Skin to Bone

[Benjamin Rutherford]

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[Benjamin Rutherford]

if you want  b l o o d,  you've got it

Natasha, as she was beginning to understand, was completely out of her league amongst the hunters in Diamond, but there weren't many people who Benjamin considered his equal, so it wouldn't have mattered much to him if not for certain specific details.  Obviously, those details were her fiance and the child she was carrying, but other than his initial show of aggression on the subject, he'd returned to being cool and collected, which was at least familiar to the rest of the guild.  It might have put Natasha off because he wasn't particularly friendly, but at least he wasn't going out of his way to be a dick to her, or he'd have made it a point of reducing her to tears at least once a day.  He was capable of it, and had done it in the past with people he didn't like.

The return to his usual behavioral patterns didn't mean that he'd let the situation go, just that he was patient; after existing for countless lifetimes on this planet with its inhabitants making stupid mistakes around him at all times, he'd learned a thing or two about sitting back, rolling his eyes and letting things happen until the right moment.  His wife, who was younger and still had more of that mortal sense of time even after over three centuries, was prone to a bit more impatience and wasn't nearly as devious.  Both were qualities that he found endearing in her, and truly, she was something of a conscience for him, keeping him grounded in humanity when his darker, more alien personality 'quirks' threatened.  That emotional distance he was so well-known for was actually him being rather personable most of the time, with only Irene getting the full force of his personality.  He felt more of the light that he thought he'd lost ages ago when he was with her, particularly in private, and that, as well, endeared her to him.

That Irene had bonded with Natasha one evening over bridal magazines and idle chatter had baffled him somewhat, but he didn't really mean the young hunter any harm; it was just unfortunate who she'd given her heart to.  He was sure that she was a perfectly charming young woman, and so he could understand Irene's change of heart, but that didn't mean that he was going to let such a perfectly good pawn get away.  He didn't have to harm her to use her to bring Alexei to heel, not as long as he was patient.

In the end, he didn't have long to wait.

Noelani sent Benjamin on a small, boring mission with Irene, Desmond and Natasha, which he guessed would be a way to try to convince him to be friendlier with the girl; Irene having gotten over that hump and Desmond's predisposition based on Emile's fondness for her should have meant that Benjamin was outnumbered, but he could crush the changeling if he wanted and Irene would follow him in anything, so that assumption would have been incorrect.  As it was, he still didn't make any plans to harm her, and other than giving her what he thought was useful advice in a very neutral tone (to which his wife cut in and 'rescued' her), he didn't have much to do with her.  When he settled in at the bar to observe the group at large, it was with the intention of keeping all of them safe, which was most of what he was there for; it certainly wasn't to charm call-girls or look like bait.  That Natasha got some distance to wake herself up some was hardly his fault, and since she didn't send out a mental scream (or actual scream, for that matter) for help meant that he didn't know there was anything wrong until she screamed on her way out the window and his wife signaled he follow

He was at Irene's side immediately, kneeling beside the fallen girl along with Desmond and letting the fae make the call.  Benjamin, above all else, wasn't stupid, and he knew that if he made decisions regarding this woman, his judgment calls would be questioned.  Apparently, a record of objective and intelligent input was instantly tossed aside as soon as a personal opinion was presented.  It didn't much matter, since Desmond informed them that she was alive and wouldn't be much longer, and Benjamin knew that the fae didn't have the juice.  He could have tried healing her, but only Gunnar would have the power to save her and most likely maintain the unborn baby, as well.  Only Gunnar, or perhaps a stupid old vampire, like him.  It was why it made sense for him to offer, and why Desmond didn't question him before agreeing to tell him when he'd given her enough blood.

Never one to pass up a golden opportunity when it was presented, Benjamin bit into his own wrist and fed her the blood that was needed to bring her and her baby from the brink of death, and it was true that he was perhaps the optimal choice in vampire just because he had that demonic taint to him from centuries as one.  The problem was that demons weren't trustworthy, and his power worked around blood.  He didn't need to turn her or bloodbond her to own her, and there was so much blood on her and their surroundings that it would have been impossible to pinpoint what blood was his and what was hers when he withdrew at Desmond's command and licked at his wrist to help the wound close.  He knew that her blood was there, but that was because it was absolutely intentional on his part; a glance at his wife and he couldn't be sure that even she'd noticed, and she was the only one who might have thought he'd do it.  If even she didn't notice, Desmond wouldn't.

He didn't.

As soon as her blood hit his system, his own working through her to reknit skin and bones, he reached out mentally for her as a test and found that when he looked, she was there.  Bonus, so was her unborn child, which would suit Benjamin's purposes quite nicely.  The only issue he foresaw was potentially taking shit for not risking getting herself to Gunnar first, which James would agree wasn't an option if she were to survive.  True to form, the Smoke questioned them, but thanked him for acting quickly and doing it well.  Good.  If he hadn't been looking to gain from this, he might have let Desmond try his hand at healing instead, if only because there were so few individuals that he allowed access to his blood; it was potent, and had too many different types of power floating in it. 

As they left, Benjamin more interested in gleaning the information of her attacker from Natasha and 'encouraging' her to have her demon boyfriend take care of whoever had thrown her or caused her to jump from the window than in going to Noelani, he put his arm around his wife and leaned in to kiss the side of her head, near her temple.  "She'll be alright, don't fret," he assured her, and he actually meant it.  He intended to throw this in Alexei's face as soon as was possible so that he could tell him to fuck off, but he truly intended to take a more active interest in Natasha's well-being; having access to her as the blood had allowed meant that it wasn't difficult to monitor her, and if that meant showing up to step in where Alexei was concerned, he would. 

Irene couldn't have a child of her own, but that didn't mean that she couldn't have an active role in one's life.  He'd long ago promised that he would make her happy, and he kept his promises.  Of course, he'd also promised that Alexei getting the drop on her wouldn't ever happen again, and until now, he hadn't had a way of ensuring that was the case.  See?  He kept his promises, which was why, when she went to check on Natasha in the infirmary after they'd talked to Noelani, he summoned Alexei to a nice, private spot of trees outside the guildhouse.

Yes, 'summoned'.  There were more abilities he retained from devilhood than he let on, and Alexei was sure as hell surprised, whether he was willing to let on, or not.  He was also furious, which didn't surprise Benjamin, at being yanked away from his fiance's bedside so abruptly.  "Have you lost your bloody mind?"

"Hardly.  Irene wanted to go see Natasha, and I couldn't have you messing up her visit," Benjamin replied smoothly, ignoring the disrespect - for now.

"Oh, I'm so glad that Irene got her wish!"Alexei snapped, most of his usual smooth charisma evaporating to a point that even Benjamin was impressed.  Those with demonic power were usually pretty cool customers, despite jokes to the contrary.  The demon's voice dropped immediately, going for the dangerous level of quiet that probably scared most people.  Emphasis on 'most'.  "What makes you think that I give a rat's ass about what Irene wants, and that I won't rip her pretty little face off the first chance I get?"

Benjamin, not a man to take threats to himself or especially his lovely wife lightly, tipped his head back slightly, shoulders squared and a slight quirk of his lips suggesting he might actually smile.  Everything about his body language felt smug, and it was intentional.  "Because you have a weakness, and I'm in possession of it, my friend.  Don't tell me you're too dense to have felt my power in her?"

The demon's lack of a change in expression from his biting anger told Benjamin everything he needed to know - Alexei had certainly noticed, it was both frightening and infuriating, and he'd been unwilling to focus on the advantage it gave Benjamin on the extremely low chance the man didn't realize what he had.  Benjamin didn't need a response.

"That's right, Alexei.  Your woman and unborn child belong to me now.  I saved her life and didn't even bond her to myself, but she's a hair's breadth from it.  It would take no more than a drop 'accidentally' slipped to her to take her from you entirely, and before you start your conniving, she's in the book, as well," he explained, and Alexei barely refrained from groaning before he looked away and put his hands to his head, rubbing at his hair.  It was a human gesture of stress, but just as Irene grounded Benjamin, so Natasha must have done for Alexei.  It was just another ounce of proof towards the vampire's theories.

"Of course, the book," Alexei muttered, and his threat to Irene about having the way while Benjamin had the will and the book suddenly felt empty.  Now, the book mattered very much.  "Spit your demands so that I can refuse them already."

"There's no refusing this time, Alexei," Benjamin replied smoothly, though the cool smugness in his voice faded for heat and anger as he spoke.  That same power that Murphy had experienced rose with it, and though Alexei was familiar with what demons and even some devils could produce, he was a bit surprised to see it from the vampire.  It seemed that Benjamin had been hiding from more than just Diamond.  "Understand me, because this is your last warning.  Irene has taken a shine to your little wolf and finds the idea of a child to be positively charming, so the girl and your spawn will live, but if you so much as toss my wife an annoyed glance, cause us any measure of trouble, I will take everything you have."

Alexei's expression grew more venomous as Benjamin spoke, so that he was practically growling his response when he finally spoke.  "And you think that I won't rip your lovely wife to pieces in return?"

"No, because your Natasha and child will still be alive and happy, and if you want them to remain that way, you'll take the loss respectfully.  I know that's always been your downfall, but if it's one last lesson I can teach you, it will be to lose with dignity," Benjamin shot back, power pressing against Alexei enough that the demon was starting to think he was back home, which wasn't encouraging.  He looked like he would have found choking on his own entrails more pleasant than agreeing to this arrangement (which Benjamin would have been glad to treat him to, as well), but he swallowed down his ire long enough to give a curt nod. 

"Was that all, Lord Benji?" the demon spat as he offered a mock bow, complete with flourish, knowing he disliked the shortening of his chosen Puritan name.  "Because if so, I'd like to return to my woman."

"Irene is there."

"Yes, and I do believe I just promised to treat her like a perfect lady or else, did I not?"

"Go."

With a flick of his middle finger at the vampire that he so totally despised, Alexei vanished in a puff of sulfur and ash, and Benjamin finally allowed that almost-smirk to turn into an actual smile.  Patience won out, in the end.  With a last moment to appreciate the win, he returned to the guildhouse himself, headed for the infirmary and his wife.