Jennifer spent the time that time that Max and Catherine were out organizing her office, thoughts and trying to make sense of the change in orders her vampire patriarch had given her earlier that evening. In truth she did not care either way, this was always a contingency. Max had shared with her the fact that he might run into Catherine and she knew that encountering her would severely influence Max’s decisions. Max obviously knew that because they had planned several contingencies. They were enacting one of those contingencies. This action plan was by the letter of the law compliant to Catherine’s expectations of Max, but rode the rail regarding the spirit of the request.

The light on her desk panel lit up notifying that someone had entered the elevator and was on their way down to the complex. The infrared cameras showed that Catherine had come back alone. She lifted an eyebrow that his sire’s lover already had such unfettered access to the complex, but it was not her place to judge.

She watched her wander the hall, exploring a bit and decided to go greet her after she reached her apartment. Opening the door of her suite to the hallway she stepped out and called to Catherine in a friendly tone to come join her for a drink and perhaps take the opportunity to get to know one another. Jennifer was by nature suspicious, but was genuinely interested in meeting the female that actual had sway over her boss, sire and patriarch. This was something she had not witnessed in the last 250 years.

Her passive psychic defenses were up ready to rise upon any sign of probing. She was a vampire whose strengths lay in her mind more so than her body.

Catherine had returned alone, but she understood the nature of what he was going to do and understood that he had to do it alone. So when she got back she wandered the halls for a bit until she heard her name being called. She turned to come face to face with Jennifer. "Well hello there."

She could feel Jennifer raise her psychic defences and Catherine wanted to laugh. She had strong defences but if Catherine wanted to know something and Jennifer wouldn't tell her, she would have no problem tearing them down. Catherine herself was more of a mind person than a body person, except the faster than the immortal eye thing.

Well Catherine moved into the appartment and looked around interested. "So how do you like Demaitre so far?"

Jennifer poured two glasses of red wine laced with blood as she answered the question. “I really don’t have an opinion. This is where I am to be, so I am here. If I had my preference I would head back down to New York that is my city.”

Turning she handed a glass to Catherine. “I understand that you have spent considerable time in this city yourself, at least two centuries that I have been told about.” Taking a sip to pause, “Please sit,” she said pointing to two large chairs by the moderate fire that warmed the room.

As she sat down she continued, “But enough chit chat. We both know the idle talk is not why we are here in this room. What are your intentions with my sire?”

Jennifer as oldest sire and his right arm in business did not mince words when protecting Max.

Catherine nodded, personally she prefered France, but she had nothing back there. Her life and friends were here in this city and she prefered to be close to them. Besides some younger vampires something needed a tap on the head to make them mind their manners.

Catherine took a sip of the wine and raised an eyebrow as she settled in one of the large chairs across from the fire. She curled her legs underneath her and took another sip of the blood wine. "My intentions? My intentions are entirely honorable. I care for Max. Never would I hurt him, unless he went against our compromise. We made one and it's going to stay that way. I don't want what happened at New York to happen again, that was total madness."

She had felt the pain of the people, even though she had been away in France. She had developped a strong sense of empathy and she hated seeing people hurt, mortal or not. She was their concience, they would have to respect her decision and her say in things.

Jennifer had no reason to doubt Catherine’s reply, but something still did not sit well with her.

Looking into the flames she began reflecting on the New York project. It had been some of her best work, a work that continued in Africa. With a sigh she broke her thought and turned her attention back to her guest.

“Well we wouldn’t want Max to break his word now would we? Are you going to be integrated into the company?” Jennifer knew that they had not discussed the actual terms of observing and monitoring the agreement Max had made, but it was interesting to her to see how the elder vampire would respond.

Catherine knew that the woman didn't quite trust her, yet she wasn't too worried. She let herself relax and close her eyes, though her mind was alert to every crackle of the fire and to every rustle in the clothes of the other in the room with her. "I love Max and I wouldn't hurt him, unless I had a perfectly logical explanation, which I doubt that I will have."

Catherine shrugged. Integrated in the company? Well perhaps she could be, though she wasn't much of a business woman unless she was keeping things in order for her late sire. One of the reasons why she had returned to Europe, settle all of his affairs. She had sold most of it. "I don't expect to be intergrated though perhaps an invitation to meetings would be in order. I am supposed to be your conciense after all."

Jennifer raised an eyebrow, “Max’s perhaps, but not mine or that of my peers and our subordinates. It is enough that you keep our CEO to his word, but we did not make this agreement.”

Sitting up in her chair she placed her glass down on a nearby table, “Make no mistake that this agreement of his will cause as much damage in the long run as though we had gone through with our original plan. The hold we have on our organization will be challenged due to the weakness my sire has shown. I will serve him with loyalty and love as I have since he turned me as will the vampires that have been sired by my line, but not all of those he sired will take this new well. They will see it as a legitimate reason to challenge him and they would be right.”

Suddenly Jennifer was overtaken by the pain of another and quickly reflecting on the fact Catherine came back from the night on the town alone Jennifer said,” Where is Max? Why did he not escort you home?”

She suddenly knew that blood was being spilled tonight.




“You impertinent son of a bitch,” Max growled at the offspring that now lay flaccid at his feet. The transformation from beast back to man now complete he knelt down besides the vampire he had sired over 200 years ago, a vampire that was near death.

“We knew this day would come father,” the dying vampire choked out. Max replied, “Yes we did.”

With a sorrowful expression he brushed the bloodied hair out of his face and said, “Rest now my son,” and with a sudden jerk pulled the head from its body. Max, head in hand, began his journey home.

Catherine waved a hand to her accusation and to her questionning. "You will serve him with love and loyalty, yet you question him? I don;t think the two go together. I'm not worried nor afraid. Both Max and me knew that we would be together again, it was simply a question of when, but he has been busy as I have, it took a lot longer than expected."

She snorted. "Damage? What you did in New York, that was damage. You destroyed countless lives, that was no better than a terrorist attack." She was now pacing across the floor, the glass still in her hand, though her hand was not tightnening around the glass, somehow it still shattered. Her telekinesis had taken over. Some items in the room were levitating, though they didn't move. The true extent of her power was amazing despite her fairly young age. "Innocent people died and many had their lives completely destroyed, you think that is fair? Fair to them?"

As she asked where Max was, Catherine's calm returned. "He went after one of is rogue fledglings, one that disrespected him. I believe that he is either dead or very close to it. I do not question what he does when it comes to his children. I am simply the step mother, that has no control."

“You can question one that you serve and love? In the end it is my obedience that matters and he has it.”

Jennifer watched this aged vampire, still was deeply tied to her emotions, affect the room. This would prove useful in understanding this woman who already sees herself as a step-mother.

As Catherine revealed the fact that Max was hunting and ending the life of one of his, she sat back in the chair and began calculating what needed to be done to mitigate this fact when the others arrived.

With a smile she simply said, “It is getting towards morning, perhaps we should adjourn until a later time.” Max would be home soon and they needed to talk. Talk during a time the Nephim could do little about it.

Catherine eyes lay flat now, emotions tied back into a part of her mind. "Careful young one, whatever you and Max talk about I will know. There are thinkgs about me you don't know, so do not presume anything."

She had thought that she could have like Jennifer, but she had been wrong. Max respected her, so for that she would keep her own anger towards the woman under wraps. She had lost her temper, yes but what had happened in New York had been horrifying and she could still see the images that flickered through her mind.

She strode and walked to the door. "It seems that MAx has lost one of his lieutenants, whatever will he do without him?" The tone in her voice was mocking, the sarcasm thick. "Good night to you. I thought that perhaps I could have liked you, obviously I was wrong. You distrust me so much." Catherine then turned and left the room, leaving the door open.

She wandered down the hall until she arrived at Max's quarters and simply stood in front of the door, knowing that she probably wouldn't have access. Her eyes narrowed, screw it, it was her room now too. She closed her eyes and vanished in the shadow that she could be to transfer to the inside of the room. She setlled down in a chair and knew that she would probably sleep there as the sun rose, but if she didn't rectify this with Max, he would have a hell of an annoyed vampire, when she woke up.

“JENNIFER,” the scream echoed through the rock walls and through the thick wooden doors into his chamber. The slap of his naked feet passed his chamber door at a quickened pace towards the vampire that had obviously earned his wrath.

The next sound that rang through the halls was the forced opening of a large, locked wooden door that separated Jennifer’s chamber from his. All that could be heard before the door closed was, “The next time you attempt to…,” and the door slammed closed.

Hours later the sun was about to set, but this event was going unnoticed by Max as he lay in slumber next to Catherine, who had transferred from the chair to the bed when he had returned to his chambers.

Catherine yawned as the sun set. She felt Max next to her as she lay on a bed. She mumbled something and curled into Max. She didn't want to wake up, the anger of the previous night still simmered though it had lulled to a simmer that was how asleep she still was perhaps it would blow up, but Catherine wasn't thinking about that quite yet. She simply wanted to be with Max.

Finally reaching the evidence that nothing could be done and she wouldn't go back to sleep, she opened her eyes and stretched her lithe body across the bed. Her shoulders, wrists and knees cracked. She pressed her body to Max's. "Wake up, sleepy head." She passed gentle fingers through his hair, trying to wake him up, then pressed a gentle kiss to his mouth.

Max was tired from the previous evening, but returned the kiss. Turning towards her he smiled and said, “Good evening, how are you feeling?”

His thoughts were fuzzy as though the beast was still hovering on the edge of appearing. Sitting up in the bed he cracked his neck side to side and slowly worked his way to being fully awake.

Once he felt awake he turned towards her with his best smile and simply said, “I don’t want to talk about it, yet.”

Catherine's eye narrowed. "I'm okay except that I'm pissed. I do not like your eldest." She was straight forward like that. They often said that the more a vampire aged the more straightforward they became and that was true of Catherine.

Jennifer had royally annoyed her and that was one thing that Catherine didn't like. She had lost control as well, though hadn't hurt anybody, next time she wouldn't lose control and if she did, it wouldn't end well, that was for sure. "You don't have to talk about it, I don't expect you to. Take as much time as you need." She kissed him again, then curled into him. She was feeling lazy, though she knew that eventually he would have to get up, but she enjoyed the moment.

Max laid back into the bed with her and stared at the canopy of the bed lost in thought. His mind restless, he propped his head onto a pillow he said, “TV on.” The large panel across the room illuminated and global news appeared. He seemed content to gather information, hopping from one channel to another.

Sitting up in the bed he said, with a hesitant voice, “Map.” The channel switched to a digital map of the city and surrounding area. Several, no hundreds, of red dots were converging on the city.

He looked at Catherine over his shoulder, “So it begins.”

Standing up, “I am going to grab a shower.” And he started towards the bathroom.

Catherine watched him somewhat worried and saw all the dots converging. She frowned looking at them. That was a lot of dots, She knew that some of them were young, but a lot would be around 100, that could cause problems if they didn't like her. Which was more than probable. Out of the original five fledglings two didn't like her and one was dead.

She gave a sigh as he got up to take a shower. She wasn't invited so she would stay where she was, though a change of clothes would be nice. Since she had no other clothing and she didn't want to wear clothes. She got up and shed them all. Then walked around the room until she found a robe, which she draped herself in. She sat down and looked at the map worried still.

She nibbled on a finger still lookin at the map. It wasn't enough to draw blood, but it was more like a reaction to what she saw. That was a shitload of dots.

Max called out from the shower. “Hey babe, you might want to go into the next room. By the way, tonight is the right night to dress for success.” During the day before he went to bed the clothing, shoes and jewelry she ordered had been delivered and wrapped in the packages that littered his foyer.

While washing his body his thoughts wandered to how there already appeared to be some strain between Catherine and himself. He knew what transpired between Catherine and Jennifer from the recording he played back after “disciplining” Jennifer for her indiscretion. Jennifer would be back in line when he next saw her.

Walking out dripping wet, toweling off his hair, he said, “Jennifer.” The screen switched from the map to a multiple images of the rooms that comprised her chambers. Jennifer was walking around her bedroom, drying off herself, preparing her outfit for these evenings’ activities.

Catherine walked into Max's foyer, curious by what he meant and when she saw the boxes that littered it, her eyes widden and then she was jumping from one box to the next and she had to dress for success so she was going to find "the" outfit.

She pulled out clothes after clothes, ditching them as soon as she decided if it would do. Dress for success could mean so much, so she decided that smart causual would do the thing. First thing was her undergarnments. She took out a pair of silk underwear and a bra that matched there was nothing to them, they were simple, but comfortable and Catherine would dress for comfort.

Catherine grabbed then took out a plain white blouse. She put it on and liked the way it fit. She then hesitated between a pair of jeans and a skirt and vouched for the skirt. She slipped it on and looked herself in a mirror. White shirt with a dark green skirt, beautiful. She then reached to fix the necklace that Max had given her and liked the way she look.

She grabbed a brush and dragged it through he curls, fixing them and that was when she decided she was ready, she wandered back to Max's room. "How do I look?" She ignored the television, she didn't need it and it didn't bother her.

By its description her outfit would be assumed to be a simple one, but the website he had her shopping on was one of exceptional quality and she beamed. Catherine was beautiful and it brought a smile to his face. “That will do.”

He turned towards his wardrobe and dressers, “Auditorium,” he said as he walked. The panel on the wall showed an auditorium with what must have been over a thousand seats viewed from the perspective of the stage. The seats were arranged, beginning closest to the stage, in an unusual configuration consisting of five singular seats, that had five seats behind them and those five had five seats behind them. This formula continued to spread geometrically filling the immense auditorium from the ground to the roof.

In these seats, individuals from all races and walks of life began seating themselves. The manner in which they took their seats suggested that they knew exactly where they were to sit, as though the seats were theirs’ and only theirs’.

Max put on a sharp suit, tailored to his body. This suit did not have a tie and was completed with a leather sports coat and knee high boots.

Quietly he turned and moved to the couch, grasping her hand as he went. “Sit with me a while.” He became lost in the screen moving the camera with a remote he picked up looking at his brood face by face, and studying them.

Catherine was a little uncertain. It would simply do? She looked down at her outfit and wondered if she had missed something. Perhaps there was something missing. She then realized that she was missing shoes. What shoes had she ordered that would go with this.

Her eyes turned to the screen and she joined him on the couch. "You have many children. Are they all here?" Catherine's eyes looked at every one of them and watched the screen. Normally she would have curled against him, yet in his pretty clothes it wasn't a good time. "You look dashing Max." She didn't know what kind of response that would get out of him, but she was pleased to dish out compliments.

Max was studying everyone, yet Catherine's eyes were on him. Watching the way he reacted to every person that was part of his family and every person he saw. Not once did she look at the screen. She had one question. "What will happen to the fledglings of the one you killed?"

He was not truly listening to her until she asked what would happen to the generations sired by his creation.

Turning his head to face her he said, “That is the question.” He had planned multiple options for this event though he never contemplated having to pick one.

A small meter appeared in the lower corner reflecting the auditorium was 63% full. “We will have to leave in a couple of hours.”

Picking up a phone besides the couch he waited for an answer. “Yes. It is time for you to make your way over there. We will be over soon.”

Putting the phone down he leaned over and kissed Catherine on the lips as though to draw strength from her.

Catherine knew that he wasn't truly listening to her and she was wondering what she would have to do to get his attention when he answered, saying he wasn't sure. "Few hours? What are we supposed to do with these hours? I don't need a snack and I don't need to sleep. That leaves a few possibilities, but I don't know if any of them are appropriate at this moment, dressed as we are."

Catherine didn't know who he was talking to, but it didn't quite matter. She almost felt like he was losing interest in her. That was a blow to her ego, she had always thought herself interesting and now she wasn't quite so sure.

His kiss took her off-guard and she jumped startled. She hadn't seen that one coming, though she melted into him. Both her hands clutched his shirt, she wanted to feel reassured that she was beautiful, was that so hard to get?

The nature of Max’s life was clearly foreign to Catherine. They came from two very different eras and led two very different lives, but they never lost the connection that mattered. It was times like this that made the practical nature of being together difficult and the fact it was happening now in the early stages of their reunion made it all the more difficult.

He smiled at her knowing what she needed and whispered, “You will be my rock, my anchor. You are the very definition of what is beautiful and right in the world. I apologize for the times to come and the fact you will stand ever present, but outside of the scope of the activity—it is a reflection of the life I have made and not a reflection of how I feel for you.”

Max stroked his fingers through her hair and laid her head to rest on his chest before resuming watching the screen. After a few minutes his body jostled slightly as an elegant woman of African decent entered the picture on the screen. She was clearly an imposing figure as those in the room went silent and one of the five sections leading to a singular chair rose upon her entrance and waited to seat themselves again after she took her chair at the head.

“Masozi,” he whispered in recognition of her presence back into his house.

Catherine snuggled to him and was pleased to hear what he said. She understood that their relationship would be hard yet she wouldn't let him forget her. If wanted to continue his life without her that was up to him, though she wouldn't be a happy vampire, and unhappy vampires are very unpredictable. She always was quite unpredictable.

She felt him jostle, it was hard not to be when she was in his arms. She looked up barely moving her head and saw the African woman, yes she was an imposing figure and elegant, Catherine could recognize that. She had the respect of alot of people, even if Catherine didn't quite understand the hierarchy. "Masozi." The name was foreign on her lips, yet it came out elegantly. She lifted her head to look at Max. "Is she one of your fledglings?"

He looked down at Catherine, “Yes she is. Those five chairs in the front are my direct line and the 5 behind them are theirs and so on. Everyone to the last of the line has sired 5 in order to create the numbers we sought after in such a short time.”

Looking back to the screen he observed as the camera man moved throughout the room. It would be full soon and it would be time to address them and share with them the reason for the assembly of this great family.

“So what do you think of your soon to be adopted family.”

Catherine simply looked at the screen and looked back at him. "She's elegant, but I don't think that she will accept me, anymore than Jennifer accepted me. They seem quite protective of you and refuse to see that I may truly love you."

Catherine took a deep breath. "That's a big family to be adopted into. Are they even going to accept me? Some will resent me, that much I do know and I would hate to come in between them and you. I know that that is how they are going to see it." she was anxious, she wanted to be a part of his new life, but with so many people that could possibly get in her way she didn't like that. Especially that if they got in her way, they would get in between her and Max and she didn't want that to happen.

Max stood up and held his hands out for her to join him. “Jennifer is a bitch. She was a bitch before I turned her and she is now centuries later. To be fair that is part of what makes her special.”

Smiling, “Come along, we have a gathering to address.”

As she took his hands and rose his eye again was caught by the screen as Jennifer walked in besides a man in a black suit causing two of the five sections to rise to their feet as before.

Ah, “Jennifer you know. The other is Alexander. You will like Alexander he has developed quite early and was exceptional even before becoming a vampire. Where Jennifer is clearly my public right arm, Alex runs the shadow. He is a man of integrity.”

Turning back to her, “Alec who you met at the club will not be joining us, as you know. And by the time we arrive the last of my direct line will be seated.”

As he escorted her to the front door, stopping before opening it, “You are not to doubt who you are once we cross into the hallway. You are Catherine, my consort and confidant. You are expected to be strong and expect respect as not only the eldest of all vampires present, but for all the other reasons we have previously discussed.”

“Are you ready?”

Catherine listened carefully as she followed him. Her face blank and her eyes cool. She would be the woman of passiveness, but alert to everything. "Jennifer's a bitch I'll keep that in mind. I wouldn't want to get on her bad side." The last was sarcastic. If Jennifer knew what was good for her, she would stay away from Catherine. Though there would be no display like the last time.

She looked at the other man and watched him, almost seemed to be drinking him in, then nodded. "Perhaps I will like him, but we will see." She frowned at the thought of being his consort. "That will have to be seen, I don't agree to being a consort to someone younger than me, though perhaps for the sake of your image, I'll relent." She gave him a look. "For now."

Catherine nodded to him. "Then I shall be strong and will want respect. I'm not easily phazed, yet lately I have been lacking in control. Tonight, though, I will be on my best behaviour and will control my temper." She let a small smile flit across her face. "And if Jennifer comes close to me, she will regret it."

She smiled at him. "I'm ready to go, though I do wonder if I will sit or stand? Standing might be better, though I'm torn between both."

Max opened the door and as he expected two well dressed vampires stood in anticipation of him. Lowering their heads slightly in acknowledgement the larger one spoke, “The shuttle is waiting for you as you ordered.”

With those words he began to walk down the hall as the other waited to follow behind. Max took Catherine’s arm and began to escort her down the hall.

After about a 10 minute walk it had become clear that they had been following a gradual decline that had taken them even farther underground than the dorms. As they turned the corner a single rail system with what appeared to be a large charter bus sized cylindrical vehicle sat waiting to be boarded.

The first body guard inspected the chamber to reassure that no one had boarded since its arrival and stepped aside allowing the couple to enter. Remaining behind they sealed the outer hatch activating the inner lighting. Max took a seat on a small couch that lined the wall after Catherine.

He smiled and with a quip said, “Well the hard part is over, now we just have the rest of the journey.” Kissing her briefly on the lips, “and I don’t just mean to the auditorium.”

Catherine had looked at everything with interest, though anything besides that stayed coiled deep in her. She wasn't going to lose control, not today and not on a night where she had to show that she was an older vampire in control. Her eyes looked on with interest at the cylindrical style bus, she frowned but then something seemed to wash her face to make it passive again.

She had noticed the gradual decline, but made no note of it. If something happened she was more than capable of taking care of herself and she doubted that Max would let something happen to her.

She accepted the kiss and frowned looking at him. "What do you mean?" She wasn't quite sure that she understood everything and she wondered what he meant by the journey. She knew that her life would be hard, she simply didn't know how hard. She hoped that it wouldn't kill her, though that in itself would be hard. She let out a soft sigh.

Max smiled, “Well I mean us silly. They say the hardest part of any journey is the first step and that walk from the room was it. I have been thinking a lot about our agreement.”

He paused for a bit before continuing, “And I don’t think it is going to be possible to redirect this organization as we discussed after all. So I was thinking that I would step down as the business head, taking my assets like this complex with me and pass on the organization itself onto my lines.”

Tilting his head back, “By doing this I take the core resources and leadership they would need to execute the plan, I would be set for this life and the next so to speak and we could be free to travel the planet and truly explore what we may have here. If I give the other speech, I fear we are doomed to failure.”

“What do you think?”

Catherine tilted her head and let a small smile flit across her face. Why was it that everytime she thought she knew this new Max, he did something that surprised her? When he had started to talk, she was ready to take a hissy fit, well perhaps not quite a hissy fit, dignified vampires didn't do hissy fits, but be quite vocal about her anger. Though it sooned changed when she realized what he planned to do.

Catherine paused to look at him. "You would would give up everthing for me?" She couldn't quite believe it, she was sure that he would never give that up, even for her. She was then cautious, this could not go well. "How will your fledglings feel about you leaving?" She hoped that they simply wouldn't all turn on her, because she didn't have time to kill stupid fledglings and it wasn't on her list of things to do.

She thought it over. "I kinda like the idea of having you all to myself. That is if I understood you right." She wasn't sure if she was dreaming or if this was actually was real, she hoped that she hadn't misunderstood him.

He slid off the couch and kneeled on both knees before her and in taking her hands, smiled and said, “You understand me right. I am yours.”

Looking down at their joined hands his face was suddenly sullen at the impending encounter with his brood. “Catherine you will return to the city once I leave this car. I will meet you at the church that you took care of me at all of those many years ago.” Looking back to her eyes he seized the opportunity to block from her the dark images of the encounter to come, “I will be fine. I…I…have always had this contingency prepared for in the event they turned on me, and in truth, I fear; my time with you and openness with Jennifer and encounter with my now dead boy has started that chain of events anyway.”

The car slowed to a stop. He stood up and began to back away buttoning his coat. “Please go, this tram will take you to the gate.” He stood there waiting for her to say something.

Catherine watched him and listened worriedly. A frown creased her forehead though it was in worry, more than anything. She loved him and wanted him to be safe and right now she had a feeling that he was going to be in a lot of danger. She did like the part that perhaps he would spend the rest of their immortal lives together, but that wouldn't happen if he wound up dead.

"Alright, but if they hurt you in any way or form, I will hurt them so much they would wish they had never even been born." Catherine could turn into a homocidal maniac if someone pushed her to do so, hurting Max, would do exactly that. She stood up and wentto him to kiss him. "Come back to me or I'll be very upset." She then backed away and sat down, to simply look at him.

He smiled and hit the button opening the door behind him. Stepping back on the platform he said, “you know me, what possible trouble could I get into.”

With that, the doors closed and the tram slowly moved away leaving Max alone on the platform. Straightening his shoulders, he turned and walked up the stairs to the conference center.

Catherine watched him as the tram moved away, she would wait for him at the church though she most likely wouldn't go in. She didn't know if she would want to return to a place where she hadn't been in a very long time.

Nephim. Was she still a Nephim after all this time, or had she completely moved on? She didn't know and wasn't sure how it would affect her to be back there. She would see once she got there. The tram stopped at the upper level near the gates and she left without looking back, she would wait the rest of her immortal life for Max, even if that meant sitting on that bench every night. She wouldn't stay there during the day, she wasn't suicidal.

She let a sigh as she finally left the grounds of the base and made her way over to the abandonned church. She would wait for him.

Max asked each of his direct line to come up to the stage and take their place in the chairs behind him. Of course Alec did not come to stage as he lay dead somewhere on the streets of the city as they spoke.

“My family I regret…” With that the chairs his line sat in became prisons strong enough to restrain them. All they could do was watched what happened next as Max unleashed a maelstrom of destruction upon the brood.


Six days later the doors of the conference center unlocked and the dome closed shutting the out the rays of the disappearing sun. All that stood witness to the unspoken horror of what had passed for the last six days were those who sat hostage in the chairs on stage.

Max placed a box in front of each of them and with a final look in their eyes passed an understanding that this relationship between them was over. Leaving the back way down to the tram system he boarded and returned to his room changing clothes and coding to the facility and updating the orders to the security force that his former fledglings were unauthorized personnel. With that, he transmitted a signal releasing them from their prisons. Each looking at the other picked up there boxes and made their way quickly from the sight of the carnage knowing to remain would be to invite the death that was so clearly spared them.

The moon rose high into the sky this night. Max rose slowly from the earth behind the bench in which Catherine sat waiting for him, dressed in a most fitting suit. Kissing her softly on the back of the neck he said, “The rest is up to you. I am forever yours.”

Catherine had waited patiently ever single day for almost the last week. The only times that she left was when the sun was about to rise and when she had to feed. It had been a depressing day of waiting and sometimes she wondered if he was dead. She then shook her head to the folly of that simple idea. Max was more than able of taking care of himself. He would come, he said that he would.

On that particular night, she sat waiting for Max, starting to lose hope that he had even survived. When hair at the back of her neck stood on end and then she felt him kiss the back of her neck. She whirled around and tackled him, making him fall backwards with her on top. She kissed him passionately. "I missed you."

Max let out a loud and joyous laughter to her response. “I missed you to babe.”

He embraced as though it was new love and kissed her as long as she wanted. When the natural pause came, they sat up and leaned against the old tree that stood hard by.

“So this old church is still here, huh? Some things just don’t change I guess.” As he looked at the church, it dawned on him that they had not fully caught up over all of these nights and turned his head with a bit of a quizzical look, “You still Nephim?”

Catherine smiled at him and snuggled into him. She was never ever letting him go, never. He was now stuck with her as long as he lived.

Catherine shook her head and frowned. "I don't live at the coven anymore and being a Nephim, perhaps, I'm not quite sure. I still share a lot of characteristics with Nephim. I suppose I still belong to the coven, yet I do not live there anymore." She smiled up at him. "I have a penthouse in the city, right downtown." She let out a soft sigh. "It would be a shame to have to give it up." She loved her penthouse, it was something that she had succeeding creating for herself, a haven of sorts away from everything. You couldn't get privacy anywhere, especially in a coven, so her penthouse had served that purpose. She would probably have to sell it.

She didn't care about anything, as long as she was with Max, she would be happy.