Wu Long stared back at the one holding Eros, the father of his betrothed.

"I still have that which you desire. It can still be yours. Help me to bring him back and I'll give it to you." Wu Long offered to the kami quietly, shutting out the presence of the others for the moment. He could see the deep want and desire flickering in the depths of his eyes. The kami blinked slowly, a gentle fluttering of long lashes covering the amethyst; he looked down at the mop of white hair cascading across Eros's face and over his arm; almost too quiet to be heard the kami responded to the offer.

"I am afraid I must decline." Sorrow and regret tinged his carefully spoken words.

"Grandmother can you heal him?" Ning asked holding the boy carefully against him. He turned away from Wu Long and quickly shut away the thoughts and emotions breaking in him, before the others could see how close to betrayal he was, how it hurt for him to stand his ground and not accept the easier route. He felt his grandmother's soothing presence wrap around him and sighed deeply still clinging to the need to prove he was worth forgiveness. Her tiny fingers fluttered over Eros assessing damage, offering nurture and comfort. He bit back the warm tears trying to form in his eyes. He wanted to leave. He wanted to find Jill and wrap himself around her until the shuddering inside him eased, until he knew peace. Whatever else he kept hidden from his family this nameless need for her he could not and his grandmother squeezed his arm knowingly.

"Yes, I think so but I need help removing him from this place. Accompany me?" She asked gently offering him a reason to leave, to escape. He nodded his assent and bowed his head to Wu Long, Leon and his father.

"Please excuse me. I must be going now." And with those few words he made his exit with his grandmother by his side before the temptation could crack his demeanor. It left a cold stone silence between the three men. Q-Chan stepped to the foreground and into Wu Long's personal space where there breaths could mingle between them.

"What is this item that you promise to my son? His pursuit of this is the cause of this maelstrom. Tell me what is so precious to him that he betrayed his family and himself?" Q-chan demanded in a thin echo of his normal voice. Wu Long adverted his gaze looking coolly over the kami's shoulder at the wall behind him, remaining silent. Q-Chan stepped closer purring, malevolence glimmering in his eyes. He curled the tips of his nails against Wu Long's cheek in a delicate warning.

"May I suggest you take a moment to consider the question? Or I will not feel so inclined to encourage our young human friend to help you search for your slave or lift a finger to retrieve him from the doctor." Q-Chan murmured in a sweet crush of sound, belying the intent. Wu Long flinched despite himself. He had never encountered a kami that was not utterly lethal and nearly impossible to kill; particularly one that had any amount of real age on it.

"You need me. Even if you can track Webber you do not know what might be waiting for you." Wu Long replied with hollow bravado.

"You overestimate your worth." Q-chan spat back and pushed away from him with great disdain. Wu Long bristled but held his tongue. The kami wasn't bluffing, he was sure of it, and he wasn't postive that without his willing cooperation he wouldn't be fighting for his life against the two. One human is one thing but an irate kami is another and not to be taken lightly. He wasn't terribly concerned they would be able to kill him but even if he escaped uninjured it was time wasted that Daniel and his child couldn't afford.

"I have an artifact in my possession from my Mother. She found it when she was residing in the tombs of the kings in Egypt. In all her time and in all mine I have never found a name for it or who created it. It remains nameless and unspoke of in my vaults because to me it is useless, I cannot touch it, nor can any of your kind. If a being were to hold it they would be drained of there life force, it would be an amazing weapon but a weapon no one can wield." Wu Long told Q-Chan in a flat monotone. Leon pushed into the conversation bluntly and disbelieving.

"If no one can touch it just how the hell did your Mother carry it off? And for that matter how did you manage to get it here, huh?" Leon demanded. Wu Long smiled humorlessly at him.

"My Mother was not terribly over concerned with how many humans it took to cart it from one place to another or how many of them dropped dead in the process." Wu Long replied blandly, enjoying the disgusted twist of Leon's face.

"You have the staff?" Q-Chan asked disbelieving. Wu Long nodded and leaned up against the wall waiting.

"My son is many things but surely he his not insane enough to think he could wield the power of the staff and this is what he gave my grandchild away for? This makes no sense, even for him, this makes no sense." Q-Chan mumbled mostly to himself. Wu Long shrugged and looked down the hallway growing impatient at the delay. He had no reason to care why the other kami had wanted it and had not asked assuming him to be quite mad and most likely to kill himself with it anyways.

Leon stood with his arms folded looking blankly at the ground, a furrow on his brow as he thought. He was remembering the various images he had seen in Ning's mind, one in particular kept replaying itself. Ning on his knees bowed beneath the hands of his family and an unknown woman as they blocked him from a vast portion of his powers. It niggled at him because it came some time after Ning had promised D to Wu Long and although Ning had struggled at the time he did not hold any anger against those who had bound him. Leon bit his lower lip willing what was hovering out on the edges to come into focus and make the jigsaw fit. Motive, it always came down to motive and if Leon could figure out the motive the rest would fall in place. Leon actually felt slightly sorry for Ning his memory also recalling the bleakness and desolate burnout of the kami's inner self. The small bit of compassion gave Leon the insight he needed to pull it all together. Leon looked up at Q-Chan certain he was right.

"I know why. I know why he wanted the staff, he was going mad and he knew it didn't he? If the staff can remove life force then it must also be able to drain whatever powers the person holding it might have. He didn't want it as a weapon, he was trying to stop himself, to end the overload of information he could no longer handle." Leon spurt out in a high volume gush. Q-Chan stood absolutely still while he absorbed the impact of Leon's words and seeing the truth of what was in them. Q-Chan slowly closed his eyes and quietly forgave his son of the last of the harsh feelings he still had. He knew his grandson already knew through the bond he and Leon had shared. Wu Long stirred uncomfortably and cleared his throat.

"This is all very touching and endearing, really, however, we are wasting valuable time. Your decision gentlemen? Partnership or no?" Wu Long asked tartly. Leon and Q-Chan both nodded jointly at the each other in silent agreement.

"As you request, we will travel together to retrieve what is ours. We shall help you track him in exchange for helping us get around any traps or surprises Webber may have in store but only on the condition that you leave my grandson in peace and you allow Daniel to come stay with us." Q-Chan demanded flatly. Wu Long's face flushed unnaturally and Leon silently drew his gun in preparation for the worst.

"He is mine, you have no right to demand such of me. Do what you will with your grandson, I know longer care, but the boy is mine. It's my child he bears." Wu Long hissed furiously through his teeth.

"You stole the child, you have no claim to him other then the one of a bully taking without asking. You have endangered his life selfishly and thoughtlessly. You are all too aware of Webber's nature to forsake one you have grown to love, it is on this love that I ask you to do this for his and the child's sake. Which is it to be dragon, your lust or your child?" Q-Chan threw back at him, his words stinging in there undeniable truth. Wu Long's slammed his fist angrily against the wall behind him in frustration. He needed them, he needed to utilize the kami's ability to feel and track one another irregardless of space or distance. His chest hurt horribly as his heart made the decision for him, without them he would not be able to retrieve Daniel and keep him safe. Head tipped back against the wall, eyes closed, shoulders slumped in resignation, Wu Long whispered yes feeling the pain in his chest sharpen and spread with the word.

"On your honor and the honor of your family." Q-Chan insisted his voice cold and emotionless.

"Yes..on my honor..on my families honor." Wu Long heard the words slip through his lips, his entire torso aching with the promise. Satisfied Leon and Q-Chan both swore to do everything in their power to save Daniel and protect him from further harm. Wu Long nodded and took a deep breath before reopening his eyes.

"Then let's go shall we?" Wu Long ushered the men from the hallway and towards the area where his vehicles were kept, the three discussing along the way what D has been able to pick up from Daniel and the direction it pointed them in, an uneasy fragile alliance binding them together.