110- Under the Influence

Cole walked out of his bedroom, a metal tray in hand.

"How is she?" Tau questioned as he closed the door.

"She's going to be just fine. The sigil came out clean and even without examining it, I can tell it did its job," he said, making his way into the kitchen. "I wasn't certain if you wanted her to know that Uru dropped off the ritual items from the magister, but once she's ready, I'm going to fill her in on what that freak was up to."

"Good. I want her to know that his death was necessary. She carries the guilt regardless of my assurances."

"You needn't worry. She'll come around. Just going to take a bit of time," he replied setting the tray onto the counter.

"I only wish I knew how much. I don't like seeing her like this. She shouldn't know the weight of this burden. It was never supposed to be hers to carry."

"You say that as if it be a burden to you, but since when that be the case?"

"It isn't. But she is different. Her heart is, big and open," Tau remarked as he stared at the bedroom door. "She is so afraid of harming others that she hurts herself and insists on doing everything alone. I wanted to be in there with her. Even if it was difficult to see, I wanted to be at her side."

"I know, but there be a reason she asked you stay out and we both appreciate you respecting her wishes," he replied as he washed his hands and the sigil infused piece of cadaver skin. "That bastard certainly managed to do some damage. It's a good thing you stopped him when you did. Whacorum be good against one or two rituals, but the third tends to be too much. This one wasn't going to be able to hold out much longer. And then she'd be in an entirely different situation."

"What was he trying to do to her?" Tau asked, his eyes never leaving the door to the bedroom.

"Can't say I know what his original plan be, but the mess Uru brought, that was an attempt to bind their magic together. Essentially, he was trying to turn her into a battery. He'd not only be able to tell every time she used her magic, but he would have been able to siphon it away; parade it around as if it were his own. Masquerade as a magus, while destroying her bit by bit."

"Did he succeed?"

"No, but he was close. And it didn't look like he was going to be giving up regardless of how many attempts it took. It's better for everyone that he's dead," he remarked, noticing the greenish hew of the sigil; a subtle remnant of something familiar. "I think he realized that she was more than she appear. The MET may not consider 'death' to be a real form of magic, but it doesn't change that it exists, even if they can't understand it. Something connected to her eye, has made its way into this sigil." Sealing the sigil in a bag, he placed it into his freezer. "You remember where that liquor store was?"

"Yes."

"Good. Do us a favor, go get us another bottle of that wine, or two."

"I'd rather be here for her."

"I know, but I promise, you be back before she's ready to come out. Not to mention, she's probably going to appreciate having another bottle to drink with dinner," he said as he returned to his sink.

While he filled the basin with hot water, Tau put on his shoes and left the apartment.

"He's gone. You can come out now," he spoke loud enough for her to hear.

Opening the door, Quayleigh poked her head out. Her face was flush and sweaty, her hair disheveled.

"You want an icepack?" he asked as she stepped uneasily out of the bedroom wearing one of Cole's oversized t-shirts.

"Yes, please," she muttered, awkwardly moving towards the kitchen.

Drying his hands, he grabbed a clean dishtowel from a drawer and retrieved a small flexible icepack from the freezer.

"How long is this going to last?" she questioned as he wrapped the icepack in the towel.

Moving over to her, he grabbed her hand, and set the wrapped icepack into it.

"You talking about the pain or the drug?"

"Both!" she yelped as he leaned down and swept her up into his arms.

"This isn't necessary," she complained, despite turning into him and grabbing on.

"Yes, it is," he told her while carrying her back into his bedroom.

He could feel her tremble and tighten her hold on him as he knelt onto the side of the bed.

"Cher, you need to let go," he said, lowering her to the mattress. Reaching up he pried her arms from his shoulders, crossing them over her chest as he sat down at her side. "Now stay put. Lay here, ice, and wait."

"You're the one who picked me up in the first place! You are so bloody frustrating!"

"And you be acting like a child," he responded, grabbing the icepack back from her and holding it out of reach. "You made your decisions all on your own. Now apologize."

"I'm sorry," she practically squealed as she reached for the icepack. "I'm sorry. It's whatever the hell that was that you gave me! Being that close… your smell, it's wormed its way in… I can barely stand being in the same room with you!"

His heart twitched as she abruptly clapped her hand over her mouth, her cheeks turning red. He knew what the drug was doing to her, but found it adorable how flustered she had become, having most of her inhibitions stripped away.

"I know this be rough, but it won't last much longer."

"Yeah," she replied as she squirmed, trying to hide her face. "I just, I feel like I'm on fire."

"Ice," he said, handing the pack back to her, "And wait."

"It's so easy for you to say," she grumbled, quickly setting the icepack between her legs. "You're not the one that feels like crawling out of your own skin."

"No one's stopping you," he replied, the sleeve of his shirt being grabbed as he turned to leave.

"Thank you," she whispered, her hand slipping from his sleeve as she laid back against his pillow. "Thank you for giving him something to do. I know he doesn't understand why I needed him to stay away, but I…"

"I figure we could all use a good drink after this," he cut her off, having a good inclination of what she was about to confess, and preferring not to hear it. "Once you start feeling more like yourself, grab a shower. I'll have dinner on the table by the time you finished."

"Dinner? What time is it?"

"Almost six. You've had a long day."

"And yet it feels the shortest. Hell, half of it doesn't even seem real."

"Good. It's better that way," he stated as he looked down at her.

She seemed so small, drowning in the fabric of his shirt, her hair cascading across the black background of his bedsheets, making her pale complexion far more apparent.

Standing up, he reached over, grabbed the bed sheet and pulled it across, covering her legs, as he said, "He was just a monster wearing the guise of a man. He was trying to capture you, and he would have destroyed you to get what he wanted."

He watched as she rolled onto her side and pulled the sheet up, tucking it under her chin, a sad smile stretching up to her ear.

"There is nothing more coveted by monsters and devils then a rose of blue," she recited the familiar line as she turned to look at him, wiping away the tears that seeped from her eyes. "Tell me, will you turn out to a be a monster to?"

He knew the lines well, after all, he had been the one to give her the book in the first place, but he couldn't bring himself to play along, knowing where the conversation would head if he did.

"Nah cher, I've always been a monster, just not the type that wants to hurt you. You rest now. I need to finish cleaning up."

He hated walking away and leaving her alone, but he knew how easily this drug could mess with the mind and emotions and being alone truly was the best thing for her.

Cole had finished cleaning his tools and had gotten dinner started when Tau returned, carrying two bottles of wine.

"How is she?" he asked before the door had even closed.

"She's doing better, but she still needs a bit of time. So, why don't you come help me with dinner?"

"I'd prefer to know why she doesn't want me to be with her."

"As hard as this is to understand, her not wanting you around is proof of how much she loves you."

"That makes no sense," Tau replied, walking into the kitchen, and setting the bottles onto the counter.

"It has to do with the drug I used to remove the sigil. Sometimes, more often than not, it can be problematic. And in some instances, it can make a person do things that are more harmful than they seem. She's handling it fairly well, and thankfully it doesn't last that long. In her case, it's getting close to wearing off, and once it does, she's going to grab a shower and then she'll come out and join us. I'd like to have dinner ready by then."

"I still don't completely understand, but if my presence makes it more difficult for her to handle the effects of this drug, I will remain patient."

"And I be happy to provide you with a distraction," Cole remarked, feeling relieved that Tau wasn't going to argue with him or ask any further questions.

Quayleigh had been pretty adamant over wanting to explain everything to him when they had more time, and Cole knew that she was the type to want to speak to him alone in a place where she felt more comfortable, given the intimate nature of the details.

"Just tell me what to do," Tau replied.

Setting a knife next to the cutting board on the counter, Cole picked up a tomato and held it out towards Tau.

"Slice and dice, mon amie. We have a sauce to make."

Before they knew it, a hearty tomato sauce was bubbling away and the pasta was cooked to perfection, drained and buttered. Tau had set the table and Cole had popped the cork on the second bottle of wine, when Quayleigh, showered and dressed, emerged from Cole's bedroom, icepack in hand.

"Dinner's just about ready, cher. Just put that next to the sink and I'll take care of it later."

"Okay," she replied, setting it down on the counter as she walked by.

"How are you feeling?" Tau questioned as he stood from the table and moved to her.

"A bit sore, but otherwise, back to normal. Thank you for keeping your distance. That would have been torturous to have had you in there with us," she spoke softly, her hands caressing his cheeks as he stared silently into her eyes.

From where Cole stood, they were an unusual sight to behold; beautiful from one side and tragic from the other. He couldn't deny the way they cared for each other, but as much as she loved him, he knew that she couldn't hold on to him forever.

Filling the wine glasses, Cole set the bottle down on the table, and headed back into the kitchen.

"You aren't heavy anymore," Tau said taking her into his arms, and snuggling her until she managed to squirm free.

"That's enough!" She giggled; her delight filled laughter echoing throughout the apartment.

Turning off the stove, Cole carried the pot of sauce over to the table.

"Alright you two, that be enough of the mushy stuff. Unless you want me joining in on the fun, come sit down and eat up. Everything else can wait until after."

"I can hardly wait; it smells amazing in here," Quayleigh said as she and Tau found their way to the table and sat down.

"I can't take all the credit either. Tau be an excellent assistant," Cole remarked as they filled their plates.

"Well, I do enjoy cutting things," Tau remarked with a grin. "I seem to have quite the talent for it."