Immortal Love (Closed for Veroe)

[Asa]

We have both made very different lives for ourselves Alain. How do we ask the other to abandon That? Is there any way we could both make sacrifice or just one of us giving up their lives for the other?

One of the others of the carnival was walking by and tapped on the door.

Selena... could I offer you two a suggestion? You could both live both lives. He could travel with us from late spring to mid fall during season and then we end our tour there and you and Sonam stay with him till next season? That is how Vance and Gabi did it till he finally retired?

 

[Veroe]

IC: Alain De'Montreau

Sadly he turned away from her before stopping to ask without looking back, "So if we do kill him...I guess it would mean you and I would part our separate ways and never see each other again, right?"

"We have both made very different lives for ourselves Alain." Selena replied, "How do we ask the other to abandon that?"

"I don't know," He answered.

"Is there any way we could both make that sacrifice," She continued, "Or just one of us giving up their lives for the other?"

He sighed heavily, unwilling to let it go, but seeing no real way through this impasse. "No, if we were...we wouldn't be the people the other fell in love with."

Just then someone tapped on the door and poked their head into the train car, "Selena... could I offer you two a suggestion? You could both live both lives. He could travel with us from late spring to mid fall during season and then we end our tour there and you and Sonam stay with him till next season? That is how Vance and Gabi did it till he finally retired?"

At that Alain blinked looking to Selena. "We may give that a try...if you want to...in your heart."

 

[Asa]

Selena smiled her eyes sparkled happy now at this idea. She loved it. They could all live both lives together.

We could help Sonam round everyone up every spring and find new acts to travel with us. Would you at least go with us for a little while this time. We have to finish our storage contract for the train just North of Knoxviile.

She thought for a bit.

Where could we have Venice and the other snakes live during the off season? Before I simply lived here in the train with Frank and Sonam during storage season so I could tend to the snakes.

She felt hopeful. For once in a very long time she felt hopeful as she moved to hug and hold him close.

 

[Veroe]

IC: Alain De'Montreau

At that Alain blinked looking to Selena. "We may give that a try...if you want to...in your heart."

Selena smiled, which Alain took as a good sign that she was beginning to shed her melancholy and defeatist attitude. "We could help Sonam round everyone up every spring and find new acts to travel with us."

He nodded, "We could."

"Would you at least go with us for a little while this time?" She continued, "We have to finish our storage contract for the train just North of Knoxviile."

"I suppose I will," He nodded again, "I will stay as long as he still threatens you at the very least."

"Where could we have Venice and the other snakes live during the off season?" She asked after a moment, "Before I simply lived here in the train with Frank and Sonam during storage season so I could tend to the snakes."

"We'll get a house. A big one," He smiled to her warmly, "They'll have a room just for them in it."

She moved in and he spread his arms for her. They held each other like they hadn't in centuries, and yet it seemed right, like all those years had not even happened, and their time as husband and wife was just yesterday.

 

[Asa]

She curled into his arms at the talk of a house and something sounding so permanent was a little frightening. She had never thought about anything permanent so this was a terrifying moment for her.

Alain... can we really do this?

She smiled to him reaching a hand to his cheek sinking into his eyes. She knew she was safe with him but she also knew Acheron's ruthlessness and manipulation. She could always hear his voice in her mind any time she tries to be happy. Remembers the pain and suffering from being happy far from him.

She may be my watcher but she will try to be both and I know that she said that they are not supposed to get involved but I don't see her as the kind not to... how do we handle that Alain? She is headstrong and very determined.

Shaking her head she snuggled in close not wanting to think about it really. However, clearing that from her mind there was AAcheron's voice causing her to bury herself deeper into Alain's arms.

 

[Veroe]

IC: Alain De'Montreau

She moved in and he spread his arms for her. They held each other like they hadn't in centuries, and yet it seemed right, like all those years had not even happened, and their time as husband and wife was just yesterday.

She curled into his arms and stayed there within the shelter of his embrace before raising her arms to stroke his cheek tenderly. "Alain... can we really do this?" She raised her head looking up into his eyes. He could see the fear of building something to give her hope for a future and only to have it ripped away from her again by Acheron.

His arms tightened protectively around her. "I do not know if we will succeed, but I do know we have to at least try or he might as well have killed us back there."

Alain took the hand stroking his cheek in his and turned to kiss it, "Someone once told me that the one thing she'd learned through all these centuries is that Life means taking chances, and risking it all. That is the only way to move forward. You taught me that long ago...remember Selena?"

"She may be my watcher but she will try to be both and I know that she said that they are not supposed to get involved, but I don't see her as the kind not to..." Selena told him about Sonam, "How do we handle that Alain? She is headstrong and very determined."

"We handle it by taking it one step at a time," He told her, "There's no plan for raising a child, especially a headstrong and determined one like her. Also don't forget neither one of us knew of the existence of the watchers until a few days ago. We don't know how they'll handle Sonam's addition to their organization despite Frank's wishes."

He smiled to her. "It seems to me the only thing we can do is our best whatever comes our way."

 

[Asa]

Sonam was in Frank's car making a few calls. Before he made her his successor as Selena's watcher she always wondered why he had a sound proof car on the train as an office. She listened to the man on the other end of the line.

Yes I can reach the watcher there for the tattoo. Not a problem. I also request to be Alain's watcher. Yes Sir they have reunited. Yes sir... I understand the concern of conflict Sir and I also understand they are least likely to take the other ones head. Yes I know that my status as daughter no longer really exists except in her mind and probably Alain's as well. I know I cannot kill not help kill nor arrange for another immortal to kill Acheron Sir. Dominique and Donnovan are where sir. Yes sir that is good to know thank you. Yes sir until another watcher can be appointed. Sir... Yes I will keep a close eye on both. Yes sir my plan to keep them together during the off season to make this easier will work. They still have Venice in their heart and soul no matter how far their egos strayed from it. Yes sir Thank calling me devious I take as an honor. Goodbye sir.

She sat back smiling as she hung up the phone and for a brief moment saw Frank sitting in the empty chair across from her with Gregory and Mac flanking him.

Rest well my brothers... I got this.

She smiled as they smiled and faded. Placing one last call she contacted the watcher they knew in Knoxville. Sweet little unassuming Greek professor who kept an eye on the campus immortal as well as any students who came through who were immortal. He was also one of their tattoo artists for their organization as well

_______
Selena was terrified of them losing. She was even more terrified of her daughter seeking revenge as a mortal and a watcher. She had little doubt that they would keep Sonam if even to honor Frank but no matter what her title Sonam would always be the baby she raised as her own... Her daughter

 

[Veroe]

IC: Alain De'Montreau

He smiled to her. "It seems to me the only thing we can do is our best whatever comes our way."

The train was bustling through the smokey mountains on its way to Knoxville and Selena's heritage.

He leaned against one of the steamer trunks she used to transport the costumes for her props. An interminable silence reigned in the railcar. He watched her too stand there. She looked positively enveloped in a world of worry and doubt and fears.

He got up and crossed over to her again. "If you're not willing to spar with me then there's only one thing I know of that can light a fire of passion in your heart again."

He lowered to one knee and offered his hand out for her to take. "My lady, would you care to dance?"

 

[Asa]

Sonam hung up the phone from talking to the campus watcher and smirked. Of course, he was on the committee for the museum. His department was right next door to the damn thing any special event the museum had would affect parking on the entire circle drive. So he was always on the lookout for anything that would help Frank with Selena or help them understand Acheron better. There was nothing about Watchers learning outside of the files that broke any rules. Attending a museum exhibit was harmless enough and if those from the train didn't want to go there was always stuff all over campus they could go to or a short walk into downtown.

Frank you Devious little shit she chuckled to herself.

He certainly was wasn't he?

Gregory's voice slipped into her mind. She looked around and there he was.

Teacher can I really do this job he has set for me? Hell you and the others were aways worried about my temper and the fact that I was her daughter? Can I do this can I not get involved when I am involved?

Gregory simply nodded

You are a far more capable young woman then any of us gave you credit for. You will excel at this I know you will. Rest now Kiddo... the war has just begun.

Selena laughed a little and nodded.

Yes we should... it has been far too long since we have danced together.

She took his hand and smiled pulling him back to his feet and hugging him close for a moment. Glad to be drawn from her worries about Sonam and what the future will hold with her daughter as her watcher.

 

[Veroe]

IC: Alain De'Montreau

He lowered to one knee and offered his hand out for her to take. "My lady, would you care to dance?"

At this Selena chuckled and nodded at his question. "Yes we should..."

He smiled when she took his hand and pulling him back up to his feet. The embrace with arms squeezing tight in the gratitude for him.

Her words muttered against his chest warmed Alain's heart and gave him some hope for the woman he had married's return to life. "It has been far too long since we have danced together."

"It was once our favorite past time," He replied in reverie of their years of wedded bliss, "And some of my fondest memories of my time with you."

They had the desire to dance but in the rocking railroad car taking turns around mountain slopes as the circus train forged through the Tennessean Smokies on the way to its stop in Knoxville they had no music to dance to. It was no matter to them however. Alain knew their music by heart.

He began to hum taking her hand in his. She would recognize the tune of course. After all she had taught it to him long ago. It was a song from her homeland. It was a song sung to her when she'd been a priestess worshipped by her people.

 

[Asa]

She recognized it. A smile graced her face again as she looked into his eyes.

Barcelona... You had been shot trying to help that poor shopkeep against those foreigners. I... I sang that as you tried to heal.

She closed her eyes and sang softly as they danced. She snuggled close to him as her eyes fell half-lidded in memories. IT was not hard for her to dance even as the train moved. Normally that is when and where she got her most practice in between shows.

Sonam took about an hour or so nap and then after waking she made some calls making all the other arrangements for the storage of the train and the transportation for those who did not have their own vehicle waiting for them at the final stop.

 

[Veroe]

IC: Alain De'Montreau

He began to hum taking her hand in his. She would recognize the tune of course. After all she had taught it to him long ago. It was a song from her homeland. It was a song sung to her when she'd been a priestess worshipped by her people.

"Barcelona..." She smiled as the memories of their days as man and wife washed over her, "You had been shot trying to help that poor shopkeep against those...."

He nodded with a smile, "...those riled up anti-Semitic hombres. After I revived we danced in the moonlight...you taught me this song...and we danced until the sunrise in the morning."

He continued humming, and Selena joined him singing softly in her native language to the tune. They swayed and spun, but it had none of the belly-dancing she was so adept at. There was no fanciness to this. This was not a dance of fire and the rousing of primal instincts this was a dance of the heart and souls trying to meet unity. It needed simplicity and comfort.

-----------------------------X

IC: Brother Mogoro and Althea and Acheron

The bus to the airport stopped and that was when Mogoro felt it. Goosebumps rose on his arms, but not from the quickening of another immortal nearby being felt. The doors opened and the man he knew was there climbed up the stairs. He reached for the guitar case as Acheron reached inside his jacket.

Althea grabbed his arm stalling him. He nodded. Yes, there were too many innocent people on this bus. Getting into a duel now would endanger them all.

Acheron pulled out not his rapier but a pistol and shot the bus driver. Everyone in the bus started to panic, screaming and crying, cringing in absolute fear of the gun-toting maniac. Then aloud he announced, "I'd like to send a message to Alain De'Montreau."

Mogoro raised up from his seat, "I will give him your message." He gestured to the huddled people that had ran to the back of the bus. "But there's no need to risk the lives of these innocent people."

"These people," He said with a quirked eyebrow, "They are mortal...dying is what they do."

Mogoro shook his head, "Just give me the message and we can all walk away from this."

"My message does not require you to tell him anything," He said reaching into the other side of his coat to pull out a block of C-4 with a detonator counting down to zero.

He laid the bomb down and left the bus shooting anyone trying to escape before the explosive detonated.

Mogoro turned to his darling wife embraced her shielding her body as the timer came down to zero and the C-4 exploded.

He revived with paramedics pouring over the wreckage of the bus. He turned back to Althea next to him and cried out clutching tight the burned and shredded corpse of his beloved wife.

He kept crying and would not let the coroner have her body until Alain's Sifu came to the scene. Ignoring the questions of paramedics and police he pulled Masa's Calvary sabre from the wreckage and limped over to her.

"He gave me a message for Alain," He told her tears still running down his cheeks. It was fitting. There was no more room for tears in his eyes for they were full of righteous rage.

 

[Asa]

Valeria stood near her teacher friend and ward as she talked with the one she knew as Morogo. Looking around she nodded to one of the cops and then getting a text she bit at her lip. His actions were not making sense really at least no logical sense. And now she had orders that also didn't make sense it was a text from... Frank? Popping up now but time stamped... the day before he died? Then another text... the sword eater from the carnival. He said he had no idea who she was but Frank said to send his words on this exact day. Gitana and Al's Sifu would understand. The message was vintage cryptic Frank.

The worms have to bypass history's special show. I am going to break the cursed Priestess by heart of a templar wether they like it or not. You have your orders soldier or else.

She rubbed the bridge of her nose she really should have been taught how to truly translate Frank to sanity.

Sonam got a text as well as did phones that would never be read Mac Gregory and Sully.

Selena snuggled closer as they danced and she sang. She had missed this and was letting herself enjoy it for now.

 

[Veroe]

IC: Alain De'Montreau

He nodded with a smile, "...those riled up anti-Semitic hombres. After I revived we danced in the moonlight...you taught me this song...and we danced until the sunrise in the morning."

He continued humming, and Selena joined him singing softly in her native language to the tune. They swayed and spun, but it had none of the belly-dancing she was so adept at. There was no fanciness to this. This was not a dance of fire and the rousing of primal instincts this was a dance of the heart and souls trying to meet unity. It needed simplicity and comfort.

She snuggled in close to him as they swayed, the singing grew soft. He nuzzled his face into her hair. He had missed this. It had been so long, since he was this close, truly close, with his wife. He had forgotten how her hair felt against his cheek, the smell of the shampoo she used. The soft sigh in her voice when she nestled her face against his chest.

The years melted away between them in this one moment, and they were once again madly in love with each other.

But moments could only last a second.

The song ended and they stood together now. Selena in his arms again like she had always belonged there, like Alain never wanted to let her escape. He nestled his face into her hair breathing her in deep.

"It's been so long," He murmured against her skin, "I forgot how easily you can make me feel like this."

 

[Asa]

Long enough that we could have this again in... Safety.

She smiled to him. It had been too long and felt even more right for them to be like this now. Acheron still the fed her but she knew she was safe and maybe by now... Just maybe he could beat Acheron.

Our life... Our worlds one once more.

--------------
Dominique watched from a distance. The priestess had meant so much to Gitana and she had been her sister for centuries she would take up Gitana's task only more proactive. She would follow the train and the priestess and her little family.

Donnovan walked over with a severed head.

Mortals are way too easy.

Why waste your blade on a mortal?

She sighed as he held out a phone.

Only one number on it... Watching the train from the shadows. Before you say it the guy clearly just found out where they were and was just about to reach for the phone. Do let me call him mother and we can begin to terrify him as well.

Donnovan smirked till his mother took the phone and pressed the button to call the only number in the phone. Voicemail oh this is two much fun as Dominique spoke after hearing Acherons voice.

Greetings vermin... Introductions I am Dominique bit I am sure you already know fully who I am. You will abandon all claims to the priestess. You will leave the sacred one alone to be with her Templar... Or... Perhaps you will face me instead. I do hope you will be smart.

She laughed

No I don't and we both know you won't be so. Till next we meet.

 

[Veroe]

IC: Alain De'Montreau

The song ended and they stood together now. Selena in his arms again like she had always belonged there, like Alain never wanted to let her escape. He nestled his face into her hair breathing her in deep.

"It's been so long," He murmured against her skin, "I forgot how easily you can make me feel like this."

She smiled and it felt as bright as the first rays of the sun piercing through the clouds after a thunderstorm. "Long enough that we could have this again in... Safety."

Safety?

Were they ever safe? If it wasn't Acheron or other immortals wanting their heads it would be the wars of mortals or just some desperate punk looking to steal enough money from them to get by another day in the world. Hell they could die crossing the street. Safety was such a subjective term.

No. If immortality could teach someone anything it would the lie the word safety was. There was no such thing in this world as 'safety'.

With that in mind one must treasure the moments as they come, and seize hold of them, for not even people unable to die could ever truly be 'safe'.

"Our life..." She murmurs in his ear, "Our worlds one once more."

Seize the moment.

"Once more." He breathes out against her skin low like a prayer, "Oh god...one more time...to feel right again with you...please."

His arms wrap around her in an embrace and he pulls his head back to look into her eyes so she could see the urgency in them as he claimed her lips with his own.

 

[Asa]

The train started up again finally as they headed on the new track towards Tennessee on their way to storage with one final stop. A traditional leg stretch stop in Knoxville. Sonam sat back looking at the text and Franks notes. Taking out the design drawn up to hide the watcher symbol within it understanding now she was on a 100% level all her mother had. Well all she had that would never in time have to kill her for some arbitrary rule of some "game".

She knew all the carnival side of things as she dove into the watcher side of things to read till they got to Tennessee.

Selena pressed into the kiss... feeling evry bit the same need between them. Hugging him close she was sure footed even when the train lurched into movement. She was only knocked off her footing by Alain and their embrace if his footing was bounced aroind by the train moving suddenly. She would not mind at all if it knocked them down the bed was there to catch them or the couch. Her train car was Venice home all in one room. Some of the pieces the original ones from their home found in auctions or by "friends" in the antique world or by Frank strangely enough.

Frank had found her a simple enough item or two alledgedly over time. Itrms he simply said were "just some Italian thing" he figured she would like. Little did she realize that it was always an item he had traced back to her or to them.

 

[Veroe]

IC: Alain De'Montreau

"Once more." He breathes out against her skin low like a prayer, "Oh god...one more time...to feel right again with you...please."

His arms wrap around her in an embrace and he pulls his head back to look into her eyes so she could see the urgency in them as he claimed her lips with his own.

She pressed into the kiss reflecting the same urgency to reclaim the passion of their time as husband and wife. Her arms fold around his shoulders and time regressed . They were back in Venice a hundred years ago. It was like none of the past century had happened between them.

Alain pulled her in tighter as the kiss grew more heated, and he knew it was the motion of the train winding through the smokie mountains but it felt like the earth beneath them started moving for the first time in a hundred years.

He pulled away gazing into the dark deep beautiful eyes he had fallen in love with and said, "Say no, and I'll stop, Selena..." His voice caught in his throat unable to get the words past the emotions rising up inside him. "Say you don't want me to continue, and I'll just walk away. Say you have not been starving for this all these years the same way I have been for you."

"If you don't want this, want me, tell me to stop because I don't think I can do that for much longer," He kissed her again this time with much more passion.

 

[Asa]

She did want this. He wanted all this and more. She knew she was where she says wanted to be. Here with Alain and Sonam and her "family" within the carnival.

Yes...

Was all she could utter as she pressed into the next kiss and the next hugging him close. Happy... Something she seldom let herself feel or believe could happen. She knew that this is where they always belonged... Together and not it would be this way forever more. She barely noticed the train moving lost in his embrace and kiss. Finally life was perhaps good at long last.

I... I love you

 

[Veroe]

IC: Alain De'Montreau

"If you don't want this, want me, tell me to stop because I don't think I can do that for much longer," He kissed her again this time with much more passion.

"Yes..." She told him softly before his lips claimed hers with another century-spanning kiss from now all the way back to better times in back in Venice. "I... I love you."

He pulled away looking into her eyes. "You know I've lived for over a millennia, and in all that time I've never loved anyone as much as I love you." He held her in his arms hugging her close and placed kisses down the side of her neck before whispering. "I've known hundreds of women in all those centuries, but somehow it always comes down to you, Selena. You are the love of my life, as long as it is...the one and only woman for me in all of history."

 

[Asa]

And you for me my love.

She whispered. Had she ever really loved Acheron or had it been the safety his presence in her life had brought if even at such a hellish price. No... it was not love. Not like her love for Alain. Nothing had ever been like that. Not even the immortal who had found his way into her life even before Acheron. That had been a bond of spirit of need that held its own form of love but Alain had always been her heart and soul. Her truest love.

Now. Again we can be all that we were and more.

She kissed him tenderly curling against him more and more feeling that love and safety and intimacy she had missed for centuries.

 

[Veroe]

IC: Alain De'Montreau

He pulled away looking into her eyes. "You know I've lived for over a millennia, and in all that time I've never loved anyone as much as I love you." He held her in his arms hugging her close and placed kisses down the side of her neck before whispering. "I've known hundreds of women in all those centuries, but somehow it always comes down to you, Selena. You are the love of my life, as long as it is...the one and only woman for me in all of history."

Her reply came as a soft whisper in his ear, "And you for me my love."

"Selena," He murmured nibbling the skin on the side of her throat above her beating pulse.

"Now," She replied softly, "Again we can be all that we were and more."

She pulled his head up so they look eachother in the eye again before leaning in to plant the kiss of several lifetimes to his lips and searing it onto his heart in the process.

His hands began to roam feverishly trying to undo and remove the clothing she wore as their kiss continued for heartbeat after heartbeat. This was several decades in the waiting. He was not going to hesitate in the slightest now.

Against her lips he murmured, "We can all we were meant to ever be again now."

 

[Asa]

Feeling him urgently begin to tug at her clothes and she tugged at his clothes with a whimper. It had been far too long and they were together at long last. Curling close against him she moved a little to vude them to the bed there in her train car. Like their home in Venice.

Again...

She murmured between kisses. For once since they were reunited she truly wasn't thinking about Acheron, not his proximity not his clams on her. She was not even thinking about Sonam. It was simply the two of them and making up for so many centuries apart. Her arms hugging him tight and her lips barely ever far from his as she let herself get lost in this moment with him after far far too long.

 

[Veroe]

IC: Alain De'Montreau

His hands began to roam feverishly trying to undo and remove the clothing she wore as their kiss continued for heartbeat after heartbeat. This was several decades in the waiting. He was not going to hesitate in the slightest now.

Against her lips he murmured, "We can all we were meant to ever be again now."

"Again," She whimpered her hands moving with the urgency that mirrored his own. Unbuttoning, unzipping and pulling articles of clothing off of eachother with a frantic driving need pent up by decades of separation and felt equally by both of them

Then the last piece of clothing fell to the floor and they were in the most natural, primal, and bare in his honesty.

Her arms wrapped around his shoulders as their kisses came together like deep sea divers coming back up to the surface for a new lungful of air. He lifted her up in his arms as he had once done on their honeymoon and carried her over to the matress and pillows piled up in the train car. "Remember our first time in Cairo..."

He laid her down like she was the most precious thing in all his world. "I had been with a few women before then...but that night my heart was hammering and my hands were trembling like you were the very first woman I'd ever made love to...I was that nervous..."

He bent down trailing kisses from her lips down her neck to her chest. In between kisses he said, "In fact...I would say...it's been so long...I feel just as nervous...about making love to you...again now."

 

[Asa]

She smiled at his words and arched into his kisses as she hugged him close. She had only ever been close to a scarce few in all of her countless years. Tenderness like this was something she rarely allowed herself knowing what could happen to anyone who she grew close to. She had been most fearful to lose Alain. The others she would have been afraid to learn that Acheron had ended but she had never heard any such news not that any of them had killed Acheron so who knew where anyone was alive or dead in their "game".

It is so... Terribly dreamlike that we could ever be together like this again.