Sera was simply starving... She was beyond hungry now and she needed to feed...

Her sharp eyes scanned the empty street, looking for any sign of life that might be there. But there was... No- There was something!

A couple... Young, maybe just a few years older than Sera herself... Something inside her told her to leave... Walk away. But she couldn't make herself. There was a rage and anger in her as she saw them. So happy and in love... Something she would never have herself really... The warm touch of a loved one...

The conflict of emotion grew even more dreadful as she saw the young man put a hand on the womans stomach... And it was then that Sera knew the odd scent of the woman. There was a child inside of her... She was pregnant...

And that was what had set her off.

She had always wanted a family, children... Wanted a home and a normal life... And now she began to hate those who did. She hated them with every fiber of her soul right now, and had to keep from simply tearing them to bits in the street. But that might cause problems... Beside, they were heading her way anyway.... She could simply pull them into the alley here... Kill them and leave their bodies to rot in all their humanly glory.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

The woman lay unconssious against a wall, her face pale from fear that had been in her before, but otherwise her and the unborn child were unharmed. The man however was in no such good state. His head was nearly torn from his shoulders, his neck shreaded by her fangs as his blood covered her lips and chin.

She dreank deeply from the man, his face frozen in one final moment of terror, his mouth opened wide with a silent perpetual scream. It had been as he screamed that sera tore his throat out, splattering blood all about.

She now stradled his chest, drinking and licking away the final drops of the man's blood, delighting in every warm drop.

The streets were empty, but Ambros knew where his fledgling was. Sera was feeding, and he could feel each and every emotion like sledgehammer shots to the face. He walked down into the alley that Sera was wearing his black trenchcoat and black jeans and t-shirt. She hadn't been feeding, and he let her find out for herself how hard it was to not feed. It hurt him to do this to her, but she needed to learn. Sera was still a child after all, and she'd be stuck forever like that.

He felt her change to hating couples like the one she attacked, and he couldn't help feeling it was his fault. She was a fragile child, and while she should've had a happy life it was all taken away from her.

Ambros checked on the mortal girl making sure she wasn't seriously hurt. It seemed she just fainted, and there were no real injuries that he could see. The man was a totally different story, and Ambros knew there was nothing anyone could do for him. "Sera." He said quietly in his thick Romanian accent. "Sera you need to stop."

At hearing the voice Sera turned her dark eyes to look up at him. In the darkness of the Alley they seemed black as coal and just as emotionless. Her dark eyes narrowed, she hadn't even heard him coming.

"What do you want..." She said in a low growl. "These are my prey. I know you know how to hunt for yourself... Get away from that human." She said in a low hiss as she clutched the man's body slightly.

What was he doing here! He never followed her on hunts... Naimly because she sisn't hunt all that much. With a deep growl in her throat she began to chew at the man's neck again, squeezing every last possible drop of blood from his body. Her grey shirt had bloodstains down the front, her face was bloody... Even a few loos strands of her hair were stuck together with drying blood from the man.

But she continued to chew....to savore each drop of his blood before taking his little woman and their child......

Ambros looked at Sera, and saw the animal she became in those emotionless eyes. It felt as if his heart was ripped to shreds as she spoke. "I'm here because I'm worried about you Sera." This feeding would soon get the attention of the Amman even though she didn't kill that often. Still it was getting harder for them to cover up the murders. "I'm not going to let you feed on the woman." He said sternly as she went back to chewing on the man's neck. "You already have had enough from that man. I won't let you take this woman's life. She doesn't deserve it." He knew Sera would try to stop him.

"And I've hand enough of your words!" She snapped as she looked up from the man.

She stood up smoothly as she glared at her sire. "All you do is talk Ambros. Words are weak, they acomplish nothing if no one is willing to listen." She pointed out, wiping the back of her hand against her chin before licking the blood of the back of her hands much like a cat.

"You say I cannot have that damned woman? What's to stop me from finding another victim. If all you can do is talk, surely not you." Had he even seen what she was capable of? Had he seen what she could do and what she had done? She doubted it. "I want the blood Ambros." She said with a satisfied sigh as she licked her lips. "The pleasure it gives me... The delight and sheer high..." It gave her a pleasure she had never experianced before.... She never killed and simply left them there. Just just gorged herself on blood untill she could drink no more. Untill she just sat somewhere marveling in that wonderous high... Like sex, but so much better almost...

"You can't stop me... You don't have the balls." She said raising her chin at him defiantly. "Besides... I want it too much... I need it." It made her forget everything for that while... The pain of being without her family now... The tourment of being a vampire for all eternity... "You can't stop me Ambros, so just let me have her." She demanded.

Sera did have a point. His words didn't have any meaning if he didn't back it up. Ambros watched as she stood up and moved towards him. Her words only hurt him even more, but he didn't show it or let it through their link.

The part about not having the balls to stop her was what set him off. Grabbing her wrists Ambros slammed her against the wall, and felt the impact was harder than he wanted. "You don't think I can stop you!?" He glared at her rage burning in his eyes. "What is the point of this addiction to fresh blood? Why do these people deserve to die!?"

She gave a sharp cry of pain as he slammed her against the wall. He was faster and stronger than her of course...

"Let go of me!" She snarled. "You haven't bothered to stop me these past few weeks! You probably didn't even know what I was doing!" She had been like this nearly a month, gourging herself... Feeding that dark addiction in her. But he hadn't come to her once, he hadn't treid to stop her then. Why was now any different than before?

"Because! I died inside to make others happy! Why can't others do the same for me!" She struggled against him, her voice full of anger and nearly as much rage as his eyes. "I need it Ambros! I forget! I feel estatic when I drink... I forget everything for a while and I'm happy!" Why was he denying her that? Why was he denying her that happieness?

"Who cares about humans! There are billions of them in this world and more every day!"

Ambros held to her tightly. He wouldn't allow her to kill the pregnant woman. He had been away from the city for the past couple of weeks, but he was now back. "I didn't know. I was on a trip to Romania!" How could he have known what she had done? Even through their link he only had a few emotions at best.

"What would your mother say if she saw you now!? Why a woman with child!?" His grip tightened a little bit on her wrists. "You died on the inside, but you're taking their lives away! You aren't giving them a chance to live!"

She was just like him when he was first changed. "You were a human not too long ago Sera. This woman doesn't deserve to die, not yet." He hated to hurt her, but it seemed like the only way to get her to learn. He could see her rage, and knew it reflected his own. His eyes softened a little bit with his grip, but he didn't let go.

"You took my life! You made me like this!" She was biting back bloody tears. "You took what chance I had to live! I could have lived Ambros! You didn't have to do this to me!!" She said as she struggled against him, but he was just too strong.

She didn't cry out as he squeezed her wrists. She knew if he broke them they would heal... Physical pain was meaningless, she had learned to push it aside long ago... Her face turned even uglier as he spoke of her mother.

She spat full in his face, her eyes burning with anger. "I'll never know now! I won't ever see her again Ambros! I won't see her again because of that you made me!" She began to struggle again even though she knew it was futile.

"Let me go Ambros!" She snarled, even as his face softened. "Why did you leave me! Why couldn't I go with you!" She nearly screamed. "You didn't even tell me! I wanted to be with you! YOU KNOW I DO!" She screamed now. He had left her to fend for herself... And this was what she did on her own. This was what she had become, what he had let her become. It was his fault! It was all his fault in her mind. It was his fault she was a vampire, it was his fault that she was weak and helpless, that she couldn't control herself.

She fought against him with all her strength, and luckaly now she wouldn't tire, not until she was satisfied would she give up. And she would fight with all she had until there was some satisfaction to be had. "You left me alone! You abandoned me!" She screamed at him. He had left her without warning, he hadn't told her where he was going and he was so far away that her weak powers couldn't feel him. But why had he done all this?

Ambros held Sera against the wall as she spoke. He knew how she felt, and he deserved all the blame. He had changed her, but it was because of how close she was to death. "You lost a lot of blood Sera! There was very little chance that you'd live before the ambulance got there! What did you expect me to do!? I love you Sera!" Then Sera spat in his face, but he didn't react to it, simply letting it drip down his face. He stayed silent knowing that he was the reason she wouldn't see her mother again. Ambros realized that whichever way you looked at it the vampires were doomed to wander Hell for eternity. "I admit that I might've been wrong changing you, but I did it because I love you."

"I left you because I needed to atone for my own sins. I couldn't bring you with me." What Ambros needed to do was something that Sera couldn't be involved in. It was for his burden, his punishment. There was no reason for him to bring Sera into that Hell. "Sera...I know you wanted to be with me, but it was something I needed to do alone."

He felt her struggle against him as hard as she could, and suddenly Ambros let go of her, but kept himself from inbetween the mortal woman and Sera. "I really wanted to bring you with me, but it isn't something you should see."

She nearly fell as he let go of her, her fists balled up in rage. "You don't love me! You don't really loved me otherwise you would have never turned me! I didn't want to be like this, not now! I told you that Ambros! I didn't want to be stuck like this!" She was nearly sobing with rage now, her whole body trembling.

"YOU SHOULD HAVE STAYED THERE!!" She screamed. "You could have taken me! You would have if you really wanted to! But you didn't! You're just making up excuses now, lying to me to try and make things better!" Tears of rage were beginning to fall down her face, bright red against her pale skin. "All you've ever done is lied to me Ambros! So why should I listed to you!"

She turned and ran away as fast as she could. She wanted to get away from everything... Wanted to forget that she even existed... If that was possible.

How could he say he loved her? How could he lie straight to her face like that! He didn't love her... Otherwise he would have done whatever else he could to save her... Or let her die.

She ran, not knowing where she was going, and not really carring either. She just wanted to run.

Ambros' heart took another beating as Sera spoke. He truly loved her, he wanted to be with her, but they had drifted apart ever since he changed her. It was if he became like her father in her body and mind. Sera had hit a soft spot when she said that he had been lying to her. "Sera!" He had been lying, but not about loving her. Then she was running after he screamed in his face. "Wait Sera!" He yelled running after her.

Ambros had been desperate, he only wanted to save Sera. She would've understood his position if she was conscious that night. No he would've understood if he had listened to her. He could've made several decisions, there was the very small chance an ambulance could've gotten there. Ambros could've let her die, but he had been selfish. "Sera please wait!"

But Serawasn't waiting. No way in hell! All he had done was lied to her. Ever since they met... He had hidden the truth from her, he had lied to her and he had mislead her. He didn't turn her to save her, he had turned her to keep her with him.

Red tears were streaming down her face as she ran. She ran to the only place she really wanted to be, a place Ambros should go again after what happened the first time.

She wanted to die... Just wanted to curl up in a little ball on her mother's grave and wait for the sun. No one would care if she died. She was dead to everyone already anyway and Ambros didn't really love her... He couldn't... First he made her like this... Then he left her all alone, without even a goodbye.

How could he come back and think everything would be okay? How could he think that everything would be fine? Sera had had time to think while he was gone, to see what she thought now as the truth. She-

Sera suddenly found herself on the ground, tumbling on the sidewalk. But she didn't get up, she just lay there sobbing and crying her heart out. No one loved her... She was all alone now... Why had all this stuff happen to her? Why did all this have to happen? What had she done to deserve all this pain? What had she done that God seemed to hate her so much now?

Curling up in a little ball against the wall she lay there crying, not knowing whatelse to do.

Ambros ran after Sera as she ran from him. He couldn't catch up to her, and he knew the weight of betraying her so many times was weighing him down. He couldn't help her, he couldn't help anyone he loved. It was his curse to hurt the ones closest to him. That was why he was always alone. The curse set upon him ever since he was born plagued him even now. Slowing down Ambros collapsed to his hands and knees. "Sera...God forgive me...Sera!"

Bloody tears poured down his face, as he punched the cement until he heard the wet snap of bones breaking. "Sera!" He yelled standing up again, and running after her again. "I'm so sorry Sera, I never meant for this to happen...no..." He stopped near the girl, and hung his head. "I didn't want to be alone. I've been alone all my life...I was selfish. God, it's all my fault...If I hadn't met you...You would've been living a normal life. You wouldn't have known this pain." Clenching his broken hand feeling shear pain shoot up his arm Ambros bashed his head against the sidewalk. "God...No Sera...Please forgive me!"

She lay there skaling her head as he caught up, as she could hear his voice. Sera wanted to forgive him, she truly did... But how could she? How could she forgive him for everything he had done to her? Her father had been violent... But her father never lied to her, he never tried to pretend to be nice to her, pretent to be beating her for her own good.

She couldn't find the words in her throat, so she simply sobbed. From the first moment they met he had lied to her... He had lied about himself and what he was... And he knew she didn't want to be like this!

Sera would rather have him beating and raping her... At least that pain she could dull out... She could ignore it. And she woudl heal... but this type of pain... It was like having her heart ripped in to pieces.

Currling on the side walk she began calling for her mommy in child-like sobs, wanting to feel her mother's arms around her, holding her tight. She would never see her mother again though, because she certianly wasn't going to heaven when she died now... That wasn't possible for vampires. But she wanted her mother none the less and cried out for her repeatedly. She just needed someone who truly loved her... Someone who could take care of her and wouldn't hurt her...

The vampire looked up blood dripping down his face from him banging his head into the sidewalk. The girl before him was calling for her mother, for the last person who truly loved her. He loved Sera, but he couldn't bare to hurt her anymore. He couldn't watch her suffer like she did, that was why he left. Ambros could only feel the guilt tearing at his insides.

"Sera..." Ambros reached out with his good hand. The blood had already stopped streaming down his face and hand, but it didn't change the fact that he hated himself for what he did to the young girl. "Sera...I'm truly sorry." He rested his hand on her shoulder squeezing it gently. "God forgive me...I was blind...I was blind to your pain this whole time." The vampire was cursed, Ambros was cursed. He tried hiding it from himself by keeping with his beliefs, trying to remake his family. First it was Damien, and then it was Sera. He hurt both of them severely, and it was his fault. What was he doing? If God meant for him to die alone then why didn't he die all those years ago? Why didn't he die before meeting Cecelia? "I'm cursed...I'm so sorry."

As she felt the hand on her shoulder she turned in to Ambros and curled up in to him, still crying.

"I just wanted someone who cared... Someone who loved me..." She sobbed. What shat too much to want from life? Even and immortal one? To have love and happyness? "I didn't want you to leave... I wanted you to be with me... You didn't even tell me Ambros... I thought you had left me for good... That you were tired of me and never wanted to see me again... You never told me... Never..."

Dispite her words she pressed closer against him. She smelt the blood of his other hand and began to lick at it affectionatly, like a cat or a dog would lick it's master's hand. There was affection in it, but she was still hungry as he had interupted her feeding. but this wasn't an agressive feeding, she was not vicious in any way as she licked at the blood of his hand. Her pain was sorrow now... Not anger... All the anger was gone, diffused by the tears she cried.

Ambros closed his eyes listening to her words. It hurt so much, and he clenched his broken fist feeling jets of pain shoot through his arm. He couldn't say anything as Sera took his hand and licked at the blood dripping from the wound. It was already starting to heal, but it would still take some time to heal. He was wrong to leave without saying a word to her. Wrapping his arm around Sera's shoulders he pulled her close to his body, and kissed the top of her head gently. "I'm truly sorry Sera...I couldn't bring myself to tell you. I love you, but I was being selfish, and cowardly." The truth was hard, but it was the truth. Ambros didn't want to hurt Sera anymore. He didn't want to see her cry again. Wiping her tears away Ambros pulled his hand away, and tore a new cut letting the blood flow. "Please feed on me Seraphina Montoya." Holding his arm in front of her.

She continued to clean the blood from his hand as he held her close. He had to remember she was still a child... Still so young in vampire and human years... Her life had been hard... And just when she thought it was going to get better, he left her... He left her alone and helpless... Why had he done such a thing?

Her eyes opened slightly as he cut his arm for her. But shaking her head, Sera spoke softly. "No Ambros... I will not. Not now anyway." She only meant to clean his hand, to heal him quicker.

Setteling close in his arms, she wanted nothing more than to feel him holding her tight and reassuringly.

"Don't leave me again Ambros... I beg you. I won't survive... I need you with me."

Ambros could feel Sera's sorrow, and knew she had the right to be angry at him. He was always trying to be strong even when alone, and he forgot for a while that others didn't have that strength, that Sera was still a child. Ambros nodded and wrapped his arms around her after she declined to drink from him. "Sera..." He squeezed her gently. "I won't leave you again Sera...I have run away for far too long."

Sitting up Ambros brought Sera into a sitting position, and pulled her close. "Let's go home Sera." Ambros wanted to mend this wound he formed, and he knew it would be hard, but he wasn't going to run from it.

Smiling as he lifted her so effortlessly, Sera licked again, now at the injured part of his arm as she had done his hand. Not to feed, but to heal him. She still loved him... How could she not? He had saved her from dying... Even if it had been a way she didn't like... He still cared for her. And she still loved him, as both a father and a lover. It was an odd mix... Especialy since he was so much older even in human years, but that didn't matter to her.

"Yeah... Lets go home.." She agreed with a soft nod.

But she then turned her attention to the wound that wasn't quite healed. Biting her lower lip hard to draw blood, she kissed his arm, pressing her blood on to the wound to help it heal, licking the blood away from the now mended skin.

But after she did so, Sera simply nestled down in his arms silently.

Ambros smiled as Sera licked at his broken hand, and healed the cut he made. He could feel the bones slowly starting to mend themselves, and by the time they got back to his apartment it would probably be healed. He cared for Sera very much. She was both his fledgling and his lover. It was a closer bond than he had with Damien. If there was another way to save Sera he would've taken it, but the situation didn't allow for such a path. He lifted Sera in his arms so he was carrying her as he stood up. "Someday I would like to show you Romania. I'm sure you'll love it."

Romania, where everything started and where his old life ended. Now was going to be a different life for Ambros. He wasn't going to run away from Sera anymore. He would take care of her, and keep no secrets from her. "Do you want to stop anywhere first?" He asked the girl in his arms. She looked so frail, so young. True she was a vampire, but she was still a child. He couldn't forget about that.

Sera wiggled herself even closer to him as he lifted her. She had always loved being held when she was little, and she was still little and would always be little. Licking at his hand a little more she closed her eyes and let the exaustion take her over. So much had happened all at once, and it wore her little body out.

She was still in his arms though not quite asleep.

"Let's just go home... I'm so tired Ambros... It's been a long while since I've really slept..." But she was also afraid to go back to the appartment. She had waited for Ambros there for nearly a week, but when the monster took over and made her leave, she had turned the place upside down.

"I... Ambros... I'm sorry for everything I did... I didn't mean to, honest... But I was so afraid and upset.."

Ambros could feel Sera's exhaustion through their link, and could imagine what she went through. He hadn't slept while he was away from Sera. It was like a knife driven into his heart every night. Even though he always fell into a comatose sleep it was different for some reason.

"Alright Sera...We'll go home." It was still a while from sunrise, and they'd have enough time. "You don't have to apologize for anything. It was my fault this happened to you." Smiling sadly he kissed Sera gently. "I'll have to make it up to you. So how about tomorrow we go to a club?" Ambros needed to learn to be a better parent for Sera, and it was going to be a tough journey. "I won't leave you again without telling you."

"When I left... I was so angry... I kind of messed the place up... I... I couldn't stop myself." The books had been thrown off shelves, the sheets had been torn from the bed... Luckaly there weren't may breakable things that were around the appartment, otherwise they would have been broken. Like the bathroom mirror and the shower curtian rod.

"I'm sorry... Really."

She gave a little murmur as he kissed her and nuzzled at his chest. But she shook her head as he said he would take her to a club. She didn't care for clubs too much... Never had. Being around so many people frightened her. "Can we just spend the night together tomorrow? You and me?" She asked softly.

Ambros could imagine the shape of his apartment and the landlord being pissed at him. Shaking his head he genuinely laughed. "It'll be fine. It shouldn't be that expensive to fix up. You don't have to apologize." He didn't care about the apartment, it was comfort enough to see that she was alright. Their home was waiting for them.

As they kept going Ambros looked down at the girl in his arms, and nodded. "That sounds good. I'm honored to spend the night together with you." They were close to his apartment, and found that it was cleaned up. The bed was stripped everything was back in order. He set Sera on her feet, and walked over to the door opening it up. On the door there was a note. It said how he owed the landlord $900 for damage, cleanup, and some random fee that Ambros didn't know. "I'll take care of that tomorrow." It was quiet in the dark apartment, and Ambros took the time to put sheets on the bed and the thick black cloth over the window to block out the sun. "Looks like nothing happened." He said with a slight smile.

Seeing the note over his shoulder Sera looked down. Nine hundred dollars in damages? How was she ever going to be able to repay him for that? If she had a job, it would take two months for her to make that money.

"Ambros... I'm sorry... Really I am. I didn't mean to... I would have cleaned it and fixed it myself if I had come back..." But she hadn't been in the appartment for nearly three weeks when she left it the first time. Not even to get clothing. She had stolen the clothing of her victims, which of course explained the odd assortment she wore now.

"But it did happen Ambros... I... I'll find some way to pay you back. Honest I will." She said fervently. "I could get a job or something to get the money."

Ambros looked at Sera and shook his head. "I told you Sera you don't have to apologize for anything." It didn't matter to him if he had to pay $900 or $1,000,000. "You don't have to pay me back. We're family after all." Grinning a little bit at Sera he finished setting up the bed, and sat down. Sunrise was approaching, and Ambros could feel the thirst nagging at the back of his mind. He hadn't fed all night, and the fact that he lost some blood didn't help. "Sera. I love you...I don't want to hurt you anymore."

Maybe he'd go out and invest in a T.V. for Sera. It would be good to make it a little homier for her. "You don't have to worry about paying me back, but if you want to get a job then you can." She didn't have to him back, they were pretty much family and he didn't mind paying for it.

Seraphina felt uneasy and odd being back here again... It was like a new place. She wasn't used to being here now...

She simply stood by the table, her eyes on the floor as she kicked her foot ever so slightly. "Ambros... It's my fault. It is. I should have been able to wait... I shouldn't have thought you were going to abandon me... Just leave me here alone." She was wrong in thinking that. After all he had done for her...

"It would be hard, because I was declared dead in the fire... But I'm sure I could find someone who would give me a job." After all some businesses were owned by vampires. They would understand and help her...