STEFAN (Completed)

Part 59

Stefan took Lorena to Paris where they dined at a restaurant at the Eiffel tower. He nursed a glass of wine while watching her over the rim of the glass as she ate her meal. He couldn't believe how badly he had treated her.

After they had dined together, they strolled down the streets of Paris not talking but simply enjoying each other's company. Stefan found that he liked this very much. He wanted to wrap his arms about her and hold her close. But he didn't dare. He didn't trust himself not to do something stupid.

He wanted her so much and he needed her. But he didn't want to rush her. He needed to give her the opportunity to get to know him better. He needed to be able to put a smile on her face. He needed to wipe the sadness that had become a part of her disposition. He needed to make her feel like the world belonged to her. He needed to make her deliriously happy.

And in order to do so he had to be able to forgive himself for what he had done to her and also to let go of his hatred for the Renegades for what they had done to her. He had to look beyond the fact that she was a Familiar.

He couldn't believe that he was in love with a Familiar. Never in his wildest dreams had he thought he would find himself so completely in love with a Familiar. But it had happened. He had fought his feelings by taking it out on her. That was about to change and not because she had been accepted as a Shadow but because he knew she was the one for him.

He was going to bring a smile to her face.

*******

After that first outing, they continued to meet. He took her out every evening, ending their dates with nothing more than a light kiss on the forehead. He wanted to first be her friend before anything happened between them.

He took the time to listen to her. He encouraged her to talk to him about her past, her childhood days. He wanted to get to know her. It took her a while to talk to him about her past. It brought tears to his eyes. She had suffered a lot.

He had had a wonderful childhood. He had taken it for granted that everyone had the kind of childhood he had. She had no family besides Miguel and he had treated her with so much hate.

She had had a terrible childhood and she was still paying for it. He had contributed to it by not finding her in time. Sharon had gone through very difficult times while growing up. However, Nicolae had always been there for her, holding her in his arms and whispering words of encouragement, first to the frightened little child and then to the teenager who was misunderstood because of her gifts. Stefan had been there for her whenever Nik couldn't make it.

But his true mate had been forced to face her troubles alone.

********

Two weeks, Stefan told her that he wanted her to come home with him.

"I am never going back there." She told him vehemently. "I am yet to recover from my experiences there."

"You have got it all wrong. I have a new home. I find that I cannot live with the memories of the things I did to you there."

"You have a new home?" that piqued her interest.

"Yes. I am inviting you over. Don't worry. I don't have any intention of taking advantage of you over there."

He had been the perfect gentleman in the past two weeks and she would have fallen in love with him if she hadn't already been in love with him.

"I won't do anything you don't want to do," he assured her. "As my true mate I want you see what will be our new home."

She said nothing. He realized that he hadn't said the words which would move her. This was the time to tell her how much he loved her and to propose to her. No. Not yet. He had sworn to claim her before his family and he was to convert her after their wedding. Well, it was actually supposed to be after he had claimed her but he wanted her to have the entire works.

"I want you to come with me," he told her. "There's something I would like you to see."

His new home was larger than the previous one and hidden. However, there was little furniture in it. She gave him a questioning look.

"Since it is going to be your home when we are back together, I wanted it to have your touch." He told her, reading her mind.

"My touch?"

"Yes. I want you to pick the furniture and everything."

She realized what he was trying to say. This was his way of telling her that he had finally accepted her. This would be her new home and he needed her contribution.

"I appreciate what you are trying to do, Stefan, but believe me when I say that I am the last person you should trust with such a thing. I have no experience. I had never shopped for anything in my life before your grandfather took me to Devonne. I have absolutely no taste."

"Every woman has a taste. Look on the bright side. If you do pick something horrible, we would have to live with it for the rest of our lives."

A smile actually came to her face and she didn't even realize it. He watched her and not wanting to tell her how good she looked lest she quit smiling, took her on a tour of the mansion.

When they got to one of the rooms, he stopped at the door and turned to her. "There is something I need to let you know, cara." He told her. "I should have done this a long time ago and I am sorry I waited until this moment."

"What are you talking about?"

"You, me and the cruel words I uttered to you the first time I came around when Bunic took you to Devonne."

"It's water under the bridge, Stefan. I'd rather not talk about it."

"But there is need to talk about it. At least I need to talk about it."

"Stefan..."

"At least hear me out. This has to be said."

"All right, go ahead. I'm all ears."

He took a deep breath and said;

"I said a lot of terrible things to you that day. I said things I would give anything to take back. I called you all sorts of names. I accused you of things you didn't do. I told you that you were responsible for your mother's death and so deserved every abuse on you. I..."

"You were angry."

"That doesn't excuse what I did."

"You weren't exactly off track. I am partly to blame for my mother's death. If..."

"Don't you dare blame yourself for it. You weren't even born at the time."

"But if she hadn't been heavily pregnant, she would have been able to escape Miguel."

"You had no say over what happened. Even if she wasn't pregnant, Miguel being an older vampire would have been able to catch up with them. Her being pregnant had nothing to do with it."

"I understand your trying to make me feel better, but the truth is that I am partly to blame. Just as I am to blame for the loss of my babies."

"Lorena..."