Chapter 100 – Photoshoot

[2009 – August]

"There you are! You had me worried that you wouldn't show up, you two!", Cordelia called out as Jean and I were led into the large studio where the photoshoot was about to take place, a look of relief on her face.

"I- … We- … ", Jean stumbled to explain and apologize as a blush traveled up her neck, obviously thinking about the reason for our late arrival.

And while I found this shy side of her incredibly adorable, wishing for nothing more than to rain down kisses on her little nose and rosy cheeks while embracing her tightly, I didn't want to put her on the spot in front of strangers.

"Forgive us, Cordellia. It's my fault that we are late. I was held up by something else.", I voiced out, hoping she would move on, which she fortunately did.

"Well, what's done is done.", she sighed before grabbing our hands and dragging us along, "Still, we can't lose any more time, so we have to get your make-up done quickly!"

The studio itself was very large and I could see at least two dozen people busying themselves with preparations for the shoot.

We were quickly led to a small walled-off changing room, where some strangers helped us change before being taken to some make-up artists who started doing their thing. It wasn't too stressful as everybody was friendly and very professional.

Still, the general vibe was rather hectic and I couldn't say that I enjoyed that very much. Jean though seemed to enjoy it, even though being around and tended to by so many strangers caused her to be somewhat shy and self-conscious.

It was most certainly a new experience for her, being dressed up and made up. Thankfully, the clothes were all for the fall season, so they didn't show too much skin. I wasn't sure if I was okay with Jean posing for pictures in her underwear, after all.

What followed were hours of changing clothes and listening to strict instructions from either Cordelia or James, which was the name of the photographer she had hired.

To my surprise, it was a rather tiring experience, even for me who had enough stamina to lift weights for several days without sleep, and a mind stronger than any human could imagine. And while Jean seemed equally exhausted, there was a happy glow in her eyes and she also seemed much more confident.

It was beautiful to watch her come out of her shell like this, and while I wouldn't want to do something like this again, I was glad that I had agreed to do this for Cordelia.

I did miss Arya a bit though, as this was the first time she had left my side for so many hours since I had saved her. I hadn't brought her with me as I hadn't been sure what to expect.

Still, I was sure Emma would take good care of the little avian while we were busy.

…

[Several Hours Earlier]

Looking at the tiny bird sitting on her desk while it observed her with a suspicious and judging gaze as if deciding if she could be trusted or not, Emma wasn't quite sure what to do.

She had promised Elijah to look after his pet for the day, but she had expected to be handed a small cage where she had to do nothing but make sure that enough food and water were ready for its consumption.

The tiny predator before her wasn't in any cage though, and it certainly wasn't a normal pet, considering the intelligence shining in its eyes.

Still, somehow it didn't seem strange to her that Elijah would own a little owl like this one, as she couldn't help but be reminded of her half-brother's vigilant character when looking at the small black-feathered avian.

Unable to keep the small smile from her face as she looked at the adorable little thing, Emma did the only thing she could come up with for the moment and opened a video on her computer that depicted other owls.

It seemed to be the right choice as Arya's eyes started to glow with curiosity after a short while, hooting excitedly every now and then.

…

After all the photos had been taken and the shooting was over, Cordelia and Jean went through the many many clothes that had been used during the day together, as my half-sister advised Jean on which had looked the best and which she should take home with her.

This was part of the payment that Cordelia had offered in return for our help as she knew that Jean really loved the clothes made by Black Snow.

It was a very generous offer to be honest, as the clothes were very expensive on their own, being worth more than the monetary remuneration we would be getting for this shoot. And while money wasn't really a concern of mine as things stood, I did appreciate the gesture.

Still, I left them to go through the clothes by themselves as I was too exhausted to find it in me to chip in and give my opinion on the different clothing articles.

I sat on a leather sofa by the side and just watched over the two of them chatting excitedly, when I suddenly sensed a familiar presence approaching from behind. Turning around, I saw Christian approach with a smile as he took a seat beside me.

"Hey, Elijah.", he greeted with a grateful smile, "Thanks for today. This meant a lot to Cordelia, you coming here with Jean."

Looking at the bubbly black-haired young woman who engaged Jean in a friendly and light-hearted manner, giggling with her as if she was a schoolgirl herself while they both threw a few quick glances in my direction every now and then, I couldn't help but be fond of her.

Cordelia was very different from Emma, and while she might seem a bit insensitive and brash sometimes, I didn't doubt that she was highly intelligent herself, not to mention very strong-willed.

She didn't show her serious side often but from what Emma had told me, I could guess that Cordelia was very much aware of what had happened between her siblings and their father, as well as the true nature of Emma's business with the Hellfire Club.

The fact that she could still be so successful in her chosen profession and genuine in her joy of meeting Jean and me, was a rather obvious sign of her great inner strength.

"She is my sister. And I did promise her that we would come.", I replied simply, my gaze resting on Jean as she laughed because of something that Cordelia had said.

"I am glad that you think that way.", Christian sighed as he continued, the look in his eyes complex, "Family is a rather painful subject for us after what happened with Adrienne and our father."

His words caused me to look at him in surprise, as I hadn't expected him to even mention those two. Emma had told me about them but even she seemed very distraught while doing so, which was very telling when considering her mental fortitude.

Emma had been forced to kill Adrienne as 'our' father had set them against each other to decide upon the heir of the Frost Empire. From what I understood, Adrienne had clearly been a sociopath, driven to the edge by her father's machinations.

Though it was Christian that had shot and killed 'our' father in the end, finally bringing an end to the man's insane tyranny.

Emma had asked me to not bring up either Adrienne or our father with Cordelia or Christian, as to avoid opening old wounds. Though she had also said that she would answer any questions that I might have herself to the best of her abilities.

It was therefore somewhat surprising to hear Christian bring up both of them.

"What happened had left all of us somewhat broken, though Emma had been hit the hardest.", he said with a pained look in his eyes, pain turning to something akin to hope as he looked at me, "But I am glad that she found you, Elijah. She needs someone who is strong enough to look out for her."

I wasn't sure how to answer him as it didn't seem right to make any promises, even though I was determined to protect Emma from anyone that sought to harm her. So I simply remained quiet while turning my focus back to Cordelia and Jean, who on their part seemed to be finishing up their 'hunt'.

Rising from his seat a few minutes later, Christian patted me on the shoulder as he turned away and left quietly.

'Family, huh … ', I mused, thinking back to the ones I had left behind.