The vampire and the mistress

Chapter 13

~ A week later ~

I was tidying away my art supplies as I'd decided today to sit and do some painting to keep myself amused while Xander was in some meeting in his office with someone he knew. He had mentioned names to me, but I hadn't really been paying attention as he'd told me it was his actual business work, which made me feel a little relieved that he was still keeping up with other business stuff and wasn't becoming completely obsessed with Liam and Lucian.

A knock on the door made me look up, and I banged my head on the door of my cupboard. "Ouch, come in." I called, not sure who it was, but whoever it was, I was pleased for the company, unless it was Glenda, then I knew I'd be kicking her arse out of my room today.

"That sounded painful from outside." Dorian muttered as he came into my room. He seemed to be trying his best to hold in a smirk.

"Yeah, well, that's what I get for deciding to keep my art supplies in a high cupboard, and what happens when I drop something and I lean down to get it and stand up right under the door of said cupboard."

Dorian shook his head and walked over to where my paintings were drying. "Pretty good. If you ever decide you're bored of Xander and looking for a new venture, I'll take you travelling with me, and you can do drawings." He grinned. "Anyway, that's not what I came for. I'm getting distracted."

"Don't you always?" I teased as I took the pencil out of my hair, making my hair fall down my back.

"Mmm, when I talk to you, I always get distracted, as you always have something to tell me that makes me laugh."

"Want to hear the newest thing?" I asked Dorian as I wondered into the bathroom to wash my hands from the bit of paint I'd got on them.

"Go on." I heard Dorian mutter, and then I heard a door opening.

"Are we going out somewhere? Is that what you're hinting at?" I asked as I came out of the bathroom to see him going through my clothes, picking out a cool summer outfit for me that he put on my bed carefully. It was a good thing I loved and trusted him with my clothes.

"Tell me your story first, then I'll tell you." Dorian went out on to my balcony, as he always did when he was giving me privacy to change. I knew he wouldn't peek at me, as I wasn't his type.

"So since I haven't seen you all week, this is my catch-up. You know, after I'd come to see you about that charm, Glenda came to see me that night." I told him as I got out of my paint-covered clothes and changed into the lilac summer dress he'd picked out.

"What did she want?" Dorian asked loud enough so I could hear him.

"To try and patch things up between us, for the sake of the humans in the house and for professional sakes," Once I was done getting my dress on, I sat on my bed and put on my sandals that he'd picked out for me, then went back into the bathroom.

"I hope you sent her packing." I picked up my hair brush, brushed my hair, and pinned it back into a high ponytail as Dorian came and stood in the doorway of the bathroom to talk to me.

"I told her I'd be civil to her in regards to work, but anything else she can forget it. She then launched into a speech about how I'd be living in Helena's shadow and how Helena would be returning, and she'd be the one who killed me."

Dorian began to laugh as he shook his head. "I really do wonder about that old bat at times. I mean, I know she's not in on the secret, but anyone can tell that Helena will not be returning or stepping foot inside this house ever again. So did she throw out something about Xander's mate too?"

"Yep." I looked at Dorian with amusement.

"I think that was the funniest thing I've heard all week. Anyway, yes, we are going out. We're going for a little drive if you still want to go ahead with what you asked me, as you are very much expected tonight."

"Oh." I looked at Dorian, slightly stunned at what he was telling me. "I didn't think..."

"It would get sorted so quickly? Obviously, business is slow for her." Dorian shrugged a little. "Now, if we're to get there on time, we need to leave now."

"Ok." I went back into my bedroom and picked up my black shawl to cover my arms and back, as I didn't want to give the woman a bad impression of me.

"Ready?"

"Ready." I followed Dorian down the stairs and out to his car. "Does Xander know?"

"I told him we were going out together to try and fix our differences." Dorian grinned that mischievous grin that I loved the most about him. I laughed as I got into the car and belted up.

"Got it." I told him as he got in and he started the car and we left. As we drove I looked across at Dorian again. "I just want to say I am sorry for getting mad at you that day."

"Don't worry about it. I'd be pissed too if I knew someone was hiding a secret from me. Like I said, I've been promised to not tell you, but you have to be careful around Xander after tonight unless your planning on telling him what you've found out."

"I don't know yet, it depends on what I learn." I told Dorian honestly.

"Tell me though honestly Ro, why do you want to open this can of worms for yourself? It won't do you any good finding out what your about to find out." I could hear Dorian's voice was full of concern and worry for me. This is what made me appreciate him more than anyone else in my life, well except for Xander.

"I need to know why Liam has decided to surface now after all this time. I know it has something to do with all the chaos, the way he ran that night..." I broke off and began to fiddle with the fringe on the shawl. "I want to protect Xander and you from Liam. If he's hunting me for whatever reason, then I'm at a slight disadvantage if I don't know everything and you and Xander are always protecting me any chance you get, so if this is the one time I can do this in return for you two..." I broke off.

"Ro, you don't have to return any of what we do for you. We both do it because we love you. Your my HBF and more than that, your like my little sister and I'd do whatever I can for my little sister and I don't want to see you hurting ever again like you were when you first go to the house."

"But it's also because I've become a much better person since being with you all and the one thing that I've not done is accept my past. I realised that the night Xander and I went to the market. I'm still hurting because of my mother and sister and that will never stop that hurt because that can't be resolved, but this hurt and anger that Liam caused. It can be healed, but I need answers to heal and move on." I looked up at Dorian as I saw his face had turned to his thoughtful mood. "For me, it's closure and if I run into that bastard and I get the chance to repay him, then I'm not going to turn a blind eye." I shrugged and Dorian began to laugh.

"That's my little fighter right there." He grinned from ear to ear as he glanced over at me. "But you need to focus on the future not the past. The future can be changed and shaped into anything we like, the past we can't change, all we can do is learn from it."

"And part of my learning is to know my past so I don't make the same mistakes all over again. Please Dorian, please don't take my one chance of getting answers away from me."

"I'm not. I just want to understand where your heads at Ro. That's all."

"Why were you so set on keeping it from me to begin with?" That had been the question I'd wondered for a long time since everything had kicked off.

"I just don't want you caught up on the past. You were a different person then to what you are now and I don't want the past Rosa to affect this happy Ro who is sat next to me in the car. That and I don't want to see you going down a path of destruction. You've walked that path already and it did nothing good for you." I reached for his hand and put my hand on top of his that was on the gear stick.

"Thank you for worrying about me." I told him and then took my hand away. "And I won't let it change me because I know you won't allow me to wellow in my self pitty and I'm hoping Xander won't either." I looked over at Dorian.

"I want to agree with you, but I get the feeling it won't be as simple and easy as that. I know you Ro and I know this is going to hit you hard."

"What do you know about all of this?" I asked curiously.

"Too much." Dorian answered as he turned off the main road into a small gravel drive way. "I also need to tell you something else." Dorian seemed fixated on the road. "After tonight I won't be around."

"What do you mean?" I asked as I could feel panic rising up in my chest. No, no you can't leave me, I need you Dorian.

"I need to take a break from the nest Ro. I need to do a little travel to get myself back into the right place."

"But I need you..." I could feel my whining kid side coming out to complain about him going.

"I'm not completely vanishing from your life." Dorian pulled up in front of a small cottage and he turned the engine off and then rubbed my hair lightly. "You can call me whenever you want or you can text me. I'll always be there Rosa. It's just... Things aren't great at the minute."

"This is about all of this isn't it?" I asked looking at him.

"Yeah, but your not to blame in all of this ok. Xander and I at the minute don't see eye to eye on things and I don't want to be around him while he's being like this, so the simplist thing I can do is leave."

"Where will you go?" I took my belt off and twisted in my seat to look at him properly.

"Don't worry about that. I have plenty of friends and places to go. I promise I'll be fine. It's not going to be forever. I'll be back. I just need to burn off a little bit of this anger I'm feeling." Dorian lent forward and kissed my forehead lightly and closed my eyes to hold back my tears.

"You better call me every day to check in so I know your ok." I told him seriously as he laughed softly.

"I will, I promise. Now, let's go and see Cordelia before she gets mad with us for being late." I opened the car door and got out and walked around to Dorian as my heart began to hammer hard into my chest. I really hadn't want to do this, I had hoped that Xander would tell me what had happened, but clearly he didn't feel the need to tell me anything, so I had to do this. I had to do this for my own closure like I'd told Dorian.

Just don't regret it. Dorian did warn you.