Damon Braddock (damonslostlove) wrote in btvsal, @ 2009-12-06 21:31:00 |
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Entry tags: | place: la, ~damon braddock, ~luke jacobs |
A Friend In Need
Who: Damon & Luke
Where: The Jacobs' mansion
When: Saturday night (Dec. 5th)
It was only a few hours past dusk, but Luke had already been a very busy boy. Strolling back up to the house by way of the formal gardens, he slipped his hands into the front pockets of his black trousers and disregarded the breeze that ruffled his hair. It was probably about time for a cut. Now that he'd been upfront with Jamie - if one could actually call it that - he could drop the shaggy-haired frat boy act. Of course, thinking of Jamie, he knew she was trouble waiting to happen, but couldn't bring himself to care. The possibilities where she was concerned were still too alluring to turn his back on. Lena would attempt to flay him alive if she knew what he'd been up to - and while that was an intriguing possibility in its own right, he preferred to keep his hide for now. Entering through the French doors, he paid no attention to the way the bright lights glittered upon the marble floors, but walked straight through the dining hall-slash-formal ballroom and took the hall down toward his study. No sooner had he opened the door than he paused without even turning on the lights, his gaze moving methodically through the darkened interior.
Damon was seated at Lucian's desk, dressed in his usual attire; A nice but casual button down shirt, black jeans, slightly worn boots. The vampire also wore a light coat, the collar turned up and he moved to turn on the desk lamp, flooding the desk area with light. Damon then leaned back into the chair, proping his feet up on the desk and finally, with some amusement on his face and in his tone, the younger vampire said, "Lucian..." By way of greeting.
A hint of amusement did cross the older vampire's features as he leaned his shoulder against the open door frame. Blue eyes scanned his friend's appearance and, not noticing anything exceptionally out of order, he pushed away from the door and strode toward his bar, letting the light from the desk lamp illuminate the room. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"
All of his amused pretenses dropped and Damon got to the point, "...Where is she?" Upon discovering that Bella was gone by the evening after Thanksgiving, Damon had frantically run around the city trying to find her. He contacted all of her relatives, searched all of the places she hung out and no one had seen her since she left with him Thanksgiving night. The younger vampire had saved Lucian for last because...he honestly didn't want to believe that the older vampire had taken Bella. Possibly done something to her or worse...killed her.
The look Luke cast huim suggested he might be considering whether or not Damon had finally snapped. Turning his back to the yonger vampire, he poured himself a scotch and then turned back around, motioning to the door with his tumbler. "I love her dearly, but Lena rarely troubles herself with my study. I suggest, if she's the one who's raised your ire, that you lie in wait for her elsewhere. If you dare."
A smile curved his lips, the emotion didn't reach his gaze, "Stupidity doesn't suit you, Lucian." Damon paused, his smile widening just a tad. "We both know who I'm talking about. So, I'll ask again, since it looks like you're suffering from a case of stupidity, where...is she?" The younger vampire's tone brooked a rare sense of darkness...something that hadn't been seen in Damon for a very long time.
His expression droll, Luke arched a brow and took a sip of the amber-tinted alcohol. Swallowing its warmth, he shook his head slightly. "Exactly how many times can you work the word 'stupidity' into a sentiment?" he asked. With a glance, he looked Damon over and rolled his eyes. "What'd you do? Misplace her? Did she finally grow some good sense and decide to distance herself from you? After all," Luke said, his voice lowering to a conspiratorial whisper, "you are a bloodsucker." Dropping the act, he shrugged noncommittally. "Hell if I know where she is. I don't keep tabs on your Slayer." Which wasn't a hundred percent true, but that was neither here nor there at the moment.
"Please, don't take me for a fool, Lucian." Damon stared back at the older vampire, "...I know you're little penchant for Slayers." That little grin was back and it had some, well...cruelty to it. "Does Lena know of your little proclivity? Does she know you're a little more interested in Bella than you should be?" The younger vampire sat up in the chair, lowering his feet to the floor, "Maybe we should go find her and ask her. What do you think about that, Lucian?"
Amy: "Ask her." Although his tone had cooled somewhat, there was no bluff behind his eyes as he motioned to the door. "I haven't touched her. I gave you my word. But if her life means so little to you, by all means, go find Lena. Do you have any idea what she'd do to the girl if she thought my...interests...were more than passing?" He smiled tightly and set his glass down on the edge of his desk. "Next time you misplace your toys, I suggest you look for them elsewhere."
Whatever bravado Damon had been carrying in his little confrontation with Luke went right out of him. It was like watching a balloon deflate as the younger vampire's shoulders sagged and then he stood, scrubbling a hand down his face before it rested over his eyes like he had a headache. Which, he could feel blossoming, right between his eyes. "I've looked everywhere," Damon finally said quietly, dropping his hand and staring back at Luke forlornly, "...I can't find her." The vampire flopped his arms listlessly, "She's...she's gone." Moving away from the desk to the window, Damon stared out of it, his gaze roaming the grounds but not really seeing them.
Damon had to realize that offering comfort wasn't exactly Luke's forte. He was going to need another drink or five if he was going to deal with this. Picking up his glass again, he downed the remains and then turned back to the bar to pour himself another. "When's the last time you saw her? Did you have a fight? Was she dealing with anything out of the ordinary?" That one brought a smirk to his lips before he continued. "Is there anyone - else - you can think of who'd have any reason or desire to hurt her?" He took another sip of scotch and grew thoughtfully quiet for a moment. "Let's face it, she could be lying in a ditch somewhere without any blood left in her. Nature of the beast. Or the job. Both? Or maybe she took a one-way trip back to Crazy Town. Why am I the one asking all the questions? Aren't you the detective?"
The younger vampire let out a single bark of laughter and fell silent again, "...I've asked all those questions already." Damon closed his eyes, sighing. He had been so sure that Luke had taken Bella, who now gone two days, but now he was beginning to realize...The Slayer had returned to her time and the vampire had 18 years to wait for her all over again.
There was another span of silence before Luke spoke again, his voice lower this time. "Could be for the best. How long do you think it would have lasted this time, Damon? She's gone. One way or the other. Don't turn this into another Roselyn. Move on. Hell, move in here. It'd behoove you to get back to your roots."
Damon completely changed the subject, resting his hands on his hips which caused his lightweight coat to put pushed back. Turning away from the window, the vampire said, "There was an attempt on Benjamin Bale recently. The family has asked me to look into it." Damon paused, looking at Luke, "Rumor has it you got into Wolfram and Hart without an appointment."
Looking down into his glass, Luke thought about what Damon was implying. He was just about to inquire about his friend's ability to be subtle, but then recalled his last visit to Lilah. A smile curved his mouth and he lifted the glass. "I have certain...connections. Benjamin Bale, hm?" His smile seemed to widen slightly. "Not surprising."
The younger vampire chuckled ruefully, "So I've learned. The guy has gotten more tail than a hooker." Wandering over to Lucian's little bar, he paused long enough to turn to the older vampire and asked, "May I?"
Luke nodded and turned to walk to the door, swinging it shut with a light push of his fingers. "So you want an in with Wolfram and Hart." It wasn't a question. "Are you sure that finding the guilty party is in our best interests?"
Pouring himself a drink, Damon tossed it back and poured himself another. Stepping away from the bar, the younger vampire wandered the room, perusing the collectables but mostly expressed an interest in whatever books Lucian had. Arching a brow at the older vampire's question, Damon had to ask one of his own, "Our? What do you mean by that?"
"One less dog is never anything to bemoan. Especially one who's as...friendly...with the Slayers as he is. Besides. Rumor has it your girlfriend's not a fan." He rounded the desk and sat down in the vacated seat, tossing Damon a rather admonishing glance. "Not to mention the fact that someone able to almost take out a werewolf has a certain skill set that could be useful."
Damon sighed, turning to Luke and took a quick sip of the scotch, "...I was asked to look into the situation as a favor." The vampire gestured, "Who knows? If I solve it, the Bales could...owe me one." Taking a seat across from the desk, Damon then asked, "So...are you going to help me or not?"
Luke's brows rose. "You'll owe me one," he pointed out with an unrepentent grin. Like that was the first time he'd said those words. "Yeah, I'll get you in. I'm not making any promises after that. You can deal with Lilah on your own." She probably wouldn't be too thrilled to see him again so soon. Looking down into his glass briefly, he then returned his gaze to Damon. "You planning on trying to find a way to get her back?"
That was a thought. The younger vampire was silent as he pondered the question, looking down into his drink. While Bella always voiced her opinion of returning to the future, Damon had to wonder if that was any more true as of late. Had she willingly returned to her future or was she pulled back like she had been to her past? Thinking like this was only going to give him a headache. Sighing and lifting a hand to rub at his eyes, Damon murmured, "...I don't know. I just know that...if I don't do something to occupy myself, I'm going to go insane worrying about her."
Luke didn't comment on that, but his thoughts were quite evident from his expression. He figured Damon would either end up doing something foolish...or he'd spend the next however many years being a real fucking drag. Shrugging finally, he motioned to the door again with his glass. "There's a blonde in parlor, if you're hungry."
He'd already had a few good stiff drinks at Eden, which is why it was probably not one of his smartest moves to confront Luke at his home because of that. Looking up from the glass in his hand to the older vampire, Damon drained the contents of said glass before answering, "...Thanks." Standing, the younger vampire set the empty glass on the desk, shoving his hands into his pockets. At the door, Damon turned, "Call me when you can get me into Wolfram & Hart." He then turned away and went in search of the blonde.