“You did, when you asked for my help. This is my help,” Remiel says smugly and well, really, he has no comeback for that.
When no one else responds to that, Remiel points the way and Fraser picks up Lizzie and carries her up the stairs and into a bedroom. Not her own. That would be too weird for this very weird situation. He lays her gently on the bed and strokes her face. She turns towards him and it is too much for all of them to bear. They can’t watch, so as a group they all turn and disperse in their own somber directions.
The door closes and Devon slides down the wall to wait. He watches as Other Liv comes sauntering up the stairs with Delinda in her arms and he is up like a shot. “Give her to me,” Devon states.
“No,” she says, turning away from him. “She is happy with me.”
“She doesn’t know you,” Devon says.
“This is Auntie Liv,” Delinda says, patting Other Liv’s hair. “She is Mama’s sister.”
Devon snorts but then clears his throat. The girl is looking at him, almost daring him to contradict her, and all he can see in her is her mother. It chokes him up.
“Take care of her,” he says shortly and goes back to sitting on the floor outside the door.
“I will,” she says stiffly and takes her into another room, whereby Remiel shortly joins them.
Time ticks away. Devon has no idea how much time has passed. It’s getting late and his stomach is rumbling. The men have come and gone, all waiting to see if anything has changed but it hasn’t. He can hear Other Fraser murmuring to her now and again, but so far, she hasn’t responded. He’s not sure if that pleases him or not.
Eventually, he can’t stand the wait any longer and makes his way to the kitchen. He prepares himself a sandwich and takes a bite into it with a groan.
“Good, huh?” Other Liv asks him.
He fights the urge to bring it back up and just nods at her. “Where is Delinda?” he asks.
“She is with Remiel, sleeping. She’s so confused, the poor kid,” Other Liv replies.
“Yeah it’s all been so fucked up lately,” Devon says and goes back to his sandwich.
“Look,” she starts awkwardly. “I am sorry about what I did. It was messed up. I should never have come here and pursued you and I definitely shouldn’t have taken advantage of you like that.”
Devon regards her while chewing slowly. “I don’t forgive you,” he says and averts his eyes, the pain and humiliation of his rape by this woman still so close by.
“I don’t deserve it,” she says. “But know that I am sorry.”
“Whatever,” he says. “End of conversation, got it?”
“Yeah,” she says, nodding sadly, and takes a step towards the door, only to step back as it flies open and in bursts a very agitated Constantine.
“Is she–” Devon starts but forgets about the rest of his sentence when Constantine grabs hold of Other Liv and slams her up against the refrigerator with a loud thump.
“Jesus,” she snaps at him as he puts pressure on her throat. “What the fuck?”
Devon places his plate on the large, wooden kitchen island and sighs. “What is this?” he asks.
Constantine snarls in her face and says, “I want you to get your charge and get the fuck out of here, now!”
“Wait, I thought you
said this was a good idea?” Devon asks, confused.
“I never said it was good,” Constantine says, letting his fangs drop and his claws sink into Other Liv’s neck. She stifles the cry of pain from his poisonous claws, her eyes flashing angrily. “But it has gone on long enough. Get him and leave.”
“I can’t,” she squeaks as he clamps down even harder. “Mmph!”
“Let her speak, man,” Devon snaps at him.
Constantine growls quietly but lets up a little bit so she can at least talk.