Damien frowned a little as he watched her. "I'm sorry," he said after a moment. "About this. This wasn't how I wanted you to find out."

Sera went up to the front and worked up there for the rest of the day, not quite as mad as she had been.

"I'm not angry," Rose replied as she grabbed the paperwork and added it to the pile she had. She didn't admit she was a little scared, though.

Taylor didn't see Sera for the rest of the day, which was probably for the best. At least this way, he couldn't make her mad again somehow.

"But you are upset," Damien said, watching her.

Sera went back to the office at the end of the day to gather up all her things so she could go.

"A little," Rose admitted. She could admit to that. "Wouldn't you be?"

Taylor was waiting for Sera when the day was over. He wanted to see if she was still up for ice cream.

"I don't know," Damien said honestly. "I lived knowing what my parents were all my life, and I've known about lots of other things. I honestly can't say whether or not I would be upset or whether I would understand."

"Let me just text Rose to tell her not to wait for me," Sera said, glancing at him. "Luckily she drove today." She texted Rose telling her to go home, since she was getting a ride with someone else.

"Then look at it from my perspective," Rose said. "My world was normal until last week. Now I'm not sure what to think." She absently checked the message on her phone and sent back some generic affirmative reply. She bit her lip a little, and finally said, in a small voice, "I guess I'm a bit afraid."

Once Sera had sent the message, Taylor held the door open for her.

"After you," he said. "Was there any ice cream place in particular you liked?"

"I know," Damien said quietly. "I'm sorry. I wanted to introduce you more gracefully than this. I didn't want you to be scared, or angry. I was going to tell you, I swear. I was just going to ease you into it a bit more."

"Not really," Sera said with a shrug. "As long as it's sweet and cold I don't really care."

Rose just looked down and didn't reply.

"Alright, then," Taylor replied. "I know a good place, they have a nice selection."

Damien sighed and reached out, touching her shoulder gently. "I'm sorry, Rose."

"Alright." Sera motioned for him to lead the way, a little sarcastically. She kept an eye on him while they were walking, though.

Rose flinched slightly, though she tried to hide it.

"I should... I should go and make sure these get filed before I leave..." she said softly. She backed up a couple of steps and turned to leave the room.

Taylor walked Sera out to his car and unlocked the door for her before getting in himself. The drive to the ice cream place was short, and he parked as close to the door as he could.

Damien sighed and let her go, figuring she still needed some more time. But, damn it, he was getting impatient. He didn't want to wait any longer.

Maybe he'd do something to speed up the process, then. With that train of thought, Damien got up and went to go see what he could figure out.

Sera stayed quiet for the ride, tapping her fingers on her knee. As soon as he turned off the car, she got out and headed for the door, keeping her purse slung over her shoulder.

Rose hurried down the hall, away from that room. She was upset, but she was more upset at herself than him. She didn't want to be so afraid, she wanted to forgive him, but she just wasn't ready, and she hated herself for it.

Taylor followed Sera into the building.

"Get whatever you want," he said. "It's on me."

Damien immediately set his plan into motion, and knew he'd have to hurry if he wanted to get there before her. So he left the zoo and went to the nearest store, getting everything he needed before driving to her house.

After making sure the dozen roses were neatly arranged in their crystal vase, the box of chocolates propped up against them, he left.

Sera nodded and got a double-scoop waffle bowl, taking her ice cream and going to sit down somewhere to enjoy it.

Rose immediately noticed the vase and the chocolates on the doorstep when she got home. She didn't see a note or anything, but it didn't take a genius to figure out who had left them there. Carefully picking up the vase, she brought it and the box of chocolates inside. She set the vase on her dresser in her room, where she would be able to see it.

Taylor ordered his own ice cream and paid for them both before following Sera.

"Mind if I sit here?" he asked, gesturing to the seat across from her.

Damien didn't stick around, but instead went home to go hang out with his cat for a while. He just hoped that Rose wouldn't throw everything out the window or something.

Sera looked at him for a moment before she pushed the chair out with her foot. "Go ahead."

Rose curled up on her bed with her own cat. Her father had stopped by the day before to pick his cat up again, so her room felt strangely empty with just one cat in it again. Reaching over, she picked up her phone, but she set it back down again. She wasn't sure she wanted to text Damien yet, even if it was just to thank him for the flowers and chocolate.

Taylor sat down across from Sera.

"They make good ice cream here," he commented. "All homemade."

Damien waited all night to see if he'd hear from Rose, knowing he probably wouldn't but hoping he would. He tried reading, but found himself only partially able to focus on the book, having to reread the same page several times.

Sera nodded. "I can tell," she said, licking her spoon. "It's much better than most places."

Rose picked up her phone several times during the evening, and each time she put I back down. She didn't know what to say to Damien, even if she did message him. She knew she should thank him for the flowers, but she still wasn't sure what to say.

"Maybe I should bring you here more often, then," Taylor replied.

Damien turned on some mindless shows for background noise, trying to keep himself busy so he wouldn't keep glancing at his phone.

"Mm." Sera didn't say she'd like that, but she didn't immediately reject the idea, either. She just ate her ice cream slowly, thinking.

Finally, Rose couldn't do it anymore and picked up her phone again. The message she sent was simple and to the point.

'The flowers are beautiful.'

Taylor noticed she didn't immediately refuse, and didn't push the issue. He would bring it up later, when he dropped her off at home, as a suggestion for another date.

Damien smiled when he finally got the text. I'm glad you like them, he texted back.

Sera ate the rest of her ice cream in silence, just staying quiet and watching everyone else.

Now that the ice was broken, so to speak, Rose wasn't quite so hesitant about sending another message.

'I remember you mentioned stories before... before. Are any of them good?' She wanted to understand, and this was the only way she knew how to ask.

Yes, Damien replied. Some of them are even true. He smiled a little bit at that, pleased that she was talking to him again.

'Tell me?' Rose asked. It was terrible, but she still felt a little better about asking over the phone, rather than in person. She was still a little scared.

Would you like to hear the most widely accepted theory of how were-creatures came to be? Damien asked, just waiting for the reply. There were a couple of creation theories, and he knew most of them.