“Love her?” Eliot was easily shocked by that particular statement, and from a complete stranger at that. “I’ve only known her for a few weeks. Plus I...” but before he could even figure out if that denial was even accurate anymore, Aidan’s door opened as well.

The servant from Aidan’s room stepped through the doorway first, where she warily curtsied to Nicolas and Eliot before going to meet the other servant girl who exited Nicolas’ room then, before the two headed off toward the stairs together.

Aidan then stepped into the hall and grinned at Eliot, while only giving a slight nod to Nicolas, “hello, lover” Aidan told Eliot in a sugary tone before moving across the hall from his room and leaning down to press Eliot back against the wall behind him and gracing him with a long kiss.

Once the kiss ended, and Eliot caught his breath while Aidan moved to take a seat next to him on the bench, Eliot finally managed to turn his eyes down the hall just in time to see Nicolas also disappearing down the stairs behind the two women.

“Is he some sort of psychic or something?” Eliot had to ask Aidan warily.

“Nicolas? He’s something” Aidan stated with disinterest. Though the boy was obviously attractive, the complete opposition of their personalities hardly allowed for much of a friendship between them, even after all these years.

“He said the strangest thing to me. Then again, I suppose I said something strange to him as well” he admitted quietly.

“Sounds very strange” Aidan teased.

“You’re all very strange” Eliot had to attempt, watching Aidan closely for his reaction.

“What was your first clue?” Aidan continued in the same teasing manner.

“I swear, if I didn’t know better...” Eliot began bravely.

Only he was then interrupted as Aidan turned to face him, taking his face in his hands as he leaned close, “do yourself a favor, and don’t try finishing that sentence, all right love?” he added the last bit in a whisper before placing another kiss over his lips, and pushing himself up to head downstairs then as well.

Eliot finally allowed himself to enter Claire’s room a few minutes later, just as May was leaving. “Good evening” Claire greeted him with a smile as she had just finished sliding into another robe and was now sitting at the vanity, running a brush through her long locks.

Eliot took a deep, shaky breath as he shut the door behind May, “you’re not really normal, are you, Claire?”

She tensed only a moment before forcing another smile, “I thought we already established that, on the night we met.”

“I mean you, and your friends. There’s just something about all of you, that’s just not... normal” he repeated, unable to find any other words right then, his eyes glued to her.

She sighed softly before responding, “what is normal, really?” was the only reply she could manage just then, wondering if this was finally the moment she had been fearing since first meeting him.

“I’ve tried to overlook all these little things. But there comes a point when... When I just need to understand. Finally understand, before it makes me crazy imagining all sorts of explanations. None of which really fall beneath the definition of ‘sane’” he told her desperately.

“You’re not insane, Eliot” she told him softly, looking down.

“Which still doesn’t give me any of those explanations then” he pressed.

“Did something happen today?” she attempted to redirect the conversation as best she could right then.

“Like what? What do you think could have happened?”

“Well. something must have” she returned shakily.

“It’s not just today, Claire. It’s... it’s everything. Everything that makes no sense. I am likely just one kiss away from letting myself trust you in a way I never thought I could trust any other woman. And I just have this last little voice, telling me I need to know who you really are first. I have to know, Claire” he added, nearly pleading.

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She sighed deeply as she made herself stand and move slowly over to him. There, she stopped and looked up into his eyes, “first, even after you find out the real truth about me,” her voice then changed to that nearly hypnotic tone, “you can never harm me or those I care about." Her voice then reverted to normal, “can you promise me that?”

“Of course Claire. Why would I? I’ve already taken one of your strange friends as a lover, haven’t I?” he attempted humor, despite his current fears and suspicions.

“But you’re still afraid to take me as a lover?” she had to ask.

“You know that my fear of being with you was about... something else. Now there’s just all of this, too” he reminded her quietly.

“Was?”

“What?”

“You said your fear of being with me was about something else” she then stepped closer, and placed her hand softly upon his chest, “are you saying you’re not afraid to be with me anymore?” she asked in a slightly sultry tone as she brought her other hand up, beginning to run them both down over his rib cage as she spoke.

Eliot’s breath grew shorter again as his eyes followed her hands, “you’re doing a very good job of trying to distract me.”

“But the question is, is it actually working? Does my touch now make you...” she looked down at him, then finished, “want to touch me back?” she decided on.

“I’ve fought with trying to figure just that out. Ever since we first met. You know that, Claire” he admitted, his voice growing weaker as he spoke.

“So which side is winning the fight now?” she whispered as she placed a soft kiss upon the material of his shirt before beginning to unbutton it once more.

“Claire, you are blatantly trying to distract me now” he stated, attempting to put what little force he still could into his words.

Claire’s eyes as well as her hands dropped then as she turned away with a slight sniffle, “I guess that answers my question at least” she managed.

“Claire” Eliot said, now somehow feeling bad when she had been the one trying so thoroughly to continue to keep her secrets hidden from him.

“It’s funny, in a way” she began, “you’re standing here probably thinking that I’m trying to hurt you by not telling you the whole truth about myself, finally. But in reality, I’m the one who’s terrified. Terrified of losing you the second I ever do try to be completely honest with you” she whispered, just then having the sudden realization of exactly how Sean must have felt on that night so long ago, when he had come back to her, a changed man forever.

“I know it’s ridiculous for me to be espousing the virtue of honesty, considering my entire life has been made up of one lie after another. But how can you honestly think that your secret could push me away, after you’re the first person who has ever accepted my own?”

“It’s not just my secret though, Eliot. If I were ever to let the wrong person find out. So many more people could get hurt, besides just myself.”

“So it’s really you that’s having trouble trusting me?” he stated simply, looking down sadly.

“Like I said, I’m just terrified of losing you. And you know what fear does. It makes it nearly impossible to act at all most of the time.”

Eliot let out another deep sigh as he moved to turn her to face him once more, “What if I promise that you won’t lose me. Will that finally allow you to tell me?” he asked sincerely.

“You can’t make that promise though, not without knowing what you’re really promising to accept.”

“Well, I just did,” he told her bluntly, as he attempted a small smile of reassurance.

“Eliot...” she stammered, trying to make her mouth form more words, but failing.

“Are you a vampire, Claire?” he forced the words through his lips, as her eyes shot up to his face in shock.

“A... a... a what?”

“The real answer was the look on your face” he told her in a whisper, his breath shaking even more violently now, not able to take his eyes off her for a moment then.

Claire then tried as best she could to force back those red tears, knowing they were the last thing he needed to see right then. “You’re terrified of me now, aren’t you?” she choked out.

“I...” he swallowed hard, still unable to even blink, “I should be, shouldn’t I?” he whispered in the same strangled tone as she.

“What do you think? Take everything else you know to be true about me. Then add this. Does it somehow outweigh everything else? Do I seem like some kind of bloodthirsty monster to you? Me? Your fake wife?” she attempted a smile through the tiny red tears that now were finally beginning to form at the corners of those sad green pools.

“And Aidan, he’s like you, too?” he whispered, his words still broken.

“I made Aidan” she admitted.

“So, you brought him back from the dead?” he shook his head, “guess that would explain why you two are so close” he breathed. Claire almost smiled again, though forced herself not to just yet. He then spoke again, “and Nicolas and Hollister? They’re the same too?”

“I didn’t make them... but yes” she whispered.

“Did one of them make you?” he managed.

“No. My husband did” she confessed.

“Your...” he turned away to run his hand through his hair, “so he’s one too then?” he reiterated, though that answer was already clear.

“Well, you’re not running away yet” she attempted another smile, “you may be in a bit of shock. But you’re still here” she said shakily, “and I thank you for that much, truly” she finished in a whisper.

“I am in shock” he agreed with another shaky breath, “you’re not even supposed to even exist, and now...” he then quickly turned back to her, as another memory shot into his mind, “did you drink my blood? That first night at the cabin. I dreamt you did. Or did I?” he whispered.

“I was starving, Eliot” she forced herself to admit, “and as you can see, I didn’t kill you, or turn you, I just needed your help, so I could survive. That’s all.”

“That’s all?” he scoffed as he turned away again.

“Again, even knowing that I did need that kind of help from you, that one night; is that enough to make you think of me as a monster, despite everything else you know about me?”

“I don’t have any clue what I think right now, Claire. I just... don’t.”