((R)) shut it down || CATO

[ava rae woodward]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=style, width: 420px; padding: 0px; border-top: 20px solid #151515;][bg=2e4461] [style=background-color: 8e8855;position: relative; padding: 2px; font-family: georgia; font-size: 19px; color: #000000; text-align: center; letter-spacing: -2px; opacity: 0.8]if i die young, bury me in satin She just had to keep reminding herself that this was good for her. That nothing bad would happen. That she was going to walk away with enough money from this night alone to support her for more than a week. She could do this. She had to do this. She couldn't keep living life the way that she was living it. She couldn't survive and she certainly wasn't a professional thief. Her skills were only getting worse and she knew that it was because she felt bad about doing it in the first place. But not real business wanted to hire her, they didn't want to take a chance on her. She had no choice. Taking a deep breath, Ava let it out slowly as she stared at her reflection in the mirror. She didn't know what kind of event she was supposed to be attending here, she just knew that she was supposed to dress to impress. And unfortunately for her, she didn't have many clothes that could be labeled as impressive. When she had gone to Lennox with that issue he had simply smiled at her. She hadn't thought it was very funny at the time, but when he revealed the wardrobe choices to her, she had finally understood. Ava wasn't expected to purchase clothes for this job until she had a steady salary under her and even then, she was welcomed to this array of gowns and other items any time she wanted. She was embarrassed to say that Lennox had helped her choose the outfit that she should wear for tonight simply because Ava was of...well, simple taste. The black gown fit her thin form like a glove, with the bottom flaring out gently into waves. This was a gala, an event for rich men to throw their money and their power around. While Ava didn't agree to the affair she knew that she didn't have much of a choice. She was to be punctual, she was to act the part. Her ability to fall into a situation as if she belonged was witnessed when Lennox had pretended she was his girlfriend. Trying not to think of the gentleman that he was, knowing that not every man she was an escort for would be that way, Ava shook her head slightly. She was in this deal for the money, and as gold digging as that sounded, she didn't really have any other ideas. This was the only business that she could get into and be successful in. Looking at herself for a moment longer, she took in the sight of her face, the make up natural and soft, but accentuating her eyes. Her freckles came through automatically, but Lennox liked the look for some reason. Furrowing her brow, her eyes traveled down to the low neckline of the dress. It made a v down her chest, ending right above her belly button. Simple lines of diamond like material connected the two sides so there was no possibility of a wardrobe malfunction, but it still left Ava feeling uneasy. She wasn't used to dressing like this. Knowing she had to deal with it, she pushed herself away from the mirror and gathered the skirt of her dress in her hands. Her hair was naturally curled to one side, with the longer strands coming over her right shoulder. She felt richer than she had ever felt before, but it was all material things. Trying not to think too much into this night, she stepped outside when the limo finally made its appearance. Greeting the portly, ruddy looking man who was dressed in a suit that didn't truly fit him, she offered him a smile and was glad that in that moment, Lennox didn't expect her to sleep with anyone on the job. Especially because she was virgin. The ride there was short and the man spoke about himself, facts that she had already researched before coming out with him in case she was questioned. She wasn't going to mess this up. Giving him a gentle smile when they arrived, she took his arm and walked into the affair with him, her blue eyes widening slightly at the opulence of it all. Trying not to appear dumbfounded, she felt a nausea swirling in her stomach, but she forced herself to remain in her role. Staying by this gentleman's side for as long as she possibly could, she turned a brilliant smile to whoever they greeted, but eventually she could feel the heat rising in her cheeks. She was uncomfortable, she was unprepared for this. Lennox was wrong. She couldn't do this. "I'm so sorry, George. I need to excuse myself for only a moment." She promised the older man, leaning up and kissing his cheek with a smile. She tried to be reassuring and she found that she needn't be. He was too consumed with talking about himself and she slipped away relatively unnoticed. Hurrying down one of the long hallways, looking for the restroom, she knew she just needed to stop for a moment. Slowing her pace, she finally halted and leaned her back against the wall. Closing her eyes, her lips parted as she tried to settle her racing heart. She couldn't do this. This business wasn't for her. She had to tell Lennox, and she needed to get out of here. [/style] WORDS - here - NOTES - here - TAG - here [/style]

table credited to madame marianna @ caution 2.0

[CATO JULIUS KAINE]

there are two types of people in the world

cato hated the color white.

it was a personal preference of his, but he hated it. it was so lacking in so many ways. there was literally nothing to white. it begged to be tainted.

as he glared across the reception hall at his 'wife', he sneered openly at the sight of her in her poofy white dress and downed the entire glass of champagne in his hand. he hated champagne for that matter, while he was on the topic of hating his life and everything in it.

this room was full of people he didn't know, or didn't care about, and he couldn't be bothered with them. nonchalantly tossing his empty glass at a passing waiter who floundered and did a balancing act to catch the glass without dumping out the tray of drinks he was carrying, cato walked away, down an abandoned hallway of the magnificent event. there were too many people. it was stifling, but in the midst of it all, there was some darkness. he relished in the darkness.

darkness wasn't white. white was boring.

"give me that," he ordered a passing server, heisting the entire bottle of champagne as it floated past him. the server glared openly at him, and he returned the look hotly, anger boiling in his dark brown eyes as a smile crossed his unfortunately handsome face. "give me the shit look one more time and see how fast your minimum wage job gets taken away from you, bitch."

the waitress balked, embarrassed and offended, and skittered away from him as he fumed and muttered irritably to himself, disappearing into the dark hallway. the wedding had been in the grand ballrooms of the most elite home in all of boston - something owned by the irish mafia, no doubt, he didn't know or care - and the reception was held at another home, equally as opulent but somehow more cozy. if cozy could even be used to describe such a place. a house with at least ten bedrooms, a ballroom in the center of it, and who knew how many hallways.

cato was thankful for these passageways now, and his knowledge of navigating homes such as this one, a trait he had since childhood when he'd explored politicians' mansions throughout washington and new york. tipping the champagne bottle back, he gulped it down and wished it was stronger. he wasn't nearly drunk enough to deal with being married to a cold, robotic bitch. she probably hated him just as much as he hated her - he could only hope at least - but that wasn't his problem. he just had to figure out a way to continue his life as it had been before she came along and fucked it all up.

rounding the bend in a particularly secluded hallway, he narrowed his eyes as a shadow slowly came in to focus. raising his chin in a haughty look that was characteristic of him, he examined the figure as she came in to focus. she was everything charlotte was not. she was tall, his height, and a brunette from what he could tell. at least enough of a brunette that it suited his mind that she could be charlotte's opposite. a sadistic, licentious smile curved over his lips.

"are you lost?" he asked, his voice sounding surprisingly caring and gentle even to him. he was a convincing mother fucker sometimes.

most men wouldn't see a female by herself and automatically think of sex... no, who was he kidding? every man thought that. they could deny it. they could be 'gentlemen' or 'casanovas', it didn't matter. they all thought with their dicks.

she was attractive. she had an innocent air to her that he couldn't explain. perhaps it was the nervous way her breasts rose and fell with her panted breaths. or the smattering of freckles over her nose that gave her a sexy pippy longstocking look. she looked out of place in her dress, as if someone else had dressed her and sent her off on her own, and that's when he figured it out. he'd seen george roach with a companion earlier, he'd merely dismissed it because it didn't matter to him. but it should have sent red flags up in his mind that a man recently divorced already had a companion, and a young pretty one at that.

he'd hired her.

cato was sure of it as he examined the young female in front of him. he could recognize one of his own, and someone out of their element, and this woman was certainly the latter. stepping forward, abandoning the champagne bottle on the floor opposite from where she stood, cato smiled benignly at her. "i could show you the way back to the party, if you'd like?" he offered, his dark eyes flashing in the semi-darkness of the abandoned hallway. "or we could have our own party right here."

gently, his fingers slipped into the center of her hand, twisting her arm gently and pulling it up so their palms where flattened against one another. intwining his fingers with hers, he looked her directly in her light eyes - so starkly contrasted to his dark, almost black eyes - and he smiled once more. it was a soothing smile, even though there was much more lurking just below the surface of that smile. he could hope she didn't see his ulterior motive, but then again, he didn't care. it wasn't as if she would have much choice in the long run.

his free hand softly touched her hip, sliding across her hipbone to her belly where his index finger drew a slow, gentle line up the iridescent fabric laid over her stomach. "such a pretty dress, for a pretty girl," he murmured, so close to her that he could hear her panted breaths, could smell the perfume on her that she also hadn't bought for herself. she was a doll: someone else's doll for sale. but he didn't pay for what he wanted. he was cato kaine.

looking from his finger as it paused between her breasts, the shadow of a smirk crossed his perfect mouth as he looked up into her eyes. "i wonder what you taste like," he commented offhandedly. inexorably, he leaned in to her and kissed her, gently at first because it entertained him that way. his tongue parted her lips and pressed between her teeth, taking control of her mouth as he stepped forward and expertly kicked her feet apart as far as her fitted dress would allow. his hands went to her hips, slowly rounding her hips to her ass as his tongue matched the movements of his palms, caressing and toying with the inside of her mouth as his hands kneaded her skin.

this may prove to entertain him greatly.

AVA | WOW HE'S AN ASS XD HE EVEN THINKS LIKE AN ASSHOLE BAHA

[ava rae woodward]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=style, width: 420px; padding: 0px; border-top: 20px solid #151515;][bg=2e4461] [style=background-color: 8e8855;position: relative; padding: 2px; font-family: georgia; font-size: 19px; color: #000000; text-align: center; letter-spacing: -2px; opacity: 0.8]if i die young, bury me in satin Leaving was the best option for her. She didn't know how much trouble she would be in, she didn't know how much trouble Lennox's business would be in if George Roach complained, but she prayed there was some way that her boss would be able to smooth the situation over. Pretending with Lennox was entirely different than pretending with a man like George. She had gone through the training, she had perfected her manners and her abilities and the things she had to say and do. But it hadn't even come close to preparing her for this. She felt like a hired whore. Furrowing her brow, she let her palms rest against the cool stones that lined the dark hallway she had disappeared down, trying to find comfort and solace in a place in which she didn't belong. It was quite obvious, especially with her reaction now and it wasn't fair to the business. She had to pull herself out before she lost Lennox money. She was certain that George would be expecting a full refund when she didn't return to his side. Swallowing past the rising lump in her throat because of her overwrought emotions, she sighed softly and pushed herself forward and off of the wall. But that was when she saw the form coming towards her, darkened by the shadows. Her heart skipped a beat out of nerves as her memory traveled back to the news she had heard about the night of the Masquerade Ball. There had been a murder of a young woman and the authorities had not caught the perpetrator yet. She only knew this because of who her brother was and she didn't find the information comforting. Her face paled as her thoughts wandered and as he came into focus, it didn't offer her any comfort. Watching him with a look that clearly said she wanted to run despite the fact that he was handsome, Ava held her breath until she heard the words that he spoke. He seemed gentle, he seemed honestly interested in her state of being at the moment and while it did nothing to calm her nerves, it made her second guess her first instincts. Maybe she didn't need to run. He wasn't threatening her. But yet, she still hesitated. "No, I...well, slightly. I was looking for the bathroom but I'm certain it's just around the corner there." She informed him breathlessly, her voice sounding high and out of place from her nerves. Cursing herself, she stepped forward, but as she did, he did too, depositing his bottle of champagne on the ground at the opposite wall. Her lips parted in a surprised fashion and her blue eyes turned upwards to gaze into his dark eyes. They were so empty. Her heart skipped another beat as his hand went to hers, his words filling her mind instantly as she tried to desperately understand what he was saying as he touched her. "I'm not..really the partying type, I'm sorry sir." She admitted with a blush, trying to keep her composure and her good manners so as not to soil Lennox's reputation. Not that it would matter, but she was trying. Pushing forward, he attempted to step away from him, to do anything to show that she was not interested but she was petite and tiny compared to him. He could control her easily and that thought alone brought her straight back to her memories of her childhood. She had been held captive for most of her life, tied to a chair unless she was given permission to get up. She couldn't be trapped like that again and his very closeness set her off. It wasn't in a good way. For a moment, she froze entirely as his fingers kept hers locked within his, her hand stuck to his as if it was glued. She sucked in a breath sharply as his hand went from her hip to her stomach, his finger trailing up her skin because of the design of the dress, stopping in between her breasts. "Stop..I don't even know you." She spoke quietly, quickly, her eyes wide with the reality of her situation. She didn't know what he was going to do, she didn't know he wasn't in the business of taking no from anyone. He should leave her alone if she said no, right? That's what her mind told her even if her heart was rocketing with the fear of being trapped and held against her will again. When he commented about her dress, she could feel his breath on her, could smell the alcohol on him and she turned her face away, not wanting to listen to what he had to say any longer. "It's not mine. Please. let me go. I have a man waiting for me." She explained, hoping that would gain her her freedom. When it didn't, she bucked her hips against him, thinking that would have some affect. If it did, it certainly wasn't the desired outcome. And then she heard his next statement. "Excuse me?" What she tasted like? The innocent side of her balked immediately, taking over any desire she had to explore this situation. She didn't know him. He didn't know her. She wanted nothing to do with him, but in a flash, his lips had expertly captured hers and she panicked. Trying to pull away, she found that she was completely stuck, his tongue working its way into her mouth, between her teeth. His taste on her tongue made her want to cringe. His hot mouth was not welcome, it was not what she wanted. She hadn't given him permission, he hadn't asked. He was taking and Ava didn't want this. A cry left her lips as she managed to pull away from him, and not one that was filled with pleasure. "Please let go of me. I don't know who you think you are but if you don't take your hands off of me, I will make sure there are consequences." There. There was some of her fire. It was ill timed, it was out of no where, and a part of her felt like she didn't sound confident at all, but at least she was standing up for herself. Without thinking, she brought her free hand up and slapped him soundly across the cheek. Hoping she didn't make things worse for her, she tried slipping out from beneath him, thinking maybe he got the message. This was just one more thing to push her over the edge. She was certainly quitting after this. [/style] WORDS - here - NOTES - here - TAG - here [/style]

table credited to madame marianna @ caution 2.0

[CATO JULIUS KAINE]

there are two types of people in the world

Cato smiled congenially at her as she announced that she'd been on her way to find a bathroom. He knew houses like this one, and he highly doubted there was a restroom down such an abandoned corridor, but he kept the information to himself. He was capable of keeping his thoughts to himself...sometimes. Besides, she looked so out of place already, with her shortened breath and wildly lost look.

He didn't feel sorry for her. No, that wasn't his style. He didn't feel sympathy for others any more than he felt sympathy for himself. Call it narcissism, it was, but he didn't care. He didn't have time to worry about what other people were feeling. That was their problem.

So he ignored her uneasiness as he stepped toward her, slipping his fingers into her hand and taking control of it as she responded to his comment. His eyes flashed even though he wasn't looking at her when she called him 'sir'. He was no one's sir. His father was a sir, but he wasn't. Somehow, it reminded him that he was just recently married to a woman he despised, and that irritated him as badly as the rest of this day. He had to pretend to love Charlotte for the press, but he didn't want to be reminded of it here in this abandoned hallway with a woman who was not his 'wife'.

He felt her agitation as he closed in on her, but he was angry and a bit inebriated which led to him being a bit more violent than usual. He wasn't about to let her escape, as his mind went to that one thing that would make him forget all of this. Sex.

Cato smiled darkly as she innocently sputtered that she didn't know him. He leaned closer to her, his breath hot against her skin as his dark eyes examined her body before looking up into her gaze. "Since when does that matter?" he asked, cocking his head expectantly and smirking slightly.

She commented about being waited on, and he snorted in dark derision. "No, you don't. You see, this entire event is in my honor, so you have no one more important to please besides me." He smiled darkly at her, his eyes flashing with his intent. "Besides, George Roach will entertain himself with stories about his own life until you return."

His eyes lowered to her lips as he stated plainly that he wondered what she tasted like. She balked at his words, but he ignored her. It really didn't matter if she was in agreement or not. So he took what he wanted, forcing a kiss on her even as she fought back against him, an exasperated cry escaping her lips when he finally released her mouth.

She had the nerve to talk back to him, to tell him to let her go. She threatened him with his own party guests by saying she would bring consequences down on him. His smile flashed with genuine amusement by her pathetic attempt to coy him. "There will be no consequences. I get what I want, and right now, that happens to be you. At least until I grow tired of you. You just have to shut your fucking mouth until I'm done," he stated simply, shrugging his shoulders slightly.

With his hips pinning her against the wall, the slap she landed on his face was at closer range and rang through his head with a wicked echo of pain. He stepped back slightly in surprise, and she wriggled to escape him. Shaking his head to clear it, his hand snaked out and grabbed her roughly around her wrist, bending her arm around so she was forced to spin with her back against his chest. His smile curved into a wicked thing and he shoved her against the wall.

"You see.. I wasn't entirely sure I was going to do this..." he hissed, pinning her against the wall as his hands reached for her dress, tearing it at the seams as he hitched it roughly up over her hips. "And then you had to go and be a little bitch about it."

It was a violent thing, something that only pleased him, and he knew it, but he didn't care. If he felt remorse, it would be deep within him where he couldn't touch it. He hated Charlotte, he hated this marriage, and he took it all out on the innocent girl in the hallway. He showed he had the right to make his own decisions, no matter how heinous and horrible, and he only stopped when he broke her.

---------------------------

Why Orion was invited to this wedding, he didn't even know. Other than the simple fact that all of Boston - the parts that actually knew him - believed he was a history professor at the university and the entire city was invited to this overdone wedding, he couldn't explain his own presence here. However, he had an ulterior motive.

His entire existence was based on solving the mystery of the one thing that had destroyed his mother's life: his birth.

It wasn't that simple really. It was ultimately the kidnapping, the sex trafficking, the resulting depression, but it all came down to what had created him. He believed with his entire heart that the ring was somehow connected with the government, but he had no idea how, and he couldn't prove what he did believe. So, he laid low and took everything in until he could prove it.

So, he supposed, as a spy and an undercover agent, his real reason for being here was he believed the mafia was the best place to start when researching such a creation. The base of all crime surely was connected somehow. Running his fingers down the satiny lapel of his tuxedo, his ice blue eyes surveyed the crowd and he smiled kindly at the guests he passed. He blended in with the rest of them, and he liked that.

He watched the bride by herself, smiling for her friends, family, and the press. The groom was notably absent, a fact that piqued his attention. Surely the young man was off getting drunk somewhere. Did any man really want to be tied down? He didn't know. He suspected more of them balked at marriage than appreciated it. He would never know, he supposed.

Walking around the outside of the dancefloor as the bride was swept onto the floor by someone the DJ announced as her stepfather, Orion disappeared into the fringes of the party. He had yet to see any of the Selwyn family, and he'd memorized their faces. It wasn't hard to find them.

---------------------------

As he straightened his clothes, Cato raised his chin and sniffed derisively at the girl who was slowly becoming crumpled into a ball on the floor. Her dress was probably ruined, and he smiled at the cruel thought that she wouldn't be able to return to the party as she'd tried to when she wanted to escape him.

"It would've been nice to know you were a virgin before we embarked on that little adventure," he stated irritably, straightening his sleeves and tightening his cufflinks through his shirt sleeves. "If I'd known there would be a learning curve, then I could have applied myself a bit more. As it was, that really just amounted to a mediocre fuck."

Shrugging his shoulders nonchalantly, he pulled his jacket down over his shirt sleeve, covering the cufflinks his mother-in-law had gifted him. He could say something comforting. He could apologize. He could offer her some solace at all. But he didn't. Why should he? He'd come for what he needed, and he'd gotten it. The soiled little virgin wouldn't have to worry about getting pregnant because he wasn't stupid, and he'd taken steps to protect himself, and he'd gotten what his wife would be unlikely to give him.

Smiling darkly to himself, he straightened his irascible bowtie and left her to mope on the floor as he returned to the party in his honor.

---------------------------

Turning down a darkened corridor, Orion suddenly almost collided full-body with a man exiting the passageway. "Oh! Excuse me," he apologized, his Charleston accent smooth and lilting as he backed away from the man. The man, who he recognized as the groom who'd been missing, smiled benignly at him and circled him, shrugging off the affront without a word. Watching him for a brief moment, Orion sighed to himself and continued down the hallway.

As he walked, his blue eyes scanning his surroundings, a faint whimper reached his ears and he perked up at the sound. At first his mind interpreted it as a child, but his confusion cleared as he rounded a curve in the hallway and recognized the shape of a woman on the floor, crying into her own lap. Rushing to her, he dropped down at her side and gently reached out to touch her before thinking better of it. Perhaps she didn't need his comfort. He didn't want to come across as a creep.

So he kept his hands to himself as he examined her briefly. "Are you alright, miss?" he asked in a gentle voice.

AVA | T_T

[ava rae woodward]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=style, width: 420px; padding: 0px; border-top: 20px solid #151515;][bg=2e4461] [style=background-color: 8e8855;position: relative; padding: 2px; font-family: georgia; font-size: 19px; color: #000000; text-align: center; letter-spacing: -2px; opacity: 0.8]if i die young, bury me in satin "It matters to me." She informed her defiantly, trying to muster up the strength that she knew she possessed. She hated that the very idea of being trapped made her freeze in her tracks. She couldn't function. She couldn't focus. She was in shock and nothing had even happened yet. But she knew. She could read it in his expression because she knew what that look meant. Her captors held that look. It didn't hold the desire, but it had certainly held the malice and it sickened her at the very thought of the memories that came flooding back to her now. Trying to turn her face away from him but failing miserably, she looked up into his dark eyes with her own wide, scared gaze. She couldn't do this. She was a virgin. She wasn't made for this, she couldn't take over this type of situation. While Ava had been able to call on her strength in different situations that had involved her being without a home or even food in the past, this was entirely different. This was actually dealing with people in closed quarters. The claustrophobia that filled her in this moment was stifling and she struggled to catch her breath even as he smiled down at her. "Please just let me get back to the party." Her voice was barely above a whisper, for she knew what he was going to do to her. And then he said it. The words that finalized her fate. She was here to please him and George Roach wouldn't care in the least. Why would he? He had paid for her. There was no tie there, there was nothing that kept her safe. Lennox hadn't prepared her for something like this. Blanching immediately because of the words this man spoke, she took in his appearance, wondering if it would be possible for her to imagine him as anyone else, so that she would actually appreciate this experience if it was inevitable. But there was no one. Ava had never loved anyone, she had never cared about a man enough to want to have sex with him. It was why she was still a virgin and it was going to be robbed from her because of this new job. Everything about this was a horrible mistake. The slap had come out of no where but it had done its job. She could see in his face that it had caused him discomfort and she nearly wiggled free from him. But he was much stronger than her and he painfully wrenched her arm behind her back, spinning her as she cried out simultaneously. "Stop!" She begged of him, but it was to no avail. The man had her shoved up against the wall, had her trapped there, and her heart was beating wildly out of control. The tears came before she could even stop them and she closed her eyes as he blamed her for her situation. IF she hadn't been so horrible about it he wouldn't be doing this. Her face cringed in pain as he ripped her dress up over her hips and even as she struggled, a cry leaving her throat, she knew that there was no hope. The pain that filled her when he started was something she would never forget. ------------------------------ It felt like it had lasted hours, when in fact it had only lasted moments. It had been for his pleasure and he had done it hard and fast, leaving her sore and broken in more ways than one. She had been a virgin before him and a cry left her lips as she slipped down the wall behind her, feeling dirty and used and disgusting. Pulling her knees to her chest, the sobs filled her before she could even stop them and she listened as he berated her for being a virgin. "Just go away." She implored him, wishing that she could find some type of strength, some type of will power to overcome the absolute hopelessness that filled her in this moment. She didn't even know how to describe what she was feeling, but as he belittled her, she found her only response was tears. Embarrassed, disgraced, she didn't even know how to respond to him and she let him walk away. What was she supposed to do? Accuse a well to do man of rape? Who would they believe? Him or some hired whore? This was her job, wasn't it? What did she expect? Feeling absolutely drained, she clung tightly to her knees, her blue eyes brimming with tears as she stared at the ruined fabric of the black gown. He had torn the sheer fabric to shreds when he had ripped it over her hips without a care in the world and she knew that she could not return to the party. What in the world was she going to do? She didn't find any comfort, any solace, until she knew he was gone. His absence was like a cloud being lifted from the corridor, but it didn't stop her from crying. The tears streamed down her face as a strangled whimper left her lips, the tears coming unrestrained as her petite body wracked in silent sobs. She had lost her virginity, her innocence, to a man she didn't even know. She had been raped. Feeling sick to her stomach, she knew she couldn't stay here. She needed to call Lennox, she needed to tell him that she quit. She needed to go home and never leave her room, even if her brother would question her. She didn't care. Ava just wanted to be free from this place. She should have never taken the job. Then this would have never happened. Those thoughts started the tears all over again as she leaned against the wall, feeling absolutely alone and used. Pain filled her, raging through her stomach and further down and she was terrified to see the damage that he had caused. That experience had hurt her, had done more than she could ever put into words. She was traumatized, and as she heard footsteps coming down the hallway, she knew she couldn't hide herself. They would see her and she could only pray that it wasn't him, that it wasn't anyone who would pay her any mind. But then she heard his voice, and then she saw him kneeling next to her. Shrinking away from him automatically, she tried wiping her tears away, she tried being strong, but she failed miserably. Her body shook as she broke down once more, the tears coming hot and fresh. "Go away. Please just go away." She cried miserably, embarrassed and ashamed. She felt absolutely disgusting, wishing she had her underwear to pull back on but not knowing where it was. She was too ashamed to look for it in front of this man, so she remained where she was. She curled her knees up more, leaning against the wall as she sobbed, wishing there was some way that she could go back and rewind this entire evening. "Please...I just..please go." She just wanted to go home, and she needed to get there. Trying not to think about the man beside him, she didn't even look at him as she pulled herself up using the wall beside her. Her dress was in obvious tatters and her body tensed in pain as she took a step forward, her lower parts already sore and painful. Crying out, she stumbled, crashing right into the man beside her. And that just caused her to sob all over again. [/style] WORDS - here - NOTES - here - TAG - here [/style]

table credited to madame marianna @ caution 2.0

[CATO JULIUS KAINE]

there are two types of people in the world

As he instinctively reached out to comfort her with his touch, Orion thought better of it but not before he saw her shrink away from his hand. That slight movement told him much, and he kept his hands to himself as he examined her quickly. His trained eyes swept over her, taking in the details of the ruined seam going up the side of her slender leg, the reddened marks on her arms, and the distinct smell of iron, of blood.

His jaw tensed as he ground his teeth together, and his icy blue eyes flashed wildly, but she didn't see it as she hunched morosely over her knees. All of the clues added up to only one explanation: rape. He'd had training in all fields of the law, and he knew the warning signs, the obvious clues, for most of them. His intelligent mind also knew instantly who the perpetrator of such a heinous thing was. It was the very same man he'd just collided with at the head of the hallway: the man who was just recently married to the lovely, albeit quiet, blond frolicking with her friends and family back in the light.

The realization coupled with his disgust with Cato, his disgust that anyone would do such a thing and on his own wedding day no less!, made him frown irritably. He was a special agent, even if no one knew this, and people breaking the law of the land repulsed him. Not to mention men who would force themselves on women who would never be stronger or burlier than them. It was disgusting to show power over something weaker than you for that was merely a weakness by itself: not being man enough to pick on someone your own size.

His entire life, Orion had struggled to make sense of his own mother's fate, and her ultimate death. He had been created by an act as heinous as the one that had obviously just happened in this hallway. He despised the men who would kidnap a mother from her children, use her for their own pleasure without asking for her consent. It was no different than what this young woman in front of him suffered. It was the same. For the briefest of moments, he imagined a younger version of his mother cringing in some abandoned room or hallway, hugging her knees to her chest and sobbing over her plight. He couldn't begin to imagine how she had felt when she found out she was pregnant with the child of a man she didn't love. The thought sickened him even if that child was him. His beginning was a sin. Now he had to struggle to make his existence into something that would undo that sin.

So his life goal had been to solve the mystery surrounding his mother's capture and subsequent unwilling prostitution. He had gone far with his research, with his snooping, and it had taken him all the way to Washington. However, when he'd crossed the boundaries, sniffed too far up the government's skirt, he'd been reprimanded and ordered to leave it alone. He had suspicions, worries that he didn't want validated for they were too heinous, but he had to do everything in secret now. And that was ultimately what brought him to this wedding, to this city, to the stomping grounds of the Irish Mafia. Who better to be involved in a sex trafficking ring than the head of the crime world on the East Coast?

By the looks of the woman before him, his suspicions didn't seem too far off base. He had no hope of knowing just how wrong he was.

"I'll go if that's what you really want," he admitted in his gentle, Southern voice. "But I do believe you shouldn't be alone right now. ma'am."

He instinctively pulled away from her as she pressed against the wall and pushed herself slowly to her feet, wincing in obvious pain. He could smell the blood again as she moved, added to the sickening sweet smell of champagne on her skin. His brows drew together as she moved, sympathy for her pain welling up within him as he wished he could regain her honor. He was a Southerner, and a Southern gentleman at that, and he still believed in the archaic ideas of honor and pride so many people had lost.

Her dress shifted around her, the fabric strained and the seams torn up almost to her waist, and the manners his upbringing had taught him made him train his eyes away from the sight of her legs peeking out beneath the torn dress, looking up at her as she attempted a step forward. His arms instinctively snapped out as she fell, catching her soundly as she fell against him. He stiffened, not out of discomfort but because he knew the last thing she could possibly want was to be in the arms of another man even if he was one who had done her no harm. He hadn't dealt much with rape victims, but he imagined she couldn't want any man to touch her after what had transpired.

Raising his chin, he gently shifted his grip so he could help her to stand, and once he was sure she was on her feet, he looked into her gaze with his light blue eyes. His gaze had softened now from what it had been when he realized her situation, and although he wasn't a professional at soothing victims - it wasn't his job so he had little training other than his natural abilities - he hoped he could help her.

Releasing her shoulders wordlessly, he twisted his upper body and removed his suit coat, draping it around her and allowing her to adjust it accordingly. Thankfully, it was long enough that it hung down past her behind and would serve to protect her from any unwarranted eyes. "You don't have to tell me what happened. I would actually prefer if you didn't; save it for the police. But we need to get you away from here," he pointed out gently. Glancing down at the floor on the opposite side of the hallway, he bent and retrieved the abandoned bottle of champagne, careful only to touch it where necessary so as not to mess up any prints left behind.

Glancing back at her, he offered her his hand and, once she accepted his help, he turned and led her down the hallway toward the light.

--------------------------

Lennox never missed a detail. He was like a hawk, and he was aware of three of his escorts attending this affair. He had kept a close eye on each of them, as he had with the rest of the day's activities, and he had constant tabs on them even as he politely addressed the wedding's guests. This was his inventory, his investment, and just as he would not allow one of his brother's cars to be driven off without knowing where it was going, he wouldn't allow one of his employees to disappear.

So when Ava disintegrated from the crowd, he noticed. Shrugging it off as a simple bathroom break, his attention was only peaked when it went longer than necessary. George Roach - who was quite a pompous roach of a man if Lennox had anything to say about it - was content telling stories about himself that were likely untrue, and he didn't seem to notice the absence of his date. Lennox's dark hazel eyes scanned the crowd, seeing no sign of her while his other two girls continued to schmooze in other places.

Straightening his suit coat by gripping the lapels and tugging, allowing it to fall into place, he excused himself from his conversation and began to search. That was when he saw her emerge from an abandoned passageway with a dark-haired man, possibly a few years his senior and about his height. He noticed the way she hunched in to the suit jacket around her shoulders, the lack of a suit coat on the man, and the protective way he led her.

Raising his eyebrows, he slipped soundlessly through the crowd of merrymakers and stepped in front of the two departing, halting Orion in his tracks. His blue eyes snapped to Lennox, and he instantly recognized him as a Selwyn, as if it wasn't obvious in his chiseled bone structure and penetrating green-tinted eyes.

"I don't believe you've paid for accompaniment," Lennox stated simply, genially even, as his hazel eyes flashed dangerously. He disliked people stepping in to his business.

Orion straightened imperceptibly, an alarm going off in his mind at the younger Irish man's words. "I don't have to pay for companionship unlike some men. I was merely escorting the young woman out," he pointed out calmly.

Lennox smiled, a smile that seemed sweet and kind to anyone who didn't know him. To Orion, it was like a smile on a snake before it bit you. This well-dressed man, this criminal, looked the part of a gentleman, but Orion had a sneaking suspicion he was something else entirely. He looked the part of a cobra ready to strike, hiding expertly behind a screen of niceties and smiles.

"I'll take care of the young lass," Lennox pointed out, his Irish voice tinted with the subtle command for Orion to release Ava to him. Orion tensed slightly beside her, unwilling to hand her over to anyone.

"I suggest you take care of the ingrate who did this to her," Orion countered, raising his chin and subtly directing Lennox's gaze to her tattered dress, her mussed hair, the tear tracks down her face.

Irritation flashed over Lennox's face, and his hazel eyes flashed dangerously as he took an almost imperceptible step toward the black-haired man in front of him. "Who did this?" he asked, his voice low, threatening, frightening.

Orion turned his head, nodding slightly toward the groom who was nonchalantly lingering near his wife. Lennox glared across the room at Cato before a soft smile replaced the hunting look and he glanced back at Orion. "Take her wherever she needs," he commented, retrieving a pair of keys from his pocket and handing them over to the other man. He wasn't worried about the vehicle being stolen. The car and the girl belonged to him, to his business, until that business partnership was dissolved, and he had ways of retrieving what had been lost to him. He was a Selwyn after all. He wasn't worried about some raven-haired man with a savior complex.

"Excuse me," he politely removed himself, disappearing into the crowd heading toward Cato.

-----------------------------

Cato was tempted to adjust himself in public, but he wasn't feeling petulant enough to embarrass himself in public in such a way. He wouldn't care about embarrassing Charlotte, but he had his own pride to worry about. So he easily covered his absence with a lie about needing the facilities and a soft kiss on his wife's over-painted cheek. He was standing thus, near her side but not too close, when the middle Selwyn brother appeared at his side, gently touching his elbow to attract his attention.

His eyes were disdainful, proud, as they always were when he looked down on someone he didn't believe to be his equal as he turned to focus on Lennox. Lennox smiled slightly at him as he motioned for him to step aside. Cato followed, more out of curiosity than a genuine desire to speak to anyone who wasn't worth his time. When they reached a secluded area of the party, Lennox faced him, his hazel eyes unreadable.

"It has come to my attention that you have stolen something from me without paying for it," Lennox pointed out gently, his voice like poison seeping slowly into the vein.

Cato's dark eyes flashed and a wicked grin spread over his face. He wasn't embarrassed by what he had done. It was his right to have whatever he wanted at his party. He was selfish and egotistical and narcississtic. So he felt no remorse and he felt no fear as he smirked over at the irishman. "I would never pay for a less than enjoyable fuck with a virgin who doesn't even know how to keep her mouth shut. You should really work on training your girls better at improv," he pointed out, widening his eyes innocently as he shrugged slightly.

Lennox released a breath of air as he smiled and stepped closer to the belarusian New Yorker. "You see... I don't take kindly to people stealing from me," he commented, cocking his head slightly.

"I didn't steal from you. That little bitch was lingering in the hallway and I took an advantage of an opportunity. Not my fault it wasn't worth the cash you wouldn't gotten if you'd ordered her to do it." Cato was aware of the escort service the Irish ran, so he knew what Lennox was referring to. He had also already figured out that the girl didn't belong in this setting, so the puzzle pieces only served to sink in to place.

"And I won't be paying for anything, so I suggest you get out of my face," he hissed, lifting a hand to push Lennox away.

Lennox's hand snaked up, his thumb pressing directly into the center of Cato's palm. His dark eyes widened at the sudden pain, and his knees bent slightly as he croaked out an oath. With the press and all of Boston watching, the groom couldn't very well punch this man, and Lennox was one of the reigning members of the Selwyn family on top of that. It would cause a scene he was not willing to make. Lennox knew this, and he smiled darkly at Cato as he bent the hand away from his chest, his thumb driving into the pressure point on his palm.

"You would be wise to remember who keeps you alive, Cato. You and your father owe my family much more than you seem to realize," he pointed out softly, deftly. "The next time you mess with one of my investments, I will personally see to it that your investments are done away with... one at a time." He smiled at the insinuation that he would remove Cato's manhood from him.

The spoiled brunette glared at him but remained impotent to react without causing a scene. Lennox finally released his hand, shoving him away roughly before straightening his suit and smiling politely, turning to disappear back into the crowd as Cato fumed ineffectually by the wall.

-----------------------------

Shoving open the door, Orion directed the girl outside and politely smiled his way past the parking area attendants to offer the keys to one of the valets. As they stood waiting, he glanced over at her and offered her a soft, gentle smile. "I'm Orion, by the way. The polite thing to do would have been to tell you that before now," he commented with a soft chuckle. He didn't know how to lighten the mood when it was such a somber one.

When the car arrived, he shooed the valet away, took the keys, and opened the passenger side door of the expensive Bentley for her. Allowing her to get in, he then moved around to the driver's side and settled himself in the opulent car. Thankfully he knew how to drive any car under the sun, and he loved Bentleys. At least the young Selwyn had taste.

"Where to?" he asked, glancing over at her as the engine purred to life.

AVA | THERE IS WAY TOO MUCH BLAH-BLAH GOING ON IN THIS REPLY, I APOLOGIZE XP

[ava rae woodward]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=style, width: 420px; padding: 0px; border-top: 20px solid #151515;][bg=2e4461] [style=background-color: 8e8855;position: relative; padding: 2px; font-family: georgia; font-size: 19px; color: #000000; text-align: center; letter-spacing: -2px; opacity: 0.8]if i die young, bury me in satin Ava was used to being controlled, she was used to being a submissive. Her captors had expected good behavior out of her and she had acquiesced because she had been led to believe that they would kill her if she balked and refused them. Being held for as long as she had been had done nothing to aid her confidence. She was horrible in social situations for the most part. The training she had undergone to fulfill this role was expansive and extensive and she was sure she had frustrated Lennox with her lack of knowledge on numerous occasions. It wasn't her fault though but it wasn't something that she was ready to explain to anyone. She hadn't even told her brother the details of her captivity and she wanted it to remain that way. She wanted that part of her buried but now, with this rape, all of the memories came flooding back to her as she sat against the wall, using it as a support for her ruined and ravaged body. Her wrists held the marks of the twist ties that had been used to keep her restrained to her chair, the scars a constant reminder of who she had been for so long. Her captors had belittled her, had insulted her. They didn't abuse her physically other than the occasional smack and of course, the tying up, but they had done enough with their words. She whimpered as she remembered the hostility of the moment and that was what had brought along this southern young man. His southern roots made her feel connected in a strange way, simply because she had been born and raised until she was five years old in the south. Wanting to reach out to some sort of familiarity in this moment, she kept herself restrained simply because he was a man. While he wasn't the man who had taken her innocence, her traumatized mind had trouble making connections that made sense and she found herself shaking out of reaction to the situation that just took place. While Ava wasn't the type of girl that had wanted to save herself for marriage, she had wanted her first time to be special, as did every girl. She wanted her first time to be a time that she agreed to, with a man that she cared about, maybe even loved. This...this was despicable, it was robbery. She hadn't made this choice and the violence of the act disgusted her. He hadn't cared about anyone but himself in the situation. His pleasure was what he was after and when he spoke condescendingly to her afterwards she knew he would never feel any remorse. The thought brought fresh tears to her eyes as she kept her knees tightly, defensively up against her chest, running her hands through her perfectly done up hair. This wasn't her. She felt horridly out of place and as the man beside her shifted away to make her more comfortable as she stood, she could only feel more and more ashamed. He had no idea that he was helping an escort, offering his assistance to a woman who didn't deserve it. Shaking her head at his words, she spoke up, her voice cracking from her fear and from what had just taken place. "Please. You shouldn't get involved." She informed him quietly, fearfully. She didn't think that Lennox would do anything to him for getting involved, but the Irish man was possessive over his business and Ava was a part of that business. She had ruined a deal for him now because she would not be returning to George Roach, but she couldn't think of that now. Letting out a shaky breath, she tried to step forward but the pain and the trauma from it all sent her legs wobbling. She felt like she was made of jelly and as she crashed into him, a small cry of surprise and despair left her lips. She stiffened as he tensed, the memories of what had just happened clouding her sanity, her realistic judgment, and she balked against his touch naturally. When he righted her, she stepped back, nearly tripping over the long, ripped train of her gown. Completely embarrassed, she covered her face with her slender hands, trying to hide herself from him as she cried miserably. She didn't know how she felt. She didn't know what to feel. She just knew that she had to get out of here and this man wasn't going to leave her by herself out of respect of her safety and well being., The thought touched her in ways she hadn't expected, and she allowed him to drape his suit jacket over her tiny shoulders. Slowly pulling her hands from her face, she wiped at her tears, wrapping the suit jacket around herself more tightly as a way of protecting herself. Thankfully, it covered her in the necessary parts, and while she adjusted herself, she heard his gentle words coming into the silence. she didn't have to tell him what happened. The relief showed on her face and she nodded, wordlessly taking his hand as he offered it to her. He wasn't going to hurt her. His actions so far gave proof to that and she was slowly starting to believe in those thoughts. Walking shakily beside him, she suddenly caught sight of Lennox and a breath was released from her cracked lips, her face turning down in shame to the ground as he approached them. He wasn't going to be happy, but his tone caught her attention all the same as he addressed the stranger beside her. Her blue eyes lifted, a flash of defiance traveling across them because of how her employer was treating this kind man. "Lennox, wait he..." But she was cut off as the man conversed and she felt like a child, standing beside them feeling sorry for herself. Wrapping her arms around her thin form, she listened as the southern gentleman beside her battled with Lennox, sticking up for her even though he didn't need to. His protective nature surprised her, but she felt obligated to him now. Feeling as if she wasn't even present for this conversation because of the way that they spoke about her, she sighed softly as Lennox acquiesced control over to her to this stranger. Watching her employer excuse himself, her lips parted in slight surprise, her tear filled eyes following him as he disappeared through the crowd. As the man beside her turned to lead her out, she spoke up quickly, her voice reaching almost hysteria. "You can't...he can't...I don't want...listen, please...I just...we need...I need to let..." She couldn't even form a coherent thought as she tried to explain to him that she didn't want to pursue this, that she didn't want to go to the hospital, that she didn't want Cato, the groom, revealed as her rapist on the bride's wedding night. Tears sprung to her eyes instantly and she looked at the man for a moment. "Can you please...j-just wait here for a moment? I need to.. t-to use the bathroom really very quickly." She admitted to him, her lower lip trembling as she fought to keep her composure. When he slowly released her, she nodded to him and disappeared into the correct hallway that led to the bathrooms. Once inside, she was relieved to find it was empty. A sob left her throat as she let the reality of her situation hit her, and she went into a bathroom stall after wetting a stack of paper towels. It wasn't going to clean her the way she desperately wanted it to, but at least she would be able to take care of herself for the most part. The amount of blood that she cleaned away made her feel sick to her stomach but she controlled her nausea, doing her best not to lose anymore of her dignity this evening. As she cleaned herself up, she let herself cry, especially now that she was in the privacy of her solitude. Losing what was left of her lousy composure, she cried quietly, the warm tears streaming down her cheeks as she realized just how soiled she was. Lennox was clearly furious, and she didn't want to face his wrath when she went into the office the next day, if she went in. She was certainly going to quit after this horrible night, even though the money had been good. It wasn't worth all of this. Biting the inside of her lip, she finished cleaning herself up and let out a shaky sigh. Glad that the bathroom was still empty, she stepped from the stall and got rid of all of the evidence that she could see. She knew he had used a condom, there was no doubting it. There was nothing for the authorities to find and she wouldn't want to go to the hospital in the first place.Shakily, she washed her hands, then carefully wiped her face, the tracks from her tears disappearing as she cleaned herself up. Once she was satisfied with her appearance, she took a hold of the jacket that the man had draped over her shoulders and wrapped it around herself again. The small of it, the cologne, was comforting for it was completely different from the smell of the man who had raped her. Standing there for a moment, regaining her strength, she composed herself and stepped out of the bathroom, walking with a slight limp to her step even though she was trying desperately to hide it. Finding the man right where she had left him, she actually reached out of his hand, her shaking fingers reaching for some sort of fortitude. "I'm sorry, I just..." She couldn't explain herself but she had a feeling he would understand. He had been rather intuitive so far so there was no reason he wouldn't be now. Sighing softly, she looked down to the ground as he led her from the affair, helping her down the steps and standing with her while they waited for the valet to bring the car around. Ava turned her big blue eyes towards him, taking in his soft smile as he tried to desperately lighten the air. Granting him a whisper of a smile, she spoke up gratefully. "I can let your lack of manners slide just this once, I suppose." She returned to him, letting him know that the light tones were helpful and she accepted them. Giving her a slightly bigger smile, she inched closer to him because she reveled in the protective feeling she gave him and spoke up softly. "I'm Ava. And..I..really appreciate your help Orion. Thank you." She admitted to him, her gaze traveling down to the ground because of her embarrassment. Trying not to lose her composure all over again, she was thankful when the car came into view and he led her forward. As he opened her door, she flicked her gaze to him, surprised, but wordlessly got into the car, gathering her tattered dress around her so that it wouldn't get caught in the door. She really wished she could change because she imagined how awful she looked, but there was really nothing that she could do. Lennox wouldn't have anything in his car. Sighing softly, she followed Orion with her gaze as he walked around the front of the car, looking away as he settled into the driver's seat. Hearing his words, his vague question, she turned to him, surprised yet again that he didn't want to rush her to the hospital or take her right home. Despite what had happened, Ava found that she wasn't ready to be alone yet. Her voice was quiet, almost shy as she spoke up once more. "Can we go someplace normal? Just for a little while...I don't, I don't want to inconvenience you though." [/style] WORDS - here - NOTES - here - TAG - here [/style]

table credited to madame marianna @ caution 2.0

[ORION GRAISON DUCHANNES]

there are two types of people in the world

Orion stood patiently waiting outside the hall, gazing off into the gradually darkening distance. His ice blue eyes were impassive as thousands of thoughts ran across his vision. This entire might sent his imagination on a terrible freefall, picturing what his own mother must have gone through, the torment she had endured that created him. He was the result of something akin to what had happened to this young woman, and it made his skin crawl. He had been raised by a solid, wonderful man who, while not his father by blood, was certainly his father in spirit and life. Grigori Duchannes was a wise, kind man, and he'd taken Orion in as his own child when the boy had arrived. He had raised him when his own wife, Orion's mother, had gone insane and locked herself away from the rest of the family until she eventually passed away when Orion was nineteen.

He had never blamed his wife for what happened to her. He had never blamed Orion, but rather, he had raised the boy to know better. To understand right from wrong, to discern the shadows from the light. Orion had no part of his being that wished to become like the monster who must have been his father. Even in his darkest moments - most likely being the few times when he'd actually been drunk - he was not a violent man. He could easily pull the trigger when it was required of him, but he was not naturally prone to violence. Grigori had raised him well, honed his natural caring nature into a strong man instead of a petulant little boy who would demand things from others to please himself.

He pictured his mother's face, so empty for his entire life, and he hoped beyond hope that this woman would not suffer the same fate. He wouldn't blame her for holing herself up, wanting to protect herself from the demons in her head, but he prayed she wouldn't become a recluse. No one should be tortured in such a way in their youth.

Standing silently with his hands in the pockets of his suit pants, Orion only turned when he heard the door open behind him. His eyebrows raised pleasantly as she limped toward him, and he inherently knew she had done what any woman would do. He briefly wished she hadn't - there was evidence on her body the police would need - but there was no going back now, and considering who her rapist was, he doubted there was anything more than fingerprints on her skin. He may not know the man well, but he was obviously a rich man, and he, no doubt, had done other heinous things in his past that he was practiced in covering up. However, that didn't mean he would stand by and let the sleight go unnoticed. He fully intended to do whatever he could to bring the man to justice, and he believed he had the ties necessary to do so.

Extending his hand instinctually as she neared him, he offered his support for her before they descended the stairs. Her touch entered his palm, and he smiled slightly at her, keeping her a safe distance from him so as not to spark her necessity for space. He relaxed when she accepted his attempt to lighten the mood, and he nodded with a quiet chuckle at her response. "As a Southerner, my father would kill me for ever being so rude," he commented with a wink as he opened her car door and ushered her within.

As he rounded the hood of the car, he debated taking her to the hospital. He didn't know if her blood was from the violence of the act or something much more simple, like losing her virginity, and he knew from his governmental background that the more evidence the police had, the better. However, he knew she wouldn't go to the hospital willing, and considering he inately knew she'd already rid herself of any evidence they could use, the only reason she need go would be if anything had been torn. It felt mildly awkward to think about a stranger's body, especially a female, in such an intimate way with such a scientific view of it, but it was a necessity.

Reaching the driver's side, he slid in to the seat and shifted the car in to gear, deciding to settle on her choice of venue. He had placed the champagne bottle behind his seat when he'd climbed in, and that would be the evidence he needed, along with his own personal sighting of Cato and Ava's record of the events. He would settle for that, and she could have her space.

So she answered his question, and he immediately thought of a place that made him smile slightly as he pulled in to traffic and leapt on the freeway loop going around town toward the Harbor. "I know just the place," he pointed out, glancing over at her briefly before focusing back on the road. "Some place nice and greasy to make your bones stick together." He chuckled to himself as he accelerated through traffic. His driving skills were that of a professional driver, and he shifted with ease and precision although this was the first time he'd ever driven this car. When he drove, it gave a clue in to his true profession, and he reined himself in, slowing the car and trying to assume a more soccer momstyle of moving through traffic.

"Do you feel alright...physically?" he asked, hoping the awkwardness wasn't as heavy in his voice as it sounded in his head. It was his obligation to ask. If she needed stitches, he wouldn't take her to the hamburger joint; she would need to go to the doctor.

When he got the answer he found acceptable, he easily swung the car off the interstate and in to a neat but seldom-visited part of town. It was a suburb within the larger city, situated near the harbor. "There's just one stop we need to make first," he pointed out, parking in front of a clothing store he was thankful was still open. "I'll be just a minute," he stated with a soft smile, sliding gracefully out of the car and entering the store. Perusing the racks, he picked out a nice cream-colored, waist-length shirt with a soft lace overlay - making sure to pick a size he believed wouldn't engulf her but wouldn't be too small either - and chose a pair of dark, comfortable jeans to go with it. Choosing a pair of black flats to accompany the look, he purchased the items before exiting the store and returning to the car.

Handing her the bag, he offered her a smile and a slight shrug. "That way you don't have to wander around in a dress any more," he smiled genially as he started the engine and drove toward the harbor. Winding through the streets, headed for the water, he parked along the curb in front of a hamburger joint nestled onto the wharf near the bay. Climbing out, he walked to her side and opened the door, holding it for her and offering her a hand to help her climb out of the low vehicle. His blue eyes looked directly in to her gaze as she stood in front of him, and a soft smile curved over the corners of his lips before he politely stopped staring and gestured toward the bag of clothes.

"I hope they fit. I estimated, and well, I'm no expert at women's clothing," he commented with a crooked grin and a shrug of his shoulders. "There's a restroom inside where you can change." Leading the way indoors, he held the door and then chose a table as she departed to change her outfit. Ordering a Pepsi for himself, he waited for Ava to return before he chose what he wanted to eat.

AVA | NOPE