Now before you get mad...

[Helene Hewitt]

A lot had happened in the last 48 hours. Helene had gone from feeling a feeling of emptiness, to surprise at seeing Wesley again, to spending an entire day with just him; living a life she’d so desperately wanted, to returning home, prepared to break his heart, to her in-laws showing up unexpectedly, to feeling so broken and like her world was ending, to only be rescued by her sweet sailor. He knew it all now, everything she’d done, and there was no fear at him judging her actions. She had a reason. Always.

That morning had been just as crazy as the day before, only it had turned into search for Mari that led Helene and William deGrey to a place she never wanted to visit again. The emotional rollercoaster wasn’t done, and Helene’s greatest fear had nearly come true. Now...Laying in a bed within the safety of the castle, her dear sister lay beaten and broken. Helene hadn’t been there to stop it. To stop him.

Marinette was resting in the room William had prepared for her, and the two were letting her sleep. Helene had sent Darragh and Angus home for some of her and Mari’s things, as they couldn’t go back to Hewitt House yet. It wasn’t safe for either of them in case Davide decided to pay them a visit. So, for the moment they were given rooms at the Castle.

Helene didn’t know which section of the Castle William had put them in, but she found she was restless. Uneasy, and feeling a great sense of helplessness. That same helplessness she’d felt at watching her mother on her death bed. Knowing there was nothing little twelve year old Helene could do. What Mari needed was rest, she knew, but it didn’t help the feelings ease. She kept thinking about all her what ifs. If she hadn't gone to see Elliot yesterday, if she’d come home, what would have happened? Death. Helene knew if Davide had been there when she was home, forcing Mari out of her home, she would have killed him. There would be no engagement to Wesley either. A thought that still seemed good to be true.

She was currently pacing back and forth of the room she was given. Marinette’s was just down the hallway, and Helene was anxiously wringing her hands together. She didn’t know how long she’d been pacing in front of the door, but her thoughts had drifted to Wesley, and she realized he didn’t know what had happened yet. Was he going back to Hewitt House after the Errands he’d run? She couldn’t really track him down if she didn’t know where he was, and how to tell him?

She reached up and rubbed at her face, suddenly feeling extremely tired over the course of everything happening. Her to-do list was slowly beginning to get larger and larger, and she didn’t even know where to start.

Wesley deGrey

[Wesley deGrey]

He had promised to meet Helene back at her home, but Wesley was hoping she would rest a little more after the long day they had, and then the drama that had followed. It had all ended on a rather surprising but positive note, one that led him to stop by Bijoux Savatier. Regardless, his mind was still reeling with thoughts, trying to process it all over again.

Of course, he understood why she had pushed him away- truly, he did- yet a part of him was still hurt, maybe because he was confused. It was clear that she hadn't wanted to trick him into anything or make it seem like she was trying to force him into a commitment he wasn't prepared for...but the sailor had done it anyway. And without hesitation.

All he wanted to do was tell someone, knowing he couldn't, or well shouldn't just yet. They'd likely think he was mad, and he wasn't in the mood to deal with that. He felt content, truly happy for the first time in awhile, and he was going to ride that feeling for as long as possible. So, instead, he'd stop by the castle to let his family know he was back and then return to Hewitt House as soon as he could.

What he didn't expect, however, was to see the woman pacing the corridor.

Wesley came to an abrupt stop at the end of the hall; blinking blue eyes in confusion as he glanced around, like he thought he had gone back to the manor instead. Realizing he hadn't made that mistake, the sailor regarded her as he slowly approached, almost afraid to make too much noise and startle her.

"Helene?" he said her name quietly. "What...are you doing here?" He couldn't seem to shake the feeling that something was wrong, that something had happened. Had something happened? Was she changing her mind about everything? A hand reached out to carefully rest against her arm to get her to stop pacing.

[Helene Hewitt]

Think of the devil, and he shall appear… Helene heard her name and for a moment, thought it was William coming to tell her news about Mari. Expecting him to tell her she was awake and asking for her, or that the doctor had discovered something more serious. She spun just as the hand touched her arm and she came face to face with a concerned looking Wesley.

Yes, what was she doing there? The stress of the last 24hrs was catching up with her and she really suddenly wanted a good cry and a nap. Everything she’d warned him about was happening. She needed to get married and married now. But seeing Wesley’s face was just what she needed to ease those frayed nerves. Reminding herself she wasn’t going this alone. Not anymore.

There was a bit of relief on her otherwise stressed features, and despite where they were at that moment, she took a step forward and threw her arms around him. Hugging him tightly, afraid he’d disappear on her. She took a few steady breathes, calming herself down despite the wave of emotion that was coming over her. After taking a moment to compose herself, she rested her hands on his arms and leaned back to look at him. A grim look on her face. “William knows.” she said quietly. Keeping her voice hushed. “About my father.” She went on to further clarify what exactly it was his oldest brother knew.

She could feel herself getting emotional again, thinking about Mari in that bed with those bruises up her neck and torso. Her broken wrist… “He got her Wes, he got Mari. He came snatch her yesterday while I was gone and now she’s-” Her voice cracked as she struggled to hold herself together, but being in Wesley’s presence was enough to bring out that vulnerability again. "Broken. He beat her black and blue." She said very quietly. Her anger at Davide Roquefort coming back with a nearly blinding rage as she thought about his smug face and the way he'd laughed at Marinette. Her jaw was clenched tight, and she brought a closed fist up to her lips. Pressing them firmly against her knuckles while she averted her eyes. She took another deep breath, trying to not let the guilt of not being their for her sister start to consume her.

[Wesley deGrey]

Something was wrong.

Not only could he see it on her face the moment she looked at him, but he could sense it in the air between them. It immediately had him on edge because he didn't know what it was. A part of him was selfishly worried that she was going to change her mind again, take back everything they had said, everything they had shared, and he would suffer that pain of separation from her.

Still, now that he knew the whole story, Helene would have to do a lot of convincing to push him away. Far more than she had been attempting before. But then suddenly she was throwing herself against him, and his own arms instinctively wrapped around her in an embrace to hold her close, to try and help her feel safe.

Wesley wanted to ask what was wrong again, but instead, he was patient and waited. 'William knows.' His brother knew? Knew what, exactly? As lips parted to speak, she continued and he wasn't entirely sure what was happening. Helene was becoming distraught and all Wesley could do at the moment was physically support her and let her explain.

Gently urging her hand from her face, he enveloped it with one of his own, pressing a comforting kiss to her knuckles. Davide had gotten to Marinette, and it wasn't good. She had only said a little bit but it sounded horrific enough to make his own anger begin to rise. And what was worse, was that he selfishly didn't want Helene to go anywhere near him.

Remaining the calm one as much as possible, he kept an arm around her, tilting his head to try and keep her gaze. "Where is she, Helene? Is she still there?" There was that hint that he was about to do something stupid if her sister was still in that house, and he also wanted to ask what William had to do with this, how he even knew...but, one step at a time.

[Helene Hewitt]

Helene took another deep breath, her dark eyes watching as Wes took her hand in his, and a small smile appeared on her face as he kissed her knuckles. She took the comfort gladly, needed to focus on something or else she might do something stupid. She'd already done enough that morning, she didn't dare make it worse.

She met his gaze, taking the hand he wasn't holding and placing it on his chest while they stood there in the hallway. "She's here, resting." She huffed, nodding to the closest door that was down a ways. Her eyes flickered to where her hand rested on his chest, and she took straightening his shirt out of a need to keep her hands busy. "She didn't come home this morning, I came here where I happened to run into William. She hadn't come for her lessons with Olivia, and I knew something had happened." She explained quietly. "Mari had told William about our father, and I filled in more of the missing pieces when we retrieved her from that house." She further explained. "We...took her from the house without Father's permission. William thought here would be the safest for her, and he doesn't want us going back to my house." She further explained.

When she couldn't smooth out the stupid wrinkle any further, her dark eyes drifted up to catch his, and she pursed her lips. "I...might have done something rash, while we were there..." She said grumpily. Her eyes flickering to reddened knuckles on her hand from where she'd punched her father in the jaw. She hadn't broken his nose...again... So she considered that win. Not killing him outright was also a bonus, though Helene was intent on keeping her promise. It was just a matter of when...

[Wesley deGrey]

He probably should have been mildly concerned about anyone seeing them in some sort of intimate way, specifically his mother or one of her "spies", but it didn't matter at the moment. Something was definitely wrong, and somehow William was involved, so all other concerns were immediately thrown out the window.

Bright eyes glanced towards the door that she mentioned, and he just nodded lightly. So, she was here and safe- that was good, right? As she continued, however, his face fell a little and the concern began to grow once more. The situation with Lord Roquefort was only escalating, and he wondered if their marriage would even stop it. He kept that thought to himself, because she was worried enough.

"Will knew?" he murmured quietly, so as to not fully interrupt. Wesley looked a bit taken aback by that, but didn't dwell further on it. And then, it certainly got worse. He thought his bottom jaw was going to hit the floor. "You what?" he sputtered out, but it wasn't angry, per say, just once again surprised. "Will- my brother- just...?" It's what she said, and he was struggling to believe it. William didn't so easily break the rules like that, especially the law whether he actually believed in them or not.

Following her gaze to her red knuckles, he let out a tired sigh; reaching for that hand now to gently cradle it within his own. "Helene..." It sounded like he was going to scold in some way, but it was clear he had not stance to do so (considering he would have done a lot worse), and he didn't exactly disagree with her.

"So, now...we might have an angry baron coming here to take back what he thinks is his?" he finally asked what this was likely boiling down to. And that was not going to be good. By law, Marinette was "his property", and his brother ignored that completely.

What the hell was happening?

Refraining from another tired sigh, he cupped the side of her face. "What can I do?"

[Helene Hewitt]

Yes, they certainly did what. Helene’s face took on a brief look of innocence as she pursed her lips and tilted her head back to look to at him, merely blinking. “We essentially kidnapped my own sister.” She whispered matter of factly. Way to be so nonchalant, Helene… “If Mari was there any longer he would have killed her.” She whispered. Her tone holding a hint of the venom she’d used on father, and there was a truth to her words. She truly believed Marinette would have been killed if she’d stayed a moment longer with that man. “It was a rescue.” As if that could make the situation any better…

She let Wes take her hand, knowing he was probably concerned, confused, and mix of other feelings. It was a lot to take in, and her eyes softened as she looked at him. Expecting a scold, she was a bit pleased when he didn’t start in and start to tell her that she shouldn’t have done it and she should have come to find him sooner. And if that were the case, she would have told him to stop sounding like that grumpy sailor and that she could handle herself, and his own brother had been there to see things over.

His question made her grimace, and she found herself leaning more towards him. Seeking comfort in his presence. “Yes darling, I’m afraid we might…” She said quietly. “He’s greedy though, and as much as I hate to give him a even a copper piece, Will might have saved some time by hiring Marinette as Olivia’s new Governess. Father gets the money, clearly.” She sighed. But what else could they do to reasonably explain why she couldn’t be with Lord Roquefort?

As he cupped her face, her dark browns flickered up to meet those ocean blues. A small smile appeared on her face and her heart flooded with warmth at his willingness to help. She hadn’t even asked him, and he was already stepping forward. They were in this together now, thanks to last night. He never knew how thankful she was to him. That special bond they had had made it impossible for her to resist him anymore, and right now, she didn’t want to. Her adoration for Wesley showed in her eyes, and she didn’t stop herself as she turned her head slightly to kiss his palm.

“At the moment? This is enough.” She told him, as she closed whatever space was between them and hugged him tightly. “Will’s doing what he can at the moment, Mari’s resting, and I’m…” She murmured into his chest before a small sigh escaped. “Existing. We can’t go home, so I need to figure out where we can stay where we won’t be imposing on anyone.” She voiced quietly aloud.

[Wesley deGrey]

Wesley truly didn't know what to do or what to think at this point. He was still so surprised to hear what his brother had done. Out of all of the deGreys, William wasn't usually the one to get confrontational, so it had him wondering.

And how deep into the sisters' mess was he, and didn't think to tell him?

'If Mari was there any longer he would have killed her.'

After what Helene had told him, he had no doubt, and it made him far more concerned for Marinette. He would have been just as worried about this woman in front of him, but now that he knew everything, now that she had let him in, he could protect her. He had the means to.

The sailor was grinding his teeth as she explained further. Olivia had vocally shared how much she liked Marinette, so he had a feeling William didn't just offer it to get her out of that house. Still, it was a smart move, but Helene was right, it would only buy them time.

His arms immediately wrapped around her as she hugged him, and he rested his head against her. She mentioned needing to find a place to stay, and the gears in his head were immediately turning. "I might know a place..." he began, pulling back just enough to look down at her with that trademark grin. "And your father likely won't think to look there. If you're not here in the castle, we can't hand you over, hmm?" Maybe it was something else that could buy them some time.

"Is Mari well looked after?" he asked. "You up for a quick trip?"

[Helene Hewitt]

Helene’s head tilted back as Wesley said he knew a place. She caught that trademark grin, and she instantly wondered what he was plotting, but she also couldn’t help the small smile that started to creep up on her face. “You, Wesley deGrey, are too smart for your own good.” She murmured as he pointed out that if they weren’t there, then yes. They couldn’t hand them over. Hard to do anything if what you sought wasn’t even in the right place. Or in this case, it would be the right place.

She studied his face quickly for a moment as he asked about Mari, and she nodded. Then her own mischievous look crossed her face. “With you? Always.” She said quietly without hesitation. Something had certainly shifted in their relationship. Not just the fact Helene had finally relented and told him everything, but it went deeper than that. For the first time in a long time, she was allowing herself to trust another individual with the fragile life she and her sister led. She felt whole for the first time ever, and it was because of the man before her.

Helene’s lips curled up into a smile as she gave him a quizzical look, wondering where it was he wanted to take them. Wondering what other little secrets he wanted to share with her, and she ignored the sad feeling that she didn’t have anything like this to share with him. But maybe, it was a blessing in and of itself.