A.N. Hey so finally made it to book four It makes me sooooo happy just to be able to say that you have no idea how happy I am for this being as popular as it is. I have no words to explain how grateful I am to you people reading this right now.

Also the offer that I brought up a few chapters ago is still up, and for those who don't remember it is if you want to see a part of this on paper and as a picture make a suggestion and I will try my best to get what I and hopefully you imagined.

Disclaimer: I NO OWN CDF/DSS

Chapter 33

*Mia POV*

It has passed six years since that one horrible Christmas that still continues to haunt my dreams, and throughout these six years I have been trapped in the bloody past that I have and that I forced upon Victoria, the past which she doesn't remember.

Even now I have yet to tell her but, how am I to tell her that the beast that had killed her parents when she has been living with the beast for years now and sees the beast or the one who is the beast as a friend.

Throughout these last six years Victoria could tell something was wrong and has been trying to get the answer out of me. No matter how many times I wanted to tell her though I just couldn't muster the courage to tell her the truth.

I starred silently into the central fire when Victoria's not so shy voice interrupted my current train of thought.

"Mia, I know something is wrong do you want to talk about it?"

I didn't look up at her, Six years have passed and the young five year old that would cling to me every day was gone, replaced with an independent eleven year old. Without looking at her I could tell that her deep sky blue eyes were searching me for some sort of answer to explain the separation that happened between us during these last six years.

I just continued to stare into the fire as if the small ring of melted snow surrounding the fire was the most amazing thing in the world. I heard a shuffling on the log that I was sitting on as Victoria sat next to me trying to get comfortable on the wet log.

"Mia, please if it was something that I did can you tell me so that I can apologize properly." Victoria said to my face as she leaned to look me in the eyes. My bangs being long the way they were obscured Victoria's view of my eyes as I quickly stood up and rushed away towards our tent feeling like I let her down yet again.

In the tent I ran into Evra who met my tear filled gaze and knew instantly what I wish I could say and stood, walking over to me. Once he was standing in front of me I could easily meet his gaze. His strong scaled hands clasped my shoulders as a tear rolled down my cheek.

"Mia…" Evra started but stopped as I pushed my face into his shoulder. We simple stood there in our tent like that for awhile till I pushed myself off, remembering his girl friend Merla. Evra was about to speak, but I stopped him by holding up my hand.

Slowly I make my way to my spot in the floor with Evra following close behind me. Once at the spot that I never slept in anymore the two of us sat and then like always Evra's eyes trailed to the scar on my shoulder from the knife wounds that I received in the sewer just as my gaze trailed to his shoulder that was missing quite a few scales from the same place and time. Seeing each other's scars always brought back painful memories.

We were pulled out of our painful memories as Darren burst into the tent and began tossing everything he could get his hands on everywhere. Evra asked him what was wrong and Darren explained about Mr. Crepsley telling him that they would leave for Vampire Mountain. As Evra got up to help Darren I get up and move to exit the tent.

Just outside of the tent I run into one of the people I would've wanted to avoid at all costs, it was none other than the plump yellow coat wearing Mr. Tiny.

"Well greetings to you…" Mr. Tiny greeted in his usually happy/creepy tone that he was usually using and then under his breath almost quiet enough where I almost didn't catch it "…family killer…" After that the plump man walked into the tent probably freaking Darren and Evra out while I stood out in the snow shivering, but not because of the snow.

I ran to the edge of camp trying to get away from Mr. Tiny but at this rate when he leaves he will probably come and find me hiding. Suddenly I was pissed and once I hit the tree line first thing I did was curl my hand into a fist and force it into the first tree I ran to on the tree line.

As I stood cradling my bruising hand I realized that before I never would've done this, and I could sense some other force inside me forcing out this violent behavior. This force must've been 'IT' trying to force its way out to finish the job or just to relish in killing again either way I could not allow it to come out again, I had to keep it locked away.

As I was sitting in the snow and under the cover of the bare branches of the trees I heard footsteps approaching due to the crunching caused by the snow under foot. Expecting Mr. Tiny I slowly got up and jumped out from behind the tree, hands posed at the ready to lash out.

Who I saw was not who I expected, instead of Mr. Tiny I came face to face with the fiery red headed Victoria; a blanket that was once draped over her arm was now drifting to the ground due to the suddenness of my appearance. In her deep sky blue eyes I could see tears welling up and begin falling down her face. 'Crap she probably thinks I hate her even more now.' Was the only thought that went through my head as she ran off crying, her arms continuing to wipe at her face trying to get rid of the tears that wouldn't stop falling.

I waited a few more minutes before getting up out of the snow and slowly making my way back to the tent hoping that Victoria would be asleep. On the way to the tent who else do I have the chance to run into again other than the one and only Mr. Tiny.

"Well, hello little monster," Desmond greeted me as if it was completely normal to call someone a monster. Desmond looked behind himself as if expecting someone to come up behind him, and then he turned back to me a serious look on his face. "You know that at the rate you are going your little, what did Von call her again," Desmond trailed off for a second trying to remember what Evra used to refer to Victoria as.

"Ah yes that's right he called her your little shadow!" Desmond exclaimed as he clasped his hands in front of himself as he remembered. "Well as I was saying at the rate you are going, your little shadow would probably wish that the beast would just kill her already, instead of being ignored by her friend."

With that Desmond walked off leaving me confused at what he had said. Was he giving me advise or just trying to cause me more distress, and with the type of person he is I would go with the second one, but I just couldn't shake off the feeling that he was trying to help me.

I made it back to the tent and found to my luck that Victoria was asleep in her hammock, curled as tightly as the hammock would allow her to. Evra was still awake and when I came in he turned from what he was doing and saw me standing in the opening of the tent.

"Hey, Mia looks like something is on your mind." Evra got up from his spot on the floor and closed the distance between the two of us. I turned my gaze away I shrugged off his hands that were just placed on my shoulders.

I made my way to the duffel bag that held all of my crap, ruffled through it locating my notepad, and began writing two things. A note explaining what happened for Evra and a letter for Victoria that she would find in the morning when I was no longer at the cirque.

*Victoria POV*

I tried to suppress a shiver as I woke up the next morning, I looked to my right where Mia's little sleeping area was and found it empty, and I don't mean that she wasn't there I mean that it was completely empty. Her duffel bag was gone along with her blankets and pillow.

I wiped at my weary eyes and looked again, she really was gone, but in her place was a note. Tumbling out of my hammock I crawled to the crumpled piece of paper and unfolded it with already cold fingers.

I looked at the calm and organized writing of the paper, not wanting to believe that Mia was the one who had wrote this.

Dear Victoria,

I really didn't want to say this in a note, and please don't think that I hate you because I don't in fact if anything you are the closest person to whom I can say is truly like family to me. But due to something that happened in the past that is threatening to harm you because of me I decided it be best that I leave the cirque for a while, I just don't want any more pain to occur in your life so I am leaving but please don't think that this is good bye because I promise to come back and when I do I will explain everything to you.

Until then,

Mia

I crumpled the paper in my hand and made my way to the central fire, the crumpled paper still in my hand. At the fire I saw Evra, Truska, one of the Twisting twins (Could never really tell them apart) and Hans. Truska was keeping the fire going in the brisk December morning.

I took a seat next to Evra who was bundled up from head to toe with the exception of his face. Everyone greeted me like they usually would and Truska offered me a sausage. With sausage cooling in my gloved hand I pulled the note from my pocket and tossed it into the fire.

With the note now burning in the fire I was able to eat the still steaming sausage, but every now and then I would catch Evra giving me weird looks out of the corner of my eye. I decided to ignore it and just enjoy the familiar feeling of being around friends. Only it wasn't the same, and without Mia it may never be the same again.

Abruptly I stood and walked away knowing that behind me everyone around the fire were most likely giving me all stares that were either of pity or confusion. I didn't want to think about anything right now so I quickly made my way back to the tent.

Standing in front of the tent I finally allowed my thoughts to go back to the note Mia had left for me, mainly the part about 'Something happing in the past that may harm me because of her.' ; I tried to think of something that may come after me because of her.

The only thing I could think of was six years ago, the large shape in the sewer that I never caught a good look at. I thought of when Mia first woke up and remembered how she lashed at me but what was that about, was it that I had something in common with the thing from the sewer, Is that why Mia hated me?

I run my fingers through my red hair that Mr. Crepsley seemed wary of the first time he met me, and I thought maybe the creature had red hair and that is what happened, but Mia was already gone so I couldn't ask her and even if she hadn't left she would've ran away if I got close to her.

That is why I am glad I was able to slip Mia' present in her duffle bag this time because usually I would just have Evra give it to her and while Evra gave her the present I would be close by watching her expression.

One expression that I saw most was of pain, or sometimes I saw a look of inner hurt like something from a memory that she had to keep locked up and hidden, truly I don't know why I got that impression from her expression I just did, and I never tried anything to help her.

A.N. So new chapter first one of book four but next one will start where the actual books start and with Dorene again, so you fans of Dorene out there be happy. Victoria will be kinda hidden for awhile or I may have little snippets of her from here to there but not much otherwise it may ruin the surprise for later in the story that I have planned for her. So we will see. Also for those of you who do not know but the 16th of March marks one year that this fanfic has been going and I love to think that it is getting so many views and such.

Until next time Peace, Love, and Virtual Hugs