[ 6 ] 2014

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"Had it been me I'd have taken a swing at him first to call us even."

-

"You can't do this, James." Paul started to protest, but the others had turned on him and were unwilling to listen to reason. 

The leader of the group of teenagers now was James, who took it upon himself to nip the insubordination right in the bud. With the butt of his diamond rose, he hit a kneeling Paul across the face, leaving him with a bright red mark that quickly appeared. The gun was made of the strongest metal around, and hunters could heal quickly but were still not immune to injuries. The blow had managed to break through the skin and there was a small trickle of blood running down his cheek. Water pooled up in his deep brown eyes and a rage burned in them too. Paul was mostly calm and serene most of the time, the voice of reason. But one thing he could not stand was to be humiliated by anyone. Especially not when he felt like the other person was in the wrong.

It was what his parents had always taught him. You're better off dying on your feet than living on your knees. It was one of the many thins Paul mad sure to live by.

Dempsey felt the same way, her words seething with venom directed at James. "Don't you fucking touch him again unless you want to lose a hand, you fucking asshole." She said through a clenched jaw. "The boss put both of you in charge, which means he is just as much an equal leader of the organization as you are. Don't you fucking forget it. And all of you should remember that too!" She shouted at the other hunters who stood behind James. Her words seemed to struck a chord with some of them, as she saw them flinch. Some like Naileah, Dieter, and Rocky. 

But to them, it was likely that she would defend him and take his side. She and Paul were in an on again, off again phase in their relationship. They were always arguing, with her mostly being the one yelling at him, and she usually wondered now if they would be together still by the end of the day. But one thing she did have for certain in her mind--that she loved Paul Medina, and she would tear anyone who hurt him to shreds. 

That was exactly what she wanted to do with James Brady. 

But Paul had to swallow his pride and be strong in front of her. Taking a brief moment to stabilize his emotions as well as his voice, he said to her in a calm manner. He could not lose his composure and then expect her to be calm as well. He still had to be the voice of reason in all of this. "Relax, amor." 

She quickly started to protest. "But Paul--"

But she stopped suddenly when he shot her a look. Please listen, he told her with his eyes. And she stood down, biting her lip hard as she still had a lot to say to the other hunters. But if Paul thought it was better to say nothing and keep to themselves, she would do it. 

"Well he amor her all he wants, but he can't shut me up." Calum said, looking from Dempsey to Paul before continuing. He looked over to James. "I'd like to see you take me on without your little minions, or are you scared? You must be scared because you know you're just a pussy without your people backing you."

James threw his head back in amusement and chuckled at Calum's words. He then revealed an observation that some of the other hunters had noticed by now as well. "I can see why the boss likes you. You kind of remind me of him, in a way. I think if you had been born a hunter, we might have been friends."

Calum scoffed at the thought, rejecting it immediately. "I think the fuck not."

"We're wasting time here." James said, ignoring Calum's refusal. He then walked around Calum and gestured for the others to follow with Jack in tow. The two that had been holding him captive moved him forward to stand by the side of Arthur's bed. Pushing Jack forward until the front of his legs hit the side of the bed, James commanded, "Do your thing, healer boy. Save the boss and then maybe we can spare your life."

As he said that, he pulled the bandana that was being used to keep him gagged, out of his mouth. Jack turned his head slowly to eye James with resentment. The hunters really were better and stronger than him, their prey. He could not fight against them. But he had something that they wanted--the ability to heal. As long as he had that leverage against them, he knew he could get them to spare his life and the life of his sister. With a sigh, he started his negotiation. "If I heal this man, you must promise to at least give us a head start before you continue hunting us again. I believe it would only be fair."

James thought about it, as much as he wanted to end things there, he knew Jack could refuse. They could kill him and that would be the end of it, but that would leave Arthur still in a coma, and that wasn't what the hunters wanted. At least, if they gave Jack his way, they wouldn't need to promise to spare him, but only promise to give him a head start before they could continue the hunt. He brought his index finger to his chin as he thought about it. In his other hand, his Diamond Rose rested by his side, the silver metallic gun shining in the lights coming from the ceiling. "That does sound pretty fair. A favor for a favor." He extended his hand out for Jack to shake, even though the original still had his hands tied behind his back. But it was a symbol of him accepting the deal, and it was all that mattered to Calum and the others. It was the very least they could do in exchange for Jack saving Arthur's life. "I think we've got ourselves a deal, people."

"I'm going to need a knife, some towels, and a bucket." Jack informed them.

-

When Harley woke up next, she was in one of the guest rooms of Paul and Dempsey's house. She recognized it because it was the room Paul's brother John had been using when he visited them from Mexico. She stretched her arms over her head happily and let out a yawn, but her eyes soon widened in surprise when she remembered what had happened previously. They had been in an interesting situation that could have gone many ways. She was told that Arthur would not make it and that she had to say her goodbyes. Then she and her mother showed up at the hospital with Billy and visited him in the dark realm. Last she knew, they returned and passed out from exhaustion. But she didn't know anything that happened after that.

Thankfully, she saw a familiar face waiting for her upon waking up. That made her nerves settle down in the slightest. 

Calum was sitting in a chair in the room and he smiled warmly when he saw her wake up. Seeing Calum was always a good thing. "You were asleep quite a long time." He informed her.

"Where's my mum?" She asked, looking around the room with worry.

He informed her casually, remembering the vague little details he heard about her. The last of his worries was Harleen Quinn. He cared about her daughter all the more. "She's in another room down the hall."

"And what about Arthur? And James?" She asked some more questions, her curious blue eyes searching the room again as though she would find either of them there. 

As far as she knew, James had lied to get them to the hospital, but she wasn't sure why he had lied. But she figured Calum of all people would know. He had been spending some time with Paul and Paul spent a lot of time with James. Those things could easily connect to him knowing James' intentions to getting them all in the same place.

Calum appeared more tired than she remembered and the thought dawned on her that maybe he had been worried, waiting for her to wake up. But she and Harleen had spent so much time with Arthur that it had drained so much of her energy, making her sleep longer than most times. Still, Calum cared about her well being so much that any little thing like that worried him. He only wanted what was best for Harley. She instantly felt bad for not comforting him and instead bombarding him with questions, but she needed to know. There were still so many questions racing in her mind.

She pushed them aside momentarily, knowing that her boyfriend would tell her all about it, perhaps once he was well rested. She held her arms wide open and invited him into her embrace. "Why don't we take a nap together before you tell me anything?"

He chuckled at that finding the idea just a tad ridiculous.

"You just woke up." He pointed out.

Harley jutted out her lower lip into a pout. She was never the type to act cute in front of anyone, but with him it was starting to feel natural. It was starting to feel right, having someone to be cute with as well as having someone to have silly little arguments with. They each resulted in make out sessions anyway. 

"You suck. I'm trying to help you." She told him playfully.

Yet he still picked himself up from the chair and got under the covers with her. She quickly snuggled by his side and laid her head on his shoulder. 

"Okay, so since you rejected my brilliant nap idea, tell me. How's Arthur?" She asked him after a couple of seconds of silence between them. But it was a comfortable silence that they shared. 

The words just spilled from his mouth uninhibited as he told her what happened when she got back. "Your best friend James Brady kidnapped Jack and forced him to heal Arthur." He began to explain and at the mention of James being her best friend, she crinkled up her nose in displeasure. Sure, she had a crush on him when she lived in Perth. But he never seemed to reciprocate her feelings and that was all in the past. It still seemed to irk Calum a bit though. "They even attacked Dempsey, Paul, and I when we tried to stop them. But in the end Jack and James made a pact. Jack would heal Arthur, as long as the hunters could give him and his sister a head start so they could be on the run again."

A frown made its way onto Harley's face. She felt bad for Jack and Hazel. She also felt bad for Michael, who would very likely follow them into hiding. He had become very close with them, despite the two species typically hating each other. "That's no way to live." She heaved a sigh.

"Yeah." Calum agreed with a nod of his head. Then he continued telling her the events that had happened at the hospital days prior. "And Arthur didn't take it too well. He hated the fact that the creature he's tried so hard to destroy is the one who saved his life."

At that, Harley responded with a shrug of her shoulders. "He'll get over it."

"And then," Calum finally finished up, "James and Paul made up just like that. James apologized to Paul and Paul accepted the apology like he hadn't just disregarded their roles as co leaders of the organization in my uncle's absence. Had it been me I'd have taken a swing at him first to call us even. I mean, Dempsey took a swing at him afterwards, but its not the same. It had to have come from Paul." The last part he said with a nonchalant shrug of his shoulders. 

Harley laughed at that. That really did sound like something Paul would do. Though he was quiet and serious on the outside, she knew that he was a very nice and forgiving person on the inside. He also took care of the other hunters, and their other friends like he was their older brother. And taking a swing at James was exactly what she expected Calum might do. So, in a way, she was a bit glad that James had betrayed Paul and not Calum. Not because she cared too much about James, but because they might have ended up killing each other. They already didn't like each other all that much to begin with.

"You're a dork." She said to him, bringing her lips to his.

At least for the time being, things were okay again.

-

another chapter written and posted for this story.

also, i know i have an unfinished michael spin off already posted. but i got to thinking...what if i were to post a spin off about arthur and harleen? would any of you read it? and i mean a spin off about them when they were teenagers. like when they met and started dating. annd subsequently when arthur left perth and harleen started dating captain australia, aaron quinn.

would you all like that? i think its an interesting idea because in my mind, arthur and aaron would have met as teens, but there might have only been a mild hostility between them.

from aaron because he liked harleen and she was dating arthur, and from arthur beacuse he was dating harleen and he could see that aaron liked her.

let me know what you think!

i might post it anyway because im inspired.

-clary