Work Text:
Hunts & Crimes.
Gillian Chamberlain lay on her bed deep in thought. Since the attack, she had a lot of time to pause and reflect, over her actions and what they had led to. Unlike her colleagues in the coven, she no longer blamed the vampire for attacking her. Although he had done her great harm, she had committed greater crimes. By breaching vampire territory, betraying her friend to the congregation, she invited the retribution. Maybe Matthew Clairmont had no right to attack her in order to obtain what little information she had given to Peter Knox, yet she had also refused to give it through any other method.
A lot of things had occurred during her recovery, events which caused her to revaluate her actions. She had heard about her friend Diana going to France with Matthew Clairmont, getting kidnapped and tortured by Satu and Gerbert. She had also heard about Diana and Matthew going to America to Diana's aunts, before disappearing without a trace of their whereabouts. Satu, Peter Knox and Gerbert had gone to storm the Bishop house in Madison, only to find the place deserted, save for the ghosts of past ancestors which haunted every witches' house.
The hunt was on for Diana and Matthew, along with the Book of Life. Gillian was far removed from both investigations, as she still considered to be recovering. Also her usefulness as a friend of Diana had been rendered meaningless thanks to Diana's knowledge of the betrayals. She had never caught sight of the Book of Life, though she had felt its power rippling its way through her the day Diana opened it in the Bodleian. Although she would like to have a look at it as doubtless many other creatures would, she was not prepared to commit further breaches or betrayals in order to do so.
She was also angry with herself. She had let her desire to become someone of note within the creature community destroy what had been a dear friendship. She wanted to apologise to Diana and Matthew, if she knew where she could find them. If there was a way to help or repay them, she would.
One idea had occurred to her. That she could find the Book of Life for them. She knew that since Diana had given it back the book had gone missing from the archives, leading everyone to believe that she had it, but Gillian knew that Diana was not the type of person to steal from the Bodleian.
There was a few problems in doing this, however. Firstly, she was still recovering, she was in no condition to start searching for this book. Second, a lot of creatures were already on the hunt for it, creatures who were smarter and stronger than her. She was willing to admit her limits in this matter.
Which left a third problem. She knew who could prove to be ideal in solving a mystery such as this, but it would mean coming out of hiding and revealing herself to a man she once knew. A man whom she had been privileged to call a friend, whom she had loved unrequitedly for several years. After the last adventure she had been involved in with him, she had decided it was time to leave, that she could no longer carry on like this. So she had set up a new identity for herself and moved to Oxford.
Only the move had failed to cure her of her unrequited affections, or given her any satisfaction in her new chosen profession, not to mention the development of her powers. Perhaps it was now time to go back to her roots and deal with the hurt that her friends from then would doubtless feel. Through their help, if they were willing after learning all about her, perhaps then she could repay Diana for all the wrong she had done to her.
Slowly she picked up her phone and typed out an email.
'Come to Oxford,' she wrote. 'I need your help.'
To her surprise, she received a response within minutes. 'Whatever you need, Molly.'
The End