Everyone retired for the evening. Brianna found Grissom and Phil talking in the lobby of the hotel, and walked up to see them.
"--it seems we have a few options."
"Could go 'nd find a new spot to hang our hat. Just fer business, no living space." Grissom turned and looked at Brianna. "No need to have someone's home wrecked."
Phil spoke next. "Bree, Leslie said your stuff's in storage for now. You can get everything back when you've found a place to stay."
"Thanks." Brianna's few possesions were in storage with Leslie's boxes. Her suite and much of the Vanguard Complex was demolished a little over a week ago. The desruction had hit her particularly hard. Brianna depended on Vanguard for her finances and her shelter, and now the Complex was no more.
"Any luck with the house-hunting?"
Brianna grinned, but Phil could tell she was bluffing. "Great. Found lots of places. Trying to narrow it down."
His smile was just as false as hers. "Cool. Let me or Leslie know if you need some help. Heck, I'm sure she'd love to go looking with you." Phil and Grissom said goodbye. Brianna followed Montag as he left the hotel.
The British ex-mercenary looked at his Irish bird. "Why didn't ye tell 'im the truth?"
Brianna frowned. "The truth? Tell him that I can't afford anything on the island, and I've been staying with you the entire time? That we've been...you know..." Her voice trailed off, but one eyebrow was still raised.
"Yer heard wot I said back there. I'll loan you the--"
Brianna shook her head. "We've been over this. I couldn't pay you back. Ever." Brianna kicked the gravel at her feet. "Brandon's medical bills are draining me. I think I have six months before I'm in the hole."
Grissom wrapped his arm around Brianna's shoulder as he led her to his car. She always seemed calmer when he comforted her in that manner. Their strides matched perfectly. "Too bad the banks' froze his accounts." Brianna hopped into Grissom's vehicle. "Look, lass, I'll not have you angry at me all night. So at least until tomorrow, no worries about euros or dollars or pounds." Brianna laughed. "I'm serious, lass."
"Alright. Not another word about money from me tonight."
"That's better."
Brianna was silent for about fifteen seconds. "Griss...what's the average monthly wage for a mercernary?"
Grissom slammed the brakes just hard enough for Brianna slide forward in her seat. "I said no more talk about money!" He needed to get her mind off it somehow. Suddenly, Griss was hit with an idea. "Say, Brianna, I always wondered wot kind of place you'd liked to live in. Y' know, a fantasy house."
Brianna thought about it for a moment. "I haven't really thought about it myself. I suppose I'd like some quiet sort of home. Somewhere will I wouldn't be bothered much. Someplace high so I'd have to stretch my wings just to get there."
The pulled up to Grissom's villa. "A castle 'n the sky, eh?" Brianna laughed. Grissom was already at the passanger door. He opened it and picked Brianna up. "Well, lass, I can't give y' a castle...but I can make you feel like a queen tonight." Brianna held on as he carried her inside the villa. "I believe it was Virgil who said 'Love conquers all things; let us too surrender to love'."
He dropped Brianna on the massive king-sized bed. "You know, Mister Montag, when you're like this, I really can't say 'no'."
"So can I offer to loan you the money now?"
Brianna tossed him her pants. "No."
