Chapter 5
When Felicity woke up, she could remember where she was. She blinked sleepily, frowning.
She let out a small sigh as she rolled over onto her back. She remembered now. After Jackson fed from her, Demitri came home and found her. She vaguely remembered being picked up and put into a car, but not much else. There was another vampire too, one Felicity had caught glimpses of but never actually met. Felicity had been here, in this room in a house Demitri owned, for about a week now. Demitri wouldn't let her get off of the bed. The other vampire told Felicity she could use whatever clothes she needed. As far as Felicity knew, the woman had been gone for a couple of days.
The view from the bed was boring, though definitely an improvement over her old one. Felicity was determined to get up and walk around today. She was also determined to get some answers out of Demitri. Why did he all of a sudden decide to bring her here? Felicity pulled at the hem of the nightgown and swung her legs over the edge of the bed,
"Were do you think you're going?" Demitri asked sternly.
Felicity frowned. How did he get here so fast? He brought with him the smell of food. Felicity's stomach grumbled. Demitri was a very good cook. She hoped he'd made waffles.
"I'm getting up today." Felicity stood, taking a few steps before tripping and falling.
Felicity frowned. How did he get here so fast? He brought with him the smell of food. Felicity's stomach grumbled. Demitri was a very good cook. She hoped he'd made waffles.
"I'm getting up today." Felicity stood, taking a few steps before tripping and falling.
Demitri was at her side in an instant. "You shouldn't have done that. You haven't walked by yourself for two weeks and you haven't eaten yet today."
Felicity knew he was right, but that didn't mean she liked it. Demitri was right about a lot of things and he took excellent care of her, but it all felt very impersonal. He acted like he hadn't saved her life or been her friend, if that's what they were before. Felicity was still puzzling that one out.
Felicity knew he was right, but that didn't mean she liked it. Demitri was right about a lot of things and he took excellent care of her, but it all felt very impersonal. He acted like he hadn't saved her life or been her friend, if that's what they were before. Felicity was still puzzling that one out.
"You're right, but I did and I am not going back to bed. Please help me up."
Felicity had already established that she would rather ask for help then have it forced on her unless it was absolutely necessary.
Felicity had already established that she would rather ask for help then have it forced on her unless it was absolutely necessary.
Demitri helped Felicity get downstairs. He gave her a plate of waffles, which she began to eat without hesitation. Felicity never wanted to eat toast or peanut butter and jelly sandwiches or canned soup again. She'd lived off of the stuff for months. Felicity had been eating a lot of waffles. She was surprised when she learned he was such a good cook. He was the one who had been feeding her toast and canned soup. Demitri didn't even eat any of the food he cooked.
Demitri stood leaning against the wall while Felicity ate, staring out of the window. He seemed to be lost in thought. When Felicity finished she stood up slowly.
"Leave your plate there. I'll take care of it. There are some clothes in the dresser upstairs; they're mostly Kennedy's. You should be able to find something." Demitri did not look at Felicity while he spoke. Felicity nodded and headed upstairs.
"Leave your plate there. I'll take care of it. There are some clothes in the dresser upstairs; they're mostly Kennedy's. You should be able to find something." Demitri did not look at Felicity while he spoke. Felicity nodded and headed upstairs.
She didn't have many choices. Felicity would just have to make do with what she had and convince Demitri to take her shopping. Felicity wasn't sure what Demitri would allow her to do. He wasn't Jackson, but Felicity knew she was not totally free. More questiosn for her ever-growing list.
Felicity put her hair up sloppily, pulling on some tight pants of Kennedy's. Luckily they were about the same size. Felicity lost a lot of weight while she was in the basement. For a shirt she pulled on a blue striped button up that seemed to have belonged to Demitri at some point, though it was obvious Kennedy had taken it over. Felicity headed back downstairs to look for Demitri.
He was standing outside. It was dark. Felicity's schedule was very similar to Demitri's. She slept through most of the day. Well, she'd been sleeping through most of the night too, but nighttime was when she was the most active.
Demitri was looking up at the stars. He looked incredibly lonely. Now was as good a time as any to pepper him with questions.
Felicity had to go down the stairs slowly, per Demitri's request. Even if he didn't show Felicity much else, Demitri did show her that he worried about her well being.
"Demitri, I need to talk to you about some things."
Her request was met with silence, so Felicity waited. And she waited. Felicity got nothing. Demitri had been acting weird the past couple of days. He'd been even quieter than usual.
Her request was met with silence, so Felicity waited. And she waited. Felicity got nothing. Demitri had been acting weird the past couple of days. He'd been even quieter than usual.
"Dammit Demitri, you can't ignore me forever." It hurt that he was ignoring her. As crazy as it seemed, Demitri was the only person she knew she trusted. Felicity turned and stomped off, going to sit down on the porch.
After a few minutes Demitri came and joined her. Felicity sat stiffly, looking straight ahead.
"I wasn't ignoring you." Demitri said finally, breaking the uncomfortable silence.
"I wasn't ignoring you." Demitri said finally, breaking the uncomfortable silence.
Felicity stood and turned to face Demitri. "Then what were you doing?"
Demitri also stood. "You don't know how hard it is for me to talk to you."
"I think that's a little unfair. You've had your two weeks of being broody and silent, but I have questions I need answered. I... I miss being able to talk to you. Why is it so hard for you to talk to me?"
Demitri also stood. "You don't know how hard it is for me to talk to you."
"I think that's a little unfair. You've had your two weeks of being broody and silent, but I have questions I need answered. I... I miss being able to talk to you. Why is it so hard for you to talk to me?"
"I am horrible at talking to people, but there are some things that I don't know how to explain to you."
"I'm not asking for the meaning of life or a scientific explanation of vampirism. I want to know why you took me out of there when you did. I want to know how free I really am."
Demitri exhaled slowly. The second part was much easier than the first. "You can't leave. Jackson is still out there. He will track you down just because I took you from him."
Felicity nodded. That was reasonable. She looked at Demitri expectantly, waiting for him to continue.
"The rest is harder for me to explain. I started taking you outside and started getting to know you. The idea of Jackson touching you made me angry. I wanted to protect you, to get you away from him. I was waiting for the right time and then you told me you couldn't go outside and it threw me for a loop. I let Kennedy talk me into going out with her. You were alone and I didn't know where Jackson was and so I went home. I didn't realize until then that I wouldn't know what to do with myself if you died, so I took you away. When Kennedy left she told me something I wasn't prepared to hear and it made being around you even harder." Demitri stopped, unable to continue.
Felicity's eyes were wide. She had not been expecting that, but she was not displeased. A goofy smile spread over her face.
"I'm not asking for the meaning of life or a scientific explanation of vampirism. I want to know why you took me out of there when you did. I want to know how free I really am."
Demitri exhaled slowly. The second part was much easier than the first. "You can't leave. Jackson is still out there. He will track you down just because I took you from him."
Felicity nodded. That was reasonable. She looked at Demitri expectantly, waiting for him to continue.
"The rest is harder for me to explain. I started taking you outside and started getting to know you. The idea of Jackson touching you made me angry. I wanted to protect you, to get you away from him. I was waiting for the right time and then you told me you couldn't go outside and it threw me for a loop. I let Kennedy talk me into going out with her. You were alone and I didn't know where Jackson was and so I went home. I didn't realize until then that I wouldn't know what to do with myself if you died, so I took you away. When Kennedy left she told me something I wasn't prepared to hear and it made being around you even harder." Demitri stopped, unable to continue.
Felicity's eyes were wide. She had not been expecting that, but she was not displeased. A goofy smile spread over her face.
"So tomorrow I think you should take me on a date." Felicity said as casually as she could.
At first Demitri was shocked, but then a smile spread over his face. Felicity understood better than he anticipated and maybe better than he understood the situation himself. "Alright, I can do that."
At first Demitri was shocked, but then a smile spread over his face. Felicity understood better than he anticipated and maybe better than he understood the situation himself. "Alright, I can do that."
Felicity stepped forward and gave Demitri a kiss on the forehead. "I'm going to go read one of those books you gave me and figure out what to wear. You can go back to your stargazing now." Her tone was light. She could see it put Demitri more at ease with himself.
Felicity smiled slightly as she walked away, leaving a somewhat shell shocked Demitri on the porch. Tonight was turning out better then she expected.