(double update to apologize for being gone 3874 years. it's unedited and short though, my bad... ⚆ _ ⚆ hope you enjoy it anyways xx)

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

EVELYN LOOKS DOWN AT Harry's unconscious figure, her chest constricted from both anxiety and guilt. She knows this isn't what he wants. It's only what he believes he needs. She hadn't realized how horrible it would be for him when she suggested the idea to the doctor. She thought it was something he wanted.

Gavriel is dangerously close to the doctor, hovering over his shoulder. "What's that for?" he asks warningly, like he's been doing since the operation started.

The doctor sighs quietly, but answers nonetheless. "It's a numbing serum. Although he's under anesthesia, this will reduce the pain when he awakens." Gavriel, unconvinced, glares. The doctor sighs again. "Would you like me to inject you to prove it?" he asks sarcastically.

Evelyn isn't really surprised when Gavriel lifts his hand towards the needle.

The doctor gapes at him. "Loyal until the very end," he mutters, but jabs the top of Gavriel's hand and injects a small portion of the serum into him.

After a few moments, Gavriel shakes his hand and gives a nod. "Continue."

Evelyn glances to Micah, who's standing a little off to the side yet intently focused on the situation. His eyebrows are furrowed as he watches the doctor's every move, his lips pressed together thinly. She looks to Talon next, who has his arms crossed as he scans the doctor's tool, confirming they are what he says they are. She wonders how close Talon got to the doctor to be able to learn so much. They certainly aren't close anymore.

She doesn't know how long it's been. It feels like years but also like only a few minutes. It's a bit crammed in the room, but that makes her feel better. There are so many eyes watching carefully, so many voices ready to speak up if any of them get a bad feeling.

"You think I am so terrible to not stick to my word?" the doctor says quietly to her as she leans over to watch. His lips barely move. "I am a man that upholds my promises."

"Don't get any closer to her," a deep voice suddenly snaps, causing both Evelyn and the doctor to look up at Micah.

The doctor stifles yet another sigh and angels his face further away from the girl.

Despite herself, Evelyn believes the elder, at least in this aspect. She's seen how he "upholds his promises," albeit none of them have ever been good. She isn't worried he'll make Harry worse by adding anything, since all of them are observing so closely. He wouldn't be able to get near enough to try anything without one of them snapping. No. She's worried he'll believe himself redeemed when this is over. She's worried he'll manipulate Harry's emotions like he's done countless times before.

She's worried she won't be able to kill him fast enough.

That's the plan, after all. She has no intention of holding up her end of the bargain. It's why Harry doesn't need to know. It was an empty promise simply to get the old man to reverse the havoc he wreaked on Harry. Perhaps it isn't her right to be the one who slits his throat, but it's now something she has to do.

To be fair, probably anyone in this camp has some right to be this man's killer. All of their families have been taken, whether by death or Turning or some other cause. All of their livelihoods have been destroyed because of this man's "dream." At this rate, Evelyn figures anyone has a right to take his last breath. She thinks he knows it, too. He may be a monster, but this monstrosity formed from being so brilliant. She doesn't underestimate his paranoia or his keen eyes.

Evelyn forces herself to watch when the doctor pulls out the excessive amount of canines. It's disgusting and makes her cringe, but she won't take her eyes off Harry for a second. She's shocked at how many were crammed in there, if she's honest. She can only imagine how badly it hurt.

"His gums will obviously be sore for quite some time," the doctor explains. "I can help them close back up to normal, but his body will have to do most the healing. His teeth may ache from time to time, but I imagine he can handle the pain."

"Well, considering you are the one who's forced him to endure it all, you should know," Evelyn retorts in annoyance.

She watches him realign Harry's teeth. She almost laughs aloud when the doctor pulls a retainer out of his bag. She used to have to wear one when her paranoia caused her to grind her teeth at night. She doesn't know why it's so amusing for her to see one in the doctor's frail hands. Perhaps because it's something of use and not destruction.

"I recommend he leave this on for a day or two. With his healing abilities, he should be fine in no time."

"And the aggression?" Evelyn asks, quirking a brow.

The doctor gives her a look. "I gave him something to counteract it, also to flush it out of his system. But there's no telling how long it'll take because of how much was injected."

Hearing how much he truly put into Harry's body sends a fire raising through Evelyn, but she steals her nerve and nods curtly.

Gavriel makes everyone jump when he punches the brick wall, leaving a spiderweb of cracks in his wake.

"Sorry," he says sheepishly, shrugging slightly. "Wanted to see if the feeling was back in my hand yet."

"Is it?" Evelyn asks, amused.

It's then that Gavriel lets himself wince, rubbing his reddened knuckles. "Yeah, it is."

Micah snorts. "Idiot."

Talon finds himself smiling, a gesture he hasn't felt in years.

The operation had taken just over two hours, it being nearly three in the morning. Gavriel leads the doctor back out to the guards so they can haul him to a cell with chains weighing him down once more. Micah takes a reassuringly look at Harry's still sleeping figure before saying he's going to check on Killian, Erik, Locke, and the kids. Talon hovers in the corner like a lost child, a silence falling over he and Evelyn.

"Thank you," she says through gritted teeth, clenching her fists. "For making sure he was being truthful."

Talon nods softly, fumbling with his hands. Neither of them have forgotten the time she nearly lashed out at Micah's camp when she recognized him as her mother's murderer. Evelyn can't help but to hear her mother's screams every time she meets the experiment's gaze.

"Eve," he starts off quietly, hesitantly.

She holds her hand up. "Don't. Just... don't."

He does, though. He has to get it off his chest. "I need you to understand how sincerely sorry I am." He's speaking so low, her ears strain to hear him properly. "That... that wasn't me then. I would have never... I just..."

"I get it," she says after he can't seem to put his thoughts into words. "Back then, it wasn't any of you. I know that. I really do. But..." She feels a lump swelling in her throat as she looks to the ground. "It hurts," she whispers. "I can barely look at you."

"I understand. I don't expect you to forgive me."

"Talon." It's a struggle to look back up at him but she manages. "I forgive you, because I know it that bastard who made you that way. But I can't forget what I saw... Just, I don't hate you, okay? That's what I'm trying to say."

God, if it got anymore awkward, she may just run out of the room.

Luckily, she hears Harry shift on the table with a grunt. The doctor said he would wake fairly quickly since his tolerance for medication is so high. The amount of anesthesia it took just to get Harry asleep had Evelyn more anxious than the operation itself.

She's instantly beside him, making sure he doesn't sit up.

He peels his eyes open and blinks a few times, squinting at her. "Did it...?"

She grins and nods excitedly. "Yeah," she says softly. "It did."

His eyes widen a little as he opens his mouth, gently touching his gums. He has his two original fangs only because the doctor said they were now too permanent to remove. Not only would it have been excruciatingly painful, but he could've lost a lot of blood since the doctor had no replacements.

He flinches at first, but then he runs his tongue over his gums. Then he rolls his lips together. Then he stretches his mouth as if he can't believe it can open and close normally now. Evelyn laughs at him, relieved to see him relieved.

Talon clicks his tongue. "I'll go see if Gavriel needs help..."

When Talon leaves, Harry tries to sit up. "Hey, stupid, go slow," Evelyn scolds when she sees him wince. He grabs her hand and cautiously raises himself upright.

"I'm fine," he says with a chuckle. "Just a little dizzy."

"There is one thing," she says, frowning. "You may still have aggressive spells from time to time. The doctor said it'll flush out of your system little by little, but he doesn't know how long it'll take and--"

"It's okay," he cuts her off, smiling. And God, it's so nice to see him smiling without the massive teeth. He finally looks like himself again. Evelyn feels the lump return to her throat, but not for the loss of her mother this time.

"I'm sorry," she whispers, feeling her eyes sting. "I know you didn't want to do this. I should have asked you. I just thought... I don't know. I know you hated them and I thought it was the least I could do. I just wanted to help."

She feels one hand slip under her chin while the other pushes against her lower back, bringing her closer to she's standing between his knees. "Thank you," he says and he means it. A twinkle alights in his eyes as he starts to grin, causing Evelyn to look at him strangely.

"What?" she asks, slightly worried. "What are you grinning like a maniac for?"

"I almost forgot about something."

"About what?"

He slides off the table onto his feet, ignoring how his vision blurs briefly as he takes Evelyn's face in both his hands. She's stunned for a moment at how quickly his lips meet hers, different from how they have before. This is no wary peck. There's no fear when he kisses her now, as if it's the last kiss they'll ever share. She stumbles as her heart races, trying to keep up. She's never been kissed like this, after all. What if she's doing it wrong?

Her back meets the wall and still, he kisses her deeper. She can hardly breathe. Her hands run up his chest, into his hair. She doesn't know how long they stay like this. She doesn't want to stop. When he pulls away, she almost pouts.

He rests his forehead on hers, both of their breathing rapid as their chests heave heavily. She stares at him in shock and awe. His lips are red and swollen, but if he cares he doesn't show it. In fact, when he catches her bewildered gaze he smirks, softly kissing her one last time as if he hadn't rendered her speechless.

"There," he whispers, his voice husky and it sends a shiver down Evelyn's spine. "That's the first kiss you deserve."