alesta-floros

[alesta-floros]

zephyr-applegate:

Zephyr couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off, the whole time he worked, but he couldn’t figure out exactly what was bothering him. He looked up from his laptop when Alesta walked back into his office and he smiled at her. Offputting or not, the woman was gorgeous and adorable at the same time. The nickname was almost cringe-worthy, but he found he rather liked the way she said it. “Well… how ‘bout I make it up to you after dinner then? There are some good movies playing down at the drive-in tonight. Old school, I know, but it’s actually pretty cool. Whaddya say?” He asked as he rose from his desk and moved to collect his leather briefcase.  He was done for the evening and wanted to take her shopping like he had promised. Whatever odd feeling he had before was passing now, enough that he could concentrate on the beautiful woman by his side. He draped his arm around her shoulders and placed a kiss on the top of her head, as though it were the most natural thing in the world, and then he led her from the station to get their night started. 

“A drive-in?” Alesta repeated, pretending to be surprised by the idea of such a place. “Wow, I think you’re showing your age a little there Zephie.” She added with a small giggle as her arm moved to wrap around his waist. The kiss to her temple was a bit of a surprise but she found herself liking it. For a moment, all she did was look up at him in surprise before she focused on her footing so she wouldn’t trip. “Actually, going to a drive-in is something that I really enjoy doing. I...haven’t been able to go to one in a long while since my boyfriend’s work has been piling up on him lately.”

It had come out without her really thinking about it. Before she could freak out though, she told herself it was fine. So long as she didn’t mention a name or what he really did, everything would be fine. “I think we should watch that zombie movie or the mafia one! I’m pretty sure both of them are still playing, or at least the last time I checked they were.” Which was more than two weeks ago by this point but she would still be hopeful. “Unless you’re the romantic type of guy that wants to watch a chick flick? They aren’t really my thing but if they’re yours then I’ll be willing to put up with them.” She was teasing him again but at the same time she was also being serious. “Or we could take the easy way out and see whatever’s playing at the time that we get there. That might be kinda fun and a bit of a surprise as well.”

[alesta-floros]

zephyr-applegate:

A chuckle escaped Zephyr’s throat when Alesta tapped his nose with her fingertip, and he smiled at her. “Yes ma’am,” he said with a spark or mirth in his eyes, and then he took her by the hand, leading her through the station to the breakroom. It didn’t take long to get the laptop turned on, and Zephyr raided the fridge for Alesta, passing her a can of soda and some snacks. “Restroom is just down the hall,” he added as an afterthought, pointing in the general direction of the bathrooms.  He paused as he was about to leave the break room, suddenly, getting a tingling sensation that made him look over at Alesta. Zephyr had a knack for knowing when someone was lying to him, thanks to his Greek Titaness of a mother. Usually, though, he had to ask a specific question and have that person answer said question, either truthfully or not so much. So it was rather strange for him to have that feeling now, and the smallest frown formed around his eyes as he studied Alesta, innocently sitting in front of the laptop, snacks surrounding her. He felt unnerved and weary, and he couldn’t quite explain where the feeling had come from. “Hey…” He started, and was about to ask her… something, he didn’t know what, but then he changed his mind at the last second. “Have fun.” Zephyr’s smile returned, but there was the slightest bit of warning in his voice, the tone surprising even himself. “You know where I am if you need me.” He looked at her for a second longer, then turned and headed back to his office, not looking back. 

Getting settled into the break room was a lot easier than Alesta was expecting. Not only was she going to be alone but she was also provided some snacks and a drink as well. How thoughtful of Zephyr. In a way, she actually felt a little guilty for having to do what she was about to do. She didn’t have a choice though and she knew that without any doubts. “Thanks, Zephyr. I remember how to get back to your office, so I’ll come find you if I get bored.” There was still a teasing in her voice as she settled down, popping open a bag of chips to start nibbling on it. The hesitance in the detective’s demeanor suddenly caught her attention and she watched him rather closely. Alesta knew he had wanted to ask something instead of saying what he did but she wouldn’t press it. “Will do, Zeph. Don’t have too much fun.” She was smiling as she spoke and couldn’t help but watch him as he left. She waited, counting to fifty in her head before she bit her lip and glanced to the side. This was her only chance and she wasn’t going to let it slip by. 

With a small sigh, a wave of her magic to wash over the room; as she stood up, an illusion of herself sat in her place watching the laptop screen. Even the camera in here was affected so that it wouldn’t see the real Alesta, only the illusion itself. This illusion would be capable of answering questions and having a conversation but if someone tried touching...well, it wouldn’t be good. Knowing there was a time limit, she took another breath and allowed her body to shift into that of someone else. A cop that had wronged her one too many times. With the new look in place, she left the break room and headed downstairs. It was easier to find the evidence room than it was avoiding people but somehow she managed. Since everything was so nice and organized, it was easy to find the box that housed Freddie’s picture as well. It looked so crisp and clean, like the first day that girl had drawn it. Tsk’ing softly, Alesta pulled it out and quickly ripped the picture to tiny shreds. The pieces were placed in her pocket for now before she moved on to the next task: getting rid of any mention of Freddie in the system itself. 

Alesta found an empty work station, obviously in use by someone but that someone wasn’t around. She worked quickly to hack into the computer, all the way to the restricted access section until she found what she wanted. Any information of Freddie was pulled out and deleted from the archives right before she added a code for a powerful virus into the computer. It fritzed for a few moments before crashing, followed by a few other computers in the room to crash as well. With her task complete, she made her way back to the break room and settled down in her illusion’s self. The illusion in turn ended and everything went back to normal. By this point, the movie was halfway done but she didn’t feel like watching it. Grabbing the soda and the bag of chips, she closed the laptop and made her way back to Zephyr’s office. “Zephie.” Alesta called out in a sing song manner, knocking on the door only after she started walking inside. “I’m bored, I can’t really access any good movies. You guys block all the good sites to get the free movies.”

[alesta-floros]

zephyr-applegate:

Zephyr laughed at Alesta’s good-natured teasing. It was one of the things he liked about her; that even though she had been through a world of pain, she was always cracking jokes and making him smile. “A few hours, at the most. I just have to catch up on some paperwork.” His gaze drifted to where she stood, eyeing his certificates on the walls. 

“Not my computer, no.” He explained, with a regretful expression. “I kinda need it for that paperwork I just mentioned.” Zephyr chuckled and walked around the desk to where she stood. “But, there’s a laptop in the break room if you want to use it. You can hang out there, or I can bring it back here for you.” He gestured to a loveseat pushed against the far wall. He used it as a makeshift bed on nights when he had worked too late and didn’t feel like driving home. “You can make yourself comfortable here, if you want.”

Alesta let out a small hum when he said it’d be a few hours. That actually worked out perfectly then, so long as she could sneak away. The opportunity presented itself too when he mentioned a break room. She could use that as a means of getting what she needed pretty easily, since she would be left alone for a short time. Her eyes darted over to the loveseat before she ended up laughing softly. “Well, as much as I would love to test out that seat-” There was a pause as she walked over and reached out to bop his nose with her finger. 

“-you need to concentrate. I highly doubt you’d be able to do that with me watching a movie. I think I’ll stay in the break room for now, until I get bored of watching the movie. Which will likely happen.” Alesta laughed again before she took his hand in her own, gently pulling him towards the door. “Show me where it is and then you can get to work. The sooner you finish, the sooner we get to go have some fun. Oh and show me the bathroom too, in case I need to freshen up. I promise I’ll be a good girl and not snap at any of the officers if they try to talk to me.” Not that she would need to freshen up but it was better than saying needing to pee. Not that she’d be using the bathroom for that but she couldn’t very well tell him that.

[alesta-floros]

zephyr-applegate:

Zephyr shifted his gaze to Alesta, a small smile tugging at his lips. “Yeah,” he said simply when she asked if she could keep his shirt. His gaze drifted slightly upward as he thought for a second, then added. “Something to remember me by.” He stood and stretched, then grabbed his cup of coffee. “I’ll just get ready, then we can go.” He said with a smile before heading to the bedroom to get cleaned up. 

It wasn’t long before they were at the station, and Zephyr reached out to give Alesta’s hand a squeeze, leading her into the building. He knew she was uncomfortable about being here, but he hoped that by now she trusted him enough to be assured that he wouldn’t try to rope anything official out of her. “I’ve got you,” he murmured and guided her inside, wading through the sea of officers and detectives until they reached his personal office. With the door shut behind them, they had some privacy, though audio only, since the entire walls facing the hub of the station was made of glass. “Not so bad, right?” Zephyr asked, giving Alesta cheeky grin, hoping to get a smile out of her.

The whole way to the station, all Alesta could really think about was Zephyr’s words. “Something to remember me by.” It actually stung hearing it out loud like that and made her heart ache at the same time. Why? She had known from the beginning that she wouldn’t be staying so why was it that Zephyr affected her so? As much as she tried to push the thought aside, it was strong and stayed in the forefront of her mind all the way until they got to the station. Then it was a whole slew of other things that she really didn’t want to remember. She trusted Zephyr so she knew that he wasn’t trying to get anything out of her. That didn’t make it any easier going inside.

The amount of cops and detectives and overall pigs of the station were meandering about getting their tasks done. Alesta didn’t pay attention to that though. She looked at the people’s faces, their badges, and anything else she could take in. This was going to be her only chance so the moment Zephyr had to go do something, she’d be finding that drawing and deleting everything on Freddie. Her attention turned to the room that they had arrived in; though it wasn’t as lavish as his place, she still found herself smiling a bit. The question caused her to look his way and eye him, trying hard not to grin.

“Right, so not that bad. Being in a place full of those that claim they work for the law when at least half of them don’t. But-” Alesta’s finger pointed upwards as she turned to face Zephyr. “It’s not bad because I’m with you. This marks the first time that I went into one of these places where I didn’t have attention on me.” Shrugging slightly, she began to walk around the room looking over some of the things that he had here. “How long are we going to be here, anyway? Will I need to make myself comfy in your seat and watch a movie on your computer?” She asked him curiously, part of her hoping that he would say yes to that. It marked the perfect opportunity to hack into the system and find all the details. Well, not from his computer since that would make it too obvious but she’d figure it out.

[alesta-floros]

zephyr-applegate:

Zephyr chuckled. He felt relieved of course that she had said yes, but why hadn’t he thought about the clothes thing sooner? Probably because she was so damn adorable wearing his bigger, baggier clothes, and he had grown very used to it, very fast. “Absolutely,” He said as he looked up from his cup of coffee to meet her gaze. “I know a couple places that have some nice things. Or if you’d rather, I can have my sister pick you up.” He offered, knowing that Chloe had a much better idea of what was cute and not, compared to him. 

He knew that hanging around the police station for the first part of the day wasn’t ideal, but he’d be sure to make it up to her on their date, and maybe he’d try to steal a kiss. Maybe… he wasn’t sure he wanted her to clobber him, and he wouldn’t put it past her. The thought brought an amused smile to his lips, and he moved to sit on the stool beside her, sipping his coffee to hide the expression on his face. 

“Nah, I’m not very trusting with people remember? I’d rather not meet someone else I don’t know and feel even more awkward. Being still bruised up can cause a lot of questions I don’t really want to answer to anyone else.” There was a pause as Alesta watched him move to sit next to her. “Besides. You’ve been working too much these past couple of days. I want more time with you.” She admitted fairly easily since it was the truth. As much as she wanted to try her hardest to ignore the feelings, she couldn’t. She just had to keep telling herself that Freddie would understand in the end. 

“I don’t need anything nice though. Bustiers, tanks, dresses, pretty much anything can be cute depending on how I want to dress it up. You don’t have to worry, I promise I won’t try on a million things and make you wait. Shopping isn’t really a thing I’m interested in, so it’s more an in and out type of deal.” After she explained that, she quickly downed the rest of her milkshake before turning to look at him. “Do you mind if I keep this shirt, by the way? It’s really comfy.” She also wanted something to remember him by for when she ended up going back home. If she did. Freddie still hadn’t contacted her so she wasn’t entirely sure if he was still upset or couldn’t remember so he was giving her space.

[alesta-floros]

zephyr-applegate:

Zephyr had been surprised how long Alesta had stayed at his apartment. He had grown to care for her very deeply, very quickly, and he knew it would hurt when she finally decided to leave. Everything she had told him about herself seemed to bond them in a way that he hadn’t quite expected, and he was rather fond of waking up and seeing her still there each day. Now, he sat up on the couch, where he had been sleeping for the last week and a half, and he cast a glance in her direction when he heard her in the kitchen area. “Morning,” he said with a sleep half smile, then made his way to the bathroom. 

When he returned, he had was the sleep from his face and had run his wet hands through his hair, so it was somewhat tame. He set about making a pot of coffee, then turned to her, chuckling when he eyed the milkshake. It was those quirky things about her that he adored so much. “How about we get you out of the apartment today? I need to go down to the station and thought you could come keep me some company.” Zephyr offered, then raised his hands in mock surrender. “Hanging out only, I promise. I’m not trying to weasel a statement out of you. If you want, afterward, maybe we can catch a movie and some dinner?” He asked, then realized it sort of sounded like he was asking her out on a date. This made his face flush slightly, but then he shrugged away the embarrassment. He liked her, and he was pretty sure she liked him too, so why the hell not as her out? 

“Morning.” Alesta perked up a little when Zephyr came into the kitchen, though that only served to confuse her a little more. She shouldn’t be feeling this happy about seeing another man other than Freddie. It was...odd but she couldn’t deny the feelings were there. Thankfully he served to distract her by offering a means out of the apartment. At first she stared at him hesitantly when the station was mentioned. Hanging out with him over there meant there was a chance she could sneak off to get that picture of Freddie off the record. She hadn’t had the opportunity before but now would be the best -and likely only- chance she would get. 

“What?” Surprise crossed her features when the addition of what they could be doing was added. A movie and dinner. That was, without any doubt in her mind, date material. It had been a very long time since she’d been out on a date. It wasn’t really Freddie’s scene so she never really got to be dolled up like she wanted. Not that she could here either since she didn’t have her things. There was some fast mental debating on whether it was a good idea or not before she ended up smiling brightly. 

“Sure, I wouldn’t mind some fresh air and getting out of the apartment for a while. The station might be boring but at least I’ll have you as company for a bit.” There was a pause so she could sip at her milkshake. Her heart actually fluttered at the idea of the date but it also caused it to ache. Was she betraying Freddie? The question plagued her mind but she did her best to push it to the side for now. A single date wasn’t going to harm anyone; plus, once she explained about the picture to Freddie he’d understand too. “Do you think you could take me to the store first? I don’t want to go on a date stealing your clothes, even though I really do enjoy wearing them.”

[alesta-floros]

It had been over a week since Alesta had heard anything from Freddie. This marked the longest time she’d gone without talking to him. Yet she found that she wasn’t as worried or upset as she should be. In the time that passed, she had stayed with Zephyr, which just shocked her even to this very day. She had expected to stay maybe the night, two at most but it has been almost ten days now and she had gotten pretty comfortable with him. How? Even though they talked and spent a lot of time together when he wasn’t working, how was it that she actually felt she could trust him? The shake that she had made was eyed a moment before she reached up to lick some of the whipped cream off. 

She’d been sitting at the kitchen table for some time now just staring at it since she wasn’t able to sleep very much. She’d opened up a lot to Zephyr about her past; nothing really involving Freddie too much except for the fact that he’d saved her when she was younger from being raped by pervs. She’d stuck by Freddie’s side ever since and eventually her infatuation turned to love. Or at least it felt like love. Considering she was starting to feel similar feelings towards Zephyr now made her worry some. Not that she told him anything of the sort of course. She stuck with tales of her ‘tragic’ childhood; how her father had ‘walked out’ on her mother when she was a baby -since obviously she couldn’t say that her father was the mischievous god Loki- and how her mother died when she was six. 

Jumping from foster home to foster home because she had the worst luck when it came to those that wanted to adopt her. When she was able to get her first job, that was when she said screw the system and went off on her own. Which happened to be around the time that she met Freddie ironically. She even told him -a detective of all people- how she had to steal and work with some unsavory people in order to keep herself off the streets and in her makeshift home before she moved in with Freddie. Never before had she told anyone else as much about herself as she did with Zephyr; the only other person who knew everything about her was Freddie. Well, he didn’t know about her being a Demigod but that was for another reason entirely. A glance was given over her shoulder as she wondered if Zephyr was awake yet. At the same time though, she couldn’t help but pull out her phone in the hopes that Freddie had messaged her. Of course he hadn’t. Feeling more depressed, a heavy sigh left her lips before she started sipping on the shake,

[alesta-floros]

zephyr-applegate:

Alesta’s words just about gutted Zephyr. He wondered if she knew that she sounded just like every battered woman to ever come through the station. He gave her a long steady look, then pressed his lips together. Rage was rising within him, not directed at her, but her douchebag boyfriend who thought it was okay to lay his hands on her. Blackouts or not, this wouldn’t fly. “Oh, Alesta…” He said quietly, and there was pain in his voice. Pain for her. He wanted to hold her, tell her that she was safe there, but he didn’t want to cross any kind of line or send her running for the elevator. 

So, he sighed and closed his eyes for a moment, steadying himself. When he opened them again, he gave her a small smile. “You’re welcome to stay here for as long as you want. Until you’re healed, or just for the night. It’s completely up to you.” After a moment’s hesitation, he risks it, and places his hand on the side of her cheek, lightly brushing his thumb across a cut there, probably left by someone’s knuckles. “You deserve so much more.” Zephyr drops his hand. “Just thought you should know.” Then he rises from the stool to start clearing away the dinner dishes. 

The way he said her name was not what she expected to her. Maybe she should have, considering she probably sounded like every other girl out there. She wasn’t though. Not just the fact that she was a Demigod but also the facts of what Freddy was ‘researching’. Slowly she turned back to the plate, finding that she wasn’t really in the mood for the last few bites. Maybe she shouldn’t have actually opened up about that little aspect. Why she even bothered with the truth in the first place was beyond her. 

Alesta was about to sigh when she caught movement out of the corner of her eye. By the time she glanced towards Zephyr, his hand was already on her cheek and his words dug deep into her heart. Her eyes slowly moved down since she found she couldn’t keep eye contact with him after hearing him say something like that. What did he know about what she deserved and what she didn’t deserve? And why the hell did it make her heart skip a beat just hearing that?! 

“Um...restroom?” She asked suddenly, standing from the stool and waiting until he pointed out where it was. She retreated pretty quickly once she had the direction and locked the door after her. He offered her to stay as long as she wanted. He was doing so much more than anyone else she’d ever known and he didn’t even know Alesta. In a way, it ate at her since she didn’t like that she had to lie to him. Why? It was easy to lie to others but she found she didn’t want to lie to Zephyr. It annoyed her that she couldn’t solve her own thoughts and just brought more questions. So after washing her face, she went to find Zephyr once more. The two of them talked about random things this time, things to keep the mood light, before they called it a night.~

[alesta-floros]

zephyr-applegate:

Zephyr made a perplexed look at Alesta’s statement when she said civilians should be able to take the lay into their own hands. He didn’t comment on that but tucked it away into his mental filing system for later reevaluation. He also didn’t have much to say about her “answer” to his question. Apparently, he would have to be very literal with this girl. It amused him slightly, but also put him a bit on guard. Trying to be subtle to spare her any pain would only work for so long.  “I love to cook, actually. It’s one of the few things I’m really good at. Besides my job, of course.” He chuckled and took a seat on the barstool beside Alesta. Pausing for a few minutes to enjoy his own plate of stirfry, Zephyr thought of how best to broach the subject of her attacker without scaring her off. It was a tricky situation, especially being off the record. Finally, he set down his fork, wiped his mouth on a napkin, and turned on the stool to look at her. “Alesta…” He started, his voice soft and kind. “Who hurt you?” He asked, just laying it out there. Hopefully, she would see that he was only trying to help and open up to him. It was the best plan he had for now. 

It was very impressive to Alesta, the fact that he loved cooking so. Especially since the food actually tasted pretty good too. She hummed with a smile as she nibbled more on the stirfry. The silence that followed didn’t really bother her any since she was able to concentrate on eating her food. By the time that Zephyr said her name again, she was almost finished eating. Though his next question caused her smile to fade altogether. She had been expecting the question at some point but she wasn’t expecting it so soon. Her fingers lightly tapped against the counter for a moment before she turned on her stool to face him. 

“Isn’t that a bit of a rhetorical question, Mr. Detective?” She asked with a tilt of her head while her hands were placed in her lap. “I mean based on the story you told me of your sister, I’m assuming that you already know the answer. But...since we’re off the record here, I don’t mind saying it out loud. Yes, it was my boyfriend that did this to me but it’s just a misunderstanding. He has...problems, mentally. When he blacks out, he doesn’t know what’s going on and it gets very complicated. I know he didn’t mean to do it. I’m not going to give names or descriptions either, so it’s best if you don’t ask about that.”

[alesta-floros]

zephyr-applegate:

Zephyr appreciated Alesta’s approval of the apartment, which was odd since he wasn’t the type to care what anyone thought. But he found himself smiling lightly, and it spread a bit further when she agreed to his terms. “Off the record, promise,” Zephyr said once more and then motioned for Alesta to follow him. The kitchen area was equipped with a bar like countertop that had a few stools in front of it. “Have a seat,” he offered with a wave of his hand and then stepped into the kitchenette, going to the fridge to start warming up dinner. He had a microwave, but homemade stirfry deserved to be warmed up on the stove, even if it was just for the sake of attempting to impress Alesta. 

He set to work and thought about how to best explain his interest in her story. This made him glance at her and then look down for a moment, before he started. “My sister… the one who did all this,” Zephyr began with a wave of his hand in reference to the interior of the apartment. “She had this prick boyfriend a few years back. The guy was a real tool, always having a bad day at work or with his mates, and he’d take it out on her. I didn’t find out he had been beating her till nearly two years later.” He paused to stir the food in the pot on the stove, giving Alesta a quiet look. “It was the only case I’ve not been able to close. We took him to court, and somehow the jury let him off.” 

Zephyr sighed. “Since then, I guess… I have to find these bastards and put them behind bars where they belong. And something is telling me,” he gave her another once over, the wounds and bruises on her face making his heart ache, “you might know a bit of what my sister went through.” 

Moving away from the stove, Zephyr grabbed two plated and used the spoon to heap mounds of stirfry onto them, passing one to Alesta. “Your turn. How did you end up on that highway?” 

Alesta settled down in one of the stools as she watched Zephyr go to the fridge. She was patient but when he began to tell the story of his sister, he felt the smile falter a little. So he was assuming that it was a bad boyfriend that had done this to her. Well, it wasn’t like she could argue the facts since it was Freddie that had done it. She just didn’t think he was a horrible boyfriend because the situation was complicated. “This is why the law sucks. Bad guys get off all the time if their lawyers get paid enough. Things are too substantial and it just adds to the system being flawed. I feel like people need to be able to put the law into their own hands sometimes to get justice.”

Alesta shrugged her shoulders slightly even though she knew she was talking to a detective. This whole thing was off the record though so it wasn’t like she had to hide her feelings. The stirfry that was handed to her made her stomach growl and it was only in that moment that she realized how hungry she was. “How? I walked of course.” She replied with a laugh as she lifted a spoonful to take a bite. “You should really think about rephrasing your questions, just fyi. I don’t have a car so I walked from my temp home and that��s how I ended up on the highway.” There was a pause as she pointed her spoon towards him with a grin. “Do you cook all the time or should I be feeling kinda special right now? I don’t think I know very many guys that’ll actually cook.”

[alesta-floros]

zephyr-applegate:

Zephyr chuckled and followed Alesta’s gaze to the top floor, where his apartment lie. “Well, it has its perks. You don’t have to listen to people walking on the ceiling, for one.” He joked as he leads the way inside and to the elevator. Inside, he looked at her, raising a brow at her next question. “My reasons? Well…” Zephyr pressed the 15th button on the pad and leaned back against the handrail, a contemplative look crossing his face. “How about this. I will answer any question you have, truthfully, no lie or secrets. But,” he added, raising a hand, one finger pointed up, “You have to do the same. No lie. No secrets. It can be off the record if you want.” Zephyr knew he was breaking yet another rule by even offering, but something about this girl had him tore up inside and he wanted to get to the bottom of what had happened to her, rules be damned.

A moment later, the elevator chimed and the doors slid open, revealing the apartment owned by Zephyr. It was more of a suite, taking up the entirety of the 15th floor, and was more space than he’d ever really need. The elevator door opened into a grand kitchen area, fully furnished with the newest gadgets and a dining table that could easily sit ten people. Beside the elevator was a stairwell that led to the roof. Behind them was the living room, with comfy plush couches and loveseats that you could sink down into, which were pointed at a too-big tv. Closed doors led bedrooms and the bathroom, all of which were as exuberantly decorated as the rest of the apartment. 

Zephyr blushed a bit as he ushered Alesta inside. The elevator slid closed again and returned to the ground floor. He cleared his throat and waved a dismissive hand at the apartment’s interior. “I’m not a snob. Or gay,” he clarified, eyeing her with a small chuckle. “My sister is a decorator. She insisted on all this crap.”

The fact that he tried to make a deal with Alesta to get answers caused her to hum a little. It was tempting but a part of her didn’t believe it would be so easy. How was she supposed to know if he was being honest or not? Hell, how was he supposed to know if Alesta was even being honest? To her it seemed like a pretty dumb thing to offer, especially since he told her that what she said would be off the record. She thought it over as they headed up to the highest floor, her head down and her expression showing how lost in thought she really was. It wasn’t until the elevator chimed and opened again that she turned her gaze up. 

Curiously she stepped inside, her eyes darting over everything that they could. The kitchen...no, the entire place was so much bigger than she had expected. The kitchen at the very least had to be bigger than the one she and Freddie had. She moved to walk into the living area, clearly impressed by the whole place. “It’s nothing to be ashamed about, living in luxury like this with things you probably don’t even know how to use. If you like it, then you like it and that’s the important thing.” She was smiling as she turned back around so she could face him. “And I didn’t peg you as being gay. I’m usually pretty good at figuring that out.” 

Another glance around was given before she laced her fingers together behind her back and walked over to Zephyr once more. “It’s nice. A bit eccentric in some ways but still nice.” Alesta chuckled before she looked at him with a more serious expression. “As for your deal, I agree to the terms. I can’t promise you that I’ll answer everything you ask but when I do answer you, I’ll be honest. But it has to stay off the record, I don’t trust cops. You just seem...different, so I’m willing to play along.” For now at least. She needed to get that drawing from the police before it could spread through the system. Maybe even find out what they know, corrupt their system...a few things popped into her head but they were pushed back for now. “You have to answer my question about your reasons first though before you can ask me anything.”

[alesta-floros]

zephyr-applegate:

Zephyr paused for a moment, giving Alesta a quiet look, his brow furrowing slightly in contemplation. He knew from the way she spoke, that she was being sincere. So many people had hurt this girl. No wonder she didn’t trust him, he wouldn’t trust the authorities either if he had been in her place. Slowly, Zephyr closed the passenger door and walked around to slide behind the wheel. He started the ignition but he didn’t pull out of the parking space right away. Instead, he turned in his seat to look at the pretty, small, wounded blonde sitting next to him. 

“I don’t expect you to think I care only because I’m a cop, Alesta. I know it’s hard for you to believe me, but there are other reasons that I care. I want to help you. And even if I’m not able to, I still want to try.” He paused for a moment like he wanted to say something more, but then he cleared his throat and focused on driving.

He left the parking lot and turned towards his apartment. It didn’t take long for them to arrive, and when Zephyr pulled the car to a stop, he realized he was starving. That homemade stir-fry he had promised Alesta was sounding pretty damn good. “I love on the top floor,” he said, leading her to the building. “Don’t worry,” he added, glancing at her bruised face. “We’ll take the elevator.” 

Other reasons? That caused Alesta to shake her head slightly as she wasn’t entirely sure what he meant by that. Or why he cared so much about helping her in the first place. He must have some reasons and she was pretty curious about why. Not that she asked. The questions were tucked away for the moment as she glanced the detective over for a long moment. A part of her wondered if he was being sincere or not and there was an even bigger part that hoped he was. The drive itself she kept quiet, at least until they arrived at the apartment building. 

Alesta shifted in the seat to look it over for a moment before slowly getting out of the car. This was a mistake, it had to be. She had nowhere else to go though, so she followed after Zephyr. “I should hope we take the stairs, whether I’m messed up or not. There’s like...fourteen floors in this building. Why would anyone want to be at the top? Uh, no offense or anything.” She added the last bit quickly, not wanting to offend him. Her view was that it must be tough if there were any sorts of tremors or the like. After a moment, she glanced his way again with a more curious look on her face. “Why do you want to help me so much? You said you have ‘reasons’, so...what are they?”

[alesta-floros]

zephyr-applegate:

Zephyr chuckled when Alesta asked if he had a woman. “No.. my only relationship is with my job,” he said as they walked back through the hospital. He honestly couldn’t remember the last time he had a steady girlfriend, and he realized after a few moments of quiet contemplation, that it was back in high school. “Wow,” he muttered under his breath, then shook the thoughts away. He smiled at Alesta, exiting through the main entrance of the building. “If you’re hungry, I have some leftover stir-fry. It’s homemade, believe it or not. And then you can sleep. In the morning, if you’re ready, we can talk about what happened to you tonight.” As he said this, he opened the car door and looked at her expectantly. Zephyr would do anything he could to help her, but he couldn’t ignore all his duties. She’d have to talk to him eventually. He’d be as kind about the matter as he could, but he was putting a lot on the line by doing things this way. And something, he couldn’t be sure what, was telling him that Alesta was connected somehow to the attacks on the demigod girl they had just left. “How does that sound?”

No woman. Alesta raised a brow curiously since she half assumed that meant he hadn’t been with someone in a long time. How long she wasn’t sure, especially since she didn’t know how old he was either. He had to be younger than Freddie though. Food, sleep, and then the one thing she didn’t want to do: talk. She glanced at him quietly for a moment before she climbed into the car and buckled up. A part of her didn’t want to go through with this any more but she really had no other place to go. “I can’t guarantee I’ll tell you anything since I still don’t trust you, Zephie. You’re sweet but...you shouldn’t be getting involved with me. It’s not going to end well for you, I’ll tell you that much.” 

Alesta paused as she glanced out the driver window to avoid looking at him. “If you’re still willing to take the risks then I’ll tell you.” Well, she’d tell him some things but certainly not everything. Just the bare minimum. “You probably think that you can help because you’re a detective, right? Well, it’s not that simple. Nothing in life is. Cops have never been there for me before when I needed them, except for one pair that tried to force me to do things with them.” Freddie had taken care of them for her before anything could happen though “None care and if it seems like they do, it’s a front. You say you care because you’re a cop, they claimed the same thing. So I’m sure you can see why I’m hesitant on opening up to you.”

[alesta-floros]

zephyr-applegate:

Zephyr nodded when Dawn assured him that she would help any way that she could. “Thank you,” he said, and reached out to pat the back of her hand lightly. “We’ll talk soon.” With that, he stood and walked over to Alesta, holding his hand out to her. He wanted to get her out of here too, where he could take care of her without a ton of doctors and police frowning at them. “You ready to go?” Zeph asked, almost jokingly because he already knew the answer. There were some things he would need to take care of, regarding Dawn and the case which had just become very interesting and even more concerning, but if he could get her to rest, then he could worry about it a bit later.

He smiled and waved to Dawn as they retreated from the room. Zephyr paused to speak to the cop outside her door. “Don’t give her a hard time,” he said and pulled the sketchbook out from under his arm. He pushed it into the man’s hand. It wasn’t something he wanted out of his sight, but he had snapped a couple of pics on his phone, and he knew it would be waiting for him tomorrow. “Get this to my desk back at the station. Don’t forget to lock the door on your way out.” This wasn’t something he’d normally have to say, but so far the people here hadn’t lived up to their responsibilities, and Zephyr didn’t want to take any chances. “Alright,” he said, wrapping an arm supportively around Alesta’s waist as they walked towards the exit. “Can I convince you to come back to my apartment without sounding like a serial killer?”

Alesta took the offered hand and followed Zephyr out the door. She gave a wave to Dawn as well before the door closed behind them. The sketchbook was temporarily eyed but she didn't want to make it seem obvious either. So she turned to look down the hall with a curious look on her face. Some of the nurses were still eyeing her and likely thinking how bad it was she wasn't in a bed. Not that Alesta cared much. She hears what Zephyr said about the sketchbook and started thinking about the best way she could get to his office.

Her thoughts paused when an arm went around her waist. She looked up at him for a brief moment before glancing to the side and sucking her lips together. A small smile that she couldn't hide grew. "You do sort of sound like a serial killer, Zephie. I mean you've got the perfect cover too being a detective." Alesta giggled quietly before leaning her head against his arm. "I have no where else to go, so I guess I could go with you. Beats staying in a motel somewhere. You don't care that I'll in your apartment? You don't have a woman or something?"

[alesta-floros]

Actually talking to Dawn was a bit of surprise, one that caused Alesta to feel worse about the girl getting caught in the first place. She didn’t mind what Freddie did and fully supported him but...well, maybe it was just a girl thing that made her feel bad? She wasn’t sure but she didn’t like the feeling very much. When Zephyr came back, she glanced at him before turning her gaze away. Somehow she wasn’t feeling entirely good about any of this but she knew a part of it was that sketchbook. Somehow she was going to have to find a way to get rid of it. If it got into the police’s database....well, she’d just deal with it then. Her attention was drawn back when Dawn suddenly pointed to her. Her cheeks flushed red and as much as she wanted to argue she was fine, she knew she couldn’t. Zephyr already knew the truth and her being tired was written all over her face.

zephyr-applegate:

It took Zephyr longer than he thought to get the staff to agree to let Dawn go. It was against medical advice – she had been badly beaten and tortured and she needed to stay. But as tough and stubborn as they were, Zephyr was more so.  He had things to take care of, this secret lair and psychopath to track down, and he would need Dawn’s help, if she’d be willing to give it, so he wasn’t giving up. Twenty minutes later, he returned to the room, a satisfied, triumphant grin on his face. He stepped inside and walked over to Dawn on the bed. “Good news, I got them to let you out. Of course, you’ll have to sign a waiver saying you know you’re leaving against medical advice.” He said with a small shrug, knowing this wouldn’t be a problem.

Then he took a seat on the edge of her bed, the sketchpad still tucked under his arm. He wasn’t letting it out of his sight anytime soon. “Listen,” he said then paused, knowing he’d have to speak carefully with Alesta in the room. She didn’t know the two of them were demigods, and Zephyr wasn’t going to give away a secret that wasn’t his to share. “Can you give me some help, later? Anything else that comes to mind, if you could just call me.” With his free hand, Zeph fished through the inner pocket of his coat and pulled out a business card with his cell and home numbers printed on them. “It would greatly help…”

While Zephyr was gone, the two girls had actually talked to each other. The silence bugged Dawn so she had made the first move but she was surprised the other girl took the bait. Alesta didn’t entirely look in the best of shapes but she also didn’t want to be in this place. A part of Dawn wondered what had happened to that girl but she didn’t want to pry too much either. The door opening caused her to perk up a bit more and a heavy sigh of relief left her lips. “Oh, I’ll gladly sign that. Hospitals are so dreary so I’d rather be home than here.” More so since she didn’t ever really need to be in a hospital. This time was just a fluke. 

A brow raised when he sat down and asked for her help. She knew it had to do with her being  a Demigod more than it had to do with anything else. She felt her head nodding a bit before she looked at him with a more determined look. “Of course, I’ll help you in any way that I can. I may not remember much but I’ll call you if I do. But…you should take her home now.” The hand now holding his business card made a motion towards a slightly surprised Alesta. “She’s in a bad condition like I am and I can only imagine how much being out and about sucks. I’ll definitely be in touch, so you don’t have to worry about me.”

[alesta-floros]

Alesta knew what Zephyr was going to say before he even said it. Her phone was put back in her bag before her hands came up to rest under her chin. They were folded together and she kept her gaze down and away from his. A part of her didn’t want to stay in this room at all; this was the woman that she helped free from Freddie. It felt awkward even though it was probably just her thinking so. “...all right, I’ll wait here.” She caved after a moment, glancing his way and forcing a smile before she looked down. This woman remembered too much it seemed but there was nothing Alesta could do about it. Yet.

zephyr-applegate:

Zephyr watched as realized dawned in the girl’s eyes, the way it had his own, and his smile grew slightly. He understood what she was implying by asking to leave, and he nodded slowly, reaching out finally to touch her shoulder. “Let me see what I can do.” As he stood, he looked at Alesta, seeing her for the first time in a few minutes. In the heat of the moment of finding another demigod, he had almost forgotten she was there. “Hey,” he said, walking over to kneel in front of her. He spotted the phone but didn’t say anything about it, assuming she was trying to get in touch with a boyfriend or family member. “I’m gonna see if I can get her some help, and then we can go.”

His intentions were to get Dawn released from the care of the hospital, which would prove to be tough because no doctor or police officer in their right minds would authorize that. If he hadn’t known what she was, he wouldn’t do it either. He licked his lips, then bit the lower one tentatively. “Think you could hang out in here for a few minutes while I go argue with these idiots?” While he waited for her to answer, he rose and went back to Dawn’s side, taking the completed drawing of her attacker. At first glance, Zephyr didn’t recognize him, but that was okay. Things were looking up. He looked at Dawn and smiled, then turned his attention back to Alesta. “I know it’s going against the deal, but I’ll just be a minute or two. That okay?”

Well that was certainly never a good thing to hear; the chances of Dawn actually getting out of the hospital were slim, with or without the detective’s help. But the fact that he was another Demigod was quite the pleasant surprise. She watched as he interacted with the blonde and raised a curious brow. Were the two close? She didn’t think so at first but there was a gentleness to his tone when he spoke to the other woman. Dawn kept quiet about it though and glanced at the drawing once more. She waited until the other woman answered before making a motion to the drawing now in Zephyr’s hands. 

“I don’t know much about where I was either, just in case you’re going to ask that later. It was surrounded by a forest and the building was large, bigger than this hospital. It’s easy to get lost in but…it also looked like it had been abandoned for some time. And I heard a lot of voices too, so I don’t know if that means that man had many people working for him or it was just a coincidence.”

[alesta-floros]

zephyr-applegate:

Once Alesta slipped her hand from his, Zephyr stuck his hands into his pockets, tilting his head at her. Puddin? He wanted to ask her if the person by this nickname had been the one to hurt her, but he had learned very quickly with this girl to take things one baby step at a time. Didn’t want her running off. “You’re welcome,” he said sincerely, though his heart ached a little at the thought that she had such bad luck with people. He fell silent as they waited for the doctor, wondering what she had meant when she mentioned his apartment. Had she thought he meant to take advantage of her? The very thought made the back of his mouth taste sour and a frown knitted his brows together. Just what had she been through? He looked at the door when it opened, giving the doctor who entered a professional smile, and he walked over, extending a hand. “Thanks for seeing us, Doc. My friend has been a bit banged up. I know the circumstances aren’t ideal, but I appreciate you taking a look at her.” The pair of them walked over to Alesta, and Zephyr took a seat next to her on the bed, resting a hand atop of hers so that she would know she wasn’t alone.

The doctor explained to Alesta that they’d need to run a few tests, a CT Scan, but Zephyr spoke up to tell him he’d need to find another way. The doctor gave him an annoyed look, then sighed. “Okay,” he said, looking back at Alesta, “I’ll have to ask you some questions then. Have you had any of the following….” He went on to list a series of symptoms, including a headache, nausea, vomiting, balance problems, dizziness, visual problems, fatigue, numbness or tingling. It went on like this for a good 20 minutes, but then he shook his head and looked at Zephyr. “Without conclusive tests, I can’t say for certain, but she seems to be concussion free. The rest, however…” he added, gesturing to the fact that Alesta had clearly been beaten by someone very recently.

Zephyr cleared his throat and nodded, standing. “Right, thank you, sir. I’ll take care of the rest. If you will kindly give us a moment, I’ll need to be taken to the girl who was brought in an hour ago…” Zephyr waited until the doctor walked out of the room, grumbling the whole way, and then he looked at Alesta, smiling gently. “That wasn’t so bad, right?”

The doctor that had come to check on her was irritating. Alesta glared at him most of the time while he asked questions that she half ass answered. The why behind her injuries was left out of it but how she felt she answered honestly. It was grueling and seemed to last way too long for her liking. At least she knew Freddie didn’t give her a concussion this time. The entire time, Zephyr kept his word and made sure that she didn’t get admitted. It made her feel better about staying with him like this. When the doctor left to give them a moment together, Alesta looked the detective over with a playful look. 

“I dunno, he seemed like he really wanted to stick me into a nightgown.” She made a face for a moment before reaching her arm out to lace with his. “But thank you for defending me from being imprisoned by the evil sorcerer.” Alesta held a teasing to her tone, almost making her sound like a damsel in distress. Chuckling softly, she slid off of the bed and released her hold on him to step towards the door. “Well, now that that’s out of the way shall we pay a visit to this girl now?”