Bex fumbled the door once he finally reached Stahs’ room, hissing as his slick fingers made turning the knob difficult. Finally getting it open he carried Stahs to the bath. Stahs was still limp and unmoving, the blood at this point was dry and flaky. Bex carefully lowered him into the tub, fighting down another wave of emotion as he looked at his face and neck again. He swallowed down a sob, looking to the door and yelling, “Fucking hurry up!” Stahs face was bad, real bad. His neck looked bloody, but under the dry blood it had actually healed. It was his face that was the big issue. He laid in the tub, wagner did a number on him.

Bex looked back to Stahs, looking at that eye and the skin around it. It looked like it would be very painful if Stahs was conscious. He paced to the bedroom door to briefly yell, “If one of you isn’t here in the next five minutes with blood I’ll use your blood!” Bex yelled before moving back to kneel by the tub. Stahs was so pale, so very pale then before. Laying in the tub, that silver hair stain in blood.

Gil wandered in a couple minutes later, looking at Bex warily after hearing the screamed warning down the hall. Not wanting to further upset the irate, blood crusted, nude shifter kneeling by the tub he set the stock pot next to him, retreating quickly.

Bex didn’t say a word, just started opening bottles and pouring them over Stahs. A small vial was held out in front of Bex face “instead of wasting the blood in the house, that other vampires might need. You could have this” a familiar voice said. Bex stopped at the voice, staring at the vial that was held out in front of him for a moment in a daze. Slowly turning his head to see who was holding it.

Voltaire pulls the vial away “of course nothing comes cheap.” He state. “This however, is very old. It wont fix his eye sadly. The damage has set to long, but….it can keep it from further going into his skull. The blood of the first ” he smirk.

Bex stared up at Voltaire, looking at the vial as it was pulled away and listening to his words. “Wh-what’ll it cost me?” Bex asked softly as he looked up at Voltaire.

Voltaire grins “Always willing. I must admit,I’m not seeing a difference in you and Wagner…..Wagner willing to kill anyone for Virus needs…do anything to save him…even if it meant giving himself to Azazel. You are willing to kill everyone in this manor for Stahs…..but what if I took you from him?” He ask.

Bex looked like he might throw up being compared to Wagner, though that quickly changes to fear as Voltaire continued speaking. He flattened himself against the side of the tub. “W-why? Where? And didn’t you say he’s more or less fucked without me?” He choked out in a half-sob.

Voltaire shook his head “I really thought Wagner had the unhealthy obsession. It seems you do.” He told him. “I get it, I use to obsess over a lover too…I wanted them to not die and it cost me almost everything as I watch them fall. Turn black with in…..you sure you can keep Stahs from going down the dark road?”

Bex averted his eyes, maybe Voltaire was right, maybe he was no better than Wagner when it came to that. Of course he didn’t really mean what he said about killing the others, he was more likely to bleed himself first but that was no better. “I… just want to be happy with the person I love. Maybe I don’t deserve that after what I’ve done…” He shook his head slightly and looked back up at Voltaire. “I mean what other choice do I have…? I have to try. I’d never forgive myself if I gave up now. I swore to him if he went down that road I’d stand with him. Bring him back.” He said softly.

Voltaire shrugs “Everyone deserves happiness.” He told him. He listened as Bex spoke “You still haven’t given me a worthy price.” He state holding the vial. “Time is ticking for you.”

Bex sighed, rubbing his temples as he tried to think. Tensing a bit at his words. “Shit… I thought you were going to name the price.” Bex swallowed, looking at the vial again, then back to Voltaire. “Ok. Ok. What about this… take my ability to shift, cause I doubt you’ll take the soul back and even if you would that might be less conducive to keeping Stahs from going down that path.”

Voltaire laughs “You don’t want me to name prices.” He told him. Voltaire made a face “boy, I am not a magic being, I can’t take your shifting away……well wait….maybe I could through science….but…then how will you protect everyone?” He ask. “Because things are about to get very dark. You are right I don’t want your soul. But perhaps…” he leans down ” a favor…of anything I want.”

“Fair enough…” Bex muttered. “…good point.” He frowned. He had very little to bargain with. He needed to be able to protect everyone… “I accept… I don’t really like it considering what you said before about what if you took me from him but I don’t really have any other choice if it keeps that shit Wagner used from eating into his skull.” He sighed.

Voltaire held the vial out “It’s ok…Wagner suffering at Virus expense. That should help you sleep at night.” He told him.

Bex took the vial, bowing his head gratefully. He answered honestly at his words as he raised his head. “Not really… I’m tired of hurting and being hurt and seeing those around me hurt. Even the two of them.”

Voltaire shrugs “Unfortunately we can’t stop the ripples of our actions. Just try to not cause more is all we can hope for.” He told him

“Yeah… That’s what I’m trying to do. Though I feel like I’m doing a pretty shitty job at it.” Bex said before something occurred to him as he asked, “Uh this blood do I pour it on the wound or down his throat?”

Voltaire grins at him “he drinks it.” He told him and then the smiled waver “sometimes the best thing is stepping back or well it seems like the best course. The problem is you watch everything break, not knowing how to fix any of it.” With that he was gone.

Bex nodded gratefully again, carefully moving to tilt Stahs’ head back a bit, opening his mouth and pouring the contents of the vial down his throat as Voltaire continued speaking. As he turned back to reply Voltaire was already gone. Stepping back wasn’t an option either. He looked back to Stahs. The blood go down stahs throat as he drank it. Stirring lightly as the blood ran through him and started working

Tangent wandered into the room a moment later, carrying another pot full of blood. “Uh… you good man?” Tangent asked.

“I will be. Take the rest of these and what you’ve got back. It won’t be needed. Tell Gil I said I’m sorry for yelling.” Bex said, his voice more calm and even than he thought he could manage.

“Uh.. sure dude. Whatever I can do.” Tangent moved, shifting an extra set of arms to pick up the stock pot and saw his way out.

He turned back to Stahs, smoothing a hand over his blood matted hair. Stahs face contorted with pain. He stirred and shifted, until he cried out in deep pain. Bex looked him over worriedly as his face contorted in pain. Watching him stir and shift. Praying whatever Voltaire gave him wasn’t making it worse as Stahs cried out in pain. “Stahs, can you hear me?” He asked, unsure how lucid the vampire was.

Stahs cried in pure pain, sure the blood stopped further damage but the damage done still hurt. Hearing his name but he was delirious and not thinking clearly. Went to use the blood that was in the tub that Bex had poured before Voltaire showed up. He turn it to a spike and move to stab Bex, with so much pain and hatred in his face, none of which was directed for Bex. Wagner’s voice still echo in stahs head and he wasn’t fully in reality yet. The wound on his eye still looked like hell, he knew it would. He had started to reach for him, seeing Stahs’ hand move. He scrambled to one side, managing to keep the spike from hitting anything vital, grunting as it caught his shoulder. “It’s ok, it’s gonna be okay. It’s me Bex. I’m here.” He said gently, reaching for one of Stahs’ hands.

Stahs stared at Bex for a minute as if reality was setting in. He would slowly collapse as he still looked of pain. He would see what he had done. His hand shaking some. He looks at Bex “B-Bex….I…I found you.”

Bex slowly extended a hand to him, gently taking Stahs shaking hand. He was sure he was shaking too. He nodded at his words. “You did. You found me. We’re out of the lab.” He said softly.

Stahs collapse fully as he was still exhausted. “Bex……you need to get away from me…..I am a curse to you.” He told him.

“No. No you’re not.” Bex said softly but firmly as Stahs collapsed. “Rest. I’ll get us cleaned up. We can’t stay here for too long…” He’d have to get them all out of here. It wasn’t safe. Or it wouldn’t be for long. Gathering himself he drained the tub, moving to start easing Stahs out of his blood crusted and soaked clothes.

Stahs mutters “No you don’t understand.” Still very weak as he fought to stay conscious “Wagner……he’s….” ended up going limp against Bex, passing out

“Shhh it’s going to be okay.” He tried to reassure. He caught Stahs as he slumped so he didn’t smack his head on the side of the tub. He carefully worked to remove the rest of Stahs, clothes before stopping the drain and beginning to fill the tub with hot water that quickly began to change as the blood all over Stahs tinted the water.

Stahs groans, still in pain. As Bex clean the blood off him. Bex rinsed him off thoroughly, working the crusty blood out of Stahs hair and off his skin. Having to drain the tub a couple times before he carefully propped the vampire against the side of the tub to rinse himself off as well.

Stahs was in and out of consciousness and kept murmuring “Bex….Wagner……Wagner is……Wagner is..” trying to get something out.

Hearing Stahs continue to murmur he gathered the vampire against him. “What is it?” He asked gently.

Stahs eyes lolled open a moment “Wagner……he’s…my …” slipping in and out.” Sire ” he mutters out.

Bex eyes widened at the information. He didn’t pull away, instead pulling Stahs into his arms. Knowing that Wagner had turned and abandoned Stahs. Stahs slip back out of consciousness as bex held him. The eye still looked bad, it tried to heal, but it was clearly going to be a horrid scare from Wagner. A constant reminder of this night.

Bex sobbed a little now as he just held him, he looked at his face as Stahs slipped back into unconsciousness, to the wound at his eye. He tried to compose himself, draining the tub again and started to refill it. Then turned his attention to washing Stahs’ limp body.