The House of the Rising Sun

[ladydeathfaerie]

Title: House of the Rising Sun
Fandoms: a cross over between Marvel's X-Men(to some degree) Universe and the Anita Blake Universe
Rating: no one under 18. there will be blood and gore, sex and violence. dirty language and whatever else i feel like tossing in here.
Warning: as i said, sex and violence and dirty words. said sex will include, but not be limited to, M/F, M/M, M/F/F, F/F, M/M/F and probably any other combination i can work out. weak stomach, not my fault. you have been warned.
Disclaimer: i do not own anyone from the Marvel universe. i do not own anyone from the Anita Blake universe. i don't even own Gin. i'm lucky to own myself. i swear i'm not making any money from this. i just do what the sick voices inside my head tell me to. i write purely for my enjoyment. and possibly the comments. please don't sue, harass or bother me. i have no money to pay you, but i do have a really nasty temper. and i know some good cuss words.

Author's Notes: lots of conversation here and a few insights into what the hell was really going on.

The House of the Rising Sun: The Index


Almost before it had really begun, the fighting was over. All of the lycanthropes were subdued. One or two were nursing gun shot wounds. Edward was casually holding his gun on the two vamps, watching them with blank eyes. Anita stepped forward, drawing their attention to her. The Master lifted her lips in a snarl. "Anita Blake. How dare you step into my lair and attack me and mine? This is how you would repay the kindness I extended by allowing you and your... friends entrance to my city unharmed and unchallenged?"

"My master sends his greetings to the Master of the City of New Orleans," she intoned, knowing full well that it was a formality she needn't have bothered with. Jean Claude had voiced his opinions on New Orleans' head bloodsucker and none of it could be repeated in polite company.

"Your master should teach you manners, child. A human servant does not enter another Master's lair with gun in hand and murder on her mind," the vampire said in a quiet voice that belied the viciousness Anita had just witnessed.

"I'm also a Federal Marshal. I've come to look into some mysterious deaths here in New Orleans. My investigation has brought me to your lair. That makes me well within my rights to bring a gun with me. The fact that I've found you attacking a pair of mortals is enough to justify having the weapon naked in my hand. Kidnapping and murder are serious offenses."

"That is a serious allegation, child. Do you have a warrant of execution?" the Master asked, her voice bland.

"No. I don't."

"Then you are not allowed to harm me. If you were to do anything, the human authorities would look upon it as murder. Even you are not above the law, Ms. Blake." The woman smiled, allowing her fangs to show. There was blood smeared across her chin, letting Anita know she'd fed sloppily.

A smirk brought the corners of Anita's mouth up. "Considering that I walked into your lair in time to see you try and murder these women, I don't need a warrant. I can stake you here and now. No judge or jury in the country would find fault with my actions. I have a duty to protect the innocent," she replied steadily. "Their lives take precedence over yours."

"I do not take kindly to threats, Executioner. Perhaps I should teach you the manners that Jean Claude has failed to teach you." The Master's voice held power in it. It was a wasted effort.

"I've taken on stronger, more powerful vamps than you. I'm still alive. They aren't," Anita told her. "If you really want to know the truth, most of Jean Claude's kiss is more powerful than you are. I don't know if killing you would be such a challenge." Her cavalier attitude drew a hiss from the Master's throat. The male vampire at her side said nothing, showed nothing on his face. Merely supported his Master with one arm around her shoulder. Anita studied him and noticed a puckered scar.

It was small, shaped like a crater, and centered in the middle of his throat. It was also fresh. She recalled what she'd been told by the Munroe woman and put it together. The melted lump of silver the police had retrieved from the apartment was thought to have been a crucifix. Even if there hadn't been faith behind it, the metal would have left a scar on a vampire. It looked as if one of the girls had shoved the end of the cross into his throat.

"That looks like it hurt," she smiled. Without looking away, she motioned toward the trio at her back. "Do me a favor and check on them." Edward made a noise and slipped away from her. She felt a faint flare of power from the vamp behind her, but it died away almost immediately. There were no sounds in the room while she waited.

"They need medical attention, Anita." There was nothing there to give away how bad the situation was. Which was enough to tell her it was bad. A few seconds later, Edward was again at her elbow.

The four of them stared at one another for a few moments. Then the Master smiled, something meant to be kind and sincere. It looked as fake as it was.

"We're going to take the girls with us. Its more than obvious that neither one of them wants to be here with you. I suggest you don't move," Anita warned. The vamp's smile grew and she shook her head, as if she'd never even considered doing anything of the sort.

"Of course, child. Good luck."

Shifting her attention to the lycanthropes with her, Anita studied them in an attempt to decide who would be best to handle the girls. Deciding that it would be prudent for the best fighters to have their hands free, she motioned to Micah and Sylvie with one hand. They nodded and crossed the room to approach the people behind her.

"You not gon' touch dem." The man's voice drew Anita's attention. She risked a glance behind her to find that the vampire was blocking access to the women. Frowning, she turned back to Edward.

"Have you got this?" she asked him.

"I'm good. Go take care of it." He nodded his head once. Without being told, Ares and Bobby Lee took up positions on either side of Edward to serve as his backup. Anita moved to join the small group near the wall, aiming her gun at the floor without putting it up. She didn't trust the vampire, despite his obvious willingness to protect the women behind him. The vampire stared at her with those odd eyes of his and it took Anita a moment to realize that they were red on black. She'd never seen the like. She'd have to ask Jean Claude about it.

"They can't stay here," she told him softly. "They're too fragile to last for long against a group of vampires and lycanthropes. The fact that they've lasted this long is amazing. I'm going to get them out of here. Get them medical help. None of us are going to harm them. There are people looking for them, a friend who's worried."

He stared at her without saying a word. At a nod from her, Micah and Sylvie slid around him to scoop up both women. They were nearly naked and probably in shock. They needed to be covered, kept warm. She motioned Travis over and asked him to collect some of the shredded cloth laying on the floor to wrap them in. He did so quickly and efficiently, carefully wrapping up both of them tightly. "You gon' take care o' dem?" the vampire finally asked softly.

"I promise. They'll be safe."

"Good," he murmured before turning his attention to both women. He carefully laid a kiss on the unconscious woman's head, one hand gliding over the silk of her hair as he did so. He looked lost and sad. She thought it odd. Then he moved to the other woman and leaned down to press a kiss to her forehead. His fingers stroked her cheek softly. It took a great deal of effort for her to give her attention to him. "You be good, petit. Dese people gon' protect you, keep you safe."

"Remy?" she whispered, her voice laden with confusion. "What's going on?"

"Dey gon' take you away from here. Dis a rescue," he told her softly. She actually struggled against Micah's hold, trying to reach for him despite the fact that her arms were wrapped inside the red material.

"You have to come with, Remy. You can't stay here. She'll kill you," the girl whispered. He smiled at her sadly, his mouth opening to speak. She ignored it and turned her gaze away, looking around at all their faces. She saw Anita and noted the gun in her hand. "You can't leave him here. He has to come with us."

"You're in shock. You don't know what you're saying," Anita said quietly, her eyes flicking to the man. If he'd taken advantage of them...

"You don't understand. Remy kept us safe. He has to come with or the Master will kill him. If we leave without him, then all of this has been for nothing," the girl insisted, her voice strident with fear. She turned to look at the man called Remy and smiled. "Please don't leave him here. He has to come with. If you leave him, we'll come back for him."

"Is it true?" Anita turned to him. "Did you protect them? Would they risk their lives coming back for you."

"Dey stubborn an' headstrong. You leave Remy here, dey come back," he nodded. There was a slight smile pulling at the corner of his lips. The look sobered and he met her with those odd eyes of his. She felt something that pressed against her like cotton, soft and comforting, then it was gone. "You an honorable woman. Dey don' ask for dis. Dey don' deserve dis. Dey only here because of me. I swear I don' hurt dem."

"Fine, you can come with," she nodded. He offered her a faint smile. He started to reach for one of the girls, but she shook her head at him. "I need you unencumbered. If the Master gives us any problems, you're the best one to go on the defensive. Don't worry. Micah and Sylvie will take good care of them."

She watched those strange eyes gentle as they stared at the two women with something like real affection. Then they flicked toward the spot where the Master stood. Hate, dark and fetid and merciless, slid across his face before he inclined his head ever so slightly. "D'accord."

She nodded her head and turned back to the Master. "Now let's get the hell out of here."

The Master smiled and watched as she collected everyone together. When they were gathered in a group, Anita motioned them to go out the same way they'd come. She watched as Edward waited for everyone to make it into the hallway they'd emerged from. She glanced up at him, a silent question on her face. He offered a smile that didn't meet his eyes, then drew a super soaker out from under the leather trench coat he'd put on before leaving the hotel.

"Such toys will not harm me, human," the Master said, her voice filled with contempt and arrogance. That cold look was turned her way and his smile grew. Anita watched as he casually worked the pump. "You might as well be armed with a plastic knife."

"The tank is filled with holy water. Since this is a confined space, this will be less messy than the flame thrower," he commented evenly, the nozzle of the water gun aimed at the Master's face. "I left that in the car. Looking at this place now, I should have brought it." He waved a gloved hand toward the hallway. "Go, Anita. I've got the rear."

She didn't argue. If she there was anyone she would trust to have at her back when leaving a vampire's lair, it was Edward. Gun still in hand, Anita moved to join the group as they began tracing their path back the way they'd come. It was slow going with the injured women, though. Micah and Sylvie had taken up positions near the front of the line. Bobby Lee had gone first, Travis just behind him. Ares was behind them, offering extra protection. The vampire was between her and the humans. Even though she didn't feel the flood of power that meant a vampire was coming up behind them, she wasn't about to let her guard down until they were in the car and on their way to Ororo Munroe's house.

Slipping into the darkness didn't help with the tension any.

A light clicked on at the head of the line, allowing them to pick their way with ease once they left the smoother stone floors of the church behind. Much of the group was hidden from view, though. It startled Anita when a voice floated back to her. The conscious woman's voice came from out of the darkness. "Remy? Are you here?"

"Oui, petit. Remy here."

Anita frowned. Just what she didn't need. Another fucking vampire who spoke French.

~*~*~*~*~

They'd come in two SUVs. And it had been hell trying to get everyone into them. Remy hadn't wanted to let the three of them be split up. In the light of the waning moon, Gin had been able to see Jo cradled in the woman's arm. She'd been so still and pale. Gin had been afraid that her friend had died. The woman who'd come had tried to convince him to split them up but arguing had been useless. Remy had refused to let either of them out of his sight. In the end, instead of wasting time with arguing, the man who was carrying Gin had convinced the other woman to let the three of them stay together.

Gin was propped against his side in the middle row of seats, one arm around her shoulder, while Jo was cradled against his chest, held by his free arm. She didn't look good. The woman called Anita drove this vehicle, the man who'd been carrying Gin in the passenger's seat beside her. Behind them, another pair of people occupied the third and final row of seats. Both had guns in their hands, their eyes shifting to take in all of the cars around them.

"Where are we going?" Gin croaked and watched as Anita's eyes found hers in the rear view mirror.

"Someplace safe," she replied. Her glance shifted to the man next to her. "I wish to hell we had Lillian here, Micah. I don't dare take them to a regular doctor. It won't be safe for them in a hospital."

"We're going to have to make do," he reached out and laid a hand on the woman's arm. Gin heard the sigh and watched her shoulders slump just a little. "Maybe their friend knows someone."

"It might be too late by the time we get to her place," Anita shook her head. Gin turned wide eyes up to Remy to find him watching Jo's face quietly. She didn't see an expression on it, but she could feel his concern and his fear.

"She's not going to die. Is she, Remy? After everything, she can't die now that we've gotten away from the bitch," Gin whispered softly.

Tense silence filled the car and Gin realized that everyone had heard what she'd said. She ignored the urge to look around at all of them and concentrated instead on him. On the face of her best friend. She carefully worked an arm out of the makeshift blanket and reached for Jo's face, gently touching the woman's cheek. Remy's arm around her shoulders tightened slightly. "She still breathin'. Her heart still beatin'," he said quietly, offering Gin a pained smile. "Close you eyes and listen."

She knew what he meant. She closed her eyes and carefully pushed everything back, sealing off the emotions of every person in the car into their own little boxes in her head. Locked them all away until she was left with Remy's soothing presence against her mind and, beneath it, around it, mixed with it, the sense she had of her best friend. Jo had always been a part of her life, for a very long time. Long enough that she could always pick her friend's emotional feel out from everyone else's. No matter how many people there were. Tonight, though, she wanted to be sure of what she felt.

At first, she felt nothing. She almost panicked, but Remy wouldn't allow her to do it. He helped soothe her, helped calm her so that she could feel the same thing he did. Barely there, little more than a wisp of a touch, she caught the flutter of Jo's subconscious. It wasn't an emotion, per se. She couldn't really name what it was, but she knew that it was her friend. The sense grew and she realized that Remy was helping refine and pinpoint it for her. Faint as it was, the pulse was still strong. A strong feel of... whatever under the thick layer of unconsciousness.

Gin sighed and felt tears prick her eyes. She turned a watery smile up at him, her face bright with her thankfulness. "I don't know what you did, but you saved her."

"You an' her, you save me first. Just returning de favor." Remy offered her a faint smile, then flicked his gaze toward the front of the car. She understood well enough. Anything else she wanted to discuss should be done when no one was listening in. Gin nodded and sighed, her eyes slipping closed with exhaustion. For the moment, they were safe. The Master had been wary of Anita's arrival and that was enough for Gin. She would trust in Remy to keep them safe for a little while. Just long enough to close her eyes and rest them for a few minutes.

~*~

Energy woke her up. It prickled along her skin like ant bites, drawing her up out of the darkness. There was a lot of it. Under that was the smoother feel of Remy. He was close by and, based on what she felt, not happy. Struggling under the weight of her exhaustion and the blankets covering her, Gin forced herself to wake, to sit up and take in her surroundings.

The room was darkened, but the door was cracked open to allow light to spill in across the floor. Hard wood met her feet when set them down, smooth and mellow and slightly chill. Her toes curled away from the cold while her hands sought out something to hold on to while she got her balance. She could hear a soft murmur of voices from another room. Most of the words were too muffled to hear, but she thought she knew what the topic of discussion was.

Her fingers found a lamp, fumbled for the switch. Mellow gold shafted through the room, dimly lighting a small bedroom filled with a full sized bed, a pair of dressers and night stands in heavy, dark wood. A vanity was near the only window in the room. The colors were pale blues and light greys, soothing colors that made her feel safe despite the fact that she didn't know where she was.

When she thought she could manage to walk without falling over, she started for the door. She wanted to find Jo and make sure she was okay. Wanted to find Remy and hold him. She wasn't sure if their escape had been a dream or not. If it had, she didn't think she wanted to wake up from it. Soft material swished around her thighs, drawing her attention to the shirt she wore. It was far too large for her and dipped off one shoulder to expose the glaring white of gauze covering her skin. She didn't recognize the shirt anymore than she recognized the room she was in. But she remembered Anita saying it was someplace safe.

The door swung open on silent hinges and Gin stepped out into the hallway. The light that had crept in across the floor was coming from the far end of the corridor. That was the direction she headed in.

It was a living room, bright and cheery with color despite the muted light that shone from scarf covered lamps. The floor was covered with a large, vivid carpet that looked vaguely familiar. The talking was louder now, heated and filled with anger. Tension was so thick, she felt as if she were swimming in it. She could sense that there were several people in the kitchen. Some thing at the back of her mind told her to hold back and wait a bit, get a feel for what they were talking about.

"There's no reason this has to get out of control. We're reasonable people. Surely we can talk this out..." Gin remembered that voice. She searched her memory for the name to go with it and finally came up with one. Micah. He'd been the one who'd carried her.

"Dere no'ting to talk about. De girls leave, I gon' wit' dem. You not gon' split us up." Remy's voice was level, but Gin could feel the anger in him. And the fear. The fear was so thick, she thought she might choke on it. It hadn't been like that since that first night, when she and Jo had seen him again for the first time after five years and all their searching.

"I don't know you. I don't know what kind of relationship you have with them." This was Anita and she sounded as pissed as she felt. Something about the woman niggled at the back of Gin's mind, something she thought she should remember about their rescuer. But it stayed just out of reach, teasing her with its presence. "I don't care what you say. I'm not letting them go off with you. Not after what they've been through. I can't be sure that you haven't enthralled them."

"Anita." This voice was different, empty. There was something chilling about it. "You've always been able to tell when a vamp has someone enthralled. Why is it different now?"

"I don't know. There's something weird with him. I can't get a good lock on how old he is." She sounded frustrated. Gin wasn't sure she understood what the woman meant by that. "I don't care what you say. I don't care what they say. I don't trust you and I'm not putting them at risk anymore than they already have been."

"Dey come looking for me. I try and make dem stay away from me. De Master send Darious, Ivan and Dmitri after dem. Dey bring the girls back and de Master, she use dem as she see fit." Remy explained softly.

"You did nothing to protect them," Anita accused. That was the last straw. Remy let go a string of French. It sounded angry, the edges raw like a gaping wound that had yet to scab over. Holding on to her temper, Gin finished crossing the living room floor and stepped into the kitchen. All eyes came to rest on her. The man called Micah stood near Anita, who had one hip against the cupboard. Lounging against a wall in a deceptively casual pose was a blonde that Gin thought she'd seen earlier at the lair. There was nothing on his face to give away his thoughts and his eyes were empty. Remy was in the corner, where two windows met, his shoulder propped against the glass in a deceptively casual pose.

His eyes actually lit up when he saw her, a soft smile edging the corners of his mouth up. She went to him without a word and allowed him to pull her into his embrace. His heart beat steadily in his chest and she could feel warmth coming off of him. Someone had fed him not too long ago. She went up on tiptoes to let him press a kiss to her lips, then turned in his arms and cast a stern gaze around the room. "There was nothing he could do to protect us. She didn't let him feed properly. The general threat was she'd take it out of someone's hide if one of us displeased her. He did the best he could. And that bitch tried to break us six ways from Sunday. Trust me. He did the best he could. He was one vampire. How the hell was he supposed to stand up against all of them?"

Anita said nothing, simply stared at her. Gin pushed on. "He's right. We went looking for him. Jo and I met him about five years ago when we came down here after high school graduation. He spent the entire week with us, day and night, showing us New Orleans. All of it. When we moved back down here, we tried to find him."

"You spent night and day with him five years ago?" Anita asked, her eyes flicking back and forth between their faces.

"Yes." Gin hissed and rolled her eyes. "He wasn't a vampire then. He was alive. The vampire thing happened after we went home."

"Five years? Are you sure?" There was a look of utter disbelief on Anita's face.

"Yes. Five years. Of course I'm sure. He was part of the reason we came back to New Orleans in the first place," Gin snarled at her.

"That isn't possible. It has to be some kind of mistake," Anita's brow furrowed. The blonde shifted away from the wall.

"There's an easy way to settle this, Anita," he murmured. Gin watched him, body tense. The man moved like a predator, even though he didn't look like one. In fact, he looked like the kind of man a person could see on the street and forget all about until they woke up in the middle of the night with him looming over them, ready to shove a knife into their heart. "If he's only been undead for five years, there will be records of him in the system. We look him up and verify the story that way."

The woman turned to look at him for a moment before heaving a sigh and nodding. "That works. You'll handle it?"

The man smiled, and Gin found that it wasn't very nice. "Of course. I just need a name."

"Its the truth. I don't now why you don't believe it, but its the truth," Gin told them. She didn't move away from Remy's side. In fact, she refused to let him go.

"There's no way a five year old vamp packs that much power," Anita informed her. There was annoyance in her voice, as if she were being buzzed by a fly. She frowned, lines forming between her eyes before she finally shot a glance at Remy and frowned. "I don't know what you are. I don't know what you're doing. Just stop it. Stop it now."

"Annoying her is bad for your health," a woman's voice slid into the room before she did. Gin glanced at the newcomer with a slight frown. She gave off the same kind of buzzing energy that had woken Gin from her sleep. "She has a tendency to shoot people who annoy her. If you want to keep being undead, I suggest you take her advice and stop it."

The woman had short cut hair with a slight curl to it and brown eyes. She stood a little taller than Gin did, but only by four or five inches. She didn't look like anything beyond a woman in her jeans and t-shirt. But there was a feel of power to her that spoke of great strength. Gin glanced up at Remy and found him smiling, though it lacked some of its usual heat. Finally, he inclined his head. Almost immediately, some of the tension drained from the room.

With the tension gone, Gin turned her attention to Anita. She was watching the two of them with an unreadable expression on her face. "Where's Jo? Is she okay? How badly was she hurt?"

"I been tryin' to find out," Remy informed her. "Dey don' tell me. Dey don' let me see her."

"We thought it was in her best interests if she was allowed some time to recover..." Anita began. Gin stepped away from Remy with a snarl and advanced on the woman. She didn't back down, but she didn't seem like she was really comfortable with the move.

"Where. Is. She?" Gin asked, careful to enunciate each word clearly. "You're going to let us see her right now. And I mean right now. Or I swear, you won't like what happens."

Tension swelled in the room once more. It pressed against her skin like clothing that was too tight. It took her every last ounce of will she had to keep from letting the swell of anger inside of her burst forth and seek out a target to spend itself on. There was a hesitance from several of the people in the room. The amusement she felt was from Remy. And one of them was oddly blank. She found that curious.

No one looked ready to talk. Gin had no clue where she was. That was bad. She'd woken to find that the people who'd come to rescue them were giving Remy a hard time, as if everything that had happened to them was his fault personally. That was worse. Now they weren't going to tell her where her best friend, her family, was. That was the worst thing. The biggest mistake they could have made. She'd hurt them if they didn't tell her where Jo was. If they didn't tell her anything at all.

"Where is she?" she asked quietly. "Tell me now, or so help me..."

"There is no need for such aggression in my home." The smooth, soothing voice brought Gin to a stop in mid-threat. She swung her gaze around and watched as Ororo strode into the kitchen. Gin turned away from the strangers before her to step into the other woman's arms. They hugged tightly, Gin sinking thankfully into the taller woman's warmth and comfort. "Ginette, you cannot know how pleased I am to see you alive. I was afraid that you were..."

"I'm okay. If not for Remy, we'd have both died... Jo!" Her eyes went wide and she searched Ororo's face. The woman had been more like a mother than an employer and it didn't surprise Gin one bit to know that she had been the one looking for them. The anger at being kept in the dark was gone. The pleasure at seeing Ororo was gone. Now, it was all fear. "Is she okay, Ororo? Where is she?"

"She is still unconscious," Ororo explained before hugging Gin to her again. "She woke briefly when I was trying to settle her, then slipped away once more. But she smiled when she saw me. I have a friend on his way here. He is a doctor, after a fashion, and he will do what he can for her. He will also want to look at you to be sure you are well."

"I'm fine, Ororo. I'm more worried about Jo," Gin shoved the comment aside without thinking too deeply about it. She cast a glance toward the other people in the room. "Can I see her? Please? I need to know for myself..."

"Of course," Ororo nodded. Her gaze sought out Remy and she offered him a smile. "You will come, too. I know you protected them as best as you were able. She asked about you before she drifted off again."

"Miss Munroe, I don't think..." Anita began, but Ororo turned to her and frowned. Gin saw something flash in her eyes briefly before they settled back to their startling shade of blue.

"This is my home, Ms. Blake and you are here under my agreement. You will not keep them apart. If you try it, you will leave."

"You asked for my help in retrieving them, Miss Munroe," Anita pointed out.

"I did. And I cannot thank you enough for what you have done. But you did not see what I saw, Ms. Blake. If not for him, they would have died. Without question. You might think that he did not do enough to protect them, but I know the truth," Ororo said quietly. "There was little he could do without risking his own life on top of theirs. He deserves to see her. You will not stand in his way."

Ororo's tone of voice was so firm that no one dared question it. Anita looked as if she might try for a second or two but, in the end, she sighed and nodded her head in agreement. Gin reached out for Remy's hand and took it, pulling him closer. She watched as he looked Ororo in the eye long enough to bring a faint blush to her cheeks. Then he smiled at her, reached for her hand and lifted it to his mouth for a kiss. "Merci. For gettin' dem out of dere."

"There is no need to thank me. You would have done the same, were our positions reversed." Ororo fetched her hand back from Remy's grasp and motioned toward the door of the kitchen. Remy tipped his head at her, then made a gesture for her to go before him. Ororo smiled at him, stepping forward with one arm still around Gin's shoulders. She let the taller woman escort her out of the room, bathed in Ororo's serenity while Remy's warmth caressed her back.

The three of them were silent as they crossed the living room. Gin realized why the rug under her feet seemed so familiar now. There was a second one just like it on the floor in Ororo's shop on the first floor of the building. It was larger than this one, though. She'd seen it often enough that she should have remembered. They passed into the hallway, continued on past the open doorway to the bedroom Gin had woken in only to stop before a closed wooden panel that was just a few steps down on the opposite side of the hall.

Ororo stopped before the door, turning to glance at Gin with kind, slightly sad eyes. Gin felt her heart kick up a notch. It looked, for just a few seconds, that Ororo was going to speak. Then she shook her head, smiled and pushed the door open. Gin stepped through, Remy behind her. He'd settled a hand at the small of her back and she wasn't sure if it was there to offer reassurance or to gently nudge her into the room.

It was another guest room. This one was in two shades of green, one dark and one light. As with the room Gin had had, it sported a full sized bed, two night stands, a writing desk and a high boy dresser. A small lamp with a dim bulb had been left on. It sat on one side of the bed and cast a soft glow across half of it. Jo lay in the center of the bed, hair streaming out across the pillows in what looked like ribbons of blood in the shadowy light. But even with the lack of clear illumination, Gin could see the bruise that marred her cheek. The discoloration made her look all the paler.

Ororo didn't enter the room with them. Even as Gin was settling on the edge of the bed, she heard the door click shut quietly. It was as much a proclamation telling everyone to give them some privacy as actually saying so. Remy went around to the other side and sat down. Gin watched his hand hover for a moment, as if he were hesitant about touching the unconscious woman. She didn't have any reservations. She curled up on the bed next to her friend, propped her head up on one hand and used the other to stroke Jo's face.

She stared as Remy reached out and laid his hand against Jo's cheek for the span of a heartbeat. Then his touch drifted down until he could press his fingers against the pulse point in her throat. She didn't stir at all. Someone had slapped a bandage over the bite mark left on her neck and there was the sharp sting of antiseptic clinging to her skin. Gin stared at the slow smile that spilled across Remy's face. It was all she needed to see to know everything was, for the moment, okay. Carefully, she reclined all the way and laid a possessive arm across Jo's stomach, until her fingers brushed the denim of Remy's jeans. He slipped down, mirrored her position so that he could place his arm just below Gin's, his fingers grazing her thigh the same way hers touched his.

~*~

"I have to go get a drink. I'll be back. Are you staying with her?" Gin asked as she slipped from the bed. She wasn't sure how much time had passed since they'd come into the room. Jo hadn't moved the entire time. It had been worrying at first, but Gin thought maybe her friend had been in dire need of sleep. She and Remy had been mostly silent, only occasionally speaking when they really had to. Most of their communication had been done by touch and look and feel.

"Until de sun come up," he nodded. Gin glanced at the small digital clock beside the bed. Dawn wasn't too far off. A soft, gentle smile slid across his face. "Don' worry. She be okay. You go. Get you drink. Do what you need to. I'm gon' stay right here."

Gin circled the bed, then leaned over Remy to kiss him. He took his hands off Jo long enough to cradle her face in his hands, to well and truly kiss her. There was so much in the gesture. So much fear and joy and gratitude. And, if she was willing to admit it, there was something more. Something deeper. Something that she suspected might even be love. When she drew back for air, his eyes were heavy with feeling and intent. Sadly, there was no time. Not with dawn so close. So she took it as a promise.

She headed for the door and stopped before opening it. He had turned his attention back to Jo. With gentle, careful hands, he tugged her into his embrace, resting her head on his shoulder while one hand stroked lightly up and down her arm. A genuine, happy smile blossomed on Gin's face. She tugged the door open and stepped through, making sure to close it behind her.

She'd moved three paces from the door when tension hit her. Tension and confusion. It was coming from the kitchen and it brought a frown to her face. Now what was going on? Again, she crept silently toward the other room, intent on finding out what was going on before the opportunity to do so was lost. Most of the lights had been put out, making her think that Ororo had gone to bed. That was fine by her.

She heard Anita's voice, sharp with frustration. "I don't know, Jean Claude. I've never encountered a vampire like this before."

Gin frowned. What did she mean by that?

"According to one of the women I rescued, he was alive when they first met him. And that was five years ago. But what I felt..." the woman trailed off. "What I felt was way too strong for him to only have been a vampire for five years."

Curious. Anita could feel how old... That small thing that had been niggling at the back of her head earlier finally crawled out of the shadows and made itself known to her. And Gin almost fell over. Anita. She'd heard the Master call her Executioner. And Anita Blake. If that was true, then that meant... She'd been rescued by The Anita Blake? The human servant to the Master of St. Louis? Jesus Christ.

"I can't leave them here," Anita continued. "Belladonna will kill them if she gets her hands on them. But he's already told me that I can't separate them. He said that he'd go where ever the women went."

There was a pause and Gin wished she could hear what was being said on the other end of the line.

"Of course I believe him. He's... intense. He makes me uncomfortable. I can't explain why. But he does. I need to bring them back with me."

The pause this time was long, the silence almost deafening.

"I don't think we have much choice. Belladonna wants them, all of them, for some reason. She's been using the girls as a means to lure humans in. The girls pick them up and deliver them to the vamps." She fell silent a few moments. "They were being coerced. I got there in time to find one of them being raped by one of the bitch's leopards. The other hit a stone wall, courtesy of a vamp powered backhand. Both of them are bruised and battered. They were trying to beat the girls down."

She was quiet again, allowing the person on the other end to speak.

"More than likely. The conscious one told me that she hadn't been allowing the vampire to feed properly. He doesn't look like he's wasting away, though. The whole thing is too damn weird. I'm going to bring them back to St. Louis with me."

Gin inched closer. That was news.

"You and I both know how dangerous it is to let him run loose. Not all of the Masters are as easy to deal with as you are, Jean Claude. Some of them would kill him on principle. I think we have a responsibility to take them in. I'm sure that she didn't teach him anything beyond feeding. And, if you want the truth, I think he'd be a good addition to your kiss. You need vamps with power. He's got plenty of it."

Gin was close enough to see that Anita was almost entirely alone in the kitchen. Only Micah remained. She wondered if the other man had left or if he was skulking around the building somewhere. Then she decided, after thinking about him sneaking up behind her, that she'd rather he was gone for the night.

"He's already told me he won't leave the women behind. And the woman told me that they'd follow him, no matter where he goes. Besides," she paused and drew a breath. "I don't think we can just separate them now."

Gin puzzled at that. The woman obviously meant something more beyond the fact that they'd search for each other if they were split up.

"I think so. I felt... something back there. One of them should have died from her injuries, Jean Claude. But she hasn't." Anita stopped speaking for a few minutes and finally heaved a sigh. "That's what I think. I know it isn't possible. But that's what I think happened. There's something really strange about this whole thing. It would be irresponsible not to take them in."

Gin blinked. Just what the hell was going on? It all sounded like code to her.

"Damn it, Jean Claude. Those women could have died tonight. If we leave them here, that bitch will make it her mission in life to torture them slowly and..." Micah laid a hand on Anita's arm. When she looked down at him, he simply nodded his head in Gin's direction. The woman turned to look at her and Gin realized that she'd crept into the kitchen without meaning to.

"Are you trying to find us safety?" she asked, not bothering to hide the fact that she'd been listening in for some time.

"Yes. But he's being really stubborn about the whole thing," Anita replied with a nod of her head. Gin held her hand out.

"Give me the phone. Let me talk to him." Anita frowned at the idea, obviously thinking that Gin couldn't succeed when he'd already turned her down. Gin wiggled her fingers. "What have you got to lose? If I can't convince him, no one can. Let me try, at least."

Anita shared a look with Micah. He glanced from her to Gin and back, then shrugged one shoulder in response to the unasked question. "Jean Claude, I'm going to put one of the women on. She'd like to talk to you."

He obviously said something because Anita didn't hand over the phone right away. Gin had no doubts that he'd heard what had been said and thought that the other woman's announcement had been as a courtesy. Finally though, Anita handed over the cell phone with a grim look. It would seem Gin had her work cut out for her and a frisson of tension poured down her spine. Bringing the phone to her ear, she drew a breath and plunged headlong into the unknown. "Master?"

She'd been around enough vamps the past couple of weeks to know what to expect. Most of them were capable of playing tricks with their voice. It hadn't affected her as much with Belladonna's kiss because Remy's voice had always had that quality to it. Even when he'd been human, there had been something more to it. But this... She hadn't been prepared for the sound of this man's voice as it flowed through the phone and down into her toes. "Oui? What is it you wish to say?"

Gods in heaven, her knees almost buckled. It took her a few moments to gather her scattered thoughts. If he was capable of such things over the phone, what would it be like in person? She swallowed and licked her lips, then mentally shook the fog from her mind and pressed on. "Please. We just need somewhere safe to go. That's all we want. If we stay here, they'll find us and kill us."

There was a soft sound from the other end of the line, but she couldn't make out what it was. It could have been the rustle of cloth as a limb moved or the soft shush of air that came with a sigh. "I understand your needs. But I am not convinced that your master is worth the risk of allowing him entrance into my territory. I do not believe that you, or even he, understands quite what it is that he has done."

Gin frowned, confused, but didn't ask. Now wasn't the time or the place. Later, when she knew they could sleep without worrying about someone coming for their heads. When that had happened, then she'd ask. For now, she pressed on and pushed the doubt and fear aside. "He was just trying to keep us safe. That's all," she said softly, trying to contain the emotions that wanted to spill into her words. "Please, Master. There isn't time to find another place. We... I don't have that kind of time."

She couldn't help the quaver at the end of her words.

This time, there was a definite sigh from the other end of the connection. It slid right through her and once more weakened her knees. "If his maker could not control him, I cannot be certain my blood oath will hold him," he explained patiently. That thing in his voice had died down some, but not enough that she couldn't feel it. She had to fight it or else she'd find her resolve melting with the rest of her. She slid deep into her own abilities and used them to shield herself from the power of his voice. "As Anita has told me, he has been a vampire only a handful of years. Perhaps today he wishes only for a safe haven for himself and his people. Can you guarantee he will not lust for more when he has been dead ten years? Or twenty?"

"He's not like that," Gin replied. She tried to find the words to explain it and couldn't. "He's just not. If you could just meet him, see for yourself..."

"All vampires love power," he told her, nothing in his voice to give away what he was thinking or feeling. "It is in our nature to do so. You have seen this for yourself. Belladonna has no respect for anything but her power. Can you deny she used it to force you to her will?"

"No," Gin whispered. But her determination forced her to press on. "She tried to break us. But she didn't. When it got to be too much, Remy went against her orders to protect us. No matter what she threatened him with, he protected us. We'd have died without him and we're not going to leave him behind. He isn't dangerous. He's never hurt anyone and he's never done anything so stupid as to go against her directly. He never challenged her. He won't challenge you. That isn't the way he is."

"My dear, all vampires love power." The tone in his words made her want to scream, made her want to ask him what that said about him. But she held her temper and her tongue and resorted to tactics that had served her well in the past.

"Please," she said, filling her voice with the earnestness she felt. "I'll do just about anything you want. Anything I've got to give. Anything I am or you want me to be. Just give us a few months to figure this out. That's all I'm asking."

She felt curiosity from the other end of the line and knew that she'd managed to hook him. She just had to play her cards right from here on out to ensure that things went the way she wanted them to. Anywhere had to be better than with Belladonna. Finally, he spoke again after a long pause, as if he'd been considering just what he should say. "Almost anything? You should be cautious with your promises."

"Its too late for that. I let that monster cut me up. I let him use me. I let him pass me around like a party favor so they wouldn't do the same to Jo. But she kept fighting back. She wouldn't listen and she kept fighting. So the punishments got worse. Harder. More painful," Gin whispered, unwilling to look at anyone.

This time, along with the curiosity, she felt a grudging respect from the man on the other end. "You made a deal with the cat to spare your friend."

"I had to." Gin swallowed as images of that night flashed through her brain. "You don't know Jo. She's... When it comes to me, she's fearless. She doesn't think about herself. She drove a cross into Darious' throat even though he could have snapped her neck in the blink of an eye. She took any kind of weapon she could to the vamps and the weres to protect me. She didn't care about what they would do to her. I had to try and protect her. But she wouldn't stop fighting them and the punishments..."

"What did you promise them?" She couldn't tell if he was asking because he didn't know or if it was because he wanted to hear it from her.

"I told Ivan that he could bite me, claw me, do whatever he wanted to me. As long as his leopards left Jo alone," Gin informed him softly. She carefully blocked the rest of the room out. She didn't want to hear the gasps of breath, didn't want to feel the pity. Didn't want anyone to look upon her as if she were some kind of freak for trying to protect her family by using the only avenue that had been open to her. "When the full moon rises, I'll be one of them. I can feel it already. Rem and Jo will try to keep me from killing anyone. But without a safe house, without someplace to go, I may hurt them. Might even kill them. I don't want to kill anyone else. That's... That's the one line I won't cross. I just can't do it anymore. I'd rather die." She whispered the last. She knew he heard her, though.

"And Belladonna allowed this?"

"She didn't care what those animals did to me, to us, as long as Jo and I could get out on the dance floor and deliver people to her. So many men and women dead because Jo and I had no choice. I didn't want them to die. I didn't want to do it. But she'd have hurt Remy. She'd have hurt Jo."

This time, she felt the concern and his voice was gentle when it came. "What did she have you do?"

"We danced," Gin told him, the words tumbling out without heed. She couldn't seem to stop them. Didn't want to stop them. It was something needed if she was every going to be able to forgive herself for what had happened. "We picked men and women from the crowd. It didn't matter. She didn't care. We'd let them dance with us for a little while, then take them back to a room. The vamps would be there to take them from us. Some of them died right away, drained dry by one of her kiss. Some of them were put in cages and kept, locked away as if they were the animals. We didn't want to do it. Every day, a little more inside of us died. I was losing them both because of this. I can't go back. I won't go back. And I won't let Jo go back, either. We'd rather die than do that again."

"I am not such a monster as Belladonna. She has gone mad to do such things to humans. This will reflect badly upon all vampires when these events come to light. Not all of our kind believe as she does."

Gin sighed. She could feel that he was weakening. "I wouldn't dare beg for your mercy if I thought you were like her. Please, Master."

She waited while he gave the request consideration. Silence stretched between them, thin and taut. It set her nerves on end and the sound of a cough nearly startled the phone out of her hand. But Gin held on and waited, scarcely breathing, while he made his decision. After what felt like an age, she heard a faint chuckle that washed warmth through her. "I am not yet your Master. I will think on this. Be sure you are prepared to pay the price you have offered."

She couldn't hold back the sigh that rose and the tension that held her spine straight left her. She had to fight the urge to sag in relief. "Thank you, Master."

Again, he chuckled. She was ready for it this time, but that didn't stop the tremors that shook her hands. "Please give the phone back to my servant. We have business to discuss."

"Of course," she agreed and held the phone out toward Anita. The relief was so strong, she felt like she was going to fall over. "He wants to talk to you again." Anita took the phone and studied her, then turned her attention to Micah.

"She looks ready to drop. Help her back to bed, please." He nodded and gained his feet, then came over to Gin's side. Her drink forgotten, she allowed him to escort her out of the kitchen and back into the hallway. Remy was waiting in the doorway to the bedroom that Jo had been given when they got there. Micah passed her to him with a nod, then turned and left. Remy helped Gin into the bedroom and looked at her.

"What goin' on, petit?" he asked her softly.

"I think we've got someplace safe to go. We won't have to worry about Belladonna again. We'll be safe," she told him with a smile. He pulled her into a hug and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. She could feel the relief in him. She hadn't known a word could inspire such feeling.

Safe. They were going to be safe.

~*~*~*~*~

Anita watched Micah help the woman from the kitchen with a faint frown on her face. She waited until she thought they were out of hearing range, then put the phone back to her ear. "Are you going to let them come to St. Louis, Jean Claude?"

He sighed in her ear, a silken caress that slid down her spine to pool low in her belly. "This young master's little cat is quite persuasive. I believe that we can allow them to come here. She was quite earnest about her master's good qualities. What is your impression of him?"

"Beyond the fact that he's more powerful than he should be?" she asked, though the question was rhetorical. "He seems to be a good man. He's been more concerned with what will happen to the two of them than with himself. Gin insists that he protected them the two of them best he could. Even their friend, the one who called me and got me involved in this, said the same thing. She saw him protecting her in psychic visions."

"And do you believe in this woman's visions?"

"I think she's telling the truth. I think they both are. There was something weird going on in that club, Jean Claude," Anita shook her head and moved to settle into one of the chairs at the kitchen table. "I had Micah and Nathaniel go in to do some research. Edward went in, too. Even he said that there was a weird kind of vibe going on inside. All three of them reported that the crowd seemed eager for the girls to dance and that anyone who caught their eyes were lucky. I don't think, once they're inside, that they realize anything bad is going on. People are quite literally willing to give up their lives for a chance to dance with those girls."

"What do you think this means, ma petite?"

"There's some psychic shit going down in that place. I can feel it on the girls. One is stronger than the other, but that doesn't mean anything."

He chuckled again. "The little cat was pushing gently."

"How?" She sounded as if she were going to be annoyed.

"Do not worry, ma petite. It was a subtle push in an attempt to convince me to say yes. That intrigues me," Jean Claude told her, amusement coloring his words. He was silent a moment and she could sense that he was thinking. "Tell me about these women. Do you believe the little cat's tale of what happened?"

"You don't?" Anita asked, surprised at the question. Micah returned then and stopped behind her chair. His hands worked gently at the knots in her shoulder and neck, his actions soothing. She bit off the sigh of contentment and leaned back into him.

"It is not that I do not believe her. But you could see her face. I could not. What was in her face when she spoke of Belladonna and her cats?"

"She was scared, Jean Claude. There was a haunted look in her eyes. And, if I had to guess, I think she's embarrassed by the deal she made." Anita considered what she'd seen, both just moments ago and back at Belladonna's lair. "She's telling the truth. One of the leopards was raping her in his half and half form. She's got bite marks and scratches everywhere."

"And her friend?"

"I think that one's insane. She was trying to fight Belladonna when we arrived. She had a makeshift stake in her hand that had already been coated liberally in blood. She managed to drive it into Belladonna's back. She also stabbed the bitch's second in the throat with a silver crucifix. Looks like the thing hurt."

Jean Claude chuckled. "A nicer thing could not have happened to Darious. He is as arrogant as she is mad. The two of them have been a pair as long as I can remember." He paused and sobered slightly. "How did she fare in her fight?"

"She's still unconscious. Belladonna backhanded her into a stone wall. She has a fresh bite mark and bruises. Cuts. When Nathaniel danced with her, he said she was bleeding. Their master is the only reason either one of them is still alive," Anita sighed and closed her eyes. She was damned tired. "Gin might have survived. But Jo... I don't think so."

"You are certain the injuries were that serious?"

"He marked them, Jean Claude. I felt him do it. He shouldn't have been able to, but he did. Jo woke up shortly after we arrived at the friend's house. She was groggy, but not weak. No. He marked them. Its the only explanation."

"I will no doubt regret my decision. Bring them home with you." There was a pause and she knew he was picking his words carefully. "I would ask that you allow me to assess each of them individually. Without your considerable charms to color the waters."

"You want to be alone with him?" Anita's voice rose with her disbelief. "I don't know if that's such a good idea, Jean Claude. I don't know what else he's capable of. There's a weird energy to him. One I've never felt before. I..."

"It pleases me that you are worried about my continued existence, but I have been around for some time. I think I can handle one newly made vampire. Bring them." There was warmth in his voice, a promise that sent shudders down her spine. She sighed and nodded her head.

"Alright, Jean Claude. I'll bring them. I'm going to try to get them on the plane tomorrow. We'll see what happens. The friend sent for a doctor or something to look them over. And I'm going to have to report to the police about what I found in that hell hole. If they're both up to it, they'll need to give statements to Detective Morris. They need clothes, personal possessions. Not just the girls, but Remy, too."

"Do not allow them to go anywhere without someone to guard them. If Belladonna is truly intent on getting them back, she will have people looking for them," Jean Claude warned.

"I know. Trust me. None of them will be alone."

"Good. When do you believe you will return?"

"If its possible, I want to be back before the sun rises tomorrow. I'll call you tonight after you wake and let you know more."

"Very good." There was a heaviness in his voice that she recognized. Dawn was coming fast. "I must go, ma petite. The dawn is coming and I would not wish to be rude and die when I am on the phone with you." His words made her chuckle. Then he continued and she could hear his feelings in them. "Go rest, Anita. You have enough help there to guard you while you do so. You will be of no use to anyone if you do not sleep."

"I'm going, Jean Claude. I just wanted to call you before anything else happened."

"Thank you," he said, his voice a soft whisper that sank deep into her and stroked places a person's hands couldn't touch. She sighed softly. "Je t'aime, ma petite."

Anita smiled into the phone. "I love you, too."

~*~*~*~*~

Gin watched Remy leave with a soft smile on her face. Ororo had offered him a place to sleep in the cellar beneath the shop. It was small and cramped, little more than a below ground storage room. But it could be barred from the inside and would protect him from the sunlight. It made her nervous that she couldn't keep him somewhere close by while he slept. She was still afraid that one of Belladonna's leopards would show up and try to kill him in his sleep. But he'd told her not to worry and said he'd be fine. She'd had to take him at his word.

She was tired. Not just sleepy but weary, exhausted. She didn't dare sleep for fear of nightmares that would come her way. And she didn't want to sleep through Jo waking up again. Before leaving, Remy'd dropped a kiss on her forehead, then settled her back into the bedding. She hadn't moved since.

Gin wanted to lay beside her but she didn't move. Instead, she sat with her back against the headboard. One hand rested on Jo's head, fingers moving lightly through her hair as she tried to keep Morpheus at bay. She couldn't prevent her eyes from drifting closed, though, and thought that she could perhaps rest them for a moment or two.

Something startled her awake. Her eyes jerked open to find that sunlight was pouring cheerily through the lace curtains over the window. Sleep fogged her brain as she tried to figure out what was going on. The clock told her she hadn't slept long, perhaps an hour or two at the most. Heaving a sigh, she turned and glanced down at the bed. And froze.

Jo was looking up at her, confusion playing vividly across her face. Gin smiled down at her and watched as the other woman's gaze rolled around the room. She had to lick her lips and clear her throat before she could get words out. "Where..."

"Shhhh. We're safe. We're at Ororo's house. How do you feel?" Gin told her.

"Tired. Fuzzy. My head hurts. So does my throat. What happened?"

Gin frowned. "What's the last thing you remember?"

"The bitch screaming. I think I'd just driven a stake into her back. Then... pain and nothing," Jo struggled to sit up. For a few seconds, Gin thought about making her lay still. Then she shoved it aside and helped ease her friend up into a sitting position, making sure to prop pillows behind her.

"You tried to stake her, yes. She backhanded you into the wall. You hit your head pretty hard," Gin told her, letting go of some of the fear that Jo'd suffered any permanent damage. "We were rescued and brought here to recover."

She watched her friend stare around the room a moment, then she turned wide eyes toward Gin. "Remy? Where is he?"

"He came with us. He's safe. We're all safe." Gin smiled as she told her, carefully pulling her into a hug. "We've got someplace to go where Belladonna can't touch us. We're safe."

"Is she still alive?" Jo asked, her voice quiet.

"Yes. She's still alive."

"Then we're not safe," Jo returned, her words cold. "Not yet. The minute that bitch dies, then we're safe."

"She isn't our problem anymore, Jo. Let it go," Gin whispered.

"I'm going to kill her, Gin. For what she did to you and him. I'm going to kill her," Jo promised softly. "Then we'll be safe."

The last was said in a whisper. And she knew, without a doubt, that her friend meant it. She was going to risk her life to kill Belladonna. For them.

Oh. Shit.

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