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**** Vincent ****

Vin woke up with a killer headache. He looked around and saw Aria lying on the ground. He blinked and saw a man come through a door way. He pulled his gun up and sighed with releif when he saw Nox. "What the hell happened," Vin asked.

Nox shook his head, "I don't. Flash bang probably with sleeping gas. They didn't take our weapons or anything. I don't think they stayed, I think they left as soon as we were out."

Nox knelt next to the little song and shook her, "Aria, wake up."

She rolled over on her back and blinked at the ceiling. "Ouch." She rubbed her eyes, "No one's here. But Dorian was awake, I can follow him now."

Nox smiled, "We need to think about this. They were ready for us, and D's googles are still here, so they know we were following them."

Vin grinned, "But who knows really what the little song is capable of, outside of us? Or you rather? I'm still learning afterall."

Nox grinned, "It's an advantage.That's for sure, but we need a plan. Our illustrious leader would keep us from floundering, we need to think now. I want him back more than you know but we have to think."

Vin laughed, "Of course you do Sparkler. We can stay here they won't be back for a while. Do your software thing? We know his name, his face, lets see if we can get traffic cams or something on him."

Nox nodded and Aria dug her wallet from her pocket and handed it to him. Nox stated fiddling with the software. When he looked up, "D, had me look up the name of a man. He was involved with you Vin. You stole something from him. D, never told me why, but I think he was conerned about something, wasn't just a background check Christian could have done that. He knew our gods."

Vin nodded.

Aria pulled something else out her pocket, it was a small metallic orb that had weird runes on it. Vin had seen it before. He laughed, "That's what I stole from him."

Nox laughed, "So he's connected to this somehow? That's good." Vin moved over behind Nox and watched as he went through the motions, names and dates and pictures all falshed through quicker than Vin could follow. Nox was either not paying attention or he could follow it much better than Vin.

And then everything froze. Vin asked, "What were you looking for?"

Nox smiled, "A connection where we might find Matias, and Jorg Gutchalkstick, whatever his name is."

Vin laughed, "You are horrible with names."

Nox grinned, "American names I can handle, weird German shit, yeah that ain't gonna happen."

Vin shook his head, "So you think this is where they will take D?"

Nox nodded as he pulled up surveliance cameris and even a satalite image, it was a few hours old, but this boy had a ton of cool gadgets. "I guess it is prudent to hit HQ more often to stay on top of these cool things."

Vin had avoided HQ like the plague when it was the Vatican, all those pious people floating around so not his thing. But now Moscow, it was probably as corupt as any city ever thought of. Maybe he should find a home too...

**** Aria ****

They worked out a plan. Or rather they tried too. Even with all the cool toys, Vin wasn't a leader, Nox pretended to be, and he was fairly decent at it most of the time, but right now he was distracted. It was a good thing, and a bad thing. And really Aria wasn't good at hunting gods. Humans were far less predictable than a monster who all ran pretty much on instinct.

The basic plan was to go scout out the residential house that Nox suspected Dorian had been taken too. It was a sound plan, they had a master theif on their team, Vin's job was to make suggestions. They had the tech that could see through walls, Vin never even had to make it inside the building.

The three of them sat outside the residence several houses down. The land warriors provided detail and Aria knew where the people where. Aria could feel Dorian inside. He was hurt, but that was to be expected, though Aria didn't tell anyone else that. There were two other people inside, plus near the rear of the house and the two on the front door. There were a few people mulling about in the vicinity, Aria couldn't be sure if they were part of the security detail or not.

Nox informed them that there was a ring around the place, "It's probably a security measure, no idea what could be triggered with that kind of set up." Aria knew Nox was filing that trick away for later, it was rare when someone who was a god could show him something new, he thrived on those details and Aria knew that he'd find a use for it later. He always did.

Now they had to think about what they intended to do. There was only three of them against 6. The enemy at least one gods, and the Atharim had one. They were severly outnumbered.

Nox smiled, "I can cut the weave, but that will also likely alert them to our presence. I could take out the guards past it from a distance. But that could alert them. We cross it and it could alert them. Not sure which is the better route. The only advantage we have is that they don't know what I can do."

Vin agreed, "We will do this the normal way then. In quielty, taking out the guards. hatever happens happens. We get inside, find D and we get out. Nox is our secret weapon. Our plan will go to shit anyway."

Nox grinned, "Nightfall?"

Everyone nodded in agreement. Vin drove away and they stopped at a nearby diner to get something to eat. Aria could feel Nox's apprehension, when Vin got up to take a smoke break Aria put her hand on his, "You alright?"

**** Nox ****

Nox laughed, "I'm fine. Dorian's not. That seems to be a problem. I can see why you don't like having to worry about Lucas." He was truly fustrated at the fact that he was worried, he hadn't even worried this much over Aurora, well not until the end not until he knew something was wrong. Before, well nothing really bad had happened, and this was bad. Nox sighed. "This is so not me."

Aria smiled, "Dorian can take care of himself, he knew what he signed up for."

Nox nodded, "I know. But I ... I don't know, I didn't expect this." Nox waved his hand over his head and heart. "The feeling that I'm not going to see him again. It's doing a number on me."

Aria grinned, 'I know."

Nox throw a french fry at her. It was good to be able to joke around but there was still this lingering feeling of dread deep down inside. They had a long time to wait. It was not going to be an easy time of it.

By the time Vin returned, they were all ready to go do something else. So they went for a walk in the park. They could have gone back to Dorian's, but no one really wanted to tell Ana and Cruz that they'd lost Dorian, so they avoid 'home base' for now. But they would have to tell them something eventually. And Nox prayed that it was only good news with the bad news thrown in as a sideline. 'Oh by the way, Dorian was taken prisoner, but we saved him, no worries.'

Nox laughed to himself, that would go over well. Despite the lack of sex in their relationship Ana and Dorian did love one another, just not the way most people loved their spouse. It made him feel a little like a home wrecker. The only real consoling factor in it all was that Ana had been with Christian for something near 10 years. So she'd been 'cheating' far longer than Dorian with him. But it only helped a small bit.

They walked the park, watched a few kids throw a frisbee around, watched the birds bombard a park bench that some kid had left food on. It was boring in reality, but it was relaxing, and it was something they all needed.

Night fell and they found themselves outside the house they'd scouted earlier. It was exactly as they left it. Aria insured that Dorian was alive and Nox breathed a sigh of relief. How could he feel this way so quickly? And over a man? Nox shook his head and Aria gave him a reassuring smile, this was all so very confusing.

Aria and Vin were stealthy in the darkness, the land warriors helped him see them slip into the yard, the weave never changed, but the guards were more alert, it had alerted them to their presence. Nox followed the moment that both guards were lying in pools of their own blood. It was amazing how easy it was to just slit their throats, they were human. But they had sided with people who had taken their friend, and killed another. There was no mercy to be given under those circumstances.

Vin opened the front door with ease, Nox could have used his power to do it, but the object was to not let them know what he could do until it was absolutely necessary. Aria took point. Her ability now the best way to find Dorian. Nox couldn't help but feel the worry sliding around inside him. Aria had said he was alive, but alive did not mean unhurt or near dead, just that he was still there. Nox wondered what someone in a coma would feel like. He might have to ask that one day, but that was for another day.

They crept up the stairs. No noise, no sounds, the house was still as the night around them. Crash, clatter. Something outside shifted and everything in the house came to life. Lights flipped on. A man with a gun came down the stairs at them. But before he could say anything Aria had slit the man's throat. The look in her eyes was very dangerous. He'd seen it before, he'd pulled her from it before. She was nearing that edge, the edge of the rabbit hole, the one that she could lose so much control. And he didn't want to have to kill her tonight. Tonight he couldn't handle it. He needed her if this went badly.

They turned down the hallway. Aria signaled that two men were ahead. She felt both, that mean neither held the power. One could be Dorian, and the other... Well the other was going to die, one way or the other.

Vin moved past the door that Aria stood at. They had the land warriors on and could see the two heat signatures through the wall. Aria pointed to one and indicated it was Dorian. His heart leapt, the heat signature was strong, he could see the bright red center that said he was alive, really alive, not just hanging on by a thread.

Vin turned the door knob and the man inside the room drew upon the power. Nox didn't have time to say anything as he pulled Vin and Aria away from the door as a fire ball flew through the door. Nox was done playing. He grabbed the power and he wove a wall of air in front of him. He hadn't put the theories to real practice and he knew it would tire him out quickly, but Nox readied two other weaves, one to slice and one to put a shield around Dorian as soon as he could. He stepped into the door way as another fireball roared through. Nox smiled through the flames crashing against the wall of air. He could feel the heat. He saw Dorian and the weave landed around him just in time as the earth in front of him erupted into splinters as a boulder crashed through the roof. Nox tied Dorian's shield off and put his attention on the fire weilding man.

It was moments, nano-seconds of time between the fireball and Nox wrapping a coil of fire and air around the man's neck and severing head from body in one very practiced motion. As the head tumbled to the ground Nox heard a gun shot go off. Nox turned in time to see a man tumbling out of a closet with a bullet to the head. There was no more power weilding people present. They could breathe a sigh of releif, there were two more guards and they came rushing up the stairs and were tumbling backwards as two more bullets went off. Nox recognized found their missing god, but the man from Dorian's formal party was a no show.

But the threat was gone, and Nox turned his attentions to Dorian who sat safely behind the walls of air he'd built. He was battered and bruised but he was a live. Nox untied the weave and dropped the power as he untied Dorian's hands from behind his back. Vin had severed the rope at his feet and he and Aria were already calling in Atharim cleaners. Nox wanted to burn the whole place down, but this was not something that would blow over well. The Vega factory was tended too, they wouldn't have to worry there, but there were dead bodies in both places. Their faces on cameras. This could go very badly.

Nox helped Dorian stand up and the man wrapped his arms around Nox's waist and put a hand to his check with a smile before he leaned in and kissed him. The world softened with the warmth of Dorian's lips against his, he could taste reminents of blood but he relished the taste of Dorian.

**** Dorian ****

The entire thing was completely nerve wracking. Kidnapping aside, Dorian watched as Nox took out a man with the power, and Vin shot the other in the head. There was no telling what other damange those three had done to the people who had kidnapped him, and essentially killed Antoinette. He was amazed they had found him so quickly and he was grateful for it. And when the worry for their safety was over, there was nothing more in the world that Dorian wanted to than to sleep for a few days. His body ached from the treatment, his position and the beating they'd given him over those few hours he'd been kept.

Once back on the estate and Ana and Cruz had been reassured taht everything was okay Dorian found himself alone with Nox in his bedroom. Nox watched him with a frown. "It looks worse than it feels."

Nox grinned at him, "You are a terrible liar."

Dorian smiled and walked over to Nox who leaned agains the closed bedroom door. "I'm fine really."

Nox nodded and pulled Dorian closer, "You are fine. But you walk like you hurt, you move with careful precision. You are not okay." Nox kissed him softly and let his hands wander across Dorian's back and shoulders and through his hair.

Dorian smiled followed Nox's lead only touching where Nox was willing to touch him. "I'll prove to you I'm fine."

What started as running his hands over Dorian's clothed body slowly turned into more. Nox was tender and loving but Nox routinely shied away from the more male aspects of their relationship. But Dorian could tell Nox wanted more, his hands straed below the belt. Nox buried his face against Dorian's neck and kissed him as his hands slide to his ass and when one hand slide over the buldge in the front Dorian let out a soft moan. Dorian enjoyed every touch, and ever caress that Nox willing made to his body. Dorian gasped at the gentle touch of Nox's chilled hand on his hip as he slipped his hand inside the waist of his jeans to carress his ass.

Dorian leaned into Nox and Nox pulled him against his body. Nox kissed his neck all the way up to his ear. Biting at his ear lobe, "I want you." His voice was low and filled with lust and desire, "I need you," Nox breathed into his ear which sent a shiver up Dorian's spine. The shy awkward Nox was usually unsure about their relationship but right now he was filled with need and want that made him bold.

It was a slow movement but they found themselves entwined on Dorian's bed, clothes in various states of disarray. Their hands removing what remained of any clothing quick slow easy movements. Dorian followed Nox's lead and was pleasantly surprised at the press of their naked bodies against one another as they kiseed and caressed each other. It was the first for their affair, but it was not be the last, once a hurdle had been pushed passed Nox rarely slide back. Dorian was content to let things stay in their present state, hands everywhere and mouths pressed together, tongues interwining.

But Nox had had other intentions when he made his claims earlier. One of Nox's fingers teased the tight ring of Dorian's back side and Dorian bit back a moan, it had been a surprise that Nox would casually, and so quickly slide his fingers there. Dorian looked down on his lover, Nox's eyes were closed and the look on his face said he was enjoying as much as Dorian was. Dorian reached into the drawer next to the bed and pulled out a jar of oil. He had moved too far way from Nox's hands and now his lover was watching him, heat and passion in his eyes as Dorian placed the bottle in Nox's hand, Nox was grinning at him knowlingly, and Dorian leaned in and kissed him. "Just in case."

Nox bit Dorian's bottom lip and whispered, "There is no just in case tonight." Nox kissed along his jaw line to his ear and his tongue ran along the lobe and probed softy into it before he nibbled at Dorian's ear lobe again eliciting a soft moan from Dorian, he could feel Nox grinning against his ear, "I want more Dorian. I want to feel you around me."

Dorian couldn't help but smile, "What do you need from me?" He turned Nox to look at him, the heat and passion were a fire in Nox's eyes, "I will help how you need me too."

Nox grinned at him, "Just tell me when I'm doing something wrong or you don't like, the concept is not foreign to me." Nox pulled Dorian down against him pressing their bodies tighter together, his hand wandering farther and father down. Dorian moved to give Nox better access and nipped at the side of neck and ears as Nox's fingers worked their way inside him. Nox was not wrong, he was at least experienced in the act itself, his fingers moved slowly, one finger inside curling and searching until Dorian let out ragged moan against the pillow. It had been too long and Nox teased the one spot until Dorian was hard against the hollow of Nox's hip, rutting against him, Dorian could feel Nox's own reaction against his hip.

The second finger pulled against Dorian's opening and he gasped with pleasure. Nox sucked at Dorian's neck and he knew there would be a mark left in the morning. In a quick motion Nox had rolled Dorian on to his back and was kneeling between his legs, looking down at him, his fingers still embedded in him as his other hand wrapped around the length of him. Dorian let out a soft moan as the other man wrapped his mouth around him. A third finger entered him and bit back the moan escaping his mouth.

Dorian looked down his body and Nox was looking up at him, there was no trace of the embarassement that had coursed through him only days before. Dorian tried to remember to ask him later what had changed but for now he could only focus on what his lover was doing.

There was a long moment where Dorian thought he was done but Nox stopped all motion as he adjusted both of them slowly easing himself into Dorian. The look on his Nox's face was heaven, they both had been going crazy with the lack of full penetration, this was far more heaven that Dorian had realized. They moved slowly, already both at the edge, Nox ran his hand over the length of him as he pushed inside at tandem and the moment Dorian crested he could feel Nox tense and release all their pent up fustration together.

Nox collapsed agaisnt Dorian. Nox grinned into his neck he knew that Nox was feeling shy just from the gesture itself, Nox kissed his neck and whispered, "Oh. my. god."

Dorian agreed but he grinned, "Don't tell me that was the best you've had."

Nox laughed against his neck before he kissed it softly and raised his head and propped it up with a bent arm above Dorian's head, "No love," Nox grinned at him, "but the best I've had in months." He leaned down and kissed Dorian, "And I cannot wait to do it again." There was a slight blushing of Nox's face, but he smiled through it all, "And to let you have what I did."

Dorian rolled Nox over and kissed him, and spoke through each kiss, "What changed?"

Nox grinned up at him, "Nothing really. I stopped thinking about it. Gave myself to you because I wanted nothing more than to be with you. I needed you, wanted you, completely desired you, but the moment I thought about it my head turned me away, I just stopped thinking. Let my desire, your desires guide me."

Dorian kissed Nox. "Well then I'm glad you stop thinking then. I enjoyed you, and I intend to enjoy you more throughly the next time." Dorian grinned down at Nox.

They kissed and entwined their bodies together and drifted off to sleep their lives getting slightly more complicated for being together, but for Dorian, he felt it was worth every ounce of that complication.