Their Bloody Rose

Who She Was Or Who She Is?

On the way home, Logan called Phillip and got him to start looking into Marissa's supposed past to figure out for sure whether that really was her and if there were any more dark secrets that could pop up and surprise them. Aside from that though, it was a nearly silent 5 hour drive. The only other person who spoke was their medic, Sean, when he went over cleaning and treating Marissa's wounds when they got close to their house.

Once home, Eddie carried Marissa up to her room, followed closely by Sean who laid a blanket on her bed so the blood didn't get on her sheets. He then set out all the medications and clean bandages and things they'd need to care for her while Eddie got her settled.

"With the medicine I gave her, she'll be out cold til morning," Sean said as he packed up his kit after giving Marissa's bandages one last check. "She'll likely be quite groggy and out of it when she wakes up, and she needs to stay off that leg for at least a week, but otherwise she should be just fine. I'll keep my phone on me and if you need anything just call."

"Thanks Sean," Eddie said as Sean made his exit. He then pulled the bench at the end of Marissa's bed around to the side so he could sit beside her. He knew any logical person would be scared of her and pull away. Logan and Fiona seemed to be anyway since they'd gone straight to Logan's office to talk with Phillip about Marissa. Most anyone would see her as a monster considering all she'd done in that warehouse, so he understood them creating a little distance. But Eddie didn't want or need distance. On the drive home, looking over her sleeping, bloody body, he had realized he didn't care who she was, or what she'd done. Nothing would change who she is to him.

Eddie had been at the receiving end of her darkness before, he even still carried a few scars on his back from that day. He realized he could have easily ended up like those bodies mangled on the warehouse floor back then, but he didn't. She'd kept him safe. She'd comforted him and cared for him after. He understood the darkness inside her better now, and of all of them, he knew most what it was like to need to feed that kind of darkness.

The need to kill, to take a life, brutally, was something in himself he'd fed for years before he met Logan and Fiona. After his little brother's death he'd gone off the deep end, dropped out of college, been cut off by his parents, and started working as a gun for hire. He drowned his pain in the blood of others and lost all sense of self, until he found Fiona and Logan. They brought him back, they kept him grounded. If it weren't for them coming into his life Eddie didn't know where he'd be. And now as he sat there by their sweet sleeping Marissa he felt like this was his chance to pay that forward. He could help her find herself again, give her a home, love her so much she's able to love herself for exactly who she is.

Eddie just sat there a moment looking at Marissa as she slept peacefully. Sean had gotten a good amount of the blood off of her in the car, but there was still quite a bit in her hair and on her fingernails and such, and of course all over her clothes.

Eddie decided to, as gently and carefully as he could, cut her bloody clothes off of her with his knife so she could rest more comfortably. The blood had soaked through the fabric and was sticking to her skin, so he grabbed a small towel and wet it with warm water to help get the clothes and more of the blood off her. It took some time, especially since he was trying to move her as little as possible, but soon the bloody fabric was off her. He then draped another blanket over her, tucking her in so she'd be warm and rest well.

He couldn't help gently taking her hand in his as he watched over her. He just needed to feel her close, to hold her somehow and let her know, and himself know too, that she was safe.

Soon, Logan and Fiona came in and sat down on either side of Eddie on the bench. Fiona put her hand on Eddie's where it held Marissa's and Logan carefully brushed the hair out of Marissa's face.

"How's she doing?" Logan asked as his fingers lingered, gently tracing soft patterns on her cheek.

"Sean gave her some meds to help her rest and said she should be awake by morning," Eddie replied. "Did you talk to Phillip?"

"Yeah we did," Fiona said as she gave Eddie's hand under hers a soft squeeze.

"And?" Eddie asked as the room quickly felt far too heavy with uncertainty.

"And she is who Knives said she is," Logan answered as he turned to take Eddie's free hand in his. "Marissa is La Rosa Insanguinata. The timeline of when she told us she came here and when this La Rosa fell off the map match. It all lines up. No one knows her exact body count but it's apparently rumored to be in the thousands. She's a big reason why The Fatal Pantheon have the power they do today. With her at his side Ludovic Bianchi, the former head, was able to take out all of his competitors one by one in just a few short years. We still don't know why she ran after he died though. But I think she's the only one who can answer that question."

Eddie looked into Logan's eyes after he finished talking, afraid to know the answer to the question he knew he had to ask. "And does that," Eddie whispered hesitantly, "does that change how you feel about her?" He turned to look at Fiona. "For either of you?" He knew they were always all or none when it came to dating other people so if they were out he'd be expected to follow, it's how they always handled things. But truthfully, he didn't know if he could do it this time. He didn't know if he could let her go if they didn't want to stay with her anymore.

Fiona answered first, giving Eddie a sweet smile and squeezing his hand. "I thought about it, and I was honestly really confused and uncertain at first, but then I realized it didn't matter. It doesn't change who she is with us, it doesn't change how I feel. I still love her." Her last sentence hung in the air like a heady perfume, flooding their senses. They'd all known they were each in love with her for quite some time now, but no one had ever said it out loud before.

"I do too," Eddie said with an almost tearful smile. "I love her no matter what her past may be. The same way you both have loved me." He paused and turned expectantly to Logan who was looking down at Marissa and caressing her cheek ever so softly.

"Nothing in heaven and earth, past, present, or future, could ever make me stop loving her," Logan whispered as a small glimmering tear slid down his cheek. "She's our missing piece, our everything. She could be the devil incarnate and that wouldn't change a thing. I'll always love her, for all she is."

"We need to tell her," Fiona said, "she needs to know how we feel. One of the hardest parts of her getting taken has been dealing with the idea of losing her before getting to tell her how I feel, how we feel. And I think you were both feeling that too weren't you?"

Eddie nodded as Logan said, "Let's tell her when she wakes up. We can make a beautiful breakfast in bed for her. Get her some treats and maybe some gifts. Just absolutely pamper her like never before. Really show her our love so when we tell her, she's already feeling it."

"I like this plan," Eddie said with a bright smile.

"I do too," Fiona said, "how about you two go get stuff going and I'll stay here to watch over her til we get closer to morning, then I can go cook breakfast while one of you take over for me here, sound good? I just- I don't want her to be alone you know?"

"Yeah. We do," Eddie said as he leaned over to place a warm kiss on her cheek before replacing his hand with hers holding Marissa's. "I love you Fi."

"Love you too Eddie," Fiona said smiling sweetly as the boys stood up. She watched as they both placed gentle kisses on Marissa's forehead before coming to place similar ones on hers.

"Call us if you need anything ok?" Logan said after he'd kissed her forehead. "I love you."

"I will," Fiona replied, "I love you Logan."

With that the guys left to go start getting things together so they could shower Marissa with their love when she woke up, leaving Fiona to watch over her.