Disclaimers: All characters belong to rightful owners.
Story concieved by Lee.


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Alexei had started to ask Nathan if he'd known Sergey-- or Azazel. The man seemed interested in his knowledge, perhaps the man was also capable of distinguishing between people, or wanted revenge, or... he shook his head, petting Erik idly as he waited in silence.

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"I... can't seem to be able to get a hold of her..." Addie murmured quietly as he glanced quickly to Nathan. Going back to rubbing at his arm, he tried to reassure himself that it was just because his mother was caught somewhere where her cell wouldn't work... or even that she had left it at home; she'd be along any moment now and everything'd be okay.

"It's alright, though!" He exclaimed quickly as he shook his head, smiled. "I'm sure she'll be along any second. You... both really don't have to stay; I'm sure that you have other things you should be doing..."

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Nathan looked at the young boy with a concerned look on his face. He could easily sense the worry and fear behind the young's boy's smile, but he could also tell that some of it was due to him. Although he wanted to make sure that the young boy got home safely, he knew that standing around wasn't helping either. But the boy's safety was more important. "Well," Nathan began before the tune for "Seven Nation Army" started coming from his coat pocket. He reached into the pocket once more and looked at the cell phone. "Thalia," he mumbled under his breath. "Give me a sec." he said to the two boys before walking off a couple of feet.

"I need a babysitter, Nathaniel Hawthorne!" Thalia screamed over the phone. Nathan pulled the phone away from his ear and sighed as the young mother continued to scream over the phone. Her voice could be clearly heard from a few feet away. "Don't think I'm going to let you get away with hanging up on me either. I am coming to you in hour of need, damnit! And you hang up on me! You are a disloyal best friend! The poor girl is crying here."

"No I'm not not," a small voice yelled in the background.

Nathan sighed and turned back to the two boys. "Just give me a little bit more time, and I'll be there," Nathan said as waved at the two boys. 'I at least need to get more information from these two.'

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"No." Sophia simply stated, shaking her head. No, this was too obsessive, too freakish, too threatening to simply die down on its own. Even if it was possibly someone who wouldn't back up his or her messages with actions, Sophia didn't want to take the chance. "_Please_, Mr. Alraune," she insisted, meeting his eyes solemnly. "Honestly, I think you're in danger."

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Darran laughed at Para's wink and suggestion, "Dunno, don't wear dress shirts much, but don't let that stop you... Woof." Hey, you could do a lot worse than to be the pet of a girl like this, right?

"Oh, well," he chuckled a little nervously as she brought up her phone number-- it _would_ be a little too creepy, wouldn't it, to tell her he'd gotten Kein to hack it for him-- "it um, wasn't too hard to find-- and you don't need to worry about Kein, he's back at the office. I don't really have to go back on the job till it's time to walk him back to the complex."

"Hmm, triple cream mocha caramel cappucino-- suprised you can even say it-- and a white chocolate chip cookie," Darran repeated, "got it. Guess I'll go for one of those brownies... hey." He frowned in mock-censure as he caught sight of Para's wallet, and demanded, "and what d'you think you're going to do with that, eh?" It'd be a cold day in hell before a date would have to pay their way with him, so really, as far as he was concerned, that wallet could go right back in the pocket it had come from.

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Addie blinked as a voice screamed over Nathan's phone and, catching the general gist of it, he flushed softly. The man had duties, obligations, and he was loitering around with them? Why would he do that? That... wasn't expected. Frowning at these thoughts, he went back to rubbing slowly at his arm as he noted, absently, that the marks hadn't bothered him in... quite a long time.

Still, as Nathan made the excuse that he needed more time, Addie flushed all the darker and he quickly shook his head. No. The man didn't have to do that. If he was needed to help the screaming woman, then he really should go, especially if it involved a sick child. Eyes wide, he tried to express this much to Nathan without speaking it.

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"Sophia..." Nevan really had been about to make another excuse to this, but something about the expression in her eyes caught him short. She really _was_ concerned and she really _did_ think that he may be in danger. Chewing softly at his lip, he had to admit, silently, that it was very disturbing, but he couldn't think what the police really could do. Maybe he should talk with Father Douglas; he always seemed to have answers. Nodding to this decision, he found a soft smile for Sophia.

"Alright, I _will_ talk to someone about it." He agreed as he moved to ruffle Sophia's hair softly. "I appreciate your help and your concern in this, Sophia. It means a rather lot."

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"Oh, that's good!" Para nodded to the news that Darran wouldn't be needed back at his job until later and, smiling at the idea of having the guy to herself for a little while, she dropped a teasing wink. "I was just afraid that Oscar'd think I was trying to steal away the best of his bodyguards; not that he-- nor anyone else-- could really blame me for that, of course. I mean, honestly, who _wouldn't_ be tempted?"

"I'm going to treat..." She replied innocently as Dar mock-demanded why she had her wallet out. Blinking twice, she grinned cutely as she tapped a fingertip against the tip of his nose. "After all, what kind of date would I be if I were to ask you to pay for everything?"

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"Thank you," Sophia said with relief, assuming that by 'someone' he meant what she had suggested, the police. "Please, tell me if anything happens? It's important that you remain unharmed," she added intensely. Perhaps it was ludicrous for a ten-year-old to all but promise she would take care of a fully-grown adult; very well. It was also senseless and entirely unjust for a man like Mr. Alraune to be killed, and so Sophia could stand some incongruity if it would protect what little good there was in New Eden. In the end, anything could be sacrificed for that.

"I need to be getting home," she said quietly, and took a few steps away from Nevan's desk, "or Umed will be missing me. Good afternoon, Mr. Alraune. I do hope this is resolved soon."

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"Mm-hm," Darran replied, nodding agreeably as Para declared her intention to pay-- and then put a friendly hand on her shoulder to make sure she stayed sitting as he quickly swerved around the table and got into line. "So it was a _white_ chocolate chip cookie, right hon?" he called back to her with a teasing wink. *But stay on your guard, Darran!* he prepped himself, *She'll probably just muscle you right out of line.* Or worse yet, flash him a big, sad, 'won't-you- please-give-in' puppy dog look... he didn't know _how_ he'd fight it if she came out with one of those...

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*THWAP* Kisoku gave the boy a brisk slap on the arm for the walker comment. The slap was meant to be playful more than anything. Afterall, if the comment had been made with the upmost sincerity, Kisoku would've throw his shoe at the poor Mexican's head as was his habit to do to people who truly irked him. "Whipper snapper..."

He listened to the boy speak about fate before curiousity got the better of him. "And exactly where has fate taken you recently? Tahiti?"

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"Well, enough about Lukas. I don't want you to be too bummed out. I mean, we're young and hip and have some free time. We should be enjoying it right?" Lucia grinned, poking at Sam's side. "You're only young once afterall..."

She almost laughed at the ridiculousness of the statement. She, who was considered by humans the destroyer of men's souls and catalyst for all decay in the world, could hardly grow old or lose spark. "...then again, I guess it's okay to be young once if you're young forever. I wonder what this body will look like when it gets older-- _if_ it ever gets older."

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"Whipper snapper?" Dante chuckled as he rubbed at his thwapped arm. Idly, he tried to remember the last time he head heard that particular insult, but, coming up blank, he just laughed further as he jokingly huffed. "Well, good way to insult a guy's honor..."

"I only wish it was Tahiti..." He muttered a bit less jovially to the latter comment as he sighed. Really, to him, just about _any_ remote place would be preferable, at this point. Still, he soon shrugged this trail of thought aside. "Nowhere in particular, I'm afraid. I think fate's gotten into a rut."

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"That's right!" Para agreed cheerfully as she popped to her feet just as soon as Dar removed his hand. Obviously dismissing any of the other's thoughts on chauvinism-- or chilvary, if that's what it was-- she dug a suitable bill out of her pocket as she joined him in line. Still, perhaps anticipating that he'd make another attempt to cut her short, she did, indeed, turn a large-eyed, absolutely sickeningly adorable puppy-dog look on him. "...but you're totally cool with me paying my own way, right?"

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"Yea, I guess you're right!" Sam nodded with a bit of forced cheer as he tipped his head. Sure, he felt a bit guilty going away and having a good time while Lukas may well be suffering, but what could he do at the moment? He'd just have to resolve to talk to the Cajun at the soonest convenient moment.

"It'll probably look just as hot as it does now..." He purred as he moved to drape an arm about Lucia's waist. Yea. Totally normal. Just walking along and flirting with a cute girl. Nothing to see here, folks! "I really can't imagine you otherwise, Luc."

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Nathan had turned around to face the two boys. A great deal of sadness swept over him as he looked at the younger of the two. Although he really could not be around the boy, his presence wasn't doing much good either. He had sensed from the beginning that Addie was somewhat uncomfortable with him, but you didn't need empathic abilities to see that. Now, however, there was something much more behind those eyes than just uneasiness. 'Prometheus' son,' he thought to himself. 'And a boy with information on my...' Nathan could no finish the thought. His run-in with Lucifer still unnerved him. His human state made him more vulnerable to her pleas than he would have hoped. It didn't feel right to call her an enemy-- not yet anyway.

But these two boys, they were important to his cause. Then again, you get more bees with honey; and he needed a lot more bees. "Are you sure you'll be okay here by yourself?" Nathan asked with a concerned look on his face. "My friend needs a sitter, but I want to make sure you two are okay first. She's not in a hurry."

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"Great, he hung up on me again," Thalia said with an exasperated sigh. She could not afford to miss work tonight. Not with the credit card bills she had racked up for this Christmas. Why did everything have to be so hard? 'No, I can handle this,' she thought to herself as she pressed the bridge of her nose between her right thumb and finger. She bite down on her lower lip to suppress the sob that had been building up in the back of her throat. 'No, not in front of Charlene. I can figure out what to do. I don't need Nathan. I don't need anyone.'

Thalia jumped as she felt a hand lay on her shoulder. She looked up to see the Chaplain's daughter standing behind the pew she was sitting on. "I'm so sorry, Ms. Bertos," Thalia said, her voice shaking as she stood form the pew. "I didn't know anyone was in the Church. I'm sorry for making a scene. I'll just get my daughter and..."

Evangelina cracked a smile as she looked down at the ground. "Look, I overheard what's going on, and I know you don't know me that well, but I can watch your daughter for the night. It's not a problem. I have access to the apartment complex near yours."

"No," Thalia stammered as she walked pass the younger girl. "I can't ask you to do that..."

"Please," Eva continued as she grabbed her arm. "You sounded like you really need one, and I'm free tonight."

It had been a long day, and her faculties were running low. Usually she would not even think twice about asking one of those people for a favor, but Nathan didn't seem like he would pull through. "Fine," she said quietly. "Only till 8:30 though, then you can drop her off at Nathan's. He lives right near my apartment. Charlene will show you the way. I... I really appreciate this." With that, she quickly walked out to the hall where her young girl was waiting. "Charlene, honey, Nathan isn't going to watch you tonight, sweetie. I'm sorry. But your Sunday school teacher offered to take you in. If you prefer Nathan, just..."

"It's okay," Charlene chirped as she gave her mother a hug and a kiss on the cheek. "I'd rather be with you, but I know you can't. I love you momma." Biting back the tears once more, Thalia smiled and kissed her daughter lightly on the forehead. Not wanting to burst into tears, she quickly headed out the door.

"How about some candy, kid?" Eva said with a wink as she walked into the hallway. "I know a great store nearby." The girl merely nodded in reply and took the woman's hand.

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Errrrrrrrp. "No-oo," Darran managed, but only in an absolutely pathetic squeak. Swallowing, he tried to tear his eyes away from Para's... but anyone could guess how successful that was. *Aw, Christ. Whipped so soon...* Laughing sheepishly, he tried to wheedle with her, "Aw, c'mon babe, it's a date, I can't make you pay..."

And of course, with _such_ a strong argument couched in _such_ forceful language, she was bound to give in. Sigh.

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"I... I'll be fine!" Addie insisted firmly as he returned Nathan's glance. Forcing up a bright smile, he shook his head. Really, he wasn't too fond of the idea of having to walk home on his own but some part of him wasn't too fond of standing around with this man, either. Naturally, he just chalked it up to shyness and left it there.

"I can walk home." He went on to explain as he gestured off over his shoulder. Thinking that he should return the borrowed hanky to Nathan, he held this out, but then frowned at the blood on it; he'd have to clean that first. "It really isn't so far and this sounds really important..."

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"Sure you can," Para enthused as she leaned in all the closer to Dar. Just about nose-to-nose, she redoubled her efforts at cute even as she continued to stare into his eyes. Absently, she noted that this seemed a bad set-up for a very public kiss, but that thought was shoved aside as the woman behind the counter cleared her throat impatiently.

"Oh, sorry!" Para squeaked as she turned her attention to the coffee slinger. Flushing slightly, she offered a big smile... which earned a roll of the eyes from the emo-glassed saleslady. "Okay, we want one large triple cream mocha caramel cappucino, one white chocolate chip cookie, a brownie and... umm..."

She blinked, turned to Dar.

"What kind of coffee did you want, hon?"

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