Forced New Beginnings

[ALYSON MONTGOMERY]

When Aly woke it had been with a start. She sucked in a sharp breath and sat up, looking around. Had it been a dream? Was she home? One look around told her that no, she was not home. It had all actually happened. When she looked down to where the table was the mess was gone. She realized she didn't have the stake anymore either, and searched the bed frantically for it, but it was nowhere to be found. Dread filled her once more. How could she had slept so deeply? How could she have let her guard down when she was at her most vulnerable? Fortunately Sebastian was nowhere to be seen which was a relief. She got up and went to the bathroom, her heart heavy. What was the next step? Was there one? She relieved herself and used the mouthwash on the counter, wanting to get the nasty taste of sleep out of her mouth.

When Alyson left the bathroom she noticed some things on the piano that had not been there the night before. She moved to it skeptically, noticing the stockpile of things he'd left for her. There was a loaf of bread and a jar of Skippy with a spoon next to it. There was a bottle of water, a notepad and some charcoal sticks. She then noticed a beautiful light green shirt with a lacey beaded design under the right side of the neck with flower embellishments. She picked up the shirt and admired it. It was beautiful, something she thought Cass might have concocted. She hated that she liked it and refused to put it on out of spite.

The last thing she noticed was a folded piece of paper. She glared at it for a moment before reaching out and taking it, unfolding it and reading the contents:

The tap water isn't poisonous if you're still thirsty. And try to refrain from breaking anything else.

Sebastian

She could hear the sarcasm through the words and tossed the paper on the piano. Prick. She stood there for a while and then decided she would boycott what he'd left for her. She went around the room again, looking through everything once more, seeing if she could find another weapon, but it seemed it wouldn't be possible unless she broke the other table. She decided it was probably in her best interest to leave that one intact. She had probably gotten off light with the first one, but he had proved to be an impatient man, and she wasn't sure she would be so lucky next time.

Then again, he might be waiting to show her his wrath whenever he returned.

She wondered when he would show his stupid face again. The hours ticked by and Alyson grew hungry and bored. She knew the day was waning as the sun moved across the sky. By what she assumed was early evening she had grown starving and finally broke down, eating a triple decker peanut butter sandwich, washing it down with the entire bottle of water. She filled it again and nursed it as she found things to do.

After she woke from a nap and finished poking at the piano for the twentieth time, she decided to go into his closet and dress up in his clothing, leaving her own discarded in the bathroom. She was too afraid to bathe, nervous he would come in and decide it was a key time to abuse her naked vulnerability. Aly left each article she tried on crumpled on the ground when she was finished, discarding shirt after jacket after hat. In the end she was wearing black slacks, a white, pinstriped button down shirt, suspenders, an emerald green tie and a black and off white fedora. She checked herself out in the mirror and had to laugh at herself. she looked smooth, like an old time gangster. Everything was baggy and comfortable, too! Men were so lucky. Women's dress up clothing always sucked. It was tight and uncomfortable and the shoes always gave her blisters.

The day dripped by slowly and she soon found herself taking advantage of the charcoal and paper he'd left. She laid on the bed and set to work trying to recreate the piano, smudging the charcoal around on the paper. Midway through her third drawing she reached over and turned the side lamp on since night was falling and the light from outside wasn't sufficient enough anymore. Now barefoot she made her way to the piano and fixed her second sandwich and then sat down, poking at the keys again. She played chopsticks for what was probably the hundredth time that day, her charcoal fingers leaving smudges on the keys, the sound of the instrument drowning out those of the locks on the door unhinging. She never even heard him coming.

[SEBASTIAN DAVENPORT]

Sebastian had done a lot of running around with such a small amount of time before the sun was going to come up! He'd gone shopping and gotten food and drawing accessories for his newest pet. He knew that she couldn't stay in the same clothes all the time since she'd begin to stink and he wouldn't tolerate her smelling like sweaty underwear. So he'd even gone to a women's store and grabbed a few things. He'd only given her a shirt though, laying it out neatly on the piano when he'd gotten back home.

When he'd first entered the room he had sneered a bit at the sleeping girl. She'd managed to break one of his nightstands and the lamp that had sat on top of it! He'd thrown that table around so many times but hadn't broken it. Maybe that was why it shattered in its entirety, because of all the damage it had sustained over time. After emptying a bag full of contents onto the piano he decided it would be best to clean up the mess. The last thing he needed was her to grab a sharp piece and slit her wrists with it. Humans were such fragile creatures and it was so easy to kill them if you weren't careful.

After he'd cleaned everything up he decided to leave her a little note hoping it would keep her from breaking anything else. He wasn't in the mood to go out and replace all of his furniture. He hated furniture shopping. They always wanted addresses and requested to deliver the items personally. Ugh. It was a nightmare that he'd prefer not to deal with.

When the room was cleaned up again and everything was set up on the piano for when she awoke he gave her a quick look before he left and locked the door up once more.

He didn't need a watch to tell him that the sun was getting ready to come up. He was biologically set up to go by the hours of night and it was easy to figure out that the sun would be rising in exactly six minutes.

With just enough time to make himself a glass of scotch and stretch, he made his way into the living room and finished off the liquid before setting the glass on the table. He didn't bother to look to see if Prestine was coming out with him. Sometimes she did and sometimes she didn't, it was no concern of his.

The drapes were already drawn and Sebastian watched as the sun began to bring its rays of light over the city, casting away the shadows and the ghouls that hid in them. It didn't take long until the light poured into the window and his body began to tense up and transform. He tightened his jaw muscles as his body began to contort and lurch forward. His frame turned into stone and Sebastian was unrecognizable. He looked like a monster you would see atop the Notre Dame in Paris.

And that was how he stayed for the entirety of the day.

When the sun finally did set, saying farewell to another day and allowing the darkness to come back it seemed like the city was more alive. At night street lights and buildings lit up the night. It wasn't long before Sebastian woke from his stone slumber and began to unmold from the tomb that he'd been cast in during the day. It always seemed that he woke all stiff. Maybe it was just him, but he always needed to stretch out when he woke up.

He bent forward to touch his toes and then reached his arms over his head as if he were trying to touch the ceiling, stretching out his limbs and becoming more flexible the darker it grew. The lights were already on in the condo since nobody had bothered to turn them off the day before. He let out a sigh, feeling himself relaxing a bit before he looked towards the hall that lead to his room.

He wanted to go straight to his room and open the door, make sure that Alyson hadn't somehow managed to get away or kill herself. But he restrained himself and decided to grab himself a drink first thing.

Sebastian could vaguely hear the sound of the keys of his piano being stroked and he realized that Alyson was not only still in the room, but she was awake! While in the kitchen he decided to open up the fridge and seek out some of the food he'd gotten the night before. Not even five minutes later he had a plate of grapes, cheese and crackers ready. He downed another glass of scotch which seemed to warm his innards on the way down before he proceeded towards his room.

With the plate in one hand he managed to unlatch the locks that were set in place and slowly open the door. He knew she was at the piano since she was still hitting the keys and noticed right away the mess that she'd managed to make. Either this blonde was extremely messy or she was doing it intentionally. It seemed like every article of clothing that he owned was scattered on the floor.

She obviously hadn't heard him enter since she was still playing the piano, and he stood there for a moment just trying to gauge how much of a mess she truly made. At least there wasn't peanut butter all over the walls.

Sebastian had to step over the piles of clothing to get to the opposite corner of the room where the piano was. This was when he finally got a good look at her and it made sense why clothes were everywhere. She was actually wearing his clothes. The green shirt lay untouched it seemed.

Coming up right behind her he reached over her shoulder, leaning his head close to her cheek and he set the plate down on the piano. He didn't have to get so close to her when he set the plate down but he obviously wanted to. He was practically breathing down her neck although he wasn't actually touching her.

He didn't bother to move away once the plate was out of his hand. Instead he turned his face to her and took a small whiff of her scent. He could tell she didn't bathe, but she also didn't smell yet either. "Did you miss me?" He asked almost tauntingly softly into her ear.

[ALYSON MONTGOMERY]

One song seemed to fade into the next as she played what songs she knew, and what songs she had sounded out already. Occasionally she would hum along trying to find the right key to press. She decided that maybe she could actually learn to play at this rate. Since he was so intent on giving her things to do, Aly decided maybe she would tell him she wanted a book to teach her how to play piano. Maybe she would ask for a television, too. A computer was probably out since she could use it to get help, but maybe she could try and get him to give her a laptop anyway! At least then she could surf the net.

When Sebastian entered, Alyson was so wrapped up in her piano playing that she hadn't heard him. How could she over the loud instrument? When the hand appeared out of nowhere with the food, she jumped, her fingers pressed on a key which echoed through the room, bouncing off the walls and fading as she stiffened. She could feel his breath on her neck and she gulped staring straight ahead. She didn't need to look to see it was him.

"Did you miss me?" His tone was almost teasing. They both knew the answer to that. Alyson had actually gone over the scenario in her mind that day, thinking about what she would do when he came back. She was well rested and fed at that point and was able to put up a fight if needed. She made the decision that he wouldn't be getting the best of her. She would show him that he didn't frighten her!

Her hand continued to move across the keys, pretending after her moment of nervous hesitance that it had never happened. "Should I have?" She asked in her own nonchalant arrogance. She didn't need to act like the scared little victim. "Because I think we both know I didn't." Her eyes moved to the plate he brought. She had eaten not terribly long before that, but the cheese and grapes both looked more than a little appetizing. She refused to touch it, though. Not yet. She didn't want to give him the satisfaction of knowing that she had been waiting for him, which she hadn't been, and eating the food he brought would allow him to feel like she needed him. She hated letting him have that sort of power. She banged harder on the keys, hoping to force him to talk louder. She needed to find he defiance in any way possible!

[SEBASTIAN DAVENPORT]

Sebastian moved away from Alyson after she had answered him and moved around so he could lean up against the piano and watch her. Her playing wasn't hideous but it wasn't great either. He leaned against his elbow and put his hand in his palm and just watched her.

"Because I think we both know I didn't." Alyson had told him.

He didn't let that phase him. He knew that she didn't miss him. In fact he figured the very sight of him was detestable to her. It was nothing new for him though. He'd had women stare at him with total disgust when they saw his back and realized what a monster he was. That didn't stop him from taking what he wanted and killing them in the end though. It was only the really drunk ones that he ever let leave alive. The ones who couldn't tell their head from their ass they were in such an alcoholic stupor. They never noticed his back and they were hardly conscious enough to realize what was even happening.

When Aly began to bang on the keys he just kept watching her, not letting it bother him at all. He just watched. She was like a stubborn child who threw a fit when she didn't get her way. And for some reason he liked it! He enjoyed watching her throw her rebellious little fits in any way she could!

Although there was one thing that he didn't much appreciate and when he noticed the soot fingerprints all over his beautiful piano keys he began to grow tense. He was no longer leaning up against the piano as he reached down to try and swat her hands away from the keys. "You filthy vermin!" He hissed at her and tried to shove her away from the piano altogether. How could he have missed that?!

His hands curled into fists and he was ready to strike at her again but then he decided to turn away from her and look at the wall. He needed to calm himself or else he'd end up hurting her beyond repair! And although he didn't keep his little humans in mint condition the way Prestine did, he also didn't want them broken and in pieces. So he stared at the wall and took a deep breath before he turned around, feeling much more calm and looked to Alyson.

"The piano was my father's. I would like it if you didn't get it incredibly dirty." Although Sebastian himself had melted candles and even had sex on top of that piano, he was weird about others getting it messy. He felt like only he was able to do that.

His expression seemed to settle and be more calm and he watched the girl with those pale eyes. "You can play it as much as you want. Just don't get it dirty, got it?" If it were anyone else they might have apologized for their temper. But this was Sebastian. Sebastian didn't hand out apologies. To get him to say sorry was very rare. In his mind she still deserved it.

"I didn't hurt you, did I?" He asked in a softer voice and his brows furrowed up almost as if he was concerned.

[ALYSON MONTGOMERY]

She could feel his eyes on her, but she pretended like it didn't bother her, or that she didn't notice at all, though she did. She could practically feel his eyes on her, penetrating her, and it upset her. The best thing she could do was to ignore it and get used to it. He would likely be staring at her a lot considering she now lived in his room.

The mood changed all too quickly and Aly was helpless to it. He swatted at her hands which she pulled away quickly. She had no idea what she'd done wrong when he shoved her, sending her sliding off the back of the piano bench. She landed on her ass, her feet still on the bench as she continued to slide down onto her back, the fedora flying off. In his fit of rage she quickly got back to a sitting position, pulling her legs towards her and scooting backwards a couple of feet like a crab. She wasn't really hurt, but startled by the suddenness of his mood change.

She watched his fists at his sides and then looked up at him as he turned away. Was this all part of the game?


"The piano was my father's." He explained. "I would like it if you didn't get it incredibly dirty." She gulped and looked at the keys that were slightly grayed with the charcoal from her fingers which were still stained gray. She looked back at him wide eyed as he continued to speak, giving her permission to play as long as she did so with clean fingers. She gave a simple head nod to show she understood, but she hadn't forgiven him for what he had done to her, either the previous night or a moment before. In fact, she was a little surprised to see what looked like remorse on his face.

"I didn't hurt you, did I?" The question confused her. Was he serious or was this part of the game also? Did he expect her to say no or yes? Was it a trick question?

"I'm fine." She said in a soft, hoarse voice pushing herself up to her feet. She didn't particularly like being on the ground when he was near. It put her in an awkward position. She hugged her torso and looked away wishing he would just leave again. Then she realized she was still in his clothes.

"I need to change." She said softly, skirting around him and heading towards the bathroom. It was more an excuse to put some distance between them for a moment and let her cool off. She needed to gather her wits so she could not be so jumpy! She didn't want him to win again!

[SEBASTIAN DAVENPORT]

Sebastian was new at this. He knew that Alyson was as well. He didn't know how to act! Was he suppose to abuse her, or was he suppose to be nice to her?! He wanted to make it so that she wouldn't want to leave. Sebastian wanted her to be like Prestine's little beasts.

He ran a hand over his face and realized that he'd definitely shocked her in how fast he'd changed his demeanor. That was the thing about Sebastian. He could be calm one minute but then be in a fitful rage the next over something minuscule.

When she said she was fine he watched as she got up to her feet and he just stood there half watching her and partially looking down at the ground.

"I need to change."

When Alyson made for the bathroom Sebastian side stepped to block her path and stood there in front of her looking down at her. He reached a hand up and between two fingers he touched a strand of her curly blonde hair, moving it away from her face. It was his way of trying to show some sort of kindness to her before he spoke. "You're in clean clothes. It seems you were in a lot of clean clothes today."

He let his eyes wander around the room at the mess and sighed. "Either you're just really messy or you're doing it to get under my skin." He wasn't entirely sure it was either of those but they seemed like the two most logical reasons why she would be such a slob.

Sebastian didn't bother to move just yet, still touching her hair and watching her. He knew he repulsed her but he didn't know just how much yet. "The door is open if you want to wander around. You have all night to use whatever you want in this place."

The Gargoyle then side stepped once more to be out of her way if she still decided to go into the bathroom and change.

[ALYSON MONTGOMERY]

Alyson had no choice but to stop when he moved in front of her. Her brows furrowed and she averted her eyes away from him, knowing his were still on her. When he reached up and took a curl she didn't pull away or flinch for the first time. She knew at that moment he meant no harm and he genuinely seemed concerned that he'd hurt her. Funny, she thought, he didn't seem to care last night.. Al wondered what had changed from then until now.

"You're in clean clothes. It seems you were in a lot of clean clothes today." She looked down at herself and then at the clothes she'd scattered. At home it was just what she had done. She hadn't though anything of it since normally she picked up her clothes by the evening or the weekend. Clothes were everywhere in Alyson's apartment. Sometimes it was tough to decide on what to wear!

She wanted to comment but she was still angry with him and was giving him the silent treatment in a way. If she had to speak she would, but if a comment wasn't necessary, she would keep it to herself. Besides, he didn't deserve to hear about her habits. He could just learn them as she went along since he was determined to keep her there against her will anyway.

"The door is open if you want to wander around. You have all night to use whatever you want in this place." She finally looked back up at him, her brows lowering more out of curiosity and confusion than anything else. She turned to look at the open door which almost seemed like freedom considering having spent the day cooped up in the bedroom.

Alyson hesitated for a moment before moving past him and walking to the door. She wasn't sure if it were a trick or not, so when she reached the door she stopped and looked back to see if he looked furious or amused, but he looked as he had when she had begun to walk away. She stepped out, eyes still back on him, and then turned away towards the hall she remembered from the previous night.

Her steps were slow and cautious as if she were walking in the Temple of Doom where booby traps lay hidden. She looked at the artwork and followed the hall to the living room. Her eyes moved to the couch where she had been the night before. It seemed like forever ago. Had it only been last night? Her eyes darted around nervously as she soaked everything in again. It was well decorated. Dark. Exciting. She moved to the large window and pushed the curtains aside, looking out at the city. It was a better view than from the room. Her fingers pressed against the glass. That's when she realized it was a sliding door to a small balcony.

She opened the door and stepped outside, breathing in the cool night air. It was nice to fill her lungs with fresh air after being in so long. She stood out there, hands wrapped around the wire balcony gate which was the only thing keeping her from falling to her death. She looked longingly down at the streets below, missing it already. She wondered if she would ever get down there again.

[SEBASTIAN DAVENPORT]

Alyson looked almost pitiful the way that she headed out of the bedroom door. Sebastian could see that she wasn't sure what to make of it, but he'd told her the night before that at night she could wander around their home. It was only during the day that she would be locked up in the bedroom. He waited a minute and listened carefully to see if she started to destroy the rest of the condo like she had his room. But he didn't hear anything come crashing down yet.

He started to pick up some of his clothes since he wanted to change himself. He'd been in those clothes since the night before and it wasn't as if he could very well change during the day. And since there was no screaming or crashing sounds he figured he might have a little bit of time to change.

Stripping out of all of his clothes he tossed them on top of the cage that was meant to be Alyson's resting place but now was just an empty cage in the corner of the room. He didn't want to combine his dirty clothes with the clean ones and he wasn't about to spend his time picking the clothes up from the floor. He used his foot to sift through the clothes that were on the ground to find something that he could wear.

He settled on a pair of charcoal colored slacks and a black button up shirt. He decided not to worry about grabbing a pair of underwear that night. It wasn't as if he was going anywhere that night. He set the clothes on the bed and headed to the bathroom sink so he could wash his face off first. After he dried his hands and face he went back into the bedroom and began to dress himself.

The whole time he tried to stay alert and once he was done he headed out into the living room to see just what Aly was doing to keep herself busy. Only he didn't see her at first. He looked in the kitchen and she wasn't there either. He was about to call out for her but then he felt a soft breeze hit him in the face and saw that the sliding glass door was open.

He casually walked towards the balcony and leaned up against the sliding glass door and crossed his arms over his chest. "Not too bad a view." He commented and looked out to the city instead of staring at Alyson like he had been earlier. The fresh air felt nice.

[ALYSON MONTGOMERY]

It was bitter sweet being outside like that. She shut her eyes and for a moment pretended like everything was normal. The city air was nothing like country air, though. In Texas there was no distant sound of cars honking or people screaming. When you looked at the night sky there was no smog hiding the stars from view. In Texas she could see every star that shined bright in the night sky. She had never seen as many stars there in Scriptor Bay. But there was a trade off. Things weren't nearly as dull in the city as they were in her podunk home town.

The home town she was almost certain she would never see again in her life.

The thought made her choke up, and being away from her captor allowed her to let her guard down for the moment. The tears came freely as she opened her eyes and stared up at the waning moon. For the first time since she came to the city she truly missed her parents. How long would it be until they knew she was missing? Would they come up to Oregon? Spend their savings looking for her? The thought killed her and made her heart ache.

"Not too bad a view." She jumped when she heard his voice and reached up to wipe her tears as discreetly as possible. How long had he been there? How much had he seen? She sniffled softly, trying to push her feelings aside.

"Best I've seen." She said softly, her hands sliding inside the cuffed shirts sleeves, her fingers poking out as she made fists, then folded her arms low over her torso.

"It's only a matter of time until my disappearance is known." She said, not looking back a him, or expecting him to really care. "My parents have no other children. They're poor all the way down in Texas." She explained, feeling the tears sting behind her eyes. "This is going to kill them." There was a hopelessness in the way she spoke. "There will be prayer groups in my honor." She said and chuckled sadly. "They'll pray for my safety and wonder what ever happened. Parents will discourage their kids from leaving the town.." She furrowed her brows and shook her head, another sort of laugh escaping her lips as she grasped the bars and leaned back, looking up at the sky. "An' all the while I'll be right here, unable to do a damn thing about it."

[SEBASTIAN DAVENPORT]

He thought he heard her sniffling but he couldn't be sure. She wasn't looking at him but he was curious to whether or not she was crying. But he didn't want to blatantly ask her if she was or not and he was actually surprised when she started to talk. Not give him smart ass remarks but actually talk to him. Women didn't normally have a conversation with him. They liked to tell him about their pet cat or their job but they didn't open up with him. It seemed almost as if Alyson was doing just that in the moment.

"It's only a matter of time until my disappearance is known."

Sebastian rolled his eyes. He was about to tell her that if this was a tactic to try and get him to feel sorry for her and let her go that it wasn't going to work, but she wasn't done speaking. She told him about her poor parents and how she was an only child. Where ever she was from must have been quite a small place if the disappearance of one measly girl was enough for people to keep their children close to home. He'd never understand that since he'd been born there in Scriptor Bay and had yet to leave the city to see the world. Not that he wanted to. He was perfectly content where he was.

The thought of prayer groups made him want to scoff but he didn't. He could have said that God was just as much a fairy tale as her freedom, but that seemed too cruel to say to her in that moment. She might have jumped just to prove her stubbornness and that wasn't what he wanted.

"An' all the while I'll be right here, unable to do a damn thing about it."

He noticed a bit of a twang in her accent at the last bit that she said and found it to be slightly cute. He stepped over the threshold so that he'd be outside with her and leaned against the little frame that kept them from falling off the balcony with his hip and looked down at her, his arms still crossed over his chest.

"Maybe if you behave and don't destroy anything else in my room..." Sebastian started to say before he stopped himself and thought about his words carefully before rolling his eyes and letting out a sigh. "..maybe I'll let you call them."

He knew he was being quite lenient, and realized that if he didn't start setting down some more rules she was going to try to walk all over him. At least that's what he would do. He stuck a finger out and looked at her sternly as if she were a little girl. "Only if you're good. I'm not a fan of prayer groups and the last thing I want to see on the news is a bunch of Jesus freaks holding candles and crying."

Although his words weren't cold or even mean, they were typical Sebastian. They had a bit of softness to them but he wasn't being completely submissive. He was reasonable when he felt like it. When it benefited him. And he figured that it just might benefit him if he got her on a level that he could actually trust her.

He even offered her a partial sort of smile even though his eyes didn't seem into it. What else was he going to do?

[ALYSON MONTGOMERY]

"Maybe if you behave and don't destroy anything else in my room....maybe I'll let you call them" She actually turned to look at him when he spoke, her eyes narrowing a little, but not as they had the night before in anger. More in a lack of understanding. She actually felt grateful for what he said. Sure, he was the reason she was even there in the first place, but if he wasn't going to let her go he was at least willing to allow her loved ones the peace of mind to know she was alright.

Unless of course he killed her.

"Only if you're good. I'm not a fan of prayer groups and the last thing I want to see on the news is a bunch of Jesus freaks holding candles and crying." It was hard to stifle the smile that threatened to pass over her lips and she looked away from him not wanting to give him the satisfaction of knowing how extremely grateful she would be to make that phone call. To hear her mama and daddy's voice seemed like a blessing.

"They'd sing Kumbaya and everything." She teased lightly, her mood lifting ever so slightly as she pulled her self forward with the bars so her pelvis touched them and then leaned back once more, swinging there back and forth as she looked out at the city from the balcony.

Maybe it was because he hadn't done anything too harsh that night or maybe it was because she had slept and ate, but things seemed less bleak in that very moment. She turned her head slightly, eyeing him up before looking away again. "So define good." She said, knowing she couldn't keep her hopes up. Who knew what he thought was acceptable behavior of a captive? She obviously wasn't his slave, and thought it was safe to assume at this point that she wasn't being held there for sex. She had no idea what he had planned for her, but she had a feeling her question would give her a better understanding of what was to be expected of her, other than keeping the piano clean and not breaking the furniture.

"Cleaning up after myself and not breaking your stuff?" She asked, raising a brow as she pulled away from the balcony ledge and turned to face him, putting her back against the narrow wall so she could get a better look at him and again creating distance. She needed to establish that just because she was having civil conversation it didn't mean they were suddenly friends. Despite the phone call to her parents hanging in the air, he was the reason she couldn't see them in the first place, and she had no intention of letting him forget that, eve if she was grateful for the opportunity to keep them from worrying about her.

[SEBASTIAN DAVENPORT]

"They'd sing Kumbaya and everything."

He made a face and even pretended to gag a little bit at what she said. It seemed almost as if they were getting along. He could have swore he almost saw her smile at him. He actually offered a true smile after his little gagging charade but it didn't stay plastered on his face for long.

"So define good."

He wasn't sure if she was teasing or not when she asked that question. How hard was it to be good? But then again his explanation of being good could definitely be different than someone who was human. So he decided that maybe he should explain what being good was. And when she asked if it meant not breaking his things and cleaning up he gave half of a head nod.

"You can throw clothes everywhere. Just make sure I have some clean clothes to wear and that you don't smell like a sewer rodent." He explained and leaned towards her even though she was leaning back from him a bit and took a little sniff, looking to the side as if he were trying to figure out how much she smelled. "You don't smell too bad but you could use a breath mint." He said and was actually jesting, trying to make a little light of the situation.

"No trying to escape. That should be a given though. And what I said last night still stands as far as that goes." He was referring to her friends and family. If she tried to escape he'd hunt them all down and slaughter them. He was the predator and they were all the prey in his eyes. Even Aly was prey for him.

"I'm not a total jackass, as long as you follow the rules then I'm willing to reward you for it." Sebastian told her and it was the truth. As long as she was good he'd get her the things she'd want. He'd allow her to call her parents for short periods of time every so often just to check in. He started to wonder if he would actually kill her when all was said and done. When he grew tired of her would he snap her neck the way that Prestine had Rachel's? It was a question that was going to eat away at him until the came eventually came.

"And if you're honest with me then I might even be honest with you." He thought about that for a hesitant minute before he shook his head. "..maybe sometimes. I'm not a very honest person when it comes to talking about myself." He explained although he didn't really need to.

"But because you told me about your parents and how you clearly lived in the bible belt, I'll let you in on a little bit of information about my parents." Sebastian wasn't sure why he was willing to share this, but it was sort of nice to have someone to actually hold a conversation with. Him and his sister didn't carry conversations. They made plans for the night, bickered and tormented one another in their own way. That was their sibling rivalry and love all bundled into one and it worked well for them. But Sebastian was actually a very lonely person. It was partially his own fault and it suited him well, but every now and then he'd long for someone to talk to.

"My mother was beautiful. I'm sure that's why my father actually married her. He was in love with her looks and not her as a person. They had nothing in common." He looked out at the city and gripped the railing with both of his hands and just stood there watching the lights. The world seemed so distant from up there on the balcony.

"Anyway, that doesn't matter anymore. She's been dead for a long time." He spoke flatly and then looked over at Alyson again and just watched her momentarily before he smirked and held tightly to the railing with his hands and hopped over the railing. He stuck his feet through the small little slot between the railing and the patio to wedge them in snuggly so that it wouldn't fall and stood there as if he were ready to jump.

He slowly let go of the railing and it was only his toes that were wedged against the railing keeping him from plummeting down to the ground. There was no real reason for him to do it except to maybe see how she would react. "Have you ever let yourself come close to death? Where your next move could be your very last?" He asked her and he seemed almost curious to hear what her answer would be.

A small breeze swept up onto the balcony and he swung his arms around in circles as if he were trying to steady himself. "Whoa!" He said as if he were fearful he just might fall. Even though he had total control of the situation. Not that Alyson knew that.

[ALYSON MONTGOMERY]

Her hands now lay at her sides, her fingers touching the wall behind her. She was watching him closely to make sure he wasn't going to do anything to her. Even if they were having their nice moment she still didn't trust him. He could lash out at her any time if he really wanted and she wasn't fool enough to think that just because things were okay right now that he wouldn't. Even with it was hard to stifle a chuckle at his gagging motion at her joke. He'd already proven he could change moods in a second and she needed to be on constant guard with him near.

She wasn't sure when to shower so that he wouldn't come in, but she was under the impression that the days were hers. He must sleep during the day since he wanted her up with him in the evenings, something she unfortunately would be able to do for the better part already due to that damn nap she'd had. Even with the nap she knew she wouldn't be asleep all day. She would have time to shower earlier in the day without the fear of being interrupted.

When he teased her breath, she narrowed her eyes and gave a sarcastic chuckle in return. "Well, maybe if you plan to kidnap someone you should leave a toothbrush for them in the bathroom." She countered, not having seen one for her though she had mouth washed. There was also the little fact that she could care less what he thought of her breath. Maybe she would keep her mouth dirty out of spite so he would be deterred from forcing his lips on hers as he had the night before. She knew the only one she would be spiting was herself, though. She hated the way plaque felt built on her teeth. It was like tooth fur. Gross! She knew he'd only been teasing her, but she was still a little defensive given the situation. It didn't matter if he'd thrown her a bone or not, he was still the enemy and she could never lose sight of that.

Aly moved her arms up and down a little touching the cool concrete wall behind her as he explained further about his little "rules". No escaping. That part was clear. She wondered if she could call her boss.. She decided not to ask just yet. Maybe Cass would actually have the sense to realize something was wrong since Aly wasn't typically flaky. Even with, she knew there was no way to get saved. No one knew where she was and with her able to call her parents, they would simply assume she wasn't in any danger. It might take a year or so for her parents to even realize things weren't kosher when Aly stopped coming back for holidays. Christmas had always been a big holiday for her, one where she came home and saw the family, ate the traditional foods her mom prepared, and opened up the presents her parents thought were things she really wanted. She'd never missed a Christmas at home.

"I'm not a total jackass, as long as you follow the rules then I'm willing to reward you for it." The statement probably wasn't supposed to seem cruel, but Aly took it as almost an insult. She snorted at him not being a total jackass though. He was whether he believed it or not.

He expected her to behave. He'd had a cage for her, even if he wasn't forcing her to stay in it now. She wasn't allowed to leave of her own free will. There was no denying that Sebastian saw her as less than him; a pet. She was nothing short of a cat to him and it annoyed her, but what could she really do about it? She tried not to show any indication about what she was thinking, not wanting to let on that the lighthearted air between them disappeared after she'd said Kumbaya.

"And if you're honest with me then I might even be honest with you...maybe sometimes. I'm not a very honest person when it comes to talking about myself." She wasn't entirely sure she wanted to know about him. She didn't care if he were honest or not. Even as she thought it she knew it wasn't entirely true. She would rather he be honest than lie since she would probably be spending a long time with him. Forever, maybe... "But because you told me about your parents and how you clearly lived in the bible belt, I'll let you in on a little bit of information about my parents." It had taken a great deal of strength for her to keep her mouth shut and not snap that she could care less about his parents. She didn't want to be nice and listen to him. She didn't want to get to know him and understand him. She didn't like thinking she could become sorry for him or feel anything other than hatred toward him. He was still the enemy, but she bit her tongue and let him speak, deciding it would be better for her in the end if she just shut up and listen.

As he spoke she actually began to feel a little sad for him. His mother was beautiful, and she'd died. Losing a parent couldn't be easy, and considering how bitter he seemed about it she could tell he had truly cared about her and her loss. Alyson didn't offer her condolences, though. As he'd said it had been a long time ago, and she didn't want to show she had a heart when it came to anything concerning him and his life.

She watched him hop over the railing, making no movement in his direction, or saying anything along the lines of "Don't jump!" or "What are you doing!?" She watched what he was doing, knowing it was a game to him. She had a feeling everything was a game to him, and everything that wasn't she assumed still would be some sort of game or test or something. He knew what he was doing, she was confident of that. She didn't trust him, and she watched with slightly furrowed brows as he pulled his arms away, standing there on the ledge.

"Have you ever let yourself come close to death? Where your next move could be your very last?" He asked and she was unsure what to say to that. She hadn't really, unless you counted her talking back. "You threatened to slaughter my family and then I broke your table. That could have been my last move." She said almost mocking him, though she knew what he was saying to her.

Alyson had never really lived on the edge. She'd done stupid things as a youth because it was what her friends were doing, but she never thought she was in any real danger because of it. She watched him, her eyes moving from his face to his chest. She could push him.. She could walk right up to him there on the ledge and give him a hard push backwards. She wouldn't have to worry about her freedom then.

She thought of this as he leaned back, his arms flapping in circles wildly. "Whoa!" Her eyes widened in sudden fear he actually would fall! She hated him, but she didn't exactly want him dead! And she didn't have the guts to kill anyone! Her body tensed, her lips parting, as she watched in mild terror as the boy looked on the verge of slipping to the street below. She had no idea what to do; should she jump forward and help him? Let nature take its course and claim her freedom back?

Finally she stepped away from the wall far enough to reach out and grab the front of his charcoal shirt and pulled him back to the balcony so he could grab it. She glared up at him though, wondering if he'd had control the whole time. She let go and took a step away from him. "I should have let you fall." She said after a second, gulping and turning away so she didn't have to face him anymore. She walked back into the condo and away from Sebastian, not looking back as she bee lined towards the kitchen. She didn't stop until she had his good, hidden liquor in her hand. She didn't bother grabbing a glass, not knowing where they were and not wanting to waste time looking, and took a long sip from the mouth of the bottle.

Tonight, she needed that drink.

[SEBASTIAN DAVENPORT]

"I should have let you fall."

A test. A test that Alyson had passed.

Sebastian not only had control the entire time he was balancing on the edge of the balcony, but he wanted to see how Alyson would act. If she would just watch him, try to push him to gain her freedom by his death, or if she would come to his aide. If the girl would have pushed him then he would have just grabbed hold of something on his way down and climb his way back up. If she just watched him then he would have pretended to fall to see how she'd react. But she had tried to save him. Sure, she had a snarky little comment to leave him with but she'd made an effort.

When she turned to walk back inside he unwedged his feet and hopped back over the railing, moving to stand in the threshold that separated the condo from the balcony. He watched her walking away and let his eyes wander over her figure. He didn't know what it was, but seeing her in his clothes was quite a turn on. They fit her loosely but still seemed to show off curves that he didn't have and never would since he wasn't a female. Not that he complained. He wouldn't want to be female even if he had the chance to.

He noted that he'd have to go out again later on that night, and pick her up a few items like a toothbrush, deodorant and maybe even a few nice perfumes.

Sebastian let her roam on her own for a few minutes before he headed back inside leaving the sliding glass door open. In the living room he picked up a remote that was on a side table and hit the power button, aiming it towards an entertainment system. It seemed almost ridiculous for them to have it. The giant television was hardly ever used unless one of the humans decided to turn it on. It was the sound system that Sebastian liked and used often.

The sound system hummed to life and started to play the same tune that it had been playing before it had been shut off. Sebastian loved to play music and made sure that he kept a rather large stash of it. The current disc that was playing in the six-disc changer was a mix of assorted music that he'd picked up from a sale rack at one of the local music stores. It was one of those that had miscellaneous new artists to try and get them known. He actually liked a particular song on it and played it a lot.

"You said that you could let it go and I wouldn't catch you hung up on somebody that you used to know!" Sebastian had hopped up on the round coffee table and began to sing along to the music like a drunken fool, only he had only had a single glass of scotch. He shook his hips and acted like he was shaking a pair of maracas, dancing around.

"But you didn't have to cut me off, make out like it never happened and we were nothing." He continued to sing along before he decided to just mouth the words and not actual sing, beginning to do a pelvic thrust while sticking his left hand behind his head and pointing around the room with his right. If there was anything that Sebastian loved to do more than torture someone, it was to dance and let loose.

He kept a wary ear tuned to where Alyson had gone in the kitchen just in case. Although she had proven that she just might be trustworthy it didn't mean that he trusted her completely yet.

"Whatever you're doing in there you might as well come out here and share." He called to her and decided it might be time for another drink. Only his drink of choice was actually in the kitchen. "And bring some scotch!"

[ALYSON MONTGOMERY]

Every sip she took made her cough a little. The boys scotch was strong and it burned terrible going down, but it was also smooth if that made sense. Aly could only handle a few sips of it before she pushed it away, making a face as she grasped the island in the kitchen looking around. This was her home now, right? She might as well get to know it.

Without knowing if he were coming after her or not, she peaked around in all the cabinets. In the fridge she found more of the cheese and grapes and pulled them out, breaking off a hunk of cheese and nibbling on it. What did she care? As far as she was concerned he'd gotten it for her anyway and she was tired of peanut butter by that point. Then her eyes landed on the liquor cabinet.

It was almost as if he had bough one of everything from the liquor store and she made her way over, grabbing a tiny bunch of grapes and popping them in her mouth as she moved. She needed a drink. She needed a lot of drinks. Her fingers danced on the liquor cabinet as she peaked at each bottle. She stopped at the Patron and pulled it out, examining the bottle. She'd taken shots of it before and knew it was expensive, which was precisely why she took it. Tequila would get her fucked up enough to not remember the night.

Aly pulled the top off and took a sip of the hard liquor, making a sour face afterward. "Oh God, that was awful." She said but it didn't stop her from repeating. It didn't take long for the music to start, which made Alyson roll her eyes. Couldn't he leave her alone? The condo wasn't big enough.

"Whatever you're doing in there you might as well come out here and share." Aly moved her lips and mocked his words. What an ass. She grabbed the cheese and nibbled at it again before taking another sip, feeling it burn down her throat and settle into her belly. "And bring some scotch!"

Al realized she had two decision; one she could go in there and play nice, bringing his damn scotch, or two stay put and rebel. Then she realized their was a third option. She could go in there and do her own thing. Just because he was keeping her there it didn't mean she needed to bring him what he wanted.

Popping a couple more grapes into her mouth she grabbed the tequila and the cheese and waltzed casually into the living room where he was dancing on a table. "Didn't have a spare hand for your scotch. Guess you'll have to go get it yourself." She said snidely before slumping onto the couch and taking another sip, scrunching her face as she swallowed the liquor. "Mm, and you might need more patron soon." She told him, smirking sarcastically up at him before taking another small bite of the cheese. "Go on, keep singing and dancing. Don't stop on my account." She added snidely.