The Síochán Ch. 05

Lucas sighed, rolling his eyes as he stared around the meeting room. Pink! She'd decorated the entire room in shades of pink, with fluffy cushions, chintz curtains, the whole works. He was glad the others were all out on assignment at the moment. Anton and Harlan may have seen the humorous side to finding their meeting room altered but he was sure Marcus and Kincaid would not. His lips twitched in a little smile and for a moment he considered leaving it as it was, then he sighed again and waved his hand, righting the room back to normal.

"I liked the new look," Summer growled aggressively behind him and he took a deep breath before turning around.

"I liked it too but I'm afraid the others wouldn't share our more eclectic tastes," he responded keeping his face totally straight. He knew she was desperate for a fight. She had been pushing him relentlessly for the last three days but he wouldn't give in to her. She was angry, upset about her meeting with Nathaniel and his subsequent rejection of her. He could understand it so he didn't rise to the bait. She needed to work her disappointment out of her system and until she did, he would just have to put up with the disagreeable behaviour.

It was easier dealing with her with the others away. He could relax more, be more understanding of her pain. He hoped she worked out her demons before they returned or things could turn ugly. Nathaniel was right, Summer was Chaos and she was quite literally ricocheting around The Síochán like a speeding bullet, sending them all crashing for cover. He wondered if they would ever be the same again.

"Are you ready to talk about it, Summer?" he asked gently, watching her brows draw down in a black scowl and holding down a weary sigh.

"You think I would trust you to ever open up to you again, Lucas?" she asked incredulously. "After all you've done, all the pain and misery, the lies, the manipulations. I'd rather go through the agony of having Nathaniel reject me a thousand times over than ever trust in you again." Her voice broke slightly, her pain shining through even as she tried to hide it.

"So you're just going to quit?" Lucas asked with an edge to his voice. "You're just going to tumble around here, throwing childish temper tantrums and let him slip away from you? Did I really train you so badly, Summer? Did I really train you to be a quitter?" He knew his words were harsh but he needed to reach her somehow, shake her out of her self pity.

She punched him in the face. It was so unexpected that he fell backwards landing with a thump on the floor, his hand going to his broken nose in reflex. He stroked it lightly feeling it set back in place. He looked up at Summer wondering if one punch would be enough to satisfy her and was surprised to see an expression of remorse on her face.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly casting her eyes down. "I don't know what came over me. I shouldn't have done that."

"No harm done," he sighed softly. "It's healed already."

"I can feel him, Luc," she suddenly whispered, her use of his shortened name surprising him more than her punch had. It wasn't a Síochán standing over him, but the confused, frightened girl who had come to him so very long ago. "He's so angry all of the time."

Lucas rose quietly, reaching out to take her hand and pull her down to one of the sofas. They must have shared blood. He had watched most of their encounter in the Scrying Fountain but had given them privacy when it had become obvious their meeting was taking a more amorous turn. The sharing of blood must have occurred after he stopped watching.

"Why does he hate you so much?" Summer asked. "He really didn't like the thought of us together." Her green eyes bored holes in him and he had to fight to keep his expression neutral.

Lucas stared off into the distance as he let his breath out slowly. "We have a history, Summer, one that doesn't involve you. It is personal and between the two of us. Nathaniel doesn't hate me, not completely anyway. He's angry with me, furiously so, but he could get over it if he really wanted to." He could have told her more, was surprised to find that he actually wanted to tell her more but he wasn't used to sharing his secrets with anyone.

"I wouldn't be holding your breath waiting for it," she remarked caustically. "If anything, I'd say you being my lover has just compounded whatever problem he has with you."

He laughed softly at her tone, rolling his eyes and taking a deep breath. "Not one of my smartest moves," he admitted with a rueful smile. His blue eyes took in her delicate features and he had to concede that despite everything she had been worth it. If Nathaniel never forgave him to his dying day he would live with all that entailed to retain the memory of his brief moment with the beautiful little woman sitting beside him.

He sighed deeply and released her hand. "So, what are you going to do to resolve this impasse with Nathaniel?"

It was Summer's turn to sigh. Punching Lucas seemed to have drained all the anger from her, leaving her feeling ashamed of behaving so childishly. Inflicting pain just because you could was wrong on every level. She knew it and yet she had still hit him because she was frustrated that Nathaniel was being so stubborn. She could either continue to blame the Síochán for everything or she could work out a way to fix things.

"I don't know what to do," she finally answered. "He said he wouldn't welcome me the next time if I came looking for him. And yet, he's so angry inside my head. Sometimes the anger wanes and I feel such longing coming from him and then he masks it again with the anger. He's almost as blinkered toward the Síochán as I am."

She wasn't telling him anything he didn't already know. "He's done a lot of things he's struggling to deal with," Lucas said quietly. "He's been one of us for so long now, been active in most of the more challenging assignments. It's a lot to take in when suddenly you don't have the faith in what you are doing anymore. Nathaniel thinks he's atoning for his past deeds, that travelling aimlessly from one spot to another, living the life almost of a vagabond will somehow redeem him. He couldn't be more wrong but he hates us too much to see that. He needs you, Summer."

She stood up pacing around the room, wringing her hands together because she suddenly felt a need to hit something again. She knew Nathaniel needed her but he was being too stubborn, too obstinate to admit it. Her frustration levels were starting to rise again.

"There's an assignment coming up," Lucas finally said when it became apparent she wasn't going to speak. "A particularly nasty demon who's been making life hell for a coven of witches. He's got it into his head if he takes enough of them he'll be able to breed a hybrid. The thing is he is right. If he does achieve his goal he's going to bring into creation a new species which could have devastating consequences on humanity."

"He's raping them?" Summer gasped, her eyes widening in horror.

"He's seven feet tall and prefers to bed them in full demonic form," he remarked drolly. He left the rest unsaid, seeing her face harden, a deep fury blaze in her eyes.

"What aren't you telling me?" was her next question, and his lips quirk in a little smile as she quickly switched into full Síochán mode.

"You're going to need help with this demon," he smiled. "Unfortunately, the rest of us are busy at the moment. There seems to be a spike in activity. All evil," he added before she could start frowning at him.

"So where is this help supposed to be coming from?" she asked suspiciously, watching him intently.

Lucas smiled widely at her. "Well there is only one other person who has the strength of the Síochán, as well as his own unique skill set."

Summer snorted loudly, her green eyes turning glacial as she glared at him. "You have got to be kidding me, Lucas. Seriously? Tell me you haven't just suggested that I go to Nathaniel and ask him to come on an assignment with me. Have you lost your mind? Has anything I've just said to you not made one blind bit of difference at all?" She couldn't believe she was letting him do this to her again.

Lucas sighed deeply, shaking his head in an almost weary gesture as she prickled at him. "You want a way to get close to him, Summer. You know he won't refuse you, especially if you tell him it's a Mnak Demon. I'm not manipulating you here. I'm showing you a way in with Nathaniel. The more contact you have with him the harder he will find it to push you away. So we come back to the question I asked you earlier. Did I train a quitter? Or are you willing to fight for what you want?"

She stared at him for a long moment and then she looked away. "What if he says no?" she asked so quietly he almost missed the question.

He could hear the slight trace of fear in her voice, knew she was afraid Nathaniel would reject her again. "He won't," he answered gently. "He'll never say no to you, Summer, no matter what he threatens to do when you're together."

She stood quietly for another long moment. "I need time to think about it." She vanished from the room leaving Lucas frowning darkly behind her.

This had to stop. He was getting tired of dancing around Nathaniel's hurt feelings. He was acting like a child, his actions causing untold issues. With another deep sigh Lucas took himself to his Scrying Fountain and searched for the object of his irritation.

_____

Nathaniel tensed, his eyes flashing dangerously as he turned his head slowly to the right as the scent of a Síochán filled his small room. For a moment he thought it was Summer but then he saw who his visitor was and the fury within him built swiftly.

"Lucas!" he hissed furiously, springing from his bed and hurtling towards the tall, blond man standing beside his window. He snarled with rage as he bounced harmlessly off the personal shield the Síochán had erected around his body. He fell to the floor, immediately crouching, coiled tensely to spring again. His fangs had elongated and his hair was wild around his face as his eyes flashed furiously.

"Really, Nathaniel," Lucas sighed softly as he stared down at the man crouched in front of him, with sad eyes. "Did you seriously think I would leave myself undefended when coming here? I know I heal from everything, but I have no wish to suffer the initial pain you can inflict on me. Summer's already taken a punch at my face today. Once is more than enough for me."

The dark haired vampire glared murderously at him, hissing loudly, infuriated that the other man's expression softened and he smiled benignly at him. It had been a thousand years since he had last seen Lucas. A thousand years of imagining how it would feel to break his bones and rip into his flesh. To be thwarted was like another dagger in his back, buried deeply with all the other daggers the Síochán had placed there.

Lucas' words penetrated his fury and he suddenly straightened from his crouch. "I hope she hit you hard," he growled softly, a faint smile tugging at his lips at the thought of Summer punching the other man.

Lucas laughed. "Yes, I trained her well. She can break a nose with one punch."

Nathaniel knew that, had seen her do so against a demon. She was skilled in hand to hand combat as long as she kept focused on what she was doing. He growled again and moved to sit back down on his bed. "What do you want?" he demanded roughly. He didn't want to discuss how well Lucas knew Summer. He didn't ever want to discuss her with the other man.

Lucas frowned slightly and then gave a resigned sigh, moving closer, sitting down beside the vampire. When he had decided to come here he was angry, determined to make Nathaniel see sense no matter how hard he had to be to achieve his goal. He hadn't counted on how he would feel at finally being in his company again after so long. His anger had quickly melted away to be replaced with a deep inner sadness.

"When is this going to end, Nathaniel?" he asked wearily. "When are you going to stop this and come home where you belong?"

Nathaniel turned incredulous eyes on him, disbelief etched on his face. He couldn't believe Lucas was actually asking him to come home. After everything that had happened? "Never, Lucas," he breathed heavily, venom lacing his tone. "I can't believe you have the audacity to come here and ask me that."

The blond man sighed softly turning to survey the room they were in. It really was a depressing room, all dark and dingy, sparsely furnished with mismatched broken pieces of furniture. "I grow weary of this, Nathaniel," he said quietly. "Your place is with us and yet you choose to live here in near squalor. Does this truly soothe your soul? Do you think if you live one step above the gutter that you will somehow find redemption for your past actions? You know you never will so why put yourself through this?"

"Leave! Or I will," Nathaniel ground out hoarsely, his eyes blazing with a renewed fury as he glared at the Síochán . He had no intention of justifying himself to Lucas. He jumped up from the bed, pacing to the door, his hand reaching for the dirty, round doorknob.

"And go where?" Lucas called softly. "Where can you run to this time, Nathaniel? Another hovel? Another empty town full of loathsome creatures you can't abide being a part of? What you want is at home with us. She waits for you. All you have to do is come home and this endless torment will be over."

Nathaniel spun fast, flying across the room at him, crashing into the Síochán and gripping him tightly around the neck. "Don't mention her," he hissed quietly, rage washing over him like a tidal wave. "Don't you dare speak of her, try to use her against me. You took her from me!"

His grip tightened around Lucas' throat and it took a moment to sink in that the Síochán had lowered his shield, that he wasn't fighting back at all. That he was steadily crushing Lucas' neck beneath his hands and he was letting him do so. He should have felt ecstatic as he stared down into the blond man's pain filled face but instead he felt wretched. With another loud hiss he released Lucas and spun away again, moving to stand at the window with his back to the other man.

Lucas waited for his throat to heal from the crushed bones Nathaniel had inflicted. It didn't take long, it never did when it came to Síochán healing. He could sense the confusion roiling from the vampire's mind. Confusion because he had finally had what he'd longed for and he didn't feel the satisfaction he'd expected to feel. He could have told Nathaniel he would feel this way but the vampire would never have believed him.

"Summer needs you, Nathaniel," he said quietly watching the other man stiffen at the sound of her name on his lips. "She's confused and angry by your rejection. You need her just as much as she needs you. Why do you punish her for the Síochán's actions?"

"You took her from me," Nathaniel whispered hoarsely. "I had her in my hands. I came back for her but you'd already been there. Who was it, Lucas? You? Kincaid? One of the others? Which one of you took her life and don't give me that rubbish about some unknown lodger. Which one of you killed her so you could keep the balance?"

"Nathaniel, we didn't kill Summer," Lucas said urgently. "We didn't stop her death but we weren't responsible for it. Her father's lodger really was the guilty party. We merely brought her into our lives. From a certain point of view you could even say we did save her."

"You find a way to justify everything, don't you, Lucas?" Nathaniel whispered, his voice weary, his shoulders slumping slightly almost in defeat. "I could have saved her if you'd come to me then, told me what was about to happen. I could have taken her away that night and none of this would ever have happened." His tone held a note of accusation, a deep throbbing vein of disappointment within it.

"You say I can only be happy if I come home, Lucas? That's a lie and you know it. I could have been happy if you had only come to me that night. But it didn't fit the Síochán's plans did it?"

Lucas rose quietly coming to stand behind the dark haired vampire. He was glad Nathaniel was turned away from him, that he couldn't see the pain his words had caused. "Everything happens for a reason," he sighed softly. "You may not see that reason at first but it usually becomes clear in time." He reached out tentatively and placed a hand gently on the vampire's shoulder. He expected him to shrug it off but apart from stiffening slightly he allowed the hand to remain.

"The Síochán need Summer, Nathaniel. You assume everything is about you, that we do these things to punish you for leaving us. You are so lost in your own self loathing that you've become insular, paranoid to the point of insanity. All of us need Summer, but you are all she needs, all she desires. Help her so she can do what needs to be done."

Nathaniel took a deep breath, his thoughts in chaos. Lucas sounded genuine. As if he was trying to secretly tell him something which was of great importance. Part of him wanted to trust in the other man so badly but he had trusted in him too much before and look where that had gotten him. He wanted to tell Lucas to leave but they were talking about Summer here, his beautiful, feisty little Summer.

"What does she need to do, Lucas?" he asked turning around slowly to stand face to face with him.

The expression on Lucas' face sent a chill through Nathaniel. He had seen many an expression cross the other man's face before but he had never seen him look afraid. Nothing ever frightened Lucas and yet something did now. "What have you gotten her mixed up in?" Nathaniel growled. "Why her?" His second question came out on a tortured groan as he felt himself wavering, felt himself getting sucked back into the life he had left so long ago.

The blond man moved away from him, turning his back to mask his expression. He had known this meeting would be hard, that Nathaniel's pain and sense of betrayal would run deep. He just hadn't realised how hard he would find it to deal with.

"You know there are things I can't tell you," he breathed softly. "I want to but I just can't. You've never really understood that, Nathaniel. You've always looked to me as if I have all the answers, all the power. I suppose in some ways that is understandable given the nature of our relationship but it does not mean it is right."

The vampire snorted in contempt, a harsh ragged sound. "We don't have a relationship, Lucas," he ground out through clenched teeth. "You gave that up millennia ago when you chose the path you chose and dragged me into it with you."

The Síochán sighed deeply and turned around to look at him. There really was no point going over ground they had travelled a million times before. Nathaniel would not forgive so it was pointless. Instead he continued with his goal for being there. "Summer's going up against a Mnak demon," he said quietly. "She's going to need some help and she's going to ask you for that help, Nathaniel." He studiously ignored the other man's deep growl. "Refuse her and some witches are going to die. She won't be able to save them all and she'll blame herself. If Summer starts doubting herself....you have no idea what the consequences of that will be."

Nathaniel hissed, stalking away from the window and pacing over to the door again. He wanted to open it and start running, as far away from Lucas as he could. "Less of this cryptic nonsense," he finally growled. "Tell me straight what is going on. Why is she so important? What have you got planned for her in your warped little mind, Lucas?"

The Síochán turned around and regarded him intently for a long moment, a pensive expression on his face. Then he sighed softly. "I've told you all I can. You have a choice. Nurse your wounds or save Summer. Your decision will make the difference." He vanished from the room an instant later.