#leo fulton

Sighing, Maggie watches as the rain fell outside, a soft drizzle that quickly turned into a hard pounding storm. She had always liked rainy days, there was always something so calming about them. They were also decidedly the best for staying inside, for curling up near a fireplace with a mug of tea and listening to the sounds the rain made on the roof of the house, the patterns it created on the windows. She remembers when she was little, she would pretend the droplets were racing each other down the window and she would cheer one on when it looked like it was going to win. 

She sits curled up with her knees pulled to her chest in a chair in the sitting room, a forgotten cup of coffee sat on the side table, sitting on a book equally as abandoned. It had started as a deceivingly nice day, the sun had actually been shining when she woken up but it had slowly turned overcast by the time noon came around. The sky is nearing back now, she notes somewhat sadly, the rain heavy and she thinks maybe she can hear thunder rolling in the distance. 

It's a pity really, she thinks as she wraps a hand around the mug of lukewarm coffee, she had wanted to walk the grounds, go look around that garden that she had seen when she first arrived. The flowers had been lovely.

She walks towards the door slowly, casting a final glance out the window at the less than ideal weather. Before she can look forwards again she finds herself colliding with something solid and large and human and she stumbles backwards, letting out a string of apologies as she desperately tries to save her coffee mug from spilling all over the floor. 

Talking to Jace the night before had definitely helped, but when Jeff finally closed his eyes to try and sleep that night, he had a nightmare. His subconscious was apparently still terrified that Amelia was going to leave the manor for greener pastures, and Jeffrey woke the next morning exhausted, feeling as if he hadn't slept at all. Maybe Jace was right, and Amelia wasn't planning on leaving any time soon. On the other hand, maybe she was completely wrong, and Amelia had crept out of the manor while he slept. During their fight, he'd certainly made it seem like he wouldn't mind if she left. Every time he replayed the fight he couldn't stop focusing on Amelia angrily telling him to grow up. Part of him wanted to show that he could grow up by figuring this all out on his own, without Amelia's help. Part of him wanted to go knock on her door and try that entire conversation again.

No matter what he did, he'd have to fully wake up and prepare for the day. Even if the task of getting up and facing the day seemed ridiculously monumental. Jeffrey dragged himself up, promising himself that today, no matter what, he'd come to a decision about Amelia and how to handle their fight. But he needed a few more hours to think it through. Maybe he should get some fresh air? Wasn't that what people did when they wanted to clear their heads? Maybe he'd just been in the stuffy manor for too long. For something that had seemed so large when they'd first arrived, it now seemed too small. It was full of cops, and poisoners, and too many mysteries. After dressing, he locked his door behind him, walked through the manor, and out into the garden.

Rebecca smiled when Leo’s words echoed hers. She took his hand and pulled him gingerly to his feet, wrapping one of his arms around her for extra support as they made their way out of the dining room. She also grabbed another bottle of water -- just in case. It was hard to even trust the taps in this place now.

Just outside there were two people huddled together on the floor and Rebecca noticed it was Collins and his girlfriend. Oh… Was it surprise or whatever this thing was that made it suddenly so hard to breathe? Jace was looking fairly okay, considering, but Collins… God, Collins looked like hell. She wanted to stop, ask if they were okay, what could she do, what was this, did they need anything, but she swayed on her feet and her vision tunneled, and she remembered she wasn’t doing any better. Crap… she thought, taking as deep a breath as possible, holding Leo closer even though she knew he wouldn’t be able to keep her upright if she fell. Jace looked like she was handling herself and Collins well, but her attention lingered on her former colleague; the man she’d never gotten along with, who gave her hell at every turn, who relished when she was wrong or beaten... She found herself saying a silent prayer to St. Jude before pressing her dry lips together in resolve and continuing toward the stairs.

Rebecca managed to get them down the hall, catching herself on bronzes and side tables along the way when they stumbled. Earlier in the evening she may have envisioned taking Leo back to her room, but this wasn’t really what she had in mind. Well, maybe she still would have stumbled down the hall -- vodka and lust made her careless – but when she’d pictured Leo’s arm around her, hand on her hip, it wasn’t because actually needed the support. “When men plan, God laughs,” her father used to tell her. Yeah, well, he must be losing his shit right now, she thought. At least she could think in full sentences again.

Madonna - Beautiful Killer (FULL version)