Lee is Back

  "Who is Lee? What do you mean he's back?" Bailey asked, looking back and forth from Darby to George. 

  "Don't worry about it, I'll take care of this," George said with a sigh, standing up and walking to the door. Bailey knew he didn't want to be followed but she had no intention of staying inside. Darby stood next to her also ready to follow George. 

  Before any of them could move a muscle, they heard Stephen bellowing as loudly as possible from the door of the house. 

 "Well we are in for it now," Darby said exasperatedly. "Why did you bring him back here?" she asked accusingly. 

  "Yes it was totally on purpose," George shot back. "I wanted to reunite with you and piss off Stephen at the same time and what better way-"

  "Will you guys shut up and get outside before Stephen kills us all?" Bailey snapped. They both stopped and stared at her for a second, then individually agreed she was right and followed her out the door silently.

  The first thing they saw was Stephen standing in the doorway looking furious and a dark figure in the shadow of a tree. 

  "I knew he was here," Stephen yelled at them. "I could smell him from miles away. None of you better invite him into this house." 

  "What's wrong, Steve? You're not happy to see an old friend?"

  "Don't ever call me that," Steve snapped back. "And we are not friends."

  "Ah don't be like that. Our past is water under the bridge. Don't hold on to old grudges." 

  "Lee, why are you here?" George interrupted the yelling match. The figure under the tree turned to face him and took a few steps into the fading moonlight. Bailey could see he had a dark complexion like George and was almost as tall but something about him made her nervous. 

  "I followed you here, little bro," he said with a smile. Bailey thought he had a nice smile that seemed to take the edge off his harsher features. 

  "I meant to what end? You know Stephen doesn't want you here and frankly I'm not sure I do either. We have an inconspicuous presence in this town so far and we don't need anything messing that up." 

  "And what makes you think I'd ruin that somehow?"

  "Well the hair raising scream we all just heard would be a start," Darby cut in. "You're lucky all the neighbors didn't hear." 

  "Hey a man's gotta eat," Lee defended himself, patting his stomach. Darby rolled her eyes. 

  "You all still got that creepy dungeon in the house where you keep your food?" Lee wanted to know. Bailey gasped as she remembered Thomas in there wasting away and imagined him making the same horrific scream she had just heard. 

   "Oh well. Who is this little gem?" Lee asked, stepping even closer to where the three vampires stood and staring intently at Bailey. 

   "That's Bailey, she's a new vampire and you're going to leave her alone," Stephen commanded from his place in the doorway. Lee ignored him and extended a hand running the back of it down the side of Bailey's face. She felt a chill go through her and shrunk back away from his hand. 

  "And how did you come to know these find people and Stephen?" Lee asked, turning to give Stephen an evil smile.

  "Um Darby...she found me and turned me into a vampire," Bailey stuttered, aware she sounded like a child who didn't know how to speak in front of adults.

  "Aw look at that, Darby. You finally gave my little bro the child he's always wanted." 

  "Alright that's enough," George announced, stepping toward Lee and grasping his arm. "Let's take a walk and you can tell me what you're actually doing here." 

    Lee didn't put up a fight but followed George back into the shadows until they disappeared behind the house. 

   "George, when you come back he better not be with you," Stephen shouted, then went inside and slammed the door as loudly as possible behind him.

   Bailey stood looking after them replaying in her mind the feel of Lee's fingers against her face.

  "I know what you're thinking and I'm gonna tell you honestly you need to stop," Darby said, coming up next to Bailey. 

  "Oh so it's ok for you to swoon over George but I can't enjoy the touch of a handsome stranger for two seconds?" Bailey snapped, folding her arms. 

  "No that's not what I'm saying. Enjoy the touch of whoever you like. Just not Lee." 

  "You just want to be the only one here who's happy," Bailey countered. 

  "Come on, Bailey. You know that's not true," Darby said, almost pleadingly. Bailey looked at her earnest face and softened her glare a little. She had never seen Darby look his concerned for her before.

  "I know how Lee seems. He's outgoing and friendly but he's also dangerous. I don't want to see you get hurt." 

   Bailey stared at the ground for a long minute. Was Darby right about this seemingly pleasant new vampire? Would he actually hurt her? 

  "It's about to be light out. I'm going back to the guesthouse," Darby announced. "I hope you'll think about what I said and if you don't want to take my word for it, ask Stephen." 

  With that Darby turned and walked briskly back to the guesthouse. Bailey watched until the door closed behind her. The first rays of sunlight were starting to peak over the horizon and she needed to get inside. Hopefully George and Lee had found a safe place to talk away from the light. 

  Once again the image of Lee's big kind smile flashed through her memory and she felt like Darby had to be wrong. Besides, how could someone related to a person as sweet as George not be just as congenial? 

  Bailey knew she needed to go somewhere out of the light before the sun began to rise more but she was torn. Darby had told her to ask Stephen about Lee but maybe she should go right to the source.