FicWad

"We're going to a party tonight."

Raven addressed his Flock, whom he'd assembled in the living area of the warehouse.

"I've rented out the ballroom at Ritz-Carlton. We're going to be presenting our new product to the better half of society. Laree, Daffney, Gypsy, Lita, and Inferno, you will find a thousand dollar allowance in your rooms, I want you to go out and find yourselves something nice to wear, and spend the rest to get yourselves dolled up. Gentlemen, you will all find the same allowance for a nice tuxedo in your rooms--and by nice I mean Armani or a label of similar caliber. You will shave, you will tame your hair and you will take out your piercings. The festivities begin at 7 pm sharp, all of you will be expected to attend."

The crowd began to disperse, going their separate ways until Raven caught sight of Punk and Nightingale.

"You two, over here!"

"Yes, boss?"

Punk flashed a bright smile at his boss, all the while wanting nothing more than to choke him to death.

"Punk, Daffney will be up in a few minutes to get your measurements for a suit, and she'll need your shoe size. Nightingale, you have a dress and shoes waiting for you upstairs, and Laree will be back in time to do your makeup."

"Sure thing boss."

Nightingale merely nodded her acknowledgement.

"She is your responsibility tonight Punk, I'm trusting you not to screw up again. Mingle, dance, act as though you're having a good time, and do not let her out of your sight."

Punk nodded, as Daffney approached them with a tape measure.

"Go on upstairs." Raven ordered.

As soon as the two had disappeared up the stairs, he turned on the redhead, backing her into the corner.

"You should consider yourself very lucky that I didn't hand you over to Rave or Rock for that little stunt you pulled while I was away. If you ever interrupt a punishment like that again, you will take the remaining lashes, and then I will put you to good use out on the streets, is that what you want? Is it?!"

"No!"

"I think you're lying. I think you're dying to know what it feels like to be with a man. You seem to like being outside, hanging out on street corners. Maybe I should give you what you want, let you have that experience, I could make a profit off of it. Hell, half the guys in the Flock are dying to do you, I'd make a killing off them alone."

"Raven, please..."

"Please what?"

"Stop..." she murmured, just barely audible.

"Please WHAT?!" he barked, just inches from her face.

"STOP! Just stop! It was stupid, you're right, I'm sorry!"

"You're sorry? You're SORRY?! Sorry doesn't take back what you did! Sorry doesn't change the fact that Punk nearly spotted my dealers making a sale!"

"I said I was sorry, what more do you want?!"

A loud slap resonated through the room as Raven backhanded his pet.

"I want you to cut the attitude, and get your tail back in line, do you understand me? You don't speak without my permission. You don't eat, you don't sleep, you don't even BREATHE without my saying so. If I say you live in a cage, then you live in a cage, and if I say you don't see the light of day again, you don't. You are MINE until I say otherwise. Are we clear?"

Nightingale nodded, her breath hitching as she tried not to outright sob.

"I SAID ARE WE CLEAR?! ANSWER ME, YES OR NO?!"

"Yes! Yes, we're clear!"

"Good. Now get upstairs and get changed, because if you embarrass me tonight, you'll have a lot more to worry about than just lashes, little girl."

-

Raven stalked confidently into the ballroom; on one arm was Gypsy, dressed to kill in a red halter dress, floor length, with red, orange and silver flowers embroidered on it, and a cutout on the left side of her midsection. Her newly dyed locks were pinned up in a perfectly coifed chignon, just a few curled tendrils hanging down on the sides to frame her face. Her entire stance oozed of confidence, from the cocky smile gracing her lips, to the way she clung to Raven's arm possessively, daring to walk dangerously close to him.

On the other arm was Nightingale, wearing a bright green gown featuring an assymetrical ruffled hem, with a sweetheart neckline and a white halter strap. Her auburn locks had been left down to cover the scars on her back. The natural curls had been pinned up on the sides however, to allow her face to be seen. Her purity ring sat on the ring finger of her left hand, sparkling merrily under the bright lights, and a new pair of emerald and diamond earrings glittered as she walked nearly a step behind Raven, trying not to stumble and fall over the stiletto heels she'd been forced to wear.

Trailing behind them, almost an afterthought, were Tripp and one of the newest "imports", a young Korean woman by the name of Gail.

At the top of the grand staircase, Punk waited patiently, quickly adjusting his tie--the only color in his tuxedo, as he'd opted to go for solid black rather than the traditional penguin like look--before standing at attention as Raven and company approached.

As soon as they reached the staircase, Nightingale silently released Raven's arm, and took the one that Punk offered her.

"You two go down first--Gypsy, as soon as they've cleared the last step, we'll start. I need to make a grand entrance." Raven stated, nodding first to Punk and then to the woman still clutching his arm.

"On it, boss." Punk smirked.

And with that, the two began to slowly descend, Nightingale still working very hard to keep her balance.

"You look amazing." he murmured, as they made their way onto the dancefloor.

"You don't look too bad yourself. The tux really suits you." she replied, squeezing his arm gently as they watched Raven and Gypsy make their way down the staircase.

Midway down, the bleached blonde man and his date for the evening paused, receiving a loud round of applause.

"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for joining me here tonight, please enjoy the music and refreshments, and have a wonderful evening!"

Raven's words were met with another round of applause. After it died down, he and Gypsy made their way out onto the dancefloor to join the rest of the crowd.

He's such a sleezy bastard, and a horrible actor--I can't believe all these people are actually buying it. Nightingale thought bitterly, a fake smile still plastered to her face.

"Too bad they don't know him like we do, huh?" Punk grinned, as Raven began to mingle with his guests.

"Took the words right out of my mouth."

"I'm surprised he let you out tonight."

"Not as surprised as I am--then again, he wants to keep a closer eye on me than ever; he doesn't trust me anymore."

Punk was just about to reply, when he saw her face go three shades paler than normal. Just a few steps away, a set of twins had stopped, openly gaping at Nightingale.

Brie and Nicole Bella, the Italian "imports" that Raven had acquired, began to converse rapidly in their native tongue, their eyes never leaving Nightingale.

"Il Brie, lo sguardo, Renaldi Moretti!"

"No, non pu essere, morta nell'incidente di aereo con i suoi genitori, ricorda?"

"Non apparentemente, sta in piedi qui prima che ci -- non ha cambiato dalla sua fotografia a parte prendendo pi vecchio!"

"Non lo credo! L'erede ai viveri di fortuna di Moretti!"

Before he had time to say a word, Punk was being dragged across the room to hide under the staircase.

"Rena, what the hell--"

"They recognized me...oh my God they recognized me..."

"The twins? But how do you--"

"My mother was full blooded Italian, remember? I'm fluent, I knew exactly what they were saying, and they recognized me! If Raven finds out--"

"He's not going to find out." Punk stated firmly.

"You don't know him like I do Phil, he has ways of finding out things like this, especially in a crowded room, I--"

Punk's lips meeting her own stopped her rambling. He wondered for a moment if he'd made a mistake, as he felt her body tense up moreso than it already was--when she relaxed however, and tentatively returned the gesture, his nerves disappeared. Pulling away sightly, he tucked a piece of hair behind her ear.

"I promised you a few days ago that I wasn't going to let him hurt you again, and I meant it. Do you trust me?"

"Punk that's not the issue--"

"Do you trust me? It's a simple question, yes or no?"

Nightingale paused, chewing on her bottom lip nervously, before nodding.

"Alright then, just relax, everything is going to be fine. The only people who know the truth are you and I, and we will deny it so feverishly that nobody will be able to doubt us, if it comes down to that, which it won't. Now, let's go back out there and mingle like we're supposed to before Raven gets suspicious. Do you think you can do that for me?"

Nightingale nodded, and allowed Punk to lead her back out onto the floor.

Please God, don't let him find out the truth...I'm a dead woman walking if he does.



Translation:

"Look, Brie, it's Renaldi Moretti!"

"No, it can't be, she died in the plane crash with her parents, remember?"

"Apparently not, she stands here before us--she has not changed from her photograph aside from getting older!"

"I don't believe it! The heiress to the Moretti fortune lives!"