Ciara exited the pub with a little too much excitement, the door slamming behind her. Her eyes were fixed on Ben, who was sitting on the bench directly in front of the pub, a wide smile stretching across his face.
"Happy Friday," he said, holding a bouquet of dahlias. Ciara's mouth fell open.
"Ben, these are absolutely beautiful, thank you. What's the occasion though?"
"I walked past a shop in the square and I couldn't stop looking at how beautiful they are. Kinda reminded me of you." Ben said with a breathtaking smile. Ciara's knees went wobbly beneath her as she tried to form a coherent thought. "I know most girls go for roses, but,"
Ciara shook her head slightly. "Not this girl. I love them, thank you." He grinned back at her.
"Dahlias are... special." Ben said as he leaned into her, taking one flower out of the bouquet and delicately putting it behind her ear. Ciara couldn't take her eyes off him and his careful movements, a smile spreading across her face.
"Special, huh? How so?"
"Well, according to the florist, they represent grace, kindness, and inner strength. I knew I had to get them for you."
"You did your research. But there's another reason they're special... they happen to be my favorite flower." Ciara smirked back at him.
"What can I say? I'm just that good." He leaned down to kiss her lightly. "So, now that you're officially off work, how about dinner? At my place?" Ben asked carefully. Ciara's eyebrows raised.
"A DiMera family meal? Not sure I'm up for that. We could grab takeout and go to the loft? As much as I'd love a repeat of our first date it's already a little cold for me," she shivered slightly, and immediately he took off his overcoat and put it around her.
"Well, I meant, my place. As in the guesthouse. As in," Ben fiddled with the collar as he faceted the jacket, then looked away from her, suddenly quiet.
"As in - just us? Alone?" Ciara asked hopefully.
Finally his eyes met hers, and they were warm. Ben smiled. "That's what I was hoping."
"I'd like that." Ciara replied simply. Ben looked at her in that way that made the nerves pool in her stomach. She quickly changed the subject.
"A night off must mean Stefan has let up right? Have there been any more incidents at the mansion?"
"I don't know if he'll ever let up, but... No, no further issues. The guy just dropped off. Once he realized he wasn't going to be able to get off the property without any cash or valuables he vanished. I'm still trying to figure out the motive."
Ciara frowned, deep in thought. Something didn't feel right. "Isn't that odd though? I mean it was clearly premeditated,"
Ben nodded. "I agree. I'm still waiting on fingerprints and background checks on all those guys. There's nothing so far, but Stefan has me running them through every database known to man. I'll find out soon enough. I'm not going to have to chase him down, he'll pop up again." His tone shifted a shade more dangerous, and Ciara smirked.
"You know, this whole "business Ben" thing where you solve problems and strong arm security companies... it's kinda hot." She said, resting her hands on his chest.
Ben's eyebrows raised. "Really?"
She pulled on his collar. "Really."
He looked down at her, eyes suddenly ablaze. Ciara felt it too, the electricity that always seemed to be between them. He brought his hand to her hair, pushing it behind her ear.
"I think you said something about dinner? Your place? Just us?" Ciara whispered, her heartbeat thumping so loudly in her ears she was sure he could hear it.
"In a minute." Ben breathed back, eyes fixed on her mouth. Warmth and relief seemed to spread throughout her body when he finally kissed her, his lips and hands the perfect temperature. Ciara pulled him close beneath his jacket, his mouth opening to capture more of hers. He held her tightly with both hands, one hand on the small of her back and the other cradling her face. She felt that same urgency rising in her that she didn't fully understand, the need to be closer and closer to him radiated through her.
Moments - or minutes, Ciara honestly didn't know which - later he pulled back slightly, looking at her without words.
"Ciara," Ben whispered, slightly out of breath. She traced his chin with her fingers.
"Yeah?" She breathed back. Ben smiled, and she quickly pulled his collar toward her to kiss him again. Suddenly something ripped them apart, and Ben was feet away trying to keep his balance.
"You stay the hell away from my daughter!" Hope yelled, appearing from nowhere and turning back toward Ciara.
"Mom! What the hell?!" Ciara shouted, moving away from her over to Ben. She reached to help him up, but he was already straightening his shirt.
"Ciara, it's okay. I'm fine." He said, though his voice was off balance.
"You're not going to be fine if you lay a hand on my daughter ever again." Hope warned. Ciara stepped toward her mother.
"Mom, are you out of your mind? Ben wasn't hurting me!"
"Yes, I saw exactly what he was doing. What are you doing with him, Ciara? Letting him touch you? With the same hands that killed 3 people? After everything he has done to our family why in God's name would you be kissing him?"
"I'm pretty sure I don't have to answer that, mom. Ben and I are not any of your business. I told Rafe when,"
"When he saw you two kissing in front of the Brady Pub, I know. He told me."
"Yes, of course he did." Ciara sighed, rolling her eyes. She took a deep breath, this argument with her mother wasn't new. But she had to keep trying to get through to her. "Mom, I know this is going to be really difficult for you to understand but I need you to try to hear me this time, okay? Ben has changed. He isn't who he was anymore, and he would never hurt me." Ciara said carefully. She knew her mother had to mean well somewhere deep down, but this was overkill.
"Ciara, you're not listening to reason. You haven't been for months. He is a maniac. He terrorized your cousin for months. He ruined people's lives forever. He killed three people!"
"I know his past, Mom! But I also know that he wasn't himself when he did those things! He was sick. And now he's gotten help. He's changed."
"People don't change that much Ciara. Sick people like this just continue to lie and manipulate everyone around them until it's too late! I won't let you get hurt when he loses it again! That monster belongs in a cage!" She spat at Ben, who had gone to sit on the bench next to them. He merely shook his head, silent.
"Mom, stop it! Don't talk about him like he isn't here."
"He is a psychopath, Ciara. He is a lunatic-"
"Ben is important to me. And you won't talk about him like that in front of me." Ciara stood resolved, a new fire rising inside her.
Hope again turned to Ben. "I bet you're loving this aren't you?"
"Mom, you are the one provoking him at every turn, not the other way around. And anyway this is so NOT about Ben - it's about me. You trusting me. You accepting that I am an adult and I am capable of making my own decisions. And accepting that anything going on between me and Ben is just that."
"He is manipulating you, Ciara. He is fixated on you just like he was Abigail. I won't let my only daughter become collateral damage in his sick obsession." Hope said, unrelenting. Ciara sighed loudly, her hands wringing the air. She scoffed and stepped to the side, looking back at Ben who hadn't uttered a word. Hope trashing him to Ciara wasn't a new occurrence, but the days of it frustrating him ended as soon as he knew Ciara believed in him. Finally he stood from the bench, stepping to just behind her. She about faced one last time, taking a deep breath."For the last time, Mom - Ben is not a threat to anyone, least of all me. Why is that so hard for you to believe?"
"And why should I?"
"Because I love her." Ben said from behind Ciara's shoulder, bold and clear.
Hope seemed to be paralyzed in place. "What did you just say?" "I love Ciara. And I would never hurt her, not for anything in the world."
Hope's eyes somehow looked both exhausted and crazed. "No, no. Love? You don't know the meaning of the word. No." The denial in her voice might have even been amusing under other circumstances. Ciara, on the other hand looked at Ben with complete amazement. He gave her a small smile at her and rounded on Hope.
"I love Ciara. And I will keep doing what I have been - showing her, and you, and everyone else in this town the changed person I am now. Nothing else matters to me. So unless there's another cabin fire you want to let go unsolved, I think we're done here." Ben said coolly. Hope nodded slowly, an uneasy smile on her face.
"You're trying to brainwash my daughter, but it won't work. You hear me? Mark my words." She pointed at Ben, who stood firm just behind Ciara's shoulders. He stood resolute, fighting the urge to roll his eyes.
"Mom," Ciara sighed.
"Baby, please. You don't know what you're doing. You don't know what he is capable of!" She stepped forward with her hands out toward Ciara, but she'd moved so quickly that it had startled Ben. In a moment he had stepped forward, shielding Ciara behind. Ciara lost her footing at the quick movements but stayed upright, holding onto Ben's arm. Suddenly Hope was unholstering her gun, eyes glowing in anger directed at Ben.
"Mom, what the hell are you doing?!"
"Hope!" Rafe shouted, also coming out of nowhere. Ciara stood frozen, it had all happened so fast she was in a daze. She couldn't believe she had reached for her gun.
"You keep your hands off of her! You animal!" Hope snarled, unmoved by Rafe's presence. He'd had to grab Hope's shoulders to keep her from launching herself at Ben. Even Ben had winced at her word choice, looking back and away. Ciara saw his face drop, and felt her blood boil as she pushed forward toward her mother and stepfather."Mom - we are done talking about this. I swear, I don't want to hear another word about Ben." Ciara warned, her voice shaking.
"Ciara Alice,"
"ENOUGH!" She shouted, finally stopping Hope in her tracks. "Another word and you and I are through. I mean it." Hope's eyes widened in fear, and she finally fell silent.
"Ben, let's go." Ciara reached her hand toward him, her eyes pleading.
Ben's eyes looked empty and defeated as he looked at her hand. Ciara continued holding it out to him, not moving and after another moment he took it. Taking a deep breath she interlaced their fingers and turned to leave the square, Hope sitting in defeat on the bench.
"Ciara!" Rafe called after her, to no avail. "That went well." He said, as Hope put her head in her hands.
