Kelsey Horn: When Kelsey gets home last night she'll go straight into the woods screaming about "That bastard, that fucking bastard." and probably punching into some trees.

Aerin Thomas: Oooh, shit. Yeah, he would have followed behind in Lupus, keeping watch out of concern, but keeping his distance.

Kelsey Horn: She'd keep that up for a while probably bruising and cutting up her hands before finally sinking to her knees still facing the tree and sobbing quietly with her head hung.

Kelsey Horn: And hands still on the tree. ((And we're going to be leaving soonish, cousin in Chicago, leaving today so we're going to be meeting up with her.))

Aerin Thomas: He'll just come up to her and nuzzle her, then sit there with her.

Kelsey Horn: *She turns and wraps her arms around him, sobbing into his fur for a while before turning her head offering the broken explaination.* He..he kissed me. He was drunk but he kissed me. And then he...I tried to stop but I still love him...and he kept going...and, oh Gaia, Aerin...he said "I love you, too, Brice." To me! After he... *Her hands start squeezing tighter as she talks and finally she lets go and punches the tree again.*

Aerin Thomas: He whines a little bit and pushes his way between her and the tree, watching her with sad green eyes. ~WS~ "No one said he was bright. I'm sorry."

Kelsey Horn: This is beyond stupid...this is just plain cruel. I swear if I see him again I'll rip off his fucking face! *Warring between rage and a hurt that runs through to the core.*

Aerin Thomas: ~WS~ "No, you won't." He says it calmy, and lowers his head, pushing forward to nudge her back into a full sitting position. ~WS~ "Rose. Bloom and Thorns. This is love. It soothes. It hurts. It saves. It damns."

Kelsey Horn: *She shifts back onto her butt and lowers her head, wiping at her cheeks. She never did like to cry in front of anyone else. Though it doesn't stop fresh tears from forming.* I hate him.

Aerin Thomas: ~WS~ "You love him." He moves next to her side and sits on his haunches, looking around a moment. ~WS~ "The line is very thin."

Kelsey Horn: *She shakes her head looking away from him.* How could he? How could he do this to me if he loves her? He knew I would have just backed off. I fucking asked him what he wanted the last time he talked and he said he wanted to go back to before he whored around. How the hell does that translate to he loves her???

Kelsey Horn: And what does that make me? *She curls a bit, feeling very dirty and used, suddenly.*

Aerin Thomas: ~WS~ "That makes you a person in love." He looks over and nuzzles her. ~WS~ "And that makes him...possibly very emotionally confused."

Kelsey Horn: *She wraps her arms around him again and cries quietly into his fur, not saying anything to that.*

Aerin Thomas: He leans into her a little bit, making a soft rumbling sound but otherwise just quiet for a long while. There for her.

Kelsey Horn: *After a long bit of silence she murmurs into his back.* Fat lot of goof it does me if he loves her. *This one far weaker than most of her other exclamations.*

Aerin Thomas: ~WS~ "It does," he says calmly, watching her with a slight tilt of his head. ~WS~ "It gives you strength."

Kelsey Horn: *She lifts her head and looks down at him.* How can it give me strength to love someone who will never love me?

Aerin Thomas: ~WS~ "Because it gives you something to fight for."

Kelsey Horn: *She sinks a bit and sighs, letting go of him and brushing her cheeks.* But she's going to have his child.

Aerin Thomas: ~WS~ "I meant in a broader scope, Kelsey."

Kelsey Horn: *She looks down at her legs, then back at him, confused.*

Aerin Thomas: He considers a moment, expressive green eyes locked on the Fenrir's form with speculation deep in them. ~WS~ "What do you most want desire when it comes to Andy?"

Kelsey Horn: *She looks down and pull her knees up to rest her cheek on them with a sigh. Not answering right away.* I don't know.

Aerin Thomas: He pauses and then melts back into Homid. "You paused there, Kels. What was the first thing that came to your mind?" he waits for her answer as he gets more comfortable.

Kelsey Horn: *She sighs* The first time he took me to a skate park.

Aerin Thomas: He smiles a bit. "What about it?"

Kelsey Horn: We were both so happy. *A tear trickles down her cheek.* Or at least it seemed like it to me. I guess I was wrong though.

Aerin Thomas: "What makes you think he wasn't really?"

Kelsey Horn: Because later he said he couldn't remember ever being happy.

Aerin Thomas: He sighs a little bit. "And when did he say that?"

Kelsey Horn: *She bites her lip a bit* Before he met Brice I think. *Her voice wavering a little.*

Aerin Thomas: "What was happening at the time that he said it?"

Kelsey Horn: We were just talking.

Aerin Thomas: "Just randomly talking? Not fighting, or arguing? You hadn't said anything that upset him first?"

Kelsey Horn: *She shakes her head, then pauses, forcing her memory back, suddenly remembering it more clearly* It was the first time he met Uadjit...he'd left upset and I followed him. We talked a bit and I said that I just wanted him to be happy. He said he couldn't ever remember being happy. *She sighs.* Maybe I'm wrong, maybe I never loved him. Just some stupid dream of him that I'd come up with or something. *She closes her eyes a pained look on her face*

Aerin Thomas: "You're lying to yourself, Kelsey, if you try to convince yourself of that."

Kelsey Horn: *She turns her head away from him, crying softly, eyes squeezed tight.*

Aerin Thomas: He watches her with eyes that are entirely sympathetic, soft. "What do you want for Andy, Kelsey?"

Kelsey Horn: *She kinda pulls herself tighter, as if cringing away from the question.*

Aerin Thomas: He waits, watching her. Patiently.

Kelsey Horn: I want...him to be happy. *She says in a VERY small voice.*

Aerin Thomas: He nods a little bit, lips in a tight smile. "That's love."

Kelsey Horn: *She just cries for a while before whispering.* But it hurts so much.

Aerin Thomas: "Yes, I know." He nods a little bit. "I know just how much it hurts, Kelsey. I will never, ever be with the one I love the most."

Aerin Thomas: It seems...a difficult admission for him. He looks down at the ground when he says it.

Kelsey Horn: *She blinks a little bit and looks up at him, not saying anything.*

Aerin Thomas: "That never passes beyond us," he says quietly. "And sure as hell never to Ethan. But yes. The one I truly love...I will never be able to be with."

Kelsey Horn: *Quietly.* Why not? *She shakes her head a little.* Why can't you be with them I mean?

Aerin Thomas: "Because..." His lower lip catches between the canines on his right side, as he leans back against the tree, eyes shut. "Because it's not safe for them to be with me. So I walked away. Willingly. Against her protests."

Kelsey Horn: Why not? *She frowns.*

Aerin Thomas: "She's not kin. And in fact, until about a year ago, she was a vampire."

Kelsey Horn: U-uahh...*She blinks, her mouth open but no words coming out. Completely stunned*

Aerin Thomas: He looks up at her and smiles a bit. It's very weak. "I mentioned this before. Remember, the rumors speech?"

Kelsey Horn: Yes but I don't recall you ever saying which one's were true. Or maybe I just forgot. *She rubs her face.* Does love always suck this much?

Aerin Thomas: "No." He shakes his head. "And like I said...it gives me hope."

Aerin Thomas: "Something to fight for, rather."

Kelsey Horn: To fight for. *She echoes without much enthusiasm, then closes her eyes again and sighs.*

Aerin Thomas: He looks at her for a long moment. "What do you think I mean by that, Kelsey?"

Kelsey Horn: *She sighs a little forlornly.* To keep going? To keep trying to make things better?

Aerin Thomas: "To make a better world for them." He nods a little. "For those that we love. So they can be happy."

Kelsey Horn: *She bites her lip, hard and closes her eyes again.*

Aerin Thomas: He sighs and nods. "It's a hard thing to want, isn't it?"

Kelsey Horn: *She gives him a couple small nods, her shoulders shuddering a little with a stifled cry.*

Aerin Thomas: He leans over and slips his arms around her, drawing her into a hug.

Kelsey Horn: *She cries softly* When I found out that he'd looked for me after the fight...I was so surprised. I thought he'd never want anything to do with me again. So I gave him the address. And he showed up. So I talked to him. He...he actually apologized...for everything. Finally I asked what he wanted. What he really wanted. He said if he could have anything...he'd go back to when we first got together beat the hell out of himself and warn himself not to whore around. I said we'd figure something out and he stayed til morning. And then I didn't see him again until today.

Aerin Thomas: He nods a little, a hand stroking over her hair lightly as he listens. "And?"

Kelsey Horn: And it's a long story. *She rubs her forehead.* I got to this cafe and Andy, Brice, Erik, Gabe and some guy were all there. Andy was off by himself, Erik was bolting and the other three seemed to be involved in some kind of fight. Erik grabbed me and started to drag me back out. *She sighs.*

Aerin Thomas: He frowns a little. "Okay, and Erik is...?"

Kelsey Horn: *She sighs* He's a guy I met while I was staying away from the apartment because of Tony. We've hung out a couple times and he was teaching me to ride a bike. He's made some comments about dead people and the world sucking and things like that that had me wondering about him a bit but...*She shrugs*

Aerin Thomas:
He sighs a little bit and nods. More people with problems. "All right. So what happened next?"

Kelsey Horn: Well he got me a few steps away before I stopped to ask what the hell was going on. He said something vague about potential trouble and then refused to clarify. So I let him take off and went back inside to find Brice and ANDY were now sorta arguing. I started over towards him staying clear of the trio who were still arguing as well and the trio left before I got to him.

Kelsey Horn: ((edit))

Kelsey Horn: and Brice stalked out before I got to him with the other two soon following.

Aerin Thomas: "Okay." He nods. "So you and Andy were in the cafe, and Brice left with Gabe, and Erik right behind."

Kelsey Horn: No. *She shakes her head.* There was another guy...one who I don't know his name. I'd never seen him before. Erik left before I went back inside. Then this guy left at the same time Gabe and Brice did. Leaving me in the cafe with Andy.

Aerin Thomas: "Got it." He nods. "I'm with you now."

Kelsey Horn: So I finished making it to Andy's table and he really didn't look much like he wanted to talk so I just asked if he minded me joining him. He said he didn't care. We ate quietly and then he said he wanted to go get sloshed so we left to go do that. *She sighs and rubs her head*

Aerin Thomas: He nods a little, just listening quietly for now.

Kelsey Horn: So we walk a bit down the street and I see Brice beating the shit out of Gabe. He's swinging back and managed to get one good punch in on her face but she's just wailing on him. The nameless guy was already heading through traffic to the fight and I pointed it out to Andy before taking off to go to it myself. Something about the other guy just didn't sit right with me.

Aerin Thomas: He blinks and then rubs at his eyes. "So, Brice...the pregnant Brice...was in a fist fight?" A sigh, and he shakes his head. "What about the guy didn't sit right?"

Kelsey Horn: *She nods.* Yeah, the pregnant Brice was in a fist fight. Andy never moved from the spot I left him in. And I don't know...I didn't get the feeling he was going to stop things. And I was right. I got there just in time to get between him and Gabe as he threw a punch. Got me in the cheek instead. Brice also landed one final kick on Gabe but I got the feeling that even she was trying to get Gabe out of this guy's way.

Aerin Thomas: His brow furrows, and he nods. "All right..."

Kelsey Horn: Brice seemed to know him. I don't know. Anyway, so he says "Fuckin' Brave." and I replied that I had more balls than brains sometimes and to leave Gabe the hell alone, that he already needed a damned hospital. It worked apparently because they both left. Brice one way and this guy another.

Aerin Thomas: He nods a little bit. There's something of a frown on his face, considering all of this.

Kelsey Horn: *She sighs a bit* So, I help steady Gabe because he's REALLY freaking woozy. And walked back towards Andy, who slipped in without a word and helped me guide Gabe to a hospital. At one point I looked back and saw Brice watching us, with a hurt look on her face. *She bites her lip, an echoing look on her own face.*

Aerin Thomas: He nods a little bit. "I imagine there

Aerin Thomas: "I imagine there's a lot of confusion going on around all this. On all sides."

Kelsey Horn: *She shakes her head a little.* I think...there was. But not anymore. So anyway, we got Gabe to the hospital, he got taken in and we left. I asked if he wanted to go get that drink. The way he looked...I should have known. He looked so miserable. I even wondered if he'd looked like that after our fight but I...

Kelsey Horn: *trailing off after that*

Aerin Thomas: He tilts his head a little bit. Quiet, waiting...giving her all the time she needs.

Kelsey Horn: *A couple more tears slip down her cheek and she finally shakes her head.* So we went to this place, and I waited outside while he went in and got some really cheap gin. A damned gallon of the shit.

Kelsey Horn: ((Gah! Dammit, player messed up. While they were still in the cafe, Kelsey did ask what happened finally. He said "Nothing apparently." So she asked what was supposed to happen. He said that he cleaned up, went to her place every night, got a job and she still told him to fuck off and he didn't know what he was doing wrong or why he cared. She suggested because of the kid and that he probably still cared for Brice too. He frowned, was quiet and then said he needed a drink.))

Aerin Thomas: ((It's cool. :) )) "Ahhh." He nods a little bit. "And I assume things got interesting after that?"

Kelsey Horn: *She nods a little.* Kinda...more first. We talked a bit more...back and forth about other things. Drinking while we did. At one point I said something and it took it as sarcastic and he said "Sorry for giving a shit, I'm working on it trust me" I told him I wasn't being sarcastic and asked if he really didn't want to care. He said it didn't matter. I insisted that it did, that I wasn't going to stick around so he could just turn around and tell me to fuck off later. *She rubs her forehead. The conversation is hard. Relaying what happened...it's really hard.*

Aerin Thomas: "Kelsey..." He gives her a sympathetic look. "If you want to stop...you can."

Kelsey Horn: *She shakes her head. Whimpering softly.* If...if I don't do it now, I wont ever...

Kelsey Horn: I just...looking back...I can see all kinds of signs...but...then...I didn't...or I didn't want to...or something...*

Kelsey Horn: (*erases the last "*"*)

Aerin Thomas: He nods slightly, reaching out to brush his hand over her shoulder. "Okay. Go ahead."

Kelsey Horn: *She swallows hard* He said...he cared for me, past tense, and it got fucked up. He said he'd cared about taking care of the kid and got the fuck off and he realized that Brice wasn't going to take care of herself. He said if he cares all he gets is a headache. I...told him things were fixable. Between us. Between him and Brice. But he had to want it. That it wasn't a one way street.

Aerin Thomas: He nods at that. "That's well-said. What did he say?"

Kelsey Horn: That he didn't know anymore...that watching Brice fight was like a kick in the gut. That he'd thought she'd given a shit. about the baby at the very least. I tried to say he didn't know she picked it but even I knew it wasn't very strong. He argued it and then got quiet and so I just started giving him a backrub.

Aerin Thomas: Oh, dear. A backrub. He nods a little, sighing softly.

Kelsey Horn: *She looks up at him then down again.* He was so tense and I just...*she shakes her head and sighs.* Anyway, I got him physically relaxed...and he'd had a lot to drink by this point. Told me I gave a damned good massage. I smiled and told him it came with the rest. Something about not being able to fight if your stiff and he stared and me for a moment then kissed me.

Aerin Thomas: He winces at that, and then nods. "Ahh. And then...?"

Kelsey Horn: *She bites her lips for a moment.* I um...I kissed him back. And then he...um..I...I hesitated...he said it was cool. I asked if he was sure he wouldn't regret it when he was sober, he said he never regretted anything with me. And he...um...*The tears are streaming down her cheeks now, the part that hurts the worst.* I...I tried to stop...I really did...I...even asked if he had protection...and he didn't...and...I...but...gaia it felt so good, and he kept saying to trust him a-and I gave in...and...afterward...well...*she gives a faint weak laugh.* first he puked, but then we-we were snuggled up and I whispered "I love you." and he said "I love you too Brice."

Kelsey Horn: I...it felt like I'd been gutted Aerin. I just...I ran. I ran all the way here.

Kelsey Horn: *She whispers* I'm afraid if I'd stayed I'd have killed him.

Aerin Thomas: He hangs his head, shaking it as his eyes shut. "Andy, you fucking moron."

Kelsey Horn: *She buries her face in her hands sobbing quietly.*

Aerin Thomas: A sigh. He reaches out and draws her over into a hug. He could say something, but nothing he said would make things better right now. So he just holds her and strokes his hand over her hair, comforting her.

Kelsey Horn: *She leans into him crying her heart out, taking the comfort he provides.* I just...how could he...if he loves her...how could he?

Aerin Thomas: "How could he what, Kels?"

Kelsey Horn: have sex with me. She deserves better....~I~ deserve better...better than to be used...

Aerin Thomas: He sighs. "He was drunk, Kelsey. People's inhibitions lower when they're drunk. And..." He pauses a moment. "...I know this doesn't excuse him. But...it is possible to love more then one person." Something personal is carried in the tone of those words.

Kelsey Horn: *She rubs her face a bit, whispering, looking at the ground.* I can't...I can't keep going back for him to trample my heart Aerin. It hurts too much. And each time it's a bit worse because I feel stupid for letting it happen again.

Kelsey Horn: Especially when most of the time...he doesn't come looking for me. *She says softly.*

Aerin Thomas: He nods a little bit, nuzzling her temple. "I know, Kels. I know what you're saying. I'm sorry."

Kelsey Horn: *She leans into the nuzzle a bit, nuzzling back a little.*

Aerin Thomas: He sighs and rests his forehead against hers. "I'll be here for you. Through all of this. I can't say it's going to be easy. And...please don't hit me for this, 'cause your hits hurt like a bitch..." He grins, but it's brief. "But if I'm right, I kind of understand where Andy's coming from. I don't excuse it, in any way, but I do understand it."

Kelsey Horn: *She winces a little.* W-what?

Aerin Thomas: "Everyone has things they're not proud of, Kelsey. Myself included." He shrugs a little bit.

Kelsey Horn: If you understand where he's coming from? Can you explain it to me because I really don't understand...

Aerin Thomas: He looks back to the house and murmurs. "It's possible to love more then one person...and for that love, when you don't entirely have your wits about you, to make you do things that get you in trouble. Deep, deep trouble that you can't get out of."

Kelsey Horn: *She swallows hard.* But....he's never said he loved me Aerin. Actually he's outright said he doesn't.

Kelsey Horn: But when he looked for me after the fight...and what he said...I though...maybe he

Kelsey Horn: he'd changed his mind.

Aerin Thomas: "Maybe he has." He shrugs. "Maybe...he was afraid to admit it before. I don't know, Kels. I can talk to him, though."

Kelsey Horn: *She gives him a small nod and rubs her eyes. The drink she'd had (as she'd shared some of that gin), the long run, and the emotionally roller coaster all leaving her exhausted.*

Kelsey Horn: ((emotional roller coaster that is))

Aerin Thomas: "C'mon," he says gently. "Let's get you inside. You need to sleep, I'm gonna watch over you while you do, and I'd rather do it where there's a more comfortable place for me to do so. "

Kelsey Horn: *She nods a little.* Think I want to sleep inside today anyway. *She gets up slowly and waits for him then heads inside.*

Aerin Thomas: And he goes inside with her, to watch over as she sleeps, as promised.