Teen Titans: The Darkness that Beckons

Chapter 3: Blood and Gold

A/N: Thanks for the reviews! And SPECIAL MUCHO thanks goes out to Xaphrin for being my persistent muse in getting this chapter out. Sorry for any errors or anything, but I kept getting distracted during the editing process, lol. Leave me some reviews and let me know what you think! If something doesn't make sense, please let me know so I can fix it in the future. Enjoy!

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The evening at Desiree's went as eventful as he thought it would and Richard was surprised when he left that the hour was almost at two in the morning. He insisted on riding alongside Mina's carriage but she informed him that she would be staying the night at Desiree's in her guest room. After making sure she was going to be okay, he went to leave but it wasn't before Desiree insisted he be accompanied home in the late hour as well. He tried to fight her but, in the end, he was rather glad she was persistent; he enjoyed the late night travel back home with both Victor and Garfield, all on horses, and he found that he actually liked the two men in Desiree's service. They apparently liked to bicker a lot and Richard found their trivial spats about dead animal meat versus raw vegetables to be highly amusing. When he arrived home, the two men said their goodbyes to him and he went straight up into bed. On his nightstand, Bruce had left him a note; apparently that entire day he was to spend with his father-slash-uncle was to be tomorrow already. He chuckled at his effective no-nonsense pace and fell into a deep sleep filled with vampires, ghosts and ghouls, werewolves, and one hot, half-naked mystery woman.

"You got home rather late," growled the deep voice of Bruce Wayne as he flung open the curtains in his nephew-son's room, casting a bright light straight into his waking eyes. "You didn't do anything inappropriate, did you?"

"Nah, no sir," Richard mumbled as he fumbled around and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. "Our conversation merely ran a little long."

"Well I hope you didn't bother Miss Desiree," Bruce returned, stepping into his closet to find a pair of clothes for him to wear. "I know you are curious about her, but that is no reason to irritate the poor girl."

"She did most of the talking actually," Richard frowned, glaring at his backside. "I can pick out my own clothes, you know? I've lived on my own for the past few years and been able to dress myself quite fine, thank you."

Bruce didn't even turn around, but continued to riffle through his belongings. "Well today is going to be a very busy day and I want to make sure you are dressed nicely and suitably."

Richard narrowed his eyes at his uncle. "Why? What are you planning, old man?"

Bruce turned around and tried to hide his smirk. "We are going to be spending the day with a newer acquaintance of mine. I have recently gone into business with him and I think he has many connections all over the world and could be a good person for you to know."

Richard sighed and repeated himself. "Again, why?"

Bruce turned back around, picked an outfit from the closet and chuckled. "He's from Denmark or Sweden, or one of those places and he's traveled everywhere. I haven't known him long but he'll be good for you. End of story." He shoved the clothes onto Richard's bed and proceeded to walk out of his room. "Now get dressed, wear that, and get downstairs. We have to be in Notting Hill within the hour."

As soon as Bruce left the room, Richard flopped down onto his bed and sighed yet again. "Sometimes I sure as hell don't miss that man."


Sure enough, within the hour, they were just minutes outside of their intended destination in Notting Hill and Richard's stomach was growling something fierce.

"Please tell me there is going to be food," he whined uncharacteristically. "I am completely starving and you would not let me eat before we left."

"I don't understand why you are so hungry," Richard laughed at his childlike demeanor. "I thought you were having dinner at Desiree's last night?"

Richard squirmed on the inside and thought quickly for a response. "I got there later than I intended. I ran into Bram and we got to talking. I'm afraid I was an ineffective dinner guest as I was quite late and had missed the meal. Desiree was still gracious enough to provide drinks and biscuits."

Bruce narrowed his eyes. "As long as you didn't impose. How is Bram anyway? I heard he was working for the newspaper? I think I've read a few of his columns here and there. Not very informational, quite fantastical actually. He seems to have a great imagination."

Richard rolled his eyes at Bruce's apparent dislike for one of his best friends. Anything to do with the intangible or 'non-manly world' as Bruce called it, and he didn't tend to think highly of you. "Yes, he's gotten a job at the paper. He also said he was thinking of getting involved in the theater. He was to write mostly, though."

Bruce just grunted and stretched his head to look outside the carriage. "Yes, well, we are almost to his house. I expect you to be the proper gentleman, of course."

"If he's just a business acquaintance then why do you keep-" Richard paused at his own observation and glared at him. "Just what exactly are you planning Wayne? I'm getting the feeling that I am about to walk into one of your hopeless attempts at match-making."

Bruce shifted in his seat and clearly avoided looking at him. "Oskar said that the gate will be just past the last wheat field on the right, Alfred. I think it has 'Johansson 'carved into a tree or something."

"I cannot believe you!" Richard growled in disbelief. "I'm only here for a short time and you feel the need to try and set me up with every single girl in town?! Why can't I just find someone on my own?"

"Eventually someone needs to take over Wayne Industries," Bruce answered, still shunning his gaze. "And I would like to know you've found a nice woman and started a family so we can keep the company in the family. I'm not going to be around forever. And I wouldn't mind having some grandchildren to spoil; you're not much fun anymore."

Richard sighed and smiled at his joke. "And you will someday. Eventually I will find someone to settle down with and we will ship them over for months at a time if you'd like. But I'm still young, I'm only 24, and I'm still trying to figure out where I am in life. Just relax, please."

Bruce was about to reply but they had reached the gate and a very jovial red-headed man was bouncing up the walk to meet them. Richard took a quick survey of the man and silently wondered how Bruce had ended up befriending this imported behemoth. He was at least six and a half feet tall, built like a steam engine and had red hair everywhere. It was coming down in slight waves, with the slightest touches of silver streaked through his temples, and it was hard to tell where that hair ended and the mane of his beard began. He had rosy cheeks and looked like he was fuller of laughs than business; he was, literally, the complete opposite of Bruce.

"Oskar!" Bruce greeted genially as he left the carriage and shook the man's hand. "Thank you for having us! I would like you to meet my son, Richard. Richard, this is Oskar Johansson, a good business partner and recent friend of mine."

Richard shook his hand and put on his best Wayne-charm. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Johansson. Bruce has told me nothing of you!"

Oskar threw back his head and laughed, his hands falling to hold his belly in. "Ha! I think I'm going to like you, son! Please, gentlemen, come inside and have some food. My ladies have been slaving over a hot stove all morning!"

The three of them walked inside, Bruce and Oskar chatting about menial business while Richard surveyed his home; it was very grand but it looked homey and not very imposing. He watched as Alfred followed a stable-boy to get some food for the horses behind the house. As they got closer to the house, his mouth began to water as the smell of food assaulted his nostrils and his stomach started to grumble. They entered the house through a back door that put them right into the dining room and gave them a wonderful view of the waving wheat field next door. The table was decked out in tons of lavish food and everything smelled and looked absolutely delicious.

"I'm sure you two are quite hungry after your trip this morning," Oskar said, walking around the table and gesturing into the next room. "But I think it's only proper that you meet my ladies and the fine cooks of this morning meal!"

Richard's jaw would have dropped as the ladies came in but he was well-trained by Bruce; the three women filed into the room and it was like being surrounded by a herd of Amazonian women! At the tail end there was also a young boy who came into the room, beaming a smile and looking like a very miniature version of Oskar.

"First I would like you to meet my wife, Emma," Oskar introduced the oldest woman, who still looked barely out of her thirties. She seemed to be slightly shorter than six feet tall and her wild black hair was curled up into an old-fashioned bun. She was wearing a simple blue cotton dress, but it brought out her sparkling green eyes and tanned skin.

"And this is my eldest daughter, Maria," Oskar kept going as the second girl stepped forward. "She has just gotten engaged to the topmost blacksmith in London, Sigurd Blackfire." She was just as beautiful as her mother, but her eyes were a grayish-blue, like her father's but without the effervescent twinkle. She was a few inches shorter than her mother and her beauty reminded him of a young girl he had courted before he left. Her beauty was more seductive and dangerous; she was one of those girls you just knew was going to be trouble but you wanted to try it out anyway. Her hair wasn't red, but more of a shiny black like her mother.

"This is my beloved Korianna," Oskar beamed, an obvious favorite of his. "She is my youngest daughter but very wise and having a bit of trouble with your English language I'm afraid." They shared a laugh together and Richard was impressed by her beauty. She had an identical body structure to her older sister, but it was carried out in a completely different way. She had the flaming red hair of her father and it was laying straight all the way down her back. Her green eyes from her mother seemed to glow in the light and her violet dress made her seem like a giant flower just waiting to be picked. He expected them all to be clumsy with their height but instead they were as graceful as if they grew up in the clouds.

"And finally, this is my only boy, Erik," Oskar finished as the young boy came barreling at his papa. "He's the heir to the Johansson fortune unless one of his sisters is ruthless enough to take it from him!" Erik only came to everybody's waists but he held a very tall air about him. He had red curly hair atop his head and his father's blue twinkling eyes. He could not have been more than 12 or 13 years old. Richard smiled as he thought of himself at that age, never daring to cling to Bruce that way.

Everyone was introduced and Oskar seemed satisfied so he finally sat them all down to eat; Oskar was at the head of the table with Bruce to his left and Emma to his right, Richard was sandwiched (conveniently, I might add) between Bruce and Korianna. On the opposite side, Erik was across from Richard and Maria next to him on the end. Maria kept staring at him but he was trying his hardest to ignore her since he had figured out who Bruce was trying to set him up with.

And he would have been lying if he said he wasn't interested. Korianna, or just Kori as she had told him to call her, was only a year younger than him and quite delightful to talk to. He had already fallen for her looks and he was now finding her to be a very strong woman, if not a bit naïve. She reminded him of Mina, but more acceptable for him, and he knew that was a major factor in his attraction to her. He didn't pay a bit of attention to Bruce and Oskar's dialogue and somehow he knew Bruce didn't care; he was smitten by this red-headed tree of a woman and he wasn't afraid to admit it. She seemed to be the perfect height for him and they got along quite admirably.

When breakfast was over, Emma had Maria help her with the dishes as Erik, Oskar and Bruce went into the drawing room to talk business; Richard didn't really want to join them so instead Kori took him back outside to walk through the apple orchard in their backyard. They chatted about tedious things like the weather, English city-life, what America was like, and even the fruit all around them.

"So, what exactly does your father do?" Richard asked as they passed from the apple orchard into the orange grove. "Something tells me that it has to do with fruit."

Kori let out a bubbly giggle and shook her long red hair. "Yes, it does. Mostly, he does the trading of fruits all over the world. I have wanted to over-take the business he performs in the Tropics."

"The Tropics?" Richard asked, laughing internally at her odd English. "He even does business there?"

"Oh yes," she answered enthusiastically. "He started it shortly after I was birthed. He deals in business with the Star Fruit down there and that is my favorite! That is what he calls me sometimes, his little 'Star Fruit'!"

Richard smiled as she hid the rising blush in her cheeks. This was definitely one hook-up that Bruce had been able to pull off but Richard would never admit his uncle was right. He liked Kori, more than he had liked a lot of women; he found her naivety to be somewhat aggravating but for the most part he found her to be strong, independent, and thoughtful to say the least. Needless to say, vampires, monsters, and murder victims were the farthest thing from his mind for the rest of the day.


A week went by without any murders or any word from Mina or Desiree, not that Richard had even noticed anyway. He had spent every day in Kori's company and they were quickly becoming the talk of the town. Sometimes he would go to her house and they would walk and talk, sometimes she would travel to Wayne Manor and they would spend hours teaching her new things. He found himself rapidly falling for Miss Korianna Johansson and was wondering when, where, and how this vacation was going to end; would he stay in England for her? Would she travel to America, away from her family, for him? Would they simply end it and label the whole thing as a fling? So, instead of thinking about what could or would happen, he decided, for the first time in his life, to live in the moment and not think about and plan what lay ahead of him.

Unfortunately, his happy little bubble was about to be popped at the end of their whirlwind week together. Kori asked Richard to take her shopping in London at the end of the week and he was more than happy to oblige. They walked and talked, going into whatever quaint boutiques or shops she wanted to and the entire time he acted like the perfect gentleman; as strange as it seemed, Richard felt like suddenly he was truly becoming a man. He felt like he was in love and this wasn't just some schoolboy crush as some of his previous relationships had been. He felt happy for the first time and that he didn't have to prove himself to anyone or anything; there was a part of him, the detective he supposed, that felt like he was being hidden away but he ignored it and continued into the bliss that had been created.

They were walking hand in hand down the street after coming out of the fourth boutique Kori had wanted to visit when he was brought out of his dreamlike state by a sultry chuckle behind him.

"I was wondering where you had gotten yourself to, Dickie," Mina Harker said as he whirled around to face her. "I had heard rumors you had been whisked away by my look-a-like." She paused to look at Kori and smiled. "And I see they were not exactly rumors."

Richard blushed and hurriedly tried to find a way to find a happy medium between his life-long crush and his new girlfriend. "Ah, Mina! Surely you jest!" he paused to chuckle and looked at Kori. "Korianna, this is Mina Harker, an old friend of the family's. Mina, this is Korianna Johansson; her father does business with Bruce."

"Oh I'm sure this is all just business too," Mina purred, a glint of mischief in her eyes. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Korianna. What brings you and Dickie out to London today?"

Kori just smiled and shook Mina's hand with enthusiasm. "Oh it is a pleasure to meet you as well, Mina! And please, do call me Kori. Richard has been kind enough to take me to do the shopping here."

"I do hope he is being a perfect gentleman," Mina answered, pointedly ignoring Richard's scarlet face.

"Oh yes, very much so!" Kori replied, her inexperienced self showing just a little too much to see the humor in Mina's words. "I have greatly enjoyed going to court with him!"

"Going to court?" Mina's eyebrows shot up in confusion. "Oh, yes, I see. You mean 'courting', my dear."

"Is that not what I said?" Kori asked, a doe-y look in her eyes. "Perhaps I was mistaken. I really thought I was doing better with my English lately with Richard helping me."

"Of course you are, darling," Richard jumped in, looking at her with reassurance and then looking at Mina with a spiteful glare. "Mina was just being playful, is all. Her English is just fine, isn't that right, Mina?"

Mina threw back her head and laughed. "Of course, Dickie, of course. Kori, darling, I was just making fun, that is all. Sometimes I forget how to be proper in my old age. Your English is coming along very nicely, sweetheart."

Kori beamed and leapt out of Richard's hands to hug a very startled Mina. "Oh, a thousand 'thank you's, Mina! Richard has been a teacher of very good patience."

Mina eyed Richard from behind Kori's fiery hair. "Oh you've been teaching her, have you, Dickie? I'm sure Desiree would love to hear that you've been doing such wonderful things over the past week."

At the mention of Desiree's name, Richard's heart plummeted into his stomach and it was like a wave of feelings and emotions bombarded him from all angles. Suddenly, as if a switch had been turned on inside of him, Richard's heart felt torn between the two very recent women in his life. On one hand he was very attracted to Kori and had found a connection with her. He had enjoyed their time together and she was someone he could see himself settling for, er down with. On the other hand, he could not deny the obsession he had with Desiree. She was dark, mysterious and an enigmatic beauty. She was wise, independent and very strong. The two of them were like night and day, complete opposites visually and characteristically. But Desiree wasn't anything to him, he had to remind himself; she was simply someone who he had agreed to help solve a murder, nothing more than that. Kori was……. Kori was ……someone he could see making him happy for a long time and settling into the role of wife and mother very easily. Desiree did not seem that type.

"Yes, well Miss Desiree hasn't exactly been vocal over the past week," Richard finally replied, shaking his head. "I'm sure she has forgotten all about our 'dinner' last week."

"She was out of town," Mina replied curtly. "A friend of hers fell ill and she went to be by their side. Victor and Garfield came by the Manor to tell you but apparently you had already left for the day."

Richard was about to reply scathingly, but instead was interrupted.

"You know Miss Desiree?" Kori looked back and forth from Mina to Richard and paused as her eyes grew big. "I have heard stories of her from my father, but I did not know that she actually talked to other people. She is simply fascinating!"

"You find Desiree to be fascinating?" Mina asked, looking incredulous. "No one has ever found Desiree to be fascinating."

Kori nodded. "Oh yes, very much so! I am in the adoration of her clothes and her look. She has the elegance that I desperately desire! I have always wanted to meet with her and maybe, oh I do not know, braid her hair or something! She reminds me of my older sister."

Neither Richard nor Mina knew what to say to her so they opted for uneasy silence.

"Right, yes of course," Mina slowly answered, looking around at the passersby. "Well, I must really be going."

"It was wonderful to meet your acquaintance," Kori offered sincerely, giving her another hug. "Richard, I was wondering if you would be able to take me to the Tavern of London tonight. My sister has told me that they do the dancing there with wondrous music! Do you think we could attend?"

Richard nodded and smiled at her. "Do you mean the London Tavern on Sweeney street? Yes, of course, Kori. I think it would be a fun night."

"Mina?" Kori asked. "Would you also like to do the dancing with us tonight? It would be nice to know a friend of the old of Richard's."

Mina shook her head and got a mischievous look in her eyes. "Oh, I'm afraid I don't do 'the dancing' my dear. But thank you for the offer. I suppose I'll see you around, Dickie. It was nice meeting you, Kori."

They said their goodbyes with Mina going back down the street to get into her carriage and Richard and Kori continuing their shopping excursion. Kori only wanted to go into a few more shops before heading back so she could find something to wear out dancing tonight. The entire time they were out, Richard's mind was going over everything that had happened on his vacation so far.


Normally, Richard wasn't the kind of guy to go dancing at a tavern, but Kori's heart was set on it and he couldn't deny her. Unfortunately, he still was not the dancing type so he felt bad lying to her and telling her that he was having a good time. Even though he knew she was a strong girl, he was still afraid of hurting her feelings so instead he lied and told her he was having a great time. He danced with her, of course, but he kept excusing himself to the bathroom or outside so he could breathe some fresh air. There were many people he had gone to school with and they were incredibly surprised to see him there, but the excitement of seeing him with such a gorgeous woman after all the years away took precedent over the fact he was out of his element.

Thankfully, Kori was so independent and so friendly that she actually talked to everyone and found dance partners every time Richard needed to decline. She would dance in a big circle with the other women and occasionally would ask Richard if it was alright if she shared a faster dance with another man. Richard was somewhat jealous, but also relieved that he didn't have to dance the fast ones with her. Slow songs he could handle, but the fast ones were just not his style. Mostly he had a few drinks, caught up with friends and watched Kori twirling around on the dance floor, the envy of every woman there.

Sometime around midnight, Richard noticed some new people walk into the tavern and up to the bar; he was excited and also torn as to what he should do. After internally debating for a few seconds, he excused himself from his friends, including Bram who had shown up a few hours ago as well, and walked over to greet the newcomers.

"Hello strangers," Richard greeted somewhat nervously. "I didn't know you went out to the bars?"

"Hey Richard," Victor greeted back, clapping him on the back and smiling. "Good to see you're still alive and on the continent. We thought maybe you had left already."

"No, of course not," Richard replied, feeling the tension ease off of his shoulders. "I've just been keeping busy without any work yet. How are you, Garfield?"

"I'm great!" the shorter man answered, his eyes taking in the scene. "I haven't been dancing in quite awhile. I think I am going to have to bring Tara up here soon. This looks like tons of fun!"

Richard and Victor laughed at his enthusiasm and the three surveyed the crowd. Kori was in the middle of a circle of men and women, dancing wildly, yet graceful, while everyone clapped in time with the music.

"I wonder who that is?" Victor questioned. "She seems to be the life of the party. And downright beautiful as well!"

"That's Korianna Johansson," Richard answered automatically, his tone agreeing with him.

"Oh so that's who she is," Garfield laughed, wiggling his eyebrows at Richard. "Mina was right; she does look just like her!"

Victor and Garfield just started laughing as Richard faked a hurt look.

"Et tu, Brutus?" he asked, feigning innocence. "I don't see it. I mean, I see some of the physical resemblance, but definitely not the attitude. They are two completely different people."

"Yeah, but no one ever sees the attitudinal difference," Victor said, still grinning. "Only the physical similarities. She could be her daughter."

"Or her twin," Richard frowned, not liking to think of Mina as old enough to have a child who was almost his age.

Victor and Garfield just exchanged a look and chuckled.

"So how did you meet her?" Garfield asked. "Did Wayne just ask you to take her out so he could do more business with her father?"

"No," Richard said, looking over at Kori. "I mean, I'm sure it was in the back of his mind, but I was the one that kept asking her out. I haven't decided what I am going to do at the end of my vacation, but for now, I am thoroughly enjoying my time with her."

Richard didn't notice the sullen looks in the eyes of his new friends at his words or that they seemed to be glancing back at the door in sadness. There was a short and rough silence between the men as they continued to watch the dancers and Victor and Garfield finished the beers they had ordered.

"Right, well, we should probably get going," Victor said, clearing his throat and looking at Garfield. "We said we wouldn't be long…."

"Are you sure?" Richard said. "I could use someone new to talk to; everyone wants to talk about me and where I've been and I'm getting rather sick of it…."

At that moment, Kori came over, her face glowing and pieces of her hair falling onto her face.

"Richard!" she beamed as she looked at the new men. "Who are your friends? Have they come to do the dancing as well?"

"Do the dancing?" Garfield questioned under his breath, looking quizzical.

"Er, yea," Richard stuttered, glancing between Kori and the guys. "Um, Victor, Garfield, this is Korianna Johansson. Kori, this is Victor and Garfield; they work, er, live, er, something… with Desiree."

Her eyes seemed to bulge as she took them in. "You know Desiree?! Please, you must come join me on the dance floor!"

Victor looked unsure as she latched onto his arm and began to drag him towards the music. She was exceptionally strong for such a skinny girl, but she managed to somehow get him onto the dance floor and dance with her. Garfield and Richard laughed and looked at each other; the look of utter surprise on Victor's face was priceless. Richard was going to say something to the shorter man, but before he could say anything, he was moving towards the door, saying something about checking in with Tara. Richard frowned at his departure and turned back to see Victor now thoroughly enjoying himself and showing off just a little bit while Kori watched and clapped exuberantly. He decided now was a good time to get some air and turned around to head outside for a short moment.

"—You had no right! What did you think would happen?"

Richard stopped as he heard some harsh words coming from a carriage just a few feet away. He would have recognized the carriage no matter what, but his suspicions were confirmed anyway by the sight of Tara and Garfield standing next to the horses and talking quietly to each other, looking somewhat sad and frightful at the same time.

"I just figured that maybe you wanted to know. Maybe you could change things still."

He silently walked toward Tara and Garfield, careful not to disturb whoever was talking. Granted, he had an idea who it was; sometimes there was no mistaking a voice that has been played over and over in your mind.

"There is nothing to change and no reason for me to have known. There can never be anything so I do not know why everyone seems to think they need to intervene. We just need to end this and then I can leave and he can be left to do whatever he pleases with someone normal, someone who deserves him!"

Richard's heart stopped for a second at those words. He knew they belonged to Desiree and it pained him to hear her sound so sad. But that wasn't the reason his heart, and his breathing, had stopped cold.

She wants to leave? Richard thought, his insides twisting. She can't leave. She can't leave me, not when I've just started getting to know her!

He shook his head and tried to clear his mind. Why was he thinking like this? It was ludicrous! She was merely an infatuation and he needed to remember that; he was courting Korianna now, and there was nothing between himself and Desiree but an odd, illogical draw and a deal. Well, it wasn't illogical, it was simply unknown. He didn't know what it was, why it was there, what it meant, how it got there, or anything else. It simply had to be a lustful crush; there was nothing emotional about it.

"Well you deserve someone too, Rae-Rae, someone good, like him. There is something going on between you two and you owe it to yourself to figure it out."

Ah, Mina, Richard finally realized as he heard the delicate purr of her voice. Somehow he knew she was the reason Desiree had come tonight. No one else knew He was going to be there and for her to show up, well, now it just made sense.

"No, what I owe him is to let him be. Can I please go now? I am exhausted from the trip and I need to regroup myself. I am letting nonsense emotions get in the way of work."

Richard couldn't hear Mina's response but he also knew that they wouldn't be able to leave without noticing him and the last thing he needed was for them to go after him for eavesdropping on their private conversation. He also didn't know what the best way for him to show up was either.

"Ah, Garfield, there you are!" He finally announced as he strode over to the wide-eyed and perplexed young man. "I was wondering where you scampered off to."

In a matter of seconds, Mina had appeared frightening fast from the inside of the carriage and arrived next to Richard.

"Dickie!" She exclaimed, her body language betraying her confidence. "What are you doing out here? Shouldn't you be inside? Dancing or something?"

"I, uh," he stammered. "I needed some fresh air. Maybe you should go inside and dance. Victor seemed to be having loads of fun in there."

Mina's mouth opened for a retort but then it quickly closed as she processed the rest of his words.

"Victor's in there?" she asked with a note of wavering fear in her voice. "And he's dancing? Victor doesn't dance!"

Richard chuckled a little and nodded toward the door. "Go see for yourself. Kori asked him onto the dance floor and he was showing off last I saw him."

Mina glared at him and then looked back and forth between the silent carriage and the tavern door. Without another word, she made up her mind and briskly walked into the tavern to see for herself. Richard sighed and spun around to face the dark wagon.

"How are you doing this evening, Desiree?" he asked gently, looking into the darkness. "And yes, I do know you're there. It would be embarrassing for you to hide in your own carriage, a woman of your confident stature, anyway."

Slowly but surely, Desiree's petite form protruded from the door. She looked very small tonight and Richard was taken aback by her still wet eyes. She had a brilliant blue dress on and her hair had been swept up into a beautiful black mess of curls and spirals. Her skin looked a little paler than last time and she didn't look as comfortable or content. She looked up at him with realization in her face.

"You heard everything," she stated sadly.

He just nodded and she lowered her head and sighed deeply. She pinched the bridge of her nose and stood there. He took a few steps closer to her, just close enough to let a reassuring hand rest on her very cold shoulder.

"Please don't leave," he whispered so only she could hear. "I have barely gotten to know you and it would be a shame if you left just because of some guy."

Her head snapped up and she looked at him in puzzlement.

"Some guy?" she asked, her eyes locking with his once more.

"Yes. Whoever this guy is, whoever it is that you think deserves someone else, you're wrong!" Richard responded, not noticing the defeat in her posture.

Desiree searched through her bevy of emotions right now and tried to find something to say; should she tell him the truth? Lie about everything? Make something up? She was still trying to decide what to say when Mina and Victor burst out of the bar; Victor had a goofy grin on his face and Mina looked pissed off.

"You're just jealous," Victor was saying in a sing-song voice. "You must like me."

"You are seriously insufferable," Mina snarled at him, wrenching away from him and storming towards Desiree.

"Come now, Rae-Rae," Mina said harshly, going to grab her hand. "I think it's time to go home. I need to drink."

"You're already at a bar, Mina," Richard said, confused at her actions.

"They don't carry what I like," she hissed, dragging a sullen and quiet Desiree to the carriage. "Tara, Garfield, let's get going. Victor can stay and have fun."

Victor just started laughing as Mina was trying to get into the carriage while pulling Desiree as well. The entire scene would have been somewhat laughable to anyone watching. Tara and Garfield were watching like a couple of deer in a headlight, Mina was half-picking up Desiree, who looked like a limp rag doll, Richard was looking back and forth between everyone, and Victor was bent over with his hands on his knees and laughing. Everything was quite entertaining until suddenly Mina and Desiree froze and stared off into the darkness to the right.

Richard was about to ask what was going on when Victor tensed up too, seeming to telepathically know what was going on with the two women. Tara and Garfield were a little slower to react but soon they too were staring off into the distance and then looking back to Desiree, as if for guidance.

"What's going on?" Richard asked cautiously. "Is this some kind of joke?"

Victor shushed him and then turned to Desiree, as if awaiting orders. Somehow, in the confusion, Desiree had changed completely; she was alert, like a predator who was stalking her prey. Her entire body has tensed up and she had a determined look on her face. Her mouth was set in a frown and he could swear her lips were twitching as if she wanted to bare her teeth but couldn't.

"Wait, do you hear something I don't?" Richard asked again, turning to face the darkness. "Is there something there?"

"Victor, to the East," Desiree ordered, ignoring Richard. "And he knows we're here."

Richard looked startled and panicked. "He? Who's he? And how does he know we're here?"

Mina shook her head and glared at Richard. "It's him, Richard. The vampire. He's nearby."

"The v-vampire?" Richard said, his eyes flitting all around him. "How can you tell? Are you sure?"

"Definite," was all Desiree said as she started to survey her surroundings. "I think he knows we're coming. He's starting to move. He's heading back towards the woods like last time."

"I'm on it," Victor growled and ran off towards the neighboring woods.

Mina curled her lip and started to follow him. "I'll follow. If we don't find him, we'll meet you back in Chelsea."

She was gone into the shadows after Victor and Richard swore he could hear an eerie, whispered chuckle on the wind around him.

"Tara, Garfield, head home," Desiree commanded and the two were gone in a manner of seconds.

After they left, she turned around to look at Richard and was about to say something when the tavern opened and out wafted jolly music and a beaming Kori.

"Richard!" she delighted as she stepped near him. "I had been wondering where you had done the running off to."

"Oh, right, Kori," Richard faltered. "I'm sorry, I lost track of time. I was just talking to, er, to-"

"Oh my!" Kori exclaimed. "You are Miss Desiree! I have heard much about you! I am Korianna Johansson. I find you to be very fascinating and have long wanted to make your acquaintance."

Desiree looked puzzled and seemed to be trying to hide her earlier confident stature. "Right, yes, I am. It is… a pleasure…. Miss Johansson. I have….. heard…. quite a lot about you. Your father, he deals in exports, does he not?"

"Oh yes he does!" she squealed, jumping to hug Desiree. "I cannot believe you have heard of him!"

Desiree looked ill at ease as she was attacked by the young redhead and patted her awkwardly on the back. Richard definitely did not know what to say on this one; he just stood and watched the odd embrace.

"I am sorry, Miss Johansson," Desiree began.

"Please, call me Kori," she said brightly.

"Okay, Kori," Desiree took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "I am very sorry but I am afraid I must be going; I have… somewhere… to be at the moment. Maybe we can make arrangements to meet sometime soon and have a proper discussion?"

Richard thought Kori was going to burst with excitement as she did a little dance outside the tavern.

"Oh that would be most glorious!" Kori answered. "I shall send a letter early tomorrow and we find a time to meet and maybe I can braid your hair!"

Desiree grimaced, but nodded and smiled weakly at her, hoping it would placate Kori enough so she would leave. Kori turned around and headed back inside, but turned around at the last minute.

"Richard, are you not coming?" she asked innocently.

Richard hadn't moved yet and instead was looking between the two girls. On one hand he wanted to go with Desiree and the others so he could finally see this vampire, if it existed, and do his job to help solve the murders. On the other hand he wanted to spend time with Kori and have a fun, carefree night. Unfortunately, the latter was not who he was.

"Kori, dear," he started off slowly. "I'm sorry but there has been a… a disturbance. I really should take care of it. You go on inside and Alfred will bring you home. I'm sorry our night has ended so soon but we will see each other again tomorrow. I cannot withdraw from my duties, I'm afraid."

Kori nodded in acceptance and gave him a small kiss on the cheek.

"I understand," she said, smiling. "You will do well in your future career. You are very dedicated, Richard. I shall see you tomorrow, then! Goodnight, dear."

She waved goodbye to Desiree again and left her and Richard standing outside. When Richard turned around, Desiree was not looking at him, but her posture was definitely uncomfortable.

"You should stay with her," she muttered to the darkness. "You could be hurt."

"I can hold my own, thank you," he barked, walking toward her. "I am more worried about you running off into the dark on your own."

She looked at him and reached down to the bottom of her dress. Richard wasn't sure exactly what she was doing and when he heard a loud rip, he finally had to look to see what she was doing. Desiree had grabbed the lacy end of her dress and tugged, ripping off her entire dress and petticoat from her thighs and down. She had small black heels and black stockings on but she removed her shoes and took the stockings off. Then, to his dismay, she put each shoe back on, snapping the small and sensible heel off in the process as if it were a small and weak twig. Richard could feel his face getting heated as she looked like a dark ballerina in a blue, tattered tutu-looking dress. Her legs were short but powerful and her skin was a pale, milky white. There were only a few inches of her dress left and he could feel his eyes tracing her legs all the way up her thighs and then disappearing between layers of fabric.

"Try to keep up," she sneered and then started running after her friends.

Richard was in shock for a moment before he began to move and follow her, snatching up her discarded dress fabric and taking off. He always thought he was in shape and athletically superior. He always ran fast and never had trouble with hurdles or anything else. Whether it was the terrain or the dark or just a trick of his mind, he could not keep up with the small woman bolting through trees at an insane speed ahead of him. He could hear a few words carried back to him by the wind; Victor and Mina were gaining, Desiree wasn't far behind, then Victor and Mina got separated, and that same eerie chuckle was thrown in here and there. He kept his eyes on the effervescent shine of Desiree's white skin in the moonlight and he was able to at least find the way they were all heading.

After what seemed like miles and miles of running in the dark, he burst through a group of trees and came out into a small clearing. He mentally mapped it out and realized they had gone several miles and they were quite a bit outside of the city and were actually somewhat close to Chelsea. He looked around in the moonlight and immediately saw Mina to his right, Desiree to his right, and Victor was in front of both of them, creating a triangle between the three of them. He glanced up in front of them and saw, to his surprise, a rather ragged, but handsome looking man in a long, black coat and a long mane of black hair waving around his face. He had a wild look in his eyes and Richard gasped as he opened his mouth to laugh and the moonlight bounced off and illuminated two long fangs in the top row of his teeth.

His insides went cold as the realization hit him; this was a real vampire in front of him! He could do nothing but stand and stare as his three friends ran forward and the melee began. After what seemed like forever, he forced his body to move and tried to do something to help. He was running toward him to try and hit him when the vampire knocked Desiree and she went flying behind him. Richard stopped in his tracks and went to see if she was okay. She was crawling around and trying to get to her feet and he was oblivious to everything around him.

"Desiree!" he shouted. "Desiree, are you alright?"

She looked up at him, her face twisted in horror. "Richard, look out!"

Richard stopped to look behind him and saw nothing as a huge branch came flying from the vampire's direction and hit him square in the chest. He was knocked onto his back and he swore he felt a few ribs strain under the pressure.

"Richard, no!" he heard Desiree scream, but it seemed far away as he tried to push the branch off of him. It was Mina, instead, who came to his rescue and helped him lift the branch off. She helped him sit up on his elbows and was making sure he was okay when they heard a cry of anguish come from Desiree in front of them. He strained to look up and all he saw was a crumpled heap on the ground that he could only assume was Victor as Desiree was running toward the vampire with her hands reaching around her back trying to find something. He could feel Mina squeeze his arm tighter as she saw Victor's form on the ground. Richard looked back to Desiree and he thought he was losing his mind; he watched as Desiree seemed to leap inhumanly up into the air as the vampire came at her, landing on the other side of him and finally brandishing the knife she had been trying to reach that was tied into the sash on her dress.

The vampire howled in pain as the knife made contact with his stomach and he crouched down with the pain it caused. Desiree ran to him again to try and finish him off but, injured or not, he was still too quick for her. As soon as she reached him, he stood up and knocked her down; then he ran off into the dark, laughing manically into the night.

Richard laid back down on his back as Desiree slowly got up and Mina went to see her. They talked in hushed tones for a brief moment and then Mina went to attend to Victor who was starting to groan and Desiree went to Richard. As she was walking, she let out a loud whistle that seemed to soar away and across the land. When she got to him, she knelt down and peered into his face. He could see bits and pieces of her hair had fallen down and her face was smudged with dirt and grass. Her dress had a few rips in it, and one of her cap sleeves had been cut completely and hung down the back.

"Are you alright, Richard?" she asked, sounding very tired.

"Yeah, 'snot too bad," he grunted. "I feel like there is a weight on my chest but that's it."

She surveyed his body up and down, her hands trailing everywhere while she closed her eyes.

"It seems to be only a minor fracture," she stated, opening her eyes again. "You are lucky. It could have been worse, much worse. You should not have come."

"But now I have proof," he said, wincing as he tried to smile. "Vampires do exist."

She didn't smile back; she ordered him to lie still, unbutton his shirt and close his eyes. He thought about making some tawdry comment about her taking advantage of him but decided against him. She said she knew an old trick to help his injuries and make him feel better. He did as she asked and gasped loudly when suddenly he felt filled with a warming chill that went through his body and settled into his ribs. He got the feeling that he was floating and that nothing could harm him; his body felt rejuvenated and he had never felt better. When she told him to open his eyes and sit up, he did as she asked again and was amazed that the pain was gone.

"What did you do?" he asked in amazement, running his hands over her chest.

"I told you that I knew an old trick," was all she said as she stood up and looked to the north.

He got up and looked with her; in the moonlight, there were two gorgeous black horses rushing toward them. He wondered where they came from and watched as one of them went to stop by Mina and Victor and the other came to rest next to Desiree. She smiled and petted the horse's mane, murmuring words of praise.

"Richard this is my mare, Persephone," she said, leading the horse to him. "The other one over there is her mate, Robin. They will be taking us back to the house. Do you mind riding with me? I think Mina would prefer to ride with Victor to make sure he is okay."

Richard was in awe of how well-trained her horses seemed to be. "Robin? I like that name. Why did you name him that?"

"It came to me in a dream," she said off-handedly. "And then he showed up while I was out riding Persephone. It just seemed to fit. Are you okay riding with me?"

Richard forgot he hadn't answered her yet. "Oh, yes, of course. I'm alright with it." He paused to watch as Mina easily picked Victor up and placed him on Robin and then mounted the horse herself and began to ride away. "Are you going to do that trick with Victor too?"

"Eventually," she said as Richard got up on Persephone and then pulled her up in front of him. "Mina is quite a bit better with stitches than I am. I will help Victor heal in peace, but I cannot mend his physical wounds like that."

Richard thought that nobody could actually mend an open wound but he kept that thought to himself and they were off. Again they were back in the forest, whipping past trees, and making a path toward Desiree's house. It didn't seem to take long to arrive there and when they crossed past the gate, Tara was there to take the horses to the stables and Garfield was ready to help Mina carry Victor inside.


"Go ahead and wait in my study," Desiree asked him as they walked into her house and they went off down an unknown corridor. "I am going to make sure they get him settled and then I will be in there to wait with you. Please help yourself to something to drink. If you are hungry, then you can ring the silver bell outside the room and Tara will bring you something."

She was off down the hallway before he could say anything so he just retraced his footsteps of the previous week and went into Desiree's study. The fire was roaring and everything seemed to remind him of his first, well second, encounter with this incredible woman. It seemed like so long ago, but the room was still as comforting and pleasing as it was before. He helped himself to a glass or two of sherry and sat down on the couch. It was only a few minutes later when Desiree reentered with her trademark silver goblet; she set the cup down on a table next to the armchair she usually sat down in and took to pacing in front of the fire instead.

Richard couldn't stand to see her fretting so he stood up and went in front of her, placing his arms on her shoulders and stopping her. He forced her into his arms and just held her without a word. She seemed to relax in his touch and he absentmindedly began stroking her back while rocking her back and forth, telling her that it would be okay, and that Victor was going to be just fine. When she had settled down a bit, he led her to the couch and sat her down, wrapping his arm around and allowing her to recompose herself.

When she had relaxed enough to pull herself together, she leaned up a little and he wiped away a tear that had apparently formed sometime in-between standing in front of the fire and moving to the couch. Richard's hand stayed on her face, cupping her cheek in his warm hand. The refreshingly cool skin against his hand made him look at her to see if she was freezing; instead, he found himself caught in her bright violet eyes, unable to look away. He wanted to say something, anything, but his voice just wouldn't work. He felt himself being physically drawn to her and before he knew it, he had captured her lips in a delicate kiss.

In a matter of seconds, her world had exploded. Sure, she had a few lovers in her life, but nothing was ever like this. Every touch, every look, and now, every kiss felt like extreme bliss to her. They seemed to melt together, to fit perfectly and she didn't want to lose that feeling. She felt like she was a part of him and each kiss deepened in intensity. She was losing herself inside of him and she never wanted to come back. With Richard, she was no longer who or what she was, she didn't have to worry about anything and she felt more normal than she ever had in her entire life.

Richard and Desiree continued to kiss passionately while the fire roared in front of them. The passion kept building and heating up and their hands started to roam. Richard moved away from her lips and began kissing her face and went down her neck and landed on her shoulders. In response, Desiree also moved and planted little kisses on Richard's neck, feeling his pulse and kissing in time with it, eliciting a breathy moan from him. He moved his mouth back up and wavered around her ear, licking, sucking and kissing. He had to tell her how he felt, how he was feeling, what she was doing to him, he just had to.

"You make me feel so alive, Desiree…."

As soon as the words registered in her brain, she stiffened. Alive. It was such a menial word and yet, it held such connotation for her. Richard was so engulfed in her that he didn't realize that she had stopped and was starting to push away. Finally, with an odd burst of strength, Desiree pushed Richard away and stood up from the couch. She quickly moved away from him and restarted her pacing in front of the fire. Richard looked up at her from the couch, wondering what had happened.

"Desiree," he said, his voice still laced with his lust for her. "I'm sorry. D-did I say something? Did I hurt you? What happened?"

Desiree just shook her head and refused to look at him.

"It is not you, it is me," Desiree said softly. "I cannot do this with you. I cannot be with you. You should be with someone else."

Richard frowned and got up to go stand in front of her. "Why can't you be with me? I would give everything up to be with you and I wouldn't even hesitate. You are perfect for me. You know the good and the bad about me. We have a connection. You cannot deny that, Desiree!"

"I cannot allow you to give everything up for me," she choked out, looking up at him. "What it would take for you to be with me….that is something I could never ask of you." She paused and held back her tears. "You should be with her, with Kori. You can have the life you deserve with her."

Richard was taken aback as she said all of this. He was reminded of the conversation he had overheard earlier and suddenly realized that he was the one she was talking about. He didn't know what to say to any of this and yet, at the same time, he had so much he wanted to say, needed to say to her. He stretched his hand out to try and touch her and could not bring himself to do it. He finally had an idea of what to say and unfortunately he was never going to get the chance.

"Desiree?" Mina asked sheepishly, coming into the study at that exact moment. "I've done what I can for Victor. The rest is up to you. Are—did I interrupt something?"

Mina looked at the sullen and tense scene before her and, for the first time, was at a loss for words. She herself was upset, and was not feeling up to her usual provoking self. No one said anything for a few minutes before Desiree broke the silence.

"I should attend to Victor," she whispered. She paused in the door frame and looked back over her shoulder. "Richard you are more than welcome to stay the night in one of the guest rooms. Mina can show you which one. If not, please feel free to use Robin to ride home. Just ask Garfield to assist you."

With that she was gone from the room and Mina and Richard were left to their own devices. Richard plopped down on the couch and put his head in his hands. What in the world just happened? He kept going over the last few minutes and could not figure out where or how he went wrong. He hoped he could patch things up with Desiree and get her to see that they belonged together. He felt guilty about Kori, but he could not deny his feelings for Desiree any longer.

"Are you okay, Richard?" Mina asked nervously. "Did something happen?"

"Everything and nothing," he responded with a sigh. "How is Victor doing?"

She sighed and sat down next to him. "He'll be okay. He's got a nasty slice in his side, but it will heal in time."

There was another pause and Richard couldn't take the silence. He wanted to give Desiree some time to cool down and help her friend before he tried to talk to her again. He got up from the couch and walked over by a table full of picture frames. He picked up a small painting that was framed like a picture and smiled. The painting was of a little girl with long black hair, shiny alabaster skin, and big, round, purple eyes. He could tell it was Desiree by the glint in her eyes and he moved his fingers off the bottom of the picture to see the entire thing. As he did so, he noticed the date and signature at the bottom and frowned.

"Huh, I guess I was wrong," he muttered to himself, placing the picture back down.

"Wrong about what?" Mina asked, anything to get her mind off of Victor.

"This painting," he said, showing it to Mina. "I was almost positive that it was Desiree as a child."

"It is," Mina answered, matter-of-factly. "You were right."

Richard frowned again and shook his head. "But it couldn't be, not unless someone got the date wrong. This picture says it was painted over 200 years ago. Plus, the back of the painting says it is for 'Raven.' It must be a distant relative; there's an uncanny resemblance though, for sure."

Mina froze on the couch and didn't say anything. The truth was starting to stare Richard right in the face and Desiree would kill her if he found out like this. She got up from the couch and tried to get him out of that room.

"Surely you must be tired, Richard," she said quickly. "I should show you to the guest room."

"No that's okay," he said, walking by the fire. "I want to stay up; I need to talk to Desiree. I need to make her see that I am being serious about being with her."

"You can talk to her in the morning when you are both rested," Mina persisted, trying to push him out.

"No!" he resisted, moving away from her. "I need to do this tonight, while the words are still fresh in my head." He spied Desiree's untouched glass on the table and went for it. "All I need is a stiff drink! Maybe that will ease my fears."

"NO!" Mina cried and knocked the goblet out of his hands and it spilled across the wood floor in front of the fire.

They watched in fascination as a thick, dark red liquid poured out of the goblet and toward the fire. In the flickering light, it looked like a trail of blood and liquid gold leading into the burning flames. Mina grew anxious as she watched Richard work through all this in his brain.

"What is this?" he hissed, leaning down to touch and feel the liquid between his fingers. "Mina, what's going on? This is blood."

Mina was silent for a moment. "Richard, I can explain. But you really should talk to Desiree, she can explain everything."

"What do you mean, she can explain everything?" he said, the anger and disgust growing in his voice as he put the information together. "There was blood in this cup. And she was planning on drinking it. What isn't she telling me?"

Mina walked over and placed a hand on his shoulder. He wrenched his arm away and turned from her. Mina had known Richard and Bruce long enough to know when they had crossed into a dark path. His shoulders were hunching forward and his hands were clenching and unclenching.

"Richard," she begged, biting her lip. "It's complicated. Please, don't jump to conclusions."

"What else should I be doing?!" he raged, the anger burning away in his eyes. "Did you know? Do you know something about her that could be important? Where was she this past week?"

Mina felt scared by his tone. "She was with a friend, truly, she was Richard. An old friend became ill. They were….something….a long time ago but obviously they didn't do anything about it. They couldn't."

"Who was it?" he questioned harshly. "Who was her friend? Was he like her?"

"No," Mina said, shaking her head. "His name was Alton Sharp. He did know what she was though."

"Alton Sharp? I know him," he said quietly. "But how could they have been anything? He was in his eighties when I left…."

"I said she should really be the one to talk to you," Mina replied.

"That painting," he seethed, looking over at it. "Is that really her? That child, is that Desiree?"

Mina just nodded.

"Why does it say Raven on the back?" he growled.

"That is her name," she answered, growing quieter with every second. "Obviously, she had to change it."

He was silent for such a long time before he tossed the picture to the ground and stormed out of the room.

"Desiree!" he yelled, rushing through the hallways. "Raven! Whatever your name is, where are you?!"

He didn't have to scream for long as she came out of a nearby room, her eyes as big as saucers.

"What did you call me?" she asked, frightened.

"Why didn't you tell me you were one of them?!" he argued, ignoring her scared stance. "This whole time you have been leading everyone astray. How could you not tell me you were one of them? A vampire?"

Desiree looked down the hall at Mina, an unsure look on her face.

"It was not important at the time," she quietly said. "You were not here to discuss who I was; you were here to help us find a murderer."

"That's a load of shit!" he yelled, his face getting red with anger. "You held this from me! How do I know I can trust you about this new vampire when you couldn't even be honest about yourself?"

"What do you want me to say, Richard?" Desiree asked, hiding her tears behind her confidence.

Richard snarled and walked away from her. "I'm done with you, Desiree, or Raven, or whoever you are! I don't want anything more to do with you from here on out! I'm going back to my perfect life with Kori and you are going to do whatever you want. I don't want to see you ever again."

He walked to the door, paused and looked over his shoulder.

"I could never be with a monster," he said coldly and walked outside to find Garfield and the horse to take him home.

He never turned around, never looked back, and never let anyone know his heart was breaking at the betrayal. If he had turned around, just once, he might have seen Desiree crumple to the ground in despair. If he had looked back, maybe he would have heard her piercing cries wallowing in the wind. If he had let anyone know his heart was breaking, then maybe he could have fixed it by listening to another heart that had been broken for centuries…