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Gina Renaud | Mercedes Mondego ([info]justonefish) wrote in [info]bellumlogs,
@ 2010-07-21 10:58:00

Previous Entry  Add to memories!  Tell a Friend!  Next Entry
Entry tags:count of monte cristo, fernand mondego, mercedes mondego

Who: LXG! (Lucas, Xavier, and Gina)
What: Dinner
Where: D2
When: Wednesday at 6
Warnings: Xavier's thoughts will most likely be more violent than 300, both Kill Bill movies, and Natural Born Killers smashed together.


Gina had been having an odd day. The night before, she had woken up in confusion after a dream that she still couldn't figure out. Edward was, of course, dead. She knew that. She had come to accept it. Despite the fact that she hadn't seen him for ten years prior, it had still been so hard to come to terms with the fact that he was truly dead. At the hospital, she had been a zombie. She went through the motions and did her job, but there was little heart in it. Though she considered telling Lucas a few times simply to get it out of her head, she didn't dare. After all, he always got so resentful whenever she mentioned Edward.

Luckily, they were going to have dinner with Xavier that night. It was a welcome distraction from the thoughts in her head, and it was nice to be able to put all her focus into something positive. By the time six o'clock had rolled around, the table was set with three places and several plates of food. Oven-baked chicken with a teriyaki glaze seemed like a good way to go, along with boiled potatoes, a veg medley, and oven-warmed bread. Pleased with the spread, Gina ducked into the bathroom to touch up her hair as she heard a knock at the door.

"Lucas!" she called, standing in front of the mirror and fussing with an obnoxious cowlick. "Lucas, honey, can you get the door?"


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[info]whatbefell
2010-07-21 06:39 pm UTC (link)
He flinched at the hand at the pat on the shoulder, something he couldn't quite hide. Though both seemed quite distracted - Xavier managed a weak smile for Gina. He didn't trust himself to shake her hand either, not after what she might know. He peered at her though, looking for signs of circles under her eyes or any uneasiness to Lucas. Would she have believed him?

She hadn't in the dream yet...Xavier shook his head despite himself. "You've both done a fine job," he said, attempting to cover it. He had to look away as Lucas kissed her, moving to the dining room. "It smells great too though."

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[info]justonefish
2010-07-21 06:45 pm UTC (link)
Gina was great at compensating, so when her insides jumped as Lucas wrapped an arm around her shoulders, she seemed perfectly fine. There was a slight edge in her eyes as he kissed her forehead, but it melted into practiced social acceptability soon enough. "Oh, you," she said with a wrinkled nose. "Stop buttering me up in front of our guest." Her tone was light and playful, just like the gentle swat she gave his hand. "I'm sure he doesn't want to hear that."

As they all walked to the dining room, she smiled. "I hope it's alright. You like chicken, right? Everybody likes chicken, it seems."

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[info]charmed_lies
2010-07-21 06:49 pm UTC (link)
A fine host, Lucas moved to pull the chair out for Gina to allow her to sit before taking his own seat, smiling over to the other two as he smoothed his napkin over his lap. "It's going to be delicious, Gina. Stop worrying. You're a wonderful cook."

One of the dishes was taken up and he served himself before passing it around the table. Once everyone had what they wished, Lucas gave them a grin, placing his napkin back on the table. "If you two would excuse me for a moment. I tucked something away that I'd like to bring out tonight. It'll take me a moment to grab it so please... don't be shy on account of my absence!" Another smile and he excused himself from the table, disappearing into his office moments later.

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[info]whatbefell
2010-07-21 06:58 pm UTC (link)
Something bitter entered Xavier's eyes as Gina returned the affection. He missed the look in her eyes and he merely took his seat. Maybe she hadn't been in the dream then. He swallowed a sigh, taking hte dishes and passing them around. "Chicken is good."

An eyebrow went up as Lucas left. He exchanged glances with Gina before asking, "Do you have any idea what that was about?" Fuck. He'd been Xavier at the start of the dream - had Lucas figured out? Was he going for the police? Xavier's hands twitched as they gripped the arm rests of his chair. Fuck, fuck, fuck, he couldn't do this, he couldn't- He looked up asking despite himself, "Is this about those dreams he complained about?"

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[info]justonefish
2010-07-21 07:04 pm UTC (link)
As they sat down, she quietly thanked Lucas for helping her to her seat. She had already poured some wine - red - in three glasses, and took a sip of hers as Lucas sat and abruptly stood again. Her face was written with confusion, and she watched him for a moment. "Okay," she said, unable to say anything else. What was he doing?

As he left, she resisted the urge to sigh for Xavier's sake. At his questions, she shook her head. "No, I honestly have no idea." As he asked about dreams, a flash of fear ran through her face. She looked to the seat where Lucas had sat, and she subconsciously shifted a very slight way to her side, away from the chair. "It might? I'm not sure, I'm sorry to say." Forcing a smile on her face, she looked to Xavier. "I'm sure it's something good."

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[info]whatbefell
2010-07-21 07:24 pm UTC (link)
Her smile didn't help him at all and Xavier twisted uncomfortably in his chair. Everything was falling apart - fucking everything, just because he couldn't restrain himself in a dream. He should never have gone and done what he had, years of planning were down the drain because of this.

"Sure," he said, though he didn't think so. He watched her expression, replaying it again his head. Dreams. Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck if he could get away with it, he'd grab Lucas and force him to the ground with a knife to his throat, explaining exactly what he had done to him before killing him. But the police would surely notice and everyone here would suspect...not to mention the problem with Gina... Xavier reached for his glass of wtaer, gulping it down. "How have you been?" he managed.

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[info]justonefish
2010-07-21 07:30 pm UTC (link)
For a moment, his "sure" sent her into a small daze. "Sure" was what she always said when she was lying. "Sure" was her safety word, though it wasn't safe at all because people could clearly figure it out. However, it gave her a moment to stare off, temporarily stunned into thinking about that dream again. It had felt so real, so vivid. And how the hell had her brain come up with Lucas framing Edward for murder?

At his question, she blinked, shaking her head just slightly. "Oh, me? Busy," she said with a smile. "Lots of sick people to take care of, unfortunately. What about you? How has business been?"

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[info]whatbefell
2010-07-21 07:38 pm UTC (link)
Xavier didn't know what he'd done that threw her off, but it was far down on his list of priorities. He took another gulp of water, trying desperately to calm down and regain his composure as she returned to normal.

"It's been fine," he said, grimacing. "Nothing new aside coming up with these finalizations for Lucas..."

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[info]justonefish
2010-07-21 07:50 pm UTC (link)
"Oh?" she asked, raising a brow. "And what kind of finalizations are those?" she asked innocently, sipping her water. She really wanted to know what was going on with his business. He hid everything from her. It was frustrating, and added on top of her dream the previous night, she really just wanted to go outside and scream. But she'd be good. She'd play nice.

She was good at that, if nothing else.

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[info]whatbefell
2010-07-21 08:17 pm UTC (link)
He couldn't imagine what was going through her mind and simply shook his head. Describing was no big deal - it was all a ruse anyway. He never planned on fully following up on his plans. That was part of his plans for the long-run - to fully destroy Lucas. "Figuring out the terms for funding," he said simply.

Xavier took his fork and knife, beginning to cut up his chicken. The pieces ended up infinitely small and none entered his mouth, but it was a way to channel some of his anger and panic. "The best plan for us - getting it to him as soon as possible to fund that new idea of his as well as the best return for myself. Two way street, you know?"

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[info]justonefish
2010-07-21 08:24 pm UTC (link)
"Oh," she said simply in response. She wasn't even sure what they were funding. Lucas' business? But what was his business doing now? She was completely in the dark, and despite herself, her hand tightened around her fork as she speared a piece of potato. She needed to calm down, lest she say something she regretted.

"Yes, that makes perfect sense," she said. She wanted to smile just to be polite, but couldn't bring herself to. So instead she just gave Xavier a polite nod. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to ask so many questions. I just don't know too much about what you two are doing, and I hate feeling like I'm completely out of the loop."

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[info]whatbefell
2010-07-21 08:33 pm UTC (link)
He gave her a faint smile, beginning to cut up the vegetables in the same microscopic pieces. "It's fine. I'm just helping with things. You must know about his business trouble and the financial issues - bankruptcy is something we all want to avoid." He gave a small smile, honest for once. No intent on causing issues here.

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[info]justonefish
2010-07-21 08:40 pm UTC (link)
Financial issues? He was verging on bankruptcy? Though she was a skilled compensator, even Gina couldn't hide the shock on her face as she heard the news. Her eyes grew wide, jaw dropping, and for a moment she just stared at Xavier in complete surprise.

Her heart began to race. She had no idea that they were in trouble. Why hadn't he told her? Her, his wife? If she knew, she could have helped. She could have taken longer shifts, and started using a smaller budget. She'd have told her sisters to stop mooching, weaned her family off of Lucas' money.

Oh Christ they were in trouble.

Taking a sharp breath, she looked down at her plate, attempting to cover up. "Yes, well," she started, unable to look up from her dinner. "We're very lucky that we have you, Xavier." She could barely think. Her head was fuzzy. She was confused and scared and hurt and angry all at once, and she had half a mind to go find Lucas and ask him what the hell was going on. But she would wait. She'd contain it. She had to.

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[info]charmed_lies
2010-07-21 10:15 pm UTC (link)
Ignorant of the two's conversation in the dining room, Lucas had retired to his office, making a beeline towards one of the shelving units and pulling open the cupboard doors. Even though Gina had saw to their wine for the evening, there was a bottle that he wanted to pull out, one of the bottles tucked away from their honeymoon to France. A bottle of white wine from Marseille, one that the region was known for. Despite the dreams that had left him more than a little unsettled, Lucas believed that sharing a bottle of this with his wife and business partner could perhaps cement a relationship just as solid as the one he had created with his wife alone.

He was just coming into the kitchen when he heard Xavier speak of 'financial issues' and 'bankruptcy', and the smile that had been in place on his face abruptly hardened into something much colder. "Xavier. I thought we agreed not to talk business over dinner," Lucas said, his tone somewhat warning as he took his seat beside Gina, putting the bottle of white on the table beside him.

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[info]whatbefell
2010-07-21 10:32 pm UTC (link)
It took a moment for Xavier to realize what had happened - Gina's jaw drop and quick recovery were enough. She hadn't known? How the hell hadn't she known? Lucas' finances were an utter disaster - how had he kept it from her? How was she oblivious to it? Xavier could see how this would be useful, barely, but he was still shaken up from Lucas' 'surprise'.

He had nodded when Lucas came in, cold and sending a chill up his spine. Xavier managed a tight smile, barely controlling the spur of fear. He was doomed it was over and- "I didn't remember that. Just filling Gina in on matters." He let his eyes fall on the bottle of wine - the surprise? - instead.

And his heart literally stopped.

Edmond Dantès, Fernand Mondego, and Mercédès Herrera had all grown up in Marseille. If Xavier was right about the fables, then this was a meeting of the three - all they needed was Albert Mondego to make things perfect. His hands shook as he looked to the wine, then up to Lucas in a voice as cold as ice. "Is this meant to be a joke?"

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[info]justonefish
2010-07-21 10:38 pm UTC (link)
When Lucas returned, Gina had to exercise all the restraint she had in her body to keep from throwing him to the table and kicking him until he was black and blue. What the hell was he doing hiding financial problems from his wife? The person he should trust? The person he could ruin if he kept her in the dark?

Her hands trembled just slightly as he presented the wine, but she held them still and put on a false smile for the occasion. "Oh, that's so nice. And it's okay, honey, it wasn't anything in-depth." But it would be later.

However, everything stopped when Xavier spoke. Glancing to him, Gina blinked, eyes wide. "What do you mean, Xavier?" she asked. What could he mean? A joke? How was any of this funny?

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[info]charmed_lies
2010-07-21 10:45 pm UTC (link)
He wasn't blind to the way Gina's hands shook, or even the falsity of her smile; Lucas had his reasons for keeping her in the dark and he liked to call it 'protecting' her. What good was it to drag out their financial distress and worry her to death when he would, eventually, find a way to make it better? And he would find a way to make it better, one way or another. But then Xavier had to go and open his mouth, and all those good feelings of having someone over to share a meal with had gone up like smoke.

"I try not to worry her with business issues, Xavier," Lucas said, his tone pleasant but carrying a sharp, icy edge. "Especially when so much is up in the air right now. So many possibilities. I didn't want to say anything until we knew something for sure." His smile was tight, his eyes sharp, and he glanced to the bottle of wine that Xavier seemed so fixated on.

"And I wasn't intending to be funny when I brought this out," Lucas said, the ice melting from his tone just slightly. "I bought this when Gina and I honeymooned in France. Near Marseille, if you're familiar with it. It was the start of a good union between her and I, and I thought by sharing this between the three of us, it would bless a good partnership for all of us." Lucas took hold of the bottle, spinning it so he could look at the label.

"Nope. Nothing funny at all about it. Do you find white wine amusing or something, Xavier? Is that one of your endless quirks?" His words had gone sharp again, even a little manic at the ends.

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[info]whatbefell
2010-07-21 10:59 pm UTC (link)
"You honeymooned in Marseille," Xavier repeated. It was all he could do to shut his mouth and not let loose hysteric laughter. It really was his worst nightmare wrapped with irony. Here was Lucas standing over him with power once more - Gina across - as he was at the point of breakage. It couldn't be a coincidence - it couldn't have. He shook his head, pushing his chair back. He didn't stand but he couldn't breathe properly.

"Just one of yours," he muttered, before glancing up to Gina at the opposite end of the table. The look on her face made pins and needles go up his arms - he glanced at Lucas, fear showing before looking at the wine. "It's fitting for our partnership, I suppose. What with everything and-"

He was talking out loud. Fuck. Xavier shut his eyes, taking a deep breath. He couldn't lose it now, he couldn't snatch that bottle from Lucas' hand and smash it over his head. Everything would fall apart. He couldn't have it - no.

"Pour it out then," he said at last, voice forced. He pulled his chair back in, pushing his glass towards him. "Maybe it'll help me remember to not tell your wife about state of business. Terrible isn't it?" A laugh did escape him then, come and gone too quick to be thought manic.

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[info]justonefish
2010-07-21 11:06 pm UTC (link)
The harshness in Lucas' voice made the hair at the nape of Gina's neck stand on end. Though she had been kept in the dark this long, she wasn't entirely stupid. She knew people, and she knew when something was wrong. It was obvious that something was eating Xavier, and though she wasn't sure what, she felt that same worry and fear when she looked at him.

When he cut himself off mid-sentence, Gina shot Lucas a look. Don't push it, Lucas, she thought. Whatever he was going to say, whatever he hid, was hidden for a reason. The tension in the room was thick enough to smother, and Gina wanted nothing more than to ease it.

As Xavier pushed his chair back in to the table, Gina looked coolly to Lucas. "Yes, it is," she agreed with Xavier. "But it can be fixed." Her tone was soothing and even, not dismissive of the tension but not recognizing it either. "Lucas, why don't you pour our wine and then take a seat?"

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[info]charmed_lies
2010-07-21 11:17 pm UTC (link)
It was as though a dark cloud had settled over the table, partially originating from Lucas as he stared at Xavier, visibly twitching at the laugh that was barked out. His hand curled tightly around the bottle, and he looked about to say something, to prod him along on that path that ought not to be traveled, when Gina's voice broke through the tension.

Lucas didn't say anything, leaving him to keep hold of his tongue as he did what she asked. Glasses were fetched, fresh wine glasses for the white, and after popping the cork, a glass was poured for each of them. A wine stopper was placed in the neck of the bottle and Lucas sat back down, still studiously quiet as he poured his attention into the dinner in front of him. If he spoke now, Gina would likely become quite upset.

And there was no telling what Ed-

Lucas looked up quickly at that, memories of that dream flitting back, hitting him like a brick to the face. He stared at Xavier, the colour washing from his face, silent and still for several beats of his rapidly working heart. He did not just equate Xavier with that man from his past, the one who was long dead and forgotten.

No. Not forgotten. Lucas would never forget even if his memories were not tinged in guilt. There was no forgetting what he had accomplished, after all. That first sweet, perfect victory.

He let out a breath, eyebrows raising for a moment and then he visibly relaxed, expression smoothing out. "Xavier? Would you pass me the bread?" Lucas asked in an amiable voice, gesturing to the basket that sat closer to the other man.

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[info]whatbefell
2010-07-21 11:24 pm UTC (link)
Xavier took the break to focus on breathing. Iris had told him to focus on that years ago - focus on breathing and make sure that oxygen got into his whole body. He took his wine with a nod, not drinking but focussing on his inhaling and exhaling. A few minutes had him at least thinking sanely again - clinging to his control and illusions.

He looked up to see the tail end of Lucas' reaction, breath held as he stared at him. No. It was something else. That wasn't- And Lucas was relaxing again so it was fine. Xavier nodded, passing the bread gingerly. He didn't say anything, not trusting himself too.

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[info]justonefish
2010-07-21 11:29 pm UTC (link)
Well thank Christ for that. The tension was by no means gone, but at least they had both shut up. When Xavier passed the bread along, Gina placed a piece of chicken in her mouth and chewed delicately. Honestly, she wanted to just send Xavier home and throw Lucas on the couch for the night. There was this horrible itching in her skull the more she looked at him, and it was almost too much to bear. Edward was dead, she was sure of it - but could he have been right in her dream? Could Lucas have been the one to do it all? Maybe it was her subconscious telling her something she had sort of known all along.

Taking a sip of her wine, she glanced between them both. "I hope that the chicken isn't too dry," she said. "I think it was left in for a few minutes too long."

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[info]charmed_lies
2010-07-21 11:40 pm UTC (link)
"It's fine, Gina. You really need to stop worrying about it." He said this without looking towards her, and the fondness that was usually present while talking to his wife was completely absent. Instead, Lucas continued to focus on his meal, taking a piece of bread from the basket was it was passed to him, settling the basket back on the table a moment later.

A few moments passed with them eating (or pretending to eat) before Lucas broke the silence once more. "So. Xavier. Have you ever been to France?"

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[info]whatbefell
2010-07-22 12:06 am UTC (link)
Xavier looked up, barely hiding a glare at Lucas for being so callous to her. For God's sake, if he had to take her - couldn't he treat her nicely? "It's excellent, Gina. Perfectly moist." He didn't know and didn't care as he still hadn't eaten anything, but he'd say anything to appease her.

He picked at his chicken, taking a bite - it was a tad dry, but again, he didn't care. Lucas' question surprised him and immediately he thought it was a trap. "I've never left England before coming to the States," he lied. "I've always wanted to go though."

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[info]justonefish
2010-07-22 12:10 am UTC (link)
Lucas' reply silenced her, and her gaze fell to her plate without another word. She offered Xavier a small smile at his comment, simply nodding.

At Lucas' question, she glanced to Xavier, taking a sip of her white wine. At least that was excellent. She glanced to Xavier, smiling very faintly. "It's quite nice," she said. "I would recommend it. The countryside, though. Paris is a bit much for me."

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[info]charmed_lies
2010-07-22 12:15 am UTC (link)
"The small port cities were always my favourite. Our visit there felt like I was coming home." He lifted his glass of wine and took a small sip, setting the glass down carefully and turning back to his meal.

Lucas could feel the way his heart quickened, an uncomfortable, tense feeling settling through him. There was no way that Xavier could be Edward; they looked and sounded nothing alike. And if they had been... Gina would have noticed. She would have said something, wouldn't she?

He gave a sidelong glance towards her wife, catching that faint smile that she gave Xavier, and his hand tightened around the handle of his knife for a small moment. Perhaps they had already talked. They already knew something and they were hiding it from him. It would explain the tension, the little looks they threw one another.

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[info]whatbefell
2010-07-22 12:21 am UTC (link)
He nearly laughed again as they said what they'd liked. Of course Xavier had been to France - had purposefully avoided Marseille and Paris, instead visiting Bordeaux and Nice. It made sense with the fables - far too much sense. He swallowed the laughter down, along with a gulp of the very good wine. "I'll have to visit sometime."

Something unsettled him with the silence and the looks Lucas was giving. His hand gripped his fork more tightly as he ate more of the slightly-dry chicken. Change of subject such as- "How are those dreams treating you?" He winced as he immediately asked it. Fucking moronic.

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[info]justonefish
2010-07-22 12:25 am UTC (link)
"You should," Gina said softly. "It's a great trip to make."

Swallowing a lump of potato, she instantly felt it stick in her throat. Coughing, she covered her mouth with a hand until she forced it down, looking about sheepishly. "Excuse me," she said. Dreams. They didn't need to talk about dreams. She could still feel Edward behind her, whispering in her ear as he showed her the cell where he died. She remembered the look on his face when he proclaimed Lucas a monster, and the harried panic that had consumed the dream's end.

Saying nothing on the matter, she merely took another sip of wine. This was going worse than the time her father had tried to feed her youngest sister, at age seven, whiskey.

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[info]charmed_lies
2010-07-22 12:33 am UTC (link)
There was a loud CLANK as Lucas abruptly slammed down his silverware, settling an icy look on Xavier the minute the topic had left his lips. "I think I'm going to go take a walk. Go on. Finish dinner without me. I'm sure I won't be missed."

He made a show of wiping his mouth and folding his napkin, laying it over the meal he had barely touched before pushing his chair back and rising to his feet. The last of his wine was consumed, barely tasting the delicate white that deserved to be appreciated, and Lucas strode away from the table, the anger practically rolling off of him in tangible waves.

Not another word was said as he grabbed his keys from the small table near the door, the door slamming in his wake, leaving him to stand out in the hallway in front of D2, breathing hard, feeling suddenly faint. This was not going well. Not going well at all. Something was dreadfully wrong and the two of them?

They were in on it together. People didn't give looks like that unless they knew something.

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[info]whatbefell
2010-07-22 12:38 am UTC (link)
Both of them were unsettled by the mention of them. Xavier held his breath as Lucas walked off, not saying anything until the door was slammed. He shut his eyes, not looking to Gina and started breathing again.

It had been Lucas in his dream and he'd been unsettled by it - it was the only solution. He couldn't know Xavier was Edward - he wouldn't leave him alone in here, would he? Hopefully that was writen off, hopefully he was scared, hopefully his act had been a lie and what he'd said about creating him wasn't true.

His eyes rose to look at Gina, pausing before saying, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to ruin your dinner."

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[info]justonefish
2010-07-22 12:40 am UTC (link)
When Lucas rose, Gina flinched visibly. "Lucas," she said as he turned to leave, though she didn't go after him. When he was angry, it was best to stay out of the way. Going after him in this state would be asking for trouble. Biting her lower lip, she looked to Xavier with a sigh.

"It isn't your fault," she said quietly, doing her best to hide the anger, fear, and utter confusion churning inside her. "Sometimes these things just happen."

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[info]whatbefell
2010-07-22 12:53 am UTC (link)
Xavier pressed his lips together, fiddling with his fork before letting it fall. "The building has everyone on edge," he said, taking a deep breath. He stared at her for a long moment, before looking to the door and if Lucas would come back.

He couldn't - he couldn't not take advantage of this moment to make sure. "Gina, I know this is the worst timing. But I have to ask - I've had some strange dreams here as well." Not a lie and it was the best cover. "I wanted to ask you two as you...are those I trust in the building." Far from it. He looked back to her, expression shaky. "But have you had any?"

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[info]justonefish
2010-07-22 12:56 am UTC (link)
At his question, her eyes widened. She should have lied. She should have said "no" and just left it at that. But she couldn't. Xavier seemed like a nice person, and he had taken Lucas' outburst in such stride. Despite the tension in this dinner, he had proved himself to be a man of good character. Especially since he seemed to be the only person in the room willing to tell her the truth, she at least owed him the same respect.

"Yes, actually," she said, fighting to stay composed. "I have." She looked to him, taking a sharp breath to steady herself. "Do you really think it's the building behind all of this?"

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[info]whatbefell
2010-07-22 01:14 am UTC (link)
Xavier didn't know what he felt about that. He was torn - had it been that dream with him then or something else? Was this a good thing or bad? Jesus, he'd given too much away at the end - she knew he was alive...

"I do," he said, taking a deep breath. Looking to her he went on, "I believe in what's happened around the building. I've seen enough of it to believe it. I wouldn't be surprised if dreams were a part of it as well." Xavier paused before venturing. "Can I ask what yours was...about?" He added quickly, "I'd understand if it was personal. I'd like to know if there's some rhyme or reason to this - that's all. And to get a decent night of sleep again." The weak smile he gave her didn't reach his eyes.

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[info]justonefish
2010-07-22 01:41 am UTC (link)
Though she was slowly having to face the madness that happened in Bellum Letale, Gina was still having a hard time really accepting it. After all, magic stories and pixie dust didn't happen in real life - it just couldn't. However, Xavier seemed reasonable, and if he thought there was credence to it... She couldn't finish that thought.

"I guess that makes sense," she said quietly. It didn't make sense at all. But his question made her stiffen. She looked to him, eyes wide. "I...I'm not sure if there is," she said carefully. "And it was personal. Very personal." She frowned, looking down at her plate. "Do you remember my fiance, that I told you about? Edward? It was about him." She sucked in a sharp breath. "I dream about him all the time, but...this was different. I'm not sure I'm comfortable going into further detail but...there is a difference."

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[info]whatbefell
2010-07-22 01:45 am UTC (link)
Xavier exhaled and slowly nodded. It had to have been him, it had to have been her... He tried to ignore the prickling feeling behind his eyes. It had to be true then. She'd written him, she hadn't known, she'd seen him at the trial...

Oh Gina.

"That's fine," he said, a weak smile offered to reassure her. There was a long pause, before he added carefully, "He seemed to matter a lot to you when you spoke of him."

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[info]justonefish
2010-07-22 01:54 am UTC (link)
Just thinking about it made her want to break down and cry. Maybe this building was prophetic? Maybe it was trying to tell her something. Or maybe she knew all along, and it was just nudging her along. But if that was true, then-

Could Lucas have done it?

Thankfully, Xavier interrupted her. She looked over at him, nodding. "He does." She paused, realizing what she had just said. "I-I mean. He did, he meant...so much." She sighed, resting her knuckles against her lips. "I'm really sorry, I...I don't mean to be rude, but I think that with all that's happened tonight...I need some time to think."

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[info]whatbefell
2010-07-22 02:02 am UTC (link)
Xavier knew a dismissal when he heard one. Nodding, he got to his feet. He pulled out his briefcase though, leaving a file of papers on Lucas' chair. "Can you make sure that gets to him? I know he was...out of it, but I think he'd feel better with the plans. It details everything."

He moved to the door, pausing at the doorframe. Leaving like this was necessary, but he couldn't leave her as she looked like that. Lips pressed together, he fought for the right words - anything that could reassure her - before going with the truth. "Gina?" He didn't wait for her to look up, going on gently. "I'm sure you still mean a lot to him too. Wherever he is." He left before he could hear an answer, letting himself out and shutting the door quietly behind him.

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[info]justonefish
2010-07-22 02:10 am UTC (link)
When he set the papers down, she nodded. "Yes, of course," she said as she looked up to him. "I'll put them on his desk." If she were in a better frame of mind, she'd have tried to read them just to find out what the hell was going on. But she knew there'd be no reading while she was in this state of mind. None at all.

As he left the table, she looked down at her lap, holding in the tears until she knew that he had left the apartment. It was hard to do anything but bite her lower lip, staring at nothing. When he said her name, she glanced up without moving her head, eyes straining to catch a glimpse of him that was more fuzzy than clear.

His words brought the tears, and she couldn't hold on. She began to cry, clapping a hand over her mouth and slumping in her chair. The tears came hard and fast, slicking over her cheeks. She didn't know how long she sat there, crying, but she felt sorely dehydrated when finished and she had absolutely no desire to do anything but crawl under the bed and collect dust for a thousand years.

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