Teen Titans: The Darkness that Beckons

Chapter Four: Queen of the Damned

A/N: Sorry it took so long! I hope this chapter is well-liked; there isn't much action, just a lot of plot and story. Much love goes out to my enforcer and motivator Xaphrin. She checked in on me to make sure I was still alive. (I was!) So, let me know how you feel, what you think and all that stuff. Be honest, be brutal. Also, kudos to anyone who catches my random cultural references! 3 you all!

By the time he arrived home that night, Richard had a very good understanding of how Bruce had become the cold, hard stone that he was. Having your heart break into a million little pieces was worse than anything he had ever experienced in his life. Bruce had taken many risks and lost them all; Richard wasn't going to make the same mistakes as he was now, only one huge risk and he had learned his lesson. He fell asleep that night filled with a hurt-fueled hatred and decided he needed to be away from everything for awhile. After three days of moping and brooding around Wayne Manor, he finally went outside and made plans to see Kori.

Kori wasn't a risk. She was a safe bet and he knew she would do anything to make him happy. Kori would be a good wife, a good mother, and a good long-term investment. Even though he found her to be too naïve sometimes, he thought that maybe that would be a good thing; he would have to hide his true obsessive and dark self when he was doing work, but in the end it would pay off. Kori didn't need demons in her life and he wasn't going to be the one to give them to her. Apparently, though, Kori wanted to go and search for them herself.

"Where did you want to do today, my dear?" Richard asked kindly as they rode into town in her carriage.

"I was hoping to go to the orphanage," she responded cheerily.

"The orphanage?" he said in confusion. "Are you sure? You don't have it confused with something else, do you?"

"No, of course not!" she answered with a smile. "I wanted to spend a visit to the children there."

"The phrase is 'pay a visit' sweetheart," Richard sweetly corrected her.

Kori just nodded and apologized. In just the first few minutes of seeing Richard after his seclusion she had known something was wrong. Enough experiences with her temperamental sister had taught her not to poke and prod, but just to let the reasons come out naturally. The last thing she wanted to do was push Richard away, but she was slowly feeling less of a connection with him than before. She knew something must have happened that night after the tavern, but she just assumed it was work related and left it alone. When they arrived at the orphanage in town, Kori hurriedly got out and ran up to the unknown man on the steps who was carrying a multitude of items in.

"Excuse me, sir," Kori asked pleasantly. "Can I help you?"

The man nodded and she took another load out of his wagon and helped him carry it inside, talking the entire time. Everything had happened so fast that Richard was left sitting in the carriage all alone trying to figure out what had happened so fast. Slowly, he got out, grabbed another bundle of stuff from the wagon and carried it inside to hear the last bit of her conversation.

"I do hope she is feeling okay," Kori was saying with a sad lilt to her voice. "I had hoped to meet up with her this morning. I know she is always here on Mondays."

"Yes, child," the man responded. Richard could now clearly see that he was a reverend. "The entire choir in the church was praying for her health when I left. It's quite unlike her to miss something like this."

"Hopefully she will be feeling better soon," Kori said with hope in her voice this time. "I am sure the children will miss her today. Would you like any additional help, Father?"

The older priest chuckled and smiled at her. "I should think not, child. It seems as if your friend there has graciously brought in the last of the items. The Sisters should be here any moment to help me hand everything out. I do thank you for your help though. I will pass on your kindness to our friend and let her know you are looking for her."

"Oh thank you very much, Father!" Kori gushed.

They said their goodbyes and, before he knew it, Richard and Kori were back in her carriage and on their way to a small bakery for breakfast.

"What was that all about, dear?" he questioned.

"Oh, it was Monday and I was hoping to capture her at the orphanage," Kori answered.

"Oh," Richard said, still confused. "Who?"

"Miss Desiree," was all Kori said.

Richard's insides heated up and he could feel his stomach tightening in anger.

"Why?" he seethed.

"Why what?" Kori asked innocently.

"Why are you looking for her?" he asked again, trying to keep his tone even. "And why on earth would you look for her at an orphanage of all places?"

"She has not responded to my letters yet," Kori replied sullenly. "And it is well-known that she always takes food and clothing and toys to the children at the orphanage every Monday. I am still in waiting to spend some time with her."

Richard was silent as he did not know how to respond to this. He wanted to explode and show his true colors but it was a side of him that he didn't want Kori to know about.

"You should just leave her alone," he settled with, looking out at the passing scenery. "Nothing good can come from knowing that woman."

Kori was taken aback by his negative attitude toward Desiree. "I thought that you were friends? Is that not why you were talking to her at the Tavern of London the other night?"

Richard had to fight back a growl as memories of the other night tried to resurface. "No, we're not friends. She is just some lunatic who entertains Bruce. I really don't care to have anything to do with her."

Kori wanted to reprimand him for bad-mouthing a woman who brought supplies to an orphanage but she could not find the strength to supply her righteous fury. She was angry that Richard was in a bad mood and she was finding that she liked this new Richard less and less. She decided on staying silent for the rest of the ride and didn't bring up Desiree anymore. One way or the other, she was going to meet with her for more than two minutes and Richard would just have to deal with it.

The next day Richard wanted to stay inside yet again as Kori had touched a nerve by trying to see Desiree while with him. He meant to tell Alfred that he was not in today and to tell anyone who came for him to go home; unfortunately, Bram Stoker was an early riser and was waiting for him when he came downstairs. Bram was going out of town for a last minute story and wanted some company. Richard was going to refuse, but Bruce ended up pushing him out of the door at the last minute, deciding that his nephew needed some fresh air. The ride was a couple of hours and the entire way he let Bram do the talking, only responding when he had to.

A little while later they arrived at a small country house in the middle of nowhere and knocked on the door. A young brunette answered the door, dressed down in a pale pink cotton dress. Her look reminded Richard of Kori's innocence and she seemed to be playing the part of the perfect angel very well.

"Hello milady," Bram said as she opened the door. "My name is Bram Stoker and this here is my friend, Richard Grayson. We're from the paper and we're here to speak with Mr. Sharp."

"Of course," she blushed while offering a shy smile. "My name is Lucy Westenra and he's my grandfather. Come in. I'll see if he is up to visitors today. Grandpapa?"

The young woman went down a short hallway and into the room at the end. Richard wanted to smile at the obvious flirting going on with his friend and this Lucy girl, but he kept it to himself this time. Bram just waggled his eyebrows at him as they waited for Lucy to return. She came right back to let them know he was up for a little bit of story-telling. It wasn't until he was walking into his room and saw a framed picture plate that he suddenly knew who they were here for.

In his early nineties, Alton Sharp was still a decent looking man and, as the oldest man in the village at the time, the paper wanted to do an article on him and tell some of his stories to the public. Richard's entire body was stiff and frozen as they greeted Alton and he could just see a dashing, younger, romantic man underneath all the wrinkles and white hair. You could tell Alton was weak and sick, but his spirit seemed to be content and relaxed. Richard just sat and watched him while Bram went about his merry way and asked him all tons of things about his long life. Alton seemed to breeze right through it, the entire time with his gaze fixed on Richard across from him. After an hour or so of talking, Alton called Lucy in and asked her to fetch him some lunch. Bram offered to help and soon it was just the two men staring at each other.

"So you've found out she's a vampire, have ya son?" he whistled, a smile on his face.

"E-e-e-excuse me, s-sir?" he stumbled, surprised at the sudden comment.

"Raven, or Desiree as she's going by nowadays," he answered simply in his lilting Irish tone. "Ya have that look that says ya know."

Richard fumbled for his words but couldn't seem to find any. Somehow, this old man knew everything about him and he hadn't said more to him than just his name. Mina had said he was a normal man, but maybe she wasn't telling the truth. Maybe she was lying, just like Desiree had li-

"Ya really need to get ya head outta the gutter, boy," he chuckled. "Those negative thoughts'll just get ya down."

"How did you know…?" Richard began, unsure of what to say next.

"I've always had a mind for that kinda stuff," he answered. "Plus, she had mentioned ya when she was visiting last week. By the Gods I'd missed that woman……and what a woman she was!"

Richard found himself smiling despite the uneasy topic. Alton was an easy man to like and he supposed that was why he was simply listening to him. Alton old chuckle was warming and he was finding it hard to see what he had seen in Desiree. Yes, of course, Desiree, er, Raven, was a gorgeous woman who was very cultured and intelligent and the whole package…saving for one minor detail.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Sharp," Richard said. "I guess I am still getting used to this whole supernatural world. Desiree, or Raven.. we….well, we haven't exactly ended things on good terms."

"Ended things?!" he questioned, his eyes lighting up in surprise. "Why on earth have they ended already? Has she left so soon?"

Richard shook his head. "No, no she hasn't left. I was the one who ended things when I found out….. I didn't see much of a future with someone who blatantly lied to me."

"Well that's because you're stupid, boy!" Alton bellowed at him, furrowing his white, fuzzy brow at him. "Of course she lied to ya! Ya can't exactly walk up to someone and say 'O'ello. I'm an Idiot and I be a vampire!' I swear, ya younguns…"

Richard was stunned as the old man glowered at him. He just sat there in silence and let him finish his grumblings.

"Before ya left, did she ever tell ya about her past?" he finally asked, folding his arms over his frail chest. "Did she ever tell ya about me?"

Richard just shook his head. He had spoken to her about her past but it had been vague questions followed by vague answers. He had learned some things about her but, now he wasn't sure if any of it was truth.

"Well, let me tell ya then," Alton replied, leaning back into bed and getting a dreamy smile on his face. "I wasn't more than 16 when I first met her. I was living in Ireland with my mother when she moved into our village. My granddad was the butcher and so he hired me to run deliveries for him. That was how I met the fallen angel. Only, then she was a-calling herself Miss Riona." He paused for a second and let out a contented sigh. "She was the most beyootiful woman I ever laid eyes on. I went to her house everyday that I could. Anything I could do to see her, I would! Until I was 19, I was on her doorstep every morning just to see her smile.

"My mother was always into superstitions and the supernatural so it didn't take me long to figure out what she was. And when I did, I confronted her and she didn't shy away, no she didn't. She told me everything I needed to know and, honestly, it made me fall even more in love with her. I finally convinced her to be mine when I was 21 and it was the most wonderful time in my entire life. I was never more happy than I was when I was with her; she was intelligent, kind, giving, and so many different kinds of beautiful. But I could always tell she wasn't near as happy as I was. It hurt to come to that realization, but I knew what was going through her mind, I understood her even if she didn't think I did."

"Was she just incapable of real love?" Richard asked quietly, regretting the hollow sound of his voice as soon as it came out.

"Of course she was, you ignorant boy!" Alton barked, a look of anger fleeting across his face before it was replaced with the serene sadness as before. "Raven is capable of many emotions and, unfortunately, guilt happens to be a big one with her. As a human it was apparent that I was aging and would continue to age as long as we were together and she didn't want to have to lose me like that. She also didn't want me to waste my long life on someone like her. An entire lifetime for us, it's like a drop in the bucket for her, so she tends to value our living lives more than her own. I wanted to marry her and spend every waking minute with her; I even considered asking her to change me, but she has never done it and I don't think she would either, not to someone she loved.

"I asked her to marry me time and time again. I wanted to spend my life with her and she thought I would be wasting it by being with her; if I stayed with her than I would never know a happy life, she said. I would never get married, I could never see family and friends again, I couldn't have a family of my own, and after I started to age even more it would just become awkward. I thought I was finally getting to her after awhile, breaking her down and seeing how much I loved her. But then, out of nowhere, she got word that her father had died and she was a wreck over it. I came home from work the next day and she was just gone. No things, no note, nothing; she was just gone."

Richard shuffled his feet uncomfortably as Alton wiped away a tear, thinking for a second he could actually feel the man's pain.

"If she hurt you so bad," Richard finally managed to mumble. "Then how can you still talk about her this way, like she still matters to you? If someone ruined my life I don't think I could ever forgive them."

"But that's just it, son, she didn't ruin it," Alton replied softly.

"I don't understand," Richard said, confused.

"I don't regret my time spent with my fallen angel and I never will. After she left, I thought my world was over. A few months later I was talking a walk, lost in my own sadness when I ran into my dear Siobhan." Alton paused for a moment, a new smile taking over his face now. "As soon as I met her, I knew this was what Raven was trying to tell me; if I had stayed with her then I never would have known what it was like to find my soul mate, to have a family, to live my life. I did love Raven, but I was not destined to be her love."

Richard's insides had been twisting into some terrible knots during his conversation with Alton and he was only too happy to have it end when Bram and Lucy returned. He spent the rest of his visit in silence, his mind going everything that Alton had told him and what he himself had experienced with Raven. He still didn't know what he felt but he did know that he was more confused now than ever. He hated being torn apart from his decisions and hated not knowing how to fix it. He waited patiently as Bram finished his interview and that said their goodbyes. On the way home, he let Bram ramble on and on about how wonderful Alton's granddaughter, Lucy was and he could tell his friend was smitten once again. He called it an early night when they got into town and so they went their separate ways. Richard went home, told Bruce he wasn't hungry and went to bed early, his head full of new information as he fell asleep.

Three days later, Richard found himself standing in the rain amidst a throng of people all wearing black. He tuned out the sobs and the words of the preacher around him and just listened to the pounding rain on his head, some tendrils of black hair coming loose from his low ponytail and plastering themselves to his forehead. He looked up to see the gleaming casket a few rows in front of him, Bram was comforting a red-eyed Lucy and looking quite morose himself. Almost half of the town had turned up for Alton Sharp's funeral, while the other half opted to send flowers and food dishes to the grieving family so they didn't have to go out in the pouring rain. He told Bruce and Kori to stay home and went alone, as he went most places lately. Kori was getting upset and he hated seeing her like that, but he was slowly turning inside himself, shunning the need for people, something Bruce had inadvertently taught him.

The sermon was a heartfelt one and Richard found himself truly missing the strong persona of the old man who had tried to shed some light on his troubles. He was busy thinking about the man's last words to him when he felt the hairs on the back of his neck prick up. Something in the air was asking him to look up; he looked around him first to see if anyone else looked perturbed and everything seemed out of focus as they looked to be moving slowly and achingly familiar. He focused his eyes on the hill in front of him and watched as the odd scene unfolded before his captivated eyes. The first thing his eyes locked onto was the bright red beacon of Mina Harker's updo beneath the black funeral hat. The black veil over her face dimmed her bright blue eyes and her scarlet lips, but not enough where he could still notice her tear-stained cheeks.

Mina had lost a little of her confident stature, which came as a surprise to Richard, but not as much as what he saw come over the hill next. He immediately recognized the broad form of Victor, who had obviously healed quickly since the fight, but his shape was distorted by whatever he was carrying. Richard let out a startled gasp which no one seemed to pay attention to as he realized it was not what Victor was carrying, but who. As they came closer to the gathering of people, Richard could make out the faint colors of purple and white and he knew instantly who was in the dark man's arms.

Raven looked no bigger than a small child in his arms and she seemed to have gone fetal. He could barely see anything but her black dress and occasional flecks of white skin and purple hair as Victor shifted her. Something tugged at his heartstrings at the sight of the dilapidated woman who looked nothing more than a pile of bones and rags, the complete opposite of the strong-willed and confident woman he had fallen for. The trio sidled up to the back of the crowd but no one seemed to notice the odd people coming to pay their respects.

He couldn't take his eyes away from the sad sight and he wished he could do something to fix it, anything at all. While he was filled with remorse at the sight, he felt someone looking at him and so he turned his gaze to the right a little bit; the cold, unfeeling eyes of his childhood crush bored into his soul and he could feel the hatred burning at his insides. Suddenly he felt ashamed for everything he had done but he couldn't tear his eyes away from her disappointment. It felt like hours that he was caught in her gaze and before he knew it, the funeral goers had started to dissipate and he was one of the few left standing before the coffin. He quickly paid his respects and walked away, his eyes constantly scanning the crowd for the three people he most desperately wanted to avoid.

He had walked a little ways away from everyone when he heard the rushed sound of a quickened pace coming after him. He whirled around just in time to feel the righteous sting of an angry woman. Her hat was gone and her soaked hair gave her a wild look about her as her breathing was hard and he hand had yet to drop to her side. The furious glare of his old friend was unusual on her face and he felt even more ashamed that he was the one to put it there. He hung his head in defeat while his face burned with more than just physical pain. She smacked him again, tossing his head to the side and this time he felt her tears fly onto his heated face.

"Fight back!" she half-snarled, half-screamed at him. "Fight back and let me hurt you as much as you've hurt her!"

She pounded on his chest and all he could think about was the sight they must have provided for anyone who was looking. He was too tired to look and see if they had amassed a crowd on this scared ground and, instead, let the fiery woman in front of him, pummel his senseless.

"She can't feed! She can't sleep!" Mina hissed at him, her strength slowly dying. "She refuses to do anything but lie in bed all day! When she finally passes out from crying we have to force-feed her! She's trying to die! You made her think that she deserves to suffer; you've made her believe, for the first time in centuries, that she truly is a monster! How could you?!"

Finally, she had defeated herself and succumbed to crying and mumbling into his shirt. He finally brought himself to look around and the only people even near them were Victor and Raven, turned away and standing at a distance. Richard wanted to comfort Mina but he was at a loss as how to do that. When Mina was able to gain her strength back, she quickly looked up at him and walked away, her fury fueling her confidence. She stopped a few paces away and looked back; he could tell she wanted to say something to him, but her throat wasn't letting her talk. He watched as she took Victor's arm and the three of them left him standing alone in the middle of the cemetery.

The next morning he was awoken by Bruce quite harshly and, very bluntly, told that there had been another murder over the evening. Richard's chest constricted just momentarily, hoping that Mina hadn't done something desperate to keep her friend alive. As quickly as the thought came, so did a burning feeling of guilt and he knew in his heart that this wasn't done by anyone he knew. He suppressed the building shame in his belly and got ready, letting Bruce tell him the details of the latest murder.

It had the same makings of the other ones, but this time the victim was a young man who looked like a smaller and weaker version of Victor. Of course no one else made that connection, but Richard knew and understood the message being sent. Since the vampire had not achieved his mission from the previous week, he was letting everyone know who and what was on his mind. Richard could only assume that this vampire had chosen this area to haunt as some sort of personal vendetta against the resident vampires; what or why he had a beef with these seemingly innocent vamps was still a mystery but Richard kept his thoughts to himself and just let the locals take care of business.

After they had spent most of the morning dealing with the case, Richard had only come to one conclusion; loving Raven was a risk and would get him nowhere. Alton Sharp had been proof that giving his heart to that woman would only end in wasted years. Sure, Alton swore that he wouldn't have changed anything, but Richard wasn't willing to take that risk. There was no future for himself and the recently suicidal vampire and this case was no longer any concern of his. The dark part of his soul wanted to stay and help, put this creep into the ground and walk away victorious with Raven on his arm and his heart accepting of her. He got a flash of himself as a vampire staying by Raven's side for centuries to come but he quickly squashed the idea when he caught Bruce glancing wistfully at a group of little children on the way home.

After that unguarded moment, he knew what his choice had to be. He sent Alfred with a note to Korianna's house and asked her to meet him in town at the tavern tonight. He also sent a second note to her father and asked to meet him for a late lunch, early drink. He asked the man for his daughter's hand in marriage and received the jovial response he expected from the jolly man. After receiving his blessing and a few drinks, he went to the jewelers to find a ring. He spent an insane amount of time trying to figure out which one would be best for Kori. He already had, of course, his mother's ring which had been passed down in the family for generations; he had always dreamed of giving it to the right woman but, for some reason, he just couldn't see it on her finger. It was a simple ring, but it was one that his great-great-great grandfather had made for his own wife and it had terrible sentimental value. He would eventually pass it down to his children someday, but it was not the ring for his future wife.

The ring he chose instead was bright and big, mimicking her bubbly and rich personality. He noted that it was bigger than her sister's and he figured that would be a spot of contention between the two girls. After he bought it, he had the urge to compare it to his family's ring. The newly-polished and shiny gold contrasted greatly against the now-dull face of the silver band. The gold ring was covered in sparkling diamonds all over and it made the very plain silver band look like a toy. In the center of Kori's ring, a huge carat diamond shone brightly and weighed a slight amount; he smiled as he looked at the solitaire diamond in the center of the silver band and thought of his mother. This ring had fit her perfectly, both in size and personality. He had always hoped to find someone just like her: intelligent but teasing, strong but demure, exotic but girl-next-door, and doting but independent. Kori wasn't really like her, but he still cared about her just the same.

He was brought out of his reverie as Alfred found him in town, letting him know that Miss Johansson had accepted his invitation and would meet him tonight. He told Bruce of his intentions and he expected to find him simply ecstatic at his news, not only of finally marrying, but marrying a girl Bruce had picked as well. Instead, Bruce formed a pained smile on his face and gave him a brief hug; the older man could tell that the nephew he had come to regard as a son was settling for the sake of things. He could tell that Kori was not the one Richard wanted to be with, and it hurt him to think he was picking someone just to make him happy. He still gave him a forced blessing and left, saying he had some business to attend to. Instead, Bruce went into the kitchen, out the back door and into the stables, taking his horse and heading off to find someone he desperately needed to talk to.

Richard, on the other hand, didn't notice Bruce's aloofness and takes it to mean he just doesn't know how to show his happiness. He starts rehearsing in his head of what he is going to say and hopes it all goes well. He wants to take Kori away from here and hopes she will come; Richard wants to go back to America to start his quiet, unassuming life and hopefully Bruce will come with and Kori will be okay with leaving her family. He just couldn't stay in England, not anymore, not knowing that he was responsible for the self-destruction of someone he had become infatuated with. He was so wrapped up in his own musings that he didn't even fathom that Bruce had said he was leaving to take care of work-related events on a Sunday…

Bruce urged his horse faster and faster to his friend's house. He wanted Richard to be happy; he didn't want him to continue on in his life just because he thought it was expected of him. Bruce didn't know what to do himself so he knew he had to get the help of someone he trusted, someone he knew Richard might listen to. He arrived at her house and knocked fervently on the door, tossing all gentleman-like facades aside. Her maid answered the door, looking quite peeved and informed him she was not home, and that she had been staying with a friend recently. He quickly thanked her, hopped back on his horse and headed for the nearby village. He knew exactly where she might have gone and he wasn't going to waste any time. He made it there in record time and, again, hastily knocked on the door. He was surprised when she herself answered the door, but he didn't let it fault him. He hurriedly spewed out his need for help with Richard and was slightly taken aback when she didn't agree to help right away.

"Please, I don't know who else to turn to," Bruce begged, even getting down on his knees. "I don't want him to settle and make a mistake he has to live with forever."

"You're the one who pushed him into this relationship, Bruce," she spoke quietly but determined. "And now you're upset that he actually listened to you? You can't keep doing this. He's a grown man who has made his grown choices. If he is to fall then you have to let him."

"I can't," Bruce pleaded. "He's my son. I know I've pressured him to do a lot in his life but I know what it's like to lose the love of your life and I also know what it's like to marry for the sake of settling down. I can't intentionally let him go through that pain."

Her eyes seemed to soften at his words and she silently nodded. "What can I do?"

Richard slowly made his way to the tavern around dusk, going to the one Bruce recommended. Bruce had managed to secure a private table with hangings in the back where they could be alone. He arrived early and just sat down, ordering a few pints and hoping they would soothe his nerves, but not make him sloppy drunk either. He was just getting his stomach to settle when the curtains started to move and the mane of red hair poked through.

"Ah Kori!" he said with much less gusto than he intended. "Darling you're ea-…Mina?! W-what are y-you doing here?"

He sat back down as the red-headed vixen slid into the booth across from him. He peaked outside the curtain again to see if Kori had arrived, but there was still no sign of her. He looked back into her blue eyes, which appeared to be a little dull and swallowed hard.

"I'm here because Bruce asked me to come," she answered simply.

"Bruce?" he asked, letting the confusion mar his face. "Why on earth did Bruce ask you to come? He knows I'm meeting Kori here tonight."

"He doesn't want you to get hurt," she replied softly, looking away for a moment. "He wants me to talk you out of it before you make a mistake."

"So he chose you to tell me not to marry Kori?" he questioned, his eyes portraying insult. "He doesn't think I deserve to be happy and married with a normal girl in a normal life?"

Mina just sighed and looked him pointedly in the eyes. "It's much more complicated than that, I assume, but that's not why I'm here. Not the whole reason anyway."

Richard frowned. "Then why did you come?"

"Because you deserve to know the truth about Raven, or Desiree as I should call her in public," Mina answered matter-of-factly. "Before you make your own choice, you need to know why she is… the way she is."

Richard could feel his anger bubbling up at the mention of her name. "Look, if this is some sorry attempt for me to take back what I said, then it's not going to work. I can't be in love with someone who lies to me. Besides, there is no future for us; Alton Sharp was enough proof of that."

"I'm not asking you to pick a different girl," Mina barked at him, the fire in her eyes once more. "But you do owe it to Desiree, and to me, to at least hear her story before you condemn her worse than anyone else ever has."

They stared at each other for an unknown amount of time, each one glaring at the other. Richard's heart was still flip-flopping about Raven, but he had made his choice and Kori was the one he was going to marry. It couldn't hurt, though, to maybe just hear what Mina had to say.

"Fine," he finally said. "I'll listen."

Mina just looked at him before starting. "I don't understand you, Richard."

"Understand what?" he asked, his tough façade crumbling a little.

"You used to be such an open and understanding young man," she quietly said. "Yet, you're reproachful of the woman you could have loved because she didn't tell the whole truth after knowing you for a few days, and yet you still consent to talk with me after all these years. And I can tell you have no animosity towards Victor, or Garfield and Tara; why do you have such spite for Desiree?"

"Why would I?" he answered back too quickly. "I have no reason to quarrel with the rest of you. I'm not exactly happy that her servants are vampires too, but I didn't really know them that well."

"They're not," was all Mina said.

"Not what?" Richard asked, confused. "Not servants?"

"Not vampires," Mina replied.

"How can they not be?" he questioned, a little too loudly.

"They're fully human," Mina responded, a tinge of sadness in her voice. "Always have been and always will be. Desiree could never turn them and wouldn't ever even if they asked."

"Once again, I don't understand," Richard complained, not comprehending the conversation.

"You see," she began. "With some older and more powerful vampires, there comes some…perks… I guess would be the word."

"So they are a live-in buffet?" Richard responded snidely.

Mina swiftly kicked his shins and glared at him. "She does not feed on them, you idiot! Just listen!" She paused to take a deep breath and continued. "When an event occurs and a human becomes indebted to a vampire, they can pledge their lives and service. Desiree doesn't feed off of them, though some vampires do. At one time, she had saved their lives and, in return, she gave them a longer life if they wanted to stay with her. It's almost like, by being around her, they are given a part of her immortality. Eventually they will die, but not before they've lived quite a long time. But if their vampire is….extinguished…. then they too will fade."

"S-so, Desiree saved their lives?" Richard inquired, his tone softening. "How?"

Mina licked her dry lips and replied. "Tara and Garfield have only been with her for a few decades. They were in love, but from the wrong sides of the money bag; they ran away together, but they were caught by their families and sentenced to death. They were left to burn in the middle of a meadow, tied to a stake. Desiree happened upon them when she saw the blaze and rescued them. She found a way to make their families think they died and took the two young lovers somewhere they could love in peace. They were so grateful that they pledged their service to her and have been with her ever since." She stopped for a moment and smiled a little.

"Victor was a completely different story. He's been with Desiree for a little more than a century now and I think he's come to regard her as his sister instead of his master. Long ago, Victor was a slave for a wealthy baron whom had recently become Desiree's neighbor. The man was ruthless and would have done more harm if Desiree hadn't become involved. Desiree had to give the man almost half of her fortune to buy Victor his freedom and he still tried to give her Victor's dead body. I had never seen Desiree so angry than on the night when we found Victor's mangled body in the Baron's cellar." She paused and let out a shudder. She was going to continue when suddenly a light went off in Richard's head.

"Wait, what do you mean 'we'?" Richard asked slowly, not sure he wanted her to answer it.

"That's what I've been trying to figure out myself Richard," Mina answered with a heavy sigh. "You've damned Desiree with so much effort and, yet, you haven't gone out of your way to call me out."

"Call you out for what?" Richard gulped a large amount of air, not wanting to admit the dawning realization.

"For being a vampire as well," Mina countered.

It was ages before Richard got his bearings back and he was sure he had passed out along the way. His brain was suddenly on memory lane and images of his entire time with Mina flashed before his closed eyelids. From a young age right up to this moment now, he had changed, Bruce had changed, Alfred surely had changed, but Mina… no she was the same all along. Her hair was the same, her eyes had the same light, her figure had the same curves, her face the same non-existent wrinkles. Richard had just always assumed that she was healthy and took care of herself; Bruce himself had just assumed she was young when they met her. They never met her husband, taking her word that he had passed on at a young age and they never brought the matter up.

But here it was, plain as day: Mina was a vampire and quite a bit older than anyone had suspected. It should have been obvious, but not to the two gentleman who had managed to survive without any experiences in the supernatural.

"I don't understand," Richard mumbled for the gazillionth time today. "All this time? Y-you've been a v-vampire? And you never told us?"

Mina scoffed and looked away. "I should say I was smart about not telling you, seeing as how you've treated the woman who saved my life when you found out about her? Besides you never asked."

"B-but your husband, Jonathan?" Richard stumbled out. "I thought he had recently passed away? You showed Bruce his grave once, didn't you?"

"I showed him a Jonathan Harker," Mina answered, her face going wistful for a moment. "That one was my great-great-great-grandson. My Jonathan passed away over a hundred years ago. He was killed by the vampire who turned me and I had to give my own son up for adoption. The only note I left him with was telling him who he was, that he was loved, and that his mother's dying request was that any son always be named after his father."

"But you didn't die," Richard said, somewhat bluntly. "Well, you know what I mean."

"But to everyone else, I did," Mina replied sadly. "I'm just glad that he honored my wishes all these years. I left here for a long time and only moved back right after your family moved here, Richard. I begged Desiree to come back with me then, after she saved me, but she just wasn't ready to settle down, not so soon after her father had died."

"How did Desiree save you?" Richard asked, curious as to how the two headstrong women had become friends.

"After I lost everyone and left England, I went to Paris," Mina answered. "I met another vampire named Dorian but he wasn't exactly the best influence on me. I killed and hurt a lot of humans to try and survive; I thought it was the only way. I was ashamed of myself and knew my family would have been too. I met Desiree when she stopped me from trying to feed on a small boy who looked just like my son. When she intervened, all I could do was cry for hours on end. She took me in, stayed with me and helped me become who I used to be. I've been close to her ever since."

Richard was stunned by the grief that played across her face and even more flabbergasted by the fact that his entire body was not repulsed at the thought of Mina being something unnatural. He tried to reason with himself that Mina was a friend and that he knew, she wasn't just a new acquaintance. But something in his heart told him it was something more. He was trying to protect himself; he didn't like being lied to or left alone. When the news that Desiree had been something else, his mind reverted to its stoic, protective self and his dark, unfeeling side had risen. In his darkness, he had destroyed a woman that he had felt an immense attraction to and, to punish himself, he turned his heart off and would not let it heal.

But his darkness had also prompted him to drag someone else down, and he couldn't let that happen. He couldn't just dangle Kori like that and then leave her so he could make amends with his own soul; it wasn't fair to her and she didn't deserve to be hurt because he'd been hurt. Yes, he'd hurt Raven too, but it was to be his punishment to live without her now. It was in that instant that he realized his attraction to the dark woman was more than that. He was in love and she was his soul mate, something he hadn't believed in until now. But Bruce had also taught him to be a man and now he had to live with his mistake.

"I messed up," he finally spoke, bowing his head. "I messed up righteously and I am so sorry Mina. I don't have an excuse for what I did but I deserve to suffer for it." He stopped to look at her with tears in his eyes. "Will you please tell Ra-Desiree, I mean, that I am wholeheartedly sorry and that she is not a monster and never could be?"

Mina was taken aback by the sudden shift in his attitude. "I will, Richard. C-can I ask why the change? I had this whole back-story planned so you could understand who she is to persuade you."

Richard laughed a little and wiped his eyes. "I can't explain it, really. I want to tell her in person how sorry I am, but I don't think I could stand the hurt. I made my bed and I need to lie in it, I'm afraid."

"Richard, I should tell you why she's-" Mina started, before she stopped herself. "Never mind, I'm sure it doesn't matter anymore…. Are you still going to ask Miss Johansson to marry you?"

Richard nodded and took a deep breath. "Yes, I have to. I made a promise and I can't turn on my word. I know now that I love Desiree and that there could have been something there, but I'm afraid all Bruce managed to do was get me to see the mistake before I committed to it."

Mina was about to say something when suddenly her head whipped to face to crowd and it looked like she was sniffing, almost. Richard peeked out from behind the curtain and saw Kori walking in with a man behind her. She took her coat and gave it to him and he went to sit in the shadows. They talked for a moment before she turned and started to walk toward him. He assumed he was her driver but he didn't look familiar. There was something strange about her walk, it seemed almost forced and her face looked odd as well, placid somewhat. He turned his attention back to Mina to end the conversation and noticed she was still surveying the room.

"Is everything all right Mina?" he asked, getting nervous. "I'm afraid I have to end our conversation now as Kori is here but-"

"Shh!" she snarled, glaring at him. "He's close!"

"He?" Richard asked, unsure of who she meant. "Who are you talking about?"

He looked out the curtains again and only saw Kori walking stiffly through the crowd of reveling dancers.

"Him!" she hissed. "The vampire!"

"He's here?!" Richard exclaimed, his body going on full alert. "In the tavern? Are you sure?"

Mina shook her head and growled. "No, I'm not sure if he's here or just close. Desiree has the better senses. She's been able to hone them a lot longer than I have and when I'm around her, I can sort of feed off of her, but right now I'm not faring very well. I can't pinpoint him."

Kori finally reached the curtain and Richard promptly stood up to hold her hand and help her sit down.

"Kori, dear!" he quickly acted. "You're late. Mina was just leaving."

Mina had already stood up and was straightening up her dress. "Yes, I was. Sorry to intrude. I'll be going now. I have something important to attend to."

Mina and Kori said quick goodbyes and, as Kori was getting settled, Mina rushed out of the tavern, looking everywhere she could for the vampire.

"I'm glad you agreed to meet me Kori," Richard said, trying to get back to his mission at hand. "I have something very important I need to speak with you about."

"Of course, Richard," Kori answered sweetly in a melodic tone. "What would you like to speak about?"

Richard frowned at the stilted tone Kori had underneath the sweetness. "Well it's rather important. Kori, are you feeling okay? You don't sound the same."

Kori just nodded and Richard saw the quick glance toward the curtain.

"Are you sure?" he asked hesitantly, wondering what she was looking at. "Are you just nervous? Did your father happen to tell you why I requested your presence this evening?"

Kori shook her head and forced a smile. "Yes I am sure. I suppose I am nervous. No he did not tell me anything."

She sat with renewed vigor and stared at Richard, who could not shake the feeling that something was very wrong with her. He waited a few more moments to see if she looked away again but this time she sat quite still and smiling, which was rare even for her. He took a deep breath and pulled the box out of his coat pocket and placed it in his hands.

"Kori," he began slowly, running up his nerves. "I know we haven't been seeing each other very long but I feel like we are supposed to be here and in love. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time with you and I think it is safe to say you feel the same way about me. I hope this isn't coming on too sudden but I feel that we could be good together and that we would make each other happy." He paused to find her still smiling. "I know you are very dedicated to your family, but I think that there are many opportunities in America and I also think it could be a good place to raise a family."

He stopped once more and placed the box on the table. He opened it up and tried to gauge her reaction to the brightly shining diamond ring in the box.

"Korianna Johansson," he said, putting a grin on his face. "Would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

He sat and waited for her to answer and, instead, he watched as the smile on her face slowly slid off of her face and shattered into a million pieces on the ground. She stared past the curtain for a short amount of time, as if listening to the soft whispers of someone behind the lightly rippling veil. Finally, after an extreme amount of time, Kori looked back and him and tried to smile.

"Richard," she cooed, placing her hand on top of his. "I am so very sorry. I must decline your offer of marriage."

She closed the box without even looking at it and pushed it back toward him. He tried to find something to say, something to indicate he wasn't falling apart on the inside.

"I do not love you," she began talking again. "I never did and I do not think I ever could. I am in love with someone else."

Richard's mind was going into hyper drive as he calculated her cold and crisp words. This wasn't Kori, this just wasn't her! She didn't sound the same, she was acting like herself and none of this made any sense.

"A-are you in trouble?" he asked, not wanting to believe her. "Is something going on? Is someone forcing you to say these things?"

Kori laughed a cold and unfeeling laugh that sent chills down Richard's spine.

"Nobody is forcing me to do anything," Kori snickered. "I truly have no feelings for you and I do not desire to be your second-choice for a wife."

"What did you say?" Richard whispered, his eyes growing wide.

"You heard me," she sneered, looking completely unlike the woman Richard had consigned himself to marry. "I know you are only settling for me. In reality, you want that whore of a woman, Desiree or whatever she is going by these days. I am not as stupid as you would have thought, Richard. Besides, I found a man who is much more deserving of me anyway!"

With that, Kori stood up, ripped the curtain down and walked away from him. Her stride still seemed off as she reached the man she had come with; he looked at Richard for a fleeting moment and smiled, which churned the insides of his stomach. The man had his long black hair pulled back underneath an old-fashioned top hat and his pale white face looked like it was glowing in the dark shadows as he helped Kori put her coat on. He didn't know who the man was, but his body was screaming that he should do something to stop him, that he knew he had evil things planned for the sweet and naïve girl. And yet, maybe she wasn't so naïve and sweet after all. Kori had been so hurtful and this man seemed happy to encourage it.

Richard could do nothing but watch as his black eyes stared him down while he enveloped Kori in a steamy and obscene kiss. Even though Kori had been his second choice, his heart felt like it was breaking all over again. As the door opened and the second woman he had ever felt something for walked out, a bloodcurdling laugh wafted back and pierced his very soul. He sat there staring at the door for at least an hour before the bartender came over to see if he needed help. He had seen enough broken hearts and rejected lovers to know when a good stiff drink was needed. He persuaded Richard to put the ring back in his coat so that he could return it elsewhere tomorrow.

Richard wasn't very vocal, mostly nods and grunts, but the man was patient and soon Richard's numbness was overtaken by a physical deafness from the drinks he kept pouring down his throat. He had no idea of the time that had passed but the dancing crowd was even winding down when suddenly the door was blown open and two men came into the bar.

"Richard!" one of the deep voices boomed as the pair ran over to him.

It took him a second to focus and when he did he couldn't understand why Bruce and Oskar Johansson were looking down at him as if he had three heads.

"Where is she?!" Oskar demanded, the jovial manner completely gone from his face and replaced by an angry paranoia. "What have you done with her?!"

"Calm down Oskar," Bruce ordered. "Obviously they haven't run off together like you thought. Maybe we just missed her on the roads."

"No! I know my Korianna!" Oskar bellowed, this time a fearful look crept into his eyes. "She is very responsible. She has always been home at her allotted time!"

At the mention of the heart-breaking redhead, Richard's ears perked up and he momentarily sobered up.

"Didn't he bring her home yet?" he asked, trying hard not to slur his words.

"Who?" Bruce inquired, raising an eyebrow. "Who would have brought Kori home?"

"That man," he sullenly replied, forcing himself to focus. "The one she left me for."

"She left you?" Oskar asked, all emotions gone to be replaced by utter confusion. "But I thought you two were getting married? I thought you had run away together! When she left the house she kept going on and on about how she wished you were going to propose to her! Whatever happened in such a short time?"

"He happened," Richard whined, accidentally dripping his drink on the table. "All I know is that she showed up, told me no, and then left with him. I've been here ever since."

"How long has it been?" Bruce asked, placing a warm hand on his shoulder. "I need you to focus and tell me when she left with this man. Did you know him?"

Richard shook his head and nodded at the bartender. "No, I didn't know him but I don't know when she left either. I haven't exactly been paying attention. You can ask him, though, I'm sure he remembers."

Bruce and Oskar left for a few minutes to question the bartender and came back, looking disconcerted. Richard caught bits and pieces of what they were saying; there was something in there about an 'unknown young man' with a 'top hat', and then something about 'came and left together' and then another thing added about having 'left almost six hours ago'. Richard tried very hard to center himself and he was finally able to do it when Oskar plopped down in the seat across from him and started wailing. The reality of what was happening set in and suddenly everything became clear to Richard.

"Hasn't Kori come home yet?" Richard asked urgently, looking to Bruce for answers.

"No," Bruce sighed, shaking his head. "She was supposed to arrive home four hours ago. When she didn't show then Oskar came by the Manor to see if maybe she had come back with you. After he could see you two weren't there, we started retracing your steps. This was the first place we looked. Did Kori happen to say where she and the gentleman were going?"

Richard shook his head and pinched his nose. "No, nothing. But she was acting strange, not like herself, you know?"

"What do you mean?" Bruce asked.

"I can't explain it," Richard answered. "She was just different. She was walking funny and she kept looking at the guy. I asked her if she was in danger but she said no. She was talking strange too…"

Bruce started giving condolences to Oskar as Richard drifted off and starting really thinking about the man Kori had left with. His beady black eyes swam in his vision and the stark whiteness of his skin just looked inhuman. His top hat and gray suit looked entirely out of place and he could have sworn he had been taunting him. As he watched them leave the tavern in his mind once again, he suddenly knew what had happened and the frightening thought sobered him up completely.

"It was like she was under a spell…" Richard mumbled to himself.

He got up, ignoring the two older men and hurried outside to find his horse. He had to get to them, they were the only ones who could help now.

"Richard stop!" Bruce yelled, grabbing onto his arm. "What's going on? Where are you going?"

"He's got her!" Richard yelled. "He took her because of me and De- He took her and I'm going to need help to find her!"

"Whose got her?" Bruce demanded, letting him go. "Do you know this man?"

"It's him, it's-"Richard stopped and sighed, hating to lie to his uncle. "The serial killer, the murderer from Whitechapel. It's him, I could tell."

He didn't wait for a response from his uncle and mounted his horse, heading off in the direction of Chelsea. His sudden realization of who had taken Kori made him sick to his stomach and used that anger to propel himself faster to Chelsea to get help. The entire way there, the eerie laughter from the man in the forest echoed and melted into the same exact sinister laugh from the man who took Kori.

For some reason, instead of just murdering her, the vampire had chosen his newest victim and it was clear who his intended target was.

And killing her would be the easiest thing he had ever done since she was already on her way to nonexistence.