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"You're full of questions, aren't you?" he mocked. "But I wouldn't blame you."

"I didn't plan to leave for more than a few hours, to the end of the night. And..... it's a long story. So are you okay?" he asked, trying to distract her from the topic.

Russet rolled his eyes. "This is what I get after nearly freezing myself in icy water, almost dying when my father attacked, deciding to turn back in the middle of a storm, nearly dying trying to come back, then being snarled at by Julius, JUST to come back for you." He snorted and pinned her down playfully. He stared into her eyes, his own soft and warm. "You sure are a prejudiced dog, Delilah. You really are!" he shouted mockingly.

Russet's character shifted, the hard darker side of him, seen several days ago, coming back. It was out of his control, and his face turned hard. He snarled at her, his lips curling up, something that was never directed at Delilah. "Can't you just drop it?! I don't want to talk about it, so if you would just stop, I won't have to make a mess to get you to stop." he threatened.

Russet's character shifted again, his hatred-filled eyes, warm and loving again. His body wasn't as rigid, but he had no idea why that had happened. He knew it had happened, he knew what he had said and she had said, but he didn't know why he had been so cold. He looked down at Delilah, who was laying there, nearly about to cry, he guessed. He gulped loudly, not sure what to say. He finally choked up something. "This is part of why I left." he admitted. And he was telling the truth. The reason he hadn't turned around when they said he couldn't say goodbye was because he didn't want to hurt Delilah any more. "I didn't want to hurt you like this, for you to see me like that. That's why I didn't try to come back until now. But I couldn't stay away forever. It was like being in hell, but you know you're alive...." he trailed off, slouching away from Delilah, heading towards the door.

Russet sighed. He stopped at the doorway. "I don't understand either, Delilah. I really don't, but I just.... do. I can't control myself when I change. Remember when I told that I've done things that you wouldn't imagine? That wasn't the normal Russet doing those things. That was the darker Russet, the one that's fed up of everyone, getting tired of the normal Russet. It gets worse..... but I can't do anything to stop it. It's just me..... the side of me that doesn't want anyone else, but him."

Russet shook his head. "I know it's hard for you to understand what that's like, because it doesn't affect you. But, if you try to kill your inner.... demons," he choked out the word, "you end up killing both sides."

Russet padded over to her side. "Don't take it the wrong way, Delilah, I just..... can't hurt you like this anymore. I'll visit time from time, but I can't be here long enough to hurt you. If I stay I might..... kill you. And I'd never forgive myself if I did." he muffled through gritted teeth.

"I don't want to hurt them, either. I'll come in to visit everyday, if I can, but I can't stay all the time. For all I know, I could kill you in your sleep. Julius wouldn't know about my other side. He'd think the regular Russet did that, and after leaving you, that wouldn't look very good."