The meeting room steadily cleared out. Some of the hunters furiously stormed away, fumbling with their guns or taking their time in deep contemplation, heads lowered and murmuring with others. A handful appeared to be worried and disturbed. Jean was among the latter, and he passed through the threshold with Artie close behind him.

"That was an experience I never want to have again," his cousin said just loud enough for him to hear while returning his headset.

Thinking he was talking about the meeting, Jean began to nod. Then he realized Artie was likely talking about the footage. He turned his microphone down to a lower setting. "Yeah. It was...unpleasant."

He moved to sit at the lounge area further ahead of him parallel to the entrance of the meeting room. Artie stood near, folding his arms while watching the people enter the halls. Much was brewing in Jean's mind. It was, like the meeting, cacophonic, a discordance that would not shut up.

Unsurprisingly, the main reason for the meeting wasn't what was bothering him, nor was it the footage or the argument. Running through his mind were thoughts on Caden's words. Using inhumans; how could he do such a thing? It only conjured up thoughts about Celezar, about what he desired—wanted—to do and how it was everything he was told not to do.

He would never use Celezar, no. Never. He doubted he could even if he wanted to. Whatever Sylvestar was, Jean was certain it wasn't the same calibre as Celezar.

Mentally regrouping, he looked up. "I guess we can stay an extra day. Do some 'bonding'."

Artie scoffed in some semblance of agreement while walking away. "I'm going to the city. Need to walk this off."

Jean watched after him until he disappeared down the left hall. He then caught the two figures approaching him out of his peripheral and allowed the approach.

Will huffed with Brønnild beside him doing much of the same. "Bunch of horseshit," he griped.

"Don't bring me into your grumblings, Will," Jean said, exasperated. He propped his arm up to rest on his hand. "I've enough to think about."

"Don't we all?" said Brønnild. She nodded at Jean, who nodded back, and scanned his face. "Been a while. Great place to reunite."

Jean idly hummed, which was also somewhat of a grumble, at her sarcasm. "Good to see you, too."

"What say you about this, Jean?" asked Will.

"Not much that is coherent, right now. I'm still taking everything in. Caden. Working with inhumans. Sure, this Sylvestar was once human..."

"It doesn't change anything," Will spat. "Your mind changes when you're no longer human. You literally become something else, in every way. We've all seen enough of that, and there's nothing anyone can say to convince me otherwise."

Hiding a frown, Jean kept his thoughts to himself. Despite everything, he was sure he knew Caden enough that the man would have made sure this wasn't true before keeping an inhuman around. Then again, the Caden he knew never would have worked with inhumans. That, and he truly didn't want to open in his mouth in case his more personal thoughts came on display; he didn't believe in what Will was saying. Not so much. Possibly not anymore.

He then asked, "Are you leaving, or are you going to 'bond'?"

Giving a short bark of a laugh, Will looked around. "I'll probably do some 'bonding', yes."

"We need to see a few people, anyway," Brønnild added.

"Several," Will easily agreed. He held out his hand for Jean to shake. "We should catch up again sometime, Jean. Despite everything, I do believe Caden was right about keeping in contact more often."

Shaking his hand, Jean nodded. "We should. Take care, you two."

Brønnild scoffed, motioning to his face. "We should be telling you that." She gave his shoulder a pat before she and her leader walked away.

Watching them go, Jean wondered what to do next. He then noticed the inky form of Nigel conversing in what seemed like a cordial manner with Ordell Frye. His eye narrowing, Jean slowly looked away. He then caught sight of Megedagik and Alsoomse walking down the main hall.

He immediately stood and sped over to them. "Megedagik!"

The younger man halted, turning to face him, while Alsoomse cast a small smile. "Jean-Luc."

Jean opened his mouth, but he paused. Instead, he softly exhaled, bowing his head. "I apologize for not keeping in contact."

Both hunters' expressions mirrored one another; they gave understanding but grim nods. "We understand, and we also apologize," said Alsoomse.

"It is...unfortunate that Holloway is right." Megedagik's gaze was somewhat distant.

Jean regardless felt guilty. "Please keep in contact. I will do the same."

Megedagik blinked, fully focusing on him. He seemed to ease a bit and gave a reassuring smile. "Of course." He held out his hand, as if awaiting a handshake.

Instead of shaking his hand, Jean took his arm, and his was also grasped. They then nodded at one another before letting go. Jean watched them steadily meld back into the group of people still leaving the meeting room, his expression remorseful. His gaze briefly went to the floor as his thoughts returned to what he was going to do next.

"Jean."

He turned to see Alister approaching him.

Dark hair swayed as Alister beckoned to the left. "Walk with me."

The offer was welcomed. Jean needed to have a conversation with someone he could speak more openly with. Alister was that someone.

Infamous, as they all were, as one of the hunter groups who worked with inhumans, Alister Crowley was a humble fellow who typically let his actions speak for him. A man of a few words, when he did speak, his say was often meaningful and logical. One would think a man of tradition such as Jean would not have befriended a blasphemer like Alister, but they struck up a good friendship many years ago; over what, Jean himself could not remember. Perhaps it was Alister's honest, amicable character. Jean knew he could make subtle hints about Celezar with the unsaid promise of confidentiality.

They walked through the halls of the outpost in companionable but introspective silence. Most familiar faces of other hunters gradually disappeared as they found themselves walking in a pseudo-circle through the rocky, tunnel-like passageways that led back to a high ledge in the meeting room. Only when they arrived did Jean make a sound, and his exhale echoed. Realizing his microphone was still on, he turned it off.

"In the end, the meeting was almost useless," he said with a short, humorless laugh. He leaned against the wall. "He could have easily handed our asses to us over the phone."

While he smiled a bit, Alister hummed. "That would have been quite a bit of phone calls. Lots of wasted time."

Jean inclined his head. "True. But perhaps no more than what time was wasted, anyway." Looking to his left, he observed the empty room.

"That creature..."

He looked back at Alister.

The man slowly placed his hands behind his back, emotions flickering on his face. He looked as if he was trying to find the right words to say. After a moment or two, he said, "How did you survive an encounter with that thing?"

Shaking his head, Jean stared forward. He carefully organized his words in his mind, putting himself into the mindset of his old self, the self that fully despised inhumans. "That third creature. I personally...theorize...it might have helped us."

"Interesting..."

"Otherwise, my men and I should be dead." He looked away.

"What do you make of Caden's words?"

"About inhumans?"

"About everything."

Shoulders heaving in a huff, Jean narrowed his eyes. "While he was right about us working together...I don't fully agree with his ideals. Using inhumans? Subjugating them, controlling them? Radical ideas. I don't know how you can trust then when they're not like us."

A soft sound came from Alister, one of consideration. "Because they are like us."

Jean turned to face his friend, who was smiling ruefully. Those were like Celezar's words. There was something about Alister's smile that spoke volumes, but of what, Jean couldn't discern.

Walking forward, Alister placed his hands on the rail and leaned forward. "They're so incredibly like us, Jean. More than you can imagine. They can ally themselves for a cause, think for themselves, have wills free of innate Darkness. Many can switch between their instinctual selves and their intellectual thoughts. It's incredible. Those that can't, they are an exception, but we're not talking about them. The most powerful of them can do that. They can feel, they can laugh, they can cry. They can mourn. They can love."

Glancing to the floor, Jean thought of Celezar again. "Is it really so simple? After all I've seen..." He recalled the mother and daughter from Goshe. What were their names, again? He took both their lives so easily.

There was more than the slimmest of chances that the mother loved her inhuman mate, as she loved and cared for her inhuman daughter. He shook his head. The way he was raised, what was hammered into him, told him that was impossible. The woman was raped, was brainwashed. Inhumans couldn't love.

But his heart and his more recent experiences said otherwise. He was learning to trust them both despite his upbringing in a remarkably jarring way.

In many ways, it still bothered him.

"They're like us in one other way, too." Alister turned to him, resting against the rail. His smile was somber. "They can be good and evil. Even the highest of their classes, devils and hallows, elementals and deities, and even sentient parasites, can be good and evil."

Jean's eyes widened. "You know of hallows?"

Alister's expression turned keen, a twinkle of awareness in his amber eyes. "I know of many types of inhumans, ones you couldn't even imagine exist." A sly smile appeared on his face at the open stare given to him. "How do you know of them?"

Feeling as though the man could see right through him, Jean scrunched his brows. He internally warred between saying the words outright or playing along. He returned to leaning against the wall. "I was attacked by one, a person I knew." Thinking back on the incident at Augusus, he shook his head. The corner of his mouth twitched in the beginnings of a smile. "Bastard told me what he was. Not...quite sure what the hell they are, though."

"Ah." Looking upon the unsightly scar for the first time to Jean's knowledge, Alister seemed to understand. "How unfortunate. Hallows can be quite the sadistic, aloof bastards, I admit."

Could they, now? Be it a certain someone was more hallow than not, Jean stored this information for later.

Alister continued. "All I can say, Jean, is this: Don't be blinded by fear that isn't warranted."

This advice seemed to be pointed at Jean for an awfully specific reason. Looking up at him, Jean considered the possibility his lie didn't go through after all. But Alister's expression was once more an impassive mask.

"Why would you say that?"

"You're a good man, Jean. I trust you."

Alister looked up at something behind Jean, and, glancing back, Jean saw Caden approaching from down the passage. Then what was Alister looking at? The thought flickered in his mind for less than a second, but his friend neared him and gave his shoulder a pat.

"Don't think too hard, Jean-Luc. Take care, if I don't see you again." He smiled before walking down the hall, giving Caden a nod.

Jean turned away. Caden was the last person he wanted to see. To talk to. Alone.

Caden stopped opposite to him. "I've been meaning to talk to you, Jean."

A kinder voice, this time. Different, even, from the voice Jean spoke to over the phone. It was familiar. It was intimate.

Keeping his eyes elsewhere, Jean sighed. "About?" The empty meeting room was so much more interesting to look at.

The short silence said many things: How are you? How have you been? Are you alright? Is Celezar dead?

Instead, Caden asked, "How are things at Isle Veni?"

More than willing to stick to this subject, Jean readily responded, "We've been in better shape, but things are fine, otherwise. We have some new men. Two. They're young knuckleheads but a great addition to the group. I recruited a new man while here."

Caden hummed approvingly. "That's good."

"I see you have an interesting first mate, there. Nigel, is it?"

"Nigel Mackler." Jean could hear the smile in Caden's voice. "He's not the most...acquiescent of them, but he's a very competent man."

"He pissed me off and I only spoke to him once. It's that stupid grin."

"Yeah, I've told him about that."

"Is he always like that?"

A chuckle. "'Fraid so."

Jean scoffed. "Bastard."

"Yes, he is."

"And Sylvestar?"

Electric blue met brown as they stared at one another. Caden slanted his eyes. "He's suffering, Jean. He's a willing participant to being used as a weapon, but he's suffering. Hell, we don't even know what he is."

"You said a vampiric creature did that to him. Is it anything like...?"

Bronze hair shook. "I'm not certain."

"Does he have any idea?"

"He would have told me."

"Would he?"

Narrowing his eyes dangerously, Caden raised his head. "He's one of my men. I trust him as I trust them all."

For a moment, Jean did nothing. He knew how he would have responded to that if he was his old self. He had to keep the charade, so he moved from the wall, glowering at him. "You fucking hypocrite."

"He's being used as a weapon, Jean!"

"That makes it okay?"

Caden ran a hand through his hair, exhaling deeply. "There's a difference between a natural-born inhuman and a human-turned-inhuman. He still has humanity. He knows humanity."

Jean scoffed. "Why haven't you just taken him out of his misery?"

"Don't you think we tried?" Caden retorted with a scowl. He pointed towards the meeting room. "He can't fucking die, Jean! Whatever the hell he is, he can survive decapitation, survive burning, survive holy water, survive magic, survive impaling, survived everything we ever threw at him! And yet he still lives! You think he wants to live like that? A monster that feeds off blood?!"

His mouth snapping shut, Jean looked away with a deep exhale. Of course, he considered that.

Celezar immediately came into his thoughts. Becoming inhuman, like Sylvestar but willingly, still made him reasonably nervous. He knew what he wanted to do...but fear held him back. Unbridled, terrorizing fear.

A pained expression crossed his face. He knew it was noticed before he could turn away.

"What's wrong?"

"It's nothing."

"Not if you look like that." The following silence only caused the older man to take at least a step forward. "What, you think I still don't know you?"

Glaring back at him with his one good eye, Jean hissed, "That was eight fucking years ago. Twice as long as you knew me."

Relenting a bit, Caden glanced to the floor. "Yes. Alright. You've changed. You even have new scars. I guess I..." He shook his head while briefly closing his eyes, lips pursed. He faltered, brows furrowing, and started again while looking up at him. "We never exactly said goodbye."

A blond brow rose. That was it?

Turning around, Jean huffed, but it was soft. Conceding. He took a fleeting moment to observe the other man.

He was nineteen when they met. It was a thrilling experience, self-discovery. There was passion, lust, trust. Their relationship lasted four years. Then they fought and went their separate ways. They never did get the chance to say goodbye.

Looking back, Jean wasn't sure if he what he had felt towards Caden was love or...something else. And if he were honest with himself, if he hadn't met Celezar, he would probably feel the same way Caden did.

But he did meet Celezar.

His heart gave a throb.

A sensation tingled through his body, freeing him of days of mental and physical tension. It was a bit frightening, but he ran with it. Momentarily closing his eyes, he approached Caden, crossing the space between them with two long strides.

He looked up into the earthy eyes. "Don't go dying on me." He placed a hand on the man's shoulder, looking away. "Goodbye, Caden."

Turning, he walked down the passageway, back to the main halls of the outpost.

He took his time to walk back to the barracks. While trekking through the halls, he felt a sense of elation thrumming through his body. It was a bit frightening, but...

He wanted to be with Celezar. Never did he want anything more. As he had for six years, he genuinely loved Celezar. The realization, as it did that day in the woods, stunned him. If knowing Celezar was inhuman and even part-devil didn't prevent him from continuing to love the hybrid, nothing would. This brought a strange but welcomed sense of satisfaction within him.

Briefly, he shut his eyes and took a deep, calming breath in the elevator.

He wanted this.

Even the thought of what awaited him back home, to his great surprise, wasn't enough to change his decision. His men, his brothers, even his mother; they were a part of his past, and while he had no intentions to abandon them, they had little to do with his chosen future. He was certain of it. He knew it.

But how would he even begin to see it to fruition?

Not many days had passed since Ridridge, yet he felt as though he had wasted too much time trying to come up with an answer to his emotional turmoil. Was he moving further from his past, closer to a future he wanted for himself, or was he only digging himself an early grave? The more he pondered this, the more he wondered if Alister was trying to tell him something. He wouldn't put it past the shrewd man to do so.

A transporter eventually brought him back to the hall before the barracks. Slipping from his seat, he leisurely walked through the lounge space. There weren't as many people around this time. He did, however, spot Euphemia sitting in a leather chair facing the hall.

She quickly took notice of him, her face lighting up. "Jean!"

Smiling back, Jean neared his old childhood friend, giving her a warm hug after she stood. With her small stature, she barely reached his chest. "Euphie. It's good to see you after all this time."

She beamed reverently at him, then her sienna eyes scanned his face, causing her expression to steadily drop.

Likewise, his smile lessened a bit. He ran his fingers down his scar. "I'm alright," he said, answering her unsaid question.

"Are you, really?" She placed her hands on his arms. "No one has seen that fucking thing since he attacked you...and he was a good friend of yours..."

"Was," he reminded in his charade.

Sighing, she steadily lowered her hands, but they lingered. Her lips slightly pursed, then she gave him a small smile. "Everyone is out of the outpost cooling their heads. I even heard some didn't bother to heed what Holloway said and left right away, too irate and disturbed to deal with 'bonding' right now."

"Like Reznick?" At the nod, he scoffed, looking forward. "Hotheaded bastard."

She gave a slant-eyed, knowing smile. "Sounds like someone we knew."

He scoffed again, cracking a small grin. He was a bit brash when he was younger. "Right. I think I'm pretty good with the 'bonding' part, myself."

"How many of us would you consider friends?" she asked teasingly.

He raised a brow. "You, Jermaine, Madeleine, Will, Eirene, Megedagik...Alister."

Her large eyes rolled. "Yeah. Alister." He gave her a look, prompting her to make a relenting shrug. "What are you going to do for the rest of the day? I was thinking we might be able to catch up."

He hesitated. He wanted to. He really did. She was the younger sister of a dear friend of his, one of the men he lost seven years ago. Yet...

"I'm staying for today. Might leave mid-afternoon tomorrow." He glanced down the hall towards his room. "I'll have to schedule a date with you some other time. I've something important to take care of. It might take up the rest of the day."

Her expression waned by a bit, but she nodded. "Alright. I was thinking of leaving tomorrow, too..."

"Maybe tomorrow, then." Giving her a nod, he began to walk down the hall.

"It's a date," she called behind him.

He waved back at her without turning around. Once he reached the near-end of the hall, he turned to and unlocked his door.

It was still early, maybe after eight, from Jean's internal clock. Celezar was still sleeping on the bed, not breathing and as motionless as a cadaver. His position had not changed; he faced the wall and was slightly curled inward.

Gently, Jean closed the door behind him before approaching the other side of the bed. As he did earlier, he sat beside Celezar and brushed his fingers through the hybrid's reddish hair. He leaned down to inhale the scent of earth and herbs. When he was ignorant, he thought it was cologne or soap or shampoo or something. Now, he knew.

It was Celezar's natural scent, at least in his human form. Perhaps that was one way to distinguish some inhumans in their humanoid forms from humans. He would have to ask. There was much he wanted to ask.

The body beside him stirred, olive eyes fluttered open. Breathing resumed as Celezar came to life.

Jean slightly pulled away. "Did I wake you?" he softly asked.

Nodding, Celezar looked up at him. "'Morning, love."

Smiling, Jean lowered to give his partner a kiss. It was chaste, but it seemed sweeter that way. "'Morning," he whispered against the hybrid's lips, his voice barely audible.

Brows rising, Celezar scanned his face. "You seem different."

"Is it good?"

"I think so."

"Then, it's good." Jean kissed him again. This time, he was pulled down, and so he moved until his whole body slid over Celezar's. "You smell good," he murmured.

Celezar smiled at him. He held Jean's face in his hands, caressing with his thumbs.

"Why do you smell so good?"

"I have no idea." As Jean slightly frowned, the hybrid grinned. "How was the meeting?"

Rolling over, Jean slightly sat up and reached down to take off his boots and socks. "It was a mess. Most of what anyone did was shout."

"Sounds like fun."

"Exactly." He let his boots fall to the floor, then propped his head up by his arm, facing his partner. Celezar had also turned towards him. "Later events will tell if anyone actually took anything from it."

"Did you get anything out of it?"

Slanting his eyes, he smiled again. "Yes...Yes, I did."

Celezar emitted a soft, amused laugh. He seemed as though he wanted to say more but opted for moving closer to Jean and snuggling against him. Jean lowered his head to inhale the hybrid's scent some more until his head was slightly against Celezar's.

"Are we leaving today?"

"No. Tomorrow."

"Good..."

In companionable silence, they rested. His eyes steadily closing, Jean felt fully content. It was soothing...something he needed. The low, distant drone of inaudible voices from the hallway drifted through the room. It wasn't intrusive but surprisingly lulling. Before Celezar drifted off to sleep again, he decided it was better to ask questions now than later.

"Celezar?"

"Mm?"

"How would I become inhuman? What is the process?"

He could almost sense the awe that came from his partner. "From what is available to my mixed species, there is only one way." Celezar slightly shifted against him. "The what: ingesting my essence. The why: if you don't, mating with me will kill you."

"I see..." Opening his eyes, Jean saw Celezar's eyes were also shut. "How does that work? Your essence?"

Celezar's brows slightly furrowed. His lips twitched as he seemed to fish for the answer. "It's a natural liquid in my body that I suppose is a mix of my semen and other genetic...markers? Not sure how to explain it. Only hallows can change their mates into full inhumans." He abruptly went quiet. "It isn't actually my semen. That's different..."

Intrigued, Jean brushed his fingers against Celezar's cheek. "Then what happens?"

A sigh. "After a few times, you will feel a change in your body. It won't take long. For instance, if we have sex several times before tonight, by tomorrow you'll notice it. Eventually, at the very end of the metamorphosis, your libido will increase dramatically and you will have an uncontrollable need to mate with me—or so others have told me has happened to their mates. Your change might be different."

"And that's it?"

A hum. "Mostly. During this time, which could be as short as a week, you'd have to continue receiving the liquid to keep the change going or it won't happen. That, too, could kill you. Then, when you're fully inhuman, you'll have powers and abilities like some admittedly weaker but, in comparison to a human, vastly superior inhumans. Only when you're fully inhuman could we then have children." His mouth snapped shut and he slightly jolted back.

Watching with confusion, Jean frowned when Celezar scooted away.

"Sorry," he muttered. His eyes opened, but he wasn't looking forward. "I don't even know if you want children..."

His gaze growing distant, Jean wondered.

When he discovered his sexual preference, he figured he would never have children. Adoption was possible, but then the whole idea of having a family blew out the window when he came to realize having one would not only be difficult but also a liability. He knew how difficult it had been for his father. Such responsibility wasn't for him, the leader of a group of hunters. That was better suited for his brothers, one of which did the bare minimum of risky work. A family crying over him if the worst came to pass was furthermore depressing.

But now...

He looked at his partner, this being he had loved for six years. That was some time. Celezar was still the same cheeky, sly, mischievous personality he had fallen in love with back then, still the same caring and dear partner he called his. Even then, Celezar had always been inhuman. Even now, after the discovery, nothing had changed.

Jean knew what he wanted.

"I want to have a family with you, Zarryel." Olive eyes flickered over at him. "I...do. I can't believe I do."

"What makes it so unbelievable?"

He glanced to the side. "You know why."

Celezar softly hummed. "I want to hear it."

Sighing, Jean reached for his partner, placing a hand on Celezar's side. "I'm...a born and bred hunter. I don't know anything else. Sometimes, it bothers me that I am so willing to...abandon what I was told and believed not so long ago."

A small, sad smile was given to him. "Who is to say you truly believed in it if it is all you've known?"

Pausing, Jean considered this. He recalled Celezar asking him a similar question not too long ago. Taking it into consideration...he imagined there was a possibility that were true.

That, too, was baffling.

"If I have to be inhuman to be with you, have a life with you, I want to become inhuman," he said, almost to himself. He met the green eyes that looked at him with evident hesitation. "I do."

A gradual tender smile blossomed on the hybrid's face. Jean pulled Celezar to him, holding him close, relishing the feel of the muscular arms that wrapped around his body. Their foreheads touched, tangling blond hair with auburn.

Smiling, he slightly moved to kiss the freckled brow. "I'm sorry it took so long for me to say that."

"You're only human, love," Celezar softly chuckled.

"At the moment."

This response made Celezar squeeze him closer. "When do you want to do this?"

Jean looked him straight in the eye. Without hesitation, he replied, "Right now."