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"I'm in the process of buying a place for all of us," Damian said offhandedly as he took a bit of egg onto his fork. "Well, it would be in my name, but it would have several bedrooms and places for everyone. With any luck, it should be ready for us within the week..."
His rather blank eyes kept to his plate. Right beside him was a ravenous woman who would probably end up sick in some way from all the food, but she needed her privacy. Lorey sat almost in front of him, looking to him with those blue eyes in question. He was, of course, doing all he could to avoid them.

"But Damian... we'd have to pay you rent or something--"

"No. Not until you could stand on your own two feet at least..." Damian looked to Raquel for some sort of answer or approval. She was invited to stay as well. What did he have to lose then?

"Yes, of course." After muttering a little apology to the women (more so to Raquel for not even answering her) and even giving a slight bow, Damian stood to follow Richard to wherever it was where he felt he had privacy. In his fuzzy, sleep-deprived mind, there was nothing he could deny Richard or all he had done for Lorey.

Lorey took this time alone to have a bit of a talk with this new woman. She was far from jealous... but her curiosity and confusion needed to be cleared up.
"I'm sorry if this strikes a nerve, but... are you... are you..."
And yet for all the bravery it took for her to speak to Raquel, Lorey found she couldn't quite come out with it.
"I'm sorry," she settled on saying. "I was raised in the south slums. I just feel like... I've seen people like you before. Hungry and hurt, I mean. I've been there, too. Still am, in a way."

Damian listened very carefully. His gaze became very critical, almost burning. Of course he understood why this was all going on, but it did not mean he would accept it any more than Lorey would.
"Richard, you know I would always keep her safe. But why the hell are you with her in the first place if you are still trying to catch the person who may have killed your wife?"
Very quickly he gave a glance into the kitchen, licking his dry lips.
"As if it isn't bad enough that she very well knows she's second in your heart, and to someone who is a perfect stranger to her no less, you're still..."
How could he put it?
"You're still... good lord, I can't blame you. But it isn't fair to Lorey if you're still chasing ghosts of the past."


Lorey nodded sadly. It was a story she had heard from too many other people, both men and women alike.
"But you won't be doing that while you're with us, right? And you're going to make sure your health is intact?"
She could vaguely make out the hushed conversation in the back somewhere, and with a little scowl, she said, "I hate secrets..."

"Then we should do it together, not have you storming out into space to get killed!" Damian took an equal step towards him, making them dangerously face-to-face. He took a deep breath that made his nostrils flare like some sort of angry bull, though he hardly looked the part for such strength.
"My immediate reaction was that you would have to be an idiot not to treasure every waking moment with her. But I also said I could not blame you for pursuing this..."
Although it would give Damian time with Lorey, without the presence of her lover, he still did not want her happiness ruined in any way. "How long would you be gone for?" he finally consented. "And what would you do when you found this person, kill them?" As if that would make everything better, he thought. But then, maybe it would.

"Hm..." Lorey couldn't see it from where she was, but she just shrugged. "We have our secrets, too, eh?" she said, with a sad little smile. "Like one of mine: I've been hit before, too. Right here." Lorey pointed to her cheek, just to the right of her mouth, but closer to her chin. "Richard's never heard that story before."

It was so difficult to find the strength to simply say, "Alright."
Damian took a step back, also to cool himself down. It would do no good to fight, especially so close to the two women.
"But I swear, Richard, if you never come back, I am not sure if I'll ever forgive you. Regardless, you have to tell Lorey. She deserves the truth."

To this, she also nodded. Not that she had the same problems, but her past wasn't exactly wonderful, either.
"I was never framed or anything... but my mother died. We believe she was murdered."
Just saying those words out loud made this conversation so surreal. Lorey hadn't wanted to make it true, but Damian wouldn't lie to her, and she refused to lie to herself.
"Anyhow, ever since then, I've been on my own, cleaning. It's been so strange, though... friends die, jobs get taken away, but... any time someone tried to hurt me, something always... stopped them."

Lorey remembered another story she had never told Richard, about how she had almost been raped in an alley way, but something from behind them had scared the man away. He had looked so terrified, like a small child to a monster in the closet, but by the time Lorey had collected herself, there had been nothing there. Not a soul.

"There's a room right there," he said, gesturing to the bathroom, which was rather large enough for two people. "Or I can take Raquel out for some new clothing and supplies. Goodness knows she needs it..."
Damian again passed his hand over his face in an attempt to make himself more awake. It didn't work for any blood flow, only for making him look more frustrated.
"Does Lorey need anything? Do you?" he asked, thinking that the shopping plan might not be a bad thing. "Just write down sizes and I'll try my hand at being a fashionista."
He was even willing to kill a part of his masculinity to make Lorey happy.

Lorey was looking down as she caught his eye, but her gaze soon returned to his. The smile was almost instantaneous, as was the small bloom of blush in her cheek.
"Meeting Richard has made me so happy..." she mumbled. "We're both so beaten, but it all just... goes away when we're together." Was it the same way with her and Damian? Yet another thing she had to find out before the men returned, but she wouldn't take such a jab.

"Damian's wonderful. I'm afraid I've hurt him terribly without meaning to."

"So, probably stick with greens and blues... gentle colors. And she's rather petite. Is there... any sort of jewelry item you'd like to buy for her? Locket, bracelet? I'd give you all the credit."
All the bloody credit. Damian practically seethed at hearing himself say those words.

"Oh, no, no..." Lorey turned pink all over. "No one wanted a girl like me, all rough hands and dirty clothing... I always smelled like bleach and window cleaner." Contradictions in her mind screamed out despite it all. Richard had found her cast away, but he had brought her close in a heartbeat. Maybe that was what made him so different. Where Damian had chased and pursued, Richard had just given her what she needed right away without the show.

"There isn't a day that goes by that doesn't make me feel guilty about him, though..."