Unscheduled Visit

"Ok. You are calming down now. You like TV, right? Ever notice how much they seem to enjoy that kind of thing on TV? They are good at acting. So is he. Got another question for you. Knowing how you would react, why did he show you the footage?"

Arabella pulled a Trueblood from a rack nearby and dropped in it a warmer.

"He said that he would not lie to me...That I would not like what I would hear...that he wanted to be honest with me" she told her honestly.

He had always been honest with her, but right now honesty sucked.

Arabella sat there looking at her with an amused look on her face.

"So...he warned you, but would not hide it from you. He told you that you could watch it but it would upset you. You watched it and it upset you. So far it seems like the truth is in front of you. Lets add up the facts so far. One, he knew the location was under surveillance. Two, he knew something was up and said and did what he had to do to prove he was right. Three, he was entirely honest with you about what was going on and even let you see the footage after telling you in advance how you would react..."

She leaned forward and kissed Brianna on the forehead.

"Bri...Let me ask you this. What should you be doing right now?"

"Bri...Let me ask you this. What should you be doing right now?"

There was so many answers to that question, one part of her just wanted to leave and never come back. Go back to Bill's and forget about everything, the other part just to forgive Quinn. He had told her that she would not like what she would hear. That she had overreacted, but could she really forgive him so easily? He could walk away from her and she would end up like Jessica.

"I am scared Arabella" she admitted in a whisper.

"Of course you are, Brianna. You are right to be. Being in love is fun and happy until that love is challenged. That is when love is scary. Love can be pain, and anger, and crying. Love can also be laughter, happiness and pleasure. It is a nasty wonderful chaotic thing."

She held Brianna close, smiling as she stroked her hair.

"Congratulations, Brianna. You love him. You really do. The fear is because you are not sure what to do now. You blew up pretty bad I'd imagine, and now you are not sure if you should try to fix it, or try to run away and pretend you never knew him, or some other crazy thing."

She lifted Brianna's face to look in her eyes.

"Here is the best part. You love someone who loves you back, I think. He would never have shown you something like that if it did not have to be. He will not hold pain from you but he will always be there beside you to stand through it, and support you through it. If you want my opinion, you should go to him. Hear him out if you want. Tell him you don't want to talk if that is what you want. Just go and be near him and listen to your heart, not your head. If you feel nothing, then you know I was wrong. If I am right though, love is always something to fight for."

She lifted Brianna to her feet, handing her the warmed Trueblood and smiling.

"I'd grab a quick shower and change first though. You've made a bit of a mess of that outfit."

Love? Is that what this was? Brianna did not have very much experience when it came to love other than loving her father. Maybe somewhat at Bill, just a little. But she knew that she really liked Quinn it just never occurred to her that it was love.

"You think that he loves me? But he had never said a thing to me about love" she whispered admiringly.

She accepted the True Blood from her and instantly took a large mouthful of blood from the bottle.

"I don't know what to say to him? I have never been that mad at him before...What if he doesn't feel the same?" she asked.

Arabella smiled.

"He wouldn't be the one to mention it. He leaves a lot unspoken because of not wanting to pressure you. Speak from your heart. Tell him you are scared or don't. Tell him how you feel, or don't. How much you reveal is up to you. The important thing is not to leave things as they are."

She paused a moment to think of how to answer.

"Isn't a moment of risk better than a century of 'what if'?"

"Isn't a moment of risk better than a century of 'what if'?"

Brianna pondered that thought for a moment as she let it run through her mind over and over. She had to do this now or else you would leave and regret not telling him. Quickly pulling Arabella into a tight embrace as she held her there.

"Thank you" she whispered in her ear.

"That is what I am here for, Brianna. I am more than just your teacher. I am your friend. Now go to him."

Arabella kissed her on the cheek, turned her around toward the door and sent her out with a playful swat to the backside.

"What is it with you and hitting me?" she chuckled for the first time.

Rubbing her backside as she made her way straight to her room and peeled off her clothes and hopped straight into the shower to rid herself of the blood. Just over an hour later, hair dried and with fresh clothing she needed to see Quinn. Choosing the one outfit that suited her;


She headed straight to his office as she hesitated outside his door before she knocked on. It was the least she could after her outburst at him.

Quinn heard someone coming in, but assumed it was someone to clean. His eyes and mind were lost in the painting of Brianna. He hated that what she saw and heard caused her pain, but he would not deceive her by pretending the scene did not happen. He looked in the eyes of the painting, kissing his fingertips and resting them gently on the frame.



He walked back to sit by the window. He watched quietly as the moon slowly began it's climb downward. He could only hope that in time she would understand. He felt a tear make it's way down his cheek as he watched the moonlit sky. With a sigh he lowered his gaze, seeing someone standing behind him in the reflection on the glass. He turned to face her, staying away as he had promised he would.

Brianna entered his office as she closed the door straight behind her as she found him standing by the large window gazing out into the night. It did not take him long to sense her back here as she fidgeted with her hands as she tucked a lock of hair behind her ear.

"I...I have never seen you cry before" she whispered.

"It doesn't happen very often, Brianna. I had to do something very painful tonight to someone I care a lot for."

He walked back over to the painting, smiling as he saw how close his painting was to the reality.

"This is what I tried to show you earlier. This is how I see you, even when you aren't here."

Brianna allowed herself to get that little bit closer to him as he presented her with a painting as her eyes were instantly drawn to it.

"Quinn...It's beautiful" was all that she could say.

Her own eyes mesmerized by her own face in the painting.

"I am glad you like it but it is a pale shadow compared to the real thing."

He kept back, moving away from the painting so she could get closer.

"I can't believe that you painted this....You have quite a skill" she complimented him.

She was getting herself distracted from what she really wanted to say, but she had to do it now.

"I am scared Quinn....My head is all over the place" she admitted truthfully to him.

He smiled softly at the compliment.

"I understand you are scared. I got that from your reaction earlier. You just brought up the first problem. Trust your heart to guide you. You head can sort the rest later."

He walked over and sat on a padded couch in the open area at the side of the room. He smiled and motioned to a chair facing him and then to the couch next to him.

"Take your pick. I can only assume you came back to talk; we might as well do it in comfort."

Brianna walked over to sit on the padded couch next to him, but kept herself at a safe distance. She needed to be able to focus on what she needed to say.

"I shouldn't have acted the way that I did...It was out order" she lied firstly "No, I had the right to do what I did....It hurt me seeing you like that with her" she told him directly.

"Yes, you had every right to feel anger and pain at what you saw and heard. I do not deny that. The only thing I will say on it is that I did warn you beforehand. I would have spared you the pain but with what will come about you would have seen it sooner or later, and I felt it better to let you see and hear it now then down the line when it might hurt that it was kept from you."

He took a breath and continued.

"I made a judgement call, Brianna. I thought with my heart and not my head. I knew it would be painful for you. I knew you would be angry. I wish I had not needed to be so convincing but until I was able to confirm what I believed she had said, I needed her to think she had he control. That meant playing along with her on her game. I am not sad that it happened because it exposed a major problem. I only regret the pain it caused you."

He risked it and leaned closer, caressing her cheek before pulling back again.

"If I could have spared you the pain entirely, I gladly would have felt it myself for you."

"You gave me the choice Quinn and I chose to watch it. You did not force me to watch it. I wanted to see it. I just didn't know what to expect" she told him.

When she felt him caress her cheek she froze, she held back on what she wanted to say. Was she about to ruin what they had. But she was going to take Arabella's advice.

"Quinn...being here these last few weeks have been the best since I turned. I was scared and alone and Bill did nothing to help. You and Arabella were the only ones who were willing to help me. And then we-us it changed me. Made me stronger and I liked that....I loved it really....And-I don't know how else to say this....I think I love you Quinn" she whispered.

Her words crushed all speech from him and he fell silent, simply looking into her eyes.
Several minutes passed and he simply looked in her eyes, then he smiled softly. He nodded and moved closer to her on the couch, but left a space between them.

"I am not always the best with words in some situations, but let me try. I knew the second I met you that there was something about you I needed. Turns out it wasn't something about you at all. It was just you. I have been afraid to put voice to it though, for once the words escape, they cannot be unheard. I did not want to damage what we were building by speaking it out before the time was right, and I am afraid I may have almost waited to long.”

He looked deep in her eyes and spoke from his heart.

"I wake each evening and look forward to seeing your smile, feeling your touch, simply knowing you are nearby. That in itself has made my days better since you arrived in my life. I did not want to scare you by coming at you to intensely so have held myself at bay, but knowing you feel the same makes me happier than you can imagine."

He held out a gentle hand, waiting for her to make the choice.

Brianna felt everything in her well up. She had never heard him speak such words before as it nearly had her on the verge of bursting into tears. But she did not want to have to go and change again.

"Say it.....I need to hear you say it Quinn...Please" she whispered.

Placing her hand in his hand as she waited to hear his voice again,

Her cool touch suddenly felt like electricity shooting from his hand to his mind and heart. He knew. He was certain. It was not a question he even needed to ask. He looked in her eyes and smiled. He lifted her hand to his lips, kissing the back on it gently.

"I'm in love with you, Brianna."

"I'm in love with you, Brianna."

Brianna could not help but feel the delight flow through her as he said those words...It was the words that she wanted to hear. If her heart could beat it would burst right there and then...Arabella was right. He did love her.

"I'm in love with you John Quinn" she whispered sweetly.

He stood, taking her by her hand and led her to the window. He kissed her softly, his hands at her hips. He turned, pointing to the moon just above the treeline as he slipped his other arm around her.

"Let's just watch it set. A simple beautiful thing to close a roller-coaster of a day."