Birthright

"Wait."

Holly gave Echo an apologetic look, then turned back to Daniel. "I don't know why I didn't tell you. It was just doing my head in, to find out that someone was being paid to follow me because everyone knows I'm a self-destructive mess."

She took a much needed breath, then continued. "He told me as much. Even Theresa thinks I'm messed up. I didn't want you to think of me that way, too.

"But in my defense, all I was doing was taking out the trash. The vampire popped up out of nowhere, and Rhys -- the man from the club -- shot him with a crossbow...thing."

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Asshole. Try to be neutral with a bloodsucker and they pissed on your shoes. Wasn't it clear that Holly would rather not talk about this?

"If it helps, I don't think you're messed up," Echo said slowly. "I think you don't know what to do with your feelings, whatever they are." She darted a look at Daniel, felt the pendant shift against her skin as she shrugged. Or whoever your feelings are for. She didn't want to come off as judgmental, but this guy was not endearing himself to her.

"A lot's happened to you in the last year or so, right? No one can process things if too much falls on them at once. This whole...attack thing was probably almost the last straw."

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He caught the look. Daniel frowned. What the fuck?

Was it was wrong of him to react when finding out his girl had been attacked by one of his kind while taking out the trash, and been rescued by a stalker with a crossbow? Wrong of him to dislike how Holly brought it up like light conversational banter, when the idea of some asshole getting his fangs in her neck set his blood on fire?

As far as he was concerned, the topic was fair game. He wasn't going to pussy-foot around his concerns. Too many people had been doing it.

"Do you have a degree in Psychology or is this all natural talent?" he asked, gesturing at Echo.

Then, back to Holly, "For the record, I don't think you're a mess, either. You've got a pretty fucking level head and balls of steel. I do think you're uncomfortable when people care about you. Unfortunately, as long as you're you, people are going to care about you." He shrugged. "So who paid him?"

Edited on 2013-10-13 05:09 pm (UTC)

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She could sense the conversational terrain getting rocky. Well, rockier. "I should be able to deal with it, though," Holly said to Echo. "I just keep choosing not to."

Holly turned back to Daniel. "My grandmother. My theory is she feels bad enough about my dad, and she's noticed I have this habit of, um -- getting into trouble."

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Now that Daniel had offended her by jumping down her throat when she'd genuinely been trying to avoid awkwardness or conflict, Echo was less concerned with whether or not she offended him back. "You don't have to have a degree in psych to know that sometimes people choose not to deal with things."

She jammed her restless hands into her pockets, focusing her attention on Holly. "Maybe she doesn't want to lose you too. Your grandmother. I wouldn't know how it feels, but you're not supposed to outlive your children." And she really wouldn't know how it felt, ever, because her mutated genes probably meant it would be a bad idea for her to try having kids.

"I think she loves you, and maybe that makes you uncomfortable. She wouldn't hire a bodyguard for you if she didn't care."

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"True. Some people express their affection with cards and flowers. Others," Daniel spread his arm outward. "Hire a creepy bodyguard."

He was no expert on people, but it struck him as a colossally stupid thing to do to a person with trust issues a mile wide. What if there was a misunderstanding and Holly -- or someone who knew her -- got into an altercation with the hired help?

"Let's make a deal," he said to Holly. "Next time I'm feeling expressive, I'll bring over a bottle of Jack, or some black roses."

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"She only cares about herself. Trust me," she said, leaning her elbows against the table. "If she's doing it, it's because she doesn't want the hassle of a dead granddaughter. Or maybe it's her way of lecturing me without having to fly across the Atlantic."

Holly managed a smile over Daniel's last comment. "Actually, I'll accept nothing less than you getting my name tattooed on you. Maybe in one of those super cool flaming hearts.

"Speaking of tattoos." She nodded to Echo. "What's yours?"

Edited on 2013-10-14 03:52 am (UTC)

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There was more Echo wanted to say, but she closed her mouth. She wasn't going to counsel Holly on her...whatever it was she was having with Daniel. Not in front of him, anyway. If Holly was smart, she already knew what her opinion was, and she didn't believe the other brunette was stupid.

"It's a pretty simple one, just the Chinese character for courage," the hybrid said, rolling up her short shirt sleeve to expose her right shoulder. It was a good thing she hadn't chosen her back, because she wasn't about to show her bra off to a vampire. The black tattoo stood out in sharp relief against her winter-pale shoulder.

"If you ever do decide to get some ink done, go to The Starlight Den and tell Judy I recommended her. I thought I'd be nervous, but she was really cool."

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Echo's concern about her bra strap was unwarranted, because as soon as she said 'Chinese character', Daniel was out, attention-wise. Why get something written in a language you didn't even speak? Just write the word 'courage' on yourself and call it good.

But he behaved. Neither of them needed his opinion on the matter. Daniel reached behind himself for a beer he had set on the picnic table. He took a couple of gulps.

Wait.

'Den'

She was a freaking werewolf.

No wonder he didn't like her. He wasn't supposed to.

"Is Judy a wolf, too?" he asked.

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Holly kept her expression neutral, but inwardly she was patting herself on the back for not being the one to blurt out Echo's secret. For once. And it was sort of a relief to hear it spoken aloud.

"Well, you do seem more -- um -- outgoing now, so maybe it worked." The brunette glanced sideways at Daniel.

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"Jesus. Why don't you announce it onstage, Dead Boy."

Well, at least the elephant in the room had been addressed. And it didn't make the Wolf wake up. Maybe Cian's necklace was more than just pretty. It didn't mean Echo liked Daniel any better, though.

"You're with this guy for real?" she asked Holly. "Is he your boyfriend now?"

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So she was what… aghast at his behavior? He thought that was royally amusing. Daniel smiled and gulped his beer. As polite as Echo wanted to play it, she’d been putting off negative vibes since early in the conversation. He had smelled a fluctuation in her body chemistry, though he wouldn’t have put the pieces together if he weren’t part of the talking. “Well, we haven’t made it official yet,” Daniel said, lightly scoffing. “While the pair-bonding started a little while ago, I have yet to piss around the perimeter of her apartment.” He poked his tongue into the corner of his mouth and looked around. Dozens of people, all inebriated, all raising their voices to be heard over the sound check indoors. No. He doubted anybody cared what the trio on the picnic table was talking about.

Edited on 2013-10-17 01:39 am (UTC)

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