So here is the end of Helia and Flora's first date finally! I had no idea that it was going to take this many chapters to finish it. I hope that you guys enjoy it.

I do not own the Winx Club

CHAPTER 20

"I believe I owe you some answers." Helia stated

Turning my attention back to my bag I zipped it.

"Wait Flora. You were right about me keeping things from you. I intentionally didn't tell you Saladin was my uncle amongst other things, but it was all for one reason and one reason alone. There was something that I wanted to confirm before bringing it to you and I have now. Originally I planned on telling you everything after our date anyway, but I understand after everything if you don't believe me." Bringing his hands around front he was holding blue and silver parchment paper bundled up like a bouquet. I could only assume that there were flowers inside, however the way that it was bundled it made it really hard to tell. Reaching into the paper Helia took out a white tulip and handed it to me. I squinted my eyes at him.

"Forgiveness?" Did he think that a flower symbolizing forgiveness would actually make me do it?

"I'm aware that me giving you that won't make you forgive me, but I wanted to give it to you anyway along with a few others.

"So what are you asking for forgiveness for this time?" I asked just about through. Helia stepped forward.

"For not being clear. For never being clear. I had a notion in my head that seemed so ridiculous that I couldn't bring myself to bring it up to you." Reaching back in, he pulled out a white Chrysanthemum.

"Truth?" I stated more as a question.

"Yeah. The truth. The complete and honest truth this time." Helia reached out hesitantly towards my face before tucking my bang behind my ear. I allowed it and he smiled a bit before continuing.

"Freshman year… Freshman year was not my best year." His face became a little dismal. "My mom died the beginning of freshman year and my dad wasn't taking it well to put it mildly. He'd get drunk and pass out, leave for weeks at a time before coming home, break everything in the house, you know, all the fun stuff." Helia gave me a halfhearted smile. I allowed my expression to crack squeezing a small smile back. Mad or not he was telling me something that was obviously difficult for him to talk about, even if I wasn't exactly sure why he was telling me. Helia sat on the edge of the bed before continuing with a deep sigh. "Things continued on this way for months until one day I came home to find him in my room ripping up my photo albums of mom. He had erased her existence from every room in the house and the photo albums were all that I had left to remember her by. Long story short, words were said, and I left with what was left of my photo album and a swollen jaw on a greyhound to LA."

"I'm really sorry Helia. I never knew about your mom or your dad. No wonder you don't talk about your family much." I said sympathetically. He never talked about his parents much, or his family in general. It had never crossed my mind however that it was because of something like this.

"There's nothing to be sorry for so don't be." Helia responded. "Anyway when I arrived I told my Uncle that I just wanted to spend some time away from home and that I was on spring break. I didn't tell Saladin what happened but I could tell that he assumed that it had something to do with my mom's death. Since he wasn't exactly wrong I left it at that.

The next morning I rested in with no word from my father just as I expected. He and Saladin had been feuding for years, an up until the moment that I popped up on his doorstep excluding the funeral, I could barely remember the last time that I saw him. I knew that my father had just assumed that I was staying at a friends and that eventually he would look for me, but the way that I saw it this would be the absolute last place that he would look and that I had at least a week. During that time I would figure out my next step whether I would tell Saladin the truth or simply if I would just go somewhere else."

"Helia" escaped my mouth in an almost whisper. Thinking back I remembered when everyone was talking about Saladin's nephew transferring in back in Highschool. Even some of the faculty was shocked because even in all of the years that he had been headmaster, no one even knew that he had a brother. Noticing my saddened expression Helia looked down before looking back to me. He smiled slightly

"My second night here something really great happened that made me smile for the first time in a long time. In an attempt to cheer me up my uncle encouraged me to attend a homecoming dance, and not just any homecoming dance, but a masquerade ball. He had already bought me a few costumes to choose from and seeing him trying so hard to do something for me I was truly grateful. So even though I initially didn't want to go I decided to attend. "

Bringing his hand up to my face he stroked my cheek with his thumb. Gazing into my eyes he smiled.

"I'm sure that you already know by now that while I was at this ball I met a girl Flora. I met a girl and everything about being with her felt right. She talked to me, and not only did she talked to me, but she listened to me. We spent the whole night together, and I smiled in a way that I hadn't smiled in a very long time. This girl that I had just met had managed to not only make me smile when no one else could, but I felt like nothing could stop me from smiling. She was beautiful, kind and considerate, and even after only one night I was sure that something in me had changed from meeting her but before I could learn her name, or see her face she suddenly had to leave. I promised to meet her the next night and give her this." Helia reached into his bouquet pulling out a yellow orchard and handing it to me. "I promised, and I broke my promise to such a sweet girl. I never showed that night."

Helia looked down at the floor remorsefully while I stared at the flowers in my hand. The air was silent and heavy as neither one of us said anything. Asking the next obvious question I spoke.

"If this girl meant so much to you, why didn't you show up that night?" At this point, I couldn't really call myself mad especially considering the circumstances so far, but if what he has been saying up to this point is true than I didn't understand why he didn't show that night. In all honesty when he stood me up it really hurt. I really liked him and I thought that he really liked me. When he didn't show I never found out what happened to him and I always wondered if he was only being nice, since I was one of the only girls at the dance without a date. Still not taking my gaze away from the flowers I could feel Helia's sudden gaze upon me.

"Trust me it's not because I didn't want to. I wanted to more than anything, but after the dance I went to my Uncle's office. I had made the decision to tell him everything and ask him that if I could convince my father to let me enroll into Red Fountain if he would offer me room and board and let me attend. Arriving at his office I went in to find my father. Apparently I had underestimated him, and had overestimated my own predictability. Figuring out that I had run away he was too upset to hear anything I had to say especially about meeting up with some girl that I had just met. He drug me back home and for the most part I was on lock down. He never did apologize for anything. He didn't stop drinking either, but I guess somewhere in his mind he felt guilty whenever he drank, because he just stopped coming home less and less. Finally one day I managed to convince him that he needed to get help, and that while he was getting it I could attend Red Fountain. Even though he knew he needed help, he was still against the whole Red Fountain thing, but eventually he gave in, and I was allowed to attend starting my sophomore year." Helia let out a deep sigh. "So… yeah that's pretty much why I didn't show up, and why I didn't bring it up."

Helia just looked at me once he was done. I felt bad that he went through so much and because of me he had to relive something that he obviously had tried to bury. Scooting closer to him I leaned in giving him a soft kiss on the cheek. He turned towards me a little surprised.

"Well considering everything that's happened Helia, I think that it's impossible and a bit ridiculous for me not to forgive you for what happened between us in the past. Thank you for being so honest with me."

"I'm sorry about this whole mess. I ended up making it a lot bigger than it had to be. I should've just said something sooner.

"Well then, why didn't you, and when did you even realize?" I asked curious as to how long he had been intentionally avoiding the subject.

"Since the reception. Well actually, I wasn't completely sure until the kiss in the pool. It wasn't my intention to kiss you as I said back then, but once it happened I was pretty sure. It's kind of one of the big reasons that I asked you out. When did you realize?"

"Same time as you. In the pool." I giggled a bit as Helia smiled. "So… that was one of the reasons that you asked me out. Are there any other reasons that I should know about?" I asked trying to sound as casual as possible. Helia looked at me before bursting out into laughter at my failed attempt. I crossed my arms a little offended and turned my back towards him, as he tried to compose himself.

"Well my beautiful flower," he finally managed to get out. "Besides the obvious reason of the fact that I'm interested in you, the other reason… I'm not really sure how to say."

"And why is that?" I asked still slightly pouting.

"Flora. Could you please face me for a moment?" Helia stated in a more sincere tone. Not really wanting to I complied. When I turned around Helia sat in front of me holding the bouquet of flowers. Without looking at me he rolled down the paper stopping when the last flower could be seen. Inside peaked out a lilac flower. A little surprised I stared at it as he took it out and held it in his hands. He twirled it delicately staring at it as he spoke to me.

"I think that our story is unbelievable, and by that I mean that it's very hard for me to believe. When it comes to most things I like to approach situations very logically. You on the other hand however, I never have been able to." Finally looking away from the flower he looked up at me.

"This is what you are to me." He held the flower up for me to accept. "It might be a bit much, and it may be unbelievable as well, but on the night we met, I'm sure that I met my first love." Slowly I received the flower from him. Twirling it and smiling at it.

"Maybe I should go into your backyard and pick you a lilac as well." I shifted my gaze from the flower to him. "The feeling is mutual, as well as the feeling of disbelief." We gazed at each other for a moment before we both looked down at the tiny flower. I twirled it around a bit more before sitting it onto the bed with the other flowers.

"Flora. Getting back to your earlier question… I still don't know how to answer it, but… I guess the best way of putting is, I think it's strange." Deeply confused I looked at Helia.

"You think what's strange?"

"You and I… the way that we keep meeting in different ways… I think it's strange. Don't you?"

"Oh yeah definitely, It's definitely strange."

"Right?!"

"Right!"

"But in a good way." Helia half commented half asked.

"Yes. Definitely in a good way." We smiled at each other for a moment before I covered my mouth letting out a long yawn. The weight of the day was finally hitting me, and it was hitting me hard. Helia stood up looking out of the window

"Wow. It is getting pretty late out. I kept you out much later than I intended. If you'd like I could drive you home, or I could take you back to the villa if you want. As far as your car goes in the morning I could…"

"Actually Helia if you don't mind could I just crash here?" Helia raised both eyebrows surprised.

"Of course. I would love for you to." I smiled in appreciation. Standing up I pulled the covers down before laying on the bed

"I'm sorry to ask, but don't worry I'll be out first thing in the morning." Bending over me Helia took the covers and tucked me in.

"Then I hope the sun sleeps in and the night takes it's time." Helia whispered quietly into my ear before kissing me on the forehead. He turned around and walked towards the door.

"Helia." I called out causing him to turn around. "If you want you can sleep with me." A large smirk appeared on his face as I knew what he was thinking. "Not like that." I stated rolling my eyes as he chuckled a bit. "Don't get so full of yourself either, but I have just gotten used to falling asleep with you close by that's all. It's not because I want to be close to you right now or anything."

"Of course you wouldn't. I mean why would you?"

"Exactly!" I stated sarcastically as he walked over." We exchanged smirks as Helia pulled the covers up and laid in the bed next to me. Wrapping his arms around me he held me close. I felt safe and happy as he snuggled into my hair.

"Goodnight my flower." He whispered to me.

"Goodnight Helia." I whispered back.

That night I dreamed of the masquerade ball again, but this time as I walked to the fountain Helia was standing there already waiting for me. He handed my flower and took my other hand.