Feb 10, 2018
I’m a ridiculous person.
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I’m a ridiculous person.
I'm not done with bright just yet
Bright was a good ass film. My only critique is the main villain needed more development and focus. Needs a more expensive sequel. Or even a trilogy. I can see it tbh.
Mhm. Yes.
My next great fan-fiction adventure will be for Bright. Because who the fuck couldn’t help but love how awkward and adorable Jakoby was??? No one. Exactly.
Daryl Ward: Alright, listen up you little shits Daryl Ward: Not you Jakoby, you're an angel and we're glad you're here
Pretty in Pages Part 13/? (Kandomere x OC RP)
HELLO WORLD! So, I was a total slacker the last few days. Didn’t update, sorry about that. I had planned to do it on the weekend but my brain had absolutely no patience for this kind of thing? So... I made bread instead. LAWL. Anywho, part 13 has arrived my friends. As always, written with @theperlerbeadqueen and myself. Enjoy guys! If anyone wants added to the tag list just message me or comment and ask, I’ll be glad to add you. Also, to those that asked. I have been adding the “Keep Reading” splits to my posts, but for some reason they haven’t been showing up on mobile? So, I apologize if they don’t show up, but, I am trying to figure out what is going on with that.
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Kandomere came down the stairs from his bedroom not long after she started breakfast. He was wearing a very nice, flat black suit with vest and tie, per usual. He was buttoning his sleeve cuffs as he walked into the kitchen. He smiled, but it hurt. His chest felt tight and his heart seemed to sink. He didn’t know the last time his house felt lived in, like it was a home. He hoped that she would forgive him for what he had to do.
“Good morning.” He said quietly, pouring himself a cup of coffee before quickly eating some of the food she had prepared. He sighed and straightened out his coat, making sure he had his multiple phones and pagers before looking at her. “Are you ready?”
The drive to work was almost complete silence. He went into his office and didn’t request anything for the entire day. He did not page her once, for anything. He filled out the proper paperwork to have her internship transferred across town, outside of the elf district, to his colleague, Monteguh. He knew that his friend and partner would treat her well and also continue to make sure she received payment for her efforts. More importantly, it would still look good on her experience for time served. It would still be within the same division of the FBI and would look much better than her being terminated.
Violet murmured a good morning as she finished the dishes and laid them out to dry before joining him at the table. She ate as quickly as she could and then set the dishes in the sink, nodding her head gently, “I am.” she said simply, picking up her coat and her purse before following him out to his car. She remained quiet the entire ride, following him inside but keeping a little bit of a distance, trying to make it look like they hadn’t come to work together. She wanted to talk to him all day, but decided that it was simply better if she didn’t.
So for the majority of the day she didn’t bother him, only sending him small emails to remind him of his appointments or phone calls he was supposed to make, including checking on Alexeena. By the time five o’clock rolled around she was mentally drained, and just wanted to go home. Glancing back at his office door she sighed, sending him another quick email that told him she was going to go home a little early today, and try to catch up on her sleep. Hitting send she stood up and slid her arms into her jacket, adjusting the thin coat over her dress shirt before she picked up her purse and slung it over her shoulder. Shutting down the computer she turned off her desk lamp and headed for the door.
Kandomere responded to her emails, but only enough to let her know he did receive them. He did what he needed to do, answering questions from his superiors as to why he wanted to transfer his intern without her previous consent. He felt a little bit guilty about it. Once the transfer went through, she would only have two choices. Transfer, or quit. She wouldn’t be able to stay with him. He had listed his reasoning as ‘conflict of interests’. It seemed more professional than the truth. He got her email that stated she was leaving for the day and he let out a deep sigh, closing his eyes tightly. He wanted to tell her what he was doing, but he knew she would argue. She was going to hate him either way. He hoped that it would at least be temporary. It would take a few days, maybe even weeks, for this paperwork to pass through all of the proper channels. She would eventually get the notification from her school regarding her transfer. He figured he would know immediately when she received this notification, because she would have questions.
Alexeena was growing very impatient with this Elvish Hospital. Her right wrist was in a leather strap, holding her securely to her hospital bed. If it weren’t for Nick being allowed to stay by her side, she did not know if she could stay here. She hated all of the doctors, even though they were kind to her and to Nick. Mostly, it was hard to see her mother after all of this time and to have her act like nothing ever happened between them. She sighed as she looked up at the TV mounted on the wall, clicking the remote repeatedly with her left hand. Nothing was worth watching, but keeping her hand busy made her feel better. She wanted to go home, but there were still black veins across her skin, even though it had been four days. She did not have the patience for this. She wanted to go home. She wanted to go back to work. She wanted to be literally anywhere but here.
Violet exhaled slowly and sadly through her nose as she got on the elevator and took it down to the main floor, heading outside to catch her bus home. She looked at her cell phone once she was home and comfortable, honestly debating sending him a text message, but she thought better of it and put it on the charger and hopping in the bathtub, doing her very best to resist the urge to touch herself while thinking about him. Instead she read a book, and tried not to think about a handsome blue eyed elf that was rapidly stealing her heart.
Nick had dozed off slightly in his chair next to Alexeena’s bed, his head lolling to the side slightly as he dreamed about going home with her and sleeping in a real bed, even if they did have to share it with Maggie. Ward had been filled in on the need to know details finally, and was watching Maggie at his house with his wife and daughter for him so he didn’t have to go home as often to check on her. He jolted slightly from his sleep when a particularly loud commercial came on the TV. “I’m awake!” he snorted and rubbed his face with his hand, blinking and looking around the room in a daze until he fully woke up. Glancing from the TV to Alexeena he sighed, slipping his hand out to lay on her thigh, “The books I brought you not good enough?” he asked softly, sliding his hand into hers that was strapped to the bed, wishing he could undo it and let her free, but he had been given strict instructions not to let her out of that bed, and he wasn’t about to be yelled at by her mother.
Kandomere didn’t go home that night, but rather, fell asleep at his desk. That is, until his phone went off. It was Monteguh. There was a possible Bright situation. He groaned and looked at the clock, it was half past midnight and he agreed to come to the location. He went out and got into his car, driving off with his sirens blaring on the top of his car.
Alexeena looked over at Nick boredly. There were still black veins in her iris’, causing her lovely blue eyes to look dark gray. “I’ve already read them.” She said softly. She released the remote and squeezed his hand in hers. “I hate it here. Everything smells like elf. I know that they are all being kind because mother and Kandomere are forcing them to be. I can tell that they hate me. They like you better than they like me. I am seen as a traitor here. Ever since I murdered my ex husband in cold blood. I should have done the civil thing and just gotten a divorce, like Kandomere did…” She laughed bitterly before raising her hand to stroke Nick’s cheek. “Thank you… For staying here with me. I know it must be hard for you, being here, surrounded by us…”
Nick gave her a deadpan look as she spoke, leaning his head into her touch on his cheek and shaking his head gently, “I don’t care where I am. As long as you’re here, this is where I will stay. They don’t say harsh words and they don’t feel the need to belittle me at every turn. It’s better than work.” he teased her playfully but reached out to cup her cheek in return, “You are healing slowly, and they don’t want to let you go until all of the remnants of magic poisoning is out of your system. And I don’t want you to either, until I know for sure you will be ok.” he murmured.
“You’re my world, Alex. In this little bubble. I’ll get you some new books when I go home, something you probably haven’t read.” he assured her and slid his hand into her soft purple hair, “I’ll always be here when you need me. Promise.” he dipped his head further to kiss her lightly, brushing his nose against hers before he leaned back to look down at her, “Would you like me to find something to entertain you?”
Alexeena couldn’t help but laugh when he compared the hospital to work. “I thought things were getting better at work, Nick?” She questioned softly. “I thought that… after the incident… Things were getting better for you and Ward? More Orc applicants, less crooked cops?” She questioned sadly before kissing him back, tears filling her eyes slightly when he said that she was his world. “I know…” She said sadly, a tear sliding down her pale cheek. “And you are mine…” She said, though the words pained her. She knew she would outlive him by millenia, and that was something that could not be stopped. “More books would be nice, but you don’t have to entertain me. I’m just glad that you are here, keeping me sane.”
Nick softly chuckled and brushed his thumb over her her cheek, “They are. A couple of the guys still like to razz me every once and a while, but usually one look from Ward gets them to shut up. I was only trying to make it sound more glamorous here.” he admitted sheepishly and stood up, climbing into the hospital bed with her and drawing her close up against his chest, wiping the tears from her cheek.
“Don’t think about it.” he whispered, knowing exactly why it was the tears had started, his hands caressing her soft skin and tucking her hair behind her ears, “We have a long time together… and it’s only started. There is no sense in dwelling on what the future holds, at least not at this very second. We’ll figure everything out in time. I promise.” he laid his cheek against the top of her head, his fingers drawings swirls on her bare arm as he closed his eyes and exhaled through his nose, “Next time I go home I’ll bring more back with me. Keeping you entertained is better than listening to the constant flipping of channels.” he teased her playfully, giving her arm a light tickle and pressing his lips to her forehead.
Alexeena laughed softly after he dried her tears and crawled into the bed with her. She leaned against him, nuzzling her head beneath his chin while he spoke. “I will do my best not to think about it, but it is kind of hard not to. I have lost lovers before.” She murmured softly before feeling a little sheepish when he mentioned the licking of the channels. “Sorry.. I like to keep my hands busy if the rest of me isn’t doing anything. Could you maybe bring me a notebook and some pens? Maybe I’ll do some writing of my own while I’m stuck in this neon lit, elvish run, torture chamber.” She said with a playful smile before looking up at him. “Have you heard from Kandomere at all..?”
Nick couldn’t help but laugh at her teasing about the torture chamber, but nodded, “Of course. I’ll bring a set of them for you too. Perhaps the world needs a little more Alice Hepbern in their lives.” he whispered to her playfully before pressing a kiss to her temple, “It’s alright, ha rega.” he whispered, “I know you have. But this is a different time. We don’t know what will happen in the next four hundred years… but anything could be possible.” he mused and then blinked slightly, “He did ring once, while you were napping earlier, nothing really important, just to ask how things were going. Wanted to know how your progress was. He was going to see if there was anything that could be done to speed up your recovery.”
“Something is on his mind.. I can feel it…” Alexeena said quietly, tracing her fingers across Nick’s palm. “I always refer to him as my elder brother, because he is, but we are twins. He is only a few minutes older than me. It’s funny to think how different we are… But how connected we have always been…” She murmured quietly. “Something has changed and it worries me…” She said before closing her eyes. “I hate how tired I am… All the time…” She murmured before falling asleep almost instantly.
Nick caressed her hair gently, nodding his head, “I know. I think so too. But he will tell us when he is ready.” he assured her and pressed her head against him, his fingers slowly riding up and down her arm as she fell asleep against his chest, “It’ll be awhile before you start to feel like yourself again. Try to rest… I’ll be here with you, I promise.” he murmured. He felt drained, but he wouldn’t leave her to go anywhere unless she was awake and he could tell her he was going. He didn’t want her to wake up without him there… things could get bad very quickly for the nurses if he was gone when she awoke.
Kandomere had made it a point to stop by and see Alexeena,after two days of unexpected field work. He still hadn’t heard a peep from Violet, so he assumed that she did not get her transfer email yet. He got to the hospital and was immediately lead to his sister. No one even asked him who he was or who he was here to see. Everyone knew, without question. When he arrived in the room, he found Alexeena to be asleep and Nick in the bed with her. He was surprised that it could hold the weight of an Orc, seeing as it was built to support elves. He smiled at Nick and nodded his head slightly when her entered the room, with a small paper bag in his hand. “Hello, Officer Jakoby.” He said politely before stepping forward and sitting down in Nick’s chair. “I’ve brought these for her. There are a couple of books, and a few snacks. I know that hospital food isn’t always the greatest. I’ve brought some food for you, also. I didn’t know what you liked so I just… Grabbed a few things.” His demeanor was friendly and charming, not the stone wall that Nick was used to.
Nick looked up from his gentle affections when he heard the door open, raising his eyebrow and chuckling softly at the sight before him, “Agent Kandomere.” he said gently, “Hello. You just missed her. She fell asleep a few minutes ago… said you were hiding something and she didn’t like it, and then she was out like a light.” he mused with a soft sigh, looking over at the paper bag, “Thank you. The food here is pretty deplorable, even for an Elvish hospital. Snacks are always welcome. I’m not picky, so long as it isn’t anything beef related.” he smiled in amusement at his own little joke before turning to look at Kandomere again, “She is right though. Something has changed with you. Since when do you bring anything for me unless it's a bribe?” he joked, leaning back against the raised back of the bed and shifting to get more comfortable with Alexeena by his side.
“Ah… No. No beef.” Kandomere said, feeling lucky that he had grabbed chicken and fish related dishes. “I didn’t know you didn’t eat Beef.” He said, making a mental note of that, right before Nick accused him of hiding things, or that Alexeena had accused him. “She’s not wrong.” He murmured softly, gazing over at his sister, reaching out to squeeze her hand before standing and looking over at Nick. “I have always admired her uncompromising values. I wish that I were as brave and confident as she is.” He explained quietly. He looked back to make sure the door was closed before speaking again. “I seem to have found myself in a little bit of a mix up. No. It’s a full blown mess. I’ve made a very terrible mistake. I’ve developed feelings for a lovely, brilliant young woman. She’s perfection and I can’t help myself when I am around her. It has been a long time since I’ve lost control like this. She has a hard life. All I want to do is take care of her, but I can’t. She will die if I do. There are too many people alive who want to hurt me, and are willing to do anything it takes to get under my skin. I have to send her away… Far away. I’m not willing to risk her life. Not like Alexeena is willing to risk yours.”
Nick smiled slightly when Kandomere seemed rather awkward about the beef question, “Most orcs don’t. It does weird things to us.” he admitted before clearing his throat and stroking Alexeena’s hair as he thought about what Kandomere was telling him, “It sounds like you love her.” he said gently, tilting his head to the side slightly, “But you want to know something?” he murmured, looking down at Alexeena, “I used to feel like I had to protect her, but… I know she protects me far more than I protect her. She has never been willing to risk my life. When she woke up she yelled at me. Cursed and spit and practically foamed at the mouth, telling me what an idiot I was for rushing into a battle I could never win on my own. She calmed down after a little while… but she has never once been willing to risk my life. Her own, yes. But never mine. No matter how much I tell her I do it every day.” he sighed and glanced over at Kan, “You know… that if this girl cares about you, like you do for her, how devastated she will be, when she finds out you plan to send her away? Secrets begat liars, and liars lose what is important to them.” he said gently.
“I’m not telling you how to live your life… just trying to offer some insight. If you really cared about this girl, you would let her decide what she’s willing to risk, instead of making up her mind for her.”
“Ah, yes, but there is a large difference you seem to have overlooked, Nick.” Kandomere said quietly, using his first name for the first time. “My love interest isn’t an Orc, or a Cop. Fuck…” Kandomere sighed. He very rarely swore. He was always so composed that the idea of curse words hardly crossed his mind. “She’s not even an elf… She’s a human. A human girl going through law school, just… trying to get by…” He said before shaking his head. He ran his fingers through his hair, smoothing it back from his face before looking down at Nick again. “I can’t let her stay close to me. It will ruin my reputation and hers. It wouldn’t be a good look for her or I. Really, Nick. Sleeping with my secretary would be a disaster that even the FBI wouldn’t be able to damage control. I’d lose my job. Her career would be over before it even started. I cannot keep her under my employment, not if we want to survive this.” He sighed before looking out the window, clearly deep in contemplation. “I hope I can convince her to give up her dreams, for me.” He admit suddenly. “I am hoping she will just.. Quit.. and go into the shadows. Stay with me, but stay out of sight of the public eye so that she does not become a target. Anyone close to me automatically has a target painted on their back. Especially by the Inferni. I’ve killed too many of them for them to leave me unscathed forever.”
“If she really cares about you, I’m sure she would do just about anything to stay beside you. But you have to ask her. Not just move her somewhere else without her permission and expect her to be okay with it. I understand the circumstances are different… and that you can’t be together as you are, but I’m sure there are other ways for you two to make things work. Communication is key.” he said softly, looking down at Alexeena and smiling softly to himself, before looking back up at Kandomere and sobering, still surprised by the man’s use of his first name, “Tell her that you want to take care of her. Tell her how much she means to you, that you don’t really want her to move away or never see her again. That you want her to stay.” he said softly and closed his eyes, “This is one conversation I never thought I would be having with you, Kandomere. Haven’t you been married before?” he chuckled lightly and raised his eyebrow.
Kandomere couldn’t help but to laugh at Nick’s final question after all of his advise. “For Six hundred and thirty five years.” He said before giving Nick a sort of sly smile. “As you can imagine, I’m a little bit rusty when it comes to dating. I’ve also never dated a human before. Wasn’t exactly permitted when I was a younger man. It’s still not common, but at least now it is legal.” He pointed out bluntly before sighing. “She and I will have this conversation, soon, I’m afraid. I already filed the paperwork to get her removed from my office to avoid temptation. She will not be happy with me when she receives notification of her removal. I’ll make my offer to her then… She can decide what she wants.”
“Wise man.” Nick said with a grin before reclining and laying his head on top of Alexeena’s, weaving his fingers with hers and breathing out slowly through his nose, “Yeah… at least it isn’t illegal anymore. But at least you being with a human will be more common than Alexeena being with me.” he chuckled lightly and focused on Kandomere’s face, “I wish you luck, Kandomere. And hopefully she doesn’t rip you a new asshole before you get a chance to offer her the life you want to have with her.” he said in a soft, friendly tone, stifling a yawn. Something about hospitals, and how much Alexeena slept, always made him tired too.
“I think that this will likely be the closest ‘near death’ experience I’ve had in a very long time.” Kandomere joked before nodding his head toward them. “You rest. Keep an eye on her. Have her call me if you need me to bring you anything. I am always on call.” He assured him before he left and went back to the Inferni scene where Monteguh was waiting for him. They had several suspects that were linked to the extremist organization. He sent an email from his phone to Violet, letting her know that he likely would not be in office for the next few days while they processed these suspects. He didn’t like the idea of not being in office to see her, but he didn’t have much choice. He certainly couldn’t take her with him in the field. That was a death sentence without question. He also hoped she would not get her relocation information before while he wasn’t in office.
Nick gave him a gentle smile and nodded his head to the instructions, “Good luck. You’re gonna need it.” he repeated once more before watching him leave the room. Nick then snuggled down with Alexeena and fell asleep quite quickly.
Back at home, Violet checked her email and sighed when she read the newest one from Kandomere, saying he would be out of the office for a few days on a case. At least she wouldn’t have any awkward conversations with him when he came in and out of his office. She was still sad she wouldn’t get to see him in that time.
And she didn’t see him, not the rest of that week or the first three days of the next one. By the time Wednesday came around she was worried about him, but she knew better than to bother him on a case. So instead she just managed his appointments for him while he was gone, doing her own school work and anything else she could do to keep her mind off things. That was until she got an email around lunch time that made her blood boil, and tears burn at the corners of her eyes.
A formal request from her employer, Agent Kandomere, to have her transferred across the city, to an office in the human district. The tears slid down her cheeks as she scrolled through the email, her breathing starting to come in short, rough gasps as she struggled not to hyperventilate. She wanted it not to be true, but all the facts were there, all the attached files were correct. A sob escaped her lips and she glanced around the office, covering her mouth with her hand and getting up from her desk to hurry into his office and shut the door behind herself, pressing herself against the wall and crying openly in his nearly soundproofed room. She just wanted a place to cry, to let out the emotions in her chest before they strangled her.
She had thought things were going well, that she was doing her job decently, that they had managed to keep things professional. It had been hard for her to keep her professionalism up to normal standards, but all she wanted to do was throw herself at him. But she didn’t. And now he was pushing her away further, had requested the transfer the morning after they had such a good talk, had resolved to be professional and pretend as if nothing had happened that day. Her sobs were gut wrenching and she doubled over on the couch, pressing her face against her knees and clutching at her stomach with her hands, her knuckles white as she gripped the material of her shirt harshly.
Kandomere was absolutely exhausted, more or less running on empty. He and Monteguh had interrogated twenty three people in the last week and a half, none of which were particularly cooperative. One of them had even stabbed him, which only added onto the time it took to process them. The stab was to his ribcage, but they missed anything vital. He got a couple of stitches and was sent on his way. He even stopped by to see Alexeena and Nick while he was there. He was also informed that she would be released later this week. That made him feel better, knowing she was making progress and that the use of magic wasn’t going to kill her.
After arriving back into the Elf District, he went home. It was three am on Wednesday and he was exhausted. He went directly to sleep, too tired to even take a shower. Elves had more stamina than humans, but that did not mean they could function forever without rest. He slept until around noon before forcing himself to get out of bed. He had over a weeks worth of paperwork to wade through when he finally went back to the office. He took a long shower to clean himself up and to check his stitches, which were healing nicely.
He dressed in his nice, navy pinstripe suit, with the metal decorative piece across his upper chest. He hadn’t heard anything from Violet today, and that worried him. He hoped that she wasn’t out sick. She usually was good about telling him if she wasn’t going to be in.
He got to his car and hurried into the office. He walked inside and froze. She wasn’t at her desk. His heart plummeted. He drew near and he could smell her. She had been here, recently. That was when the sound of crying filled his ears. He tried to focus on where it was coming from. He was surprised to hear that it was coming from inside his office.
His mind immediately went to the worst case scenario. He drew his gun from its holster and loaded it, cocking it before slowly approaching the large, double doors. He slowly pushed open the door, sliding his gun in first to scan the area. He was relieved but confused to see her, alone, crying on the lounger near the wall. He lowered his gun, but did not put it away.
“Jesus, Violet. What the hell happened? Are you alright?” He questioned with sincere concern in his voice.
Violet was trembling on the lounger, her knees pulled up to her chest and her face pressed into them, trying to calm herself down but she couldn’t. Why did it hurt so damned much that he was pushing her away? She heard the click of the door but it didn’t register past her soft sobs until she heard Kandomere’s voice and lifted her head from her knees to look at him. Her eyes were red and puffy, tear streaks running down her face. Her eyes hardened instantly when she saw him, his gun held at his side, “Oh, ‘What happened Violet’?” she parroted, hiccuping and shaking as she wrapped her arms around her middle and glared at him, “Why don’t you tell me, Kandomere? Tell me how… how you decided to transfer me?” she croaked out, her voice cracking from the crying as more tears slid down her cheeks without her control, “You could have just told me you didn’t want me around anymore. You didn’t have to go behind my back to do it, you could have just ripped out what little there was left of my heart in person.” she cried softly, “I… I can’t. If you don’t want me to work for you then I… I’ll find another agency to work for. You don’t have to keep me around just because you feel bad for me. Poor little Violet, a poor little human who cries at the drop of the hat and can’t afford to buy a car, can’t afford a house where she can live by herself--” another sob cut her off and she got up from the lounger, stumbling when her heel caught the carpet but she caught herself on the wall, her body shaking.
She sucked in several calming breaths before glancing over at him again. She didn’t have anymore words to yell at him, only a question. “Why?” she finally begged, the tears still coming, “Please. Tell me why. What did I do wrong? I thought I was doing good. Why?” she whispered, her knees shaking as she struggled to keep herself upright.
“You scared me to death, Violet!” Kandomere growled, not able to vocalize his legitimate fear for her when he had arrived. He unloaded his gun and put it back into the holster beneath his dress coat. He could tell by her condescending, mocking tone, that she had received the email regarding her transfer. He stood straight and locked his door behind him, listening to her verbal assault as she laid it on him. He waited until she was finished and stood up from the lounger before finally speaking to her.
His face was like stone, the way it was before they had started talking on a personal level. “Is that really what you think, Violet?” He demanded lowly, approaching her with a strong stride. “You really think that I look down on you, and that is why I am transferring you?” He demanded. He approached her, getting close, making her back up against the wall. He placed a hand on either side of her, hitting the wall hard as he did so. He wanted to make sure he had her complete and undivided attention. He knew he was inside of her ‘bubble’ but he didn’t care. “You honestly think that I would allow a lowly, sniveling child to have control over my schedules and my safety? You think I would place my trust in a human who I didn’t believe could take care of my every need at the drop of a hat? You think that because you are just starting out, struggling to take care of yourself, that it makes you lesser than me?” He growled, his face very close to hers, so that she could feel his breath against her skin.
“If you think that… You are by far the most stupid and foolish girl I have ever met in my life. I transferred you so that I would not damage your reputation, or mine. I transferred you to an office of equal significance so that it would not look like you couldn’t handle this position. I transferred you to my colleague Monteguh so that I could keep my eye on you from a safe distance, so that those around would not think that you are affiliated with me.” He said before he moved one of his hands from the wall to wipe the tears away from her cheeks with his thumb. “I transferred you because I didn’t know how long I could keep coming into this office and seeing your face at your desk… And not touch you. Not hold you against me. When I see you, I see a strong and determined young woman… But I can not help my desire to take care of you. I want to give you everything you’ve ever dreamed of. I want you to stay with me, at my home. I want you with me. Every day. All the time. I am selfish and I am cruel. I will work myself to death because I have nothing else in my life, not anymore. I have not been happy for a very long time, not until you showed up here.” He said before moving his other hand from the wall, cupping her cheeks in his large hands. “I don’t expect you to forgive me…” He said before leaning down and forcing his lips against hers roughly, as he had wanted to for what felt like centuries. He kissed her deeply, but kept his tongue inside of his own mouth, for now. He broke the kiss and pressed his forehead against hers. “But I couldn’t go another minute without having the option of kissing you. You can be mad at me. You can hate me… But I didn’t transfer you because I thought you were worthless. I transferred you because I think that you are priceless.”
Violet stood trembling by the wall, her chest rising and falling as the tears continued to stream down her cheeks, her emotions in a tangle that she couldn’t undo by herself. She was mad, she was upset, she was terrified. She didn’t want to leave him, but he was trying to force her away. “How would I know what you think when you don’t tell me? Maybe I am stupid! But I can’t read minds.” she whimpered, backing up against the wall as he advanced on her, a flash of fear coming to her eyes when his arms slammed against the wall on either side of her and pinned her to the surface, “I just wanted to be near you.” she whispered hoarsely, tears still running down her cheeks as he leaned closer and his tone got softer as he explained the real reasons he had transferred her.
A broken sob escaped her lips as she tried to wrangle the rampaging hormone troll that lived in her belly, the one fueled by her emotions that had made her yell at him, made her cry, made her feel like the world was crumbling down around her. She was quiet as he continued to explain, her chest aching with emotion and more unshed tears as she stared up into his eyes. “I’m mad at you. I don’t hate you, Kan.” she whispered roughly, her lower lip trembling when he finally went on to explain that he didn’t think he could go any longer with her in that office, sitting at her desk, and not hold her, kiss her, touch her. Her resistance was already cracking, but when he told her that he hadn’t been happy in a very long time until she came into his life, she broke. Her tears fell fat and heavy and she whimpered, her eyes slipping shut the instant his lips met hers.
She didn’t resist, she didn’t pull away. Instead, she pressed up against him, her lips melding with his as he roughly kissed her, her fingers coming up to grasp his dress shirt and cling to it, rumpling the pressed material between her fingers. When their lips parted and his forehead pressed against hers, she opened her eyes to look up at him, her tears still falling though they were not as heavy now. Sniffing roughly she squeezed his shirt in her hands and focused on his face. She was practically at a loss for words, but somehow she managed to find some, “I don’t want to go.” she whispered hoarsely, “I don’t want to be someone else’s secretary. If I can’t be yours, I don’t want to be anyone’s.” she murmured, her lips quivering, “I want to be with you, Kan. Please don’t make me go away.” she begged weakly, his words of her being priceless making the tears flow all the harder.
“You can’t stay.” Kandomere said quietly, brushing away her tears again with gently fingers. His skin was soft, as if he hadn’t worked a day in his life. “I don’t want you to give up your career.” He lied, kissing her forehead gently. “Monteguh will take good care of you. I am certain of it. You will be a wondrous help in his office. You will still get the time needed for your bar exams. Your reputation will not be tainted just because your dashing, elvish employer decided he had to seduce you.” He was trying to tease her, not that his tone showed it. He really did have an issue with his tone when it came to making jokes. “You don’t have to go to Monteguh, but it will destroy your career.” He advised her cautiously. “If you stay here with me, it will destroy both of us. Professionally.” He made sure to add that annotation. “I want you to stay with me. I don’t want you to get hurt. I have enemies centuries old. I have people just itching and searching for a way to hurt me, just because of who I am and what my job is.” He explained, his voice barely above a whisper. “If you are going to stay with me… You have to be with me. At my home. You won’t be able to have an outside job. You can work from home to stay busy if you want, but you can not leave without me, or without the bodyguards.” He continued to explain. “I want more than anything to keep you near me. That’s why I couldn’t have you in the office anymore…”
Violet whimpered gently as he brushed her tears away and told her that she couldn’t stay, that he didn’t want her to give up her career for him. They would both be professionally ruined if she stayed in the office. She didn’t want to ruin his career. She just wanted to be with him, wherever that may be, “I… I don’t have to work here.” she whispered roughly, “I just… want to be where you are.” she bit onto her lower lip as he explained that if she wanted to stay with him it would mean giving up her career, giving up everything she had worked for the last few years. She couldn’t leave the house without him or a bodyguard, because people wanted to harm him. Somehow… none of that mattered, “I do want to be with you.” she whispered softly, her body shaking as she reached up and grasped his hands that framed her face, “I only became a lawyer, because my father wanted me to.” she whispered to him, “I don’t want to be a lawyer, but it pays good. His job as one kept us fed and clothed… and I thought it would do that for me too. But it means… nothing to me.”
“If I could choose what I did, for my life… I would chose to stay at home. To be a mom, to make a house a home, like my mom did.” she murmured weakly, “I’ll be with you, stay home… only leave when you do, or bodyguards take me somewhere… if it means that I never have to leave your side.” she promised, clinging to his hands and staring up into his eyes beseechingly, “Please. Don’t send me away.” she begged once more, letting go of his hands and reaching up to cup his face, pulling him down that last few more inches to press her lips to his roughly, nipping on his lower lip and kissing him with every ounce of need she had. He was all she wanted.
“Your father took care of you and your family.” Kandomere pointed out, stroking her hair with the back of his hand gently. “Let me take care of you. I don’t care if my ideals are outdated. Please. It would be so easy for me to take you into my life. You have all the space you could ever want to work with to make the house a home. We could be parents. We could be happy. Hell, I could retire.” He joked, the proper tone finally coming out this time before he kissed her back, holding her face gently. He slid his hands down her shoulders, to her sides and to her hips. He picked her up gently and pressed her against the walls, holding her thighs, spreading her legs around his torso as he kissed her, pinned up against the wall. “You can decline the transfer and then quit…” He murmured softly. “You can drop out of college… I can pay off your student loans. You don’t have to worry about anything. You do not have to worry about wanting or needing, ever again, as long as I live.” He promised her. “The only thing I ask in return is that you stay safe. It will be annoying and you will be frustrated by it more often than not… But I need you to stay safe. If you stay safe, I can give you everything else.”
Violet whimpered against his mouth as they kissed for several long moments before pulling back long enough to look up into his eyes as he offered to take care of her, they could have babies, she could turn his huge mansion into a home, and be happy. When he joked about retiring she laughed softly as well, pressing her face against his, “You don’t have to retire.” she whispered, leaning into his hands that cradled her face until he moved them away to grasp her by the hips and lift her against the wall, drawing a loud gasp from her. She spread her legs and hooked them on his hips so that he could press up against her, pinning her to the wall. Leaning back against it she gazed up at him, moaning when he kissed her again, trembling and rubbing her hands over his chest, “I don’t care if they are outdated views. I want to be yours.” she whispered and leaned up to press her lips to his chin, pressing kisses up to his mouth where she planted another longer one, reaching up to hold his shoulders.
“I will. I promise.” she assured him and one hand cupped his cheek, her breath hitching as she squeezed her legs around him, “I will be yours, I’ll make that house ours, I’ll give you as many babies as you want.” she promised, tears dripping down her cheeks again though now they were happy, not devastated, “I’ll quit college, and decline the transfer and the job… I’m yours. Forever.” she promised in a broken voice, looping her arms around his neck and dragging him down into another kiss, her body arching up against his as her tongue brushed his lower lip.
“Slow down…” Kandomere said softly, shaking his head. “We aren’t even officially a romantic couple yet, Vi. I have only listed available options to you. I do not want you to feel obligated to give me children. I have gone this long without.” He said, kissing her forehead again gently. She pulled him down to kiss her again and a small moan passed his lips while he dug his fingers into her hips, forcing himself to ease up on his grip. He would need to frequently remind himself that she is human. She would not have the same endurance and durability that an elf woman would have, not that he really remembered much of what that was like, anyway. “You don’t have to quit college… Just don’t be a lawyer. You could take classes online, from the safety of the house. You could work from home. I don’t want to make you a prisoner. Captive and Safe do not mean the same thing.” He assured her before kissing her again. Did he really want to do this here, in his office? His logical senses told him he needed to stop, to take her home, to treat her well… However, this was silenced by the carnal instinct and craving. The feel and the smell of her, so close to him after all of this time. “Are you a virgin, Violet?”
Tag List: @cinnamonroll-issues @justanothermonstah @kandomerx
Pretty in Pages (Nick Jakoby x OC RP) Part 6/?
Sup yall! Chapter 6 is here. As always, written with my lovely @theperlerbeadqueen whom i adore. Hope you enjoy this part guys!
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 7 |
Nick exhaled in relief when she assured him that it was OK, nuzzling his face against her neck until she pulled back to kiss him. He savored her sweet lips and held her close as they enjoyed the closeness, his hand occasionally caressing her stomach, “I would love to stay the night. I'm off tomorrow.” He offered softly, his hand dancing over the bulge in her belly. He relaxed and closed his eyes as they sat there in peace for a few moments until the doorbell rang. He groaned pitifully as she got off him and led him down to her room where he pulled on a robe and ties it around his waist. “Sure. I'll meet you in the kitchen.” He agreed and kissed her passionately before following her down the stairs, parting ways to go to the kitchen and pick a bottle from the wine fridge. He surveyed his options critically before finding a nice white and two glasses, popping the cork on the bottle.
Chastity smiled from the bottom of the stairs as she watched him go into the kitchen, but then she smelled the air. She knew who was at the door. She frowned deeply and a low growl escaped her as she went to the door. She threw it open and immediately began shouting at the visitor. “Do you have any idea what time it is, Kandomere?!” She growled, trembling with anger as she was face to face with her elder brother.
“I know what time it is, Chastity. Can I come in, please? I'm here because-” Kandomere tried to explain. He had left his partner in the car. He knew Chastity wouldn't be happy to see him. She hadn't been happy to see him for years.
“I know why you are fucking here, Kandomere.” She snapped. “And as you can probably tell, I have company right now and would appreciate it if you would leave-”
“We think the Inferni are killing Orc and Human children in Orphanages…” He said, barely above a whisper. “I would like to speak with you. I promise I won't stay long.”
“You've got ten minutes. I'm not doing it for you. I'm doing it for my cause.” Chastity said coldly when she finally let him inside and shut the door behind him.
Kandomere could smell the sex in the air. He could smell the Orc that was in this house. Again? She was doing this again? Did she not learn after the last one? He scowled slightly and was going to be polite, until he looked over and saw Nick Jakoby through the archway. He did not say anything out loud, but he couldn't believe his eyes. The Orc cop? The Orc cop was HERE with his sister. Of course he was…
Nick hummed softly as he poured the wine, taking a sip and sighing happily as he closed his eyes to savor it. Approving of his choice he sat them down and sat his hand on his hips, glancing towards the doorway when a familiar scent hit his nose. His eyes went wide, “Officer… Kandomere.” He said in a hoarse voice, before clearing his throat, “Chis! Why is there a federal agent in your house staring at me like he wants to shoot me?!” He called out to her, taking a step back from her counter slowly.
Chastity groaned and walked passed Kandomere and into the kitchen, grabbing one of the glasses from Nick and placing a warm hand on his cheek. “He won't hurt you, I promise. He's my brother and he needs my gift. Or he wouldn't be here because he knows that I hate him and our racist pig of a father.” She explained, loudly, making sure Kandomere heard her.
Kandomere sighed softly and only nodded his head toward Nick. “Nice to see you too, Officer Jakoby.” He said formally before following Chastity. “All I need is for you to use your wand to see if you can't tap into the Inferni communications. It's all we need. Our last lead is a dead end.” He explained. “Children are dying-”
“Children dying is why I let you in my house instead of assaulting you.” She hissed angrily, standing between Nick and her brother. “I wish you would find someone else. I hate having your wand. Oh. Right. It's not YOUR wand, because you're not a Bright and you can't use it.” She laughed, her voice dripping with poison.
“And you’re afraid to use it.” Kandomere snapped back angrily. “Ever since Juliarra.” He snapped.
“How dare you say that name to me.” She snapped. “Get out of my house. I'll be at your office first thing Monday morning to discuss this. Get the fuck out of my house. Now.”
“Fine. 8 am. Don't be late.” Kandomere growled before looking at Nick. “Ask about her last Orc boyfriend.” He said bitterly before turning on his heels and leaving, slamming the door behind himself.
Nick stayed out of the conversation, feeling quite awkward as they both spoke, looking away and picking up his glass and taking a long drink, trying not to spit it out when Kan spoke to him. “I'll um… I'll pass. Goodnight, Agent Kandomere.” He called after the man and then fidgeted with his wine glass, “So, that's your brother?” He murmured and looked over at her, “I dealt with him a bit after the incident last month.” He mused, looking down into his glass, “Do you still want me to stay?” He asked.
“I know.” Chastity sighed before turning to face him. “He said you saved Tikka. She risked so much to take a shot at the Inferni. She's a hero among us who fight the Inferni.” She explained before sitting down at her table and taking a sip of her wine. “Yes. Please, stay. You've probably gathered that there's a lot I haven't told you.” She said sadly. “I really like you, Nick. I want you to stay with me for as long time, so I feel like I need to explain this. I've been married once, a long time ago. He refused to let me divorce him, though there was no love between us. He was a politician, and not a very good one. He had lots of women and prostitutes on the side, because he could. He always just assumed I wouldn't ruin his reputation. The reason I no longer live in the Elf District… is because I also took and lover, but mine was Orcish.” She explained and tears began to swell in her eyes. “My husband killed him, and never suffered any punishment for it.” She said before growing more angry. “I used the wand to kill him…. So that I would get the insurance money for his ‘accidental’ death. I was caught, but signed a contract with Kandomere to use the wand to help instead of hurt, so I didn't suffer at the hands of the law either. Elves were furious… that a woman could murder her husband in cold blood and not be published, but an elf brutally kills an Orc and no one cares?” She said before shaking her head and wiping at her eyes. “I am surrounded by blood and death and I am so sorry I didn't tell you any of this…. I like you so much and I don't want you to he afraid of me.”
Nick sat down across from her at the table and reached out to take her hands in his and squeezed firmly, “I won't go anywhere.” He promised and listened to her in silence, not judging or preaching. When she went quiet he looked up at her and leaned over to cup her cheek, “I couldn't be afraid of you. It takes incredible braver to wield a wand… to do the things you did. It might not have been right on either count, but you overcame it. I'm proud of you. You don't have to be afraid to tell me things.” He whispered and ram his hand over her cheek.
Chastity smiled up at him and closed her eyes, tears sliding down her cheeks. “I promise I was going to tell you, just… not this early. However, the next part is what's important, and is a secret you must keep from everyone.” She said before standing up and wrapping her arms around his neck, looking down at him. “I am very influential in politics, or, I try to be. I spend very generous amounts of money on lobby for Orc rights. Desegregation. Better public schools.” She explained. “under the name of Alice Hepbern.” She explained, wondering if he would recognize the name.
Nick stood up to meet her and wrapped his arms around her tightly, kissing her cheek softly before focusing on her face when she pulled back to speak, “Alice… Hepburn?” he whispered and blinked in surprise, “You are the reason the station had to hire me. Forced diversity hiring.” He murmured, and couldn't help but chuckle, “I'll be damned.” He whispered and touched her cheek, “I'm sworn to secrecy.” He promised quietly.
“Same reason the library had to hire Tabby.” Chastity said with a small smile. “My ultimate goal is desegregation, but I will take what steps I can until then.” She said before kissing him again. “It has been a very long time since I've allowed myself to get close to anyone. After Juliarra, I didn't want to risk it. I went into hiding. I moved out of the Elf District and cut all ties. I didn't want anyone else to get hurt just because I dislike elves.” She murmured. “But now there's you… a blooded orc. A police officer for the LAPD. I'm not as worried about you. I know you can defend yourself.”
Nick leaned down and pressed his forehead against hers, looking down into her eyes and smiling gently as he stroked her cheek, “You really are amazing.” He whispered and pressed a kiss to her lips, drawing her tighter to his chest, “You don't need to worry about me. I've got a little pull now… and I have a partner who is a crack shot, I'm hardly ever in danger.” He assured her and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear, “Why don't we take this bottle of wine…. And go find some place comfy to sit and watch mindless television for a little while? I declare that the cuddle session be reinstated.” He teased lightly and tilted her chin up, wiping away a tear track with his thumb.
“I am glad you are partnered with Daryl Ward, he has an impressive track record. Including taking down 4 of his superiors when push came to shove. He's a man not afraid to do the right thing, just like you.” Chastity smiled before nodding. “I think you're right. Wine. Tv. Snuggling. Sounds like heaven.” She said before sighing. “Thank you for not letting my brother ruin our evening. I haven't seen him for anything not work related in almost thirty years. We had one heck of an argument in the past. He, like our father, is fairly stuck in his ways. I just hope he doesn't make work miserable for you.”
Nick slid his hand over her hip and smiled at her. “He seems rather stoick and quiet. I don't talk to him much, and I haven't, since that incident. I just stay out of his way.” He murmured and gave her hips a squeeze, “I'll grab the wine and the glasses, and follow you up to wherever you want to watch tv at.” He purred and kissed her forehead before pulling away and grabbing both of the glasses in one hand and the bottle in another. “I'm not going to let anything ruin this evening. I'm enjoying it far too much.”
“I meant moving forward. Like. I hope he doesn't make your life miserable now that he is perfectly and blatantly aware that you are sleeping with his baby sister.” Chastity laughed before placing a gentle hand on his cheek. “Come on. I've got a nice TV in my bedroom. Follow me.” She instructed before walking back to the spiral staircase again and heading up to her room.
Nick shrugged his shoulder slightly and gave her backside a light pat as they walked up the stairs, “Ah. Well… I never thought of him as the kind of person who held a grudge like that. But I don't know him like you do. I won't let him give me any shit for it.” he promised her, following her into her bedroom and setting the wine on the bedside table before making himself comfortable on one side of the bed, shifting slightly and leaning back against the pile of pillows contently.
Chastity only laughed quietly when he patted her rear when they went up the stairs. “My brother is a great one for grudges. His whole thing is that he’s always compromise his values and beliefs to make our father proud. I was unwilling to compromise my entire life, which has resulted in being exiled. I like it better this way. Just… Tell me, if Kandomere tries anything to hurt or intimidate you. I will not allow that as long as I breathe.” She said before laying down in the bed next to him, turning the TV on but not really caring what was airing. She just liked this, right now. Just being here with him casually. She was comfortable and unafraid for the first time in decades. To be loved was a foreign concept to her… But she was excited to relearn.
Nick scooted closer to her and slid his arm around her shoulders, drawing her into his chest and stroking his hand through her dark purple hair, playing with the strands absentmindedly before leaning down to press a kiss to the top of her head, “I promise.” he said softly, also not really caring about what they watched so long as they were together. He reached over for her glass of wine and placed it in her hand, draining the last of his before he set the glass aside and resumed his soft touches, his cheek resting against her head while his fingers lightly grazed her skin.
Chastity smiled when he kissed her head and handed her wine to her. She took a sip before letting out a very contented sigh. She looked over at him and then sat upright, opening his robe a little more than it already was. “What the hell, Nick…?” She murmured with worry in her voice. “This is one hell of a gunshot wound.” She said quietly, stroking her fingertips over the very large, very deep scar that was near the middle of his ribcage. “Does this go all the way through?” She questioned, sitting up and sliding her hand down his back, feeling the scar. “This should have killed you.” She said bluntly.
Nick was content leaning against her, the soft motions of his hand slowing as he began to doze off. He had worked five twelve hour shifts this week and he was bone tired, but he fought to stay awake, wanting to spend more time with her. He jolted awake however when she suddenly sat up and parted the folds of his robe. He blinked his eyes several times to clear the blurriness and look down at his chest. Swallowing dryly as her concern showed so evidently in her eyes. He didn't speak for a long time until after she pulled her hand away from his back, shifting his eyes down to her. “It did kill me.” He said softly, reaching out to take her hand and squeeze it firmly. “The incident… was far more graphic than Kandomere lead you to believe. I'm only alive today because of Tikka, and the wand.” He murmured and glanced down at his lap, reaching up to touch the scar in the center of his chest, the shotgun blast that had decimated his heart… yet he still lived.
“Tikka saved you with the wand…?” Chastity questioned quietly before nodding her head. “All these years… never thought she would be the one to have a change of heart.” She murmured before cupping his face in her hands. “I am glad she saved you. My life would be empty if she hadn't… But never forget that Magic is dangerous. Bringing you back should have killed her. Only death can pay for life.” She said sadly. “Usually, it's your own that is sacrificed.”
Nick nodded gently and leaned into her touch, pressing a kiss to her lips and rubbing his thumb over her hand gently, “I know. I'm living on borrowed time. So I make the most I can out of every minute I have.” He whispered to her softly, touching his forehead to hers, “Being here with you is like heaven. So maybe I stayed dead and this is all a dream. If it is I don't want it to end.” He closed his eyes and let his head slip down to rest on her shoulder, his hands slipping to her hips to rub lightly, “I think the spring healed her… or maybe Lehlia dying, took her spot somehow. I don't know… I'm just glad for what I have.”
“There was much death that day. At least 6 of the Inferni were destroyed that night. More than have been killed in the last hundred years.” Chastity smiled before kissing him tenderly on the forehead and nodding her head. “Borrowed time comes for us all… Elves live off of borrowed time from the time we are born. Stealing and stealing, never dying of old age…” She murmured sadly before laying down and resting her head on his thigh, yawning widely. “This is not heaven.” She said sadly. “If it were Heaven, our relationship would not be immoral and looked down on by elves... I bet most Orc wouldn't like this, either… We are the first stone to crumble from the wall of segregation. I will not stop until everyone is an equal… It is all I've ever wanted.” She said before closing her eyes and beginning to drift into sleep. “It's why I don't have a family anymore…”
Nick slid his hand down to rest on her head when she laid on his thigh, stroking his fingers through her hair to help soothe her into sleep, biting his lip gently though he kept quiet, letting her speak what she needed to, “I want you to meet my family.” He whispered, after her breathing slowed to signify she was asleep. “My mother will love you.” he chuckled gently and moved her to rest on the pillow. He got out of bed and put the wine and the glasses away before taking off his robe and climbing beneath the covers with her, pulling her smaller frame against his chest, her backside seated firmly against his lap as he spooned her, cocooning her in his warmth as he fell asleep, sleeping peacefully the night through .
Pretty in Pages Part 16/? (Kandomere x OC) (Nick x OC)
Part 16 is here my lovelies. You know the drill by now lol. Enjoy.
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Kandomere put on a nice, pinstripe suit and sighed softly. He was one of those people who kind of, stood out, in a crowd. Even among elves, he was a face that was easily recognized. He was worried about Violet, being involved with him. He knew it would put her in danger. As long as she either stayed with him or inside this house, she would surely be fine.. Surely… He went downstairs and put his shoes on, smiling over at her with a raised eyebrow. “Now, for what possible purpose would you need your purse?”
Violet tucked a stray strand of her loose red hair behind her ear, blinking when he commented on her not needing her purse, “I always take it with me. It's got feminine things in it, and my inhaler… my birth control, my important information I'll need for the loan office.” She said, tilting her head and smiling at him gently, “I don't have any money, aside from what is left of the check you gave me. But I used most of that to pay off my credit card and contribute to rent at the apartment.” She said softly.
“Inhaler?” Kandomere asked suddenly, feeling a pit in his stomach. “You… You didn’t tell me that you need an inhaler, Violet. What other medical conditions do you have?” He questioned urgently. He was upset, because he could have hurt her. He would have had no idea what to do for her, or where her medication was. “These are things I need to know if you are going to continue living here with me. I’d hate for something horrible to happen, just because I was not properly informed or prepared.” He scolded.
Violet blinked up at him when he so suddenly grew concerned, “It's just exercise induced asthma, Kandomere… it's not like it's cancer.” She assured him softly, “I'm sorry. We haven't had a lot of time to talk about this kind of thing. I rarely ever have episodes, I only have it for when I go running. Nothing else triggers it.” She promised him softly, “When we get home… would it make you feel better to go over my medical history? Every broken bone, every time I had to go to the hospital or had pneumonia?” she asked him, taking his hand in hers and squeezing, “I didn't mean to worry you.” She whispered and bit onto her lower lip, suddenly no longer feeling like going out though she knew they needed to. “I get bronchitis every once in a while, but my doctor said it was always because of our poor living conditions and the crap I was breathing in that aggravated the asthma. I don't have anything else.” She assured him.
Kandomere looked down at her and let out a deep breath through his nose, shaking his head slightly. “I can’t tell if you mean what you are saying, or are trying to make me feel bad for being so protective.” He admit softly before kissing her on her forehead. “I don’t need to know your entire medical history. But an exercise induced asthma really could have acted up while we were together intimately, Violet. I know I am not the most gentle of lovers.” He explained before putting his coat on over his shoulders. “You aren’t going to have those poor living conditions any longer, so perhaps that will keep you from getting so sick.” He said before opening the door and motioning for her to step outside.
“I meant it Kandomere. I don't want you to feel bad for being protective. I like this side of you. Being intimate is different than running. I don't want you to force yourself to be gentle with me just because I have asthma.” She whispered gently and pulled her light coat on as well, “I know. If I'm lucky I won't get it anymore.” She mused and followed him out of the house. Fidgeting with her hands she tentatively reached out to take his, though when she grazed her fingers against his she thought better of it and pulled her hand back, not sure if he would want to be seen holding hands with her in public.
Kandomere felt her hand brush his briefly and felt a pang of regret. He couldn’t show that kind of affection for her, not in public. She was too fragile for this harsh world. “You are quite lucky or you wouldn’t be here.” He said before getting into the car and waiting for her with a small sigh. “I know you don’t want me to be gentle just because you have asthma, but it’s more than that. I’ll always have to hold back, regardless. Unless you’d rather end up in the hospital due to a pelvic fracture.”
Violet settled into the car next to him and fidgeted with her hands in her lap, “I know that.” She whispered softly, “I know I'm fragile, to your race anyway… I just don't want you to have to hold back even more because of it.” She murmured and fiddled with her fingers in her lap, “If that makes any sense at all. I'm very aware how different from you I am. I just don't like making those differences even more stark.” She sighed and leaned her head back against her seat.
Across town, Nick was just getting off of working a night shift with Ward, and he was physically beat, but his mind was wired. Once Alexeena had been moved home from the hospital he had finally finished moving all of his things out of his dinky little apartment and got them settled in the new house. Maggie loved the new house, especially the backyard, and Nick had just begun sectioning off a small portion of the back area to turn into a garden. He already had plans drawn up for putting in a few trees and flowers in the small section of front yard that they had and was looking forward to possibly working on it this weekend. He didn't know yet what Xena would feel up to doing and he didn't want to push her to do anything she wasn't ready for. He locked his truck and walked up to the front door, yawning weakly and pushing the door open slowly as he let it fall back shut behind him. “Xena! I'm home.” he called, kicking off his shoes and pushing them close to the closet before he padded further into the house.
“I feel like you are misunderstanding me, Violet.” Kandomere sighed, rubbing his eyes with his thumb and forefinger for a moment before he began driving into town, to get the things that she needed. “I am not trying to make you feel guilty, or inferior. I am only trying to explain. I get… am just..” He sighed before shaking his head. “I am too logical for my own good, sometimes. I can’t help it. I’ve spent decades like this.”
Alexeena was still not doing great, but, she was better. She had more or less been put into the witness protection program, or at least, it was similar. She was not to leave her house without escorts. There were too many extremist groups surfacing since the Inferni came to light that it was no longer safe for her and the way she lived here… And it was hard. Mostly, because she could not go to work and they had stripped her home of all alcohol. She hadn’t intended on being sober cold turkey and it was her least favorite thing in the past few hundred years. She was sitting on her couch, listening to music on the radio and working on her novel, though, progress was slow. It was hard for her to stay focused on almost anything. She wanted desperately to go back to work, but they wouldn’t let her. She heard Nick come home and a small smile crossed her lips. “I’m in the living room, Nicky!” She called back, forcing herself to sound more chipper than she felt.
Violet tilted her head back to look up at Kandomere, “I'm sorry. I'm just going to stop talking. Maybe we can have this conversation later and I can make more sense out of it. I'm still sorry I didn't tell you about the asthma.” she murmured and reached out to lay her hand on his thigh before closing her eyes and laying her head back against her seat. They had lots to do today and in the next few days, she didn't want to argue with him. Maybe later when they got home she would make more sense of things.
Nick knew that Xena was still struggling with the fact that she had to stay home and couldn't go to work but he tried to make things better for her by staying home with her and keeping her entertained. He also knew that the lack of alcohol during that first week and subsequently the last few days. He could smell her discomfort and the pain she was going through without it. But he hoped at least that his presence here with her made it better. Hearing her call back to him he couldn't help but smile and hurried inside, grinning to himself as he saw her sitting on the couch with her laptop settled in her lap and Maggie curled up by her feet. “There are my two favorite girls.” He said with a grin and came closer to flop down on the couch beside her, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and drawing her into his chest. He had showered before coming home, so he actually smelled quite pleasant, a mix of his soft cologne and the bland shampoo they stocked at the station. “How are you feeling today?” He whispered to her and tucked a stray strand of her hair behind her pointed ear, leaning his head down to press his forehead against hers.
Alexeena smiled as he came into the room and sat down beside her. She leaned up and kissed his cheek before sighing and shaking her head. “I still feel like death that’s been warmed over. Everything hurts. Withdraw is horrible and it makes me regret my years of alcoholism, but only because it won’t kill me. My head throbs and it’s hard to do anything. Maggie has been taking good care of me…” She said before sighing, cupping his face. “I hate it here… My house has become my prison and I would do anything to get out of here… Hell, spending christmas with my father would be better than spending another minute in this house.” She said before looking back down at her laptop. She closed it and set it down on the coffee table before rubbing her eyes again. “I think I’ve maybe written a page today. I don’t remember the last time my progress was this slow.” She sighed before leaning against him again. “How was your day, Nick, kill anyone?” She teased.
Nick pressed his lips to hers lightly as she set her laptop aside, nuzzling her nose with his own before responding, “Your attempts at humor get worse every day you stay in this house.” He teased her right back, “But no. It was the usual. Noise complaints, drunk people vomiting in the car, couple crazies and a guy who took too many Viagra. That one was funny.” He chuckled and sighed, reaching up to cup her cheek again, “Is there anything I can do to make you feel better? Take your mind off the discomfort? Make dinner?” He sighed sadly, “I think I managed to convince Kandomere I'm a good bodyguard… we could go for a walk.” he suggested lightly, “Or go out to eat. Or drive the truck to the middle of nowhere in the dunes and put the air mattress in the bed, and I could make love to you until you beg for mercy, and then we watch the stars?” He was willing to do anything for her. She was his everything and he hated seeing her so miserable.
Alexeena laughed softly at his day and nodded her head before cupping his cheek gently. “Do you really want to risk going outside without getting clearance from Kandomere first? My, you are a brave one.” She laughed before slowly standing up. “I want to go to the beach. I just… I just want to spend some time standing in the ocean. I want to feel the waves against my skin and the air against my face. I think it would be good to reconnect with the world outside of this house, like that. Perhaps you can even convince Kandomere to join us, just to make sure that I am extra safe.” She said with a playful role of her eyes.
Nick looked down at her incredulously, “I don’t think so.” he laughed deeply, “He can’t hurt me, I protect his precious sister.” he whispered and stood up as well, reaching out to snag her hips in his hands and pull her against his body, “Then let’s go go the beach.” he whispered and kissed her passionately, his thumbs sliding over her hips to cup her backside gently, “Besides, from what I understand from Montague when I tried to contact him earlier, he took the next three days off of work to help his new live in girlfriend adjust.” he murmured teasingly, resting his forehead against hers for a moment, “Go put on some beach clothes, I’ll change too, and get a blanket and some snacks that your stomach can handle.” he murmured to her and gave her cheeks a squeeze before letting go and pulling away from her reluctantly.
Alexeena laughed and rolled her eyes before kissing him back, wrapping her arms around his neck while he spoke. Her eyes went wide when he said the word ‘girlfriend’. “Girlfriend? Kandomere has a girlfriend? Since when? That seems so unlike him, especially after his most recent divorce.” She said with a tone of surprise. “I’ll go put on some beach clothes. Call Kandomere. See if he and his… girlfriend… Would like to join us. He wants us to be a family again, right? I think this seems like a perfect time to start trying.” She said before disappearing up the stairs to change her clothes.
Nick chuckled lightly and nodded, “Montague was more than willing to talk about it because apparently Kandomere has been telling him about her. She was his intern secretary, and he's basically turned into her sugar daddy?” he said, “I think those were the words he used.” he admitted and smacked her backside as she walked away from him, “I'll give him a call, see what he thinks.” He agreed, watching her go before pulling out his phone and dialing the personal cell number that Kandomere had given him.
“My brother has lost his damn mind…” Alexeena murmured to herself while changing. She put on a plain, navy blue, one piece swimsuit underneath a baby blue sundress. “I have to meet her. I need to know what trouble my brother is getting into.” She called down to Nick. “Tell him that I'll pack a picnic for the four of us if he and his new lover would like to join us.”
“Will do babe!” He called up to her and held the phone to his ear as he waited. While they were driving in silence, Kandomere’s phone began to ring inside of Violet’s purse where she had stowed it. Rifling it out of the bag she looked at the screen and saw that it read ‘Jakoby’. Tilting her head to the side she swiped across the screen to answer and put it to her ear while glancing over at Kan as he drove, “Hello?” she said softly into the phone. Nick blinked at the soft sound of a woman's voice on the other end of the phone, but tried not to let it get to him, “Yes, Hello, my name is Nick Jakoby, and I am looking for Agent Kandomere on a personal matter… may I speak to him?” He asked and glanced up towards the stairs. Violet pulled the phone away from her ear and put it on speaker, “You're on speaker Mr. Jakoby, Kandomere is driving at the moment.” she said in her soft, melodic voice. “Good morning Kandomere! Xena and I are going to have an outing at the beach, and she wanted to invite you and your new girlfriend along for a picnic. Since I heard you had taken some time off we thought it would be a good opportunity to have some family time and meet this woman of yours.” He rambled and then cleared his throat, “What do you say? It won't be for long, maybe an hour or so.”
Kandomere was more than surprised to hear Jakoby on the other line, even more surprise by Alexeena’s willingness to speak to him. What on earth caused that change of heart. The look on his face clearly showed his amazement at the words he was hearing and it took him a few moment to regain himself. “Good afternoon, Nick.” He said before looking at the clock and clearing his throat. “Violet and I are currently running some errands to help her get settled. How about I make you a deal. Send me the address and we can meet you at the beach in about an hour, and we can spend, oh… The rest of the afternoon there?” He offered before smiling toward Violet. “I think some extended leisure time would be good for everyone involved. I'm sure Alexeena isn't taking house arrest well. I'd like to let her outside for as long as possible… Violet as well.” Alexeena had stopped at the top of the stairs and closed her eyes. Hearing his voice made her chest tight. What on earth had she been thinking? Was it really time to end this fight that had existed for hundreds of years? I mean, she and Kandomere hadn't been on speaking terms since the end of his second marriage. She didn't even know how long ago that was, but he had clearly changed. The Kandomere she had known would never have considered yet another relationship. Not after the previous disasters he'd found himself in.
An incredibly excited look came over Violet’s face at the mention of going to the beach, beaming up at Kandomere and nodding her head excitedly as he agreed to meet Nick there in an hour after they finished their important errands. “The stuff at my house can wait until we are on our way home. The mall and admissions office shouldn't take long at all.” she agreed, holding the phone between Kandomere and herself as he spoke into the phone. “That sounds great! I'll let Xena know and we will meet you at the beach. Oh, and I'll text you where we will meet up. See you then!” Nick said, his deep voice chipper as he hung up the phone and turned around to see Alexeena standing at the top of the stairs, a smile crossing his lips at the sight of her, “Hey there beautiful.” He murmured, walking to the bottom of the stairs and waiting for her to come down the stairs to wrap his arms around her and kiss her on the lips lightly, “We now have a playdate for the rest of the afternoon.” he joked lightly and rubbed his thumb over the apple of her cheek, “I'll go change, if you get started on that picnic. I'll text him the address and get Maggie's stuff so she can go too.”
Alexeena shook her head slowly while she walked down the stairs. She slid her arms around his neck and kissed him softly. “I don't know if I'm ready for this, Nick…” She whispered nervously. “Kandomere and I haven't been close for a very, very long time… Once upon a time… We were best friends. Nearly inseparable. Mother joked that we were attached at the hip…” She said with a remorseful laugh. “That feels like lifetimes ago... I hope that perhaps this new girlfriend of his has been good for him. Maybe he's not the raging asshole he always used to be.” She said before kissing Nick again before releasing him and walking toward the kitchen. “I'll pack the basket now. I'll grab whatever sounds good. I'd like to stop by the store on our way. Grab some Gatorade and some Grapes. Good beach things to have.” She called over her shoulder.
Nick cradled her close to his chest as she voiced her fears, his forehead pressed against hers and his ears twitching slightly while he listened. “You'll do just fine. I know you will.” He whispered tenderly, his hands pausing on her hips, “I'll be right there close to you the whole time. If you decide you want to go home, then we go home. Okay?” He murmured and returned her kiss before letting her go so she could head into the kitchen. “Sounds good! You and Maggie can wait in the truck and I'll run in to grab them. Be right back!” He called back to her and jogged upstairs so he could change. He came back down a few minutes later in swim trunks and a plain white t-shirt, both straining slightly to contain his taunt muscled form, no matter how he tried to hide it the slight bulge of his length showed against the material of his shorts, even though he wasn't currently aroused. “Maggie, c’mere!” He called, to which the dog perked up instantly and sagged her whole body as she practically jumped up into Nick’s arms. “Easy girl, go get your leash and your ball.” He instructed her to which the dog barked and ran off into the house. While she did that Nick returned to the kitchen. “Anything else I can help with?” he asked.
Alexeena tried to keep calm as she organized a picnic for four. She knew absolutely nothing about what Kandomere or his girlfriend liked to eat. She packed a little of everything. A few sandwiches, cheeses, crackers, carrots and dip. She made sure she had plates and knives for the cheese. She put everything into her large, insulated, purple bag that was sitting on the counter. She grabbed a couple of bottles of water from the fridge and added those as well. Her heart was racing. She had not expected Kandomere to agree. She didn’t know the last time he took any time off of work. This new girl he’d met must really be something, if she convinced him she was worth taking time off for. She looked over at Nick when he came back into the kitchen and shook her head with a small smile. “No, I’m basically done, really. Just those couple of things we wanted to get from the grocery store.” She said with a nod of her head. “Then we can head out.”
Nick slipped his hand onto her hip and surveyed her work, “Looks great to me. Mags is ready to go, let's go get in the truck.” he murmured and pressed his lips to her temple, “It'll be okay. I promise. Kandomere has always been kind to me, despite the issues I've had with most elves. I think he really has changed from what you used to know.” He whispered and let go of her so he could pick up the bag and carry it out to the truck, helping Maggie into the back and holding Xena’s door for her so she could get in. The drive to the store didn't take long, neither did it take him long to buy grapes and gatorade. Within a half hour they were unloading their things at the beach, Nick letting Maggie off her leash to play in the water while he spread a blanket out on the sand.
Alexeena held the bag in her hands when she got out of his truck. It felt so nice, the hot air against her face and the breeze through her dark hair. It was afternoon, but the sun was still very warm. The air smelled like salt from the water. The waves crashed onto the shore and she smiled. It felt so good to be outside of her home. She followed Nick to the blanket he laid out and sat down, putting her bag in the sand beside her while looking longingly toward the ocean. “It’s such a beautiful day.” Kandomere and Violet had arrived not long after. He parked his slick black car next to Nick’s truck and killed the engine. He didn’t get out of the car yet. He only looked toward the beach. He could see Nick and Alexeena. How was he supposed to act? Like nothing had happened? Were they going to discuss all of these years? He looked down at the steering wheel before closing his eyes tightly. He turned to look at Violet and forced an uneasy smile. “As you may or may not remember… My sister really.. Mostly… She mostly hates me, or at least, she used to. Quite a bit. I just want to apologize to you right now. If this gets awkward or tense, we may have to leave. I just don’t want to get your hopes up, just in case we do not stay as long as expected.”
Nick smiled back at Alexeena as she stood close and let the wind blow her hair. He was glad she was already enjoying herself. He loved seeing her happy, and the last week she certainly had not been. “It is nice here, isn't it?” He asked, looking back towards the truck to see Kandomere’s car pull up beside it, though they didn't get out right away. Violet looked up at Kandomere and gave him a genuine smile, “Even if we only spend maybe ten minutes here Kan?” she whispered, “It will be ten minutes I get to spend here with you, at the beach. So… I don't mind if we have to leave. I'll just be glad to meet your sister and her boyfriend, and be here with you.” she assured him gently, leaning across the car to kiss him, the action quite rough before she pulled back, grinning all the while, and got out of the car. She kicked off her shoes and carried them in one hand as she walked out onto the beach, pausing and turning around to wait for Kandomere with her hand stretched towards him.
Alexeena laughed quietly as she looked up at Nick, raising a hand to block the sun slightly. “It is nice here. I’ve always loved the water. Mother told me I should have been born a Mermaid, not an elf.” She laughed quietly before she turned and saw a young woman with bright red hair outside of a car. Clearly human, she could smell it. Kandomere kissed her back and groaned softly when she got out of the car. He hoped this would go better than he was expecting it to. He got out of the car and follow suit, removing his shoes and socks before stepping onto the warm sand. He walked toward Nick and Alexeena, waving a hand toward them nervously. Alexeena’s eyes went wide while they approached. She turned to look at Nick with wide eyes. “She is human? Did you know about this?” She whispered in Orcish. She didn’t care of Kandomere heard her, but she certainly didn’t want to make this poor girl uncomfortable just because she was surprised.
Nick glanced over at the two coming towards them, his eyes widening in surprise as Alexeena spoke, “I had no idea she was human. Montague never mentioned it.” He whispered back to her in Orcish, coming to stand next to where she sat and crouched down next to her, “She must be special.” He whispered against her ear in English this time, going quiet as the other two drew closer. Violet took his hand in hers whether he liked it or not as they got closer, making a show of it being for support as she teetered in the sand. She knew he didn't like to make contact with her in public if he could help it but they were practically the only ones on this beach today as it was the middle of a normal work day, and the beach was quite secluded. “Hello!” She called to the orc and elf standing by the beach blanket. Her cheeks were slightly flushed and she was nervous, but she was doing her best to be friendly. “Hey! Glad you could make it Kandomere! Care to introduce us to your lady friend?” Nick asked as he stood up again, rolling his shoulders and settling his hands on his hips, trying not to look intimidating. He knew how most humans felt about him. Violet’s bright purple eyes went wide as she focused on Nick, a gasp leaving her throat, “You didn't tell me your sister was dating the hero medal cop!” She chirped at Kandomere, nudging him in the side and letting go of his hand to hurry up to Nick and shake his hand, “I'm a big fan! I think it's great that the police force is starting to hire more diverse people now!” She giggled and let go of his hand then, her cheeks flushed, “I'm sorry, I'm Violet. It's nice to meet both of you.” she said, nibbling on her lip. Nick couldn't help but laugh and nod his head, “It's alright. Nice to meet you Violet. You can call me Nick.”
“Of course he would fail to mention she’s a human.” Alexeena murmured in orcish with a hint of irritation before standing up from the spot where she had been sitting. She watched as both of them approached and much to her surprise, the girl approached Nick first. She hadn’t expected a human to start immediately with an Orc instead of an Elf, especially if she was dating an elf. She watched their exchange with cautious eyes before finally turning her attention toward her brother. Though he looked young and always would, he was an old man, just trying to keep up. “It’s good to see you, Kandomere.” Alexeena said quietly before nodding her head toward Violet. “It’s nice to see that you’ve decided to try again. It has been a while, hasn’t it?” “Hello Alexeena.” Kandomere said with a small smile before setting his shoes down on the ground. He watched Violet talking with Nick and couldn’t help but chuckle. “I didn’t mention it, because it doesn’t matter. If you are impressed by that, you’ll probably be shocked to know that Alexeena is actually a writer. Her pen name is Alice Hepbern. You might recall the name from the news a couple of weeks back.” He explained before placing a hand on Violet’s shoulder and placing a small kiss on her temple. “Have you lost your damn mind?” Alexeena said with wide eyes while focused intently on her brother. She said these words in elvish, hoping that Violet did not speak the language. She could not remember the last time that Kandomere had shown that kind of affection to anyone. He didn’t even touch his ex-wife in public for several years. Not only that, but the way he so casually mentioned information. He must not have been able to separate the fact that she was a lover now, not an employee. Not to mention that, but she was currently under government protection after the kidnapping and the business with the wand. He, as part of the FBI, knew better than to speak and behave so casually in public.
Nick was still chuckling slightly, though he went quiet as Kandomere began to speak, showing such obvious affection for the girl standing beside him. It was something he had never seen from the man before, at least, he always seemed stoic and without flaws, to see him happy and engaging in physical contact was amazing to him. He flinched however at Alexeena’s words, glancing towards Violet who stood next to Kandomere. At the mention of Alexeena’s pen name, Violet instantly perked up, however as she parted her lips to express how much she loved Alexeena’s work, she spoke instead. While it had been a few years since she took any Elvish in high school, the intonation of the words, and a few that she remembered from the phrase Alexeena said to Kandomere instantly took the wind out of her sails. Biting onto her lower lip and forcing a breath out through her nose to calm the pain in her chest, “It’s a pleasure to meet you. I love your books.” Violet said softly though she didn’t look up at Alexeena, instead glancing over at the dog who was bouncing around behind Nick, “I’m gonna go play with the dog, Kandomere. You should probably talk to your sister alone.” she murmured and let go of Kan’s hand to venture away from the group. Dropping her shoes by the blanket she jogged down to the water's edge and picked up the stick that Maggie had been waving around and threw it for her out into the water, watching as she chased after it and then brought it back. Nick exhaled through his nose and looked down at Alexeena, “You know better than to assume someone doesn’t speak your language, Xena…” he said softly to her and slid his hand onto her back, “She’s right though. You two should talk. I’ll go keep Violet company.” he said softly and kissed her forehead before he too walked down to the edge of the water, speaking quietly to Violet as they took turns throwing the stick for Maggie.
“You of all people, Alexeena? That’s rich.” Kandomere said with a small scoff before looking over at Violet with a look of dismay as she continued speaking before walking toward the shore. He wished she had stopped talking. Alexeena hadn’t deserved those kind words, not after what she had said. Once Violet and Nick were out of earshot, he continued again. “You, of all people, to make a scene about someones ra-” “No.” Alexeena corrected, holding a finger up to silence him temporarily. “This has nothing to do with the fact that she is a human, Kandomere. This has to do with you. Are you out of your mind? Did something at work finally happen to break you? I’ve never heard you throw around classified information since you were in the academy and could not stop your excitement.” She hissed coldly. “If she didn’t know who I was, she didn’t need to know. She was fine with seeing Nick as a hero. Why did you have to say anything? And kissing her? You know that paints a target on her back.” “You say that like I don’t know it.” Kandomere snapped back impatiently. “You being Alice is hardly classified. Heavily buried, sure, but not classified. If it was classified, you wouldn’t be able to tell anyone either, so don’t you dare play that card on me.” He said sternly before glaring at her. “Maybe I don’t want to do this anymore. In all of these years, I’ve never before considered retiring, or doing something else with my time. I always thought that,if I was going to live forever, I should do something good with my time. Or do something dangerous until it killed me. But maybe I don’t want to do that anymore. I don’t want to hide and close myself off for the good of people who have never even heard of me. I’ve decided that I want to be happy, Alexeena. If you can’t accept that, maybe you need to reevaluate yourself this time.” He sighed before running his hand through his hair and taking a deep breath through his nose. “Retiring? For a woman who will only live seventy? Eighty more years, if you are lucky? That’s a blink of an eye Kandomere.” Alexeena said with a slight shake of her head. “Don’t give up your life for something so temporary.” “I’ve gone through three marriages, Alexeena. Even with elves, nothing is permanent. You know as well as I do that Nick will not live as long as you do, either. I’m not here to lecture you. I like him, and I support you being with him. All I ask is for you to do the same for me.” “I…” Alexeena started before sighing and looking over her shoulder toward Violet and Nick, shaking her head slightly before looking at Kandomere. “You’re right. I can’t argue with you when you’re right.” She said before closing her eyes. “I’ve just… I’ve spent so long being mad at you, that all I do is find reasons to be mad at you. That’s not your fault, that’s mine and I.. I’m sorry.” She apologized before opening her eyes again. “She really is quite lovely, and, if she makes your stoic demeanor crumble into a smile every now and again, even better.” “Thank you.” Kandomere said with a sincere smile before reaching out to grab her arm, pulling her close and wrapping his arms around her tightly, kissing her on her forehead. “You will always be my baby sister. If we can’t support each other, how the hell else can we expect anyone else to?” He questioned before pulling away and looking down at her. “I want you to apologize to her when she comes back over here.”
Violet was quiet as she threw the stick for Maggie, eventually wading out into the water with Nick by her side, both opting to remain silent for a little while as they took turns throwing the stick. Finally Nick spoke, “I don’t think she meant it like that. Xena is usually very tolerant… and she is the most for desegregation person I have ever met. I think she was just… surprised.” he murmured quietly, passing the stick back and forth between his hands before he threw it back out into the water, looking down at his legs where the water lapped at his thighs. They had waded out quite a ways, though Violet didn’t go any further than that. The water was lapping almost to her hips, she was much shorter than the rest of them and it showed with how deep the water was on her. However, she couldn’t swim to save her life, and she wouldn’t go out any further, “If I knew her, I’m sure I would think the same, Nick.” she said with a twitch of her lips though it didn’t turn into anything more, “But I don’t know her. And It still hurts. Maybe we can talk more once they get out what they need to. Until then… I’ll stay right here with you and your dog.” she said decisively and threw the stick that Maggie brought back to her. “I’m glad you at least have a head on your shoulders. Means we don’t have to worry about Kandomere so much. I know he is a federal agent and all, but sometimes I feel like he is more scatterbrained than a squirrel. You seem to ground him and keep him on track, at least… from what I’ve heard and seen. You were one of the longest lasting interns he had. And…” Nick exhaled and glanced over his shoulder at Alexeena and Kandomere, “I’ve never seen him smile. Not once. But today, I’ve seen him do it more than once. And I have a feeling that is all to do with you. Xena will warm up to you. Try not to worry about it.” Violet glanced up at him and smiled gently as well, nodding her head, “Thanks Nick. I think I needed to hear that.” she whispered, and a big grin came over her face as she turned towards Nick and quickly swept her arm across the surface of the water to douse him in a splash of water. Nick sputtered and spit water to the side, coughing and laughing as he in turn splashed her back and drenched her from head to toe. She had picked up a bikini at the mall while they were there and changed in the car on the way, but her white blouse was soaked through and showed off the purple striped bikini. Violet laughed and shook herself, her red hair plastered to her face and the back of her neck though the bun had managed to hold up, “God.” she chuckled, “Alright. I think we’re even.” she giggled and wiped the water from her face, glancing over her shoulder to see Kandomere and Alexeena hugging it out, and she let out a sigh of relief. It wooshed from her lungs in one big exhale and she nodded to NIck, who followed her back up to the shore, padding across the sand to the blanket, “Looks like you two worked it out a bit.” Nick said gently, grinning devilishly as he advanced towards Alexeena, still dripping wet with his arms extended towards her. Kandomere put on a nice, pinstripe suit and sighed softly. He was one of those people who kind of, stood out, in a crowd. Even among elves, he was a face that was easily recognized. He was worried about Violet, being involved with him. He knew it would put her in danger. As long as she either stayed with him or inside this house, she would surely be fine.. Surely… He went downstairs and put his shoes on, smiling over at her with a raised eyebrow. “Now, for what possible purpose would you need your purse?”
Violet tucked a stray strand of her loose red hair behind her ear, blinking when he commented on her not needing her purse, “I always take it with me. It's got feminine things in it, and my inhaler… my birth control, my important information I'll need for the loan office.” She said, tilting her head and smiling at him gently, “I don't have any money, aside from what is left of the check you gave me. But I used most of that to pay off my credit card and contribute to rent at the apartment.” She said softly.
“Inhaler?” Kandomere asked suddenly, feeling a pit in his stomach. “You… You didn’t tell me that you need an inhaler, Violet. What other medical conditions do you have?” He questioned urgently. He was upset, because he could have hurt her. He would have had no idea what to do for her, or where her medication was. “These are things I need to know if you are going to continue living here with me. I’d hate for something horrible to happen, just because I was not properly informed or prepared.” He scolded.
Violet blinked up at him when he so suddenly grew concerned, “It's just exercise induced asthma, Kandomere… it's not like it's cancer.” She assured him softly, “I'm sorry. We haven't had a lot of time to talk about this kind of thing. I rarely ever have episodes, I only have it for when I go running. Nothing else triggers it.” She promised him softly, “When we get home… would it make you feel better to go over my medical history? Every broken bone, every time I had to go to the hospital or had pneumonia?” she asked him, taking his hand in hers and squeezing, “I didn't mean to worry you.” She whispered and bit onto her lower lip, suddenly no longer feeling like going out though she knew they needed to. “I get bronchitis every once in a while, but my doctor said it was always because of our poor living conditions and the crap I was breathing in that aggravated the asthma. I don't have anything else.” She assured him.
Kandomere looked down at her and let out a deep breath through his nose, shaking his head slightly. “I can’t tell if you mean what you are saying, or are trying to make me feel bad for being so protective.” He admit softly before kissing her on her forehead. “I don’t need to know your entire medical history. But an exercise induced asthma really could have acted up while we were together intimately, Violet. I know I am not the most gentle of lovers.” He explained before putting his coat on over his shoulders. “You aren’t going to have those poor living conditions any longer, so perhaps that will keep you from getting so sick.” He said before opening the door and motioning for her to step outside.
“I meant it Kandomere. I don't want you to feel bad for being protective. I like this side of you. Being intimate is different than running. I don't want you to force yourself to be gentle with me just because I have asthma.” She whispered gently and pulled her light coat on as well, “I know. If I'm lucky I won't get it anymore.” She mused and followed him out of the house. Fidgeting with her hands she tentatively reached out to take his, though when she grazed her fingers against his she thought better of it and pulled her hand back, not sure if he would want to be seen holding hands with her in public.
Kandomere felt her hand brush his briefly and felt a pang of regret. He couldn’t show that kind of affection for her, not in public. She was too fragile for this harsh world. “You are quite lucky or you wouldn’t be here.” He said before getting into the car and waiting for her with a small sigh. “I know you don’t want me to be gentle just because you have asthma, but it’s more than that. I’ll always have to hold back, regardless. Unless you’d rather end up in the hospital due to a pelvic fracture.”
Violet settled into the car next to him and fidgeted with her hands in her lap, “I know that.” She whispered softly, “I know I'm fragile, to your race anyway… I just don't want you to have to hold back even more because of it.” She murmured and fiddled with her fingers in her lap, “If that makes any sense at all. I'm very aware how different from you I am. I just don't like making those differences even more stark.” She sighed and leaned her head back against her seat.
Across town, Nick was just getting off of working a night shift with Ward, and he was physically beat, but his mind was wired. Once Alexeena had been moved home from the hospital he had finally finished moving all of his things out of his dinky little apartment and got them settled in the new house. Maggie loved the new house, especially the backyard, and Nick had just begun sectioning off a small portion of the back area to turn into a garden. He already had plans drawn up for putting in a few trees and flowers in the small section of front yard that they had and was looking forward to possibly working on it this weekend. He didn't know yet what Xena would feel up to doing and he didn't want to push her to do anything she wasn't ready for. He locked his truck and walked up to the front door, yawning weakly and pushing the door open slowly as he let it fall back shut behind him. “Xena! I'm home.” he called, kicking off his shoes and pushing them close to the closet before he padded further into the house.
“I feel like you are misunderstanding me, Violet.” Kandomere sighed, rubbing his eyes with his thumb and forefinger for a moment before he began driving into town, to get the things that she needed. “I am not trying to make you feel guilty, or inferior. I am only trying to explain. I get… am just..” He sighed before shaking his head. “I am too logical for my own good, sometimes. I can’t help it. I’ve spent decades like this.”
Alexeena was still not doing great, but, she was better. She had more or less been put into the witness protection program, or at least, it was similar. She was not to leave her house without escorts. There were too many extremist groups surfacing since the Inferni came to light that it was no longer safe for her and the way she lived here… And it was hard. Mostly, because she could not go to work and they had stripped her home of all alcohol. She hadn’t intended on being sober cold turkey and it was her least favorite thing in the past few hundred years. She was sitting on her couch, listening to music on the radio and working on her novel, though, progress was slow. It was hard for her to stay focused on almost anything. She wanted desperately to go back to work, but they wouldn’t let her. She heard Nick come home and a small smile crossed her lips. “I’m in the living room, Nicky!” She called back, forcing herself to sound more chipper than she felt.
Violet tilted her head back to look up at Kandomere, “I'm sorry. I'm just going to stop talking. Maybe we can have this conversation later and I can make more sense out of it. I'm still sorry I didn't tell you about the asthma.” she murmured and reached out to lay her hand on his thigh before closing her eyes and laying her head back against her seat. They had lots to do today and in the next few days, she didn't want to argue with him. Maybe later when they got home she would make more sense of things.
Nick knew that Xena was still struggling with the fact that she had to stay home and couldn't go to work but he tried to make things better for her by staying home with her and keeping her entertained. He also knew that the lack of alcohol during that first week and subsequently the last few days. He could smell her discomfort and the pain she was going through without it. But he hoped at least that his presence here with her made it better. Hearing her call back to him he couldn't help but smile and hurried inside, grinning to himself as he saw her sitting on the couch with her laptop settled in her lap and Maggie curled up by her feet. “There are my two favorite girls.” He said with a grin and came closer to flop down on the couch beside her, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and drawing her into his chest. He had showered before coming home, so he actually smelled quite pleasant, a mix of his soft cologne and the bland shampoo they stocked at the station. “How are you feeling today?” He whispered to her and tucked a stray strand of her hair behind her pointed ear, leaning his head down to press his forehead against hers.
Alexeena smiled as he came into the room and sat down beside her. She leaned up and kissed his cheek before sighing and shaking her head. “I still feel like death that’s been warmed over. Everything hurts. Withdraw is horrible and it makes me regret my years of alcoholism, but only because it won’t kill me. My head throbs and it’s hard to do anything. Maggie has been taking good care of me…” She said before sighing, cupping his face. “I hate it here… My house has become my prison and I would do anything to get out of here… Hell, spending christmas with my father would be better than spending another minute in this house.” She said before looking back down at her laptop. She closed it and set it down on the coffee table before rubbing her eyes again. “I think I’ve maybe written a page today. I don’t remember the last time my progress was this slow.” She sighed before leaning against him again. “How was your day, Nick, kill anyone?” She teased.
Nick pressed his lips to hers lightly as she set her laptop aside, nuzzling her nose with his own before responding, “Your attempts at humor get worse every day you stay in this house.” He teased her right back, “But no. It was the usual. Noise complaints, drunk people vomiting in the car, couple crazies and a guy who took too many Viagra. That one was funny.” He chuckled and sighed, reaching up to cup her cheek again, “Is there anything I can do to make you feel better? Take your mind off the discomfort? Make dinner?” He sighed sadly, “I think I managed to convince Kandomere I'm a good bodyguard… we could go for a walk.” he suggested lightly, “Or go out to eat. Or drive the truck to the middle of nowhere in the dunes and put the air mattress in the bed, and I could make love to you until you beg for mercy, and then we watch the stars?” He was willing to do anything for her. She was his everything and he hated seeing her so miserable.
Alexeena laughed softly at his day and nodded her head before cupping his cheek gently. “Do you really want to risk going outside without getting clearance from Kandomere first? My, you are a brave one.” She laughed before slowly standing up. “I want to go to the beach. I just… I just want to spend some time standing in the ocean. I want to feel the waves against my skin and the air against my face. I think it would be good to reconnect with the world outside of this house, like that. Perhaps you can even convince Kandomere to join us, just to make sure that I am extra safe.” She said with a playful role of her eyes.
Nick looked down at her incredulously, “I don’t think so.” he laughed deeply, “He can’t hurt me, I protect his precious sister.” he whispered and stood up as well, reaching out to snag her hips in his hands and pull her against his body, “Then let’s go go the beach.” he whispered and kissed her passionately, his thumbs sliding over her hips to cup her backside gently, “Besides, from what I understand from Montague when I tried to contact him earlier, he took the next three days off of work to help his new live in girlfriend adjust.” he murmured teasingly, resting his forehead against hers for a moment, “Go put on some beach clothes, I’ll change too, and get a blanket and some snacks that your stomach can handle.” he murmured to her and gave her cheeks a squeeze before letting go and pulling away from her reluctantly.
Alexeena laughed and rolled her eyes before kissing him back, wrapping her arms around his neck while he spoke. Her eyes went wide when he said the word ‘girlfriend’. “Girlfriend? Kandomere has a girlfriend? Since when? That seems so unlike him, especially after his most recent divorce.” She said with a tone of surprise. “I’ll go put on some beach clothes. Call Kandomere. See if he and his… girlfriend… Would like to join us. He wants us to be a family again, right? I think this seems like a perfect time to start trying.” She said before disappearing up the stairs to change her clothes.
Nick chuckled lightly and nodded, “Montague was more than willing to talk about it because apparently Kandomere has been telling him about her. She was his intern secretary, and he's basically turned into her sugar daddy?” he said, “I think those were the words he used.” he admitted and smacked her backside as she walked away from him, “I'll give him a call, see what he thinks.” He agreed, watching her go before pulling out his phone and dialing the personal cell number that Kandomere had given him.
“My brother has lost his damn mind…” Alexeena murmured to herself while changing. She put on a plain, navy blue, one piece swimsuit underneath a baby blue sundress. “I have to meet her. I need to know what trouble my brother is getting into.” She called down to Nick. “Tell him that I'll pack a picnic for the four of us if he and his new lover would like to join us.”
“Will do babe!” He called up to her and held the phone to his ear as he waited. While they were driving in silence, Kandomere’s phone began to ring inside of Violet’s purse where she had stowed it. Rifling it out of the bag she looked at the screen and saw that it read ‘Jakoby’. Tilting her head to the side she swiped across the screen to answer and put it to her ear while glancing over at Kan as he drove, “Hello?” she said softly into the phone. Nick blinked at the soft sound of a woman's voice on the other end of the phone, but tried not to let it get to him, “Yes, Hello, my name is Nick Jakoby, and I am looking for Agent Kandomere on a personal matter… may I speak to him?” He asked and glanced up towards the stairs. Violet pulled the phone away from her ear and put it on speaker, “You're on speaker Mr. Jakoby, Kandomere is driving at the moment.” she said in her soft, melodic voice. “Good morning Kandomere! Xena and I are going to have an outing at the beach, and she wanted to invite you and your new girlfriend along for a picnic. Since I heard you had taken some time off we thought it would be a good opportunity to have some family time and meet this woman of yours.” He rambled and then cleared his throat, “What do you say? It won't be for long, maybe an hour or so.”
Kandomere was more than surprised to hear Jakoby on the other line, even more surprise by Alexeena’s willingness to speak to him. What on earth caused that change of heart. The look on his face clearly showed his amazement at the words he was hearing and it took him a few moment to regain himself. “Good afternoon, Nick.” He said before looking at the clock and clearing his throat. “Violet and I are currently running some errands to help her get settled. How about I make you a deal. Send me the address and we can meet you at the beach in about an hour, and we can spend, oh… The rest of the afternoon there?” He offered before smiling toward Violet. “I think some extended leisure time would be good for everyone involved. I'm sure Alexeena isn't taking house arrest well. I'd like to let her outside for as long as possible… Violet as well.” Alexeena had stopped at the top of the stairs and closed her eyes. Hearing his voice made her chest tight. What on earth had she been thinking? Was it really time to end this fight that had existed for hundreds of years? I mean, she and Kandomere hadn't been on speaking terms since the end of his second marriage. She didn't even know how long ago that was, but he had clearly changed. The Kandomere she had known would never have considered yet another relationship. Not after the previous disasters he'd found himself in.
An incredibly excited look came over Violet’s face at the mention of going to the beach, beaming up at Kandomere and nodding her head excitedly as he agreed to meet Nick there in an hour after they finished their important errands. “The stuff at my house can wait until we are on our way home. The mall and admissions office shouldn't take long at all.” she agreed, holding the phone between Kandomere and herself as he spoke into the phone. “That sounds great! I'll let Xena know and we will meet you at the beach. Oh, and I'll text you where we will meet up. See you then!” Nick said, his deep voice chipper as he hung up the phone and turned around to see Alexeena standing at the top of the stairs, a smile crossing his lips at the sight of her, “Hey there beautiful.” He murmured, walking to the bottom of the stairs and waiting for her to come down the stairs to wrap his arms around her and kiss her on the lips lightly, “We now have a playdate for the rest of the afternoon.” he joked lightly and rubbed his thumb over the apple of her cheek, “I'll go change, if you get started on that picnic. I'll text him the address and get Maggie's stuff so she can go too.”
Alexeena shook her head slowly while she walked down the stairs. She slid her arms around his neck and kissed him softly. “I don't know if I'm ready for this, Nick…” She whispered nervously. “Kandomere and I haven't been close for a very, very long time… Once upon a time… We were best friends. Nearly inseparable. Mother joked that we were attached at the hip…” She said with a remorseful laugh. “That feels like lifetimes ago... I hope that perhaps this new girlfriend of his has been good for him. Maybe he's not the raging asshole he always used to be.” She said before kissing Nick again before releasing him and walking toward the kitchen. “I'll pack the basket now. I'll grab whatever sounds good. I'd like to stop by the store on our way. Grab some Gatorade and some Grapes. Good beach things to have.” She called over her shoulder.
Nick cradled her close to his chest as she voiced her fears, his forehead pressed against hers and his ears twitching slightly while he listened. “You'll do just fine. I know you will.” He whispered tenderly, his hands pausing on her hips, “I'll be right there close to you the whole time. If you decide you want to go home, then we go home. Okay?” He murmured and returned her kiss before letting her go so she could head into the kitchen. “Sounds good! You and Maggie can wait in the truck and I'll run in to grab them. Be right back!” He called back to her and jogged upstairs so he could change. He came back down a few minutes later in swim trunks and a plain white t-shirt, both straining slightly to contain his taunt muscled form, no matter how he tried to hide it the slight bulge of his length showed against the material of his shorts, even though he wasn't currently aroused. “Maggie, c’mere!” He called, to which the dog perked up instantly and sagged her whole body as she practically jumped up into Nick’s arms. “Easy girl, go get your leash and your ball.” He instructed her to which the dog barked and ran off into the house. While she did that Nick returned to the kitchen. “Anything else I can help with?” he asked.
Alexeena tried to keep calm as she organized a picnic for four. She knew absolutely nothing about what Kandomere or his girlfriend liked to eat. She packed a little of everything. A few sandwiches, cheeses, crackers, carrots and dip. She made sure she had plates and knives for the cheese. She put everything into her large, insulated, purple bag that was sitting on the counter. She grabbed a couple of bottles of water from the fridge and added those as well. Her heart was racing. She had not expected Kandomere to agree. She didn’t know the last time he took any time off of work. This new girl he’d met must really be something, if she convinced him she was worth taking time off for. She looked over at Nick when he came back into the kitchen and shook her head with a small smile. “No, I’m basically done, really. Just those couple of things we wanted to get from the grocery store.” She said with a nod of her head. “Then we can head out.”
Nick slipped his hand onto her hip and surveyed her work, “Looks great to me. Mags is ready to go, let's go get in the truck.” he murmured and pressed his lips to her temple, “It'll be okay. I promise. Kandomere has always been kind to me, despite the issues I've had with most elves. I think he really has changed from what you used to know.” He whispered and let go of her so he could pick up the bag and carry it out to the truck, helping Maggie into the back and holding Xena’s door for her so she could get in. The drive to the store didn't take long, neither did it take him long to buy grapes and gatorade. Within a half hour they were unloading their things at the beach, Nick letting Maggie off her leash to play in the water while he spread a blanket out on the sand.
Alexeena held the bag in her hands when she got out of his truck. It felt so nice, the hot air against her face and the breeze through her dark hair. It was afternoon, but the sun was still very warm. The air smelled like salt from the water. The waves crashed onto the shore and she smiled. It felt so good to be outside of her home. She followed Nick to the blanket he laid out and sat down, putting her bag in the sand beside her while looking longingly toward the ocean. “It’s such a beautiful day.” Kandomere and Violet had arrived not long after. He parked his slick black car next to Nick’s truck and killed the engine. He didn’t get out of the car yet. He only looked toward the beach. He could see Nick and Alexeena. How was he supposed to act? Like nothing had happened? Were they going to discuss all of these years? He looked down at the steering wheel before closing his eyes tightly. He turned to look at Violet and forced an uneasy smile. “As you may or may not remember… My sister really.. Mostly… She mostly hates me, or at least, she used to. Quite a bit. I just want to apologize to you right now. If this gets awkward or tense, we may have to leave. I just don’t want to get your hopes up, just in case we do not stay as long as expected.”
Nick smiled back at Alexeena as she stood close and let the wind blow her hair. He was glad she was already enjoying herself. He loved seeing her happy, and the last week she certainly had not been. “It is nice here, isn't it?” He asked, looking back towards the truck to see Kandomere’s car pull up beside it, though they didn't get out right away. Violet looked up at Kandomere and gave him a genuine smile, “Even if we only spend maybe ten minutes here Kan?” she whispered, “It will be ten minutes I get to spend here with you, at the beach. So… I don't mind if we have to leave. I'll just be glad to meet your sister and her boyfriend, and be here with you.” she assured him gently, leaning across the car to kiss him, the action quite rough before she pulled back, grinning all the while, and got out of the car. She kicked off her shoes and carried them in one hand as she walked out onto the beach, pausing and turning around to wait for Kandomere with her hand stretched towards him.
Alexeena laughed quietly as she looked up at Nick, raising a hand to block the sun slightly. “It is nice here. I’ve always loved the water. Mother told me I should have been born a Mermaid, not an elf.” She laughed quietly before she turned and saw a young woman with bright red hair outside of a car. Clearly human, she could smell it. Kandomere kissed her back and groaned softly when she got out of the car. He hoped this would go better than he was expecting it to. He got out of the car and follow suit, removing his shoes and socks before stepping onto the warm sand. He walked toward Nick and Alexeena, waving a hand toward them nervously. Alexeena’s eyes went wide while they approached. She turned to look at Nick with wide eyes. “She is human? Did you know about this?” She whispered in Orcish. She didn’t care of Kandomere heard her, but she certainly didn’t want to make this poor girl uncomfortable just because she was surprised.
Nick glanced over at the two coming towards them, his eyes widening in surprise as Alexeena spoke, “I had no idea she was human. Montague never mentioned it.” He whispered back to her in Orcish, coming to stand next to where she sat and crouched down next to her, “She must be special.” He whispered against her ear in English this time, going quiet as the other two drew closer. Violet took his hand in hers whether he liked it or not as they got closer, making a show of it being for support as she teetered in the sand. She knew he didn't like to make contact with her in public if he could help it but they were practically the only ones on this beach today as it was the middle of a normal work day, and the beach was quite secluded. “Hello!” She called to the orc and elf standing by the beach blanket. Her cheeks were slightly flushed and she was nervous, but she was doing her best to be friendly. “Hey! Glad you could make it Kandomere! Care to introduce us to your lady friend?” Nick asked as he stood up again, rolling his shoulders and settling his hands on his hips, trying not to look intimidating. He knew how most humans felt about him. Violet’s bright purple eyes went wide as she focused on Nick, a gasp leaving her throat, “You didn't tell me your sister was dating the hero medal cop!” She chirped at Kandomere, nudging him in the side and letting go of his hand to hurry up to Nick and shake his hand, “I'm a big fan! I think it's great that the police force is starting to hire more diverse people now!” She giggled and let go of his hand then, her cheeks flushed, “I'm sorry, I'm Violet. It's nice to meet both of you.” she said, nibbling on her lip. Nick couldn't help but laugh and nod his head, “It's alright. Nice to meet you Violet. You can call me Nick.”
“Of course he would fail to mention she’s a human.” Alexeena murmured in orcish with a hint of irritation before standing up from the spot where she had been sitting. She watched as both of them approached and much to her surprise, the girl approached Nick first. She hadn’t expected a human to start immediately with an Orc instead of an Elf, especially if she was dating an elf. She watched their exchange with cautious eyes before finally turning her attention toward her brother. Though he looked young and always would, he was an old man, just trying to keep up. “It’s good to see you, Kandomere.” Alexeena said quietly before nodding her head toward Violet. “It’s nice to see that you’ve decided to try again. It has been a while, hasn’t it?” “Hello Alexeena.” Kandomere said with a small smile before setting his shoes down on the ground. He watched Violet talking with Nick and couldn’t help but chuckle. “I didn’t mention it, because it doesn’t matter. If you are impressed by that, you’ll probably be shocked to know that Alexeena is actually a writer. Her pen name is Alice Hepbern. You might recall the name from the news a couple of weeks back.” He explained before placing a hand on Violet’s shoulder and placing a small kiss on her temple. “Have you lost your damn mind?” Alexeena said with wide eyes while focused intently on her brother. She said these words in elvish, hoping that Violet did not speak the language. She could not remember the last time that Kandomere had shown that kind of affection to anyone. He didn’t even touch his ex-wife in public for several years. Not only that, but the way he so casually mentioned information. He must not have been able to separate the fact that she was a lover now, not an employee. Not to mention that, but she was currently under government protection after the kidnapping and the business with the wand. He, as part of the FBI, knew better than to speak and behave so casually in public.
Nick was still chuckling slightly, though he went quiet as Kandomere began to speak, showing such obvious affection for the girl standing beside him. It was something he had never seen from the man before, at least, he always seemed stoic and without flaws, to see him happy and engaging in physical contact was amazing to him. He flinched however at Alexeena’s words, glancing towards Violet who stood next to Kandomere. At the mention of Alexeena’s pen name, Violet instantly perked up, however as she parted her lips to express how much she loved Alexeena’s work, she spoke instead. While it had been a few years since she took any Elvish in high school, the intonation of the words, and a few that she remembered from the phrase Alexeena said to Kandomere instantly took the wind out of her sails. Biting onto her lower lip and forcing a breath out through her nose to calm the pain in her chest, “It’s a pleasure to meet you. I love your books.” Violet said softly though she didn’t look up at Alexeena, instead glancing over at the dog who was bouncing around behind Nick, “I’m gonna go play with the dog, Kandomere. You should probably talk to your sister alone.” she murmured and let go of Kan’s hand to venture away from the group. Dropping her shoes by the blanket she jogged down to the water's edge and picked up the stick that Maggie had been waving around and threw it for her out into the water, watching as she chased after it and then brought it back. Nick exhaled through his nose and looked down at Alexeena, “You know better than to assume someone doesn’t speak your language, Xena…” he said softly to her and slid his hand onto her back, “She’s right though. You two should talk. I’ll go keep Violet company.” he said softly and kissed her forehead before he too walked down to the edge of the water, speaking quietly to Violet as they took turns throwing the stick for Maggie.
“You of all people, Alexeena? That’s rich.” Kandomere said with a small scoff before looking over at Violet with a look of dismay as she continued speaking before walking toward the shore. He wished she had stopped talking. Alexeena hadn’t deserved those kind words, not after what she had said. Once Violet and Nick were out of earshot, he continued again. “You, of all people, to make a scene about someones ra-” “No.” Alexeena corrected, holding a finger up to silence him temporarily. “This has nothing to do with the fact that she is a human, Kandomere. This has to do with you. Are you out of your mind? Did something at work finally happen to break you? I’ve never heard you throw around classified information since you were in the academy and could not stop your excitement.” She hissed coldly. “If she didn’t know who I was, she didn’t need to know. She was fine with seeing Nick as a hero. Why did you have to say anything? And kissing her? You know that paints a target on her back.” “You say that like I don’t know it.” Kandomere snapped back impatiently. “You being Alice is hardly classified. Heavily buried, sure, but not classified. If it was classified, you wouldn’t be able to tell anyone either, so don’t you dare play that card on me.” He said sternly before glaring at her. “Maybe I don’t want to do this anymore. In all of these years, I’ve never before considered retiring, or doing something else with my time. I always thought that,if I was going to live forever, I should do something good with my time. Or do something dangerous until it killed me. But maybe I don’t want to do that anymore. I don’t want to hide and close myself off for the good of people who have never even heard of me. I’ve decided that I want to be happy, Alexeena. If you can’t accept that, maybe you need to reevaluate yourself this time.” He sighed before running his hand through his hair and taking a deep breath through his nose. “Retiring? For a woman who will only live seventy? Eighty more years, if you are lucky? That’s a blink of an eye Kandomere.” Alexeena said with a slight shake of her head. “Don’t give up your life for something so temporary.” “I’ve gone through three marriages, Alexeena. Even with elves, nothing is permanent. You know as well as I do that Nick will not live as long as you do, either. I’m not here to lecture you. I like him, and I support you being with him. All I ask is for you to do the same for me.” “I…” Alexeena started before sighing and looking over her shoulder toward Violet and Nick, shaking her head slightly before looking at Kandomere. “You’re right. I can’t argue with you when you’re right.” She said before closing her eyes. “I’ve just… I’ve spent so long being mad at you, that all I do is find reasons to be mad at you. That’s not your fault, that’s mine and I.. I’m sorry.” She apologized before opening her eyes again. “She really is quite lovely, and, if she makes your stoic demeanor crumble into a smile every now and again, even better.” “Thank you.” Kandomere said with a sincere smile before reaching out to grab her arm, pulling her close and wrapping his arms around her tightly, kissing her on her forehead. “You will always be my baby sister. If we can’t support each other, how the hell else can we expect anyone else to?” He questioned before pulling away and looking down at her. “I want you to apologize to her when she comes back over here.”
Violet was quiet as she threw the stick for Maggie, eventually wading out into the water with Nick by her side, both opting to remain silent for a little while as they took turns throwing the stick. Finally Nick spoke, “I don’t think she meant it like that. Xena is usually very tolerant… and she is the most for desegregation person I have ever met. I think she was just… surprised.” he murmured quietly, passing the stick back and forth between his hands before he threw it back out into the water, looking down at his legs where the water lapped at his thighs. They had waded out quite a ways, though Violet didn’t go any further than that. The water was lapping almost to her hips, she was much shorter than the rest of them and it showed with how deep the water was on her. However, she couldn’t swim to save her life, and she wouldn’t go out any further, “If I knew her, I’m sure I would think the same, Nick.” she said with a twitch of her lips though it didn’t turn into anything more, “But I don’t know her. And It still hurts. Maybe we can talk more once they get out what they need to. Until then… I’ll stay right here with you and your dog.” she said decisively and threw the stick that Maggie brought back to her. “I’m glad you at least have a head on your shoulders. Means we don’t have to worry about Kandomere so much. I know he is a federal agent and all, but sometimes I feel like he is more scatterbrained than a squirrel. You seem to ground him and keep him on track, at least… from what I’ve heard and seen. You were one of the longest lasting interns he had. And…” Nick exhaled and glanced over his shoulder at Alexeena and Kandomere, “I’ve never seen him smile. Not once. But today, I’ve seen him do it more than once. And I have a feeling that is all to do with you. Xena will warm up to you. Try not to worry about it.” Violet glanced up at him and smiled gently as well, nodding her head, “Thanks Nick. I think I needed to hear that.” she whispered, and a big grin came over her face as she turned towards Nick and quickly swept her arm across the surface of the water to douse him in a splash of water. Nick sputtered and spit water to the side, coughing and laughing as he in turn splashed her back and drenched her from head to toe. She had picked up a bikini at the mall while they were there and changed in the car on the way, but her white blouse was soaked through and showed off the purple striped bikini. Violet laughed and shook herself, her red hair plastered to her face and the back of her neck though the bun had managed to hold up, “God.” she chuckled, “Alright. I think we’re even.” she giggled and wiped the water from her face, glancing over her shoulder to see Kandomere and Alexeena hugging it out, and she let out a sigh of relief. It wooshed from her lungs in one big exhale and she nodded to NIck, who followed her back up to the shore, padding across the sand to the blanket, “Looks like you two worked it out a bit.” Nick said gently, grinning devilishly as he advanced towards Alexeena, still dripping wet with his arms extended towards her.
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