Darby and George

   Bailey went outside and peered through the dimming light of dusk to see George sitting in the front yard on an old stone bench. 

   "I was told very firmly to not invite you in," she said meekly, walking up to the strange vampire and twiddling her thumbs. He smiled up at her, his teeth perfectly white.

  "Of course you were," he said. "I expected nothing less from Stephen." 

  "Why doesn't he like you?" Bailey wanted to know. George sighed. 

  "That is a very long story that I would love to tell you. But first I would like to see-"

  George stopped midsentence and turned his attention to something behind Bailey. She turned to see Darby emerging from the darkened doorway looking more uncomfortable than Bailey had ever seen her.

  "Hello, George," she said with a half smile. She stood in front of him awkwardly avoiding eye contact.

  "It's been a minute, Darby. How have you been?" 

  "I'm alright. Turned another one," she said, motioning limply at Bailey with an arm. 

  "I see that. Your friend was asking about my past with Stephen before you walked out."

  "What did you tell her?" Darby snapped, her eyes suddenly boring directly into George's. 

  "Nothing," he responded, in no way phased by her change in tone. "I figured that was a story for another time." 

  "Or never. That works too," Darby countered, looking Bailey up and down. 

  "Stephen has never had such a visceral reaction to a visitor before. I think it warranted questioning," Bailey said firmly.

   Darby sighed and motioned for George to scoot to one side of the bench so she could sit down.

  "You're not wrong. But if you don't mind, I'd like to talk to George alone for a few minutes. Would you mind going in the back and making sure the guesthouse is presentable?"

   "Yeah no problem," Bailey agreed, trying to hide her disappointment at being dismissed so quickly from the new and interesting visitor.

   "Don't worry, you'll get your chance to interrogate him later," Darby called after her as she trudged through the grass to the guesthouse.

   "She seems like a sweet girl. I guess that means you haven't rubbed off on her yet," George said. Darby couldn't tell whether or not he was serious. 

  "Why are you here, George?" she asked with a sigh. 

  "At the risk of sounding cliché, I didn't like the way we left things."

  "You mean the way you left things," Darby interjected sharply. "You were the one who disappeared."

  "That was not entirely my choice."

  "You always had a choice," Darby argued, turning on the bench to frown at the other vampire.

  "You said you cared about me and then when things got complicated, you left."

  "That's not fair at all," George disagreed, standing up suddenly and scaring away a group of birds that had perched in the tree above them. 

  "I tried to fix things. I fought for you. For us. And you decided I wasn't worth it."   

   Darby looked up at George as if he had just staked her through the heart. 

  "Is that really what you think?"

  "What else am I meant to think? I left and you didn't follow me."

   Darby opened her mouth as if to protest but then thought better of it.

  "I'm hungry and you know I can't think straight when I haven't eaten. I'm going to hunt. Do you want to-" 

  She stopped short and rolled her eyes. 

  "Well no I guess you wouldn't go with me. Go find Bailey in the guest house. I'm sure she has all kinds of questions and you can tell her all about what a horrible person I was to you." 

  George reached out to take Darby's hand but she pulled away.

 "Have a good hunt," he called after her instead. If Darby heard him, she made no indication.

  George sighed and walked toward the backyard and the guesthouse. He opened the door to see Bailey wildly waving a broom around. Upon seeing him, she lowered it slowly to the floor and gave an embarrassed smile.

 "There was some kind of flying bug," she explained. "But uh, I think it's gone now so you should be ok."

 "I appreciate your courage in ridding my temporary dwelling of this beast," he told her. She knew he was mocking her but it somehow sounded nice.

 "May I come in?" he asked. Bailey's eyes widened. She had never had a vampire ask her permission to enter anywhere. It felt strangely powerful.

 "Uh yes. Yes of course."

  George nodded gratefully and stepped over the threshold. The guest house was dimly lit by a few overhead lights and a small lamp on an ornate old table against the wall. It was all one room furnished with an old fashioned sofa, four post bed and a modest kitchenette. 

 "I appreciate you all letting me stay here," George said, closing the door behind him and walking over to the sofa. It was covered in blue cloth with light green threads running through it. He sat down on one end and Bailey perched expectantly on the other.

 "You're just dying to ask me questions aren't you?"

 "Yes I am," Bailey admitted. "It has been quite a difficult week," she continued, pushing aside thoughts of Thomas suffering in his cell.

  "I would really like a distraction." 

  "Very well then," George said, leaning back against the couch and crossing one of his legs over the other.

 "What would you like to know?"