Gone

38.

That night after night patrol Coon invites Stone out for dinner, "Row and Williams will join us once they're done with their shift." Amoura nods and follows Coon into a cab. They've finally made their peace and despite Stone not telling Williams who it is she came back for she's certain Coon knows and she has a feeling Row knows to.

"You know," Stone looks at Coon as he speaks up, "about the googly eyes you and Row have been giving each other, yeah I've noticed the smiles during drills. Six AM is way too early for you all to be smiling for no reason."

Coon laughs, "We're glad you and William finally made up." She shakes her head, "no that's not it." Coon avoids the topic, "what are you going to do about McDreamy over there?" Stone too dodges the question, "you watch that show too?" Stone mutters, "I'll tell you my dirty little secret if you tell me yours." He gives her a look and she mirrors it back to him.

He reluctantly agrees, "you're in love with him." Stone sighs, "I don't think I ever stopped." Coon smiles, "so I was right, you came back to him. Why? What made you decide to live."

"I wasn't going to, I let Heminsworth heal and I was going to stay there and die. But then I hear it, I hear his voice and all the pain that came with me dying, and I couldn't do it. So I fought to come back."

"So?" Coon asks after he tells the driver where to go. "I'm going to stop sleeping with McDreamy, its messing with my judgment." Coon nods as he gets what she means.

"So you don't like that he makes you feel." Coon states as he sits back. "I don't want to feel. I've done a lot of bad things Coon. Letting those things affect me can destroy me. And I'm not ready to become undone like that. I've done a lot of bad, a lot of bad has been done to me." She looks at him.

"Fearing your past is what's crippling your future. Haven't you stopped to think that maybe your stronger now and you can handle it now?" She looks at him, "do you think anyone will ever be strong enough to take ten months worth of torture?"

He looks at her, "you did." She shakes her head, "this is the result of shoving all those months away into a dark corner of my mine, they're locked up with my emotions."

"And now you have the chance to heal and evolve. You're no longer in survival mode, you did it now you get to alter yourself to living. It will hurt but losing out on love because your afraid will hurt more than hiding away."

"You can't be certain about that." Coon quickly counters, "can you? Can you be without a doubt certain that letting him go won't cause you pain? You literally fought death to avoid causing him pain, do you honestly think pushing him away will spare you?" Stone looks away as Coons words settle in.

"We're not mates we won't last anyways." He calls her until she looks at him, "that doesn't make your love any less real. And you know it" Stone smiles sadly, "I don't deserve him."

"Yet he still wants you," Stone looks down and stares at her hands, "I don't think I'll ever understand why."

"Neither do I." Stone laughs and slaps him on the arm.

"Alright well back to you I realized I don't know much about you Coon or Row for that matter." She asks trying to change the subject.

"Well I'm a vampire-" she gives him a look, "oh and here I thought you were pale from the lack of sun, things I don't know Coon." He gives her a look.

"I was turned when I was twenty by a woman who wanted a small army to protect her from the humans. It didn't go as she planned a few of her sires turned on her. Then I was free and I came across a vampire coven and they took me in and they 'raised' the vampire you know. When the S.I.D.O was created it I joined hoping to be able to help others."