Title: Leave
Author: Femvamp
Disclaimer: Dexter does not belong to me.
Spoilers: Season 4 | Episode 7 Slack Tide
Note: Companion peace to Date Night from Rita's POV
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Rita had been freaked out at first. She had found out his little secret quite by accident. Even after finally giving up his apartment, even after therapy, there was this little nagging part of her that still believed that Dexter was cheating on her. That he was doing drugs again. That it was happing all over again. That he would become Paul and her life would become a nightmare.

Dexter wasn't Paul.

For a little while she wondered who was worse, but then she remembered that Dexter had never hurt her on purpose. He had never hurt the children just because he could. He had never be cruel. He had never been violent (well at least not with them.) He had always been…..there.

No, Dexter wasn't Paul.

However Rita wasn't the woman who had been married to Paul and she wasn't about to let something this big go. They needed to talk. If their marriage still had a chance to be saved, and she was still hoping it did, Dexter needed to tell her the truth.

And he did.

The whole truth.

The life and times of Dexter Morgan.

Rita threw up a couple times but she always came back and told Dexter to continue and he did. He told her about his mother, his brother, the Dark Passenger. He told her about his father, Harry.

The code of Harry.

How to raise a serial killer in five easy steps.

Harry should have known better. When they had finally gone to bed Rita thought about Harry and all the things he should have, could have done to save Dexter, to stop Dexter. All the things that a father…a parent could have done.

She thought about Cody. What would she do if he turned out to be like Dexter? Would she hurt or help him? Would she protect him or turn in him. Would she put him away for his and the worlds good?

Rita didn't know. All she knew was that Dexter wasn't Paul and she needed to prove that to herself so she asked Dexter to take her with him the next time he….he did what he did.

That's how it started for them. For her. Standing there watching Dexter kill a man, a child molester and killer, did she finally understand. Watching the blood flow she felt peace and understanding not horror and revulsion because she understood.

She understood what Dexter had always needed more then killing. More then death. More then this…..

The one thing Harry had failed to give him.

Dexter wasn't Paul, he would never hurt her.

And she wasn't Harry, she would never see the monster in Dexter and leave.