Sometimes they come back!

[Rampage]

Nicolas scanned as he listened to Cameron, Delilah and Haleigh say essentially the same thing he was getting: nightmare trauma.

He stood as she asked for solitude, ignoring Cameron but responding to Haleigh.

Very well Haleigh. There will be plenty to eat when you are ready Delilah.

Nicolas stood and walked back out of the apartment, putting everything back as it was as he went back to start the food cooking. She wasn't ready to reach out and doubted they even cared. There was little he could do about that except care when she let him and live his own life when she wouldn't.

He looked up and saw Haleigh at her doorway.

Come on down. The food is cooking and, despite Ava's evaluation, I look GREAT.

 

[Prophet]

MP Courtyard

Cameron rolled his eyes as everyone started to make their way out of Delilah's apartment, he looked over at Delilah and he had to smirk a little bit.

"I'll try to keep the "white knight" at bay, and your tea's almost done."

He had started it all telekinetically while everyone was realizing that Delilah didn't need anyone to rescue her for the moment.

"I hope you'll make an appearance, I haven't had any time to shop for my own groceries, and I hate eating alone, otherwise I wouldn't be out there with "them." If you wanna talk later, just give me a ring or something.."

Cameron turned towards the door and headed back out to the courtyard, a little deflated and worried about Delilah. She was still going through something very big. She obviously really did love this Connor. He had been gone throughout the entire Arklay ordeal, he had no idea what had transpired, but part of him believed that if Delilah wouldn't love someone who has down to the core evil, that there was something under the surface. He hoped that his "friend" might get the chance to see that out. Stranger things had happened.

Returning back to his spot a safe distance away from the others, not wanting to talk much for fear that he wouldn't be able to keep composure, he sent a text message to Sharon.

Are you okay? My stomach is coercing me into dinner with Nicolas, Ava and Haleigh due to my own lack of groceries. Nothing could be worse. Just wanted to say hello I guess...

God. Small Talk. He was going to have to try.

"It all smells great. Add cooking to the list of your many talents, Nic."

His stomach turned inside.

 

[Silver Swan]

return to MP

[ time passed and now Sharon & Alycia were enjoying some hot tea but not some american made crap. It was a special herbal tea blend from Themyscria that Alycia carried with her. It had health boosting as well as calming properties. During that time, room service arrived with a flower arrangment and a note. Sharon answered the door and accepted the delivery.]

[ reading it to Alycia as she brought it back.]

Something came for you, Alycia.

They're orchids...your favorite! and there's a note with them...

It says...

Welcome back. If you wish to talk, I am here. If not, I understand and only hope for the best for you. All of us do. Take care of yourself.

All my love,

Nicolas

[ She sat the fresh, beautifull orchirds down on the coffee table and offered the note to Alycia who took it and looked it over before setting it down beside her. Sharon returned to her seat.]

I know...it seems that no matter where you go, they will always find a way to make contact.

[ Sharon said as she took note of Alycia's rather stone faced expression.]

Still, flowers are alot better than say...a surprise, UNWANTED visit from Haleigh? Do you want me to get rid of them?

Alycia: No. its fine. The flowers shouldnt suffer just because of my own displeasure with the sender or the six. I know he doesnt mean any harm but he doesnt get it...NONE of them do. I'm going to go to bed now...the tea has calmed me enough that I can get the rest I need.

I have plans tomorrow that i must attend to anyway. and the sooner I get started, the less chance the six will have to bother me.

Alycia: I don't want them coming here tonight...I don't know WHEN i want them to come here, if at all.

Sharon: Don't worry, they wont. I'll make sure of it. I'll just wait till your...

Alycia: Sharon, I'm not a little girl. I can take care of myself.

Sharon: I'm sorry Alycia, I only meant...

Alycia: no...I should apologize. It's not your fault. YOU of all people can understand how I feel. I know you're just looking out for me as we have looked out for each other all these years .

Sharon: [standing up] You're fine Alycia. [ looking upon her friend with an understanding she'd NEVER afford most members of the Six] you've just been confronted not only with The Six but a situation at the airport that reminded you of your life ending trauma at Arklay. I dont have to be Karen to know that MUST have thrown you for a hell of a loop. You dont need to see anybody right now, and ONLY when you're good and ready should you consider talking to any of them.

I'll call on you tomorrow.

[ the two women embraced each other]

both: May the glory of Gaea be with you!

[ an amazon salutation/farewell of good will and safety.]

[ Sharon departs Alycia's suite, hearing ALycia lock up tight after her. Sharon hersself slowly strolls down the hall to the elevaters when her PDA vibrates.]

a message...from Cameron?

you okay? My stomach is coercing me into dinner with Nicolas, Ava and Haleigh due to my own lack of groceries. Nothing could be worse. Just wanted to say hello I guess...

[Sharon smirked a bit. did this boy EVER know what he wanted to do or WHY? he wast still too much concered about robo tart and what she thought.]

[ she replied]: "Everything's fine. Just left Alycia's. She's resting and is NOT to be disturbed by ANYONE. and if you're lacking groceries, Try grocery shopping instead of wasting your time chasing after ghosts. - Sharon "

[ the first part was a not so subtle declaration that ALycia was OFF LIMITS to everyone! that last part was definate a dig at him for his obvious lingering over Haleigh. ]

[ Sharon returns to the first floor of the Roosevelt and exits, moving to the rear of the hotel before changing back into her Silver Swan outfit and taking off into the air, flying at high speeds and reaching Melrose Place in under 10 minutes.]

[ she lands, hearing the sounds of leisure activity, along with calm heartbeats ,music and other things. even though she despised more than half the team right now, it was nice to see this "Place" being used for LIVING rather than fighting, or some awful super natural induced nightmare.]

[ she makes her way into the courtyard and surveys those present. Delilah and Haleigh are in their apartments...HOORAY!?...Ava, Nicolas and Cameron are outside. She's unaware of the episode Delilah had involving the ghost of the man who was trying to kill HER, Connor. IF she were, she'd be even LESS sympathetic than she is right now. Connor was a slimey, opportunistic WORM as far Sharon was concerned. He DESERVED to die. He had no less than that in mind for HER!]

 

[Prophet]

MP Courtyard

Cameron got Sharon's text message and soon she had arrived at Melrose Place. She would hear it in his heartbeat. He was excited to see her, and he couldn't control it. There had been things he had been wanting to say to Sharon for a little while now, things that would most surely put all of his cards on the table. Things he wasn't sure he should say. But he wanted to say them to her. He didn't know why he felt the way about Sharon that he did, but he knew Sharon to be a woman who respected honesty above all else, and he felt that if he didn't say these things, that if he didn't take this chance, he would regret it for the rest of his life. He was a grown man goddammit, and the longer he worried about what Haleigh and the others thought about him, the less of a chance at happiness he had. He stood fast and greeted Sharon.

"Sharon. You don't know how glad I am to see you. I thought maybe you'd like to accompany me to the grocery store?"

He mouthed the words "Follow me Please" as he motioned her to his apartment. He needed to speak with her.

"I figured it might be time to stock my refridgerator."

Again he mouthed "please" to her, hoping she would hear her out for a moment.

"You'll help of course?"

He didn't know what was coming over him. He just knew that when Sharon arrived back at Melrose Place, he wanted to say these things to her, because her mere presence confirmed the things he thought to be true. There were no games to be played, and he needed Sharon to know that.

 

[Silver Swan]

MP courtyard

[ Sharon had only taken a few steps. She was about to greet Ava and IGNORE Nicolas, whom she was still TERRIBLY pissed at for his seeming betrayal of her to Haleigh. But then like a jack-in-the box , Cameron POPS up and greets her and invites her to....THE GROCERY STORE!?]

what's the matter? too weak to carry your own bags?

[ Sharon immediately snipes. She stands there looking at him in disbelief with a "oh no you didnt just ask me that!" expression on her face. she doesnt move at all at first. then he silently mouths a "follow me please" and looks rather urgently at her. there MUST be more to this.]

[sighing and tossing one of her hands up briefly as if she had finally given into the never ending please of her child for some toy or treat, she replies.]

oh alright!

[ walking past Cameron.]

 

[Prophet]

MP: Words to be spoken...

She conceded. For the moment. As they made his way into his apartment he closed the door behind him and let out a rather large sigh.

"Okay. So. This might be a little overwhelming for you. And I might ramble on and on before I reach a point, but I need you to deal with that for the time being okay?"

He didn't wait for her to answer. There were things he needed to say. Things that couldn't wait.

"So. There are things... things i've been meaning to say to you, Sharon. And I don't necessarily expect you to understand. And this may appear to be coming from out of the blue, but I assure you.. they aren't. These are things i've been thinking about for awhile now. Ever since i've been back."

Cameron was pacing back and forthe a little. Unsure of which direction to go. Should he say what he wanted, or should he hold back? Which direction would benefit him the most?

"I...I like you Sharon. I really do. I know you've been through alot, and I know this might not be in your cards, but I like you as more than just a friend..."

He quickly made his way over the mantle over his fireplace, fiddling with the pictures and incessant decorations, trying not to make eye contact, feeling it better for him to get it al out, rather than to look at her face or read her thoughts to figure out her reaction. He needed to get this out.

"I've never been one for correct timing. But I figure in our line of work, there is no such thing as perfect timing. You just have to take things as they come. Ever since i've been back, I can't help but to have some kind of feelings for you. I... I care about you."

He made his way closer to her, now sitting on his couch with her and grabbing her by the hand.

"I know others to think you to be a monster. I've been called the same thing. But when I look at you... I don't think that. I don't see that. I see the woman I know you to be. The staunch civil rights activist, the woman who loved her son. The woman who fought so that I could have a place in the world. I know at times you think her to be long gone, but I still see her... right in front of me. I see that woman. I see who you are Sharon.."

[looking at the fire that had randomly started for just a moment]

"It's just.. I know that when I left, that when I was going through my own personal trials and tribulations.. I felt like I didn't need anybody. That it was better for me to be alone, away from those that I loved. I didn't want to hurt anyone else... but it was that very belief that got me into more trouble than I could have ever imagined. Look.. I'm not saying that I know exactly what you're going through, Sharon, because I don't. At all. But I guess.. what i'm saying to you, is that.. you don't have to go at this alone, and you aren't meant to. Everybody needs somebody, and I was hoping... that maybe you would see through the man that everyone knows me to be... and see the man.. the man that.. i'm trying to be. A man who is strong.. and capable. A man of his word, and in return, I can help you be the woman I know you to be inside. The Senator, the Civil Rights activist, the mother, the whole enchilada, because I know she's still there, Sharon. In fact.. she's the reason.. the reason I find myself so enamored with you..."

[looking away for a moment]

"I know this seems fast.. Seems all of a sudden. But today.. when I was at the pool, with nobody around that I felt I knew anymore.. Alison and Morgan gone, people I had once trust and loved now people who despised me.. the one person I wished was there by my side.. the one person I wished I could talk to? Was you. I wanted you her. I wanted to talk to you.. be with you. In ways that scare me because I didn't think I was capable of thinking about another person after Haleigh. But here you are, and here I am."

Cameron stood for a moment, looking outside the window to the others that were still in the courtyard.

"I guess.. all i'm saying Sharon.. is that I think... I think I need you to be here, more than you realize. And I think.. I think.. we might be good for each other. I mean, i'm not looking for your firm committment right at this very moment... but I need you to know that i'm not the man I once was. I'm different. And I want to show you just how very different I am. In every way possible."

He exhaled for the first time in minutes as he awaited any kind of response from Sharon, his heart beating extremely fast.

 

[Silver Swan]

Melrose Place - apt 8

[Inside of Cameron's apartment on the 2nd level of the building, this was the first time Sharon had seen it since he moved in. The last time she was here, BLAZE..aka FIREBIRD was the resident here. There was definately a different feel to the place. it even SOUNDED different.]

[ Sharon look a moment to look around as Cameron began speaking. His heart beat was racing, his breathing was reserved almost like his every breath would be his last. She could HEAR the body's adjustments during certain emotions and it was clear he was both nervous yet determined and genuine all at once.]

[ what struck her was that he REMEMBERED her. ALL of her, the WOMAN behind the name "Silver Swan". He didnt see her as some irrevocably changed monster like Delilah did, or someone who committed some unforgivable sin like Haleigh did. He wasnt some flakey boy scout trying to play both sides either, like Nicolas who couldnt decide whether his history with Sharon was more important than his attempts to remain close to Haleigh. ]

[ the only OTHER person who had been REAL with Sharon like this in the past 24 hours had been Ava and THAT woman was Haleigh's SISTER. If SHE could see clearly, why couldnt Nicolas? maybe his mind was still too fogged by memories of his slutting it up with her time and again..."while under duress" ]

[ Sharon looked up and over at Cameron as he spoke. He WAS right, everybody needed somebody and the reality was that inspite of all her changes, she was still a widow who had lost her child. EVERYTHING that happened since her first time in Arklay had lead up to who she was now. How could someone like Delilah be so short sighted and not understand that? It was HER bastard boyfriend who tried to kill Sharon and ultimately OUTED ALL of them to the press and law enforcement.]

You know what's the worst thing? That judgemental BITCH, Delilah. HER boyfriend tried to MURDER ME...not once but TWICE and THEN he was the one responsible for OUTING the Six, Alycia and myself to the media and law enforcement. Even in DEATH he got the final blow and look...ILLUSTRA isnt even HERE anymore because of him. Yet inspite of that FACT, she has the NERVE to call ME a psycho and look DOWN on me because I won't put up with Haleigh's BULLSHIT!

[ Some of these things Cameron may not even be aware of since he was not present for the Bishop/Arklay incident. She's UNAWARE of what happened in Delilah's apartment and how Connor [ the boyfriend] figured into all of that. She looks at Cameron the way that Alycia looked at her at the Roosevelt and perhaps for the first time, Sharon has allowed herself to FEEL what she TRULY feels deep down beneath her armour, training and whatever else.]

I DIED because of those people in the courtyard, Cameron. I was TURNED INTO THIS.

[ gesturing at herself] I was DEAD. In my dying moments in Alycia's arms, i thought i'd be with my husband Robert and my son Kyle again...I didnt ASK to come back, let alone to be TURNED into the Silver Swan. But do you think THEY care? the ONLY time they pay attention to me is when I'm doing something to PROTECT one of them.

Haleigh is a LEECH. She doesnt care about ANYONE...she's only out for herself. Always has been...always will be. She thinks she can look down on me and yet Mystech had a hand in changing HER as much as the did me! You'd THINK we'd have common ground between us...but she's too busy trying to HOARD all the men in the Six and acts like a feral alley cat toward any other woman who MIGHT draw their interest or attention. She broke Nicolas & Morgan up and she doesnt want to see YOU with anyone else ...even though SHE wont leave Zach to be with YOU.

I understand why Morgan and Karen have despised her so much. She's just a selfish TROLL.

and Nicolas...who does he think HE is? I knew him when he was a CHILD and NOW he has the GAUL to disrespect me in defending HALEIGH? Has he NO idea of what "burning a bridge" means? After all the damage HE'S done, he is the LAST person to be trying to chastising ME. HE who is the offspring of one of the Six's most deadly and dispised foes.

[ this was the most emotion Sharon had expressed to Cameron, EVER since their first encounter ages ago at the Parthenon when they only formally knew each other. He MISSED the Master Mold caper and was ill prepared for her violent return but even so, HE didnt sit in judgement of her the way Delilah continued to. how could ANY of them judge her for being who she now was when each of THEM was just as deadly or objectionable in someone else's eyes? She wanted to know...and yet no one could tell her, all they could do was relish in their hypocritical stance and for Sharon, who once dedicated herself to mutant civil rights while she was a Senator, it was the ULTIMATE SLAP in the face. ]

They get a free pass...time and again. They get to destroy lives and people who sacrifice everything INCLUDING their lives to help them are left for dead while THEY get to move on. I dont REALLY know why i even came BACK after I left Themyscria. I guess because...I didnt THINK I had anywhere else to go...but now...

just like Alycia said!

[Cameron responded, telling her with truth that he saw ALL of her...that he didnt think of her as a monster and that he truly believed she needed to be here, that HE needed her to be here. Sharon looked at him...slightly dismayed.]

I....

I can give you the chance that THEY never gave me.

[ She looked at him, this time she didnt have that predatory glare in her silver eyes either. She looked calmer, softer. She REALLY appreciated what he said. It did more good than she could have guessed, especially after her talk with Alycia which had stirred feelings up in her that she probably repressed for some time. ]

 

[Prophet]

MP: Cameron's Apartment

Cameron listened with baited breath as Sharon spoke her peace. He understood where she was coming from but on a completely different level. He had left of his own free will time and time again, trying to escape the destiny he was meant to be a part of. He had been alone his entire life because of MysTech, because of the sins of his mother and the other parents of the corporation. He was someone who was left behind, in the gutter, to forge a life of his own.

"Sharon, these people. The Six... they have their flaws. All of them, myself included. And I understand your anger.. I really do. The life I led before becoming a part of this was a direct result of MysTech. I had nobody. The person I was, the person i've been running from for as LONG as I can remember, is because of them.."

He moved a little closer to her.

"But the Six.. even at their very worst.. is the best thing.. that has ever happened to me. We try to be in the line of work of helping the helpless. There have been casualties along the way. We don't always do what is best, we make mistakes, and unfortunately.. you were caught in the crossfire.. As much as you want to write off these people. As much as you want to dismiss them, you can't. While your transformation to the Silver Swan may have been excruciating, unwanted, unfair, it is what it is. The world isn't done with Sharon Kelly, and that's why you're here. I have to believe that there's a purpose for you, a reason why.. why you and I are here, are still with the Six. It's the only thing that's keeps me going. The work we are doing, while flawed, is worthwhile, and while you may HATE your new co-workers, they've sacrificed alot to do the work they've done. We all have. You may not agree, and you may not come to that conclusion for a long time, and that's fine... but Sharon, you are MEANT to be here. I won't defend the personal acts of Haleigh or Nicolas or Delilah, but I will defend the work that they've done, the things they have prevented."

His finger traced her cheek for a moment, taking a moment to revel in the Sharon Kelly that was in front of him. The woman, not the beast everyone made her out to be.

"You AREN'T a mistake, Sharon. You AREN'T a monster..."

Sharon: I can give you the chance that THEY never gave me.

He smiled solemnly at Sharon. This was an extremely overwhelming moment for him. Not many people looked at Cameron King and saw potential. They only saw the playboy, the folly of his youthful discontent. This was a big moment for him.

"And I for you.. if you allow me, because where i'm at in my life.. at this moment.. I really don't know if I can do this without you. Forgive me if i'm being too forthecoming..."

He wanted to kiss her, but he didn't want to overstep his boundaries. He was already taking a chance at this moment. He instead tucked a lock of her hair behind her ears.

"You know.. you're really beautiful when you let your guard down..."

 

[Silver Swan]

MP - apt. 8

[ Sharon frowned with disapproval as Cameron attempted to gloss over this team's hypocrasy and misdeeds.]

A long time ago I MIGHT have bought that...back when I was only close to Morgan, Alison and Karen from this team. Back when I was still the woman i was and leading the life that I had made for myself. But having seen up close what kind of two faced hypocrates Delilah and Haleigh are? seeing that Nicolas cares more about scoring brownie points with women who look at HIM as a monster more than being LOYAL to a woman who was nearly his adoptive mother...I can't...i WONT get past it. FUCK them.

This isnt what it was BEFORE. I have more than enough power to defend and take care of myself. I don't NEED them.
and what about the lives lost BECAUSE of them. What about people like ME and ALYCIA who devoted ourselves to helping them even at the risk and expense of ourselves. WHERE is the gratitude or even the acknowledgement? They are so forgetfull...so disrespectfull...

You may not agree, and you may not come to that conclusion for a long time, and that's fine... but Sharon, you are MEANT to be here. I won't defend the personal acts of Haleigh or Nicolas or Delilah, but I will defend the work that they've done, the things they have prevented."

[ Sharon waved her hand and exhaled with annoyed disapproval. he was damn well right she didnt agree.]

"You AREN'T a mistake, Sharon. You AREN'T a monster..."

[ There were only a precious few people in this world who could now say that and she knew they werent lying through their teeth about how they felt. Morgan, Alison, Firebird, Alycia...her adoptive amazon sisters and now...much to her surprise, Cameron. He wasnt just "saying" this the way Delilah had shortly before Barbas came. Delilah only said it to satisfy Morgan. What she ORIGINALLY said was what she really felt and what she'd been demonstrating LATELY..calling her a psycho and a monster. and Nicolas...she was through with him. She wasnt quite on the page that AVA was about him, but she no longer saw him the way she once did. Not anymore. as far as she was concerned, he was definately on "Team Haleigh" now and she was DONE with him.]

[ so now, at a time when Sharon was beginning to strongly consider her own departure from the six, FOREVER, Cameron's words seemed to reach her. she heard the sincerity. ]

"And I for you.. if you allow me, because where i'm at in my life.. at this moment.. I really don't know if I can do this without you. Forgive me if i'm being too forthecoming..."

I dont know. I'm STRONGLY considering leaving the Six. I don't care if there is a crisis looming...I dont know if I CAN deal with them even for the six of the bigger picture. I've spent enough of my life "being the bigger person". The only people who I OWED anything to were my husband and my son, both of whom are dead. Alycia isnt here anymore so there's nothing keeping me here...not anymore (speaking of her cold feelings toward Nicolas). But you know what?

[ she looks at Cameron.]

You took a big risk tonight and you didnt have to. Despite what the others think...you came to me and you kept it real. AND you treated me like a HUMAN BEING with FEELINGS. I can't pretend that I don't appreciate that...I really do.

[ he had made his way closer to her and she was now aware just how CLOSE he was to her physically. For a BRIEF moment, she felt as she did when she was with Robert or Gustav. She wasnt somebody's wife, mother/mother figure...she wasnt even a super powered mutate, she was a WOMAN and it was nice that SOMEBODY saw her that way again. Cameron wasnt aware of how much Silver Swan detested physical contact with people now but it wasnt ALWAYS that way for her. In this moment, She felt as she had long ago. He reached out a tucked a bit of her blonde hair behind her ear.]

"You know.. you're really beautiful when you let your guard down...

how long has it been since a man has told me I was beautifull?

[thankfully her thoughts were like quicksilver, her mind was nearly impossible for a telepath to read and so Cameron wouldnt "hear" what she was thinking. the reality was that Sharon was FAR from "ugly" physically. She was a beautifull blonde bomb shell who could kick ass, but with so many people around her criticizing her and telling her she was a psycho monster, it didnt do much for that part of her that was still "only human".]

...maybe.

[ she said with quiet suspicion. she wasnt sure that weakness (or what SHE felt to be a moment of weakness) equaled "beauty". what was happening!? why was she letting her guard down? why NOW? was it because Alycia had touched something in her with HER raw emotion which had resonated with Sharon ever since? or was it because someone OTHER than her best friend finally regarded her the way she wanted to be regarded. She decided it was a little of both]

[ Cameron wasnt bad looking. Not at all. He was Alison's baby brother, but he was more mature now than when she last saw him. Handsome, a little more rugged. Well, if she was going to be true to form, she may as well go for it. She leaned forward a bit and gave him a soft kiss on the mouth.]

Thank you...you don't know how much of a difference you've made this evening for me.

 

[Prophet]

MP - Apartment #8

He decided that now was not the best time for a debate of what was wrong or right in terms of Delilah, Haleigh, Nicolas and the others. They ALL had shady pasts, and they had ALL done things they weren't proud of. And while he may have had an extreme distaste for more than a few of them at the moment, he knew them to be at their core.. very good people. People he WOULD die for. But that wasn't what Sharon needed.

"They arre so forgetful...so disrespectful.."

[sighing heavily]

He let her continue without saying a word because he honestly wasn't very sure how this conversation would end. He could sense her anxiety about being with the Six. He knew she wanted to leave. He was about to interject.

"You took a big risk tonight and you didnt have to. Despite what the others think...you came to me and you kept it real. AND you treated me like a HUMAN BEING with FEELINGS. I can't pretend that I don't appreciate that...I really do."

He was stopped dead in his tracks. Throughout his life he had relied on his lies, his appearances, his false words in order to get him through situations. For so long he had been going through the motions, being what he thought people wanted him to be in order to play his part in this destiny of the Six. But for the first time he was really being honest, being who he really was, and somebody was respecting that, better yet, being receptive to that. Maybe he wasn't beyond salvation as he had previously thought...

He gazed into her intoxicating silver eyes, revelling in the fact that he couldn't easily read her thoughts. It always took away from the moment when one could easily know what the other was thinking. Her thoughts were now like Alycia's, fluid, like liquid, non-linear, and it was intoxicating to him. She leaned forward to him as their lips pressed together in a kiss as Cameron felt a rush of blood throughout his body. This was but a mere kiss, but for the first time in a long while, Cameron felt alive. He felt as if he maybe could move on from Haleigh... that he could be happy without her. This kiss gave him hope. He closed his eyes and took it in in all it's glorious promise, feeling that it ended all but too soon.

Sharon: Thank you... you don't know how much of a difference you've made this evening for me..

"Well.. I try..."

[smirking]

"You know.. they've probably guessed you aren't helping me make a grocery list by now.. What do you say we ditch the barbeque and get some real food.. as i'm not at all convinced Ava or Nicolas is above poisoning either of us..."

He laughed, interlocking their fingers, lost for a bit in the moment. He didn't necessarily know what this was or what it would become, but it felt right.

 

[Silver Swan]

MP apt 3

[ Sharon looked out of the window as Cameron remarked on the idea of Ava or Nicolas poisoning them.]

I think Ava would sooner poison Nicolas, or her favorite target, MIKE if he were here. Nicolas will spend most of his time trying to endear himself to Delilah and Haleigh and I have no interest in looking at him, let alone eating his cooking.

I dont mind going out. the Night air will do me good. But first I must check on my babies [ Artemis and Antiope].

I'll meet you on Melrose Avenue shortly.

[ Cameron should be thrilled. Not only did he get an an audience with Sharon, but he also got a kiss AND an agreement for a "dinner date" of sorts. Sharon didnt mind the idea of dining alone with Cameron. Not now. She saw more to him than she had known before and she hoped he was as sincere as he seemed and that Haleigh wouldnt be able to wiggle her robotic finger and lure him back into some toxic codependent relationship. if he was as mature and far along as he wanted her to believe that he was, then he would be BEYOND Haleigh.]

[ Sharon leaves Cameron's apartment and descends the stars, walking around past apt. 1 (delilah's) toward her own apt. 2. She and Ava lock eyes for a moment and Sharon acknowledges her silently. She enters her apartment and the door SLAMS behind her.]

[ inside of her dark residence, the mutate leans agains the door and exhales, looking up at the ceiling. ]

what the hell is wrong with me?

[ wavering for a moment on the idea of allowing herself to soften on Cameron. but on the other hand, so what? she didnt have an "image" she needed to maintain to ANYONE around here. perhaps this was just the thing she needed? well since she wasnt a precog, she didnt know for sure. in the meantime, she just allowed herself to go with it. it certainly was no less risky than tolerating a man who ultimately betrays you for a woman who doesnt deserve to live. ]

[ she went to her birds who were a little sleepy but still awake enough to greet their adoptive mother with chrips and sounds. She returned the communication as she pats both birds and babies them a bit before opening the window to let them fly out into the open night air. they were trained to circle high above the courtyard in the sky, never leaving the immediate area unless she commands them mentally or if they are on one of their flying exercises.]

[ after tending to their needs, refreshing their area ( she had an entire room converted into their living area, complete with soft music that plays over a sound system to keep them soothed) and refreshing their water supply, Sharon "calls" for them to return, and they do, happily descending down and swooping over to the window perching on to her outstretched arm as she praises them for being good babies and brings them inside]


now you be good babies. mommy will be back soon!

[ turning the lights off, and turning the soft classical music on, Sharon sings to them a bit with her now perfect singing voice, they respond with a few happy chrips before she closes the door to their living area and then refreshes herself before changing her outfit back to the one she wore to see Alycia, complete with that same hairstyle. a quick check in a mirror by the door and out she goes.]

Call me if anything comes up, Ava?


[ She asks as she passes by the woman and makes her way to the courtyard exit and out on to Melrose Ave to find Cameron waiting.]

well....shall we go?

 

[Black Widow]

Melrose Place, Apt 5

Haleigh paused outside her door, as the others came out of Delilah's apartment and went back to their previous positions. Nicolas encouraged Haleigh, but she didn't smile at his attempt to lighten the mood. Her mood was too dark to be salvaged, and it was darkened still by the text message that Cameron sent to Sharon. She didn't normally TRY to listen to other people's messaging but using technology around her was the number ONE way to include her in whatever you were doing. She was like a lightning rod for technology, the message passed through her on its way out. Cameron might as well have said it out loud. Haleigh's gaze fixated on him, but she didn't look angry, despite the content of his message. She looked empty, her affect flat. Sharon's reply message came, and Haleigh turned her vacant stare to Nicolas.

Brace yourself. Sharon's returning now. [pause] I don't want to do this anymore. I've lost my appetite. Ignore my thoughts and don't come after me. I just want to be alone for a while.

She slinked back into her apartment and shut the door. She kept an eye on the courtyard, just in case. If a fight went down, as was likely whenever Sharon was around, on account of her inability to play well with others, Haleigh didn't want to be oblivious to it. She didn't feel guilty for suspecting the worst of Sharon's involvement in EVERYTHING. After all, just LAST NIGHT Sharon had tried to murder Haleigh in the pool, right in front of everyone. And this very MORNING she'd gravely injured Nicolas when her favorite punching bag [Haleigh] wasn't around. If Sharon didn't want people to look at her like she was a monster, perhaps she should stop acting like one.

No fighting this time, as Sharon was only in the courtyard for a few moments. Cameron practically begged her to go 'grocery shopping' with him, and eventually convinced her to follow him into his apartment. Where they would… grocery shop? Man, Cameron was TERRIBLE at asking for a private aside. Did he really think asking in such a convoluted way would make any sense? He sounded like a crazy person. Why wouldn't he just tell Sharon he needed a moment to speak with her? Whatever. They disappeared into his apartment.

Maybe it was wrong to listen in on them now… but what if Cameron had crossed over to the dark side and they were planning an attack on the Six? It was PLAUSIBLE as far as Sharon was concerned. There was NOTHING and NO ONE keeping her here anymore, and Haleigh knew that. Sharon hated every single one of them. It was a mystery to Haleigh that Sharon stayed at this point… and that mystery made Haleigh suspicious of Sharon's intentions. Why stay with people you despised? Why act like you wanted anything to do with them when really you would relish seeing them fall? Only DOUBLE AGENTS did that.

So Haleigh watched them, and listened in. Every corner of Melrose Place was wired for surveillance. Even the bathrooms were bugged, though Haleigh hadn't put cameras in there, only listening devices. In their line of work, and with the enemies they had, you could never be too careful, or too paranoid.

Well they weren't plotting the Six's demise, but they were having a conversation that grabbed Haleigh's attention. Cameron openly confessed his feelings for Sharon. She responded by openly lambasting just about everyone remaining in the Six. He halfheartedly defended them, focusing more on ingratiating himself with Sharon. It worked, to Haleigh's surprise. Sharon kissed him. He was elated and invited her to go out for dinner, to which she agreed.

Haleigh was torn. She loved Cameron very much, and felt that Cameron deserved to be happy, and after the past couple of months, culminating in the spirit crushing verbal fight they'd had last night, Haleigh had accepted that she was no longer the person that made him happy. But SHARON? She was NOT a good match for him. Sharon would DEVOUR him. She'd chew him up and spit him out and if he SURVIVED, he'd be emotionally damaged for the rest of his life. Sharon could not make him happy for long, for Sharon wasn't even happy with HERSELF for very long.

Haleigh sighed. There wasn't much she could do about it. She'd WARNED Cameron that he was making a colossal mistake. If he continued to pursue Sharon now, it was out of Haleigh's hands. She knew the more she tried to help Cameron, the more it looked like she was trying to control him. Sharon, despite being mostly full of SHIT and blinded by MISPLACED anger, had been right about ONE thing tonight: Haleigh would not leave Zach to be with Cameron. She'd be a FOOL if she did. How many times did Cameron leave her? How many times was Zach there to hold her together?

 

[MorningStar]

Thankfully the others left. It was easier to calm herself without chaos around her. She wasn't a telepath, but with a group of people buzzing around her it almost felt as if she were, the amount of disorder it made her feel. She moved into a seated position, feet firmly on the floor, took a few deep breaths, and wiped her face with her hands. She looked straight head, still breathing deeply. Putting her hands firmly on her thighs, after a few seconds she stood up. She returned to her bedroom and dressed in a casual peasant top and jeans.

She went to the kitchen and started chopping up some tomato and green onion. She wasn't in the mood for a party. They had things to do, number one, but perhaps something could be accomplished now that Sharon had arrived. She wouldn't allow herself to dwell too much on her dream. She had sacrificed part of her humanity in saving Sharon, and since that was continuously thrown back into her face... Delilah had apologized over and over, and if they didn't forgive her then so be it. But she was not going to kiss anyone's feet - least of all Sharon's. Horrible things had happened to all of them, but at some point that stops being a valid excuse and becomes just that: an excuse. She finished mixing her ingredients together in a glass bowl and was about to grab a bag of tortilla chips from the cupboard when she heard Sharon leave her apartment and go towards the exit.

"Son of a bitch..."

She went to the door and opened it, and looked out to see Sharon leaving [to meet Cameron].

"Oh you have GOT to be kidding me."

She walked past where the others were eating and set the bowl down, distractedly saying, "salsa" before continuing on to Haleigh's apartment and knocking.

She opened the unlocked door a crack and spoke through it.

"Haleigh?"

 

[Persephone]

Shortly after arriving at Delilah's apartment, Cameron joined Ava. They both stood by the doorway looking inside until finally Cameron stepped in and asked Nicolas to leave and that he would take care of her. Keeping quiet, Delilah seemed extremely tense and like she wanted to be alone, but if Cameron could help her, then who was she to argue? With Haleigh chiming in via intercom advising everyone that it was just a bad dream, Ava departed, heading back down to the pool. Everyone seemed to be on edge lately. And the Sharon situation just amplified it all. Climbing back onto her pool chair, Ava laid back a little more tense than before. How exactly was she supposed to relax when it felt like everyone was walking on egg shells? Sighing out, Nicolas resumed cooking. It seemed rather futile considering....but oh well.

Shortly after Delilah's "scare", Cameron made his way back down to the pool. Watching him through shaded eyes, he looked like someone had a gun to his head. He tried to make small talk with Nicolas, complimenting how good the food smelled. But it seemed like he was saved by the bell....or in this case the Silver Swan. Sharon swooped down and landed in the courtyard, and within seconds Cameron ushered her into his apartment. These were the times she wished she was back on Arie. All this unecessary drama was really stressful. Delilah and Haleigh were holding themselves up in their apartments, Nicolas was trying to act like everything and everyone was peachy keen, Sharon wants to kill everyone, and Cameron obviously alienated himself from the rest of the team. At this point, Ava just figured it would be best to go up to HER apartment and call it a day.

Shifting her eyes over to Cameron's apartment as the door opened, she watched Sharon exit and make her way to her own place. With a raise of her eyebrows, well...she didn't seem pissed. And she didn't have blood splattered all over her. So Cameron was still alive. After a few more minutes, Sharon exited her apartment and started to head towrd the Melrose Place exit. Advising Ava to contact her if anything came up, Ava nodded once and watched as she left.

"Well..."

Standing from her pool chair, Ava took off her sunglasses and walked over to the edge of the pool.

"Atleast there won't be any bloodshed tonight."

Yet...

She thought to herself. Diving into the pool, it was a beautiful 85 degrees due to Ava's manipulation over the weather around Melrose Place. Resurfacing, she began to swim around the pool casually, trying to make the best out of the rest of the evening.

 

[Black Widow]

Haleigh hadn't made it very far into her apartment. She'd stopped in her living room and sat down on the sofa to listen to Cameron and Sharon's interaction, so when Delilah cracked the front door open, Haleigh was only a few feet away.

Delilah: "Haleigh?"

"Delilah? Come in."

It was out of the ordinary for them to be so comfortable with each other. It wasn't often that their opinions aligned, but it seemed to be happening with more frequency lately.

 

[MorningStar]

Delilah opened the door wide enough for her to fit through then closed it softly behind her. She turned around, putting her back to the door, and looked at Haleigh.

"Please tell me that I'm not the only person here who remembers that we just had our own adventures in zombieland at the airport this morning? Cause half our team is at the pool having a barbecue and Sharon and Cameron seem to have left for something resembling a date."

Normally Delilah wouldn't go to Haleigh like this - they weren't "gal pals" and most of the time Haleigh exasperated the heck out of Delilah - but if Haleigh understood anything it was the job. And Delilah could trust her to see the big picture and be logical. And if Delilah needed anything right now, it was to be focused on what lay ahead of them.

She moved further into the room and sat herself in a chair near Haleigh.

"We need an in with Terra Save and I am all out of ideas. But I can't just sit around and pretend nothing's going on."

 

[Black Widow]

Delilah: Please tell me that I'm not the only person here who remembers that we just had our own adventures in zombieland at the airport this morning? Cause half our team is at the pool having a barbecue and Sharon and Cameron seem to have left for something resembling a date.

"It IS a date."

Much to my dismay… She thought but didn't add.

"Don't be upset with them for trying to unwind after what happened. They're waiting for direction. That's MY responsibility, and I'm sorry for retreating from it… but I figured with Sharon coming back, it'd be better for everyone if I weren't out there. My presence seems to really provoke Sharon's most destructive tendencies. It's not fair to everyone else."

Delilah: We need an in with Terra Save and I am all out of ideas. But I can't just sit around and pretend nothing's going on.

"Hmm yes… Terra Save. I have an idea about where we should start. Did you notice how Alycia tried to DISAPPEAR as soon as we began discussing the situation with Commander Miller? And then after we got done with Miller and turned our attention to Alycia… She got out of there like she was afraid her cover was going to be blown. I think she knows something, and she doesn't want to share it with us. I was hoping she might discuss it with Sharon, but if she DID, Sharon is CLEARLY not concerned with enlightening us."

 

[MorningStar]

"It IS a date."

She quickly shot back, "And how are you feeling about that?"

A split-second later she threw her hands up in front of her.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, it's none of my business."

"Don't be upset with them for trying to unwind after what happened. They're waiting for direction. That's MY responsibility, and I'm sorry for retreating from it… but I figured with Sharon coming back, it'd be better for everyone if I weren't out there. My presence seems to really provoke Sharon's most destructive tendencies. It's not fair to everyone else."

"Haleigh - it's not your SOLE responsibility. You have to stop acting like you're always letting everyone down. But SHARON should be a little more concerned with leading this team and a little less concerned with sharpening her talons or whatever she does when she's not with us."

She closed her eyes for a second and exhaled, pausing before she got worked up again over Sharon's earlier behavior. She continued, more calmly this time.

"And as for Sharon - I don't think it's you provoking her. I think it's all of us, or possibly something else entirely. But she's not acting rationally, or even normal for Sharon. I know Morgan left her in charge of the team along with you, but from where I'm sitting - Sharon is not my leader and I'll be damned if we lose more innocent lives because she can't cowboy up and be a team player."

"I think [Alycia] knows something, and she doesn't want to share it with us. I was hoping she might discuss it with Sharon, but if she DID, Sharon is CLEARLY not concerned with enlightening us."

"Again, Sharon can't be playing her little Amazon club games with us like this - this is important. If she's keeping information from us... Alycia is acting WEIRD. I know when she left Aerie she had gone through a trauma, but still. She never called us to say she was back - what's up with that? She's clearly not that interested in talking to us...but if you think she might be connected to Terra Save, maybe we should pay her a visit of our own?"

As Delilah sat there, trying to figure out what their next move should be, and how they should (if at all) approach Alycia, a thought dawned on her. The last time she had problems with nightmares, it had been Alycia who had killed to save her...

 

[Persephone]

It was nearly dusk and Nicolas had finally finished cooking. After drying off and wrapping the towel around her, Ava sat down at one of the tables and took a plate of grilled potatoes and veggies. The "group" barbeque turned out to be a party of two. Delilah and her sister were closed off in Haleigh's apartment talking about Sharon and Alycia, while Sharon was off on a date with Cameron [from what she overheard from D & H's convo]. So it was down to her and Nicolas. A month ago Ava would have rather starved to death than to eat with Nicolas, so it really showed her growth in terms of disliking him but still being civil.

Blowing on a piece of potato, Ava moved it to her mouth, prepared to take a bite. Stopping suddenly, she looked at Nicolas with suspicious eyes.

"You didn't lace this with cyinide did you?"

Okay, Ava knew that wasn't Nicolas' MO....HER'S, yes. But Nicolas, no. Still, it was sort of Ava's way of breaking the ice between them as they ate. She still didn't want to be "buddy buddy" with Nicolas, but she was atleast TRYING to be a good team member. If she learned anything from her self imposed exile, she needed to try and let other people in instead of keeping them at an arms length. That's what "broke" her subconscious in the first place.

 

[Rampage]

Nicolas was a telepath. That is what made the running around him so funny. It took him all of a couple of minutes after Delilah's nightmare to realize 5 quick things.

1) Cameron had no interest in dining with him or any of them. He much preferred Sharon's company and actually LIKED her. Good for them both...should be entertaining in any case.

2) Sharon decided mostly to play middle school politics in her dealing with the Six, but there was something else to it, something more. He couldn't "read" it, but he decided at some point he would deal with it.

3) Delilah was having coping issues with her lost love. He had NO idea how to mess with that. The man was a psychopath that needed to be put down, a man who hated what Delilah herself WAS, a metahuman. He was no Dr. Phil, and he had little time to deal with her issues anymore. Most of this team had wrung him nearly dry of hurt and worry.

4) Haleigh was no longer interested in trying right now and said so. Fair enough, but he actually did have some worry left for her. He knew she was considering who would kill her should she lose control, and he was much more interested in saving her than killing her. And he would deal with that rather soon, but right now...

5) Ava was actually being cool. Kinda. Still didn't like him, but was willing to put forth the effort to try. He was over the Mike incident pretty much, and he understood that she was not herself then. He had been there himself not so long ago so he understood mistakes made.

"You didn't lace this with cyinide did you?"

Of course not Ava. I am an Arsenic man. Harder to trace if done right.

He winked and chuckled, grabbing some seafood and veggies. Onyx made her way down to the pool and he mimicked the rumble of a panther PERFECTLY, grabbing a beef shoulder and placing it by his side. As she strolled over and ate ate he rubbed and patted her side affectionately. He looked back up at Ava.

She is absolutely BEAUTIFUL Ava.

His mouth turned into a mischievous smirk.

So we are sitting at the pool hanging out...together. In related news, HELL just froze over. I'll shut up, wouldn't want to ruin it.

Nicolas ate some roasted lobster tail and playfully tugged at the bone Onxy was gnawing on. She took the bait and tugged back at it, growling playfully. He let go grudgingly and went back to his plate as Onyx reclaimed her prize.