Blacklight - R [COMPLETED]

[Ange Keating]

{name:Elijah #|#picture:17}

Elijah opened his mouth to explain, before allowing it to close shut again. He didn’t mean it like that, or at least he hadn’t intended it to come out that way. But why was she so cynical all of a sudden? Was she dealing with…girl stuff? Elijah honestly had no idea how to respond, how to make her feel better. What had she expected from them having sex? He tensed at the thought, remembering she was a virgin, a virgin that had somehow chosen him, well not anymore, but had chosen him to take that from her. He closed his eyes, letting out a tiny groan. Holy fuck, he was a jackass.

“Look, Emma, I’m so—“
“Shut up!” she hissed, grabbing the binoculars from the glove compartment before quickly pointing it out the window.
Elijah followed her line of vision to see a man, clad in a dark jacket and slacks, tightening his wrist around a woman’s arm, in such a way that didn’t look the slightest suspicious unless you were actually searching for something terribly wrong about the scene.
“Just follow my lead, okay?” she ordered, the same ice reverberating off of her tone as if they were back to square one.

Elijah tried to ignore the major cold front she was sending him though, shrugging his shoulders. A major part of him would have requited her current attitude about five months ago, but now he was actually feeling…remorseful for his words? Sorry, even? Elijah bit his tongue, lips pressing together as he stepped out of the car, trailing behind her.
Soon they were within listening distance, bodies creeping closer to the vivid scene as the woman whimpered in fear. That was enough of a cue to apprehend the man, Emma rapidly leaping forward as she hooked his neck with her arm.

“Freeze! You have the right to remain silent. If you do—“ she was cut short by the criminal rapidly placing his foot behind hers and kicking her legs out from under her, his body crashing on top before quickly rolling off and starting in a sprint down the street.
“Shit!” Elijah cursed, reaching his hand to help Emma up before she slapped it away.
“Go get him you idiot!” she shouted.

Again, he bit back any smartass remark he had, his ultimate concern being the runaway extortionist as he pushed through several clumps of people in an attempt to distance himself from law enforcement. Elijah quickly followed suit, narrowly dodging a food vendor in the process before nearly running into a family of four.
The man trailed at least six yards ahead of him, glancing over his shoulder briefly before increasing his speed and leaping over a black sedan in the middle of the street. Elijah cursed, managing to reach for the gun in his holster as he leapt onto the roof the car, ignoring the curses from the driver, before his feet landed on the road once again, other vehicles honking their horns.

The criminal made an error when he decided to veer clearly out of the pathway of pedestrians, and into the bike lane, giving Elijah a clear shot with his tranquilizer gun, the bullet piercing his leg before the man let out a strained groan, heard from afar, before crashing against the asphalt.

He was stunned when a hand gripped him though, jerking him backwards in his pursuit of the criminal. Elijah’s wild eyes connected with those of a startling lavender, her skin as worn as leather, slender form clad in a heap of differently-patterned textures that made her look like a body didn’t exist at all under the massive folds of fabric.
“It'll all change. Someone will change you. Someone will change everything,” she breathed. And for a split second, Elijah sincerely believed she wasn’t looking at him, but rather through him.

She managed to hold him like that for several seconds, Elijah trying to mask the confusion in his features, before snatching his hand away like she had the plague and quickly starting in the direction of the groaning criminal.

“You could have taken the easy way out,” Elijah muttered to the drooling criminal, a tiny snicker on his lips. “Resisting arrest? I think you’ve earned yourself a longer sentence.
The man groaned in response, before pressing his face against the concrete.

But in spite of his teasing smile, Elijah positively hated how the words still remained branded in the crevices of his thoughts.

[/blockquote][/size]

[laura]

{name:Emma#|#picture:18}

Emma had caught up soon after Elijah had called the guy in, a slight limp in her right leg from where the bastard had knocked her down. Not that she let Elijah see that; the moment she rounded the corner to him, she forced herself to walk on it properly.

A cop car pulled up less than a few minutes later, hauling the man into the back like the trash he was.
And then there was one less criminal on the streets of D-79.

Stretching her leg out, Emma side glanced at Elijah – who was staring down at an old frail woman, who was kindly offering him a single red rose.
“Beauty,” She smiled, her lavender eyes glowing, “For beauty.”
Emma watched curiously, as Elijah furrowed his eyebrows, but took it nonetheless.
Without saying another word, the woman skulked off, her long dress trailing behind her.

“What…was that?” She stood at his side, her eyes fixed onto the woman until she disappeared into the market crowd.
"I have no idea," Elijah responded, still bewildered.
Emma shrugged and looked down at the rose in his hand. The woman was right about one thing – it was beautiful, it’s blood red petals crisp and velvety, it’s green leaves cradling the head like loving hands. She was almost tempted to reach out and touch it.
But she didn’t.
Instead, Emma turned her hardened gaze on to her partner and asked, “Please don’t tell you you’ve slept with her too?”
He rolled his eyes, but his expression was soft when he spoke next. "I'm sorry, Emma. Really, I am. I was being insensitive."
She grimaced, “Did you just apologise to me? Wow. Give me a moment to process that.”
Like hell he actually meant it. He didn’t mean anything he said.

Elijah stifled a scoff, before glancing her way seriously. "Your first time deserves to be special."
Well, that certainly took her off guard. There was no ignoring the churning in her stomach was she asked her next question. “What are you talking about?”
"You being a virgin," Elijah responded nonchalantly.
Emma glanced in all directions, making sure no-one was close enough to hear them. “I…am not a virgin.” What the hell!? She hadn’t told him that, and the only other person that knew was Connie, simply because she was the one that always did Emma’s medical.
Elijah smirked at her doubtfully. "You hate when men touch you, Emma. I doubt you have a sex life."
“There you go, smirking at me again. I’m glad you find me so amusing, Elijah. I live to be your entertainment.” Emma glowered at him, her anger and outrage building with every passing second.

What was it about Elijah that made her emotions so uncontrollable? They changed by the second around him.

Elijah reached out to touch her hand, graveness returning to his features. "In all seriousness, I think it's great you're not giving it up to just anybody."
“And I’m not going to give it to you, either,” She whispered curtly to him. An unexpected flurry of butterflies erupted in the pit of her stomach at the mere thought of it.
Elijah raised his brows but nodded. "I guess I deserve that."

She shook her head and started off back through the busy market street and towards the car, Elijah close at her side.
“I see the way you look at me sometimes,” Emma said casually as they walked. “You see me as another target. A conquest. You’re mother looked at me the same way.” There were many looks Emma had grown accustomed to across the years, but that wasn’t one of them.
"You're different, Emma," he murmured.
That, on the other hand, she was used too. Only, that was the nice way to say it.

A sadistic smile tugged at the corner of her lips, “Full of compliments for me today, aren’t you, Mr. Walker? Is this my punishment for accidently falling asleep in yo-“ Abruptly, Elijah gripped at her arm and pulled her to a stop, cutting her sentence short.
She would have pulled away from him and shot out another sarcastic comment if it hadn’t been for his mouth quickly descending on hers, his kiss hard, knocking the air right out from her and successfully leaving her speechless.
When they parted, he didn’t try to move away, but instead pressed his forehead to her own. “You are different, Emma. I don’t look at you like you’re just another conquest, as you put it, I look at you because…” he frowned as the words he searched for failed to come.

Sighing in defeat, his eyes locked with hers as the rose came up and brushed gently at her chin.
“Beauty for beauty,” He whispered, repeating the old woman’s word from earlier.

[/blockquote][/font]

[Ange Keating]

{name:Elijah #|#picture:17}

--

Elijah often used actions when his words failed him, and the moment he kissed Emma in the middle of the street without a care in the world was one of those times. He couldn’t explain his flustered thoughts, and at the moment he really didn’t want to. All that mattered was convincing Emma she wasn’t some worthless conquest, because regardless of his denial, she deserved to be treated specially. After all the shit she’d gone through, Elijah just wanted her to know she wasn’t worthless, or sub-par to other people.

And just to seal the deal on how sorry he was, Elijah decided he would surprise her with her favorite Thai takeout a few blocks away from the agency the following evening in the freezing cold, winter still rearing its ugly head. Needless to say, by the time he arrived back at the perfectly toasty apartment, he couldn’t possibly feel any cozier.

“Take out!” Elijah exclaimed from the kitchen, removing his jacket. He figured Emma was back in her room.
"Don’t you ever cook?" She called back.
“Do you?” he shot back facetiously, a tiny grin spreading across his features. Elijah couldn’t cook for shit, and wouldn’t start trying.

Emma eventually reached the kitchen, clad in boxer shorts and a tank top. Was it just him, or was she dressing a whole lot sexier lately? He definitely wasn’t complaining though, only drinking in the sight as she reached in the fridge to toss him a beer, grabbing a water bottle for herself.

And for the first time since the day they met each other, they actually sat…together at the dinner table without drifting off to the couch or into separate rooms.

“Your ass looks great in those shorts,” he finally commented with his signature grin. Psh – did Emma honestly think he’d fully change his ways after they reconciled?
Her brows rose, "Only in these shorts?"
Elijah glanced at her after twirling a forkful of noodles. “Better sans clothing, but…” he chuckled, swigging his beer.
Emma watched him carefully, "Thanks?"
“It’s a compliment.”
She nodded slowly, "Okay, I believe you."

“That’s a first,” he teased. There whole relationship had been based on general distrust for the other, and now that things were gradually changing…Elijah had no idea what to make of it.
"I believe you mean it too, the compliment. That's a first, too."
“I’ve complimented you before,” Elijah replied, with an amused smile.
“Not unless you’re trying to screw with me.”
“How do you know I’m not screwing with you right now?”
“Because you’re looking at me differently.”

Elijah paused, nearly dropping the fork as he examined her again, feeling a familiar swirl in his stomach that he couldn’t quite place. The feeling was enough to allow him to completely switch gears, reaching for the beer bottle once more before taking another slow swallow.
“That’s an interesting…observation,” he mused.
“It’s also completely true.”

Elijah got up from the table, quickly throwing his takeout in the trash, along with the beer. How could she come to that conclusion—

“Elijah! It’s true, isn’t it?” her voice rang from behind him, causing his eyes to fixate intently on the sink as he washed his fork, and then a second time.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he kept his voice even, although he felt the confident demeanor starting to give away, if only slightly.
Emma reached around him to cut off the water, leaving Elijah to drop the fork awkwardly.
“Stop acting like you don’t ever give a damn about anything,” she went on, sliding onto the counter, before balling the collar of his shirt in her hand. “You’re not always the guy you say you are, Elijah. Just admit—“
Elijah swallowed hard, a small curse escaping his lips before gripping her jaw and pressing his body in between her legs. She gasped out in surprise, although her fingers twisted into his hair, teeth biting down on his lip hard enough to give away all the tension she had kept pent up over the years. Elijah squeezed her sides before snaking the tank top over her head and tossing it carelessly along the kitchen floor, their lips never parting with every layer of clothing lost.

Elijah tried to squash all doubts that ran loose in his mind, even though Emma’s words still troubled him to the core.

[/blockquote][/size]

[laura]

{name:Emma#|#picture:18}

It was happening again, and she was utterly powerless to stop it. One minute, she’d been reeling from the look of pure genuineness in his eyes, the next Emma was swiftly finding herself in a most unorthodox position, with his tongue in her mouth and his hands skirting over her body.

Sweet heavens, everywhere his hands touched Emma felt the familiar burn scorching at her skin, lighting its way down to the most feminine part of her.
So, this is what it felt like to be turned on, she mused into her foggy subconsciously. Every cell in her was like a livewire, coursing through her bloodstream and lighting her up like a freaking Christmas tree.
Surely, after years of practice, she should have more control than this?
A few words and a kiss and Elijah had her right where he wanted her. For peat sake! He was a disconnected, egotistical pig who’d slept with more women than Emma could count, yet somehow he got under her skin and made her…feel. She found herself liking what it felt like to be kissed by him, touched, looked at, and wanted. It filled all the places inside her Emma hadn’t known were empty.

Her bare back dropped down against the cool marble of the kitchen counter, Elijah following her down, his naked chest meshed up against her own, heartbeat to heartbeat.

Was she really going to let this happen, in the kitchen of all places?

For so long she’d held herself back, safely hidden behind the wall of stone, watching those around her love and be loved in return. They had happiness.
What if…Elijah was her ticket to happiness? Maybe the world was finally cutting her some slack, thinking ‘hell, she’s been through enough, give her something good this time.’
The thought made her giddy and nervous and frankly, quite frightened.

He chose that moment to tear his lips from hers and instead, let them take a south-ward journey down her throat, over her panting chest and between her breasts. Emma arched off the counter when he nipped and licked at her flat stomach, the butterflies there rapidly turning into bats.
Oh, hell, yes! She was most definitely going to let this happen.
No-one had made her feel the way Elijah did – sexy, desirable and beautiful.
Emma would deal with the repercussions later.

Yes. Much later.

His long slim fingers tucked under the waist band of her shorts and…paused. It took a moment for Emma to process it, but, yes, he was most definitely not moving anymore. Elijah’s face was pressed against her stomach, his breathing heavy, when he suddenly said. “I can’t do this.”
Emma blinked, sure she’d miss heard him. “W-What?” Good god, was that her voice? Husky wasn’t the right word to describe it.
Then, as quickly as Elijah had moved on to her, he was gone, her skin instantly mourning the loss.

Elijah bent over and scooped her top off the floor, “Put your clothes back on.”
He tossed the blue material onto her naked chest without looking at her, his face turned away.

Sluggishly, she pushed herself up from the counter, clutching the material to her. “W-What’s wrong? Did I do something…?”
Her brain still wasn’t in the here and now. In fact, it was still sat eating take-out.
"I thought I wanted this but...I don't," Elijah barely muttered, backing away from her.
“Why not?”
"I don't have any feelings for you, Emma. No matter how much you want to convince yourself of the fact."
She blinked at him. “No-one has feelings for me, Elijah,” Why did her voice sound so weak and pitiful all of a sudden? “I know that. Don’t you just…want me?”
"No," he murmured.

Ten heart pounding seconds past before Emma’s brain finally caught up with her.

She swallowed and slid off the counter, “I don’t understand. The way you looked at me…and you’ve never been picky before – fuck, you slept with Amanda. What’s wrong with me?”
Dear god, why oh why did she ask that question?! The better question would be ‘what is right with me?’
"Why are you interrogating me?" he hissed. "I just don't want this, okay? I don't want you."

Something tight and restricting laced around her heart – almost like he was reaching into her chest and squeezing it as hard as he could. It left her feeling unusually hollow.
All the places she’d felt were filling up during their kissing, were actually draining, a new kind of emptiness sliding in to place.
“Okay.” She found herself saying, before she tugged her tank top back over her head.

So, life wasn’t throwing her a life raft after all.

Emma left the kitchen then, feeling more emotionless than usual. What the hell had she just done to herself?

[/blockquote][/font]

[Ange Keating]

{name:Elijah #|#picture:17}

Elijah hadn’t slept a single minute that night, Emma’s face before turning off to her room forever embedded in his thoughts. His only solace was the fact he had done the right thing. Elijah had meant it when he told her she deserved better, and after feeling that guilt continue to overwhelm him with each growing second, he suddenly felt like he wasn’t that guy. He didn’t have the power to stay faithful, or be that doting male figure in her life she could love and depend on. His mother was right for believing he would never change his ways – in spite of trying to convince Emma otherwise, he was his lifestyle, and he didn’t believe that would change anytime soon.

Elijah couldn’t be her first.

He couldn’t be the guy that would always resonate in her memories for taking something so special from her. Elijah didn’t want to let her down, and that fear solely had driven him away from her when she was the most vulnerable to him.

Maybe it was best she hated him. Absolutely detested him.

They had already began tip-toeing on thin ice the moment they started poking into each other’s personal life, learning things about one another that normal partners didn’t, or rather shouldn’t know. Things would be so much simpler if they didn’t talk at all, only getting their job done in the most efficient way possible before going on their way.

And even after everything, all the mental debating with himself, Elijah still knew he had ended things from getting too far because he was afraid. Afraid of what she was making him become. He had never, in his life, regarded someone’s life above his own, or walked through frigid weather just to get some damn take out in hopes of forgiveness, or sit around a party just fucking…talking. Christ, Elijah didn’t feel like himself around her!

But he did. He did. He felt like a better reflection of himself -- like he was turning into the guy he was supposed to be from the start, and the idea of that positively frightened him. Fuck!

Elijah eventually escaped his room, making sure the kitchen was clear, before walking out onto the veranda and dropping down on the couch. Goosebumps prickled his skin for all the wrong reasons as flash backs of their kiss drifted through his thoughts, and how exhilarated he had felt with her in his arms.

He had never felt that way before.

Elijah ran his hands warily down his jaw, feeling like the intensity of his heart against his chest was enough to break his rib cage. If he was trying to protect Emma….why did he feel so guilty? Elijah knew that people like Amanda, Nigel, and every other person that had given her shit couldn’t truly break her, but he…he could.

It'll all change. Someone will change you. Someone will change everything.

“How do you know I’m not screwing with you right now?”
“Because you’re looking at me differently.”

Elijah let out a long groan, back hunched over as the memories continuously instigated his thoughts. There was no way he could face Emma in the morning.

He didn’t have the strength to look her in the eye and continuously convince her she meant shit to him.

He had to speak with Landry.

[/blockquote][/size]

[laura]

{name:Emma#|#picture:18}

Emma had laid on her bed for a total of twenty-three minutes before she’d gotten dressed and left the apartment. In the silence of her bedroom, she’d quickly found that her thoughts and feelings overtook her; if she’d let herself lay there any longer they would have swallowed her whole.

She started with a swim at the pool, before moving on to the gym, the shooting range and a session with the trainers down in the underbelly of the building. Enough was enough when Emma accidently knocked out the 6’6 man who’d tried to help her ‘posture’ when she punched at the bag.
The second his hands had touched her arm, Emma had reacted with a speed that surprised even her.

By seven the next morning, her eight hour work-out completed, and despite feeling exhausted, Emma still had the tightness in her chest, restricting around the place her heart was, and his words continued to haunt her memory.

"I don't have any feelings for you, Emma. No matter how much you want to convince yourself of the fact."
"I just don't want this, okay? I don't want you."

She grimaced and unconsciously rubbed at her chest.
Emma had successfully gone and done the one thing she promised herself she never would; she’d made herself vulnerable to a man and now, she was severely paying the price.

It was strange, the hollowness in her soul, the emptiness dwelling inside her. It made doing anything difficult, from walking to talking, or hell, even thinking. Emma had always been emotionally unattached from the world and everyone in it, but now was somehow different. Her empty places had been filled, if only for the briefest time, then snatched away, and warmth had melted away the cold, only to be extinguished before it had finished the job. Everything was more intense this time round; her hurt and her pain, everything.

Two hours later and she was back in the gym, doing a full ten mile run, when Jacob suddenly appeared at her side. She watched from the mirror in front of them as he turned the machine on and took up a gradual walk, and only once he was satisfied did his dark eyes seek out hers.
“Security has informed me of a madwoman on a workout craze, you wouldn’t happen to have seen her, would you?”
“I’m busy, Jacob.”
“That means yes, then,” He nodded, grinning. “You only ever do this when you’re pissed off.”
She didn’t reply, instead focusing her gaze straight ahead.
“Emma, are you pissed off?”
“No. I’m great.”
“That sounds convincing.”
She closed her eyes and mentally prayed for him to leave her alone. Emma didn’t have the patience for Jacob, not now, not today.

With a low curse, Emma shut off her machine, stepping off it before it had fully stopped. Jacob did the same, following her to the water cooler at the other end of the room.
“I also heard from the trainers that you’d floored Mario Carter. Is that true?”
She didn’t look at him when she answered, her tone indeterminate, “Yes, sir, I did.”
“Fuck,” He breathed, his dark eyes widening, “The guys a brick wall. How did you manage that?”
Emma shrugged.
His dark brows furrowed together, “What’s wrong with you? You’re more…robotic than usual.”
Robotic? Well, that was surely something she hadn’t been called before. One more for the books.
“I’m fine.”
“I’ve lived enough years to know that when a woman says that, it means the opposite.”
“I’m not a normal woman.”
“No,” Jacob mused, “You’re not. But something’s upsetting you, I can tell. What’s wrong?”

If he asked her that one more time…

Emma turned to him, her face a solid mask of stone. “You have no cause to concern yourself with what may or may not be upsetting me, sir. I apologise if I’m annoying people with my routine, I’m done now.”

If he hadn’t been suspicious before, Jacob sure as hell was now. He quickly darted around her, blocking her exist with his body. “What the fuck have you done with the real Emma?”
“She’s here. Just where she’s always been.”

[/blockquote][/font]

[Ange Keating]

{name:Elijah #|#picture:17}

“Why are you here today, Elijah? And without your partner nonetheless?” Landry questioned, propping his body against the desk, dark glasses loosely situated on his nose. “You look like shit, by the way.”
Elijah seldom agreed, but with little sleep, a quick shower, stubble, and clothes that looked bigger than his body, he wasn’t necessarily at his best. “Thanks.”

He settled into the dark chair in front of Landry’s desk, a tiny sigh escaping his lips. Elijah had spent hours going over the pros and cons of his decision, but at the end of the day, he came to the conclusion it was the best thing for the both of them. Thankfully, they had been able to avoid each other, but what if they did cross paths, what would happen then? Elijah just wanted to return to his regular self – his playboy, confident, teasing…self. And living with Emma wasn’t the route to go if he wanted that.

“I was inquiring about switching my partner,” he started, revealing a page of the company handbook from his back pocket. “It says here if an agent desires to switch who he is assigned to after a thirty day period, he may do so with proper evidence leading to the request—“
“No, Elijah. I’ve told you two this from the start. There will be no switching, no breaking up, nothing.” Landry barely even glanced at the paper he slid across the table, causing him to clench his jaw silently.
“What exactly have we done together that has exceeded your expectations? What makes us so fucking great? We haven’t solved the big case you thought we would, and quite frankly, I’m certain I could crack it on my own without her help. I’ve dealt with worse.”

The older man sighed, an emotion welling in his eyes that completely took Elijah aback – empathy.

“What’s really going on, Elijah? Regardless of Emma’s antics, you’ve never been this fervent in switching.”
He tensed, glancing at the door, semi-considering to make a run for it. “I don’t see how that’s your concern. I just feel my talents would be better accentuated by someone else.”
“You mean someone that is so sub-par to your advanced level, that it actually makes you look better. Shame. I thought you enjoyed a challenge, Elijah.” For some reason, he had a startling notion the older man held a double-meaning in his words.
Elijah scowled, grabbing the page and crumpling it. “You know what? Fuck this. Never mind.”

His attempts at taking the easy way out had gone to hell and there was nothing he could do about it. The realization rattled him, a new paleness shrouding his skin.

Elijah stood to leave, but the man gripped his wrist. How many times in the last week had he been stopped in an attempt to flee?

“I assume she doesn’t know you stopped by my office this morning?”
“No.” He swiftly pulled his wrist away.
Landry paused, and as soon as Elijah managed to press the button that unlocked the office door, his voice sounded again.
“Just talk to her. I’m sure you two will be able to work things out.

Elijah stopped moving, glancing over his shoulder briefly, graveness laced in his words. “I’m done talking.”
With that, he exited the office, never looking back.

[/blockquote][/size]

[laura]

{name:Emma#|#picture:18}

It was late when Emma finally made it back to the apartment that night, physically exhausted and emotionally drained. Thankfully, she hadn’t seen head or tail of Elijah all day. The man was more than likely avoiding her like the plague and honestly, Emma was hardly surprised.

She silently crawled into her bed, the sheets cold to the touch, chilling her skin to the bone as she curled up against them.
Maybe after a much needed sleep, Emma would forget all this. Forget Elijah’s words and her pain.

_________


Even in her dreams, Emma wasn’t safe from Elijah.
His handsome face haunted her, his cold and uncaring blue eyes piercing as he spoke the words she didn’t want to hear.
”Why would I want someone like you? You’re damaged goods. What did you expect from us? Love?” He’d laughed. “I could never love you. I don’t even want you.”

She sat up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes.
Wasn’t a sleep supposed to help her? Yet, Emma felt exactly the same as she had the night before. In fact, if anything, she felt worse, no thanks to that dream.
Emma sighed. Would she always feel like this?

Sluggishly getting up from her bed, Emma headed toward the kitchen, only to be caught short half way by the familiar buzzing sound of the Vphone.
Not bothering to read the caller I.D, Emma pressed the answer button – and instantly stilled.
She blinked twice at the blonde staring back at her. Oh, no, not again…

Emma swallowed, “Hello again, Mrs. Walker.”
"Hello... Excuse me, I don't know your name," she responded, her voice sharp.
She should have expected that.
“My name is Emma. Can I do anything for you, Ma’am?” Emma may not have been taught manners as a child, but she’d quickly adapted.
"Can I speak with my son, please?"
“He’s not here,” The words were out before she could stop them. The thought of going and knocking at his door was too much. “Is there a message? I could write it down and leave it for him.”
"Tell him his parents would actually like to see his face every now and again."
Emma nodded, “I’ll be sure to do that. While I have you on the line, do you think we could chat for a moment? I’ll just be quick.”
She seemed surprised but nodded nonetheless. "I suppose that won't be a problem."

Looking at the woman now, Emma could see the clear family resemblance between her and Elijah. They had the same bright blue eyes and clear flawless skin.
“I know it may mean nothing to you, but I’d just like to bring to your attention that your son and I aren’t…involved. When you saw me that morning, yes, I’d been sleeping in Elijah’s bed, but it was all very innocent. We were talking, my pitiful attempt to try and make him feel better, and I’d accidently fallen asleep. He hasn’t slept with me, and he never will, that’s one thing you can be rest assured about.”
She frowned slightly. "He never just talks to anyone."

Emma chose to ignore that statement.
“Don’t be angry with him because of what you saw. It was inappropriate of me to answer the phone and I never meant him to get into trouble because of it.”
She shrugged. "Whether you guys slept together or not, he's always been like this. I can't change him, so I've given up trying."
She looked briefly to the floor, “He enjoys having fun, or so he keeps telling me.”
"He's obsessed with having 'fun', and it annoys the hell out of me he still hasn't matured."
“Has he ever had a girlfriend before?”
Oh, shit! What the hell!? Where had that come from?!
Emma opened her mouth to take it back, but Trista was speaking before she could utter a word.
"The closest he's come to a girlfriend is a long-term fuck buddy, so never. He wouldn't have the slightest clue how to handle one."

Emma couldn’t fight back the frown creasing at her brows. Fuck buddy? Had she ever heard anyone older than she was using that term? Well, she sure as hell had now. Trista was most definitely Elijah’s mother.
“Do you know who the long term friend was…?”
No, Emma, noooo, you don’t care, so why are you asking? Everything inside her screamed the words.
"Some girl I think named Sadie. They were friends all throughout middle school and high school, and then when freshman year rolled around they started having sex. As soon as senior year hits, she admits her feelings for him, Elijah flees to the military and they never speak again."
“Oh…” Emma didn’t like that. “He must have liked her though, since you said it was so long term.” After all, he wouldn’t even touch her…but this Sadie girl had most definitely gotten her fill.
"He liked having sex with her, yes. But the boy would never acknowledge her after they were through screwing around and it positively destroyed her. Shame - nice, smart girl."

She’d heard enough. Asking more questions was only going to damage her more than she already was.
“Mmm. Well, thank you for listening Mrs. Walker. I’ll make sure he gets the message.”
The blue eyes were so much like his were, it made her want to look away.
"Thank you. And Emma?"
“Mhmm?”
"I don't know what the hell you do, but I like how he acts around you. He's...different."
“I don’t do anything, but thank you for saying that anyway. Have a good day.”
A small smile tugged at the woman’s lips, “You too, Emma.”

They hung up then and before she forgot, Emma scribbled down the message on a scrap piece of paper from the kitchen draw, and stuck it to the outside of Elijah’s door.
He acted differently around her? She wished she saw what the other woman did.

[/blockquote][/font]

[Ange Keating]

{name:Elijah #|#picture:17}

Elijah needed a distraction. And there was only one thing on this planet that could diverge his thoughts for a few hours --- sex.
So the following night after reviewing several small cases, coupled with his largest one, he managed to creep out of his room when Emma was in the shower, clad in a basic t-shirt, and jeans for a late night rendezvous at The Sting. Liquor and girls were the perfect cure for his frazzled thoughts and emotions which had been getting the best of him lately.

It didn’t take him long to arrive at the familiar club downtown, strobe lights flashing across the dance floor, the best vodkas on display at the bar. Elijah started with some pre-shots, his tradition, before a slender finger tapped on his shoulder just as he finished his first glass.
The woman was tall and slender, dark red curls spilling down her chest as she grinned down at him, her make up a little overdone, and dress a tad too short. Oh yeah, she was definitely looking for some.

“The Elijah Walker?” she bit her lip playfully before taking the stool next to him. “How am I so lucky to have found him without another girl wrapped in his arms?”
He arched his eyebrows, although his own signature smirk began to spread across his lips. “This is he. But eh, I don’t know, baby. The night’s just startin’ for me.” And then, his eyes followed a dark-haired woman gyrating her hips to the beat of the music on the dance floor. Elijah particularly enjoyed confidence.
She snickered, following his line of sight before ordering a Hennessy from the bar tender. “Well, if you want, I could share.”

“Share?” Elijah repeated carefully, a newfound interest for the woman lacing through his words.
“Don’t act like you haven’t done it before,” she teased, swallowing the copper liquid. “You take the both of us home…and we’ll have a good time.”
He nodded, before straightening his shirt and getting up from the stool.
“I’ll be waiting by the front door,” the red head murmured into his ear, making sure to graze her nails softly against his crotch before disappearing into the crowd.

It had taken about thirty seconds to woo the dark-haired woman before she was hooking her fingers around his arm, giggling about a story Elijah really didn’t give two shits about. He didn’t try to hide his disinterest either, and soon enough, she stopped talking, only groping the parts of flesh she could reach once they were outside.

“So we taking this back to your place or what?” the red head questioned, flipping her curls behind her back.
Elijah felt semi-nauseous bringing back two girls with Emma around the apartment, but then again, this would drill the final nails into the coffin of them ever becoming more. At this point, he had decided to ignore his feelings completely, only hoping with time (and girls) they would eventually fade.

[/blockquote][/size]

[laura]

{name:Emma#|#picture:18}

Elijah had gone out a few hours ago, which gave Emma free reign of the apartment. Not that she planned on moving from the sofa. After having a shower, Emma had changed into her usual tank top and shorts and stretched out over the length of the coach, a bowl of chips on the coffee table in front of her as she watched one of the many movies currently showing.

She barely got twenty minutes into the horror flick, when the door to the apartment opened, the sound of a shrill female voice sounding before anything else.
“I can believe she passed out. Shame. That would have been fun.”

Emma turned onto her stomach, her eyes peering over the top of the cushion to see a busty red head, who’s shade was at least five shades darker than Emma’s, and Elijah close behind. They practically stumbled through the door, hands everywhere they could get them, hands on butts and backs.
And Emma’s heart dropped straight through to the pit of her stomach, the grip around it tightening to the point of painful.

They both spotted her the same time, the red head instantly frowning.
“Who the hell is that?” She snapped, pointing at Emma.
Could someone’s voice really be that annoying?
"She's just my room mate," Elijah murmured. "Relax."
“Your roommate is a girl?” She laughed. “Maybe the sharing option is still open after all.”
Elijah certainly wasn’t being picky when it came to this one.
"She's not apart of this," he responded cynically. "Are you going to waste time?"
The woman pouted up at him as he dragged her off down the hall. “That’s disappointing. She’s cute.”

Then, with the sound of the bedroom door closing, they were gone. The echo of the woman’s giggles in their wake, and Elijah hadn’t so much as glanced in her direction.

For a few minutes, Emma continued to stare in the direction they’d vanished into, her mind blank. Elijah had a girl with him… why should it surprise her? After what his mother had told her that morning, it should hardly shock her. The man didn’t make do with one woman, he never would, and she knew that. A part of her had already accepted it. After all, he had absolutely no desire for her, why would she hold on to a hope that didn’t exist in the first place?

The giggling swiftly turned into groaning and Emma couldn’t bare it. She darted off the coach and escaped out onto the veranda, securing the door shut behind her, locking in the sounds she didn’t want to hear. She stepped up to the railings, her hands gripping tightly at the cold metal as she raised her face up the dark sky. A wall of fake, digital stars gazed back, a cool night breeze tickled at her bare arms and legs that she couldn’t fell. Emma could freeze to death and she still wouldn’t have felt it.

What the hell was happening to her? This wasn’t who she was. Emma wasn’t weak and pathetic, she didn’t care what others did or what they thought of her. Yet, her she was, a freaking mess, all because of one asshole of a man.

[/blockquote][/font]

[Ange Keating]

{name:Elijah #|#picture:17}

Elijah’s mind was hardly there by the time the red head shoved him against the wall, slender fingers delving just below his jeans as she tugged at his lower lip. Elijah mostly let her do the work in that respect, a few groans escaping his throat before she was backing him into the bed, grabbing his hand so he could fondle her breast.
“You alright, baby?” she murmured, caressing his cheek.
Elijah’s eyes finally focused on hers, the corners of his lips pulling up into a smile, albeit slightly. “I’m fine. Keep going.”

Usually Elijah did…more. But right now, his thoughts were in a whole other vicinity. How was she feeling? Did she completely hate me? Why the fucking hell couldn’t I look at her? She’s just another chick—

“Where’s the condom?” she questioned, snapping Elijah away from his thoughts as he glanced down at his boxers which were now pooling around his ankles along with his jeans. When did that happen?
“Nightstand,” he murmured, running his hands down his face. Elijah was beginning to realize her appeal was slowly dissipating with the already small amount of liquor in his system leaving.

The red head soon tore open the wrapper with her teeth, sliding it on him before mounting his hips. Elijah allowed his eyes to close with each and every one of her rocks, vivid memories of the kitchen sparking his thoughts. He remembered how firm Emma’s thighs had been, to the ridiculous softness of her lips and the gentle lines that comprised of her curves.

Elijah felt the groans come more easily, hands resting on her sides, meeting each and every one of her bucks, pleasure reaching a surprising high.

“Emma,” he murmured, barely hearing the name as it left his lips.
Elijah was roughly pulled back to reality though by the surprised gasp of the woman, who wasn’t Emma, her words coming out in a snarl. “Are you fucking serious?”
His eyes widened, although not a shred of emotion or remorse altered his stone cold features.
“Wow. Just wow. You have issues.” She climbed off of him, already reaching for her clothes as she angrily threw them on. “Serious, serious issues.”

Elijah suspected she probably expected a justification for his actions, but all he could do was lay there, with his pants at his ankles, blinking at the ceiling slowly.

“Was I just some sick toy to fuel your fantasies?” she shouted, shoving on her heels.
He finally spoke, although his mind was still somewhere else. “Yes.”
“Go to hell you bastard,” she muttered through gritted teeth before flipping her hair back and slamming the door behind her.

Elijah eventually switched positions, tugging his boxers over his hips and numbly strolling over to the window. In spite of all the things he had tried to do to forget about Emma, his feelings wouldn’t change. They couldn’t.

Feelings.

The word had startled him.
,,,Because holy hell, he felt for someone. He felt for Emma; the last person on this fucking Earth he would have expected to evoke those emotions from him. She was the first woman that had attracted him with her personality, rather than her looks first. She… was overbearing, controlling, antisocial, and just odd, yet here he was, completely strung out over her.

Elijah's emotions were in a complete clusterfuck. But if there was any trace of clarity amongst his frazzled thoughts, he knew he had to fix things between them.

[/blockquote][/size]

[laura]

{name:Emma#|#picture:18}

Early the following morning, Emma was sat in Jacob’s office, her arms folded tightly across her chest and her legs crossed as she sat opposite him. He was sat across the desk from her, typing at his computer and giving her idle chit-chat. Jacob had called her early that morning, asking her for a meeting to discuss the whole ‘ghost murderer’ haunting his way through the building.

Not that he head was in the game this morning. Every time Emma tried to focus, her thoughts would drift to Elijah and his whore. She hadn’t seen the girl leave, or maybe she’d missed it, since she’d been out on the veranda for at least an hour before she’d finally gone to bed. Or, just maybe, the red head had stayed all night.
That stirred up deep, disturbing emotions.
So what if he’d shared his bed with the woman for something other than sex? Maybe they’d talked too.

“Emma, are you listening?”
She looked up from the desk top to meet Jacob’s annoyed stare. Had he been talking the whole time…? “Sorry, what was that?”
He shook his head, “What the hell is going on with you, Emma? You’re normally the one telling me how things are going to be, not the other way around.”
“I’m tired, that’s all. Please, continue.”
Jacob was unconvinced, the way his brows creased together told her that, but none the less, he continued. “The main power…”

What did I do that was so bad to make Elijah do this to me? I’ve always been the same around him, hell, most of the time I was even nice to him. Nicer than I’ve ever been to anyone else. What would make him want to…hurt me?
Unfortunately, that’s just what had happened. He’d successfully gotten under her skin enough to cause her mental pain. Emma had admitted it to herself last night, as she’d tried to sleep.
She’d admitted other things, too.

For example, Emma liked Elijah, as in…liked him. She had fucking feelings for him! What kind of twisted existence was it that let something like that come about? God knows when that had happened, it could have been days, weeks or months ago; Emma wasn’t sure, but it was the only logical explanation for why she felt as hollow and, dare she think it, broken as she did now.

Emma Ward had intimate feelings for a man that didn’t want her.

Oh, god, she was just like her mother! Did that mean she’d share the same fate, too? No. That would never happen. If there was one thing she had the power to do, it was to stop that.

“…and Johnson agrees. I don’t know what the hell is going on in this building right now, but this city depends of the protection we supply and without us, it’ll fall to ruin in no time. I don’t think Walker is taking this seriously though, Emma. He’s bringing you down.”
She shrugged, “He’s trying.”
“He isn’t trying hard enough. His problem is he thinks too much about what woman is going to be in his bed next and-“
“Elijah’s a good agent, Jacob,” She interrupted him, an irritated snap to her tone. “He just likes having…fun. He doesn’t take anything seriously, hell, he doesn’t even take me seriously. To him I’m nothing but a stepping stone.”
He scoffed, “Yea, because I’m going to give that little shit a promotion. Over my dead body.” Jacob leaned across the desk toward her then, his gaze burning into her face. “Why do you look so sad when you talk about him? I’ve noticed that look for the last three days now.”

Sad? As far as she knew, Emma was giving the world the same stone cold mask she always had. “I’m not sad.”
“Yes, you are, admit it. If that ass-“
A loud, echoing bang echoed through the office, cutting Jacob short and near enough sending him through the ceiling. The office door had swung open, hitting the wall hard enough that the whole floor must have heard it.
But, it wasn’t the door that interested Emma so much; it was the person who had opened it.

Elijah stood in the doorway, his chest rising and falling in deep breathes, like he’d run up the flight of stairs to get there, his gaze darting around the room until they landed on her.
Her whole body tensed up, and she forced herself to look away.
“What the fuck!?” Jacob fumed. “This is a private meeting you little-“
“Emma,” He breathed, cutting Jacob off. “Can I…have a word?”
She didn’t dare look at him. “No. Go away, Elijah.”
“Please, Em, it’s really important.”
Temptation nipped at her insides. “We’ll talk later.”
“No, no, we can’t talk later,” Elijah hastily took a few steps toward her. “This can’t wait.”
Jacob pushed up from his plush seat, “I suggest you leave her alone, Walker, before-“
Elijah didn’t so much as glance away from her when he spoke. "Fuck off. I need to speak to Emma."
“For the love of…damn!” She pushed quickly to her feet and glared at him. “Fine. This better be goddamn important or I’m going to really fucking hurt you!”

[/blockquote][/font]

[Ange Keating]

{name:Elijah #|#picture:17}

Elijah had hardly been able to sleep that night before knocking on Emma’s door around seven AM and being somewhat disappointed she was nowhere to be found. After asking around, in spite of several snarky remarks about the agent, he was rushing to Jacob’s office, wanting to release the heavy load of emotions that painfully settled within his rib cage.

Elijah pulled her outside, backing her into a corner that was obscured enough for privacy.
“I’m so sorry Emma,” he murmured, unsure of how arrange his words to sound sincere. Fuck, he was never good at this. “I never meant to hurt you. I was just doing it…to protect you.”
"To protect me?" She repeated. "You told me that didn't want me...to protect me? Mmm. That makes perfect sense."
Elijah closed his eyes briefly, expecting that reaction. She wouldn’t understand. “Emma. I know I have a fucked up way of expressing my feelings, but I liked—like you and I was just scared. And I didn’t want to hurt you if we went through with it and I didn’t…feel the same way.”
Emma blinked, "Are you trying to tell me that you didn't want to just...fuck me? Like you do with every other woman?" Her eyes narrowed then, "Like you did with that woman last night."

“Did you just wanna…screw around?” Elijah questioned, arching his eyebrow. From what he could tell that night, it seemed like she wanted the entire package, emotions included. She didn’t believe in one night stands or meaningless sexual encounters. “And nothing happened last time, Emma. She left.”
"No." She snapped. "I don't know what I wanted, or hell, what I even want now. If that's all you want, Elijah, then you were right to do what you did." Emma created more space between them, anger still lingering in her eyes. "And don't give me that, I heard her groans all the way from the living room."

“It didn’t work out, okay? And Emma,” he gripped her hand but she only snatched it away, eyes looking everywhere but his. “I have…feelings for you. And it took me one fucked up night to realize that, but I do. I’m admitting it to you, right now. Don’t you believe me?”
He could see the internal fight she was having through the shifting expressions across her face. "Are we talking about...good feelings or bad feelings?"
Elijah pounced on her vulnerability this time, cupping her jaw in his hands. “Very, very good feelings.”

At this point Elijah had tossed any inhibitions out of his mind, the only person in the world mattering to him at that current moment, standing directly in front of him.

“I—I—”

Elijah lightly pushed her against the wall, their lips crashing together with a newfound spark that had never been there before. It coursed through his veins, bringing goose bumps to the surface of his skin as he relished in that familiar softness, her fingers lightly touching his shoulders once she was on her tippy-toes.

“I want to do this, Emma,” he breathed sincerely against her lips. "I wanna go all in."

[/blockquote][/size]

[laura]

{name:Emma#|#picture:18}

Wait. What? What was happening? Allowing his words to sink in, Emma indulged in his kiss once more as she tried to make sense of the situation.
Was Elijah actually saying…?
“Do you?” The question burst out of her. “You sounded really…convincing in the kitchen that night.”
"Yes," he murmured. "Completely."
Before he could kiss (and distract her) again, she pushed at his chest, easing him away from her. “Elijah, I can’t do this again. I’ve never been vulnerable to anyone like I am with you; it’s really unsettling for me. You can’t draw me in, only to push me away when it suits you.”
He touched her cheek. "I won't let you down, Emma. I promise."

Well, that was one reply she hadn’t been expecting. He’d given her a promise and instantly, Emma had believed him. Even now, with his words still fresh in the air, she could feel the emptiness he’d left within her gradually filling in.
A soft smile curved at her lips, “So…we’re dating now?”
Man, did that sound weird.
"If you want to call it that," Elijah murmured with a grin.
“What else would I call it?” She asked curiously. Everything from now on would be a learning experience for her, and perhaps even Elijah too.
"Who knows?" He shrugged. "We're both new to...this."
“Well,” With a smirk tugging at her lips, Emma stepped into him, closing the gap she’d put between them. “Maybe we’ll work it out in time.”
Elijah was bending down just as she was pushing up onto her tip toes (Elijah was too freakishly tall for her to reach him normally), meeting her half way for another spine tingling kiss.
Just like every other time before, every inch of her body lit up, coming to life, all because of him. Dear Gods, Emma wanted things with Elijah she was sure she’d never want with anyone.

Unfortunately, Jacob decided that that moment was a good one to come looking for her. The sound of his door creaking didn’t faze them, but the sound of it slamming shut did.
They parted a second before Jacob’s voice sounded. “Don’t mind me. Make out all you want outside my office.”
With her brain still frazzled, Emma pushed her fingers through her hair and turned to her boss. “Sorry, Jacob, I’ll come back and finish the meet-“
He raised a hand to silence her. “Save it. There’s no point in finishing it now, since it looks as though your head is somewhere else…”
“No, it’s not. Elijah and I are finished here, anyway.”
Elijah raised a brow, “We are?”
“Yes,” Emma answered him, “For now.” She added in a whisper.
“It doesn’t look like you’re finished to me. It hardly matters; I have lots of work to be getting on with, anyway, so please feel free to leave.”

Emma frowned at the tone his voice had quickly taken. “If you want me to stay, I will. In fact, Elijah could as well, since he’s just as much a part of this case as I am.”
The man was standing directly behind her, close enough that Emma could physically feel the heat of his body against her back. She had to fight the uncontrollable urge to lean back against him.

The moment she mentioned Elijah’s name, Jacob turned on his heels and retreated back into his office. “Goodbye, Emma. I’ll speak with you again soon.”
He shut the door behind him, leaving the couple to stare in after him in confusion. Well, Emma anyway, Elijah didn’t seem to give a shit. He was happily grinning down at her, looking like the cat that had won the cream.
“You pissed him off,” Emma accused as he tugged her towards the elevator, his hand locked tightly around her wrist.
“Who cares?” Elijah laughed. “He’s just pissed because he wants you for himself, and, well, he can’t have you.”
Emma sighed, “Oh, is that why?”
He nodded as he called the elevator. “I don’t share.”

[/blockquote][/font]

[Ange Keating]

{name:Elijah #|#picture:17}

“What the hell am I doing,” Elijah muttered, almost to himself, as he attempted to chop shallots like Picasso, just for them to end up like irregular bits of onion splayed across the chopping board. This would be the first time they attempted cooking for themselves instead of take out – and needless to say, things had been interesting thus far. Emma, who was a way better chef than him, decided to devein the shrimp after he had confused it for a band. How the hell did you ‘devein’ a shrimp?

He heard Emma’s gasp behind him, before she appeared by his side, pressing a dramatic hand to her lips. “This has to be a first! Elijah Walker not doing so well with his hands. I’m surprised.”
He pretended to laugh. “You’re hilarious.”
She simply smirked before patting him on the ass lightly and returning to the pot of boiling fettuccine.

For the last few days at the agency, they had used their time after work simply enjoying the other’s company, whether it involved watching movies, working out, or staying up in bed all night. They had both decided to take things slow, gradually building their relationship from the ground up once more. Elijah wasn’t in a rush anyways – whatever they had going on at the moment proved to be more than satisfactory.

“What’s wrong, lover boy? You mad because I’m right?”
Elijah shrugged from the cutting board, although a tiny grin pulled at his lips. “Perfectly chopped onions are so boring. I figured you were more for going outside of the box, Ward.” He paused, before moving behind her, his lips tugging at her ear. “Plus, what I lack in the kitchen is more than made up for in the bed. I make you moan, Emma. Face it.”

Elijah genuinely snickered at the sight of blood rushing to her cheeks, before easily dropping the onions into the water above her head and returning to the adjacent counter. “Don’t tease if you can’t handle the heat, sweetheart,” he added, starting on the salad. Elijah had never made one before, but how hard was it to throw a few pieces of lettuce and vegetable into a bowl and stir it together?

“I can handle it,” she argued, tossing the spaghetti into a strainer before dumping a jar of alfredo on it and arranging two plates on the counter. “And if you want to make me moan tonight, I suggest you watch what you say.” Emma pointed the strainer at him menacingly, albeit fighting back a laugh.
Even though her virginity was something he wouldn’t touch until they were both completely ready, there were always…alternatives, so he could get his fix and she could—well, she could enjoy herself.

Elijah snickered, although he raised his hands in defeat. “Fine.” With that, he grabbed the bowl of salad, placing it on the table next to the fridge. With all the meetings in the last few days, they hadn’t been able to properly enjoy dinner together in the kitchen, the last time being a night they were both choosing to forget.

Elijah hoped this time was different though – he wanted things to start and end on good terms.

[/blockquote][/size]