We belong together

[Seer]

<< Rampage and Prophet pull Firebird back from the brink, successfully appealing to her and dissuading her from giving herself over to the cosmic oblivion of the Siege Perilous. Safely back at Melrose Place, Blaze returns to apartment 4- her sister Morgan's apartment- to shower and get some much needed rest. She didn't know what was next, but she trusted her friends, who persuaded her to STAY, that whatever was next, she wouldn't face it ALONE and that she DID belong here. They'd SHOW her!>>

<< Only an hour or so earlier, Charope and Ruby had been in apartment 4, waiting for word on Blaze. While doing so, they had an eye opening, much needed heart-to-heart and it seemed Alycia broke through to Cass. Would Cass proove true to her desire to break new ground in herself and with the Six? Had she truly had an epiphany? Only time would tell. After word that Blaze did not pass through the Siege Perilous and would be returning back to MP, Cass returned to her apartment to rest. The next day she would be at After-Dark, tending to business and operations of the curious, posh night club when she would receive a surprise visit from Cameron and Nicolas regarding an idea that they were planning, with help from a very willing Sally Spectra, for Blaze. This would be Cass' first opportunity to start on a new path with the Six, helping a fellow team mate. >>

<< Alycia had made her way to Apartment 3, Arsenal's apartment. Since she had taken care of the legal legwork Nicolas and Cameron needed her help with regarding Blaze, seemingly helped get through to Cass and now knew that Blaze was found, safe and sound, She was about to leave Melrose Place via the charmed doorway when Delilah urgently sought her out, asking her to stay so they could talk. >>

<< Delilah invited Alycia to spend the night in her guest bedroom, as it was getting late and the following morning they would talk, over breakfast about the offer Alycia made 2 days earlier to bring Delilah to NYC.>>

<< Speaking of NYC, Persephone enjoyed a nice reunion with her sister, Black Widow. But not even Haleigh would be able to find out just what was bothering Ava on a deep personal level. Like Alison and Morgan before her, Haleigh was not-so-subtlely stone-walled by Ava, who was struggling...HAUNTED by a secret that would soon force itself to be addressed not only by her, but by ALL of them. Even Athena had alluded to it when she gifted Nicolas with a portion of her powerful golden AEGIS energy. Ava's new apartment in the Parthenon was stylish and she was on the cusp of tremendous professional and (though she didnt yet know it) personal development. While Haleigh was adjusting to all the CHANGE that had occurred in the Six during her absence.>>

<< Among those changes was the loss of Delilah's baby and the circumstances surrounding it. Two key players in that heartbreaking story were Spellbinder and Harbinger. Spellbinder was completely unavailable, still absent from the Six and the EARTH even, as she continued her self imposed exile in Limbo, a place outside of time and space, a place beyond the reach of anyone else. But Harbinger was still on Earth, at her mysterious, sprawling, grand estate- Minerva's Mansion, on the Isle of Aerie located in the churning Aegean Sea.>>

<< Haleigh, at a loss to understand what had happened and why it happened the way it did, set about speaking to those who could best give her answers. She started with Delilah, then went on to Ava. Ava remained steadfast in her support of Alison and her motivations, but noticeably did not voice agreement with EACH choice/action Alison and Morgan made. Still, she made it known that there hadn't been any other option, let alone a "RIGHT" one. Now Haleigh was moving on to Alison. She arrived to Minerva's Aerie, only to find she was BLOCKED from entering the mansion and that Arsenal, Chief of Security, could not grant her access, per orders of HARBINGER.>>

<< Still, the hybrid mutant was not easily deterred and was not without her own creative ways to bypass the changed security protocalls.>>

<< Yes, the new day begins with hope, plans, wishes and...confrontations>>

 

[Shadow Weaver]

Minerva's Mansion

Not so fast, Michael.

<< Karen JOINED Michael, suddenly APPEARING beside him, in her current costume no less.>>

This is too volatile a situation. Harbinger has been agitated since she became aware of Haleigh's return 24 hours ago. After all the PROGRESS she's made in the past few weeks...thanks in no small part to Ava and Cameron...I do not want to see that progress UNDONE by THIS.


<< she said rather pointedly as the RED ALERT system was in full effect around the mansion.>>

Haleigh has FORCED her way into Alison's dwelling. As Chief of Security, your DUTY is to maintain the protocalls you and Harbinger have established.

<< She continued as they moved with a purpose, on an intercept course with Haleigh, hoping that they'd get there BEFORE Alison did.>>

But THIS is not something you should have to face, and certainly not ALONE. I won't let you.

....and I WON'T allow another occurrence of what happened in the infirmary that night either.



<< Karen was right and Michael knew it. Alison vs. Haleigh would be a VIOLENT example of "irresistable force vs. immovable object" and nobody wanted it to come to that. It SHOULDN'T come to that!>>

<< Shadow Weaver and Arsenal finally make their way to where Haleigh is. Karen quickly thrusts her hands forward, snapping her fingers. A rushing, chiming sound is heard as the guard/soldiers are in a state of suspended animation.>>

Hello Haleigh.

Release that man's hand. You could hurt him, terribly.

<< Karen said calmly. >>

We know why you're here. Alison alerted us 24 hours ago. Neither Micheal nor I AGREED with her course of action, but this is HER domain.

<< She stood, side by side with Michael.>>

While we're not here to interfere with you and Alison talking...there's a fine line between necessary confrontation and needless violence or harm toward innocents.

<< Karen had become much more battle hardened in the time that had passed during Haleigh's absence. The training Michael had put her, Alison and Firebird through had made significant difference. She was also here, right along with Ava, in the immediate aftermath of the Blue Moon. BEYOND her expendending herself to the point of exhaustion and near coma defending the mansion against Circe's vicious assault, she had done her best to help Delilah and then Alison in the aftermath of their violent fallout. This moment between Alison and Haleigh was inevitable for a variety of reasons, but Karen would NOT allow any needless excess at the expense of the Mansion OR it's mortal staff to occurr.>>

<< Karen noticeably didn't radiate the hostility toward Haleigh that had become almost "CLASSIC" in their interaction. It was a sign that much of the progress Haleigh had made with various members of her team/family was still in effect.>>

 

[Arsenal]

Mike nodded as Karen took a more active role in what was to happen. He did not fear Haleigh but he understood her concern should she and Alison begin to tangle.

He stood beside her as she addressed Haleigh after teleporting in. It was remarkable...he kept waiting to have to cut off the hostility but Karen was farther along than even he consciously realized. As she finished, he spoke. He had no weapons armed and in hand and took an open stance.

Hales look. I just want a reasonable conversation. So far, you have barged in against Alison's wishes and have almost broken a guy's wrist after plotting to try to deceive Ororo by taking a bullet from Delilah. Can we slow down from 100 to maybe 55 and have reasonable discussions?

 

[Rampage]

Melrose Place

Morning. 5 AM to be exact.

Nicolas sat crosslegged, levitating, nude as he meditated. It had been an hour or so and he wanted to center himself before his workout.

Rising as he took his first breath since he began, Nicolas dressed quickly in one of the matching battle suits that Haleigh issued to all of them and put on his Black Duster over it. Curiously, his suit had no shirt. At ALL. :blush1:

He walked quickly across the courtyard and over to Cassandra's apartment. Walking up, he knocked loudly on the door.

 

[Ruby]

Melrose Place - Apt. 6

<<BANG!>>

:: Cass sat up in her bed, wide awake. She had been in a DEEP sleep after tossing, turning, and crying for most of the night, plus had a little field trip under the cover of night to the area where people toss their broken wine and/or beer bottles to do a little venting and breaking things. ::

Ohmigosh! What. The. HELL?!

:: She got out of bed and walked to the door, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Her brown-black hair was mussed but she didn't care. She opened the door. ::

*sleepily*: "It's way too late, or too early, for a booty call, Nicolas. Also, I'm not interested."

:: Even though she was still sleepy, she still had her sense of humour. She gave him a wan smile. ::

"Come in."

:: She turned and left the door open, making it clear he could come in, and walked to her kitchen area and filled her electric kettle with water and then turned it on. ::

"Would you like some tea as well?"

:: She pulled down two mugs from the cupboard, just in case he wanted some, and let the kettle brew and went back into her living room, sitting at the end of the couch, tucking her feet up underneath her. She covered her mouth with her hand and yawned a bit. ::

"So what brings you to my humble abode at this hour of the morning?"

 

[Rampage]

Booty Call? Pretty good one there.

*sleepily*: "It's way too late, or too early, for a booty call, Nicolas. Also, I'm not interested."

Not. YET.

Nicolas flashed a smile as he employed his best 'corny guy in the club' voice and mannerisms. He watched her enter the kitchen area as he stood near the couch. She put tea on and sat down before addressing the obvious.

"So what brings you to my humble abode at this hour of the morning?"

Remember that you said yesterday that you were ready to train? Well here I AM! Let's GO! The tea is ready, let's toss it back and get in some destruction before the day is gone already.

Nicolas flashed his smile and waited for Cass to get ready.

 

[Black Widow]

Guard: "Red alert, I repeat, red alert. Black Widow has broken the perimeter."

"So you DO know who I am."

She replied calmly, as she dropped the magazine from his gun and ejected the round from the chamber, rendering his firearm safe. Karen and Mike made an appearance, and the guards were suspended in space. Haleigh let go of the guy's hand, then pulled the handkerchief out of his suit pocket and wiped the blood off her knuckles, staining a white cloth with blood so dark red it was almost black.

"Karen."

Karen: "We know why you're here. Alison alerted us 24 hours ago. Neither Micheal nor I AGREED with her course of action, but this is HER domain. While we're not here to interfere with you and Alison talking...there's a fine line between necessary confrontation and needless violence or harm toward innocents."

"Hey, I don't want to hurt anyone. I came here to talk. She locked me out, and I'm not gonna lie, that pissed me off. Then these guys, thinking they're hard or whatever. But nobody else has to bleed."

Mike:" Hales look. I just want a reasonable conversation. So far, you have barged in against Alison's wishes and have almost broken a guy's wrist after plotting to try to deceive Ororo by taking a bullet from Delilah. Can we slow down from 100 to maybe 55 and have reasonable discussions?"

"Fucking A, news travels fast. Yes, okay, reasonable discussions. Wilco. I'm not battle-dressed, I'm not looking for a fight, I just want answers. I just want to talk to Alison."

 

[Firebird]

Lazy day in Apartment 4

Everything became a blur after Nic and Cam had pulled her off her carousel of despair. She was a swirling mix of emotions- sadness, uncertainty, embarrassment, resentment and more. But the great thing about getting off that ride was that after the moment of dizziness, came some peace.

A few more tears, some softly whispered fears, but soon all of that was washed away by a luxurious hot shower and a deep sleep in her sister's posh master bedroom. She slept under the breeze of an open window, under the moonlight, and Morgan's small white kitten curled up with her.

Sleep was good for the brain, the body the SOUL. It allowed a person to reset, recharge, and refocus!

She didnt know what tommorow held and she honestly didn't a certain bewitching precog either. She felt that half the fun and fullfillment of life was living from one moment to the next. That was something about her that had always made her fun, appealing and even a bit unpredictable to her friends and family in the Six and it was time to get back to that. She also believed in letting people proove themselves to be true to their word.

She trusted Nic and Cam. They assured her they would help her learn that she TRULY DID BELONG here and she was going to let them proove it.

But for now? She was taking it easy. Sally Spectra had called, advising her to take the day off and get some rest and for once, Blaze didn't object. She looked forward to some quiet time, at least for now until Cam and Nic came to whisk her off to their outing later in the day.

 

[Ruby]

Melrose Place - Apt. 4

Not. YET.

Nicolas flashed a smile as he employed his best 'corny guy in the club' voice and mannerisms. He watched her enter the kitchen area as he stood near the couch. She put tea on and sat down before addressing the obvious.

:: She relaxed completely. Nicolas DID get her humour. That was a good thing. Many people didn’t. It was usually off-the-wall and kind of perverse. She chuckled. ::

*mock surprise*: “What would MORGAN say? If I recall, you guys are an item? Or are you just giving the pat answer of ‘hanging out’?”

:: She made quotations on “hanging out”. ::

Remember that you said yesterday that you were ready to train? Well here I AM! Let's GO! The tea is ready, let's toss it back and get in some destruction before the day is gone already.

Nicolas flashed his smile and waited for Cass to get ready.

Oh. THAT.

“Um, can I take a rain check? I had a REALLY bad night last night and I think I only had three hours of sleep. I’m not feeling my best at the moment.”

:: She really wasn’t. She felt as if she had been put through the EMOTIONAL wringer, and she knew she wasn’t done with her emotions and such, not by a long shot, and she wasn’t sure she was up to being put through the PHYSICAL wringer as well. At least, not at THIS moment. She spotted the look on his face. ::

“Oh, don’t be like that. I’m not making excuses; I really DID have a bad night. I was working through some…personal stuff. Though I am FAR from my destination, I’d like to think I’m well on my way.”

:: She cleared her throat and got up from the couch. This was it; another step in her path to free herself from all the crap that had been done to her in the past. She walked up to the young man and, making eye contact with him, she lightly grasped his right wrist. She had seen that Nicolas had been making efforts to befriend her, after seeing that Mike sort-of-but-not-really becoming at the very least a ‘big brother’ to her if not a friend after all the outings that Karen had arranged for the three of them: Karen, Cass, and MIKE so Cass would get used to having males in her life [again]. She had been secretly impressed by that. ::

*seriously; genuinely*: “Thank you for being patient with me.”

:: She looked away shyly. She hoped he knew that she was thanking him for being patient as she S-L-O-W-L-Y dealt with her aversion to men, and distrust of The Six in general, at a snail’s pace. ::

*apologetically*: “I, uh, haven’t been fair to you guys. But that will change.”

:: Keeping in mind what Alycia had told her, she didn’t go into details about what went on in her past and such. She looked down at the ground and bit her lip. She may have felt awkward, but at least it was SOMETHING. ::

 

[Rampage]

Cass made a joke about him and Morgan. He smiled a wry smile as she inquired within the joke.

We know how each feels about the other. However the status is rather...complicated overall. Either way I am not blind Cass.

Nic gives a laugh as he gives her a joking once-over...then makes a face as she tried to beg off. Her reasoning was understandable and she was making a real effort. She even grasped his hand, which was a far cry from the recoil she gave at first touch.

But at the same time, being cooped up in here was no good. He waited until she finished and spoke up.

*seriously; genuinely*: “Thank you for being patient with me.”

:: She looked away shyly. She hoped he knew that she was thanking him for being patient as she S-L-O-W-L-Y dealt with her aversion to men, and distrust of The Six in general, at a snail’s pace. ::

*apologetically*: “I, uh, haven’t been fair to you guys. But that will change.”

Well...let's start today. Cam and Sharon have been all over you in the Room huh? And you expected me to be the same right? Threat of death and all that?

He looked into her face. Yep, that is what she expected.

WRONG. I do not need for you to learn anything from me today. I want you to exercise and have some fun, such as it can be fun. I want to watch you move and get a feel for how you act and react. Exercise is good for the troubled mind and necessary even for people like us. No need to take it to the highest level, just the most unusual calisthenics ever. I promise. Don't leave me hanging.

Nicolas gave her the 'puppy dog ' eyes...

 

[Harbinger]

Minerva's Mansion

"Fucking A, news travels fast. Yes, okay, reasonable discussions. Wilco. I'm not battle-dressed, I'm not looking for a fight, I just want answers. I just want to talk to Alison."

You have a funny way of showing that.

:: the cold voice of Harbinger is heard. The air seems to shift, drawing everyone's attention to Alison, in full on HARBINGER mode, complete with Time Staff in hand.::

Back away from her Michael. She is an intruder.





You are tresspassing, Black Widow.

I have every right to REMOVE YOU MYSELF, not to mention RETURN to you, the pain you have inflicted upon one of my guards.

But I will give you one last chance. Leave.

NOW!

:: The large garnett jewel in the crown of the time staff begins to glow and hum as Harbinger fixes her colbalt blue eyes on Black Widow.::

 

[Black Widow]

Minerva's mansion

Alison: "you have a funny way of showing that."

"Look, I just showed up. You're the one that put me on the unauthorized list. Talk about a slap in the face."

Alison: "Back away from her Michael. She is an intruder."

"Are you serious with this shit?"

Alison: "You are tresspassing, Black Widow. I have every right to REMOVE YOU MYSELF, not to mention RETURN to you, the pain you have inflicted upon one of my guards. But I will give you one last chance. Leave. NOW!"

"You are SUCH a drama queen. You're not going to attack me. You know why I want to talk to you. Why are you so defensive?"

 

[Ruby]

Melrose Place - Apt. 4

Well...let's start today. Cam and Sharon have been all over you in the Room huh? And you expected me to be the same right? Threat of death and all that?

He looked into her face. Yep, that is what she expected.

WRONG. I do not need for you to learn anything from me today. I want you to exercise and have some fun, such as it can be fun. I want to watch you move and get a feel for how you act and react. Exercise is good for the troubled mind and necessary even for people like us. No need to take it to the highest level, just the most unusual calisthenics ever. I promise. Don't leave me hanging.

Nicolas gave her the 'puppy dog ' eyes...

:: The kettle turned off with a *CLICK*; the water was boiled. But she made no move to head into the kitchen. Nicolas was looking at her with puppy eyes... ::

Uh oh...

:: But she had to be sure. ::

*warily*: "No...COSTUME?"

:: Even though she loved her costume, she had long since associated it with training. Not just ANY training, but SHARON KELLY'S idea of training. And that kind of training was BRUTAL. ::

"I can wear regular work out clothes?"

It WOULD be nice to have some FUN...

 

[Rampage]

*warily*: "No...COSTUME?"

"I can wear regular work out clothes?"

Before I understood the West's fixation on clothing I preferred to do it in the nude personally.

Seeing Cass' face, Nicolas sheepishly threw out his hands.

Look, I have no issues with you wearing whatever you want. Half the team fights in 5 inch heels to THIS VERY DAY. And seem to manage. So change or...don't. But I am on a schedule, shipping mogul and all. So let's pick up the pace Cassandra.

Nicolas clapped his hands good-naturedly and smiled again at the young-looking lady.

I promise I won't bite this time.

 

[Harbinger]

Minerva's Aerie

"Look, I just showed up. You're the one that put me on the unauthorized list. Talk about a slap in the face."

I believe for THAT to have occurred, you would have actually had BE HERE and you haven't been...for SOME TIME now.

"Are you serious with this shit?"

About as serious as YOU were when you were conspiring with Delilah to try to run around Ororo for Alexia.

"You are SUCH a drama queen. You're not going to attack me. You know why I want to talk to you. Why are you so defensive?"

::Alison looked rather pissed at the moment::

Well I'm certainly not going to attack you...unless I have just cause.

:: She sounded suspiciously like she did back in her EARLIEST days of interacting with Haleigh as she drew her time staff close::


Why am I so defensive?

You have the arrogance, the GALL to force your way into MY aerie.


You come here on a FOOL's mission, Haleigh.

You spoke with Delilah and now you think YOU'RE going to do what?...shame me? correct me? FORCE ME to undo what I have done?

You will FAIL. on ALL fronts.

:: she bellows::

I expected BETTER from you. I thought...

:: she lowers her staff as her face noticeably melts from one of hardened contempt to one hurt and resentment::

I BELIEVED we had an understanding of each other...what allowed the two of us to hold this team together when we lost Morgan and Sharon in one night and Shockwave turned into Blackout, betraying us not even two days later.

If that were true, you would not have come here with the intent to confront me over SAVING Delilah's LIFE.

 

[Ruby]

Melrose Place - Apt. 4

"NUDE?! Remind me to not 'fight' with you. Ever."

:: Giggling, Cass headed into her bedroom to change into her work out outfit and sneakers. Cass was excited about this new adventure. She tamed her hair with a brush and then slicked it back into the average ponytail. She was almost ready to go, so she stopped in the bathroom to brush her teeth. She then bounded into the living area with a smile on her face. ::

"Ready when you are."

This is going to be FUN!

:: After her emotional outburst in the privacy of her room last night, and then taking out her emotions on the poor empty wine/beer bottles, she felt as if the weight on her shoulders had grown smaller. It was still there, but she felt as if she could relax and have fun. She knew she had a long way to go, but she felt good about taking the first steps. She felt as if she could breathe again. ::

*curious*: "So what are we going to do first?"

 

[Rampage]

She bounded off and got ready in no time flat. She came back to him, refreshed and ready.

*curious*: "So what are we going to do first?"

First, we will say hello to the Danger Room. Hey!

Nicolas had already teleported them there and was now speaking to the room itself.

Nicolas King, welcome. Admin authorized.

Good morning. Let's try...Jotunheim.

Jotunheim engaged.

The room folded out into an expanse of dark and cold...incredible cold. It had to be no more than zero here. Looking out, she could see several large shapes that had taken notice of them in the moonlight. They were in a field with trees off in the distance.

FROST GIANTS, beings roughly 20 feet tall and powerfully built, began to point and gesture wildly at the pair of them. Something about taking them back to Utgard-Loki and the reward for so comely a wench.There appeared to be 6 of them approaching at a dead run...

Nicolas smiled widely as he brandished his axe. Looking at Cass, he winked.

EASY BREEZY. These are the small ones and they are REALLY slow. Fun right?

Nicolas darkened as runes formed on his face and chest. This caused the giants to stop dead momentarily as he ROARED, jumping forward and burying his axe in the first one's chest.

HAHA!!!

 

[Artemis]

MP Courtyard

:: Alycia had quietly slipped out of Delilah's apartment, careful not to disturb her. They'd have breakfast together a little later. For now She wanted to take the time to do some yoga and exercise in the early morning breeze and so, out by the freshly filled, sparkling pool, Charope stretches her lithe, toned, feminine form on her yoga mat before doing some simple moves. Her feminum bracelets shimmer as she moves gracefully through her first set.::

:: pausing for a few moments to do a breathing routine, Alycia looks up to the morning sky, feeling the breezy air flow over her body and through her raven black hair::

:: Continuing on, some time passes as Alycia pauses between each increasingly difficult set.::

:: When finished, she rewards herself with a cooling, relaxing dip in the pool, doing a few leisurely laps back and forth::

this is no substitute for the waters around Themyscira, but it's not bad.


:: On her last lap, she dipped underwater and swam with such grace before rising up out of the water with perfect form just in time to meet, at the edge of the pool, stooped down and waiting with a soft, plush towel for her...::

CAMERON!

:: Alycia said with a bit of a start as her hazel eyes snapped wide open at the sight of him there, gritting at her like a cheshire cat::

 

[Prophet]

A New Day...

After taking Blaze back to Melrose Place with Nicolas and calming her mind, Cameron bid adieu to his friends and made his way to the Hollyhood Hills to the palatial mansion estate of one Miss Sally Spectra. He had arranged to stay there earlier while on the plane and Sally was happy to oblige, especially after learning that he had all but toppled Tempo Magazine on his way out of the city. He could have crashed on a couch or a guest bedroom at the complex but Cameron was a man that needed his space and privacy. He knew that Nicolas could handle things on the home front, and the only person he really felt comfortable staying with would have been Delilah and he had been MORE than in her business the last few weeks. She deserved some time off.

Cameron spent a few hours with Sally that night drinking wine and talking shop before retiring to one of her guest quarters. The accomodations were nearly on par with his hotel and when he awoke in the morning he felt incredibly refreshed and rejuvenated. Rolling over in the sheets he took a look at the clock, which read 4 A.M. - his normal wake up time. Anybody who was as successful as he was didn't have the luxury of sleeping in. He knew Sally was in the same boat and would be up soon as well. Throwing himself out of the bed he quickly jetted into the shower and took some time to change into his work out attire. One of Cameron's favorite activities while in Los Angeles was to take in a vigorous and beautiful run in the famous Runyon Canyon. The views were incredible and the fresh air would do him good.

He made his way to the kitchen, turned the coffee pot on and began to look through the fridge, before getting out several different types of fruit. He began to chop them up as Sally Spectra herself entered in the kitchen, bright and smiling.

Sally Spectra: Good Morning, Cameron! You really know how to make yourself at home don't you!? I hope some of that is for me?

[Cameron laughed]

"Of course dear...and judging from the sounds I heard in the west wing last night, I think you could probably use as much energy as possible!"

Sally Spectra: Well, my dear...in my entire career and personal life, nobody has ever accused me of being QUIET!

He winked as he poured the two of them a cup of coffee and prepared them a delicious fruit platter. For a little while the two gossiped and laughed much like she had come to visit him at her own little beauty saloon at The Parthenon awhile back, something that he created specifically for her. The two had a very beneficial business relationship and fortunately for them it has translated to a nice and fun friendship. As Cameron cleaned up everything for Sally and poured her another cup, he gave her a warm goodbye before taking himself to the canyon and enjoying a very nice and relaxing run, taking another hour or so to do some light yoga, a staple of his exercise regimen since he had returned to the Six. It had helped him in every way imaginable and he made sure he had time every day to do it. Looking at his clock it was around 8:30 in the morning and he decided to head to Melrose Place to check in on the residents and see if things were smooth.

Once again, he drove down the spiraling roads of the canyon and made his way down Melrose, pulling into the parking lot and entered the courtyard, a bottle of water in his hand. He was still pretty sweaty from his run. Perhaps he could get a swim in. Almost as if he was mind was being read he noticed Alycia doing laps in the pull, and he took more than a moment to admire the full visual beauty of that scene. Smiling for a moment he walked around one edge of the pool to the other and as she began to get out, to which Cameron grabbed her towel from one of the patio chairs and decided to surprise her.

Alycia: CAMERON!

He winked at her as he knelt down, a mischevious smile on his face.

"Well, Good Morning Miss Barnett. I hope you weren't planning on getting out just YET!"

As Alycia cocked her head to the side, Cameron emptied his pockets, placing his wallet and his phone on one of the end tables, took his shoes and socks off and finally his shirt before he grabbed Alycia and jumped into the pool, taking her into the water once more. For a moment he kept his arms wrapped around her as they sunk to the bottom before they both made their way to the surface, wiping the water from their eyes. Incredibly close to one another.

"...because I was thinking of COOLING off...though you in that bathing suit seems to be doing quite the opposite!"

He grabbed one of her hands under the safety of the water.

 

[Persephone]

New York City--the city that never sleeps. It seemed Ava was in good company. Sitting on the roof of The Parthenon with her legs dangling over the edge, the brunette was leaning back on the palm of her hands as she gazed out onto the city skyline. It was beautiful, especially at this time of night. The dark sky not as opaque--almost a slate blue--indicating that dawn was right around the corner. The air was crisp and chilly, about 50 degrees. Substantially warmer than it should have been considering it was December--the perks of being a weather goddess. Ava stared off, almost in a daydream of sorts. Her facial expression was blank but her sapphire eyes expressed much more. She was searching for something....answers? Help? A good drug to knock her out? Her mind was constantly racing with what ifs. Her body felt weighed down by the burden she was carrying.

Sighing, Ava tilted her head back and let it hang for a moment. Rolling it from side to side to stretch her stiff neck, she finally climbing to her feet. She was supposed to have a danger room training session with Haleigh later in the day, but Ava was restless and needed to focus on something in the present. The Pathenon was known for it's state of the art gym and pool. Perhaps a good work out and swim would do the trick. Stepping off the edge of the roof, Ava made her way to the emergency exit and headed down to her suite. After a quick pit stop to change into some black yoga shorts, sports bra, and sneakers, she headed down to the gym for a good couple hour workout.