Shade glares at her. "No. No there isn't. Not as long as you don't try to stop me." He takes another step towards them.

Alexi's smile widens. "Ooh, I love a challenge." She saunters closer to Shade, until they are no more then a hand's breadth apart. "Don't you even want to know why you've been kept here all this time? Aren't you even the least bit curious?" She purrs, meeting his stormy gaze full-on.

Shade's frame tenses as he draws up to his fullest height, glaring down at her. "Maybe I'm not. Maybe I just want the hell outta here, lady."

"Oh, come now darling, no need to make this difficult." She waves off his protest with an absent gesture. "The least you can do to repay my hospitality is listen to me. If you don't like what I have to say, well . . . I'm sure we'll be able to, shall we say, work something out." She slinks over to the worn armchair, gesturing for them to follow her. Norston shuts the door behind him, locking it and returning the key to his pocket before following his mistress to the other room.

"Hospitality? You call this fucking hospitality?" Shade demands, looking ready to fight his way out if he has to, cold anger radiating out from his words. He raises his hands from his sides, fists clenched, eyes like chips of ice. Wyn quickly moves to his side, placing a steadying hand on his arm. He nearly jumps out of his skin, whirling to face her.

"Hey," Wyn says quickly, removing her hand and steping back slightly. His eyes had a wild look to them that she didn't fancy being the target of. "Hey, it's okay. Look, all she wants to do is talk . . ." She catches his gaze with her calmer one, trying to reassure him. "Let's hear her out, and if we don't like it, we'll go, okay?" Don't flip out now, she implores silently, we don't know how dangerous this chick is yet.

Shade appears to consider this for a moment. "Fine. Talk." He says, turning to Alexi, arms folded over his skinny chest.

Alexi looks pleased and amused, in equal measure. "Excellent. But, please, come sit with me. I'd like you to be comfortable." And thank you child. I had hoped this wouldn't get messy. She smiles at Wyn.

Wyn's eyes widen in shock. Telepathy. Great. That's all I need right now.

Alexi winks at her, before turning to greet a confused looking Dex, standing in the doorway across the room. "Hello there, Dex. Please come in and make yourself comfortable, we've much to discuss, I think."

Dex takes in the scene with his customary studied arrogance. "Yes, I suppose we do." He says, before taking a seat opposite Alexi, in the other armchair. Wyn takes the que and moves to the couch, raising an eyebrow at Shade, who stands behind it, arms still folded. Alexi smiles at him knowingly, and he looks back flatly, eyes suspicious. Dex looks composed, his nervousness only betrayed by the fact that he's twitching his foot rapidly against the floor. Wyn turns her eyes towards the vampire expectantly as she begins to speak.

"I know how curious you all are about why I've brought you here. I didn't want to say anything until you were all well enough to have this little meeting." She begins, once they're settled. "First of all, I believe that introductions are in order, I know who you are, of course, but you don't know me. My name is Alexi, and since you all already know what I am, I suppose we'll be able to skip that part of the introduction."

"Indeed." Dex comments, looking smug.

"Being who and what I am, I have become used to working with people from afar, I find that as the world grows harsher, it seems that I must take on a more involved role. I have chosen you for your unique abilities, among other favoring factors. I will speak with each of you individually, and make my offer, you may take a day or two to think about it, during which time you have free run of the entire building, so long as you behave yourselves." She pauses with a meaningful glance at Shade.

"What happens if we decline this offer?" Dex asks, steepling his hands in front of him, efficiently cutting off Shade's obviously less-then-polite protest before he has a chance to voice it.

"Well, I suppose we'll cross that bridge when we come to it." She smiles at him before turning her gaze to Wyn. "Ladies first, my dear. Please, come with me. You boys wait here, if you would." Without another word, she stands gracefully and makes her way back to Wyn's room.

Wyn stands as well, her apprehension making her feel clumsy as she hastens to follow. As she does, she can hear Shade's grumbled, "Run of the entire building my ass!"

"What is it that you want most in the world, Wyn?" Alexi asks, crossing the room and sitting on the window ledge.

"To be a singer." Wyn answers automatically, suspicion edging her words. I don't like this. I don't like this one bit.

"Well that is what I want from you. I've had my eye on you for weeks now, my dear. Why else would I let a fifteen year old work in a nightclub? I admit, though, I thought I had more time to be sure." She glances at Wyn's wrists with marked dissapproval. "If I didn't know better, I would almost think that you were trying to force my hand." She laughs, a musical sound. "So this is my offer to you: I will teach you to really use that miraculous voice of yours, and you will sing in my clubs, when you're a little older of course."

"That's your offer? Singing lessons? That's what all this is about?" Wyn gapes at her, her disquiet growing. "I don't get it." And I still don't like it.

"That's what this is all about for you, my dear, although I understand your distrust of one such as I, I assure you that there is no reason for it. Is what I've done here really so wrong? I've saved all of your lives in one way or another. I want to see you all succeed, to meet your potential. You have nothing to lose, and everything to gain. All your needs will be seen to, your education, your entire life can be devoted to that one goal-- your success."

"That's a very generous offer." Wyn says, hesitantly, her mind in a whirl. But it-

"Sounds too good to be true?" Alexi asks sweetly, with a knowing look.

"Exactly." Wyn says, somewhat uneasliy.

"Well I can assure you it's not. It's going to be a lot of hard work and effort on your part, as well as on mine. This is quite a committment to make, especially for one so young. I will expect your utter devotion to this task, and then, once you're ready to make your appearance to the general public, well, let's just say we can both reap the benefits of our hard work." Alexi's serious demeanor melts into something slightly warmer, but no closer to human. "I want you to take a few days to think this over, this is your life after all. But I believe you will make the right decision, you're a bright girl, and quite mature for your age. Look at what you've done so far, just being here. You've gotten through Shade's thick hide, and that's something nobody has been able to do for years, if I'm any judge. But he listens to you, he respects your judgement. It's fairly extrordinary, when you consider it. I'm excited to see what else you're capable of, Wyn. Please consider my offer." She stands. "I'll be back in two days, to hear what you've decided, please don't judge me on the merit of what I am alone, I think that would be unwise for both of us, as well as a tremendous loss. Think on it. We'll talk at length later, I'm sure."

Wyn nods, not knowing how else to react. If this was all true . . . this could be the oppertunity of a lifetime. But could this be trusted? "I . . . guess we'll talk later, then." She says lamely, shifting her feet. "It's been . . . an interesting experience, to say the least." She turns to leave. "But what happens if I decide to try making it on my own? If I turn down your offer?" She turns back to ask.

"As I said before, child, we'll discuss that when the time comes. Please send Shade in next." Alexi instructs, turning her gaze out the barred window to the street below.

Wyn makes her way slowly back to the others, already deep in thought. Once arriving in the living room, she looks at Shade. "She told me to send you back next."

He nods, walking back.

"So, what did she say?" Dex asks once he's gone.

"That she wants to teach me to sing, and then have me make money in her clubs." Wyn flops down on the couch tiredly. "Sounds a bit too easy to me, though."

"That's it?" He seems almost dissappointed. From the other room you hear Shade's voice raise in an angry shout. "I wonder if she wants him to sing too?" Dex chuckles.

"I doubt it, and I don't think he is quite as open towards anything she would say, as you and I might be." Wyn darts a worried glance in the direction of the room, before turning to Norston with a questioning look. He shrugs unhelpfully, and resumes reading the newspaper he brought with him.

"What makes you say that?" Dex wonders, his sardonic attitude really beginning to get on her nerves.

Wyn presents him with her most withering look.

"What? I was being serious." He looks offended.

"Well, I'd imagine that Shade is still not to happy about the forced detox."

"Yeah, no shit. I wonder if she'll keep him here. I wonder if she can." He says, mostly to himself.

After a few more minutes Shade walks out. He looks shaken and pissed off. He points at Dex and keeps walking towards the kitchen. Dex looks after him, then walks back.