A Visit to Remember

[Idrial]

Sam watched the street lights zip by one at a time, illuminating the activities going on in the area, bored from the car ride, peering out the limousine window. Why did this drive seem longer than walking? She could hear Maria's pencil scratching against her note pad, "Everything works out on paper." An annoying truth that was impossible to argue. Sam looked down, concentrating on the gift in her lap, a rectangular blue velvet box, wrapped with a red bow. A small smile crept its way across her face, no matter the choices Ben made to try and win the election, she still called him a friend. Ben was generous enough to check on Sam after the kidnapping, and she did not forget his kind words and gestures.

Sam was sure the receptionist could hear her smiling over the phone, booking an appointment to see Ben put Sam in a good mood. She thought about there visits, there long conversations, ranging from a variety of topics. Thinking about it now, Sam realized how much she missed Ben, and how far they had bonded as friends.

Sam thought about a magical book, one that never runs out of pages. It could be telepathically linked to Ben so he could record his thoughts, similar to voice typing. That was her idea before the kidnapping occurred, then her opinion for his gift changed.

Mitchelletto used blood magic, a ritual to be exact, to weaken the bond between Sam and Jake. It failed to trick Jake, but it resulted in Benny's death, and Sam still struggled with it. It was a twist of fate that the Bone Harp didn't save the assassin against the ring Jake inherited. Dragon fire disabled the Bone Harp. Mitchelletto could still be alive, missing a limb. Sam prayed he died from blood loss after the fight with Jake. No body had been found.

Though Sam continued to experience a dark cloud of emotions from the incident, she did manage to summon a thoughtful idea out of a negative situation.

Inside the box was a magical chain necklace. One that could change shape and colours to match one's outfit. That was not all. Sam had asked Maria's deities to make a chain necklace for Ben, one that would permit him to feel Kerr, like Ben had been fully blood bonded.

Ben and his bond to Kerr crossed her mind numerous times; the countless conversations about what Ben had lost. Sam could not replace the memories, but she could at least give him something back.

Under the weird ritual, Sam's blood bond felt unstable, fractured, watered down, and it infuriated her. Sam had been so use to being connected to Jake, even now Maria had made the final preparations to reverse the spell; the ingredients needed, for one, were hard to find. It had taken valuable time and labour.

Sam could not tell Maria what it was for, even to tell Maria something private Ben had shared with her was wrong, no matter how long Maria and Sam had been comrades. Maria thankfully understood and trusted Sam. It was inspiring to be apart of the process; it had given Sam a deeper appreciation for Maria. No one but Sam and Ben would know what the item could do.

The limousine slowed to a halt. Sam looked up from the gift in her lap. She could not wait to see Ben. Maria thrust her notebook inside her black handbag, exiting the limo first. A long dress with swirls of green and gold scattered across her backless gown, a high neckline that hugged her throat, and cute little flats tinted black.

Gliding around the back of the limo to open Sam's car door, a graceful pull and click, and the door swung open. Sam grabbed her bag, the gift and stepped out. Black boots with silver buckles placed firmly onto the pavement and accompanied with a dark purple fuzzy coat, dark blue jeans, a bright royal blue long-sleeved shirt with a square cut for the neckline. Her hair in a simple braid, thrown over Sams's shoulder. Maria closed the car door, and both proceeded inside.

The people inside hustled and bustled within the foyer, strolling up the receptionist's desk with a big smile on Sams's face. Both ladies looked swamped. One acknowledged Sam, "Mr. Samson is excepting you. Let me check to see if he is finished business for the night."

"Thank you," Sam said politely. She promptly sat down in a chair in the coffee shop, within eyesight of the receptionist, Maria taking another chair beside Sam.

"Thank you again, for letting me be part of the process, and for being understanding," she whispered while grinning at Maria.

"You are the exception," Maria winked at her, which made Sam giggle. How fortunate it was that Sam had a companion like Maria.

[Trillian]

When Ben was told that Sam Rede had arrived in the lobby to see him but wasn't immediately sent up, he wondered why the Luminary staff had hesitated. He trusted them to do their job well so it was strange for them to deviate from his instructions. Something was throwing them. Gregory had offered to bring Sam up to see him but Ben declined. He would go collect her from the lobby himself.

Travelling in the private elevator that only he, Kerr and Cain used, Ben was deposited onto the lobby floor near the Brannigan's corner. He saw Sam immediately upon stepping out of the lift. A smile began to creep into the corners of his mouth until he saw the person she'd brought with her. The saltigue that he'd met in the Brass Quarter a couple of months ago. The one who'd made him feel uneasy and while they'd conversed she'd insulted him openly a couple of times. Why would Sam bring her here?

With a polite smile on his face that was nothing like the natural one Sam would've seen had she come alone, Ben approached the armchairs around the low coffee table that they were seated at. The smell of warm blood nearby only served to wrangle Ben's nerves more.

"Hi, Sam, good to see you." He'd already extended his concern after she'd returned from her abduction. Luckily it had only lasted a week and she'd returned unharmed. He'd offered her time off to recover from her experience but she hadn't taken it and resumed classes as normal. "I thought I'd take you up personally. Your friend is welcome to wait here." He only glanced at Maria, barely making eye contact as he spoke to Sam.

[Idrial]

"Its good to see you too. I've missed you," standing up with a beaming smile that lit up Sams face for Ben. Oblivious of the awkward interaction taking place between Maria and Ben, happier than a pig in mud to see Ben.

"Thank you for the offer, Mr. Samson, but I must politely decline for tonight. I am just here to drop Sam off," rising from the chair, speaking with a smile. Sam was unaware of Bens' sharp glance, but Maria knew Ben did not like her being here. It was best she leaves.

Maria had not informed Sam about the particulars of their encounter in the Brass Quarters. All Sam knew was Maria had encountered Ben that night, she had asked if Ben was comfortable sharing his thoughts, and he did. Maria did not mention the part where she had hit a wrong note or two during the conversation, ending the night. No matter, Maria did not forget Ben's smug remark on how ambitious it was to clean up the Brass Quarter one person at a time, and she did not mention that to Sam either. No good would come of it.

"Call me when you finished Sam. A pleasant evening to both of you." Maria bowed her head a little to both, then promptly departed building, leaving the two vampires alone for their visit.

"That's nice of you to come down, Ben. I didn't want to interrupt in case your night ran a little long. Did you have a good night at work?" Grabbing her bag and the gift for Ben, following him once he decided to move again. Sam wanted to start with some light conversation, before getting to the present tucked in her right hand like a precious jewel.

[Trillian]

The tension in Ben's muscles relaxed when Maria confirmed she wouldn't be joining the two of them. He'd thought maybe she'd been assigned as Sam's bodyguard after the kidnapping. It would've made sense but protective runes surrounded the location and the Ward was headquartered here (though that would change soon - he knew Captain Hadar was looking for a place to expand into).

"You don't need an appointment to see me, Sam," he told her as they walked to the lift. He would take her to his office and sit on the couches at the opposite end of the room from his desk, where it was more comfortable and friendlier. He didn't want to take her upstairs to his penthouse and introduce Cain to her. He wasn't interested in telling anyone he had a human pet. "Work is simpler without the campaign and now that Zim has taken over Academy management. You look good by the way, love the outfit," he said once the lift doors opened and they stepped in.

He pressed the button to his office floor listening for Sam's reply.

[Idrial]

"I know," Sam sighed playfully slow, cheeks flushed joyous red while looking up at Ben, "tonight however, I wanted to make sure I caught you here," this marble looked amazing in this lighting. The light blues and greys danced across the marble floor like gentle ripples in a river, it had a calming effect on Sam.

"I am happy to hear things have gotten simpler for you. Zim is a great Dean, easy to address, and he sounds delightful all the time." The Deans' voice always puts you in a good mood. The students flocked to him, asking him questions just to hear him speak. At times it got a little out of hand with the students, their adult students shit happens, but he always the situation with the utmost professionalism.

"Thank you, Ben," she cheerfully chirped; a big grin lit up Sams face, stepping into the elevator with Ben, appreciating his compliment. "Is that a new shirt? I love that colour on you." You could dress Ben in a burlap sack, and he still look good, but this particular colour looked nice against his pale skin.

[Trillian]

"Thanks," he replied. The shirt wasn't new and he didn't want to say 'this old thing?' or something equally superficial. Any shade of light blue was typically his best colour thanks to his eyes. He had to downplay it when going out, selecting colours that wouldn't call attention to his iridescent eyes any more than already were. The Captain had mentioned twice that he should wear contacts to cover them when he went out, the first time he'd dismissed with the reply that people thought he wore contacts to get them like that anyway and he'd seen her lips press together tightly. The second time he'd agreed with her with a non-committal 'good idea' but he hadn't bothered following through.

With a few back and forths of small talk he ushered Sam from the elevator to his office, moving away from the golden beech desk on one side of the room to the lime couches at the other. His office was decorated light, fresh and modern, the opposite of Kerr who liked dark woods with a heavier antique feel. It said a lot about their generation.

"What can I do for you, Sam?" he said after they were both settled on the sofa together. It had a decent curve to it so if they both sat at each end, they were positioned at a slight angle facing each other like angled armchairs might. Ben's gaze didn't drop to what Sam was holding at any point beyond when she'd first taken the package with her - he studied her face instead for cues and clues.

[Idrial]

Sam expected the small talk back and forth while riding up the lift would have settled her nerves. The minute Sam departed out the elevator with Ben, the reality of it had hit Sam; the small talk between the two merely masked the quietly lurking jitterbug. Pursuing Ben down the hall to his office made the gift in her hand seem heavy, her fingers brushing against the velvet on the box, the softness of the box brought a little relief to Sam. The walk down to Ben's office had seemed short, wishing she had more time to prepare.

People outside of the White Rabbit knew incredibly little about the intimate details of Sam's kidnapping, and she trusted Ben more than people realized. Yet, it didn't help the butterflies fluttering around; the idea for the gift would make no sense without an explanation. Sam did not like talking about the incident; it came in surges... hateful, dark, harmful, aggressive surges.

"I want to do something for you," the grin once beaming on her face in foyer and lift became limited but it remained polite. It was not Sam's usual cheerful demeanour around a close friend, removing her jacket and handbag, placing them in the correct spot before joining Ben. She had always liked this design, the corners had an armchair feeling to it, great for reading a book. However, Sam would change the colour, she was never a fan of lime green. That was more Maria's taste of colour palettes.

"This is for you," extending the velvet box with the red bow for Ben to take and open, "and there is something I like to say to you too," Sams eye contact with Ben unexpectedly becoming focused on the floor, taking in a long, deep breath. Fingers intertwined together on top of her lap, and she sat forward on the couch until her feet were flat on the floor, crossing her feet loose at the ankles.

"You have become a big part of my life," lifting her eyes off the floor to meet his gaze again, her eyes lit up with the enduring tone directed to Ben. "I wanted to make you something special, no matter what happened with the campaign. You've done a lot for me, more than you realize, you've made me laugh, checked up on me when it matters, you've made time for me when you can, and I wanted to show you I do notice what you do for me."

"The idea for your gift changed after I was taken," she hesitated, attempting to control the anger that became apparent in her tone, "the blood mage that kidnapped me weakened my bond with Jake temporarily for quite some time now. I am... still under the effects until next week," the force of raw hostility in her voice started to end. It was a detail Ben would not have known until now. It was too hard to tell him before, she countied on speaking, her mood improved when she talked about Ben's gift, "that necklace is magical. It not only changes shape and colour to match your outfit, it enables you to feel Kerr fully blood bonded when you wear it."

"I can't get your memories to return," she said with remorse, but then, her voice gained a little confidence, staring at him all sweetheart like she said, "but I can at least give your blood bond back," it felt like she was rambling now, and Sam became quiet, studying Bens' reaction to the gift.

[Trillian]

Ben made a soft noise of gratitude when the box was passed over to him, thanking her in the pause after being told she wanted to tell him something. He waited, letting her take her time to gather her words together. She'd always struck him as sweet, patient and gentle. Nothing about her was hostile or threatening. He didn't feel protective over too many people, but she was one of those.

His fingertips rubbed the velvet of the box as Sam spoke, liking the soft tactile quality of the material. His eyebrows lifted in surprise when she said she'd made him something special. He opened the box then and saw the necklace, nodding absently when she listed the things he'd done for her, but it had only because she was one of the few in this world that he considered. He heard the tremble in her voice when she spoke of the kidnapping - unsure whether it was caused by fear or anger or both - and confused when she said she'd still be under the effects for another week. It was so specific, how could she know how long she was under something's influence for?

And then she said words that had him look up at her sharply.

That necklace is magical

She said some other stuff about fashion and only vaguely heard about it changing his blood bond to Kerr. Her words were muted in his ears, it was like he was hearing them as a human. There was a rushing, echoey sound that came with them, like the ocean in a shell, hiding her words as she spoke. His reaction was to stare at her like he didn't understand. Because he didn't. She knew his history with magical necklaces. Why did she think he would be able to put this around his neck?

"Uhm," he said and it was his turn to have emotion trembling in his voice. Maybe she would think he was overwhelmed with gratitude. He looked down at the necklace in the box, thankful that he hadn't touched it yet. Slowly he closed the lid so he could gesture vaguely to Sam with the box itself. As a model and a politician he'd learnt how to smile naturally and so he gave her one of his practised, easy smiles now. "Thank you. By the way, what do you mean by effects lasting until next week? How do you know?" He looked at her with concern.

[Idrial]

Sam could hear the skepticism fluttering in the back of Bens's throat, and she did not condemn his response towards the necklace. She had a sneaking suspicion Ben would react like a deer caught in the headlights. From what he had shared with her, it should have been impossible to re-establish the connection between him and Kerr. Maria's energy, however, is unique, capable of breaking several barriers on numerous occasions; her magic marched to the beat of a different drummer.

One could break or disrupt another's magic should someone have the required strength and skill. His grin could have fooled an acquaintance, but not Sam. She let the subject drop for now. She saw the concern flash across Bens faced when he spoke, and that need to alleviate his anxiety washed over Sam. She grabbed her braid with her fingers, playing with it as Sam talked to Ben.

"Maria is preparing a complicated ritual that will break the spell Mitchelletto put on me. The ingredients have been difficult to obtain." She moaned, irritated at the hoops Maria had to jump through.

"He was a talented magus," she spat with disgust. Sam hated to admit it. "However, he never put in the time to properly hone his craft. His blood sorcery will never compare to Maria or even Sabrina." Both witches could tear the rabid vampire to bits, but she hoped Jake had delivered Mitchelletto his final death the night he came to rescue Sam.

[Trillian]

Ben placed the box beside him on the couch as she spoke. Even as Sam explained how powerful Maria and Sabrina were, he imagined he could feel heat pouring off the necklace and warming the box around it, and burning his leg through his jeans. Imagination, likely, for he'd felt no heat when he'd first taken the gift from her and opened it up to look at it.

He still wore jewellery every so often - the necklaces he managed to clasp around his neck were those that came from expensive jewellery shops. Never from anywhere that could have enhanced or changed it.

He grieved for the loss of an opportunity to seek out magic. He had magic classes at the Academy, had retroactively placed a furnace onto the property (and had installed it in a garden beside what he considered to be 'the moon garden' where the magic students did their spells or lay out their protective wards, and he'd ultimately creating an outdoor smithy that mostly Astrid used). He'd taken one class with Kerr and then abandoned it, unable to stomach the memory of what had happened to him in his past. It had stolen too much from him. He didn't want to start all over again... again.

"Everything takes time," he said, intending the words to be more polite chaff but they struck a chord in him he hadn't expected. Everything - not just the growth of skills, but also resistance to pain and the fading of bad memories. One day he might be able to put the necklace on and restore a blood bond he'd never felt engage and would always escape him. But then again, he might not, because it was probably magic created by the saltigue and he didn't trust her.

Because he wanted a subject change: "I've kept up practising the guitar, but I still haven't found a teacher that I like," he said. Sam knew he wanted to learn multiple instruments and languages. Every tutor he had he would compare to Daniel and nobody had been able to measure up.

[Idrial]

Sam put on a pleasant grin when Ben spoke about time, nodding in full agreeance. Vampires had nothing but time, didn't we? She had time to sort through the trauma; perhaps people had been right. Sam had been pushing too hard to get past what had happened. It had just been a week, yet it seemed like kidnapping had lasted for months. She was ripping open every wound all at once, but all Sam did was create a mess of rot and infection; nothing had time to mend and scar. She needed to focus on one issue at a time, trying to force a solution for everything at once would not work this time. Rip one wound open at a time. Close it. Heal. Repeat.

Ben did not know how much he had helped at that moment. Eyes twinkling with passion as Ben changed the subject, and Sam did not notice at all. In fact, she was sure her subconscious jumped at the chance to talk about something different.

"Would you like me to help you out until you find one you do like?" Sam offered with enthusiasm. No longer playing with her braids, her hands sitting in her lap again. She was delighted to learn that even with Daniel no longer being his instructor, Ben never gave up practicing.

[Trillian]

Her phrasing made it sound like she knew how to play the guitar but she'd never mentioned it. He gave her an indulgent smile, wondering if he should take her literally and investigate further or just dismiss her offer to find a guitarist on his behalf. It was a sweet offer but no good; Sam got on well with everyone, he got on well with almost nobody. She would choose people who he wouldn't like for whatever reason.

"Unless you can play the guitar and teach me yourself, I don't think you can help," he said gently.

[Idrial]

"Not with these fingers," she giggled, looking down at her hands for a split second. Sam's fingers were not flexible, much less delicate enough to handle string instruments. "Alas, my heart belongs to the woodwinds. Ever since I heard Benny Goodman, a famous clarinetist. I fell in love with the sound."

"Plus, music is much more than playing the instrument. If you need help figuring out a time signature, harmony, even the difference between a crescendo and a fortissimo. You can message me anytime." Beaming a smile at Ben.

Reading sheet music could be confusing for a beginner, especially when trying to figure out sharp, flat or natural notes. It confused the hell out of Sam for weeks.

[Trillian]

Ben gave her a thoughtful look. "The clarinet. I feel like that suits you. You haven't mentioned it before. Is it a new thing?"

He'd told her about Daniel and his guitar lessons when he'd told her about his time in New York during their talks when the Academy was at Haven Crest. It could be considered 'back in the day' now, because they were both too busy to catch up most of the time. She was one of an elite handful of lecturers who had first-year and second-year students when going into the new Academy building, which meant twice as many classes as everybody else. And she had to plan the third and final year for her Masquerade theory students as well. He knew Zim had given her a deadline for its submission, so he could approve it. She still had a couple of months left to tweak it.

[Idrial]

"No," she replied, chuckling. "I have been playing since my late teens. We had a band program at our school, you rented an instrument for the year for a small fee, provided you didn't damage it."

"It has the largest range out of all the wind instruments, and it's been called the licorice stick or the little trumpet. What are you playing, Ben? Acoustic?" Sam was sure Ben had mentioned it, but it slipped her mind. Perhaps Ben said it was the bass guitar? Or electric? She needed to visit Ben more often; their busy lives had made it difficult, and she had forgotten certain details. Sam would have to go home and look for time in her schedule. If she looked hard enough, she should find room.