It was a cold October morning and Diederich had gotten up extra early to take a swim in the lake. He was completely nude in the cool, black waters of the lake. Swimming just out past the docks in laps, and Vincent watched him do so. The surface was just light enough to capture not only reflections of the sunlight on its surface, but also the reflection of Diederich's pale skin. Vincent stared out from the window of the guest room and stared at Diederich with voyeuristic intent. He was really enjoying this special view. Talk about a room with a view, right.

"God bless this country," Vincent muttered under his breath. It was in this foolish moment, that he decided that he should stop being a watch and start being an active participant. He put on nothing but his thin smoking robe and walked out of castle towards the docks.

"What the hell are you doing out here?" Diederich asked. He stopped swimming laps and was now floating at the end of the docks, staring up at Vincent.

"I'm going skinny dipping with you of course," Vincent insisted.

"Vincent don't," Diederich said.

"No, we're doing this. We are making this happen," Vincent said as he untied his robe.

"Vincent you don't want to-" and fuck it, Vincent jumped off of the dock and into the water before Diederich could finish his sentence.

"HOLY SWEET GOD OF FUCK ALMIGHTY!" Vincent screeched.

"It's really cold," Diederich told him.

"I think my balls have disappeared."

"Yeah, and I told you not to jump in and what do you do? Jump in like an idiot," Diederich said.

"Please hold me I'm so cold,"Vincent said, trying to grab onto Diederich's shoulders. Diederich pushed him away.

"Vincent stop, don't touch me where people could see us."

"I heard screaming," Rachel said. She was standing on the docks in a thick plush robe and her white nightgown.

"Go inside Rachel, the cold air could aggravate your lungs," Vincent told her in a strict tone of voice. This frigid german air would have her out in a second if she wasn't being careful.

"If you were having sex you just could have me to leave nicely!"

"We are NOT having sex out here!" Diederich shouted.

"Nice yell, why not yell it again in german so your entire family can hear it," Vincent said. Diederich splashed him with water while he was shivering.

Diederich's parents were kind enough to take the Phantomhives and their 'wayward but reliable' son to the opera house to see Oktavia perform. Now, this was a high class, black tie affair as they sat in the private booth near the top of the massive opera house. They were even stocked with bubbly and tea sandwiches (obviously requested by a certain sandwich hound). Yet something about this occasion seemed a bit dry and it wasn't the wine. It was the performance of well, there wasn't really a grand audience there. More than half of the opera house was empty and what people were there were probably drunk. They should have noticed this omen coming into the place. Oktavia's performance was well, it wasn't terrible, in the sense that there wasn't a word strong enough in the english language to describe her.

To say that she skipped or missed a few notes would be generous. She was missing more than she was hitting and everything was too flat or too sharp. Rachel and Vincent alone had finished off one of the bottles of wine. Diederich by himself had obliterated the sandwiches. Now he was too sober and they too drunk to really have an enjoyable evening. Oktavia was letting the winos have the worst performance any of them had ever seen. Perhaps this was less of a opera hour as it was a stand up comedy hour, and the comedian had no idea what her real profession was. Vincent lit up an opium cigarette and took a deep drag. He felt the smoke burn up his lungs and he let it out with a great sigh.

"I'd like to see how she sings with a fat cock shoved down her throat."

"Vincent!" Diederich hissed.

"It doesn't have to be mine," Vincent said, taking a hit, "I'll bring a horse."

"A horse wouldn't be as big," Rachel said, and then they high fived. Diederich's parents frowned and Diederich was whispering something to them in german. This was going to be one hell of a night.

After the opera, they returned to the castle for an evening dinner, which was decent enough. Rachel and Vincent chattered with themselves. Diederich and Oktavia were talking loudly and animatedly with his parents, as if there was nothing wrong with this situation. They were ignoring Vincent and Rachel, in a way that was not just because of the language barrier. Diederich interrupted Rachel's profanity laden monologue on the less-than-positive gossip she had received on some of her sisters suitors. It was some what freeing to use certain words in public, some times the word fuck really drove a point home.

"Oktavia would like to know what you thought of the opera tonight, so keep it nice," Diederich asked them with a very stern look on his face. It was different than the smile he had shown Oktavia. Something like acid, some thing like jealousy boiled in Vincent's stomach.

"It was riveting," Vincent said with a fake smile.

"I agree, very good!" Rachel said with a clap, and hopefully that was enough fakeness to let them get off for being snarky the entire night.

"Vincent, this way," Diederich said. He tugged on the sleeve of Vincent's black coat and dragged him through the gloomy walkways of the castle into the decrepit library. Rachel was still standing, unsure of what to do but she did not follow them. There was nothing but the dim gas lamps illuminating them both here. It wa poingant. Vincent wanted to kiss him as much as he wanted to slap him across the face.

"Why are we so alone?" Vincent asked.

"Because I need some private time with you," Diederich said.

"If I was going to yell at you for how you've been behaving lately, I would've done it already," Vincent said. As unhappy as he was with how friendly his pet was being with a certain horrid opera singer, he wasn't that mad about it.

"Yell at me, Vincent? You're real fucking stupid aren't you?"

"What did you call me?"

"An idiot. A completely, inconsiderate, idiot. You act like you own me," Diederich hissed.

"Don't I?" Vincent asked with a cocky grin that was not well received.

"No. You don't. I don't follow you because you have some kind of control over me. The truth is that I only follow you and do what you say because I wanted to. I don't need you to order me around. I don't need you keep me company. I am fine, no, better off without you. You act like like I need you. The truth? You're the one who needs me. You can't even control yourself, what makes you think you could ever have a hold over someone stronger than you?"

"What are you getting at?" Vincent asked.

"Being with you was a mistake."

"What," Vincent could feel his jaw hanging astray. He couldn't believe these words.

"Your proclivities towards me are indicative of mental illness. There is something very, very wrong with you. Whatever... you and I have done, it should have never happened. You're a mad man for thinking that we could ever be together in the romantic sense."

"You should leave here with Rachel and forget about what we did. I will stay here and marry Oktavia like I am supposed. It can be like we never knew each other, like these past three years never happened. We can go on living our lives like none of this ever happened."

Vincent could not imagine a world in which he and Diederich were not involved. He had this entire idea for what was going to happen. Rachel would be fine with the whole affair thing. Diederich would just live near by Vincent and would be like a second father figure to their child. He would be there when Rachel was sick. Vincent had built up a tower of ideas and situations. Chrismases, easters breakfasts, anniversaries, for decades. All of it was a fantasy but it seemed so real, like he could reach out and touch this bright future. Now it felt cold and distant like this old castle, all cracked bricks and cold, unheated rooms. The moon was less bright and the sun was less warm. It felt like there was no light that reach Vincent at the time.

"I gave you everything... I gave you the power you could use to hurt me, and I didn't think you would. I can't pretend like I don't.. love you."

"You're utterly pathetic."

"I don't want to lie. I really love you."

"Well, I don't see how anyone could ever love you back. Go home Vincent. I don't belong to you and you don't belong here," Diederich said.

Vincent stood up on his two legs. He was shivering in anger, or in fear. Ugly tears were cascading down his cheeks. His face was bright red out of humiliation and embarrassing. Here was nothing was beautiful. It was a sloppy ugly cry. Diederich was already out of the room. His legs like felt white hot and like they were crumbling beneath them. His body felt like it was made out of gelatin. His head was stuffed with cotton and he too overstimulated to think logically. He could hear his heart screaming out a thousand wailing cries, and if he started screaming he wouldn't be able to stop. Everything in his mind was just nothing but rot and filth. Everything after that conversation was black.


This is the 50th chapter of "crossing lines" and if you've made it half way, I am so grateful. Thank you so much for reading my story and letting me share it with people from all over this strange little planet. I truly hope that you will continue reading this story to the very end. Today is my birthday, not that anyone cares, but your collective reaction to this plot twist would be the most lovely gift. :) Especially since right after this, I am posting intermission stuff. Let me introduce the INTERMISSION. The intermission will be a short comedy fic that gives Vin and Dee the happy ending they obviously aren't getting in this story. The title will be "A Series of Indecent Incidents".

Other intermission goodies include "Interview with a vampire" in interview where I answer questions from awesome readers in weird ways, and lots more character questions and answer posts on the tumblr! So while the intermission is rolling, please, please, check out the tumblr! See you soon when I dish out the epic conclusion to this EPIC CLIFFHANGER.