Chapter 26

"Elxa! You don't know how amazing it is to see your face again!" Hayden's greeting brought his walk to a stop, but was pushed forwards into continuing his walk when Hayden continued on in the same direction without breaking his stride, hand on the lone man's back.

"Hayden, it is good to see you too." The greeting made in reply was evened and controlled.

"Be a darling, and smile, won't you. You look like you're going to murder someone soon." Hayden whispered quickly, but Elxa only stopped –this time with strength and conviction as Hayden had to come to a stop along with him in the empty corridor.

"The day after my release, I am back in my seat on The Circle. In all honesty, do you think I can smile?" The question was made with a straight face, and nostalgia only fills the older man as Hayden maintained his grin.

"Why not? Away from stuffy walls, back into a position where you control yourself, your surroundings. Has prison changed you?" Hayden's question was made with a curious look that the Elxa had to look away. Had prison really changed him; he didn't dare to think about it. He wanted to know that he hadn't been bent nor changed. He wanted to believe that he was still powerful, still in charge of his surroundings. He wanted to know that he still had the chips to play in the game of the con world.

But now, he wasn't so sure. Not with his heart fit to break, his weariness slowly tearing him down.

"I don't know. Maybe. I wasn't planning to come back so quickly. I wasn't planning to come back like this." Elxa admitted, looking out the window in the dark night. He wanted to know that it was a coincidence that The Circle had decided to meet in Miami, but it was slowly becoming obvious that it wasn't. It was all in preparation of his return, and he didn't feel at home about it. He wanted to return his own way, in control of his situation.

Not like this.

"But still you came. It's really okay to say that you don't have control over everything sometimes, pal." Hayden replied, as if knowing. But Elxa wondered if he really was knowing. The man hadn't made any reference to his daughter; hadn't tried to tease him about it –like Elxa knew the childish man would. He hadn't said anything about his daughter going back to his place and leaving him a note.

He hadn't said anything about making Elxa lose power of his surroundings just because he couldn't wait any longer to see her.

"We are con people –I am good at faking it." Elxa's reply was evened, and Hayden only grinned wider. He might say that prison had changed him, but to Hayden, nothing much had changed at all. This was truly a man who could control his surroundings. Elxa hadn't known about it, but Hayden had been keeping tabs on the man while in the correctional facility –Elxa had been controlling the emotions of everyone there, leaving them to admire his strength and respect his authority –even amongst the wardens and guards.

There was no better man to have protecting his daughter than this one.              

"And I'm good at faking things too." Hayden declared proudly, hitting himself lightly on the chest. "Just yesterday, I got shot at again by Interpol."

Elxa's concern for him was touching, for the young man turned around quickly to do a double-take on his friend, looking for tell-tale bandages or any difficulty in movement.

"Oh, do relax." Hayden laughed at the sudden bout of worry flashing once across Elxa's face. "I correct: I was shot at by Interpol –but they were firing blanks."

"And would you care to tell me why?" Elxa asked cautiously, peering out at setting sun. The hotel faced the sea and beach, but right now Elxa didn't feel up to hanging about the beach.

"They brought guns, barged into my room and found some things that didn't sit well with them. So I came home, and confronted them. There was a little fight, and guns were mixed up somehow. You know how we Seyfrieds don't shoot. So Interpol got our guns –thought we were dangerous –and shot. Blam. Their faces when we didn't fall were hilarious, though." Hayden explained, a childish grin spreading across his face upon remembrance.

"And this was only yesterday?" Elxa asked curiously.

"Yesterday." Hayden confirmed with glee. "Jeremy's dealing with them."

Before any reply could be made, the door at the far end of the corridor opened, and an impatient head poked out, looking up and down the corridor before she caught sight of the two men standing chatting in the hallway.

"Get your ass here. You're late." She scolded, and the men obeyed quickly. Hayley didn't offer greetings as friendly as her little brother's had been, but there was a slight smile and nod of acknowledgment upon meeting Elxa's eyes as he brushed by her walking in. The meeting room was already filled with the other members on The Circle, all waiting impatiently.

"Elxa!" The mixture of surprise and joy came in greeting from the other 3 members on The Circle. Danaus, already in his twenties, smiled –for the first time. Myriam, now an old man very close to retirement, tried to hobble forwards, but decided not to, only calling Elxa's name in glee. Orson smiled widely, rushing forward and clapping the man on his back.

There was no other woman –save Hayley –in sight.

After rounds of making sure that Elxa was truly fine being back, the meeting of The Circle started.

Quickly, Elxa got himself back into the industry, picking up the rumors and happenings back up as if he had never left. The world was still waiting for him, still waiting to embrace him in their tight grips, and for the first time in 5 years, he finally felt back at home. Even if he hadn't wanted to come back so quickly –had wanted a short time to recollect himself –he found that he truly found himself back into safe territory.

He truly found himself back home.

Back in power.

The meeting went on as if Elxa had never left. Arguments, and decisions. Opinions and view; strategies and plans –they all came forward on the meeting table. None of them had changed. Neither had Elxa.

"Ahh, back to the idea of that mask that you brought into the market yesterday." Orson finally said, leaning forward towards Hayden with interest gleaming in his eyes. "I have a particular buyer very interested. But he's afraid of pissing your original buyer off. I got the idea that you refused him the mask after he asked for a discount?"

Hayden, sitting relaxed on his seat, shrugged with a grin. "I don't do discounts."

"Then how much are you waiting for? I'm offering to buy it from you." Orson addressed quickly –always one to get to the point.

"You have to ask the original con who got it for me. I'm not the one setting the price –I'm only a representative." Hayden replied easily, as Elxa looked towards him in slight surprise. Never had he heard about a member on The Circle being a representative to another con. Who could it be who was so powerful to have harnessed Hayden's powerful title, and made him the front line in the sales department?

"A representative?" Orson repeated, apparently also the first time he ever heard of the fellow member on The Circle serving someone else. They were, after all, supposed to be at the top of the chain –not following others.

"Yup," replied Hayden happily, as if he saw no problem in that. "She's a real keeper in the job, but a sucker at the sales."

"What stuff to say of her, Hayden." Hayley up in quickly with a hint of admonishment in her tone, and Elxa decided that there was nothing in Hayden's life that his motherly sister didn't know about. Of course, if Hayden was working as a representative for someone, then Hayley would surely know about it. And if Hayley knew about it, and didn't speak up against it –then it must really be someone in power.

But who? Jeremy? It couldn't be, for they had obviously leaked that the gender of this special con was a woman. But who?

"But it's the honest truth. She's great with the art, but anything related to prices and cost? She's a sucker." Hayden protested, earning a glare from his sister that got him a in a flinch. If it was someone that had gotten to Hayley, enough to have the only woman on The Circle protecting her, then it was really someone who had gotten through.

"Put all those aside, Hayden." Orson interrupted lightly again. "When will I get a price?"

The man in topic didn't reply immediately, and the pregnant pause made everyone at the table turn to see his mischievous grin. Elxa's heart unconsciously began to beat faster as Hayden met eyes with his sister, grinning wider as if he was truly enjoying the moment of suspense. There was one man dramatic enough to make such a simple question about the price tag on a good such a suspenseful question –and it was Hayden.

Hayley nodded, and it was apparently a cue for her little brother to jump up to his feet, a glint of elation and excitement in his eyes, as if he was suddenly brimming with unexplained glee. He ran to the door, opened it and poked his head out like how Hayley had done hours before.

"Come in, come in!" Hayden exclaimed, excitement loud in his voice.

Elxa was suddenly very aware at the soft, gentle eyes of Hayley's on him.

"You're being childish again, Dad. Honestly, how The Circle ever accepts you is beyond me." Her voice was softly admonishing, mostly sweet and gentle as she walked in behind Hayden with a soft smile.

Elxa almost passed out.

There she stood, a vision of pure beauty. Elxa lost words, lost the space to breathe, lost the space to think as he stared. The years in the correctional facility had blurred his memory of her, but as he saw her now, he forgot everything.

She stood before him, a goddess. If Hayley had been stunning, she was breath-taking. If Hayley had been amazing, she was...he lacked words for a synonym for her. Her blue eyes tore themselves away from his with effort, as the soft smile of polite greeting that he knew so well took her face.

"Hi, I'm Kaylen Kristen Seyfried. It's nice to officially meet The Circle in full-attendance."

"Dad? Did I hear that right? Dad?" Orson's voice was filled with so much shock that Elxa had to hide a smile. Yes, it was hard to believe a vision of such amazing beauty was Hayden's offspring.

"You didn't see Hayley pregnant, so yeah, I'm Hayden's bastard." She replied with a sweet smile, but almost immediately Elxa could see the difference. This was her, but not yet her.

The Kaylen he knew was innocent, sweet, and afraid of doing wrong. She was blessedly unknowing, and totally not confident of herself and her ability. She had loved her place with him, because he'd made her feel belonged, and Jon had made her feel needed.

But now.

Now, she was truly a new woman. A woman who was unafraid of saying the wrong things. A woman with her own power.

A woman who was a con.

____________________________________________________________________________________

It was almost too torturous to sit it through, forcing himself to pretend that nothing was wrong. It would eventually be news that he was crazily infatuated with her, but now, he was content to keeping things a secret as he ever so often looked at her watching the meeting with interest.

She never looked at him again after the first time.

Elxa forced his head in the game, and forced himself to continue, but yet his eyes wandered ever so often. He offered clear thoughts and opinions, offered wise strategies, but even as his words were spoken aloud, his eyes went to her.

"We are done." Myriam announced, looking up from his papers with a smile. "It's nice to have you back, Elxa. Feels so long ago since we've had such a productive meeting."

"Feels good to be back. I'll need some time to get right back at things, but I will be planning an exhibition." He admitted, earning surprised reactions from the cons all around –even Hayley. Exhibitions were rare from conmen –for they tended to bring many legal problems, for on display were all stolen, illegal goods. There would always be a chance of a conman calling on the cops, to bust into the warehouse of proudly displayed stolen goods.

"I like your guts." Danaus finally says, a glint of approval in his eyes. "Undoubtedly prison hasn't changed you much."

"Thank you." Elxa received with a small smile that everyone in the room was still trying to get used to. Never had they expected to find a man who could smile in front of them after his 5 year hiatus. Never had they thought that Elxa would smile so brightly. "It will take some time, but I guess it's good enough a breakout back into the industry."

"I will look forward to it." Orson agreed, standing up. "Do tell if you require any help."

"Of course. We will see each other soon." Came the reply, and Orson only nodded in agreement. Myriam wished him well, as did Danaus and together, the trio left the meeting room. It left Elxa with the entire Seyfried family.

"I almost had a welcome party got ready for you. It seems I have read you perfectly, and expected that you hadn't changed. At least not on the exterior." Hayley said seriously, but on her face was a gentle smile.

"Do you truly think I will change?"

"Honestly, I don't think so. I've seen you grow from young. You've always been like that."

He looked down at his hands, wondering exactly what 'like that' meant. "Is it a good thing?"

"I don't know. But if you want to make it mean something," Hayden replied in his sister's stead. "You might want to run down to that street corner now. Someone's waiting for you there."

Elxa looked up, realizing the disappearance of the woman he'd been watching all this while. How had she slipped away so quickly, without a sound? How was it that he, a conman by his title, hadn't sensed, heard nor felt her departure from the room? When had she left the room; why hadn't she tried to talk to him?

"She's waiting." Hayden prompted, but Elxa refused to react as expected.

He remained seated calmly even though his heart raced and every inch of his cells screamed for him to move.

"Why are you doing this? Shouldn't you hate a man who lied and deceived your daughter? A man who went 5 years in prison and refused to repent? A man who can hurt her anytime? A man you've seen grow up, and refused to change?" He asked, confused. While they were still good friends, Elxa couldn't understand how the man was willing to give up his blood kin, his daughter, and a piece of his own flesh to him. He couldn't understand why Hayden wasn't trying to protect his daughter, why Hayden wasn't rejecting their relationship.

"5 years, she trained herself to be a con. She didn't want to do it for her father or aunt. It kind of hurts that she joined the industry not because of family, but hey, at least she did it. She joined the world for you, Elxa. She wanted to know every bit about you, no lies, and no secret. She didn't want you to try to protect her from the world that took you away from her. She's no Kristen. She isn't afraid of meeting the problem head-on, and I guess that comes from me. She's strong and she isn't afraid anymore." Hayden explained with a shrug, in a tone that didn't fit a man who was about to lose his daughter to her lover well.

"What he's trying to say, Elxa, that he accepts that fact that Kaylen really loves you. And if you really love her, you will go down to where you met her, and listen to her. It doesn't matter what we think –if you really love her, chase her. If Seyfrieds are good at running, then you must prepare to chase. And I will tell you she is a good Seyfried." Hayley interrupted politely, the encouraging look in her eyes.

If Seyfrieds were made to run...

Elxa nodded, jumped up, and ran out without a second word.

...Then he would chase her until the ends of the world.

____________________________________________________________________________________

Going back to the corner, where I first saw you

Gonna camp right here in this corner, I'm not gonna move

Got some words in my mind now, got your picture in my head

Saying, "If I see that boy, will he love me for who I am?"

Some try to hand me money, they don't understand

I'm not a prostitute, I'm just waiting for my man

I know this is just crazy, but what else can I do

How can I move on when all I think about is you?

Cause right now when I'm waiting, I hope that you're missing me

And I really am wondering where on the earth you could be

Thinking maybe you won't come back to the place we'd first meet

Then I'll see you running towards me, from the corner of the street

Oh, I'm still waiting

I'm still waiting

People watching, think I'm crazy here

I, look like I've been waiting for him a day, a month, a year

Gotta stand my ground even if it rains or snows

If he really loves me, this is the place that he will go

Cause right now when I'm waiting, I hope that you're missing me

And I really am wondering where on the earth you could be

Thinking maybe you won't come, back to the place we'd first meet

Then I'll see you running towards me, from the corner of the street

I'm still waiting

I'm still waiting

I'm still waiting

I'm still waiting

People see this crazy girl,

Who's singing to herself, oh whoa

There are no holes in her mind

But a big hole in her heart

Maybe I'll get famous as the crazy girl who won't move

And maybe you don't know it, but I'm waiting just for you

And you'll come running to the corner

Cause you know that I love you

I'm the girl who won't be moved

How I wish you'd come down soon

Cause right now when I'm waiting, I hope that you're missing me

And I really am wondering where on the earth you could be

Thinking maybe you won't come, back to the place we'd first meet

Then I'll see you running towards me, from the corner of the street

Oh, I'm still waiting

(Cause right now when I'm waiting, I hope that you're missing me)

I'm still waiting

(And I really am wondering where on the earth you could be)

I'm still waiting

(Thinking maybe you won't come, back to the place we'd first meet)

I'm still waiting

(Then I'll see you running towards me, from the corner of the street)

Waiting here in this corner, where I first saw you

Gonna wait till the night is out, I'm still loving you.

"Gonna wait till the night is out, I'm still loving you." She sang, shifting her weight from one feet to another, suddenly getting the chills of the cold winter night. Rubbing her hands together weren't helping, but she wasn't sure if the cold was on the outside or inside.

He wasn't here yet, and the more songs she sang –and changed the lyrics accordingly –was the longer she waited in cold, the longer people gave her weird looks, and the more she lost faith. "The Man Who Can't Be Moved" was already the third song she'd changed the lyrics for, and if he really didn't come, she didn't know what song she would sing next. Perhaps a Taylor Swift love song to make herself feel just that slight bit better?

"Oh, Elxa, Baby, I am feeling so alone

I'm trying to wait, but all there's left for me is hope

If you come down now, I'll forgive everything you did

It's a love story, Elxa, just complete me."

Testing out the chorus for "Love Story" by Taylor Swift made it sound weird, but still acceptable as she began to shiver again. What a day to choose to confess her feelings –she couldn't have chosen a better day as she stood in the cold winter wind. Any moment now, it would start snowing, and she would be caught, waiting stupidly at the corner.

The lamplight overhead still flickered, and even though it wasn't too late at night yet, there were only a scattering of people walking by, giving her weird looks for her singing to herself.

Someone collided into her roughly, and the shock took her off her feet as she fell delicately to the floor. As she looked up, jarred out of her thoughts, she saw an unfamiliar man with a black hood pulled up over his head. The shadow of the lamplight overhead covered his face, but she could easily see her wallet and phone in his hand.

She tried to get back up, to snatch it back –her instincts of a conwoman coming back to her –but it wasn't needed, for he backed up and whipped out a rusty dagger. There was no asking what he was about to do, and she restrained herself from jumping out for her belongings. Truly, this street must really be her bad luck street. 2 times she'd been here in 6 years; 2 times she was going to get robbed.

Biting her lip, she let the man backtrack and watched as he ran. 6 years ago, it had been the same situation; her helplessly watching the back of her robber running away. Had nothing changed?

A brush of strong wind –brought about by a heavy body of flesh brushed past her –made her stumble a few steps, and she watched a very familiar back of a body she knew well chase.

It had been the same 6 years ago, too.

Her heart suddenly leapt, and all thoughts of love songs in her head was abandoned as she took off her heels, suddenly unafraid of the coldness of the air, and charged off after the robber and her savior. This time, she had managed to train her stamina up just enough to catch up with the two, where her savior had her robber pressed against a wall in a police hold. The knife lay abandoned on the floor, and there were no signs of blood on it.

She breathed a heavy sigh of joy and relief.

He pushed the robber's twisted arm further into his lower back, and the robber began his weak protests. Eventually, he surrendered her belongings quickly, begging to not be turned over to the police.

He let the robber go, and quickly, it became him and her standing alone on the street.

"You came..." She whispered, her eyes roaming him up and down, as if disbelieving. How long had she held on to the hope, but knowing somewhere in heart that he wouldn't appear?

"You were waiting." His reply was short and even, and he refused to turn to look at her. What would he see? A woman angry at making him wait? A woman who has seen him on The Circle, and finally decided that he was too cruel, too emotionless a man to be a lover?

"But I didn't expect you to come." She commented in reply, still not daring to make the move. What would she see if he turned around? A man who no longer wanted her, no longer loved her because she'd changed too much. She'd thought prison would change him, but he didn't seem much changed on the outside. Instead, the 5 years had changed her into a completely different person that she herself couldn't recognize. Whatever would he think about the newly changed her?

"You should be more confident than that. You are a Seyfried." He replied evenly again, and her anticipation was killing her. When she'd once thought his evened voice to be a curious quirk, it now irked her, as she tried so hard to read something from the tone of his voice. Had he been gone so long that she lost the ability to read his mood from his tone, or had he been better at hiding it?

"I am still Kaylen." She declared, praying that the fact that she'd embraced the Seyfried part of her –the conning part of her –didn't put Elxa off. She was essentially still Kaylen, still the woman he met once. Yes, she might have changed, but her heart hadn't.

Would he know it?

"And I still Elxa Dal." He replied evenly, but she detected a hint of pride in that tone. What was he trying to say?

"You haven't changed much." She ventured, still not daring to move further, for fear of chasing him away. Seyfrieds were good at running, not catching. She wouldn't know what to do if Elxa started running away from her.

"I am a very much changed man. In there, I realized what matters most to me, what I missed out in my years, and what I will never want to miss ever again." Elxa said, his back still to her.

"What is it?" She bit her lip, afraid he would say a million other things.

He turned around slowly, and when he looked at her, she suddenly couldn't think straight. Her eyes landed on his lips, his nose, and his eyes. She watched his black eyes narrow on her, watched as the corner of the lips tilt softly into a beautiful smile that she'd only seen once ever before. It was a beautiful smile that instantly made the Elxa she knew handsome and charming, and all over again, she fell crazily for him.

"You. You calling my name, you asking if I want breakfast, lunch or dinner. You; bringing me a bottle of cold water every time I come back, waiting to be my cane whenever my legs hurts. Me, carrying you to bed every time you get the menstrual cramps, and tucking you there when you are weak and pale. Us, together in the same house, the same room, talking about a million things and nothing at once. We don't have to be cons to be together. You don't have to force yourself to be one for me. But if you will run, Kaylen Seyfried, then I will chase you. I, Elxa Dal, will chase you until the ends of the world, and I will find you there, waiting for me, and singing your weird songs."

He grinned at her startled expression, the fuzzy feeling of warmth spreading throughout his chest when he watched her squirm with embarrassment.

"You heard me singing?" She asked shyly, purposefully ignoring his other declarations of love as if it was too much for her to deal with.

"I was watching you from the corner of the street, wondering how a beauty like you could stand to be out in the cold, waiting so stupidly for a man who doesn't deserve it." He replied simply, stepping closer and wrapping her quickly in his warm embrace. She didn't reject him, and the warmth spread more from his chest.

"How long would you have been waiting there if the robber didn't come? Wait; was the robber your idea too?" She asked, suddenly pulling from his embrace to look up at him.

"I lied to you once about everything Kaylen. But now you mean too much for me to lie. I want us to be like Hayley and Jeremy. We lie to survive, but with each other, we will look at each other, and understand immediately what we want from each other. We will say nothing but truths to each other; and it is truth now that I will tell you. The robber was entirely a happy coincidence." He declared, and she smiled brilliantly in reply, allowing herself back into his tight embrace, pressing her cheek to his chest.

"I love you, Mr. Elxa."

"'Mr. Elxa'?"

"It's been so long since I last called you that. It just doesn't feel right calling you Elxa."

"I am at home calling you Kaylen, Ms. Hurst." He replied with a brilliant light laugh, and Kaylen shivered with the comfort of warmth spreading through her.

"Let's go home." He said after a short while, still feeling Kaylen's soft shivering in his embrace. "It's cold."

"Cold?" Kaylen asked with surprise as they continued down the street, hand in hand. "I'm surprised you feel cold, Mr. Elxa."

If he was disturbed by her calling him 'Mr. Elxa', he didn't show it as he smiled at her. "Why?"

Still beaming, she shrugged her shoulders, squeezing his hand as if trying to make sure he was really there, really alive and right beside her.

"I don't know, you've never really struck me normal. From Day One." She admitted, and she laughed at his startled look.

"I have never been normal? Why, am I not just a Common Man, as you called me?"

This time, she laughed harder, and he had to relent, laughing too. "Then I must truly be Socially Awkward?"

"With your singing on the corner of the street? Yes." He replied honestly, and her replying smile was beautiful. It was everything he'd wished to see in his five years, and as he walked alongside her in the cold, feeling her warm little hand in his, he felt very accomplished.

It wasn't the years of being a con that had given him that feeling. It wasn't the pride of watching Jon grow into a successful man of his own rights. It wasn't the strength of his power on The Circle.

It was her. It was Kaylen Seyfried who made him feel as if he had everything in the world.

With her, he just wasn't Elxa Dal anymore. With her, he wasn't just the man on The Circle, the man in power of every situation and position.

With her, he was just another common man.

Somehow, he loved it.