Saints - Take 3

Abbadon had listened intently for Peyton's footfalls, hoping that she would set aside her artwork for the night and take him up on his invitation. He couldn't deny the bit of relief he felt when he heard the iron hinges of the stairwell door creak open. Still, he couldn't help the flutter he felt in his heart as he watched the doorknob twist open after Peyton twisted it a few times to get the trick right. It had been a long, long time since anyone besides him had tread in the space.

A smile tugged at the corners of Abbadon's lips while he watched the door open slowly with hesitation. "I'm not going to bite you." He laughed, tossing his feet over the edge of the bed so he was sitting. His eyes looked over her as she stepped into the room cautiously. The smile that had tugged at him had spread into a happy, carefree smile which was a rare thing for him to wear. "You're beautiful."

Peyton, much like everything in the house, looked like she had taken up a place of just 'belonging'. It felt good to see her in such a private place and to still have her look like she should be there. "Come here" He called, patting the cotton sheets his eyes never breaking away from her.

Peyton pushed the door to gently, afraid that if it swung too quickly, the hinge that held it closed may fall to the floor. She had noticed it wiggled profusely when she struggled with the doorknob in order to get the door to open at all, and was paranoid that her touch would wreak havoc on the well worn piece. She knew that while she was gentle in the endeavor, Abbadon knew his way around all of the quirks of the home.

Upon his beckoning, she tore her eyes away from the stack of books stacked against the wall which towered to the same height of his dresser, and made her way over toward him. Everything in the room was screaming at her, begging for a little attention to be brought upon them, and it took every ounce of her concentration to continue walking in the direction of Abbadon perched on the bed. Even then, she was slightly distracted, caught up in the history of the artifacts strewn, stacked, and staggered across the room.

Peyton, noticing Abbadon's strangely contented smile, rose an eyebrow. "What are you so happy about?" She questioned, leaning back against him. While she awaited her answer, her gaze once again began to scour the room, this time focusing on the many objects covered with tarps, her mind analyzing the shapes and heights of each of them. She racked her brain for what could be underneath, this time not knowing as she didn't linger and snoop when the cat had barged his way in.

Abbadon watched Peyton's eyes grow wide with fascination, her pupils darting around the room to whatever the light happened to catch but never looking long enough to take it in before something else caught her eye. That was one of the things Abbadon appreciated most about her, her love of history, her fascination with every thing she saw, the way she looked for the information behind a piece. He let her look around a bit more before wrapping his arms tight around her and playfully pulling her onto the bed next to him.

"You." He smiled again, reaching over to kiss her cheek. "You look....." Abbadon paused, pursing his lips in thought as he searched for the right word. "....at home here." He said furrowing his brow as he realized that he hadn't found the words he wanted. "...in place." He corrected himself, hoping she didn't take it as an objectification. He held one of her hands, his eyes studied the lines of her palms, running his thumb over the length of each one while Peyton turned her attention else where.

His good mood was brought on both by seeing Peyton fit so well in the home, but also knowing she was safe. Valafar's mind games had gotten to him, he drove his need to protect her and keep her safe. He knew Valafar well enough to know that turning Peyton into his chew toy was not above him. He was upset enough with Abbadon the first time he had fallen for a human, Abbadon knew that he would nip it in the bud if he thought Peyton got too close. For now though, he was happy to feel her warm skin and the pulse of her veins, he knew she was okay.

Peyton's heart fluttered in her chest when Abbadon claimed she fit well with the home. Not only that, but he mentioned it while they were in his safe haven. She had not dreamed of being 'allowed' into the room, much less seeing him so relaxed and throwing compliments at her. She had imagined he would be tense, worried that her curiosity would urge her to touch something, disrupting it or even worse, ruining it. He seemed to take on just the opposite though. He lay there, playful, relaxed, content. On his best day, she was lucky to see two out of the three.

She began searching for an appropriate response, petrified of saying the wrong thing. He had been entirely back and forth, either incredibly forthcoming with affection, or freezing her out for days. Never before had she been so choked up for finding the right answer. She found herself chewing on her bottom lip as she often did when something plagued her mind, and abruptly forced herself to stop. Inevitably, she found an answer that would suffice. It was satisfactory, yet it did not condemn herself to him. "I want to be here."

She reached up, brushing her lips against his lightly. Peyton craved the affectionate side of him, perhaps she had even become addicted to it. In the beginning, their relationship consisted of sex and not much more. Yet as time wound on, bits and pieces of the real him began shining through, and with that, vulnerability and affection dotted the landscape which was them. Whenever he caught himself slipping into a romanticized version of himself, one capable of feelings, emotions, he would recoil as if he had been slapped, and every word from his mouth was intentionally harsh. This was exceptionally difficult to deal with in recent times, and she often questioned her place alongside him.

Abbadon returned Peyton's kiss and placed his hands on her back, pushing her towards him. Peyton was right, he was back and forth between two very extreme ends of the spectrum. Molten lava and mile thick ice. There was a reason for that though, but it was a reason he wouldn't let Peyton know. Even if he had wanted too, there was no good way to tell her that he had to wall himself up before the ripped her limb from limb, bled her out on the floor, and clawed her organs out. Peyton could very quickly become too much for Abbadon to handle and he knew the dangers of that firsthand. He supposed that letting her think he was moody was better than the truth though.

Valafar worked hard to make sure Abbadon never forgot what he was and what he had done. Abbadon just held onto his denial and did his best to ignore it. "Good." He offered Peyton a cheeky smile as he reached for the blankets that had been kicked to the end of the bed. He smoothed the down comforter out over Peyton while holding her close, her head on his chest and arm wrapped up around his shoulder.

"What would you say if I told you that you're the first woman to ever be in here?" His normally arrogant, self satisfied voice having a hint of sheepishness to it. It was the truth though. He had never extended the invitation to any of his lovers, and the one he had, Evelyn, has turned down his offer to keep her honor. He played with her hair as he entertained the thought, gently untangling the curls down her back with his lips pressed to the top of her head.

Peyton drew lightly on Abbadon's chest, listening to the muted sounds of their breathing while he held her near. She knew that enjoying the quiet, softer side of him would likely have its consequences, but with the terrible time they had endured lately, she could not refuse this invitation of his to be close. Her nerves simply couldn't take it. The on-going tennis match that was their relationship had worn her thin, and she even contemplated catching a flight black to Chicago earlier this morning.

She shifted her weight to rest on her elbow, a grin shattering her thoughts and creeping up in place of the firm line her lips had been resting. "Are my ears deceiving me? Abbadon Solace has never brought a woman up to his room before? Not a single one of your many lovers?" Peyton questioned, shooting an amused glance down at him. She knew that teasing him may not have been the best direction to go in, but whenever the childlike side of him crept into view, she always opted to seize the moment and poke at him. It was utterly adorable.

The slightly uncomfortable squirm he exhibited was her cue that she had succeeded in bringing forth the other side of him to life. Instead of rough and tough, or teasing and avoiding Abbadon, she struck up the more sincere side of him. With that note however, she brought forth a more intimate part of herself as well. "Why me? Isn't this place like your palace? Your safe haven? Aren't I intruding?" Peyton nudged, running her fingers along one particular scar on his shoulder that always had a way of drawing her attention.

"Not a single one." Abbadon confirmed, an innocent smile crossing his lips as he pushed his weight to his elbows as he reached up to kiss Peyton. It was soft, tender moments like this that let him momentarily forget what he was and the danger he had drug Peyton into, moments that allowed him to believe that he would be enough to protect her. He lowered himself back down onto the bed, allowing Peyton to stay above him, his hand brushed along her cheek bone before finding a resting place at the back of her neck.

He paused for a moment to consider his answer, there were really several factors weighting it but he wasn't sure which ones to cite specifically. "You're not intruding" He brushed the thought off as if it was absurd. "I..." He started but once again at a lose for what to actually say. "I want you to know this is more than just fucking each other. I enjoy you, I enjoy your company. You're not something I'm going to get bored with and put back on the shelf, you mean a lot more to me than that. I want you to feel safe and secure in what you have with me."

Abbadon's eyes closed as he finished speaking, he laid silent for a few moments, enjoying the feeling of Peyton gently tracing the scar on his shoulder. It was one of many, some looked worse than others, some looked old, some looked fairly new. One didn't live as long as he did, and the life he did, without being getting some nasty gashes along the way. "I don't want you to feel like I'm pushing you away, even when I'm cold and short. It's just who I am, I'll try not to be so rash with you though." His green eyes glimmered in the little bit of light that was shining through the a window on the far side of the room.

Peyton grappled with the thought of their wildly complicated relationship being indispensable. She was again put at a crossroads of what she heard versus what he presented. She knew the turmoil of being even the slightest bit intimate with someone and expressing one's true self. However, she hardly believed she had been an emotional roller coaster for such an extended period of time. The dust had never fully settled before confusion wriggled its way in again.


She tugged his hair lightly. "Then stop pushing me away.." Peyton insisted, her tone slightly pleading. "God.. Sometimes I so desperately want you to be here with me. I mean, I left Chicago on a spur of the moment decision. I came all this way on a crazy whim to be with you for whatever reason and half the time we're at each other's throats. You become angry in the blink of an eye and then run off for hours at a time, all the while I'm stuck here. I don't have a vehicle. I feel entirely trapped and all I can do is wait out the storm."

Peyton's frustration turned emotional. Taking a deep breath, she continued. "I am beyond paranoid that the second I let my guard down you are just going to fly into another fit. I would understand more if I was being unreasonable. Granted, I can be a bitch, but you've known that all along. It isn't like I'm running down the corridor demanding you put a ring on my finger. Quite frankly I don't even want to get married. I feel like you would know that if you took the time to have a meaningful conversation with me from time to time."

Tonight's visit from Valafar exposed just how little communication filtered between Abbadon and Peyton. She felt very much like an object, specifically a trophy he brought along for the ride to show off. It cast light on their hypersexualized relationship and how very little the two of them knew about one another other than their sexual preferences and desire of antiques. Peyton had never been one to jump into anything wholeheartedly, she was a master of distancing herself, but even she compromised when it came to relationships.

Peyton took Abbadon's hand into her own. "I suppose what I'm saying is this: I want to be here, I do," she insisted, bringing his hand up to her lips, "but you have to work with me. I can't keep up with your mood swings. They're making me lose my own sanity. If this doesn't get better, if you can't find a way to either talk to me or control it all, I feel inclined to go home."

She hated giving ultimatums, especially when he was in one of his better moods, but she felt as if this was the optimal time to spring something on him. When he was being cool and collected, intimate, Abbadon not only listened, but he heard her. It was something she did not feel occurred often enough, and she had to strike while the iron was hot.

Abbadon took a deep breath as he listened to what Peyton had to say. His body stiffened up as she added tension to a situation he had wanted to keep light. "I told you that I'll try." He replied sounding somewhat defeated. He wasn't looking to dig too deep tonight, he was just trying to show her that he cared about her. He didn't sound angry or annoyed, just tense.

"I'm a very complicated person, Peyton. I try to break it down so I'm not for you, but I'm not very good at it. It's very new to me to have a woman that I care for, the relationship I have with you isn't something I've had before." His arms tightened around her waist, pulling her back down to his chest. "I don't want you to feel trapped here, you're free to come and go as you please, if you want to get out more you can go, or we can get out more." He offered as he reached out to lace his hands through hers.

"But I do infact know that marriage isn't something you're chasing. That's part of the draw to you. You aren't trying to rope me down the aisle. You're looking for someone to enjoy life with." Abbadon remarked simply as he brought her hand up to kiss. She had him in a rough spot, he wasn't good with words or human emotions and he was trying to feel his way through to give Peyton what she wanted and keep her happy.

Peyton relaxed a bit as Abbadon explained she could depart at any time she wanted, either on her own or with him in tow. The thought of having an outlet from the spectacular, yet often times dreary home brightened her mood. She had never been one to stay indoors for too long. In fact, most of her artwork was done away from her apartment. Her urge to run off and find something to delve into had been at an all time high lately. There was far too much history around her not to go off chasing things. She had all the time in the world to scour over things in the plantation home, but it alone was not enough to quench her thirst for knowledge.

"In that case, I want to go on a walk tomorrow. Show me around the grounds. While I have loved staying confined to the bedroom and being naughty and mostly naked with you, I want to see the rest of the place.. And the city. And all the museums. Possibly sell some art and get my name around in this part of the country." She teased, wrapping her arms around him a bit more snugly. She had begun to grow tired.

Between the alcohol and lack of restful sleep she had been getting, it was no time at all before she passed out. The time lapse was so insignificant, that Abbadon was unable to get in a word before it was lights out Peyton. Instead of being restless and mumbling, she was dead asleep. She remained still and unmoving except for the occasional change of position or slight twitch.

When she woke the next morning, much to her surprise Abbadon was still in bed next to her. She rubbed her eyes sleepily before pulling the down blanket over her shoulders, which were cold from the lack of heating in the home. She had found that during the middle of the night or upon waking, she would be shivering. Peyton was much too afraid to light the fireplace in her bedroom, and she didn't dare do so in his room which was filled to the brim with nick knacks.

"Am I dreaming or did you actually stay in bed past 7am for once in your life?"

Abbadon tried to hide his distaste for her activity of choice. He had no doubt it had sprouted from the idea that Valafar had planted in her head earlier. Thankfully, he didn't have to hide his distaste for long before Peyton fell asleep. Unfortunately sleep didn't chase him down quite as quickly. Unsure if the cause was the story that Valafar had enlightened Peyton on repeating in his head, or the foreign feeling of having someone in his bed with him. Regardless, he lay in bed awake for much of the night, but he was content for the most part.

Peyton's body was warm, her breathing was slow and rhythmic, her blood moved through her veins with ever flutter of her heart, occasionally she'd stir in her sleep coming too just enough to realize where she was before falling back asleep. It eased his stress to feel and hear all of her little movements in the night and know that she was okay.

"Your eyes do not deceive you." Abbadon teased in reply to Peyton's snarky comment. "I stayed just for you." His voice took a softer tone as he sat up, giving her forehead a tender kiss. He worked his hand under the blanket, jerking it back when he met her thigh. She was pleasantly cold. "Did you get cold during the night?" He asked full of concern. Cold skin had a poor association with him.

Peyton rolled her eyes playfully as he returned the teasing. The light tone set this morning was a good indication that perhaps their day would run its course rather smoothly as well. Besides, they had done plenty of bickering the prior day, and she was itching for a change of pace, both with their attitudes and the setting. The possibilities of discovering new and exciting things (to her) on the property heightened her sense of adventure. She had never been this far south before, and so stumbling across the exotic wildlife and exploring run down buildings that once housed people from two centuries ago made her question why she had never invested in a trip to the south before now.

She noticed how quickly Abbadon had shifted from playful to concerned as his hand brushed against her leg underneath the down-filled blanket. Her brows pulled together in confusion, a little taken aback by the sudden withdrawal of his touch. "Um, yeah a little. I'm particularly cold natured." Peyton offered, staring at him uncertainly. "Are you okay?" She questioned, now concerned for his own well-being. While she had grown cold in the middle of the night, it was nothing to raise alarm and sound all the bells and whistles.

Peyton crawled over Abbadon, planting a light kiss on his cheek before she hopped from the bed. She was prompted downstairs by the low growling of her stomach over the past few minutes. She fumbled with the doorknob again, this time finding it much easier to let herself out with the sunlight filtering in through the window instead of fooling with it blindly. "Breakfast, shower, adventure." She cited, wiggling her eyebrows as she listed their plans for the day.

"Yeah, just surprised me is all." Abbadon explained as he stood up from the bed, reaching his arms back behind him to stretch. "I guess you just need to stay closer to me at night." He winked at her as he followed her out of the room. The room was like the tower locked away from the rest of the castle. Dark, musty, gloomy, but with an unearthly beauty about it. It was easy to forget that the sullen room was attached to the rest of the home. The narrow staircase filled with light as Abbadon pushed the heavy wooden door at the bottom of the stairs open.

Large floor length windows let the sun beam in on the hardwood floors, birds chirped outside, dragging twigs to the overhangs to build a nest. The house was already filled with the smell of frying pancake batter indicating that Ms. Abbott was already rustling about in the kitchen.

"Do you want me to join you or do you think you can handle it on your own?" Abbadon playfully raised an eyebrow at her while taking a look outside, he found it odd that he didn't see a hint of overcast, not a single low lying gray cloud, but he knew it would come - just maybe a bit later on in the evening.

Peyton instantly perked up at the smell of food being cooked. She had imagined she would need to rustle up something in the kitchen to make for herself and Abbadon. While she was not a spiffy cook by any means, she could muster up enough talent to make something edible to tide her over throughout the morning. In other words, she would be able to find something to snack on to keep her stomach from eating her backbone. She knew by the time one o'clock struck she would be begging him to take her out to lunch for an actual meal.

She began to bound down the stairs, seriously contemplating taking them two at a time. The ugly yellow discoloured patch on her knee reminded her of the spill she had going up the stairs, and she promptly settled for jogging down them instead. She reached the bottom of the staircase before she heard Abbadon ask if she were going to explore the grounds on her own. "Oh hell no. Your assistance is very much needed." She insisted, shooting him a grin.

Skipping into the kitchen, Peyton noticed the aged woman in front of the stove. Ms.Abbott was humming quietly to herself as she flipped the golden coloured batter that formed their pancakes. "Good morning!" Peyton chirped, reaching into a cabinet to pull down a glass for herself and Abbadon. This time she would be drinking water instead of liquor, a wise choice in her opinion. She pressed the button on the refrigerator for whole ice cubes and filled both glasses before filling them with tap water. "How are you this morning?" Peyton questioned, perching lightly on one of the bar stools.

"I meant in the shower." Abbadon corrected, a soft laugh echoing off the walls. He followed not far behind as Peyton trotted down the stairs. He jumped in front of her as she neared the end of the stairs, making sure to grab her ass as he hopped down the last two stairs - landing with a thud. "You were tempting me." He winked at her as he walked towards the kitchen.

"Oh! Goodmorning!" Ms. Abbott exaggerated the 'oh' as she perked up from the stove. She patted her polka dot apron with her free hand, resulting in a puff of flour coming up. "I see someone is out of the bat cave." She leaned in towards Peyton in a mock whisper, her spatula still in hand. Ms. Abbott was easily the most lively thing in the house. Her skin may of showed her age, but the way she lit up inside of it made it easy to forget that she was a day over 20.

"I heard that." Abbadon yawned, his hand tangled up in his thick mess of dark hair as he stretched. His palms came to rest on the light marbled top of the counter as he leaned forward, rolling his shoulders a few times before leaning over to give Peyton a quick kiss on the head while Ms. Abbott's back was turned.

"Good." Ms. Abbott retorted with a huff, barley bothering to look over her shoulder as she placed a perfect pancake on white porcelain plate. "You're awfully cheerful this morning and you stayed in bed past seven for once in your life. This girl has been very good for you, did you know that?" She rattled on in true southern lady fashion while sliding the plate towards Peyton, a large smile plastered on across her face, voice rising and falling in great extremes as she emphasized words, not even taking a breath as to not give Abbadon the opportunity to say a word. "She's probably just been keeping you worn out old man."

"She is." Abbadon rubbed Peyton's back reassuringly, knowing Ms. Abbott wanted nothing more than to make Peyton turn several shades of blushed. He took a long drink from the glass Peyton had set in front of him, then perching on the stool next to Peyton though it didn't do him much good considering his feet were flat on the floor.

Peyton snickered at the fact that Ms.Abbott made a point to bring up Abbadon's early rising as well. In fact, it amused her most of all that the older woman chose the exact same words Peyton had used this morning when she awoke to the man in bed with her. She stuck her tongue out playfully toward Abbadon before pulling the plate of pancakes toward her. She had managed to spear a piece on her fork before she felt the heat creeping up on her face.

Immediately, she gave Abbadon's thigh a vicious pinch for coaxing Ms.Abbott in her effort to embarrass Peyton this morning. Sweet, dainty Ms.Abbott mentioning her and Abbadon's sex life? That blew her mind entirely, as she was raised by a rather prudish mother in a very conservative family, while she was far from it. Needless to say, it was one of the many reasons she was exiled from their presence some years ago. Even so, she had never encountered a woman of Ms.Abbott's age bringing up anyone's sexual relations, let alone her own.

Picking her fork back up, Peyton smirked slightly at the very content woman flipping pancakes. "Ms.Abbott, I was not expecting that. At all." She admitted, taking a bite of the fluffy breakfast and savoring it for a moment. "The little old lady image I held of you has now been shattered, and I am quite at a loss of how to cope." She insisted.

"You though? You're a whore. I expect it from you." She muttered, elbowing Abbadon lightly. "I find it very hard to believe that he's only brought me into this flamboyant plantation. From what I've gathered, he is quite the ladies man." Peyton noted, giving a fake gasp and clasping her hand over her mouth to go along with her exaggerated display of shock.

Abbadon snickered to himself as he heard Peyton be taken aback by Ms. Abbott's choice of conversation. He was no stranger to being chastised by the woman, but he could see how it would throw the average person off guard. He raised an eyebrow at Peyton, an amused smirk forming on his face curious as to whether or not she really meant to bring his past lovers up at the breakfast table. He placed his hand over the glass, palm encompassing the rim as he listed to Peyton and Ms. Abbott carry on.

"Well it one of been shattered at some point or another now, better to break you in quick." Mrs. Abbott shrugged off Peyton's comment with a playful wink as she handed her the syrup bottle. "A ladies man? Where?" Mrs. Abbott chirped excitedly, running towards the hallway, quickly looking back and forth. "You this thing?" She looked at Peyton with sharp huff. "He's hardly a knight in shining armor, I thought you had sent some big hunk to carry me off."

Ms. Abbott fluffed her hair and smoothed her dress, batting her eyes. "You do think one of those fireman from the calenders would have me, right?" She slid Abbadon his plate and reached back into the drawer for a fork. "He's a piece of work, he's brought a few home but none of them have been as pretty as you." Ms. Abbott smiled at her as she went to start on the dishes.

To see the older woman running for the hallway in search of a sexy beast cracked Peyton up. She had never been in the company of someone of Ms.Abbott's age who was so lively and talked about such scandalous things in nature. The little skit Ms.Abbott had just preformed only solidified that the woman before her must not be an older woman, but yet a young girl in an excellent disguise. She was such a chatty, playful thing in nature to be anything over twenty one.
Peyton, highly amused by Ms.Abbott's display, found herself with a case of the hiccups, which, of course, made her laugh even more. They were obnoxious and she knew would cause Abbadon to pick on her even more so. At this point, she welcomed it. His mood had significantly improved and they had found a peaceful environment free of drama and arguments thanks to the woman's company and quite possibly her drunken stupor last night.

"Without a doubt they would pick you up and carry you over the threshold, Ms.Abbott! With your wit, I propose you would have more than one chasing after you. Perhaps you could put in a good word and send me one as well." Peyton teased, grabbing her now empty plate and hopping down onto the floor. As she made her way toward the sink to discard the dish, she made a point to smack Abbadon's ass.

Peyton compartmentalized the compliment she had been given and decided to repay it with one of her own. "Breakfast was delicious, Ms.Abbott. I've managed to drag the vampire out of the house today. He's going to show me around the grounds today. Is there anything in particular you would suggest seeing?" She chirped, lightly massaging Abbadon's shoulders as he continued chowing down on the breakfast provided.

Ms. Abbott burst into a fit of laughter at Peyton's predicament, a flushed shade of pink running across her cheekbones. "Oh yes I'm sure, I had better grab one of the swords laying around because I'll be fighting them off like dogs." She happily sighed as she took Abbadon's plate from him and dunked it in the soapy water that had filled the kitchen with a fresh lemon scent.

Her head turned slightly, expression turning to confusion at the mention of Abbadon taking Peyton around the property for a tour. That was a new one. She riddled to herself just how much the girl was aware of her surroundings, or how much Abbadon had let her onto. The look of worried quickly succeeded from her as reminded herself that Abbadon had clearly taken some special interest in the girl and would be careful with her. "I'm afraid the only thing I could show you would be how clean I keep the silver." Ms. Abbott teased as she wiped down the island with a striped dish rag "Well I'll let you two lovebirds go on - if you see the house smoking you'll know what I'm up too - be sure to direct the firemen my way. Now shooo!" She flung the towel at them, chasing them out to the hallway.

Abbadon's smile beamed. It was a rare sight, to see him smile not out of amusement or politeness but out of enjoyment. "Duck and cover." Abbadon teased, his hand on the small of Peyton's back as he ushered her out of the kitchen, away from an encroaching Ms. Abbott. She chased them until they were standing out on the back of the wrap around porch looking over the gardens and the swamp back in the distance.

"And stay out!" Ms. Abbott peaked through the open kitchen window. "At least until you bring me grandkids!" She picked up the detergent bottle and squeezed it in their direction resulting in a flow of bubbles blowing towards them. She may not of been Abbadon's mother, but she did fill the only womanly roll in his life until Peyton had come along - and that was quite a different roll.

Abbadon laughed, rolling his eyes at Ms. Abbott as he heard the kitchen window slam shut. His attention quickly turned back to Peyton, he reached his arm around her and held her to his chest. "Where would you like to start?" He asked, running his thumb along her spine as he spoke.

Peyton squealed in delight as a very animated Ms.Abbott ushered them away from the kitchen and out onto the back porch. It evoked childlike emotions and brought her back several years, returning home to Connecticut and being chased to and from places by he best friend at the time, Brittany's, grandmother. While nothing up north was quite as scenic, the playful atmosphere was something she could rejoice in as memories were rekindled.

She was quickly pulled back to reality as Abbadon pulled her close. Where did she want to start? She mulled it over for a moment before deciding upon their plans. "You. Me. Shower." She insisted, smacking his ass before scurrying toward the house. While she took Ms.Abbott's threat very seriously, she had no desire to go on an outing barefoot and still in her nightgown. It would indeed be an adventure then, and one that she wasn't quite comfortable in when she knew little to nothing about her surroundings.

Peyton popped her head into the doorway, checking her surroundings for a wild Ms.Abbott on the loose. When she was certain there would be no threat, she bolted for the stairwell, pulling Abbadon behind her. She took the stairs more slowly than usual, careful not to trip on the way up as she had done the day before. The ugly yellow discolouration on her knee was not only unsightly, but incredibly sore.

She grabbed her bag of toiletries from outside the bathroom doorway and began to rummage through it. "Where do you like going most here? That is when you're not brooding in your office or bedroom." Peyton teased, gathering various bottles she intended to use and setting them onto the edge of the tub. "I would like to see everything, if possible. Though, I don't expect we could pack it all in today. Not with the way I gawk over new things." She admitted, pulling the shower curtain closed and switching the water on.

Abbadon stealthily followed Peyton up the stairs to avoid another beating from Ms. Abbott. He breathed a short sigh of relief as he closed the bathroom door behind him, knowing that they were safe now. His attention was diverted as he watched Peyton's night slip fall to the wooden floor boards. "You're tempting me a little too early in the morning." Abbadon's voice had a rasp to it as he stepped into the shower behind Peyton, his hands grabbing onto her hips.

Peyton's voice brought him back to his senses, which otherwise would of led him in a vastly different direction. "I usually stay towards the back of the property - in the swamps - but I wouldn't blame you if that was not somewhere you'd like to venture out to. It's muddy, smells, and is swarming with alligators." Abbadon answered as he reached for a shampoo bottle. "There are plenty of other places though, a few graveyards, slave quarters, stables, you have the run of the place - if you see something that interests you just pull me along with you."

It wasn't a lie that the swamps were a less than pleasant place, but there were other more delicate things that Abbadon hoped to keep hidden away there. He could just hope that Peyton had forgotten Valafar's prompting on Evelyn's grave from the night before. The place was covered in interesting buildings and sites to detract away, if nothing else Abbadon could buy time with them.

A small smile graced Peyton's lips as Abbadon grabbed her hips with his strong hands. Playful, affectionate, sexy. If she weren't so set on getting out of the house, she would have given into the thoughts rattling around so loudly in his head he may as well have spoken them. "Perhaps I can tempt you a little later. Ms.Abbott wants grandchildren after all, we may as well enjoy ourselves until she gets them." She teased, sticking her head under the faucet and allowing her hair to get drenched.

The rest of her shower was uneventful and passed rather quickly. She wrapped herself in a towel and wiped her feet on the shaggy rub beside the bathtub, careful not to track any water through the house on the old wooden flooring. "What are you wearing today?" She called, rummaging through her not so neat suitcase. Its counterparts had been tossed around numerous times and the contents were strewn about in a less than orderly fashion. She had no idea where their adventure would take them, but she knew one thing - she would be wearing sunblock.

She shimmied into a pair of jeans, pulled a tank top over her head, and donned on a pair of black combat boots. "Can we work from the back toward the front of the property? I want to see whatever we can today. Then pick back up some other time with where we left off?" Peyton questioned, spinning on her heel as she heard her partner in crime emerging from the bathroom.

"Damn, my baby looks good." Peyton whistled as Abbadon came into the bedroom. "While you are very sexy, I would appreciate it if you moved your ass a little more. I'm ready to see what this place has to offer." She grinned, snatching up a backpack she planned to fill with bottles of water, snacks, her sketchpad, and her camera. She wanted to document everything she saw. Her vacation away from home couldn't last forever, and she wanted proof and pieces of it to cherish.

"If that's what you want to do." Abbadon pressed his lips together in thought before chirping in reply, offering Peyton the faintest smile at her suggestion He made a noticeable effort through body language to hide his feelings towards Peyton's choice of starting point. At worst, the reply came off as a bit awkward.

Abbadon absentmindedly followed Peyton as she back tracked their previous steps until they found themselves standing on the back porch once again. This is exactly what she hates. Abbadon chastised himself when he realized he was starting to mentally shut down. He mulled over why it was so difficult for him to do this...but he wasn't sure what 'this' was. He knew he was a monster, that was something he had accepted long ago - something that was ingrained into ever fiber of his being, but seeing Peyton trust so blindly. He unfortunately couldn't deny his feeling towards the girl, but his gut wrenched every time she took another footstep through the same path that Evelyn did.

He decided that it was Peyton's trust that made him uncomfortable. Her lack of suspicion, despite everything going on around her. It was difficult for him to watch the lamb walk into the lion's den. Perhaps equally as difficult as it was for him to push down the guilt that suffocated him over Evelyn's death.

"So you wanted to start at the very back?" Abbadon questioned, forcing a smile to his face as he swept Peyton up into his arms, stepping down into the garden and carrying her as far as the gate that opened up towards the plains and eventual swamps. "I hope you do not mind mud and you're ready for hike."

He fiddled with the rusted cast iron lock that seemed to serve no purpose besides decoration as the key had rusted into the slot. The gate opened up to a large stretch of flat, grassy field that eventually gave way to cypress trees and swamp lands in the horizon. "These used to be cotton fields." Abbadon noted as he walked through the gate and trekked towards the thickets of Spanish moss on the horizon.

Peyton allowed herself to be hoisted into Abbadon's arms and carried through the garden she had gazed so longingly upon many times. Her eyes darted to the fountain she had been sketching post-drinking session and fighting from the night before. It intrigued her, its ancient beauty of weathered rock peppered with lichen patches. It had now been filled with rain water, which sat stagnant and slightly green from the algae that had formed over time. "Does the fountain work? Or is it now just something to admire?" Peyton questioned as Abbadon continued toward a rusted, gothic gate across the garden.

She highly doubted that if it were functional, it would not lay with dormant water. Then again, no one frequented the gardens other than the handyman whose name slipped her memory and Abbadon himself. Perhaps it did not interest the two men, but if she could wiggle a bit of a woman's touch to the household she would consider herself triumphant. She knew, after all, that at least she would have similar enjoyment from seeing the fountain running out of Ms.Abbott.

Peyton smoothed her shirt down as she was set onto the ground, watching as Abbadon's hands carefully manipulated the conjoined lock and key. As he bothered with it, she hung her camera around her neck, squatted, and snapped a quick picture of the archaic fencing that bordered the gardens and allowed an escape into the vastly unknown of the swamp lands. She made certain to snag a picture of Abbadon as well. The lighting was splendid and the art of photography begged her to do so.

Glancing over it on her camera, she smiled contently to herself. When she looked up from it, she had noticed he had hiked a good way ahead of her. "Hey, Mr.Long-Legs, wait for me!" Peyton insisted, jogging after the statuesque man. He could practically serve as a watch tower. At least she would know when danger lay ahead. Even if he did desert her for a bit. "I know nothing about this place and you keep insisting there are alligators. Don't you dare leave me." Peyton demanded, snatching his hand in hers as she caught up with him.

"How many acres is this place set on?" Her gaze shifted from right to left, trying to gauge where she should begin and if it was at all feasible to see anything other than the outer line of the property on day one of their expedition. There was a bridge crossing the swamp that withered away in the distance, several cypress trees dotting the water as well as the perimeter, and what seemed to be yet another wrought iron fence in the corner.

"Where does that fence go?" She felt very childlike, asking questions left and right. Her whereabouts were unknown, there was a tremendous amount of history surrounding her, and the little ADD-esque child within her could not keep track of the ideas bouncing around in her mind.

"I suppose that it could. The filter is clogged, but that's not much of a problem." Abbadon replied, pausing to study the still fountain as he walked by it. The garden had once been the most beautiful place on the estate. Flowers and shrubs bloomed from every nook and cranny omitting a sweet floral scent that extended well past the garden, birds had roosted in the hedge that served as a fence, hopping in and out with twigs in their mouth to ready their nests, water poured through fountains, even a couple ducks had come to call the garden home since they could stay safely tucked away from any predators.

Now, it existed in the same preserved lifelessness that had crept over the rest of the home. Flowers still bloomed, but not in the vibrancy and quantity that they once had, it always felt damp even on the brightest of days, the animals had all scattered away - you'd be lucky to find a spider on the underside of a leaf, the fountains were overgrown with algae that slowly picked away at the sculpted marble, and at best you'd hear a crow who was perched on an old cypress tree calling in the distance.

Abaddon chuckled to himself as Peyton hopped on the soft ground to catch up to him. "You say 'insist' like you don't believe me." He spoke in his typical over confident manner, though he sounded more at ease than he usually did - perhaps due to the good start of the morning. Abbadon reached down for Peyton's hand, lacing his fingers through hers when she finally did manage to catch up to his stride.

"I wouldn't worry much, unless you try to pet it - it's unlikely to come after you." It wasn't a lie. Despite how dreadful the armored beasts may of looked, they spent most of their day getting fat on heron and sunning themselves on fallen trees. He couldn't remember the last time an Alligator had attempted to eat a living human, though he had found them to be great for disposing of ones that were already dead.

"The estate is on just under 400 - that includes the house, old crop fields, slave quarters, stables, and pasture. Almost 2,500 is under the family name, but most of that is swamp land and marshes." Abbadon explained, momentarily stopping to look back towards the house which looked rather unimpressive from the distance they had managed to cover.

"A grave." His reply was short, as he glanced towards the small fenced in area that sat isolated on the tiniest of islands. "It's just one and it's not in very good condition - I'm not sure it would pose much interest to you." Abbadon remarked, stopping just behind Peyton as she stared off in the direction of a large live oak that stood over the single white tombstone.