The Second Coming || Guns N Roses, Bon Jovi, David Bowie

The Second Coming: Six

"Callie, where are you off to now?"

I'd barely touched my breakfast, consuming just enough of each food to look like I'd eaten a substantial amount. Cap stared at me skeptically as I did so, but when I asked to be excused from the table he allowed it. Perhaps it was Jess's presence that was causing him to be so lenient (of course it was, what else would it be?) but I didn't care. I just wanted to see Jon again.

After I'd freshened up again and brushed my teeth for a second time, I went to the elevator and announced over my shoulder that I'd be back later.

"Callie?" Cap said expectantly, but I had nothing to say.

"I'm just... going out," I swallowed, rubbing my arm.

He sighed with irritation and stood, wiping his mouth off with a cloth napkin before he made his way over to me. I was mentally preparing myself for the worst as he approached, but all he really did was place a hand on my cheek and stare down at me.

"Are you alright, darling?"

"I'm fine," I whispered.

"You aren't letting all this... media attention get to your head now, are you?"

I shook my head slowly. The cameras were the least of my worries.

"Alright, well... I just feel like you've gotten away from me in these past few weeks since your father has returned. Don't get me wrong, I love that you found him, I just... miss you is all."

I felt saddened for a split second, and then I remembered where I was headed off to.

"I'm sorry Cap, I don't mean to make you feel like I've left you behind. I just really like to hang out with my friends, you know, and they really like me. It's not something I really got to experience a lot before, and now that I'm no longer in hiding, I just feel a lot... freer."

He sighed again, gripping my forearm loosely. "I just... we haven't had very much alone time lately. I'd like you to clear some room in your schedule, because tonight you're staying in. Alright?"

"Oh, um... ok then." I didn't want to, but I figured there was no way Jon would want to waste three nights in a row on me.

I reached out to press the elevator button.

"Hey," Cap said gently, and wrapped his arms around me. Jess was hardly watching, though half of me wished he was. Maybe he would've put a stop to it, but he was oddly lenient. I wondered if he felt he couldn't mandate my actions, having been gone for so many years. I supposed that was a reasonable conclusion.

Before I could escape he kissed me, once and then again. The elevator doors were finally parting.

"I love you, Callie."

I stepped into the elevator, and only said it back to him right before the doors were closing.

****

When I knocked on Duff's door, Axl was the one who opened it. He obviously wasn't expecting to see me, it was apparent on his face. Instead of saying 'hello' or letting me in, he just stared at me with a puzzled expression. What was he doing there at nine thirty in the morning, didn't he have a wife to be home for?

I stared back at him expectantly. "So... you gonna let me in?"

"Hey, who's at the door?" Shouted a voice from another room, most likely Slash.

"Calliope," Axl grumbled before he moved aside and let me through.

The apartment was nothing special, just messy and smelling of old socks and sex. And cigarettes, those too.