Upon a Forced Peaceful Accord

[Michele Hawkins]

Saint Henry's Church

Chicago weather was INFAMOUS for being shit. Especially during the summer. Hot, sticky, with the sun blazing down high above giving you the finger was EVERY summer. So why was it this year we had only one bad day of 90 with 100% humidity? Some say Global Warming? I say who the fuck cares. It's 70 in Chicago with no humidity!!! Consistently too ... Miracles happen! So I'm styling in my black sporty sweat pants and v-neck tee, twirling the keys on my chain around a finger boredly waiting for someone to arrive.

As happy as I am by sharing this revelation with you, I'm rather in a state of curiousness and suspicion. Brigid called, and of course I sent it to voicemail, but she wanted to talk and mentioned Saint Henry's - Nikoleta's stomping grounds. I figured why not. Holy Ground makes us not fight, which means she wants to talk for real. As angry as I am with her, maybe she'll apologize and we can be civil again. It's been several months since our fight... Course, it all depends on what the hell she has to say. I swear if she disses Kass again ... I'll ...

Sigh... I can feel my hands balling up and I shake them loose. Shit, a key dug into my palm, but not bad enough to break the skin. I don't wanna start getting aggravated already. I need to relax a bit. So I take the time to chill and meander around the lawn just before the graveyard. And man, it was an old one too. Lot of the names you could barely read since they were worn away with time and weather. I lean against the four foot white wooden fence and puff out some air that tickled my bangs. It was kinda neat how randomly scattered the tall crosses and family headstones were. There was no pattern at all like you usually you see. You know what I mean, the neatly laid out monuments and spaces between the graves at some of the far larger cemeteries? But this was just kinda done like, 'Hey there's room. We'll dig here'. So simple. But respectful at the same time.

It was rather peaceful here yoo. The quiet and all... and since it was past noon, the Church bells had long since gone silent. All there was was me and birds. Oh, and a squirrel. I better enjoy the company before who know who shows up. pfftttt....

[Brigid Cassidy]

:: The quiet was broken by the sound of a motorcycle engine, and the sensation of the buzz as Brigid arrived. The heels of her snakeskin boots clicked on the cobblestone path, and the squirrels twitched their tails at her approach ::

[Michele Hawkins]

She's heeereeeee. Joy. So now what do I do? Turn around and go, "Hey" all badass and pretend that this meeting isn't bothering me? Or should I just go on and do the contemplative stance on the fence and make her come to me?

Oooo! I should do that!

So I do!

[Brigid Cassidy]

:: The older Immortal felt the attitude coming from the younger, but kept her best poker face ::

"How've you been?"

[Michele Hawkins]

I shrug, "Dealing."

Course I won't say I'm still miserable without Fiona or knowing what happened to her. It's utterly depressing. But training with Kassandra and school has kept me distracted quite nicely despite the lack of my old acquaintances around.

"You?" I ask, still trying to avoid looking at her directly. Gotta keep it cool still right? Right.

[Brigid Cassidy]

"Working double duty these days."

:: She was referring to Fiona's station in upholding the compact ::

"Also, there was another one of us in town last night."

[Michele Hawkins]

That pique my curiosity and almost, almost, made me turn my hand. "What happened?"

[Brigid Cassidy]

"I took him off the chessboard. I never met him before though."

[Michele Hawkins]

I couldn't quite read her. Did she want me to be happy that she was OK after her fight, discuss Immortal politics, maybe fishing for information on the dude by way of Kass?

Hah, nah. Why would she do that? She wants nothing to do with Kassandra. Maybe she was gloating? Nah. I don't hear that in her voice.

"Good for you. I haven't heard anything about a new guy in town, so..." I shrug. I honestly didn't, and Kassandra hadn't told me anything.

[Brigid Cassidy]

"I guess she's looking after you then. Just don't get careless."

:: She gritted her teeth, this whole thing was a bad idea ::

[Michele Hawkins]

"Look, Brigid ..." I finally found my strength - courage? ... no, spunk! - to turn around and look at her. Oh man was she seething. Whatever...

"You're the one that asked me to come here. So here I am ..." Yeah it was probably lame, but I held my arms out to make some emphasis that we're outside, here, right now and together. Time to get this over with. You guys agree with me right? "What did you want?"