Day turned slowly to night, and still Lauren and Valerian slept. While they slept, their bodies healed of the wounds they had suffered at Josef and Serena's hands, but it would take more than a single day to heal those wounds that could not be seen. And yet, tonight, there was more hope than had been there the night before. And so, Lauren and Valerian slept, wrapped up on the other's embrace, until the cool kiss of evening chased away the heat of the day.

Indeed, Lauren rarely slept so long, or so deeply. As a creature of both night and day, she seemed to survive on two naps of three to four hours in twenty-four, yet she had slept from first light to the gentle kiss of dusk, wrapped in the arms of a man who had saved her. Not from any physical threat, but from the danger of blaming herself too much for what she had done to end such a threat. That, in a way, was far more profound than any knight in shining armor scenario she could care to name. As she stirred, her pale eyes blinked open, aware of Val's cool form wrapped about her own. She gently disentangled herself, not wanting to wake him, and rolled onto her back, stilling when she realized there was someone else in the room. Her eyes focused on Adelia, wary uncertainty lighting up her face.

"Good evening?" she ventured, not entirely sure why the other woman was still there.

The woman could have been bronze statue for as little as she moved, unblinking in the night, merely watching as silent as a guardian angel, ever present but unseen. Valerian stirred lightly beside Lauren, not yet ready to waken and unaware of their visitor.

"We need to talk," Adelia told her in a soft voice. They hadn't shared so many words since that first night when Lauren had walked into the club asking about Valerian.

Lauren held her gaze for a long moment, and slowly, she nodded. "Let me get dressed and meet you in the other room," she suggested softly, not wanting to disturb Val when he was still sleeping. The night before had taken a great deal out of him, after all.

Adelia seemed to accept this and moved to her feet, as graceful as she was dangerous, and disappeared from the room, almost as if she'd never been there at all. If they hadn't been what they were, they might have talked over a pot of coffee or some tea and biscuits, but Adelia had clearly already fed, and feeding Lauren wasn't her responsibility.

Left to her own devices for a brief moment, Lauren rolled over to kiss Val's cheek softly, tucking him warm beneath the covers as she slipped from his side. A minute or so later, she slipped from the bedroom altogether, wearing her jeans from the night before and one of his shirts, knotted at the waist. Rubbing a hand through her hair, she eyed Adelia warily. "I meant what I said last night," she said quietly. "Thank you."

Adelia was seated on the couch, looking as beautiful and dangerous as a panther. Why had she and Valerian never become lovers" Why was she so steadfastly devoted to him' What was it that kept them together, besides the obvious connection of sire and childe" These were all questions which had yet to be answered, and in part, why the woman was there. She shrugged one shoulder at Lauren's words of gratitude. "You do not have to thank me for that which I do of my own free will."

"I don't have to, but I do," Lauren answered easily, moving to curl up in one of the chairs, unconsciously making herself smaller. Making herself less of a threat, though she knew her mere presence was enough to put most vampires on edge. A old acquaintance had once told her that he'd known when she walked into a room by the way his teeth started to itch. "I know you didn't do it for me, or even for him. But that doesn't mean you don't have my gratitude for saving his life."

"Of that you are mistaken. Everything I do, I do for him. He is who made me what I am. He is my master and my father and my friend. I owe him a debt I can never repay. I owe him my life," she explained without really explaining, since all of that Lauren likely knew already.

"He would never call himself your master," Lauren said quietly, but she didn't argue with the rest. "I do not understand the bond you share, and why should I" It's yours, your link to him and his to you. I am not ....I wasn't created, in the sense that vampires are created. I knew my father, but there was no bond with him."

"And yet, you have a bond with Valerian that I can never hope to have," Adelia countered, just a hint of sadness in her eyes. She was content with her place in Valerian's life, but she often wondered if he understood her devotion and the depth of feeling she had for him. It wasn't romantic love, no, but it was love nonetheless. There was simply no other word for it. "You should know that he loves you. He just hasn't realized it yet. When he does, it will scare him, and you will have to be strong."

Lauren did not know what to say. It was not often that she was rendered speechless, but she truly didn't know what she could say that would not strike Adelia as pointless or condescending. "I love him," she said finally, simply. "I haven't told him as much, only that I will love him. He seems afraid to let me. Yet he doesn't fear your love. I must admit, I am a little envious of the comfort in your relationship."

Thankfully, Adelia did not laugh or even snort in derision at Lauren's remark. "You have known him a handful of days. I have known him for years, and yet, you are the one he holds in his arms and kisses goodnight. Do not get me wrong. I do not want to change places with you, and I am not jealous. I know my place in his life, and I accept it, but it is I who should be envying you, not the other way around."

"But if it was you he held in his arms, Adelia, you would know for certain that it was you he wanted and loved, and not what you represent," Lauren pointed out gently. She didn't want to sound self-pitying, but Adelia deserved to know that, even with a bond in place, there were still doubts and fears. "There is nothing to say that you will not find that bond with another. Our lives are long. There is always time."

"Perhaps, but this is not about me. It is about you and still you do not understand. Do you know why he was so quick to volunteer himself as bait' Do you know how he felt when he realized Josef had gone after you? How terrified he was for your safety' He abandoned the others in pursuit of Josef because of you. And I abandoned them because of him. His love for you makes him reckless. I do not tell you this to discourage you or to frighten you, but only so that you understand the depth of his love. He would die for you, Lauren, and that frightens me."

Again, Lauren was silent, allowing the words to sink in, giving Adelia the opportunity to remember that she was talking to someone who had almost a hundred years on her before she grew too fervent in her speech. "You saw what was left of Josef," she said finally, her voice dull with reluctance at having to mention it at all. "His death was my doing. Nick was a part of it, but I drove it. I will never allow Valerian to die for me, Adelia. If he truly loves me, then he will learn that the better course is to survive for me. I think, between us, you and I can teach him which course is the wisest. Don't you?"

For once in her life, it was Adelia who fell silent. She turned her head so as not to meet the other's eyes, afraid she'd betray her own feelings. She knew she was no match for Lauren, but it wasn't Valerian's heart she longed to possess, so much as his friendship. "I fear I have done all I can do. He belongs to you now," she said quietly, almost defeatedly.

"He doesn't belong to anyone but himself," Lauren told her firmly. "Adelia ....you're still young in our world. Hell, I'm young in our world. We move through the world at whim, we find our own purpose, but nothing breaks the bonds we make with one another. No one can ever be for him what you are; there will always be a link between you, and the day you walk away from him without true cause will be the day I drag you back by your hair." Her expression was not forgiving as she looked at the other woman. "I am no threat to you. I am just another face entering your world. Nothing will change between you and your sire. But I won't walk away just because you're feeling sidelined and upset about it. If you sulk about some slight that doesn't exist, then of course you will find yourself ostracized. You may be young, but you are not a child. Kindly do not behave like one."

Dark brows knit at something she said, though she could not see his face as he held her in his arms. He felt her lips graze his throat and stifled a shudder of desire, those parts of his body he had no control over reacting to her closeness, despite his confusion over her words. "Josef deserved his fate, Lauren. I would have done no less," he assured her quietly, his voice vibrating inside his chest. Though she had mentioned leaving, he was not ready to let her go just yet.

"You would have given him more dignity," she countered, raising her head to share her smile with him. "I don't think I'll ever forgive myself for what I did, and what I got Nick to do with me. But I'm not the sort to hold onto such things and wear them like a badge. I'll live."

"I would have done what I needed to do, and that is what you must remember. You survived, and because of you and Nick, Anabelle and Willow and Alessandra are safe, and that is all that is important." He sighed a moment, as if he was growing weary again. "You have lived longer than I. I do not need to tell you these things."

"But maybe I need to hear them," she said softly, stroking her hands against his back, frowning as he sighed. She didn't want to make him weary of her company. "When were you born, Val?" she asked curiously, tilting her head as she looked up at him.

It wasn't her he felt weary of - quite the opposite, in fact. It was death and destruction he was weary of, having seen a little too much of it in his lifetime, though not as much as some, he supposed. He certainly wasn't the eldest of their kind, by any means. "When was I born?" he echoed, brows arched upwards as he met her gaze. Not made, but born. She was asking of his origins, before he'd become what he was.

"I was born, I wasn't made," she reminded him with a soft smile. "You can't say that I've lived longer than you have unless you were born after me. You've met Aly, you know that dhampir develop the way humans do. It will be years before she is truly living her life for herself, as we do."

He considered her statement a moment, before replying. He hadn't really thought much about their ages before, assuming she was his elder, though it was possible he was wrong. Nearly everyone around him seemed to be his elder, except for those made after him. Though he was no child, he was young for a vampire at just short of 140 years. "I was born in 1844," he replied, though he didn't give her an exact date, nor any other details of his birth.

Lauren blinked, startled to hear the year of her own birth as the answer to her query. Her smile deepened as she held his gaze. "You weren't born on February 29th, were you?" she asked impishly. "Because I was. February 29th, 1844. The day I was born."

"January 4th," he replied, realizing he was actually older than her, but not by much. "Where were you born?" he asked, curious now as to the differences and similarities in their personal histories.

She laughed, genuinely delighted to learn that they had this in common with one another. How often did she meet someone in their disparate world who was even born in the same decade as she was, much less the same year" "I was ....well, I don't know where I was born, but I was raised in Staten Island. I've been a New York girl all my life, no matter where I go."

He untangled himself from her arms and took hold of her hands to draw her over to the couch while she answered his question. If they were going to compare histories, they might as well do it sitting down. "I've been all over, but I was born in London. Whenever I go back there, it always feels like home."

"You know, I've never been to London," Lauren admitted, thumping down onto the couch beside him. "I've been to England - I spent a while in York, and in Leeds, but I never went to the capital. Weird, huh?"

"Yes, well ....It's much different now than it was then." Since the war, he thought with a frown. "Julian and Anabelle have a home there. We could visit them there sometime, if you like," he suggested, thinking Lauren and Anabelle might make good friends.

Her face lit up in a warm smile. "I'd like that," she nodded in agreement. "And it would be a good opportunity for Adelia, too ....for her to run the club, and your businesses, without you here to guide her or get in the way."

A single dark brow ticked upwards as their conversation circled back around to the mention of Adelia again. "Perhaps you're right," he mused aloud. It had been a long time since he'd gone anywhere without his shadow. He knew she'd likely make a fuss - she always did - insisting on accompanying him, whether he needed her or not. "She won't like it, if I leave her behind."

"No, she probably won't like it, but you shouldn't put it to her as though she's being left behind," Lauren pointed out, her smile a little lopsided as she offered this suggestion. "You should make it more about giving her more responsibility, putting her in charge of your investments and trusting her to do what?s right in your absence. You wouldn't be gone forever, and it would be good for her to realize that she can handle things on her own."

"I know she can," Valerian agreed, furrowing his brows as he started to wonder just what the two women closest to him in all the world had talked about while he was sleeping. "What was it she wanted?" he asked curiously.

"To talk to me," Lauren said simply, not betraying Adelia's confidence, even for Valerian. "Girl talk, love. The sacred sharing between women that no man has ever been invited to take part in." Her tone was comical as she spoke, teasing him with her smile and the sparkle in her eyes, even as she protected his childe from any chance of dissonance with him over the words that had been spoken while he slept.

"We aren't lovers, you know. We have never been lovers," he said, needing her to understand that. He wasn't feeling defensive exactly, but if they were going to be together - whatever that meant - there were things she needed to know.

"I know that, Val," she assured him softly. "She didn't come to try and frighten me away. But I think she's afraid ....Afraid that, with me in your life, you won't have time for her any longer. You have been together since she was turned. She doesn't know who she is without you, Val. That isn't good."

Valerian turned quiet for a long moment, fingers of one hand picking at some invisible spot on his pristine black leather couch. "You do know it is Addie who's kept me alive more often than not, not the other way around," he said quietly. In truth, the score was fairly even, each of them helping to keep the other alive, but he thought maybe he understood what Lauren was trying to get at. "I have never held her back, Lauren. She is free to live her own life however she so chooses. I have told her that time and again."

"You'll always be close to one another," she said softly, "in a way I'll never understand, and to be fair, I don't need to understand it in order to respect it. But I think, maybe, she's starting to realize that she should learn about who she is, and what she wants from this life. She's just afraid to take that first step."

"I see," he said quietly, with a heavy heart. Was this what it felt like for a parent to at long last let their beloved child go' "Well ....I suppose I should talk to her then, see what it is she wishes to do," he mused aloud, unsure what to think. He felt torn, understanding Adelia's need for a life of her own and a future, and yet, worrying if he let her go, he might never see her again. "I was a young vampire when I met her," he said, remembering.

Her fingers stroked against his cheek as she eased closer to him. "There's no rush to it," she told him softly. "If you were to talk to her about this so soon after I showed up on the scene, she would assume you're trying to get rid of her. Let her talk to you about it. Okay?"

"Maybe," he replied, grudgingly. Were they rushing things" Maybe a little, but he didn't care. Even if they had all of eternity to learn each other and love and enjoy each other's company, it wouldn't be too soon for him. He had gone long enough without. A small smirk touched his lips as he realized something he thought may have missed Lauren's attention. "Tell you a secret?" he asked, dark eyes bright with amusement, just like they were the first time she'd met him.

His smirk made her own smile light up her face, the playful side of her nature always easy to draw out with a little application. She raised a brow above her smile, drumming her fingers against his chest. "If it's that, underneath this robe, you're totally shaved, I already know," she teased him fondly.

He laughed, a happy sound that bubbled up from somewhere deep inside him, glad the mood around them had lightened. It had been a difficult few days for them both. What they both deserved was to have a little fun, but that had very little to do with what he wanted to tell her. "Hardly. It's not really my secret to share, but perhaps it will put your mind at ease. You see, Adelia prefers other women." He just dropped that out there and waited for her reaction.

His laugh brought hers out, but his news only made her grin widen impishly. "Oh," she nodded, the last concern about Adelia's attachment to him wiped clean. "Maybe we should set her up with Freya, then." Sparkling green eyes fluttered up at him with sweet mischief.

He smiled back at her, amusement growing at the sight of mischief in her eyes. "Perhaps we should," he agreed, though he wasn't sure if that would prove a good pairing or not. The two women were both so alpha, they might eat each other alive. Then again, what better match for a strong woman than one just like her" "But for now, I need to feed and you need to fetch some clothes so that you can stay a few days because whether you like it or not, I'm not letting you out of my sight for at least a week," he teased, tapping her nose with a finger.

She giggled, kissing the finger that tapped at her nose. "Yeah, about that ..." she drawled in amusement. "You know you still haven't told me how to get out of here, right' I know how to get in, but once I'm in, I'm here for the long haul, babe."

"What would you say if I gave you your own passcard and codes so you can come and go as you please?" he countered, smiling down at her as she giggled. She certainly wasn't a prisoner there, but neither was she really a guest.

"You probably wouldn't be able to get rid of me," she warned him. No, she might not be ready to officially move in with him, but there was little doubt that she would be spending a lot of time here over the coming days and weeks.

"Hmm, how sad for me," he said, with that sarcastic smirk on his face again. Her warning obviously didn't scare him in the least. "So, what shall we do?" he asked, with not only the whole night ahead of them, but their whole lives, however long they might be. "The club is closed for a few days for repairs. I have all night."

"Mmm, however will we fill the time?" she laughed teasingly, brushing the tip of her nose to his. Tempting though it was to simply fall back into bed with him, she had a practical side that was screaming for attention. "You're going to feed," she told him. "And then you're going to come to my place while I pack up a few things. After that ....you get to decide."

"You need to eat, too, Lauren," he reminded her, though she was fortunate enough to not require blood as soon as she awoke from sleep. "We should probably check in on Tobias, and I've a small matter of business to tend to." And then there was Julian and Anabelle, who were looking to return home to England sometime soon. He couldn't let them leave without saying goodbye. "I'll tend to business while you pack," he suggested, as his business would only require a brief phone call.

Lauren chuckled softly, rolling her eyes. "All right," she conceded. "I'll go and do my thing, and be back here in less than an hour, how does that sound?" After all, she only lived in the Village, less than a five minute walk from where they were right now.

"Are you sure you don't want me to come along?" he asked, brows arching upwards. Though it seemed an innocent enough question, what he was really asking was whether she felt safe enough to travel the short distance alone. Even if the immediate threat from Josef and Serena had been dealt with, he knew the previous night's events had left her shaken. "I don't mind," he insisted.

"I'd prefer you to come," she admitted a little reluctantly. "But you have business to deal with, like you said. I shouldn't get in the way of that." She'd thought she'd been asking him to come with her before, but he'd seemed to veto the idea. Now he was asking her if he should come along ....she could see that communication was going to be a challenge until they got used to one another.

He chuckled. "It's just a phone call, love. I can make it while you pack. But before we do that, I need to feed and get dressed," he said, his gaze drifting to take in what she was wearing. "God, is that my shirt' It looks far better on you than it does on me. You can keep it."

She glanced down at herself as he absorbed her choice of clothing for the night. "Well, it didn't smell like you wore it very often, that's why I chose this one," she admitted with a wry smile. "I like it, it's soft and comfortable."

"Mmm, now she dislikes my smell," he murmured, teasing. "Well, feel free to keep it. I don't know whatever possessed me to buy it," he said, touching a kiss to the tip of her nose, his lips decidedly cold and in need of the warm up a little blood would give them. He reluctantly unwound himself from her arms so that he could get a pack of blood from the fridge and warm it up, like someone else might warm their morning coffee. "The best part of waking up ..." he quipped with a grin as he got the stuff heating.

"Maybe you bought it so your hordes of admirers who stayed only one night would stop leaving with your better shirts?" Lauren suggested playfully, hopping up to sit on the counter as she watched him. She could subsist on blood herself, but she liked to eat human food, too. It was going to take a while to get used to being in a relationship where a shared meal wasn't a possibility.

"Hordes of admirers!" he echoed, laughing. "Hardly, darling. I haven't had a woman to bed in years. It's good to know it doesn't show. Do I seem rusty to you?" he teased, dark eyes dancing with mischief, while he waited for the microwave to beep.

"Well, nothing creaked or fell off," she countered laughingly, flicking her hair back over her shoulder. "Why, did I seem out of practice to you?" The innocent look was entirely too innocent to be anything but a tease.

"Mmm, you might need a bit of a refresher, but I think we can bring you up to snuff soon enough," he teased back, eyes bright with amusement, before turning to retrieve the blood pack from the microwave and jabbing it with a straw to take a sip. "Ah, that's better. I feel almost human already."

"Oh, I don't use snuff," Lauren shrugged. "I'd rather swallow than inhale." She winked at him, but her attempt at being sultry failed as she dissolved into giggles at the sight of him drinking his blood like it was Capri Sun. "Oh, man ....Really not doing your creature of the night image any favors there!"

"Hmm, I'll keep that in mind," he replied, before taking another sip of his breakfast. "What creature of the night image is that' Would you prefer I wear a black cape and talk with a lisp?" he teased back, waggling his brows, before starting back toward the bedroom with his imitation Capri Sun in hand.

"I guess that depends on how convincing a Nosferatu you can be," she chuckled, slipping down off the counter to follow him to the bedroom. All she needed to do was put her boots on, and she'd be ready to go. "I thought the lisp was Igor, anyway."

"I could also be arrested," he countered, though that was unlikely. Even if someone did call the police, he'd have very little trouble in getting away. In a place where few believed in such things as vampires, it was unlikely anyone would ever suspect, even if he flaunted it in public. Even those who visited the nightclub on a regular basis didn't know its secrets, but for those few who were allowed admittance to the back room. And then, they were sworn to secrecy on threat of death, which was rarely if ever necessary. It was something of a symbiotic relationship with some of them, though Valerian had never allowed such a thing to occur, except where Adelia was concerned.

"No, you wouldn't," Lauren insisted. "Reason being, I heal like you do. So people would only think we were the most graphically awesome street show ever, and they'd probably give us money." She grinned at him, still bouncing on her toes. "I may have a little too much energy right now."

"Hmm, you're high on love, darling. As wonderful as it feels, it won't fill your belly," he teased, poking at her stomach with a single finger, as the elevator doors swished closed behind them and they started to make their way downwards. "I never would have pegged you for an exhibitionist," he teased further, a smirk on his face. While it might be fun to misbehave in public, pretending to be a vampire for an unsuspecting public wasn't quite what he had in mind. Then again, it wasn't pretend.

"There is a reason Toby calls me a pain in his ass, you know," she warned cheerfully, catching his finger to swing his hand back and forth between them. "He never knows when I'm going to show up, and even when he's told me not to do something, sometimes I just go ahead and do it. I am a force of nature!"

"Is that a promise or a warning?" he asked, undisturbed by the idea of her doing something outrageous in public or otherwise. He had long ago decided that if he couldn't have fun in this new life of his, there wasn't much point in living. So long as she wasn't too reckless, though who was he to talk" "I believe you said something about a ....motorbike earlier?" he asked, though it had been a few days since she'd mentioned it.

"A bit of both," she said cheerfully, not at all bothered herself by the idea of drawing attention to herself in public. As soon as he mentioned her bike, however, she seemed to fizz excitedly. "Yeah, my Suzuki! I love my Hayabusa ....Toby thinks I drive like a crazy person."

"God bless you," he said, still smirking, though she hadn't sneezed. "Perhaps you can help me pick something out," he said, thinking they might as well get his and hers. He wasn't going to be seen riding behind her like a girl. "Toby thinks anyone who drives a motorcar is a crazy person. I think he'd happily go back to the horse and carriage."

She stuck her tongue out at him. "You're probably right about him," she agreed, still merrily cheerful. It would take a lot more than one tease to dull her mood. "He prefers to run rather than ride anything. Have you ever ridden a bike" You should try mine, she purrs like a kitten!"

"Not one with a motor, no," he replied, as the elevator at last reached the parking garage. And it had been a very, very long time since he'd ridden one without a motor. "What about skydiving" I've been considering it, but I'm not sure I can find anyone who will chance it at night." Because skydiving during the day - even a cloudy day - was definitely out of the question.

"I've never tried skydiving, but it sounds like fun," was her reply. "There's gotta be someone out there who'd run it at night - human soldiers parachute at night, and skydiving isn't that different, is it?"

"No, I suppose not, but one thing at a time," he said, content for now just to be with her. They had plenty of time for adventure in the days and years ahead of them, or so he hoped. He reached for her hand, linking his fingers to hers as he led her from the elevator to a door that led out onto the street.

"Yes, clean underwear is the pressing issue right now," she nodded, her smile all kinds of mischievous as he took her hand and led her outside into the gathering darkness of the night ahead.

It was a beautiful night, a perfect night, really. A warm breeze was blowing hinting at the summer to come, the stars glimmering in the night sky, dimmed by the city lights. "Do you know the first time I came to New York, it was the lights that struck me most, shining like a beacon in the night," he mused aloud.

"It is a beautiful city," Lauren murmured, falling into step with him even as she unconsciously took charge of their route. She knew where they were going, after all. "I've watched it grow up over the years, but I can honestly say it's changed the most in the last fifty years or so. But New Yorkers are still New Yorkers, the way they were when I was small."

He tucked her hand inside the crook of his arm, even as he let her lead the way, like two lovers out for an evening stroll. "And you never left?" he asked, curiously, though he assumed she had been other places than this.

"Oh, I have," she nodded. "I spent twenty years in Japan after 1945. I've traveled across Europe. I volunteered as a nurse for the Red Cross during the world wars, and that took me to Africa." She smiled. "But no matter where I go, New York is home."

"London is home, but I really miss Paris. Not Paris the way it is now, but before the war. The second one, you know?" As if one world war wasn't enough. The world seemed to have stopped to catch its breath and found itself going straight into another. "That was where I met Addie. In Paris. She wanted to be a showgirl in those days. You could be almost anyone you wanted to be in Paris, so long as you had money, and that was the one thing she lacked."

"I only saw Paris after the war," Lauren said softly. "It was very broken." She hugged his arm, smiling as he opened up to her about Adelia. "Did you run a nightclub and employ her there?" she asked curiously.

"So was London," he said, his thoughts far away for a moment, as his memory momentarily traveled back in time. Blinking out of those thoughts, he looked to her with a smile. "That obvious, is it' Yes, she was the most beautiful creature I'd ever seen, and she could sing. Good lord, could she sing. Everyone came to the club to see her. Those were the days of the so-called Lost Generation, you know. They all wanted to see her, but few wanted to befriend her."

"Maybe you should buy new premises, and do it up like the Parisian nightclubs you and Adelia remember," she suggested gently. "She could run it. She could sing again."

He smiled a little sadly. "A lovely idea, but I'm afraid it won't work. There's no reinventing or reliving the past, and Adelia won't sing. I've tried, believe me, but she flatly refuses. She doesn't want to be in the limelight anymore. She doesn't want the attention. The deepest wounds are those you can't see, Lauren, and sometimes those wounds never heal, no matter how hard you try," he told her. "That's probably more than I should say. It's not really my story to tell." And yet, in a way, it was, as his and Adelia's lives had been linked for nearly a hundred years.

Lauren's smile faded as she took this in. It didn't take a genius to make a good guess at the why that was lurking behind his words. "Oh, I see," she said quietly. "No wonder she stays so close to you, then. She's still trying to be invisible."

"Ironic, isn't it' For a woman who once held all of Paris in the palm of her hand to have so rejected it. She felt betrayed after that, I think. Betrayed by society, betrayed by those she'd come to trust, betrayed by the city itself, in a way. We went into hiding after that. London wasn't safe. None of Europe was safe. It was Tobias who gave us safe refuge. We spent most of the war in Albany, working quietly behind the scenes, until the war was over," Valerian explained, feeling a little drained by the memory of those days. "After that, we went back to England, and I couldn't believe the devastation. And they call us monsters."

Even her bedroom was small and cozy but at the same time seemed almost airy and spacious. There were books piled a little haphazardly in a corner bookshelf, and the bed was flanked by large windows with views of the building's surroundings, negating the need for artwork to clutter the walls. The walls were painted a cool shade of gray-green, which gave the whole space a feeling of spring freshness. It wasn't luxurious by any means, but it was comfortable and safe and warm and seemed altogether to suit her needs and her tastes. "I like it," he told her, giving her as honest an opinion as he could. "It suits you."

She smiled, already undoing her borrowed shirt as she opened up drawers in her bedroom in search of clean clothing. "I know it's not exactly luxurious, and it's far from as secure as your place is," she assured him. "But for one person, living alone ....it suited me pretty well for a long time. Of course, if you're sure about me moving in with you, there will be redecorating happening."

"Redecorating?" he echoed, lifting his brows. "What's wrong with my decorating?" he asked, a little defensively. Or perhaps he should ask what was wrong with the designer's decorating who'd decorated the place before he'd moved in.

"There's nothing wrong with it," she told him, belatedly turning a light on for the benefit of neighbors who might be curious about her spending her time in the dark. "It's just ....a home should reflect the people who call it that. At the moment, I'm not there. I'm not saying I'm going to overhaul the whole place. But would a little more color really offend you that much?" She threw him a teasing smile, her soiled clothing finding a home in the laundry basket as she wandered around the bedroom, utterly comfortable in her skin.

Distracted by the view as she discarded her clothing, he had to backtrack a bit before realizing what she'd just said. He moved over to the windows to draw the shades, not wanting to share the view with the neighbors - it was a view that belonged to him now, and he didn't want to share it with anyone. He didn't have to worry about such things on the top floor of his building, as there were no neighbors to peek in his windows but the occasional bird. "Would you prefer if I'd added some Victorian touches?" he asked, only partly teasing. He liked the fact that he was a modern man with a modern dwelling, but perhaps it could use a little warmth.

Lauren snorted with laughter, dragging a brush ruthlessly through her hair before starting to dress once again. "Dare I ask what sort of Victorian touches you were thinking of adding" Because chintz really doesn't do it for me."

"I am asking you," he said, obviously a little frustrated by her question and by the thought that his living quarters were not up to her standards. He had not considered this when he'd asked her to move in with him, but he supposed there was some compromise involved there. "The piano is staying," he told her bluntly, leaving no room for argument. There were a few things he wasn't willing to compromise on, and that was one of them.

"Of course the piano is staying," she said, rolling her eyes at the thought of getting rid of such a beautiful instrument. "So is the library. I can set up a desk with my computer in the kitchen easily enough." Pulling on a top and skirt, she turned to face him. "Don't get so defensive. I'm not proposing to change anything without talking to you about it first. But are you really going to argue with me about closet space and rugs?"

He frowned a little sheepishly back at her, realizing he was being a little ridiculous. "Sorry, I've been alone a long time," he said, offering that up as an excuse. It had been a long time since he'd shared living space, and even then, there had usually been more of it. "I know it's a bit ....stark," he admitted. "The truth is I'm not there very much. I spend most of my time at the club." He shrugged, as though he had no further explanation. The fact was it was a little too lonely at the penthouse, without someone to share it with.

She smiled gently, moving toward him. "Think about this for a moment," she suggested, teasing her fingertips against his jaw. "You said you liked this place. I decorated this place; it's a reflection of me. Would having some of these elements in your home be so awful?"

"No, of course not," he replied, her touch soothing his wounded pride a little, if that was what it was that was going on - he wasn't too sure. Maybe it was just the way she'd said it - redecorating, like there was something wrong with the way it was decorated already - but in the end, it didn't really matter. "I'm sorry, Lauren. I think I've just been alone too long," he said with a frown, as he realized just how long it had been. Too long.

"Which is why I'm not officially moving in yet," she assured him, brushing the tip of her nose against his affectionately. "We need time to get used to each other before we're living on top of each other. Okay?" A last kiss to his lips, and she was slipping away to throw a few things into a bag, not needing much in the way of stuff to make staying over at the penthouse more comfortable.

He pouted, looking a little like a boy who hadn't gotten his way. As anxious as he was for her to move in with him, to share his living space, to wake up to her each evening, he knew she was right. They had only just met, after all. Things were moving too fast. "Will you stay with me later?" he asked, hoping she'd at least agree to that. He didn't want to be alone just yet, and he had a feeling neither did she.

"You don't think I'm just packing a bag to drape my clothing all over your home, do you?" she countered with a gentle tease, zipping said bag closed to lift it onto her shoulder. "Of course I'm staying with you for now. I don't think I can handle being away from you for a while yet."

He couldn't help but chuckle at that. "Well, that would be one way of claiming my space as yours," he teased her, his sense of humor returning. "Are you hungry?" he asked, looping an arm around her waist to draw her close. He'd already fed, but he wasn't sure when she'd last eaten. That was going to be another challenge between them - the fact that she preferred food, and he did not.

"Hmm ....I should probably eat something," she conceded, leaning into him as he wrapped his arm about her. "I can survive on blood, but I actually kind of enjoy food from time to time." Her eyes met his, almost reluctant to admit to feeling a little hungry. "I don't have to eat, though."

"No, you should eat," he told her, touching a kiss to her forehead. "Is there anywhere you'd like to stop on the way to Toby's?" he asked. He didn't pay much attention to restaurants and diners, since he didn't partake of their fare, but he thought she might know of someplace. And he still had to make a phone call, but it might have to wait until later.

Lauren hugged him affectionately, resting her cheek on his shoulder for a long moment. "I'll grab a hot dog on the way back to drop this off at yours," she told him. They'd have to go back to the penthouse anyway; his car was there.

"I hear those are not very healthy," he told her, teasing a little, but brooking no argument. He didn't have to make food choices anymore, and though he might not admit it openly, enjoying a good meal was one of the things that he missed. "Shall we?" he asked, reaching for her bag so he could carry it for her.

"Thank you," she smiled as he took her bag, knowing it was deceptively heavy. Her wash bag was stuffed with all the essentials, after all. "I only need something to take the edge off, love. A hot dog can do that easily enough. I'm not going to suddenly balloon from one hot dog."

Even if he was only a man, the weight was nothing to him, though he couldn't help teasing her a little about it. "What have you got in here" Gold bricks?" he asked, dark eyes dancing with mischief. "I don't mind watching you eat, you know. It's almost like vampire porn. Watching someone do something you can't anymore, something you wish you could." Was he teasing her now or just being honest' It was hard to tell with him sometimes.