Day had come and gone and was almost gone again by the time Henri had finished cleaning up the mess.

Four bodies, three apartments worth of slaughter that needed to be dealt with, Marseille had left quite the task for his “son”. Never the less Henri had done what he could, he burned it all. Henri wasn’t sure which would make Jaxon more upset, the fact that her home was now gone or the fact that she was now a living corpse. The vampire ran these thoughts through his head as he looked at his new charge. She seemed at peace now, her body exhausted after the change, it had been Hell for her…but she would come through it okay, he hoped.

They were in a small hotel room for the time being, a seedy place on the west side of Demaitre, a tiny building wedged between a dozen taller buildings. Their particular room was easy enough to make sun proof. Henri had boarded up the window and added a layer of sheets to make sure the sun stayed out.

Henri was weary now, he hadn’t slept well the night before; Marseille had haunted his nightmares. It hadn’t been so bad though, it had allowed him to awake before Jaxon and go out and find something for her to eat. He’d found her a healthy man, someone he plucked from a parking lot near a gym. Dragging the unconscious man back to the hotel had been quite the difficult task, but somehow the boy vampire had managed it. The man was now lying in the bathtub, an easy to clean place in case Jaxon’s body rejected the man’s blood, it sometimes happened to new fledglings. Henri sensed his young charge awakening, his senses were tied to her every sensation. He focused himself on that little bit of consciousness he could feel, and pulled on it with his own mind.

“Awaken young one,” his voice was a small whisper. “And greet the new world around you.”

It was all a nightmare... The pain, the violence, the blood... Just a nightmade, one that she would awaken from once the sun rised. Everything from the night before was simply a haze. The man attacking, the fact they were 'vampires' as they had said... The pain she had gone through after... after drinking the blood of a boy! It was all a nightmare...

A soft voice was calling to her, pulling her out of the depths of her sleep. She awakened to find herself in a place unknown, and it was dark. She couldn't see that, but somehow she knew it was night time. She knew all this without opening her eyes even. And she was hungry... But thr thought of food made her sick to her stomach.

Her eyes opened slowly... The soft light of the room too bright for her eyes, and she let out a little gasp as she was temproarily blinded. "Where am I...? Who's here?" That was another thing she knew... There was someone else... She could smell them, two of them both male... Had she been kidknapped? Taken Hostage as leverage for the Police department? If that were the case they had bit off more than they could chew. Two men were hardly a threat... Besides she wasn't even bound. This would be easy enough, especialy with her power...

Power? Yes... She could feel it flowing through her an unusual strenght that she couldn't identify...

She opened her eyes again, this time the light did not sting her eyes. She looked around, the room was small, one window that was in the room was borded up and covered with a sheet... What was going on? She sat ip to look around some more... but there was nothing really to see.

Turning her head she saw... No... It couldn't be... The chld from her dreams... No nightmares. There was a look of sheer terror on her face as she looked at him. "No... It... It can't be..." She shook her head. But as she looked at him she realized... That her nightmares were real. "What... What did you do to me Henri!" She demanded. "What did you do to me!"

Her hand went to her neck, the wounds, deadly that were from the first... persons attack had tore a hole in her throat... But she could not feel anything. No scar, no laceration, just smooth cool skin. Her hand came away trembling. No... that all now seemed to real... The man, stained in blood, attacking her, his mouth at her throat, the pain of the tears... The feeling of weakness as her life slipped away. But Henri had done something... He had done something to her. For her perhaps.

But what? What had he done? She looked at her trembling hands... She was no longer the smooth tan she had been... Her skin was almost ashy... Pale with a grey tint. Her body was hungry... But she didn't know that.

She lept of the bed and ran to the bathroom to look at her self in the mirror, thankfully there was a reflection, dull and faded as it was, but it was there. Had it not... There was no telling what she might have done. But... Something pulled her attention away from the mirror. The beating of a heart... She coudl hear it. She slowly turned her head already knowing what she would find. But she hadn't expected her body's reaction... She was pulled towards it...

"NO!" She screamed and backed away from the man. Sinking against the wall across from the backroom she was trembling visibly, trying to keep herself from crying. She had rarely ever cried in life... And this would not be one of those times. But she was gasping, trying to get a breath she no longer needed, sobbing as she fought the tears stinging. "What happened to me!" Even her voice was trembling as she looked up to Henri helplessly, back to the man who was laying in the tub. His heartbeat calling to her, his scent rasing a craving deep in her.


[/mini novel]

Henri walked over to Jaxon, knelt beside her, and gave her a hard smack across the face.

“Listen to me carefully,” his voice was firm. He spoke slowly, allowing each word to carry its full meaning. “You were dying Jaxon, and there was nothing that could have kept you alive.” He focused on her eyes, using a bit of his mesmerizing ability to try and calm the fledgling. “I had two options as I stood over you: I could let you die, or I could help you to live forever. I made a choice; you made a choice as you lay on the floor of your apartment hallway…you chose eternal life.” The man in the bathtub stirred and made a faint grunt, Henri ignored him and continued.

“I am a vampire Jaxon. The man that bit you was a vampire. You were dying, I fed you my blood and now you too are a vampire. You are not dear, and you are not alive…I am sorry Jaxon…” Henri’s voice trailed off as he stood and walked out of the bathroom. He sat on the edge of the bed and looked at the thing he had created. He hated himself in that moment; hated that he had sunk to Marseille’s level, turned someone without their full, conscious consent.

“I never meant for this to happen to you. I will take care of you though, just as you sought to take care of me. If you have any questions, I will do my best to answer them, though I warn you – there are some questions I do not know the answers to.”

Her sobs stopped as the boy, not really a boy, slapped her. Choice? She had never made any choice. She had never said yes to becomming some monster of childrens nightmares. She was the kind of person who fought nightmares away, who comforted those with them... She wanted to keep denying him the truth. He was lyign to her. Only lying. It was all one big hoax of a dream.

But no, she had had no choice... As he said she had been near death, she had not chosen this path. Henri had chose it for her. He decided her fate... But could she hate him for it? Living forever and being... well in her prime...?

But what would happen? She knew, some inate sence told her sunlight was bad, darkness good... But Jaxon loved the sun... She on;y reluctantly worked night shifts and... This was not her. She was no creature of the night....

The heartbeat of the man became stronger as he began to stirr. Her dual colored eyes watched him with a hunger Jaxon had never felt before. A hunger that was feuling a ferocity, a violence in her that was forgien to her thoughts. She sat, staring at him intently as if trying to figure something out, crouched now as she shifted slightly. A cat like apperance almost as she sniffed at his scent... So strong.

He said he would answer her questions? Help her... At least he was kind enough to instruct her in these new ways... To show her how to live now that she was dead.

"Why do I hear it Henri?" She whispered. "I hear his heartbeat... Like a drum... Pounding... I can almost feel it...." With every moment that went by she was becomming more and more drawn into the sound, wanting to move towards it, but yet, repulsed by it as well "Why...?" For now the pounding had drown out her original fear of him, the man that was, and was now more of a curiocity.

“That is his heartbeat,” Henri rose from the bed and came back into the bathroom. “You are a predator now Jaxon. Your senses have become more aware of your surroundings, such adaptations will be necessary for you to survive; for you to hunt.” Henri took a seat on the edge of the tub and looked at the slowly awakening man.

“Come Jaxon, your first lesson will be the most important.”



(((OOC: sorry if it's a bit short)))

(( Quite alright, forgive her though if she's a tad hesitant on chowing down on people ^.~ ))

Everything was moving so slow through her mind... Like molasses. There was so much to understand, to comprehend, to wrap her limited mind around. Yes it was indeed hard for her to comprehend 'forever'. She had always heard people say 'forever' was a long time. Well... She would find out just how long that was...

"His heartbeat..." She murmured, a glazed look on her face. It was such an intence sound... And his scent... She reached out a tentative, tremblign hand to touch the bare lower arm of the man. She could almost feel it... "His heartbeat?" There was a hollow echo of her voice as the reality of what he had said sank in, finaly being absorbed.

She was a predator... This... This man was to be her prey. To die so she may continue her unnatural life.

Her hand jerked back, as if the mans skin were fire to her cool hand. "No!" She exclaimed, shaking her head. "I... I help people!" She choked out. Her eyes shifting from a terrified look at Henri to a starving, hungry look to the man. "I can't! I won't." But the starving look in her eyes said something else. She was watching every move the man made, asleep or otherwises. His breathing pattern, the twitches of his hands. It was as if she were waiting for the cue, the signal, tro strike.

Henri looked at Jaxon with pity. He had been the same way when he had first been turned.

“I know it is a difficult thing to accept,” he spoke with genuine compassion. “But it is something that you must accept. I made you a vampire, and with the blood you drank to become what you are comes much strength, but there are also many weaknesses.” Henri shifted into a more comfortable position. “I am unable to drink dead blood, that is, blood from an unloving source. I inherited this trait from my master, Marseille, and I would assume that you too have taken on this trait. There is a chance that you have the ability to drink blood from donor bags, but it would surprise me.” Henri looked his fledgling over.

“I understand that the thought of drinking from another human is difficult…” Henri’s voice trailed off as he remembered his first victim, his mother – killed in the insane hunger that had come over him after he had been turned. “But if you do not drink when you are hungry then the hunger will build. It will consume you, control your every thought and then it will force you to kill. If you do not take blood from those that are given to you then you will be unable to control your hunger…possibly even kill those that you love.” Henri looked at the man in the tub, he was almost awake. Henri would need to use his hypnotic powers until Jaxon could take him.

“You need not kill to feed, I can teach you how, or you can drink from animals…although the blood of anything but humans will not stay off your hunger for long.”

She heard every word of what he was saying, but she didn't want to believe it. But... As he continued to talk, the pounding of the mans heart became more deafaning to her ears as he began to wake up slowly. 'Soon.' A voice in the darkest reigen of her mind said. 'Soon will be the time to strike.'

"I have no one..." She whispered, not even bothering to look at Henri. "All dead..."

Suddenly her body tenced. Something was comming... Something was about to happen. She just... knew it. Her entire body was still, and just as Henri finished speaking...

THERE! The man's arm moved ever so slightly, his head rolling almost unnoticably. But it moved his neck to a better position as she lept from her crouched position, nearly knocking Henri off in her burst of speed to the tub. The monster that now and would always dwell in her brought her head back, bearing small but sharp fangs, only to burry them in the neck of the man.

She fed with all the ferocity of a starved animal, gourging herself on the mans blood. By the time he would have woken up, he was already out due to lack of blood. But even though he was limp once more, almost as pale as Jaxon was now, she continued to draw heavily, as if trying to absorb his very pulse and essence of life. And that what she was diong as his pulse faded rapidly, his brain shutting down slowly die to the lack of oxygen.

Henri caught himself on the edge of the tub then stood to get out of Jaxon’s feeding frenzy. He waited as she fed carefully measuring the man’s slowing heartbeat. When he felt the victim’s heart slowing almost to an inaudible level, he stepped in.

“That’s quiet enough Jaxon,” Henri tapped the woman on the shoulder. “If you don’t stop you will kill him.”

She heard the warning, but did not head it. She felt the tap, but made no indication it was there. She however continued to feed as if she had been starved, her stomach clenching as the blood entered, warm and soothing. But as the pulse of the man faded... dissapering all together, it changed.

Pulling back she clutched at her stomach. Something was wrong. Doubling over as she knelt outside the tub... She felt worse than she ever had before. She felt as if she was going to be sick. Tossing back her head she screamed, a blood curdling screa, before once more doubling over as her stomach clenched again. This time she could not control it. Her body rejected the feast of before that it had so gredily had partaken in. There was blood all over her face, in the bath tub and on the tile floor. Her cloths were staned as she now lay on the floor twitching.

She was gasping, spitting up blood and trembling. What had happened? What had she become? What was she?

Henri knelt down next to Jaxon and placed a hand on her back. He made slow circular motions over her back and whispered quietly to her.

“It’s okay dear, just try and relax.” Her body was going into a form of vampire-shock. Her body wasn’t ready to take on the large amount of blood she’d fed on tonight. The same thing had happened to Henri when he had taken his mother. “Your system can’t take that much blood on the first feeding. Not to mention you also killed him, dear.” Henri had heard the heart stop to late to prevent Jaxon from drinking further.

“Now we know you are unable to drink dead blood, an unfortunate circumstance, but one that you will learn to live with. Just be glad you stopped when you did. Had you drank until he was dry your body would now share his fate, a lifeless corpse.”

Henri fell silent and continued to rub Jaxon’s back. She would still need to feed again, and Henri still needed to feed for tonight – but that could wait. First he would calm the fledgling, then he would give her what he had managed to save from her apartment, the rest of the night could wait for that.

She felt the gentle touch on her back, the soft voice of a child speaking to her. Slowly her mind began to clear... Images of what she had done flashing through her mind.

Her eyes were closed, she didn't want to look at what she had done. She couldn't. If she saw... She would lose herself... She didn't know what she would so... but she would never be the same again... But she knew... She could not hear the heartbeat of before... there was a scent of death in the air...

Jax rolled over to her side, away from the mess and curled into Henri. He was no longer the child, a child. That was Jaxon. Terrified, confused, lost, Jaxon had no idea what she should do anymore...

"I killed him Henri... I killed him..." She choked out, but she still coudn't look, her eyes shut tight. "I couldn't stop myself... I Killed him..." Crimson tears began to fall slowly from her closed eyes, she curled up closer, as if wanting to be held, cradled by him. "Change me back Henri..." She begged. "I don't want to be a murderer like this... Please change me back... Let me die..." Her voice was a near sob. In all her years on the force, she had never killed a man, ever.... And she could not live with herself now that she had... But no, she would live forever.

She opened her eyes, looking into Henri's and blocking out the blood around them. "Please, can you change me back?"

Henri held the girl tight to his chest.

“I’m sorry Jaxon, but there is no going back now.” He pulled her back to arm’s length and looked into her eyes. “You can’t go back, but you can learn from this. My first time…” his voice trailed off, visions of his mother lying dead on the floor of the old Paris home. He shut his eyes, forcing the images from his mind and continued. “My first time, I killed too; but you can fight it Jaxon. I will help you to fight it, to fight the natural instinct that is in us both.”

Henri watched her for a moment, searching her eyes for some sign of strength. He caught only a glimmer of it, but he knew how to bolster it.

“You may not be able to go back, but that doesn’t mean you can’t hold on to your past, it is who you are. Under the bed is a cardboard box of things I took from your apartment before I had to burn the building. Go and take a look through it, I’ll clean up this bathroom and then we can talk some more.”

She shook her head. She didn't want to fight it. She wanted to kill it. To get rid of it compleatly and the only option she saw now was to get rid of herself.

But her eyes opened wide in terror as he spoke again. What? Her home, the appartments... "What did you do!" She gasped as she sat up. "You burnt down my home? You burnt down everyone elses home? How could you!?" She screamed. "Everything that ever meant anything was in that appartment! That was all I had Henri! How could you do that?"

Her guns, her books, the only remnance of her family she had left. Everything was gone! He couldn't have saved her past in one box, it wasn't possible. Besides! How would he know what she would want out of her home? It wasn't like she had a lot of stuff... But there were things that she had that would look like nothing that ment the world to her. Photo albums, her gear from the force, Cassie... Would he have gotten the ragged old teaddy bear that looked as if it should be thrown out?

She stood shakily to her feet. She had to leave, she had to get out of this place, away from Henri. He had taken everything from her! Everything! Her clothing was all bloody, but she didn't care. She headed for the door, but she hesitated... Why? Where would she go? Where could she go... "Mitch..." she whispered quietly as her hands rested on the door. Yes, she could go to him. He would take her in... But no... He woudl think she had finaly lost it... He was always teasing her about it... Well maybe she had...

“Jaxon,” Henri’s voice was firm and commanding; the eight-hundred-plus year old man coming out of his child’s body. “What you need to do now is sit on that bed and open the box. I want to help you adjust, really I do. I know it is hard, loosing everything you held close…” Henri’s voice trailed off, he was lapsing back into the night of his twelfth birthday. He was a kid again standing over his mother’s body, covered in her blood.

He shook his head hard and came back to the present. “I lost it all in my change, everything and everyone I ever cared for died on my twelfth birthday. I killed my own mother!” Henri fell silent; he had never spoken the words aloud. Slowly he came out of the bathroom. He came to stand behind Jaxon, he looked from her to her hand on the door knob to the bathroom and then to Jaxon again.

“You haven’t fed properly. Your body will be hungry, and you will need to feed again. Let me help you. This transition can be easy for you Jaxon but only if you are willing to listen to me – please…”

She was just about to open the door; her hand was on the knob. But she couldn't open it... No, he wouldn't let her leave, she had to stay and listen... She had to fight the voice and not give in to him. She had to leave this place, she needed air, space. Her hand stayed on the doorknob, nearly clinging to it as she could feel him approaching though she never looked at him. Her body was screaming to obey him, to return to him. He was her safety, he was her life now. He was the only one who would guide her though this...

Her eyes opened wide as he said he had killed his mother. Was that what had happened? Would that happen if she went to see Mitch with this... this unholy craving? She looked back to Henri, past Henri. The bathroom was covered in blood, the bathtub, the floor... The body of the man she had killed... That could too easily be Mitch...

Her free hand tensed suddenly, driving her nails into her palms. No, she had to protect him. He was all she had left... "I'm not hungry." She lied. And in truth it wasn't the usual hunger she felt either. This was something darker, deeper than hunger. Almost a primal urge she was trying to suppress. But she knew it would not be long.

Jaxon looked back at the boy. Her eyes were filled with pain, “Not…. Not now…” She stammered. “I… I need air, I need space.” She needed to move around, do something. It didn’t matter what. No. But with her agitation, she couldn’t just stay here. The room was getting smaller as she turned from the door to walk to the other end of the room. “Please… Can… we go outside?” Jax looked at him with pleading eyes. “I can’t stand being in here. I feel like I’m about to… about to…” She sank on the bed. “I don’t know…” She sighed, shaking her head. She didn’t know what she wanted, well, besides leaving. She didn’t want to look at the box either. Not now… She couldn’t look at it, not like this. She’d just end up throwing a fit, she knew herself well enough to know that.

She sat up on the edge of the bed, her elbows on her knees as she buried her hands in her face. Why was all of this even happening?

Henri could feel her tension. He looked from her to the door then nodded. He stood and went to the door, opened it and stood to the side. The night air came wishing through, it was a cold breeze but Henri didn’t cringe in the least, there was no need for the dead to shield themselves from the cold.

“If you want to go out we shall,” Henri motioned for Jaxon to join him. “But we will hunt.” He sniffed the air and smiled. “Can you smell it on the wind Jaxon? The slightest scent, a touch of panic, insecurity… someone is running from something… should we drop in?”

Jax braced herself, expecting a cold ice wind, but it never came. At least not ice cold. It was cool at most... Was this some sort of side effect?

But on the wind she could smell what he spoke of... A fear, a terror. She wanted to help them, so ease that fear... But... "No... I'm not hunting. I'm not killing, I'm not drinking any blood." She said strongly. The blood that she had spilled, vomited up was beginning to dry on her shirt, on her skin. It was on her hands. She had killed once, but never again.

She wasn't even going to go out untill she was cleaned up.

The box...

She reached under the bed and pulled out the large box. What had he saved from her life? What had he scavenged of the ruines? First opening the box she was clothing, a welcomed relief. She could buy more, but, she needed some untill tomorrow when she could go shopping. She pulled out a clean black t-shirt and a pair of jeans. But... where could she change? She wasn't going into the bathroom again. And she couldn't exatly change with Henri watching her, more so for her own embaresment.

She decided on the bathroom, keeping her eyes adverted from the blood or the body, she looked at her faint reflection in the mirror... It wasn't full, no. Almost like a reflection on water hazy, faint.splashing her face with water she cleared the blood off, washing her hands as well, but she felt as if she would never be clean again. She changed quickly, leaving the dirty clothes in the bathroom. She shit the door behind her as she left, running her hands through her short choppy hair.

"Okay... I'm ready... But I'm not feeding or hunting or whatever you call it. If anything I'm getting a burger..." Yes, a hamburger. She usualy hated fast food, but she would welcome the normalsy of it. She looked out the door at the night, but it was clear as day... Everything visible to her eyes.

Henri didn’t bother to contradict Jaxon’s wish to have a burger. If they got far enough for her to eat real food her body would reject it soon enough.

“All right,” he sighed and stepped out the door waiting for Jaxon to join him. “I won’t force you to do anything you don’t want to… but I’m hungry, and I will need to feed.” He glanced back at the fledgling. “And I’m not letting you out of my sight yet.”

"Why can't you just say 'eat' or something?" She asked, her voice almost a whimper. "It just sounds disgusting when you say 'feed' like some sort of animal or something. And damn right you won't force me to do anything..." She added with a mutter. She was like a rebelious child, and indeed she was a child, a child born into a new world of the night...

"But why can't I go out of your sight? I mean I'm not some kid or anything. I'm a grown woman. I mgiht not be as old as you, sure, but I still have experiance in the world you know. I'm not completly helpless Henri." She argued. Why couldn't she go off on her own? Why couldn't she do what she wanted? Did he honestly think that she was just going to stand by and watch him kill people? No way. No way in hell.

She was already formulating plans of her own. If Henri burnt down her appartments, Mitch would probably be wating to hear from her. "Besides, I've got some things of my own to take care of. I have to stop by the office and let them know I'm alive... sort of... And I have to see Mitch."

“Then I’ll go with you.” Henri’s determination was unwavering. “You have experience in a world but not in this one. You are an animal now Jaxon, you are nothing but an animal and if you refuse to accept that than you will never be anything but an animal. The only way you can hope to survive with any shred of sanity is to accept that the world you knew as a human is gone, they don’t want you anymore.” Henri turned and looked at Jaxon straight on.

“You can fight the urge to ‘eat’ if you will but it will consume you. You can go and speak with your Mitch but if you go on an empty stomach after having nothing to eat you will kill him and you will bleed him dry. This is the harsh reality you must learn.” Henri came back into the room and gave the woman a hard stare.

“Now stop acting like a bloody child and use your head for once!”

"Well know what Henri, you can't come with me to see Mitch." She pointed out triumphantly. "You're not allowed in bars and Mitch just happens to be a tender at one of the local bars and I'm not gonna let them let you in even if you say you're with me." She said as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Besides! You need me just as much as I need you. A twelve year old isn't going to have much power here, even if you're not really twelve. You can't exactly get by well in a big city like this without some help." She pointed out.

She walked after him, glaring. "Stop acting like a child? I have a life Henri! I'm not just going to give it up all in one night. The guys on the force are probably wondering what the hell happened to me, Mitch is probably worried sick... I have a life!" She exclaimed. It might not have been much of one, but her work was her life... It was her.

"Now, if you have reccords here, I could go through all the legal mumbo jumbo of 'adopting' you or whatever and then clame to home school you durring the day, which would also give me an aliby for not being around durring the day. How's that for using my head, huh?" She said quickly. "Cause I'm guessing a lot of the old tales of sunlight, crosses, silver, garlic, holy water and all that are true... And personaly, I really wouldn't want to disintigrate, burn in a firey pile of ash, melt or whatever creepy things we do..." Yeah she would accept this nature of the vampire, the Hollywood versions of the strengths and weaknesses. But now... And always she would ignore the blood. She would find some way. After all, Whistler had created a serum of some kind for Blade. Maybe there was some truth to that as well.

"But I mean, they said that vampires have no reflection... I mean mine was almost not there, but I could see myself..."

“Well it’s time to just forget about the movies,” Henri interjected. “Some vampires have reflections, some are able to resist minor or indirect sunlight, some are able to retract their fangs and some can even drink dead blood.” Henri took a moment to focus his thoughts, he wanted to deliver the next bit clearly so that there would be no confusion. “There are different divisions within our race, just as there are in the human race. There are five main groups or covens, vampires drawn together either in blood or in ideals. Some of these vampires are closer to the movies; they are the most like the famed Dracula – the Ishak. There are others, such as the Tarepha that share a movie vampire’s fury, but may walk through bits of sunlight. There is the Amman coven that sees that we vampires keep our selves hidden from the human world…they also possess great mental abilities. Then there are the Nephim, a secretive coven that dwell in the darkest of places. There is also the Divided, the Enashe, these beings are most like humans bearing retractable fangs and even gaining a bit of colour after feeding. If you will not listen to me then perhaps you would like to seek them out for guidance.”

Henri let Jaxon digest the information as he considered her proposal for adoption.

"I never said I wouldn't listen to you..." She said quietly. What she wasn't going to listen to was her own body, the calling for blood that she wouldn't listen to. She tried shutting it out, ignorring it... And for now it was okay.

"So there are different types then?" She asked curiously. "So... I mean.. what I am I... You? Well we I guess... Assuming that I sort of inherit your traits or whatever..." Like genetics, passed from parent to child... but just in a different way here. "I mean are we like the Tarpa... Or whatever?" She asked, that being the only name she could some what recall. There were scents on the wind that were distracting her thoughts. It was getting harder to block them out.

"Or I mean... And I take it given from what happened back there... dead blood is a 'no' for me? I mean not that I'll ever be drinking it again any time soon or anything." She stated stolidly. As long as she kept believing it, she was fine... "but the sunlight thing... So do we really have to sleep in coffens? I mean... I woke up on a bed this mor-night, and I didn't see any coffens about... So I take it that's just bull shit as well?"

Questions always helped her think. Not only did she learn more... but it also helped her sort out her own thoughts as she spoke aloud, shaking them into some sort of pattern that she could understand. Silently she asessed that she could indeed retract her fangs. That was a good thing... After all, her walking around with noticable fangs probably wasn' the best of ideas... Not if she was still going to be working on the force.

“Yes, there are different species of sorts of vampires,” Henri replied taking another sniff at the wind. “I honestly can’t say what you are. Marseille, the man that attacked us at your apartment, he was the vampire that sired me – though I assure you he showed me none of the courtesy I’ve shown you. I have lived my life alone, avoiding all the covens whenever possible. There are many vampires that choose this path, in this part of the world anyways. Demaitre is odd in its design, a single city that is able to harbour all five covens with few confrontations, truly wondrous.” Henri sniffed at the air again, there was a strange elusive scent in the wind tonight and it was constantly distracting his thoughts.

“Coffins,” Henri continued at last, the scent again leaving his senses. “Are not a necessity as Anne Rice would have us all believe. Though there are some of our kind that need such places of rest so that their bodies may properly rejuvenate, I do not believe you and I have such a misfortune. Should you choose to sleep in a bed each night, it would be quite possible… I warn you though; some vampires become comatose during the daylight hours. At first such a thing did not happen to me, but I had a nearly fatal morning several years ago that has left me with many sensitivities to the sun, I hope they do not pass on to you as a result.”

Henri caught the strange scent again; he sniffed a few times, bowed low and then rushed out the door. It was closer this time, too close for him to ignore. For some reason this scent was familiar, but not in the way that blood was familiar. It was like Paris after the plague, the lingering stench of death and disease.

((Ack! I didn't even see you had posted!!))

Jaxon sniffed curiously as she saw Henri doing. She could smell something as well, but she did not know what it was. She of course had never had such a strong olfactory sense either, even though hers was better than most other humans. Well now it was millions times better. But what was he sniffing at? What ever it was it was distracting him as well though. At least it just wasn’t her. But she would fight it… She didn’t smell anything. Nope, that was just her imagination.

“Well… So I’m just gonna have to find all this out by trial and error then?” She asked. “I mean if he was one thing, you’ve had stuff to change the way you are… There’s no telling what I can do, be etcetera…” She trailed off thoughtfully. “Damn… That sucks…” She mused slightly as she followed him. But it was good that they didn’t have to sleep in coffins… Jax was already claustrophobic enough without having to worry about something else. “So just a bed then huh?” She shrugged. “Sounds good to me I guess…”

She froze as Henri simply took off… Towards the scent, to wherever it was coming from. She had just been following this far to talk to him… She had things she needed to do, she couldn’t have him tagging along either. As he left she turned the other direction towards HQ, her only real home now. She had to let the guys know she was alright, for all they knew she had died in the fire that Henri had caused on her apartments. Why had he done such a thing anyways? Why did he have to burn down her home! Granted she was renting it… But now she would have to live in a hotel or something until she found a new place!

Her legs carried her quicker than she ever remembered as she ran away from Henri. Surely he would never catch up with her now!

Henri was only five minutes from the hotel when the scent ran cold.

“Jaxon, do you smell anything anymore? I think I –” he stopped speaking as he realized he couldn’t smell Jaxon either. He turned around to find himself alone in the middle of the street. Cursing loudly Henri made for the motel. He had to find her before her hunger took over, before she killed.

Henri picked up her scent at the motel, fear and curiosity mixing together to form a perfectly distinct trail edged ever so slightly in her characteristic determination.

“She’s fast though,” Henri reasoned out loud. “Her trail is already beginning to fade.” The vampire-boy took off in a run, his speed pushing beyond that which the mortal eye could follow.

Nearing the busier streets it became more difficult to distinguish his fledgling’s scent from the rest of the city but he soon found it and began to follow it. He chased after the scent, running faster and faster until even the immortal eyes of a vampire would have had difficulty following him.

I must find her, before it is too late.

Almost there... Almost there... Just another mile or so really.

But she stopped as she felt a little tick at her heart. Henri... He knew she was gone, he was after her now. She knew it just as well as she knew that pain was bad and love good. She didn't know how... But he was following her. Scent... That had to be it. But where could she go to lose him?

Nowhere was the answer. She couldn't go anywhere to hide from him. Henri would find her anywhere she went... No! She grumbled frustratedly in her head. Why couldn't he just leave her alone, let her do what she had to?

He might not have had a life anymore, but she did! She had a life and she needed to get on with it! A job, friends, who knew, maybe one day a family. And now she would have to exist only durring the night? But if that was what she had to do.

She picked up the pace now, covering for the quickest of pauses she had made. He was probably faster and she needed to make it in before he would catch up to her.

Henri was gaining on her, he could feel it; he was so close.

“Just a bit further and then –” Henri came to an abrupt halt, her scent was strong here, very strong. He checked the nearest street sign. “Five blocks to the nearest station…you’re a fast one Jaxon.” Henri started into a brisk walk, he could sense her, could feel they were close.

“I know you’re here Jaxon, please come out. I promise I won’t try to stop you, just let me come with you…”

He was getting closer... Too close for comfort.

Jax doged down an ally way, hoping to blend into the shadows behind a dumpster. Wasn't some old vampire power blending in with shadows? Maybe she had that somehow. Henri hadn't mentioned it at all.

She lifted her head, turning it towards the entrance of the ally as she heard Henri's voice.

Liar... You were trying to stop me before! That was what she would have said if she had the courage. But even Jaxon, who was good enough to be a SEAL, didn't have the courage to talk back to Henri. He was stronger than he looked after all. He could probably finish her off.

Her stomach knotted slightly, a combination of hunger and guilt wracking at her.

But he said he promised... And one thing about old people, and she was assuming this went for vampires too, their promise was as good as gold. "You promise you won't stop me?" She asked quietly from the shadows. She knew he would hear her though.

Henri’s head cocked to the side as he caught Jaxon’s whisper. He followed the sound into the alley coming to a stop when he met Jaxon behind the dumpster. He crouched down next to her and looked into her eyes. He felt as though he were talking to a child as he began to speak.

“Yes, I promise,” He stood and offered her his hand. “But take me with you. If you don’t need me I will go, and if you do then I’ll be there to help, all right?”

Jaxon sighed with a frown. "Fine..." She hated this... Couldn't he at least look like he hit puberty? Taking orders from a kid was embaressing...

"But let me handle everythign alright? I mean be the whole shy quiet kid thing that you got me with..." She gave him a slight glare. That was something she hadn't even thought about until now... How he would have killed her himself... But then why did he save her?

"You might be older, but this is my world Henri. I know these people and the way they think." They were as close as family to her, or at least what she could remember a family being like.

She stood up and sighed again. She probably looked like hell, but well, anyone who had been through what she had would... "If we go with the whole addoption story thing, that will work well... But..." She looked over at him. "Do you have any records anywhere in the past twelve years? Any forged birth certificate or anything?" She asked as she placed a hand on her hip. They needed to get things straightned out before she did all this, they needed to have a good story before they went in to talk to the people who had the job of unravling stories.

If need be she could input some data into the computer. "Because if not... We'll have to arrange some things... I can, but it will be a bit difficult.

“I’ve never had the need for such things,” Henri replied shaking his head. “You get good at being a twelve year old boy with fictional parents after doing the same routine for eight hundred years.” He flashed his childish grin at Jaxon again before continuing. “And you need not worry about my behaviour when we arrive at your precinct, I will play my part through to perfection…whatever part I need play.”

Jax rolled her eyes with a sigh. "Yeah... But please don't ever say it like that...Eight hundred years... It's just... Creepy..." She muttered. "And that cute little smile won't work on me again Henri. I still don't know how I didn't see through that the first time..." She turned and made her way out of the alley.

What was she going to tell the guys? They probably already knew about the fire... She probably shouldn't mention the other guy... vampire... that attacked her. Henri could have just been staying with her recently but she didn't tell anyone because of Drake...

Yes... The head honchoes knew about Drake... And that might even throw the suspicion to Drake for the fire and away from the apparent innocence of the boy behind her.

Henri walked along behind Jaxon in silence for at least a block before he decided it was time to tell her a bit more about the fire he’d set in her apartment.

“I think it might be better for you to hear something else before we get to the precinct,” Henri hesitated for a moment, trying to find the best words. “They were all dead Jaxon. Your neighbours, either Marseille or someone else, but they were all dead…that’s why I lit the fire, I couldn’t clean up that many bodies. I thought it would be best to cremate them together, the way they had lived, sort of a mass grave…I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner.” Henri looked up at Jaxon, why he had even chosen to tell her now he didn’t know…it was simply a matter of timing.

“If it makes you feel any better, some of them looked as though they had been killed quickly, not even suffering…” he stopped talking and let his voice fade away. He couldn’t tell if he was making her more or less at ease by talking, so he simply stopped and waited.

Jaxon froze when her fears were confirmed... "All of them?" Her voice was a weak whisper. But she knew... Even before he had said that she had been thinking it... Just not activly. It had been haunting the back of her mind as she had not dared to ask.

She wanted to cry for them... To weep... But she couldn't she felt so hollow... Was this part of the vampiric nature? To be immune immotionaly to death?

No, that was just how she was. She had never cried... Not after she had graduated high school... She couldn't cry anymore after that really.

But his words bothered her... Not because they had died... No, but how they had died... Drake never killed cleanly... He always left some evidence that it had been him... Her professor... Professor Whiteside, had been found dead in her office, stabbed at least thirty times. Drake was not a cleanand painless killer... But that vampire did not seem as such either... It only confused her more.

"Yes... I knew... Or I suspected... But I wouldn't mention that... If anything... Faully wireing in the sprinklers, started in the basement utility and moved up, trapping those up top and killing the ones on the bottom..." She said quietly. After that though, Jax fell silent. A question she had asked herself before was starting to poke at her again. She tried to push it out of her mind, but it was begninning to eat at her now. They were about a block from the office when she stopped. She had to know...

"Henri... Were you really planning on killing me? And... If so... Why did you save me...? Twice even...?"

“I never kill when I eat Jaxon; that is why I want to teach you to do the same.” Henri walked on in silence for a few paces more before continuing. “I saved you from death because I do not believe any of us truly deserve unnatural death. I saved you from the fire for that same reason.” He cleared his throat and continued. “I did not think it was your time to die.”

She said nothing, but walked on. Who was he to decide if she should live or die? Was he God? No... Of course not.

They arrived at the main entrance of Jaxon's Headquarters. She reached out to open the door. But she paused. Her hand was trembling slightly. Would they suspect anything? Would they notice?

She took a deep breath and sighed. She could handle this... She could.

Jax opened the door and stepped through, holding the door for Henri to come in.

"Captian Synclair?" Came an elderly female voice from a cubical. "Oh God be praised! You're alive child!" A rather thin looking woman smiled over the low wall of the cubicle. "We had all thought the worst when we heard about your appartment!"

"Yeah. I'm okay Julia." Jaxon smile back. "A bit shaken still, and not feeling the best, but I'm alive." More or less right?

"Oh I'm sure all the others will be thirlled to see you!" Julia chimed, moving from her cubicle to hug the young woman. "How about a cup of coffee dear? You look dead on your feet?"

That actually sounded like a good idea to her. It was something normal. "Of course. That would be great." Jax nodded. "I'm gonna be back with Major Johnson for a bit, trying to get this whole mess sorted out. Do you know if they have any leads on the fire yet Julia?" Julia was the ears of the place, if someone said it, she had heard it.

"Oh... No dear. They can't figure out in the slightest what happend there! It's still a compleat mystery as far as I know."

Jax nodded. "Thought so... But I might have some information that might help them..." But Julia was already bussling off for the coffee.

"So you wanna come with me Henri?" Jax smiled. "Or you thin kyou can keep out of trouble?"

“All they’ll find in that burnt out rumble is that there were multiple, nearly simultaneous points of ignition,” Henri whispered to Jaxon as he moved past her to follow Julia. “I’ll come as long as I don’t have to drink any coffee,” he continued loud enough for the older woman to hear. He glanced back at Jaxon as he finished speaking. “My mother says if I drink coffee it will make me sick.”

The vampire flashed his youthful grin at Jaxon than hurried along to walk beside Julia, asking her all sorts of questions with a child-like inquisitiveness. He glanced back at Jaxon from time to time, always with that same childish grin and those same watchful eyes.

"So then my idea would work..." Her voice was just enough for his ears to detect the movement of her lips insignificant.

She walked along, her normal near strut as she walked towards her boss' office. She opened the door without knocking, they would be glad enough to see her anyway. After all, if what Julia said was true, they would think she was dead. Well, they were only half right.

"Synclair?!" One of the other Captians nearly gasped with disbelief as he stood from his chair.

"Yeah?" She responded with her usual smart ass grin that she used with McWarrent. "You look like you've seen a damn ghost McWarrent."

"Captain Synclair? You're really alive?" Asked an equally stunned Second Lieutenant.

"Well, I would have to say for better or worse Thompson, I am indeed alive." She chuckled. But remember her manners she turned to Johnson. "Major. I take it my rough apperance is forgiven? I know I'm supposed to be on duty tonight, but given reccent events I need to take some leave..."

"Understandable Captain." Johnson gave a curt nod once. "But I'm sure we would all like to know what in heaven or hell saved you the other night." It wasn't a request, it was a command. But Jaxon was prepaired.

"Grace of God sir. And this boy who I guess I could call my guardian angle." She said with a fond smile as she pulled Henri towards her. "Apparently he's an orphan, and you know how I love kids Sir, I just couldn't leave him last night seeing as how cold it was." Johnson nodded, indicating for her to go on. He wanted to know the cause of the fire, what she had heard or seen. "Getting off late of course, I went home but found Henri here and it was about an hour later we were just about to sit down to supper when we heard an explosion below us. We tried to wake some of the others as we made our way down the flights, but everyone was sound asleep. It was no use, and I had to make sure Henri was out safely. But by the time we got out and away, the building was already about to collapse. I tried going in, but I don't remember coming back out clearly..." She had to cover why they weren't therewhen the police arrived... Surely Henri woudl have an idea right?

"I must have passed out from smoke inhalation, because nest thing I knew I had woken up in a small hotel room. I just woke up about two hours ago Sir."

The two younger men were silent, stairing in awe of Jaxon. Everyone knew she was beautiful, but there was something different about her now... It was something mystic, exotic, and entrancing. But Johnson a more gizzled man than the others wasn'tdistracted.

"So you have no memory of last night after the fire or today?"

Jaxon shook her head. "No Major. Otherwise I would have come to you as soon as I could. I was out all day."

The man's attention turned to Henri. He seemed a curious child... Strange to see such a look in such young eyes. "Do you recall anything Young Man? About Captian Synclair comming out of the building or where I'm assuming the both of you spent the night?" He would not doubt Jaxon's fondness of the boy. She was a woman after all, and they were all born with nurturing instincts.