As soon as she had been out of danger she had bent low and torn the bottom of her shirt and wrapped it tightly around the swelling ankle. Pulling her boot back on she nodded to Elias and ducked out of the protected circle he had created. Her retreat went unnoticed by the wesen as she snuck off to the side behind Hundar and went around through the brush until she was behind him.

Alexis had not seen the injury to Elias' shoulder since she had been busy with her ankle. Seeing it now filled her with fury and she completely forgot about her ankle. She darted out of the trees underbrush and swung her sword at the spine wielding tail cutting it off of the twelve foot tall creature. It's roar could be heard for miles. Alexis ran and jumped up onto it's back. Unfortunately, it only put her right at it's hip level. She stabbed it with her dagger but was too low to get it's heart. The large wesen screamed in anger and yanked her off of his side. Alexis went flying into the air and bounced off of the bushes landing in a heap on the ground.

The wind was knocked out of Alexis and she shook her head a moment as she realized that the beast was still moving to attack Elias. It obviously thought she was down for the count. She stood up and pulled out her throwing stars. She had only brought four with her and one was still sticking in it's chest. She aimed and sent one flying into the middle of it's back and one into the back of it's neck. She barely missed it's claws as it rounded on her giving Elias chances to do damage. Between the two hunters the beast went down. When it finally lost it's life it had more than twenty five places where it had been stabbed or cut by their blades.

Alexis walked over to the beast as her ankle started to pound mercilessly in her boot. Her limping figure stood over the wesen and she took it's pulse to make sure it was really dead. She had never fought one this big before. She remembered one about nine and a half feet tall that she and Maggie had felled but never one this huge. She glanced up at Elias and nodded.

"It's dead. I have no idea where the birdman went." Alexis walked straight over to Elias and pulled out a bottle of alcohol from his saddlebags and poured it over the wound where the spine was sticking through. She could see the pain in his eyes even as he kept as quiet as he could.

They both knew she had to push it through. The spine was filled with jagged back pointing tips and it was thick. If she pulled it out it would tear through Elias' shoulder terribly, possibly crippling him permanently. She had no option but to push it through. They had no one but each other out here, no doctors at home, no one else to keep their secret. She gave the bottle to Elias and made him drink from it heavily. Then she stuck a small tree branch in his mouth to bite down on and she found a large enough rock that she would be able to get a good grip on it. She looked at Elias and said a prayer for strength to push it through in one hit and not make him suffer more than necessary.

Looking at Elias she counted "...1...2..." Alexis swung her hand and kept her focus on the job at hand and tried to get it done as fast as possible but the spine was in there good and it took her two hits before she got it through. Then she cleaned it out with the alcohol and wrapped it up with what was left of her shirt. She was still wearing a camisole underneath so she determined that his need was worse than hers. She still had a problem though. The sun was coming up and she had to get them home and into the house without being seen.

Elias' eyes were glazed over with pain as she sat and pulled him into her lap for a moment. She whispered to him "I love you and I'm so sorry." Alexis held him for a few moments before she wiped her own tears away. She had to think a moment. If she was not careful she would be caught.

With a plan in mind she managed to get Hundar to help her to maneuver Elias onto the horse's back and she took the horse with her as she reclaimed her own mount partway across the field. She took the darkest most covered way to the edge of the property and snuck the horses and Elias on Hundar's back into the stable. She could hear the stable boys so she slapped the horse's backsides and let them go inside on their own. The boys would send for the doctor and she darted up the trellis that lead to her room.

It took her two minutes to get undressed and into bed. Her ankle was in terrible shape but at least she could say she sprained it dancing the night before. Her ladies maid did not appear like usual.

A little while later... she heard a lot of shouting and noise coming from the barn which she knew was for Elias. She got out of her bed wrapped up in her robe and hobbled over to the window and looked down. Her door opened but she knew instantly that it was not her maid. She turned at the familiar scent and forced a smile at her aunt's maid.

@December

@Wick

---

The moment the Wesen fell, the screaming in Elias ears immediately died. The edges of bloodlust fell away from his vision and his normal bodily functions resumed, flooding his consciousness with immense waves of pain. The wound in his shoulder had only been exacerbated by his violent actions in combat with his much larger opponent, and the spine's hooked quills had torn through his flesh without mercy. Blood slowly flowed out of the injury, tainted an odd black color, but between his altered vision and the darkness of the night, he couldn't discern the difference.

His consciousness immediately lapsed, returning in vague spurts.

Alexis cleaning his wound, Alexis pounding the spine out, Alexis whispering soft words that fell on disorient ears that couldn't understand their meaning.

Hundar kneeling to aid Alexis, Hundar's back as the broad stallion strode through the darkness of the night with bold steps, the sun rising over the horizon, the barn doors creaking open, the shocked exclamations of the stable hands as they saw Elias crippled form...

Their words blurred into vague noises as the Grimm slowly succumbed to his blood loss, fading into a darkness so thick that only the pulsating pain of the wound could penetrate it, until...

---

The darkness slowly edged away from Elias mind as a single sensation shot through his mind.

Pain.

Elias groaned, shifting slightly as the searing pain of the wound stabbing through his psyche, providing no rest against the agony.

Immediately, voices were chattering and hands were touching him, however he still couldn't muster the energy to open his eyes. He faintly heard an instruction to lie still, but it wasn't clear enough for him to process.

A few moments of action passed, and the Hunter finally managed to open his eyes.

Three people stood over him, each covered in medical gear, intently focused on his shoulder. Restraints bound him down, biting into his bare skin quite harshly. Each person held either a blade, some form of cleaning supply, or some other form of medical equipment. They talked in hushed voices, each staring intently at Elias' bare chest. Turning his head, Elias caught sight of his shoulder and nearly vomited.

The entire area was a bloody mess, with swelling red veins spiderwebbing their way away from the wound under his skin. The wound itself was wide open as the doctor's reorganized the tissue, pulling out tiny specks of black spine from the infected tissue. His bone was visible, however blood was entirely absent. He wasn't sure what had allowed him to wake up through the anesthesia, but it didn't matter; he was conscious in the middle of intensive surgery.

His breathing rate skyrocketed as he struggled to maintain his composure, watching silently as the doctor's worked, unaware of his state of awareness. The surgery took what seemed like days, and each moment was more excruciating than the last. The surgeon's hands were slow, yet precise, expertly working their craft on Elias flesh.

After an eternity, Elias closed his eyes and leaned his head back, seeking the sweet relief of unconsciousness. Unfortunately, it never came until it was finished.

---

Elias opened his eyes, aware that he was in a new room. His body was covered simply by a blanket over his waist and a set of bandages around his shoulder. He could see the doctor in the corner, silently sleeping. He had obviously been monitoring Elias, however he had succumbed the needs of his body.

A servant stood nearby, stepping forward the moment he saw that Elias had regained his senses. "Please, Sir Elias, attempt not to move. It would only make the poison spread faster."

Elias frowned and turned to look the man in the eye. "P-p...p-poison?"

His voice was cracked and weak, however he managed to sputter out the word.

The man nodded slowly, his face grim. "It is not my place to explain. I shall retrieve my Lady and her niece."

He disappeared quickly through the door, gently tapping the doctor on the shoulder as he did. The medical practitioner woke suddenly, standing and leaving the room within seconds. It wasn't for a few minutes until everyone had amassed in the room, leaving Elias feeling very uncomfortable and exposed.

After a long moment of silence, Elias coughed, patiently waiting for an explanation.

"Miss Alexis?" The young woman answered and she came across the room hurriedly. Knowing what she was Alexis raised her hand and let her see the throwing star.

"Stop where you are. I know what you are and if you move another inch it will be your last. What do you want?" She asked calmly but with a deadliness to her tone.

"I- I want to help. The doctors are saying that Mr. Elias was attacked by something that stabbed him leaving spiny quills in his torso. Both you and I know what that was."

Alexis nodded. This girl knew what she was and she was the enemy. Not a movement the female wesen made went unnoticed by Alexis. Alexis looked at her and asked warily, "How do you know what stabbed him?"

There was noise in the hallway and the young maid jumped. "Take this for your ankle and put this in Mr. Elias' wound. It will cure the poison but it must be done soon or he will die!" The maid stood where she was with her head down when the door was thrown open. Alexis turned to see her aunt distraught and Alexis slipped the small jar and bottle into her robe pocket without drawing attention to them.

"Aunt Jean what is all the noise about?"

Jean scolded her maid "Sophie hurry! She needs a day dress quickly!"

"Yes'm" the maid hurriedly pulled out a day dress and Jean looked terribly upset.

"Something has happened to your cousin Elias. Now don't cry dear but he was attacked in the wee hours since the party. Someone mentioned giant porcupines? I think that they were drunk but we have no idea what it was. The doctor said he has been poisoned. We don't know if he will survive. You must come."

With tears in her eyes she ran behind her dressing bifolds and let Sophie dress her and she slipped the dress on over her head and she looked at the bottle. Whispering into Sophie's ear she said, "If this hurts him I will kill you personally." With that she walked into slippers and ran/limped out the door of the room catching up to her aunt quickly.

There were several people in the room. She pushed people aside and her aunt made all of the servants leave. The second she saw Elias her pallor whitened. "Oh no! No, Elias!"

Her aunt tried to hold her back and Alexis shoved her hand off of her arm. "Please Aunt Jean, take the doctor outside and talk to him. I need to- to pray for Elias."

Jean gave her a surprised look but took the doctor outside into the hallway and they spoke. Hurriedly she pulled the bandages open and she tore open the stitching of the wound. Alexis slipped the bottle with the liquid out and poured it into the wound. She said a silent prayer and wrapped the bandages back up like they had been. She peeked under the bandage a couple of moments later and noticed the blackened edges looked a little less black and the flesh seemed a bit less putrid smelling. She poured the rest of the bottle into the wound.

When the doctor came back in it was to find Alexis holding her cousin's hand like a proper young lady might, although she was kneeling and not sitting on a chair. He decided to overlook it. People did irrational things when they were upset. He gave Elias a once over and left Alexis in the room with the injured man. She immediately crawled into the bed with him holding him close to her. The door had shut and she let her breath out. She hadn't been aware that she had been holding it. "Elias, please don't die. I'm sorry we fought. I'll never argue with you again....please."

@December

@Wick

---

The dissonance around Elias blended together, creating a cacophony of distorted voice and mangled language that was impossible to understand. It was almost as if he was hearing the outside world through a thin layer of water. A disturbance occurred, and he felt a small amount of warmth near his wound. A moment later, the warmth increased tenfold, so much so that it burned his skin and made his heart rush. The pain snapped him into consciousness, bringing with it the awareness of Alexis' presence.

Elias attempted to speak, but only a moan passed his lips. A moment later, he tried again, forcing the pain in his shoulder out of his mind. "Alexis... What was that?"

The odd warmth still coursed through his veins, bringing with it the sweet relief of no pain. The numbness receded deep within him, until it was but a small icy prick in his bones. A soft smile flickered across his lips as he heard Alexis' voice promise to never fight with him again. Even in his disoriented state, he could still laugh at how ridiculous that statement was.

"Alexis, what's going on? Elias croaked weakly, his voice raspy and quiet. The events of the previous night flashed through his mind; The Avian, the Manticore, the- But it didn't have wings. Didn't Manticores usually have wings? Elias was almost certain they did. Then again, he didn't really believe they had existed until last night.

The Grimm attempted to sit up, but it was as if he had no muscles attached to his bones. His body lay there, prone, unable to move. Panic flared in his mind, however, he quickly quelled it. The poison, or whatever it was that the Manticore had injected him with, was probably just draining his energy.

Now fully aware, he managed to crane his neck slightly so he could see Alexis' face above his own. "Alexis?"

Alexis was laying in bed with Elias in her arms. Her worry and fear had taken over and she was uncaring who might come in and see them. From her vantage point she could look at his wound and see the door in case she needed to. She had closed her eyes for a moment replaying the fight in her mind and what had happened afterwards.

How had a manticore gotten into the area? It was not common for them to be in cities. The creature had been huge and Alexis was surprised that it's mate had not been there. It was unusual for a female to be without the male nearby and the males had wings but no poisonous spines. It never ceased to amaze her at how ugly some of the creatures were. Manticore male and female both resembled large insects in the face. Neither appeared to be human looking in the face at all. The thoughts of the creature and it's mate made her shiver involuntarily. Hearing Elias moan she looked down and saw the pain across his face as he tried to talk.

Alexis smiled as he smiled softly at her promise not to argue with him. "I take it you don't believe me." She grinned and spoke softly so that no one near the door could hear if there was anyone listening. "It was a female Manticore. Males are usually a little smaller and have wings with no poisonous spines." Worry flitted across her features. "How are you feeling?" Reaching over she lifted the bandages and saw that the poison had receded back and that he appeared to be healing. She let out a ragged breath and she lay her head gently on his forehead. Tears sprung up and she wiped them quickly. She hadn't realized that her body was that stressed.

Alexis' voice quivered a little as she spoke to him. "It appears that we have an ally. A female wesen as a matter of fact. She gave me a cure for the poison. After the doctor finished up I poured it in. It appears to be working but my aunt's lady's maid Sophie saved your life."

Sophie opened the door quietly and she saw Alexis speaking to an awake Elias. She smiled and shut the door locking it behind her. The last thing she wanted was to have someone walk in when she had work to do. She walked towards the pair and she watched Alexis hurriedly sit up protectively covering Elias with the blanket folded at the bottom of the bed.

Sophie glanced at Elias and nodded in relief. "Miss Alexis, I brought some salve to heal your back. I saw the cuts all over it when I dressed you before. Come, I need to be quick." Looking around the room realizing that there was no screen to hide her behind for privacy she frowned.

Alexis knew that she needed some doctoring herself but hadn't given it a second thought while Elias was in danger. Realizing what Sophie was concerned about she limped across the room towards the window. There was a chair near there and she turned away from Elias' eyes and she pulled the dress over the skirts and dropped it onto the ground by the chair. Her underclothes consisted of the heavy skirts and slip that she wore. When her slip was shown it was bloody over most of her back. Alexis knew it was from when she was hurled into the bushes. It would have to have been a large thorn bush. She lifted the bloody slip over her shoulders and covered her ample breasts with it.

Leaning forward she exposed her back to Sophie who examined the wounds and cleaned them out and then put a salve on them. Alexis bit her lip as the alcohol stung and flinched at the cold salve. Once finished Sophie put the slip into her pocket and gave Alexis a smile and murmured that she would be right back. Sophie pushed a candlestick over and tugged on a hidden handle on the shelf behind the chair and she walked into a spare guestroom.

Alexis was holding her dress over herself and she turned towards Elias who was staring at her. A moment later Sophie arrived with a clean slip for Alexis as the wall closed back up. She turned away from Elias and sat down maximizing the privacy the chair gave her and she put on the slip and her dress. Glancing at her appearance in the mirror she looked at the Wesen without suspicion. "Thank you for your help. I have so many questions but I think we should let Elias heal first."

Alexis climbed back onto the bed with Elias on his uninjured side. She laid her head into his crook of his good shoulder and made sure that he was covered. Sophie locked the door and left the pair to their rest. Alexis breathed a sigh of relief as the pain from the cuts felt less intense as the salve worked it's wonders.

---

Sophie went back to her mistresses rooms and tidied up. She had to be careful so that she would not get caught. Her mistress was a kind woman but she was completely focussed on her own dalliances and her own fun and games. Jean had not slept with her own, much older, husband in quite a long while. Sophie thought to herself at how different in personalities Jean was to her niece. Sophie rather liked the young lady. She certainly hoped that she could get her and Mr. Elias to listen to her when they were better.

@December

@Wick

---

Elias quietly observed the entire interaction, struggling to make sense of the entire ordeal. The pain in his shoulder was fading, but it was by no means gone entirely. Between the pulsating pain, disorienting turn of events, and his Wesen sense firing off like a rocket, he couldn't sort out much of anything.

Once the Wesen had left, Elias groaned lightly, turning his face to fully catch all of Alexis' beauty. The morning light was peaking through the window and illuminating her hair brilliantly, causing a heavenly golden glow to cascade down her distinguished features. The flaring red colors of her hair cast a perfect image of fiery grace, displaying her features quite prominently.

Elias smiled, his delirious mind becoming entirely side-tracked from the more pressing manners. A soft chuckle escaped his lips, transforming into a giggle as it faded away. "Y'know, from this angle, you look..."

The Grimm reached out gently and stroked her hair out of her face, smiling like a drunken fool. "Like your head is on fire."

Elias began to giggle, his voice rising a few octaves more than normal as he adjusted his body, making it easier for him to see her eyes. The dazzling spheres before him reminded him of calm winds and quiet nights. For a long moment, he simply stared, taking in her remarkable features. A long silence followed, broken only by Elias infrequent giggling.

"I don't... I don't think I'm quite right," Elias smiled broadly and let his head rest on top of Alexis'. "Whatever that... that... The thing in my arm... The girl! Whatever that was... I think it might be making me a small bit..."

Elias trailed off, frowning as his drunken stupor clouded his mind. "What's the word?"

Alexis looked up at Elias smiling at his hair on fire comment. Realizing easily that the potent cure must have side effects that her partner was obviously suffering from she smiled at his sunny mood. He was usually stern with her and all business, she liked this silliness in him. He was more relaxed, more natural. When his hand came up to touch her hair she blushed a little, not that he would notice in his current state.

Elias' giggle made her laugh. He was like a little boy. She continued to smile, her happiness seemed so rare that she was enjoying this. Elias stared at her for a couple of moments and she could have swore he appeared to want to kiss her. Her heart leapt for a moment and at his words she softly smiled and said, "I believe the word you are looking for is uninhibited, or maybe a little loopy. It does have a sincerely honest effect on you." She smiled as he seemed to rest his head on hers and she hugged him to her tighter and her hand was resting on his bare chest.

Elias seemed to quiet down just then and she assumed he had fallen asleep. The stresses of the day seemed to catch up to her and she felt the tears roll down her cheeks. Some of them hit his bare skin. The day seemed to have gone on forever. The fittings, then the party and the guests. Finding out about Elias' flings and then the fighting with the manticore and whatever happened to the birdman? Where did he run off to? Realizing that he might be the connection between Sophie and the fight scene she made a mental note to check into that.

Turning her head slightly she looked at Elias. In this light he looked like a young boy and it made her smile softly. Her mind flashed on her hammering the spine back through his shoulder and it made her shudder. She couldn't believe that she had actually done that. It was just unconscionable to her that she had had to hurt him so much but in the end it had saved his life. The doctors had more time to work on the smaller spines that were inside. That gave Sophie more time to get the cure to her. Her skirts were half twisted around her so she got up and slipped them off. Climbing back into the bed in her dress sans skirts she pulled Elias' arm around her tighter. Feeling cold she pulled over part of the blanket so that she was under it with him. She snuggled up against him and as she fell asleep she heard herself murmur to him "I love you Elias."

@December

@Wick

---

Elias' eyelids pulled heavily downwards, as if a great force was forcing them shut. He attempted to fight it, but he eventually gave in, allowing his lids to shut fully. Alexis' breathing was the only thing he could hear, and it comforted him. The soft rise and fall of her chest, the gentle whoosh of air through her nostrils... In... Out... In... Out...

Alexis adjusted herself, making Elias' eyes flutter open for a moment. As she snuggled back against him, the pair slowly drifted off to sleep, content to be with one another...

"I love you, Elias."

Elias' loopy mind barely registered the sentence, slowly mulling it over, turning it again and again, processing...

Love. What an odd concept. You form an attachment to a sack of flesh. No, that's not right. An attachment to the spirit in the flesh sac. Somewhere in there, a consciousness resided. Time with the creature resulted in affection and happiness; distance from the spirit caused sorrow and despair. One could even find a flesh sac appealing and relate it to the spirit inside, so much so that things resembling the flesh sac evoked emotions in one self. Quite odd. Quite odd indeed...

Elias pulled Alexis closer to himself with his good arm, snuggling his face into her auburn hair. As his consciousness drifted away,
he murmured an almost inaudible phrase. "Love you, too."

---

Elias eyes cracked open, his head pounding with immense amounts of pair. His mouth was dry, and his lips stuck together when he tried to lick them. Forcing his eyes open was a process, and the Grimm struggled against the heavy crust around them. His right arm was asleep, and so he lifted his left arm to wipe away the gunk from his eyes.

Pain spiked through his shoulder as he attempted to access it, eliciting a surprised moan of pain. His muscles were tight and inflamed, flaring in anger at the attempted use of them. Elias' entire torso was in pain, his muscles taught with tension in an effort to restrain any more audible noises. The Grimm laid back, attempting to relax his muscles as he bit his lip, restraining any more groans of agony. He felt something stir next to him, but he couldn't see past his tightly shut eyelids.

His breathing was rapid, and the pain was unlike anything he had ever felt before. While it wasn't the most excruciating thing Elias had ever endured, it was an entirely different kind of pain. There were three kinds of pain, as far as Elias knew: Sharp, aching, and burning. This was something entirely new. It felt like a searing vibration was shooting through his arm, chest, and shoulder, accumulating near his collar bone.

Time seemed to stretch on infinitely as the hunter lay there in anguish, his bare body flexing every muscle. He wasn't sure how long he was in that state, but he eventually managed to relax, breathing heavily as his eyes fluttered open, blinking away the tears that had form. They leaked out of the side of his eyes and slid down his cheeks, falling onto a mass of auburn hair next to him.

Alexis felt Elias move next to her and heard a sharp intake of breath. She raised up and grabbed a wet cloth and whispered to him. "Shh, Elias. Don't move. You'll only hurt yourself more." She raised the cloth to his eyes and cleaned the gunk off of his eyelids so he could open them. "Please, shh." She wiped his face and she moved her hair that was pooling around her waist and felt his tears of pain on them. "I'm not supposed to be in here." Her own eyes teared up as he seemed to start to be able to see her. Relief that he was even alive was coming to the surface. She wiped the tears away and she reached over and lifted the bandage on his injured shoulder. It appeared to be healing well but that didn't mean that it didn't hurt like hell.

Reaching for the salve that Sophie had given her for her ankle she rubbed it on the outside of his shoulder, collarbone and arm. She figured it would help him the way it had helped her ankle. The swelling had gone down in under an hour and it felt better. Alexis washed down his forehead and face. She had to do something that would be helpful. She had to. She refused to leave him and she would fight to stay next to him. She knew if they were caught in the room together and he was conscious that it would look really bad for her and could cost her the future that she was sent her to find. None of that mattered to Alexis anymore. All she cared about was that Elias was okay.

Alexis reached over and kissed his forehead and made sure he was covered up completely. She was a bit like a protective mother bear in that she wasn't going to let anyone near him.

@December

@Wick

---

The pain was excruciating, that much was obvious to Elias' drugged mind. Everything else seemed dull and muted, a mere background the the main attraction: Toil and agony.

Elias opened his eyes and looked over at Alexis wit his eyes only. A small smile crossed his lips as he restrained another groan of pain, enjoying her beautiful features. "Fine morning, ain't it?"

The mere vibration of his voice deep in his chest hurt his shoulder, but it was bearable. He needed to figure out what happened and who knew what. Even in his intoxicated state, it was easy to see that someone of great medical skill had been brought it, and the faint memory of waking up during surgery revealed more than one person operating on him.

Elias shut his eyes again and groaned lightly, struggling to focus on anything but the pain. The faint tingles in his right arm as it awoke from the pressure Alexis' head had put on it during the night, the fiery image of her hair in his mind's eye, the faint smell of decay meeting floral plants.

A long moment passed before he spoke again. "What happened last night?"

Alexis lifted her head off of his arm and propped herself up on her elbow to look at him. "Elias? How do you feel?" Alexis leaned over and looked at the injury again and it looked much better. When she lifted her head her face was only a couple of inches from his. His eyes were closed again and he seemed to groan in pain.

Raising up into a sitting position she watched him carefully. "What can I do to help you?" He was so quiet she put her head to his chest to for a moment. She had come to love the sound of his heartbeat as she had slept. It was comforting to her.

A long moment passed before he spoke again. "What happened last night?"

The door slammed open and the doctor and his assistant walked in. Alexis heard the doctor's sharp inhalation as he saw her on the bed sans her shoes and skirts with her head on Elias' chest. Her head turned to see who it was.

"WHORE!" The doctor screeched loudly as he raised his arm and pointed at Alexis. Alexis' Aunt Jean ran in and she quickly realized that Alexis was in deep trouble. Jean had sent for the best doctors when Elias had been injured but the best one was also the biggest stickler for the rules of society. He wouldn't budge for anything. Alexis was ruined socially.

"I'm trying not to wake up Elias. He needs his rest. His shoulder is in a lot of pain. I'm quite alarmed that you would even consider that anything inappropriate could even go on in his condition."

Alexis quickly removed herself from Elias' chest and calmly covered him up to his neck. Her heart was racing. So many possibilities of how this could go. Alexis turned and walked over to the doctor and grabbed his arm tightly in her hand and she steered him towards the door. He yanked his arm back and slapped her across the face. The slap was deafening, it seemed to reverberate off of the wall."Young lady! What has come over you? Have you lost your mind?" The doctor demanded of her.

Alexis silently counted to 10 as her face stung and she clenched her fists over and over, tempted to knock the doctor through the wall. In comparison he was much larger than she was and it angered her that his first response was not to listen to her but to strike her in the face. When she lifted her face, the red handprint was there and he was complaining to her aunt about Alexis being allowed to be in the room with a single man alone.

Alexis reached back and after a moment she unclenched her fists and dropped her hand. The doctor wasn't paying her any mind and she didn't want to alienate him any more in case Elias were to need him again. Alexis listened to her aunt whisper her disappointment that she had gotten caught and understanding of why she was in there. The doctor checked on Elias and Alexis waited at the foot of the bed as her aunt complained of Alexis losing her choices of whom she would have to marry now.

The doctor walked past Alexis. He had already assumed she was no better than a street whore at this point and he refused to look at her. When he left the room with her aunt in tow she shut and locked the door and leaned on it. She stayed there a second and wiped her face. The tears that had slid down did nothing to stop the pain from the red handprint that had already caused her cheek to swell up a bit.

She went back to Elias and sat down on the bedside. She didn't want him to see her face so she made sure her hair was down and around her face more. She was glad that it was over. She looked over at Elias to see his eyes staring at her.

@December

Elias eyes drifted groggily from face to face, failing to understand the current situation between Alexis and the doctor. There were multiple conflicting sounds filling the air, from shouting, quietly pointed statements, and repremansion to the sounds of flesh meeting flesh and the slamming of doors.

The Grimm's eyes drifted across the vairous objects in the room, unable to focus due to the pain. When they finally converged on a single point, it was Alexis' flowing locks of hair.

The auburn cascade ran over one side of her face, shielding everything but her eye from view. The other side of her face had an unobstructed line of sight to Elias' and her eyes met his, though there was an odd quality to them. They seemed to shimmer, dancing in the early morning sunlight. Furrowing his eyebrows, the man tilted his head slightly, looking deeper into her eyes. Was she... crying?

Elias' lips parted, but his mouth was so dry he had to swallow multiple times before he was able to speak. "What's going on...? Is everything okay?"

Alexis nodded and smiled weakly, "Yes, the doctor says you will be okay in a few days if you rest." She picked up the glass on the table and filled it from the pitcher of water and handed it to him. "He wasn't happy to find me in here with you is all. Apparently he is a stickler for society's rules of conduct." As she leaned forward to help him raise up to drink, her hair fell away leaving her face fully viewable to him.

Alexis was thinking about her aunt's reaction. She had truly expected her to be angrier than she had been. If Alexis' face hadn't stung so bad she would have argued with her about it. Right now she just cared about getting Elias back on his feet. She would worry about her reputation later.

Elias frown deepened as he saw the red mark on her face. His good arm rose up and his fingers gently brushed her skin, tracing the outline of the handprint. Both of them winced as he did this, as Elias was aggravating his shoulder while prodding a rather tender spot on Alexis face.

"What's this?" Elias considered sitting up, but he didn't bother, as it would just end in pain. As he continued to trace the outline, a flash of anger ran through his body, heating up his face visibly.

"Did. He. Hit. You?"

When his fingers touched her skin she felt the sting burn but she didn't pull away. "Yes, he did." Alexis said quietly. She felt awkward because she was this badass fighter and yet she had to keep it a secret and because of that she had to take being hit like an animal and it just didn't sit well with her.

She was fidgeting and fussing over him a little to distract him from her reddened face."Can I get you something to eat? Are you-?"

"He shouldn't have."

Elias voice was cold and steely, a look of cold, dark anger accompanying the hostile tone. His demeanor had shifted drastically, from a midly confused yet pleasant mood to a harsh hatred. Ignoring the pain it caused him, Elias sat up ever so slightly, ignoring the sheet slipping off of his shoulder.

"Why." His tone wasn't a question, but rather a command for an answer.

Alexis shifted herself on the edge of the bed a little and looked at him. "Because I haven't left you and I have been in here alone and he thinks that it means or at least looks like something could have happened between us. It's a stupid society rule that I broke to keep you safe. I'm not leaving you alone until I know you are capable of taking care of yourself. Who knows who else is in here. I trust Sophie but not enough to let her look after you alone." Alexis blinked back her tears.

"I'll deal with the consequences. I don't care about that stuff." Alexis looked down and noticed the blanket had slipped from his shoulder and fallen to near his waist and she went to fix his covers back so he wouldn't get cold.

Elias caught her hand gently with his, pulling it into a warm embrace with his. His eyes slowly lost their rage as they flicked back and forth between the two chesnut orbs in front of him. Finally, his gaze softened, and he leaned back into his pillow, entwining his fingers with hers.

"You shouldn't have let him get away with that," Elias stated plainly, his fingers softly stroking Alexis'. hand. "Next time, if I'm not there to beat you to it, make sure he never uses that hand for anything again."

Had he been sober, his anger would have been far more immediate and vastly more expansive, however, with Alexis' hand in his, his drugged mind was easily placated. He decided not to spoil the moment and let himself rest, content to be with Alexis.

After a long moment of silence, Elias turned to Alexis, his foggy mind finally registering what she had said. "What do they think we were gonna do? I can barely move. For a doctor, he's quite idiotic."

Alexis had chuckled softly when he had mentioned beating the doctor. "If society allowed me to hit hm he would not have left this room on his own." Watching his face as he realized what the doctor thought they could be doing behind closed doors she nodded with a look of total understanding. "I told him I was alarmed that he could even think that. Apparently that was the wrong answer."

Alexis turned and lay her head down next to his shoulder. Her hand still entwined with his she smiled at his hand. She snuggled up to him and yawned.

The rest of the day Alexis stayed with Elias and took care of him. Sophie appeared once in awhile to see if they needed anything. She brought in food and sat with Elias when Aunt Jean demanded to see Alexis. Elias was asleep when she left and she kissed his forehead. Turning to Sophie she said, "Thank you for sitting with him while I'm gone. How angry is she?"

"The doctor gave her a severe dressing down about your upbringing and the lack of information on behavior in society so she is pretty furious." Sophie responded.

"Great." Alexis murmured dully as she pulled the brush through her long silky hair. Sophie pulled a tie through it and gave her a pretty bow in the middle.

"I'll keep him safe while you are gone." Alexis gave her a soft smile and nodded as she left the room.

Alexis knocked on her Aunt's door. She entered only after hearing a small "Come in" and she watched her aunt with a little confusion and a little suspicion. Jean was sitting by an old man who looked like he might actually be dead. He was terribly wrinkled and his skin sort of hung off of him. Jean seemed to be irritated with the elderly man's grunts to her words. Realizing that this was her uncle Alexis understood the value in getting to choose your own husband and wondered if she would ever love hers the way she loved Elias.

Jean got up and took Alexis by the arm and into an adjoining room and shut the door. Letting go of her she gave her a look of fury and demanded. "I thought you were raised within the confines of society! Weren't you taught anything? You can't be alone with a grown man sick or not until you are married. After that you can do basically anything you want but not before you are married!"

"But I-" Alexis started and then stopped as Jean continued to yell at her.

"And I saw you about to hit the doctor back! I saw the balled up fists! I also know you hit your suitor back home! What is wrong with you? Your mother and father would be so ashamed!"

Alexis bit her tongue and she decided then and there that Jean had to know what she was doing. Alexis sat down in a large plush chair and pulled it closer to the couch and she motioned for her aunt to sit down.

For Alexis the mention of her parents made her think of Elinora and her father back home not the parents that Jean was talking about. Alexis didn't know those people, so it didn't sting the way it was meant to and the irritation that gave Jean was obvious.

"Aunt Jean, my father is a Grimm you know." She waited to see if that would mean anything to Jean. "The Grimm family has battled and kept control of the wild beasts that roam this world for generations. As a Grimm I was raised to fight them as well. I didn't mean to step on boundaries but Elias is my partner and I'm not about to let him die. I can take care of him and there is no shame in that. My father would be proud of me and so would Elinora."

Not understanding about the name at first Jean listened and questions began to churn in her mind. Her brow furrowed and she paled a little. "Wait, are you telling me that there are beasts in this world and you and Elias slay them?" The hilarity of the conversation made Jean laugh.

Alexis found herself in an odd situation. She'd never had to tell anyone before and she hadn't expected this kind of reaction. Jean stood up and when she did Alexis pulled out a throwing star, it landed in the wall next to Jean's head eliciting a gasp of surprise from her. "What in the world?" Jean said startled as she looked from the star to Alexis and back. "You are serious? You can really fight?" The realization of this made Jean stop and think. The smile that grew from her new knowledge was gleaming and she sat back down. "Tell me everything!"

After an hour or so Alexis left her aunt Jean's room. Her aunt had sworn to help them keep their secret. Alexis felt relieved that someone else knew and she didn't have to pretend around her aunt anymore. She heard the front bell but paid it no mind. A few moments later she opened the door into Elias' room carrying a tray with soup, bread, and cheese for him. When she looked up she almost dropped the tray. There was a pretty, dark haired young woman bent over Elias who appeared to be more than just slightly acquainted with him. Her hand was on his chest and she was kissing his lips with way too much familiarity. Alexis immediately hated her but she kept her calm.

Sophie looked highly uncomfortable and she got to her feet and left the room avoiding Alexis' furious gaze. Putting the tray on the table by the bed rather loudly Alexis startled the young woman who turned and looked at her at the same time Elias' eyes opened..... "Elias, you have a visitor!" Alexis' pain and rage shone in her flashing eyes.

---

Sophie had all but run out of the room where Alexis found a young woman that Mr. Elias had been spending time with hovering over his bed. She could tell that Miss Alexis' loved Elias and that this was not likely going to go well. After overseeing her chores she was able to have some down time and she pulled on a cloak and went out the back door.

Sophie hurried through the darkness sticking to the alleyways as much as possible. She didn't want to be seen. She had agreed to meet her partner for a late dinner. She stopped and let a carriage pass and a hand wove around her waist while the other covered her mouth. Sophie kicked and tried to scream as the two 'men' beat her up. She was left in a bleeding heap with a message. "Kill the Grimms or else."

@December

@Wick

---

Elias' drowsy mind barely processed the arrival of Jenora through the drugged stupor that the antivenom kept him in. It had been days since it was originally administered, but every now and again Sophie would give him a small amount more, just to help him sleep.

His unconscious mind detected a presence near him, and then the soft press of another's lips against his own, slowly bringing him from the land of dreams to consciousness.

"Elias, you have a visitor!"

Elias' eyes fluttered open as he registered Jenora quickly pulling away from him, spinning on her heel to and quickly calling out a greeting to Alexis. "Good afternoon, Lady Alexis. It's a pleasure to see you."

The disoriented Grimm at up slowly, wincing as the pain in his shoulder flared when he propped himself up on it. Elias slowly turned back and forth between the two women, registering the uncomfortable expression on Jenora's face before processing the rage on Alexis'. The blurred memories from Elias' recovery slowly trickled back to him, reminding him that he and Alexis had shared some moment of intimacy, but he couldn't place exactly what it was.

A rush of blood flooded into his cheeks as Elias realized the unfortunate situation he had been caught in: Jenora kissing his unconscious self, and Alexis intruding on the action. "Yes, I do believe she just arrived..."

Elias trailed off, casting an angry glare towards Jenora's controlled features. "But I was unfortunately asleep, and have only awoken moments ago. Would someone care to explain to me the situation?"

Elias figured that the best course of action was to place the responsibility of a cover story on the shoulders of someone who was less disoriented and much more sober. Assuming that Alexis' didn't cut in, Jenora's wily tongue should be able to extract herself from the situation and leave the two Grimm's alone to talk.

It took everything in her to keep her control and not throttle the woman. The smile she plastered on her face was forced and uneasy to say the least. "Elias isn't well enough for visitors. You should have checked with my aunt first." Looking at Elias and seeing his anger at the other woman somehow made her feel slightly better. The room was increasingly uncomfortable for Jenora and within a few minutes she had excused herself and apologised for the intrusion and left.

When the woman left the room Alexis laid her head on the door for a moment and breathed a sigh of relief. She walked back to the bedside table and focussed on the task at hand not wanting to make Elias angry with her. "You should lay back. I'll prop you up with a pillow so you can eat." Fluffing his pillows and adding one to his collection she helped him sit up.

"Elias I-" she stopped, visibly stumped on how to put her thoughts into words that wouldn't push him away from her. "I know you have lady 'friends'. I just don't appreciate them in our home. If you could please keep them away...I'd appreciate that." The pain shone in her eyes and she turned away from him embarrassed for him to see how much it had affected her.
@December

@Wick

---

Elias noted the pain on Alexis features, pleased that she seemed to be approaching the situation in a manner that was different from her signature burn-it-to-hell method. Rather than forcing her partner away, she was finally opening up to him in a way that Elias felt he could work with. Up until this point, it had been explosive emotions and violent conclusions as Alexis delivered brutal honestly and Elias deflected with callous apathy and fierce defensiveness. Taric had never been one to let his emotions seize control of him in times of crisis, and that had been part of what made him and Elias such a dynamic duo. Alexis reflecting the same quality that endeared the Grimm to Taric tugged at his heart strings, urging him to reveal his true emotions.

Sighing deeply, Elias consciously softened his features, meeting his partner's eyes with a vulnerable look in his own. He needed to word his next sentences perfectly, or he might never have this opportunity with Alexis again. The Grimm needed to explain, not excuse, himself, and then work from there.

"Back when I was with Taric..." Elias paused, licking his lips before proceeding. "He never said anything about what I did with women. He always left that part to me, and he never really wanted to be a part of anything like that. I used my charm to get into people's inner circles, and work from there to eradicate hostile Wesen. After that, it just became a... an addiction."

Elias shifted slightly so that he could fully face Alexis, wincing at the pain in his shoulder. "Since his death, I've been hiding from anything that makes me feel, that reminds me of him. You remind me of him. Shutting you out... it's been numbing the pain. But I can't do that anymore. You're so like him, y'know. Taric would have liked you."

Elias smiled softly, letting memories of his old partner run through his mind. "I'm sorry I've been avoiding you and blocking you out. I'm scared that if I get close to you, I'll lose another partner. I can't go through that again, but it occurs now to me that forcing you away just makes you run off on your own. I can't say I have any right to do what I did, only that I apologize for the hurt it caused you. I was running away."

With a sharp intake of breath, Elias sat up, using his good arm to prop himself up before extending it outwards towards Alexis, curling in his lower two fingers to symbolize the embrace of oaths. Elias didn't know if Alexis knew enough about Grimm culture to understand what he was proposing, or even if it was a tradition in the East, but he offered his hand regardless.

"When two Grimms lock hands like this, they swear themselves to an oath that proclaims that the two are now partners for their entire lives, pledging to fight, win, and hunt together, and to avenge the other if they fall in battle. Me and Taric took that oath once... Many, many years ago... I swore to his vengeance, or die trying. I succeeded, and thus I was freed from my oath. I never wanted to make such an oath again, but I think I'm ready to, if you're willing."

Inhaling deeply, Elias straightening his back and held his hand in the air between him and Alexis, suspended in anticipation of her response. "Alexis Grimm, I ask to bind to you under Grimm law."

Alexis listened and when she turned her head and saw his hand she knew what he wanted to do. Her expression was one of remembrance of when she and Maggie had made the same oath. She nodded slowly, "I know what it is. I also have taken it before." Alexis hesitated for just a moment. She had been hoping he would want to be with her not just as a partner but as so much more. With her life decisions not being in her own hands she wasn't sure how she could promise all of that to him but she did. Her hand formed the responsive clasp and she saw his eyes light up happily.

"I'm not sure how I can actually promise that I can keep hunting when I'm supposed to be married by the end of the summer." She hadn't told him of Elinora's letter. It had come that day before the party, right before everything had happened. She produced a letter from her pocket. It was written by Elinora stating that Nathan Broussard had asked for her hand in marriage and her father was going to accept if she didn't accept another proposal by the end of the summer.

As he read the letter she watched the floor and decided that the maids needed to clean it better than they had been. The pain that she was going to be forced to marry someone she didn't know or like made her want to cry. "I'll keep my oath as long as it's possible."

@December

@Wick

---

Elias nodded solemnly as their fingers clasped, their pinky and ring fingers locking together as their thumbs went over the other's wrist, meeting with their index and middle fingers in a circle around the other's forearm. The embrace felt odd and familiar at the same time, as he had only done it once before.

As Alexis talked, Elias' face grew more solemn, processing the information she was feeding him. The knowledge that Alexis had received an offer for her hand in marriage, and that time was running out, worried Elias, not only because it restrained her and him from being partners, but also because he could no longer hide his unsorted feelings for Alexis from himself.

"We'll find a solution," Elias said confidently. "Loopholes and workarounds are a personal specialty of mine. We have an entire summer to figure it out; We can do it."

His words weren't nearly as encouraging as he hoped them to be, but he was weak and distracted. The entire situation had his head reeling, though he was fair sure that had something to do with the various medicines in his body. In any case, he wasn't at his best.

"Your father is not an unreasonable man, but he is quite set in his ways," Elias thought aloud. "Maybe we can tie up your dearest suitor Mister Broussard and toss him into a ditch until winter?"

Elias smiled, hoping Alexis would be able to laugh at the joke. It was a weak attempt, but it was the best he could manage.

Alexis gave Elias a half smile for his effort but her heart wasn't into joking. Something else was bothering her. The money. Nathan knew her but she hated him because he was obviously alright with hitting his woman. She could not tow down to him for the rest of her life and she wouldn't let him beat her. She would end up killing him. "I really wish you were fully healed. I could really hunt right now." Looking at the clock she realized that they had been talking for hours and her brow furrowed. "I need to check on Sophie. She was supposed to be here over an hour ago. I wonder what is keeping her. Excuse me. I'll be back." Without thinking she leaned over and kissed Elias on the lips quickly. She was so distracted with Sophie that she didn't see his response to her quick kiss.

After speaking to one of the other maids she grabbed her coat. She put pants on under her dress, partly for warmth and partly for attacks and the protection it afforded her. She took the same route to the address on the card that Sophie's boyfriend was supposedly at. She noticed that part of the way was not well lit. Hearing some noise down the middle of a dimly lit alley she was glad she had her umbrella with her. The mistiness had given her a perfect excuse to carry it with her. All of her instincts were on high alert as she walked right down the middle of the alley. "Sophie? Are you down here?" The noise became audible as soft crying and she barely heard a "yes".

Hurrying as Sophie became clearer in the poor lighting Alexis saw the battered woman and she looked around for an attacker. Seeing that they were alone she checked her for broken bones and Sophie whimpered when she pulled her to her feet. Picking up Sophie's cloak she wrapped it around her and pulled her hood up. Making sure she was able to reach her weapons quickly she put an arm around her waist and nearly carried the girl back to her aunt's house.

Alexis opened the front door to the house and the house jumped to life when she yelled. "Help! Sophie's been attacked!" Her aunt came running as well as most of the house staff. Two men were sent to look for the attackers while a third went to get the doctor and a policeman. The women of the house took care of her and within minutes Sophie was stripped down and put to bed to await the doctor while her cuts and bruises were tended to. Alexis quickly went to Elias' room.

"Elias," She said opening the door. "Something has happened!" Closing the door she nearly ran to the bedside to tell him what Sophie had told her on the way home.
@December

@Wick

---

Elias leaned back into his bed, relaxing as Alexis left the room. Sleep was a much needed commodity for him recently, due to his constant abuse from Wesen. No matter what he did, he always seemed to be injured quite severely. It was starting to annoy him. Then again, it was simply a part of who he was...

---

"Help! Sophie's been attacked!"

Elias' eyes snapped open at the sudden commotion in the house, spurred into an immediate state of fight-or-flight. Through the walls, he could hear scattered voices and rushed footsteps, but the wood muffled any kind of intelligible language. Worry crossed the Grimm's face as he pushed the blankets off of his body, swinging his legs over the side of the bed to take a stand. Wincing at the movement in his shoulder, the injured man looked towards the door when it burst open suddenly.

"Elias," Alexis burst out, moving quickly towards him. "Something has happened!"

"I heard Soph-!" Elias didn't manage to get any other words out before Alexis informed him of the situation, putting him on high alert. With a nod, he moved across the room, grabbing a loose tunic as he went.

"Take me to her." Elias spoke curtly as he pulled the shirt over his shoulder and across his body, ignoring the flaring pain in his limb. If Sophie had really been attacked with instructions to take out him and Alexis, that meant they were in immediate danger. He needed to see exactly what kind of creature had attacked Sophie if they were going to stand a chance.

"Alexis, if that's true, then we can't leave the house," Elias said. "They obviously can't get to us while we're under your Aunt's protection, but if we step outside for even a moment, we're free game."

---

A cloaked figure moved quickly through the streets, searching for any sign of his partner. She was almost an hour late, and if he knew anything about Sophie, it was that she was punctual as all hell.

Pulling gently at the fabric of his cape, the man growled as some unknown substance stained the bottom edge of it. He would've stopped to clean it there, but he had more pressing matters to attend to.

After almost half an hour of searching, he found traces of blood staining the cobble of a dimly lit back road, indicating that someone had been attacked very recently. Upon further inspection, the hooded figure was able to place the scent. Sophie...

If he had a nose worth a damn, he would've been able to track her based on scent alone, but that wasn't his species specialty. Fortunately, his eyesight would be able to help him.

He could see exactly where Sophie had gone through the faint indentations in the dirt. Apparently, someone had taken her, but she didn't seem to have resisted, but rather... complied? Whatever the case was, he needed to find her, and fast.

Without another thought, he bolted off down the alleyway, intent on finding his partner.