Curses and Cream Puffs

Damien wasn't sure what to expect. When Louis came to him and started spewing bullshit about how there was trouble and he needed help, Damien knew not to believe it. If Louis ever needed help, he'd die a brutal death before admitting to it. So when he followed the lure to the old mansion and saw all of the Mortecombes there and all ganging up on Lena, he was ready.

The hag was a surprise. He thought they had killed her ages ago, but clearly he was wrong. She was alive and looking for bigger targets than children. Damien made an attempt to dive by Lena's side, but Louis grabbed him and yanked him back. Damien glared at him.

"What the hell are you doing?" he demanded. "Why are you helping them?"

"Why are you helping that witch?" Louis snapped. "I have no attachment to them. I'm just giving them the girl so they can take care of each other."

"They harm innocent people!"

"They all hurt innocent people," Louis scowled. "Don't make the mistake of thinking she's a real person, just because she has a pretty face. She's nothing-"

Louis didn't get a chance to answer before Damien swung at him, punching him square in the nose. Blood poured from Louis' nose and he stared at Damien in shock for a moment before suddenly kicking him in the stomach. Damien stumbled back and hit the wall with a pained groan, holding his side as he sunk to the ground. That stab wound hadn't been fully healed yet.

"Don't forget who you're picking a fight with," Louis warned. "You've never won against me."

"I don't want to kill you," Damien told him. "Don't make me do it."

Louis just smirked and kicked Damien in the stomach again. Damien managed to roll to the side before getting kicked a third time and tripped Louis on his way. Louis hit the ground hard and Damien got on top of his brother, struggling to keep him down as he looked up to survey the situation unfolding with Lena and the Mortecombes. The twins were staying close to an older man who must have been the father while Lena weakly fought off Caleb and Nikolaj. One was missing.

Damien dodged just in time for Oksana's blade to narrowly miss his head. He was forced to let go of Louis to fight off the young woman and wrench the knife out of her hand. Louis tried to get up and catch it, but Damien headbutted him. He felt his own vision blur from the impact, but Louis went unconscious. If there was one thing he wasn't good at, it was dealing with head injuries. Damien flipped over and shoved Oksana off him. He wiped blood off his face as he looked at her.

"It doesn't have to be this way-"

"Yes it does," she hissed.

"Were you sleeping with my brother?" Damien asked suddenly.

She was caught off guard by the question, sputtering and stammering.

"W-what? No. Who said that? Did he say that?"

Damien took the opportunity to grab her arm and twist it behind her. She screamed protests when he suddenly shoved her into the closet and slid her knife between the door handles to keep it shut. She screamed and slammed her fists against the door angrily, but Damien was already off to get Lena. She could hardly stand on her own two feet when he got to her. He put an arm around her to support her while fending off Nikolaj and Caleb.

"Bring her back!" the old woman shrieked. "I wasn't done!"

"You heard her," Nikolaj said. "Give her back."

"ENOUGH."

They all looked up as Stefano Mortecombe emerged again. The rest of the Mortecombes backed up, tired and weary from the fight. Stefano took a few steps towards Damien and Lena.

"You would kill your own brother for this woman?" Stefano asked.

"Frankly, I'll kill anyone trying to kill us," he said. "It's a matter of self defense."

He reached out to touch Lena's face and Damien pulled her back.

"Don't fucking touch her again," he snapped.

"Alright, enough with the language in front of Grandmama," Stefano said, rolling his eyes. "We all know you're a big tough man."

"Bring me the girl," the old woman hissed.

"I'll go," Lena said weakly.

"What?" Damien frowned. "Are you insane?"

"They won't let us go until she has her fix," Lena said to him, then turned to face Stefano. "If I do this, you promise not to hurt Damien."

"Yeah, okay," Stefano smirked. "Sure."

He wasn't very convincing, but Nikolaj held Damien back as Lena slowly walked back to the old woman. The hag anxiously held out her hands in a grabbing motion and for a moment, it looked like Lena would take it. Then she suddenly fell to her knees and placed her palms on the ground. Damien wasn't sure what happened, but there was a blast of hot hair and suddenly the old woman was in flames, the bed she lay on also bursting into flames. The flames spread quickly, rapidly spreading around the room.

"Run!" Lena yelled, grabbing Damien's hand as they ran out of the room.

"What?!" he said, panicked.

"Don't worry, they'll survive," she told him. "Once the authorities get here to put out the fire, they'll get them."

Damien nodded and started following her out. Then he stopped.

"You go," he told her. "I'll meet you outside."

He didn't give her a chance to argue before running back to Louis on the floor as he just came back into consciousness. He lifted his brother onto his shoulders and ran back out. The three of them ducked into an alley to hide so they wouldn't be a part of the scene when city guards did show up.

"What did you bring him for?" Lena asked.

"I don't know," Damien admitted, propping Louis up against the wall. "He's my brother."

"You should've let me burn," Louis grumbled.

"You'll answer for your bullshit," Damien promised him. "Just not in the same way they will."

Damien kept his promise. They helped Louis get away, but letting him go home meant they had to make a sacrifice. He'd absolutely tell Rupert everything.

Luckily, Damien's parents had opted to handle things discreetly. Three days after all the Mortecombes had been caught and imprisoned, Damien and Lena went to the Astor Manor. This time, it wasn't for a pleasant super. They sat at the table and watched as Rupert paced back and forth. Emelia and Louis sat on the other side of them, neither of them wanting to look at them. Emelia looked heartbroken, while Louis almost looked guilty. Damien wasn't sure he'd ever seen his brother in such a state.

"How much of it was true?" Rupert asked.

"I don't think you want the real answer to that question," Damien said. "But I go wherever Lena goes. No matter where that is."

"And what's stopping me from killing her and forcing you to move back here and go back to your training until I can finally force myself back into that thick skull of yours?" Rupert threatened.

"You know it won't happen like that," Damien said bluntly. "And the fact that I saved Louis purely out of compassion. You owe me."

"I don't owe you anything," Rupert said. "Leave. Both of you. We don't want you here. You are no longer my son."

With that, he left the room. Louis looked like he wanted to say something, but he snapped his mouth shut and stood up, following Rupert out of the room. Damien looked to his mother, who still looked down at the table. She spoke quietly and weakly.

"I'm sorry, Damien," she said. "And Lena. There's nothing I can do to protect you."

"We don't expect you to," Lena said softly. "I'm sorry I lied."

"I wanted you to be my daughter," Emelia told her, looking up. "Unfortunately, that's no longer possible. But I can do one last thing for you. I can't take much money out without Rupert finding out, but I have enough to pay for your way to Isle Calinare and get you a small place to live in. Just promise me you will leave before word gets to the hunters. They won't be as merciful as your father."

Damien and Lena nodded, quietly saying their goodbyes and leaving Astor Manor for the last time. They were forced to pack up their necessities so they could leave that same night. As they started on their way out, Damien stopped and looked back at his house once more. Lena came up beside him, holding Duchess in one arm and holding his hand with the other.

"I'm sorry I'm taking this away from you," she said.

"No," Damien said. "You're giving me a chance at a real life."

"On an island of exile?"

"Our island of exile."

"Alright," she said, cracking a smile. "Let's go then."

"Let's go start our lives."