Lucius

9

"Lucius, I don't feel good," Faline says some years later. She's now what they estimate at eighteen years of age. 

Lucius immediately pays full attention to her. He's at work and it's rare for Faline to call him there. She knows that he doesn't like to be interrupted, although, he's left instructions with his secretary that Faline is to be put through if she ever calls. Like now.

"What's wrong, little one?" He knows that she's not so little any more but she will always be so to him.

"I think I'm starting the change." Faline says holding back her tears.

"I'll be right there." Lucius has known that this was coming and is pleased that it's happening now and not sooner. He just doesn't like the idea of his little one growing up. Soon she'll be wanting to leave him. He doesn't know how he's going to handle that.

The memory of the one time he'd tried to find a mother figure for her pops into mind.

Faline goes into his bedroom and stops short. She looks at the female sharing the bed with him and turns around and leaves.

Lucius hadn't expected her to wake up before him. He jumps out of bed and hurries after her.

"You're late, Lucius. You have a meeting in an hour and you still need to drop me off at school." Faline says her voice controlled but he could detect something in it. He just couldn't tell what.

"My alarm didn't go off. I'll be ready shortly." Lucius assures her.

"Who's the bitch in there with you?"

"Faline, that's no way to speak about someone you don't even know." Lucius chides.

"It's my girlfriend. I thought you might like to have someone as a mother." Lucius tells her.

"She doesn't like me. She wants you and will do everything she can to get me out of your life. She wants your money and power, not your baggage."

"Give her a chance, Faline. You might actually like her." Lucius finds himself more than a little pleading with Faline.

"I'll give her a chance. Far be it for me to keep you from having sex." Faline had said and left to go eat taking her school bag with her.

Lucius goes back into the room and gets ready to go. Within ten minutes he's set. By the time he's done his girlfriend is awake.

"Do you have to go already?"  Tia ask petulantly with a pouty look.

"I have an important business meeting. Do you know why my alarm didn't go off?" Lucius demands and she can't ignore the command.

"I turned it off. I wanted you to myself this morning."

"Tia, I have responsibilities and can't just dump them like that." Lucius holds back his temper with difficulty.

"But you would for that bitch of a ward you have, wouldn't you?" Tia says acidically.

Lucius narrows his eyes but otherwise holds his temper. "From the start Faline knew that I have responsibilities that need to take precedence over her at times. You're several times older than her, it's a concept you should be able to grasp." Lucius knows it's a low blow to bring in a lady's age, but she deserves it.

"I have a meeting that could potentially earn a lot of money for me or lose a lot of money. If I lose this deal, Tia, I'll be taking it out of your flesh." Lucius says while smiling at her.

"Faline, means more to me than you ever will, so I suggest you learn how to be nice to her or you'll find yourself back where I found you." Living on the streets, barely able to survive on the blood she is able to hunt. Faline would survive better than Tia was.