As Felix drove over to the new house, Ariana sat in the front seat and stared out the window. Conner had sent her a message asking to meet him there. She watched the city lights go by blink, by blink through the car window. It was hypnotizing, bringing her to a memory that she thought she had thrown away. Ariana quickly closed off the flash of white and gold. Turning to Felix he had a smile on his face, which she returned. Ariana was ready to be happy, for the first time in many years. They pulled up in the drive way and looked for Conner’s car.

Conner's car was parked in the single drive. The car was off and there was no occupants. It could be assumed that Conner and Cheyenne were inside the House.

Getting out of the car, she looked at Felix so he could read her lips. "Please, come inside." She smiled and walked to the door as he followed behind. Ariana paused a moment to make sure her excitement was contained. She smiled, it had not shined as such in many years. She opened the door and stepped into the foyer.

As the door opens and Ariana walks into the house she finds the temperature in the house a bit cool but can hear a sound off in the distance. It is a sound of running water.

As she walked in, she wondered why water was running. "Hello?" She said in a louder speaking voice. "Mister Greyson?" Walking into the house further, Felix was standing by the door.

As Ariana moves into the house she can clearly tell that the sound of water is coming from a bathroom down the hall. As she gets closer she can identify the sound is a shower running.

Other than pictures she saw previously, Ariana had no idea where she was going. Scanning around the house she found the hallway. She walked in the direction to where the sound was coming from. "Mister Greyson?" She called again. Heaven forbid she did something completely classless. She wanted to knock, she clearly knew what door the bathroom was by running water. Maybe she should walk back to the kitchen. Ariana turned back down the hall.

As she walks away from the door with the running water a door could be heard opening and closing from behind her, "Good Evening Madam Donovan." Conner says. The water is still running and Ariana, now that she has turned her back from the door, is unable to discern which door the Mekhet entered from.

It quickly occurred to her that it was amazing this predicament never happened at Conner's house. Ariana was not sure if she should turn around. Normally, she would turn to greet him, yet, this was not normal. Maybe it was Cheyenne in the shower or perhaps he was rinsing something. She did not want to risk turning around quite yet. "Good evening to you, Mister Greyson." There was a twinge of nerves in her voice. She did not turn around.

"Madam Donovan, you can turn around." Conner said finding the whole situation rather entertaining, although not showing it on his face.

Ariana turned around. How ridiculous she must look to Conner. "I apologize, I did not know what to expect." If she could blush again, her entire face may have been crimson. She suddenly wanted to be invisible, and she could not really hide it this time. "May I ask why the shower is running?"

As Ariana turns around she sees Conner in a long sleeved black shirt and a pair of black cargo pants. The shirt had slashes though it and parts of the fabric looked darker. His face has a gash in it that looks like, were he not dead, would be bleeding like faucet. "Because I was about to get in it." Conner said turning back to the bathroom, going in and turning the shower off.

"Oh." Ariana said. "I am sorry for the intrusion. I thought you wanted me to meet you here tonight." When she stayed at Conner's everything was so routine. It was obvious that he was also unprepared for her arrival. "Maybe I am early." She walked a pace or two backwards. "I should probably come back a little later..." Her voice trailed off as she started to turn. Ariana was not nervous like this. Maybe it was the moments up until this point that caused such a reaction, or something else.

"Madam Donovan, please calm yourself." Conner says. "You are on time, I was hoping to clean up before your arrival and misjudged my timing." Conner says and turns back to head toward his bedroom. Conner opens the bedroom door and makes his way into his inner sanctum.

Ariana calmed down rather quickly. As he walked into his bedroom she was not sure what to do. She was puzzled that he walked away so suddenly. She only went to the basement at the other haven when she asked or when he wanted company. Never once setting foot in his actual room. She opted not to follow him.

Conner returns from his room and walks out toward the main room. "Apologies, Madam Donovan." Conner said having put on a black button down shirt with the sleeves rolled up to mid forearm. He was barefoot and dressed what could be called casually. The wound on his face was healed. He must have called on the Vitae in his system to heal the wound.

Ariana smiled when he returned. "There is no need, Mister Greyson." Seeing that he had changed his shirt and pants. His face was no longer marred. She glanced around the house that was foreign to her. "So this is what I saw in the portfolios. I like what I see so far." Still her eyes were darting around.

"That pleases me." Conner says and gestures out his hand. "Would you like to look through the rest of the house," Conner asks "Only the Inner Havens and a couple of the other rooms are furnished." Cheyenne enters through the garage door with two members of Conner's herd in tow.

"Yes, I would like that very much." Ariana glanced at Cheyenne and smiled. She follows his lead. "I guess we have a little work to do then." Ariana turned to look at Felix and gave him a nod and he quickly left.

"We may have to wait for Mister O'Connor for a few of these decisions. Is he here?" The realization of a few things was beginning to surface, but she kept it at bay.

Conner takes the lead and begins walking through the house, showing her each room and the amenities of the house. "No Mister O'Connor is not at the house, he has not moved in yet." Conner says as they continue through the house finishing with Ariana's room. "To end our tour, your room." The door is closed and locked.

As she walked with him through the house, a smile was on her face. Although there was still a worried thought in her head. When they got to her room, she pulled her keys out from her purse and unlocked the door. She was in awe of how beautiful it was. "The picture did not do it justice. It is wonderful and a bit elegant." It seemed that a bit more time was spent making everything just right. She looked to the window and then moved to look at the back of the door. Ariana looked to Conner's eyes. "There is only one lock for this door?" Her curiosity implied more than just a question.

"There is the Handle, the deadbolt and the chain." Conner said not entering the inner sanctum of the Ventrue. "The curtains are blackout curtains as well the curtains on the canopy bed." Conner explained. "The windows can only be opened from the inside and you have your own bathroom. You need not worry, you will be safe here Ari... Madam Donovan."

"What was that?"

"Nothing"

"You slipped"

"I did nothing of the sort, now be quiet."

"Whatever fucker..."

Conner stops his inner argument and says, "It does please me that you like this."

As she walked over to the bathroom and Ariana spoke. "You may come in Mister Greyson." In the other haven, she knew that Conner had everything secured since he had lived there for a while. She looked inside the bathroom and saw there was no windows. "It is quite beautiful." She walked over to the window and pushed the curtain aside and started to check the lock. This was a new house after all.

Conner steps into the room and sits in a chair by a small writing desk. "I promise you it is secure." Conner says thinking very much about what he has done to make sure she is safe.

"You gonna tell her."

"No I am not."

"You really should you know."

"Yes I am aware, but tonight is not the right time."

"Chicken Shit"

"The house is ready to be moved into, there are two guest rooms so if Felix needs to stay here for some reason there is a room available." Conner says.

Ariana thought about the boxes she had asked Louie to send. She had looked to Conner and the desk he sat in, which would be lovely to work at home. Home. She did not think she would be able to use that word again. Despite Conner having welcomed her at his haven, she still always felt like a guest.

"I am not sure if it such a good idea having Felix stay here. I could ask him, but I do not want to put him in danger." She quickly changed the subject, not wanting to think back to New York, but it was obvious. "I only have a few boxes that will be arriving at the Bee. My only other items are at your other house. I did not know if someone would be here during daylight. Will Cheyenne be staying here?" She did not stay at the other place.'

"I did not mean permanently." Conner says in regards to Felix. "No Cheyenne will not be staying here. She does have a key to the front door and she will be tending to the day to day affairs of the house such as bills and such." Conner explains. "I will have Cheyenne get your things." Conner says and stands. "Well if you will excuse me Madam Donovan, I need to take that shower." Conner said and, with a bow of his head exits the room. Leaving only one thing in his wake. A small box on the writing table.

“Yes, of course Mister Greyson.” Ariana said to him with a smile as he left. She set her purse down on the desk and started to walk around the room. She went to the closet which had a single door and opened it. It was a walk-in closet. Ariana giggled slightly, it was made to be well organized with drawers and shelves built in. I will never fill this, she thought smiling. She left the closet and shut the door then walked over to the bathroom, this time to fully look at it.

The decorum fully matched the purple in Ariana’s bedroom. The rich colors played off each other well. Once again, there was more storage than she would ever need. She had learned to live simply in the last seven years. The few lavish things she owned, usually gifts from Louie, were destroyed.

Ariana went back into the bedroom and stared at the bed for a moment. She went to it and began to run her fingers over the mixture of velvet and satin that adorned the canopy bed. She smiled again and picked up one of the pillows admiring the pattern. Sitting on the bench at the end of the bed, Ariana mused over the desk. She pondered possibly needing an office chair instead. She noticed a small box next to her purse she did not realize was there when she had set it down. She smirked as she picked it up, maybe it was a welcoming gift from Conner, or knowing him a key to something else. Her eyes full of wonder and curiosity opened the box. A beautiful and immaculate emerald cut, purple sapphire ring was inside. She saw hell.

Ariana’s body began to tremble. Like fine crystal suddenly breaking and crumbling into powder, so did her happiness. Her hand went to her face where once a deep gash covered a broken cheekbone from such a ring. Was it a replica intended to mess with her? Was this Bainsworth’s ring? Angry and scared she threw the ring in the box, not realizing it went down the hall and bounced off the wall outside the bathroom. She wanted to run, but what good would it do. Either of them would find her. She stumbled and fell to the floor as vermilion clarets ran down her cheeks. Ariana curled into a ball as the droplets fell onto her knees. She was ready to meet the sun. She would not go through the nightmare again.

Conner entered the bathroom and removed his shirt. Conner looked into the mirror to see his smokey blurred mass that was his vampiric reflection. "he he he"

"What?" Conner says talking to his reflection

"You'll find out..." Grey says.

A furious knocking came upon the door. Conner opens it and sees Cheyenne standing there. Conner looks to her and then turns quickly to head toward the bedrooms. Conner comes into the room to see Ariana curled into a ball. "Madam Donovan..." Conner squats down and reaches out to touch her and says softly trying to get her to respond, "Madam Donovan, what is wrong?" Conner said still with no response.

"Grey what did you do."

"Something you wouldn't"

"God Damn it."

"Its gonna take more then just a few words to get her out of this..."

Conner sits down and scoots close to her and wraps his arms around her. "Ariana ... come back to me..." Conner said.

Ariana's beast within was violent, and terrified. Her thoughts raged through her body, her control in opposition of the circumstances. She would never be safe. Maybe Ariana left one monster only to be stuck with another. Conner's efforts were working, luring her in one step at a time. The vacant part he could not read when he was in her mind, was all he needed for a reason. Maybe the false sense of security he had created was to make her ending fear so powerful, that her death would be that much sweeter.

Ariana did not move. She felt his arms around her and heard his voice. So unlike him she thought. Moments ago, she would have wished for this. Now it made her skin crawl. She turned her head to look at Conner. Her eyes cold and vacant while the crimson streaks stained her face. When Ariana opened her mouth to speak, her fangs protruded from the anger within. Her voice low and icy as she spoke, "No more games. Please, just end my requiem." Ariana's head lay on her knees.

"What happened?" Conner asked looking into her eyes. Conner's tone was back to being normal for him, his cold absent voice. But he pulled her closer to his bare chest, pushing vitae out to blush his cold skin to make warm it, his heart began to beat in his chest. Conner took his hand and wiped the blood tears from her cheek. "Tell me what did this to you?"

"What did you do to her Grey?"

"If you would have told her I wouldn't have had to do this..."

Conner does not respond to his personal Tyler Durden, shifting his focus back to Ariana...

She wanted to resist his efforts. His heartbeat was bittersweet. Ariana was still frightened but did not resist anymore, she wanted it to end. "Why was a ring like Lord Bainsworth's in my room?"

Her body was like a rag doll as Conner pulled her closer. "Is this some kind of twisted joke? Do you not think I was tortured enough that you need to do it to? I cannot bare this any longer." Ariana paused for a moment yet seemed to keep involuntarily rambling. "To think I was almost fall..." She managed to catch her words.

"Grey left it in here without my knowledge." Conner explained not releasing Ariana from his grasp. Conner's voice is calm and honest. He hoped he was doing this right, his courses in humanity that Cheyenne was putting him through was hopefully benefiting Ariana.

Conner paused for a moment before saying the following, "I am sorry you need to find out this way. Bainsworth has met his final death..." what seemed a requiem's length pause hung out in there air while waiting for a response from Ariana.

"I thought you wanted me dead. I thought it was some cruel start to my end." Ariana's voice was beginning to slowly turn warm again. Relief began to work its way through her body. She let her hands do what instincts do as they slid around Conner's torso.

Her mind still processing everything until settling on his last words. "He is gone?" Which actually meant am I free? "But when? It must have been after he sent the message sending me to Sacramento. How do you know he met his final death?" Normally, she would have asked these questions by looking him in the eyes, yet she did not want to let go.

Conner's face was emotionless and cold but inside he was very surprised at the shift in her tone of voice and reaction. Part of him was just a touch bit jealous at how she could so quickly go from one emotion to another. Conner looked down to Ariana, "Do you remember a old Russian Nosferatu named Rurik?"

Skimming through her memories, she attempted to put a face with the name. There were many elder Kindred that she saw in passing or go into meeting rooms in New York Court with Bainsworth. Looking up slightly, her head was still on Conner's chest, she answered. "The name is vaguely familiar. I cannot put a face to it though."

"He is my Mentor. Like a father to me. He and his family took me in after my blood hunt. But we had become friends before that. He and his people killed Bainsworth approximately a week before you received your letter telling you to come to Sacramento." Conner explained looking down at the woman to meet her red blood tear stained eyes.

Ariana's face was confused for several reasons as she looked up at Conner. "Why did they have him killed?" She paused if still trying to piece together the puzzled. "Then who sent me the letter? Was it Rurik?"

"Two reasons, one the former Judex was partially responsible for the banishment of the Nosferatu, and two, because I asked him too." Conner said honestly. He then thought for a few moments before responding to the second question. "Who sent you the letter... *Beat* I did." Conner said with no inflection or variation of his tone. But Ariana knew Conner better then just about anyone and she could tell he was not lying. Not this time.

Tilting her head down to piece together what he just said, Ariana’s eyes rested on a scar on his arm that he had from his mortal life. She wanted to touch it, but did not want him to pull away. Conner killed her sire, then lead her to Sacramento. Upon her arrival there was such tension from him, such hatred, only to find out it was miscommunication. Still she wanted to know why. In all reality, Ariana may have been more shocked if this had been explained to her in a different manner. Conner had a drastically different way of approaching things.

She pulled her head off his chest, her face close to his as she looked in his eyes. Conner’s arms were still around her. With a soft voice Ariana asked, “Why did you write the letter to send me to Sacramento when you thought I betrayed you?” Her confusion aired through her voice. “And why did you ask to have Lord Bainsworth killed?”

"Bainsworth met his final death for three reasons. One being his responsible for my Blood Hunt. Two being his part that was played in the exile of the Nosferatu to the underground. The Third reason." Conner paused for a moment unsure as to what to tell her, or, more accurately how to tell her.

"Just Nut up..."

Conner got a scowl on his face at the words of his inner shadow. The scowl only lasted a moment before saying, "The third reason for his Final Death was the abuse he perpetrated against you." Conner stated.

"Wha....why?" Ariana murmured. "Why would you do that for me?" The first two reasons were legitimate in her mind. The last, was confusing, considering he thought she betrayed her for a long time.

"My fractured personality is known to you." Conner said pushing his way against a wall to make her more comfortable. "Despite my incorrect belief that you betrayed me, I still found what he was doing to you reprehensible. I gave him the same treatment I would give, and have given to others like him." Conner paused for a few moments, seemingly lost in his own thoughts and memories," A person who cannot be whole unless they are abusing others, does not deserve the life, or requiem, they are given." Conner said.

It was at that moment, she knew he truly cared for her. As his warmed body comforted her, Ariana knew she was completely safe, and it was because of him. There was no monster to worry about, no more Bainsworth looming in the back of her mind. No need to double check every lock a dozen times before she slept, or looking over her shoulder every step of the way. Conner's voice may have been the same tone as always, and his expressions nearly the same as usual, but she knew. This time it was not Grey explaining anything, it was Conner. As she looked at him, her eyes began to close and she moved her face closer to his. Her lips parted and drew closer to his. She stopped and softly whispered. "Thank you."

Conner's face remained blank through the silence. As Ariana moved in to him he knew what she was doing. He knew he should reciprocate, he knew that she wanted him to kiss her. Part of him, somewhere deep inside, wanted to kiss her in return. So he did. His lips pressed against hers. He felt her lips, soft and supple, press against his. And somewhere, deep down inside, something stirred.

Her eyes fluttered open for a moment, Ariana was not expecting it at all. His lips were warm against her chilled mouth. She wondered what Conner really felt as their lips continued to entwine. Her arms drew around him and she pulled closer, relishing the warmth she felt. Nearly wanting to cry again, she drew on her Lordly blood to maintain control. Conner did not need any further confusing emotions from her. Yet, a slight smile crept upon her lips while they kissed.

Conner waited until she stopped the kiss and then looks at her, directly in her eyes, not afraid of the abilities of the Lordess. "Are you okay?" Conner asked.

Looking back in his eyes, Ariana replied. "Yes Con...Mister Greyson." She was actually a little lost on what to call him now. She continued, "I am more than okay. I am happy. I have you to thank for that." So much changed in over a years time. In their first meeting, she would have never believed how right he was that first night.

"I am pleased that you are happy Ariana." Conner said and made a move to stand up. "I am unsure as what else to say. Do you have any questions? We have gone through a lot in a small amount of time." Conner looked to Ariana, wondering if calling her by her first name would cause a problem.

"No Conner, no more questions tonight." She was pleased to call him by his first name without guilt. "You are right." Ariana looked at his bare chest and laughed just a touch. "And I have kept you from a shower for far longer than anticipated." She moved away from him and added. "When you are done, would you show me anything we did not cover? Such as the back yard, or perhaps the garage?" She smiled.

"We do have a good sized back yard and the garages are both nice." Conner said walking out of the bedroom and turning to look into it and look to her. "Thank you Ariana." Conner says with a interesting look in his eyes.

Ariana smiled and said "I would like to look around when you are done." She had gotten up to walk her own bathroom when she saw Conner stop. She looked at him and tried to decipher the look in his eyes, she had not seen one as such from him. Puzzled she still smiled sweetly. "Thank you for what, Conner?"

"Just thank you." And with that the Mekhet Priscus turns and walks out of the portal and from her sight.