Darien

“It had better work,” he said, glaring at a frightened Luther.

Weston placed the tape recorder on the kitchen table and proceeded to ask Luther one question at a time. The detail he gave could only implicate him and did not sound false at all. Only the first body he could not give much detail on. At the end of it all, Darien released Luther and warned him to stay close just in case. The frightened vampire promised and walked off. No sooner had the window opened; he flew outside and disappeared into the night.

There was nothing more Darien could do again, so he went home. When he got there Rose was fast asleep. He was very light on his feet so there was no wonder she wasn’t aware of his presence at all. He walked gingerly to the bathroom, feeling the aches and pains in his muscles and joints. He would feel better in the morning, but for now he was aching. He took a hot shower and then crawled into bed next to Rose. She adjusted in her sleep so that he could rest comfortably. It was not typical of him, but as he lay there beside her, sleep began to play at the corners of his eyes. He closed his eyes and gave in.

When he awoke several hours later, he saw Rose standing over him. He raised himself on his elbow and cocked his head, marveling at her beauty that radiated from every angle. She reached down and grabbed him around the neck. “I am so happy you are back. What happened?” she asked.

He told her the events of the night and how Gabe had tried to frame him for abandoning him two thousand years ago. Not long after he got a call from Weston, telling him that they had brought the tapes in and they were reviewing them and would conclude in due course.  They lingered about the house for a few hours, but with it not being Darien’s natural time of day, he soon fell asleep. The house was completely dark and once again Rose was bored. She flicked on the television and started watching some movies, but she soon fell asleep as well.

In the night, as she slept, his phone rang. He grabbed it off the hook and answered quietly. He broke out into a smile even as he sat there listening to the caller. After the call ended he went to the kitchen and poured two glasses of red wine. By the time he got back to the room Rose was awake.

“Where did you go? I thought I heard the phone ring.”

“You did. That was Weston. He called to tell me that they have accepted the information on the tape as a legal confession and that whosoever can come in with identification can have their badges and their lives back.” He held the glasses up to her now and she took one of them. “Cheers,” he said as they clinked their glasses.

They drank red wine and got lost in passionate lovemaking once more, this time celebrating the life that had been granted to him once more. He just hoped Luther and the other red haired fellow had in fact left town and that he could resume his life normally. He looked over at Rose, her eyes filled with love for him, and the only thing he could think of was how happy he was to be going home. With her. For always.

The end.