A/N: Standard disclaimer, this is done for entertainment, not profit, I don't own the rights to anything. Reviews (anonymous or not) are always appreciated!

Again, thanks to ReadingRed for her help as my new Beta!

Between work and continuing computer issues, things were a little delayed. Thanks to everyone who has read, reviewed and/or added me to your alerts and favorites. Now, on with the show!

Chapter 7: Dinner and A Show

It actually makes me feel good to have the kids together for dinner.

At first, when Astor and Cody agreed to live with me, I thought family dinners would be a good way to give them some of the normalcy they lost when Rita died. Now I see it gives me the same thing. It gives us all a sense of stability, especially now that we moved into a new house.

That said, having Astor's new boyfriend join us tonight isn't exactly normal, for any of us.

As we sit down for dinner, I ask him the same questions I always got in high school when a girl brought me home for dinner; his hobbies, how long he's known Astor, his favorite classes. He gives me a rundown of his life, which I pretend to be surprised by.

No sense in letting him know I did a background check.

As things go on, I have to admit he seems like a decent kid. Given his history, I look for some sign that he's trouble, the indications of violence and antisocial behavior I can usually spot with ease.

I don't see any of that. What I see is a nice kid who seems to make Astor happy, and after everything she's been through, she deserves it.

As we finish dinner, Jeff offers to help me clean the kitchen while Astor and Cody deal with the table.

"Mr. Morgan, I just want you to now, I really like Astor, and I'm sorry we got off to a bad start," he blushes.

"It's ok, I just don't like to think of Astor... like that. But you seem to make her happy, and that's what matters to me most."

"That's important to me too Mr. Morgan, thanks for giving me a chance."

He pauses for a moment, showing a renewed sense of worry. I look down and realize I have been cleaning the same butcher knife a lot longer than necessary. I stop and put it down, reaching for a dirty plate. As badly as I want to pick the knife up, let some of darkness out and say things that will make him run out of my house, I meant what I said. I want Astor to be happy.

We finish up and Jeff says goodbye to Astor, apparently my obsessive knife cleaning did have an effect on the kid, as he pulls away when she tries to kiss him goodbye.

I smile at that.

Astor eyes me warily after Jeff leaves, waiting for me to give her some sign as to what I'm thinking.

"Well, he seems like a nice guy," I say, trying to start a conversation.

"So, does that mean I can go out with him this Friday, and you won't try to scare him away?" She asks simply.

"Yes, you can go out with him. As for the scaring part, I can't help it if us forensics guys are all big and scary." I say, giving my most non-threatening look.

She start to laugh, then stops herself.

"I'm serious; the way he looked when he left..., I don't want him to think I'm some kind of freak with a crazy dad."

I start to defend myself. Then I realize, what she said, that she still thinks of me as her dad. I raise my hands in surrender.

"Ok, I promise to work on that next time he comes over."

Then I reach into my pocket, take out my wallet and perform the oldest parental peace offering in the book.

"Let me make it up to you, here's some money, how about you get those shoes you said you wanted."

She smiles, takes the money and then runs into the other room to call her friends.

Now that Astor, has a date, Cody's going to a friends house, and Sonja is available to take care of Harrison, Lumen and I can enjoy our date night in peace.

XXXXXX

Friday comes quickly for me. Work goes by quietly and with Lumen spending most of her time in the office working on some big deal, I'm left to spend most of my time with the kids.

Work is normal, a stabbing here, a double homicide there, business as usual. The only surprise I get is that Deb seems to be spending a little less time with Quinn. I make a note to check in on that soon.

I consider this as one of Lumen's insanely boring colleagues tries to explain to me the different types of tax exemptions for bonds. I realize this is the way most people feel when I try to explain forensics to them. I nod along for a few more minutes before the show starts. Then quickly leave to find Lumen and take our seats for the first half.

As we watch the play, I imagine what life would have been like in an age when someone with my… talent … was considered an asset to society rather than a threat. I see myself as an executioner for some powerful King, taking my axe to any murderer the courts sent to me. A simple life to be sure, but strangely tempting at the same time.

At intermission, we slip out, Lumen makes some excuse about a family emergency. As soon as we get away from the group, we make a turn and head for the basement. I go ahead of Lumen and spot Micheals cleaning the hall outside the dressing rooms. I stay hidden as the actors make their way back on stage, waiting for everyone else to clear out.

As the last people leave I count to twenty, casually make my way to Micheals, and as I step behind him, I slip my needle into his neck and grab him as he passes out. Lumen and I drag him to the mostly empty storage room at the end of the hall and set up the kill room.

Lumen handles the walls while I set up the table and wrap Micheals up in cellophane.

He wakes up just as I finish putting the pictures of his victims on the wall.

It's all so familiar, the confusion, panicked attempts to move, followed by the realization that he can't. He glances at the pictures on the wall, his eyes widening in surprise.

"Never expected to see them again, did you Eric? I imagine they looked a little like you do now when you killed them," I smile a smile so different than the one I gave Aster a couple days before. Just like that one though, this smile tells its recipient exactly what I want it to. It lets him know he's about to spend some quality time with me and my knife.

"Huh- Wait, you're that guy from the bar, and you're that bitch who slapped-" he stops as I stuff cloth into his mouth. I want to kill him right then, just like I killed the car dealer when he insulted Rita.

I reach for the knife, only to see it in Lumen's hand.

She looks even angrier than I am.

"That's what women are to you, right? Just punching bags? Something disposable to throw away when you're done."

She cuts him across the face with the knife, his eyes widen in horror and pain as he tries to speak. She collects the blood slide, and walks over to me. I'm surprised to see her put the knife down.

I want to ask her if she's sure, if she wants to do this. But we have had this conversation before, and I know she wouldn't put the knife down if she didn't want me to do it.

I pick it up, walk over to Micheals. I consider taking the gag out, but I can see from the hysterical look in his eyes that we are past the point of conversation. The knife cuts through his sternum, his eyes go blank.

I look over to Lumen. She smiles at me.

I smile back.

Our cleanup routine is as seamless as our preparation. I handle the body, she deals with the rest of the room. We pack up the pieces and head out the emergency exit after I cut the alarm. No sense in taking the trash out through the front.

On the boat ride home, Lumen asks how the dinner with Jeff went. She gives me a stern look when I mention the knife part. She smiles a little when I tell her about the bribery part.

"Dexter, you should work on dealing with Jeff, Astor won't always be that easy to bribe," she says playfully.

"Yeah, I think if I work on it now, it will be out of my system by the time she gets her license and thinks I should buy her a car when I act like this. How did your parents handle you dating?"

"Dad was just happy I mostly dated guys whose parents went to his country club. Owen was the son of one of his best friends. I think he was happier than I was when he proposed," she looks away, lost in memory.

"Do you ever regret... things?" I realize how stupid it sounds before I finish. Does she regret being kidnapped and tortured? Becoming a serial killer?

She kisses me, smiles at my awkwardness.

"Dexter, you're sweet. I do regret what those men did to me, but I never regretted what we did to them. I never regretted staying with you when Owen came for me. And I don't regret being with you now, regardless of what anyone else would think."

I smile, glad that public opinion is not a big deal for either of us.

As I head home, I realize date night has never been so much fun for me. Now all I have to do is swing by the movie theater to make sure Astor's date night went well, and that Jeff is still the gentlemen he appeared to be at my home. Otherwise, Jeff may be joining his father on my next date night with Lumen.

Though if I do kill Astor's boyfriend, I may end up needing to buy her that car after all.