He was told to breath, calm down, and wait. And so, that is what Ivan is doing. He is sitting on the edge of his couch, his head resting in his hands. He seems unconsolable, and that's because he is. His phone is sitting right beside him, both of them, and his cell is still open to the frantic text message he had been in the middle of typing.
For once, Puck seems to respect its master's pain. The black kitten is snuggling beside Ivan's legs, its ears low against it's skull in a somber manner. The door has been propped open, ready for Hope.
—
After the call, Hope's rushed over. A quick explanation to Bobby, the gist of which was, "Faith's in trouble, must be Wednesday," and off she went. Racing through the streets at this time of day isn't particularly difficult, but she's been good to obey all traffic laws with the exception of speeding.
Impatient to wait for the elevator, Hope's run up the three flights of stairs, and bursts into the apartment. Her hair is no longer blonde, having dyed it back not too long ago. "Okay. What happened? Who have you tried calling? When did you get a cat?"
—
Ivan does not move at first. It's though he has been petrified - turned into some sort immaculate stone sculpture of himself in this tortured stance. But after a moment, there is movement, couple with a near inaudible sniffle. When the man turns to face the woman, his face is harsh and stoic, but there is something a bit too watery about his green eyes… "She's gone. She left last night, and she's not back yet. I don't know what to do, where else to turn." Beat. "I'm going to head to the vampire mansion later tonight. To make sure she's not been…" Ahem. "What? Oh…after we gave away the hamsters."
—
"Well you can start with telling me why she left." Hope needs to know if Ivan did something to hurt her sister before she hands over her day planner. "I'm not going to let you go there, Ivan. Faith isn't stupid. She wouldn't go to a place like that." There's not a whole lot of comforting happening yet. The other Tyler twin is keeping her distance. No telling what a distraught man might do, not that she thinks Ivan's going to make a move, but if his brain's snapped he might think she's her sister. "It's cute. Good to know you have one. I won't bring Serenity over."
—
"Because of…" But, wait. Ivan knows Hope. He knows how she is. And he knows that as bad as Faith took having a vampiric bodyguard? Hope would freak out ten times as much. "The usual. What else? Her always going out at dark, and now with the whole fucking Tripp thing… It's like she encouraging bad things to happen to her. It's like she doesn't see that she's enabling all these terrible events and I can't just lock her in here, but…" Beat. "Yes, I am going there, Hope. She wouldn't go to a place like that…willingly. But we both know she is a magnet for trouble, and in particular that of the vampiric sort."
—
Hope just blinks at him, then deadpans, "She slept with Tripp?" There's a whole other ball of insanity that may just unravel at that, but she's doing her best to stay calm. "I'm not letting you go there, Ivan. Over my dead body." Her frown deepens, her arms cross over her chest and she moves to stand in front of the doorway. At this point, he may notice that she's wearing a ring on her left ring finger. Big pink diamond. "My sister is an idiot, but I don't think she'd get all involved with vampires. So before you go rushing there, you can have my day planner. There's a section for Faith's friends in there. I don't know a whole lot of the new ones, she barely talks to me anymore, but you may try some of the old ones that tried to help me find her last time she went missing."
—
Pain crosses his features when Hope verbalizes Ivan's most prominent fear. Despite the fact that he is actively attempting to maintain a cool, straight face - there is no hiding the hurt. "If she did," he grumbles, low and dangerous. "Then I'm done. I'm out. I'm not going to put up with that kind of bullshit. And you can't stop me. If there's a chance she was kidnapped, then there's a chance that they can help me." He is determined, with his jaw set stubbornly, but before he can do anything, she's blocking his way, and offering him the planner. He nods to her enthusiastically then, brows furrowed. "Alright."
—
"I'm not budging, Ivan. So unless you're planning on hurting me, you're not taking off into a dangerous place on your own. Go with someone." Hope can't really think of anyone that could help him, but surely someone can. "I don't think she did. I mean, Tripp was a pretty bad liar, so unless he learned how to lie really well in the last two years…" She honestly doesn't doubt that he could lie to her face and she'd not catch it. "… then I just don't see it happening. He would be saying something about it since he was in love with her."
There are really only two or three numbers for Faith's friends, London Grace, Wit DeWitt and another that was quickly scrawled in Faith's hand. "These are all that I have, but it's better than running off and getting yourself hurt or killed, Ivan."
—
"So what. You going to stay here, all night, babysitting me? I thought you had to go rush to the asshole's side? Bobby what's his face." There's a hint of desperation buried within his irritation. "I'll be fine. I'll call the numbers on my way there. I just - I…I can't stay here anymore. I can't sit here and do nothing knowing she could…I thought you hated vampires. Why're you talking to that…that thing."
—
"If I have to, yeah. Considering he hurt himself badly trying to put you into a car, and just got out of surgery, I don't think you should be calling him…" Hope takes a deep breath. "… my fiance an asshole." She's not stupid, and she knows what happened between Bobby and Scarlett (mostly), but she's got that whole unconditional thing going on. "Call the numbers now. At least try to call them now. You're not in any condition to drive. The least I can do is take you to her if we find out where she is, and if not I can drop you off somewhere or get you a towncar or something."
Temples are rubbed, and she exhales a long sigh. "He. Has. Faith's. Phone. She never sent me her new number until late last night. I do hate vampires. I think he's an unholy demonic child of Satan." But… he was once her friend, and she's trying to get over that fact.
—
Ivan doubletakes. Literally, when she uses that word choice. Slowly, he looks down to the ring on her finger, his entire expression darkening considerably. "He stopped fucking my sister just long enough to propose again, did he?" Considering all he wants to say about douchebag Robert, this is tame. This is also the only thing he'll say about the situation. He is jittery after letting out a groan of dissatisfaction, he flicks through the pages of the planners to get the numbers, diving onto his couch for the phone. "Fine! I'll call now."
—
Color drains from Hope's face, but she's going to let herself believe that Ivan's words are just nerves. They have to be. There's no way Bobby would do that, and then…
No.
"It's not like that, Ivan. I know you're hurting right now, but that's not a reason to hurt someone who's trying to help you." Considering that she still doesn't really like Ivan all that much but is being nice for her sister's sake. "I love him, and that's really all that matters, alright? Just like you love Faith, and you wouldn't leave her just because something bad was going on in her life." She moves toward him to place a gentle, reassuring hand upon his shoulder. "We'll find her. I promise you we will. Then I'll go get one of those lojack anklets or get a GPS device put in a piece of jewelry or something, so that she can't just go missing again."
—
This isn't something new. Ivan had predicted this to both Scarlett and Hope, and he is not surprised by Robert's despicable actions. But something she says sets him off, and instinctively, the man draws away from Hope's reassuring touch. "No. No, I wouldn't leave her just because something bad happened in her life. I haven't, and I wont. But if she did something like that to me? Made a 'mistake' like that? Fuck that. No way in hell I'd stick around - I don't deserve that." He falls silent then, boring holes into the papers of the day planner and he quicky pounds in the first number. All he gets is the dial tone, and eventually with a growl of disappointment, he hangs up.
—
"You're right, you don't deserve something like that, no one does." Yet, despite this, Hope is remaining with a guy that sowed his wild oats, and chances are that he won't change. There's something to be said for unconditional love. It's something she takes seriously. "If she's not in her right mind and does it though, Ivan, can she really be held accountable? If one of those vile creatures uses that mind whammy like they did on her before?" She backs off when he shakes her hand away, and then sighs. "Try Wit. He tried to help me find her before. He may be able to tell you where she is, or something?"
—
"Don't fucking ask me that." Ivan's voice wavers precariously when she brings up Faith's accountability, when it comes to her insanity. Clearly, it's an issue that Ivan's considered before, and one that terrifies him. Because he wouldn't know how he would react, or what would be right, or wrong, or…possible. "Don't! I can't - I can't be with someone that keeps doing shit like that. Even if she doesn't mean to. It's not… And yes, she would be accountable in some regards. She's the one putting herself in positions that allow them to glamour her." It's silent. And unless she were staring at him, she might not notice, but as he punches in Wit's number, there is a tear trickling down his cheek.
—
"When we find her, and we will find her, I suggest the two of you go to couples counselling or something." Pause. "I mean, if you want to stay with her." Which is obviously going to depend on what happens. Hope takes a step forward to try and be reassuring again, but then drops her arm to her side and puffs out another sigh. "Enabling them to do something so awful she should be accountable for, yes. Did you try calling the police station? I know it's far fetched, but maybe if she went out of her mind she was brought in there, or to one of the hospitals?"
—
"I want to stay with her. I'll always want to stay with her. But if she cheats on me, I wont." There. A concise, summary of many complex thoughts, desires, and needs, all delivered in one unsure package from one Ivan Fontane. But as a result of his weakness he pulls himself away, wiping his eye with the back of his hand. "…Mhmm. I don't want to inform the hospitals or the police until tonight. That'll attract so much attention, and…" It's shuddering, his sigh, and his eyes fall shut. "Why? Why does this always happen?"
—
"Well then I hope for your sake, she doesn't." Hope doesn't seem at all certain that Faith won't go and do something stupid. Then again, she's seen the worst sides of her sister. Likely more of them than Ivan's been subjected to. "I can call them if you'd prefer. It will put the media on alert, sure, but that won't necessarily be a bad thing. It would mean more people out there looking. The big issue is that once it hits the media, our parents will fly in." Not something that she'd particularly be looking forward to. "I don't know, Ivan. She's like a little kid sometimes. I know you don't want her to be treated as such, but she is. She's still nineteen, and she's still striving for her independence, and I'm betting she's trying to take it to make you see she can handle being on her own."
—
"Hope for her sake too. She'll never find someone as good as me. She wont." Ivan is alot of things. But there's one thing that is for sure - he is above all, a loyal, loving, and a wonderful boyfriend. And this he knows. But this is all Ivan can handle, he allows the topic to die out, hoping that she'll catch on and do the same. "Ah…if I haven't found her by tomorrow morning. We'll call the authorities, okay? I don't…give me some time to see what I can find. And…yeah." He's depressive as he speaks about Faith. "She is. Like a child."
—
"I hate to rain on your parade, Ivan, but if she's so much like a child, can she handle a good, solid, decent relationship?" Hope will agree on that point. He may be the world's biggest jerk at times, but he's treated her sister with kindness. That's something you just can't deny. "I mean, I really don't know what happened between you two, but for her to just leave without telling you where she's going? That's worrisome." Even at her angriest, she made sure to tell people where she was off to. "But as you wish. I don't think you can legally file a missing person's report until a full twenty-four hours has passed anyhow."
—
"I don't know." Ivan sounds hollow, lifeless. It's a direct image of the blank impassivity that he's projecting - as though he was some sort of defective robot. "I like to think that she could. Or I liked to pretend she can. I…" The phone is dropped. Simple as that. Thoughtlessly thrown to the side, in favor of Ivan getting to his feet in a mechanical fashion, striding into the kitchen, and producing a can of beer that he can down.
—
"For the love of all that is Holy and good in this world, what is with you men and turning to beer when your lives go to Hell?" Hope has half a mind to slap him, like she did with Bobby, but as it's only one beer so far as she knows, she'll let it go. After all, it's his apartment. "Don't get me wrong. I love my sister. I really do. But a woman who just storms out, without so much as a word to someone where she's going, is honestly not mentally stable, and definitely not of a maturity level to be in a solid relationship."
—
"What's with you women and turning to chocolate and ice cream when you break a nail?" Ivan shoots back with clear irritation. The first beer is literally chugged down, inhaled right there, with the refrigerator door open. But his second, he'll take his time with. As, after all, it'll be the last one he has - he cannot risk getting drunk at this time of need. What if he needs to rescue someone? Or more pressingly, drive? With his back turned to Hope, he leans in a rather moody fashion against a counter. "What should I do then, Hope? Just break it off? I, I can't…" Which isn't the truth at all. He certainly can and will if the situation calls for it. But her certainly doesn't want to.
—
"Simple. Comfort food. Beer just numbs your senses though, and you'll need them if you're going to the den of the Devil." Hope exhales a heavy sigh. "Of course you shouldn't just break it off. My point is still valid. My sister is still a child inside her mind. It's difficult for her to act with any sense of maturity, hence running off whenever the two of you argue. If that's something you can deal with for the rest of your life, then stick with it. If it's not, you need to let her go soon before you both get in so deep you can't return from it." There's a small pause. "Either way, I'll support whatever it is you decide. I'm going to try Wit from my phone now." Which is slipped out of her pocket, and the auto-dial button hit for the number.
—
"I can't." Ivan murmurs dejectedly. "I can't keep going like this. I'm…I'm not strong enough. She can't keep running off every time we have a disagreement. It kills me with worry. And…I know that if she keeps doing it?" Beat. "Eventually, I'm going to stop caring. She needs to stop…and think of someone other than herself for once, Goddamn it." With his back against the wall of the kitchen and a beer in hand, the man begins the slow, dramatic slide down to the floor, collapsing as though he has no energy left. "Something's gotta change. Something's gotta give." He doesn't even react to the news that she's going to call Wit - shellshocked as he is.
—
Hope is very, very silent. A grim look upon her face. "I can't reach him. I'll keep trying though. He's good at getting information." Kicking her shoes off, she stalks into the kitchen and kneels down on the floor in front of him. It's rather hard for Hope to do, since her injury still hasn't healed fully. "Then you need to tell her that, Ivan. If she honestly loves you, she'll stop and think of what she's doing to you." Which is probably not very reassuring. "Or I can talk to her, but she really won't like what I have to say, and it's not like I've got much ground to walk on here… I'm back with a guy who apparently had relations with your sister."
—
So this is what hell looks like when it's frozen over. Ivan would comment, but he can't muster up the energy to do much of anything. He just stares ahead, quite blankly. And when Hope just so happens to get in his eyesight, he listlessly transfers some attention over to her. "Yeah…yeah." He mumbles, half-hearted. "You should talk to her. I should talk to her. I just…it's needs to get through to her. It's killing me, Hope. It's killing me…"
—
"Then do something about it when we find her. Honestly. This is not the Ivan Fontane that I know. What happened to the loudmouthed, crass, confident man who stood his ground when I was telling him off?" Hope is fairly certain that this relationship of his isn't just killing him emotionally, it's harming his personality too. "I don't want you to break up with my sister, I really don't. But you can't stay with her if you feel this way, it'll be detrimental for you both. I'll talk to her, but I still suggest couples counselling. I really don't want a miserable sister at my wedding, and she is going to be there if I have to stake every vampire myself to find her."
—
Ivan lets out a snort then, fairly amused by her comments. And when he stares at her, it's a piercing, solemn look. "You don't know me, Hope. You never took the time to get to know me." With this pointed out, he proceeds to swallow some of his beer, before letting out a low grunt and moving to push himself off of the floor. "I'm going to drive around and…whatever. Hey." He pauses here, frowning to her. "…Thanks. For showing up and all."
—
"Don't I? I may not know you on a personal level as well I as should. But I've seen you with the mayor. You're not some pushover, Ivan. A person doesn't have one personality for the world and another for at home. They may think that they do, but the truth is, you are who you are." Hope gives him a frown, then sighs. "Look, let me call you a towncar. I'll pay for it to take you wherever you want. You just really shouldn't be driving when your mind is like this, and especially not after drinking."
—
"I'll be fine. I've only had a beer and a half." Ivan assures her, placing the remainder of his current beer to the side. "I'm good too. Mentally. Driving relaxes me, so it's alright. I'll let you know if something comes up, alright? I'll call you or something." He's already moving, already plucking at his ring of keys and looking towards the front door hungrily.
—
"Fine then. Just trying to keep you from getting a ticket and harming your career." Hope shrugs. His own fault if he gets stopped and ticketed for being over the legal limit or whatever. "I should go then." Pause. "Unless you need me to stick around here to see if she shows up." Shrugging, she gets up off the floor and moves toward the door to slip her shoes back on. "Keep trying those numbers I gave you. I'll leave my day planner here in case you need them, and I'll be by in the morning for it."