Tell Me a Story...

"I think autumn next. Don't you?"Â?

She did like things to be done in order. And since they'd started with summer, well fall was next.

As Pak refused to acknowledge the name change her home had adopted she snorted and shook her head.

"Unless you were there after 1939 it was still Siam."Â?

She did frown a bit at that suggestion. Pak missed her home. But it was, complicated. The only reason she ever would have gone back was to find out what happened to her children. Since she knew that now it was harder to justify going home. Although, certainly no one in this day in age would remember her, it was hard to forget she'd spent at least a century selling herself in that city. On the other hand, it was home. She would like to see how it had changed. It had been a long time, most of her haunts probably didn't even exist any longer.

Her smile was a little muddled sort of twisted up with her history and hr own wants and fears. But she didn't say no out right. That was growth. Wasn't it?

"We'll talk. There might even be one or two things there I can show you."Â?

Odds were good the red light district was right where she'd left it.

To distract herself Pak did explore the box just a little, but was very careful t put everything back in the exact order she found it.

After a moment or two she settled back onto the couch.

That was the question of the evening.

"It is your story, it should be your decision. But it was a very good disappearing act."Â?

Pak didn't want to upset him further or force him into to telling a story he didn't want to. But it had bothered her that he'd just vanished, with out a word. In short, she didn't have a good answer.

He smiled, again pleased that she enjoyed the wine. But, he was even more amused watching her meticulously place each jar back in its place in the box. Apparently, she knew him quite well. He would have waited until she had left, and then would have put them back in the right order. She saved him the trouble.

"You are welcome to any of the wines in the wine cabinet, there in the kitchen. Well, except for the 1730. A 280 year old wine requires a special occasion."

Artemis being Artemis, his cabinet naturally had two sections. One was for room temperature wines, and the other for chilled wines. She could easily find something to suit her mood. Which, sadly, might change if he completed his story. The wine was there, if she needed or wanted it.

"Some of this, I was going to tell you before. But someone had to bring up the possibility of having children before we had even really kissed."

Artemis winked, to let her know that he was just teasing. It had been something that was on her mind and troubling her. His own feelings on the topic aside, he was glad he could be there for her and listen. The situation worked itself out in a completely different way. And, perhaps it was for the best. The question was, what was he going to do about their current situation. He could leave the story as it was. Let her think that maybe that was the most traumatic thing in his long history. But it wasn't. Pak had said it herself. He had disappeared without a word. She was clever enough to know that the slaughter of a few Visigoths 1600 years ago would not be enough to warrant his leaving without a word, or staying gone so long. He owed it to Pak to explain. No matter how painful it was.

"I guess we will continue"

Artemis leaned back and draped one arm over the back of the sofa. It was his instinct to lean forward with his elbows on his knees, the thinkers position. But, he was trying very hard not to retreat too far within himself. This story was not a lite and happy one, but he would give it his best effort not to make it too uncomfortable for her. He had already done that once tonight.

"As I said, when Alfarinn went looking for his comrades, he found me. For some reason, that only he can explain, he decided not to kill me. He helped me pull myself together enough to go home. Before I could return to my vineyard, I had to stop in Rome and tell them what had happened. I was hailed as hero."

The expression on Artemis's face made it clear that he didn't think he was a hero, nor did he care much for the accolade. He took a long sip of his wine, while he though of the best way to tell the next part. Telling your sometimes maybe girlfriend about how loyal and wonderful you deceased wife was might get a little awkward if not told correctly.

"When I returned home, I was still very much broken. I couldn't face the people in my life. But especially not Cyrene. I spent a lot of time out in the shed making and fixing things. If not there, I would take any job around the village where something needed to be fixed or built. I had earned the reputation of being able to fix or make anything."

Artemis realized the irony of what he had just said. Giving Pak a halfhearted smile, he shrugged.

"Not too much has changed there, huh?"

It took some effort to make Pak feel young, she was a couple of centuries old after all. But he'd managed. She shook her head at the very idea. He was hording wine that was older than she was.

"That can be fixed you know."Â?

She teased him a bit. As odd as Pak could be about relationships, she had some good reasons for being squirly about them too, she wasn't uninterested or unwilling. Just a little confused, and of course his disappearance had just confused her more. Well at the time confused was not the right word. But obviously she was still interested or she wouldn't be here and certainly wouldn't be willing to hear him out.

Pak actually took it as a positive that he decided to go on. It must mean something that he was willing to share this with her. She didn't retreat to her earlier corner, but instead curled up next to him.

"I'm glad he did."Â?

Pak said quietly.

Yeah, she could see where it would be uncomfortable to take credit, praise even, for something you'd not meant to do, that injured you so badly.

Apparently even then some form of post traumatic stress disorder had existed. But undoubtedly no one knew what to do about it. Hell from what she'd ready the only half knew what to do about it now. Pak found herself rather sympathetic towards his wife. It had to have hurt her to have him avoid her.

A half smile flitted across her face.

"Some people have gifts."Â?

Artemis smiled as she commented on his gifts, but it wasn't one that he completely felt. They were getting to the part of the story that he had been dreading, and avoiding, for most of the night. When he had told his tale to Kem, he had been drunk, angry, and confused. But, this time was different. As he sat there absently playing with Pak's hair, he was neither drunk or angry. And, he was not nearly as confused as he had been. Somehow, that made the telling of this story more difficult. Pak's response, her understanding meant a lot to him. He just didn't know if he had the right words to convey that.

"My wife was very understanding. She waited patiently, until the day that I finally came to her. I broke down and told her everything that had happened. I promised I would be a better man. We began to rebuild our lives together."

Artemis did tell Pak all of it. He couldn't tell her that he had sat weeping, his face buried in Cyrene's lap, for hours. Weeping for the lives lost and the ones that he took. If Pak were watching his face, she probably saw it there. But he didn't tell her. He couldn't.

"About this time word that a new nobleman had moved into the area began to spread. My reputation as and inventor caught the man's attention. Unknown to me at the time, so had Cyrene's singing."

Artemis lost himself in the memories for a moment. The sound of Cyrene's voice, and the song she used to sing to him.

Se tu mi dai l'amore? Quando finalmente stare con me...

Pulling himself back to the present, he realized he had actually begun to sing. He abruptly stopped. His voice wasn't bad, but he was not one of the great tenors either. Beyond that, he had promised himself that he wouldn't let the emotions get to him again tonight. He was sure every vampire who had lived long enough had some memories that were stronger and harder to let go of than others. These were his. He had wrapped so much of his life's purpose into what he hoped would be the final outcome, that the emotions were almost as strong now as they were then.

"The nobleman invited me to his home and made an offer. He would give me all the money I could need to build and expand my vineyard. The only thing he wanted in return was for me to invent an instrument that would allow him to play the most beautiful music ever heard."

Artemis finished his glass of wine and poured himself another one. He finished that one too. He took a deep breath, knowing that this would be hard. But, what else could he do? He had started this story. Rather than say that he was sent on an important mission for the clan, he decided to tell the whole painful story behind it. Sometimes, he felt that his intelligence was debatable. There was really no choice now but to see it to the conclusion.

"I foolishly told the man that it was impossible to invent a machine to give a man talent that he didn't already posses. The nobleman was angry, but I was allowed to leave in peace. Not long after, I left to sell my wine in the neighboring villages. When I returned, I found my wife had been....had been raped and murdered."

Artemis choked on the last of those words, barely able to complete them. He had always felt guilty that his own brutal honesty had gotten his wife tortured and killed.

That officially made her a better woman than Pak. She had all the subtly of a bull in a china shop most days. Sometime, mostly with Kem, she understood things without being told but more often than not she simply demanded answers.

Apparently it had been an even harder story to tell at the time. Afraid anything she might say would only hurt rather than help she just sat quietly. Part of her was still hoping for a happy ending but the larger, wiser part of her, knew that wasn't coming.

When he started singing Pak smiled softly. It must be a very bitter sweet memory, one she didn't dare intrude on. Not even to ask what they lyrics were.

Her apprehension grew as she watched Artemis finish two glasses of wine in very quick succession. But she didn't rush him.

How did you ignore that? Get over it? It wasn't possible. Honestly she couldn't even comprehend coming home to something like that. She didn't move away though, she didn't think she could. No, she might know exactly what to do or how to respond but Pak wasn't about to abandon him after he'd told her something like that.

"I'm sorry."Â?

She said very softly.

He nodded at her condolences. It had been a difficult story to tell, and no doubt a difficult one to listen to. Which is why so few people knew it. Sad thing was, it wasn't completely finished. Not quite. Artemis more or less studied the weave of the carpet for a long moment. How do you tell your girlfriend that she had met your wife's killer? Oh sure, I have had a vendetta against him for 1600 years. Just because I want him dead, doesn't mean he isn't completely harmless. Only one thing to do really....Stall.

Artemis sat quietly for another moment before explaining what happened next and how he came to be what he was.

"The only thing on my mind at that point was murder." The bloody rip your limbs offs one by one type, but Artemis kindly left that part out. "When I reached the nobleman's land, I burned everything in my path."

He smiled wryly as he stared into the bottom of his now empty glass. A quick glance told him that the bottle was also empty. "Autumn, right?" Artemis considered getting up and getting another bottle of wine. Instead, he opened his hand and let his glass drift gently to the table.

"I never actually made it to the nobleman. Morrigan stopped me before I got there. She knew, among other things, that I would never avenge my wife as I was. You see, the man who killed her was a vampire"

Pak was almost afraid to move. It just... it... Oh hell she was confused. And she'd only been listening to the story. And the fact that this all apparently tied into his disappearance worried her. Maybe a lot. Maybe she should go back to being the dateless wonder who never left the towers, it might be safer.

Deciding that the wasn't a mood that any one should hold on to she did shift positions subtly and drained about half the wine left in her glass.

For all she'd turned and run from her ... well from her maker, from her husband, her children she could understand his reaction. Maybe if she'd been less of a coward she would have done the same.

She'd been listening so intently the 'autumn' reference took a second to get. Pak started a bit and shook her head.

"I think we might want to save that one for another night."Â?

It seemed a shame to waste what was very probably an excellent wine on such a somber mood. If Artemis had been any one else she might have said something about two buck chuck, but... well sometimes her humor wasn't completely understood. Besides, this seemed to call for hard alcohol.

Oh this could not possibly be good. How did all these demons survive?

"He's still alive isn't he?"Â?

And unlike her odd truce and tentative relationship with Bao there wasn't going to be any forgiveness here.

There is that point, when live or relive a nightmare, that you want to hide in the arms of someone who cares about you. To have them tell you that it will all be OK. That hope that you will wake up an realize that is was just a bad dream. Artemis wanted that now. He wanted to hold Pak and pretend it was like one of their first dates, when they had pretended to samurai move. But, he couldn't do that. He still had things that needed to be said.

Artemis nodded in response to her question. Unwrapping himself from where Pak was settled against him, he stood up. He was about to leave the room, but stopped after a few steps. Turning, he returned to Pak and kissed her on the cheek. "I will be right back." After a few minutes, he returned with a blanket. Artemis placed the folded green blanket between her and the cat that was now sleeping peacefully with his teddy bear.

"Yes, he is still alive. In fact, you met him. At the Creation Ball."

Artemis waited a moment to see if the memory would register.

"His name is Sorin. Though you might also know of him by his other name. Nero."

He certainly didn't want to scare her. But, before he could explain where he was and why said nothing, he needed her to know. He needed her to understand just how close she had been to this monster and just how crazy he was.

(ooc: I wanted to put something in about Castle cause you told me not to give anything away. But it is hard to find a place for "So you want to play with my altitude chamber?" in the current conversation.)

It took some effort not to stand up and follow him. Pak was a bit edgy right now, not for herself but for Artemis. She counted primes. If he wasn't back by seventy one she was going after him. Since he was back by thirty seven. That didn't stop her from worrying, just from following him.

She frowned, the ball had been a long time ago. Although it did remind her she still had Artemis' cloak. Pak did remember that the the atmosphere had been very charged at one point, charged hell it had been scary. She'd not understood why at the time, she did now.

"Shit."Â?

Well... when he made friends he made friends. What she knew was there were far too many monsters running around.

Pak was a little bit nervous knowing all this, but it was manageable. She had enough presence of mind to lean forward and grab his hand, half supporting him and half encouraging him to sit back down. To her mind his standing was him holding himself apart. And she wasn't going to let him. Nope, she was involved now, not deeply but she was. If he didn't sit back down she was standing up after him.

She still wondered how all this tired in, but reminded herself that patience was a good thing.

The gentle pressure of her hand caught his attention. Refusing to let go, he waved his other hand over the glasses and bottle on the table. Slowly, the items began to float in the air. He had had this ability long enough that such theatrics were not really necessary. However, given his current state of mind, a little extra concentration wasn't a bad thing. With another wave of his hand, Artemis sent he objects toward the kitchen. This was one of the few times that he didn't have the urge to clean right away. The glasses would keep until later.

Now that everything was cleared away, Artemis sat down on the coffee table in front of Pak. Fortunately it was sturdy, because he didn't give it a single thought. Looking at the blanket that he placed beside her, he was no longer sure why he had brought it. It just seemed like something she might want. He took Pak's other hand, so that he held them both while he thought of what he wanted to say.

"I am sorry. I don't want to worry or frighten you. There are things that have happened, that required further investigation. I am sorry, I can not tell you the full details until Alfarinn returns. The truth is, I may not know all of them."

He lightly brushed her cheek with the backs of his curved fingers. Artemis took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He couldn't tell her all of the reason why, but he could tell her where and what. Knowing Pak, that would satisfy her for long, but it was all he could offer for now. And, it was the least he could do.

"I was in Italy. Alfarinn asked me to return to Italy to investigate the known hideouts that Sorin had used in the past. With property in Italy, and of course being Italian, it is easier for me to travel there and around the countryside without raising the suspicion of the locals or the other clans"

He knew that wasn't going to make her happy. He had just spent the evening telling her how dreadful Sorin was, and how much he wanted him dead. He held her hands and braced for the fireworks. She was entitled to those too.

If he hadn't been holding both her hand's Pak would have been up and pacing. As it was she squeezed her yes shut and without realizing it started muttering under her breath in Siamese. It was a nice healthy mix of talking to herself, her children, and just plain profanity. She really was trying not to fly off the handle.

Part of it was she just didn't have a lot of room to talk. Not with the whole mess with Bao. But she'd had back up, lots of it and people knew where the hell she was. It was different. Well maybe not too different she had tried to wander off alone but had been basically told that wasn't going to be happening.

She tried not to lose it but wound up snapping.

"God damned it. Just god damned son of a bitch."Â?

Pak bit her lip and took a deep breath forcing herself to calm down. She didn't let go of his hands though. She just held on tighter.

"OK... OK.... We can work with that. I'm not going to say it seems terribly smart or that I'm thrilled but it is workable. Even understandable on a few levels."Â?

The rest was harder to manage. Pak had a hard time keeping her emotions in check they tended to swing very wild, especially when she was stressed or upset. Right now she was hanging on by her fingernails. She really couldn't quite express what it had felt like when he'd just sort of vanished. Far too many people had done that in her life and none for happy reasons.

Frowning for a second she tried to articulate at least some of it. Not that she was terribly successful, but she tried. She did manage to stay calm though.

"Maybe... next time a post it on my office door? Just asking me to feed the cat?"Â?

It would seem that Pak was full of surprises. He watched quietly as she fought to control her emotions. The fireworks that he had been expecting, didn't occur. Mutterings, and what was most likely swearing in a language that he didn't understand, appeared to be the worst that was going to happen. Still, he had to suppress the urge to look behind him for the floating objects that could be waiting for a sneak attack.

The request for a post-it note on her door made him smile. Artemis thought of how he would respond if the situation were reversed. A post-it note would not be enough to keep him at bay.

"If I had told you, what would you have done? Try to lock me in my lab? Fold yourself up and hide in my luggage? He murdered my wife Pak. I just couldn't bring myself to....I didn't think offering my girlfriend as a sacrifice to the lord of debauchery was a good idea."

Artemis let out an exasperated sigh. He was frustrated with himself and no one else. He had said it. Girlfriend. All of the feelings he had been holding inside, about her and his past, he had let them all out and dumped them on her in a single night. He felt terrible about that, but they had both known that tonight might be a difficult conversation. Bringing her small hands to his lips, he kissed them gently. Standing, he pulled her into his arms. He wanted to soften the blow, to ease some of he worry that he had caused.

"Please don't worry. Remember, I was a soldier before I became a vampire. And, I may not look it, but I am actually kind of old. I can take care of myself." And you, was the thought that he wanted to say but didn't. "Besides, I think Alfarinn knew that regardless of my feelings about the past, this time would be different. This time I had someone to come home to."

Artemis held Pak for a moment or two longer. He cared a lot for her, but he also had his duty to the clan. There had been a constant tug o war between the two, even before his return to Nachton. His emotions were in turmoil. Artemis hoped that she could understand that and find a way to forgive him. He leaned back a bit so that he could look at her. As he brushed a few strands of hair from her eyes, he thought the worst might be over. The only question was where did they go from here.

"I want you to know that you have nothing to be afraid of. Not while you are in Nachton. Still, things being what they are, we will have to be careful for a bit. As a clan, we can't afford to appear weakened or that something has happened to Alfarinn. Not right now. Jin knows that I have come back. He, and others who track clan relations, will be watching. Waiting to see what the dynamic between Kem and I will be."

And, that dynamic would be key in maintaining things until Alfarinn was able to return. Artemis didn't know why Alfarinn didn't mention his mission or the events leading to it to Kem. Though he was certain that he had his reasons. Most likely he didn't expect to be gone so long himself or that the archivist would be asked to take charge. Still, as a friend, they might have said something. Artemis would not discuss the details of his findings until Alfarinn returned or Christian deemed it necessary for security. But, he could offer Kem a show of support. Lord knows, he certainly didn't want the job. He had enough trouble with the techs and scientist in his own department. The clan dignitaries would most likely receive gifts of flesh eating nanobots.

Artemis let his mind run through the various aspects of their current situation. Years ago, he had created a secure channel for Alfarinn through MARI. It had strict access limitations, giving Alfarinn total control over who could use it. Artemis had used it while he was in Italy to submit his findings to Alfarinn securely. Perhaps he should send another report to him, letting him know that Jin was in Nachton. Smiling at the mischievous programmer in his arm, he knew he shouldn't mention this secret channel to her. If she had not found it already, if she knew it existed she would certainly go looking to see where he hid it. Still. MARI knew that the information transmitted over the secure channel was top secret for Alfarinn's eyes only. MARI would never divulge the information passed over the channel, but she did log who accessed it.

"I will always do everything I can to make you feel safe. But if I am ever gone again, just talk to MARI. She may not be able to tell you everything, but she can tell you if I have checked in."

"I fit in carry on bags! And baseball bats are more effective than locks."Â?

She'd learned that from Aishe. Pak had yet to put that lesson to practical application but it seemed like it should work. Although she wasn't sure if one was to use an aluminum or a wooden bat.

She would have said more or possibly made a quip about having already been exposed to more debauchery than he could possibly imagine but he went and used the 'g' word. Pak's eyebrows shot up. Great she was back to being confused. This was going to take days for her to sort out. She sighed and shook her head.

"I will remember that if you remember that leaving without saying anything is not a good way to show some one you care."Â?

It was said in a firm no-nonsense tone, but not as angry as she probably ought to be.

Pak was getting ready to explain that she was tougher than she looked and that she was learning to slay dragons, or at least face them down, she wasn't good at it yet, but she was getting better, when Artemis brought Kem into things.

Pak sat bolt upright and in rather typical Pak fashion chose to bristle on behalf of her friend more so than anything else. Kem was more than a friend, he was a brother (actually he was her uncle but that was another story) and she adored him. There wasn't anything she'd not do for him.

"You be nice to him. Kem's taken very good care of everything and I don't know how he's dealt with half of what he has."Â?

Werewolves, various members of the disappearing, that trip to Egypt for Aishe's family not to mention her tantrums, break downs, irrational insecurities and jealousy. No, if anything or anyone gave him a hard time they'd lose an eye, or limb, possibly both. Honestly, she didn't know what she'd do without him.

Of course, that statement also made her wonder about Alfarinn. It almost sounded like he wasn't coming back, which just was another worry. Pak was getting tired of collecting worries and starting to wonder if vampires could get ulcers. But one thing at a time.

Again one eyebrow rose. MARI was keeping secrets was she? Pak was going to have words with the program later. She frowned at the idea that he was already possibly planning on disappearing again, but well... everyone had a job to do. Hers just mostly required her staying in one place was all.

"Oh she'll tell me alright. If she values her chess program she'll tell me."Â?

Artemis looked at her for a moment with a slightly bemused expression. He was beginning to wonder just how much of the 'Sorin is a sick crazy bastard' part of his story she had actually listened to. Granted, the image of her going after Sorin's kneecaps with a baseball bat was an amusing one. Delightful imagery aside, there is no way he would ever let her come along. He knew it, and he was fairly certain she did too. Against an ancient, that baseball bat wasn't going to help much.

"I will promise to do my best. There may be times when I can't tell you everything beforehand. And I am certainly not about to put you at risk."

His tone was equally as firm. Artemis shook his head slightly. He had hoped that Pak would have been a bit more understanding. He had done the best he could with the situation he was in. At least he cared enough that her safety mattered to him. This relationship was going to take work on both their parts. Give and take on both sides. They needed to find a way where he could do his job without causing her too much worry. But, she would also have to understand that he sometimes had a job to do that she might not like.

At first, he had thought that he had scared her a bit when he had explained about Sorin and his mission. He wanted her to feel safe. That was why he had said what he did about being safe in Nachton. Naturally his thought had moved on to the other clans in the city. It was only logical for the clans to keep an eye on one another. It was Pak's response to his assessment that surprised him. Being snapped at was not what he expected. He considered her for a moment, before unwrapping his arms from around her and going to lean against the wall by the window.

Artemis wasn't sure what to make of what seemed like an overly emotional response to his logical assessment of the clan's situation. Perhaps it was his mathematical mind. Or, maybe it was because he had spent the evening pouring out his soul, but he was starting to see triangles where there shouldn't be triangles. He hadn't said anything negative about Kem, but she had jumped to his defense rather quickly. Was there something between them? Now he was confused. Just moments before, she had been very supportive as he worked through his demons. He was beginning to wonder if he had misinterpreted her feelings for him. In which case, the note on the door might be a bit moot.

His normal response would be to cross his arms in front of him while he thought this trough. However, not wanting to appear too confrontational, he simply placed his hands in his pockets as he continued to lean against the wall. While still calm and polite, his tone and expression were definitely more reserved than before.

"I think you misunderstand. I have no intentions of causing Kem trouble. Quite the contrary in fact. My statement was simply an observation based on experience dealing with the clans. If Kem has made it known that he is acting as Elder in Nachton while Alfarinn is away, the other clans will be watching for any signs of weakness."

Artemis let that sink in for a moment before continuing.

"I am guessing that Kem and I are around the same age, give or take a year or two. There are those, both inside and outside the clan, who know of both my position as Director of Research and Development and my close friendship with Alfarinn. They will be waiting to see what effect my return has on Kem and his 'authority'. While I have no fear of responsibility, I personally don't want the job. Though my connections, inside the clan as well as outside it, might prove useful to him."

Taking a deep breath, he let it out slowly. Honestly, how could she think he would do anything to Kem or jeopardize the clan? Artemis decided that the emotions of the night were making him more defensive than usual. He made a mental note to get with Kem at some point and offer his assistance if the other man needed it. His thoughts had returned to the possible relationship between Kem and Pak when the comment she made about MARI came back to him.

"Yes, she is probably keeping a few secrets. She is doing what she is programmed to do. I wouldn't bother her too much though. Even a beautiful AI programmer could get in trouble when Alfarinn returns if she has been poking around where she shouldn't"

Pak swore under her breath at herself, well maybe a bit at him too. There was a reason she hadn't been in a relationship since the 1800s. She sucked at them. She had this fantastic tendency to either be misunderstood or snap first and ask questions later, or both. Both was always fun.

Reminding herself that Artemis had been gone a while and didn't know what Kem had been dealing, and probably had no idea just how close she and Kem had become and that this probably meant they had drifted into misunderstanding territory. So, she didn't snap again. Instead she counted to ten, unfolded herself and followed him to the window. She couldn't quite bring herself to apologize, she didn't think she was wrong defending her friend, but she could stand by him instead of run away (which was Plan B).

"Scouts honor I've got no intention of going out looking for trouble."Â?

It seemed to find her just fin on its own.

"Or stirring anything up, well not anything like that any way. The biggest battles I intend to pick involve software and budgets... and possibly that idiot intern. I work best behind the lines and I know it."Â?

She tried to reassure him. Really, Pak was just as happy being something of a non-entity to both the other clans and the werewolves. Very few people came looking for the programmer. Except in War Games, good movie even if it was dated.

"And I'm sure you two can sort things out. I worry about him though, a lot. He is the best friend I've ever had."Â?

Friend really wasn't a strong enough word, but it was the one she had.

Mind if Artemis and Kem got in an argument of any kind... she was locking herself in her apartment and not coming out until it was settled. She would -not- take sides.

Pak just stood there, quietly waiting for Artemis to make up his mind about where he stood, hell, where they stood with all of this.

She was a bit miffed about the MARI thing. No one let her have any fun. Kem wouldn't let her hack Stafford Artemis didn't want digging around to see what the AI knew. But that was the least of her worries right now and opted to let that one sit on the back burner. Maybe even the back, back burner.

"It'll all work out."Â?

Eventually. It wasn't like they didn't have time.

"Well, I am glad you aren't going to look for trouble."

Artemis allowed himself a half smile, but he didn't move from his spot against the wall right away. He wasn't entirely sure what he felt at the moment. He had enjoyed Pak's company a couple of times since his return and had thought they were moving closer to the way things used to be. But now, Kem had entered into the picture and he wasn't sure what to make of it. Pak had said Kem was a friend, but that reaction had been pretty much over the top. Leaving him to wonder how close of a friend Kem was. And what about Aishe? She had seemed so happy that day in the cafe. Artemis pinched the bridge of his nose. He really didn't want to think about how many friends Kem had made while he was gone.

Looking up, he realized that she was more or less waiting for a response from him. She had at least followed him to his perch against the wall. Maybe that meant something. Still, he didn't want to turn a triangle into some other polygon. Until he heard more from her, he would keep things a bit more reserved. With a sigh, Artemis reached over and pulled Pak to the wall to stand next to him and took her hand in his.

"I don't know how things are between you and Kem. And I might be a bit jealous. But I am guessing you have a story or two to tell me as well."

"And some day you'll figure out how big a promise that is."Â?

OK, that was oddly cute. Why would any one be jealous of Kem. You simply didn't think about your brother in those terms.

Pak sighed, thoroughly confused and having no idea at all where to go with this. So, she stopped thinking, she acted. Maybe not her best idea ever, but she could sulk about it in the morning and if she had to move back to Siam well she had to move back. Although China was doing well in terms of developing technology maybe she could get a job there.

She walked away from him, grabbed the coffee table and drug it back to where Artemis was standing and climbed up on it.

Why the hell was everyone so tall?!

She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. No more of this dancing around each other or trying to be polite. They were going to either sink or swim either this worked or it didn't but they were never going to know if they didn't try. But damned it if he could say the G word she could move things along.

After a long slow less than subtle kiss, Pak kept her forehead rested on his and kept her arms where they were.

"Kem is my -brother- Aishe is my sister. I don't foresee any need for jealousy at all. I might get more than bit defensive when they are involved and I won't give them up but you aren't competing at all."Â?

It was rather forward for her, but that kiss had been too, so what did it matter. Pak was fairly certain she was prepared to be rejected, not positive but at least she was mostly ready. Still she snuggled against Artemis.

Right now, at this very moment, she wasn't worried about telling her own story. It would take some time to go into all of it.

Wow. One minute he has resigned himself to the 'just friends' territory, and the next he finds he has his arms full o' Pak. Taken by surprise, he was kind of like a school bot with his first kiss - unsure what to do with his hands. Recovering quickly, Artemis wrapped his arms around Pak pulling her closer to him, allowing himself to be completely and thoroughly kissed. Having her snuggled up against him felt nice, and he was in no hurry to move. He had heard what she had said about Kem, but he wasn't particularly concerned with the other man at the moment.

"I am not sure which surprised more, the kiss or the fact that you are standing on my furniture."

Artemis chuckled as he held her back from him a little ways. It was kind of funny. Giving her a playful tap on the tip of her nose first, he placed a hand on either saide of her head. This was followed by a rather lengthy kiss of his own. It was not the most passionate that he could give. There were no fire alarms. It was somewhere between 'sweet and gentle' and 'whoa!'. Still, he hoped it go the message across.

After the kiss, he bent slightly and quite literally swept her off her feet. Reaching out with his mind, he moved the table back where it belonged. The dishes could stay in the sink for a bit, but that table was going to bother him. Holding Pak in his arms, he took a seat on the sofa. Pak was able to lean against him, as she sat on his lap. Artemis would have normally adjusted positions enough so that they could both stretch out on the sofa and be comfortable. But, there was a cat in the way.

[You know you are making things a bit difficult.]

[*yawn*]

[Are you sure you wouldn't be more comfortable in your bed?]

[*purrr*]

Artemis shook his head and smiled. To Pak he said, "Sometimes I get the distinct impression that he is laughing at me."

How people who couldn't talk to cats the way he did dated, He would never know. Now that he had made them more comfortable, he wasn't sure where to take things from here. He could ask her how things had been for her while he was gone. Or he could simply put in a movie that they most likely wouldn't see much of. For the moment though, he was content to sit quietly and enjoy things as they were. This evening hadn't turned out at all like he had been expecting, but that was OK. He had gotten to explain his past like he had wanted to earlier. And, he had finally felt comfortable enough to kiss her. Which was also something he had wanted to do for awhile. And the best part was, because she had taken off her shoes, he had gotten all of that without scratches on his coffee table. Life was grand.

"One is more unusual than the other."Â?

Pak agreed. But given that she'd been standing on one of the table in the Qwerty not that long ago, she'd let Artemis draw his own conclusions.

He hadn't pulled away and he had kissed her back. Those were both good things. It meant they were at least reading the same book, probably in the same chapter and might even know what page the other was on. That was good. That was very good. In fact it would be safe to say she was happy.

After their dancing at the cemetery Pak had gotten used to being picked up like a rag doll. This time, though, she felt a bit less like a possible weapon and happily nestled into his arms, giggling a little when he put the coffee table away.

She threw things when she got mad and he put things away out of reflex. It was unique, but no one said unique was bad.

The one thing she'd learned from her cat was that moving him against is will brought consequences, so she didn't even think about moving Pascal. She did cock her head at him and tried to determine what his motives were, and gave up.

"That, is because he is."Â?

She said with some certainty.

They'd made some progress tonight. Eventually she'd catch him up on her own... circumstances but now as not a good time for it. The evening had definitely started to move in a different direction.

With Pak sitting on his lap, her head resting on his shoulder, the rest of the evening went by peacefully. They talked idly about nothing of real importance. The majority of the evening had been emotionally charged. Most of which was his own doing. Still, they had come out of it in a better place. At least in his mind anyway.

Somewhere along the line, the conversation had drifted into a comfortable silence. As Artemis played absently with her hair, he glanced out the window. The sky was getting lighter, the sun would be up soon. With a sigh, he stood up and carried her to the door before setting her on her feet. He was reluctant to let her go, but it was too early in their rekindled relationship to ask her to stay.

"It is getting late. Or early, depending on your perspective. And we both have our share of interns to deal with tomorrow."

And with that, he gave her a rather long kiss goodnight.

(ooc: Artemis and Pak out. Please lock.)