June 10, 2005
 

I got off work tonight, and who should I sense down a dark alley across from the docks? Yep, you guessed it. Jackie. This time though, she was *cough* prepared. Armed and dangerous is what she thought she was as she emerged into the glow of the streetlamp. Incase I didn't already know she was there.

Anyway, took off around 10pm or so, in search of breakfast. I did eventually find food, but there's a long story between here and there.

Humans, what a crack up.

I leaned against the streetlight, arms crossed, contemplating how to react. Well, not so much contemplating, more like trying to hide the amusement. After all, the stalker (me) became the stalkee, and that's just good, clean fun.

Jackie's first mistake was to approach me while holding a large oak cross at arm's length. I lost my composure then. So much for the stoic vampire act.

"What are you laughing at?" she asked, rather defensively I thought.

I closed the gap between us and gingerly took the cross from her hand. "Nice workmanship, but if you were going to bring me a gift, I'd have preferred something in leather." I fondled the cross a moment longer and then handed it back to her. I showed her my hands and gave her my best Look Ma - no burns! expression. She whipped out a small bottle of clear liquid. Can it be? The dread Holy Water?!?! GASP!

I shook my head. "Sorry, that's another myth as well. Do you really think that your God would prove His existance quite so blatently as striking down the undead with religious artifacts?"

"Her existance," she corrected. Now at a loss for how to protect herself, she whipped out two impressive handguns. Now I'm not much for the gun, so I can't say what kind they were. Let's just say they'd leave a sizable hole, even with vamp regenerative properties. I supposed I could have bluffed about that.

"Now you're getting closer," I confessed. "They still won't kill me, but they'd sure as hell hurt." I sniffed the air. "But the garlic you've got is probably your best protection." I stepped closer. The barrels of both guns poked in my ribs as I leaned in and lifted the garlic clove necklace she had around her neck. "Next time though, you may want to actually eat the garlic."

Confusion washed over her brilliant blue eyes. I took a step back, and she lowered the guns slightly. That's when I caught sight of the wooden stake in her jacket pocket.

"You really are indulging in stereotypes here," I said. "Let me give you the basics. One - holy relics don't do a thing. Sorry, there's no proof that we are the walking Damned. Two - garlic does work as a deterrent, but you have to eat it. And it's not a deadly thing, but biting into someone who's just had a loaf of garlic bread, well, the taste is just nasty. Garlic goes right to the bloodstream. Most vamps would avoid you for that. Kind of like downing a gallon of sour milk."

Jackie bit into one of her cloves of garlic and swallowed a chunk, just for good measure. I love it when I garner someones trust. *cough*

"And three - wooden stakes - you'd never be fast enough to drive it into my heart and if you did, my regenerative properties would take over before I died. Then I'd be really pissed."

"So what does kill you?" she asked.

I smiled. "A girl's gotta keep some mystery about her. Anyway, are you going to put away those guns and tell me why you're here?"

She held the guns steady. Wary little rabbit, isn't she? "I need your help," she said finally.

"Help for what?"

"The people you...you.."

"Slaughtered..." I offered.

"Yeah, slaughtered. They are blaming us for it, me and T.B."

Okay, she didn't really say T.B. But The Bitch still doesn't warrant a name. So there.

"So what do you want from me then? Are you asking me to finish off the rest of them? Cuz I'm not that hungry tonight. Had a good snack before work."

"No." She paled.

"Then what?"

"I need your help to protect her." "Forget it." I turned and walked down the street.

She followed me. "Wait," she said, grabbing my arm. A part of me registered that she'd put away at least one gun. But most of me registered the warmth from her touch. I stopped.

"Please," she said. "They'll come after her in force now. I can't fight them all off."

"Why are you protecting her? She treats you like dogshit." I'm so not doing this. I'm NOT being dragged into this crap.

"I love her." Tears glistened in blue eyes,softening a face that had been hardened by fighting battles for some ungrateful brat. Crap.

"Who's after her and why?"

"Her father. She's... special to him."

"Daddy's little girl?" I asked.

"More like daddie's little experiment. He mated with a morel demon."

Now that took me by surprise. Human/demon links aren't uncommon, but morel's, well they tend to keep to themselves. Like in another dimension themselves. How'd he manage that?

"And she's the result?"

Jackie nodded. I brushed a hand through my unruly dark hair. This could get complicated. I looked back at Jackie again, remembering the feel of her hand on my arm.

This could get very complicated.

She didn't argue. She pulled a now silent T.B. up off the ground. The girl had slipped into shock. I didn't care. They hurried off as my fangs sank into my hard-won breakfast. I should have enjoyed it more than I did.
 

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