Sinners and Saints

[SEBASTIAN DAVENPORT]

"What will you do after?" What did it matter what he did after? Was she afraid that he was going to go back to the hotel after? She didn't want to snuggle, did she? Sebastian felt the tug on his coat when Alyson grabbed the lapel. He was still leaning towards her but when she gave it a tug he stepped closer, noticing how she wouldn't even look up into his face. "After we do it.. is that it? Is it all just over then, or.."

He reached up and pushed his mask up with his hand to rest on top of his head so he could get a good look at her, his eyes searching her face with a mixture of confusion and impatience. "I just don't want to feel used. If you're just going to fuck me and walk away then.. I don't know. I don't even know... I just,.. I hate how fucking much I want you. It's sick... I'm not supposed to it's just..." The look in her eyes was painful to see for him. Even though she was just a stupid human girl, she'd managed to be more pleasant and better company than anyone else he'd had in his life. He didn't like it at all but her pain was affecting him.

"What do you want..? How do you want this to end tonight? Whatever you want, I... I won't stop you. I don't want to.." He felt her finger wiggling its way into the waistband of his pants and shut his eyes. What was he going to do with her? He stood up straight and leaned his hips backwards so her finger would have to slide back out of the waistband. Sebastian grabbed the girl by the shoulders and he pulled her in to him, nice and close as his arms folded around her back in a gentle embrace.

Sebastian didn't know what else to do. He'd never actually felt for someone who was hurting and who seemed to have such conflicting emotional agony going on. She looked as if she'd cry and that seemed to melt his cold heart just enough to hold her. His expression went soft as he rested his head on top of her head. "You're not ready." He said just above a whisper and tightened his hold on her as if he was trying to keep her warm. She was still in just her sexy underwear so he figured she might be a little cold.

"You're scared for all the wrong reasons. You should already know that you're different. You're special." He wanted to calm her down and he had a feeling it was the champagne that made her so vulnerable to him. It was probably the reason why she had let him get as far as he did.

[ALYSON MONTGOMERY]

He was pulling away from her and she felt her heart sink a little. Was he just done? It felt like he was just done, and as her fingers slid out of his pants she allowed them to fall back to her sides, but what happened next surprised her. He was grabbing her shoulders and pulling her into his body, wrapping his arms around her and enveloping her with his embrace. It wasn't rough or intended to do anything but ease her and she found it both strange and comforting. It took her a moment to relax into him, her arms wrapping around his waist and crossing around his back just over his rear.

"You're not ready." He said just above a whisper, his hold on her tightening and making her heart throb. Would he not disappear? He was going to stick around because she wasn't ready? She wasn't entirely ready, but she still wanted him. Maybe things would be different now. They felt different...

"You're scared for all the wrong reasons. You should already know that you're different. You're special." Scared for the wrong reasons? What were the right reasons? And she was special? Her hold on him tightened and she buried her face into his warm, hard chest. Was he manipulating her again? Alyson wasn't sure, but in that moment she chose not to believe he was. She wanted to believe he was being genuine, needed to.

Somehow him denying her in this sentimental way only made her want him more, but in a different way. She wanted to be around him, wanted to please him, but was still so frustrated with his treatment towards her at times. He just didn't care about what she had to say usually and that bothered her, but it was something they could work on. He already made good on other promises, and proved that tonight when he didn't strike her despite having thrown a glass of champagne on him, and stopped when she told him to.

Alyson pulled her arms away from his back and wrapped them up around his neck, pulling her face away from his chin and gazing up at him. Why did she need to be so unsure? "Special, huh?" It was intended to be almost teasing, but her voice was soft and quivered slightly. Her fingers tugged at the black hair at the back of his neck and she moved her lips to hover close to his, leaning them forward and brushing them against his, not in a kiss, but as if she was feeling his lips with her own before nipping at his bottom lip and then kissing him.

"Should we go back or have I ruined everything?" She asked in a timid, but almost seductive voice, still aware that she was half naked in front of him. "Do you want to just go home?"

[SEBASTIAN DAVENPORT]

"Special, huh?" Although her voice made it sound like she was still upset he could just hear the sarcasm that she intended to be there and he rolled his eyes again. "If you try to bring this up at a later time I'll deny everything," he told her and he was only half seriously. Though he didn't want her to bring it up later as if it were something to hold over his head which he was sure she would attempt to do. She liked pushing him and he just pushed back harder. It was like they were perfect for one another the way they challenged each other. He was sure nobody else would put up with her bullshit the way he did, and it wasn't a debate over whether someone else would stick around him with the way he treated people. She was special alright, in her own fucked up kind of way.

He felt her fingers on the back of his neck and it sent a chill running down his jagged spine. Next he felt her warm breath on his lips, but he wasn't in much of a kissing mood anymore and from the feel of it she had no intention of actually kissing him. More like just brushing her lips against his and then he could feel her teeth on his bottom lip. It felt nice, he couldn't deny that, and he actually welcomed the kiss she gave after.

"Should we go back or have I ruined everything? Do you want to just go home?" Why did this girl have such an effect on him? He hated it and loved it at the same time which made him angry with himself. He took a deep breath and then looked down at her practically bare body, reaching a thumb into the side of her panties and giving the waistband a playful yank to make the elastic snap back against her skin. "How about you get dressed first? Then we'll have a few more drinks, another dance or two, then we can call it a night. Because you're going to have a very busy night tomorrow with your studies." He told her playfully, deciding to let his anger just simmer down and die out. There was no reason for him to hold a grudge against her for her misdemeanors earlier on. She had been guzzling champagne after all.

"One more thing," He brought his hand up and pinched her chin gently between his thumb and index, tilting her head up so that she had to look into his eyes. "If you ever throw a drink on me again the end result will be different. Now get dressed." He pecked her lips before he let go of her chin and took a step back to give her some room. "Pull it up and I'll zip it."

[ALYSON MONTGOMERY]

"If you try to bring this up at a later time I'll deny everything," She watched him doe eyed knowing he meant it despite the way he said it with only partial seriousness. It didn't matter if he denied it later, he had said what he did and that, for now, was enough for Alyson. She probably would bring it up at some point, though. Information like that didn't just disappear.

When he snapped her panties she sucked in a sudden sharp breath, not expecting him to do that and then bit her bottom lip, trying to stifle the grin that threatened to crease her lips. His plans for the rest of the night agreed with her. Dancing, drinks and home. When he said call it a night Alyson wasn't entirely sure what he meant. She assumed home, but whose? Hers? His? Together? Separately? Too many questions to bother asking him so she simply nodded her agreement deciding it sounded good enough. She could use maybe a few more drinks. Or maybe she'd had enough.. Alyson decided she would play it by ear. No sense making that decision now. The night wasn't over yet.

Alyson was about to squat and grab her dress when she felt Sebastian pull at her chin. "One more thing," He said and her large, childlike eyes moved back up to meet his. "If you ever throw a drink on me again the end result will be different. Now get dressed." He kissed her gently and she gave a bashful, apologetic smile but said nothing about what she'd done. Her head gave a soft little nod as he pulled away from her chin. "Pull it up and I'll zip it."

Alyson squatted down and grabbed the top of her dress and pulled it up over her body, hooking it under her arms to keep it from falling as she turned her back to Sebastian to zip. She turned her head to peak over her shoulder at him, drawing her shoulders forward and watching as he pulled the zipper up slowly. She felt satisfied with how things had turned, knowing he wasn't going to just up and go which gave her more confidence when it came to doing what she wanted to do with him, what he wanted to do with her, but it didn't change the fact that it was completely taboo. He wasn't even human to top it all off!

Alyson turned back to Sebastian when he finished dressing her and reached up, adjusting his mask on his face and pushing his hair around to give it that sexy, messy look he pulled off so well. She then reached down and picked up her own mask and slid it over her face. "Ready.." She said softly to him and stepped away from the door, allowing him to make all the moves.

Alyson moved easily with Sebastian, significantly more calm now. The dancers were still at it when they got back to the hall and it was as if no time had passed at all. They weren't missed and the party had gone on as it was intended. Alyson bit her lip and looked up at her date and fidgeted lightly. "Will you dance with me?" She asked meekly, her attitude different now that her fears had been squelched, at least for the moment. She reached her hand up for him to take if he wanted it, hoping he would.

[SEBASTIAN DAVENPORT]

Sebastian zipped up Alyson's dress and then stood still as she fixed his mask and hair for him. It was strange letting someone touch him in a way that wasn't sexual but he liked having her fix his hair. "Ready.." the girl said and moved out of the way of the door so Sebastian leaned forward and turned the handle and let the door swing open, stepping back out into the hall and looking around while he fiddled with his tie to make sure the knot was straight.

When they went back into the room where the event was taking place he looked around at all the unfamiliar faces, people who didn't know that the two of them almost had sex just down the hall. He felt some satisfaction thinking about it and smirked to himself. "Will you dance with me?" He turned his head to look down at her and watched her hand come up. She was the one who wanted to dance this time and he couldn't resist. He took her hand and allowed her to lead him to the dance floor this time with a big grin playing on his lips.

While she walked he couldn't keep his eyes off of her and allowed them free roam over the curves of her body. The way the dress hugged her made her look more curvaceous than she usually did in her everyday clothes. Maybe he'd try and buy her some more dresses, enjoying the way her hips moved with every step and wondering if maybe he should have just taken up her offer to take her back to the hotel and have her.

He stopped his mind from going to dirty thoughts by pulling her close to him when they were on the dance floor and brushing some of her blonde hair away from her face. "Your cheeks are still a little pink. But you still look as good as you did when we first got here," Sebastian felt like he should compliment her. She was starting to calm down and maybe a compliment would help even more. Who knew how long he could keep from screwing it up again by saying the wrong thing?

He moved with the music and met Alyson's gaze. Her eyes were always so wide that it brightened her face when she was in a good mood. "Try not to step on my toes." He teased and then finally pulled his eyes away to look around to see who else was there. That's when he spotted something interesting.. was that the girl he'd kidnapped dancing with the Gargoyle leader?

[ALYSON MONTGOMERY]

Sebastian allowed Alyson to lead him to the dance floor, which she did. She didn't go quite in the center like he had before, opting to stay closer to the edges, but still submerged enough to be in the group of fellow dancers. She felt his eyes bore into her as she walked and it pleased her more now than it had earlier. It was as though things had taken a sudden drastic turn for her. She wasn't afraid of him up and going, and though he was still cruel, he thought she was "special", and he had stopped all his physical abuse. She was sure he would have struck her before or worse, but the worst he did was force his lips to hers, which wasn't exactly a terrible thing.

When she stopped he pulled her in close and Aly found herself easing into his embrace easily, his hand brushing some stray hairs from her face. It was a sweet gesture, not one she expected from Sebastian. "Your cheeks are still a little pink. But you still look as good as you did when we first got here," She raised a brow behind her mask and smirked. A compliment? It went noticed and appreciated. "Champagne and making out in closets will do that to a girl." She explained playfully, her arms both up around his neck as she swayed with him this time, looking into his eyes as they moved.

"Try not to step on my toes." He teased, turning to look around. Who was he looking for? "What will you do to me if I do?" She asked, taunting a little and letting her own eyes move around. Suddenly she gasped and turned Sebastian a little to the left, ducking her head down to hide her face. She'd seen a couple that was unmistakably her boss and her husband.

"Shit, Cass is here!" She hissed, peaking up over Sebastian's shoulder. "How much like myself do I look? She can't see me here with you, she would freak!" She knew it was the truth. Cass would tear her away and call the cops and make a huge scene and probably bring her right to the loony bin! She peaked up over his shoulder, craning her neck to see if Cass had spotted her but it seemed she was too involved with dancing with Carter, thank God. "Just...don't move around too much. Okay?"

[SEBASTIAN DAVENPORT]

"Champagne and making out in closets will do that to a girl." And she was back to her usual smart ass self but he was preoccupied watching Robert and the blurr girl dancing. He was both suspicious and paranoid watching them, almost like he was worried that one of them would recognize him. He knew it was a bold move coming to the masquerade but it was a masked event, all he had to do was make sure that they just didn't run into each other. He was so absorbed by the sight of the leader and the blurr that he ignored her when she asked what he'd do if she stepped on his feet.

"Shit, Cass is here!" He was brought back when she mentioned her friend that he knew from the store and looked down at her curiously. "How much like myself do I look? She can't see me here with you, she would freak!" Here Sebastian was worried about the leader while Alyson was worried that her friend might see her and get upset about her being here with him. He rolled his eyes but he realized that maybe they should turn, keep their backs to the people they didn't want to see them.

"The leader of my kind is over there," Sebastian stared straight ahead at the man, watching him like a hawk but also making sure that he didn't cause any unwanted attention by staring too much. "You think your friend will flip? He might torture me." He snarled a bit at the thought and then held her firmly and took a few off steps to turn her around so that her back was facing her friend and his back was facing the leader.

"You don't look like yourself. Trust me, I don't think she'd believe you were here even if she saw you. Now you see that big man with the red haired girl? Let me know if he comes this way. If he does we'll need to move." He felt like a moron giving her instructions and trying to get her to watch this guy. He wondered if she'd actually do it or give one of her snarky little 'what if I don't?' remarks that she loved to give him. But it wasn't a matter of just watching someone because he didn't want to talk to them, it was much more than that.

[ALYSON MONTGOMERY]

Sebastian almost seemed to not be taking her seriously. Didn't he realize how bad it would be if Cass came over and revealed them? She definitely didn't want that sort of attention, especially at a nice event like this. Then again, Cassidy wouldn't completely fly off the handle. She was more of a quiet yeller. She would probably grab Alyson and pull her away and call the cops to alert them that Sebastian was there. Then she would lay into her something fierce in the hallway. The thought made her tense.

"The leader of my kind is over there," Aly's eyes widened and she peered over at the man Sebastian was looking at. "You think your friend will flip? He might torture me." He snarled and she winced. Would he really be tortured? Was that him exaggerating or was that a Gargoyle thing. Were there such things as Gargoyle "things"?

He turned them so neither had to look at those who could potentially ruin their evening, which was for the best Aly decided. Still, she worried Cass might recognize her somehow. She still had a scar on her arm from the gunshot wound, but it had healed considerably and she had makeup on it, so from a distance it might not be as noticeable. she hoped it wasn't.

"You don't look like yourself. Trust me, I don't think she'd believe you were here even if she saw you. Now you see that big man with the red haired girl? Let me know if he comes this way. If he does we'll need to move." Alyson zoned in on the man, watching him with the woman. There was something familiar about her, but she couldn't put her nose on it. Not just yet.

"Would he really torture you?" She asked, looking up into Sebastian's face curiously. "What would happen to you if you got caught?" Then it hit her as her eyes zoomed back in on the woman. "She's the one from the cage, isn't she!" She hissed, memories from that night flooded back and she winced. He'd been so cruel to her.. She had tried seducing him but it had gone terribly wrong. She got that sick feeling in her gut, turning her eyes away from him and trying to pretend he wasn't the same person from that night. It was so much easier to forgive him if she believed it was his evil twin brother who struck her and kicked her out. This Sebastian would never do that.. She found herself snuggling closer to him as they danced, her body pressed to his as they swayed. This Sebastian stopped when she told him to.. he wouldn't hit her, either. Sure, he would snarl and say rude things, but he also cared for her. This Sebastian thought she was special.. the though of his words made her stomach twist in knots as she pushed the hurt feelings away where they belonged. She didn't need another fight on her hands.

[SEBASTIAN DAVENPORT]

"Would he really torture you?" Sebastian's eyes had been fixated on Aly's friend and her husband dancing around so he could make sure they get that look of recognition on their little human faces. "What would happen to you if you got caught?" He blinked and then looked down at Aly through his mask but he didn't answer her. He just didn't want to get into it with her but then she spoke again and he knew he couldn't just ignore her now. "She's the one from the cage, isn't she!"

"Yes. And there's a chance that her little boyfriend went to the council and told them about what happened. It's not usually a 'go directly to jail do not pass go' punishment that they hand out. They might stick you behind bars while they try to come up with some clever way to torture you. Whippings aren't too bad." He shrugged as he thought about getting whipped. He'd gotten in trouble before, it wasn't as if this was something new. The council knew about him and his sister.

When Aly pressed herself against him he curled his arm around her waist more to make sure she felt safe. He wasn't going to let anything happen to her tonight and if her friend saw them then all they'd have to do is slip right out the door and be on their way. He had no intention of a scene being caused. "Robert Snow," he said the leader's name as if that was suppose to mean something to Aly. It meant a great deal if you were a Guardian. He was one of the most hardened leaders they'd had in ages. "He believes Gargoyles should be with Gargoyles and anything otherwise is considered blasphemy. Also that we're the elite race. Which I have to agree with him there, we are the best." He wondered if she'd take offense to that. Pretty sure she would.

"But he won't get near you." He whispered softly as he pressed his lips to the side of her head, into her hair.

[ROBERT SNOW]

Robert was amused as he walked away from the, admittedly, pretty redhead he was certain he had just intimidated. She was spunky, but he enjoyed watching the spunk die out of people. The last thing the Gargoyle community needed was another child identified as a Gargoyle, but who didn’t actually turn to stone. Gargoyles were far superior to any other race, and they needed to keep it that way by keeping bloodlines pure. It wasn’t just that, though. Robert couldn’t understand the appeal of other races. Why would anyone be attracted to someone who couldn’t fight back? There was no pleasure in overcoming someone with hardly any effort. The pleasure came in knowing your partner could fight back but you still subdued them. He couldn’t see pleasure in a weakling, and compared to Gargoyles, weren’t all other races weaklings? The appeal eluded him.

He was making his way back to Peter, his second-in-command, when something caught his eye. It was a face he vaguely recognized. Crossing his arms, he stood watching the young lady, never taking his icy eyes off her. Why did she look familiar? It clicked. Her face was all over the papers the past few weeks; Robert was an old-fashioned man and he read the paper every day. Sure, in the pictures she had curly hair and right now she was wearing a mask, but that was the woman. That was the woman Witt had accused Davenport of keeping as a pet. His eyes wandered to the man she was with. The dark hair…Robert needed to see his face. He had to be wrong about this. There was no way that was Davenport. The man had eluded the council for weeks, according to Penelope; there was no way he would come to such a public event. He moved slowly, deliberately, turning his eyes away as he made his way to a better vantage point where he could see that face.

When he turned his eyes back, they narrowed dangerously. That fucking idiot. There was a sense of triumph and a sense of utter disappointment in rage in recognizing who Davenport was. Penelope would be lucky if she didn’t lose her job over this. Davenport was never going to get out of this unscathed. That was two Gargoyle men he had seen with non-Gargoyle women tonight. It was reprehensible. At least there was some advantage for Witt to have a minor political player like McManus around, but there was no benefit for Davenport to have the human woman around. His eyes burned through his mask as he stared at Davenport, slowly taking his stance like a lion about to pounce. He crossed his arms over his chest, just watching them. He wanted Davenport to know he recognized him, to know exactly what was coming.

The song was winding down as he stepped onto the dance floor, every movement deliberate and calculated as he made his way to Davenport, forcing a cold smile to his face. “Mr. Davenport. We’ve been looking for you,” he said in his smooth, very deep voice. “May I have a word with you?” His eyes flitted to the blonde nestled close to him, narrowing them slightly before he looked back to Davenport. “Alone. There are many things we need to discuss.”

[ALYSON MONTGOMERY]

Whippings? They whipped people? Alyson's brows rose as she looked up at him. That seemed so medieval! She supposed it made some amount of sense. He was a violent man and his skin was hard, which meant it probably hurt but not terribly. Still, it seemed really very harsh. She didn't like the sound of him being whipped, but if it was only a lashing for him to be free of his charges that didn't seem so bad. Then again, whipping was only an example he offered as to how they would torture him. What other sorts of torture? Maybe shooting them and allowing them to turn to stone? Didn't he say that was torture?

Aly sighed when Sebastian hugged her closer. She rested her head on his shoulder as he swayed with her, watching the man who Sebastian had pointed out press his lips to the redheaded woman's knuckles. He didn't look so scary, but then again he was probably scarier than he looked. Sebastian certainly was.

"Robert Snow," She pulled her head up to look at him. Who was Robert Snow? "He believes Gargoyles should be with Gargoyles and anything otherwise is considered blasphemy. Also that we're the elite race. Which I have to agree with him there, we are the best." It was clear that Robert Snow was the man's name. She furrowed her brows wondering if he was trying to get a rise out of her or if he actually mean what'd just said. Did he actually think he was part of an "elite race"? That was some Hitler shit right there.

"Please tell me you're joking." She grumbled up at him, clearly not as amused as he was. She waited for him to smile and chuckle, making it clear he was fucking with her, but before he could answer she heard a voice from behind her.

“Mr. Davenport. We’ve been looking for you,” Chills ran down Alyson's spine. She looked over Sebastian's shoulder, the man she was supposed to be watching for out of sight. Still hugging herself close To Sebastian, she turned her head to look at the man who had approached. It was him. It was Robert Snow.

“May I have a word with you?” His cold eyes moved to Aly, making her uncomfortable. He certainly had quite the presence! “Alone. There are many things we need to discuss.”

She suddenly felt very protective of the man who had held her against her will and she grabbed a handful of his jacket behind his back to keep herself close to him. She didn't want to let him go with this guy who would torture him! She feared she would never see him again. Alyson turned doe eyes up to her date wishing now more than ever that she had simply allowed him to have his way back in the closet. They would still be there, and not out there with this predator at their tails. "We're in the middle of a dance." She shot at the man trying not to let her meekness show. Truth be told she felt how dangerous he was, but somehow she felt braver in Sebastian's embrace. She wasn't interested in letting him go.

[SEBASTIAN DAVENPORT]

"Please tell me you're joking." Sebastian was about to shrug and come up with something witty to say but all words escaped him as his eyes caught sight of Snow coming directly towards them from behind Aly. Hadn't he told her to watch him?! He couldn't just slip out now with Snow's creepy eyes on him and he felt his upper lip curl as if he was about to sneer at the man but as he grew closer he tried to look cool and unaffected by his presence.

"Mr. Davenport. We've been looking for you," He cocked a brow at Snow and rolled his shoulders in a nonchalant shrug. "I've been right here all night." He told him in his arrogant tone. Sebastian knew he was in dangerous waters but that was how he was when he felt cornered. He had to play it off casually or else he was going to end up lashing out, so acting like an arrogant asshole was the lesser of two evils in his opinion.

"May I have a word with you?" He watched Snow look at Aly and he felt himself growing warm with a new form of rage. He was both jealous that his leader was looking at her and like he had to protect her or he'd snap her neck. "Alone. There are many things we need to discuss."

He could feel Alyson's grip tightening on his jacket and as much as he wanted to just cling to her, maybe even use her as his shield, figuring he wouldn't do anything there at the ball as long as he had Aly in between them, but that wasn't a very well thought out idea and he dismissed it. "We're in the middle of a dance." He started to grind his teeth behind his mouth and looked up at the ceiling to try and calm himself. She was only trying to help but that was just going to get her in trouble. Possibly killed!

"I don't really have much of a choice, do I?" Sebastian directed to Snow and gave him a sarcastic smile before trying to wiggle out of Aly's firm hold and gripping her by the shoulders to make her look at him. "Don't leave without me. I'll be right back." He told her and his grey eyes stayed fixed on hers, his voice and his face showing he meant it. The last thing he needed was her to wander outside and get herself killed by one of Snow's men. That would definitely ruin the night. He let go of Aly, his eyes lingering on her as he headed away from her, wanting to just get Snow away from the girl before he tried to lash out.

[ROBERT SNOW]

Robert saw the woman move closer to Davenport, a leery look in her eyes. “We’re in the middle of a dance.” His jaw set dangerously and his icy clue eyes narrowed as he gazed down at her. She had no idea how easy it would be for him to snap that thin neck of hers. He wouldn’t do it on the dance floor of course, but perhaps a staff member could stumble on her mangled body in the hallway. Humans had no idea how incredibly weak they were and it infuriated Robert. Even though her words were brave, her face betrayed how she really felt, knowing how dangerous he was. She was stupid for challenging him, and Robert knew she was well aware of that. Even more than her, though, Davenport knew how stupid she was, and Robert’s eyes came back to him as he looked to the ceiling. At least the younger man wasn’t that dumb.

“I don’t really have much of a choice, do I?” Robert gave his own cold smile back, but, really he wanted nothing more than to wipe that smirk off Davenport’s face. He turned to the girl and told her not to leave without him, and Robert bit back telling the girl to go ahead and leave. Davenport wasn’t leaving here on his own. Robert had no intention of letting the man slip through the council’s fingers again. As he walked out beside Davenport, his hand went to his phone in his pocket. He quickly typed in a three digit code to Peter, his second-in-command, ordering him to call in Gargoyle guardians. Davenport was to be escorted from the building and detained. But his face remained calm and stoic, taking Davenport from the main hall to one of the separate, quieter hallways. His foot crushed a semi-familiar white mask on the floor, but he did little more than glance at it before continuing ahead.

In seclusion, Robert came to a halt and turned to Davenport with a chilling look. “I’m sure you’re aware, Mr. Davenport, that I believe Gargoyles are far superior to humans. In every possible way, Gargoyles are capable of upstaging humankind; intellectually and physically.” He began a slow, pacing circle around Davenport. “But you…you have managed to prove me wrong in your case. Here the council has been looking for you for weeks, and you just hand yourself over by coming to a very public affair. Better yet, you came with the very human you have been accused of kidnapping and keeping as your pet, threatening Gargoyle secrecy! We may be revealing our existence, but that was not decided when you began your little tryst with your human.” The thought burned him from the inside. Without warning his hand snatched out and grabbed the other man’s jaw in a crushing grip, snarling at him. “It disgusts me how very, very stupid you have been this evening, Mr. Davenport. Was mocking the council and dancing with your human worth what you’ll now be going through? I wonder…” He threw the man’s face away from him, forcing him to stumble back as Robert resumed his pacing. Robert’s voice never got louder than the tone one might use in a library, but that didn’t detract from the bite in his words. “I wouldn’t expect to see your human for quite some time, Mr. Davenport. Don’t worry; no harm will come to her, despite her smart mouth. She’s too stupid to know any better. But I can’t say the same for you.” His eyes watched the younger man as he passed around him.

[SEBASTIAN DAVENPORT]

Sebastian didn't want to leave Alyson out there alone, especially since he had a feeling that Robert wasn't going to let him off the hook so easily. His mood turned sour, knowing that the evening had been ruined. Once they were in one of the quieter hallways Sebastian put his hands into the pockets of his pants and casually watched Robert, giving his best to not look as tense as he felt. He knew he was screwed, and if Aly would have just let him have his way in that damn closet without killing the mood, then he wouldn't be in this position right now. He should have just taken her home. Or better yet, should have just not gone to the damn ball.

"I'm sure you're aware, Mr. Davenport, that I believe Gargoyles are far superior to humans. In every possible way, Gargoyles are capable of upstaging humankind; intellectually and physically." He didn't have a choice but stand there, one brow raised, just watching Robert circle around him like a vulture about to swoop in and food off of a decomposed body. Although Sebastian would hardly think of himself as dead meat.. he was fucked, that was obvious, but not dead. "But you...you have managed to prove me wrong in your case. Here the council has been looking for you for weeks, and you just hand yourself over by coming to a very public affair. Better yet, you came with the very human you have been accused of kidnapping and keeping as your pet, threatening Gargoyle secrecy! We may be revealing our existence, but that was not decided when you began your little tryst with your human."

Sebastian was about to roll his eyes and say something but Robert grabbed him by the jaw and all he could do was drop his hands out of his pockets and try his best not to look terrified. His head was tipped back and the grip seemed to only be tightening, hurting from the pressure. "It disgusts me how very, very stupid you have been this evening, Mr. Davenport. Was mocking the council and dancing with your human worth what you'll now be going through? I wonder..." When Robert released his face Sebastian staggered backwards a bit but caught himself before he fell, his hand going up to rub the side of his face. It stung and throbbed like it had been shoved into a vise grip and then released.

"I wouldn't expect to see your human for quite some time, Mr. Davenport. Don't worry; no harm will come to her, despite her smart mouth. She's too stupid to know any better. But I can't say the same for you." His cold grey eyes stared at Snow, wanting to lash out at him any way he could. Catch him by surprise in some way so he could slip out of the museum, but it wouldn't work. There would be no way he could grab Aly before one of Snow's men did.

"Now Robert, can't we let bygones be bygones? The human is here because she wants to be. Whatever charges should be dropped because there's no proof." He shrugged, his hands out away from his sides. He ran his tongue across the front of his teeth to try and prevent himself from sneering at him. "We can work something out. I'm sure there's something we can do to help each other out, isn't there? You know I'm not useless." He raised his brows at Robert, trying to persuade him to let this slide.

[ROBERT SNOW]

“Now Robert, can’t we let bygones be bygones? The human is here because she wants to be. Whatever charges should be dropped because there’s no proof.” Robert raised a brow at him. He had no idea did he? Witt hadn’t been that dumb to not give them proof. “We can work something out. I’m sure there’s something we can do to help each other out, isn’t there? You know I’m not useless.” A deep, dangerous chuckle left Robert and he was genuinely amused. Davenport was not invaluable, that was certain, but Robert had no use for his volatile personality. He shook his head as he stopped before Davenport again, smiling like a hungry wolf. “Do you honestly think we would keep the charges if there was no proof? A Blurr came forward with some pretty damning testimony about you and your sister. There were rumors about you and your sister’s habits for years and yet one slipped away and ruined everything for you. You risked so much all over a silly ring. Gargoyles should not possess such a ring; we are nightwalkers for a reason.” He sighed, looking away for a moment.

“It is a shame, Davenport. I could have used someone like you. You’re strong and ruthless, which would be such a valuable asset to me. But unfortunately, you’re too volatile. You don’t think things through and you let your whims control you.” His eyes panned back to the younger man, frowning once more, his arched brow furrowed. “There is nothing that you could offer me that I could use. It would be a mistake to employ you in any capacity. My only choice is to punish you for your negligent behavior. That punishment, as always, will be quite severe. Perhaps you’ll learn to cover your tracks better and learn to reign in your…urges.” There was a shuffling in the hallway, and Robert’s eyes went to the several Gargoyle guardians led by his second-in-command Peter[/u]. They were all obviously there for once purpose. Robert kept a firm hand on Davenport’s upper arm to make sure he went nowhere.

The guardians swarmed Davenport, placing him in heavy restraints. The strongest of them grabbed each of his arms and led the man away. Peter stood beside him, watching as Davenport was led away. “Is that really Davenport?” “I’m afraid so.” Peter sighed heavily and shook his head, sharing the same sentiment as Robert. “I want him monitored at all times. He’s slippery and I don’t want him getting away until he has received his just punishment.” Peter nodded. “Understood.” Peter was one of the few people Robert genuinely liked. They were of like minds, though Peter tended to be softer than Robert. Where Robert might break a man’s hand, Peter would only break his fingers. “Thank you, Peter.” Robert took a deep breath and moved back to the main hall. “Now to get back to my evening.”