It's time to talk...

[Annabelle Ventus]

Annabelle knew she couldn't keep that promise to Ala, not if she wanted to protect them. She did however nod her head yes. This one promise was going to be the only meant lie Belle was ever going to commit. She knew though that she had good reasoning. "Yeah, I promise.." She said smiling.

[Alavda Noir]

Satasfied with Belle's answer, Alavda smiled, "Good. Now then...I don't think that this would be the right time to tell you about my past...how about I get you something to eat, yes?" she wasn't sure if it would be good timing...and Belle was thinner than she normally was.

[Annabelle Ventus]

Annabelle just shook her head and looked at Ala, wiping her tears away from ealier. "I told you already, I'm not hungry, and you said you were going to tell me about your past..please do so..." She said sadly.

[Alavda Noir]

Alavda knew that Belle was being stubborn, "I'll only tell you if you agree to eat something," she said, getting up so that she could go to the kitchen. A few minutes later, she came out with a turkey sandwich, "It's not much, but I want to make sure that you have something..."

[Annabelle Ventus]

Annabelle looked at Ala as she watched her go into the kitchen and make something. When she came back Belle looked at the sandwich and look at Ala. "I told you, I'm not-" She started then heard her stomach give out a low growl. This made Belle's eye twitch and her face turn abit pink. Well...she knew she wasn't going to get out of this now. She looked back at the sandwich again, grabbed it and ate it but looked up at Ala and gave her and eye to tell her she better keep up with her part of the deal.

[Alavda Noir]

Alavda nearly giggled when Belle's stomach growled, "Don't tell me you're not hungry, dear," she sat down next to the sorceress, "Okay, so now that I've gotten you to eat something...here's my story."

"You know that I was born in Nice, France, right?" she looked at Belle, "I was the second child in my family. My father was a vampire, my mother an adamite. I had an older brother, Gaston, and a younger sister, Chantal. But she died along with my mother at birth. You see, before this, it seemed as if my father actually cared. But after he died, it seemed as if he hated me," Alavda seemed to look past Belle, as if she were reliving that time, "Long story short, he sent my brother to boarding school, and me to a convent for a few years. When I hit my teen years, I returned home," she remembered the cold greeting she recieved, "As much as he seemed to hate me, he also seemed over-protective. I had to fight him to let me go out places, to make friends. Luckily I had Sofie, my handmaid, to help me."

"A few years passed like this, I made friends, but I still...wanted more," she paused, "One day, I was called to eat dinner with some guests of my father's. Sofie was convinced that I was to be wed to one of them. So I assumed that they were both old, balding men," she gave a dry laugh, "I was wrong. I had never seen such handsome men in my life...of course, I was a little sheltered," she looked at Belle again, no longer seeming far away, "This was where I met him. Thomas Steele. He had a title, too. I took to him immediately...I was seventeen when I met him, and by the time I was eighteen, I had fallen in love with him. He took such good care of me. He convinced my father to let me attend balls and other social gatherings. There was a time when I would have done anything to please that man," she gave Belle a weak smile, "I agreed to Elope with him. My father, as pleased as he was with both of his visitors, did not want me to marry either of them for some reason. Well...he had good reason. The night that I was to elope with Thomas, we were almost to the church when he bit me...I tried to run, but he was so fast, so strong...I didn't know what to do! The next thing I knew, I was alone in the woods, my neck plastered with blood, and...I was thirsty. My father found me shortly after I woke up. He told me about my heritage. It was the reason why I didn't go out anywhere before. He didn't want me to be awakened," Alavda had always grown angry while thinking of her father. She muttered something in French about the man.

"After that, I fled. I never saw my family again. I heard that they got killed by hunters. I was...sad. They were my only family, after all. But I had made a career as an opera singer. I did that for a few years, and here I am."

[Annabelle Ventus]

Belle felt slightly bad as she listened to Ala's story. "You know, as much as you hate your father...he did try to protect you...and Thomas? That was the guy that was here the other night...right?" Belle asked and then heard someone behind her.

"So...he was telling the truth...I didn't think you would go for an a** Ala.." Dakota said with a growl.

"Dakota, how did you get into my house?" Belle said in a slight panic.

"The window..now...Ala, I want you to tell me something...did you ever meet Thomas's father?" He said, trying to stay calm but knew it wasn't going to last long.

[Alavda Noir]

Alavda didn't want to talk about her father, so she was a little glad that Dakota barged into the house, "Dakota, no one likes an eavesdropper," she chastised him before narrowing her eyes at him, "And he wasn't back then!" she stood up so that she could be closer to his eye level.

"As for his father, no, I never met the man, why do you ask?"

[Annabelle Ventus]

"Well, I was passing by and when I heard the faint sound of Thomas's name, I came rushing here to find out..him and I got into it...I said you would never go for the likes of him..guess I was wrong. And oh...no reason, other then the fact that I know why Thomas and I look so alike." Dakota said with a sigh.

"Oh...and how is that?" Belle asked softly. Yes this was none of her buiseness, but it now did bother her abit.

"...He's my brother..well...my half brother...heh, I can't believe I'm related to a bunch of a**holes on my dad's side..I was hoping differently..." Dakota said with a sigh and then slumped onto the floor. "So then...that brings me to the most important question...how close did you guys get...and I don't mean emotionally..." He said, slightly glaring at Alavda.

[Alavda Noir]

"Look, I'm older and wiser," Alavda couldn't help but be annoyed by how Dakota kept calling Thomas those things. Sure, she had called him a bastard, but he was HER ex-fiancer, not HIS.

"Brothers?" she looked at Dakota, noting how similar the two looked once again, "This is just too strange..."

Then Dakota asked the question about how close she and Thomas had got, "How close?" it clicked. Her face turned several shades of red, "T-that's none of your business, Dakota Neloe!" the thought of what had happened all those years ago still shamed her...

[Annabelle Ventus]

Dakota glared even more at her when she didn't give her a straight answer. "Yes, brothers...I didn't want to believe it at first either..but we are...and I'm taking your not answer as an all the way thing..really Ala? Really? I'm not mad a the fact that you did it...but for the fact of who you did it with...his a Steele Ala! He could have killed you!"

"And how would she have known that Dakota? That was 350 years ago...she didn't know how he actually was, and is it true Ala...did you really lose it to him?" Belle said feeling even worse for Ala.

[Alavda Noir]

Alavda was sure that every shade of red was on her face right now, "Before he bit me, he would have never done anything to hurt me...at least I think so. I only knew him to be a kind, charming man who brought me out of my darkest period," she turned to Belle, "And yes, I lost it to him," she turned back to Dakota, "I don't really see why you should care about my well-being though."

[Annabelle Ventus]

Dakota just shook his head. "I guess if you don't know, then I shouldn't tell you, well, anyways...that is all I needed to know...I'll catch you guys later..oh and Belle, good to see you are back to normal." He said smiling at her, as Belle made a gagging face at Dakota. "Eh, I'll take it." He said and opened there door and walked out.

"Well...today was eventful...." Belle said with a slight chuckle and then looked at Ala seriously. "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone about anything I heard...your secrets are safe with me...and I'm sorry that happened to you..." She said sadly.

[Alavda Noir]

Alavda just observed Dakota coolly as he made his exit. She was not happy with him, "Thank you, Belle," she smiled at her friend, "and don't be sorry. You can't help what happened in the past. Now how you feel in the present, that is a little unpredictable, but let's not talk about it anymore," she started to leave the room, "It really is good to have you back, cherie," she said before retreating into another room.