Dancing with the Devil {Russ}

[helena]

((Halloooo! I hope this' all okay. -hides- ))



The car ride had been long and tense. Helena couldn't stop seeing that crazed man's face as he threw hismelf at the side of her car. Who was he? She'd never seen him before, but it was obvious by the way he'd used his body as a battering ram in order to stop them from leaving, that he knew of her. So, the question still was; 'who the hell was he?' And, more importantly...would he be following them across state lines?

Gah, there went that 'they' again. Throughout the long drive, she'd kept sneaking glances at her new companion. She'd kept on waiting for him to pull the car over and run away, or deliver her to her father...but he didn't. And, as the hours passed, she found herself relaxing; even going so far as seeing him in a completely knew light. Russ had had every chance to run, to escape, but there he was...helping her, a complete stranger. There was that heated attraction between them- even she recognized the strength of desire when she'd kissed him in the garage. Yet even so, the fact that he'd stayed with her was more than a little surprising.

Perhaps she should start calling him Batman, instead of He of the God-Like Lips?

They had driven straight through Louisiana, taking turns at the wheel. At first, things had been quite awkward, but somewhere on the road, they'd shared some enjoyable small talk. Before she knew it, they'd reached her intended destination: Hope's Fall, Mississippi.

There wasn't much there by way of a town, but Helena wasn't looking for a five star hotel. Over the years, she'd met various Hunters of various quality. She'd even become friends with more than a few, one of which being a Mr. Logan Moretti. An ex-Navy SEAL, Logan was one of the more lethal Hunters she'd come across. He'd supposedly been burned by the government when his unit was killed, and he'd taken up Hunting as his new lifestyle. He was ruthless, devoted to the hunt and, above all, the most paranoid man she'd met yet. Because he was convinced that most people existed to betray him somehow, Logan kept multiple safehouses throughout the country. They were armed to the teeth, from land mine booby traps to fully stocked arsenals in the basement. Walls were titanium, tunnels would lead from the house to multiple motorbikes, cars, boats and helo's hidden all over the propety, and- or so rumor had it- he even had a few nukes hidden away at various locations. Each safehouse location was secret and sported more security than the White House.

In short, it was exactly the place for one of five people who knew about the Mississippi location to hide from her possessed father.

"We're almost there," She said to Russ, leaning forward a bit when the Beetle puttered up to a long dirt road. "Just stop here for a sec."

Hopping out of the car, she made sure that her hair was out of her face for easy identification. If Logan was resting up in the cabin down the road, she didn't want to spook him and lose a limb. Bending down in the dirt at the side of the road, she brushed away at a particularly large rock, revealing a numbered keypad. Carefully, she typed in the code she'd memorized and signed in relief when a little green light flashed. She then hurried back into the car and urged Russ to drive on, before he could ask any questions. Hopefully, he would trust her on this...

After driving a few minutes down the road, a rustic cabin came into view. The land around it was kept with an almost loving hand, which one would normally not attribute to a cold, normally growly Hunter. Knowing that Russ would be behind her, she immediately took the steps up to the front door, lifting the knocker- a snarling wolf; Logan did love his irony- and revealing another keypad. As with the rock on the drive, she pushed in a second code and, with a groan, the heavy door swung open.

Cautiously, she made her way into the house, slowly relaxing at the quiet that greeted her. A smile was on her face as she turned to Russ, intent on explaining the history behind all the codes, but the door suddenly slammed with a telling bang.

Standing at his full height, Logan stood behind Russ in all of his scowling glory. His light green eyes practically glowed in the dim lighting, slightly hidden by the shotgun he had leveled at Russ' head.
"Hey, Doc." Came the accented drawl, voice a bit thick. "You should've called; I was just settling down for a little nap. Who's your friend?"

With a little 'eep' of surprise, Helena immediately slid herself in front of Russ. "He's a friend of mine, Logan. Russell Salem. Please...that's not necessary."

Logan just looked at them for a moment, then lowered his weapon with a shrug. "Whatever, Doc. You were always the trusting on. Make yourselves at home while I go check up on your friend, here." With that, the Hunter sauntered off, his gun resting casually on his shoulder. He was probably headed to a back room to do a background check on Russ. Speaking of which...

A lame smile was on her lips as she turned around to face him. Feebily. she gestured after Logan.
"That was...um...a friend of mine. He's a bit on the paranoid side...but he must have liked you. Normally, he asks for DNA samples from strangers."

[/blockquote]

[russ]

[course darlin', sorry to take awhile. postin' should be faster once I'm back in s.f.]

It was strange. Driving towards something. Of course, irony of all ironies, Russ still did not know where he was going. Not that that had made much of a difference for the last year. Maybe if he did have some sort of plan for himself, any goal at all, he would have run away. Maybe his life would mean more and that angry beast would have scared him right out of helping a woman, beautiful or no. But running was one thing he was good at, excelled at. In this department, Helena might actually have a thing or two to learn from him. Pathetic as it might seem, running with her seemed like running with purpose. It was a good thing she wanted him here now, because it would have been very difficult to get rid of him otherwise. Even without knowing what was going on, because for all the small talk that ensued, Russ was trying his best to keep her mind off the gravity of the situation. Or perhaps, it was the other way around. Either way, he didn’t have the guts to ask her what the hell was happening yet. She honestly didn’t seem to know who that guy was who put a sizable dent into the side of her car, it was a wonder that they managed to get the door open, but she seemed freaked out enough that Russ felt uncomfortable pushing the issue.

They had time, right? She apparently accepted that he was along for the ride now, and Russ kept wondering if he should just out and ask her. She was going to have to tell him eventually… and what’s more… he was terrified that he would have to believe her. So maybe not mentioning the life-threatening stuff was for as much his benefit as hers. But when they pulled into their destination, passed a Podunk town, through an oddly placed security rock, and up to a well-kept cabin retreat, he had to wonder if he had missed his chance to know sooner. He probably would have felt better about following her into Charles Manson’s dream home if he had had some time to absorb what was going on around him. For once, feigned oblivion was not serving him. Where the fuck were they, anyway? Her actual place?

Or his. Turning at the telling sight of Helena’s fading smile, Russ’s eyes widened as his nose nearly knocked into a long double barrel. He could not even look passed the cylindrical metal holding his fate, but the voice embedded certain doom in his hollow chest. For once, he did not feel so bad about a woman stepping before him in the face of danger. They seemed to be friendly, and Russ resisted the urge to shove her into him and plead for his life. What the heck was it with the guys around her?? Honestly, this man looked just as aggressive as the last, having a shotgun on him should have brought relief. Maybe it meant he couldn’t roll a car by sheer force too. No… this one could probably just give it the Clint Eastwood snarl and the car would flop over on its own merit. The trip up here already proved that the Barbie mobile had no balls.

Managing not to piss himself before the gun retreated, Russ let out a sudden breath when ‘Logan’ disappeared and Helena met him with another smile. [white] “Oh, that’s a relief.”[/white] Russ nodded sarcastically, his eyes glancing to where the man had disappeared again. Swallowing, he looked back at Helena with an earnest expression. Trying to keep his voice level,[white] “Look, I think I’ve been a pretty good sport about this so far. Now that we’re ‘safe’,”[/white] Russ made little air quotes with his fingers,[white] “and among… friends,”[/white] Just in case his uncertainty about their new situation was not properly conveyed before,[white] “maybe you should let me know what’s going on here.”[/white] Keeping his eyes on her, intently, Russ still felt awkward about asking, but if he was going to be in the same room as this guy again without revealing himself to be a shitless coward when the stakes were low and bravery was not demanded, he was going to have to know what he was into. Again, he found himself hoping she was worth it.

[helena]

((Oh gah, ‘Clint Eastwood snarl?’ I love it! XD ))

Helena wilted under the sarcasm practically dripping from Russ’ voice. It was completely understandable for him to be irritated at her; angry even. She’d practically glommed onto that beloved small talk in the car as a means to pretend that she was simply taking a roadtrip with a friend. In any case, she didn’t know how to explain the past 48 hours to him in the first place. He didn’t strike her as one versed in the supernatural, so the whole ‘well, my dad’s possessed by a demon and wants to sacrifice me in some weird, mysterious ritual’ probably wouldn’t cut it. God help him, but she’d actually come to depend on his quirky presence to stay calm. She’d stayed with men like Logan too many times to count in the past, but with Russ, she felt…safer. Perhaps it was his easygoing manner, or the way his life represented all that used to be normal in hers, but the man was keeping her sane. There, she admitted it to herself.

And promptly decided that, when she was alone, she’d start banging her head against the nearest wall. No, she wasn’t a weird, creepy stalker. Not at ALL.

Rubbing at the back of her neck, the doctor sighed. She did owe him an explanation, abridged as it might be. He was risking his neck for her…had risked his neck for her, and she was not going to be selfish by keeping him in the dark. Oh well, at least she had the memory of those nummy lips.

”You’re right, I’m sorry,” She said, eyes downcast. She motioned towards the living room to the left and stepped in, lowering herself onto a couch. Wearily, she clasped her hands in her lap. ”I’m not going to lie to you, Russ. After hearing my story, you’ll probably want to get out of here, so I just want to say thank you. For everything.”

She took a deep breath and squared her shoulders, though she kept her eyes on her hands. ”I guess I should start at the beginning. Um…I was born in Gator Head, Louisiana, and I was the youngest of six kids. My family was wild…extremely so. We lived off of my dad’s unemployment checks and whatever me and my brothers and sisters could bring in from odd jobs around town. I was pretty wild back then too, but…well, something happened and I decided to turn my life around.” She was SO not going into that direction she thought, hurrying on.

”I went to med school and moved to Chicago. My family didn’t understand why I chose the life I did, so we lost touch. About two years ago, I got a call from my older brother. My father…he’d gone crazy and murdered my mother. Then, about a month later, my eldest brother was killed. Then my sisters. Then my other brother. One after the other, they were…brutally murdered.”

At that point, her voice had lowered to a whisper. Guilt and shame curled in her belly. ”My father was never found, but the police said there was evidence that he killed them, and now…I’m next.” She glanced up at him, then back down. That was basically the truth, minus the ritualistic way her loved ones had been slaughtered; as if daddy were sacrificing his family. ”I’ve been moving around a lot, for obvious reasons. I have friends in Texas, like Logan, who make sure he doesn’t come near me. But there’d been so signs of him for months, so I thought I was safe and I came to New Orleans.”

An unfelt smile tugged at her lips as she finally forced herself to look into his face. Where are you, disgust and shock? Were you around his eyes? ”I bet this’ about the best date you’ve been on, huh?”

[/blockquote]

[russ]

[Thoughtcha might. And sooo sorry this has taken forever too, my brain has not been focusing. Had to bring out the whips.]

It was not Russ’s intention to make Helena feel bad. Though a part of him figured it was inevitable, it was already a serious situation without any explanation, but he certainly did not mean to with his sarcasm. That was just the default reaction to learning the guy who looked all too ready to blow your head off, really ‘liked’ you. Russ still had a hard time believing it… even harder time than he would than the story to come. Sure Logan liked him. Because he was a moving target, more likely than not. He was probably back there right now, taking that nap and dreaming about how his guts would look strewn across the grounds. There was one thing for sure. Until he was out of this place, he was going to stick to Helena like glue. Somewhere in his mind he trusted, at least hoped, that Logan would not live out such fantasies with his doctor friend in clear view.

Though, such protection was not what motivated Russ into following her into the living room. He did not need a gun barrel in his face to encourage that at all. Or a tank of a man chasing after her to keep him around. For now, that feminine face and figure was more than enough. Russ was more than interested enough to forgo the testosterone driven muscling him into devoting two days to her. Or his undivided attention, as he backed himself up to the wall to listen to her explanation and have a clear view of doorway. As though seeing her second growl-y come in was going to make a bit of difference if he wanted to send shot through his skull. Russ could only imagine the aftermath: Yeah… bit of red looks good on this wall. Though something was missing in this room.

Russ was silent, despite thinking the story was starting out very strangely. He was fairly sure he had only asked about this given situation, and hardly imagined what her life history had to do with it. But then, he did have to take into account that, even in the face of everything going on, he still liked learning about her. Accounting it to her just being a chatterbox again, or trying to relax herself to tell him, as her story progressed, the notions he had were nothing compared to the truth. For a moment, considering the ease with which she told him about what happened to her family, Russ wondered if she was kidding him. Kind of a mean joke, but he did not think it was one for very long. Her tone and expression were too telling for that.

His probably deceived his true feelings towards the story. But that was only because after two true life-threatening realities, a story had a harder time evoking his fear now. Chewing on the inside of his cheek thoughtfully, he grinned lightly after a moment. [white] “Definitely been the most interesting.”[/white] Pushing off the wall to finally walk towards her and sit down on the couch, he stared across the room with a decisive nod,[white] “But also been the longest, which has got to say something, eh?”[/white] Taking a deep breath and glancing at her, Russ tried to give her the most supportive grin he could muster. In truth, he was feeling a little sick again having to pry into personal affairs. Not that he had any problem with that usually… but this one he was sure wouldn’t make him feel all warm and fuzzy inside. [white] “That fellow, the one back at your friend’s place, that wasn’t your dad. What he did… wasn’t exactly normal either, though.”[/white] Peering slightly at her, he wondered if she had been completely honest about not knowing that guy.

[helena]

((Dittooooo. I'm hoping that this isn't too random; I so wrote it out during a bio lecture. XD ))

God, was it cold in there, or was it just her? In her mind's eye, she could see the body of her sister when the police brought her in to identify her. Alice had only been two years older than her and out of her other siblings, she'd looked the least grotesque. Daddy had killed her rather quickly, which was surprising, given the state of her other siblings. She'd been hopefully at that thinking that, perhaps, her father was strong enough to push back the demon that controlled him, but her friends warned her not to bet too much on it. The police had wanted to put her away, or to use her to draw out her father, but she ran instead. She'd changed her name when she was working, fled to Texas and tried to forget about the crazy skeletons in her closet. Now, she'd gone and put poor Russ in danger...gah, even Logan, probably.

She was the Queen of Fools. As if a freaking demon would forget about her...

Helena was shocked to see that sudden grin on his face. She'd expected pity, trepidation, even anger...but the grin definitely threw her for a loop, as well as those flippant words that followed. This guy was just making it his business to surprise her, she thought as a laugh escaped her. The longest indeed...jeeze, he was definitely not random tourist!

With his next question, all such amusement seemed to be sucked out of the room. Absently, she fiddled with the hem of her shirt, doing her best not to fidget too much as she pictured that crazy guy's face in her head. Russ was right; no normal guy could ahve moved so fast, or made the beetle rock like that, but what he was, was another matter. She paused, considering how to answer his question. She couldn't very well hint to possession or monster-qualities like she wanted to, given Russ' civilian status. She could say drugs, maybe? Adrenaline?

Logan chose that moment to enter the room, saving her from yet another probably horrible attempt at lying. "Well, your friend checks out. Mr. Russell Salem; got your entire life story, and I gotta say, man...you're one boring mother." The Hunter ignored Helena's protesting squawk and plopped down onto a recliner next to the couch. He'd walked in just in time to hear what Russ said, and scowled. "Fellow? Who's he talking about, Doc?"

Helena started playing with her shirt again, looking back and forth between Russ and Logan. "I really have no idea; I've never seen him before. But...he seemed to know me, which means' he's working with my father." She felt tired, then, leaning back against the couch.

Logan just signed. "Life's always interesting around you, Doc. Salem; go take her and yourself upstairs and rest up. I'll check on some police reports. Maybe your Boogeyman got himself caught on a street cam, or somethin."

As he made to rise, Helena did as well, lightly touching Russ' arm as she moved to the foyer. "That's Logan-speak for 'I'm still hungover and need some alone time.' Do you want to take a walk outside, maybe? I think I'm still too wired to rest."

[/blockquote]

[russ]

[That rocks. Best thing to do in bio classes. And walk outside?! You said there were mines and stuff! You wanna get the guy killed?!]

Temperature was relative. When Russ pushed the issue with his query, his cheeks warmed slightly. It was one thing to pry into things one was oblivious to, but another to know full well would be a sensitive issue. Helena was a nice woman, he did not want to make her feel more uncomfortable, but at the same time he hoped her pleasant nature would provoke her to forgive him deciding that this was his full right to know now. It came with the territory of accepting him into her predicament. Sure, he hated to hear that laugh die to the humourless air, but things needed to be laid out on the table. And for once, he did not immediately think about doing the same with her. Even when he glanced briefly to her hand at her skirt, and then brought his earnest eyes back up to her.

Ironically, he really wanted to figure this all out before her friend came back, but even his luck did not always pan out. The report on him was relieving, even if a little embarrassing that he had not had such an eventful life as Helena, but the fact that Logan decided to join them negated all relief. He was not sure why he felt as though he should not have mentioned that guy to Helena in the face of Logan’s response, but he felt his throat go dry in the moment before she so mercifully saved him from responding in an elevated tone. When she leaned back, Russ was not at all pleased to have a clearer view of the guy soon directing his attention directly at him. But defiance was not so much the reason as surprise that pulled his eyebrow up in silent response. It was probably best that Helena was encouraging him to follow her out of the room.

It was not until they were alone that Russ spoke. Though, even he was not foolish enough to think that made a bit of difference about Logan being able to hear them. As happy as he was to do anything with her still, Russ’s mind was still lingering on their new, well his new counterpart. [white] “Are you sure? Because that gu… I mean, Logan told me to…”[/white] Waving his hand dismissively, he shook his head,[white] “Forget it, at the very least we need the bags.”[/white] Walking back to the door, Russ reached absentmindedly for the handle, before stopping suddenly and knitting his brow and glancing around, before back at Helena, [white] “Is it… safe?”[/white] His voice was skeptical, and he took a step back, opting to following her out.

Met with the direct sunlight again, the damaged pink bug, and pristinely kept grounds, Russ could not help a sudden laugh out of nowhere. It all seemed extremely ridiculous for a man like Logan. Laughing fully to himself, perhaps a testament to releasing a great deal of stress at the same time, it was a moment before he could offer any explanation to Helena for the peculiar seizure of amusement. Still grinning broadly and his sides hurting as he tried to control himself, he gestured down the road,[white] “It’s no wonder he needs so much security. Anyone would think he’s gay, if they didn’t know we were here.”[/white] Of course, he had no idea that the precise reason they were here was because no one knew. [white] “I mean, could you imagine him driving this?”[/white] He asked when his feet finally managed to get him to the Beetle. Pulling the keys from his pocket, he popped the trunk and shouldered the hiking backpack he had dared to stop by his temporary place back in Louisiana for.

[helena]

((Psh, Helena knows where to walk! And hey, if they get blown up, nobody has to deal with the demon-daddy, right? XD ))


Uh oh, there was a look on Logan’s face that she did not like. With one last glance over her shoulder at the older Hunter, she tried to telepathically tell the man that whatever he was thinking was wrong. Especially when the beginnings of a grin slid onto his face, as gave Russ a thoughtful look. Whenever Logan smiled like that, he was thinking of doing something completely random, and she had about all she could put up with today. A pained expression was on her face for a few minutes, but thankfully, the sunlight on her face did much to relax her.

Ah, there wasn’t anything like a healthy reminder that, despite the past 24 hours, the world was still turning normally. The sun still shined, the bees still buzzed, the air was still turning chilly as winter crept up behind them…despite all the hopelessness that she may feel, there was hope for a new beginning on the horizon. It was always a comforting thought, especially in times like these.

Closing the front door behind them, Helena took a deep breath of the fresh air before turning back to Russ. Good Lord, but he was handsome, she thought absently, her brain doing its best to take in what he was saying. He was asking her about Logan, about where they were staying…but gah, all she could think was ‘I wonder what he’d do if I kiss him again.’ Despite the seriousness of the ‘situation’ she found herself in, memories of the foyer of her townhouse slithered into her mind, and she stared at his lips with an intensity that, on any other day, should have made her blush like crazy.

This was definitely why she had to get her eight hours of sleep every night. Holy cow, she was losing her mind. Yeah, sleep deprivation and stress; that’s what this was. Sleep deprivation and stress…

Rubbing at her forehead, she couldn’t help but sigh. ”It’s as safe as we’re liable to be, for now,” She answered truthfully, tearing her eyes from his mouth- nummy, nummy mouth…gah, shut up, Helena!- to look off into the distance. ”Logan has the entire property wired up like Fort Knox, so if my father or the man outside my house comes looking for us, we’ll know about it well before they reach the cabin. Not to mention that there’s probably more than enough firepower inside to make sure we have a fighting chance against them.”

As well as more holy water and spell books that anyone could hope for, she silently added. Logan was ready for both a civilian attack and a supernatural one, thanks to his paranoid nature. It was strange; how glad she felt to be on friendly terms with someone who was one half conspiracy theorist, and one half monster hunter. She definitely knew how to pick them.

Russ’ sudden laugh jerked her back to the present, and for a minute, she just stared at him. Then, as the image of Logan on his hands and knees, doing the baby-talk thing to the plants he was gardening popped into her head, she couldn’t help but snicker herself. With one hand pressed against her lips, lest she break down in laughter for laughter’s sake, she gave her companion a gentle smack on the arm.

”You’re so bad! I think Logan would rather die than drive my beetle…not that there’s anything wrong with it,” The mental image of the older man squashed behind the driver’s seat of the car had her giggling again, and with a shake of her head, she followed him down the steps.

She peered into the trunk with another snort of amusement, then pulled out one heavy suitcase. ”You know, now that we’re safe…why did I pack everything? I swear, I think I might have taken the lamp shades, too!”

[/blockquote]

[russ]

((ka-BOOM!!! KThnx, the end. Russ to Helena in the afterlife: Now I hate you… no don’t… yes, alright you have a sexy ass… yeah, you’re forgiven.))

It took all that Russ had to stifle the idea of what the distant townsfolk might think of her Logan if they caught sight of his Martha Stewart garden, and apparent bubblegum express vehicle. Needless-to-say, if Logan could read his mind, he was sure that thoughtful look he had missed would be one entertaining the different ways his body could be dismembered again. But then, by Helena’s explanation, he would not have to. So Russ could find comfort only in the fact that a guy like that had to be secure enough with his masculinity that he would only grunt, or utter something equally as caveman-esque, at overhearing their jesting. Unless that personal armory was compensating for something… just in case that it was, Russ kept that thought to himself. One thing was for sure… he didn’t want to be the poor schmuck lost in the middle of the night, following the road up here thinking he would find a friendly face to point him in the right direction. In all fairness, there should have been warning signs near that rock at the beginning. Like: Enter at Own Peril or You Will Die Unless Bearing Beautiful Women. Russ was not the least bit intimidated. Never.

Of course he was, and so naturally he was feeling a hell of a lot better being in the open air and alone with Helena again. He was not expecting to be assaulted by her, but the attack was mild and so he grinned and looked at her massive amount of luggage squeezed into the trunk. If you could call it that. It was more like making something out of the wasted space in an absurdly designed car. Because until people started sitting at acute angles, there was no way that backseat was going to fit properly. Russ had been in the back seat of one of these things, and unless you were about five foot two, you were going to hit your head. Yeah, Russ did not exactly blame Logan’s assumed feelings towards the Beetle. But Helena seemed awfully fond of it, so he was not going to continue the verbal bashing he had started all the way back in New Orleans. Yes, we were still trying to get this woman to like us.

So, taking his abuse without an ounce of retaliation, Russ laughed at the remaining suitcases and shook his head. It was a relief really that she realized just how ridiculous she was acting last night. Of course, he had assumed that it was all very in the moment and she was properly freaking out. But the truth was, he barely knew her. He liked to assume that she was ‘normal’ in spite of what was happening to her, and honestly she still did seem about as normal as a person could be, but could he really know? She might very well have been that crazy. Basic psychology classes back at Georgetown told him that now was probably the more trustworthy indication of character than before. For that he was glad.

[white] “Oh, that’s okay. Logan can probably do something with them. Maybe put them on a stake out on the grounds as a diversion.”[/white] Holding his hands up and making a basic lamp shade shape with his thumbs and index fingers, he tilted his head and closed one eye to mock frame up her face. [white] “Yeah, you’re a little lamp-like, I think we could definitely fool your father. Maybe it’ll take more than a stake though.”[/white] Lowering his hands to pull out the rest of the bags, he continued, [white] “Mine will pass with a stake, looking like a bobble head.”[/white] With playful emphasis, he let his head bob around languidly before standing at his full height again and grinning. Giving her a thoughtful glance over, as though merely assessing her for lamp shade diversions, he nodded. [white] “But we’ll definitely have to think of something more shapely for you.”[/white]

[helena]

((Gah, this' gonna suuuuuck, 'cause I'm so tired but I wanted to give you a postie. Feel free to fast forward to later, or...molest Helena under a tree. Whatever works. XD ))


Helena felt like kissing Russ senseless for so many reasons, her cheeks began to warm. For one thing, he was just so darn handsome, standing there with that cheeky grin on his face. Then, there was that ever-present memory of their shared embrace in the foyer of her house- whoof, cue some covert face-fanning, there- and the garage. But in that moment, after the stress of finding a dead cat in her kitchen, and the anxiety of being followed to Logan’s safehouse, she really, REALLY needed this sense of normalcy that he seemed to be intent on providing. The joking, the laughing, the teasing; it made her forget, if only for a few seconds, that she was the target of a psychopath with a hell-complex.

For a few seconds, she could imagine that she’d been whisked away to some secluded cabin somewhere, but a handsome stranger that couldn’t get enough of her. She couldn’t help that dreamy little sigh, and vowed to stop reading romance novels, before her libido leapt out of her head and attacked her companion.

With another snort of amusement as Russ continued to poke fun at Logan, Helena moved over to the trunk and peered inside. Gah, it was a wonder how he even managed to fit all of the suitcases in there, she thought with a little groan. She resisted the urge to smack a hand to her forehead, once again wondering why the heck she’d got it into her head to pack up the apartment. It was no wonder why Russ had looked at her so strangely, when he’d barged inside! She must have seemed so neurotic.

Squaring her shoulders, the doctor spotted a smaller duffle in the middle of the others. She would need that, if nothing else, as it contained most of her clothing. Grabbing hold of the thin leather straps, she started to tug.

“Lamp-like?” She repeated with another laugh that ended quickly on a grunt. Frick, the thing was lodged in tight! ”Are you calling me skinny? Oh my God, I think I’m in love. Quick; marry me before I step on a land mine by mistake.” She laughed again at his little bobble head show, and put a foot up onto the fender of the beetle. A few more tugs had her leaning almost straight back, until finally, she managed to get the bag free.

Which, of course, ended up throwing her to the floor. Well, at least the bag hadn’t flown open, to give them all a peek of her underwear inside.

With a loud ‘EEP!’ Helena fell backwards and landed squarely on her butt. Her eyes crossed for a few seconds as she quickly pushed herself to her knees, and rubbed at it like a child. Then, after realizing what she was doing, she paused, slumped her shoulders and gave him a red-faced grin.

”How about a floor mat?” She said a bit weakly, pushing herself to her feet. ”You never saw that, by the way. Now, about that walk. As long as we stay on the beaten path, we shouldn’t get blown up or shot at, so that’s cool. Let’s walk!”

While not noticing that her face was cherry-red, she thought with a little roll of her eyes. After throwing her duffel onto the porch, she slid her arm through his and marched forward. They were going to continue this game of normalcy, dammit, or she was going to explode!

[/blockquote]

[russ]

Russ watched Helena with a small grin as she struggled with the duffle bag. He thought to offer her a hand, but after a moment of her prolonged and determined struggle, he left her to it. There was just something so amusing about watching her try. And frankly, he would have been embarrassed if he couldn’t get it out either. It was already clear to him that he was not up to the standard of strength she looked for in the men she surrounded herself with. Did that make him wonder what the hell kept him around? Sure. But she seemed enthusiastic enough, so he did not linger on that thought for too long. Apparently he did have something to offer... that was, unless, she was just amused by how pathetic ordinary guys were in comparison to tank-hybrids and cowboys.

Quietly, Russ glanced over the grounds, the joke to marry her severely out-weighed by the possibility of blowing up. A worried glance spied over his surroundings, as though Logan did not strike him as fully capable of concealing land mines and other devices to blast them to kingdom come. Pursing his lips slightly and furrowing his brow, Russ forgot Helena completely as he looked down the path with uncertainty. Somehow, Helena’s confidence did not instill much in him. She might trust this crazy guy… but could he? She might be as off her rocker as him! He liked to imagine that she wasn’t. But was his very life not worth an ounce of precaution?

Maybe it wasn’t. Russ let out a throaty laugh when Helena landed on her ass with the bag, and he leaned over to grab her bags. He would let her handle the duffle, after working so diligently to free it. Turning quickly to throw their things up on the porch to hide the fact that he found her misfortune funny, Russ managed to contain himself as her duffel bag met with the rest of the luggage. And if he had not, Helena effectively instilled that lingering earnest in him as her arm slipped subtly around his own. It was a little surprising, and Russ had to remind himself that they had kissed twice already. It was ridiculous to feel awkward, right? Given, that was all very in the moment… but hey… being drug into a mine field definitely provided similar life-threatening stakes, right? For crying out loud, he hoped that wasn’t the sort of situation that turned her on. He was into trying new things, but having to nearly get killed to get hot? That might be a step too far.

Swallowing deeply as he walked alongside Helena, Russ found himself at a loss of words again in her presence. Things really were easier when the pressure was coming from an outside force. But the mines were not jumping out of the ground at him, and they could not be explained with the explosive bursts of his heart against his chest. He racked his mind, reminding himself that he knew plenty about her now, even knew how she felt, but everything was still so new. Because when it came down to it, no matter how much they had packed into a small amount of time, the truth was that he had still only met her the morning before. Which now felt ages ago. Back when the world felt safer. Back when the world felt boring.

Glancing down with a thoughtful expression, Russ could not get over just how simple things felt just walking with her. He knew the circumstances, he knew the dangers, and yet she still managed to be so energetic and positive. Her apparent outlook on life was so refreshing, and it was hard for it not to be infectious. It was no wonder now why he had been willing to do something so stupid as going back for her. Grinning smugly to himself, he looked away and allowed the memories of her face in the sunlight when he met her, the neon lighting in the bar, and even enshrouded in shadow play through his mind. And all of the expressions he had seen cross her features had managed to capture his attention entirely. In the moments of her amusement, the glimpses of masked uncertainty, and outright terror, he could think of nothing else. It was no wonder he barely even thought to talk about himself. Because since the moment he met her, nothing else had existed.

Staring up at the clear sky, and trying to act about as casual as possible, Russ stuffed his hands into his pockets and mused in the same way as though he was talking about the weather,[white] “You’re really beautiful, Helena. It shouldn’t surprise me how many guys it takes to get past to be alone with you.”[/white] Stopping to turn slightly, Russ subtly pinned her arm against his side as he grinned down at her with a playful glare,[white] “So is there something you’re still not telling me? I find it impossible that a woman like you is remotely available. Or do I find out later that after a preliminary date, I have to take a number?”[/white]