24:00- Phoebus
Series: Hunter's Path
Pairing: James/Claudia
Word Count: 936
24hour_themes prompt: Writer's Choice: [The Sun: Fresh hope and renewal, healing of old wounds, renewal of faith and hope.]
Chapters: Master List
Infitialis | Latere | Abeo | Obsidis | Videlicet | Praesidium | Transitus | Mutatio | Umbra | Terminare | Constantia | Autus | Salvus | Gubernatio | Spero | Animus | Consensio | Discrimen | Consilium | Veritas | Phoebus | Fortuna | Sensus | Victoria
This had to be the longest Council meeting he had ever heard of. Not that he had heard of all that many, not having a seat on it himself, but the few times they had met that he was aware of, the meeting's had barely gone an hour or two tops. Not a single time had one of them gone past midnight.
Of course, none of them had matter quite so much as this one. Neither he nor Claudia were allowed in there, much the same as the other Enforcers. John had actually given up a Council seat to join. Why that had happened, why the one precipitated the other, he still wasn't too sure, but it did mean that they only had two definite voices on the Council: Gypsy and Christian. Antony could sometimes be on to come down on their side, but that was mostly only when it was matters concerning Gypsy. The rest of the Council was anyone's best guess.
Honestly, if this went on much longer, Claudia might go mad. Hell, he might go mad watching her go mad.
Two topics were in front of the Council tonight: what to do with two more defectors from the Order of Saint Joan and, of a bit more concern to him, what to do with Claudia now that she had changed. It was selfish of him, he was sure, but he hoped it was the former issue that was taking so long to decide on and not the latter.
All the same, he had informed John and Sara that if they voted that Claudia, as a different kind of vampire, could no longer remain here, then they should be prepared for him to leave as well. There was no chance -- no chance in hell -- that he was leaving his girlfriend alone, especially not when the guy who had tried to kill her (and had briefly succeeded in doing so) was still unaccounted for.
Girlfriend... Now there was a description that was woefully lacking. It sounded like they were a pair of love-struck teenagers holding hands and trying not to get caught by their parents. No other words immediately came to mind for their relationship, though. For the last two weeks, they had slept together in a hotel room while she recovered from her injuries. She had even apparently slipped into his room at some point during the day yesterday, since he had woken up with her in bed next to him. They had yet to have sex yet, however, though something told him it would be as explosive as every other part of their relationship was.
Maybe it would better if they voluntarily moved out and saved the Council voting one or both of them out. Granted, they wouldn't be as effective so far from the Camp, but it might prove easier for the pains-in-his-ass members of the Council to handle. Not that they were particularly liked him with Claudia anyway, with him being of a pure-blooded lineage and hers being questionable at best, to say nothing of the fact that he had yet to turn; several members of the Council had made those facts abundantly clear to him since they started this relationship, not that he gave half a damn.
Well, if they thought they could get him to break this off, they were dead wrong. Not a fat chance in hell.
There was something strangely... relieving about that thought. Come what may, no matter what the Council threw their way, there was no way he was losing her. It just wasn't going to happen. They'd been through enough already to prove that. No old fogies, many of whom were mired in traditions best left in the past, were going to change that. Yes, somehow that oddly made him feel better.
Finally, she ceased her pacing and collapsed down on the bend close beside him. "Do they always go so long?" she complained. It was actually a bit amazing to hear her say anything like that. It still wasn't all that often that she'd give voice to thoughts like that. In its own way, it too was a heartening realization.
"Not usually," he had to honestly reply.
"We're so screwed blue."
He found himself blinking once hard in surprise. Now that had been an interesting turn of a phrase. The look of sheer miserable worry on her face had him biting down on the automatic sarcastic rejoinder he almost stated and instead slipping an arm around her shoulders and pulling her closer to his side. "Try not to worry so much about it." It was a lame attempt at advice, though, since he too was nearly sick with concern.
She shot him a confused look and shot back, "Who are you, and what have you done with my Jamey?"
"Cute," he returned automatically. "I try to be nice for once, and you--"
Of all the things she could have done, leaning over to kiss him thoroughly but briefly -- all too briefly -- here in the main hall where anyone could see was so far down on the list that it wasn't even on it anymore. If he had to hazard a guess, he'd say she had just kissed him stupid.
What she said when she leaned back, her fingers still in his hair, however, was of little surprise. "Jamey? Shut up."
He couldn't help it: he laughed, pulling her back into his arms. That felt a bit closer to... right. No matter what else might happen, it was going to be all right.
Of that, he was now certain.
Pairing: James/Claudia
Word Count: 936
24hour_themes prompt: Writer's Choice: [The Sun: Fresh hope and renewal, healing of old wounds, renewal of faith and hope.]
Chapters: Master List
Infitialis | Latere | Abeo | Obsidis | Videlicet | Praesidium | Transitus | Mutatio | Umbra | Terminare | Constantia | Autus | Salvus | Gubernatio | Spero | Animus | Consensio | Discrimen | Consilium | Veritas | Phoebus | Fortuna | Sensus | Victoria
This had to be the longest Council meeting he had ever heard of. Not that he had heard of all that many, not having a seat on it himself, but the few times they had met that he was aware of, the meeting's had barely gone an hour or two tops. Not a single time had one of them gone past midnight.
Of course, none of them had matter quite so much as this one. Neither he nor Claudia were allowed in there, much the same as the other Enforcers. John had actually given up a Council seat to join. Why that had happened, why the one precipitated the other, he still wasn't too sure, but it did mean that they only had two definite voices on the Council: Gypsy and Christian. Antony could sometimes be on to come down on their side, but that was mostly only when it was matters concerning Gypsy. The rest of the Council was anyone's best guess.
Honestly, if this went on much longer, Claudia might go mad. Hell, he might go mad watching her go mad.
Two topics were in front of the Council tonight: what to do with two more defectors from the Order of Saint Joan and, of a bit more concern to him, what to do with Claudia now that she had changed. It was selfish of him, he was sure, but he hoped it was the former issue that was taking so long to decide on and not the latter.
All the same, he had informed John and Sara that if they voted that Claudia, as a different kind of vampire, could no longer remain here, then they should be prepared for him to leave as well. There was no chance -- no chance in hell -- that he was leaving his girlfriend alone, especially not when the guy who had tried to kill her (and had briefly succeeded in doing so) was still unaccounted for.
Girlfriend... Now there was a description that was woefully lacking. It sounded like they were a pair of love-struck teenagers holding hands and trying not to get caught by their parents. No other words immediately came to mind for their relationship, though. For the last two weeks, they had slept together in a hotel room while she recovered from her injuries. She had even apparently slipped into his room at some point during the day yesterday, since he had woken up with her in bed next to him. They had yet to have sex yet, however, though something told him it would be as explosive as every other part of their relationship was.
Maybe it would better if they voluntarily moved out and saved the Council voting one or both of them out. Granted, they wouldn't be as effective so far from the Camp, but it might prove easier for the pains-in-his-ass members of the Council to handle. Not that they were particularly liked him with Claudia anyway, with him being of a pure-blooded lineage and hers being questionable at best, to say nothing of the fact that he had yet to turn; several members of the Council had made those facts abundantly clear to him since they started this relationship, not that he gave half a damn.
Well, if they thought they could get him to break this off, they were dead wrong. Not a fat chance in hell.
There was something strangely... relieving about that thought. Come what may, no matter what the Council threw their way, there was no way he was losing her. It just wasn't going to happen. They'd been through enough already to prove that. No old fogies, many of whom were mired in traditions best left in the past, were going to change that. Yes, somehow that oddly made him feel better.
Finally, she ceased her pacing and collapsed down on the bend close beside him. "Do they always go so long?" she complained. It was actually a bit amazing to hear her say anything like that. It still wasn't all that often that she'd give voice to thoughts like that. In its own way, it too was a heartening realization.
"Not usually," he had to honestly reply.
"We're so screwed blue."
He found himself blinking once hard in surprise. Now that had been an interesting turn of a phrase. The look of sheer miserable worry on her face had him biting down on the automatic sarcastic rejoinder he almost stated and instead slipping an arm around her shoulders and pulling her closer to his side. "Try not to worry so much about it." It was a lame attempt at advice, though, since he too was nearly sick with concern.
She shot him a confused look and shot back, "Who are you, and what have you done with my Jamey?"
"Cute," he returned automatically. "I try to be nice for once, and you--"
Of all the things she could have done, leaning over to kiss him thoroughly but briefly -- all too briefly -- here in the main hall where anyone could see was so far down on the list that it wasn't even on it anymore. If he had to hazard a guess, he'd say she had just kissed him stupid.
What she said when she leaned back, her fingers still in his hair, however, was of little surprise. "Jamey? Shut up."
He couldn't help it: he laughed, pulling her back into his arms. That felt a bit closer to... right. No matter what else might happen, it was going to be all right.
Of that, he was now certain.