Author's Note: First off, I apologize for taking so long with this. Secondly, my reason for this is, as you will see, this chapter ended up being insanely long. I hope this isn't off-putting and, as always I hope you all enjoy.
Paris 1896
"Where do you think you're going?" Katherine's voice sounded softly in Darien's ear, slim fingers grasping the shirt he was attempting to pull on over his head and effectively stalling his progress.
The corners of his mouth turned upwards into a tiny smile, but all he said was, "Out," pulling the shirt from her grasp and tugging it on the rest of the way. Turning around to face her, he added, "I told you I had things to do today."
"Yes," she admitted, settling back against the pillows, the sheets draped across her in a fashion that hid her breasts and torso, but exposed a pale, shapely thigh. "But I thought these 'things' could wait until this afternoon. You promised me an entire morning in bed."
"Anything to even temporarily mollify your insatiable appetite, my dear," he responded, his tone lightly teasing, as he leaned over to kiss her. "But can't half a morning in bed suffice?"
"That depends," she breathed against his lips, slowly responding to the kiss before pulling back, a delicately arched eyebrow raised. "How long are you going to be gone?"
"Most of the day, I wager," he said, and then arched an eyebrow mildly himself at the discontented sigh that this response earned him. "What? You'll hardly be alone, Katherine. Charlie will be here."
"I would hardly count Charlie as good company seeing as he hates me," she responded flatly, pulling herself up into a sitting position and wrapping the sheets more tightly around her naked body.
Darien made a dismissive sound at that, standing up to put on a pair of pants. "He certainly does not," he responded. "How can you say that after all these years?"
"Because it's the truth," Katherine argued. "He has resented me from the moment you turned me, Darien. Don't you remember how utterly hostile his demeanor was that first evening you brought me back to where you were staying? He may have grown more civil since then, but the resentment is still there every time you turn your back."
"He's jealous, I wager," he said simply after a pause, shrugging into a jacket. "Men can be just as capable of it as women, you know, if a little less catty about it."
"Jealous?" She echoed, her brow furrowing in disbelief. "What of? It's not as if you two were lovers or any such nonsense-" She trailed off abruptly, then, in response to the suggestive look that he gave her, her face paling. "Good God."
His response to her astonishment was a careless shrug as he sat down again to pull on his boots, saying simply, "After living an existence such as ours for a certain number of decades, you learn to be less picky about your companions. Pleasure is pleasure, my dear, it is not limited to heterosexual relationships."
"Abominable," was all she could breathe, her eyes wide. Of all the secrets in the world that Darien could have been keeping from her, this was the least expected.
He couldn't help but chuckle at that, his eyes sparking a little with amusement as he glanced over at her. "I do believe you lost the right to judge others when you rose from your own crypt, sweetheart," he drawled, his tone lightly teasing but none the less effective as it promptly shut her up, her face flushing. "I was a lonely man when I met Charlie, Katherine," he continued after a pause, continuing to lace up his boots. "I had lived a solitary life for a good one hundred years, too long for anyone of any kind to be alone, and I was more than happy to have finally found a companion. It didn't matter to me that he was another man, I had long since learned not to give a damn what others thought, only that I was content."
"Then why did you turn me?" She demanded, her eyes narrowing a little, a spark of jealousy now rising in her own breast despite herself. "If you were so happy with Charlie, why bother with me?"
Darien was silent for a long moment before moving to sit beside her on the bed. His eyes locking with hers, he reached over to lightly caress her face, murmuring, "Because to be content and to be in love are two different things. I knew from the moment I saw you in that alley that you were the one I'd spend the rest of eternity with. There was a spark, a connection, the moment I looked into your lovely eyes. Charlie sensed it just as quickly as I did and that's why he resents you."
She leaned into his touch, her eyes closing. "So I don't have to worry about you suddenly deserting me for some new conquest?" She inquired, her tone light despite the fact that this was clearly a serious concern.
"Not in the slightest," he assured her, leaning over to brush his lips lightly over the corner of her mouth. "Of course, that doesn't mean you might not desert me some day."
Katherine pulled back sharply at that, hazel eyes as wide as they could possibly go. "That's absurd," she retorted. "I would never."
"Never say never, my dear," he responded simply, his expression calm, if slightly sad at the thought. "You could very well find someone else who makes you happier than I ever could; someone who completes you." His eyes started to dance a little as he added, "Who knows? It could even be another woman."
She only shook her head vehemently, curling up against him and resting her head on his shoulder. "I can't imagine being with anyone but you," she told him softly, pressing a kiss to the curve of his jaw. "I love you, Darien."
"And I you," he murmured back, kissing her forehead and stroking her hair. "More than anything else in the world. But," he pulled back then, meeting her gaze and suppressing a tiny smirk, "I still need to go."
She stuck her lower lip out in a mild pout, crossing her arms and leaning back against the bedpost, muttering, "If you must, fine."
"Oh, I must," he confirmed with a slight smile. "But I'll be back tonight, I promise, and then I'll be all yours." Rising to his feet, he adjusted his jacket and paused to glance in the mirror, patting his hair down, before turning to go.
"I'll be holding you to that, mon amour," she called silkily after him, earning a chuckle as he disappeared from her line of sight.
It was very late that evening, nearing midnight, before Darien returned. For reasons she couldn't quite fathom, he was far more predator then victim, Katherine found herself starting to worry and stayed up to wait for him. Remaining anchored in a chair in the parlor, she made an effort to concentrate on the needlework in her hands. This proved to be in vain, however, as she found her gaze flickering more and more constantly to the door with each hour that passed.
The clock was just getting ready to strike its twelfth hour when the door finally opened and in he walked. Katherine opened her mouth to wryly chastise him, "I was beginning to think you had-" when she registered the agitated expression on his face, his pensive posture. "What's the matter?" She inquired, slowly rising to her feet, a frown creasing her face.
Exhaling slowly and running his fingers though his hair, Darien responded, "We're not alone here. There are others who have set up lodgings on the outskirts of town."
" 'Others'?" She repeated in confusion, her brow furrowing, as she took a step forward. "You mean other vampires?"
"What else would he mean?" Charlie interjected crossly from the corner where he, too, had been seated, waiting, but had now stood up. Turning back to Darien, his expression grim, he demanded, "How many?"
"Twice our number at least," Darien answered, stroking his beard thoughtfully as he turned to walk over to the fireplace, staring at the dying embers. "Perhaps even ten."
Charlie made a cursing sound, pounding his fist into the nearby wall, and Katherine could only glance between the two of them quizzically. "Would one of you care to take the time to fill me in on what's going on?" She demanded. "Why does it matter that there are others out there? This isn't exactly a small town and, you said so yourself, we're leaving for Venice soon."
"Some of our kind are known for getting territorial," Darien responded tersely, not quite looking at her, chewing on his thumb. "There have been more battles than I could properly relay that have occurred when two groups have converged upon the same location." Glancing to her then, he added, "We have had the misfortune to encounter not only one such group, but one that also out numbers us to too great an extent."
She paled slightly, understanding dawning, and her hands started to clench her skirts tightly as she demanded, "They're going to attack us? Just because we happened to temporarily settle in the same town?"
"So it seems," he responded with a mirthless chuckle. "I tried to reason with them, but to no avail. We have until dawn to clear out otherwise they're prepared to wage war."
"Then we'll be out of here before dawn," Katherine responded simply, already turning to leave the room. "It won't take that long to pack our things. Not if we start now-" She was cut off by Darien turning to seize her gently, but firmly by the arm, causing her hazel eyes to flit up to his face questioningly.
"Don't be so naive, my darling," he murmured simply, his tone affectionate if deadly serious. "They'll be here long before dawn. Giving us a way out is merely a clever ruse on their part to keep us distracted so their attack will take us by surprise." Glancing over to meet Charlie's gaze he added grimly, "I wouldn't be surprised if they're moving in as we speak."
"Then what are we going to do?" She demanded, her gaze bouncing back and forth between both of them again. "You said they outnumber us. Would we even stand a chance if we stood and fought?"
His expression was almost sad as he reached up to tenderly cup her face in his hand, running his fingers along the curve of her cheek. "Not 'we,' Katherine," he corrected softly. "I alone will face them." Catching the sight of Charlie about to balk out of the corner of his eye, he silenced him with a look, adding, "Charlie will take you to safety."
Katherine, whose eyes had widened sharply in response to this, shook her head fiercely. "No," she retorted. "What you're suggesting is suicide. I'm not leaving you alone, Darien. I can fight. I'm not a novice any longer."
"I know you're not," he responded, his tone reassuring but firm as his gaze locked with hers again. "But I'm not going to risk losing you nor am I going to ask you to bloody your hands any more than they already have been because of me." Taking one of her hands and his and pressing a kiss to the palm, he added in a soft whisper, "Don't fight me on this, Katherine. You won't win, I promise you that."
Confliction flickered openly across her face, her mouth twisted into a pained frown. She knew he wouldn't budge, but she couldn't cede willingly to his demands. "You can't fight them all on your own," she argued, grasping his hand in both of hers now. "They'll kill you, Darien. Don't do this."
"She's right, Darien," Charlie butted in, walking over, his expression grim. "You can't handle them all on your own. This is crazy talk. At least let me fight with you. We'll tuck her away some place safe where they can't get her and we'll slaughter them together."
"We're not leaving her alone," Darien shot back, his jaw set in a determined fashion that meant he was done arguing. "You will take her farther into the city, find lodgings there that the others wouldn't dare disturb without risk of exposure and stay there. Do I make myself clear?" At a reluctant grunt of assent on Charlie's part, he turned back to Katherine, ordering her, "Go get your cloak, Katherine."
She desperately wanted to argue, but was silenced by the sheer will-power of his gaze, and mutely turned to do as told. Grabbing her cloak from the wardrobe in her room, she hesitated before reaching out to snatch a miniature portrait of Darien from where it stood on the bedside table, tucking it away before leaving the room. As she approached the parlor, she saw a small pouch exchange hands from Darien to Charlie only to be slipped into the latter's pocket, followed by a curt nod and a murmured utterance she couldn't hear.
Turning to her as she entered, Darien drew Katherine into an embrace, pressing a tender kiss first to her forehead and then to her lips. "Everything I'm doing, I'm doing to keep you safe," he murmured to her, his piercing gaze locking with hers once again. "I love you. Remember that, Katherine, if nothing else."
"Don't talk like that," she murmured back, clinging to him tightly and burying her face in his shoulder. "It makes it sound as if you're saying goodbye. You're not allowed to. You have to come back to me, Darien. Promise me you will."
"I can't do that," he replied softly, holding her close and tenderly stroking her hair. When she pulled back to glower fearfully at him, he only leaned in to kiss her on the lips again, this time more passionately. "I love you," he repeated, breathing the words into her mouth.
Despite her best efforts, Katherine found herself melting into his embrace, whispering, "I love you, too," against his lips as she responded to the kiss, holding onto him for dear life, and doing so all too literally. "I always will."
He brushed his tongue lightly over her lower lip before reluctantly pulling back, his expression sad but loving as he looked at her one last time. "Take her away," he finally said to Charlie, his voice quiet, releasing her and turning away as if he couldn't stand actually watching her walk away.
Charlie only nodded gruffly, moving forward and grasping Katherine's arm firmly, saying, "Come along," and guiding her out the door. As they left, she couldn't help but glance back over her shoulder at Darien one more time, trying to suppress the sinking feeling that she would never see him again.
He led her swiftly and discreetly through the shadows and well into the depths of the city that was, as always, host to a boisterous night life. Their targeted destination proved to be a small inn that teetered on the border of the affluent side of town and that of the middle class. Quickly handing over enough money to cover for the expense of one night, Charlie ushered Katherine upstairs into a room.
"I don't care what Darien says, I'm not leaving him to fight those bastards alone," he informed her bluntly. "I'm going back there while you stay put. Got it, missy?"
For once, Katherine was not inclined to argue with him, knowing that even two fighting against a mob was better than one fighting alone, and only nodded. "Keep him safe," she requested softly. "For both of our sakes."
He checked slightly in response to that before seeming to realize that Darien must have informed her of their previous relationship. Seeming to reconcile with the fact, he nodded as well, gruffly responding, "I will," before heading back out the door.
The hours that passed following his departure were actually few in number, but seemed to Katherine to be days. With nothing to occupy her other than her thoughts and her worries, she continued to fret, alternating between nervously twisting the hem of her cloak and pacing the length of the room over and over again. She was midst in what must have been the hundredth or so pace when the door opened and Charlie stumbled in, his clothing ripped and bloody gashes marring his face and neck, but otherwise intact.
At the sight of him, she froze mid-stride, her face draining of all color. "My God," was all she could gasp, moving forward to help him into a chair. "Charlie? What happened? Where's Darien?" When the only response she received was silence and the shaking off of her hands, her fears were far from alleviated. "Where is he, Charlie?"
He wouldn't look at her, only staring at the wall as he allowed himself to sit down without her aid. Several minutes passed in silence, the dread that was starting to overwhelm her making Katherine feel as if her lifeless heart had received a sudden jolt that had allowed it to leap into her throat. When Charlie finally spoke, however, his voice hoarse, his words only confirmed her worst fears. "Darien's been killed."
If she hadn't already been dead in the medical sense of the word, Katherine would've died right there. As it was, all of her fire, all of her energy seemed to die away and she stumbled backwards, grasping onto the nearby bedpost for support. "No," was all she could say, her voice barely above a whisper. "No."
Charlie only shut his eyes in wordless response, his jaw taut as he seemed to be struggling with his own grief, a single tear escaping. As she watched this, the sight of the only other soul who had cared for her lover as much as she had grieving for their mutual loss, Katherine felt herself start to lose it completely. The sob started in the pit of her stomach, slowly pushing its way up to her chest, to her throat, and finally escaped her lips, resulting in the most wretchedly heartbreaking sound imaginable. But it didn't stop there, one sob following after another, after another, after another. Wrapping one arm around herself and clamping the other over her mouth to muffle angst-ridden wailing, Katherine was forced to sink down onto the bed as her knees threatened to give out, tears streaming down her face.
Throughout all this, Charlie remained silent, allowing her to mourn this unbearable loss in the only way she knew how. It wasn't until the wailing had subsided and a soft sniffling was all that remained of her tears that he finally spoke. "All the other houses are yours," he said, still not looking at her. "There's a box of gold, money, and jewels hidden beneath the floorboards of the dining room in Flanders. It should be enough for you to live on for a number of years. Centuries, even, if you invest it right." At the tearful, questioning look she shot him, he only said, "All provisions made for you by him."
"What about you?" Was all she asked, her voice soft and still tremulous, after having cleared her throat. "Where will you live? What will you live on?"
"I've made my own investments over the years," he responded with a slight shrug, still not looking at her. "No need to worry your pretty little head about me. I'll manage."
"So I'll never see you again either?"
At that, he finally looked at her, the corners of his mouth quirking upwards slightly in a half-smile despite his bereaved expression. "We never got along," he said simply. "You won't miss me much. I can guarantee it."
She only nodded once, her gaze dropping down to her still-trembling hands, which were folded in her lap. "So when do we part ways?"
"I'll be leaving tonight," he said, starting to haul himself to his feet already. "About now, actually. The room's already paid for so you might as well stay until morning. Go wherever you want from there. As I said, everything's yours."
Katherine nodded again, lifting her gaze to watch him shuffle towards the door. "Good luck, Charlie," she said softly. "Take care of yourself."
"You too, Katherine," he responded, offering her a cordial, if stiff, nod before disappearing out the door, this time never to come back. He was gone, just like Darien, and she was left alone with an eternity ahead of her. Fate had never been more cruel.