Where Roses Bloom

She watched the rain drops fall, gently at first and then more heavily from the safety of the doorway out to the veranda. Dallas and she had gone inside the house just as the incoming storm threatened to erupt above them.

"It's really coming down out there."

He stood just behind her, she could feel his presence but she kept her attention on the rain striking the veranda including where they had sat to eat dinner. She realized that they had left their plates and glasses outside to get wet.

"Just leave them there," he told her, "Why don't we go inside?"

She followed him into the living room where they saw the rain streak across the windows and heard it rattling down on the roof above them. The storm wouldn't last long, they never did in the summer time and when it was over, the clouds would break up allowing the moonlight to stream through and the air would feel refreshing, with the day rinsed away.

They both sat on the sofa inches apart and she tucked her feet underneath her after kicking off her shoes.

"You know you can go…I'm fine."

He just looked at her, and she saw that he hadn't escaped the rain soon enough. His curly hair had gotten wet and drops of water clung to his face. She imagined she didn't look much different, she felt the wetness permeate her shirt too. But it felt good, cooling her skin and she relaxed against the couch. She watched him shake his head at her.

"I'm not in a hurry...and you're not fine Reese."

She folded her arms mostly to keep calm, because his words and his assuredness behind them in his eyes…pissed her off more than a little bit.

"I'm fine Dallas…I certainly don't need to have you decide that for me."

He reacted to her defensiveness but she didn't really care.

" Reese …I'm not…"

"Yes you are Dallas. If I told you I'm okay then I am. You should trust me."

He sighed.

"I do but after what you just told me outside…I'm not just walking away."

She heard more than concern etched in his voice. His eyes had been watching hers as she had spilled those words mostly because she couldn't contain them anymore where she had stashed them away. Doing whatever she needed to do just to survive each day…to get through each day.

"Okay…didn't you say something about dessert?"

He brightened up then and got up off of the sofa to go fetch some decadent chocolate cake. She knew that just by looking at it and when he handed her a piece of it with a fork and a napkin, she knew she'd be in heaven once she tasted it. Chocolate had always been one of her weakness and damn him for knowing and remembering that. He started eating his piece too.

"This is great Dallas…thanks…and for dinner."

"You're very welcome," he said, "I miss this Reese spending time together and just forgetting about the rest of the world."

She heard the wistfulness in his voice and she knew on some level that she'd put some of it there…without meaning to do. But he had to understand that everything had changed that night and the time since.

"Me too Dallas…but I told you why it'll never be the same."

He nodded at that.

"Maybe…"

"Not maybe Dallas…"

She saw him trying to digest that. He'd always been used to fixing things for people when he wasn't out rescuing them. Even she on several occasions when her life had been in danger…but this time no one had been able to rescue anybody. Not for Luke and not for her and at least Dallas had been able to keep Luke from dying until they were finally rescued.

But she had been all alone with a monster.

She felt her eyes sting but he wasn't looking at her. He ate his cake thoughtfully while she finished hers. They both put their plates on the table by them at about the same time. He rubbed his forehead then with a couple of fingers and she knew he'd been thinking.

"Dallas…you did what you had to do," she said, "Luke was lying on the floor bleeding…and dying. He would have died if it hadn't been for you."

He nodded, but still looked pensive.

"But what about you…I saw them take you but then I heard Luke…in pain."

She nodded.

"Yeah I know…I saw him while they took me away," she said, "I was so scared Dallas…so scared that would be the last time I'd ever see him…and you…if I never saw you again…"

She felt wetness in her eyes that time.

"I felt so angry…and so scared…I couldn't think about what it'd be like if I lost you," she said, "I didn't think about…where they were taking me."

He looked away from her then and she knew he remembered too. He'd gazed up at her as they took her, their eyes meeting for one moment. Time that passed too quickly for anything to be said even silently just by looking…and when he'd been out of sight, she'd said a quick silent prayer for him and the others. She hadn't prayed for herself.

But Dallas nodded, his face looking grim.

"I was scared that Luke was dying…I'd just found him again after too many years thinking he was dead…His dad was right there watching his son bleeding to death."

"But he didn't," she said, "He made it because you saved him."

He grew very quiet then, looking down at his hands.

"I didn't save you…"

He'd said it so quietly she didn't think she'd even heard the words right. But then he repeated them again louder, this time looking at her face. His expression looked so stricken then that her heart skipped a beat.

"Dallas, you can't save everyone…Luke was going to die…and there's nothing you could do for me to stop…"

She placed her hand over her mouth trying to stop the flow of memories from slicing through her again. Suddenly she felt like running again, her muscles tensing, her body springing into flight.

"Excuse me…"

And then she was gone.

Rodrigo looked up to see Milan standing in the entrance to his office. He had moved once again to keep one step ahead of the dragnet that pursued him. Not that it would because he had his own means of keeping tabs on what move it would make before it did. It was amazing what even those who had taken an oath to protect and serve would do if you waved enough cash in front of them.

"What is it?"

Milan leaned against the doorway.

"Gunthor's on the line," he said, "he wishes to speak with you."

Rodrigo picked up his glass of scotch.

"He still is heading to his new estate?"

Milan nodded.

"Yes, he just has some matters to handle on his end," he said, "I think another one of his mistresses got caught betraying him."

Rodrigo sighed, shaking his head.

"I told him to be careful," he said, "to keep them young, naïve and stupid."

Milan shrugged.

"This one was that but she was stupid enough to cross him…not that she'll have much time to learn from that mistake."

Rodrigo didn't think so. Gunthor wasn't the forgiving type, the punishments he dished out were both imaginative and ruthless.

"I thought he already had a favorite," he said, "an intern perhaps?"

Milan nodded.

"She didn't like the idea of being outsourced so she got rid of her competition," he said, "finally a mistress as ruthless as her master."

Rodrigo laughed.

"How poetic," he said, "Gunthor's going to have to learn that in the pursuit of pleasure through control and dominance, one can't neglect his business empire."

Milan nodded.

"He'll be arriving at the estate to collect his purchase pretty soon," he said, "and he said that he wants us to attend his soiree."

Rodrigo drank from his glass.

"I'm looking forward to that," he said, "and seeing what Gunthor has in mind for that traitorous bitch."

Milan went to pour himself a drink to join his boss.

"You are going to miss her at all," he said, "after all, the night of the party…"

Rodrigo smiled.

"Yes I Luke always have that…she's a fine piece for any man…what did you think of her?"

Milan's hand stopped while he poured the drink but then he finished. He picked his glass and sipped it.

"I…I found her to be quite special," he said, "I figured when you put up for auction, she'd prove expensive."

Rodrigo nodded.

"I'm sure Gunthor Luke get a nice return on his investment," he said, "though he says he's got no plans to send her to one of his whorehouses."

"Keeping her for himself or a select clientele," Milan said, "She'll last a bit longer that way."

Rodrigo went to pour himself more Scotch feeling suddenly in a celebratory mood. He couldn't wait to come out of exile just enough to slip into Gunthor's housewarming gala.

"Anything else boss…?"

Rodrigo looked up at Milan and shook his head.

"You can take the rest of the day off," he said, "but call up Estella and tell me I'll need one of her best whores tonight."

"I'll do that…good night…"

Rodrigo watched Milan leave and then settled into finishing up the Scotch at his desk before he had to continue working on his plans to expand his empire beyond drugs, to what could prove to be even more lucrative. After all, drugs could only be sold once…

Not so with humans.

He'd have to keep an eye on Gunthor though. He wasn't ready to move in on him yet but maybe in the not so distant future…

Milan stepped out into the hallway and heard his phone vibrate. He took it out and looked at it, seeing a picture of a phoenix. Then he went outside of the building to get into his car.

Dallas walked down the hallway to where he knew Reese had gone when she left him. He headed towards her bedroom. She'd left the door open and he saw her lying on the bed curled up in a fetal position, her body shaking.

Watching her like that tore him up inside all over again. Her words to him had been meant to shut him out but when she'd opened up just a little bit…he'd pushed too hard. He hadn't known what to do to reach that part of her that she'd tucked away from him and the rest of the world.

But as he looked at her there, he knew what he needed to do now.