It was almost noon when I woke up once again to find Xavier gone, but a plate of waffles by my bedside. I smiled before sitting up and stretching out my muscles.

"My my that is quiet a view," Xavier said, causing me to jump and quickly cover up my breasts which had been exposed moment before when I had been stretching.

"Pervert," I muttered but that didn't keep the smile off my face. Xavier just laughed before coming over and sitting on the chair he pulled up next to my bed.

"I know you're all happy because of my amazing sex-god ways," I rolled my eyes at this, "but you kinda got to eat quickly because Slade wants to see you. It's about your friend and…" he trailed off now which made me raise my eyebrow while chewing the food in my mouth.

"And what?" I asked after swallowing. There was more silence before Xavier finally spoke and the moment he did I wished he hadn't.

"Richard is here."

oo-oo-oo-oo-oo

My hands were shaking even with Xavier holding one of them as he led me down the hall ways and towards Slade's room where I knew Richard would be waiting. There were butterflies throwing a fucking riot in my stomach while I found it hard to swallow and actually at one point I reached my hand up to feel the scare on my neck from when he had bitten me.

"If you're ever uncomfortable and want to leave me just tell me and I'll get you away from him," Xavier promised me as we stood before the door.

"I want to leave," I whispered though I knew that everyone in Slade's room could still hear me. Xavier gave my hand a reassuring squeeze before pushing open the door and allowing me to walk in. The moment I was within the room I knew exactly where Richard was and I could feel him studying me just as I was him. Of course he didn't look like he had aged a day since he can't due to the whole 'I'm a vampire and immortal' thing. Though the change I saw wasn't in his body, face, hair, or anything like that; it was in his eyes. I can't count how many nights I've woken up covered in sweat and sometimes crying due to having a dream involving his eyes and seeing them now made my heart start beating even quicker.

"Ms. Anders, how nice of you to join us. If you don't mind taking a seat," Slade pretty much ordering, gesturing to the seat next to Richard. I froze on the spot and it took Xavier to push me forward to get me moving. When I sat down I kept my gaze at my lap where my hands were trembling.

"Bruce says he won't go through with the deal no matter our past connections to her," Richard spoke and I felt kinda like I had just been slapped. The way he addressed me, her, and it hurt more than I thought it would. Does he see me so lowly in his eyes that he won't even speak my name? Well I guess I can't judge him too much on it since I never say his name either, but he was so cold about it. At least if I didn't say his name on purpose my voice was shaky and my words would be weak so that everyone would know how much it affected me. With him it was just no emotion at all and I hated it.

"How about we forget about Bruce for awhile," it was more of a demand than an option. "What about what you want Richard? Don't you want Kory back?" Slade asked and I stared at him with wide eyes, shocked that he would actually pull that with me in the same fucking room.

"I don't want her back either," he said and now I felt like I had just been punched in the gut, slapped in the face, and had my heart ripped out of my chest at the same time. I guess I made some kind of pained noise since the next thing I knew Richard was pressed against the wall with Xavier holding him there by his neck.

"Xavier let him go," Slade ordered, but he made no move to indicate that he would. Both Xavier and Richard were staring at each other, never breaking the menacing glare the other was sending until I finally interjected.

"Just let him go Xavier. He isn't worth it," I almost pleaded. Right now I just wanted Xavier away from Richard before a fight broke out because I don't think I'd be able to handle either of them getting hurt even if Richard is being an ass.

"Go ahead Xavier, do what she tells you. Just know that eventually she'll end up fucking around with an ex at some club and then she'll make you feel like shit and leave you," Richard spat and I think my cheek is bleeding now from being slapped so hard by his words.

"Don't say that about Kory," Xavier hissed as I felt the tears falling from my pained eyes. Richard knew what he was saying would hurt me but yet he said those things anyway.

"Please, we all know you're only saying this because she let you into her pants so you can drop the act. It's okay to treat her like a whore, that's what she is."

"Shut the hell up Richard!" I finally snapped and everyone in the room turned their attention to me. By now I was trembling with rage, hurt, and some weird fear that I can't describe. It's like I know I'm in danger because of what I'm about to say but at the same time I want to see how Richard will react to see just how much he's changed.

"What's wrong baby? Does the truth hurt?" he spat and it was then that the fight finally broke out, starting with Xavier punching Richard square in the nose. I heard the sickening sound of the bone crushing but after that everything was a blur; the breaking of the wall being one of the only things my human eyes could catch onto. I heard yells and there were more sounds of things breaking and soon I found myself to be the only one in the room since all the other vampires had gone speeding off to follow Xavier and Richard and probably try to break up the fight.

There were more sounds of things breaking as I slowly walked back towards my room to sit on my bed. I was on the way to my room when I passed by a window and paused to look out of it at the fight. My mind was at such a blank from everything that was happening that I didn't even realize what was happening before it was too late and all I could do was let out a scream as the glass went shattering around me. Just when I thought I was going to die from having Richard flung at me and the glass shards coming at me, I found myself in Richard's arm and practically flying away from everyone else.

"Hold on tight!" he yelled to me over the roar of the wind and I did that even though I was so confused.

"Where are you taking me?!" I practically screamed as fear began to make its way into my system. I don't know who Richard is now and after what he said to me not even five minutes ago there is no way in hell I'm going to trust him with me life.

"Back with me," he said before looking back and then picking up his speed.

"No! Let me go Richard!" I demanded but he did nothing of the sort and just kept running. I couldn't see anything and the rushing wind only made my eyes start to water so I kept them closed while trying to calm my breathing. I felt the absence of Richard and was about to scream because I thought I was being dropped when I was picked up once again but this time by Victor.

"Hold on lil' lady," he told me before beginning to run away. I looked back to see Richard standing in a clearing waiting for Xavier who came at him in full force and they tumbled into a near by tree; knocking it over.

"Victor what's going on?" I asked my eyes beginning to water with tears of emotional exhaustion. Everything just seemed to be crumbling around me at once and was happening so fast that I couldn't grasp onto anything to help me and I now find myself thrust back into the world of vampires after finally beginning to get over them.

"We're taking you back so that they don't get you or Terra. You didn't really think we'd leave you with them, did you?" he asked and I felt slightly guilty for judging all of them by Richard's asshole behavior.

"Well from the way Richard was acting I wouldn't be surprised if he decided to finish what he started three years ago," I muttered, but of course because of his intensified hearing Victor heard.

"There isn't a day that Richard doesn't beat himself up about that but because of him leaving his scent on you we were able to find you when you came back which is how we were able to make up a plan so quickly before Slade had even told u she had you. Richard still cares about you Kory," he told me and I felt a sinking feeling in my throat.

"Then why did he say all of those things? Why didn't he come and find me when I left? Why did he run away and leave me behind? Why did he just give up on us?" My words were shaky and chocked by the tears that were streaming down my face as I shook in Victor's arms.

"I don't know what he said, but the plan was to start a fight so that it would be easier for him to get to you. And trust me, Richard wanted to come after you, but Bruce wouldn't let him because he said that returning to your normal life would be best to you. There was actually a period of a month or so where Richard had to be watched over 24/7 to make sure he didn't run off to find you. He wanted you back Kory and he still loved you. You walked out on him and to this day I still don't think he understands why."

As much as I wanted to believe Xavier's words and just think that Richard is now heartless and doesn't care about me, Victor's words cut deep and I found myself sobbing into his shoulder as he continued to run from the fight. All along I had known that leaving Richard would hurt us both, but I never thought that it would affect him as much as it was affecting me. Being away from him was probably one of the most painful things I had to endure when each night brought dreams of him but I could never really touch him; never really feel safe in his arms since he wasn't really there. There were even some times when I thought I was going crazy and thought that I saw him standing outside my window or standing in a corner of my room; watching over me as I slept only to vanish when I reached over for the light.

That's why waking up always hurts so much, because it reminds me of what can never be between us.

The tears continued to fall as all of these regretful thoughts filled my head and made my heart ache. No words were shared as Victor continued to run back to the place where it all began. The only sound that of my pained cries.

oo-oo-oo-oo-oo

I must say that I'm rather unhappy about this chapter. Like at one point I had an idea for what I wanted to happen in the chapter, but when I started finally writing the chapter last night the idea had already vanished and I was left drawing at straws. Well this was the straw I picked and although I'm not totally satisfied with it, it'll have to do for now while I wait for my inspiration to come back.

I seem to have an issue with my stories and inspiration since right now I have inspiration for three of them and the other like five are just dead. But good news is that for the stories I do have inspiration for I'm certainly writing a lot for them! The only bad news is that two of those stories will never be on fanfiction because they're my own original stories. The other story I have inspiration for is Painted Woman which is the story I thought I was going to drop so I'm super happy that I've finally gotten my 'mojo' back for that story.

But yeah, for the other two stories I'm like a total writing freak and they're actually almost all I can think about. One of them I've already posted some of on fictionpress and that story is my beloved Cure Me Doc while the other one is a story that I just started yesterday and have yet to post on fictionpress but I already know that it's gonna be hot. If any of you are interested in the stories just ask in your review and I can tell you how to get to them. Or if you're an anonymous reviewer and want to know I'll just tell in the next author's note unless you leave your email and then I can tell you. The really fun thing about writing original stories is that I'm making soundtracks for them out of some of my favorite songs that I think go well with the story.

So yeah, enough of that stuff. It's kinda sad that I only got four reviews for the last update when I posted my first lemon and I was already super nervous about it and such little feedback didn't help all that much. Hopefully this chapter you all will really tell me what you think about the chapter and if you have any ideas I'm more that happy to listen to them :D

Thanks for all the reviews so far and please review again! Oh and sorry for the long A/N.

Kattie