Ever have one of those days? You know the ones that I’m talking about. The ones that never end, the ones where anything and everything that can go wrong, does? Well today is one of those days for me. I’m stuck in a god forsaken hell hole, chasing prey. Normally you’d think that this wouldn’t be a problem. Trust me, when the prey is almost as smart as you are, it is.

The day started out so easily too. Just find, hunt down and kill several humans. Another day in the office, so to speak. Yeah, right. These guys are smart or lucky, I haven’t decided which yet. How they’ve stayed out of my sights is anybody’s guess, but they have that is until last week that is. Doesn’t help when I don’t speak Chinese or look Chinese either. That part I’m used to. I travel the world tracking down and eliminating those that hunt and kill my kind. I’m sure you’re wondering why I used that particular phrasing. I’ll give you a little hint. I drink blood . . . only blood. Want another one? I’m undead, oh and I have fangs and pure white eyes when it suits me. So just in case you haven’t figured it out yet, I’m a vampire. Guess what? We do exist, really. Not something that we as a species like to have as common knowledge though. Very detrimental to our health.

Shit! Another bullet whizzed by my head. That was way too close. I let myself change so that I can track the direction in which it came from. I slowly turn my head towards the trajectory that the bullet had taken. Sure enough, I hear the sound of the gun cocking, the trigger being pulled and the bullet leaving the gun. I lean towards my left just as it flies by me. I hear another gunshot and a howl of pain. Damn the Gods! Enough already. I can feel my frustration start to morph into rage. Not something that I usually like to happen as it makes for being in control almost impossible. But these guys are getting under my skin. And trust me that’s not someplace that you want to be.

“Brid!” I hiss. Where the hell is she?

I hear a muffled answer to my right and down. “Down here. Bloody morons actually shot me!”

I scamper across the top of the building towards her voice. Its pitch black, but for me, it still looks like daylight. I jump down landing in a crouching position beside her. “Let me see.”

She cringes as I look closely at the wound in her left shoulder. I pull the fabric back as gently as I can. I growl softly in frustration. The wound is weeping, not healing nearly as fast as it should. “And you didn’t hear this coming towards you why?”

Brid turned and gave me an evil stare. “Gee, I don’t know . . . some of us don’t have your hearing.”

“Uh huh. You can hear them too, you just have to focus.” I reach into my back pocket to retrieve my knife. “That bullet needs to come out now. You’re not healing.”

“No really?” Brid shot back followed by a quiet moan. “Can you please get the bloody thing out? Now?”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” I take the knife and hold it over the wound, making a quick incision. I have to dig around, causing Brid to stifle a whimper. “I’m sorry, it’s deep.”

“I never would have guessed.” Came her reply through gritted teeth, her eyes are glowing in the dark.

I finally feel my knife hit metal. I maneuver the blade under the bullet and work it out. “There, it’s out.” Brid releases the breath she’s been holding. She reaches around to feel the hole in her shirt, as well as the wound that is now quickly closing.

“Bloody ‘ell! My favorite shirt!” Her eyes flash in anger, followed by a low menacing growl which of course earns a snicker from me and a glare from her. Maybe one of these centuries she’ll learn not to wear her favorite designer clothes hunting.

About that time the third member of my team, Brid’s mate, runs up. “So do any of us know who the hell is shooting at us?”

I just give him a blank stare in response. “Did you really just ask that?”

“Yes, I just really asked that.” He quietly snarled back, clearly annoyed.

I roll my eyes before answering him. “Dom, could it possibly be the hunters that we’re trying to eliminate?” Yeah, I’m being difficult, but I’m tired, hungry and pissed.

He’s about to answer as a ninja fighting star flies by, whistling as it does, nearly hitting him in the shoulder. He growls in frustration, features changing at the same time.

“Great,” I curse softly. “Could this day get any bloody worse?” I move from the sitting position I was in to a crouch, scanning the surrounding area, trying desperately to figure out where the hell the damn star had come from.

Dom suddenly points towards movement about 20 feet down the alley from where we are hiding. I nod silently and point in the direction that I want them to head and they move into position. We all watch intently for a few more minutes, trying to gauge how many we are dealing with; without much luck, which incenses me even more and I feel my control slip another notch. Vampire senses are heightened exponentially from human senses but it’s only useful to a point. Predicting how prey will move when one doesn’t know how many there are and where they will attack from pretty much nullifies the heightened senses factor.

I hear rustling on the roof directly to my left. I look up and let loose a quiet growl. Wonderful, the job just got even worse. I really, really wish that this day would end.

I look over towards Brid who is now hiding behind a small dumpster and point up towards the roof. She nods and looks up. She glances back at me unsure of what she is supposed to be seeing, when the object of our hunt moves again and I watch as recognition filters onto her face. She speaks to me in the ultrasound range.

“Ninjas?! This is getting ridiculous.” She reaches behind her to pull out her small crossbow and takes aim at the quarry.

“NO!” I yell back ultra soundly. She looks at me, perplexed. “Not until we know how many of them we have to deal with.”

Dom has slinked his way over and is now crouching down just behind Brid. I watch as his gaze follows the trajectory of the crossbow. “There are a total of three up on the roof.”

I have now made it silently over to where we had previously witnessed movement. I curse quietly, smelling blood and lots of it, none of it human thankfully, overwhelming my senses, making it almost impossible to get any sort of bearing of any kind. Well at least I know where the vampire was killed now. As I am backing out of the alley, I hear a soft thud on ground behind me. FUCK!! Followed quickly by three more soft thuds. Just bloody peachy.

I turn around slowly, and come face to face with four men, clad in black from head to toe, only their eyes showing. And yep, you guessed it, all standing in poses just like in a classic bad Kung Fu movie. I couldn’t help myself, I laughed. Bad idea, I know; which of course, infuriated the little Kung Fu men.

So, without what I assume they thought was no warning, they attacked, screaming at me in Chinese. I waited until the last possible second and then jumped straight up. Oh and for the record, no I cannot fly. Jump insanely high, yes. Turn in to a damn bat and fly, no. Although I have always wondered where that little myth came from.

I watch from my vantage point on the roof, as they all stop, obviously wondering where I went. These fools must have never dealt with real vamps before; otherwise they would have known that I have the ability to do that. Then it hits me, the smell of terror and urine. These poor souls have never; ever really seen a vampire and now are scared senseless. Too bad for them that they actually managed to kill a real one and now I have a job to do. I jump back down in front of them, an evil smile on my face. Okay, so sometimes I do love my job.

One gets brave, screams what seems to be a battle cry and runs directly towards me, nun chucks flaying. I dodge to my left, pivot and land a well placed kick directly into his chest sending him flying into the wall of the building directly behind him which forces him to drop the weapon to the ground.

I’m about to stalk over to him and finish him off when the second attack starts. All three of the remaining little black men charge, one with a pair of broadswords, the other two carrying sai’s. Shit, something that if they actually got lucky could kill me. I growl menacingly and get into a ready stance. And yes, I have black belts in several forms of martial arts.

With a warrior cry the first swings the broadsword at my chest. Timing my leap, I jump and spin in the air, kicking him in the head. He crumples to the ground; his skull now has a rather large dent in it, with blood oozing out of it and the smell of fresh blood almost driving me to distraction. Trust me; he won’t be getting up ever again.

Now fully in the mode, I turn my attention to the last two would be killers. I’m fighting to not lose control of what most would call the monster that lives within me. One of the world’s most common misconceptions; seeming to think that I’m two different beings in one body, like part of me disappears when the vampire shows up. I’m not and it doesn’t. I can’t quite explain it, well at least not in layman’s terms, it’s almost like . . . well I’ll attempt to explain later when I don’t have so many distractions.

I hear a blood curdling scream come from the main street where I had left Brid and Dom. Cursing softly to myself, I snap my head towards the sound trying to figure out who screamed thus taking my eyes from the two little Kung Fu men for just a second. Stupid mistake on my part, last mistake on theirs. I feel this intense burning sensation in my heart. The burning starts to radiate out from the wound into my chest and then morphs into a searing pain. I look down at the sai as he foolishly pushes it through the rest of my chest so that it is now sticking out several inches out my back. My eyes travel up from the sai to his face and see the look of triumph in his eyes obviously thinking that I shouldn’t be able to move. Fuck it. I let the controlled rage bubble to the surface. I smile a decidedly toothy grin at him, making sure my fangs are fully visible, followed by a snarl. I smile even wider as I watch the look of triumph on his face dissolves in to a look of pure unadulterated horror.

In one swift motion I grab the sai, pull it out of my body, with of course the obligatory sickening slurpy sound and run it clean through my attacker. He slumps to the ground, his blood gushing out the wounds, making the need to feed even more prominent. And thanks to him, I now really need to. I heal fast, blindingly really, but even at that rate I’ve lost a lot of blood and I need to replace it soon, and dinner plus desert is right in front of me.

The fourth human, well prey, drops his weapons, backs up a few steps holding his hands up in surrender. I hold my hand up and wag my index finger back and forth in a scolding motion. His response . . . eyes widen to saucer size, he then turns and runs as fast as his legs could carry him down the alley. I give him a hundred foot head start, hey might as well make it interesting, before I take off after him. Who says I can’t play with my food before eating it?

He weaves back and forth in front of me, pulling garbage cans down behind him trying to slow me down. I jump up and run a few paces on the wall before landing on the ground just behind him as he comes to an abrupt halt. He didn’t pay attention to where he was running and has cornered himself into a dead end. I stand at the opening smelling the rising panic in him, hearing his racing heartbeat pick up even more speed. I can’t help it; I lick my lips in anticipation. The need to feed at this point is threatening to overpower my hard fought control.

A sneer graces my lips as I stalk forward. The little Kung Fu man slides along the wall and into the corner of two buildings. “No where to run now, is there?” I say tauntingly. The closer I get to him, the louder his blood coursing through his veins pounds in my ears calling to me almost like the Selchie’s song.

As I take the last few steps towards him, he decides to try and bolt. He makes it one step before I grab him by the throat and throw him against the wall, holding him about a foot off the ground. “See you in hell.” I whisper in his ear before I rip the hood off, forcefully turn his head to the side and sink my teeth into his neck causing his blood to start gushing out. I have to gulp to keep up with the flow, relishing in its taste. Endorphins, adrenaline and terror give his blood a spicy kick that is intoxicating. It not only nourishes my body, it satisfies the beast as well.

I feel his heart flutter and stop beating. At that point, I stop feeding. I’m satiated and I don’t have time to do what it takes to get the remaining blood out of his body. I pick the deceased up, throw it over my shoulder and head back to the alley.

Once back to the area where the other three are, I drop the dead weight on top of the first kill and glide over to the one that I threw against the wall. He’s still out cold and probably would never wake up but I can’t take that chance. Part of my reason for being around so long is because I never, ever leave anyone behind that knows what I look like. I bend down; put my hands on either side of his head and twist sharply, breaking his neck, ending his life instantly.

I glance around, satisfied with the situation for the moment. It will have to eventually be cleaned up. I wipe the drying blood from my mouth as I head back into the main road where I left Brid and Dom. What can I say, being a vampire is messy.

As I round the corner I see Dom running towards one human that has obviously thrown a ninja star at him. How do I know that? The star is currently sticking out of his chest at heart level. Dom stops in front of his would be attacker, swings at his head with a fist, making contact at the side. Problem is in his rage Dom has forgotten to pull his punch. His fist not only makes contact with the humans head, it travels clear through it.

I watch as a look of disgust crosses Dom face at the mess he’s made of his hand. He pulls it out as fast as he sent it through, even before the body has started to fall to the ground. He starts shaking his hand violently back and forth trying, without success, to get the offending hair, skin bone, blood and brain matter off his hand.

So engrossed is he in his now blood and guts covered hand, he fails to hear Brid’s scream of anger. She stomps up and roughly shoves him to the ground.

I’m holding my sides, trying not to laugh out loud. I watch as she looks down at her shirt and back to her mate, the shirt now covered with blood, bone and brain matter. She takes two fingers, reaches down and pulls the shirt away from her skin. It makes an almost sucking sound as it releases from her skin. I can see the rage brewing in her eyes.

What comes out of Brid’s mouth next is nothing short of a verbal version of the 1666 fire in London, all of it in Gaelic. And yes, I was there for that. I watched in horror as the whole city burned to the ground. Sad story really. It was both a blessing and a curse for vampires. Plenty of food with that many people in such a small place, but we lost so many members of the London tribe as well. I bring my focus back to the present and stand back and let the drama that is Brid and Dom unfold. It is both an unending source of amusement and frustration for me at the same time. Don’t get me wrong, I consider them family and trust them implicitly, but sometimes . . . let’s just say my life is never boring with them around. Not that it is anyway. Boring well, what would be the point in living then?

Dom scoots across the ground like a crab, trying to stand at the same time. Brid follows him step for step, making sure to keep him off balance so that he can’t get up and make his escape. He stops short as the back of his head hits the garbage cans, making them rattle loudly. Too loudly actually. This is a small village and so far no one has come out to investigate the noises. And trust me there have been plenty and I want to keep it that way. There’s been enough death in this village for one day.

“Enough.” I hiss. “We’ve made too much noise already.” I smirk as two faces turn my way with looks of ‘how dare you interrupt’ on them. “Deal, you two. Brid you can plan his funeral later. We have a mess to clean up.”

She shoots me a look in response, but doesn’t move. It’s almost as if she’s trying to decide her next move. My gaze travels from her to Dom. I watch his facial expressions change from uncertainty to fear. Brid has a fairly long fuse, but once it’s lit? All I can say is get out of the way. A wicked smile comes to her face, signaling that a decision has been made and knowing her . . . well Dominic isn’t going to like it one bit.

Brid turns as if to head towards the two dead humans, but stops midstride, turns and plants her foot right on top of the ninja star, forcing it almost all of the way into Dom’s chest. He bites his lip, hard by the looks of it; blood is running down his chin, trying not to make any noise. A little whimper manages to escape his lips though. She leans down and whispers in his ear, “You owe me a new wardrobe for this.” Another groan escapes his lips. He knows as well as I do what that means. A trip to Paris. Dom hates Paris. It always costs him way too much money. Brid only wears haute couture.

Dom manages to squeak out “Yes, my love.” as Brid heads towards one of the dead humans. I snicker and walk over to him, reach down and pull the ninja star out.

“You’re getting off easy, you know.”

“Yeah, I know.”

I hold out my hand to help pull him up. Dom reaches out with the blood covered hand. I pull my hand back and arch my right eyebrow up.

Dom smiles sheepishly and shoves his other hand up towards me. I yank him up to his feet.

“Come on, Dom. We need to get this mess cleaned up and out of here before daybreak.” I head back towards the alley where my three dead humans are. Why is it I always manage to get the highest body count?

Just as I reach the corner of the building to head in to the alley I hear it. A groan from Dom followed by, “Can’t we just once pay to have someone else clean this up?”

To which Brid replies, clearly still very, very pissed. “No! How the hell would anyone get here in time anyway? You made the mess, now clean it up!”

The comments earn her a growl in response. I heard faint shuffling noises which mean that they are starting the gruesome process.

I snicker as I reach my own personal mess. Sometimes I wish we could to, but out here in the middle of nowhere, it’s just not an option. I lean down to the pile of bodies, trying to decide the best a quickest way to do this. When all is said and done, under no circumstances can it look like it the deaths were caused by vampires. Superstition runs high in this area.

I won’t bore you with the gory details of how we did it, but suffice it to say that just before dawn the mess is completely cleaned up and it can’t be linked back to the vampire nation. Hey, I told you I was good at what I do. Too good for some people’s tastes; vampire and human.

I head back into the main area to find Dom and Brid just finishing up as well. I glide over to them and look at their handy work. “Nice job. So where’s the one you punched your hand through, Dom?”

A disgusted look crosses his face. “You don’t want to know.”

I snicker back. “Really now?”

Brid flashes me a wicked smile. “Yeah, I made him dismember it and deposit it in the swamp that’s near here.”

“Ah so that’s why the smell of decay is so much stronger on him right now.” I can’t help it. He’s just too much fun to tease.

“Ha, Ha.” He storms off towards our rental car. Wonderful piece of crap that it is. But we couldn’t rent something conspicuous. “Can we get going please?” He glances from Brid and me to the lightening sky. The sun may not bother me but it does both of my companions. Another point that I will explain at another time when I’m not so tired. You see even among our kind, be it good or bad, I’m one of a kind.

I motion with my head towards the car and Brid and I head towards it. Dom climbs into the driver’s seat, starts the car and peals out, well tries to anyway, as soon as the passenger door is shut.

I try to relax and just enjoy the ride but the road is dirt so it’s full of ruts and potholes. Combine that with the string of obsinities that is literally pouring out of Dominic’s mouth, the long ride is looking to be not relaxing in the slightest.

After about fifteen minutes I huff and turn to look at him. “Knock it off Dom. We know the road is rough. Cussing every single second isn’t going to help; it’s just pissing me off.”

He glares at me. “Well it wouldn’t be such a problem if you’d let me rent a Land cruiser.” I smile a little at the venom in his voice.

“You know why we couldn’t. Deal.”

“They aren’t conspicuous.” He just won’t let it go.

I let out the breath I was holding, “Uh, huh. We’re going to a village that has mostly dirt floors in the little huts and you don’t think a Land Cruiser would stick out?”

Brid starts chuckling. “Oh, come on Aoife. You know him. It has to be fast and shiny.”

I turn to look at her. “Yeah, I know. There are three of them sitting in the garage at home.” Brid lives for designer clothes, Dom does cars.

What can I say? Me, just a quiet month at home would be nice, but I haven’t had one of those in I can’t remember when. Don’t get me wrong, I wear only designer as well, but I prefer to keep it comfortable.

The rest of the ride is relatively quiet. Dom pulls up in front of the hotel we are staying at just as the sun hits the front of the building. Both cringe in pain, their hands fly up in a vain attempt to block the sun as they almost storm the front doors. Like I said before, the sun doesn’t bother me so I make sure the car is secure before I head in.

By the time I reach the room, both are practically naked, trying to cool their rapidly overheating bodies down. I guess I should stop and explain here, no vampires to do burst into flame the moment the sun reaches them; no we do not lose our super human strength either. Sorry but Bram Stoker got it wrong. It does though; make us very, very ill. The sun rapidly dehydrates us, causing the blood lust to rise and if we are out in it for long enough, it will kill us. Just one of several things that can do that. No we are not invincible, although many seem to think that I am.

I decide to take pity on them and go over to the air conditioner and turn in up, full blast. Then I head to the cooler that I brought in with me from the car and set it down on the bureau. I open it and take out three pints of blood. I hand them one each and open mine. I sit down in the one chair in the room and take a drink. A soft moan of pleasure escapes my lips as the blood flows down my throat, not only nourishing the physical need but the psychological one as well.

I lean back, my eyes closed, mouth open, fangs peeking out. Blood, even bagged gives a head rush when we’re over . . . well over anything. How much of one depends on how fresh it is. This was several days old so . . . let’s say at this point it meets the immediate needs and that’s just about it.

I open my eyes and look at Brid when she asks, “So when do we head back?” Her eyes are tinged with red that is rapidly fading from the blood that she just drank. She’s leaning against Dom’s chest. He’s planted himself up against the headboard.

“Well, I figured we’d wait until tonight and then catch the red eye to London.”

Both vampires’ groan. “The red eye? Come on Aoife. Can’t we charter a jet?” Dom pleads. At time’s he still has a hard time with crowds. Planes? Yeah, too many heartbeats in a small space. Hell, it even gets to me sometimes. But this was a low budget affair and I had to leave the personal jet at home. Fuel prices for the thing are killing me.

“Nope, sorry. Not in the budget on this one.”

“Wait, we need to stop in Paris first anyway.” Brid announces. Dom rolls his eyes. Luckily Brid doesn’t see him or it would cost him a lot more than the side trip is going to anyway.

I huff and shrug. “I was hoping that you’d forgotten about that.”

“No way, Aoife. He owes me.”

“For a shirt that you shouldn’t have worn hunting in the first place.” I respond dryly.

“Wait, Aoife’s right. Why do I have to pay for a shirt that I didn’t ruin? The bullet hole did.” Dom is glaring at his mate now.

She whips around, fire in her eyes and states through tightly gritted teeth. “True, but I didn”t put MY bloody hand through a human’s head!” By the end of the sentence she’s practically yelling.

I sigh and roll my eyes. Here we go again. Like I said life around them in never, ever dull. “Brid keep it down, we don’t need to draw attention to ourselves.”

She glares at me and crosses her arms in front of her chest. She then turns her attention back to Dom. “Trust me; it’s going to cost you.” That said, she stormed off into the bathroom, slamming the door behind her.

I snicker softly, “You’d better hope that she calms down before we get to Paris or it’s going to cost you plenty, Dom.” Exhaustion is starting to seep into my body; I haven’t really slept since we left Ireland.

“Yeah, I know. Can’t you just say we need to get back to the manor . . . please?” He says as he makes puppy dog eyes at me.

“Uh huh. Yeah, no not going to happen, it’s fashion week starting tomorrow, you know she never misses that. Besides I need to see my tailor and get some new outfits made anyway. You’ll live. Besides you have always liked the view.”

He gives me a look and his response is almost a whisper. “Shhhhh, are you trying to get me into more trouble?”

My eyes sparkle with amusement, “Dominic, you manage to do that all by yourself on a daily basis.” I stand and head towards the hotel room door, just as Brid comes out of the bathroom, now dressed in a pair of pj shorts and a tank top that leaves nothing to the imagination. I watch as Dom’s eyes flash in desire.

Brid sees it too and gives him a sultry smile. “Yes, you can do penance. Come here.” She crooks her finger at him.

I laugh hard as I open the door and head out to go to my room. I truly feel sorry for whoever is in the room next to them. I just hope they remember to keep the bloodbath to a minimum. I hate paying the cleanup bill after them.

I unlock my room’s door and head inside, making a beeline to the ac and crank it up to maximum. At my age, cold is almost as important as blood. And just in case you’re wondering, I’m very, very old. A lady never tells her true age, but I will forever look like I’m about 26.

I head into the bathroom and start the shower. I desperately need to wash the day’s events off my body. It’s always been one thing that I have never been able to handle. I just can’t stand to have the smell of death on me, to the point of making me nauseous, if it could that is. I guess that it’s one of my coping mechanisms. I deal with death on a daily basis just because of what I am. It was one of the hardest parts for me to get used to once I was turned, having to kill beings that I used to be just like just to live. My compromise used to be to just kill those that didn’t deserve to live anyway. But after what happened to me in 1908? And no you don’t get to ask questions about that. A tale for another time. But as a result of what happened for the most part now the thought of sinking my pearly whites into human flesh makes my skin crawl. I drink bagged or bottled instead. Not as satisfying, but a whole hell of a lot easier on my conscience.

My shower complete, I take some time to brush out my stick straight waist length raven colored hair. No need for a hairdryer, I prefer to let it air dry. The noise from hairdryers is, to say the least very, very hard on my extremely sensitive ears. Walking out of the bathroom, I flop down on the bed sighing. Another job complete. Time to call it in. I lean over, grab my Blackberry and dial a very familiar number. It’s answered on the second ring. “The hunters in China are eliminated.” I say to what most would say would be air but I can hear the faint rustle of paper and pen scratching on said paper. I just don’t understand why they don’t use a computer. Heaven forbid they come into the modern age.

“Elimination noted. Continue to track all current subjects. No further action is required at this time.” A disembodied male voice tells me. I could swear if I didn’t know any better, he was truly a walking corpse as his voice holds no emotion what so ever. I hear the phone disconnect.

I place my phone back on the table and roll over on my back. So I get at least a day or two off. Paris here I come. I feel sleep overtaking me and I let it knowing that in the evening I have a very long and uncomfortable plane ride on my hands.

Beth glided past Mick to the small table that was next to the far wall past the freezer, stopping on her way by to give him a tender kiss. She set the tray down and joined Mike and Selene who had stopped to stand next to the doctor who was currently gazing through the frosted glass.

After a few moments Selene turned and hung the clothes on the hook next to the door. She snickered softly as she noticed the room no longer held a urinal. Mick looked at her, questioningly, one eyebrow arching up.

Selene shook her head in response, smiling. “Nothing, Mick.” She replied softly.

Beth glided back over to her husband, placed her hands on his shoulders and started rubbing them. He bent his head back into her chest in response, now purring. Beth leaned down and gave him another kiss, smiling. “You like this, huh?”

“Uh huh.” Came his contented reply.

Selene had wandered back to stand next to Mike. Asking softly, “Has there been any change?”

Mike reached up and rubbed his hands across his face. “No. Nothing. Her body is completely healed; she should be awake by now.” He stomped over to the table in frustration, picked up the glass rather forcefully, filled it with blood and took a long drink. As he looked back towards the freezer, Beth could have sworn that there were unshed tears in his eyes.

Beth looked at Selene, her face laced with worry, noting that Selene’s face mirrored her own. She leaned down to place one last tender kiss on Mick’s lips, motioned silently to Selene, who headed towards the door and followed Beth out.

Mick sighed, stood and went to the table to get his drink which he picked up after pouring a healthy amount and headed back to his seat. He turned it so that the back faced towards the freezer, giving him something to lean against.

“Hey, man. She’ll wake up.” Mick said, not quite sure who he was trying to reassure, Mike or himself.

“Yeah. I know. Just wish it was sooner rather than later.” Mike had taken his spot next to the freezer again. He stared at Aoife, willing her to awaken.

Little did both men know that at that very moment Aoife was rocketing towards consciousness. Her body was hungry and it was responding to the smell of the blood in the air. Suddenly her eyes snapped open. She lied still as a statue, trying to get her bearings. She smiled for a second but it quickly turned to almost a look of terror as she realized the both Mick and Mike were in the room and she could tell that they had been for some time. Fuck! I do NOT want to have to go through the god damn fledgling bloodlust again! She thought as a severe case of blood lust hit her.

She kicked the latch on the freezer, sitting up in time with the lid opening. She chuckled as she saw the shocked looks on the two male vampire’s faces. “Nice to see you, boys.”

Neither made any effort to move, both dumbfounded.

Aoife was getting desperate. “Hey!”

“Aoife?” Mick finally managed to squeak out.

“Last time I checked I was.” She wrapped her arms around her legs, trying to stay calm. “Can one you please get me a glass of blood? I’m dying here.”

“Yeah sure.” Mike stood so fast that the chair he was sitting in slid across the room and into the wall. He quickly poured a glass and handed it to Aoife.

She snatched it out of his hands and downed it in one gulp, handing it back to him immediately. “What?” Mike asked.

“Refill it. I’m going to fucking kill Vlad myself. God damn fledgling blood lust.” Mike refilled the glass and handed it back to her.

Mick’s eyebrows furrowed in concern at the mention of Vlad’s name. “So he did have something to do with it.”

Aoife twisted in the freezer to face her turn. “Yes.” He could plainly see the pain in her eyes. He just wasn’t sure if it was from the blood lust or what she had went through.

“Fledgling blood lust?” Mike asked, concern filling his voice. “And you know this how?”

Aoife glanced sideways at Mike. “Oh come on, you don’t remember what the blood lust felt like right after you were turned?”

Mike refilled the glass for the third time. “I try not to.” He said as he handed her the glass.

After she had drained the glass again, she set the glass down in the freezer and wrapped both her arms around her legs, trying to shield her naked body from two sets of eyes.

“Aoife, what’s wrong?” Mick asked, noting the frustration rolling off his sire.

“Oh gee, I don’t know. Could it be that I’m sitting in this freezer NAKED while two male vampires are in the room.” She snapped back. Wonderful. Newbie temper tantrums. I do not have time for this.

Mike couldn’t help it, he started laughing, hard. Aoife turned her head and glared at him. “What the hell is so fucking funny?!” Aoife screamed.

“Aoife McClellan, fledgling. Oh this is just priceless.” Mike snarked back.

Aoife started to vault out of the freezer to come after Mike but stopped halfway out remembering that she still had no clothes on. Instead she pointed towards the door, “OUT!!!” She yelled, furious.

Mike stood his ground, just on principle. “Not until I check you out.” He stated. Mick, being more in tune with Aoife than Mike was at that particular moment, stood and headed towards the door.

“Mike, come on. Let her get cleaned up and dressed. You can check her out after.” Mick turned the handle on the freezer door, pulled it open and stepped out.

Aoife picked up the glass and held it up in preparation to throw it. She growled and said through teeth that were held tightly together. “Out. Mike. Now.”

Seeing the look on her face, Mike decided that he had pushed her enough for now. “Yeah, yeah.” he said as he headed out the door. It slammed shut as soon as he was over the threshold.

“Seriously, Mike. Did you have to do that?” Mick asked exasperation plainly evident in his voice as the two men headed down the stairs to the living room.

Mick headed to the couch where Beth sat and laid down, his head in her lap. “And yes before anyone asks, she’s awake.”

In response the shower could be heard coming on.

“So how is she?” Beth asked. She’d taken to brushing her fingers through the front of Mick’s hair absentmindedly.

“Currently? She’s pissed. She seems to have a case of fledglingitis.” Mike responded, snickering to himself for his cleverness.

“Fledglingitis? What the hell is that?” Selene looked at Mike, incredulous.

“The inflammation of a fledgling. Wow, never heard of that one before, Mike.” Beth responded, a sarcastic tone filling her voice.

“Well, yeah. Just made it up.”

“That’s just stupid, Mike.” Selene sat in Kraven’s lap, glaring at Mike, her arms crossed over her chest.

Mike shrugged his shoulders in response. He sat down at the kitchen table, reaching around to turn his laptop on.

The shower turned off. Kusabana glanced up from her book, a faint and sad smile gracing her lips. The empath in her could feel the struggle in her dear friend.

Aoife stepped out of the shower, pulled a towel off the rack and wrapped her hair up. She then picked up a second one from the chair and dried her body off, noting how extra sensitive her skin was. Crap. I hope this doesn’t last long. I loathed going through it the first time. Padding to the bathroom counter, she picked up the hair dryer, turned it on and defogged the mirror. She turned the dryer back off and set it back down on the counter. Aoife then reached up and snaked the turban off her head letting her raven hair cascade down her back. Leaning on both arms to get closer to the mirror she took a good look at her reflection. She frowned at herself, not liking what she saw. Her eyes were still tinged yellow, her skin was paler than she would have liked and there were dark circles under her eyes.

She huffed in frustration, pushed off the counter and headed back into the freezer room, running her fingers through her hair as she did to remove any rats.

Once inside she picked up the clean set of clothes that she had noticed hanging on the hook near the door on the way out to the shower. Tears started threatening to fall when she picked them up. It was one of her favorite sets of yoga pants, tank top and hoodie. There was even a bra and matching thong. The outfit came from her home in the hills. Home. The only place she really wanted to be right then, but Aoife knew that her family was waiting downstairs for some sort of explanation. She let the tears fall unbidden not sure how much was truly an emotional release and how much was because of her current state.

Pulling the clothes on, she headed out of the freezer room and into the master bedroom. She noticed the set of stairs in the far corner. She stood for a moment contemplating and then glided over to them and then slowly climbed up them.

The stairs opened up to the very roof of the building. She walked out and stood near the edge looking out towards the ocean.

Aoife sighed and smiled slightly at the long missed tickle in her head.

Aoife?

Do you want to talk? Aoife smiled again at the question.

When did you become me?

Mick laughed. I haven’t. Just anxious I guess.

Okay. Came his soft reply. Aoife held her arms across her shoulders, staring out into the night, knowing what she needed to do, wanting to tell them yet dreading the conversation at the same time.

“Okay, I know that look St. John.” Mick looked up at Beth.

“What look?” He raised one eyebrow.

“The ‘I’m having a private conversation with Aoife’ look.” Beth responded.

”Ah. Didn’t know I had a look for that.”

“Well you do. You always look like you’re off in space somewhere.”

“Well good to know . . . I guess.” The comment earned him a cuff across the head.

“So what did she say?” Selene asked, barely containing her excitement.

”She said that she’d be down in a little while. She needs to gather her thoughts.” Mick answered.

“She’s had three years to do that.” Mike groused softly. Selene shot him a look.

While the conversation had gone on, Kusabana had quietly set her book down in the library and headed up the stairs. She followed Aoife’s scent and found her still standing on the ledge.

“Hello, Kusabana.” Aoife said without turning around.

“Hello young one.” Kusabana floated up and stood next to the younger vampire. “You seem troubled.”

“More like scared out of my mind.”

“Why?”

“I have my family down there waiting for me to explain why I left like I did. I just don’t know if I have the strength in me to tell them.”

“Why?”

Aoife turned to look at the ancient vampire. “Because, I feel like a fledgling right now. I don’t know if I can keep it together for long enough to get it out.”

“And that’s the only reason?” Kusabana’s gaze was passive.

“No, you know it’s not. Kusabana, I hurt them all, badly. Very badly. I know that. But I did what I had to do to protect them all. I just don’t know if they will understand it.”

“Aoife, don’t underestimate them. Right now they have nothing to go on. Just speculation. Once you explain it, I’m sure they will understand and forgive you. Because isn’t that the main reason you’re balking?”

“What?” Aoife hated how the elder vampire could always see right through her.

“You don’t know if they will forgive you or not. Again, don’t underestimate them.” With that Kusabana turned and headed towards the stairs. “Don’t make them or yourself wait too much longer, Aoife.” She pulled the door open and went through.

Aoife sighed heavily, jumped off the ledge and followed Kusabana down the stairs.

She stopped at the top of the stairs, willing the butterflies that had formed in the pit of her stomach away with no avail. As she stepped from the landing to the first step she could feel seven sets of eyes on her. Not daring to look at them just yet, she held her gaze on the steps as she slowly descended them, mentally counting the number of steps to give her mind something to do other than think of possible ways the conversation could go a foothold.

Once down the stairs, she headed straight to the hidden fridge, pulled out a carafe, set in on the counter and pulled a zombie glass out of the cupboard. She filled the glass, picked it up and down it in one long gulp. She the glass down poured another and then placed the carafe back in the fridge. She stood facing the counter away from the living room until Beth asked, “Aoife? Is everything okay?”

Sighing, Aoife turned and padded into the living room. She took a spot on the far end of the couch nearest to the fireplace. “I’m not sure yet, Beth. Ask me that again in a while.” Aoife never raised her eyes from the glass.

Impatience had taken Mike over like the green eyed monster. He wanted to know why Aoife had abandoned them, no him the way she did. And he wanted to know now. “So out with it, Aoife. What the hell happened?” His voice held a hard edge to it, one that Aoife hadn’t heard in a very long time. One that told her how much he had been hurting.

She finally raised her head and looked at the assembled group of people. Aoife noted the look of hurt, disbelief and relief that was held in each and every one of their faces. It hurt her all the more knowing she was the reason that it was there. She fought desperately to control her emotions that thanks to her condition were barreling towards a train wreck with no signs of stopping. Vlad will pay with his life for the pain he has caused MY family.

“Well?” Mike said, controlled anger tingeing his voice.

Aed strolled in from the balcony, carrying his usual air of supremacy that absolutely drove Aoife crazy. “So Eva, care to share?”

The next thing Aed knew he was a foot off the floor against one of the columns with Aoife’s hand around his neck. He looked into her now pure white eyes not missing the turmoil that brewed there.

She squeezed his windpipe resulting in his chiseled features to grimace in pain as she hissed out at him, “Do. Not. Ever. Call. Me. That. Again.” To make her point abundantly clear she squeezed harder until she felt the windpipe crush. She pulled her hand away abruptly letting her sire fall unceremoniously to the floor.

Aed just sat on the floor where he landed, rubbing his neck. Kusabana floated to him and handed the old king a glass of blood to aid the healing. She chuckled softly. “She has warned you Aed.” All he could do is nod in response.

Aoife was now standing by the windows, looking out, her hold on her emotions and maybe even her sanity hanging by a thread. Mick had sat up when his sire had attacked hers and now quietly made his way to her side. “Aoife?” He asked, his voice almost a whisper.

She sighed and gave him a sideways glance. “No, Mick. I’m not fine. I don’t think I’ve ever felt this way.”

Mike felt the anger that he had clung to for dear life quickly slipping from his grasp. What the hell did they do to her? He glided over and stood on the other side of Aoife. “What do you feel like?”

“That’s just it. I don’t fucking know. Not like a fledgling, more like . . .” She stopped trying to find the words to describe it. “More like a stranger in my own body.”

‘How can anyone feel like that?” Selene questioned, confusion gracing her beautiful face.

Aoife turned and gave Mick a half smile and glided back into the living room retaking her spot on the couch. She picked up the glass that she had set down on the coffee table when she went after Aed and finished it off. She just held it, looking off into space. Now she was getting frustrated that she couldn’t seem to put two coherent thoughts together.

“Aoife?” Beth asked as she reached out and touched her teacher on the arm.

“Yes, Beth.” Came Aoife’s soft reply.

“Ummm. Why did you attack Aed?”

Aoife fought the laugh that was trying to bubble its way out but finally gave up. It started as a giggle and quickly grew into a side splitting laugh.

Aed glared at his turn and stated rather gruffly, “It’s not funny, Aoife.”

It took her a minute or two, but Aoife finally managed to get herself under control. “I’ve warned him way too many times about calling me that.”

“What? Eva?” Beth queried.

“Yes, that.” Aoife sighed again; the laughter had seemed to help somehow. Well they say laughter is the best medicine for a reason.

“Why?”

“Eva is the Anglicanized form of my name, Beth. I was forced to be called that by the Brits as a young woman. Aoife is Gaelic and we were forbidden to speak Gaelic or to practice our faith. It was Catholic or nothing.”

You could almost see the light bulb go on above Beth’s head. “Ohhh. So Aed was disrespecting you when he called you Eva.”

“Exactly.”

Aed humphed. “I was not. I was trying to lighten the mood.”

Aoife turned her head towards the kitchen where Aed was leaning against the counter. “Uh huh. No you weren’t. You were trying to get a rise out of me.”

A knowing smirk flitted across the ancient vampire’s face. “It worked didn’t it?”

“Oh for the love of . . . “ Aoife rolled her eyes.

“Is he always like that?” Beth wondered out loud.

An emphatic “YES.” Came from Aoife, Mike, Selene, Kraven and Kusabana all at the same time. Aed’s smirk grew into a smile.

“Hey, what can I say, it’s a gift.”

“More like a curse.” Aoife shot back.

Aoife glanced over towards the windows overlooking the balcony and at Mike. He hadn’t moved since he’d gone over to her.

She shook her head, feeling the maelstrom of feelings that were filling his head. Taking a cleansing breath she said. “I’m not sure exactly where to begin.”

Mike whipped around and stalked back into the living room stopping in front of her, the anger and hurt fighting for dominance. “Gee, Aoife. I don’t maybe why the FUCK you left us to begin with?”

Aoife shot up from her position on the couch, shoving Mike back into the coffee table causing him to stumble and fall onto it. She glared at him and yelled back, “You think I WANTED to leave?! That I planned on just up and disappear on all of you?! Especially on such a special day?! GO TO HELL, MICHAEL!”

Not deterred, Mike stood up and planted himself so that there were two inches between them. “THEN WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED!”

Aoife didn’t fight the tears that she had been holding back for three years as they started to fall. Softly she said, “It was either leave and never see you all again or watch all of you be killed.”

“What?!” Came from every person in the room.

To Mick it felt like all of the air in the room had been sucked out with that sentence. Aoife just stood, looking at the ground. “Aoife, please. What happened?”

Aoife lifted her face partway to look into Mick’s currently green tinged with brown eyes. The color they usually were when he was upset. She took a deep breath as she slowly sank down into the couch again. “Remember when I said that I had forgotten something in my room?”

“Yeah, of course. It was the last time we saw you until today.” Mick responded.

“Well I walked into an ambush.”

“An ambush? How? I had bodyguards positioned at all points of entry, Aoife.” Josef stated, his voice laced with anger that his people had failed him.

“They landed on the opposite side of the island, Josef. That’s how they got me out.”

Josef’s eyes flashed from their normal color to white and back again.

“So why kidnap you?” Kraven asked.

“To get me out of the picture. At the time I didn’t know who was behind it; I just knew that it seemed to be a personal vendetta against me. They knew that the only way to get me to cooperate was to make sure that I knew that if I didn’t all of your lives would be forfeit.”

Mick fought to keep the ever present rage in check. Beth felt him tense up and in response she pulled him into her embrace, hugging him tightly. She felt his body slowly unclench somewhat, signaling that the hug had had its desired effect. “Aoife, why didn’t you contact me telepathically? We could have rescued you.”

“I couldn’t. They had brought a psychic null with them. She did a real number on me too. Was sick for weeks.”

“What’s a psychic null?” Beth’s couldn’t help it. Her reporter instinct had kicked in.

Kusabana explained. “A psychic null is just what it sounds like Beth. The have the innate ability to block psychic abilities like telepathy.” She turned her head towards Aoife. “What did she look like?”

Aoife thought for a moment, “She was short, about 5’2” I’d say, short red hair that had blond highlights all over it. Her eyes were so brown that they almost looked black.”

Kusabana nodded. “Jade.”

“Huh?” Aoife answered back.

“Jade. She was one of Vlad’s favorite freshies. But she was past what he considered prime feeding material. Now I know why he kept her.”

“Wonderful. So I was forced to sit and listen to their offer.”

“Which was . . .” Mike was now leaning forward, his behind almost falling off the coffee table.

“Go with them and never have any contact with any of you ever again and . . .” Aoife let her voice trail off. How did she explain the next part?

The light bulb went off above Beth’s head again. “Wait! You were human when I saw you two days ago!”

“Yes I was.”

Beth’s face lit up like a Christmas tree. “See, I told you I talked to her.” Beth glared at her husband who was now standing near the fireplace.

Aoife chuckled. “They didn’t believe you did they.”

“Nope.”

“You’ve come along way Beth.” Beth would have blushed if she could have.

“They turned you human?!” Mike asked, disbelief written all over his face.

“Yeah. That was the other part of the deal with the devil. I had to let them try an experimental drug on me that would if it worked make me permanently human at best, at worst kill me.”

“Again, why didn’t you figure out a way to let us know so we could help you?” Mick ground out, his voice a cross between a hiss and a growl. His arms were crossed over his chest in a defensive posture, his brow scrunched together.

Aoife stood again and started pacing behind the couch. She stopped and faced him. “Damn it Mick! I couldn’t reach you telepathically! Trust me on this. They had enough vampire mercenaries there to take all of you out! None of you would have made it through the day alive if I hadn’t agreed to they’re demands!” She angrily wiped away the tears flowing down her face before she continued. In a shaky voice she continued, “I promised to keep you all safe no matter the cost, even if the cost was never seeing any of you again. I wasn’t going to go back on that promise.” Aoife’s voice dropped to a whisper. “I wouldn’t have been able to live with myself if you all had died.”

“We could have taken care of ourselves!” Mick almost roared back.

Aoife kept her voice low and even. “No, Mick. I had a split second to make the decision. The mercenaries were in place to take you all out if I hesitated. Trust me, I saw them. Just as you’ll have to trust me now to know that it was the only decision I could have made.”

The group sat in stunned silence for several minutes. Mick finally broke the silence. “When did the give you the compound?”

“Before I left. Threw me into convulsions, the pain was almost unbearable. Almost felt like someone was ripping me in half. Why?”

“Because for the whole time you were gone until last night, it felt like you were gone but yet you weren’t.” Mick just stared at his sire for a moment. “I felt it happen. The moment they killed you.”

Aoife smiled softly. “Well I never thought I’d hear you say that returning human was killing someone.”

Mick fought the smile that was threatening to break free, finally giving up and letting it. “Yeah well, Beth’s not the only one that’s come a long way.”

“So I see.” Mick glided the two paces and pulled his sire in for a long overdue hug.

Mick released Aoife after a minute as Beth caught his attention mouthing the word ‘dream’ to him. “Aoife, were you unable to do telepathy until yesterday?”

Aoife had moved to stand next to Mike. She was absentmindedly rubbing his shoulders. Mike was so caught up in the conversation that he failed to register what she was doing, he just started purring quietly. Aoife looked down, smiled and said nothing about her mate’s reaction. “Well, for the most part of the last three years yes. Like I said that psychic null did a real number on me.”

“What about several days ago?” Mick prodded.

“What about it?” Damn, they figured it out.

“I had a dream three days ago about a conversation that you and I had about how I would handle you being gone from my life.”

“Mick, we don’t dream.” Aoife reminded him.

“I know that. I hadn’t thought of that conversation for ever until that night. Why?” Mick implored.

Aoife stopped rubbing Mike’s shoulders, causing him to snap his head to look at her, realization written on his face. He reached up and took one of her hands in his. Relief washed over her. She had a lot of fences to mend with him, but if this was any indication at least he would listen to her. “You’ve got to understand, my every move for three years has been monitored. My cell records dumped, my phone tapped, bugs in my apartment, my laptop hacked into on a regular basis. I just couldn’t take the chance contacting you. But three days ago the pain you were in, it was so very strong, it managed to get through to me. I couldn’t call you, so I did the only thing that I could do. I pulled the memory up for you, hoping that it would give you some comfort.”

“More like scared the shit out of me.”

“I’m sorry, Mick. That was never my intention.”

“I know, Aoife. Who knew three days later that you’d be here?” Beth had gone to Mick when he mentioned the dream and was now standing in front of him, his arms wrapped around her waist, hers setting on top of his. He leaned in and placed a quick peck on her cheek.

“Yeah, who knew?” Aoife said dryly.

“So what happened last evening? Who attacked you? Why did they want you dead all of a sudden?” Josef launched the questions at Aoife in quick succession.

“You mean after Beth talked to me?” Josef nodded. All eyes were on Aoife anxiously awaiting her answer.

Aoife laughed nervously. “I don’t know why Vlad wanted me dead all of a sudden. You’ll have to fill me in on what you all have been doing.”

“How do you know that Vlad . . . “Aoife held her hand up to stop Mick’s question.

“Let me explain, Mick.” She took a deep breath. “After I left Pershing Square I headed home. I just couldn’t bear to be in the apartment right then so I decided to go to the beach. I stayed there until it was almost dark. Funny thing is I felt them even before I saw them.”

“So who were they?” Selene asked.

“Davis and his roving morons.” Both Selene and Kraven gave a little snicker at Aoife’s description.

“You knew them?”

“Yes, Mick. They worked for Vlad. Davis falls into the ‘why the hell would you turn this monster’ category. He was a serial killer before he was turned. He was Vlad’s turn, I think.” She looked over at Kusabana and Aed for confirmation.

Aed nodded his head in affirmation. “Yep. I could have killed Vlad when he did it too. Davis had been a constant irritation from day one. Definitely not sorry to see him gone.”

“Anyway, they attacked me, hell you all saw what they did to me. I was ready to die, as long as it meant you all could live, then some part of me registered what Davis was saying about all of you.”

Mick’s eyebrow arched up in the unspoken question.

“He said that once I was dead that they were going to kill all of you . . . on Vlad’s orders.” Aoife took another big breath. “I guess I never was really human after all. That when it came right down to it when my body was almost dead, the virus woke up. I remember a burning sensation radiating out from my heart. Then the rage hit. I couldn’t control it and I didn’t try too. I think the only thing I didn’t do to them was bite them. The thought of their blood in my system even repulsed me in that state.” She paused for another moment or two and then continued. “Once they were dead I managed to get some kind of control over myself and made it here.”

Mike had been silently watching Aoife the whole time. He could tell the toll that telling the story was taking on her both emotionally and physically. She was beginning to have a hard time standing upright. He watched as she padded the few steps to the sofa and flopped down on it.

“Aoife, you okay?” Beth asked.

“Just exhausted, Beth.”

“So where do we go from here?” Selene wondered. Her face held the look of concern. She too couldn’t help but notice how tired her friend looked.

Mike stood, leaned down and placed a kiss on the top of Aoife’s head. “Everyone goes to bed, that’s what.” The faint hint of a smile graced his lips as he watched Aoife fight a gallant battle against the exhaustion overwhelming her.

“But we need to figure out what our next move is.” Beth responded. She was still in a state of shock at how weak Aoife seemed. She’d never seen her this way.

“Patience, young one. We have time.” Kusabana answered softly.

“But . . .” Mick cut Beth off with a kiss. She took the hint and didn’t finish the sentence.

Aoife lifted head with some effort and looked at Beth. “Kusabana’s right. We have time to plan this right. Vlad thinks I’m dead and he knows that it would take time to take all of you out.”

“And he knows this how, exactly?” Aed asked, dryly.

“Because Davis took pictures of me and sent them to Vlad right before I attacked him.” Aoife replied. She lifted her head up to look into Mikes’ eyes. “Mike, please. Take me home.”

“Your wish, your highness is my command.” Mike held out his hand to her, which she took and pulled Aoife up to a standing position. As he led her to the front door he said over his shoulder, “Bed all of you. Doctor’s orders.” He shut the door behind them, wrapped his arm around Aoife’s waist as he led her to the elevator. He pushed the button, the door opened and he helped her into the elevator. The door shut with a cheerful ding causing Aoife to cringe. “Still overly sensitive huh?”

“Yeah. It’s getting better though.” Aoife placed her head on Mike’s shoulder. “Mike?”

The elevator dinged announcing that they had reached they’re destination.

“Yep.” He bent down and swooped Aoife up into his arms.

“I really am sorry.” Tears started to flow down her face. Mike reached up and wiped them away with his thumb.

“I know you are.” He reached down and opened the door to the car and set her in the seat. He did her seatbelt, shut the door and walked to the driver’s side. He opened his door, climbed in, shut the door, put the key in the ignition and started the car.

“Mike?” Aoife whispered.

Mike looked over at the love of his life. “Shhhhh. We’ll talk after you’ve rested.” He could tell she was losing the battle with sleep. Her head kept nodding up and down.

“I meant what I said, before.”

“Meant what? That you’re sorry? I know that.”

“No, that I love you.” The words were slightly slurred since she was three quarters asleep, but Mike didn’t miss them.

“I love you too.” He whispered back. He wasn’t sure if she had heard him since she looked like she had fallen asleep but it had almost looked like she had smiled at his words.

Mike drove in silence through the twilight towards Aoife’s house in the Hollywood Hills, his hand resting on her thigh, wondering what the next day would bring.

I guess that I should back up and explain. I have a new fledgling in my house. Well not mine, my turns. Anyway, since he’s so new to being the kind of vampire that I am, I decided to teach them both what it was to be my particular kind of vampire. Mind you, Mick has been one for 55+ years now; well a vampire anyway, new to my kind. So he obviously wasn’t starting from scratch. Beth, on the other hand, is another story completely. She is truly a fledgling.

And with being a fledgling comes lots and lots and lots of learning. It is truly starting your life over. All the rules that applied before? Yeah, they go out the door the minute you take your first drop of vampire blood into your mouth.

Mick has been doing an admirable job with teaching Beth the basics, I will be the first to admit that. But there has been one subject that he has staunchly refused to broach. The subject of feeding fresh.

Yes, yes I know that I no longer do and neither does he. And if Beth chooses not to . . . well that has to be her decision; not his and not mine.

Believe me I tried to discuss it with him . . . several times. I swear sometimes Mick isn’t a vampire, he’s a brick wall. So, I did what I thought was best. I called my connection that I use for getting freshies for my annual ceilli, without telling Mick of course.

So I wasn’t surprised when Mick came storming into my study the day the male freshies arrived. He came in, eyes blazing, his anger palpable.

“Aoife. Why are there male freshies in the freshie wing?”

I looked up from my research, trying to keep my face calm looking. “It’s time Beth learned to feed from humans, Mick.” I continued to stare at him passively, knowing the barrage that was coming. I could feel his anger start to boil.

“What?!” Mick started pacing near the fireplace in the opposite end of the study. He turned to me, his eyes flowing from they’re normal hazel to pale white. “Why? She’s fine. She doesn’t need to know how to do that.”

I stood and walked over to him, purposely standing in his path, forcing him to stop in front of me. “Yes, she does. Mick feeding fresh or not has to be her choice, not yours. And the only way she can truly decide for herself is if she does it.”

Mick turned to stare into the fire. “She does. From me when we make love.”

I crossed my arms across my chest. “Not the same thing and you know it.”

Mick turned abruptly and stalked to the couch, throwing himself down onto it. “I won’t allow it.”

Now my anger was rising. “YOU won’t allow it?! Mick, how many times have you gotten a fledgling through the early stages?”

“Never.” His eyes held a steely glint, challenging me.

“So your expertise on this comes from where exactly?” I stood in front of him, glaring. My worst fears realized. He was going to fight me on it tooth and claw.

“Aoife, in this day and age she doesn’t have to.” Came his weak answer.

I decided to try another tactic. “Mick, how many times have you needed to feed off someone just in order to stay alive?”

“Just the one time.” He hesitated, his mind wandering back. “From her.”

“I’ve had to over the centuries so many times that I’ve lost count. And in every one of those cases, I didn’t want to kill the donor. I just wanted to live.”

“Soooo.” I could see the wheels turning in his head.

“I certainly didn’t want it to hurt them anymore than it had to. So in order to do that I needed to know how to do it right.”

“I’m sorry, but I don’t see how Beth would ever get into that kind of situation.” Mick was now staring off into space, not looking at me.

“Mick, be serious. She’s a danger magnet. What you do for a living is far from the safest choice in the world; or mine for that matter and she’s involved in both. At some point there is a very real possibility that she will need to.”

“I find that hard to believe.” He said, looking me straight in the eye.

I threw my hands up, turned and headed back to my desk and leaned on it. “You truly think that? Come on Mick, there is no way you are that naive.”

I decided that if he wouldn’t tell me one way why he was so against Beth learning how to feed properly, then I would try another way. I gently probed his mind. I didn’t have to get very far in to discover his reasons. On the top of the list, yeah you guessed it, Coraline.

A small smile crept onto my passive face. He looked at me, dread filling his handsome features. “Mick. How did Coraline teach you to feed?”

I saw the fear, pain and loathing creep into his eyes. He started to look around the room, anywhere but at me. “She didn’t. When I was with her, especially at first all I fed from where unwilling innocents.”

“So when did you learn?” I sighed inwardly thinking yet again how Coraline should have never turned anyone. Being a sire is a huge responsibility and she didn’t have the patience, understanding or know how. She was just too much of a twisted individual. I found myself yet again in awe of the young vampire in front of me, who in spite of everything, had managed to make it through in one piece. I would have to have a talk with Josef at some point, how much he had taught Mick.

“Josef taught me the first time that I left Coraline and stayed at his place. He just about ripped my head off the first time I fed off of one of his freshies and almost killed her.” My mind wandered back to a party at Josef’s right about the time there was the big push in the human world regarding free range and bred chickens. He had said something to the effect, “There is no way I’m letting free range onto my menu. God, you don’t know where they’ve been or what they’ve been eating.” To which I reminded him that they were ALL free range until they signed with him. He looked at me totally aghast. “I DO NOT drink straight from the street . . . ever.” So yeah, I just bet he did just about rip Mick’s head off, literally.

I chuckled softly at the memory. “I just bet he did.” I stood thinking for a moment and then decided to sit next to him on the couch before I asked the next question. “Mick, did it make sense to you why he taught you how to do that?”

“Well, yeah. Of course it did. Bagged wasn’t really an option then.”

“And at some point it may not be again. She has got to know how.”

Mick shook his head. “No.” He said softly.

“Why do you feel that feeding from a freshie is cheating, Mick?”

His eyes widened in surprise. “I never said that.”

“Not in words, you haven’t. But in actions, yes you have.” I sat waiting for the tirade that I knew was coming.

Mick stood and glided to the window to look out. “I don’t know, Aoife.” He stated softly. “I know it’s not, I mean, we don’t have emotional attachments to our food . . . but.”

“But what, dear heart?” I prodded gently.

He turned to look at me, tears glistening in his eyes. “It’s not me that her fangs will be in, damn it. It’ll be some unknown male. . . and the look on his face will be one of pure bliss and he’ll probably cum.” His voice was laced with pain.

“Coraline fed and fucked freshies in front of you, didn’t she.” It wasn’t a question. Seamus had once told me that she had done it in front of him. He had tried to stop her once and she staked him every time after that so she could torture him and have her fun at the same time.

Again came the saucer eyes. “How. . . how did you know about that?”

I smiled a half smile. “Seamus told me about it one time. He tried to stop her once. She staked him and fucked three then while he watched unable to move.”

Mick smiled grimly. “She had a definite pattern, didn’t she?”

“Yes, yes she did.” I walked over to him and placed my hand on his shoulder. “Mick, Beth is not Coraline. She’s already told me that she wants nothing to do with feeding fresh and I told her the same thing that I’ve told you. She has to know how, just in case.”

“Yeah, yeah.” He turned to watch the rain that was now falling run down the picture window.

Patting him once on the shoulder before I pulled my hand away, I said “Mick, why don’t you go talk to Beth about it. She needs to understand your feelings.”

“I don’t want to dredge up the past.”

“But if you don’t it will still continue to rule your present.” I watched him intently for a few minutes.

“Mick, I’m not doing this to hurt you. I’m doing it to make sure she’s fully ready to move around in our world.”

He turned and I pulled him in for a hug.

“Yeah, I know that too, Aoife. I just don’t know if I can handle it.” He pulled out of the hug and headed towards the door.

I stood holding one arm. “It’s only one week Mick. It will be over quickly. Look I’ll even teach her. You don’t even have to go into the freshie wing.”

“No, it’s my responsibility.” He reached down and turned the knob, opening the door. He turned and looked back at me one last time. “Does she really need to do this?”

“Yes, Mick she does.”

He took a deep steadying breath, nodded once and headed out the door.

One week later, Beth is an expert at feeding fresh. The freshies are gone and she’s back to drinking bottled. And Mick, he made it through without any major meltdowns. Oh there were a few minor ones, but all in all he didn’t do bad at all. And Beth, well there were a few missteps but no fatalities and she has stated unequivocally that she prefers feeding from a glass or syringe, much to Mick’s relief.

For me, I’m just glad it’s over. I never told him but that part of being a sire has always been my least favorite part. Teaching someone the nuances of pleasure is without a doubt a bitch and one that honestly I hope I never, ever have to do again.

Sighing loudly, Mike turned, set the glass in the sink and meandered into the living room, plopping down into one of the available chairs.

“Well?” Selene asked. Mike just stared into space.

Selene huffed in frustration at his unresponsiveness.. “Mike!” Kraven reached over and rubbed her thigh in silent reminder to have patience.

Josef, Mick and Beth walked back into the living room from the office where they had been trying to keep themselves distracted by tracing the money, hoping to find out what Vlad had been up to.

As Beth walked by, she reached over and patted Mike on the shoulder. The touch brought him out of his reverie. He turned and gave her a small smile.

“Welcome back to earth.” Kraven snarked.

“Ha ha.”

By now Mick and Beth had situated themselves on the couch and Josef was leaning on the kitchen island, glass of blood in hand. “How is she?” Mick asked softly. Beth leaned into him and pulled Mick’s free arm around her.

Mike sighed again. “Sleeping. Whoever did that to her did a real number.”

Just then Josef’s phone rang. “Kostan.” He listened for a moment. “Okay, thank you for the information. Send me the bill for now.” He slid his phone shut and looked at it grimly for a moment.

Beth asked, “Who was that Josef?”

“The Cleaner.”

“And . . .” Beth prodded, a note of frustration in her voice.

“She got the alley cleaned up. She said that there had been three vampires, but all that was left were bits and pieces. It was like Aoife had ripped them to shreds. She said that she hasn’t seen anything quite like it . . . ever.”

“Oh wow.” Selene breathed.

Aed let out a quiet snicker. “Sounds like Aoife let the vampire out to play.”

Kusabana glared at him. “No, more like the rage took complete control of her.”

Beth looked at the ancient vampire quizzically. “How could rage completely take over someone?”

Kusabana let her gaze wander over the group and back to Beth. “The person more probably able to answer that question is sitting behind you young one.”

Beth’s face held a look of confusion as her gaze traveled from Kusabana to her husband. The look on his face mirrored her own.

Mick lifted his head to stare at Kusabana. How does she know?

Kusabana chuckled softly. “With age comes knowledge, Mick.”

“Honey, what is she talking about?”

Mick looked flustered. Uncertainty crept into his being. Beth would surely think him a monster if he told her, but yet he knew that the old vampire was right. He knew exactly what kind of rage she was talking about. He’d fought it for years and it had only truly start to abate after he had saved Beth from Coraline. It had a nasty habit of rearing its ugly head and the most inopportune moments.

“She means rage that is so very strong that you can’t control it, it controls you.”

“I’m sorry, but I don’t get it. I mean, I’ve been furious, but never so mad that it took control of me.”

“Trust me, I hope you never do, honey.” Mick paused for a moment to collect his thoughts. “Well, for me it was all tied into how I was turned I suppose.. Josef can attest to what a mess I was.” Josef nodded in affirmation. “I took unnecessary chances constantly. I had a death wish. Most of the time the rage sat just below the surface, but if someone pushed at all, it bubbled up. I lost control extremely easily and took it out on innocent humans. I didn’t just kill them, I tortured them and mutilated the bodies.” Mick stared off, lost in the past for a moment. “Coraline of course loved it.” He finally stated softly, a tone of disgust in his voice. He didn’t dare look at Beth’s face, for fear of the anger and disapproval that he was sure he would find there.

Beth thought for a few moments, processing what her husband had said. She decided that it made sense. Maybe he couldn’t see it, but she could still see remnants of that rage floating under the surface sometimes. She turned slightly so that she could look into Mick’s eyes. “Honey, you’re not a monster.”

A shocked look came to his face. “I . . . I never said that.”

“You didn’t have to. Sweetheart, you have got to let that go. I may not have really understood all of it before; when I was still human, but I do now. My feelings aren’t going to change just because of stuff you did thirty plus years ago. That’s not who you are now.” Beth leaned up and kissed Mick lovingly on the lips.

A wicked grin crept onto Selene’s face. “So. . . . since I assume we’re all staying put until Aoife gets up . . .” Everyone just looked at her like, ‘duh’, she snickered “Josef, how did you and Mick become friends? You two are complete opposites.”

Josef rolled his eyes dramatically and sauntered back into the living room. He gracefully sat down in the overstuffed chair next to the couch. “It’s not really much of a story.”

“Uh, huh.” Selene replied back, not believing it for a minute.

Mick smiled at the memories. “Oh yes it is.”

“No, it’s not.”

“Want me to tell it then?” A smirk was plastered on Mick’s face.

“Want me to tell it then?” Josef parroted back in a sing-song voice. “No, I think I can handle it.” Mick chuckled in response.

Josef sat silently for a few minutes trying to decided how to start.

Mick arched an eyebrow at him. “Well?”

“Just a minute. It was a long time ago.”

“No it wasn’t.” Mick shot back.

“Well, you’ve got to understand that for the most part, most of the time, people are my “friends”, Josef did quotation marks in the air, “because of my money. But hey, I’m used to it.”

“No, really?” Beth snarked. Josef shot her a glare.

“Yes, really. Now shush.” Josef cleared his throat and continued. “So it wasn’t really a surprise to me when Coraline called one day saying that she needed to talk to me. She came over the next evening dragging what I thought at the time was her latest boy-toy.” He shot a pointed look at Mick. “First thing out of her mouth was, ‘I’d like you to meet my husband, Mick.’ She then proceeded to flash a small diamond ring under my nose. All that I could think was, She married the poor bastard?!” Josef glanced at Mick for a moment. “After taking one look at Mick, I told her in no uncertain terms that he wasn’t vampire material, to which she said, rather indignantly I might add, ‘Yes he is.’”

“And then she proceeded to ask you for money.” Mick interjected.

Josef gave him a look. “Who’s telling the story here.” Mick shrugged, smiling. “Anyway, I gave her the money just to get her and her fledgling out of my office. To be honest I was worried about him. Coraline just wasn’t sire material. She brought him by for parties occasionally. He looked and acted more like a loose canon every time I saw him. I didn’t even try to guess what Coraline had him doing. I wondered how long it was going to be before I had to call . . . “ Josef looked at Mick, hesitating before finishing the sentence, the significance of what he was about to say not lost on him. “Aoife to have him taken care of.”

Beth’s hand flew up to cover her mouth, shock covering her face. Mick just stared at his best friend. “I was that bad?”

“Yeah, you were. Anyway things seemed to finally calm down after a while. Coraline stopped bringing you around, guess she figured out that I wasn’t very happy with how she was teaching or not teaching you.”

“So when did you see him again?” Beth prodded, her curiosity piqued.

“Didn’t see Mick again until the first time he left Coraline, what about three years later?” Mick nodded.

“Sounds about right.”

“Mick needed a job. I needed security. So I hired him. He had seemed to have gotten himself under some semblance of control . . . at least outwardly.”

“How many times did you leave Coraline, Mick?” Selene asked, her curiosity finally getting the better of her.

“Too many.”

“That’s not an answer.”

“Yes, it is.”

Selene huffed.

“Can I get back to MY story please?” Josef ground out. “Anyway, Coraline had kept him so sheltered that he didn’t really know how to move in vampire society. Which really surprised me at the time, considering her upbringing, But knowing now that her family didn’t know about Mick, it makes sense.” He paused for a moment. “Anyway, over time, Mick started to grow on me.” Mick’s eyebrow shot up.

“Grow on you?”

“Oh, come on, you know what I mean.”

“No, I don’t. Please, enlighten me.” Mick shot back. Beth snickered. Josef glanced at her, frowning.

“Shut up and I will.” Josef paused again. “So one day, I asked him to come into the office and I proceeded to basically throw my money around, figured he was just like all of the others.”

“No, you were trying to buy my loyalty.” Mick stated flatly. Beth snickered at the thought.

“And. . .” Kraven said, smiling.

“Mick told me to go fuck myself. He didn’t want my charity or my money. He proceeded to turn on his heel and walk out the door, slamming it behind him.”

“You didn’t?” Beth whispered. Mick chuckled.

“Oh, I did.”

Josef continued. “He did. Broke my door too. I figured that he would come crawling back in a week or two, just like everyone else.” Josef smiled at the memory. “But he didn’t. Gave me a real complex. Hell I didn’t hear from him for almost a year and when I finally did, it was to invite me to a football game.”

“A football game?” Mike shook his head in surprise.

“Yep. Had a blast too. Bought the team. You know that’s why some of the stadiums have sky boxes, right?”

“For what?” Beth asked.

“Feeding on freshies of course.”

Beth rolled her eyes. “Of course.”

“Wow. So, the reason you two are friends is because Mick wouldn’t take the bribe.” Kraven stated.

“Pretty much.”

“Amazing.” Beth added.

“Well, that and we both hate the Raiders.” Mick said, before he and Josef fell into hysterics.

“Okay, what’s the story behind that?” Beth asked.

Josef responded after getting himself under some semblance of control. “That’s a story for another time, Blondie.”

“So which football team did you buy, Josef?” Kraven’s mind wandered to fun in a sky box, a wicked smile crept onto his face.

“The Rams.”

Beth rolled her eyes. “Oh my god. No wonder we always have to have the Sunday ticket.” She turned and gave Mick a look.

“What?! I like football.” He shot back.

“Uh huh. Whatever.” Beth stood and sashayed into the kitchen to get the carafe and glasses, knowing that Mick’s eyes had never left her behind. Over her shoulder she said, “Stop drooling, dear.”

Mick pulled his eyes away, an embarrassed look on his face.

“Hey, man. I do it too.” Kraven said, quickly adding as he saw the look on Selene’s face. “Just yours sweetheart, just yours.”

Selene crossed her arms over her chest and glared at Kraven. “Uh huh.”

Kraven smiled sheepishly in response.

An uneasy quiet settled over the group. Time seemed to pass like molasses. Finally after a long while Mike could stand it no more. He stood and started pacing behind the couch.

After about fifteen minutes of watching him pace, Kraven said, “Mike, stop pacing. You’ll wear a groove in Mick and Beth’s floor.”

Mike stopped for a moment to give Kraven an icy stare, before resuming his pacing.

Aed looked up from his book and shook his head. Young ones have absolutely no patience.

Kusabana answered out loud a smile on her face, “Neither do certain ancient ones.”

“How did you . . .” Aed stuttered.

Kusabana just smiled sweetly at him. She returned to her research on her laptop.

Beth was leaning against Mick’s shoulder. She could feel her husbands restlessness, his worry about his sire. She could tell that it was slowly eating him alive. Beth started gently rubbing her hand up and down his arm to comfort him as she watched Mike pace like a caged tiger.

Finally Beth asked, “Mike?”

Mike stopped mid-stride and answered, sighing as he did so. “Yes, Beth?”

“How long do you think it will be until Aoife wakes up?”

Mike ran his hand through his hair. “I can’t even wager a guess, Beth. The only reason that she survived half of what they did to her is because she was a . . . “ He stopped mid-sentence, not sure how to finish it.

Kusabana stood and silently headed to the stairs. She gracefully climbed them, walked down the hall and to the freezer room door. She hesitated a moment be for opening it, bracing herself for the blast of ice cold air. She noted that Mike had turned the freezer down to its lowest setting.

She glided up to the freezer and placed her hand on the lid, closed her eyes and felt. A sad smile graced her lips. She left her hand there for a few moments in silent support of her dear friend. “Come back to us all soon, koishii shoujo (koh-ee-shee show-joh) (beloved daughter) We have many questions and no answers.” She spoke softly. Truth be told, Kusabana could count on her one hand the number of vampires that she could trust implicitly. Aoife being at the top of that list. Though she would never have admitted it to anyone, Aoife’s absence had left a rather large empty spot in her life as well.

Sighing, she slid her hand across the lid as she turned to leave. She opened the freezer door and headed back downstairs. As she stepped of the last couple of steps, she said “Well, her body is healed for the most part. So it just depends on her state of mind now.” She floated back into the living room and retook her seat, picking up her laptop to continue her research.

“And you know that how, exactly?” Mike asked her pointedly.

“I’m an empath, Mike.” Kusabana replied without looking up.

“You are?” Beth was beginning to feel out of place with no special powers.

“Yes, Beth and despite what you may believe, most vampires do not have special abilities. And may I remind you that you do. You, Mick and Aoife all do remember?”

Beth’s face lit up. “Oh yeah! I always forget that.” Kusabana chuckled softly in response.

Mike wandered over to the windows and watched the lightening of the sky signaling that the sunrise was imminent. He crossed his arms over his chest, wishing that Aoife would just wake up. He needed to hold her, breath in her scent, taste her, feel her body move in time with his; but most of all he needed to understand why she had left them all so suddenly. He knew that there had to have been a damn good reason, but though he tried he just couldn’t even wager a guess as to what it would have been. Aoife never backed down from a fight in the past, ever. But he had a feeling that this time it had been different.

Finally giving in to the urge to, if nothing else to be near her, Mike made his way silently to the stairs and up them. Mick watched him ascend, instinctively knowing where Mike was going. He was fighting a losing battle to head in the same direction himself. His solution was to pull Beth even closer to him to fight the urge to follow.

Beth stirred from her half comatose state when Mick hugged her tighter. She opened her eyes and gazed into Mick’s. She noted the turmoil brewing in them. They weren’t just one color. They were a mixture of blue, brown and green. She reached up and gently stroked his cheek. “Honey, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing, sweetheart. Go back to sleep.”

“Nice try, but I’m not buying.”

Selene looked up from her laptop. She gave Mick a small smile and then looked down again. Kraven’s head was cradled in her lap as they had both taken up positions on the floor.

Mick looked longingly towards the stairs. “Mike just went upstairs.”

Understanding came to Beth’s features. “Honey, why don’t you go keep him company.” She encouraged softly. To make her point, she stood and offered him her hand.

“God, I love you.” Mick breathed as he took her hand and stood up. He pulled her into a hug and rested his cheek on top of her head.

After a few moments, Beth pulled away. “Go. We’ll all still be here when she wakes. He could probably use the company.”

Mick nodded once, placed a kiss on Beth’s forehead and turned towards the stairs. He hesitated for a moment and then took them two at a time.

When he reached the grey door that led to the freezer room, he hesitated again and then knocked softly. Within seconds the door opened. Mike looked at him with bloodshot eyes.

“Thought that you might like some company.” Mick stated.

Mike silently motioned Mick in. Mick scanned the room noticing that Mike had moved the chair from it’s resting place to a spot near where Aoife’s head lie. Deciding that Mike had the right idea Mick walked over to where the second chair was, picked it up and moved it to the other end of the freezer.

While Mick had been doing this Mike had retaken his seat. He was resting his forearms on his thighs, hands clasped together, looking down at the ground. Mick couldn’t help but feel the mixture of anger, fear and longing rolling off his dear friend. Feelings that he was sure mirrored his own.

Mick walked over and placed a hand on Mike’s shoulder in an offer of silent understanding and brotherhood. He then walked over to his seat and sat down to wait with his brother for the woman the meant so much to both of them to return to them.

Then there were the feelings that he felt, all of them aimed at his sire. Anger at her leaving them all hanging, not telling them she had to leave. Fear that it was Aoife, fear that it wasn’t Aoife. Anguish that she might truly be gone. Confusion because he almost felt that she wasn’t dead, but yet couldn’t be sure.

Mick just stood staring out for a long time. He could hear the argument going on in the living room, but chose to tune it out. He just couldn’t handle all of the possibilities right now. He finally wandered over the the sofa and sunk down, he held his head in his hands, trying to make sense of it all, without any answers to put the puzzle together.

In the back of his mind Mick noticed that the argument had seemed to stall. It was in this quiet moment that he felt it. A familiar yet after three years an almost alien feeling. But an unmistakable one. “Aoife?” He said out loud, not realizing that he had.

All noise in the living room came to an instant halt at Mick’s utterance. Beth looked from Kusabana towards the open office door. Just as she was about to stand and see if she had really heard what she thought she had, Mick appeared in the doorway. His face was unreadable.

Beth stood and glided over to her husband. She searched his downcast face. “Honey?”

Mick didn’t respond. He lifted his head slightly and looked at Beth, a blank stare on his face.

Kusabana floated over to stand next to them. Unlike Beth, she could feel what had happened. A faint smile came to her lips. She knew the answer, well one small part of it anyway. “Mick. What is it?”

Beth reached up to caress Mick’s face. “Mick!” She said a little more forcefully. Mick shook his head and focused his eyes on her.

“The connection . . . “ Was all he could manage to get out. He desperately tried to fight back the flood of emotions that were threatening to break through his carefully constructed dam. The dam that he had erected to keep himself together for the last three years.

“What connection?” Selene asked softly; thrilled and terrified at what his answer would be at the same time.

Mick’s gaze traveled across the group. He wasn’t positive, yet the feeling kept getting stronger by the minute. He didn’t want to lift their hopes, but it felt like it used to. He took in a gulp of air and said “The connection that I had with Aoife. It’s back . . . I think.”

Mike huffed in frustration. “Either it is or it isn’t Mick.” Mick shot him a pained look in return. Mike instantly regretted his words. “Look man, I’m sorry. It’s just . . ..”

“Mike, it’s fine. I get it. Trust me, after this long I can’t even be sure myself.” Mick pulled Beth to him and held on for dear life.

“So what? It just clicked back on?” Josef’s connection with his sire was pretty much non-existent. He had never really understood Mick and Aoife’s. His was so weak in fact that Josef didn’t even know if his sire was alive or dead and he really had no desire to know.

Mick had set his head on the top of Beth’s. “No, not exactly. I don’t remember what it felt like originally, I was out cold when the connection started the first time. It was just there when I woke up.” He saw the look Josef was giving him. “No, it’s not the same as the one I had with Coraline. I could never talk to her telepathically.” He sighed. “Her’s was a completely different kind of hold.”

“Well, that’s an understatement.” Josef snarked back. Beth glared at him, contemplating getting a stake.

“Mick, your connection with Aoife is pretty much one of a kind.” Kusabana replied from the corner of the couch near the fireplace. “As far as I know she’s the only telepathic vampire alive.”

At that thought, a small smile creeped onto Mick’s face. “She’s definitely one of a kind.”

Aed chuckled. “Now you know why I turned her in the first place.”

Beth pulled out of Mick’s arms, taking his hands and pulling him back into the living room. She motioned for him to sit on the opposite end of the couch. He obediently sat and then she flopped down onto his lap. “Aed?”

“Yes Beth?”

“If it is Aoife that Mick is feeling . . . why would she have become human? She once told us that she had used the cure, but she would never want to go back.”

“She did. Hell most of us did. It was a very dangerous time to be a vampire. She ended up spending most of the Revolution in France. It was the last place that she wanted to be, but it was where she needed to be. She actually took it three times, I believe.”

“Wow.” Beth said softly.

“As for why. . . only she can answer that.” Aed finished. He sat contemplating for a minute. “Come to think of it, she had become quite the master of accents even back then.”

“Really.”

“Yes, Beth. Really.”

While the conversation had gone on, Mick had been trying to see if the connection was really there or if it was just his imagination. He decided to try to see if he could get her to answer. By now the link felt as strong as it used to. Aoife?

Aoife sat in her car, struggling to get her body to move. It wanted to but not in the direction she needed it to. She was on the razors edge between control and chaos and was struggling to keep the rational part of her brain in command. She needed to get away, to get blood and soon or she wouldn’t be able to stay in her right mind. It felt like every single one of her cells were screaming for fluid. She knew what she must look like; skin almost see through, eyes totally white, long talons with the fangs to match. Thank god its dark. I look like the monster that humans dream of.

Aoife reached a shaky hand up to the key and turned the ignition, starting the car. She could tell that humans were fast approaching. Their blood was like the siren’s song, calling her. She fought even harder to maintain her restraint as going rouge just wasn’t an option. She practically peeled out as she drove away She wove her way through the residential streets grateful the the gods that the streets were mostly empty heading towards 10 E and getting onto the 110S. She got off at the Wilshire exit and turned onto Hope, then turning onto 6th street and finally a left on Olive. She prayed that the entrance was open and sighed loudly at her luck that it was. She pulled into the garage and found a parking spot near the elevator. Thank god for small favors.

She weakly reached up and turned the car off. Two humans got off the elevator and headed towards their car that to Aoife’s horror was parked right next to hers. She froze, panic gripping her. The garage was well lit; she knew that if they glanced over they would be able to see exactly how she looked. But that was the least of her problems at the moment. Hunger and need were wrapping themselves around her like an unwanted blanket. She felt so very hot. Fever had set in. She reached back with a shaky hand and pulled up the hood of her sweatshirt and turned to look towards the opposite side of the car. Everything in her screamed for the blood that was now just outside her car.

Aoife’s heightened senses were on overload. Her left hand made it to the door handle before she managed to stop herself. She pulled it away with supreme effort and placed both of hands onto the steering wheel, squeezing it so hard that she could feel it change shape. Fuck! Just get in the damn car already! She was panting now, fighting and somehow winning the battle with the violent part of herself.

The two humans got into their car and pulled out of the stall and drove away. Aoife sighed and prayed that no one else would show up. Aoife knew that the next time she wouldn’t be able to stop herself. She could feel her body temperature rising by the second. She opened the car door, swung her feet out and grabbed the car door, pulling herself up to a standing position. She stood still for a few moments trying to get her equilibrium without succeeding. She shut the car door and wobbled and weaved her way towards the elevator door. Aoife fell against the wall next to the elevator and stabbed the up button. The doors opened immediately with an echoing ding that made Aoife cringe in pain. She staggered into the elevator and pushed the button for the penthouse. She could feel her life slowly slipping away as she slumped into the corner of the elevator for support.

The doors opened and Aoife couldn’t move. She had slid down the wall to the floor, her legs pulled up to her. Aoife weakly slid her hand up to the bar that ran around the middle of the elevator. She felt her hand grasp it, but she just didn’t have the strength to pull herself up. She could feel the tears start to slide down her face. She was so close and yet what she needed was unreachable to her.

Just when despair had reared its ugly head, she felt a familiar and welcome tickle in her head. Aoife. She couldn’t help but smile faintly. Mick. She answered.

Mick’s eyes widened in shock. “Oh my God!” he whispered.

“What?!” in some form or another came from everyone’s lips.

“She’s alive.” He couldn’t believe he was actually saying it.

“What do you mean, she’s alive?” Josef queried. He was watching his best friend very closely.

“She just answered me.” Mick replied. He was just about to say more when he heard her again.

Mick, please. There was a pause. Mick could sense that Aoife was in trouble. Her tone in his head was weak and pleading.

Aoife had managed to crawl on her hands and knees out of the elevator and into the hall. Each movement was agonizingly painful. She heard the elevator doors close with a woosh that made her cringe in pain. She looked up towards the door, it was only a few feet away, but it might as well have been a million miles. Her strength gone, she collapsed on the floor.

Where are you? Mick’s question echoed through her head. His voice almost panicked.

In the hall outside . . .She fought a battle with consciousness, finally losing. Her head hit the hardwood with a resounding thud that no one seemed to hear.

Mick stood panic squeezing his heart. She had to be somewhere close. He tried again. AOIFE!!!!!! Nothing. He paced for a few seconds trying to decipher what she had meant.

“Mick, what did she say? Where is she?” Beth had stood up from the couch and grabbed Mick’s arm to stop his pacing.

“The last thing she said was ‘In the hall outside.’ She just didn’t finish the sentence and now I can’t get her to answer.”

“Outside of what? Which hall?! That could be anywhere.” Mike responded, frustration tinging his voice. He had a very bad feeling that something was very wrong.

Mick turned to look at Mike, his face contorted in fear. “I know that. I can’t get her to answer again.”

It was just at that moment when a faint sliding sound was heard at the front door. Seven sets of eyes snapped to look at the door, but no one moved. Seconds ticked by.

Kusabana watched both Mick and Mike. She knew who was on the other side of the door, she could feel the pain, hunger and approaching death. Sighing she stood and started towards the door.

“What are you doing, Kusabana?” Mick squeaked out.

She stopped her forward progress and turned to look at him with compassionate eyes. “To see whose on the other side of that door.”

“So I wasn’t hearing things.” Not a question, but a statement.

A smile crept onto Kusabana’s face. “No Mick, you didn’t.” She looked at him intently for a moment. “Mick you know who is on the other side of that door.”

Understanding crept into Mick’s handsome features, followed by movement. He vaulted over the couch and practically sprinted towards the door. Without looking at the monitor, he yanked the door open, somehow catching Aoife’s limp body before it hit the floor. “Oh My God!!!!” He pulled her up into a sitting position, his eyes scanning over Aoife’s badly damaged body.

Mike was standing just inside the doorway, a look of utter disbelief on his face. He was frozen to the spot. It couldn’t be and yet it was. She was back but would she forgive him?

Selene watched the scene unfolding in front of her. Mick kept looking back between Aoife and Mike. Confusion had set in as to why the Doctor wasn’t moving. Selene cursed under her breath and sprang into action, letting her nursing training in triage take over. She shoved Mike out of the way and bent down to see how bad off her friend truly was. She carefully felt Aoife’s limbs and torso, noting the broken bones, probable internal injuries, numerous bites and gashes and blood loss. “Mick, carry her to the dining room table, please.”

It was at that moment that Mike came back. “No, I’ll do it.” He stepped forward to pick Aoife up.

Mick vamped out and growled. Through gritted teeth he responded. “No. She’s my sire, I’ll take care of her.”

Mike answered in kind. Now vamped out as well, “She’s MY girlfriend.” He took another step forward.

Mick stood and took a step towards Mike. “So. You cared so much that all you’ve done is just stand there.” Mick started to turn to pick Aoife up and was sent flying into the wall by the front door.

“No! I’ll take care of her.” Mike was now standing over Aoife and Selene.

Selene growled in frustration. “Oh for god’s sake! Would you two cool it! We WILL lose her if we don’t get blood into her, NOW!”

Mick and Mike just stood facing each other, both looking like they would rip each other apart if given the chance.

Kusabana shot a glance towards Aed. He shrugged his shoulders, indicating that the was staying out of it. She sighed and spoke. Her voice quiet yet holding the tone of her years. “Gentlemen. Do you really think now is the time to decide who is more important to her?”

Neither vampire moved. Selene looked pleadingly at the ancient vampire. “Mick, Mike; this is definitely not the time. If you’d pay attention to Aoife and not your respective prides you’d realize that her heart isn’t beating.”

That comment seemed to bring them back from the brink. Mike glanced down at Selene and then back at Mick. He sighed heavily trying to get his waring emotions under control. He knew that Mick wasn’t a threat to him. Hell he considered Mick a brother and not just because he was a fellow vampire. Aoife had chosen both of them for different reasons to be part of her life. He never wanted to take that for granted. He knew that she trusted very few people and for good reason. “Hey man, I’m sorry.”

Mick ran his hands through his hair. “Yeah. Me too.”

Selene growled at the two in frustration. “Wonderful. Now that you two idiots have your raging testosterone under control can we PLEASE get back to saving Aoife?!”

“Yeah.” Mike headed into the kitchen and grabbed the syringe and several vials of blood. “Mick put her on the dining room table.” Mick nodded once, He squatted down and gently lifted his sire up into his arms, carefully placing his head against his shoulder so that it wouldn’t loll around. He quickly walked over into the dining area and placed Aoife gently down onto the table. Mike strode up, filling the syringe as he did. He cursed to himself as he desperately tried to find a viable vein. Deciding that none would work in either of Aoife’s arms, he moved up to her neck and injected the full syringe into her jugular vein. He grabbed another vial, plunged the syringe into it, filled the syringe and repeated the process into Aoife vein.

Mike growled in growing panic. “Damn it! Why isn’t she waking up!” He turned to Mick. “Do you have any more vials ready to go?”

Mick shook his head. “No. Beth and I usually drink our blood, not shoot it up.”

“Shit!” Mike checked the veins in Aoife’s arms again. “She doesn’t have enough blood in her to get an IV going in her arm. They are completely collapsed.

Selene strode up, picked up the two vials and headed back into the kitchen. She opened the blood fridge and removed one of decanters of fresh blood. Beth came in and stood next to her, fear etched on the young vampires face. Without looking up Selene asked “Do you just have the one syringe?”

“Oh, no. We have two actually. Let me get the other one.” Beth turned to the drawer that was under the blood fridge and pulled it open. She reached in and picked up the syringe and handed it to Selene.

Making quick work of refilling the vials, Selene then handed them to Beth. “Here, take these back to Mike. You can be the go between.” Beth nodded and practically sprinted to the dining area.

After half a dozen trips, Mike really starting to panic. “She should be coming to by now?!”

Kusabana had been standing just out of the way, watching intently. She softly said, “Mike, her body is badly damaged and wasn’t healing at all. It has started to but it’s going to take time.”

He shoved the empty vials back at Beth. “Here, have Selene fill these again.” He failed to notice Selene slide up next to him. She did a quick feel of the veins in Aoife’s arm herself.

“Mike, this one isn’t collapsed completely now.” Mike looked down, not seeing what Selene had.

“Yes, it is.”

Selene rolled her eyes. “No, its not.” With that she picked up the needle and inserted it into the vein she had been talking about. She turned to Mick. “Mick, come here.” He glided over from the living room, anxiety etched on his face. Selene had gotten the pint hooked up to the needle. “Hold this up.”

Mick silently did as he was told. Fear rolled off of him in waves. He just couldn’t lose her now. Not here, right in front of him.

All watched in silence as the blood flowed from the bag, down the line and into Aoife’s arm. It was about three quarters empty when her heart started again and she took an sudden intake of breath.

Aoife’s eyes flew open and a moan escaped her lips. Her voice came out a hoarse whisper as she tried to focus her eyes on Mick. “Hey.”

Mick let out the breath he had been holding for what had seemed like eternity. “Hey, back.”

Aoife turned her head to look at Mike. She smiled weakly at him. His eyes held a maelstrom of emotions. “I’m sorry.” She managed to squeak out. At her words, Mike turned and headed out onto the balcony.

By now the first bag was empty. Selene took it from Mick, unhooked it and hooked up a second. Aoife struggled to sit up. Selene reached around her friends shoulders saying, “Uh uh. You stay lying down. You need to let your body heal.”

Aoife laid back down and looked up towards the ceiling. There was something that needed to be done, but what was it? “SHIT!!!”

“What?!” Selene responded.

“The cleaners. I need to call the cleaners.” Aoife’s voice, now stronger was panicked.

“So you killed whom ever did this to you?” Mick queried. Partially relieved that they were dead and partially pissed that he couldn’t do it himself.

Aoife sat up onto her elbows, earning her a glare from Selene. “Yes and no. I ripped to shreds the vamps that were sent to kill me and then all of you.”

Josef snapped his phone out and hit dial. “Clare, it’s Josef. I need a clean up.” Silence. “No, not me personally.” He shot Aoife a wicked smile. “I’m not that messy.” More silence. “Where? Just a second.” He looked over at Aoife.

“In the alley about the is near my apartment.” She was about to say the address but stopped. She watched in curiosity as Josef walked over to one of the computers and proceeded to read off her address. She smiled. Didn’t take them long once they had my assumed name.

You expected it to? Mick thought back. She looked at him and could see the glint of mischief in his eyes.

“No, I didn’t.” She responded back out loud.

Josef shut his phone. “Done.” He sauntered over to the dining area. “So mind telling us what exactly happened?”

Now that she had three plus pints of blood in her, Aoife could feel her body quickly beginning to heal. But now she was starting to feel drunk with exhaustion. She watched as Selene removed the IV from her arm and handed her a glass to drink. With exhaustion lacing her voice, Aoife answered, “Now or three years ago.”

“We can start with now.” Josef replied flatly.

Mike strode in from the balcony. He’d managed to pull himself back together. “Not right now she’s not.”

“We need to know what happened, Mike.” Kraven responded. He had walked up behind Selene and wrapped his arms around her waist.

“Yes, we do. But right now, Aoife needs time in a freezer.” He motioned for Aoife to sit up and swing her legs over the edge of the table. He started checking her over, making sure that she was healing properly.

“Mike, her freezer is turned off.” Selene stated.

Aoife slumped against Mike, her head resting on his shoulder. He reached up and started stroking her hair, noting the mixture of her then human blood and three different vampire bloods. “Well she can’t wait.”

“Mike, I need to get all of this blood off of me.” Aoife said quietly. It was all she could do to keep from hurling from the smell or so she thought. Then it hit her. A wave of nausea so strong that she almost threw up all over Mike. She pushed him back roughly and ran into the bathroom, the contents of her last meal ending up in the toilet. Knowing what would be coming next, she stayed there until the ugly business of returning to the undead was finished.

Finally emerging from the bathroom, she noticed who all was there. She was both shocked and humbled. Selene, Kraven and Mike she had pretty much expected to see, but Kusabana and Aed was a surprise. She could tell that they had all been talking and had abruptly stopped when she walked out.

Just as she started to sway, Mike strode up and scooped Aoife up into his arms. He said over his shoulder as he ascended the stairs towards the master bath. “Where are the towels, again?”

Beth’s voice came floating up, “In the closet to the left of the shower.”

Mike stepped through the bathroom door and gently set Aoife down on her feet. She immediately reached for the wall for support. He reached into the shower and turned the water on ice cold. He could tell that even though the fever had broken, she was still too hot. He watched as Aoife struggled to get out of the bloody, tattered clothes.

“Here, let me help you.” Mike reached in to unzip the hoodie.

“I can get it.” Aoife groused back, struggling to get the zipper down herself after she had swatted his hand away.

Mike chuckled softly. “Uh huh.” He grabbed the zipper pull and yanked it down.

Aoife huffed in frustration. All she wanted at that moment was to get the offending blood filled clothes off and they just wouldn’t come. She fought back the tears of fear, pain and frustration that were threatening to fall. The adrenalin rush that she had been was now completely gone and she felt like she was moving through quicksand.

Mike was floored by the emotions rolling off of her. He stepped up next to her and pulled the hoodie off her arms, then reached down to what was left of the tank top she had on and pulled that over her head and tossed it into the forming pile on the floor. He then reached up and pushed the destroyed pants and panties to the floor, silently motioning to Aoife to step out of them.

He then quickly stripped himself. Mike then held his hand out to her. Aoife hesitated for a moment but then took the offered hand and followed him into the shower.

She took a sudden intake of breath as the cold water hit her overheated body but quickly got used to the feel. Aoife lifted her head to let the spray hit her face.

Mike stood near the wall just watching the blood wash from her body in rivulets. It swirled down the drain and was gone. The longer she stood there the more he could feel her relax.

Aoife finally bent her head down to look at him. “Hey.”

“Hey, yourself.” Mike held back all of the questions that were swirling through his mind. He knew that she would tell them all everything when she could.

“Mike, I . . .” Aoife was at a loss for words. How did she explain it all?

Mike took the two steps that it took to close the distance between them. “Shhhhh. It’s okay.”

Pain again filled Aoife’s eyes. “No, no it’s not. I . . . I wanted to tell you all. I . . . I just couldn’t.”

“Tell us what?” Mike wrapped his arms around his fallen angel, pulling her close.

“Everything.” She bit her lip and hid her face in his shoulder.

Mike reached down and lifted her head to look at him. He stared at her intently for a moment. “And you will, when you’re ready.”

Aoife lost it when she saw the look in his eyes. He had suffered so much. As the sobs started to wrack her body she kept saying “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”

Mike finally let his own tears fall. He did the only thing that he could. He held her, wondering all the while what had happened those three years.

After a few minutes the sobs became sniffles. Aoife gave a half hearted laugh. “Well so much for me being the strong one.”

“Aoife, never doubt that you are.” Mike reached over and picked up what he assumed was Beth’s fru fru shampoo, figuring that there was no way in hell that Mick would smell like that. He kissed her lovingly on the lips and poured the shampoo in his hands. “Here, let me wash your hair for you.” Aoife just nodded.

That done, he then picked up the poof, poured body soap on it, lathered it up and then proceeded to scrub every part of Aoife’s body to make sure that every trace of the other vamp’s blood was off of her. Finally satisfied, he quickly washed himself and turned the water off.

He opened the shower door and picked up the towels that he had set on the chair near the shower, silently handing two to Aoife, who immediately wrapped her hair and started drying herself off.

Mike looked up at her when he finished wrapping the towel low on his waist. He shook his head, smiling slightly. “Aoife?”

She lifted her head with a start. “Oh, sorry. All of a sudden I so exhausted.” Mike glided over and took the towel from her limp hand and finished drying her off. He unwrapped her hair and used his fingers to smooth out the few rats that there were.

“I imagine so. You were pretty battered.” He scooped her up and carried her to Mick and Beth’s freezer.

“Mike, I can’t. They need it.” Aoife half-halfheartedly protested as Mike gingerly set her into the freezer.

“Not like you do. They’ll understand.” He reached in and caressed Aoife’s cheek.

Aoife reached up and held it in place when he started to pull it away. “But I need to explain. . . “

“And we’ll be all ears when you have enough strength to actually hold a conversation.” He leaned in and placed a kiss on her lips. “No go to sleep and let your body do what it needs to.” He pulled his hand away and looked down as he reached up to shut the lid. Aoife’s eyes were already closed and her breathing was quickly slowing down.

As he started to pull it shut, she whispered three words that had him gripping the freezer to keep from falling. Three words that in all the years they had been together she had never said. “I love you.

Visibly shaken Mike headed back into the bathroom, put his clothes on and headed back downstairs to wait with everyone else for the woman that meant more than anything to him in the world awaken.

She walked up to the door of the gym, pulled it open and headed to her locker to change for a much needed cardio workout.

********************************************************************************

Beth exited the elevator in the lobby of The Title Guaranty Building pulling out her sunglasses as she stepped out into the late afternoon sun. She wandered to the corner and waited for the light to change. Aoife would be so proud of me. I can handle crowds now. She smiled sadly to herself. The light changed and she crossed the street with a large group op people.

“Oh wow, The Farmer’s Market.” Beth checked her back pocket to make sure that she had her credit card. Satisfied she strolled over to the first row of shops, checking out the different wares. At the end of the row was a tent that held nothing but Celtic jewelry. She was instantly drawn to it. As she perused the offerings, she could feel the intense stare of the artist.

“Do you see anything that you like?” The older red-haired woman asked.

“Actually yes, I do. How much is that necklace and what is it made out of?” Beth pointed to an intricately made choker.

“It’s silver ma’am.” Beth cringed at being called ma’am.

She signed. “Do you have any that aren’t made of silver. My friend is allergic to silver.”

“Yes, but the jewelry is much more expensive.” The woman stood and waddled to the opposite end of the tent.

“Oh price isn’t an issue.” Beth followed her over. Beth watched out of the corner of her eye as the woman’s eyes watched the family crest sway around her neck.

“Excuse me.”

Beth looked up. “Yes.”

“That piece of jewelry on your necklace. May I ask what it is?”

Beth picked up the pendant from her chest and held it with reverence. “It’s my family crest.” A mixture of pride and sadness in her voice.

“Very impressive work.” Beth held it out so that the woman could take a better look at it. “Who made it?”

“That I couldn’t tell you. It’s an antique. Passed down in the family.” Beth let go of the pendant and reached for a white gold Celtic chain. “I’ll take this one. Do you take credit cards?” Beth reached into her back pocket for her Platinum American Express card.

The woman’s eyes went wide as Beth handed it to her. “Yes we do.” The woman took out her card reader and swiped the card. While it was processing she pulled out a necklace case and put the necklace in it and then put the case into a small white bag.

The card reader printed out a receipt in which the woman ripped of and handed to Beth along with a pen. “Sign here please.”

Beth signed on the dotted line, handed the woman the receipt back and picked up her purchase. She headed out of the booth to see what other surprises were lurking at the Market this Wednesday.

*********************************************************************************

Isolde reached down and turned off the stair climber. Sweat was running down her face. She picked up a small towel and wiped her face off. Well, that’s enough for one day.

She hopped down and made her way through the maze of bodies and equipment to the locker room. She pushed the door open to the locker room, stopped at her locker long enough to grab her towel, shampoo and conditioner and made a beeline to the showers. Not really liking the communal shower system that they had, Isolde made quick work of her shower and headed back to her locker, toweling her hair as she did.

Isolde opened the locker, pulled out her change of clothes, a emerald green tank top, black zip-up hoodie and matching black yoga pants. The clothes practically flew on and then she picked up her brush.

She gave her waist length hair a thorough brushing. The brush was sat back down on the bench and Isolde proceeded to braid her hair into one thick braid.

She jumped at the voice behind her. “That is so unfair.”

Isolde finished the braid and turned to look towards the direction of the voice as she put the ponytail holder in. “What isn’t.”

“Your hair. It’s so thick and shiny.” The woman reached back to touch her own ponytail. “Mine is so thin and dry. How do you keep yours that way. That can’t be your natural color.”

“As a matter of fact it is my natural hair color. I have never dyed it and don’t ever plan on dying it.” Isolde turned and reached for her bag. She took the towel folded it lengthwise, put her hair products on it and proceeded to roll it up. She put it in her bag, followed by her gym shoes , her workout clothes and her brush.

“So how do you keep it so healthy then?”

Isolde turned away and rolled her eyes. People are way to focused on appearances in this town. “I don’t know. I don’t over-process it, I guess.” She picked up her bag and turned to head out of the locker room. “Excuse me.”

She made a hasty exit out of the building and headed the three blocks to Pershing Square and the Farmers Market. Wednesday was her favorite day. The market reminded her of those that were held in the town where she grew up. It always brought back fond memories.

Isolde stopped at the edge of the market trying to decide which isle to head down first. The farthest one over held her favorite ice cream. Deciding that it would be first on her list, she made her way through the crowd towards the booth. She took her place in line and once she reached the head of it, she ordered two scoops of mint chocolate chip in a waffle cone with hot fudge and whipped cream.

She chuckled softly to herself as she made her way to a shaded area near the market where she could sit and properly devour her rather large treat. “Why do I always do this. I know I’ll never eat all of it.” She took her spoon and dug in with relish.

********************************************************************************

Beth had just finished purchasing a new antique glass vase for Mick and decided that like it or not, she had better head back home. She turned from the last row and headed back towards home. She stopped to pick up a flyer for a local bar. She started reading it, when a very familiar voice, but yet very different caught her attention. She focused on which direction the voice came from. Scanning the area, Beth’s mouth fell open in shock and the now forgotten flyer fell from her hand, floating back and forth until it hit the ground. “It can’t be.”

She started towards the young woman sitting under the tree eating ice cream. As Beth got closer, she called out “Aoife!”

Isolde froze in mid-bite at the sound of the name being called out. She knew that voice. Her heart started pounding with fear. No, No, No, No, No!!! Please, god no!

Beth called out again as she approached closer. “Aoife!” She huffed frustratedly as she approached the woman. Why won’t she answer me?

Isolde watched in horror as the young blonde haired woman strode towards her purposefully. She stopped directly in front of her.

Beth for her part, was instantly thrown off. The woman was a dead ringer for Aoife, but she didn’t smell like Aoife. She smelled human. Beth looked at her puzzled.

For her part, Isolde desperately tried to bring her racing heart under control with no luck. She looked up at the female. “Can I help you?” She fought for control of her voice, trying to keep all trace of her accent out of it.

“Aoife?” Beth asked uncertainly.

“No, I’m sorry. That’s not my name.” Isolde cursed her heart and emotions, knowing the woman in front of her could read all of them.

“I’m sorry. It’s just . . . it’s just that you look EXACTLY like a very dear friend of mine that disappeared three years ago.

Shit. “I’m sorry to hear that. I’m not her though. I don’t know you.” Isolde replied. Yes, I do. I’m sorry. It’s just to dangerous for you all.

“Hmmmm.” Beth was now thoroughly confused. Her eyes said Aoife but her senses said human, not vampire. “So what is your name then?

Without thinking Isolde replied, “Isolde Trent.” She cursed softly to herself at her blunder.

Beth just looked at her, trying to take everything in.

Abruptly Isolde stood to leave, scanning the crowd in a vain attempt to see if she was being watched. “If you’ll excuse me, I have somewhere that I need to be.” She made her way around Beth and headed into the crowd. In her haste Isolde failed to notice that she had dropped the napkin that she had been holding.

Beth did see it fall though. She walked over and carefully picked up the wadded up napkin. “Okay, that was just weird.” Beth put the napkin into the bag with the vase. She just stood rooted to the spot stunned. She wandered over to the bench were the woman had been sitting and sat down. She set the packages down next to her and stared off into space, trying to figure out what had just happened. The signals that Beth had gotten were completely contradictory.

Beth finally came out of her revery at the sounds of the vendors tearing down their tents. She stood and shook the cobwebs out of her head. Deciding that there was no way she could figure it own on her own, she hurried back to the penthouse.

********************************************************************************

Isolde made it back to her car before she came apart at the seams. She started sobbing uncontrollably. “Oh god. I can never go there again.” Once she got herself under some semblance of control, she started the car and headed home. Once there, she couldn’t face going into the apartment, so she started walking towards the beach. She needed to think.

********************************************************************************

Beth practically burst through the elevator doors in her haste to get back to everyone. She hit the fob and the entry door swung open and she flew into the room.

“ . . .that it’s possible.” Kraven finished as Beth made her entrance.

Breathlessly Beth blurted out. “I just talked to Aoife!” She set her purchases down on the kitchen counter. She reached into the vase and pulled out the napkin.

“No way. We’d all smell Aoife on you.” Kraven responded, look of disbelief on his face.

Mick watched his wife closely. He decided that she had obviously seen something. “Honey, what are you talking about?”

Beth walked into the living room, giving Mick a kiss as she walked by heading towards Selene, the bag in her hand. “When I was getting ready to head home, I heard a familiar voice, but yet different. So l followed the voice . . . straight to Aoife.” Beth pulled the necklace box out of the bag and handed it to Selene. “Here, this is for you.”

“Beth, thank you. But why?” Selene’s eyes grew wide as she saw the choker. “This is beautiful.”

“Just because. I thought that it would look good on you.”

Aed sauntered back in from the balcony where he had been watching the setting sun. “Did I hear something about Aoife?”

Beth turned towards the elder vampire. “Yes you did. I just talked to her.” She stated matter of factly. Beth headed back into the kitchen to take the vase out. She started walking around the penthouse, trying to decide where to put it.

Mick sighed exasperatedly. He stalked over to Beth, taking the vase from her. “Beth.”

“What?” She took the vase back and glided into the dining area. She set the vase down in the middle of the table trying to decide if it looked right.

“Can you PLEASE tell us all what happened?” Mick asked again.

Beth turned to look at the group. “Just that. I talked to her.”

“And she didn’t come back here with you, why?” Josef asked, looking at Beth incredulously .

“Well, she said that she wasn’t.” Beth responded back, glaring at Josef.

“So it isn’t her then.” Josef stated triumphantly.

“It was. . . well I could have sworn that is was. But she was human.”

“Beth, Aoife is a vampire.” Mick quietly reminded her.

Beth rounded on her husband. “I KNOW that. That’s what’s so strange about it. She looked like Aoife, she sounded a lot like Aoife, she even walked like Aoife. She just didn’t smell like Aoife.”

“You know they do say that everyone has a double.” Selene commented, having a hard time comprehending what Beth was saying.

Kusabana sat quietly in the corner of the couch, taking it all in. From what she was sensing from Beth, she felt that there was an extremely strong possibility that it had been Aoife. A very HUMAN Aoife.

She finally asked, “Beth. Aside from how she looked and acted outwardly, what were her emotional signs?”

Beth turned to Kusabana. “That’s what made it even more strange. Her heart was racing the whole time and I could smell fear. But not for her, for me.”

“Like she knew you?” Kusabana queried.

Beth headed back into the kitchen and retrieved the wadded up napkin. “Exactly.” She walked over to Aed. “Would you know her human scent if you smelled it?”

“Maybe. You’ve got to remember Beth, that was 652 years ago.” Aed answered.

“Still, there’s a chance, right?” Beth clung to the thought fiercely.

“Yes. But we don’t have anything that she touched.” Aed responded. It was then that Mick noticed the napkin in his wife’s hand.

“Honey, what’s that in your hand?” Mick asked.

Beth looked down at her hands. “Its a napkin that she dropped. I picked it up.”

Aed held out his hand to Beth. She silently handed the napkin to him. Aed held the napkin to his nose and took a deep smell. He reached back into his memory to try and compare the scent that he had just smelled and that of Aoife’s in 1359. As he lowered his hand back down he said, “It could very well have been Aoife. I can’t be sure as I said, it’s been centuries. But it’s a definite possibility.”

Beth felt a smile of triumph creep to her face. She tried hard to keep it in check, not succeeding completely but not smiling as broadly as she could have either.

Selene now had her computer on her lap. “So what all did you get out of her?”

“What she’s going by now.” Beth replied, walking back from the kitchen with a glass of blood. She stopped next to Mick and laid her head on his shoulder.

“She actually told you?” Selene questioned. Disbelief in her voice.

“Yeah.”

“So what is it?” Selene held her fingers over the keyboard.

“Isolde Trent.” Beth answered, taking the last gulp of her drink. She held the glass down at her side.

Selene typed the name into the search engine. She watched as it churned away, After about 30 seconds an address popped up. She looked up at Mick and Beth with eyes wide in surprise. “You two should see this.”

Mick and Beth looked at each other. Beth set her glass on the coffee table and walked around to stand behind Selene to see what was on the screen. Her hand flew to her mouth. “Oh my god.” she whispered.

Mick’s face held a look of dread. “What?”

Beth looked straight into her husband’s clouded eyes. “It’s my old apartment in Santa Monica.”

Mick just about collapsed where he stood. Aed grabbed him by the arm to support him.

“Are you sure?” Mick had managed to make his now very weak legs take him to the couch. He sunk down next to Mike. Both their faces held looks of guarded hope.

“Mick, I know my own address. I lived there for three years.” Beth stated as she headed back into the kitchen to rinse her glass out.

“You know, it actually makes sense.” Selene said. Kraven smiled. He could see the wheels turning in his mate’s head.

“What do you mean?” Mike asked quietly.

“Think about it Mike. If for some reason she couldn’t be with us . . .” Selene didn’t finish the sentence.

“She would try to stay somewhere that reminded her of us.” Kraven finished for her.

“Like she hoped to be found?”

“Maybe Beth.” Kusabana responded. She gave Aed a knowing look. It was very much like Aoife to do something like that. Hide in plain site.

“So where do we go from here?” Beth was now sitting next to Mick, her hand on his thigh.

“We start a search for all records for Isolde Trent.” Kraven replied. He had pulled his laptop up to him on the coffee table. Beth reached for hers and fingers started flying.

**********************************************************************************
Isolde cursed at herself yet again as she strode hurriedly home. She’d stayed far too long at the beach. Now twilight was upon her and she unlike so many others, well most others that wandered this planet, knew what really went bump in the night. She cursed again and redoubled her speed, almost jogging now. I should have never told her my name. That was so stupid. I endangered them all.

Isolde had spent the rest of the evening just sitting staring out at the surf, going over again and again in her mind, the conversation with the beautiful blond woman in Pershing Square. But in the end, as hard as it had been to walk away, she had. She didn’t have a choice.

As she neared an alley about a block from home, she slowed to a stop. She peered down it, trying desperately to see if there was anyone lurking in the shadows. Who was she kidding; the whole alley was in shadow. She tried desperately to shake the feeling that she was being watched. She hesitated for a second or two more and then started across the front of the alley. She only made it three steps before she felt the hair on the back of her neck stand on end. She cursed quietly to herself and knew that this was trouble.

“Going somewhere?” A raspy voice came from behind her.

Isolde stood tall, trying desperately to keep her fear in check. She slowly turned to face the voice. “Yes. Home”

“Not tonight, you won’t be.” The voice replied.

Isolde looked closely at the man, no thing standing in front of her. She knew this being, and she knew that if he was there so was his two lackeys’. She huffed. Well, I had longer than I thought I would.

Two other beings, both looking rather slovenly, walked up and flanked the first. “She won’t be going home ever again, boss.”

“Very true, very true. To bad you chose your family, huh?” His face held a sneer.

Isolde glared at them. “I would make the same choice, again. But that’s something that you would never understand.”

“Was she always this feisty?”

“Yes, she was. And you’re right, I don’t understand and I don’t want to. I’m just glad that I’m the one that gets to kill you.” The leader took a step towards Isolde his face now pale, eyes gleamed white and fangs showing in his toothy smile.

Isolde looked at him in disgust. “Do you ever brush your teeth, Davis? You absolutely reek.” That comment earned her a low, menacing growl. “I didn’t think so.”

“Don’t you think that you should be afraid?”

“Of you, not likely.” Isolde had backed up a few paces towards the alley. If this was going to be it for her, she wasn’t about to let it happen in the open.

Her last comment was Davis’ undoing. He roared and lunged at Isolde. He flew past her and ran head on into the wall. He stood up dazed, shook his head and looked at her. “That was your one and only chance. Dinner is served boys.”

All three vampires were on Isolde in an instant. Struggle as she might and she did; there was no escape. The first bite landed on her arm and she shrieked in pain. She managed to get a few good kicks in to the groin; she wasn’t sure whose, but it all proved futile.

Within minutes she was covered in bites and deep gashes, her clothes in tatters. Isolde could feel her life quickly slipping away. Truth be told, she was at peace with it. Those that she cared about were safe; her life was worth the price.

Davis finished taking a long drink from Isolde’s neck. He wiped his mouth on his sleeve and tossed her now limp body against the wall. “Not as good as I thought she would be.”

One of the lackeys walked over and kicked her in the stomach just for good measure. “So what now?”

“We do what Vlad is paying us for. We make sure she’s dead and then we go kill her precious family.” He pulled out his camera and took a few quick pictures, sending them to Vlad. The words came to Isolde, the human like a whisper. But to a very different part of her, the words were like a battle cry.

“So when do we leave?”

“In a few minutes. Her heart is still beating. I want to be here when it stops.”

The first sensation she felt was pain. But it was a different kind of pain. It radiated out from the center of her stomach. She felt like every molecule of her body was on fire. As that feeling subsided, it was replaced by a second more powerful feeling. Rage. All consuming, controlling rage. The kind that you don’t control, it controls you.

She slowly opened her eyes, surveying her surroundings; taking stock of where obstacles were and where the objects of her rage were standing. This kind of feeling was new for her. Yes, in the past she had been angry, but this surpassed that by one hundred fold. This had been pent up for over three years, anger at the choice she had been forced to make, anger at what had been done to her; what she had been forced to become. But most of all, anger at what she had just heard. Isolde felt her heart slow to a very familiar and comforting pace. She smiled to herself as she ran her tongue across her fangs. For the first time in her life, she let the vampire, her vampire take complete and total control.

What happened next was a complete blur. But within minutes, all that was left of the three attackers were bits and pieces of body parts and lots of blood.

As Isolde leaned against the brick wall of one of the buildings, she took big breaths, trying to reign in the beast. It liked being out. But going rogue was not an option.

With the lessening of the adrenalin, the blood-lust started setting in. She needed to get blood and soon. But how. Her clothes were practically non-existent and she was covered in blood. She decided that she had to chance it so she walked down the alley and sighed in relief as she saw that it emptied out right next to her apartment building. She felt for her keys that were mercifully still in her shorts pocket.

She stumbled to her car, fumbled with the keys and managed to get them not only in the lock but the door open. She fell into the drivers seat and took a few deep breaths fighting the urge to go after the scent of humans that was wafting towards her..

As she sat there, trying to get the energy to start the car; it hit her – Isolde Trent was gone; Aoife McClellan was back.

She suddenly sat up as realization hit. My connection. “It’s working?” She cautiously felt it. Intense pain, confusion, loss came flowing though like molasses.. “The same as mine.” She whispered to herself. He’s hurting so much. Tears started flowing silently down Isolde’s face. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I didn’t have a choice. I couldn’t have lived with your death on my hands.” She breathed through her sobs. She pulled her legs up to her hugging them to her chest. She needed to help him. But how? A crazy idea struck her. Did she dare? Isolde wiped angrily at her eyes, drying her tears with the back of her hand. Crying wasn’t going to help him . . . or her for that matter.

“Well they can’t . . .” She stopped mid-sentence, remembering that her house was almost certainly bugged. She’d found them and destroyed them a few months ago, but prior go rounds proved that they wouldn’t leave them not working for long. They can’t stop me from trying to comfort him, even if he can’t really know that it’s me.

Isolde crinkled her brows together, thinking. It had been a very long time since she had tried to evoke a dream in someone. But he needed help and it seemed to be her only option. She formulated the plan in her mind. Something to let him know that she was okay, that some part of her was still with him. The fact that he thought that he was dreaming, even though he really he wasn’t would hopefully be a comfort.

She pushed herself back so that she was sitting against her headboard. She crossed her legs Indian style and proceeded to do several deep breathing exercises to calm her and open her mind so that she could do what she needed to do and not hurt herself or him. She cautiously threaded her way along the connection to the memory that she was looking for. She smiled sadly. He had buried it deep. Hopefully it would bring him the comfort that he needed.

Isolde closed her eyes and concentrated. He was asleep, well his version anyway . . . the perfect time to proceed. She reached back and pulled the memory forward. Once satisfied that it was replaying properly, she retreated back into her own mind, wishing all the while that she could do more; wanting desperately to wake him and talk to him, knowing all the time that it was impossible.

As she came back to herself, the tears started anew. God damn it! What did I do to deserve this? What did they do to deserve this? Yet again she wondered who her mysterious “benefactor” was. She shook her head. Truth be told she had no idea, enemies were something that she had in droves. They had hope I never figure it out. Heads will roll.

She looked over at the clock, sighed, stood and headed towards the bathroom to get ready for work.

*******************************************************************

Mick sat on the horse Aoife had bough him, waiting for her and Moonlight, her ride. “Come on, Aoife!”

Aoife laughed and nudged Moonlight into a gallop. “You are so going to lose!”

*******************************************************************

Mick woke with a start. He reached over to Beth, shaking her gently. “Beth.” She groaned but didn’t move. “Beth!” His voice was almost panicked.

“What, Mick?” She replied groggily. Her internal clock told her that they had only been asleep a few hours.

“I’m still a vampire, right?” The comment got Beth’s attention. She frowned at her husband as she reached down and kicked the latch to open the freezer lid.

“Well, let’s see . . . you currently have white eyes and fangs, so yeah; you’re still a vampire.” She pushed herself up and jumped over the edge of the freezer. She watched Mick as he followed her, wondering what had spooked him.

Mick grabbed his red silk pj bottoms and tossed his wife her red silk robe. He waited as she put it on and then took Beth’s hand and pulled her into the master bedroom and onto the bed. Once they were settled at the head of the bed, laying against the headboard, Mick relaxed a little. He pulled Beth to him.

Beth rested her head on his chest, waiting. When he didn’t say anything she quietly asked. “Mick, honey; what caused all of this?”

She felt Mick’s intake of breath. “I had a dream.”

Okay, not expecting that. “Mick, we don’t dream.”

He sighed heavily. “I know that. I’m telling you, I had a dream.”

Beth stroked his chest, trying to calm him. “Okay . . . about what?”

“Not what. Who.”

“Who then?” Trepidation crept into Beth’s heart.

“Aoife. Well myself and Aoife.” Mick looked out the window watching the clouds drift across the full moon.

“Hmmmm.” Beth glanced up at him, noting the confusion written on his face.

“I haven’t thought about that conversation in three years.”

“What conversation?”

“Remember when Aoife got me Ronan?” Beth nodded against his chest.

“She got Selene to keep you busy.” Beth looked up at him again.”And then she took me out onto one of the trails. We stopped at that stream I showed you.”

“Oh that one with all of the moss in the trees and on the rocks?”

“Yep, that exact spot.”

“I always loved that spot.” Beth turned her head and placed a kiss on Mick’s chest.

“Well the first day that she showed it to me was a day that I never thought that I would forget.” Mick looked back down at his wife.

“But you did.”

“More like the conversation was something that I didn’t want to think about . . .”

“So you pulled a me and buried it.”

“Yes.” Both lied in silence for awhile.

“Mick?”

Mick sighed heavily. “Yes, honey.”

“What was the conversation about?”

“How I would feel if she were ever gone from my life.”

“Oh wow. How did she know?”

“I don’t think she did know that it would be so soon. She just wanted to prepare me for the eventuality of it. And I didn’t want to face it.”

“Well that’s understandable.” Beth had gone back to lovingly stroking Mick’s chest.

“I can still hear her last part of the conversation like it was yesterday.”

“What did she say?” Beth sat up and brushed a few locks of hair away from Mick’s face. His face held such pain . . . and yet just a glimmer of peace.

“She said, ‘Just remember, I am a part of your life just as you are mine. When something does happen, part of me will ALWAYS be with you, you WILL be able to get through it and go on.’”

“Well she was right. She’s a part of all of us and always will be.”

“I just never thought that I’d lose her so soon.” He stood and padded to the window. Beth stood and walked up behind him, wrapping her arms around him, placing a kiss between Mick’s shoulder blades.

“None of us did, sweetheart.” Beth pulled back a little, thinking.

“You’re thinking rather loudly again.” Mick rotated in Beth’s arms, now facing her.

“Sorry.” She looked up into Mick’s face searching it. “Honey?”

“Yeah.”

“Didn’t Aoife say something one time about being able to place dreams into people?”

Mick’s eyes flew wide in surprise. “Oh my God! She did. But I distinctly remember that she said that she couldn’t to vampires.”

“But it wasn’t actually a dream. It was a memory. Do you think . . .” Beth left the sentence unfinished.

“I don’t know. Definitely something to talk to Kusabana about this afternoon.” Mick pulled Beth in for a kiss and then started pulling her towards the freezer.

“Mick?” Beth pulled back on him. “Shouldn’t we try to figure this out?”

“Beth. You and I don’t know enough about what Aoife could or couldn’t do to figure it out. Aed and Kusabana do. Come back to bed. We can go over all of it tonight with them. Okay?”

Beth allowed herself to be pulled into the freezer room. Exhaustion was starting to catch up with her. “Okay, okay. You win.” She untied her sash, let her robe drop to the floor and vaulted back into the freezer. Mick quickly followed suit and pulled his bride up to him so that they were spooned together. Both were asleep within moments, safe within each others arms.

********************************************************************

Steam filled up the bathroom as Isolde turned off the shower. She pulled a towel off of the top of the shower stall and wrapped her hair in it. She then pulled the second down, wrapping herself in it after quickly drying her limbs. She stepped out of the shower and padded to the sink and mirror. She picked up the hair dryer, turned it on high and proceeded to defog the mirror. She turned the hair dryer off and leaned in and examined herself closely in the mirror.

Still no wrinkles. You’d think I’d be happy about that. I SHOULD be happy about that. She humphed unceremoniously. “Well so much for the theory that I’d age faster than normal.” She leaned into the mirror looking closely at the area around her eyes. No wrinkles. Around her mouth. No laugh lines.

She reached up and undid the towel around her hair. She brushed it out, turned on the hair dryer and proceeded to blow it out. She smiled to herself as she remembered a comment that one of her co-workers had made the day before about how it wasn’t fair that she never needed to use a straightener. Her hair never took a curl for long either, which was fine with her. Isolde loved her hair stick strait.

Just as she was leaving the bathroom, her new tattoo caught her eye. She smiled as she looked closely at it. “Healing nicely.” She padded back into the bedroom and to her closet, pulling out her favorite New Republic jeans. Now came the hard part. Her boss had decided that they needed “uniforms”. Why he thought that was lost on her. No one ever really saw them. It was one of the main reasons that she had taken the job. Less contact with lots of people the better. She frowned as she pulled out the striped button up shirt. It’s a god damn bowling shirt. Isolde tossed it onto the bed in disgust. Luckily she only had to wear it part of the day today. She only had to work a half day. Thank god for small favors. “Who knew that I’d miss hunting this much. Be careful what you wish for . . . “

Isolde pulled open a drawer and pulled out one of her fitted t-shirts, wishing that she didn’t have to wear the obscenely ugly bowling shirt. She pulled the t-shirt on over her head as she headed back into the bathroom to put her make up on.

Once satisfied with her appearance she glided back into the bedroom, grabbed the shirt off the bed and headed into the kitchen. She pulled out a seven grain bagel and set it on a plate. She turned to the refrigerator and opened it. Isolde grabbed the blood orange juice and the blueberry cream cheese. She proceeded to slather a generous amount of it onto her open bagel. She poured a tall glass of orange juice and then put both the cream cheese and juice back in the refrigerator, the bagel hanging out of her mouth as she did.

A glance at the clock told her that she was almost late for work. “Shit!” Isolde grabbed the other half of the bagel and the glass of juice. She stopped by the coffee table long enough to grab her Dolce and Gabbana purse. She fumbled around trying to get her keys so that she could lock the door while attempting to balance the bagel and the juice.

“Aha!” She announced triumphantly at finally getting the keys. She opened and shut the door behind her, locking it and then sprinted down the hall and out the front door of the creamy yellow apartment building and to her car.

Once headed into downtown LA she thought of things that she could do after she got off work. Hmmm. Feels like a gym day.

Finishing the last of her bagel just as she parked the car, she jumped out and sprinted into the building to start her day.

********************************************************************

Beth woke and stretched her stiff limbs. Wonder if I’ll ever get used to being so stiff when I wake up? She rolled over and planted a kiss on Mick’s lips. He smiled as she pulled away, his eyes still closed.

“Hmmmm. I think we should just stay in today.” He opened one eye to look at his wife, while placing his hands behind his head.

Beth kicked open the latch and the familiar whoosh of air was heard. “Nope. I have a feeling that today is the day.” Beth leaned up and pushed off the side of the freezer landing agilely on her feet. She reached down and picked up her robe from the floor, put it on and headed out of the freezer room.

Mick heard the shower come on. Visions of all of the possibilities floated through his head. “Oh no way, St. John.” Beth’s voice drifted from the shower.

Mick chuckled and jumped out of the freezer and sauntered into the bathroom. His gaze raked over his wife who was currently bathed in pale blue light. He could hear every drop of water hitting her body. “And you know what I’m thinking how?”

Beth reached over and turned off the water. She wrapped one towel around her hair and the second around her body. She opened the door and stepped out, stopping in front of Mick. “Because I know you and your dirty little mind.” Beth glided her hand around his chest as she walked by and out the door, which elicited a hiss from Mick.

“Shower, Mick. Now.” Beth hollered over her shoulder as she headed to the closet to get dressed.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” Mick sighed, shook his head and smiled. He turned on the water in the shower and stepped inside. He tilted his head back relishing the feel of the cold water cascading down his head and body.

He picked up the shampoo, poured a small amount into his hand and proceeded to wash his hair. He thought again of what Beth had said before she got out of the freezer. He frowned, puzzled. Today is the day?

As he finished washing his body, he asked , “Beth?”

Beth, now fully dressed, answered. Knowing what the question would be. “Yes, dear?” She padded back into the bathroom to finish her hair and make up.

Mick shut the water off and pulled a towel down from its resting place and started drying off. He wrapped the towel around his waist, opened the shower door and stepped out allowing the door to swing shut. “What did you mean today is the day?”

“Huh?” Beth shut off the hair dryer. “I’m sorry sweetheart, I couldn’t understand you.”

“I said, What did you mean by today is the day?” Mick dropped the towel from his waist as he headed out the door. Smiling, knowing full well what was coming.

“MICHEAL SEAN ST. JOHN!!!!!!!!!” Beth flew out of the bathroom, towel in hand. She stopped dead in her tracks at the sight before her. Mick stood next to the bed, beads of water falling from his hair, landing on his chest and traveling downward. Beth stopped breathing. She tried to remember what she was yelling at him for.

“Yes, dear?” Mick responded. A wicked smile gracing his lips, drawing Beth back into the conversation.

“DEAR. We have had this conversation before. Don’t leave your towel on the floor. It gets musty smelling.” She tossed the towel at him, hitting him in the head.

Mick tried to look contrite. “Yes, love.” He reached down and picked up his boxer briefs from the bed. “Still, sweetheart. What did you mean by today is the day?”

Beth gave him a ‘ don’t you get it look’. “We find Aoife today.”

Mick stopped, his boxers half-way up his thighs. “And you know this how exactly?” Beth giggled at his stance.

“First, pull your briefs up the rest of the way and second, intuition.” Beth sashayed by him to put the towel into the hamper.

“Uh huh.” Came the muffled reply from Mick as he pulled the coal grey Henley on.

“Yep.” Beth gave Mick one last appraising look before she headed out of the door and downstairs.

Mick shook his head, laughing softly. “My wife, the eternal optimist.” He said softly to himself.

“I heard that.” Came floating back up from the kitchen.

By the time Mick got downstairs, Beth had already gotten two glasses poured. She was sitting in the living room, holding her glass in the air, waiting for her laptop to finish loading. Mick picked up his glass and was heading into the living room himself after turning on the fireplace when the knock came to the door. He changed direction and opened the door after giving the monitor a quick glance.

“Hey all.” Mick moved aside to allow the group access.

Beth looked up from her laptop. “Hi everyone!”

“Hi, Beth.” Selene responded back. She pushed her way through the herd of men and plopped down on the couch next to Beth.

Both looked back at the men assembled in the kitchen. “Men.” Beth stated. Selene giggled.

“Yep.”

“So where’s Kusabana?” Beth asked.

“Oh, she said that she had an errand to run and that she would meet us all here.”

“Oh, okay.”

“Why?” Selene had gotten her laptop going and was now in the process of getting Kraven’s going. Beth stood and went into the office, returning with Mick’s. She set it down next to hers and turned it on.

“Something happened today to Mick.”

“What? He looks fine.” Selene looked from Beth to Mick and back.

“Yeah, he’s very, very good at that.”

“Good at what, Beth?”

“Looking like he’s fine. Trust me, he’s not.” Beth sighed in frustration.

Beth stood and headed to the door in response to the knock. She silently opened the door and bowed to the petite Japanese woman standing there.

Kusabana smiled warmly. “Hello, Beth.”

“Hi. Please come in.” Beth stepped to the side to let the ancient vampire in.

Beth went back into the living room and sat back down on the couch. Kusabana glanced over at the group of men and followed Beth. She sat down in the chair opposite Beth. “Beth, what’s wrong?”

“Mick.”

With that, Kusabana looked over at the young vampire. He put up a good front, but she could sense how troubled he was. Something had happened.

“Mick, can you come over here please.” Kusabana asked. Mick looked over, dread flitting across his face but did as he was asked.

He bowed to her. “Yes, Kusabana?”

She motioned for him to sit next to Beth. “You seem troubled young one.”

“Confused is probably more correct.” Mick looked at Beth. She reached for his hand and intertwined her fingers with his and then giving them a quick squeeze.

“What happened?” Kusabana softly prodded.

Mick took a deep breath, noting that the room had become completely silent. “We don’t dream, right?”

“No, Mick. For all of the abilities we gain, the ability to dream is one that we lose.”

“Well, I had one last night.” Shock went through the room like a bolt of lightening.

“Mick, that’s not possible.” Josef responded, a look of disbelief on his face.

“I know that Josef. I’m telling you, I did.”

“What was it about?” Kusabana nudged.

Mick pulled Beth to him for comfort. “It was one about a conversation that Aoife and I had had not too long after Beth was turned. Right after she got me Ronan, in fact.”

“Is it something that you thought about often?”

“No, Kusabana. That’s just it, I blocked this conversation with her out. We talked about what I would do if she died.”

“So you haven’t conscientiously thought about it in how long?” An idea was forming in Kusabana’s head. She was beginning to truly believe that Aoife was alive and fairly close to them.

“Three years or so. I just couldn’t fathom the idea.” Beth leaned in a placed a kiss on Mick’s cheek. Kraven had migrated over to Selene and was standing behind her, his hands on her shoulders. Mike had taken up one of the other seats in the living room. Josef stood leaning on the kitchen island; a half empty glass forgotten in his hand. Aed had taken up residence in the wing back chair in the library.

“Hmmmm. And you had been out how long?”

“A couple of hours at least.”

“Mick, that wasn’t a dream. Someone pulled that memory up for you on purpose.” Kusabana stated. The only other person that she knew with the ability to do that was rumored to be dead. Like hell she is.

Beth couldn’t help herself. “Aoife once said that she could make people dream. Well human’s anyway. Just not vampires.”

“Well you can’t give a being a dream that doesn’t have the ability anymore, Beth. But if you know how you can make them remember a memory.” Kusabana replied.

“Can you do that?” Beth was in full inquisitive mode.

Kusabana chuckled. “Yes I can.”

“And Aoife could.” Beth continued.

“Yes, she could.”

“So. . . that means that it had to be her.” Beth announced triumphantly.

Mick stared at his wife, almost shell shocked. “How do you figure, Beth?”

“Simple, you have never told anyone about that conversation, right?”

“Yes . . .”

“So the only one other than you that would know about it would be Aoife.”

“True.” Mick had mixed feelings about the complications of it.

“Therefore, it had to be her.”

“Not necessarily Beth.” Mike responded. He knew that Aoife had had the ability but he also knew that she had said it was extremely dangerous and therefore didn’t usually do it. His second thought was if she did, why now?

“What do yo mean?”

“Well depending on how deep into sleep Mick was, his mind could have brought it up on its own.”

“But why now, Mike?” Mick was grasping at anything that offered hope.

“I don’t have the answer to that one, Mick.” Mike looked at his friend. He understood where Mick was coming from. He wanted his mate back just as much as Mick wanted his sire back.

Aed stood and headed into the living room. “Mick, what was the conversation exactly?”

“Essentially that a part of her would always be with me and that I could go on.”

“I have to agree with Beth. Aoife pulled that memory up. Why now, I don’t know. But she did.” Aed walked into the kitchen and poured himself a glass of blood and then glided into the living room.

“I don’t think so. I think Mick’s subconscious did it to help him cope. Nothing more, nothing less.” Mike stated flatly.

Selene glared at Mike. “So, what?! You think she’s dead?” Kraven squeezed her shoulders in silent reminder that Mike was hurting too.

“I don’t know. I hope and pray that Vlad’s lying, but we don’t have any proof one way or the other.”

Selene crossed her arms and huffed.

Beth looked around at the group, suddenly feeling claustrophobic. She stood and headed towards the windows overlooking Pershing Square. Suddenly she felt drawn to go down. She silently went to the closet, pulled out her grey duster, grabbed her keys and phone and headed towards the door.

Mick watched silently. When Beth went to her coat, he stood and headed her off at the door. He put both of his hands on her arms near her shoulders. “Honey, what’s wrong?”

“I don’t know. I just need to get out of here for a little while. I”m going down to Pershing Square.”

Beth, it’s the still late afternoon, the sun. . .” Aed started.

“Won’t bother me.” Beth leaned in and kissed Mick lovingly on the lips. “I’ll be back in a little while, I promise. I just need to stretch my legs.”

A worried look came to Mick’s face. “You sure?”

“Yep.” Beth pulled open the door and headed towards the elevator, unaware that two worlds were about to collide.

No one moved. They were frozen in their spots, looks of shock plastered on their faces.

Aed cleared his throat. “Josef, could I trouble you for a drink? The trip was grueling.”

The question shook Josef out of his stupor. “Of course. What’s your poison?” He pushed himself off of the door frame headed to the bar.

“Actually a 1985 would be nice.” Aed responded. Josef stopped in his tracks.

Shit. He turned back towards the Head Council member. “I’m sorry, Your Highness, but my 1985 is currently unavailable.”

Aed’s eyes narrowed. “She’s not?”

Kusabana knew that Aed was on edge. She reached over and put her hand on his thigh in gentle reminder to behave himself.

Josef swallowed hard. “No, not tonight. I sent them all out for a girls night out. I didn’t want any way for what we were doing to get out.”

Aed’s eyes softened. “I’m sorry. It’s been a very long flight and with the trouble brewing . . .” He sighed. “I’ll take whatever that you have fresh.”

Josef viably relaxed. “I have O+, AB-, A+. . . and” He held up the bottle and took a quick sniff, “B-.”

Aed considered a moment, “The AB- please.”

Josef nodded and poured a glass. He glanced at Kusabana. “Would you like anything. . .” He wasn’t sure quite what to call her.

Sensing Josef’s unsureness Kusabana responded, “Kusabana is fine, young one.” Josef nodded. “And a glass of O+ would be wonderful.”

Josef poured another glass and walked over handing the two glasses to the senior vampires. He then sat down in one of the overstuffed chairs; taking notice that everyone else had now found seats.

Mick had sat down in the other overstuffed chair and had pulled Beth into his lap. He had wrapped his arms around her waist for comfort. He sighed and then asked again “What information do you have?”

Aed finished the last of his drink and set the glass down. “Not a bad year, Josef.” He then looked to Kusabana for a moment and then back to Mick. “Have you heard the accusations that Vlad has been making?” Mick gave a curt nod in reply.

Selene huffed. “Yes. Total hogwash as far as I’m concerned.”

“So are they not true?” Mick looked hopeful. Beth could see it in his eyes. She just prayed that his hopes wouldn’t be forever dashed.

Kusabana just sat observing the group. She could sense the fear and frustration coming from them all. The had been trying to find Aoife for so long now, never giving up. This is the second go around for Selene and Kraven. Aoife picked well. She too prayed that Vlad was bluffing. She truly didn’t know how they, well Mick in particular would react if Aoife was truly dead.

“So far he hasn’t brought forth any proof, just boasting.” Kusabana replied.

“Is he really pushing for you to step down, Aed?” Beth asked quietly.

“Yes he is.” Aed responded simply.

“He scares me.” Beth replied back, a shiver going down her spine.

“And he should. Vlad is very unstable and that makes him all the more dangerous. That’s why he hasn’t taken over so far. Every vote that he has called regarding the subject has been four to three in favor of Aed continuing as Head Council member.” Kusabana answered.

Mike was getting impatient. “Can we please get to the information?”

Aed gave him a look. “Well, what we have discovered is that she did not go voluntarily.”

“How do you know that?” Kraven asked. His brown knit concern. “There was no indication that they forced her to leave in her hotel suite.”

“Kraven, there was nothing at all in that room to indicate anything that happened. We all saw the same vision. It just showed her walking in and then nothing.” Selene responded, exasperated.

“I know that . . . dear.” Kraven replied back, glaring.

Beth looked towards Mick. His face held the same frustrated look. “I still don’t understand, how can a memory be erased?” She asked.

Aed pursed his lips together before answering. “It’s not impossible to do, just very, very difficult.”

“How does someone do that?” Beth queried.

“Well . . . The room has to be wiped clean and the only way I know of that it can be is by using a physic null.” Kusabana replied.

Beth scrunched her nose, thinking, “What is a physic null?”

“Not what, young one, who.” Kusabana answered.

Selene’s face lit up. “Oh wait, I’ve heard about them. Aoife talked about one once. She said that it was the only time that she couldn’t touch them psychically. That and all memories in the room were erased. Frustrated the hell out of her.”

Aed chuckled. “I just bet it did.” Turning serious again, he said “The question is why did they feel the need to have it done?”

“Exactly.” Mick asked. He pulled Beth closer to him. Beth responded by leaning in to kiss him on the forehead.

“Well, they obviously wanted to hide the conversation.” Kusabana responded. She had stood and floated over to the large picture window.

“And there was nothing out of place. She just seemed to vanish.” Selene said.

“Exactly. Selene, Kraven, you’ve lived with her and worked closely with Aoife for what almost 200 years now?” Kusabana asked. She was facing towards the windows, her hands clasped behind her back. She was dressed in a blood red Kimono style shirt and black slacks.

“Yes . . .” Selene answered.

“And nothing was out of the ordinary before she disappeared?”

“No, absolutely nothing. She was in the best place that she had been in years.” Selene was trying to figure out where the line of questioning was going. Mike huffed in frustration. Selene turned and shushed him..

“We know obviously that Vlad is somehow involved. I suspect that Elvira and Simone are as well to a lesser degree.” Aed stated.

“Well we figured that.” Selene commented. “Those three are like peas in a pod.”

Kusabana chuckled quietly. “You know Selene, you’re right. I’ve never thought of it that way before, but it fits.”

Aed smiled. “It does. So The question is then what did they do or threaten to get her to leave like that?”

“You know, I’ve been giving that a lot of thought lately.” Beth interjected. Mick gave her an ‘ah that’s what you were thinking about earlier’ look.

“Have you now?” Josef snarked. Beth turned towards him, glaring..

“Yes, I have.” Beth hesitated for a moment. “And . . . well the only thing that I could come up with was that it had to be a threat against us.”

“That thought had crossed my mind as well young one.” Kusabana responded softly.

“What kind of threat would cause her to leave though?” Mick smiled at his wife. Her reporter turned PI instinct was kicking in.

“That is a good question. Aoife never backed down from a fight, ever.” Kraven stated. He looked over at Selene, who was now pacing behind the couch.

Aed laughed softly. “No she didn’t did she.”

“What’s so funny, Aed?” Mick looked at his sire’s sire, unsure of what could possibly be funny to the ancient vampire right now.

“Did she ever tell you about her turning, Mick?” Aed’s eyes sparkled with laughter.

“Only that you didn’t give her much of a choice.” Mick responded, his voice tight.

“Oh I did give her a choice, be turned or die.”

“Yeah, like she said not much of a choice.” It was all Mick could do to keep his growing anger and frustration in check. Beth wrapped her hands around his at her waist and squeezed. Mick visibly relaxed at the touch.

“True . . . true. You know she gave me a run for my money that night. She almost actually beheaded me.”

“Wow.” Beth’s eyes went wide in surprise.

Selene shook her head, surprised as well. “You know, in all of the time that I’ve known Aoife, she had never mentioned that.”

Aed chuckled. “Well now you know why I chose her to do what she does.”

Mike started laughing too. “You know, I can just see her doing that too.”

Beth laughed for a moment too, but then started to frown, thinking. “Okay, so basically we all agree that whatever was said to her made her make the choice to leave. . . but who did it and why?”

Kusabana had sat back down on the couch. “Well, that’s where Aed and I think Vlad comes in. We’ve done a preliminary search of his recent bank transactions and there seems to be a large outgo of money starting about five years ago. The trail seems to be covered pretty well and we are unable to determine to whom the money is going to.”

“Do you have the information with you?” Josef had now leaned forward in his chair, his arms were resting on his thighs. A smile crept onto his face. Now they were entering familiar territory.

“Yes.” Aed answered.

“If you give me what you already have, I can have my people trace the transactions to the payees.” Josef stated. His eyes almost glinted with excitement. Mick looked at Beth and smiled. He knew his best friend was in his element.

“I can get it for you in awhile. It’s on my laptop.” Kusabana stated. She just happened to glance over at Mick just as he was motioning to Beth to stand.

“Honey, what’s wrong?” Beth’s eyes searched her husbands.

“Just need to get up and move a little.” Mick replied. He kissed Beth on the cheek and wandered over to the large fireplace at the far end of the study.

Mick stood watching the fire. He let his mind wander back to the night Aoife had disappeared. The night that his world had been turned upside down. For the first time, he the spent the effort to sift out his feelings from those of the blank memory that was forever burned into his mind. He could hear the assembled group talking in the background but blocked them out, choosing instead to focus on trying for figure out what Aoife had been feeling that night. His eyebrows crept forward almost touching as he focused on that night. He leaned on the mantle for support as he replayed the memory in his head over and over again.

Slowly he filtered out everything but the familiar sensations of Aoife.

Beth watched her husband from the chair they had been sharing. She sensed the change in his emotions and watched as his facial expressions evolved over the minutes. She quietly got up and walked over to him and stood next to him for a few minutes, just observing.

Finally she reached over and gently touched his arm. “Mick?” She said in whisper.

Mick felt Beth place her hand on his arm and knew that she was worried about him. In the back of his mind he also registered that everyone had stopped talking and were intently watching him. He felt the sting of tears start to make a trail down his face. He knew the answer as to why Aoife had left, well at least part of if.

Mick looked up, refocusing his eyes on Beth. “Oh my god.” Beth pulled Mick’s arm down from the mantel and pulled him in her arms for a hug.

Kusabana had stood and glided over to the young vampires. She had known what Mick had been trying to do. Being an empath she had tuned into him, “Mick, you need to let it out. You can’t help her now.”

Mick started to crumble to the ground. “No . . . no . . . no . . . she can’t be. . .”

Beth was becoming terrified. She couldn’t read the mixture of emotions that were hitting her. “Mick, what are you talking about?”

The rest of the assembled vampires looked on in silence, each lost in their own thoughts.

Mick shook his head, trying to erase the feelings. He needed to go back, just five minutes. Before he had filtered everything out.

Kusabana watched as the Mick slowly disintegrated in front of her. “Mick, don’t read too much into feelings. They can easily be misinterpreted.”

“Honey, what is she talking about?” Beth had started slowly stroking Mick’s back.

“I . . . I decided to try and filter out all of the other feelings of us all out of the memory of the day Aoife disappeared.” Mick took in a ragged breath. “I didn’t know if I could, but I remembered that Aoife had said that it could be done. She tried to teach me once.”

“And . . .” Josef snarked.

Selene proceeded to stalk over and slug Josef in the mouth. “Shut up!” she hissed.

In a soothing voice, Kusabana said “Go on, Mick.”

“I managed to do it.” Mick drew in a sobbing breath.

“Sweetheart, please. What did you get?” Beth leaned in and kissed him on the lips softly.

“At first happiness, then rage . . . then absolute and utter terror, not for her but for us. The last feelings that I got were . . . almost defeat. Wait no not defeat . . . acceptance and then nothing. Well not nothing either. ” Mick was now clinging to Beth for dear life.

“Acceptance?” Aed questioned. “Like she’d made some sort of decision?”

Mick wiped away the tears with the back of his right hand. “Yeah. Like whatever it was she accepted the consequences.”

“Hmmmm.” Selene had sunk down into the couch, next to Aed. “Well I guess that confirms our suspicions anyway.”

“Yes it does.” Kusabana knew that what Mick had done was draining, both physically and mentally as she had done it on more than one occasion herself Truth be told, not that it was of any importance to the rest of them, she was the one that had taught Aoife how to do it in the first place. She turned to the group. “I think we’ve gone as far as we can tonight. It’s almost morning and I for one could use substantial time in a freezer.”

Beth watched Mick closely. He suddenly looked totally exhausted. “Maybe you’re right, Kusabana.”

Aed stifled a yawn. “I agree. I don’t think we can get anywhere else tonight.” He stood and stretched. “We can start again in the evening.”

“Aed?” Kraven asked. He had turned off his and Selene’s laptops.

“Yes, Kraven.” Aed responded.

“Why the sudden push to find Aoife?”

“Because, it has become very apparent that IF she is still alive, she may not be much longer.” Aed replied tiredly.

“You know, I’m really beginning to hate Vlad.”

“Welcome to the club, Beth.” Mike snarked.

“Why thank you.” Beth held out her hand to Mick. “Come on, honey. Let’s get you home and into the freezer before you collapse on Josef’s floor.”

Mick took her and and allowed himself to be pulled up. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.” He looked over to the rest of the group. “Same time tomorrow?”

“Works for us.” Selene answered.

“How about our place tomorrow?”

“Sure, Beth.” Selene grabbed Kraven’s hand. “Come on. The freezer is calling.”

“So I guess we’re going to bed now.” Kraven allowed himself to be pulled towards the study door.

“Kusabana, do you think you can get me that info tonight before you head to bed? I’d like to get my people started on it as soon as possible.”

“Of course, Josef.” Kusabana headed towards the door. “Which way to my room?”

Josef strode out the door. “This way. Your room is also this way, your highness.”

Aed smiled. “As much as Aoife would have you believe that I actually LIKE being called that . . . just call me Aed.”

“Of course.” Josef headed down the hall leading the two elder vampires towards their rooms. He said over his shoulder, “I assume Mick, you and Beth can find your way out?”

“Yeah, Josef.” Mick replied. He couldn’t believe how exhausted he suddenly felt.

“Where are you staying Mike?” Beth asked as she shut down her and Mick’s laptops.

“Here too.”

“I’ve been wondering about that. Why aren’t you all staying at Aoife’s?”

A pained look came to Mike’s face. Selene came back in the room. “Because, Beth. It’s AOIFE’S house. Not ours.”

Mike shot her a wicked grin. “Forget something?”

“Yeah, my phone.” She leaned over and picked up her BlackBerry off of the coffee table.

“Wait. What does the fact that it’s Aoife’s house have to do with anything.”

“Beth . . .” Mick said, a hint of warning in his voice.

Selene sighed. “It’s fine Mick.” She turned back to look at Mike. “It just doesn’t feel right without Aoife there. Something’s missing.” Her eyes now drifted to Mick and Beth. “Do you understand, Beth?” She could see that Mick could.

Beth considered for a minute. “Yeah, I guess I do.” She finished zipping up the zipper on Mick’s laptop and handed it to him. “Come one honey. Let’s get you home.”

Mick yawned. “Yes, dear.” He turned to Selene and Mike. “Night.”

“Night, Mick . . . Beth.” Selene and Mike responded back.

Josef’s front door opened and closed. “So really, what was the real reason that you came back down.”

“To get my phone, like I said.” Selene headed towards the door with Mike right behind.

“You sure it wasn’t to get me for a menage o’ trois?” Mike sprinted off towards the stairs.

“MIKE! I am sooo staking you when I catch you!” Selene yelled. Tearing up the stairs after him.

Beth sat quietly in the car as Mick drove them home. She was desperately trying to get a handle on the emotions that had been flowing off him not twenty minutes earlier. She sighed frustratedly. He was blocking her completely; leaving her with nothing to go on now but his facial expressions which hadn’t changed since they had left Josef’s.

Mick parked the care in the underground parking, walked around to the passenger side and opened the door. He held his hand out to Beth, just as he always did, to help her out of the car. Beth shook her head. Her husband was on autopilot. She decided to wait until they reached the penthouse before trying to get him out of his stupor.

As soon as they were in the apartment Mick headed to the hidden fridge and poured himself a zombie glass full of blood, which he downed in one gulp. Beth stood in the living room watching him intently.

“Mick?”

Nothing. He just stared off into space. Great. He’s gone there again. Here come the demons.

Beth tried again, more forceful this time. “MICK!”

He looked towards her, startled. “What?”

“Can you stay on this plane please?” Beth walked towards him. She took the glass from his hand and set it in the sink. Beth then took Mick’s hands and pulled him into the living room.

She searched his eyes for some kind of answer. His eyes were a maelstrom of pain, fear, frustration and heartbreak. She sat down on the couch, pulling him with her. “Mick, talk to me.”

“There’s nothing to talk about.”

“Yes there is. You haven’t said two words since we left Josef’s and well . . . you’re not here.”

“Yes I am.”

Beth glare at him. ‘No, you’re not.” She reached up and forced his head up to look at her. “Mick, why do I have the feeling that what you told everyone is not the whole story?”

Mick fought back the flood of emotions hitting him. He looked up trying desperately not to start crying. He suddenly stood and and headed out onto the balcony to watch the rising sun. Beth sighed heavily and followed him out. She found him leaning on the wall. She took up her place next to him “Mick, honey. Please talk to me.”

Mick watched the sky change colors. How could he explain to Beth what he had sensed when he couldn’t really figure it out himself. He glanced sideways at her, noting the deep concern written on her face. “Beth, I truly don’t know if I can explain it.”

“Can you please try?” Beth reached up and caressed his cheek. “What did you mean by nothing and not nothing?”

Mick sighed. “It was like . . .” He stopped not sure how to put it into words. “It was like whatever they said or did to her she accepted. It almost felt like she died right then.” Mick hesitated again.

“But you’ve said that it always feels to you like she’s not.”

“That’s what is so confusing. It felt like some part of her died, but she didn’t die.” Mick looked back towards the lightening sky.

“Honey, you know that doesn’t make any sense.”

“I know it doesn’t.” He pulled Beth into him for comfort. She laid her head on his chest, listening to his low steady heartbeat.

After a few minutes, Beth asked. “Mick do you remember what Aoife said right after she turned you?”

“Which part?” He had laid his head on the top of Beth’s.

“The part where she explained that she could walk out of your life and you would be fine.”

“Yeah, I remember.”

“If she’s really dead or dies.. . .” Beth stopped fighting her own intense emotions.

Mick sucked in a ragged breath. “I know.”

“You won’t be fine.”

“No, I don’t think I will be.” Mick lifted his head off of his wife’s. She looked up at him.

“To be honest, I don’t think I will be either.”

“None of us will be.” Mick looked at the sun cresting the edge of the building. “Come on, lets go to bed.” Beth nodded and silently followed her bereaved husband inside.

“I’m sorry, Isolde. I really am. But I don’t know what to do.” A squeaky male voice replied back, complete with a slight tremor in it.

And he has a degree in this shit? Isolde placed her arm over her eyes, shielding them from lamplight streaming in through the window. “What’s going on?”

“Well. . . it seems that the air conditioning has gone out.”

Shit. “So have you called to get the repair people out there?”

“I can’t find their number.” Isolde could hear the fear in Perry’s voice. He knew that he was on thin ice with her. As far as she was concerned he wasn’t worth the space that he was taking up. Just two days before she had caught him closing out tickets without fixing the problems . . . again.

“It’s in the Rolodex.” Isolde had sat up in bed, now wide awake.

“I looked there.” Isolde stood and walked out of the bedroom and into the living room. She grabbed her laptop, set it on the coffee table and turned it on.

“It’s also posted on the wall next to the door in the main server room.” She hit a few keys and started to check the status of the different servers. Shit, shit, shit! She watched in horror as two of the raid drives for one server went out.

“That’s where I am now. I can’t find it.” Perry whined back.

Isolde stood and practically ran back into her bedroom. She pulled a pair of jeans, a printed t-shirt with a cartoon bunny on it that said Life . . . Get one! on it, underwear, bra and socks. She threw them on in record time, grabbed her sneakers, slipped her feet into them and headed into the bathroom. She grabbed her brush, ran it through her hair a couple of times, pulled her waist length raven black hair into a ponytail and headed out into the living room again. “I’ll be there in ten minutes. Go into the storeroom and get the fans and put them in the server room.”

“What good will that do?” He can’t be that dense, can he?

“It’ll move the air around. Hopefully we won’t lose anymore servers.” She picked up her laptop, threw it in its case, grabbed her wallet and keys and headed out the door.

*****************************

When Isolde got home again seven hours later, she was even in a more foul mood than when she left. “They had better not even THINK about calling me to come back in to work today.” she said to no one. She threw her stuff on the couch and headed into the kitchen. She grabbed the remote to her stereo system and hit play. The stereo made a few noises and then Evanescence’s song Haunted started playing.

She opened the refrigerator, looking for something to eat. She settled on leftover homemade ravioli and marinara sauce. Isolde pulled the container out, reached into the cupboard and took out a plate. She opened the plastic container, poured the contents onto the plate and placed the plate into the microwave to heat.

While the food was heating, she headed into the bedroom to change, coming out in a set of yoga capri’s and the same shirt. She opened the silverware drawer and took out a fork. She then padded back to the microwave, took out the plate and set it on the bar. Deciding that she needed a drink, she went back to the fridge, removed a bottle of Riesling, pulled a glass down from its spot hanging in the rack above the island and poured the wine into it. She then walked around to the bar and plopped down into the bar stool and started to eat.

******************************

Mick smiled, eyes still closed, as he felt Beth stirring. It still amazed him how he could still after three years wake with a raging hard on every day. Vampires just normally didn’t have that kind of thing, or so he had been told and up until he had gotten together with Beth, it had been true. He reached over and started fondling her breast, the nipple responding to his ministrations immediately. Beth pushed her derriere against Mick’s swollen member in response.

A soft moan escaped her lips, quickly followed by a smile. She snaked her hand behind her and down, finding what she was looking for immediately. She wrapped her hand around Mick’s member and started slowly stroking it up and down with a feather light touch that she knew absolutely drove him crazy.

“Oh . . . God . . . Beth.” Mick managed to eak out. She had rolled over and was now using both hands. Mick’s eyes rolled back in his head, a look of shear ecstasy on his face from the exquisite torture she was giving him.

Beth kicked the latch to the freezer causing the lid to open with a woosh letting the trapped air out to give her more room. She then pushed Mick back onto his back, smiling wickedly at him. “Just what are you thinking, my love?” Mick asked.

“Oh I don’t know . . . ” Her eyes traveling up Mick’s chest to rest on his face. “Making you cum . . . screaming my name, maybe?” Her eyes were dark with desire, the blue lost in the black of her pupils, white tinging the rims. Mick groaned. He knew then that he was in trouble, a very, very good kind of trouble, but trouble none the least.

“Only if I get to do the same.” Mick responded. He snaked one hand down her stomach, once reaching her folds he took his thumb and started massaging her clit, two of his other fingers finding their way down and into her hot, wet opening. The motions earned him a low growl of pleasure from her. “Swing that sweet ass of yours up here.”

Beth opened her now fully white eyes to look at her husband. “So . . . you want to do the tit for tat thing simultaneously today, do you?” She bent down and started to lick Mick’s cock like a huge lollypop.

“Oooooh my god, you do that way tooo well.” Mick managed to get out. He put both hands on Beth’s cheeks encouraging her to straddle his face. She obliged him, by lifting her leg up and setting it down on the opposite side of his head. He wiggled around a little to get into the right position. Mick took his tongue and slowly drug his tongue from the base of her area up to her clit, sending shivers down Beth’s spine. “Well someone always made sure that I had a huge supply of lollypops when I was a kid.” She commented breathlessly.

Mick smiled to himself. It had been one of his yearly rituals as Beth had been growing up to send her lollipops on her birthday. He sucked on one of her lips before dragging his fang along the inside up to her clit again, sucking it into his mouth. Beth hissed in pleasure.

Her response was to up the anty. She dropped her jaw and relaxed her throat, taking all of him in her mouth. Then she started slowly moving her mouth up and down, swallowing every so often just to change things up.

Mick was finding it hard to concentrate with what she was doing to him. But the scent of her arousal brought his attention back to her moist folds. They were calling to him. He licked his lips, another groan of pleasure escaping his lips as Beth changed the pressure and angle of her mouth on his cock. Without waiting he plunged his tongue into her core, pulling it out and then pushing it back in again, over and over.

Beth started moving her head up and down in time to Mick’s movements. She let out a moan that got a moan in response from Mick as he felt it through this cock and into his core. He decided to switch it up. He slowly drug his tongue up her folds. Upon reaching Beth’s clit, he sucked into his mouth, tickling it with the tip of his tongue, making sure to nip every once and awhile, stopping Beth in her tracks every time he did so.

Her response was to yet again increase her speed, making sure to drag her fangs along the sides of Mick’s member, nipping the tip every so often as well.

By now both were teetering on the edge of sweet oblivion. Mick could sense the change in his mates smell, just as Beth could sense the change in Mick’s.

“Beth . . .” Mick spoke, his voice filled with the tension of unreleased passion. “I can’t . . . I can’t . . . I’m soo close.”

Beth smiled around his cock, then picked up the pace yet again. Mick growled, closing his eyes, he fought the urge to bite until he could tell Beth was ready too.

He sunk his fangs in the sensitive flesh around Beth’s clit, sending him over the edge screaming “Beth!” as her sweet blood filled his mouth.

At feeling his bite, Beth quit resisting the urge to bite as well, and sunk her fangs into the base of Mick’s now throbbing member, sending her crashing over the edge with him. She pulled her head up, kissing the head before she collapsed to the side next to Mick. “Ha.”

Mick responded, breathing heavily, “Ha, what?” He reached down and pulled her back up to him so that Beth’s head was resting on his shoulder.

“You screamed my name.” She responded triumphantly.

“I do that all of the time.” He snarked back.

Beth smirked. “Not like that you don’t.”

“Oh, really.”

“Yep. You screamed my name like a girl.”

Mick glared at her. “I did not.”

Beth sat up, put her hands on the side of the freezer and agily jumped out. “Oh, but you did.”

She got a humph in reply, which sent her giggling as she put her turquoise blue thigh length silk robe on, tying the sash into a bow. She then sauntered out of the freezer room, heading downstairs. She called up the stairs, “You coming or are you planning on staying in bed all night?”

Mick thought about the question for about ten seconds. He sat up, put his hands on the lip of the freezer and vaulted out. He sauntered through the door of the master bedroom to the chest of drawers and pulled out his blood red silk pajama bottoms. He threw them on and headed down the stairs.

When he reached the kitchen a glass of breakfast was waiting for him on the counter. “Thank you, dear.” He picked the glass up and took a long drink. He glanced at Beth and couldn’t help but notice her patented reporter look in her eyes. “What is in that little head of yours now?”

“What? Oh nothing really. Was I thinking that loudly?” Beth finished her drink, turned the faucet on to rinse out the remnants of blood. She held her hand out towards Mick, pointing at his now empty glass. He smiled and handed the glass to her.

“You really do hate dried blood in the zombie glasses, don’t you?” Mick snickered at the look on Beth’s face.

“Gee, what was your first clue?” She snarked back. She picked up the now rinsed glasses and put them into the dishwasher.

“Do you really want me to answer that?” Mick responded, smirking.

Beth walked by, towards the stairs, slapping her husband on the butt as she did. “No, I don’t want you to answer that.”

“Leaving so soon?”

“Not on your life buster.” Beth headed up the stairs. “But we do have a date to meet everyone at Josef’s in an hour.”

“Yeah, yeah. I know.” Mick headed towards the stairs after her. “I just don’t think anything will come of it.” He climbed them, his thoughts wandering.

Beth responded from the bathroom, over the sound of the shower. “You never know.” Beth opened the shower door and stepped in. She giggled as she felt Mick’s smoldering gaze on her. “You just going to take in the view or are you going to join me.”

Mick opened the shower door, his gaze raking up and down his wife’s body. He stepped in, closing the door behind him. In a voice filled with passion he said, “Oh I plan on doing more that just joining you.” He pulled her in for a fiery kiss, electricity flowing between them. . .

**********************************

Isolde stood looking out the window watching the sunset. She looked down the street and noticed the familiar car parked there. Are they ever going to leave me alone? I’m doing what they want, damn it. I’m staying away. She sighed, just wishing the longing would lessen just a little. She still missed her husband terribly, but it was easier to deal with than the longing. He was gone, while her family was in the same city, just unreachable. Why did I have to move here? She went to the couch and flopped down. She pulled out her laptop and turned it on. She checked her emails, mostly junk but a few were work related. She answered them and then decided to see who was playing in the World of Warcraft. She logged in, picked her highest ranked character; a blood elf named Granuaile (graw + nya + wail) and proceed to see who she could fight. She was soon invited into a dungeon. She smiled grimly to herself as she accepted the invitation. I hate dungeons.

She played for the next several hours and had just finished when her phone rang. Isolde reached for it absentmindedly, answering it without looking. “Hello?”

Nothing, no sounds, no one answering. Isolde pulled her BlackBerry from her ear to make sure it was connected. “Hello?” Still nothing.

“Look either say something or I’m hanging up.” A feeling of dread crept through her, her heart started racing.

“Just a little reminder that we’re watching you.” A deep male voice responded.

Isolde huffed and responded, her voice filled with venom. “Like I don’t know that? You have my cell phone records dumped on a regular basis, my home and computers are bugged; oh and let’s not forget the not so inconspicuous car parked in front of my apartment at all fucking times.”

“Well we wouldn’t want you to go back on your word, would we now?”

“Like that would happen. I gave my word and my word has always been gold.” Isolde stood and walked back over to the window, looking down at the car still sitting there, desperately fighting the rage that was quickly boiling to the surface .

“Be that as it may . . . your benefactor wanted to remind you.”

“My benefactor?! I didn’t need any reminding.” Isolde replied, the rage fully evident in her voice. Her answer was dead silence. She took the phone away from her ear again to confirm that they had hung up. She then threw the phone across the room and onto the couch, screaming in frustration as she did so. She yet again wondered if there was someway to get around it all. She knew a lot about computers but wasn’t even close to the wiz’s that certain members of her family were. She’d wracked her brain for almost three years now trying to find a way. That’s why I moved here. Some place familiar; someplace where they used to be.

She sighed deeply and glided to the couch, picking up her phone. She looked at it carefully just to make sure that it still worked. “I’ve really got to stop doing that.” She whispered.

Isolde plopped back down into couch. She leaned forward, picking up the remote and switched on the TV. She surfed channels for a few minutes finally deciding on a movie. She tucked her legs in underneath her and settled to watch.

**************************

Mick and Beth pulled into Josef’s driveway, fashionably late as always. “You know that he’s going to be pissed.”

Mick had climbed out of the Benz and was holding the door to the passenger side open for Beth. “He’ll live.” Beth took his hand and gracefully stepped out of the car, shutting the door behind her.

“Oh, I know that. It’s just . . . well the vampire really needs to get a woman.”

They walked up to the front door, holding hands. “He does have one, well several.” Mick smiled at the look of disgust that came to Beth’s face.

“You know what I mean.” Beth responded.

“Yeah, I do.” Mick leaned over and placed a quick kiss on Beth’s mouth. “Whose turn is it to knock this time?”

Beth was just about to answer when the door swung open and one very miffed male vampire stood glaring at them. “About damn time!”

Josef took one whiff, making a face as he did so. “Can you to not do that just once before coming over here?”

Mick clapped his hand on his best friend’s shoulder. “Nope.” He pushed his way past, pulling Beth along with him. He leaned in to her whispering, “You’re right. He needs to get laid. . . and soon.”

Beth giggled as the door slammed shut behind them. “I think he heard you.”

Josef walked past the pair mumbling under his breath in a sing song voice, “He needs to get laid.”

Selene looked up from her laptop as the three entered Josef’s study. “Okay, what did you say now Mick?”

Mick looked at her, an innocent look gracing his face.

Selene rolled her eyes and turned to Beth. “What did he say?”

Josef walked around the couch and sat down with a huff.

Beth glided over to Josef and placed a quick peck on the elder vampires cheek. “He didn’t mean it, Josef.”

Josef waved his hand in the air. “Yeah, yeah. I know.”

“So what did you say, Mick?” Mike asked again for everyone.

“I just agreed with Beth.” Mick answered. A smirk gracing his face.

“Uh huh. I didn’t say that he needed to get laid.” Beth sauntered over to her husband, pushed him down in the chair that was behind him and then poked him in the chest for effect. “YOU did.”

The last comment and the look on Mick’s face sent everyone into hysterics that lasted for several minutes. Once the furor had died down, Kraven stated “So where are we starting tonight?”

Beth plopped down on the couch next to Selene. “I was thinking starting with that shipping label that was on the package.”

“Sounds like as good of place as any.” Selene responded.

Within minutes the only sound that could be heard was that of fingers flying over keyboards.

*****************************

“God Damn It!” Beth yelled in frustration. She looked at Selene and Kraven, exasperatedly. “How the hell did you to do this for sixty years?”

“It was definitely a very long lesson in patience.” Selene stood, stretched and headed towards the wet bar that was across the room. “Can I get anyone anything?”

Josef stood and swaggered over to the bar. He pulled out a bottle of single malt and handed it to Selene. “Will this work?”

Kraven looked up from his computer, “Oh hell yeah.”

Selene set the bottle on a tray while Josef pulled six glasses from the cupboard and placed them on the tray as well. Selene the carried the tray back to the large table and placed it in the middle. “I’m not serving, so help yourself.”

Kraven leaned forward and took the bottle. He removed the top, grabbed a glass and poured himself a tall glass. He held up the bottle towards Mike, “You having any?”

“You just did not ask me that.” Mike responded, deadpan.

“Hey, I don’t want to waste this. This is the good stuff.” Kraven responded, pouring another glass and handing it to Mike.

Kraven then looked at Mick. “How about you?”

Mick shook his head no. Instead he stood and walked over to the large picture window the faced towards the setting sun. Where are you? This was always our time.

Beth looked from Josef to Mick, her face laced with worry. She stood and silently padded to stand behind her husband. She wrapped her arms around his waist, placing her head in between his shoulder blades. “Hey, you still with us?” She whispered.

Mick placed his arms on top of hers. “Yeah. Just wishing.”

“Mick, we all want her back.” Mike said softly. All could feel the anguish coming from both men, though for different reasons.

Mick sighed heavily. He turned in Beth’s arms, placing a kiss on her forehead. He lifted his head to look at his friend. Mick knew that Aoife’s absence had been rough on Mike as well. He and Aoife had been doing really well. “I know, man. . . it’s just, well, sunset was always the time of the day that Aoife and I used to always gravitate to. I learned more about myself and her watching those sunsets.”

“She did love them.” Selene responded. She leaned over and gave Mike’s thigh a quick squeeze.

Mick was just about to respond when he was hit with the scent of very old vampire. He vamped out immediately, along with everyone else in the room. Then there were three quick raps at the door.

Josef stood, walked through the door to the study and to the ornate front door. He turned back towards the study and the five vampires standing in and around the doorway. The knock came again, more instant this time.

Josef took a deep breath, placed his hand on the knob, ready to spring as soon as the door opened. He turned the knob and pulled the door towards him.

One word came from Selene’s lips. “Aed.”

Aed nodded and then turned to Josef, chuckling. “Well, young one, are you going to invite us in or make us stand outside?”

That’s when Beth noticed the second vampire. She ran forward, giving the ancient vampire a hug. “Kusabana!”

Kusabana laughed. “Well, well, well, hello Beth!’

Josef came to his senses and moved aside motioning for the two Council members to enter.

Mick asked from where he stood in the doorway of the study, “Not that I’m not glad to see the both of you; but I have to ask, why are you here?”

Kusabana strode forward to stand before Mick. “To help you find what has been lost.” She stated simply. Kusabana then glided past Mick and went into the study.

Aed strode up to Mick and placed his hand on Mick’s shoulder. “We have information.” He then followed Kusabana into the study and sat down on the couch. By now everyone had reassembled in the study.

Mick was standing behind Beth, their arms intertwined around her waist, his head resting on her left shoulder. Selene was leaning on the side of a chair, her arms crossed over her chest with Kraven facing her, his hands on her shoulders. Mike had taken up residence on the chair next to the couch where Aed and Kusabana now rested and Josef was leaning against the door frame to the study.

“So why exactly are you here, Aed?” Kraven querried.

“As I said we have information.” Aed leaned back on the couch, coolly taking the group in.

Now Mick was getting pissed. Beth felt it and squeezed Mick’s hands in silent request. “What information, Aed?”

“You should probably all take your seats.” Kusabana answered. “This is going to be a long night.”

Mike’s eyes flashed. He wasn’t in the mood for games. Especially from Council members. “What is this about?!”

Kusabana turned to look at the younger vampire. She could see the pain in his eyes, then again she could see it in all of their eyes. She only needed to say one word and all the breathing in the room stopped. “Aoife.”

She motioned for him to sit. He looked around, finally deciding on the deep burgundy wing back chair that sat across from the couch were Aoife was seated.

Aoife set the book she was reading down across her lap. She looked passively at Mick, waiting for him to start. He sat hunched over his arms resting on his thighs, his hands clasped together, looking down at the floor. He took a deep breath and slowly lifted his head to look at his sire. Aoife could sense the mixture of emotions that Beth had been talking about. Beth had been right. The strongest emotion she felt coming from him was disgust. Not at Beth, but with himself.

Mick sighed deeply. “So . . . what are you reading?”

“A book on Irish history. You know it’s amazing what gets left out or is completely wrong.” Aoife continued to stare passively at him.

“Hmmm. Guess that’s what happens when you actually lived through it.” Mick leaned back in the chair. He absentmindedly stroked his hand through his hair.

“Very true.” Aoife made no effort to help the conversation along.

Mick ran his hand through his hair yet again. “You’re not going to make this easy for me, are you?”

“Make what easy, dear heart?” She took the book, closed it and set it on the coffee table. Aoife then stood and padded to the sideboard. She picked up a bottle of single malt scotch and two shot glasses; then headed back to her seat on the couch. She set the glasses down, took the bottle, filled the two glasses and handed one to Mick. He drank the liquid down in one gulp. He held the glass, looking at it with much more curiosity than needed.

“With this conversation.”

“Nope. Mick, you wanted to talk . . . so talk.”

Mick stood and walked over to the window, placing his hands behind his back. “Why do I feel this way?”

Aoife pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. “Feel like what Mick?”

“Oh, come on. It’s not like you can’t tell.”

“Your right, I can . . . to a point. Why are you feeling this way?”

“I don’t know.” Mick sighed again and headed back and took a seat opposite of Aoife on the couch. He sat with his back against the the arm of the couch. “I know I shouldn’t feel this way, Beth keeps saying that she wanted to join us, that she’s fine with everything. So why aren’t I okay with it?”

“That’s what you have to figure out, Mick. I wasn’t there when Coraline turned you, I don’t know what happened.” Aoife looked at her turn with a mixture of sadness and curiosity in her eyes. Seamus had told her of his turning by Coraline once, but she didn’t want to assume that Mick’s had been the same way.

“Why would that matter? She’s not my sire anymore. YOU are.” Mick leaned over and poured himself another shot.

“True. But you have a history with her. A very violent and twisted one. One that is very much tied into how you are feeling now.”

Mick felt the tears starting to try to fight their way out. He lifted his head back to try and keep them at bay. “Mick, tell me about your turning and your first days as a fledgling,” Aoife prompted softly.

Mick looked back down at Aoife, unshed tears shining in his eyes. “I went to bed a happily married HUMAN man and woke up a mo . . .” He stopped mid word by the look on Aoife’s face.

“Stop simplifying things. And no, you are not a monster.”

Mick wiped at his eyes angrily. “You weren’t there.”

“No, I wasn’t. Mick, I’ve been alive almost 677 years now. Do you think that I was a vanilla vampire all of that time? I’ve made so many miss-steps, bad calls, etc. I can’t even count them anymore. Yes, I’ve done things that I am far from proud of. Some of them out of stupidity but more of them out of necessity or desperation. The will to live overriding common sense sometimes. If I dwelt on them, the things that I can’t go back and change; I’d go insane.”

“But you don’t hate what you are.”

“Not now, but there have been times that I would have traded anything not to be a vampire. But I am one. It was a decision that I made 651 years ago, because it was either that or die.”

“But you said you were a rape turning.”

“I was. Mick rape isn’t always because the person doesn’t know what’s going to happen to them.”

“You got to make the choice.”

“Oh, yeah. Some choice Aed gave me. Either become a vampire or I kill you.”

“You still had the choice.”

“Trust me, it didn’t seem like much of one at the time. Being a vampire back then was very hard. There weren’t such things as freshies, for example” Mick gave her an amused look. She sighed exasperatedly. “Yes, there were plenty of torch bearing mobs.” I’m going to kill Josef.

“At least your sire wasn’t a twisted bitch.” Mick reached for the tumbler of scotch, pouring himself another glass.

“No, but having Aed as a sire was no easy thing either. He has a very definite evil streak when he wants to. Now back to the original question, what happened the first few days after you were turned?”

Mick took the glass and downed the scotch in one gulp. He set the glass down, stood and started pacing. Aoife watched her turn struggle with his inner demons. How many more will he have to beat down?

Mick finally stopped pacing, now standing in front of the fireplace watching the flames dancing in and out of the wood. “She brought me a female that first morning. I was in so much pain. I begged her to kill me. I didn’t know what I wanted, I just knew that I was ravenous. She pushed the girl next to me and the blood lust hit. I just bit. I felt so ashamed, abhorred at myself for what I was doing and how good the blood tasted.”

“She didn’t’ explain any of it to you?”

“No, not at first. She just kept telling me that it would get better. Everything was so . . . I’d forgotten how intense everything is right at first until you re-turned me again.”

“So no explanations. Wow, that must have been unnerving.”

“I felt so violated, used, lied to, tricked.. The only outlet it seemed that I had was blind rage. Which I took out on helpless, innocent people. Coraline relished in it all. She seemed so . . . relieved. Happy even that I was lashing out.” Aoife couldn’t help but notice the deep feelings of shame that were starting to bubble to the surface.

“She did keep you from going rouge.”

“Barely. The second night she brought me a . . .” Mick stopped mid sentence; a strangled sob escaped his throat. Aoife put her hand on his shoulder in silent support. When he started again, the words came out in a rush, “she brought me a child, a little girl . . .” Mick looked up at his sire, tears of pain streaming down his cheeks. Aoife could feel the horror at what he had done. In that instant she understood everything. Mick started to hyperventilate. His world started spinning. He reached for the hearth trying to steady himself.

“Mick, what did the little girl look like?” Aoife asked softly.

Another sob escaped Mick’s lips. The pain in his eyes was almost more than even the old vampire could bear. “She was about four, blond with blue eyes.” Mick looked away towards the fire again. “I drained her Aoife. Without a second thought, I was so hungry. I hadn’t had anything in at least a day and a half. When I realized what I had done I ran from the house. Coraline called Josef to help find me. I met him the next day. I didn’t step back into Coraline’s house for months.”

“I bet not.” Aoife walked over to the coffee table, picked up her drink, finished it and set the glass down. She stood and glided back over to where Mick still stood. “Mick, Coraline did that to you on purpose. There’s your reason.”

“That’s not why.” Mick slumped against his arm in defeat.

“Yes it is, dear heart. You’ve killed a second blond, blue eyed little girl. Except she’s not a little girl anymore, Mick. She’s an adult that made an informed decision.”

“Great.” Mick gave her a grim smile.

“Mick, I’m sorry Coraline was your sire. Some people were never meant to be turned,” Aoife paused for effect, “and some vampires should never be sires. You got nailed on both points.”

Mick nodded in response. “So how do I deal with my feelings about turning Beth?”

“Realize that you didn’t kill a child, you gave the woman you love the thing she wanted the most; to spend eternity with the man she loves.

“I don’t know. What if I turn out to be the same kind of sire as Coraline? I just couldn’t put Beth through that. She deserves normal. She deserved to stay human.”

Aoife turned to look towards the door. She saw Beth standing in the doorway, tears of sadness in her eyes. She motioned for the fledgling to join them.

“Mick, I didn’t want to stay human. I wanted eternity.”

Mick didn’t look up from the fire.”Beth, I killed you.”

Beth walked over to where Mick stood. She pulled his arms down from the hearth and wrapped them around her. “No, you didn’t. Coraline did. You gave me what I asked for, a very happy, fulfilling LIFE with you.”

Aoife patted her turn on the shoulder and headed back to the couch. She fell back into it, wiggling around until she got comfortable. “Mick, listen to her. She’s fine. You’re fine. You’re doing a wonderful job .And she’s definitely not that little girl.”

“I don’t know. . . “ Mick lost himself in Beth’s eyes. Beth’s response was to giggle and pull him in for a hug.

After a minute or two, Beth pulled herself from Mick’s hug, grabbed his hands and headed towards the door. “Come on, old man. You promised to take me hunting in the forest.”

“Oh did he now?” Aoife stifled a chuckle. She couldn’t hide the laughter in her eyes.

“Yep” Mick lifted his love’s hand to his mouth and gave it a peck. “Go get our jackets, I’ll meet you by the back door in a minute.”

Beth smiled and practically skipped through the door to go to their suite.

“Guess I don’t have a choice in this do I?” Mick remarked as he watched Beth climb the stairs.

“We all have choices, Mick. Just follow your heart. She did hers”

Mick looked at his sire and gave her one of his patented half-smiles. “Yeah. Man, it sucks being outnumbered.” He stepped through the entry to the study to meet Beth by the door.

Aoife leaned forward and picked up her book. She just couldn’t help but wonder how many more demons Mick would have to slay, thanks to Coraline. She sighed and started reading again, glancing up as she heard the door open and close, followed by the sound of laughter drifting in through the window. She sighed and went back to her reading.