
"You love him."
"So what?"
"He loves you."
"Hardly."
"Madly."
Diana remained stubborn against the idea, but somewhere in the night Derek's words began to get to her. Yes Christian betrayed her. Yes he hurt her more times than she could count, but she had thrown a lot on his shoulders in a short time, and he still protected her in his own way. He still cared for her in his own way. That could turn into love, and it wasn't like she was any happier denying them both. She had earned his love in the past with a physical communication that went beyond words, maybe she could do it again.
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Post by Christian Ward on Feb 26, 2017 22:38:03 GMT -5
Roselyn was notified that the threat had been nullified and she was free to return home. Christian had offered to meet her at her house and help her unpack but the woman was insistent on coming to see them. He tried his best to change her mind but there was no changing Roselyn's mind and with a heavy sigh he agreed.
Christian finished his drink before his mother arrived, wanting to avoid any unneeded lectures about his health and concerns for his family. His family. What a joke.
At five past the front door opened and Roselyn's voice could be heard as she announced herself with a pleasant "knock, knock." Christian groaned inwardly, frustrated with himself that he was annoyed by his mother's appearance. He should have been elated that she had not been hurt in all of this but the sh*t with Diana made it difficult to feel anything but slightly drunk.
"Look what I brought for the children!" she said pleasantly and she carried in two large bags of shopping she had done while in Spain. It was as if she thought being taken out of the country to avoid a psychotic hit wizard had in actuality been a vacation. She set the bags on the sofa and gave Christian a large squeeze as he came into the room. "You look terrible," she said to Christian as she patted his cheek. "Are you getting enough sleep?"
"Yes, mum."
"I don't think you are, dear. You know how important sleep is."
Christian forced a smile and fell into a chair.
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Post by Diana Ward on Feb 27, 2017 0:51:20 GMT -5
Diana was so preoccupied with Derek she didn't hear Christian or Roselyn's arrival. He had finally convinced her to speak with her husband and work through the distance they had created between them. A distance she was mainly responsible for. She had given snippets of her heart to Christian since taking his memories, but she always held a piece of herself back to prevent being hurt, and she was hurt all the same. She owed it to herself and to Christian to try with her whole heart at least once.
Roselyn's appearance was surprising and she knew she should wait til the pair had finished talking, but Roselyn's comment stopped her. Christian wasn't sleeping as much these days, another thing Diana felt guilty over.
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Post by Christian Ward on Feb 27, 2017 1:05:29 GMT -5
"I know Diana is a progressive woman but she should still be taking care of you. Making sure you sleep enough and eat well."
"I'm a grown man, mum. I can feed myself, thank you."
"Of course you can, Christian. I wasn't say you couldn't. I only meant to say that-"
"I don't need a bloody woman to tell me what to eat and how much to sleep!"
Roselyn placed her hands on her hips and stared at him, waiting for an apology for the tone he had used with her. There was a silence.
"Have you given anymore thought to where you will be raising the family?"
"I don't want to talk about this, mum."
"Well I do. And I'm sure that lovely girl out there wants to talk about it, too. You can't just ignore the difficult discussions, Christian. That's not how a marriage works."
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