The Letter

Quinn looked at the letter the guard brought in. He said that Dexter hand delivered it. There was no doubt as to who wrote it, not only was it her handwriting, but her scent was all over it. He looked over to see Rajat was watching cartoons and content with Vivian sitting next to him. She seemed to adore Rajat and had spoken fondly of spending time with him. He slowly opened the letter and began to read it.

She was walking through the common area when the scent hit her and hit her hard. She stopped in her tracks, her eyes scanning the room carefully for the vampire. She curled her lip in disgust and spotted John in the corner reading something. The stench seemed to be coming from that direction. He had a small smile on his face and she cocked a brow, assuming it was from one of his vampire whores he had relations with.

Folding her arms across her chest, she moved towards him and shook her head. "Interesting reading?"

"Yes actually. It is a letter from the vampire I told you about that I took in for a time. She is going back to where she grew up. It is just a goodbye letter."

He held the letter out to her.

"You can read it if you wish. There is hand wash on the counter behind you for when you are done."

He laid it on the desk and picked up the envelope, throwing it in the fireplace, watching it burn. He walked over, squirting some sanitizer on his hands, rubbing it in as he watched her.

She cocked a brow as he explained what it was. Looking into the flames, she watched them flicker and the paper crackle slightly as it caught fire. "No thank you. It's none of my concern." She shrugged. "Sorry to hear she's leaving, you must be sad about that." She turned her head to look back at him, gauging his reactions to her questions.

He walked over to the desk and nodded when she turned down his offer. He picked up the letter and threw it into the fire, protecting his face as the paper sparked and threw off small embers to float in the air a moment. He walked back over, cleaning his hands again, then grabbed a towel from the kitchen and wiped down the desk. He looked up when he heard her comment. He walked over to her and looked her directly in the eyes.

"No actually I am not. She doesn't belong in my life. I took her in when her Maker died in a lab I run. They are studying the effects of a vampire virus called HepV. Her Maker asked me to look after her until she was strong enough. I did, then I found her somewhere else to be. She went to work for a local vampire called William Compton and now appears had made arrangements to go back to her homeland. I am happy that she will be where she belongs. I sent a few emails to contacts a while back in case she wanted to go home, and it appears they were fruitful. In that point, I owe her and her Maker nothing. She is out of my life and I am actually happy about that."

He looked from her to Rajat and back.

"My life is here, with you and our son. That is as it should be."

She listened to him and looked over at Rajat playing trucks with Vincent on the living room floor. She smiled softly and then turned back to face him, hearing his ending statement. "I see." She didn't want to damper the mood bringing up that them being there was temporary, so she just looked away briefly. Gathering her own thoughts, she slowly turned her head to face him again. "I know we agreed to take things as they come and...and that's fine, but I can't lave Rajat alone with you again until I know why vampires are after my son. I won't let them hurt him and over my dead body will they take him and...and...." She couldn't finish her sentence.

"....and you can't allow what happened to us to happen to him. I understand, Sevti."

His hand cradled her cheek as he kissed her softly.

"I see a simple solution then. Once your hiatus is over, I'll come with you. He and I can spend time together while you work. I have nothing holding me here, really. It will solve two problems at once. It will provide extra protection for our son, and at the same time it will give us more time together."

She thought about what he said to finish her sentence and closed her eyes. He would not let it go until he knew the story, one she refused to share. She heard he had been dealt shitty hands when it came to vampires, they used him like some sort of pit fighter. Still it angered her that he would get so involved with vampires after the things they did to him...

Opening her eyes, she listened to him insisting he go with her to keep Rajat safe and to have time with her. "We can discuss that when the time comes." She nuzzled his palm and the question in her mind came out of her mouth, causing her to move her head from his hand and look up at him. It shocked her that it had been said out loud. "Why do I sleep so sound next to you?"

Shaking her head, she spoke quicker. "Don't answer that. Just...don't." She shook her head again.

"Why do I sleep so sound next to you?"

"Perhaps for the same reason I can only sleep a full night with you next to me."

He watched as she shook her head and spoke again.

"Don't answer that. Just...don't."

He moved close, moving his hands to her shoulders. He looked in her eyes and smiled.

"Perhaps you should not ask why things happen but be glad that they do. I do not ask why I sleep better, I just enjoy your closeness and accept it."

She looked into his eyes and listened to his words. "I question what I do not understand and I always will. I've come to accept things as they are, John. You...we...we were never supposed to be...this. Whatever this is. I was never promised to anyone because my family died before I reached maturity. Half the village was savagely killed and all the alpha males were either killed or ran. And yet..." She shook her head slowly as if trying to figure it out. "And yet I feel...." She stopped short and shook her head faster, holding her hands up. "It doesn't matter." She checked her watch and cleared her throat. "I have a phone call to make."

He listened and smiled as her walls came up once again. He was making progress, he knew it. He smiled and nodded when she mentioned a phone call. It was not time to press, but to go around her defenses.

"Did you have any idea what sounds good for dinner? I have a great recipe for Biryani if it sounds good."

He grinned at her, knowing she loved traditional food from home.

She thought about his suggestion for dinner, stopping in her tracks from turning around. After a few moments, a slow smile appeared on her face. "On one condition...I prepare it myself. I've learned Americans do not come close to being authentic. It's best done by someone who knows what they are doing." She insisted and would not take no for an answer. "I assume I can send your assistant out for the ingredients I'll need?" She asked as she began to walk towards the kitchen, looking over her shoulder at him.

Quinn threw back his head, laughing.

"Of course, Tijgerian. I should have everything you will need here, but just give Vincent a list of anything you need and he will send someone for it."

He grinned as she walked toward the kitchen, looking over to Rajat and winking. He smiled as Rajat giggled. He turned to follow her into the kitchen.

"I'll start the prep work while you make your phone call."

She turned around and placed her hand on his chest to stop him. Shaking her head with a grin, she laid down the law. "You come into my kitchen you do what I say....agreed?" She was stern when it came to food and one of her secret passions was to cook. It was one thing that calmed her.

She slipped her hand in her pocket and pulled her earpiece out. Wiggling it between her fingers, she added, "Multi-tasking...it's my thing."

He blinked, looking down at the hand on his chest. Her kitchen? Then he grinned. She was wanting to show off...then so be it. He made a show of backing off and grinning at her, never taking his eyes from her. As she lowered her hand, he slipped close and kissed her cheek, whispering.

"But I still get to kiss the cook..."

He grinned at her and turned to walk over to where Rajat was sitting.

"I know, Rajat...you get the red one."

Rajat grinned up at him, nodding as he handed Quinn the blue truck.

She smiled when he kissed her cheek, rolling her eyes and pushing against his chest weakly. "Oh, John..." she shook her head as he turned to walk over to Rajat. Slipping her earpiece on, she connected the call and waited for an answer. Watching John and Rajat play on the floor, she smiled and backed up slowly towards the kitchen.

"He's a good father, Miss Sevti." Vincent whispered and she turned to see him standing there.

The call was answered and she looked from Vincent to John, speaking into her earpiece. "Hold please." She turned to Vincent and stared at him for a moment before giving one nod. "Yes, yes he is." She looked back at John and Rajat, hearing the voice on the other end.

"Yes, yes I'm here. George Hunt please. Yes it is I, in the flesh....almost." She chuckled and disappeared into the kitchen. When she was on the other end of the island, she placed her palms down on the surface and lowered her head, closing her eyes. She continued her conversation while thinking really hard about the last day or so. She felt herself growing closer to him and wasn't sure she was ready for something like that. It was never in the cards for them...it was never supposed to be...them. Was it?

"Can I be of assistance?" She heard a voice and jumped slightly, caught off guard. "No, no I am fine. Thank you. Where's the saffron?" She asked Vincent. She had to get John out of her head or she wouldn't be able to focus.