The Man Who Sold The World

Morrigan was getting tired already and they hadn't even figured out where they were headed. First it was Kansas, then it seemed like Mississippi. Everyone was emotionally wiped, she could feel it. Not for the first time, she looked over at the empty seat next to her and wished there was some sort of creature comfort keeping her company. She missed her horses, her dog, hell, even her mother's cooking. This wasn't like going off to college for the semester and heading home for the weekends. This was going off on a demon hunt with a bunch of people that weren't being totally honest with her.

Why the hell am I doing this? she asked herself. Do I have a death wish or something?

She turned on the radio again, but it was just the same old thing. Jackson, Mississippi. She speed dialled home, but her phone wasn't working. She picked up the phone and looked at the bars. She had service, but sure enough, the phone was dead.

She stuck her hand out the window with her phone, hoping that one of the other drivers might notice what she was attempting to ask.

They reached the Safehouse one hour faster as expected. Lenna couldn’t stop smiling, not that she would explain anyone why and not unless one of her team learns to read her mind.

It is adorable crazy funny cute crazy what Rome does to cope with his fear.

Lenna picked another book from the library while she took a bite from her sandwich. She didn’t bother to waste time to sit down eating. She had two books about demons in her arms when she went back in the kitchen. She had changed her clothes in her duffel so that they were clean and less slutty. Weird that her brother made her take the sluttiest things she owned. But this time she was herself again.

She stepped in the kitchen where the others were sitting. “Hey guys when you are ready we should head out don’t you think? You know what’s crazy? Six people driving in 5 cars, do we really need that many cars? It is much more fun not to drive alone. Don’t you think?”

Lenna refilled her coffee mug; she started to be a bit jittery from all the caffeine. It made it difficult to hold on to her sandwich, the books, some bits and bobs for a couple of rituals they might need to perform, her duffel and her mug. It couldn’t be more obvious that Lenna was excited to hunt a demon, she loved demon hunts.

Caleb had given up on the radio by the time the others were filing back into the cars and reoriented himself in the driver's seat, his cheeks still flushed from spending so long upside-down. Predictably, even though the massive diesel was tuned and could easily outrun anything else its size, the Fordasaurus trailed behind the cars. Arriving at the safehouse at last, Caled did what he always did at a safehouse before a hunt. Dragged the weapons he was most likely to use inside in a bag, laid them out on the nearest table and started field stripping and cleaning them.

"I'm not driving in that electric razor unless I can get behind the wheel and open it up," Caleb deadpanned as Elenna re-entered the room, reassembling one of his Glocks without needing to look, "Might be an idea to stick to the truck anyway. Thing's got more guns and blades in it than a clown car full of gang bangers."

"I can leave my car here, that's no problem." Georgina took a sip of her diet coke and shot Elenna a glance. "Although I'm not entirely sure if I want to sit in the car that's driven by our little lady here..."

Elenna's cheeks flushed. "Hey, Barbie, you better..."

"Just kidding!" She smiled at her and winked.

"No need to worry", said Rome while patting Elenna on the back. "I'm going to drive anyway."

"But..." Elenna started, but he cut her off with a grin.

"Well", Georgie scrutinized her perfectly manicured nails. "I'm going to get my stuff out of the trunk then. Gosh, I miss her already..."

"Isn't it weird how sentimental hunters get when it comes to their cars?" Elenna mumbled with a smile.

With the exception of Morrigan's phone, which was actually just genuinely busted, he told her with a chuckle and a promise that he'd buy her a new one when they got into a town with more than one stoplight, the radios and other electronics seemed to settle down after they had decided they would push on through to Jackson. Which, in Rome's mind, was a bad thing, but whatever.

Rome stared at Georgie's retreating form--okay, her retreating legs--as she went back outside to get her stuff from the car, until Elenna hit him in the sternum.

He grinned apologetically, not sorry at all, and coughed. "Uh, yeah, I say we go with the truck and...I dunno, Mor, you wanna take your folks' car cross-country? The Land Rover might be more comfortable for four of us than the Ferrari, but, I mean, seriously, who of you is gonna pass up a chance to roll in a Ferrari?" Rome grinned. "Oh, and I'm thinking about getting her repainted, too, at some point. It's gotta be red. Whatever possessed me to get a black Ferrari? I mean, geez, talk about depressing."

No one else was grinning. Whatever.

"I wouldn't be opposed to driving," Morrigan told them with a smile. "That way we can fit everyone into only a few vehicles. It'd be a lot easier to keep track of everyone that way."

((OOC: If anyone's confused, I just chopped my post in half so I could continue a convo with Addy, but it is otherwise unchanged. If you're not confused, carry on.))

Rome shrugged. Cramming four people into a Land Rover was going to be a whole lot less painful, and he didn't exactly want to waste his new toy on miles of backroads and lonely highways.

"Sure, that's fine. Uh. I'm gonna go grab my bag, then, and, uh, see if Georgie needs any help with anything."

Was that only dirty in his head?

"Hey, G," he said, alerting her to his presence before he had too much time to stare at her ass sticking out of the backseat.

She was onto him, though, and glared.

He held up a car cover as a peace offering, and shrugged. "Need any help?" He asked. "And I brought this, only because I know how much you care about that thing. And I never thanked you, properly, for looking after Elenna." He snorted, serious moment gone. "And, you know, not killing me for bleeding on your backseat."

She barked out a laugh: "Don't thank me, I'll send you the reupholstering bill."

Rome grinned and nodded. "Sure, I gotcha covered. Here," he said, lunging forward and taking a pink Gucci suitcase from her before she set it down in the dirt. He threw the cover sloppily across the car and grabbed another bag from her hand and set them on the porch.

"Anything else, Your Highness?" he asked, grinning cheekily, as he returned.

Aly felt sick. She had the chills and they wouldn't go away. The whole nonsense over the radio had only made things worse. Now her stomach was turning.

She watched from the couch as her new boyfriend--she wondered what he was--cleaned his arsenal. The litany of profiling terminology came to her mind. Was it sick and twisted that profiling the pathologies of her new friends as if they were serial murderers--some of them were--actually calmed her down?

Well, if you can't beat them, join them.

Aly got up and plopped herself down at the table, taking out her own sig and cleaning it.

"So tell me what you think is doing this?" She asked to the room. She hadn't been paying attention for a while and it showed, but at least she was trying. She was new at this after all and their pathologies had seemed much more interesting from the couch.

Georgie was thankful for his help, however, there was no way she'd let him know. Besides, she enjoyed the fact that ' Mr- I'm- So- Confident' Rome was being her carrier boy, even if she had a slight suspicion that there was more than just generous help he wanted to offer.
Georgina threw her long, straight hair over her shoulders and looked at her car.

"Since you're asking so nicely..." She turned towards Rome. "As a matter of fact, you could do a better job with the car cover. It looks like a complete drunk just randomly threw it over my car." She smiled coquettishly. "And I tend to get a little upset when I see dirt on my pink lady, which, of course, is going to happen due to the lack of effort you put into covering up my car." She scrutinized Rome intensely. "And you know what happens when I get upset..." She grabbed her glittery cell phone and waved it infront of his eyes. "My men, the Bostonian lawyers, are just waiting like bulldogs to shred anyone into pieces who, let's say, upsets me." She shot him a playful smile before she turned her back on him and pretended to be busy with her phone.

"Jeez, you're definitely an only child", Rome said with a grin, then walked to the car and started on the car cover again.

Georgie raised her eyebrows in surprise. Okay, I didn't expect him to let me boss him around like this... He must be up to something.

Rome caught her glance. "You checking me out, G?"

She crossed her arms. "I might be."

When Lenna could she would be jumping up and down in excitement. But all the stuff she was carrying was holding her firm on the ground. Aly’s question made Lenna the first time aware that she was still there. Somehow she had forgotten her, not on purpose but Lenna had the feeling that she wanted to be left alone so far. Lenna felt bad, she didn’t have paid that much attention to the probie of the team as she should have. She smiled at Aly, and even though Lenna tried really hart not to sound happy about she couldn’t sound more joyful well nearly.

“We are hunting a demon. And we know that because of the sulfur Rome smelled and the static of the electronics. Demons are non-corporeal and possess humans to use their bodies. Lenna looked out of the window and sounded less excited. “Ghosts can do that too, like my brother did.”

The books were slipping out of Lenna’s arms and fell noisy to the floor.

“Oops, sorry.” Lenna kneels down to pick up her books not an easy task.

“If you kill the meatsuit you kill the human, I’m not so sure about the demon. I don’t think it actually kills the demon, but there are two sides about this. You fight them with holy water and salt they also can’t touch pure iron. The actual only way to kill them is to exorcise them. That pulls them out of the body and drags them back to hell. I know a couple different; if you want I can write them down for you and teach them the pronunciation. I’ll just bring my stuff in the car.”
Lenna smiled and went to the door.

And check on Rome. I wonder if it helps to write an exorcism on a human body.

Lenna just stepped outside when Rome caught Georgie’s glance. "You checking me out, G?"

She crossed her arms. "I might be."

“Guys you are not alone anymore, keep your pants on and your hands to yourself. I’m not old enough to see something dirty like that. Hey Romeo a little help here please.” Lenna had to stop to prevent her things from falling down again.

Georgie and Rome, who were standing very close to each other by now, both turned their heads when they heard Elenna's reproachful voice, and without even knowing what the other was going to say they both shouted simultaneously: "Get outta here, Lenna!"

Elenna put her hands on her hips and raised her eyebrows. "Excuse me...?! If you haven't noticed, I am outside."

Rome flashed her a grin. "Don't you have to read something, chica?" He winked at her playfully. Elenna rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Typical..." She dropped all her things right were she was standing before she left.
Rome waited until she was inside, then he turned around to face Georgie. "So, where were we?"

She leaned against the Audi, her arms crossed. "You wanted to make sure that my car is all covered up before I'm going to sick a group of lawyers on you, Remington", she replied with a smile.

Rome laughed, a bit surprised at her tone, and obligingly set to work straightening the car cover, shielding the neon pink from the world. Or the world from the car.

"You know, G, a pretty girl like you shouldn't have to threaten people to do what you want them to," he said, not minding at all that she was watching him work. He glanced over his shoulder, and flashed her a sly grin. "Maybe I should take my shirt off and give her a wash and wax while I'm here?" he offered sarcastically.

Georgie frowned in serious thought.

"Aww, crap, now she's actually thinking about it!" he laughed, as he pulled the cover over the hood. "I was kinda kidding there, G, but you know, if you asked, I probably wouldn't be able to say no, so you just watch yourself. They say absolute power corrupts absolutely." He winked mischeviously.

Where were these sultry, retarded movie pick-up hinting lines coming from? he wondered distantly. They were definitely not in the certified Rome Playbook. He usually tried to play up the loveable goofball stumbling over corny pick up lines which the ladies found endearing, but he wasn't usually this bad.

And even though Georgie was clearly checking him out, she wasn't going to let herself be caught unless she wanted to catch him.

And Rome loved that game.

He was now standing on the opposite side of the car from her. The front of the car was covered properly, but it was slow going since she was just standing there watching him (not that he minded, really) and he was still working his way to the back. Rome licked his lips, took a deep breath, and decided it couldn't hurt (too much) to try:

"Okay," he began, opening the door and sticking his head inside, "let me just grab that half-eaten cheeseburger I stuck under your seat last week so it won't stink--"

"The what?!" Georgie shrieked, springing into action. She yanked open the other car door and crawled inside, so that by the time she realized by his laughter that he had been lying and that this was some kind of trick, they were crouched nose-to-nose, facing each other in the back seat.

This was definitely not anything she had planned, although, she had to admit, had thought about it maybe once or twice...or more. Since elementary school Georgie was used to get attention from boys, and in high school she purposely avoided those guys who knew that they were hot, simply because she didn't want to boost their self-esteem. Would this have been high school right now, she would give Rome the cold shoulder and enjoy the bewildered look on his face. But this was not school. Not even college.
Why did he have these damn gorgeous eyes, and this freakishly charming, boyish grin? And he even smelled good, simply captivating manly, not like the rich law students she used to date, the ones who always smelled like they took a bath in Lacoste perfume and Calvin Klein aftershave.
On one hand, Georgie didn't want to give in and be another addition to Rome's 'chick-list', but she was only human, after all, and sometimes even she had to struggle with certain temptations.
She didn't have the chance to get deeper into her pro-and-contra list that was developing in her head, because Rome already took action, and before she could say or do something she felt his lips on hers.
Too late. She gave in. There was no way she could resist that temptation.

Rome was hoping not to get slapped in the face or castrated by a nail file, and in a desperate attempt to save himself from his own audacity, he compounded it with an even bolder move: he kissed her.

Might as well ask outright, rather than waste time screwing around, right?

...Even if that was the eventual objective.

Somehow Rome managed to situate himself above her, shut both doors, and ease his sweatshirt and t-shirt off. Feeling her kissing him back, and digging her fingers into his hair, he assumed permission to continue, and began to open her blouse.

A moment's pause and he had the seats flat, giving them more room to work. He must have nudged something with his foot as he kicked his shoes off, jeans following behind, because the radio kicked in and started playing that Pink Cadillac song--fitting, even though he never in a million years would have admitted to himself that suddenly it was okay for his dad's era of music to soundtrack his life.

He was mindful of her clothes but less careful with her hair. She was soft, perfect. Most girls had flaws, but she didn't. Not a blemish, not a single split-end, not an ounce of undesired fat; all pleasant smells, all smoothness, all even. Perfect symmetry. He would have to tell her this, someday. But not now.

Girls who knew they were perfect didn't try as hard.

...

Twenty minutes later, they were reclining in the back seat, spent, and wrapped together in a blanket which was, as could be expected, pink. It was nearly dark outside, and darker within from the car cover over them.

"Is this really the radio station you listen to, G, or is it just...ah, more of the same whatever-problem we've been having?" he asked.

"Uh, yeah, oldies? Come on, Rome, you know me better than that, I hope!"

Rome kissed Georgie's temple and got up to turn the annoying radio station off, which was now blaring something again about Mississippi. He found his boxers while she began putting on her bra. He reached toward the radio dial to turn it off before he noticed it.

The keys weren't in the ignition. The car was playing music without power.

"Uh...Georgie? I think we have a problem, here."

Georgie, who was just about to button up her Chanel blouse, paused for a moment. "What problem?" She quickly looked out of the window because she was afraid that he might have referred to people watching them, in particular Elenna- which would be extremely awkward- but there was nobody outside.

"No, it's the radio."

"It's playing something about Mississippi again", Georgie noticed.

"Not only that..." Rome switched off the radio and turned around to face her.

"Wait- " Georgie craned forward. "There is no power."

"Exactly." Rome grabbed his shirt and pulled it over his head. "Looks like something is desperately trying to drag us to this freaking place." His gaze passed from her to the house. "We better get back to the others..."

"You go first. I have to do something."

Rome looked at her in expectation. "What?"

Georgie cleared her throat. "My hair."

Before he could respond she raised her hand as a warning. "Don't say anything! As you know, my hair always looks perfect, so when people see the messy state it's in right now they'll know we did it."

With a wide grin Rome watched her getting an enermous hair brush from the drawer infront of the passenger seat, then he bend forwards and kissed her hair. "I like it that way. Messy suits you."

Lenna went back inside and slammed the door.

“Hey young lady, that was not necessary.” Tex looked at her.

“Sorry.”

Lenna didn’t feel like talking, when her book fell down earlier she forgot to pick up one. She took it and read on random pages. She knew the others were wondering why the sudden mood change. It wasn’t that she was jealous of Georgie, at least not in this way. It was more that she felt betrayed, she asked for help and what did she get? She got send away. Maybe she was jealous, but it wasn’t her fault. It felt good to have Rome’s entire attention. And as annoyingly girlie Georgie was, Lenna felt close to her. Lenna didn’t need to worry to do something stupid and from her that is was stupid. It was nice to know Georgie had her back and needing to talk about it. What happens after the two did it. Lenna looked up at Aly. She couldn’t remember it clearly but Lenna knew she said something nasty after Rome’s and Aly’s night together. She also was sure she had apologized.

I am jealous. And scared, scared that them having sex makes her go away. For a really weird unbelievable reason I really like Barbie.

She wasn’t sure if someone had turned on the radio but it played a song she didn’t know, but she had to admit somehow it fitted in the moment. No she wasn’t jealous she was mad at Rome and Georgie for being send away like she didn’t matter.

Rome felt about 110% better about himself as he mounted the stairs to enter the Safehouse, leaving Georgie to spend God knew how long on her hair. Her hard work did pay off though, he was inclined to think as he licked his lips.

Anyway. Rome shook himself, wanting to savor the memory, but knowing he ought to remember where he was and what he had been doing.

Ah, yes. Hunt. Packing. Elenna. He frowned, deep in thought. Elenna wanted help with something. That was it. Right. On it.

He found her sitting on the couch in the front room, pouring over a book and, judging by the fact that she intentionally didn't look up when he entered, he assumed he was in trouble.

For what? It didn't matter. Elenna sure was weird.

He found a book he could only assume was hers on the floor, and picked it up, along with a lot of other papers and things. As he walked into the room, a radio in some unseen corner of the room, which had been crackling some alternative rock now switched again to something classic. Rawson's old man taste in music really was haunting him: Rome almost preferred being haunted by Elenna's psychotic werewolf-ghost brother.

"Hey, chica," he said, announcing his presence.

She didn't look up. He set the book down next to her as a peace offering. Her eyes flicked to the book but otherwise continued to ignore him.

And he was definitely not going to apologize for sending her away when she had blatantly been trying to cock-block him.

"Sorry, Lennie," he blurted out, before he could stop himself, "for sending you away. Do you still need any help?" He tried to sound nonchallant, like he was just waiting for her to snap "No" at him so he could leave her to her pouting fest, but it really did bug him when she was mad at him, and it bugged him that it bugged him.

“My stuff is outside it needs to be put in the car.”

Lenna bit on her lip. She didn’t mean to interrupt Rome earlier, not really but…

“Is Georgie gone?” Lenna sounded as if she was trying not to sound sad.

Rome looked at her confused before he burst out laughing. “Why should Georgie be gone?”

Lenna looked up. “I dunno, because that is what all your girls do. Sorry I interrupted you, I just don’t want Georgie leave us. I finally got used to her… But I am glad you um had fun.”

Lenna smiled shy at Rome and took the other book from him. “We won’t need that one it is about Scottish creatures.”

Rome glanced at the book again. "What's a book about Scottish creatures doing in Kansas?" he ruminated, but shrugged.

"Yeah, anyway, stop being paranoid, chica." I may be cursed, but I don't curse other people, he added to himself. He blew on his nails and buffed them against his shirt. "Hell, we know I'm the only reason she'd be inclined to stay..."

He expected the backhand to his gut, though he didn't expect it needed to be that hard. He forgot not to trifle with girls who had older brothers, no matter how long ago.

"Ow!" He laughed, then, "Okay, okay, sorry, I deserved that. So are we getting out of here or what?"

At that moment, Caleb entered the room, followed by Tex.

"So it looks like I won't be running this one with you kids," he informed them.

"Aww, but what'll we do without our Team Dad?" Rome asked sarcastically.

"I drafted him to help me get the barn in order before winter," Tex explained. "Was gonna ask you all to stay, but I don't like supernatural things controlling the electronics in a supposedly safe house, so the sooner you get gone and finish this job up, the sooner I'll be happy."

"Awesome. Good to know when you're not wanted in a Safehouse," Rome snarked, winking at Tex but raising his hands placatingly before she could lay into him, too. "Yeah, okay, we're just heading out. Where's Aly and Mor? By the way, I'm gonna look awesome hanging out with all these hot chicks."

After fixing her hair so that not one single strand would stick up, Georgina grabbed her designer bag that was still sitting on the porch, and entered the house. She just heard various voices coming from the front room, inter alia Tex who just announced that Caleb was going to stay in Kansas. For some crazy reason Georgie felt like she had to sneak in, similar to the countless nights when she was sixteen and didn't want her uncle to notice that she came home way past her curfew. Of course, as a former hunter, he noticed every tiny noise in the house, and it wasn't always easy to make no sound on 5 inch heels.
Despite the fact that she was not sixteen anymore and didn't actually have a reason for sneaking in like a burglar, Georgie tiptoed towards the kitchen, quietly passing the room where the others were just talking, and looked for a bottle of water (she hated water from the tap). Since this was not the Plaza she couldn't find her favorite, evian water, or any other French water brand, so she had to get a glass and glanced critically at the faucet. While she stood in the kitchen and listened to the others a brief smile escaped from her lips and she started humming the melody of Pink Cadillac.

"...I should have, like, a leopard-print coat and a purple hat with a feather in it," Rome mused, still grinning, but actually considering this. "But, no," he added sadly, "that would totally kill my chances."

He looked up again just in time to avoid another swipe from Elenna.

"All right, all right, I'm just kidding. Look, what do you need from me? Remember we don't have enough room for half the library, but I'll help you take some books out to the car." He turned towards the stairs, filled his lungs, and bellowed, "'Ey! Aly! Morrigan! You huntin' or barn-raisin' this weekend? We're headin' out!"

The Gibb-smack was from Tex this time. "Don't you yell like that in my house, boy, you raised in the wild by wolves?"

Lenna grinned about Tex’s question. But it was just a moment this was funny, she looked dark at Caleb.

This fits more on Caleb. But I guess that is a problem for another time to solve.

She took the book she was reading in, and but the book about Scottish Creatures on that table. One day she will get a new car and it will be a truck that can store all the books.

“Tex can I borrow this book, please?”

“Do you see this Rome? These are good manners. Yes of course, I know it will be in good hands.”

Lenna smiled, hugged the book and passed Rome at the door.

“Let’s go Ken; I guess your Barbie is outside fixing her hair with a stunning toothpaste smile. I need a hand with my things which are on the porch. Bye Caleb, bye Tex see you later.”

Morrigan sat on the hood of the car waiting for everyone to pile out of the roadhouse. "What was that about heading out?" she yelled. "I've been waiting out here for half an hour waiting for you people."

She raised a brow as Georgie walked out in her heels. "Are you serious?" she scoffed. She suddenly felt very bad for Lenna. It didn't take a smart person to realize what had happened with Rome. Everyone radiated weird vibes.

"You people are confusing," she groaned, sliding into the driver's seat. "When I went on my first hunt with Dad and my brothers, at least I knew what they were thinking."

She reached for the radio, but pulled her hand back last minute. One more song about Mississippi and she would go insane. Literally.

Rome smiled warmly at Morrigan, who was giving him a weird look. It took him a moment, but then, Oh yeah, things were supposed to be awkward now...why? I mean, sure maybe they would be, him being the only Y-chromosome in the group, but whatever. Worst case scenario, he had to stop hooking up with other hunters, or his teammates. That was easy.

Or Morrigan would just get used to his ways eventually. He certainly wouldn't want to forbid himself the teammate-hooking-up before he got a chance to...

Steady, Rome, he told himself. Too soon.

But he had to laugh at himself for that. It was never too soon.

But right now, they needed to get on the road. "I totally thought you were somewhere inside, dudette," he laughed at Morrigan. He peered inside the window of the Land Rover, where Aly sat in the passenger side. "And she's out here, too? No wonder we couldn't find you. I got Lennie and G in the Ferrari. You got my number?"

Morrigan nodded, half-rolling her eyes at him. For some reason, she seemed unimpressed--with him right now, or with him in general, either of which had to be remedied at some point. His ego just couldn't stand it.

"All right. See you in Jackson."

Driving through Kansas wasn’t the most exciting thing; especially when drove the same road over and over again. Lenna was sitting 4 hours in the back seat lost in her book. She wasn’t mad at Rome or Georgie; she just didn’t felt like talking. Lenna smiled but didn’t look up from her book; she was really calm when she asked.

“So tell me Barbie does Ken has any tattoos I don’t know of? Or any interesting scars? Anything I should to know about him? I mean there must be a secret that every girl wants him, expect of me.”

Lenna enjoyed this moment.