Patreon LogoYour support makes Blue Moon possible (Patreon)

The Crow: Unforeseen Duet (Alvis Alendran & darkangel76)

The corw hopped off of Jacob's shoulder onto the counter, giving a faint croak as it pecked at the meat. Jacob stared a moment, not even having thought that the crow might actually have needs of it's own. He turned back to look at her as she explained, or tried to. Dreams. She had seen him in dreams. Jacob was a practical man, or at least he had. Despite his brothers profession, Ben had always put much more stock in things like dreams as a way of finding truth. Sometimes he'd been right, sometimes not. His mind picked through what she'd said, before his head came up, fixing her with a steady look.
"How I know...? She never told you. Of she didn't tell you she'd...Gods you don't know, do you?" He shook his head, an instinct that didn't belong to him was there, an idea. He set his jaw, and stepped up to her. His hands came up to either side of Lucy's face. And instead of trying to read, he tried to show. She had to know, to See what had transpired.

-Ben? Aleena? What's going on? Ben smiling, turning to face him-
-My name's Aleena, nice to meet you, her hand outstretched, wamr and smooth, a firmer shake than he'd expected. Beautiful woman, smiling, wanted to get coffee-
-laughter in the air, Aleena's head tilted back, laughing at the ridiculous story Jacob had told from one of his news reports, that smile that could melt ice-
-Jake, thanks for coming. That case I was working on with you? ALeena has some information on it that can help out a lot, thought you should be here for that-
-the park quiet, lit faintly by the lamps within, Aleena smiling at Jacob as he led through, the bad joke of how he'd protect her from whatever might be in the night. Nothing was there, or at least nothing that had bothered them. She'd smiled at his words, the memory making it liook a little sly-
-Jacob? I, Aleena slumping under the table, thunder and noise, gunfire raking the room, Ben leaping into action, always thinking, always ready to act, no hesitation in his movmements, a hero in his way, something Jacob had always envied-
-Aleena leaning closer, a different look than what she'd been wearing the night of the gunfire, the night that he'd lost everything, moving close enough to him, lips touching his, tender, soft, testing to see if he was willing, his own lips pressing back into hers, savouring the moment-

The images stopped, Jacob finally halting the process, managing to have shown her what she needed to see, along with much else she didn't. He opened his eyes, surprised to find that they had been closed. And then backed away from Lucy, his lips breaking contact with hers. He blinked, his hands releasing her face with a start. Apparently he'd lost track of what was real and what was memory, and gotten a little bit lost in what had been happening. And what was worse, he had every impression that she'd have seen the same things he was trying to show her, felt the same thigns, known what had been going on. He turned from her, bowing his head while he put his hands to the sides of his head. He let out a shuddering breath.
"I...I'm sorry. I...shouldn't have done that. Any of that. Gods, what did I..." He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to keep himself under control, and finding that it was a challenge to say the least.
 
Jacob...his name was Jacob. The name rolled around Lucy's mind.

The images were so clear as he placed his hands on either side of Lucy's face, so warm and so very gentle. It was as if he was afraid he'd hurt her, break her. Though she knew he wouldn't. Everything about him let her know that such a thing was impossible. She stared into his eyes, windows into his soul as he inched closer, closing the distance—hot breath on cool skin. The images were a furious frenzy of emotion. She saw her sister, another man...Ben? Who was he? Her breaths came quicker and Jacob's eyes shut as he moved closer, closer and closer still... His body was warm, the heat pouring from him in waves. Suddenly, warm lips connected with her own and the sensation as they touched undid her completely. They were softer than she'd expected, her body crying out for more.

Lucy lifted up her arms, her shirt slipping. But she didn't care. She was lost. She was where she was meant to be. The heat the thunder, she could feel it all as her dream became real and she watched her sister die...her sister. She took a step forward, her lips firm against Jacob's, wanting more, begging, pleading...she saw the gun fire, felt it and tears rolled down her cheeks as her own eyes fluttered shut. Her shirt had fallen around her shoulders, barely clinging to her drying body as all the images came together.

Her sister was dead. Jacob had been in love with Aleena. And Jacob...

Lucy's eyes opened wide as Jacob pulled away, her body on fire and her lips searing where his had left her own swollen and wanting. She reached up and touched them, panting, heart racing. "Don't be sorry," she whispered, her green eyes looking down at the floor as the tears continued to fall. She knew Jacob was struggling. Somehow he was brought back to life and together they needed to find out why. She wiped a tear from her cheek—one that resembled her dead twin's, the woman he'd loved—and wondered how fate could be so cruel. Even dead, she'd live in her sister's shadow...the one who'd left her, who'd turned to a father who was cold and heartless, who'd shown her just how little she'd meant...but despite that, she felt the ache of loss. "I'm glad you did that," she added. "All of it."

Lucy looked up, her scraped hands gathering up her shirt, which threatened to fall off her body. She gave Jacob a watery smile and dared a step forward.

"You loved her. I...I didn't know." Lucy's cheeks reddened. "There's a lot I didn't know and wasn't told," she said trying to hold back the tears. She fell down onto the floor with a thud, her gaze far off, distant. "Aleena turned her back on me over a year ago..." Looking up at Jacob, she brushed away another tear. "A year ago."
 
Jacob let out another shuddering breath. The crow squawked from his perch on the counter, calling his attention back to it. The crow seemed...reproachful. Like it somehow did not approve of what he was doing. He let out another breath, finding a semblance of balance within himself, enough to stand up straight again, and look back at Lucy.
"I don't know. We were only together for a few months. I...there was no time to know her enough to say I loved her. I wanted to love her. I wanted it to be real for us both. But...her job and my job, and everything else just made it hard to find time for one another. I..." He sank to his knees, close enough to touch her, terrified to do so, afraid of what he might learn by doing so. But equally terrified to leave her like this. She'd been kind. That was enough. Wasn't it? And if it wasn't, why wasn't it? She deserved better than she had been getting, that much he knew absolutely.

His hand fell on her shoulder, a hesitant touch, still not sure, but when the rush of images didn't come to him, he knew that there had to be something spcific to happen that would make that happen. Either that, or he was starting to get a handle on it, a modicum of control.
"I...I had never seen her like you showed me. I don't know why she did that. Why she acted like that. But you deserved better than that. Better than she gave you. You deserve more than that." He said to her faintly, a faint wisp of colour coming back to his face as he said it, the ghostly pale seeming to break a little.

"George hasn't checked in. He's missed one before." The man said firmly. He got a nod from his boss, who simply shooed him out of the room, silent instructions to investigate very clear by that motion. The man gathered two more to his side, and departed. There was a man that needed checking up on.
 
As all the images tumbled about Lucy's mind, she couldn't help but dwell on how each one made her feel inside. With each picture there had been a distinct emotion—fear, anger, longing, love...? She was certain that she'd felt love in there somewhere. It had pulsed through her veins, deep into the core of her soul. Each time she'd seen Aleena's face...there was no mistaking it. Was there? Oh, she had to admit that she wasn't entirely sure. It was hard to sort out all the emotions she'd felt. Everything was muddled together. Chaos. Looking up into Jacob's eyes, her heart pounding hard as she tried to steady her breaths.

Breathe...focus.

He'd been looking at her the whole time. His lips touching hers—so much fire and feeling. Yet his thoughts had been about her sister, hadn't they?

Oh, she couldn't tell what was real or imagined! But Lucy knew what she felt and it hurt inside, made her wonder...why? Letting out a shaky breath, she knew that she couldn't place her own desires on someone else—especially when they'd just met and under the most unusual of circumstances. Her green eyes drifted to the crow as he cawed from the counter top. She gave him a smile, her hands gripping her torn shirt a bit more tightly before turning to look back at Jacob.

He'd only known Aleena for a few months, yet he hadn't known what his feelings were for her sister? It was all so confusing. Lucy tried to sort through the emotions she'd felt when Jacob had touched her last. It...it didn't make sense. The way he'd looked at her and thought about her...love had to be there! Didn't it? And how was she feeling such intense desire after a few short hours?

It made her head hurt, her body numb. Something was off or life just wanted to spit in her face some more.

"Th-thanks," Lucy managed to mumble, her eyes closing as Jacob's hand rested against her shoulder. His touch was warm and welcome and once more she felt herself being beckoned to him. Just why was fate doing this? It was so unfair! "I wish I had better answers or knew something at all," she continued, her eyes opening and focusing on Jacob's face. She gazed into his eyes, imagining them as they appeared in the sketch that she'd drawn. "She shut me out completely when I made it clear I wanted nothing to do with our father." She let out a tiny sigh. "But that was Aleena's role. Always had been." Her gaze shifted, turning towards the far wall where her sketches hung in place. "I just never thought she'd forget me. But that's what he wanted. Especially after mom died."

Lucy frowned and shifted into a kneeling position. Pushing at her red hair, she moved to get up, one hand holding onto her torn shirt.

"How did you meet Aleena?" Lucy then asked. "And...who's Ben?"
 
Jacob broke his eye contact, looking away. Ben. Oh Ben. His eyes snapped open as he saw fire, felt the heat on his palm again, the glass holding them apart. Stronger than he could have believed, Ben had kept enough of himself together to tell him something. Or try to. What had he been doing with his hands? A symbol. Two of them. One after the other. What had they been? The only way to know would be to actually live through the memory again, use something to trigger it. He neither had the item to do it, nor the desire...nay, the will to endure that again. He didn't look at Lucy, a hand going to his face. He had expected to find tears there, some sign of things, but he didn't. He found tiny spot of blood on his fingers, and rubbing his thumb and fore finger experimentally. It smeared, and the distraction actually calmed him.

"Ben was my brother. The better half of us. Ben was...strong. brave. Smart. Quick to figure things out. So much more than i was. I loved him for it." He answered. He looked to see the Crow, closed his eyes, saw the room through his eyes. "It should have been him like this. Ben would known what to do. Would have been able to see it all through.." Teh Crow fluttered off of the counter, a quick flight across the room, close enough to skim over Lucy's hair, sending the fiery strands whipping about. It landed on the sill, and gave a croaking call. Jacob, still not looking with his eyes, but Seeing through the Crow. A car stopping. Men getting out. Large men with intent to find, and do violence. The Crow tapped on the glass with it's beak. Jacob staggered to his feet ,and opened the window. The crow fly out, gliding over the men, getting a look at what they were doing, hearing words...

"It's George." One of the men said, examining the body.
"Jesus, is he dead?" The other two look at their companion with disbelief.
"There's a fucking hunting knife in his eye. The fuck do you think dumbass?" The other man looked away. The call of a bird made the man examining the body look up. The Crow saw his face clearly.

"He killed me. He killed me, and he's there." Jacob said without preamble. The apartment was not on the ground floor, but he still strated to climb through the window.
 
Lucy was quiet as Jacob explained who Ben was. Like her, he too lived in someone's shadow. Only...only he hadn't abandoned him, left him alone to rot and whither. No. He'd stayed with him until the end, sharing their last breaths together as they were engulfed in flames and gunfire. A chill ran along her spine and she felt tears stinging her eyes. How she wished she'd still had that with Aleena. And now it could never be. The relationship severed and her sister dead. Killed. And all because of her father!

Just then, the crow called out and took flight. He flew toward her opened window, pushing through the curtains and flying out into the darkness of night. Lucy looked to Jacob, her green eyes wide while his clamped shut. Just what was going on? And why? She stood up, matching his movements as he raced toward the window, muttering about someone who'd killed him.

Murder?

"What?" Lucy shrieked, her hand clutching her shirt. She glanced back into her studio and then back at Jacob. She still didn't understand, but she knew something was wrong and something was pulling him away. "Wait...wait...!" she begged. But Jacob pushed the window open wider. He was going to climb out her window!

Sucking in a sharp breath of worry, Lucy grabbed her hoodie that was strewn over the papasan. It wasn't much, but it would help with her torn shirt situation. As she shoved her arms into the sleeves and fumbled with the zipper, she reached out towards Jacob.

"Please, don't leave me," Lucy begged. "That...that's a two story drop!" Worry laced her voice and now that she'd found him, she wasn't about to lose him. She put her spare key in the hoodie pocket along with her wallet, which had been resting on the counter. "We can use the back exit of the place. There's no way anyone can survive that drop without breaking their leg or arm or..." She was babbling, stumbling for words. But she wasn't going to leave him. Not now. Not when her dreams had led her to him. Not when she knew she was supposed to help him. "Please, Jacob..." she pleaded, her green eyes full of hope. "Please..." she whispered. "Let me help you."
 
Jacob smiled at her as she spoke of what the drop would do. It was not a kind smile, it the smile of a well fed predator with prey in sight.
"I'm not leaving you Lucy. I'll meet you outside in a few minutes. I don't think it's safe here any more, for either of us. Be back in a few." He told her, and of all things. He winked at her. He rolled backwards out of the window, spreading his arms as he fell. The impact was hard, and he landed flat. There was a moment of pain, he knew it would come, had been ready for it. But now, the pain was gone in moments. He tilted his head back, scraping along the sidewalk, and let out a full throated laugh as he did so. He was on his feet in seconds, and moving his way towards the men, his smile now a grin, his eyes glittering. Horrible thigns were coming for thm, just as horrible things had come to so many people these men had preyed upon. Karma, no, justice was coming.

"The rain began again. It fell heavily, easily, with no meaning or intention but the fulfillment of its own nature," Jacob said in a clear voice as he approached the men. "which was to fall and fall." Heads snapped over to look at him. They just stared a moment before the man in charge spoke.
"What the fuck? Piss man, none of your business." He told him gruffly.
"Don't you recognize me Garret? We were so very close once you and I." The man stared as Jacob pulled his hair clear of his face that rictus grin still in place.
"You...you died! I watched you die!"
"And now I've come to return the favour!" As Jacob stared to rush forward, guns cleared holsters, and the night came alive. with sound and fury.

The bullets tore through him, shredding his torso, the volume higher than he'd expected, and at least one of them seemed to be using hollow points, imparting a lot of momentum onto his body, staggering him back. He fell, his balance robbed. He was riddled with holes, waiting the moments he needed to be made whole. Garret stepped up to him, and aimed. The heavy pistol roared, spitting round after round into Jacob's head. The skull tried, it really did, but it shattered under the assaul, spreading a fan of bone and brain across the pavement. Jacob stared at the sky, not seeing from his own eyes any longer, only seeing what they had done to him from the eyes fo the Crow.

"George was watching the bitch. She's living not far from here. We find her, adn put the screws to her, find out what she knows. Lets go." Garret ordered gruffly. His men followed him. Jacob still wondered if perhaps there might be limits to what he could accomplish, if he might be stuck like this. But them through the Crow, he saw the bone fragments start to roll across the sidewalk, clicking in place against his skull, and begin to reassemble. The brain matter flowed like water, siding home in perfect order. Jacob grinned, blinking his working eyes once more, and clibed to his feet, made whole once more.

"Hey! You there! Do not move if you want to live!" Garrett roared at who he was pretty sure was Lucy, aiming his pistol at her. "We need a word with you!"
 
A wave of relief washed over Lucy, her muscles relaxing a bit when Jacob promised he wouldn't be leaving her. But, she wasn't about to stay behind. No. Something inside her told her that she needed to be with him, to stay close. As he rolled out the window, she gasped, her heart stopping as she tried to find a way to breathe.

"Oh god..." Lucy mumbled, her steps quick as she raced to the window. She glanced outside and saw Jacob on the ground, his body seemingly broken on the black asphalt below. Only...there was a twitch of movement. And then she heard it. A laugh. His laughter rang out and she immediately pushed away from the window and bolted out her door, her hands clumsy as she locked it up with the only key she had left.

Lucy raced down the hallway, one of the doors cracking open only to slam shut again. Damned neighbors! But she didn't have time to deal with them! She needed to get to Jacob and she had a good idea as to where he was going. Pulling up her hood, covering up her fiery hair, she ran down the staircase and out the back door. She stepped over a homeless man who'd made the back stoop his home for the night, the awning providing him a little shelter from the rain that had been falling not too long ago. It had stopped now, but the puddles remained.

Her feet moving, knowing the way, Lucy headed back to where Jacob had found her. Her heart told her that's where he was going. She knew it, sensed, could feel it. Breaking into a run, she said a small prayer to no one or thing in particular...it was to whatever would listen. She hoped to find him, to catch up.

Lucy was getting close now, just one more block to go. Ahead she could make out silhouettes in the darkness, the streetlamps casting an eerie glow. "Almost there, Luce," she whispered, her words less than a comfort. He was still too far, out of reach. Her legs ached and her lungs burned, but she refused to stop. Something inside urged her on, to press forward, to... Just then, she let out a gasp, her hands moving to cover her mouth as they stifled a scream! "No!" she whispered harshly, softly.

On the ground, his body broken, Lucy saw Jacob. How could this be? This wasn't right! This wasn't... She shook her head, shaken, terrified. Horror coursed through her veins at the sight and she turned to run, tears streaming down her cheeks.

As Lucy took off in the other direction, away from Jacob, she felt eyes on her. She was being watched, followed. "No...damn it!" She choked on a sob, her heart aching as she ran, but she heard the shout, a voice that made her blood run cold. Stopping where she was, she dared to turn around, panting heavily as she tried to catch her breath. She could still see Jacob's body in the distance. Looking up into the sky, her body began to shake. Life was so cruel...it took everything away, always leaving her alone.

Why? Why!

"Wh-what kind of word?" Lucy asked, her voice faltering as she sniffled. "Who are you?" Her face showed confusion, anger and most of all...despair.
 
"A short one I think." Garret announced. He peered at her, getting a good look, as much as he could in the rain slicked night. "Miss Boyd, you're to need to come with us. Now." He ordered, picking enough of her out to know who he was looking at. he smiled at her, a cold malicious one, but it was on that brooked no disagreement. It was the law of the street, whoever aimed the gun first got to make the orders. He heard a grunt of effort, a ripping sound, and then a gurgling scream, and whipped his head around to see what was going on.
No...

Jacob came to the first of the thugs, the grin still on his face. A hand dropped on a shoulder, and spun the man around. The thug had enough time to widen his eyes, seeing what he was looking at, how impossible it was to be seeing this, it couldn't be, before he felt inhumanly strong fingers on the soft skin of the bottom of his jaw. Then it was only pain as Jacob pushed two finger through the skin, curling them around the mandibles, and kicking the man with all his might. A ripping sound fill the air as flesh and tendon gave way, sending the man falling to the ground, a wet, bubbling scream in the air. Jacob turned to look at the jaw in his hand, looking like some kind of grotesque bucket handle. He tossed it at the next man who recoiled without thought, gun waving wildly as he tried to avoid touching the jaw. Jacob moved in on him.

Jacob hammered a fist into his ribs, feeling bones break under the blow. the thug made a whining sound, adn Jacob felt the almost familiar tearing of a bullet going through his body. He gave a grunt of acknowledgement, but no more. His fist hit the thig in the face, again the feeling of bone giving way as the cheekbone snapped under the hit. As the thug howled in pain and fear, Jacob seized his neck in both hands. With a shout of rage and despair, he clenched. Flesh crumpled, compacting the neck until it hit the bone. With a wrench, the vertebrae snapped, ending hte man where he stood. Another bullte ripped through him, staggering him, and he turned at last to Garret.

"What...you are dead. I fucking executed you!" Garret all but begged.
"Did I not say I was here to return favours?" Jacob supplied gently. He rushed at Garret blindly. Panic fire, the rapid cracking of the gun going off, the ripping wounds, the hollow points, he felt the pain, ignored it, it was not important. Hnds flying for Garret, one knocking the gun away, the other latching onto his face. Leaping up, hitting Garret in the chest, bearing him to the pavement. Ribs cracked under the landing, and he cried out as Jacob got his hands onto Garret's face, and froze for a second.
"What the fuck are you?"
"Justice."
"Bullshit! This isn't justice!" Jacob smiled.
"Justice, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. Some see an innocent victim." He pat Garret's cheek. "Others will see evil incarnate getting exactly what's deserved." His smile vanished, and fingers moved to hook into Garret's eyes. The shriek of pain that came was earsplitting, as much pain as a person could imagine being in, but Jacob ripped his hands down, tearing away the face almost completely. Garret still flailed, alive despite the ruin of his face, before Jacob punched down, his fist breaking through the damaged remnant of the skull. Garret stilled.

Jacob rose up, spreading his arms, looking up at the sky, letting the rain fall on his crimson hands, washing the blood of his enemy from him, the blood of his victims. He looked to the clouds, saw the moments of falling rain, each drop for an instant before it would fall out of his field of vision. His shirt was a ragged mess, more holes than cloth now. After standing a moment, he seemed to come back to himself, and see that Lucy was nearby. he had naught but concern in his eyes as he looked at her.
"Are you all right?" He asked her.
 
Lucy's heart stopped, her breath a lump in her throat as she tried not to let panic override sense. Her green eyes focused on the barrel of the gun pointed at her, the voice of the man ringing in her ears as she let what he said sink in. He wasn't going to let her go, though more than anything she wanted to take her chances. To just...run. But the sight of that gun stopped her cold. The way his hand firmly held on to the handle, his finger rested against the trigger. It was clear he'd sooner squeeze it and end her life than risk her running away.

Though why it mattered, she didn't understand.

Lucy wasn't sure what these men thought she knew. They worked for her father, with Aleena...oh god, Aleena! A sob threatened to bubble up as she thought about her sister, her death! Was her fate the same as her twin's? But she held back the cry. Barely. How her father could send such people after her—his own daughter! Especially after losing his precious princess, the one who'd been his world...how could he do this? How could he not tell her?

Aleena abandoned you...she left well before she'd died...

Lucy's life suddenly flashed before her eyes as tears began to fall. She thought about all the dreams she'd have over the past few weeks—dreams of Jacob. So many things left undone, unsaid. Trembling, she tried to get control of her fear, her eyes looking past the man, his gun. More than anything, she wanted to run past him and be by Jacob's side. The hell if they'd found a way to make die! For some reason, it suddenly didn't matter. He might leave her, but she wouldn't leave him. She couldn't!

Knees wobbling, Lucy moved her hands to push back her hood. The rain had started up again, lightning flashing across the sky. She looked up and then back at the man holding the gun. She gasped, her eyes fixed on the silhouette moving in the distance, on...Jacob.

"Oh...oh..." Lucy mumbled. She took a step back, her eyes wide as she watched Jacob do a sort of dance around the men who'd brought him down. Each strike he made was vicious, but sure and the crack of bone, the tearing of flesh...it wasn't lost to her ears nor was the sight of blood to her eyes.

Jacob was like the perfect predator, precise in every step. It was as if he knew what he was going to do before his body performed each task. It was grotesque, yet poetic...it was justice being served. Lucy was breathless when he stood there above his kills, the men slaughtered as if they'd been nothing, a mere annoyance to someone stronger, larger than life. Her lips were parted, breaths coming fast and she took a step closer.

"You...you're alive..." Lucy whimpered, taking another step. She smiled, biting down on her lower lip, her eyes not once looking away. Her arms reached out and she raced forward until she was next to him, hands touching his chest. "I'm fine...I'm ok..." She looked up into Jacob's face. "How? I saw..." She shook her head, slightly bewildered. "You're alive...you're alive."

Lucy buried her face against Jacob's chest, tears falling as she shook with sobs of relief. She knew more would be out there, that her father wouldn't stop. But for now, she at least knew Jacob had made good on his promise...he hadn't left her.

He hadn't left her.
 
Jacob had his eyes tracking around, not noticing that it was actually a habit that Ben had nearly always used, keeping a weather out for any signs of danger. Even if he wasn't looking at her directly, Lucy was something very firmly kept in mind. She confirmed his suspicion that she was okay, or at least as okay as someone who had watched what he'd done. She kept coming closer to him, getting close enough to put hands on his chest. Her hands were warmer than he was, but a standard that made it clear there was something off about him, something not quite right. Not quite human.

Jacob shivered as Lucy buried her face against him, his hands coming around on instinct to touch her shoulders. Old instincts, ones that had nothing to do with surviving, and everything to do with being a person that wasn't a momnster, kicked in. His hands moved to enfold Lucy in his arms, holding her, for comfort, to make sure she was not just unhurt by weapons, but that she might be al right mentally, or at least settled.

"Shh. Shh. Easy. I'm here. I'm here." He hesitated over his next words, but knew that they were true, adn one thing that Lucy had been sorely lacking in over the yeasrs was people to be honest with her. "I'm not...alive Lucy. They killed me once already. And now they can't manage it again. You can't kill someone who's already died." He murmured as he spoke. Not exactly the most comforting mindset to be in, not really, but it was what it was, and he was not in a position to do otherise. he was a killer hunting his own killers and anyone who happened to get caught up in the mess. Holding Lucy to him, he looked at teh body of ruined Garret. The bone fragments and blood had arced outwards, fomring a gory bird on the ground. A crow in flight. Something more than mortal was at work here, and he had to wonder just how deep in went, and how far he was entagled in it. And if Lucy stayed close to him just how much it might tangle her in it. And what the price for that would be.
 
Of course he wasn't alive. Lucy knew that, though she wasn't sure how she'd known. It was too overwhelming, too disconcerting. As she let her thoughts quiet, salty tears streaming down her pale cheeks, she remembered that she'd seen his death a number of times in her dreams—fire, heat and thunder. It gave her no comfort knowing Jacob was actually dead, that he was somehow invincible to guns and knives. She pressed her face against his chest, her damp eyes rubbing against his shirt. He might've been dead...unable to die again...but he felt alive next to her, hard and warm.

Real.

Taking a deep breath, a deep-set fear rooted in Lucy's heart. Her tiny hands clutched onto his bullet-torn shirt and she feared losing him, that fate would rip them apart and laugh at her misery. For a moment, she imagined the face of her father, his cruel laugh and a look of triumph at having separated her from Aleena—poor, dead, Aleena.

The sister who lied to you, who left you...the one who truly did not care.

Lucy choked on a sob and looked into Jacob's eyes. Red hair hung about her face in a mess of damp curls as she found his gaze, her eyes glistening with tears. "I...I know," she said softly, almost a whisper. She let one hand relax, her grip easing off his shirt so that her palm rested against his chest, fingers splayed and teasing the holes that riddled the tattered fabric. "It's not just about that," she continued, her cheeks warming.

Lucy let her gaze fall and she saw the blood pooling on the street, the distinct shape it was forming. There was no mistaking it—crow.

Just what was Jacob's purpose in coming back? And once he'd finished...would he leave?

Would he leave her?

Heart aching, Lucy didn't want to think that far ahead. It hurt too much. Life had always been vicious, brutally doling out one bad hand after another. How ironic that the one thing that called to her soul was the one thing wasn't...alive.

Still unable to meet Jacob's gaze, Lucy whispered, "We should go. We need to find somewhere to hide." Her expression turned thoughtful and she knew exactly where they could go. An ex of hers—and her list was short—who she'd remained on good terms with, was out of town on a music gig. It had been months since they'd last run into each other, so she hoped it would give them a little time before her father and his people put it together where they might be hiding out. "I know a place," she said with a nod. "It's not far."

Reluctantly, Lucy pushed away from Jacob, her hand reaching for his. Thunder rumbled in the darkness as one of the streetlights sputtered. It wouldn't be long before others came to investigate the scene. Holding out her hand, she readied herself to lead him to her ex's apartment, a place she hoped would allow them a little bit of safety...a little bit.

For a little while.
 
She was not unhurt. Settled would not be coming to her soon, and really, Jacob could hardly blame her. The world was crashing down around her, seemingly everything that she'd placed any value on was being taken away, and the only thing she had to anchor herself was a dead man too stubborn to realize he wasn't supposed to be up and moving around. He looked down at her as she looked up at him. That familiararity, like he'd held her like this a dozen times before, but he knew he hadn't. It had been Aleena. And she had never looked so...vulnerable. So open. No matter how close they might have gotten, there was always an essence of being guarded between them.

Not so with Lucy. Right now, the way she looked at him was raw, open, almost naked emotions. It was unsettling on some level, having just meet her but seeming to know so much about her so quickly. She was unsubtle, holding little to nothing back. The lack of guioe was something that he'd not expected from Aleena's sister. And he ahd to admit it was actually an appealing thing to see on her. Was this why Aleena had kept him away from Lucy, never mentioning her? Becuse there ahd been worries that her earnest sister might be somehow more appealing to him than she was? Aleena was pride, she was effort, and she was a personification of how someone could chase perfection.

Lucy was not. She was casual, she was earnest, she was a great many things her sister was not. She wasn't that near perfect person. It made her more...human really. And he could not, for the life of him, imagine Aleena anywhere like this, wearing clothes like this, soaked to the skin by the rain. She have been furious, not kind. He released her when she pulled back. But when she reached for him, he stared at her hand a moment not properly comprehending what she was after. She...oh. He felt his face twitch into a smile, and took her hand, brcing himself for a flood of images, of another round of stolen memories. But they didn't come. He cocked his head, not unhappy with such a thing, but still surprised.
"Lead on. I'm with you." He told her quietly.
 
Lucy's face flushed, her cheeks feeling warm as Jacob reached out and their palms slid together, fingers somehow entwining. She gave him a smile and nodded as she began to lead him along the darkened streets, rain slicked and shimmering in sputtering lamp light. The place she wanted to go to wasn't far—about a quarter mile north—and near the river. It had a nice view from what she'd remembered. But it had been over a year since she actually went to Gabe's. And it felt odd seeking refuge there...all things considered. She glanced over her shoulder, green eyes seeking Jacob's.

It would definitely be odd taking Jacob to Gabe's. Her tummy fluttered a little. Why did she feel so nervous, so out of sorts? She and Gabe had ended amicably. He'd moved on even. But still... She turned around, following the pavement until she could smell the river, the rain causing the scent of riggers and barges and...other things...to drift into land. They were close. They'd have shelter, warmth, dry clothes for both. Safety. They'd be safe at least for a little while.

Finally, Lucy saw the familiar brick of Gabe's apartment building. It was nicer than her own, but it was still fairly modest.

"Here," Lucy said softly giving Jacob's hand a gentle tug. "We can stay here at least for the night." She then frowned knowing that lingering any longer would place Gabe and his girlfriend in danger. "Come on."

Lucy led Jacob to the back door she knew was always opened. Carefully, quietly, not wanting to alert nosy neighbors or passersby, she opened it. It creaked a little, which made her wince. Biting down on her lip, she slipped through the opening and pulled Jacob along.

"There's a spare key near the landlord's place," Lucy said softly, her voice barely above a whisper. "His place is on the way up." She gave Jacob a reassuring nod and smiled though on the inside she was terrified.

Fate seemed to smile upon Lucy as she led Jacob to Gabe's apartment. The halls were dark, no lights shining through the cracks in the doors. But none of that eased her nerves. Even after she found the spare key, she still felt on edge, as if somehow her world would be shattered, ripped to shreds in a single instant. But she finally stood in front of Gabe's door, her fingers shaking as she used the key to open it. Inside, the place was a small one bedroom. The loveseat was still pushed up against the wall and he still had the same entertainment set. The table and chairs were neatly set by the kitchenette and the bathroom door was ajar. The bedroom door was closed.

"We'll be safe here. There's dry clothes you can change into, if you want," Lucy suggested as she shut the door and locked it and began to head toward the bedroom.
 
Jacob looked down at his shirt as she spoke, bringing up dry clothing. There was certainly the thought of wearing a set of clothes that didn't come off of a dead homeless man would be a benefit, not only that, his shirt was a tattered ruin, hit by a knife and innumerable bullets. It might be good to look somewhat presentable, at least for awhile. He took a step after Lucy, before hesitating. He could be out the door, adn out into the world again, hunting the remaining men that had killed him, taken everything from him. Lucy would be safe here for awhile, and likely a lot safer away from him.

But what if she wasn't?

The men had not actually been looking for him. After all he, was dead. They'd already finished him off. Which meant they were looking for her, and wanted anything but good for her. If he left, and they found her, there was nothing standing between her and what the first man had intended for her. For all he knew, that was the standing order. He'd covered stories of people on the wrong side of the law handing out everything they could to break a person utterly before they died. And try as he might, he couldn't shake the thought of that happening to Lucy. And he would not stand for that. Choice made, he followed her towards the bedroom.

Clothes. They were simple enough. He found a closet with a few suitable items within it, and drew them out. Not much really, just a simple black t-shirt, and a small cloth jacket that would do well to keep the rain off of him. He didn't think twice, he reached for the collar of the surrent shirt he had to pull it off. The strain of years of abuse, combined with the numerous holes and damage to it, finally made the garmet give. he sighed, adn simply pulled the ruin of the garment free, adn dropped it on the floor. There were nearly as many holes in the back as the front, showing that some of the rounds that had been fired at him had gone completely through him. Had he been anything but what he now was it would have been...unpleasant to say the least.

He stretched, loosening the muscles in his shoulders, his back clearly visible, and ghostly pale in the light. There was something decidedly not human to his coloration, like someone suffering from a massive blood loss. One thign had changed on him though, and he found it this time. The points that had killed him, the bullet wounds, had scarred over. They were small raised holed in his chest, and he could feel a sympathetic tingle in his back that said they were there as well. Apparently he hadn't obsorbed th bullets well, they'd just gone through him. He shivered at the thought, and pulled the shirt on over his head, feeling hte clan cotton on hsi skin. It was a bit of a tight fit, apparently the owner wasn't a very large man. The jacket he held loosely in his hand, and sighed. From here, he needed a plan.
 
Lucy's cheeks warmed when Jacob suddenly pulled off his shirt. His actions were sudden, something she hadn't expected it. Biting down on her lower lip, she turned her gaze toward the floor only she couldn't help but peer up through the red hair that had fallen in front of her eyes. Jacob looked like an angelic creature as he stood there and stretched, fumbling with the black shirt he'd chosen from Gabe's closet. Her eyes darted to the shirt...it looked exactly like what she'd seen him in when he'd come to her in her dreams. She sucked in a breath, her heart skipping a beat as her skin flushed, heated.

"Suits you," Lucy mumbled as she brushed past Jacob, her hand giving his arm a gentle squeeze as she went toward Layla's clothes. She pushed at the hangars—each one a different size and color—and finally came upon a thin oversized button-down and a pair of gray leggings. They would do.

Lucy draped the clothes over her arm and made her way over to the bed. Back facing Jacob, she swallowed hard and slowly unzipped her hoodie. The thing was drenched, practically useless, though she could lay it out to dry. Slowly, she slid the thing off her arms, peeling it away from her rain-damp skin and finally discarding it on the floor for later. She peered down at her shirt. The thing was barely staying up, the tears somehow larger than before. Closing her eyes, she pulled the ripped thing off her body, her top bare in the dim light of the room. For a brief moment, she felt exposed, though more than anything, she wanted to turn around and face Jacob, her eyes finding his as she let him look upon her.

But she wasn't Aleena. That was something her sister could do and would. It was probably how she'd managed to get the things she wanted in life. Always.

Lucy opened her eyes, tears welling in them as she brought a hand up and raked it through her wet curls. She wondered what Jacob was thinking, if anything. Something was driving him, pulling him. He was brought back for a purpose and it certainly wasn't because of her. She wasn't that important. She never was. Quickly, she wiped at her eyes and then reached for the dry button-down. Carefully she slipped it over her head, the thin material concealing her curves from view. Letting out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding, she moved to slide her drenched leggings off her legs. It was difficult, the material clinging fast to her skin, not wanting to give way. But eventually, she won the battle and the things were placed with her hoodie—both would be allowed to dry over night. Her bare legs shivered, her bottom concealed due to the length of the shirt. Sitting on the edge of the bed, she pulled on the dry leggings and then looked over at Jacob and smiled.

"What...what are you thinking?" Lucy asked. Her tummy fluttered and she turned her gaze toward the wet heap of clothes she'd made on the floor. Quietly, she moved to lay them out to dry. Once they were situated, she dared to look at him again, her head tilting slightly. She knew exactly what was on her mind...the fear of losing him. After he'd figured out why he was back and completed what it was he'd come back to do...what then? Would he leave? Would he...

Lucy didn't want to think on it...she couldn't.
 
He felt Lucy's hand on his arm, the faint pressure, the kind of reassurance that he was not alone, that there was another person in the room, with him now. Jacob had never been quite like his brother, never been as comfortable on his own. One of the reasons he'd settled on jouranlism. It was easier to have company then when you were a PI. Lucy's presence was comforting. Distracting. Painful. Needed. He rubbed his face with his hands, as though the action would somehow center him. It didn't. He turned around, and stopped.

Lucy had selected her own change of clothes, and he had a rather enticing view of her back from where he was. Flickers ran through his mind on how this would have gone had he been in the room with her sister. Aleena would have turned to face him, all hips and sensual movement, making everytghing she did an invitation. The more he thought about it, how much of what Aleena did was just carefully chosen artistry? What was real to her, adn what was just a show? He didn't know. He didn't have any way of finding out anymore either. As she pulled a shirt on, he turned away, respectfully giving her the privacy that she deserved.

And she asked him what he was thinking. Talk about a loaded question. There were any number of directions that his mind was flying to, but ultimately, there was an overarching theme to what he had on the brain. Things wouldn't be simple.
"There were six men when I...died. Four killed me. Two helped kill...Aleena and Ben. There are two less men of that grouping now. But...I want to know why this happened. I want to know who put us in front of the gun. Someone needs to answer for this. I need...to know." He leaned on the wall, splayed fingers on his forehead. "Ben...was trying to tell me something when he died. Something important. He used all he had to try and tell me, but for hte life of me I don't know what he was saying."
 
That had settled it. Hearing Jacob mention his killers—even if he didn't know their names, who they were—it had been enough. Lucy nodded solemnly, her gaze shifting back to the floor, arms moving to encircle about her own waist. "Well, I suppose we'll just have to find out then. Won't we?"

It wasn't even a question. Lucy knew damned well she's so anything to help. It had become a 'we', the two of them working side by side as they pieced together the puzzle that destroyed his life, his brother's...her twin's. An ache grew in her chest as she thought on Aleena. Just how has someone like Jacob gotten caught up with someone like her? He didn't seem the type.

Or was that something else deep inside trying to convince of that. It was hard to say. But the longer Lucy was with him, the harder it became to swallow.

"Maybe in the morning we can break into one of my dad's offices," Lucy suggested. "He has several all over town. Or..." Her voice trailed. "We could stop by..." She felt her heart twist at the thought, but she knew it might help and she had an easy means of entry. "Or we could go to Aleena's." Suddenly, she felt ill. "Maybe there are clues at her place. And this is assuming my dad hasn't sold the place off." Her lips pursed into a frown. It would be like her dad to move on quickly, to forget and find an opportunistic means through tragedy. It was how the bastard worked. Hell, he hadn't even bothered to tell her that her own twin had been murdered!

Lucy smiled weakly and pushed herself up off the bed. She looked over at Jacob, her red hair causing the back and shoulders of the shirt to get a bit wet as it cascaded over her tiny frame. He looked thoughtful, determined. Beautiful. Turning away, she headed toward the bedroom door that led into the main area.

"The choice is yours," Lucy whispered. "But I'm coming with you." She looked into his eyes. "I'm a part of this...I want to be." Her eyes were soft, her lips turned up in a smile. "I...I can make us some tea," she added in quickly, her cheeks flushing pink as she took a step toward the kitchenette.
 
Jacob nodded as she spoke.
"The place will still be locked up. Police have to at least have a cursory look over the place, adn that takes time. And...I know where there's a spare key to the place. I've been there before." He said quietly. He moved away from the closet, and almost tripped on the ruins of his shirt. he recovered his balance easily enough, but his hand brushed along the side table near the bed, and before he knew it-

People in the room. Two of them. Laughing, one of them Lucy. A man in the room, only kindness between them, her hand touching his chest, his hand on hers, lips to the back of her hand, a smile between them, more than friends here, they were-

He jerked his hand away from the table like it was on fire, clenching his fist. He relaxed a moment later. Knowing more than he should. That seemed to be his newest curse. It crossed his mind that he'd have murdered someone to have this back when he was writing for the paper. When he was alive. When there were goals for him beyond killing some men, and then finding other men to kill. Where would it end? Would it end? Was he destined to just be a force for murder and destruction? There had to be more to it than that. There had to be. It couldn't just be this.

"Tea. Tea is good." He agreed, not arguing her coming with him. It would be easiest to keep Lucy safe if she was close by. The last thing he wanted was for her to be picked up adn used against him. Never mind what they'd do to her. He moved hesitantly out of the bedroom, and towards the living room, and the kitchenette. No need to stay there. And he ahd concerns about what else he might see if he touched anything else in there.
 
Lucy smiled at Jacob as she headed toward the kitchenette. She searched the cabinets and found the stash of tea. She'd always been fond of the stuff and her habit had rubbed off on Gabe. As she rummaged through boxes of tea, trying to decide which ones to make, she hoped she wouldn't be placing both him and Layla in danger. If her father or any of his men found out that they'd taken refuge at this apartment...it could spell trouble for the two. She knew they'd be gone for several more days, so there was time. But would that be enough for the couple? She certainly hoped so.

Gabe had been a decent enough boyfriend while they'd been together, had treated her right. But there was no magic...and Lucy couldn't stay with someone when she knew her heart wasn't in it. Shortly after their break up, she'd noticed Layla—a petite blonde who'd frequented Gabe's gigs at all the local spots. The girl hung on his every word and she saw the way she looked at him. If only someone would look at her in that way... With a bit of encouragement, she nudged Gabe to go talk to her. He'd felt awkward at first, like it might be too soon, too...odd. But Lucy had insisted. She could see what he could not, that the chemistry was more than apparent. The two instantly hit it off and they'd been together ever since, practically inseparable. She was happy for them and hoped to find the same passion, the same love...one day.

Lucy looked over at Jacob and held up two tea bags. "How about green tea infused with passionfruit?" she asked, her cheeks flushing a bit. She set the tea down and removed two cups from another cabinet and placed them beside the tea. Next, she began to boil some hot water in the teakettle that had become a permanent fixture on the stovetop. She raked a hand through her wild red curls, which were slowly beginning to dry. "Might take a few minutes," she said softly, moving around the counter and towards Jacob. "For the water to boil, I mean." She made a soft sound, almost like a laugh, but not quite.

Encircling her arms about her waist, Lucy walked toward Jacob. He seemed uneasy, like his thoughts were elsewhere. No doubt he'd rather be out in the night as opposed to stuck inside some strange place with her. She supposed she couldn't blame him. He had a purpose and every instinct was probably telling him he had fulfill it, press onward. She was just bystander, though it hurt to think about that.

Frowning, Lucy reached out and gently brushed her fingers against Jacob's arm. He seemed so far away despite being so close. "Well, we can sit while we wait," she suggested. She moved toward the loveseat and sat down, her body sinking into the plush red cushion. "I...I forgot how low this seat was," she said. "Haven't been here in a long time. A long time." Her green eyes stared at the floor for a moment before looking up at Jacob. "The...the seat is comfortable though," she added, smiling. "I promise."
 
Jacob had spent a lot of time in his life just listening, and that was actually paying off right now. He was learning. Learning a lot about things by listening to Lucy. She was a very open kind of peson, so different than what he'd been expecting from her. He ahd to admit he'd had the rather illogical notion that said if she was an identical twin, then she would likely act just like her sister as well as look it. But that had been patently wrong, and he'd had every inclination that he was liable to learn even more very quickly. Tea was being made, passion fruit tea. She'd blushed at the suggestion, and Jacob got the impression he might want to get ued to that particular look on her, she seem to blush pretty often. It was endearing to say the least.

Lucy seemed a very tactile person, little touches and gestures at an almost constant rate. It wasn't a bad thing, just something he was noticing. She parked on the loveseat, settling into it. It was an invitation to sit, talk of it's comfort. And she had been there for some things that called for him to be polite. After all, he was only here, in a dry, clean shirt because of her. He owed her some basic manners. He moved to the seat, and lowered himself onto it carefully. It was not a large seat, not designed to be one, putting them in close proximity. He was specifically careful not to touch things, not wanting to See anything. But he wasn't as careful as he'd thought, leaning back to try and relax, his hand landing on the ar of the seat and-

Dark in the room, quiet in here, only light and sound coming from in front. Lucy and the man again, this time leaning on one another, blanket over them, movie night, staying in. Quiet time. Care in their eyes, but also a sense of perhaps distance in Lucy's. Not going to last, she knows it, dreads it on some level, but knows it all the same, won't fight the end. Needs to come, needs to happen, not right, not fair to anyone, won't stay like that. Hope for peaceful ending, good odds really. Optimism makes her smile-

His hand jerked, but he kept it under control this time. Nothing terrible, honestly just showing somethign that was pointing to that while the place might belong to her ex, it was highly likely they ended on good terms.

He looked at her, taking in the curls, the red hair, still that vivid colour that always drew the eye. Again it was striking how close she was to her sister, and how far from her at the same time. Aleena would have been leaning on him, whispering to him, trying to make him act, get him to hold her, make some kind of move on her, to talk about his day, what he was working on. He fought that memory a moment, though part of him felt that he was close to something important in that moment. He shook his head. He looked at Lucy.

"I don't think I've said it before. And if I am, sorry for repeating myself. But...thanks. For helping." He said to her quietly. Tactile. Lucy had a thing for contact. he reached out, risking it, keeping his thoughts schooled in a quiet state and brushed along her arm in a comfortnig motion.
 
Lucy watched as Jacob slowly made his way toward her, carefully lowering himself beside her on the loveseat. She felt the seat tilt slightly with his weight and she smiled. Looking his way, she felt her tummy flutter. Everything about his presence made her feel better. It was odd given he wasn't alive, that he'd killed men in the streets...she'd watched their blood run through tiny rivers of rain, pouring into the sewers, feeding the rats down below. Despite that, she knew she was safe with him, that he wasn't a demon or a beast. There were no words to describe what he was. Hell, she hardly knew herself. But one thing was certain when she searched her heart. To her, he was something unique, something special.

Her dream made real.

Lucy felt like a little girl wishing upon stars in that moment. After all, none of her wishes had ever come true and anything she'd ever truly cared about crumbled about her in ruin or was torn away leaving her desperately alone. She didn't know what it was like to feel unconditional love, knowing that someone would always be there no matter the cost. Her father had shown her long ago that he didn't care about anyone but himself. It was why her mother had died. She was sure of it. How could someone thrive as they watched the one they loved fall down a path of darkness, pulling away and succumbing to the temptation of power and greed. She was certain they couldn't. If she was able to ask, she knew her mother would tell her that she died of a broken heart...not some ailment, not anything else. Like her, her mother had also suffered.

Aleena. Lucy felt her heart lurch as she thought about her twin. If only things could've remained like it had been when they were young—innocent and carefree. But her sister was never one to look to the sun, to relish the warmth of the rays. She was like their father. And when she thought on it...she always had been. It hurt to admit that. Her sister had been her best friend, her protector. But in the end, she chose herself. She hadn't been worth a cent. A part of her wondered if their mother had lived if things would've been different...

But fate dealt them the hand they'd been given. It couldn't be changed. Though now that Lucy sat next to Jacob—dead, alive, something else entirely—she knew she wouldn't change it. She'd go through it all again.

"You're welcome," Lucy said, her words soft. Her green eyes shifted to her lap. She'd clasped her hands together, knuckles turning white where they rested. "I'm glad I can. I want to, you know." She looked up into Jacob's eyes and smiled. His hand brushed against her arm, sending shivers along her spine. She could feel her body tingling, warming in response to his touch. She wondered if he knew just how perfect he was...if Aleena had known. Biting down on her lower lip, she stared at her lap, the tension rising. Just then she heard the teakettle whistling on the stovetop. She jumped slightly at the sound, which caused her to let out a soft giggle. "Oh...tea is ready," she said, her cheeks pink, her eyes glazed with longing.

Lucy glanced over at the whistling kettle and sighed. More than anything, she did not want to get up. She did not want to spoil the moment, to break the contact. Frowning slightly, she shifted to stand up. Once up, she reached for Jacob's hand.

"Tea's ready," Lucy whispered. "Help me make it?"
 
Lucy had more on her mind than he could tell. He was good at reading people, he'd had to be in his line of work, but he was no mind reader. Or was he? He had snippets of her life, from her and this place. Happier times when it came to this place, but times that he shouldn't know, but times he couldn't unSee now that he had Seen. Was it fair? Was it right? he didn't have those answers. he had to keep thinking abotu what he was here for, he couldn't let hismelf dwell on what had happened, the fact that he was here. Still here. He shouldn't be here. He was dead. It had been over.

Or so he had thought. Prayed even.

Tea. Help making it? How did one help? Or was she just hoping for an excuse to keep him close? Did he blame her? Maybe a little. But if he was alone with his thoughts he had little doubt where he'd end up. And he didn't want that.
"Sure. Glad to." He answered, taking her outstretched hand, letting her pull him to his feet. He followed her to see what he needed to do. He acted on some instinct once within the kitchenette, getting mugs out of a cabinet. It felt odd, but somehow he'd known where to get them. Maybe some left over of the memories that he'd picked up? Hard to say. But he knew, and he knew properly. He turned his thoughts towards Lucy, turning her existence and presence around in him mind.

Why was she helping him? Well, she'd lost her sister. That was a reason. But what else had she said? Dreams? She'd seen him. Drawn him. Was he...Gods, did she literally see him as the man of her dreams? Was that it? It would explain a lot of her behaviour. And if she did...what was he going to do about it? The more he let it roll around in his head, the more he realized that there was nothing to do about it. All he could do was what was left to him. And see what was left of him, or if there was something hat still needed to be done.
 
Lucy smiled as Jacob followed her into the kitchenette, her hand holding onto his. She let reluctantly let go as she neared the whistling kettle, steam rising from the spout. In careful movements, she took it off the burner and turned it off while she noticed Jacob set out some cups. A tiny warmth began to grow in the pit of her tummy at his actions. She knew it wasn't much, but him being there, staying with her...doing something as simple as make tea...it meant something. Though she figured he probably didn't know how much. It was simple gestures and actions like this that had the most profound effect.

"Thanks," Lucy mumbled as she picked up the kettle and began to pour the steaming liquid into the cups. With her free hand, she dropped the passionfruit tea bags—one per cup—into place, brown swirls mixing into the water. It smelled pleasant as it wafted through the steam. She inhaled deeply, a smile playing on her lips. Setting the kettle down, she turned back toward the cups and looked up at Jacob. Her green eyes glistened as she smiled at him, grateful to just be sharing the moment. Slowly, she let her hand move around the hot cup, fingers finding their way around the handle. "Ooh," she exclaimed, laughing lightly. "It's a bit hot. Be careful." Her smiled broadened and she brought the cup to her lips.

Lucy took a sip, the hot liquid touching her lips, her tongue and making its way down her throat. It was delicious, one of her favorites. And she hoped that Jacob liked it too. Her cheeks flushed, she pulled the cup away from her mouth and set it down against the counter with a light clink.

"It's quite good," Lucy said, her eyes looking away from Jacob and at her tea filled cup. She blinked then, her eyes closing for a bit longer than necessary. In that moment, she saw Jacob as she did in her dreams—not with the heat and thunder, but in the way he always beckoned her to come. She knew she always would. It was impossible not to. She could see his eyes, the way they looked at her...or was that how he looked at Aleena? It was hard to know and she wasn't sure if she wanted to. And his mouth... She furrowed her eyebrows and opened her eyes, trying to shake the image. But she couldn't. Staring at the tea, she said, "I...I hope you like it."
 
Jacob reached for the mug, wrapping his hand around the glass, feeling the heat. It almost seared him, but not quite. The heat, the faint image of pain was a kind of grounding for him. It focused him. Centered him. Gave him something to overcome. He lifted the tea to his mouth, and drank. Hot indeed, and trailing all the way down. He had tried this kind of tea a few times before, but this time something was different. He could taste the flavour, feel it on his tongue, but it seemed...muted. Like he was a long way away. He looked at the cup a moment before looking back to Lucy.
"It is good. A good choice of tea." He agreed with her, smiling faintly. The flavour dampening made him wonder what else he might not have full access too. What other sensations might he be missing? Even the heat was a little more muted than it probably should be.

There was just so much going on in his head, it was hard to pin down any one line of thinking unless he had a clear reason to do so. A target. When he was taking his vengeance, giving justice to the deserving, then it was all so easy. A liberal application of violence, and it was all over with. Dealing with Lucy was different. How much of any gratitude or affection he felt towards her was just a residue from Aleena? Her appearance was distracting to say the least, but her mannerisms were different, almost unrecognizably so. There was none of the haughty overtones that he'd seen from Aleena when someone was getting in her way, but there wasn't that flat dedicated drive either. He had suspicions that Lucy was stronger than she thought, but it might lie in other directions.

He realized he'd been staring at her, and looked away. The crow croaked from it's perch on an armchair, calling attention back to it. Jacob let his eyes close, seeing the room fro the different eyes now, a bird's eye view. The longer he let himself see through the crow, the more he felt his own sense of understanding slip away. Until he only saw it through the eyes of the crow, through the mind almost. And this let him perhaps understand his purpose a little more. The room was only one thing. A distraction. Everything the crow saw it dismissed as unimportant. The implication was clear. Jacob was wasting time. He opened his eyes, let himself come back. Whatever judgement the crow had, he wasn't ready to take up the hunt once more. Not yet. He knew he would do it soon, but not just yet.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom