The Altercations With Purity

Anything

A few hours after the ruined feast, the Beast went to the nursery to try and talk to Casey. He found her in her rocking chair, Baylor asleep in her arms. She looked up at him when he entered, but didn't say anything. The Beast sat down on the edge of the bed, not entirely sure what to say. He still wore his white suit and Casey her black dress. They felt so apart, so different.

"I would never hurt Baylor." The Beast decided to say. It was simple, but he felt like it would express a lot more than any other words.

"I want to believe you." Casey said, looking down at Baylor. "But you said he'll know pain." The Beast was fully aware of what he said. He never meant for those three words to haunt her like it did.

"I know. I was wrong to say that. I didn't mean I would have someone hurt him. I would never do that."

Casey turned to look at the Beast, really look at him. She stared into his black eyes and tried to stomach the sight of the man she once loved.

"What did you mean, then?" The Beast saw the hate in Casey's eyes. He saw how she trembled looking at him.

"You and Kevin are lightning rods for pain. You were both bullied, abused, ignored. When our son goes to school, I can imagine he'll face the same fate." Casey scoffed at his words.

"So we're supposed to hope he gets bullied?" She asked, angrier than she was before.

"Just once. The one time he gets bullied we can pull him out and never have to worry about his purity again." The Beast knew that purity didn't work that way, but he knew his son wouldn't be bullied just once. No one ever was. "I will kill all the students who pick on him. The students and their families." Casey let out a light laugh.

"You know I will, Casey. I won't let anyone live who has hurt our child." Casey felt his honesty. She knew he spoke the truth.

"I do know. And a part of me loves you for that. But it doesn't change what I said at the feast. Purity is just a word." The Beast was not expecting that. He had it in his mind that she would forgive after he talked to her about Baylor. He expected everything to go back to their normal.

"What?" He asked. Casey sighed, trying to come up with words to express how she felt.

"Two men died because of me. Claire's dad was probably a great guy before his daughter died. And Clark.... I don't know, but he was a detective who tried to help me. He was always nice to me. And he died saving me from the man who just wanted answers about his daughter. We did that. I did that."

The Beast couldn't understand her guilt. He wanted to, but he couldn't. Claire needed to die. There was no there way in his eyes. He didn't care about her family and who would miss her because she was just a filthy impure. But Casey took this to heart. The Beast believed motherhood was to blame.

"You can't think like that. Or nothing will ever be accomplished in our mission. I need you by my side, Casey. We're stronger together." Casey looked away from the Beast. She knew he wouldn't understand her feelings. No one could except maybe one person.

Casey looked at the clock that hung by the kitchen and saw that it was 9:55pm. He would be here soon. "I know. I need some air. Can you watch Baylor while I go outside?" The Beast nodded and took the sleeping child from her arms. Casey was glad he didn't ask questions and tried to get out of the room as fast as she could without arising suspicion. Casey skipped steps as she bolted down the stairs and sped walked to the front of the hotel.

She saw Richard's car already parked outside. He was early, he usually got here at 10pm to meet up with Elizabeth. She got in the backseat of the car and kept low so no one saw her. "Casey?" Richards asked, confused.

"Drive. Before Elizabeth comes." Richards didn't question her, he just started his car and started driving.

"What's wrong?" He asked her after they put some distance between them and the hotel.

"Why are you pure?" Casey asked, not wanting to get down to her business until he answered their ritual question.

"My mom and her boyfriends loved to beat me." He answered automatically.

"What did they beat you with?" Casey pressed, adding this question to see if he could remember what he answered.

"Whips, chains, and they burned me with cigarettes."

Casey relaxed, sitting up in her seat. He passed her test. "Now will you tell me what's going on?" He asked, worried about the girl he used to hate.

"Yes. I will tell you everything. But I have a big favor to ask of you." Richards looked in the rear view mirror to catch Casey's eyes. He didn't know what she was going to ask him, but he already knew he would do it. 

"Anything." He replied.

*************************

Richards drove back to the hotel to pick up Elizabeth. He dropped Casey off a few feet away from the hotel so Elizabeth wouldn't see her. He pulled up to the hotel and saw his girl with her arms crossed over her chest. She walked over to the car and got in, not saying a word. "I should have called." He said, stating the obvious.

"Yeah, you should have. You're twenty minutes late."

Richards started the car again and drove off before Casey could come into view. "I'm sorry. The whole station wants to find the Fear Monger and it's getting harder and harder to leave early." Elizabeth felt bad for him, having to live a double life, so she decided to not give him too much of a hard time.

"I'm still angry." She said, playing hard to get.

"I'll make it up to you." Richards promised. Elizabeth smiled and rested one hand on his upper thigh. 

"I know you will."

Richards drove as she went down on him, not wanting this moment to end. After he did what Casey asked him to do, there was a good chance that he would never see Elizabeth again.