This choice: It'll be much simpler this way - accept Joe's offer • Go Back...Chapter #24Good Intentions by: imaj   It will be simpler this way, you think, as you put the mask to your face. No inconvenient questions about where Will Prescott has been, or where Melody Weiss has gone. You let the darkness take you as the mask goes on. In a few minutes you will awake back into your new life.
You stir at the sound of voices. “So you checked up on Blackwell,” says one. That’s Joe, you think, stretching a little.
“Both his house and this Lisa girl,” comes the reply. It must be Frank. “I couldn’t get close to Blackwell’s house, of course. The girl’s sleeping now. No way to verify your girlfriend’s story,” he adds sourly.
“I trust her,” replies Joe mildly. “She’s telling the truth. What do you want me to do? Use the veritas touch on her?”
“Your problem,” snarls Frank. “Is that you think with your cock.”
“And your problem is that you don’t think at all,” quips Joe in return
“Um, hello,” you interrupt querulously. You sit up in bed, holding the bedcovers tight around you. “I’m sitting right here.” Joe barks a laugh, but Frank flushes red with anger.
“We could sit here and argue all night,” smiles Joe. “But we’d all rather do something about Blackwell, wouldn’t we?”
“Absolutely,” you agree. Frank nods his assent.
“But we have a problem because there are two places to cover: His house and this Lisa. It’s a simple problem with a simple solution…”
“Don’t you dare say ‘we split up’,” interrupts Frank with a growl.
“…we split up,” continues Joe. Frank plants his palm firmly against his forehead. “Frank can follow Lisa, to make sure that Blackwell doesn’t pull off a quick switch and disappear while we aren’t looking. Melody and I will secure his house.”
“Now I know you aren’t thinking straight,” replies Frank without looking up. “You think you can past the guardian by yourself? Or with help from that novice?”
“Actually, yeah” says Joe grinning widely. “Because what you aren’t thinking of is that Blackwell’s given her passage into the house already. The guardian isn’t going to attack her,” he explains. “Melody can get inside, send the guardian to sleep and then I go in and clean up.”
“And it all turns out to be an elaborate trap to lure you inside with Melody here betraying you,” says Frank, rolling his eyes.
“Melody would never betray me,” replies Joe with mock outrage. “She loves me far too much.” You stare at Joe levelly and narrow your eyes. “What’s the matter honeybunch,” he adds. “Don’t you love me any more?”
“Keep this up and I’ll be betraying you right now,” you deadpan. Joe bursts into laughter.
Frank, however, does not look so amused. “The veritas touch,” he says flatly. “Now.”
Joes sighs and gets up and walks over. He sits on the edge of the bed and takes you by the hand. “I’m going to use a little trick,” he explains. “Which is going to force you to tell the truth. I don’t like using it much,” he adds, turning to glare at Frank. “Because it’s downright rude.”
You take a deep breath. “I’ve got nothing to hide,” you lie.
You feel a jolt pass up your arm and you almost pull away as if bitten. “Are you still working with Blackwell,” asks Joe in a serious sounding voice. He looks directly into your eyes and winks.
“No,” you reply quickly, the word forcing its way out of your mouth with urgency.
“Why not,” asks Joe.
“He’s a monster,” you reply. “I don’t want to end up like him.”
Joe turns to face Frank, although he still holds onto your hand. “Satisfied,” he asks. Frank nods curtly and Joe turns back round. “Do you love me,” he asks, sending another jolt of power up your arm.
“A little,” you blurt out and Joe grins inanely. Frank shakes his head and stomps out the room. “Joe,” you exclaim.
After Frank closes the door behind him you continue. “Do you…” you begin, but Joe puts his finger to your lips and hushes you. You sit in silence for a minute until you hear the sound of footsteps moving away from outside. “He seems pretty paranoid,” you eventually say.
“Frank,” replies Joe. “Nah, Frank’s just cautious. You haven’t met a proper paranoid until you’ve met Rick Bredon. Great guy, but a little crazy.”
“And you aren’t,” you pout. “That was a rotten trick to pull.”
“I just wanted to know for sure,” he replies grinning before leaning in for a kiss. You rear away. “What?”
“You still want to,” you ask, leaving the question hanging. “Even though you know who I really am,” you add in a whisper.
“Who you really are,” replies Joe very quietly. “Is Melody Weiss, that’s what you decided. Isn’t it?” He leans in and tries to kiss you again
“What about the real Melody,” you reply, ducking away and ignoring his question.
“Well, you are the real Melody now,” he replies. Joe starts rubbing your arm gently with his hand. You feel your body respond, even as you try to quell it. You sigh loudly and Joe smiles again. “We’ll find somewhere to hide the golems, if that’s what you mean.”
“It’s easier that way,” you say quietly, trying to convince yourself more than anyone else. Joe leans in for the kiss again and this time you don’t deny him. You let yourself luxuriate in Melody’s feelings as Joe tenderly works your adopted form. If it feels so good, so natural, you think it would be easiest just to go along with it.
*****
The bed is empty when you awake the following morning. An impish little Melody thought occurs to you and you pull one of Joe’s shirts from off the floor. After a quick sniff to check that it isn’t too dirty you quickly don it. Melody’s always wanted to do that whole boyfriend’s shirt thing, she’s just never had the chance. You squash the little spark of guilt about stealing her moment and head down the stairs.
Frank and Joe are in the kitchen, arguing again it seems. Joe wraps his arm around you as you enter and you snuggle in closer without even thinking about it. Frank merely glances at you uneasily.
“So who put you in charge,” says Joe defiantly. They’ve being going at it for a while now, you guess.
“Dad did,” replies Frank, bristling with aggression. He glares back at Joe, his arms folded and his teeth bared.
“What’s the problem,” you say detaching yourself from Joe. You falter as Frank turns his gaze on you, as if your legs are getting ready to slide out from under you.
Then Frank’s expression softens and you feel your strength return. “Sorry,” he mumbles somewhat shamefacedly. “I just don’t like this idea of splitting up. We should take down Blackwell and mop up his house later.” At least he believes you about Lisa now, that’s progress of a sort.
“But we need to hit both at the same time in case there’s any communication between the two,” explains Joe. Frank nods unhappily. “Look, Melody knows Blackwell better than either of us,” continues Joe, striking a conciliatory tone. “Maybe we should ask her.”
Although you dislike being talked about if you aren’t there again, you resist the urge to make another biting comment. You watch carefully as Frank’s gaze flickers uncertainly between the two of you. “I guess,” he replies. He seems unhappy, but not enough so to argue any further.  indicates the next chapter needs to be written. |
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