jianhuo | [dated to May 21]

As with many mornings, they're woken by the bounce of the bed as the boys climb in with them, both of them doing their best to squeeze into what little space there is between Church and Saffron. Saffron had learned very quickly once they'd taken in the children that sleeping in the nude was not going to be an option anymore.

"Honey, we've got a couple of puppies in our bed," she says sleepily, looking over with a smile at her boyfriend, who's got Thomas draped across him.

"I'm not a puppy, I'm a dinosaur! ROAR," he declares, which makes Abel dissolve into giggles and attempt his own dinosaur roar.

The noise predictably wakes Keira, and Saffron gets out of their suddenly much more crowded bed to fetch her from her crib, pulling a silk robe on over her nightgown as she goes. "Want me to start the coffee?" she says over her shoulder to Church, thinking how it's a good thing she doesn't mind early mornings much these days since she's not running a club and up until the wee hours anymore.

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"That's cause it's on your back now, sweetie. It's kinda... well, look." Walking over, I take her hand and lead her to the bathroom. The full-length on the door and the mirror on the wall should give her a good view of what's there. I just don't want to say it out loud because it's rude as shit. I dunno how it's working, but Theta's blushing so hard in my head, it might actually be showing on my face.

"On my back? What the...I'm guessing this is yet another gorram trick of this place - are you actually blushing?" she says as he leads her to the mirror. She turns to position herself, looking back over her shoulder so she can see whatever the hell it is on her back that's got him out of sorts. Saffron can't even imagine what it might be, until she sees the words for herself.

BLACK WIDOW

It's written in an elegant black script, all caps, right across the middle of her back, the two words stacked on top of each other. In her nightgown, it looks like it's written partially on that, partially on her skin. Experimentally, Saffron shrugs out of it, letting it fall down to her waist. The words are still there. She puts it back on and the words are still there. She pushes her hair, fairly long at this point, back over her shoulder and the words show through it. Apparently this place wants one of her biggest secrets to be known whether she likes it or not.

She turns away from the mirror and blows out a breath. "Oh, hell."

"Yeah. Really kinda glad that Thomas can't read yet." Because if I've got questions, I'm pretty sure the kid would have a few. At least his we could play off as a spider thing, but I'm thinking this is something else. Watching the words just... be there was almost nauseating it was so weird.

The implication behind those words is concerning, Epsilon.

Dude, this is HELEN. She's not gonna kill me in my sleep.

"I'm thinking today's a good day to call in sick, maybe?"

For a moment she wants to counter that by saying she'll be calling in sick every day until the rutting words disappear. Saffron doesn't really want to do that, though, and not just because there's no telling how long it will be until they go away. She's never really been ashamed of who she is, even if she's not exactly forthcoming about certain parts of herself that have not much seen the light of day the last few years.

"That's probably a good idea," she replies, unsure as she looks up at Church of what she'll see in his expression. If there's pity there, any trace of the way Durran had looked at her that day, she might just claw her own eyes out.

There is obviously something very significant about those words. I can tell just by the way she won't look at me. But fuck if I know how to make this better. I don't even know what they mean or why they're there. I mean, is this the time to be the supporting boyfriend and not say anything? Or does she need to talk this shit out? I'm pretty sure I shouldn't open with, so babe, this black widow thing, I need to worry about that?

Not that I am. Worried.

Maybe we should be? I dunno, that's a pretty bad thing to be, isn't it? Like, a murderer?

Not you, too.

While normally this is something we wouldn't interfere in, Epsilon, your relationship with Helen being what it is, this does concern all of us. And the children, I might add. Perhaps we should get more information.

Fuck that. Listen. All of you. Whatever that means. If it even means anything. She and I have a deal. The past is that. We did shit as Alpha and as Freelancers that I'm pretty sure we're not proud of. She doesn't make a big deal out of that. We're not making a deal out of this.

Which, I guess is my answer there, isn't it?

I'm curious-

No shit. When are you not?

If there's nothing to the words, there's no harm in asking. If there is something, perhaps it's information we could use.

"We're not asking and that's final." Oh, fuck me, I said that out loud didn't I?

He's got that look on his face that means he's having a conversation with the others, probably about whether or not they should try and question her or something along those lines. Saffron waits silently while they hash it out. She's pretty sure at least Delta and Omega will want to know more, and possibly Theta too, if he's doubting whether or not they can trust her. She doesn't like the idea of sweet Theta thinking they can't trust her.

"It's okay," she replies, even though she knows he probably wasn't talking to her and didn't mean to say it out loud. "You can ask."

"No. Because whatever this is, these words on your back, it's supposed to cause trouble. Supposed to make people doubt each other. And I don't doubt you. Not with me and not with the kids." Mentally, I give the entire peanut gallery the finger and dare one any of them to try and take over so they can ask the questions I won't. They could do it, I guess, push me aside. It's happened before, it will happen again, but I'm hoping it won't happen tonight.

"If you want to talk, I'll listen. Otherwise, we should probably think of what we're gonna tell the kids."

[dated to May 21]

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