The vampire and the mistress

Chapter 11.1

Xander was sitting at his office desk. When Rosa had left him to go to bed, he took a call in the library but ended up going into his office. He was finished on the phone and was sat at his desk, drumming his fingers on the top as his mind turned over everything he'd heard on the phone.

"Come in, Dorian." Xander called as he stopped drumming his fingers on his desk and leaned back in his chair and looked up at the door as Dorian walked in and shut the door, then looked at Xander.

"Is everything alright?" He asked, knowing Xander too well; he knew the way he looked stressed and like he had something on his mind. He never used his office to be alone unless something was plaguing his mind.

Xander ran his hand through his hair as he then leant forward in his chair. "I don't know what to do, Dorian. I feel like I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place." Not bothering to wait for an invite as vampires normally did in Xander's office, Dorian went and sat in the chair on the other side of the desk.

"Dare I ask?" Dorian asked, looking at him seriously. Dorian had come to find Xander with the intention of telling him about Cordelia and the fact that Rosa had wanted to go and talk to her to find out. He was also going to suggest that Xander came clean with her about what he knew, but from the look on his face, that conversation might have had to wait.

"I was waiting for Alistair to call me about Lucian; however, I was very shocked when Creed called me."

"That can't be good." Dorian muttered as he ran his hand through his hair, now understood why Xander was so stressed.

"Snow had dropped him a message saying Liam's on the prowl."

"We already knew that." Dorian leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, looking at Xander. "We knew he would have been looking for her as soon as Lucian bolted. In all fairness, I was expecting this a lot sooner."

"He's been asking around for Rosa. Someone pointed him in the direction of us." Xander closed his eyes for a moment. "I don't know if it was Lucian as an act of revenge to get someone on side; I don't know if it was Helena; however, I doubt very much that will be the case as she does not move in the same circles as Liam. She prefers class over him."

"Explains why she went for you then." Dorian grinned trying to lighten the mood, but he knew it was pointless. This was about Rosa and when it came to her, they were both on the same page as they both loved and cared for her.

"I would make a witty comment, but..."

"You think someone in the house has sold Rosa out?" Dorian asked. "Does Marie know?"

"No, not yet. I haven't had a chance to speak to her about it. Your the first that I've spoken to." Xander let out a sigh.

"Xander, can I be honest with you and tell you this as a friend."

"I'm open to anything at this point."

Dorian leaned back in his chair again. "Do you honestly think anyone in the house would do that? I know we are a bunch of pirates, but would they really rat Rosa out just to rub you the wrong way and risk your wrath? I mean if my choice of who I'm more scared of you or Liam. You win that one, as you scare the s**t out of me. I know you're an easy-going guy, but I've seen what you can do. I saw what you did to that vampire that nearly killed me that night when I got into that fight. The way you tore him apart I mean, these vampires know what you are like, and they know that if you don't get hold of them, your father will and, he'll kill them for double crossing you."

"You were scared to tell me that?" Xander laughed as he leaned back in his chair.

"No, this is the part I want you to listen to as my friend. You need to tell Rosa what happened."

Xander looked at Dorian as if he was going to tear him apart at any moment.

"If Liam is looking for her, for what reason? What is he trying to do? Does he want her back to drag her back to the Order of Blood, or does he want to gloat over what she helped him do?"

"Rosa is only a small fragment of what happened that night; you forget that. You forget that Isabelle played a part in it that night too."

"I know that now." Dorian muttered as if knowing that the conversation would end up going this route. "I know you could argue technically that Rosa was only the catalyst and started the ball rolling with the rest of them, while Isabelle was the one who struck the match that set everything on fire, if you will."

"She doesn't need to know Dorian. You know as well as I do that if she knows what part she played in all of this, then she won't back down until she's fixed things, and right now, I need her safe here with me more than I need her out there trying to kill Liam." Xander was beginning to get angry with the conversation. Dorian knew that Xander loved and adored Rosa more than anything in his life, but Dorian also knew that secrets weren't a good thing for these two. It had been a secret that nearly got Rosa killed to start off with, and if things didn't change quickly, it would be a secret that broke them apart if Xander wasn't careful.

"Xander, you can't keep her in the dark."

Xander punched the desk, making a hole in the middle of it, as he looked at Dorian coldly. "If you dare tell her, Dorian, it will be the last thing you do, I swear. She isn't that person anymore, and she didn't know what she was being used for. If you tell her you are giving her permission to hate herself even more than she already does."

Dorian looked at Xander coldly. "Then I think it's time that I take a little holiday very soon. I can't be around to watch this blow up in your face."

"Then don't be." Xander snapped.

"Don't make the mistake of keeping it a secret and risk losing her Xander. If you really love her and want to protect her, tell her the truth; she'd appreciate that more than being lied to." Dorian looked at Xander pleadingly, but Dorian could see his words were falling on deaf ears as he was refusing to see how Dorian was trying to explain it. "I hope it's all worth it." Dorian got up, went to the door, and hesitated for a moment. "By the way, Cordelia's been in touch."

"What does that old hag want?"

"Talk to Rosa and ask her." Dorian left the office and shut the door behind him. As he walked the hallway back up to his room, he ran into Marie. "If you're going to see Xander, I suggest you leave it for a little while until he calms down."

"What did you get him riled up about now?" Marie sighed as she pinched the bridge of her nose.

"I'm just telling him the truth." Dorian shrugged. "And it's best you hear it from me; once I've kept my promise to Rosa, I'm leaving. Xander has pretty much made it clear to me that if I don't play by his rules, then I can leave, and I don't agree with him."

"Dorian..."

"I need to do this as I can't watch this mess play out like I know it will, Marie. The best thing you can do is try and talk some sense into him to tell her."

"Dorian, I don't..."

"I forgot; you don't think, do you? You just do what you're told." Dorian shook his head and walked back up to his room. He knew trouble was fast approaching, and he had no plans on being around. He didn't want to see the two people who were like family to him get destroyed, but he silently hoped and prayed that Rosa would understand and would forgive him for leaving her when she was probably going to need him the most, all he could do now as hold up his end of the promise and then leave.