The Turn of the Tide [[Shaden]]

[aubrey]

She sat wedged against two headstones. She couldn't go to his house, Xavier might follow her. Now, he was prepping his new prodigy and they would be coming after Shaden. She had called him and left him a message to meet her here. Now all she had to do was wait.

She wouldn't kill him, but this was getting out of hand fast. He had to leave. Just be gone. She would take care of Massimo for him. At least Xavier had given her permission to do that. She held her knees to her chest. Her face was sore and tear stained. She hated Xavier. Hated and loved him.

Off to the distance she could hear wolves howling. It sent a dull reminded through out her being. There was a crazy bitch of a were after her. This was the last thing she needed. Kill Shaden, or Xavier would. Bully for him. Try to help save Shaden, have him leave and be lonely and miserable.

She hid her face into her knees. She had messed everything up. Maybe she could disappear too. Obviously not with Shaden. He probably wouldn't want anything to do with her now. Maybe she could go back home, back to New Orleans. Back were she belonged. She should have never left in the first place.

[Shaden Grace]

Shaden walked slowly through the graveyard. Looking for Aubrey. At first he thought not to come but in the end talked himself into it. His footsteps made little sound as he walked past the headstones. This was an odd place to meet.

He caught her scent and walked a little faster until he saw her. The corners of his mouth turned up into a small smile. he stood a few feet from her. Shaden sighed softly "So, whats going on?" He asked simply. He already knew about Troy talking with Massimo because Massimo had called him.
Max had wanted Shaden to meet him some where but Shaden had said no and hung up the phone, making sure to turn it off. Thats why Aubrey could only leave a message.

He ran a hand through his hair, he could tell this was going to be a long night.

[aubrey]

Aubrey sighed. She kept her head hidden in her knees. "Xavier wants me to kill you." She slowly lifted her head. Her eyes had turned grey. They usually did when she was sad. "If I don't kill you then he will And afterwards, him and his new pet will punish me ." Fresh tears slid down her cheeks. "So, you should run away. Just leave."

She looked away from him. She wanted him to tease her. She wanted to go back and hide in his home. She couldn't anymore. It wasn't that easy anymore. "That's why I asked you here....I had to tell you to leave." She had also wanted to see him again, but she decided to leave that part out. Xavier wins.

She looked back up at him. "Xavier is going to kill me when he finds out I warned you. You should go. quickly." She inched up from the cold ground. "I'm sorry." She wasn't saying it to say it. She really was sorry she brought this on him.

[Shaden Grace]

Shaden looked down at the ground. This was so wrong. He shook his head and looked back up at Aubrey, into he grey eyes. He stepped forward to wipe away her tears. "I can't just leave. I'm not a coward Aubrey. I can't leave you here to deal with all this." He voice was soft yet firm. He couldn't simply leave. Just like that. Shaden couldn't run away like that. It just wasn't what he did. He'd been in wars and so many fights. This was just another war for him. And Shaden had a hard time backing down from a good fight. Even if it meant death.

He sighed again. This was wrong. So very wrong. "Come with me Aubrey. Please, I can't leave you with him." He voice was more pleading now, more sad. He didn't want to leave.
"This isn't your fault, Angel, not at all." He said and pulled her against him.

[aubrey]

She held tightly to him taking in his scent. She couldn't help but to cry. She couldn't go with him. They would hunt them down, but their death would be so much worse. If he left and she stayed then she could keep Xavier from following him. He wanted her to go with him. Even though this entire thing was her fault he still wanted her.

Xavier had never wanted anything from her except obedience and suffering. Why did she have to be bonded to someone like him. "Why would you want to take me? This is all my fault. He will kill you because of me Shaden. I am not worth anyone's life." She pulled away from him and started to walk off. She tripped on something and landed hard on her knees. She sobbed. "I'm not worth anything Shaden. He's already going to kill me. I'll feel better knowing that you will get to live." She burried her face into her hands. "I'm not worth anything to anyone."

[Shaden Grace]

Shaden let her walk away. He was hurt. This whole thing was ripping him a part little by little. He hated to see her cry like this. Although if Shaden could cry he might have, but he left that human emotion a long time ago. "It's not your fault." He whispered, and then walked over to where she tripped. He helped her up and then continued to hold her. "I'm not afraid of death Aubrey." He whispered again.

His arms tightened a little. Who knew when they would see each other again, or if they ever would. Shaden cleared his throat quietly and then made her look up at him, "Your worth everything to me. I can't leave you here with Xavier." He said his voice just a little louder. "I'm not going any where. I'd rather fight him and die, then run and be killed anyway. It's just not in me to run Aubrey." He smiled slightly but it was forced. He just held her there to him.

[aubrey]

She didn't move away. She sighed and let him hold her. She pressed against him, absently trailing his face with her fingers. "If he catches us here together he will make us torture each other. The things that they do. It's awful." She closed her eyes, trying to block out the mental image. If Xavier didn't make them torture each other, he would make them watch as he tortured each of them.

She looked up to Shaden, cupping the side of his face with her hands. "It's not death that you should be afraid of. It's what he'll do before hand." She sighed and bit her bottom lip. If Xavier killed Shaden, she didn't know what she would do. Now, especially with Xaviers newest monster, Shaden wouldn't stand a chance of winning. Unless he has great ancient powers that he could keep hidden.

"I can't watch him do those things to you. I can't watch the two of you fight. I can't fight him Shaden." She brushed his hair back away from his eyes. "What if you didn't look at it like running, what if you thought of it as you leaving now, so I could see you again." If he didn't leave before Xavier started looking, he would catch up to him. "I know a place that you could go." She kissed his chin. "They've fought Xaviers coven before and won. I know the would help you."

[Shaden Grace]

Shaden sighed. Aubrey's pleading was starting to get to him. But Shaden wasn't afraid of pain, he'd lived with it his whole life. Although had seen what that coven did to torture vampires and he wasn't sure he wanted Aubrey to watch something like that. And he wouldn't want Aubrey to fight Xavier over him. "What makes you think they'd help m?" He asked, "And where is this place anyway?" He still didn't like the idea of leaving, but he mine as well hear her plan.

Aubrey had already said Xavier might try to kill her, and Shaden didn't want to be some place far away from here to leave her to that fate. But on the other hand Shaden didn't want Aubrey to watch him get killed. He sighed, "This is so wrong.." He whispered mainly to himself.

[aubrey]

A shot of hope trickled throughout her. He was asking about the help. He might be able to leave soon enough after all. "Come on." She grabbed his hand and pulled him back further into the graveyard.

They reached a large stone statue of the crucifixion cross. Jesus Christ's eyes were looking upward mournfully. The life size statue had always scared her. She opened a small trap door at the foot of it and lead Shaden down stairs. The crypt smelled like mildew and was covered wit spider webs. She lit fire to a round bowl in the middle of the room. It spread a soft light over them.

She sighed. "I came here the first time Xavier beat me and refused to heal me. I hid here for two days before I left. He was even more furious when I came home." They were safe here, for a small period of time. Xavier wouldn't come here looking for him, not yet. "In New Orleans there is a coven. I grew up with them. They would help you. They would help you because it would hurt me to lose you." She looked up at him. Her grey eyes starting to return to their honey color. "Would you go to them for help?" She took his hands and placed them over her heart. "Could you beat me? Could you rip off my skin and chunks of my flesh? He will make you do these things to me. And he will kill you, or he will kill me and let you live with it. Is that what you really want to happen?"

[Shaden Grace]

Shaden saw the bit of hope come into her eyes. It was better then her being sad but in a way it only made things worse for him. He was surprised by where she was leading him. He stopped breathing when they came to the cross. It wouldn't hurt him but it still made him uncomputable to be around them. He closed the trap door on the way down. He glanced around. Shaden had never even known this was here.

New Orleans. That was a ways from here. Shaden wasn't sure he could do that but her eyes were turning their normal colour again. And his will power was starting to fade. Part of him knew he should run, while the other half said only a coward would run. Even if it meant pain if he stayed.

He shook his head and pulled his hand away. She had just given him one hell of a mental image. His breathing was heave and he turned away from her. Trying to clear the picture from his mind. "I could never.." He turned and looked back at her. His hands were in tight fists at his side. They were so tight a small amount of blood was dripping off his hand and onto the ground from his nails cutting into his palm. "I could never do something like that to you. He couldn't make me." He finally seemed to realize that he was bleeding and looked down at his hand.
He relaxed his hands slowly and then looked back at Aubrey.
"If you want me to this coven... then I guess I will." He said softly, "I just hope your right about them."

[aubrey]

Aubrey smiled sadly. He would be safe. Jean-Claude would help to protect him and it would be okay. She took his hand and licked away his blood. She pressed it to her mouth and sucked gently on it. She could feel his essence running through her veins. She sighed at the welcomed rush.

Aubrey kissed his palm, then his fingertips. She couldn't go with him, but he would be safe. Him leaving wasn't him running. It was more of him getting helpful allies and back up. Jean-Claude might even pay off his debt to Massimo.

Shaden would be safe from Xavier and Jacob. Xavier would probably kill her, but he wouldn't ever find Shaden. This gave her peace. She drew him closer to her. She trailed kisses up his arm. He would have to leave soon. The feel of him running through her veins comforted her. She whispered softly softly. "Thank you."

[Shaden Grace]

His eyes closed for a brief moment as Aubrey licked the blood from his hand. This was going to be hard. Shaden didn't want to leave. Not at all. But if it gave her peace of mind to know he was away from here, he would give that to her. Although he was starting to think he wasn't even strong enough.

Shaden pulled her tightly against him one more time. "Don't go thanking me yet. I'm not even sure I have the strength to leave you." He kissed her cheek and gently ran his hand through her hair. He took a deep breath, taking in her scent. He was going to miss that smell. In fact he was only making it harder on himself by doing this but he didn't care. He didn't know when or if he'd ever see her again.
I love you, Aubrey. He said to himself. That would stay inside his head. He couldn't do that to her. To himself. It was hard enough as it is, let alone him saying things like that.

[aubrey]

Aubrey caught Shaden's mouth with her own. She leaned into the kiss pulling him closer to her. She wanted to go with him, she wanted to leave. Maybe she should. Xavier would hunt them down. He would always be able to find her. One way or another. She would never be able to fully belong to anyone else as long as Xavier had her.

She released his mouth long enough to pull off her rosary. She hadn't taken it off since she had been turned. She slipped it around his neck and tucked it under his collar. It fell to press against his heart. He could have something to remind him of her.

She looked up into his eyes. She wanted to tell him she loved him, but she wouldn't. It wouldn't be fair. She loved him and Xavier, but for two completely different reasons. She pressed her mouth against his neck and bite him. She pulled at his blood slowly. She could take part of him to her before he left. If she could choose between the two she would. It would be easy for her. But she would always belong to Xavier and he would never release her.

She pulled away and met his lips again. She eased her arms around his waist. She wished he could give herself to him fully.

[Shaden Grace]

Shaden flicked his tongue along the bottom of her lip as she kissed him, and he kissed her right back deepening it ever so gently. He did his best to stop all thoughts about what was to come. About what could happen. He focused only on this. On her lips on his.

He let her pull away, he smiled softly, this one less forced. He watched with curious eyes as she took off her rosary, which was then placed around his own neck. He reached up to lightly touch the rosary where it lay under his shirt. Then his gaze returned Aubrey and met her own soft gaze. He could tell she wanted to say something, both by the look and just from years of being around other people. He had become fairly good at reading people.

Shaden sighed with pleasure as he felt her fangs bite into his neck, and he watched her through half lowered eyelids. She could have as much as she wanted of his blood. When she was finished he opened his blue eyes fully once more. They were honest eyes. Eyes that just couldn't lie or hide what he was feeling. And right now they showed love for her. So even though he couldn't say it, Aubrey could easily see it.

He met her kiss with eagerness and placed one hand on the back of her head and his other hand was on her back, slowly moving up and sown her back.

[aubrey]

It was all in his eyes. Why did he have to look at her like that? Why now? It made everything they were about to do even harder. She hated this. Hiding away in a crypt trying to keep him safe from Xavier, and he had to look at her like that.

She wanted to tell him she loved him, now was the opportune time, but she couldn't make the words come from her mouth. She might never see him again. He would go to New Orleans and The Circus of the Damned would protect him and help him against Massimo. Xavier might not kill her, but with him watching her every move she would never escape him long enough to see Shaden. This would be the end of it.

It wasn't fair. None of it was. So she changed her mind. Damn his look and damn their love. It would get them both killed, but she needed it. She needed Shaden. "Shaden, " Her breathy whisper muffled against his mouth. "I'll go with you. I'll take you to Jean-Claude." She pulled his mouth back into her own. They would have a few days to spare. If they left tonight.

Xavier would spend this night worrying with Jacob. He would probably spend the next two nights looking for her in London. It would take him time to figure out where she went. She could be back with story that would please him. Or at least wilt his rage. She would take Shaden and keep every moment with him saved in her memory. She moved her hands to his face. She traced his face with her fingers. She brushed the hair from his eyes. "We need to go."

A tear slid down her cheek. What was supposed to be their beginning was going to be the end of them both.