A Weekend Affair # 5 - The White Brunch

[Steel]

The Black King and Queen’s Suite

That she didn’t seem to be able to get her words out made him smile. She, who never seemed to have her feathers ruffled, getting tongue tied over his revelation that he had never loved anyone else? Priceless.

She kissed him, and told him she would have killed any other girl he had loved before her, which made him chuckle and her smile. She said she loved him, then true to form srarted blaming herself for not deciding she loved him ages ago. He shushed her, telling her she waited until she was ready.

Ava: "But you shouldn't have had to.."

“I would wait forever for you, babe. And I didn’t want to be with you until you were ready to be loved.”

Ava: "Good....You are the one constant in my life that has never hurt me, only loved me. And I hope I've been the same to you. And if I haven't? I will make it up to you, ever single day from here on out."

He shook his head.

“You are the only person I care about in this world. There is nothing to make up.”

They laid together, just enjoying the way it felt to be together. She was the girl in his dreams, and he had no idea what he’d done to deserve her.

Ava: "You made me feel like a Queen before I ever was one."

He picked up his head to look at her, brushing a strand of hair from her face.

“You have always been a queen.”

Ava: "I need to get ready for this meeting..."

He groaned as Ava pushed herself up onto her elbows.

Ava: "I just don't want to fight with her anymore. I'm so tired of being angry...but everything is still so raw."

“It’s in your power not to fight with her, but she needs to understand the position she put you in. And that your assistance is not something she should take lightly.”

Ava: "Could you brief the rest of the court about what's happened while i'm there. I want to make sure we're all on the same page going into the Red Party."

“Of course. I’ll make sure everyone knows what’s going on, and what our position is.”

He didn’t want their time together to end, but there was work to be done, by both of them.

 

[Valkyrie]

The Red Queen’s Suite

She snuggled in against Savage, enjoying just relaxing with him, being able to touch him.

AJ: "I like this bed very much."

She smiled broadly, then kissed his chest.

“Well, good. Then we don’t have to buy a new one.”

Her smile took on a naughty bent.

“Until this one breaks.”

He laughed when she asked what the first thing they’d do at the cabin would be, daydreaming with him about their time away from this place. The rumbling in his chest made her laugh too.

AJ: "Probably take off our clothes."

“Sounds perrrrrfect.”

They laid there together for a while, her thoughts on hunting together, and being the only people in the place they were staying. She could have fallen asleep, with his fingers stroking her skin as they were. But then it occurred to her to ask if he thought she was foolish, for not letting Cameron kill Alek.

AJ: "No, My Ashley, you are not wrong, nor foolish. I may wish to hurt the little bear sometimes, because he hurts you, but this is something altogether different. Cameron wants to kill Alek merely for doing what he has given permission for him to do. That is not just. A rogue beast must not be permitted to damage the integrity of the pack."

She nodded, and then his hand was in her hair, and she almost forgot what they were talking about.

AJ: "If we let him even try, Cameron would believe himself unbridled, above reproach. If we let him kill his rival, or his wife, or even the children, other Inner Circle deaths would no doubt follow, whenever the White King thought himself inconvenienced by someone's presence. Thus, his behavior must be deemed unacceptable, by all of us, so that he understands, just as you and I have tolerated the Red King despite his trespasses, so must Cameron."

It was sound, his reasoning. Truly he was wise.

“And that must be our position, all three queens together, that we will not stand for his recklessness.”

She kissed his chest again.

“I know it must be hard for you, to see me protect Alek. Your sacrifice doesn’t go unnoticed, my love.”

She picked up her head, and smiled at him, before moving up his body so she could kiss his lips softly. Her smile was mischievous as she pulled back.

“Would you go with me to the meeting? Or stay here, in our bed, and wait for me? Saving your strength.”

She raised her eyebrows suggestively before reluctantly getting out of bed to find her dress. An hour had not been enough time, but it was still up.

 

[Berserker]

The Catacombs

Haleigh started talking about the meeting with the other queens, and about getting dressed. Which was a truly sad thing to hear. They held each other, which was something he quite liked but she was just warming up to. They laughed about whether Haleigh showing up naked would help her chances, which was probably even odds, but that he might get jealous.

Haleigh: "I don't know.... depends on the level of jealousy we're talking about. Moderately jealous, as I am when I see Brienne wrapped around you, wherein I detest her and hope she quickly fades into distant memory? Or murderously jealous, as Cameron became, seemingly at the drop of a hat?"

He grinned widely.

“So, you’re jealous of Brienne...”

Her fingers were on his scar, and it made him want to growl with arousal.

“I’ll admit to tearing an arm or two off in the past...but I’d do it right away, and he’d know it was coming. And he’d have asked for it.”

He ran his hand through her hair.

“But with you? Mostly I just sit back and wonder how anyone could so mistreat a woman like you.”

His hand returned to her waist, like that was where it was made to live.

“Do you want me to come with you to this meeting?”

 

[Sparrow]

La Hacienda

Carolina was pretty much begging Cameron to come to mass with them, and Elena more than anyone knew the power that child wielded. It was a feast day, so there was a morning and evening service, and it was something to see. But she also knew Cameron didn’t go to church, and didn’t want to. She set Carolina down, realizing with a pang that she was really getting too big to be carried for long. Cameron knelt so he was on Carolina’s level, and it touched her heart to see them together, so like each other as they were.

Cameron: "Well it certainly sounds like a lovely inivation, Senorita. I'd be delighted to escort you to mass. But first...."

Elena's eyebrows raised in surprise that he had agreed. But still, one hour of fatherly interest didn’t absolve him of her skepticism. He was making his stomach talk, and Carolina was giggling uncontrollably, when an excited look came over her face and she looked at Elena.

Carolina: “Ooh, mami, does that mean...?”

Elena smiled.

“Si, chilaquiles for dinner."

Carolina exclaimed a “yay” while taking Cameron’s hand and pulling him towards their house.

Carolina: “Can I help cook? I’ll fry the tortillas!”

Elena gave her a look.

Carolina: “I’ll peel the garlic?”

Elena smiled and nodded, the hopeful look on her daughter’s face too much, and the girl beamed. The three of them walked together to the house, and Elena allowed a small smile for Cameron. When they got to the kitchen, Carolina pulled her stool over to the counter and began firing directions at Cameron.

“Excuse me miss, stop being so bossy.”

She planted a kiss on Carolina’s head.

Carolina: “Sorry.”

Being in the kitchen with him brought back memories of meals they’d cooked together, and it seemed like he hadn’t forgotten either. Carolina spent most of the time laughing at Cameron, and trying to get his attention. The girls set the table, and Cameron poured the adults a glass of wine, and then the three of them sat down like a family to eat.

Carolina: “This is the best dinner I’ve ever had.”

She leaned towards Cameron and whispered.

Carolina: “It’s my favorite.”

She sighed then.

Carolina: “I just wish the mermaid could have some. Do you like it, Senor King? They are really good when mami reheats them in the skillet for breakfast. You could stay. You could sleep in my room and I could sleep in mami’s bed with her.”

She looked up brightly at Cameron, but Elena put her hand over the little girl’s.

“Mija, Senor King has to go back to los Estados tonight.”

Carolina pouted, pushing the remains of her dinner around her plate. When they had all finished, Elena wiped her mouth and stood from the table, but instead of clearing the dishes, she held out her hand to her daughter.

“Carolina, come, sit on the couch. I need to talk to you about something.”

Elena’s eyes found Cameron’s with a meaningful look. She led the girl over into the family room, Carolina scooting up onto the sofa, and Elena sitting next to her. She motioned for Cameron to come sit too, but didn’t let go of her daughter’s hand.

“You remember what I told you about your father?”

Carolina’s face lit up.

Carolina: “He’s a very important businessman who lives in Nueva York. And he’s very busy, so he has to stay there.”

She beamed at Cameron, clearly very proud to have such an important father. Elena reached for Cameron’s hand with her free one.

“Well, mija, you see, Senor King es tu papa. He came all the way here just to see you.”

Carolina looked up at her with big eyes.

Carolina: “Really? It’s true?”

Elena nodded, and Carolina jumped across her lap and into Cameron’s arms, hugging him tight around the middle, squeezing her little face against his chest.

Carolina: “I knew you would come, papi! I knew it! I’ve been practicing my English, and I’ve been really good!”

Elena rubbed her back, looking up at Cameron, willing him not to fuck this up.

 

[Persephone]

John: “I would wait forever for you, babe. And I didn’t want to be with you until you were ready to be loved.”

Ava smiled at that, her hand on John's cheek lovingly.

"You never have to wait again. I'm yours, always."

She promised him, making sure to tell him that she would make up for any time she hadn't somehow shown him how much she loved him in the past. John disregarded her promise though, in the way that he always did, making her feel like she needn't feel guilty or sorry for her past. He always had this way of making her feel like she was untouchable and never wrong, even when she was. Ava laid her head back down on his chest, savoring the moment as he gently stroked his fingers down her back. He asked what he did to deserve her, and Ava was honest in her answer: he treated her like a Queen long before she had taken the title.

John: “You have always been a queen.”

Ava looked up, a smile on her face.

"I don't know about that. Maybe a spoiled princess...but queen is pushing it."

She joked with a little chuckle, knowing how many people within Hellfire perceived Ava as being a spoiled little princess growing up because of her last name and father. She may have had everything at her beck and call, but it didn't come without a cost.

Finally Ava sighed, knowing she had to get ready for this Queen's meeting. John groaned in protest, Ava agreeing with his sentiments. She really didn't want to go, especially knowing that it would likely end up in a fight with Haleigh.

John: “It’s in your power not to fight with her--"

Ava cocked up her eyebrow, interjecting.

"You do realize who you're talking to right..."

John: "--but she needs to understand the position she put you in. And that your assistance is not something she should take lightly.”

Ava rolled her eyes.

"She won't understand, John. She will turn this around on me, mark my words."

Ava may have been stubborn, but Haleigh was equally so. Shaking her head, Ava went onto the topic of their court, asking John to brief everyone so they could go into the Red Party all on one page. Whenever Cameron decided to show up, they all needed to be ready and prepared, even if this Queen's meeting went south. Ava wouldn't let Cameron become the new Diana.

John: “Of course. I’ll make sure everyone knows what’s going on, and what our position is.”

Ava leaned in and gave John a small kiss.

"Thank you, babe."

With one last groan, Ava finally climbed out of bed and disappeared into the walk in closet to get changed. After a few minutes, she emerged wearing a casual black outfit, with her hair pulled back in a messy low pony tail. With black pumps in hand, she walked over to the edge of the bed and sat down, putting one shoe on, then the other.

"If you feel the mansion rumbling, you have a great indicator of how the meeting's going."

Ava grinned cheekily as she looked over her shoulder at John.

"I'll see you later."

Leaning back, she gave John one last kiss before heading out of her chambers and down to the catacombs. She was the first to arrive, a servant already stationed there holding a bottle of water. Three glasses were placed at each queen's chair, Ava sitting at her respective seat. Crossing her legs at the knee as the servant poured her some water, Ava picked up the glass and smelled the water, the servant giving her a curious look.

"Wouldn't want to get blamed again, now would I?"

Ava deadpanned as she took a sip of the untainted water before sitting back in her seat to wait for the other queens.

 

[Black Widow]

Hellfire - The Catacombs

Alek: So, you’re jealous of Brienne...

Haleigh rolled her eyes at his tone of delight.

"Only that she was getting your attention."

She replied bitterly. Alek went on to explain that he's been know to tear off a few arms, which made her smile again, as her gaze drifted over to the remains of the man who'd tried to poison her. And then his hand was in her hair, and she closed her eyes and sighed.

Alek: But with you? Mostly I just sit back and wonder how anyone could so mistreat a woman like you.

She opened her eyes again, looking up at him curiously.

"What do you mean, mistreat?"

She asked, as his hand returned to her waist. The longer they stood here, the harder it was to pull away. He asked if she wanted him to go with her to the meeting, and she nodded.

"You might be the only one strong enough to pull me off Ava, if she makes some snide remark and I lose my temper."

She said, only half joking. Her temper had been much more volatile since becoming pregnant. Her mind searched the room to find the zipper of her dress, which she grasped, lifting the whole dress off the floor and into her hand. She started to pull it back on, a bit amused at the blood and dirt stains.

When Alek was done getting dressed again, she took his hand, and they made the short walk down the catacombs to the Queen's conference room, where she found Ash and Ava already sitting at the round table. Haleigh sat down casually, though the tension was thick.

Her gaze remained locked on her lifelong friend, whom she suspected was aiding and abetting her husband. It was a stab in the back, that Ava would take Cameron's side, that she wouldn't even come talk to Haleigh about it first. After all they had been through together, trying to grow up in this place, it hurt more than anything else. Especially after Haleigh exposed herself to retaliation by backing Ava's play for Sub Zero.

"Ava..... I thought we were friends. What happened?"

 

[Persephone]

Ashley arrived a few minutes after Ava, the Black Queen giving her a small smile. But her smile faded seeing Haleigh walk in moments after her with Alek in tow. Apparently Haleigh had little faith in Ashley if she was toting around Alek for protection still, it was ridiculous. But Ava's face remained even, the both of them looking like they had just rolled around in dirt and blood. More like fucked, but hey, when husbands go missing, you snuggle up to the next warm thing Ava thought bitterly.

Haleigh: "Ava..... I thought we were friends. What happened?"

Ava scoffed softly and shook her head, a cynical smile appearing on her lips.

"For someone who claims to watch everything within the walls of Hellfire, you certainly do pick and choose what you want to see."

There were more security cameras in Hellfire than Fort Knox, added onto the other technology like phones, ipads, and computers, Haleigh had a birds eye view of everything going on within the walls. Yet she still couldn't string together what really happened.

"I'm not teaming up against Cameron to kill you, Haleigh. In fact, I'm actually quite fucking angry at your husband for putting me in this situation while he went off to Never Neverland with his ex."

Ava's words were bitter and filled with resentment for both Haleigh and Cameron. Haleigh because she believed Ava would actually try to hurt her and her children, and Cameron for making her a prime suspect in a mutiny while he ran away from his problems. Ava leaned forward toward Haleigh, putting her elbows on the table.

"Since you can't seem to be bothered to go back through the security feeds, let me fill you in on what actually happened. After Cameron wanted to speak with me privately in my office, he asked for my support in killing Alek."

Ava's eyes lifted to look at Alek.

"I said no."

She spat, her eyes narrowing at the Red King, angry that she even had to defend herself in this matter. She shifted her gaze back to Haleigh.

"He was pissed off, saying some cryptic bullshit about him, the club, and legacies before storming out. I followed him knowing there was something more to why he wanted Alek dead, and that was when Erika stopped me at the gala and told me you were pregnant with Alek's child."

Shaking her head.

"I was angry and hurt.....but I went over Cameron anyway, and told him to fight for you and your marriage before he pushed you directly into Alek's waiting arms. Because all this [gesturing to Alek and Haleigh] wasn't just effecting you, it was effect ALL of us."

Ava's eyes shifted to Ashley, knowing she felt the exact same way Ava did about this situation. The Black Queen then sat back in her chair, folding her arms across her chest.

"Then I left with John to Arklay because I felt like the walls of this club were closing in on me. So sorry to disappoint you Haleigh, I had no time to set up an attempted poisoning - no time to try and assassinate you."

The words were bitter on her tongue as she spoke them, her eyes meeting with Haleigh's.

"It's a slap in my face that the first person you thought of trying to poison you was ME, Haleigh. I may be angry at you and Cameron right now, but I would NEVER try and kill you, let alone your children."

 

[Black Widow]

Hellfire - The Catacombs

Ava: For someone who claims to watch everything within the walls of Hellfire, you certainly do pick and choose what you want to see.

“Ohhh, shots fired!”

Haleigh said, clutching her chest as if she were hit. Right off the bat Ava was on the offense. Haleigh had to admire Ava’s blitzkrieg tactics. Before she could even begin a rebuttal, Ava was speaking again, saying she wasn’t teaming up with Cameron, that she was actually mad at him, and her tone matched her claims.

So Haleigh reclined back against the arm of her chair, crossing her legs at the knee while Ava sat forward and perched her elbows on the table. And she just listened. Granted, she scoffed when Ava made the sharp comment about how Haleigh couldn’t be bothered to check the security feeds, because that was patently false. But she did listen, and quite intently. Especially when Ava told her that Cameron came right out and asked for support in killing Alek.

Haleigh’s gaze flicked to Alek, as one of her concerns were validated. At least Ava had turned him down. But it just proved that Haleigh wasn’t crazy, and she wasn’t overreacting. Her expression was grim. There was no time to talk about it now, though, because Ava continued to elaborate on how her night had progressed, including why she’d left.

Ava: So sorry to disappoint you Haleigh, I had no time to set up an attempted poisoning - no time to try and assassinate you.

“That’s not a disappointment—”

She started, but Ava had more to say, and expressed frustration at being accused of the poisoning. Haleigh took a deep breath, put all her emotions on lock down, and looked at Ava.

“Alright. I’m sorry if you found my suspicion hurtful. Truly, I am. But allow me a moment to tell you about my night, so you can better understand my actions.”

She held up her hands neutrally.

“I know, it’ll be difficult to accept I didn’t do anything specifically to hurt you, but bear with me here.”

She picked up her water glass, looked at it suspiciously, then set it back down without drinking it.

“I came to your office last night to apologize for losing my temper, and make sure you were okay after your Dad crashed your party. In the midst of that, I found out that not only did I carry Cameron’s child, but I had twins, and one was Alek’s. This was a statistical improbability, so I ran more tests. Before confirmation could even be determined, Cameron was there, pissed as fuck, as you saw.”

She said, uncrossing her legs and recrossing them with the opposite leg on top.

“And not only did he insist on talking to you alone, but once John and I left, Cameron scrambled the cameras. Because you see, even though I cannot hide my thoughts or feelings or intentions from him, he can and does hide things from me whenever he sees fit. So I had no idea what he was saying to you, although I was quite certain —correctly— that it wasn’t good. Naturally I went to find Alek, as this affects him directly.”

She gave Alek a small smile.

“Alek and I decided the best course of action was to go back to the Red Wing and shore up defenses. I expected Cameron to gather his thoughts and come to fight about it, but he never did. So I reviewed the surveillance feeds all night, but wasn’t able to glean any good intel because the Black Gala’s audio recordings were ruined by the loud music. And then you left, without a word. And Cameron left, after trashing our suite and taking off his wedding ring. And it looked coordinated.”

Her neutral tone gained a tinge of resentment.

“So I hope you enjoyed your blissful night at Arklay, because I spent the whole time wide awake, thinking Alek and I would be attacked in our sleep, watching the cameras for any indication that the threat was immediate.”

She shook her head softly.

“And then this morning, you mysteriously return, and stared me down in the Hall. Then I was almost poisoned. So you tell me, what conclusions would you have drawn?”

 

[Valkyrie]

The Conference Room

Ashley arrived, and took a seat next to Ava, but before she could crack a joke to cut the tension, Haleigh walked in, with Alek like her personal bodyguard. She was already regretting leaving AJ in bed, which made her mind drift off to his abs...

And she didn’t really need to be here, anyway - this was about the two of them. And sometimes, you just have to let two people fuck. As long as they didn’t kill each other in the process. Which is why she was here.

But she did wish Ava could be a little less confrontational. Because it only made Haleigh confrontational, and she had the hormone thing going on too. But Ava said all the things she should, why Cameron had come to see her, what she had said, that she didn’t try to kill Haleigh, and that she was hurt to even be suspected. And then Haleigh took her turn telling Ava why she was mad and jumpy as hell.

It was at s point that Ashley decided she’d better intervene, because otherwise they’d go back and forth the rest of the day like this and she had a bed to get to. So she stood up and held up her hands.

“Okay, so you’re pissed at you, and you’re pissed at you. But we need to focus, so let me sum up: Ava did not try and kill you, or conspire with your husband to kill anyone. She is onboard and willing to help protect you and keep Cameron from doing anything psychotic. Haleigh, the situation sucks and is scary for you, but what matters now is that the three of - the five of us, really - don’t stand for this bullshit from Cameron, and have a united front to make sure he doesn’t kill anyone.”

She sat back down.

“Now, Ava and I are in agreement that we will need to corner Cameron if and when he returns, asses his intentions, and talk him down if necessary. We should keep him away from direct contact with Haleigh and Alek until we know what he plans. That he was talking to Ava about killing Alek is troubling enough behavior, but hopefully it was just the heat of the moment.”

She looked at Alek.

“Which I’m sure someone with your temperment can appreciate.”

Her eyes slid to Haleigh, while she showed her hands palm up, in a gesture of peace.

“I don’t have to tell you that any attempt on the Red King’s life must be treated by the Red Court as an act of war. Should we be unsuccessful at changing Cameron’s mind on that, you will have to choose war or your husband. I will have no choice.”

 

[Persephone]

Haleigh had come in still believing that Ava was somehow 'against' her in this whole mess of a situation, saying she thought they were friends. It pissed her off, because for someone who claims to be able to see and hear all within the walls of Hellfire, she certainly decided to ignore everything that had happened within the last 24 hours.

Haleigh: “Ohhh, shots fired!”

Ava rolled her eyes as Haleigh clutched her chest, acting like she had bit hit by Ava's words. For once, she wasn't being aggressive or fueling her statement with anger. She was stating cold hard facts. She went on to elaborate what exactly went down between herself and Cameron since Haleigh couldn't be bothered to watch the feeds herself. She told her everything from how Cameron asked support in killing Alek, to finding out at the gala about Haleigh's pregnancy, to immediately going to Cameron and telling him to fight for his wife before disappearing to Arklay with John. She had zero time to orchestrate an assassination attempt even if she wanted to.

Haleigh: “That’s not a disappointment—”

"Really? Could have fooled me."

She snapped back, this time her tone much more sharp and cold. Haleigh held up her hands in a neutral gesture.

Haleigh: “Alright. I’m sorry if you found my suspicion hurtful. Truly, I am. But allow me a moment to tell you about my night, so you can better understand my actions.”

Ava sat back, gesturing casually for Haleigh to say what she needed to say.

Haleigh: “I know, it’ll be difficult to accept I didn’t do anything specifically to hurt you, but bear with me here.”

Ava rolled her eyes.

"Now who's firing shots?"

Her tone even in response to Haleigh trying to twist the situation. But Haleigh continued forward, starting off by stating that she had just found out about her double pregnancy while in Ava's office during their meeting. Apparently Cameron had immediately caught on and that was why he was so pissed off from the start.

Haleigh: “And not only did he insist on talking to you alone, but once John and I left, Cameron scrambled the cameras."

Ava scoffed out with a shake of her head, looking away from the group.

"Bastard..."

She hissed under her breath. Right there was the start of it - of the whole fucking situation blowing up in Ava's face. If Cameron hadn't scrambled the cameras, none of this would have been set into motion and Ava wouldn't currently be defending herself against allegations of going rogue and attempted murder. While Ava knew Cameron could be private in terms of business and with Ava personally because they were so close, it still pissed Ava off to know that he had done this than ran off and disappeared, leaving her to have to deal with the aftermath.

Haleigh went on to say how she went to Alek to tell him then hid in the Red Wing waiting for Cameron to come to her. But as everyone knew, he never did. Apparently Haleigh went through the Black Gala feeds but couldn't get any audio from it because of the music, therefore deciding because Ava left and Cameron trashed his room and left his ring behind, they were somehow teaming up against her. Ava shook her head, resentful that Haleigh still thought her at fault.

'Obviously you didn't go through all the feeds."

Her tone was even and quiet, remembering how she disappeared into a secluded area of the conservatory after speaking with Cameron, only for John to find her on the verge of breaking down before disappearing to their chamber room and actually breaking down. But no, that would require Haleigh to admit fault, and there was no way the White Queen would do a thing like that.

Haleigh: “So I hope you enjoyed your blissful night at Arklay,"

Ava's eyes shot up to meet with Haleigh's, a look of utter astonishment and hurt in her eyes.

"Blissful...? You're not serious..."

Haleigh: "--because I spent the whole time wide awake, thinking Alek and I would be attacked in our sleep, watching the cameras for any indication that the threat was immediate."

There were so many things Ava wanted to say. So many things she wanted to just throttle into Haleigh so maybe she could understand one ounce of what Ava was feeling. But not with Alek there. There was no way she was going to say or admit anything while that smug bastard stood nearby looking like a proud papa ready to fuck his mistress on the edge of the table. Ava's jaw tightened, a familiar burn building in her eyes a she looked away from everyone.

Haleigh: “And then this morning, you mysteriously return, and stared me down in the Hall. Then I was almost poisoned. So you tell me, what conclusions would you have drawn?”

Ava just shook her head and shrugged, not bothering to look at Haleigh to respond. Why bother at this point? They were just going around in circles. That was when Ashley stood, Ava glancing in her direction.

Ashley: “Okay, so you’re pissed at you, and you’re pissed at you. But we need to focus, so let me sum up: Ava did not try and kill you, or conspire with your husband to kill anyone. She is onboard and willing to help protect you and keep Cameron from doing anything psychotic.”

Ava's elbow was propped on her forearm that was wrapped across her stomach, her hand resting by her mouth. She didn't respond to Ashley's cliffnotes version of what was going on, simply nodding in agreement. Ava would protect Haleigh and her children if Cameron decided to come back and truly want to hurt them. Whether Cameron was her life long friend or not, she would not allow him to become like Diana and think he was the end all be all of Kings. There were THREE Kings within this club, as there were three Queens. They all ruled together, and if one went rogue, they would end it before it began.

Ashley: “Now, Ava and I are in agreement that we will need to corner Cameron if and when he returns, asses his intentions, and talk him down if necessary. We should keep him away from direct contact with Haleigh and Alek until we know what he plans. That he was talking to Ava about killing Alek is troubling enough behavior, but hopefully it was just the heat of the moment.”

"Seems to be a lot of that going on lately."

She grumbled lowly, Ashley playing off her words as well with a statement of her own about Alek being in the heat of the moment. Ava couldn't help but smirk behind her hand despite how fucked up the whole situation was.

Ashley: “I don’t have to tell you that any attempt on the Red King’s life must be treated by the Red Court as an act of war. Should we be unsuccessful at changing Cameron’s mind on that, you will have to choose war or your husband. I will have no choice.”

Ava sighed, her hand finally lifting from her mouth and running roughly along the bridge of her brow bone. This was what she wanted to avoid - an all out war. And this was why she was so fucking pissed off at both Cameron and Haleigh. Their marital problems had become Hellfire problems that she and Ashley had to clean up.

"And I won't stand by and watch this club crumble down around us. If he goes after Alek, the Black Court will support the Red in neutralizing him as a threat."

Ava's tone was grim and even, the thought not something she hoped would actually come to fruition.

 

[Black Widow]

Hellfire - The Catacombs

Haleigh called Ava out for her confrontational opening statement, but Ava just rolled her eyes, and continue on with her bitter tone, recounting her experience the night before. Haleigh listened patiently, and tried to say something, but Ava’s cold rebuttal came back in a sharp slice. So yes, when Haleigh got started, it was with a little sarcasm.

Ava: Now who’s firing shots?

Haleigh gave her an even look.

“Oh please. You’re allowed your witty little barbs, but when I return fire, there’s a foul on the play?”

She shot back, and then went on to explain how the night went from bad to worse for her, including what intel she was able to get from surveillance, which wasn’t much. Contrary to popular belief, she was not omnipotent. But Ava still commented that obviously Haleigh hadn’t checked ALL the feeds.

No, she hadn’t, because she was busy watching the ones closest to her for any signs of attack, which she further explained, with rancor. Ava looked for a second like she had some shit to say, but then opted not to, which Haleigh found immensely frustrating. Instead of blowing up, she posed a question. Namely, what conclusions SHOULD she have drawn? But Ava remained silent, and just shook her head. Haleigh slapped the tabletop, her anger bubbling over.

“Damn it, Ava! For ONCE, will you stop bottling it up, and just say how you fucking feel so we can deal with it?!”

She said, and then Ash stood up and intervened to simmer things back down, while Ava refused to look at Haleigh. Haleigh gave a heavy sigh of resignation, knowing this was going to fester some more, because despite Ash’s noble effort to smooth it over, all they were doing was boxing it up and sticking it in the closet. Sooner or later Ava was going to blow up about whatever was really bothering her, and it would be much worse if it was delayed.

Ash explained that they were in agreement, not to allow Cameron to attack anyone over this, and she optimistically stated the possibility that Cameron had only tried to get help killing Alek in the moment. That wasn’t true. Earlier in the day during their fight, Cameron had let it slip that he had plans for dealing with Alek, and that was before the second baby. And she was going to explain that, because they deserved to know what they were really dealing with, but Ash spoke again.

Ash: I don’t have to tell you that any attempt on the Red King’s life must be treated by the Red Court as an act of war. Should we be unsuccessful at changing Cameron’s mind on that, you will have to choose war or your husband. I will have no choice.

Ava: And I won't stand by and watch this club crumble down around us. If he goes after Alek, the Black Court will support the Red in neutralizing him as a threat.

Haleigh swallowed hard, scarcely able to breathe, because she knew why they were telling her this, but still, it was Cameron they were talking about here. How could he have done all this damage? How could he have left her here in this position? Her eyes were bloodshot, watery, and she couldn’t say it was from lack of sleep. Her gaze dropped to her hands, where she was spinning her diamond ring slowly around her finger.

“I understand.”

She said hoarsely.

“I fucked up.... I just.... wanted to give him.... what he wished for.....”

 

[Persephone]

Haleigh had told her her version of events, going as far as to say that Ava had disappeared simply to spend a ‘blissful’ evening with John. She shot Haleigh an incredulous look, fire burning inside her. She wanted to throttle her, but her eyes flicked over to Alek before she looked away. She wouldn’t do it in front of someone who hated her. She wouldn’t give him fuel to hurt her later. But Haleigh slammed her hands down on the table causing Ava to look over at her.

Haleigh: “Damn it, Ava! For ONCE, will you stop bottling it up, and just say how you fucking feel so we can deal with it?!”

Ava parted her lips, taken aback for a moment, before the fire in her gut was too much to suppress.

“I’m JEALOUS of you, Haleigh! Is that what you want to hear?! You’ve been given the chance to have two babies while I can’t entertain the idea of having even one! My blissful night? It was spent crying in John’s arms.”

She spat out, though her tone wavered with pain. Ava looked at Alek, her eyes dark with a mixture of pain and anger.

“There, bask in the glory of seeing the Black Queen crack.”

Her words were scathing as they were bitter, hating that she let Haleigh push her to the point of opening herself up with Alek present. Ava then looked away as Ashley stood up to play referee. And once Ashley stated that she would declare war on Cameron if he made an attempt on Alek’s life, Ava darkly agreed with her, saying the Black Court would back her play to protect Alek.

Haleigh: “I understand. I fucked up.... I just.... wanted to give him.... what he wished for.....”

That was when Ava finally looked back at Haleigh, seeing her looking down into her lap looking like she was on the verge of tears. Ava’s face softened for the first time, looking solemnly at her friend.

“Ashley and I will do everything in our power to talk some sense into him if he comes here looking for blood....we won’t let him hurt you or your children, Haleigh, I promise you that.”

Ava sighed softly, putting her hand on Haleigh’s arm.

“I don’t want to see Cameron get killed any more than you do.....I will help him as best as I can, for you and your son.”

 

[Prophet]

It had been the single most domestic moment in his entire life. He felt as if he were in a commercial and that any second Carolina was going to spill juice on the counter and he was going to clean it up with the latest and most absorbant paper towel like it was nothing. However, Carolina seemed to inherent her parent's love of cooking and she moved through, jumping from counter to counter, lending an expert hand. A little known fact about Cameron was that he loved cooking, and was very good at it. He had grown up tended to. Even now he didn't have to lift a finger. Everything was taken care of for him. There was something Cameron liked about using his hands to make his own food. It helped him feel a sense of control. Cooking meals together had once been foreplay for Cameron and Elena. That and it satisfied a lot of the artistic attributes he had once had and long forgot about on his way to rule Hellfire.

Elena: "Excuse me miss, stop being so bossy."

Carolina: "Sorry."

[leaning into Carolina]

"Nothing wrong with a girl who knows what she wants and how to get it..but listen to your mother."

Dinner was amazing, and the food was pretty good as well. For whatever reason, Cameron couldn't help but find himself enraptured with the way that Carolina ate. It was so wild and endearing. Joyful. His mother would have beat his ass with a belt or locked in the Aqua Ring holding cell for a day or two if he had acted like this at dinner, and suddenly Cameron felt an almost spiritual sense of satisfaction knowing that his rebellious nature lived on in her. She was just a kid - there was only a finite amount of time to eat like a wild animal before people started calling you a slob and Cameron wanted to make sure that Carolina enjoyed the luxury of her youth.

Carolina: "This is the best dinner I've ever had. It's my favorite?"

Cameron laughed.

"Well it looks like your shirt ate most of it, but I agree. Fantastico! You're quite the chef."

Carolina: "I just wish the mermaid could have some. Do you like it, Senor King? They are really good when mami reheats them in the skillet for breakfast. You could stay. You could sleep in my room and I could sleep in mami's bed with her."

He felt a knee jerk rush of embarrassment.

Elena: "Mija, Senor King has to go back to los Estados tonight."

This did not please his daughter as she produced a look that tore into Cameron's soul, making him feel like shit. Or at least it felt that dramatic. When they finished dinner Elena rose from the table and extended a hand to Carolina.

Elena: "Carolina, come, sit on the touch. I need to talk to you about something."

Her eyes met his for a moment as she ushered Carolina to the couch. Cameron followed her lead, and took a seat at the couch next to Elena.

Elena: "You remember what I told you about your father?"

Carolina: "He's a very important businessman who lives in Nueva York. And he's very busy, so he has to stay there."

Cameron felt embarrassed but relieved. Elena could have not mentioned him at all. She could have slandered him. He had her hurt her enough to justify it. But she hadn't. She spoke kindly of him, and it really said a lot about Elena. Especially coming from where he did. He couldn't look at Carolina dead in the eye.

Elena: "Well, mija, you see, Senor King es tu papa. He came all the way here just to see you."

Carolina: "Really? It's true?"

Elena nodded as Carolina jumped across Elena's lap and into his arms, her pint size body enveloping him with love. It was pure an unadultered love, and Cameron found himself baffled by how that was possibly, for a person, even a child, could have so much love in their heart for somebody they didn't know.

Carolina: "I knew you would come, papi! I knew it! I've been practicing my English, and I've been really good."

Cameron let the hug linger as he liffted her body off of his and looked her in the eyes. He gave her a smile as he pinched her cheek delicately.

"You will always be good in my eyes, Carolina."

He winked.

"And your english is very good. Es mas mayor que me espanol." ("It's much better than my spanish.")

Cameron lifted Carolina off his body and squeezed her in between Elena and Cameron as his tone took a bit more serious of a tone.

[thinking]

"I am sorry I have not seen you sooner. You're mommy is right. I am a very busy man. What I do is very dangerous. As long as you are here, with your madre, you are safe. But still, you deserve to know your father."

"I may be Senor King, but I really am a King. Of the place where I was born. It is in my duty to protect my kingdom at all costs, and I've forgotten that I am more than that...I am a father."

"Whoah."

It was a weird feeling. It was the first moment in his life of parenting. There was this little girl sitting there in front of him, so bright and bubbly, and by blood he had been inserted into her life, their relationship inevitably shaping a large part of who she turned out to be. No pressure. He thought of his own life, searching for any kind of experience he could think of. He thought of his mother, of how she would use her brilliance as a weapon. She made it very clear that she knew best and Erika, Alison and Cameron were perfect representations of the type of child Kelly wanted the others to believe she could raise. And for the first time he understood that. From wearing the crown of The White Court, he felt the pressure. He didn't know her well, but he felt them to be twin flames. And that meant they had a curiosity and a fear of missing out that was unparalleled. She would serve Hellfire eventually. It was better for her to have years of knowledge before hand. So Cameron decided to speak to his daughter in the way he would have wanted his own father to speak with him, if he hadn't been taken away from him so soon. But he also couldn't fight the flashes of his mother going through his mind.

"And you are my daughter. My princessa. And what kind of king would I be if I didn't keep my princess safe?"

[leaning in]

"And your madre is one tough chick. I've seen her take down men three times her size with a simple wink."

[pausing]

"I hope you understand. That you aren't mad at me? I should have come sooner. Can you forgive me?"

He didn't know if her joy was from the idea that he was actually staying tonight. Though her mother had made it clear, the happiness in Carolina's eyes and his own power told him that Carolina had decided in her mind that he was staying. Apparently, parenting started at Level 100 and increased by the second. And right now he was begging for Elena to maybe step in and either admonish him for telling Carolina that he was a King and she was a Princess, or temper the situation. The nervous pressure inside of him began to build. Was he trying to make it so that she had to be bad cop? It was just a realm he had no experience in, and it was equal parts terrifying and electric.

 

[Berserker]

The Catacombs

Alek zeroed in on the thing most exciting in Haleigh's statement: that she was jealous of Brienne.

Haleigh: "Only that she was getting your attention."

He grinned widely. It did not escape his notice that she didn't seem to mind when Cameron fucked other women.

"Hales, you always have my attention."

He mentioned jealousy, and what he had previously done to men who had made him jealous. She looked up at him when he said his current jealousy wasn't the violent type (though he would be more than happy to get violent over it) but instead, it leaned more to being baffled that anyone would mistreat Haleigh.

Haleigh: "What do you mean, mistreat?"

"Not appreciating what he has. If you were my wife, I would never look at another woman. I would never let you think I didn't care enough to be jealous when you were with another man. I would love your children because they were yours."

He couldn't keep her from dressing any longer, so he too pulled on his clothes, then walked hand in hand with her to the conference room. The other two were already there, but Steel was absent, as was the dog, thankfully. Though this concerned him more than them. Haleigh sat down, and he took a seat beside her. Ava jumped right in on Haleigh, as if she wasn't the one Cameron was trying to kill, clearly perturbed.

Ava: "Since you can't seem to be bothered to go back through the security feeds, let me fill you in on what actually happened. After Cameron wanted to speak with me privately in my office, he asked for my support in killing Alek."

Ava looked directly at him.

Ava: "I said no."

She narrowed her eyes at him, but he gave her a little bow in acknowledgement.

"I know it pained you."

Ava went on to say she encouraged Cameron to fight for Haleigh - like he'd ever fought for anything - and then gave some story about how this was affecting all of them. It wasn't, though, was it? Alek, Haleigh, the babies - that was who Cameron wanted dead, not Ava, not Ashley.

Ava: "It's a slap in my face that the first person you thought of trying to poison you was ME, Haleigh. I may be angry at you and Cameron right now, but I would NEVER try and kill you, let alone your children."

Despite everything, he did believe Ava. Though she had looked guilty as hell at the brunch, he didn't really think she would try to kill Haleigh. Him? Definitely. But not Haleigh.

Who, by the way, was giving as well as she'd got, recapping her night for Ava, which sounded a lot bleaker than it did in his own memory.

Haleigh: “So I hope you enjoyed your blissful night at Arklay, because I spent the whole time wide awake, thinking Alek and I would be attacked in our sleep, watching the cameras for any indication that the threat was immediate.”

Alek reached out and put a reassuring hand on hers. Then he had a passing thought about whether Haleigh was studying surveillance feeds while they were fucking, but quickly put it out of his mind. Things were getting heated, and Haleigh suddenly slapped the table hard.

Haleigh: “Damn it, Ava! For ONCE, will you stop bottling it up, and just say how you fucking feel so we can deal with it?!”

Ava: “I’m JEALOUS of you, Haleigh! Is that what you want to hear?! You’ve been given the chance to have two babies while I can’t entertain the idea of having even one! My blissful night? It was spent crying in John’s arms.”

Shit, THIS just became a Lifetime movie. Ava looked at him, like he'd said that out loud.

Ava: “There, bask in the glory of seeing the Black Queen crack.”

He held up his hands in surrender, not knowing what to say to that. Women and their hormones. Ashley stood up then to talk, which made him roll his eyes.

Ashley: “Now, Ava and I are in agreement that we will need to corner Cameron if and when he returns, asses his intentions, and talk him down if necessary. We should keep him away from direct contact with Haleigh and Alek until we know what he plans. That he was talking to Ava about killing Alek is troubling enough behavior, but hopefully it was just the heat of the moment. Which I’m sure someone with your temperament can appreciate.”

She looked at him, and he smirked back at her.

"My temperament is just fine, thank you."

She in particular used to like it very much, if he recalled correctly.

"But I can protect Haleigh - while you two discern whether he's going to try to kill everyone or just me."

Ashley was addressing Haleigh now, and what she was saying actually did surprise him.

Ashley: “I don’t have to tell you that any attempt on the Red King’s life must be treated by the Red Court as an act of war. Should we be unsuccessful at changing Cameron’s mind on that, you will have to choose war or your husband. I will have no choice.”

His eyes darted to Ashley, her unanticipated support raising his eyebrows. Protect Haleigh? Of course. Go to war against Cameron for him? He couldn't see what was in it for her to do that. Clearly, her advantage was to allow Cameron to kill him, and put the puppy dog on the throne. She must have some ulterior motive, but whatever it was, that bolstered his position greatly. Cameron against Alek, even with Haleigh's support, looked like a lover's quarrel. But with Ashley backing him, it made Cameron look to all eyes in the wrong.

Ava: "And I won't stand by and watch this club crumble down around us. If he goes after Alek, the Black Court will support the Red in neutralizing him as a threat."

That downright shocked him. His eyes went to Ava, wide with surprise. It took a second for him to speak.

"Thank you."

He looked at her a moment longer, before turning back to Haleigh, who was saying she understood. As dire as the situation seemed, if they could come out on the other side of it, he could get everything he ever wanted. On the one hand, Cameron would see that the deck was stacked against him, and might back off. On the other, that didn't give as good an opportunity to get Cameron out of Haleigh's life for good.

Haleigh: “I fucked up.... I just.... wanted to give him.... what he wished for.....”

He looked at Haleigh with concern, seeing how upset she was getting. For Haleigh, this was like another woman screaming and crying and being all over the place. Ashley was suddenly moving over to Haleigh's side, Ava already on the other. But she was looking at him.

Ashley: "Can you give us a minute?"

He was about to tell her hell no, but then she looked up at him not with anger or annoyance, but pleading.

Ashley: "Please, Alek."

He nodded then, putting a hand on Haleigh's shoulder and giving it a squeeze.

"I'll be right outside."

And then he stepped into the hallway.

 

[Valkyrie]

The Conference Room

Finally, Ava came out and told Haleigh why she was having such a hard time. Of course, Ashley had already known, but Haleigh needed to. This was difficult for Ava, and Haleigh needed to cut her some slack. She tried to get them to focus on the problems at hand, on the knowledge that Ava didn't try to kill Haleigh. But she also had to be straight with Haleigh: if Cameron came home looking to kill Alek, the Red Court would go to war, and Haleigh would have to choose her side.

Ava: "And I won't stand by and watch this club crumble down around us. If he goes after Alek, the Black Court will support the Red in neutralizing him as a threat."

Ashley nodded to Ava, a silent thank you for her support.

"Cameron could destroy everything we've worked for."

Haleigh: “I understand.”

She said hoarsely.

Haleigh: “I fucked up.... I just.... wanted to give him.... what he wished for.....”

"Oh fuck Cameron."

The way this was going, Ashley was going to punch Cameron in the face the next time she saw him for all this crap he'd pulled. But this was not a conversation to have with Alek sitting there gaping. She moved towards Haleigh, looking at him directly though.

"Can you give us a minute? Please, Alek."

For once in his stupid life he did the right thing, and agreed to step outside. Ashley knelt next to Haleigh, while Ava reassured her.

Ava: “Ashley and I will do everything in our power to talk some sense into him if he comes here looking for blood....we won’t let him hurt you or your children, Haleigh, I promise you that. I don’t want to see Cameron get killed any more than you do.....I will help him as best as I can, for you and your son.”

Ava had her hand on Haleigh's one arm, and Ashley put hers on the other.

"We're not here to take out Cameron, none of us wants that. He'll see reason, I know he will. But it has to be the three of us in this together, the queens. We run this Club, not the kings. Us. And we need to make sure everyone knows that. No one regent rules the others. Never again."

Ashley tried to find Haleigh's eyes.

"And those babies inside you, they are miracles. The three of us here, we all know that better than anyone. And even though there is pain in it, for us who can't have it."

She looked at Ava for a moment.

"We would not take this chance from you for the world. And we will make sure those babies are safe."

She reached out and brushed a lock of hair off of Haleigh's forehead.

"We all knew Cameron wanted an heir. Just because maybe now he's changed his mind - but more likely he's just being a dick - that doesn't mean you fucked up. HE fucked up. He threw his toys out of the boat like a selfish child. You made a huge sacrifice, took on unknown danger, for him. And if he can't see that? He doesn't deserve you."

She took a deep breath and exhaled it.

"There is one more thing we need to consider, though. We all know who Cameron's sister and mother are. There's always the chance that he is acting so erratically because he's...unhinged."

 

[Sparrow]

The Guest House

Elena had not wanted to spring Cameron's identity on Carolina before she had a chance to get comfortable with him, but she also didn't want his entire visit to go by without Carolina knowing he was her father. She had a right to enjoy what little time they had together, with no false pretenses. She sat Carolina down on the couch, and started out slowly, asking her if she remembered what she'd been told about her father, and then telling her that Cameron was her papa. Her reaction broke Elena's heart. She supposed she hadn't realized how much Carolina had been missing her father, but she clearly had been.

Cameron did fairly well, accepting Carolina's hug and her unconditional love, and praising the little girl.

Cameron: "I am sorry I have not seen you sooner. You're mommy is right. I am a very busy man. What I do is very dangerous. As long as you are here, with your madre, you are safe. But still, you deserve to know your father."

He could have told Carolina she hadn't told him about his daughter, blamed her. But he didn't.

Cameron: "I may be Senor King, but I really am a King. Of the place where I was born. It is in my duty to protect my kingdom at all costs, and I've forgotten that I am more than that...I am a father. And you are my daughter. My princessa. And what kind of king would I be if I didn't keep my princess safe?"

Cameron.

Luckily, she knew Carolina thought this was just a game, the way her grandfather sometimes called her his princess.

Cameron: "I hope you understand. That you aren't mad at me? I should have come sooner. Can you forgive me?"

Carolina's face scrunched up as she appeared to think about it for a moment.

Carolina: "Okay."

She said it matter of factly, in a way that made Elena smile. And a little jealous, of the ability to forgive so easily. And then Carolina was throwing her arms around the both of them at once.

Carolina: "I'm so happy! I love you mami, I love you papi."

She squeezed them both as hard as her little arms could, then she looked up at Cameron.

Carolina: "Are you going to come live with us here now?"

Her eyes were big and hopeful. Elena took her little hand between both of hers.

"No, mija. Your papa must go back to Nueva York. But he will visit you again."

Elena gave Cameron a look that seemed to drive the point home to him as well. Carolina looked disappointed, but soon brightened and jumped up.

Carolina: "Do you want to see my room, papa?"

 

[Black Widow]

Hellfire - The Catacombs

Alek was silently supportive, something much appreciated by Haleigh, who had the illustrious task of defending herself against Ava's cold and bitter resentment. Haleigh got frustrated and snapped at Ava to stop bottling things up and just say how she felt. And finally, Ava said what was really bothering her, jealousy. At first Haleigh was confused, because what could Ava be jealous of? Her marriage was clearly in shambles, her life was a state of possibly fatal chaos, and she was faced with the prospect of trying to raise her children in a storm of violence and hatred, with the only way to avert that being the elimination of one or both of the fathers of her children.

But then Ava revealed that it was the ability to have children that she envied, and at once Haleigh understood, and her hard stare softened. Ava snarled at Alek, and before Haleigh could respond, Ash stepped in. She was trying to smooth things over, and doing quite well, but it was when she stated the reality of the threat they were facing that all the air out left the room.

Cameron had left her with nothing in the way of a defense or explanation, and what he had communicated before his disappearance was serious and alarming. It was no longer a guess of what he might be intending. He wanted Alek dead, and there was a dark instinct in Haleigh's mind that told her if Alek fell, her daughter wouldn't survive him for long. Ashley calling it an act of war was not an over reaction. And how could she stand by a man who would do those things? She couldn't, and all she could say was that she understood their stance.

She admitted to having fucked up, and had only wanted to make Cameron happy, a motive that had gotten them all very deep into this mess. She was staring at her diamond ring through teary eyes, trying not to cry as she spun the ring around on her finger.

Ash: Oh fuck Cameron.

Haleigh looked up in surprise, as Ash asked Alek to give them a moment to talk privately. He agreed, and gave Haleigh's shoulder a squeeze, and she nodded silently to him as he left. Ava wasn't so angry anymore, instead she was trying to reassure Haleigh that she would do her best to talk Cameron out of whatever retaliation he had planned, and that she wasn't going to let him hurt her, or the twins. She also added that she didn't want to see Cameron dead, and would try to help him.

"Thanks,"

Haleigh coughed out, though she was afraid it wouldn't be enough. Ashley knelt beside her, and agreed that they didn't want to take Cameron out, that she was sure he'd see reason. But Haleigh's mouth twisted into a pained grimace, because she'd tried to reason with him already, after the Red Hunt, and he would have none of it. Ashley went on to say that they had to be in this together, the three Queens, that they ran the club, not the Kings, and that no one ruled alone atop the others. Haleigh nodded in agreement, taking a deep breath and trying to pull herself together, when Ash caught her gaze and held it.

Ash: And those babies inside you, they are miracles. The three of us here, we all know that better than anyone. And even though there is pain in it, for us who can't have it. We would not take this chance from you for the world. And we will make sure those babies are safe.

"That's a relief..."

She managed to say, truthfully. Ashley brushed her hair back a bit, and went on to remind Haleigh that it was no secret Cameron wanted an heir, and that just because he was throwing a fit about the situation, didn't mean Haleigh fucked up. Haleigh gave her a wan smile. Ash was being particularly generous. Haleigh knew she bore a great deal of the responsibility for this predicament they were in, although she couldn't argue with the assertion that Cameron had taken an unexpected turn of events and made it totally FUBAR.

Ash: You made a huge sacrifice, took on unknown danger, for him. And if he can't see that? He doesn't deserve you.

Haleigh gave Ashley a meaningful look.

"I hope you aren't expecting me to debate that particular point."

She replied with a hint of humor.

Ash: There is one more thing we need to consider, though. We all know who Cameron's sister and mother are. There's always the chance that he is acting so erratically because he's...unhinged.

Haleigh sighed heavily.

"Let's hope not, because if that's the case we may have to kill him, and we shouldn't allow the other two to survive either, but a battle like that will no doubt result in casualties on both sides."

 

[Persephone]

Ava's expression was grim and hard as she kept her eyes focused away from everyone as Ashley stood up and took the reigns of the meeting. However once Ashley stated that any act Cameron made against Alek was an act of war against the Red Court, that was when Ava finally chimed in and agreed that the Black Court would back the Red in these circumstances. Cameron was one of her oldest friends, but she wouldn't allow him to ruin everything they ALL fought and built together. Ava couldn't help but catch Alek's look of surprise from the corner of her eye, making her glance over at him. He looked utterly astonished that she would want to protect him.

Alek: "Thank you."

Their eyes stayed locked for a long moment before she finally gave him a small nod. Alek didn't deserve to die because of Cameron's jealous. Alek DID deserve to die if he continued to abuse and treat his Queen like shit. But luckily for him, he was starting to take a step back from Ashley, his mind obviously more focused on the child Haleigh was carrying. Then Haleigh spoke, saying she was sorry, and that all she wanted was to give Cameron what he wanted. Ava's eyes shifted to the White Queen, seeing her looking down at her hands on the verge of tears. Ava's hardened expression finally softened a bit as Ashley asked Alek to give them all a moment. Wisely, he left. Ava promised Haleigh that her and Ashley would do everything in their power to protect her and her children, and despite not knowing Cameron's state of mind, that Ava personally would try and talk some sense into him. As angry as she was with both Cameron and Haleigh, she didn't want to see either of them die over jealousy and pride. Ashley backed Ava's comments, saying no one wanted to see Cameron die, but that he and everyone else needed to realize that the Queen's ruled Hellfire and that they would not stand by and let one regent try and rule over everyone else. Ava nodded in silent agreement as her hand remained on Haleigh's arm comfortingly, watching as Ashley dipped her head to try and catch Haleigh's eye.

Ashley: "And those babies inside you, they are miracles. The three of us here, we all know that better than anyone. And even though there is pain in it, for us who can't have it."

Ashley's eyes lifted to meet with Ava's, but Ava blinked her line of sight downward, not wanting to dwell any further on that situation. She had already embarrassed herself enough admitting it to Haleigh, let alone with Alek present.

Ashley: "We would not take this chance from you for the world. And we will make sure those babies are safe."

Haleigh: "That's a relief..."

"They won't ever grow up the way we did."

Ava finally stated grimly, knowing Cameron could either come back hurt yet in a calmer mind set after gathering his thoughts, or furious and plotting murder. Either way, it was a situation Ava and Ashley would deal with in order to make Haleigh's children safe. As angry and resentful as Ava was in the moment, she wouldn't allow Haleigh's babies to be hurt or abused the way they were as children by their own parents. Unfortunately, Cameron was falling under the 'their own parents' category right now. She just hoped he was fucking away his anger and came back with a clearer mind so this whole fucking situation could end.

Ash: You made a huge sacrifice, took on unknown danger, for him. And if he can't see that? He doesn't deserve you.

Haleigh: "I hope you aren't expecting me to debate that particular point."

Haleigh made a little joke despite the grim situation, and Ava knew that she would be okay. Retracting her hand back, Ava sat back in her seat and folded her arms across her chest.

Ash: There is one more thing we need to consider, though. We all know who Cameron's sister and mother are. There's always the chance that he is acting so erratically because he's...unhinged.

Ava shook her head at the thought.

Haleigh: "Let's hope not, because if that's the case we may have to kill him, and we shouldn't allow the other two to survive either, but a battle like that will no doubt result in casualties on both sides."

"I'll personally drag Kelly to hell myself. Lets see her twitch her nose out of that scenario."

Ava growled under her breath. While she didn't like the idea of Cameron completely unhinging like his sister and mother, the thought of finally giving Kelly what she deserved was far too sweet a concept for Ava to ignore. Ava didn't really have much more to say in words of comfort to Haleigh because Ashley had done a pretty fucking amazing job at soothing her. So she went on to tactics.

"John is debriefing the Black Court and Guard as we speak. The second Cameron steps foot within these walls i'll be notified. And if he comes in here on the offense, i'll use my forces to keep him at bay until Ashley and I can intervene."

The thought of her court or men dying because of Cameron left a pit in her stomach. But it needed to be done.

"John will come directly to you and personally stand by your side while we [Ashley] deal with Cameron. He's [John] been an advocate in protecting you since day one, and won't let anything happen to you or your babies."

Ava's throat became a little dryer at the thought of being in a battle separate from John, but Alek needed back up if for whatever reason Ava and Ashley didn't succeed in stopping Cameron right off the bat.

 

[Valkyrie]

The Queen's Conference Room

It was an incredibly rare moment of vulnerability from Haleigh. It was easy - especially for the men in her life - to forget that Haleigh did have feelings of her own, that she wasn't a machine. It was at times like these that Ashley felt her age. Haleigh was really so very young, and despite her other half that was even older than Ashley, in reality so was Ava. But they were both strong despite their youth, and the closest friends she had had since she had been human. At a time like this, it was Ashley's duty to be their strength. To soothe their worries. And to make sure they knew that kings or no, they ruled this club, they would survive this. She told Haleigh that if Cameron didn't recognize the sacrifice she had made for him, that he didn't deserve her.

Haleigh: "I hope you aren't expecting me to debate that particular point."

The characteristic humor made Ashley's mouth turn up into a smile.

"Alas, no time for that threesome."

She winked, but then became serious again, putting forth the idea that Cameron might have suffered a mental break, considering his family history. Which was a whole different problem.

Haleigh: "Let's hope not, because if that's the case we may have to kill him, and we shouldn't allow the other two to survive either, but a battle like that will no doubt result in casualties on both sides."

"Unfortunately, we won't know until we talk to him."

Ava: "I'll personally drag Kelly to hell myself. Lets see her twitch her nose out of that scenario."

"If that ever happens, please make sure it's being recorded. I'll want to watch it at least a thousand times."

Ava had returned to her seat, so Ashley did now as well, the three looking at each other over the table.

Ava: "John is debriefing the Black Court and Guard as we speak. The second Cameron steps foot within these walls i'll be notified. And if he comes in here on the offense, i'll use my forces to keep him at bay until Ashley and I can intervene. John will come directly to you and personally stand by your side while we [Ashley] deal with Cameron. He's [John] been an advocate in protecting you since day one, and won't let anything happen to you or your babies."

Ashley nodded, then looked to Haleigh.

"Right now you have two guards on you, but in an emergency the others will immediately fall out to your location. That will give Alek and John some backup."

Ashley's mind wandered to the hallway, where Alek and Siphon were probably shamelessly hitting on Chimera. Fortunately, that was one girl who wouldn't take bullshit, not even from her king. Ashley smiled a little bit at the thought of that tail smacking Alek's face.

"The Red Guard can form a line in the sand between the Black forces and Haleigh. Unless we send some or all of them to contain the White Wing, Erika in particular. Zach should be briefed and tasked with keeping emotions there level in that case."

AJ, of course, would back her and Ava up, not that Ava needed it - but he wouldn't be sent away, she knew that.

Ashley shook her head then.

"I hope that these preparations are all for nothing, that Cameron has got his head right while he's been away, but prepared is better than not."

She knew this was weighing on Haleigh, but also, that the White Queen would do what needed to be done.

 

[Black Widow]

Hellfire - The Catacombs

It was getting dark, this situation. The whole weekend had be a roller-coaster of experiences and emotions, even for Haleigh, who was used to being composed. Ashley broached the subject of the ultimate consequences, should Cameron refused to be dissuaded. And though these concerns where not brand new to her, hearing them discussed out loud was too much to bear. She had been backed into a corner.

Luckily, she had friends who were willing to help. Unfortunately, if they helped her it would likely not end well for Cameron. She found the prospects deeply distressing, but there was nothing she could do, except prepare for the worst, and agree that she didn't want a war. Haleigh joked that she wouldn't argue with Ash, relieving a little bit of stress with humor.

Ash: Alas, no time for that threesome.

"The true tragedy here, am I right?"

She deadpanned, feeling a bit better, despite them moving on to talk about the possibility that Cameron had succumbed to the King family madness. If that was the case, they'd really have no chance in saving him from himself. Ashley noted that they wouldn't know until they talked to him. Haleigh's mouth tightened a bit.

"We may not be certain, even then. Erika can seem very lucid, occasionally. Kelly is a very high-functioning sociopath."

She replied grimly, and Ava volunteered to drag Kelly down to hell herself. Haleigh gave a small smile, as Ash expressed a desire to have that recorded so she could watch it on repeat. Then Ava and Ashley decided on a serious game plan. For once, Haleigh did not offer any suggestions to adjust their tactics. Mainly because they had a very solid strategy, but also because it was still difficult for her to plot against Cameron. If he came for her, her children, or Alek, she would not hesitate to act in defense. But something about planning offense against him hurt to think about. She did nod, however, when Ashley suggest Zach be briefed and tasked with keeping the White Court calm.

Ash: I hope that these preparations are all for nothing, that Cameron has got his head right while he's been away, but prepared is better than not.

"Indeed."

Haleigh stood slowly from the table.

"I haven't been back to the White Wing since Cameron left. I should probably do that now, so I can check on the atmosphere, and tell Zach what we need him to do. I'll sound the alarms, if Cameron surprises us. Unfortunately I think we've done all we can at this point, and it's a waiting game now. We might as well carry on like normal, until he returns."

She said, and then she turned to leave, but she stopped, and looked back.

"Ava.... I'm sorry... is there anything I can do to help? I'll surrogate for you.... Ash, I'd offer you the same, but I dunno about carrying a litter of puppies. Maybe if I get a threesome out of it..."