"I know, Lilly, so am I," he told her quietly. "We are going to start looking at photos. I'm going to show you a full-body photo. Well, mostly a full body. Briar insisted on the hanky over his penis for propriety's sake. Then we will go to quarters and then little pieces, one at a time. You will stare at them and tell me what you see, and what you feel with each. We will go slowly, I'll record everything, and once we find the trigger and get you back to yourself, you'll listen to the recording and give me your impressions."
"All right. Well, I think that I am as ready as I am going to get." She looked to Ax and leaned in, her forehead to his, and whispered. "No matter what I might say, just know that I care for you. Even if I say bad things to you, know that it's whatever this is that's talking, and not how I truly feel for you?"
"Do not worry about what you may say. Just speak, Lilly. We need to know what is going on inside, and I think this may be the key. But first, did you need to eat anything, take a shot? Because we are going to be in here a good while. Bathroom break, maybe?"
"I ate this morning and had a shot. I should be good. Just make sure that there is juice in here, too, for later? Maybe have someone bring us lunch if we are still here in a couple of hours?" Her health was something she couldn't take for granted. "And I will talk. Just help me if I try to clam up?"
"I will, on all counts." He stood up and shrugged out of his jacket. He tossed it to the far end of the sofa. Sitting again, he lifted her into his lap and held her tight. "Are you ready to begin?" he asked quietly. He brushed a kiss to her cheek. "And I will be right here the entire time, Lilly. You are never alone, not now, not ever again."
"Thank you for that. I don't think you can possibly understand just how much that means to me," she whispered softly. "Okay, let's do this. I'm ready to get this over and done with so we can figure out our next step. Show me what you have to show me, Ax?"
He gave her a quick kiss, and then settled her at his side on the sofa. Leaning forward, he flipped open the file. Pulling off the top photo, he held it so she couldn't see the image. He hit a button on the coffee table. "Agent Lilly Webb reviewing the photos of the deceased, case number six-two-alpha-nine. First image for review is a full-body shot from the right side." He passed her the photo in a way that she'd have to flip it over to see it.
Lilly looked at the photo and frowned. "This poor man," she murmured quietly. "He had to have suffered terribly. I feel so badly for him." She looked to Ax and shook her head. "So far, nothing, Ax. I'm good so far."
"Second image for review is a full-body shot from the left side." He handed it over. She squinted at it, tipped her head and then, same thing. Nothing. "Third image for review is the right leg, and the fourth image for review is the left leg." Ax passed her both images and sat waiting.
Lilly shook her head. "Nothing," she said quietly. "I guess it's time to show me the ones you keep shuffling to the back of the pile?" She had noticed, he kept shuffling some of the images to the very back of the pile, not that she could blame him at all.
"We'll get there," he told her softly. He dug out a couple more. "Fifth image for review is left hip, sixth image for review is left arm," he said. Passing her the photos, he watched her again. When it was another negative, he handed her two more. These were the left torso and the left shoulder and neck area.
Lilly's hands began to shake as she looked at the tattoo on the man's left shoulder and neck area. Sweat beaded her brow and she literally began to shake as if she were a drug addict on withdrawals. "I need a phone," she whispered, her eyes glazed. "I need to make a call." She was going crazy, that was what kept going through her mind. "I think that I need to go back to DC. I'm sorry, but I need a phone. Now." She got up and began to pace, trying to find a door and unable to.
"Photo eight has elicited a reaction from Agent Webb. She's shaking and sweating. Her eyes are darting around and she appears unable to sit still. She is also demanding a phone." Artaxias put the photo down and moved toward her. "Lilly, why do you need a phone, love?"
"I need to make a phone call. I think that I'm starting to revert. I need to have them come get me," she whispered and began to stand, pacing as she did so. "I need to make that phone call, Ax. Please don't keep me here. I have to call them. I have to make sure that they come to me. Come for me. Don't stand in my way. I have to make that call."
He moved to her, trapping her. There was a door, she had to get to the door. His hands were on her face and her gaze caught in his. "You don't need to do anything of the sort, little mate. All you need to do is kiss me." He leaned in and kissed her, not giving her a chance to reply. His tongue slid in, stroking and tempting hers.
She kissed him back. With a soft sigh of surrender, she gave in to him and truly kissed him back with all that she had in her. A low moan came from her lips and she wrapped her arms around him to pull him closer. When they parted, she smiled up at him. "I love your kisses," she whispered softly.
"I love kissing you." He smiled. He slid a hand over her cheek to her hair. "Do you remember what just happened, Lilly? Do you remember why I kissed you as I did just now?" His eyes said it was important, even though his face and body language said "relaxed."
"Because we are about to start looking at the photos. You wanted to give me one last kiss before we started?" she asked with a frown and then felt the hurting in her head. "No. That's not right." She began to tense up, her mind trying to work out what was happening and her head pounding stunningly as she did so. "What's happening?" she whispered and looked up at him.
"Shh," he breathed out. Kissing her again gently, he drew back. "Come and sit, listen to the recording." Tugging her down next to him on the sofa, he hit the "stop," "rewind," and then "play" buttons for the recorder. He turned and watched her as his voice started to speak. Hers came in, as counterpoints, with answers until the moment she demanded a phone.
She was pale, completely pale when he allowed the recording device to play back. "Well, does this at least give us an idea of what it is that sets me off?" she asked suddenly. "Can I have a drink, please? I'm feeling more than a little ill right now," she admitted quietly.
Nodding, he popped up and moved to a wall. He tapped on it and a section slid open to reveal a bar. He dug out a bottle of water and a juice, bringing them both to her. He went back and grabbed another water, as well as a box. Returning, he sat and handed her the crackers. "It's the markings on his shoulder and neck that set you off. You were staring at the image hard right before you started to shake. Your eyes glazed over and then you started to sweat. A few moments later you began to mutter and then demanded the phone."
"So that's the only part? If so, I should be able to go into autopsy as long as that area is covered, right?" She took a drink of the water and cracker to nibble on. "God, my head is totally killing me right now," she whispered. "I feel as if it's about to explode. I know it won't, but lord, it's hurting."
"It's the pressure from the compulsion. You're resisting reporting to them, whoever they may be. Because of that, the compulsion is striking out at you, hurting you, because you are resisting." Artaxias lifted her into his lap as he leaned back, his arms around her. "I'm sorry, Lilly. I don't want you hurting, but I also don't want you giving them anything. Not yet."
Taking a deep breath, Lilly nodded. "All right," she whispered quietly. "I trust you. I believe in you. If you say that something needs to be done, we will do it. I don't know how we will do this, but I trust you and I believe in you. Together we will get through this, right?"
"Absolutely," he said, pressing a kiss to her cheek. "Drink more water, it seems to help you as well. Then I want to go and see the Luhpynes and get their take on the photo that had you ready to dig through the walls to get out."
She nodded and reached out to him again. Her hand closed over his wrist and she asked, "Stay with me, please? Don't, leave me even for a moment. I hate to beg, but I will if I need to. Just, please? Stay with me? I don't know that I can face anything without you here with me."