charmed_tink

My Blood Ties Fanfiction 'Love Survives Death'

Tue, 20 Jan 2009 22:47:32 GMT

I just posted this on the Fanfic page, but thought I would post it on my own journal too...I'm not sure if people can read both when I post there...but then I obviously really do not get LJ...

I have just been rudely reminded of why I haven't posted any new chapters on LJ for some time....this site bloody hates me!! I swear!! I don't know if it's my computer that's not compatible (though the laptop was just the same (before I broke it!) or if it's my isp or simply me...but in all honesty it takes me about an hour to post a simple chapter that is legible to read without the damn site messing it all up, moving bits around, creating errors, taking a minute to type each damn word and everything...and all I end up is getting pissed off!!

And since it takes me SO damn long to post...and I'm not even sure if people are reading each chapter or enjoying it etc, it seems pointless me sitting here getting more and more wound up about it when I dunno if anyone appreciates the effort.

I know people are busy - it's a crazy ass world out there...and I know they may not have the time to reply all the time, I'm guilty of that too. I write the story for me, but...I only take the time to post my stories online for others to read for some feedback and a boost to my incredibly lacking (if there at all!) self esteem. I'm busy too and don't have the time to sit here fighting with a website for an hour to post something that apparantly goes by unnoticed.

So, I'm sorry but I won't be posting any further chapters here...unles LJ gets a kick up the backside and actually works properly for me! Incidently, does anyone else have that problem with this place? Am I doing something wrong? Is there not a way I can upload a file from my computer rather than copying and pasting?

If people have been reading it and enjoying it and wish to continue, I also have the story posted over at FanFiction.net which works a damn sight easier for me - only takes me 5 minutes to post a new chapter there!! So, if you wish to read more - go here: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4670952/1/Love_Survives_Death

Thank you!
xC

Love Survives Death - Chapter 5 'Urgency'

Mon, 19 Jan 2009 23:00:53 GMT

Am SO sorry I haven't posted a new chapter here for awhile - I've been lazy and not in the best of moods, it's been a depressing time around here....but I'm getting through it as best I can...and I shall post a couple more chapters now!! Sorry again!

Chapter Five
“Urgency”

“Have you heard from Rajani yet?” I asked Vicki the moment I entered her office the following afternoon.

“What?” Vicki looked up from the case notes she’d been writing. Giving a slight puzzled shake of her head, she regarded me leaning over the desk.

“Rajani. Has she got back to you with my blood test results yet?” I repeated.

“No, not yet. I guess she got busy,” Vicki shrugged.

“Well, can’t you call her? Hurry this along?” I placed my hands on the desk.

“I guess so,” she eyed me wearily.

I sat down then and ran my hands over my face. “Isn’t there anything else we can do to find out what ever is doing this to me?” I asked. “Have you found out anything yet Coreen?” I called through.

“No, nothing definite,” she called back on her way through. “I did speak to Aviva though, she says we can do the cleansing ritual whenever you’re ready.”

“Great, then let’s go over there now,” I jumped up from my chair.

“Well, she’d need a bit of notice to get her tools together. But…I guess we could go over tonight.” Coreen exchanged a glance with Vicki.

“What’s with all the urgency?” Vicki asked.

“Oh, you don’t think I might perhaps be a little eager to find out what’s killing me and get rid of it? Then I can just go home and forget this whole mess!” I sighed as I sat back down and buried my face in my hands again. I was feeling too warm.

“This, this wouldn’t have anything to do with…Henry, would it?” Vicki tried to be sensitive as she asked the question.

“No! He has nothing to do with me!”

“Yes, I know but….him turning up last night and…”

“I just want to get home. I don’t need him sniffing around here!” I snapped and wiped my brow. “Isn’t anybody else hot in here?” I asked.

“No,” Coreen shrugged. “Look, I’ll go call Aviva. See if she can do it tonight.” She touched my shoulder gently and left the office.

“Cat,” Vicki circled her desk and came to perch in front of me. “We’re doing what we can you know. We’re just as worried as you, I don‘t want anything to happen to you. And…are you listening to me?”

“Huh?” I looked up, suddenly feeling confused.

“My god, you’re sweating buckets,” she felt my forehead. “Cat, you’re burning up. Why didn’t you tell me?” she whisked back to her desk and picked up the phone.

“Wait, who are you calling?” I mumbled.

“The doctor. Cat, you’re sick!” She eyed me warily whilst dialling the number.

“I’m fine. I just…I just need to…lie down.” I insisted and got up, intending to lay on her couch. Only, as I did, I passed out before I got there.

*****

I woke up some time later laying in some room on what appeared to be a hospital gurney.

“Hey, how you feeling?” Vicki asked, stroking my forehead.

I looked up at her strangely. When had she become so compassionate?

“You scared us,” she continued.

“Where am I?” I grimaced and turned my head, the bright lights hurting my eyes.

“You passed out on us. So we brought you to the hospital,” she continued with her calm voice and that scared me more than anything else. It wasn’t normal for Vicki.

“What’s wrong with me this time?” I sighed.

“They’re not sure yet. Think it’s a virus or another infection. We’re waiting for the doctor to come back.”

“Oh hey, you’re awake!” Coreen’s chipper face returned to my curtained off cubicle in the ER. “How you feeling?”

“Stupid,” I groaned. How had I missed my own symptoms of not feeling well? Henry, I groaned at the mention of the name in my mind - bloody typical that he could distract me even from happenings within my own body.

Coreen grinned at me as she slurped her drink through the straw.

“Miss Ellis, nice to have you back with us.” A handsome young doctor entered my cubicle, reading my notes as he did.

“What’s the verdict then?” Vicki asked anxiously.

“Well, from the tests we did, would seem you have an upper tract urinary infection. We caught it quite early though, so it should be easy to treat,” he continued with his wide, happy smile.

“Do I have to stay here?“ I frowned at the mere thought. I hated hospitals these days.

“No, you’ll be pleased to hear. We’re going to give you a shot of antibiotics now, and then a seven day course. I have a prescription all filled out for you here.” He handed me the medication. “So, just complete the course of drugs, relax, drink plenty of fluids and get plenty of rest. And we‘ll want to see you back here in a couple of days, just to check it‘s improving,” he patted my hand, flashed me his smile and went to find the nurse to give me the shot.

“There you go love. All done,” the nurse wiped my arm with a sterile wipe where she’d just injected me. “You’ll be feeling better in no time,” she added cheerfully, collecting her implements together and closing the curtain after herself.

“Yeah, for how long this time?” I muttered under my breath as Coreen and Vicki returned.

“Right then, we’ll get you back to Coreen’s and you heard what the doctor said - you need to rest! No more gallivanting around clubs.”

I groaned, I thought I had escaped that lecture from Vicki. I wonder if I could pass out again before she started?

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

“Hello Henry.” Vicki never even looked up, the tell tale sign of the breeze preceding his arrival giving him away.

“Good evening Victoria,” he smirked and folded himself into a chair opposite her desk.

“To what do I owe the pleasure?” she sighed and placed her pen down.

“You alone?” he asked, raising one royal eyebrow.

“Yes, such is the joy of my life. This is how I spend a Friday evening. Transcribing the phone tap we put in place a couple of nights ago,” she patted the machine next to her with her finger.

“And you’re only just getting to that now?” he asked, surprised as he got up and circled her desk to read over her shoulder.

“Well, I’ve been a little busy…with a new case,” she shrugged.

“ A new case?” his eyes lit up. “Anything I can help with?” he wondered. He’d already finished his inking and now he was bored, couldn’t settle to anything and if he was perfectly honest, he just needed a damn good distraction.

“No, not this one. Sorry,” she mumbled and picked up her pen again, hoping vainly to defer him.

“Vicki?” he warned.

“What?” she held her hand out, palm up. “I just don’t need your help on it, alright? I can sometimes manage on my own,” she added under her breath.

“Fine,” he sighed and slowly returned to his seat, toying with the pot of pens on her desk as he slid past. Sitting down again, he rested his elbow on the arm and nestled his head in his hand. “So, where is everyone?”

“Everyone who? Coreen went home hours ago. Who else would be here?” She asked, distracted as she underlined her heading on the sheet of paper.

He frowned. “Then…she…where…”

“Henry, Cat’s not staying here.” She put him out of his misery.

“She’s not?” His head snapped up at that piece of information.

“No. She wanted to avoid you, if possible.” Vicki added indifferently

“She wanted…to avoid me?” His voice became a dismal timbre as he wallowed in that thought.

Vicki sighed and grimaced at her own choice of words. “Well, she knew it would be too hard, for both of you. Seeing one another again. And wanted to avoid all that, not that she managed it. But, then she knew it would be pretty near impossible, you’d sense she was here eventually, she knew that.”

“She hasn’t totally forgotten then.” He spoke more to himself than to Vicki.

She eyed him strangely.

“So…where is she?” He grinned effusively, hoping to catch her off guard.

Vicki laughed. “You’re not getting it out of me that easily,” she waved her pen at him.

Henry scowled. “Be thankful my powers don’t work on you!” he scorned.

“Oh, I do my dear vampire. Every day,” she provoked him.

Henry huffed under his breath and looked around the room briefly, trying to calm his temper. And then noting a stray loose thread on his shirt sleeve, he began to pick at it. “She is…really alright, isn’t she? She‘s not…sick?”

“Why on earth would you ask that?” Vicki started and looked up at him sharply, worried that he knew something he shouldn’t, that maybe he’d sensed it.

He folded his arms and looked at her dead on, knowing she was definitely hiding something now. “She just…she’s lost so much weight and she seems pale…and…”

“Depression does that to someone. Oh shoot!” Vicki hissed to herself, realising he wasn’t supposed to know that either.

“Depression? She’s been…depressed? Over…me?” His voice took on that morose tone once more as he looked down at the thread he was pulling.

Vicki sighed and slammed her pen down again. “Yes Henry. What did you expect her to do? Throw a party? Celebrate the fact that the person…man…” she frowned, trying to come up with the right term for him. “That who she loved more than anything sent her away? Broke her heart? Didn’t seem to want her anymore? She was terribly hurt, she felt rejected…it’s hardly surprising she’s sick.”

“She is sick then?” he yelped and leapt out of his chair.

Vicki slapped herself on the forehead as he gazed out of the window and then rested her head on her hand as she leant on the desk. “I…er…I just mean with the depression. But, she’s handling it now. It’s under control.”

“She…she wouldn’t you know, do anything…stupid? Or reckless?” he asked, concerned as he paced the office.

“No. She wouldn’t.” Vicki replied sure of the fact.

“Good,” he nodded. “Because…I’d never forgive myself. I’m not worth it,” he muttered to himself. “But…tell me something, why is she here? Now? If it’s too painful for her to be here, then why come? Why try to avoid me in the very place I live…exist and hunt?” He sat back down on the edge of the seat and stared Vicki out for an answer.

She shook her head sadly. “Henry…I can‘t tell you that, it‘s her business. If she wants you to know, she‘ll tell you. Now, unless there was something else?” She picked up her pen and the headphones once more, indicating she wanted to get back to her task at hand.

Henry uncurled himself from the chair and stood gracefully. “I will find her,” he told her matter-of-factly.

“I don’t doubt that Henry.” she replied to his retreating form, as the breeze rustled the papers on her desk and he seemingly vanished.

******

Brushing his dark curls back from his face, I held his head between my hands and gazed up at him leaning over me, smiling at him. “I love you,” I told him earnestly.

He swooped in and claimed my lips in an urgent kiss. “I love you too,” he gasped, his reply muffled through the kiss.

I returned the kiss with relish, tugging at his bottom lip as he groaned, before melding our lips together once more and tongues put in an appearance. Hands began to urgently search out bodies as mine slid down the bare skin of his powerful back and teasingly slid my fingertips under the waistband of his black pants he still wore, caressing his pert backside.

His lips left mine, trailing a path down my jaw and on down my neck. “I love you so, so much…” he whispered, licking along my skin, making me squirm beneath him, thrilled at his words as much as his touch. “You’re so beautiful, you smell divine…you always make me so…hungry…” he growled lightly in the back of his throat as his nose traced up and down my throat.

“Oh Henry…” I sighed, holding him tighter in my arms and arching my neck for him, knowing what was to follow. “Then drink my love,” I placed my hand on the back of his head, drawing him in…his sharp fangs scratched my tender skin. And then…

I sat bolt upright in bed, my breath coming in heavy gasps. Damnit! I hadn’t dreamt about him in a few weeks. Trust him to re-enter my world and start them off again. The dreams were always so…frustrating.

I turned my head sharply as something in the corner of the room caught my eye. A dark shadow, moving.

“Coreen?” I asked quietly, wondering if maybe she was a sleep walker. “Coreen?” I repeated a little louder.

No answer, and then when I looked again, there was nothing there - just the large lamp shaped like a pyramid that Coreen had in the corner of her room. I rolled my eyes at myself - seeing things in the dark now!

And then, sighing heavily I threw myself back down on the pillows and tried to return to slumber. It came quicker than I thought - a deep, dreamless sleep.

*****

Late the following morning, Coreen and I sat at her small breakfast bar in the kitchen, each munching on a bowl of cereal whilst watching TV. It was Sunday, and Vicki had actually given her the day off, since there were no major cases on the go. My cousin however would most likely be in the office, working on something - she found it very hard to relax and do nothing.

“Hey, Coreen….do you sleep walk?” I wondered, thinking back to last night.

She laughed, almost causing her to choke on her spoonful of Corn Pops. “What?” she asked, wiping the milk from her chin.

“I just…wondered if you ever walked in your sleep,” I shrugged nonchalantly.

“Not that I’m aware of!” She still found the question funny. “Why?”

“Well…I just, I could’ve sworn I saw something in the bedroom last night. I woke from a dr…I woke suddenly and I thought I saw a shadow. Only, when I looked again, it was just your weird lamp in there.” I explained, feeling foolish about it now.

“Oh, that…yeah that’s scared the crap out of me before now. It does look creepy in the shadows. But…Ian bought it for me when I moved in here, and I don’t have the heart to get rid of it,” she sighed.

Ian was her last long term boyfriend, who was killed by a demon - throwing Coreen, Vicki and Henry together in the hunt for the culprit. Since then, poor Coreen hadn’t had much luck with the male species.

“Oh…well, at least I’m not going mad then,” I sighed and ate another spoonful of cereal.

*******

“Hey, was just about to call you,” Vicki hung up the phone as I wandered into her office and plonked myself on the couch with a tired sigh. “What’s wrong?” she assumed.

“Nothing,” I shrugged.

“You feeling okay?”

“Yeah, doctor says my infection is clearing up fine. I’m just fed up.” I huffed and thumped the pillow next to me for added benefit.

The dreams were coming to me all the time now. Every night like clockwork they would start again, me with Henry…being with him the way I secretly still desired to be…and knew now that I never could be with him that way again. Then there was the fact that since I’d spoken to him at his apartment with his bimbo ‘lunch’, I hadn’t seen him at all and it aggravated me that I was even minutely distressed by that fact. And to top it all, I was still ‘seeing’ moving shadows in Coreen’s bedroom! Great, why doesn’t someone just lock me up in a padded room and throw away the key now?

“Well, I have some news…don’t know how good it is mind you,” Vicki launched, hoping to distract me from my sombre mood. “I called Rajani, she apologises for not getting back to us sooner, but she’s had a busy caseload. Anyway, she has found an abnormal trace in your blood, but she can’t identify it yet…it’s not something she’s seen before.”

“So, I have abnormal blood?” I asked. “Oh wonderful,” I threw my arms in the air. “Something else about me that’s abnormal.” I grumbled.

Vicki rolled her eyes, annoyed with my amateur dramatics. “She’ll let us know as soon as she finds out anything more, but she’s not promising that she can identify it at all. And,” she held her hand up before I could start again, “Betty called and would like us to go visit her, think she has found something too.”

“Great, then let’s go. Might find out something else about me is abnormal!” I clapped my hands together sarcastically. Vicki slapped me on the back of the head as she stepped past me. “Oww!” I yelped.

“Coreen, hold down the fort for awhile. We’ll be back soon. Cat can drive,” she informed her on our way out, as I rubbed the back of my head where she’d slapped me and pulled faces behind Vicki’s back - much to Coreen’s amusement.

“Be careful with Milly!” she warned me as she tossed me the car keys before the door closed behind me.

***********

“Catalina, dear…how nice to see you again,” Dr Sagara greeted me rather enthusiastically as we entered her office.

“Erm…hi,” I replied hesitantly, a little bemused by her welcome. After all, I only knew the woman vaguely…and through Henry - he was her friend, not mine. “Lovely to see you too.” I returned the hug awkwardly.

“Vicki,” she smiled pleasantly and shook her hand. I found that even more odd - surely she knew Vicki much better than me - after all she often helped them out with cases. “Please, sit down,” she indicated the chairs opposite her desk and I had a sudden flashback of being sat here once before, only with Henry.

“So…” I began, removing my jacket and sitting in the closest chair. “How have you been? Is Cassandra alright?” I enquired after the friend of hers who had been helping me control my visions.

“I’m fine my dear. And Cassandra is quite well too, nothing but a bit of old age to bother us,” she chuckled quietly. “Which reminds me, did you manage to control your visions? I know things ended…well terribly, but, did you learn anything before?”

“I erm…I don’t know,” I admitted ashamedly and squirmed in my seat uncomfortably.

“Yeah…what about your visions?” Vicki suddenly wondered. “Have you had any recently? I mean…have you seen how this could…turn out?” I knew she’d been about to say how this could end, but I let it go, for now.

I shook my head and then blushed as I gazed down at my own fingers, picking at a piece of jagged nail. I hadn’t dared tell anyone - I didn‘t know what it meant, if anything.

“What is it dear?” Betty asked kindly.

I took a deep breath. “Well….it’s just, since the whole thing with…Sinead,” I grimaced at the mention of her name. “Since that happened. I haven’t had any. Nothing. At first I thought it was just because I was so…upset with…well, things. But…lately I’ve wondered if she had anything to do with it. If she had managed to drain my powers or whatever you want to call them,” I shot Vicki a look as she scowled at me. She hated me calling ‘my gift’ my powers - likening myself to a common witch from the Harry Potter novels or something.

“It is certainly a possibility,” she nodded her head and then looked behind her for a book on the shelf. “Though, I think a witch has to remain alive for that to happen, for her to steal and hang on to your powers. And…Henry killed her, didn’t he?”

I shrugged.

“He never actually said,” Vicki cut in. “And we never asked. He said she’s been dealt with and we assumed that’s what he’d done. But… I don’t know.”

“I can’t see Henry allowing her to live. Not after she almost destroyed the most important thing to him.” She smiled at me and I felt myself blush. And then I reminded myself that even if that were true, that I was the most important thing to him, it was no longer the case - that was all in the past.

“But, if he did kill her. A person’s magic is supposed to die with them, right? So why is this spell still hanging over me?” I wondered.

“Because she set the curse in motion. A ritual works different to a spell, once it’s set in motion only a counter curse can reverse it. And because she did you physical harm, when she stabbed you. Not merely spiritual harm. Anyway, I shall ask Henry about her the next time I see him, he pops in now and then. And we’ll worry about your powers then.”

“You won’t…tell him, will you?” I asked edgily. “I mean, you can’t tell him that I’m sick or why.”

“No, I won’t tell him,” she shook her head. “But why don’t you want him to know? He might be able to help.”

“I just…” I paused and gave a sigh as the tears prickled at the backs of my eyes. “I don’t want him to blame himself. I can’t do that to him…”

“Huh! After all he did to you!” Vicki muttered scornfully.

I ignored Vicki’s interruption and continued. “You know what he’s like…if he finds out he will think he’s to blame and he’ll regret ever meeting me, ever…loving me.” I murmured the word. “He’ll just be tormented by it all. And, I couldn’t stand it if he did anything…stupid.” I whispered, wiping away the one fat tear that rolled down my cheek.

“I understand perfectly my dear,” she smiled compassionately at me.

Suddenly I understood why she was so kind to me. Why she treated me almost like a favourite grand daughter. We shared a bond Betty and I - we had both fallen in love with a vampire - the very same vampire. Though whilst she’d managed to move on, I was still very much in love with him, and she knew that.

“He was most distraught when you were hurt. He blamed himself then as well. Did the only thing he could think of to rectify the situation. And I know that only hurt you further.”

I nodded quietly and wiped at my eyes, as Vicki sat off to the side, feeling uncomfortable with the direction of the conversation.

“So, you said you might have something?” she interrupted, hoping to shift the topic back.

“Yes,” Betty smiled, offered me a tissue from the box on her desk and then opened the book she had reached for before. “I’m not sure what the ritual was that the dark witch performed. But, I think I know which spell she used.” She ran her finger through the text and then tapped the page in the book when she found it.

“Well, that sounds hopeful.” Vicki perked up a bit and leaned into the table, trying to read the old book upside down.

“Unfortunately, I can’t find any counter curse or anything to reverse it,” she watched my face fall. “I won’t give up though. I will keep looking,” she promised as she closed the book with a slam and Vicki jerked back. “I’m so sorry I couldn’t give you more positive news.”

“But, knowing the spell used will help right?” I sniffed, wiping my nose on the sodden tissue.

“I believe so, it‘s a step in the right direction anyway. In the mean time, take whatever protection you can get. Any healing rituals you know of, crystals... anything to protect yourself. I believe that will help at least slow down the process.”

“You really think Sinead cursed her then? That’s why she’s so sick?” Vicki looked alarmed. She had been hoping that perhaps I just had some curable disease they hadn’t found yet. That this had nothing to do with the supernatural and I would be fine.

“Oh, she was most definitely cursed,” Betty nodded, positively. “We just need to find out how and what else was used in the ritual performed.”

Vicki heaved a huge sigh and then stood up. “Well, thank you for all your help Dr Sagara. Keep in touch?” She shook Betty’s hand as the elderly lady stood as well.

“I will, as soon as I find anything more. And you take care my dear,” she hugged me again. “And…think about giving Henry another chance. At least talk to him. He does care for you,” she whispered quietly so as only I could hear.

I smiled sweetly, knowing there was more chance of snow in hell than me giving that blood sucker another chance to break my heart again!

“Bye Betty. You take care too.” I replied, ignoring the second segment of her parting words. I’d keep further thoughts about him to myself - irritated as I was with the damn immortal being that he’d gone to her with his sob story - pathetic!

Love Survives Death - Chapter 4 'Henry'

Tue, 23 Dec 2008 01:17:44 GMT

This next chapter is written from Henry's point of view (as if you couldn't guess!) It was just something I was playing with to try to get his thoughts and feelings across and discovered I loved being inside his head - so there's more chapter written this way!
Hope you enjoy!

Chapter 4
Henry

I would have known that scent anywhere. It had almost haunted me for weeks - permeating my bed, my sheets, my apartment as it had done. Part of me wanted to hold on to it, and the other part of me wished it to be gone - it had only served to torture me further.

I inhaled again, yes it was definitely her. Catalina was in this club. But, how? What was she doing in this city? In this country? Ah, yes. Hadn’t she told me in her last email that she was going away for a few days? But, why would she come here? I couldn’t stand it any longer, I had to take a peak, I had to see her face again. And then I had to stifle a chuckle, the minute she noticed me raise my head, she darted into the shadows. Had she really forgotten that much to think I couldn’t see her there? She looked slightly panicked though, her heart beating too quickly as she ran off.

I sighed and returned to the female I had encountered for my meal tonight. But, suddenly I had lost interest, lost my appetite as it were. Terrific, now I’d be forced to hunt for someone unsavoury in the park on my way home. The woman glanced at me pleadingly and I inwardly rolled my eyes - this got tiresome after a few centuries.

Turning on my full vampire charms I whispered close to her ear. “Go home. You had too much to drink. Forget you ever met me.”

The girl blinked a couple of times and then wandered away. I began my pursuit of Cat.

Concentrating on Cat’s scent alone, it was easy to find her. She was talking rapidly to Coreen - so she was here with her. Did Vicki also know her cousin was back in the country? How come I had been left out of things? How had I missed the signs? Maybe I was losing my touch? I smirked to myself.

Coreen and Cat went separate ways then and I dared edge closer. But Coreen was soon back and then they began to leave the club together. I was torn - approaching her now would be selfish, purely for my own pleasure. The kinder thing to do was let her go and pretend I hadn’t noticed her. But then, to let her go for her benefit - once again, would be …agonizing.

She paused as she closed the door behind her and for one minuscule moment our eyes met across the darkened room. She had seen me and she knew I had seen her. She looked almost the same as when I last saw her - that innocent beauty she wasn’t even aware of, underestimating herself all the time as she did. Her long red curls had always aroused me. And yet, she appeared thinner, paler, tired almost and that troubled me somewhat.

But, as our eyes held for those sacred seconds, I knew for a fact that eternity would be too arduous to live with this one regret and I prayed it was one decision I would get chance to rectify.

*****

I was late home that night - only just making it to my bedroom and drawing the blinds as dawn emerged upon the earth. After taking my frustrations of allowing Cat to slip by me again out on some vile soul I found in the park, I had almost given in to the monsters urge, almost drained the man of all his blood. But something stopped me, something allowed the despicable excuse for a human a chance to live and I left him in the park.

The moment I woke the following night I knew that I had to see her - I had to speak to her. I tried to distract myself from her and work on my latest novel - I still had 12 pages that needed inking, but after a couple of hours, unconsciously I found myself sketching her image over and over.

I growled irritably and gave up. If Coreen knew she was here, then I’d bet Vicki did too. And I had a pretty good idea of where to find her.

****

The moment I entered Vicki’s building, I knew my hunch had been right - Vicki wasn’t the only one who got those! The further I climbed up the stairs, the louder Cat’s heartbeat became and her scent overwhelmed me - she was here alright. I hesitated outside the door for half a second, listening to her speaking - her affable voice yet another feature I had missed.

To say she was surprised when I entered the office was an understatement - she froze and her heart sped up. I realised in an instant that she had convinced herself I hadn’t noticed her at the club - silly Catalina. She should know better than that. The mere sight of her cheered me and I felt playful and giddy all at once, if a vampire can feel giddy? She was certainly enough to make me feel heady in any case. Which was when I decided to tease her a little.

“Hello Catalina. Thought I might find you here,” I smiled at her as she simply stared at me, her heart rate increasing rapidly.

“Henry!” Coreen then gasped and I turned my attention to the goth who still fantasised about me.

“What?” Vicki‘s voice added to the mix, coming through from her other office to join the conversation. “Henry?” she frowned at me. “When did you get back?” she then demanded.

“Last night.” I continued to smile. “Then I went out to get a little… dinner and thought I saw someone I knew, an old…friend.” I flashed my gaze back to Cat, but my heart dropped a little when I saw her scowl at me.

“Last night?” Vicki questioned.

“Yes, at the club, the Underground,” I elaborated.

“The Underground?” Vicki appeared confused, looking back and forth between Cat and Coreen. Obviously the girls had kept her out of some of their endeavours.

“Hey, by the way,” Coreen interrupted, changing the topic abruptly. “How does a vampire do a book tour? I mean, where do you sleep and what about the territorial stuff and…”

I watched her curiously, why on earth was she asking me such ludicrous questions right now? And then my attention snapped back to Cat - her heart was pounding far too quickly and if she wasn’t careful she was going to pass out soon. I would have stepped forward myself, but I wasn’t sure how she would react and in her state I hated to alarm her further. So, I let Coreen deal with her and see her safely to the couch.

Noting her calm down, I smiled to myself again, relieved. “I have to say Cat, I’m a little hurt you didn’t tell me you were visiting. Your last email was somewhat…vague.” I couldn’t help teasing her a little more, if only for the reaction.

“What business is it of yours?” she snapped

Ouch! Now that hurt! But…she was right, I suppose. She wasn’t here simply to see me then, how very arrogant of me to assume or hope that was the case.

“Emails? Club? What is going on?” Vicki asked with a weary sigh.

So, it wasn’t just going to the club that they’d kept from Vicki, she didn’t know Cat and I were in touch via emails either. Interesting.

“Nothing!” Both girls hissed at Vicki. Who in turn glared at them and I knew they’d be on the receiving end of one of her reprimands later.

“I will speak to you two later!” she warned them. “And Henry, did you come over for anything in particular?” she turned on me and I knew she was incensed now.

“Calling on a friend isn’t enough? I had to find out why this fun reunion was kept from me.”

“Like everything revolves around the great and powerful vampire!” Cat muttered with some scorn in her voice. Had I really hurt her that much? Did she still hate me?

“She’s here for my birthday,” Coreen announced suddenly.

“Your birthday?” I knew that was a lie. I remembered her last birthday clearly. “That would be the one that’s a few weeks before Christmas, correct? Isn’t May a little early to be celebrating?” I couldn’t hide the smirk.

And then Vicki got in on the act, lying about why Cat was here. As they argued about who’s birthday she was here to celebrate and when it was, I would have found the whole charade highly amusing. Had it not occurred to me that through their blatant, pitiful lies, there was obviously something they were keeping from me. Something I wasn’t supposed to know. And that got me wondering, intrigued into what the real reason was.

Still, as they continued with the ruse of being here to celebrate Vicki’s mother’s birthday, it was somewhat amusing to see them squirm and try to get their story straight. Silly humans…you can’t lie to a vampire, you’re heartbeat gives you away. I found myself trying to stifle a chuckle here and there, having no desire to upset Cat further.

Though, the attempt proved futile. It seems I had already upset her, or she was just upset with me anyway. But, something incensed her as she leapt off the couch to let me know what she thought of me.

“You know what Fitzroy!” She used my name as a derogative. “You lost the right to question me about anything. You sent me away. You pushed me out of your life. You have nothing to do with me anymore! I don’t owe you a damn thing and least of all an explanation of why I’m here. It’s none of your damn business!”

She’d poked me twice in the chest as she verbally laid into me. I was sure she’d meant to hurt me with the sharp jabs. But she needn’t have bothered - nothing could have hurt me more than her words. It pained me that I had obviously hurt her so much she was still angry with me. It broke my heart to realise she was still hurting and it was all my doing. I had been a coward in sending her away, she was right about that. Oh, I told myself it was for her benefit, that I simply wanted her to be safe, to be out of danger. But, some of it was because I couldn’t bear the thought of losing her, couldn’t stand to live eternally knowing I was the cause of her death. But, I finally realised that I had merely caused her more pain in pushing her away - I finally understood what she’d been trying to tell me.

As she raced out of Vicki’s office, obviously in tears, both Coreen and Vicki turned to stare at me in defiance. They couldn’t make me feel any more wretched than I already did.

“I…I’d better go after her,” Coreen gathered Cat’s things together and with a quick nod of agreement from Vicki, she chased after her.

“Oh Henry,” Vicki sighed, shaking her head at me. “What have you done now?”

“I’m sorry,” I offered her a feeble sheepish grin.

“I’m not the one you should be apologising to,” she raised her eyebrows at me before heading back to her desk.

“I know. But I doubt she’s going to speak to me now,” I followed her. “This might surprise you, but I have no intention of distressing her.”

“Got a funny way of showing it,” she muttered, slamming case folders back into her filing cabinet.

“So, why is she back here? I know the birthday thing is a complete farce, so don’t try that one again.” I folded my arms and leant against the door frame, watching Vicki carefully for any clues.

“Henry,” she sighed wearily. “If she wanted you to know, she’d tell you.”

“But…I just. Is she alright?”

“Apart from being heartbroken and hung up on some dead guy, yeah, she’s fine!” Vicki replied flippantly and added a slight shrug.

“Wasn’t that a bit below the belt?” I raised my eyebrows.

“Yeah, well…maybe you deserve it sometimes?” She suggested.

“Okay, fair enough,” I nodded curtly.

“Look, Mike is going to be here in a short while. Unless you want to get into another argument with him, I’d suggest you make yourself scarce.”

I rolled my eyes - she was still seeing Celluci then? I might no longer want Vicki for myself, but that man still resented me and I thought Vicki could do better. She obviously had other ideas.

“Don’t give me that look Henry. Mike’s good for me, alright? He keeps me somewhat sane in this crazy world.”

“Fine,” I held my hands up in defence. “I didn’t say a word. I shall leave you to your night. Call me, if you need me.”

“Will do Henry,” she replied, but I’d fled before she finished - her words floating after me on the breeze I left behind.

****

I made my way home slowly after leaving Vicki’s, feeding from some unsuspecting victim on the way - out of necessity rather than pleasure. After all, what was waiting for me at home apart from the pages I still needed to ink for my novel? Nothing!

Though, that was where I was wrong. Exiting the elevator on my floor I looked up to discover my young friend Maya slouched outside my front door. She was sat inelegantly on the floor, her back resting against the door and her legs stuck out ungainly in front of her.

“Maya?” I asked softly, touching the top of her head.

She looked up through bleary eyes. It was obvious she had been crying, as well as drinking.

“Henry!” she shrieked too loudly for my over sensitive ears and attempted to pull herself up using me as leverage as she clung to my coat. She almost tripped over her own feet before I helped her.

“Come on, let’s go inside,” I sighed, realising that yet again the poor girl needed me to rescue her.

Why I still felt responsible for her I don’t know, but I did. I blamed myself for her mother’s untimely death. Blamed myself for her poor choices in men and life, always afraid of what she assumed was a childhood nightmare, though I knew different. Her mother had been my lover when Maya was still a small child. She’d felt like my child, I had once thought that perhaps we could be a family. Until I unwisely disclosed myself to her mother and I was banished from their existence out of fear and ignorance. Even now I still looked out for Maya, as a father would. But in all honesty I could have done without her problems tonight.

I sat her down on the sofa before going to fetch her a glass of water from my kitchen, wishing that I perhaps had some strong coffee to offer her.

“Here, drink that.” I put the glass in her hand and sat opposite her, regarding her carefully as she drank. “Do you want to talk about it?” I asked.

She just hiccupped as she banged the glass down on my coffee table too heavily. “Sorry!” she giggled.

“Maya, what are we going to do with you?” I sighed, shaking my head softly as I raised my face to the ceiling. Perhaps Vicki was right, perhaps some people just can’t be fixed.

“Men are pigs!” She announced then. “Present company excluded,” she added with a wry smile. “Why are you always so kind to me Henry?” she whispered softly.

I stood then, being unable to tolerate the way she was looking at me - far too familiar for my liking. I made my way over to the easel by the large picture windows, studying the painting I had been working on a couple of nights ago.

“Henry,” she purred my name at me and I groaned. “You didn’t answer my question.” She followed me across the room. Only in her drunken state she tripped, barging into the table that held my paint tray and covering us both with the contents. “Oops!” she giggled as I glared at the chaos she’d caused.

My night was getting worse by the minute! Paint dripped from her short blond bob hairstyle, covering her blouse with further green paint as she attempted to wipe it from her cheek with the back of her hand, just causing a further mess.

“Maya, go into the bathroom and get cleaned up,” I told her, turning her around and giving her a gentle push in the right direction. “I’ll wipe this up.” I sighed.

I cleaned the paint from the floor and the splatters on the wall slowly, methodically. Using the human domestic chore to distract me longer, rather than cleaning with vampire speed. And then, when I was done I washed my hands in the kitchen before going to find some clean clothes. I dressed quickly, knowing Maya could exit the bathroom at any moment and I would rather not be thrust into a rather regrettable predicament right now.

Whilst grabbing a clean shirt from the closet, there was a knock at the door. I sighed deeply, pulling the shirt from the hanger and taking it with me to answer the door. What else could possibly go wrong tonight?

I pulled the door open without glancing up, proceeding to dress myself instead, slipping the shirt over my arms and fastening buttons. Until the scent overwhelmed me and took me by surprise.

Cat?” I gasped, finding her stood there gazing at me.

“Erm…H…hi.“ She stammered her reply, trying ineffectively to calm her pulsating heart.

I was still worried about her and annoyed with myself for having upset her earlier. “Are you…okay?” I tried to be gentle, to calm her.

She inhaled then and bit her lip, steadying herself against the wall outside my apartment. And then she closed her eyes, shook her head briefly before she began to speak. She stumbled over her words, telling me she couldn’t sleep. That she was sorry for how she spoke to me at Vicki’s, that she didn’t mean it. That she was just pissed off with me. And then damnit, Maya butted in, calling my name.

Cat stopped speaking, looking up at her in initial shock and then resentment as she took in Maya’s appearance. I allowed myself a moment of flattery that she was jealous of my being with another woman. Until I realised Cat was leaving, stammering her excuse and apologies for interrupting. She wasn’t interrupting a damn thing - even if she was, she was more important.

“Cat!” I called after her. “It’s not what you think,” I attempted to explain, wanting her to know.

“No...it’s, it’s fine. I’m sorry I interrupted. I’ll erm, just… go.” She indicated over her shoulder before running for the elevator.

“Stay right here!” I ordered Maya, before I ran after Cat. “Wait! At least let me explain.”

She was already at the elevator, stabbing the button repeatedly, muttering something about not wanting to hear.

“Will you please let me talk to you? It’s not how it looks.” I reached out to touch her, to hold her, to get her to stay. But the door of the elevator opened at that very moment and as I was moving with human speed so as not to frighten her off, she slipped out of my grasp, already pressing the lobby floor button urgently.

“It really doesn‘t matter Henry. Goodbye.” She sniffed and shook her head sadly.

I wanted to scream, to yell. To yank those damn elevator doors of their hinges and pull her back to me. But, I let her go and the doors closed.

For a moment I simply stood staring foolishly at the closed elevator doors, as if they would open again and Cat would reappear. I could chase after her, obviously I could reach the ground floor down the stairs before the elevator arrived - but for what purpose? To upset her more? To argue a little more? To torture myself? I had to admit defeat, return home and plan my next attempt - because at some point she was going to speak to me!

Maya was still stood in the doorway, wearing my robe and I suddenly realised just how bad it had looked to Cat - a half naked woman in my place and me dressing myself again. It was intriguing how badly I wanted her not to think what she did, how I wanted her to know the truth.

“Who was that?” Maya asked as I quietly closed the door behind me.

“Hmm? Oh, that was…Cat,” I replied solemnly and returned to the easel, conveying the mess she‘d made of my work.

“Cat? Oh yes, you mentioned her before. Weren’t you two together a few months ago?”

“Yes,” I replied. And we still should be my heart reminded me.

“Oh dear. Did I cause a problem being here?” she giggled girlishly. Obviously her quick shower had sobered her up some.

I sighed. “You’re always causing problems Maya,” I muttered under my breath - too quietly for her to hear. “I think, perhaps you should go now.” I suddenly felt the need to be alone.

“But, I can’t get the paint out of my blouse. Which is why I put this on.” She smiled at me as she ran her hands teasingly down the silky material.

I groaned, she wasn’t trying things on again with me, was she? Didn’t she understand the only feelings I had for her were purely paternal? But of course that wouldn’t make sense to her - after all I looked barely old enough to be her elder brother.

“Then please, help yourself to my clothes. I would rather be alone right now.”

I ignored the painting and escaped into the sanctuary of my library, closing the doors behind me, hoping that when I came out, she would be gone.

I collapsed into my favourite chair and closed my eyes, my hands pressed together resting upon my chest. I wish I knew what Cat had been about to tell me before Maya had interrupted. For the first time I wished that myth about vampires being able to read minds was true. I knew one thing for sure - it was imperative to me that Cat know the truth, that I regained her trust, that I could win her back. Because, quite simply - she was the best thing that had happened to me in centuries.

Betty had been … nice, I had loved her at the time and I cared for her still, but I knew underneath all her bravado, she sometimes feared what I was, what I could do, which encouraged her to find someone else and break my heart in the process. Everyone else had merely been momentary distractions from loneliness, a bit of fun in a long, long life.

Vicki was a wonderful friend and I trusted her implicitly - which was why I chose to reveal my true nature to her. I’d been attracted to her at first - as any normal man would be, but eventually realised it wasn‘t going to happen and I stopped pursuing her - we weren‘t meant to be. Perhaps her role in that area of my life was simply to bring Cat to me - fate as it were.

Cat was something entirely different - she accepted me, as was, absolutely. She never displayed any fear towards me, only concern for me. All she really wanted was to love me and for me to love her. She was everything I never imagined a monster like me deserved. And I knew, that somehow, someway, I had to get her back. Because I was utterly in love with this remarkable mortal woman.

Love Survives Death - Chapter 3 'Reunion'

Sun, 14 Dec 2008 04:37:43 GMT

Thank you SO much to those people who let me know they're reading...I know it's an exceptionally busy time of year for most people and life gets crazy, so I appreciate the time to let let me know. I just get a tad paranoid....so it's nice to know more people are reading and enjoying....and I shall keep posting here as well now! And I shall try to reply to people when I get some time!!

Chapter Three
“Reunion”

The room almost throbbed with the heavy base of the music as I sat in the corner of the darkened club. For not the first time that night I found myself wondering how I had allowed Coreen to talk me into coming out with her. One of her favourite bands was playing at the goth club, ’Underground’, that she frequented and insisted I should come along and get out a bit.

Truth be told, I thought it sounded like fun. I was somewhat into the goth scene myself and she was right, I needed to get out, have some fun whilst I could! But, since we’d arrived Coreen had flitted excitedly from one friend, to someone she knew vaguely and everyone else in-between or so it seemed. Leaving me sat alone nursing my glass of iced water.

“You alright here?” Coreen bounded over and downed her drink in one gulp.

“Fine.” I smiled up at her, my fingers tapping out the beat on the table. I couldn’t tell her the truth and spoil her fun - she had been such a sweetheart to me the past few days.

“Need another drink?” She asked, wiping her brow on the back of her black fishnet gloved hand.

“No, I’m fine thanks.” I picked my glass up, indicating it was still full.

“Okay, I’ll be back in a few!” And she was gone again.

I sighed and leant back in my chair, this was going to be a long night. And that was when I saw him, or at least I thought I saw him.

Across the room, a head of shoulder length curly brown hair appeared in my vision. The flashing lights of the club picked out the highlights in his glossy curls. I had to look twice, but that memory of him stored so carefully away in my mind knew who it was - Henry Fitzroy. He was speaking to someone - a female someone and appeared to be leaning closer to them. I wrenched my eyes away from him, witnessing him feeding from someone was not how I wanted to see him again after all this time. But, as I unconsciously glanced back to the space he’d been stood, he was gone. And I began to doubt my own eyes. Neither Vicki nor Coreen had said anything about him being home yet and I tried to tell myself I was seeing things. Nothing but wishful thinking!

Some time later, whilst waiting in line for the ladies bathroom, I caught sight of him again. The mere fact that he looked like Henry, that he made me think of him prevented me from being able to take my eyes off of him. He was talking to the same female I had seen him with before, at the end of the dark hallway. They were close and appeared to be kissing - I felt somewhat of a pervert staring at them, but my eyes wouldn’t budge. And then his face pulled back as his lips trailed down her neck. I shuddered to myself, remembering the feel of Henry’s cool lips upon my skin.

And then quite suddenly his head whipped up and he glanced around frantically. I gasped audibly, my hand covering my mouth as I realised - it WAS Henry. As his hold on the girl loosened, his eyes searched around him, as though he had sensed me watching him. A sharp sense of thrill washed over me and then in the next breath I felt overcome with panic as I quickly darted away, surprisingly not wanting him to see me here.

Forgetting my need to use the bathroom I began a frenzied search for Coreen. I had to leave, and I had to leave now before he found me. I couldn’t bump into him here, I wasn’t prepared, I wasn’t ready, this wasn’t how I wanted it to be. A rapid sense of dread over seeing him again filled my being. The mere sight of him again had proved something to me - my heart surely wouldn‘t survive being rejected by him twice and I wasn‘t willing to find that out here. And yet, my heart was hammering within my chest for another reason altogether. He’d looked so extraordinarily beautiful, even in the dark setting - my memories of him hadn’t done him justice.

“Coreen!” I spluttered with relief as I found her and grabbed hold of her arm.

She turned to look at me. “Hey.” She smiled and then returned to her conversation with the club owner who was her friend.

“Coreen!” I repeated more hurriedly. “We have to go, now!”

“Are you not feeling well?” She wondered and looked me over with concern.

“No, I’m fine. I…excuse us.” I gave her friend a brief smile and dragged Coreen away a little. “Henry’s here!” I whispered harshly.

“What?” She asked, not being able to hear me over the music.

“Henry’s here!” I yelled at her then, whilst searching around for him - hoping he hadn’t seen me. Praying that, like myself intially, he thought he had imagined it.

“Henry? But, he’s still away sweetie.” She patted my arm, speaking to me softly.

“No he‘s not. I saw him. And…I need to go. I can’t see him, not yet.” I implored.

Finally noticing how anxious I was and the fact it looked as though I was about to burst into tears at any moment, Coreen gave in. “Okay, okay, calm down. Go wait by the door, I’ll get our things and say goodnight.”

“Please, hurry!” I told her urgently.

She was back a couple of minutes later and handed me my jacket as she fumbled with the clasp on her black cloak whilst waving to someone.

“Come on, let’s go!” I shoved her towards the door.

“Alright already! Sheez!” she complained, but allowed me to bundle her outside into the cool spring night air.

Glancing up as I grabbed the door handle to close it after me, I saw him again. Our eyes met across the darkened room for one immeasurable moment that for all I know could have been hours and yet it was merely a second. His eyes betrayed his surprise at seeing me here and yet there was something more. Regret? Wonder? Fury? I couldn’t be sure. Then he took a step towards me which broke me out of my trance and I slammed the door closed before racing towards the car - desperate to get away from here, to escape Henry Fitzroy with my heart as intact as it could be.

*****

“Coreen!” Vicki called through from her office. “Why don’t you and Cat head off now? There’s nothing else can be done tonight.” She suggested, stuffing the case notes back into a folder. “Mike’s picking me up in an hour for dinner anyway.” She added thoughtfully.

“Okay.” Coreen agreed eagerly - she didn’t need to be told twice to go early, or at least earlier than usual.

“We’re going?” I asked Coreen, jumping up from the couch where I’d been sat stamping envelopes for her.

“Yep, permission from the boss to leave early.” She giggled and shut down the laptop.

“Cool, do you want to go out to eat? My treat?“ I offered as I went to grab my jacket from the coat stand. I looked up, waiting for her answer when I heard footsteps nearing the door and then groaned when it began to open. Typical, about to leave and a new client walks in. But as the late visitor revealed themselves from behind the door, I froze - my arm paused half way in my sleeve as my bag fell to the floor with a muffled thud.

“Hello Catalina. Thought I might find you here.” Henry smiled at me.

I couldn’t speak, my heart was fluttering like a hummingbird beneath my ribs and I suddenly felt far too warm and a little faint.

“Henry!” Coreen gasped.

“What?” Vicki asked, coming through to see who had entered her domain. “Henry?” she frowned at him. “When did you get back?”

“Last night.” He continued to smile. “Then I went out to get a little… dinner and thought I saw someone I knew, an old…friend.” He raised his eyebrows in my direction.

I bit my bottom lip, realising how stupid I had been to kid myself he hadn’t known it was me - of course he would know - he knew my heartbeat, my scent - everything. And then, I felt a slight indignation that he would refer to me as simply ‘an old friend’ - I thought I’d meant much more to him than that.

“Last night?” Vicki questioned.

“Yes, at the club, the Underground.” He added.

“The Underground?” she looked from me to Coreen, knowing that was a regular stomping ground of her gothette assistant. We hadn’t exactly told her about going out last night, she was a little protective of me right now and wanting me to take things easy to keep me healthy. And we certainly hadn’t mentioned I thought I had seen Henry.

“Hey, by the way,” Coreen began, remembering there was something she wanted to ask him. “How does a vampire do a book tour? I mean, where do you sleep and what about the territorial stuff and…”

Both Henry and Vicki looked at her incredulously, amazed that she thought that was the most important question to be asking right now.

I stood to the side, a spectator to their inane exchange with my coat half on and half off and I wouldn‘t have been surprised if my mouth was hanging open too. I couldn’t tear my eyes away from him - this being that had haunted every moment of my life for the past few months was stood right before me, looking exactly the same and just as stunning as I remembered him, if not more so. And suddenly I struggled to catch my breath.

“Here, sit down.” Coreen noticed my predicament and helped me back to the couch, taking my coat from me and laying it on the arm.

“I have to say Cat, I’m a little hurt you didn’t tell me you were visiting. Your last email was somewhat…vague.” His eyes sparkled with mischief - he appeared to be enjoying himself, which infuriated me.

“What business is it of yours?” I snapped, before I could stop myself.

A hint of pain or was it anger flashed briefly in his eyes as he scowled at me.

“Emails? Club? What is going on?” Vicki asked with a weary sigh.

I winced, there were perhaps a few things I had kept from my cousin. Things I knew she wouldn’t approve of and knew I would only receive a lecture should I reveal too much.

“Nothing!” both Coreen and I hissed at her.

She glared at the pair of us, annoyed that she’d been kept out of something and I knew we’d be in for that lecture later, once she beat the truth out of us.

Henry looked amused as he merely nodded, realising Vicki didn’t know everything after all.

“I will speak to you two later!” she warned. “And Henry, did you come over for anything in particular?” You could tell from the tone of her voice that she was aggravated now, and an aggravated Vicki was not a nice Vicki.

“Calling on a friend isn’t enough? I had to find out why this fun reunion was kept from me.”

“Like everything revolves around the great and powerful vampire!” I scoffed and then cringed at myself. What was wrong with me? Why was I being so mean to him when all I really wanted to do was throw myself into his arms?

“She’s here for my birthday.” Coreen announced suddenly.

“Your birthday?” Henry didn’t look convinced. “That would be the one that’s a few weeks before Christmas, correct? Isn’t May a little early to be celebrating?” He smirked at us.

Vicki glared at Coreen as I nudged her with my elbow - that was such a lame lie. “What Coreen meant to say was,” she eyed her again, defying her to keep quiet. “Cat is visiting for my Mom’s birthday. It’s a special one, you know, the big six oh.”

Henry frowned. “So, her niece flew over, but not her sister?”

“Oh, no…my Mum’s erm…a bit fragile right now. So I’m here representing the family.” I lied.

“Right…so when is it her birthday?” He folded his arms as he challenged us. He was enjoying this all far too much.

“Next Tuesday.”

“This weekend.” Vicki and I contradicted each other at the same time.

Henry looked even more amused as the smirk grew on his face.

“My mistake, next Tuesday. I get mixed up, it’s my erm…dogs birthday this weekend.” I grimaced at my own lie.

“Hmmm…” His jaw twitched and his lips pressed together, as though he was fighting a chuckle.

The longer I sat there trying to justify myself, the more incensed I became. What exactly was it to do with him? How could he stand there questioning me and treating me like I was nothing but an old acquaintance? Just a few long months ago he had shared his bed with me, shared his deepest secrets, told me he loved me and now he acted as though I meant nothing to him and my temper boiled over quite suddenly.

“You know what Fitzroy!” I leapt off of the couch and jabbed my finger in his chest sharply. He never even flinched. “You lost the right to question me about anything. You sent me away. You pushed me out of your life. You have nothing to do with me anymore!!” I yelled at him, fighting back the tears straining against my eyes. “I don’t owe you a damn thing and least of all an explanation of why I’m here. It’s none of your damn business!” I jabbed him again for the sheer hell of it and then stormed out of the office, slamming the door behind me.

Racing down the stairs of Vicki’s building, the tears finally burst forth and I had to stop on the next landing before I tripped, since I could barely see through the steady flow of tears. How on earth had that happened? How did he get to me so easily? Of course I knew the answer really - because I loved him. Because he meant the world to me and he acted as though I meant nothing, like the time we’d been together had been merely a fantasy of mine. And that hurt. But what hurt the most was the look I’d caught in his eyes as I’d fled from the office. A flash of rage and then softened to remorse before settling on looking wounded. I could tell he’d expected my outburst as much as I had.

Maybe in his own conceited little way he’d expected me to throw myself at him. To beg him to take me back. That all he had to do was smile and I was his. The sad thing was, he was right. If he hadn’t infuriated me so much I’d probably have been on my knee’s right now.

“Well, you certainly told him!” Coreen caught up with me and handed me my jacket.

I nodded silently and wiped my eyes on a tissue I found in my pocket.

“That didn’t go so well, did it?” Talk about an understatement.

“No,” I sniffed.

“Come on. Let’s go get ice cream!” She decided, hooking her arm into mine and leading me off to the closest ice cream parlour. I had learnt over the past few days that ice cream was Coreen’s answer to pretty much everything - so I let her lead the way.

*****

Coreen tried to cheer me up, she really did. After helpings of ice cream, pizza and rented movies didn’t help, I excused myself, faking a headache and went to bed early. Coreen panicked and wanted to call Vicki, but I insisted I was fine, I just needed to sleep.

Not that I could sleep, the whole confrontation repeated itself in my head like a terrible scene from a cheesy soap opera. How could I have been so horrible to him? There was so much I wished I had told him and things I wished I hadn’t said. I knew my words had stung him and yet I couldn’t stop myself. The great romantic reunion I’d fantasised about had failed miserably and it wasn’t all his fault. Though, he could have acted more pleased to see me.

I tossed and turned in bed, feeling bad for how I had treated him one minute and then being annoyed with him for how he’d treated me the next. I felt as though I should go to him and apologise and then I was indignant that he should be the one to come and apologise to me. It went on for hours and hours, driving myself insane. And in the end I’d had enough.

I sat up in bed and listened, all was quiet - Coreen must have been asleep. Silently I crept out of bed and pulled my clothes back on before creeping out of the bedroom and past Coreen sleeping soundly on the sofa bed with the TV still playing to itself in the background.

Against my better judgement I was going to go over to Henry’s before sunrise and apologise to him, or at least explain myself. If only so I could get some damn sleep!

*****

I paced up and down outside Henry’s apartment door, muttering to myself, telling myself to get on with it, trying to acquire the courage from somewhere. After all, I’d made the effort of taking a cab down here, might as well get it over with now that I was here. And then I shook my head, if I didn’t do it soon he was going to sense me loitering out here anyway. Finally, taking a deep breath I prepared myself, smoothed my top down and made sure my hair was in some kind of order, before I closed my eyes and forced myself to knock before I changed my mind again.

The door opened only a moment later and there he stood, looking every inch the Greek God. I stared at him as the butterflies took flight inside my belly once again and that damn hummingbird began to beat it’s wings inside my chest. Oh, this is ridiculous, I berated myself as I watched him pulling the black shirt over his shoulders and beginning to fasten the buttons. I had given this man my blood, made love with him, shared everything with him - how was it possible that he could still reduce me to a puddle of mush simply by standing there?

“Catalina?” He spoke then, his voice velvety smooth. He watched me curiously, taking his eyes off the buttons he’d been fastening and wondering what I was doing here.

“Erm…H..hi…” I stammered and then wanted to kick myself! This was only Henry, I reminded my stupid heart - calm down!

“Are you…okay?” he asked gently and stepped closer towards me, peering at me intently with concern.

The familiar scent wafted over me then - the scent that was irrefutably Henry and it almost made me swoon . His aroma was one thing my mind hadn’t managed to commit to memory effectively. Damnit! I mentally cursed myself again and shook my head in an attempt to clear the spell he had me under.

“I…I couldn’t sleep.” I managed to splutter. “And, I just…I wanted to, well, apologise for what I said at Vicki’s and just let you know that, I didn’t really mean it. You just, you pissed me off and…and, well, what I really wanted to say was…”

“Henry?” A female voice from within his apartment called his name.

I stopped sharply and looked up as a young blond female rounded the corner, wearing Henry’s red silk robe - the very same robe I had worn a hundred times before.

“Oh…” I gasped, my eyes wide with disbelief. “I erm…I shouldn’t have come. I’m sorry, you’re busy. I’ll erm…I’ll leave you to dinner, I meant it…I’ll leave you to it.” All the time I was rambling, I’d begun stepping backwards towards the elevator at the end of the corridor.

“Catalina,“ he spoke my name so smoothly and I really wished he wouldn’t. “It’s not what you think,” he told me.

“No...it’s, it’s fine. I’m sorry I interrupted. I’ll erm, just… go.” I jabbed my thumb over my shoulder before I spun around and fled towards the elevator.

Henry turned and spoke to the female within his dwelling, before chasing after me. “Cat…wait. At least let me explain.”

“I don’t think I want to hear.” I muttered, repeatedly stabbing at the call button of the elevator as if that would make it appear any quicker.

“Will you please let me talk to you? It’s not how it looks.” He made a grab for my arm.

The door finally opened then and I quickly stepped inside before he could get hold of me, jabbing the ground floor button. “It really doesn’t matter Henry. Good bye.” and the doors closed on his rather distressed expression.

****

“What a complete idiot!” I cursed out loud at myself as I marched down the dark street away from Henry’s building. How totally naïve was I? And now I felt even worse - not only foolish, but downright disappointed and dejected with myself for being so pathetically blind. And that all too familiar upsurge of depression weighed heavily upon me once more.

I briefly considered throwing myself under the next night bus that passed me by. Or maybe I would get lucky and there would be a crazed axe murderer on the loose on the look out for exactly my type! How could I have been so exceptionally ludicrous?

The tears began to fall then and I let them, flowing silently down my face as another piece of my heart crumbled away to dust. I realised now that I had simply been deluding myself for the last few months. I had thought, no…I had hoped that maybe, possibly, he still cared for me, that he missed me, that he still loved me too…that he would want me back as much as I wanted him. And now, it was painfully obvious to me that whilst I had been holding on to him, he had moved on and I was merely another fragment of his long history.

Love Survives Death - Chapter 2 'Return'

Sun, 07 Dec 2008 05:10:08 GMT

Another chapter...can you let me know if I should bother continue posting this here....just this place hates me at times (ie it's a pain to post sometimes and I fight with it) or if other people are reading besides DeepDark. It seems a waste of a battle if no one is reading fanfics anymore - if you're the only one reading it hon, I had may as well just email it to you!!
Please let me know...and I hope you enjoy!!

Chapter Two
“Return”

“Cat!” I could hear the screech of Coreen’s call the moment I stepped through the automatic glass doors into the arrival lounge. Totally disregarding the barrier separating passengers and greeters, Coreen bounded towards me with a huge smile on her face. The next thing I knew arms were flung around my neck and I was crushed against her in a hug. “I missed you!” she giggled.

“Hey Coreen.” I patted her back as I tried to pull away a tad and looked up to find Vicki sedately waiting behind the barrier for me, but she smiled as our eyes met.

“So, how was your flight? Are you feeling okay? I’m sure you must be totally tired, right?” Coreen babbled away as she took my trolley with my baggage on it and pushed us towards Vicki.

“Hey,” she smiled before reaching in for an awkward hug - my cousin never changed.

“Missed you,” I replied, hugging her back. “Both of you,” I added upon the sight of Coreen’s pout. And I realised how much I meant it - these two were like my best friends these days, they knew all my secrets I couldn’t tell another living soul - there was nothing I had to hide from them.

“You got everything?” Vicki asked, commandeering the trolley off of Coreen.

“Yep.” I glanced over the bags and double checked.

“We’ll go to the car then,” she added and lead the way.

“Car?” I asked dubiously.

“My car.” Coreen bounced along beside me.

“The company car.” Vicki corrected her.

Coreen pulled a face.

“It just made sense for us to have a car to get round easier. Cabs were costing a fortune and I can’t always rely on Mike or Hen…”

“So I’m her chauffeur.” Coreen announced happily.

“Yeah, of a car that I pay for. Here we are,” she announced then as we arrived at some rather beaten up second hand car. “Not much, but it gets us around.”

“Hey, don’t say things like that in front of Milly, she’s sensitive.”

“Milly?” I asked Vicki in a stage whisper.

“Don’t ask,” she advised me. “Anyway, you look like you need a rest, so we’ll go get you settled at Coreen’s.” She smiled, loading my luggage into the boot.

Coreen chatted animatedly on the trip through the city to her place, telling me of latest cases and the new guy she was seeing. I rested my head on the headrest in the back, gazing out of the window as the view became slowly familiar from the few months I’d spent here last year, before I closed my eyes and shortly thereafter found ourselves pulling up outside a small apartment block.

*****

“So, what’s the plan of action?” I asked as we settled ourselves in Coreen’s tiny lounge, complete with the obligatory Chinese take out. Coreen’s place consisted of three rooms - a bedroom, which she insisted on giving up for me. A bathroom and an open plan kitchen/lounge area. It was small, but it was neat and clean and very Coreen in décor.

Vicki paused over a chopstick full of noodles. “We’ll let you re-acclimatise yourself for a day or two, and then, we’ll pay Rajani a visit. If you don’t mind, she offered to do a couple of blood tests for us?” She requested, before shovelling the dangling noodles into her mouth.

I shrugged, over the past few months I’d grown used to needles. “Does she, know?” I wondered.

Vicki nodded as she swallowed. “She knows you have some strange illness that is baffling your doctors and what we think may have caused it. She said that she’d be able to look for things they wouldn’t think of - anything strange. She might be able to find out more than your doctors can.”

“Okay,” I nodded. “That sounds like as good a place to start as any.”

“We’ll go have a chat with Betty as well. I think she’s been looking forward to seeing you again. She’s been trying to research things, but hadn’t been able to come up with much last time I spoke to her.” Vicki handed the noodles to Coreen then and opened herself a bottle of beer. “And then, we’ll just take it from there, see what we can find out. Oh, and you were going to try and arrange the Wiccan cleansing, right?” She turned towards Coreen.

“Yes,” she nodded. “Aviva is away this weekend, but I’ll call her when she’s back and we can meet and discuss things.” She explained to me.

“Thanks guys,” I smiled at both of them, touched that they were going to all this trouble for me, and I realised, no matter what the reason, I was thrilled to be back here with them again.

Vicki got a cab home later that night, appreciating my need for sleep after my early morning and the long journey. With a playful warning to Coreen to be at work on time, she wished us good night and left us to it.

“Are you sure about this?” I asked Coreen, shaking a pillow into a clean slip.

“Yes, really. You take my room. I’ll be fine sleeping here.” She tossed another couple of cushions into the corner, before pulling out the sofa bed with my help.

“Well, thank you…for letting me stay here and everything. I do appreciate it. I’m not sure what good it will do in the end though, it’s not going to be easy avoiding…him.” I couldn’t say his name out loud - my voice usually still cracked on his name. “I mean, he’s bound to sense me or something, smell me on Vicki or you…something.”

“Well, there’s not much chance of that. Not for another week at least.” She began fighting with a sheet.

“Why?” I attempted to ask nonchalantly as my heart ached painfully beneath my ribs. I panicked at the thought of not seeing him, that maybe he’d moved on, left the city. Because, deep down, I knew I’d been hoping to see him.

“Didn’t Vicki tell you? He’s out of town for a little while. His editor forced him into some book tour. I think he’s in New York right now.” She sighed, and stood up, throwing the blankets across the makeshift bed.

“A book tour? But…how does that work for him? He’s a vampire, he can’t go out during the day and then there’s territorial issues and…” I became panicked again, thinking he was putting himself in danger for something that seemed so pointless.

“You know what? I don’t know - never thought to ask him. Be interesting to find out.” She grinned and I knew she was going to ask him the next time she saw him.

“But, he… he’s safe, right?” I tried not to sound so worried, but it didn’t come across very convincingly even to my own ears..

Coreen looked up and raised her eyebrows at me. “Cat, I’m sure he’s fine. Henry’s not stupid.” I winced at the sound of his name spoken out loud. “He’d probably have Augustus sort out the territorial stuff, somehow make way for him to visit for a short period or grant him passage through an area. And I guess he’d have to have all signings booked for evening slots and then drive to the next destination before morning. He’s survived hundreds of years and travelled before, I’m sure he know how to get around it.” She assured me with a smile. I couldn’t hide much from Coreen regarding my feelings for Henry - she knew I still loved him.

“Yeah, I guess you’re right.” I smiled. “Anyway, think I’m going to have a quick shower and head to bed. Do you mind?” I wondered.

“No, help yourself. I’m just going to watch one of these movies.” she grinned, picking up a DVD set of the ‘Hammer Horror Series‘.

“How can you watch that stuff, after all the things you’ve experienced?” I asked incredulously.

“Research,” she laughed, inserting a disc into the machine, before sprawling herself across her temporary bed.

I shook my head in disbelief. “Well, night Coreen.”

“Night,” she returned, flicking off the table lamps, intending to watch in the dark.

“And, erm…sweet dreams.” I added, hearing the movie start and someone screaming in fear already.

“Yeah, you too.” She waved and settled down to watch her movie.

*****

It was after noon before I woke the following day, completely disorientated as I wondered for a few moments where the hell I was. And then, as it all came flooding back to me I was suddenly overwhelmed with emotions. I was back, in the city where everything had changed for me. I’d fallen helplessly and irrevocably in love with a vampire. All manner of strange and wonderful things had happened to me, and of course some not so nice things. I’d had experiences that I never even dreamt of before, and now it was quite possible one of those experiences was slowly killing me.

I was also back in friendly company, with people who cared for me. After feeling alienated from friends back home for months and having no one to talk to, it was so nice to feel wanted and included by the two people I now considered my best friends - Vicki and Coreen. I felt touched that they were so concerned for me and so determined to find out what was happening to me and cure me, save my life in every sense of the word. I just hoped I’d manage to stay healthy enough long enough to sort this mess out.

But, mostly I was alarmed at how totally dismayed I’d been upon hearing Henry was out of town for the next week. That empty hole in my heart seemed to expand at the mere thought of him not being around - this city simply wasn’t the same place without him. I had been in denial about my reason for being excited at coming back here, telling myself I’d just missed hanging with Vicki and Coreen. Only now did I realise that despite all my protests of not wanting him to know, of attempting to avoid him, not wanting to see him - I had actually been hoping, excited at the prospect of bumping into Henry again. Even though I knew for a fact that if I did see him again, if he so much as smiled at me, merely looked in my direction, I could never find the strength to let him go again. And yet to see his face, to hear his voice, to touch his cool velvet skin, to hold him just one more time…it would be worth the pain. Still, it was rather startling to discover just how miserable I felt knowing I might not get to actually see him at all.

When I finally dragged myself out of bed, I found a note from Coreen in the kitchen, telling me to help myself to anything and if I was bored later to come by the office. I had other plans though, and after dressing and finding something to eat, I headed out into the city.

I spent a couple of hours roaming the urban streets, familiarising myself with everything once again. There were places I remembered, places that held meaning for me as I reminisced on my own. I sighed, I knew I was torturing myself doing this, that it wasn’t healthy - but I couldn’t help it, I had this ruthless need to remember everything from our time together, despite the ache it caused that gaping hole inside of me. Although I thought of Henry often, it was never without pain. Each time he slipped into my mind, every dream I woke from in a sweat, every memory was bittersweet and caused my heart to snap just that little bit more each time, rubbed at the already raw wound and yet I couldn’t help it. I needed to somehow keep him alive inside my head, to prove that he had existed, that it happened. That, for a short time, he had loved me.

It was with some surprise that I suddenly realised where I had been heading, as I looked up and gasped, that sharp twinge once more jabbing my fragile insides. I was stood outside of Henry’s apartment block. Unconsciously I looked up towards his floor, trying to count the windows along to where I thought his apartment was as I mentally pictured him inside, even though I’d been told he wasn’t home. For one insane moment I had the urge to go in, to see for myself, to prove he wasn’t there. I wasn’t sure what would be worse - to see his home just as I remembered it or to find everything had changed, that he had surely moved on without me, left me behind. And yet, seeing his place either way without him there might have been too much for me to bear anyway. Eventually I forced myself to turn and leave, especially after spying Greg the doorman watching me curiously out of the glass doors, obviously trying to remember how he recognised me.

Love Survives Death - Chapter 1 'Contact'

Sun, 30 Nov 2008 02:27:06 GMT

Thank you to both of you for leaving me feedback...it was such a task to post it here last week that I wasn't going to bother....but I am - for you two! Thank You!

On that note - here is the next chapter. It’s a long one and it’s perhaps a little…strange, or different. I tried to edit it once (I’m useless at editing myself!) but then I decided I liked the other bits, I thought they were cute and funny (esp between Cat and Coreen) so they went back in! Hope you like it anyway…and fear not - the rest of the story is not like this. This was just some daft idea I had that I had to write!!

All that being said - the usual disclaimers apply (forgot to post them last time!) I don’t own Blood Ties or the characters of Henry Fitzroy, Vicki Nelson, Mike Celluci or Coreen Fennell et all - they are however greatly missed on TV *sob* I’m just borrowing them and having some fun - they will be returned (unharmed!) to their respective owners when done! Thank you!

******

Chapter 1
“Contact”

From: “Catalina”
To: “Henry”
Date: April 6th 2008, 2:23 AM
Subject: An artistic favour?

Dear Henry,

I know you may be surprised to hear from me, but I should confess it’s not the first time I have thought of getting in touch with you again. I’ve wanted to for weeks…months, oh, okay - ever since I left Toronto! But, I couldn’t, I wouldn’t let myself - it was too painful and just too damn hard! And yet, I‘m now giving in because I need your help. I know I have no right to this at all, no right to ask anything from you. But I hope you will consider my request.

I have a book coming out in a few months, a book I have written upon returning home. Yes, I finally did it and I actually sent my work off to some editors! After a few weeks, I needed something to take my mind off you, I needed an outlet for my emotions, so I wrote it all down and it became a story. And that story is being published soon.

Thankfully I found a decent editor who has secured with the publishers my creative control over the whole book. And they have been asking me for a decision upon the cover - whether I want a photo or art work and suggesting some artists to me. There’s only one artist I could think of - only one talent that I would want to grace my own work.

So, I am asking you, even though I have no right at all, but I was hoping, you may consider drawing or designing the front cover of my book for me? I know it’s not your usual style and I know you rarely do work for others. But, it would mean a lot to me if you would at least consider it? If you decide to, I can let you have a synopsis of the story and any other information you’d need. But, if you decide not to, I will understand and I won’t hold it against you.

I hope you’re well? I hope you’re happy, and… I hope, though it’s perhaps conceited of me to do so, but…I hope that maybe sometimes you think of me? I think of you often, though memories tend to be somewhat bittersweet…and I miss you every single day.

I hope you don’t think me rude or cold for getting in touch now simply because I need your help. But, please let me know of your decision and please, don’t be angry with me. Take care.

All my love,
Cat xx

~~~~~~~~~~

From: “Catalina”
To: “Coreen”
Date: April 10th 2008, 11.58 PM
Subject: HELP!!

Coreen…you HAVE to help me! I’m freaking out here!! So, I finally sent him that email, and you know who I mean by ‘him‘! But, I sent it about 4 or 5 days ago now, and nothing…he’s not replied. Maybe I was fooling myself in thinking he would or hoping he would, but this is killing me!

What the hell did I go and get in touch with him for? I was maybe starting to get over him or the pain of losing him was lessening…and now it’s all back with a vengeance! What did I let you talk me into?!

Is there any way you could, maybe…I don’t know, hack into his account and see if it’s been read? Please? If he’s just not read it yet, I might relax a little. Maybe he’s royally pissed with me contacting him simply for a favour? Maybe he just wants to forget all about me? But…even if he didn’t want to take up my request, he could have just been polite about it!! Stupid bloody vampire!!

So, help me? Please?!

Love ya!
xxC

~~~~~

From: “Coreen”
To: “Catalina”
Date: April 10th 2008, 8.19 PM
Subject: Re: HELP!!

Ah ha! Assistant investigator extraordinaire (that would be me!) solves another case!! See…Mr Vampire was here last night…hanging around the office as he often does these days. Vicki had no cases on the go, none she needed his help with anyway, so I’m not sure why he was here. Anyway, he suddenly asked me if he could borrow the laptop, muttered something about his being broken or not working (what’s the betting the old fool doesn’t realise the battery just needs charging?!) he said he wanted to check his emails.

So, I let him, and after he read them he was different, subdued almost. And then he left pretty soon after! So…I think he has read it, but only as of last night - he’s meant to be bringing his laptop to me tonight to check for him. Maybe he’ll reply when he gets it going again? I don’t think he’s very up on modern technology you know - used to those feather quills and parchment or something! Hahahaha!

But, calm down…I’m sure he’ll get back to you soon and he’s not pissed with you, you know he’s not been the same since you left - I tell you often enough! Oh, and if Vicki ever did find out, DO NOT tell her I talked you into it! She has enough to moan at me for, without that - honestly, wasn’t my fault I spilled coffee on that rich clients new outfit (it was hideous anyway! Bright pink - eurgh!)

Oops…Mr Vamp has just entered the office, complete with laptop - shall check it and get back to you! Better go!

Take care! Love ya!
*hugs*
Cory xx

~~~~~~

From: “Coreen”
To: “Catalina”
Date: April 10th 2008, 10:47 PM
Subject: I knew it!

The senile old man hadn’t charged the battery!! I asked him when he’d last charged it and he just looked at me the way he looks at demons!! Charming! *rolls eyes* And to think he was going to throw it out and buy a new one - the fool!

Anyways, got it all sorted now…so he has no excuse not to reply to you! Well, other than he’s a royal pain in the ass at times - or should that be pain in the neck? Hahaha! Sorry - bad joke!

Right…had best go get some work done…though I should be out of here by now really! Vicki has me typing a hundred reports up! *sigh*

Speak to you soon!
Love & hugs
Me xx

~~~~~

From: “Catalina”
To: “Coreen”
Date: April 11th 2008, 8:02 PM
Subject: Re: HELP!!

Hey!

Don’t call him senile…he’s just, he was brought up in an entirely different era, he’s had to get used to many different things and adapt to many different times - personally I think he handles all the changes very well!

So, you really think he read it then? What did he look like whilst he was reading it? I mean…was he angry, hurt, pleased?! What? I’m dying to know! And I wish he would stop torturing me and just reply already, even if to tell me to sod off!! What if he figures out I got his email address from you? Sorry to get you in the middle of everything!

Speaking of which, I won’t tell Vicki - promise! I’d better go anyway, my cat needs feeding and I have a rewrite to get to on one of my chapters the editor decided needing changing!

Take care hon!
Love ya!
*huggles*
Me xx

~~~~~

From: “Coreen”
To: “Catalina”
Date: April 12th 2008, 3:39PM
Subject: *puke*

Yuck! I know you still have feelings for him, but wow - defensive about the vampire much?! :P Face it - he is old…:p Come on - he’s what? Almost 489 now!! Ooh…wonder if we’re having a birthday party for him? Do you think we could get a cake to hold that many candles?! Lmao!!

I’m sorry….Vicki has me doing such boring work right now, I wish something juicy would come in!! Hence my need for a distraction with the nonsense emails to you! So long as Vicki hears me typing, she doesn’t really know what I’m doing - DON’T tell her!! Hehehe!!

So….has the mysterious one replied yet? He’s not been by for a couple of nights…maybe he’s fighting with the laptop to try and email you back? I can picture it now…how would he explain taking back a laptop with puncture marks in it?!

Right I really need to get to work, because I am losing the plot (Vicki would say I did years ago!)

Love ya - you old man lover you :p
Coreen xx

~~~~~

From: “Henry”
To: “Catalina”
Date: April 14th 2008, 01:38 AM
Subject: Re: An artistic favour?

Dear Catalina,

Forgive me for my belated reply, I have had a few…technical hitches that I needed help with, unfortunately it would seem I still have a lot to catch up on in this frustrating digital world. I still prefer the hand written word over computers.

You were right, I was surprised to hear from you. Though, I should confess I have been tempted to swipe your phone number from Vicki and get in touch myself. I’m sorry you’ve been hurting and found things hard - that was the last thing I meant to do. But, yes - I do think of you, often.

I am intrigued by the proposition you put to me, and may I offer my congratulations on the book - well done! I did tell you that you could do it! I have some deadlines that I need to meet right now, before my editor kills me (metaphorically speaking obviously!) But…if you send me what you said, I can possibly come up with something for you, I will certainly look at it at least. How soon would you need it by?

Oh Cat, do not worry for I could never be angry with you, my love - never. Please, don’t think that. I hope one day that you will understand what I did, why I had to. Please take good care of yourself. And for the record, whatever the reason, I’m glad one of us had the nerve to get in touch again. I have missed you.

Yours with love,
Henry

~~~~~~~

From: “Catalina”
To: “Coreen”
Date: April 14th 2008, 6:12 PM
Subject: OMG!!

He’s replied!! Yikes!! And he was actually….really nice and lovely and….*sigh* it was SO nice to hear from him. He said he thinks of me, he called me his love, he confessed to missing me… and…okay Cat - running away with yourself here *rolls eyes at self!*

So…he’s considering my proposal about doing the book cover for me….I’m not sure if he will, but he said he was intrigued and congratulated me on the book!! I wonder if he’ll be the same once I tell him the plot?! Hmm…

So, now what oh paranormal wonder of dumb ideas?! You started all this! Now what do I say to him? Is it safe to mention how much I miss him? How much he still means to me and how very lonely I am without him? Or should I just keep it polite and about the help I want from him, avoiding all memories of a past between us? It’s hard…there’s SO much I want to tell him and confess to him…*sigh* Oh what to do?!

So…advice please - I need it!!
Love ya!
xxC

~~~~~~~

From: “Coreen”
To: “Catalina”
Date: April 15th 2008, 01:13 AM
Subject: Re: OMG!!

Yay! I’m so glad he replied…wonder how many laptops he got through to do that!! Lol! Hmm…what to say to him? I don’t know…you don’t want to sound too stuffy and business like he’ll think you’re still pissed off with him or something. But then you don’t want to be too soppy either - you might scare him off!! Haha - scare a vampire off, that’s kinda funny, no?
I suppose there’s no harm in telling him or confessing to some things you never got chance to…things didn’t end well between you two, it’s obvious there’s things left unresolved and he’s probably aware of that too! So, just not too much, okay? You don’t want him backing off again!

Right…am typing this from home, so I had better go to sleep now because Vicki wants me in on time in the morning - yeah right! Like that’s going to happen :p

Love ya - go easy on the vamp!
Coreen xx

~~~~~~

From: “Catalina”
To: “Henry”
Date: April 15th 2008, 8:28 PM
Subject: Re: An artistic favour?

Dear Henry,

Thank you for the reply, I was most relieved as I was starting to worry. I thought maybe you were angry with me or just pissed off that it seemed I would only get in touch to ask for your help, I’m glad that’s not the case.

It was actually lovely to hear from you, to read your words…I do miss you - every day. I know I’m supposed to move on, but…you’re always in my life, even if I am no longer a part of yours, because you’re always in my heart. A woman’s heart is deep and holds many secrets dear Henry, and you are one of my most precious.

Thank you for taking the time to consider my ideas, it means a lot to me that you would do it. My book is basically about a simple girl, whom on her travels meets and falls in love with a man who’s no good for her, no matter what her heart tells her, and their adventures together, amongst other things. It’s not hard to work out where the idea came from or why it was so easy and quick to write. I have however attached a file for you with a more detailed synopsis and a brief character analysis for you to look through and maybe get some ideas for any art work for me. If you don’t have the time to do it though or no longer want to, please let me know and I will understand. I guess I would need it in a couple of months, I’ll have to check with my editor. I know the book is to be released sometime before Christmas, but I’m not sure how long these things take to print etc. I’ll ask him and let you know, okay?

You know, I do regret that I never saw you before I left - I was such a stubborn fool, and I wish I had, if only to say goodbye and see you, hold you one last time. And I’m sorry for that, forgive me. And, a confession I haven’t told anyone else. That night I left, I saw you, at the airport. I saw you watching my flight leave through the window. Staying on that plane, not coming to you, leaving you was the hardest thing I have ever had to do.

I do kind of understand now why you did what you did - you had my best interests at heart, you wanted me safe and that was done out of love. I know you never meant to hurt me and I no longer hate you for that, though I never really did - it was just the anger and hurt talking. But, Henry, you feared for my life if I was to stay with you. And yet, here, alone, without you, I barely have a life - I simply exist with my memories of you. I still love you Henry, and I probably will every day for the rest of my life - you’re in my heart always.

All my love,
Catalina xx

~~~~~~~

From: “Coreen”
To: “Catalina”
Date: April 19th 2008, 00:13 AM
Subject: Re: Yoo Hoo! Anyone home?!!

Hey Mrs,

I realise that you may totally be too busy in some pervy cyber sex stuff with your vampire, but remember me at all? Just wondered where the reply is to my last email?

Hope things are okay with you? And…I hope things are going alright with being in touch with Henry again…he seems a little different last time I saw him, his eyes not quite as haunted perhaps.

Anyways, get back to me asap…I miss you, and you’re worrying me!

Coreen xx

~~~~~~

From: “Vicki”
To: “Catalina”
Date: April 21st 2008, 7:38 PM
Subject: Are things alright?

Hi,

Just thought I would check up on you as it’s been a few days since I heard anything from you. Tried calling your cell phone a few times, with no reply. Are you okay? Please get back to me as soon as you can - I worry about you!

Take care,
Vicki

~~~~~~~~~

From: “Catalina”
To: “Vicki”
Date: April 25th 2008, 9:18 PM
Subject: I think I have a problem

Hey Vicki,

Sorry I missed your call the other night, I assume Mum told you that I was in hospital yet again? I had another serious infection, this time in my kidneys, and only just got let out today - doped up on antibiotics and pain killers.

The doctors are pretty baffled as to why I keep getting these infections - they run tests, but nothing shows up. Apart from the actual infection, I’m fine and can’t understand what’s causing it. A possible reason I have been thinking of lately…could it have something to do with when I was stabbed? It’s the only thing I can think of and it’s all happened since. I remember Sinead stirring some kind of potion with her athame….and chanting some words in, what I presume was Latin…you don’t think, she could have cursed me somehow, do you? Something on the blade or something she said or both? I just don’t know what else it could be.

Ask Coreen maybe (and tell her I’ll email her back soon and thanks for the dozens of emails clogging up my account!) but perhaps she could look into it for me, find some of kind of curse that would cause me to be ill all the time? Anything might help. But please don’t mention this to Henry. If he knew and it does have something to do with her, he’s only going to blame himself or something.

Hope things are alright your end anyways, how’s the business going? Take care and get back to me when you can.

Love, Cat x

~~~~~~

From: “Vicki”
To: “Catalina”
Date: April 26th 2008, 3:27 PM
Subject: RE: I think I have a problem

Cat,

I’ve had Coreen on the case and also contacted Betty Sagara about it (and she’s under instruction not to tell Henry, don’t worry! I think he’s suspecting we’re hiding something though) We’ve found a few things that could have happened to you…I think you’re right, I think the bitch cursed you.

Coreen and I both agree that maybe it would be best if you came back over here? If you’re fit enough to travel? That way we can work out exactly what is happening to you and hopefully find some counter curse or something, Coreen thinks she knows someone willing to do a cleansing ritual for you as well (a Wiccan friend of hers) and we have no intention of letting Henry know any of this - you know how he is with magic.

So, if you can travel, let me know and I’ll arrange the flight for you, don’t worry about it. I think it’s best if you come over as soon as you can - the sooner we get rid of what ever is attacking your body, the better. I know you might not want to see Henry again…and I know it’s going to be hard avoiding him here, but...we could come up with something if you want, maybe stay in a hotel and never tell him you’re here? It’s important you come over though, no matter what - Coreen is worried about it and I know it’s bad when she’s worried!

Let me know…
Love, Vicki

~~~~~~

From: “Catalina”
To: “Henry”
Date: April 26th 2008, 11:41 PM
Subject: Sorry!

Hey you,

Don’t worry - I’m not chasing you up for a reply to my last email. I understand you must be busy with everything.

I just…I wanted to apologise if I said too much in my last email. I don’t want to, I don’t know…make you feel bad or guilty or make things awkward between us. I would hate to give you reason to back off again. I just hope…we can be friends right? We shared far too much to lose everything, and I can’t deny that I do miss you. I miss talking with you and just enjoying your company. So contact through emails is enough, if that’s all we can have now. You’re special to me…and I don’t want to lose that again.

I know you said you prefer the hand written word, so if you prefer, we can write to each other, rather than email? It would just take longer to reach one another, but if you prefer?

Anyway…I’m sorry if what I said was too much. And I hope to hear from you soon, but when you get time, okay? Oh! I spoke to my editor, he said we’d need a final copy of the cover by the end of August at the latest. So, if you do decide…I shall leave it all up to you anyway.

Take care Henry.
All my love,
xx Catalina

~~~~~~

From: “Catalina”
To: “Vicki”
Date: April 27th 2008, 11:59 PM
Subject: RE: I think I have a problem

Hey Vicki,

See…now you have me scared too! But I think you’re right, I think it’s best if I come back over there where people understand the paranormal stuff that’s out there and how to deal with it. I mention any of this to my doctors and I’ll be sectioned pretty sharpish!

I have a check up at the hospital in a couple of days, so I can come after that? If that’s alright with you. You don’t have to pay for my flight Vic, I can afford it…just. Could try getting an advance on my book sales too.

Henry…that’s going to be a problem. I would actually love to see him again…I’m not over him, I still love him. But it would just be SO hard…having him push me away again. So, as much as I want to see him again, hear his voice and hold him…maybe the hotel idea would be best? Or I was wondering if I could maybe stay with Coreen or something? I don’t except any of you to put me up in a hotel and I can’t really afford much. I know it’s going to be hard to avoid him, perhaps even impossible, I don’t know if he’d be able to sense my presence or something, but we’ll give it a shot.

See you soon anyway.
Love, Cat xx

~~~~~~

From: “Henry”
To: “Catalina”
Date: April 30th 2008, 03:07 AM
Subject: Re: An artistic favour?

My dearest Catalina.

There was absolutely nothing for you to apologise for in your last email. You forget, I know you. I know you’re passionate and emotional and that’s bound to come out in a forceful way at times - it’s natural that it would. And if I’m honest, it’s flattering that you haven’t forgotten me and still care for me.

But, my love, for your own sanity and more importantly, your happiness, you have to let me go. You have to move on. I know it’s not easy and I know it pains you…but it’s something you must do. Knowing you’re stuck in some kind of limbo without me, knowing you’ve been depressed because of me appals me. I never wanted to do that to you, I simply wished to keep you safe, to keep you alive. Please, promise me that you will try to move on, meet new people, make new friends and begin a new life. Then perhaps I can move on too and not be so disturbed by your sadness.

On the business front, I read through everything you sent and you have to send me a copy of your book when it’s released. I think I’m correct in guessing where the plot came from? It’s about us, right? Though, thank you for hiding my true status. It’s very cleverly written though and I look forward to reading the complete story. I have had chance to dabble with some ideas for your book cover, and I promise I will get them done for you. Think of it as my gift to you, I don’t want anything for my work. I’m ahead with the current novel I’m working on, so I should be able to get to work on your covers soon - Vicki and her weird cases pending!

Take care of yourself.
With love,
Henry

~~~~~~~

From: “Vicki”
To: “Catalina”
Date: April 30th 2008, 7:01 PM
Subject: A quick reminder

Cat…just a quick one, I know I told you all this on the phone, but just thought I’d put it in an email too. So, your flight is all booked, you fly out here Saturday morning at 11.45am from Heathrow. You can collect your tickets from the BA desk in, I think terminal 2 - but you’d better check that! Don’t worry about the cost - it’s all taken care of.

Coreen would love to have you to stay, she’s giving up her bed for you and sleeping on the couch - I think she’s a little excited about having a room mate for awhile. You might not be once you realise you’re stuck with her strange habits!!

So, I’ll meet you at the airport on Saturday night, Canadian time…I think you get in about 7pm. I’ll wait in arrivals, then we can head over to Coreen’s and get you settled there.

Until then, look after yourself,
Vicki

~~~~~~~

From: “Catalina”
To: “Vicki”
Date: May 1st 2008, 01:17 AM
Subject: RE: A quick reminder

Hey Vic,

Thank you so much for everything. I knew I could count on you! And thanks for arranging everything for me. And I promise, I will pay you back someday!

Please thank Coreen for letting me stay with her, I’m kind of looking forward to it myself, despite the circumstances. I have missed you guys the past few months.

So, I shall see you very soon, about 7pm on Saturday!

Love, Cat x

~~~~~~~~~~

From: “Catalina”
To: “Henry”
Date: May 2nd 2008, 9:17 PM
Subject: Re: An artistic favour?

Dear Henry,

If I had the time I would write you a much longer email…because the last one you sent me made me cry, you….swine! Get over you? Move on? Let you go? You know what, give me some tiny inkling on how on earth I’m supposed to do that and I’ll gladly do it! You think I enjoy being hung up on you? You think I enjoy feeling lost and alone without you? You think I like having my friends avoid me and think I’m mad?! Because I don’t…but I can’t get away from you. You’re always there - in my head and in my heart and I doubt that’s ever going to change!

Besides, did you ever think that perhaps sometimes I simply don’t want to forget you, that I don’t want to let you go? Hanging on to you, hanging on to my memories of us keeps it all alive for me, proves to me that it did happen, that you did love me. Because being with you was the happiest I had been for a very long time and I don’t ever want to forget that, no matter how much it hurts now. I still love you and I probably always will - get used to it!

Like I said, I don’t have the time to go into things right now, but you wait Mr Vampire…I’m not done yelling at you!

Anyways, the reason for this email is basically to say, thank you millions for saying you’ll do the cover for me, I appreciate it immensely (even if you make me cry along the process!) and also to let you know I shall be away for a few days, so don’t worry if you don’t hear back from me. I’ll let you know when I’m home and then I can yell at you some more, you fool!

Talk to you soon,
Love always,
Catalina xxxxx

Love Survives Death - Prologue

Sun, 23 Nov 2008 02:32:44 GMT

Yeah, I know...about time!! I'm finally getting the sequel to my fanfic up online. I know it's taken some time but I just don't have the time I once did for writing since I'm working again now (and the little buggers at pre-school keep metoo busy!) So to avoid catching up on myself and then making you wait weeks whilst I write the rest of this, I shall only be posting one chapter a week for now. Sorry! The good news is I do have 28 chapters already written and it is almost finished providing my characters behave themselves and stop throwing me curveballs!!

I really hope you like this sequel...it's maybe not what you're expecting (and I shall apologise now for their not being a lot of Mike - I don't know what happened to him in this one!) But...this is what I had in mind before I finished my last one. So, I'm kinda nervous!!

As you may or may not remember, Cat and Henry parted ways at the end of my last fic. Though there are still unspoken feelings between the two of them - not that either will admit to that! Right not Cat has other concerns and a secret she is desperately hoping to keep from Henry! Can she keep the vampire out of it? Will they ever get back together and admit they were wrong? All will be answered eventually...and I feel like some TV show ad :p
So...on with the show

Prologue

Four months, two weeks, three days and counting that I’ve been living back here in my home country without Henry.
Four long months since I, Catalina Ellis, had even set eyes on him, spoken to him, held him…kissed him.
Four miserable months since he dumped me - oh I know he claimed it was for my benefit, that being with him was too dangerous and he cared too much to risk anything happening to me - but the fact was he’d rejected me, pushed me away from him.
Four months and I still couldn’t let go, memories of him, of us together as clear as if they were yesterday overflowed my mind constantly. My sleep was disturbed as he consistently haunted my dreams.
Four lonely months in which time I assumed he had moved on. Me? I felt exactly the same way about him.
Four months later and it was still hard, it still hurt and my heart was still in a thousand peices.
And yet, somehow, I’m still standing, I’m still breathing…even without him.

Oh, I know I might sound melodramatic there, but…Henry was very probably the love of my life. I had never met anyone quite like him and I doubt I ever would again - to say he was unique was an understatement. He seemed to be everything I had been searching for. I’d never felt about anyone the way he made me feel - he was special. He was also passionate and loving - protective, very much the gentleman, and yet he certainly had his flaws too. He wasn’t exactly bad, but he could be dangerous and unpredictable. And, I will confess - activities between the sheets with him were mind blowing!

Most importantly, Henry allowed me to be me. He accepted me the way I was - flaws and all, and never tried to change me, never judged me. He respected my beliefs and opinions, though he may not share them. Just as I respected and accepted him. I had simply never fallen as deeply or as quickly for anyone as intensely as I did for him…and that love, those depth of feelings for him were unrelenting, even though he had pushed me away. In a short space of time, he had become my world, that one true love everyone hopes to find and many never do…and I knew that no matter what, he would always be special to me. He would always be that one person I measured everyone else against, and no one would equal him - ever.

Maybe I should back up here and let you in on a little secret. Henry Fitzroy - my ex-lover, is a vampire. Yes, for real! And yes I mean the kind of vampire who walks the night, drinks human blood and has supernatural powers. But don’t go trusting the media’s image of them - Henry is not a blood thirsty monster, he held on to his humanity, to compassion, to his faith. He’s almost 489 years old now and his mortal father just so happens to be one of the most famous male figures in history - King Henry VIII. How does one meet a vampire you might ask? Through my cousin - that’s how!

I’d only gone to visit my cousin, Vicki, for a short vacation in Toronto, Canada - a break from my monotonous life. I hadn’t expected to fall in love, and certainly not with a vampire. And I hadn’t expected to find my private investigator of a cousin neck deep in the freaky supernatural type cases you’d only normally see on the Sci-Fi channel. But…I did, and Henry Fitzroy - vampire extraordinaire, was her partner.

Despite everything, Henry and I fell in love and had four beautiful, if not somewhat turbulent, months together before it all went wrong. An ex of Henry’s - an evil witch to boot, went psycho on us and tried to kill me. Leading Henry to make the conclusion I was better off without him. What would he know? Without him I was such a wretched, sulking mess that perhaps I would have been better off dead anyway. What was the point in living just to be completely alone? To have nothing at all? To merely exist?

After my unceremonious dumping by a vampire, I carefully collected together the pieces of my broken heart, and with my tail between my legs I returned home to England. The past few months of my return had been rather isolated and friendless - nursing a broken heart all by myself. After all, the only people I could talk to about him, who knew the truth were Vicki and her long suffering assistant Goth, Coreen. I couldn’t exactly talk to my friends about my vampire ex-lover, and who would believe me anyway? Most of my friends thought I was rather foolish for believing in the paranormal and claiming to be a practicing witch as it was - they’d have had me sectioned for harping on about a vampire lover. Besides, there wasn’t really anyone I was that close to anymore, and especially since Henry, I had drifted away from most of them.

Leaving Canada - putting an ocean between Henry and I, was supposed to have helped. I couldn’t bear to be around him and not be with him. I thought without him around, without having to see him, it would be easier to get over him. I had of course been proved wrong. I missed him every single day, I thought about him all the time, and every night he haunted my dreams - like a ghost that refused to leave me alone.

The thought of him with anyone else was a torture to even conceive. I doubted he’d spent much time mourning my loss, he would have moved on to his next conquest by now. Perhaps that was a little mean, I suppose I could be underestimating him here, but on the other hand I couldn’t imagine him going without - sex and blood were one and the same to Henry, or at least they appeared to be. He’d insisted that I would be able to move on without him too, that I would be able to have a ‘normal’ relationship - marriage, children - the whole ‘Picket Fence’ fantasy. And yet, here I was , months later with nothing! I was just a depressed, lonely confusion, aching for some un-dead being who had chosen to discard me.

If that wasn’t enough, my bouts of deep depression were causing me further illness. At least, the depression was what my Mum and doctor blamed it on - saying I was run-down and making myself sick over some guy I had fallen for in Canada, but she didn’t know the truth. I’d suffered multiple infections since arriving home though, some having landed me in hospital for days at a time. Personally I began to suspect it could be a complication of the injury I’d endured when the psycho witch ex of Henry’s had stabbed me. And on occasion I worried it was some side effect of Henry frequently drinking my blood. Neither of which I could tell my mother or my doctor about. So, we just treated each infection, I was put on anti-depressants, I refused counselling and they hoped in time it would get better, once I beat the depression.

Through all this, I was immensely grateful that I had both Coreen and Vicki to talk to. After my visit, I was extremely close to both of them, especially as they were the only two people in my life who knew the truth, whom I could talk to about Henry and not have them send me to the nearest mental asylum. Vicki was the rational voice in my head. She helped me look at things from a logical point of view and find other things to keep my mind occupied to move away from Henry. She’d worked out it was best if she never mentioned him to me. She agreed with him on that point, and thought I should move on as well. Coreen was the one I spilled my heart out to, the one I went to when I was really missing Henry and the one I knew would listen to me sympathetically. And, she was the only one I could ask about Henry, how he was doing - what he was up to.

To try and ease my aching heart, and with the support of Vicki and Coreen, I had written a new book and successfully found a publisher willing to print my work. The novel was initially your basic romance, but there was a mystery to it, there was a supernatural element and to anyone who knew the truth, it was easy to see that my lead characters were based upon Henry and myself. The hero might not have been a vampire - but he had his secrets and his mysteries to unfold….and their relationship was as doomed from the start as ours had been.

And that was how I came to find myself talked into getting in touch with Henry again. I needed an artist for my front cover…and Coreen suggested the only person I had been thinking of since the artwork had been mentioned - Henry Fitzroy. I didn’t think it wise or fair to contact him simply because I needed his help, but Coreen pushed and eventually convinced me it was the right thing to do.

Having contact with Henry again, speaking with him, asking him for help - it could break my heart completely, or it could save me. Being without him in my life, trying to force him from my memories had proved futile - I simply couldn’t let him go, and nothing was real until you did that completely…nothing was over until you wanted it to be. And perhaps…having him a part of my life in some small way - if that’s all we could have, it would be better than nothing and it could save me from going completely insane.

PLEASE sign my new petition

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 01:39:36 GMT

Hi all!

I started a new petition - I'm tired of TV networks pulling new shows after only one season without giving them a chance. Those close to me know I'm meaning one show in particular here - but I am aware there are many more! I hear many people complaining about what is on TV and what's been cancelled - but they do nothing about it! So...I am - I'm starting something!!

If you could please go and sign...I would really appreciate it!! http://www. petitiononline. com/BT_TV/petition. html

And, even better if you have friends or know of fans of any other TV shows that might sign, then please pass on the link to them and urge them to do the same.

And also spread the link around various forums etc for TV based fans and anywhere else you think it might attract attention and have people who agree and wish to sign!

Many thanks!!

xC

P.S. For those waiting for the sequel to my BT fanfic - it IS coming!! I'm up to chapter 14 now and I hope to start posting soon. I'm on summer holidays from school right now (teaching, not a pupil!) so I have lots of time for lots of writing for a few weeks!! I promise - this sequel will happen!

This Side Of Me - story finale...

Mon, 26 May 2008 20:08:17 GMT

So...the last chapter of my story...would have had it posted before, but I had my niece and nephew all weekend and I barely got 5 minutes on the computer - did get to watch lots of Henry and Kyle stuff though - thanks to my niece's demands! How sad is it that the only person I have to watch him with is a 5 year old?! Ah well!!

Thank you SO much to everyone who has commented on and enjoyed my story posted here...it means a lot and does wonders for my total lack of self esteem. I write for myself, for enjoyment and escapism, I only post for strangers to read for the feedback...so thank you for making it worthwhile.

That all being said...I shall leave you with the final chapter of this little escapade...please let me know what you think!

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

Chapter Twenty Five

By the weekend, almost a week since my…accident, I was deemed fit enough to leave the hospital. It hadn’t been my idea or what I wanted at all, but Vicki had corralled Mike into giving us a lift home. He wasn’t exactly on my list of favourite people - not after the things he’d said about Henry or the problems he tried to cause for us. Though, I admitted to myself with a sigh of defeat, he had been right about one thing - Henry and I couldn’t be together - it just couldn’t work. Still, a free lift home with Mike was better than having to rely on taxi’s and I had the excuse of not feeling so hot as my reason for barely speaking to him as they bundled me into the car to take me home.

Back at Vicki’s she’d decided to close up office for a couple of days to spend time with me, she’d said. Really I knew she was keeping her eye on me. Physically I was getting stronger, the infection was totally cleared up, my wound was healing nicely and the doctors didn’t expect any further problems, though I was to follow up with my own doctors once I returned to England. But…emotionally I was still a wreck. - I missed Henry. There was no point in denying that.

Even though I had given instructions to tell him not to come see me, I had secretly hoped he’d have ignored them, and come anyway. Come and told me he’d been a fool, that we could make this work, that he did still want me and loved me as much as he professed that he did. I should have been relieved that he respected my wishes, but inside it hurt all the more.

Day by day I slowly slipped further into the grasp of depression, not able to accept that me and him were truly over. That something that had felt so….right and made me so happy, had turned so horribly wrong. Alone, I still shed a tear over him, over the fact that I may never see him again, that I would never feel his lips on mine or experience the wonder of making love with him ever again. At times it was too much to bear and I just wanted all the pain to go away by any means necessary. But, around most people, I put on a brave face, I chose to never mention him and just get on with my plans to return home to England. Hoping that with many miles between us and some time, the pain of loving him and losing him would eventually lessen, and that perhaps one day, some time in the future, I might actually get over him.

“What on earth are you doing?” Vicki came into the spare room I was using and found me hunched over an opened suitcase on the bed and holding my belly that was still rather tender as I tossed items into the case.

“Well…I was looking for a suitable outfit, thought I might go out clubbing,” I quipped sarcastically.

She rolled her eyes at me.

“I’m packing, obviously! My flight is tomorrow evening and I don’t want to leave things last minute,” I slung another pair of balled up socks into the case.

“Well, you should be sitting down and taking it easy. Let me do that,” she instructed and took the pair of shoes off me that I had been about to toss in.

I sat down on the bed gingerly, I was fine until I moved suddenly and jarred my stitches. “What’s that?” I asked, suddenly spying a bag I hadn’t noticed before in the corner of the room.

“Oh…they’re you’re things that you had at…Henry’s place,” she mumbled his name and avoided catching my eye.

“Did you go get them?” I wondered.

“No, he brought them over a couple of days ago,” she added, folding my t-shirts and placing them back much neater than I had packed them.

“Oh, right…” I muttered, not letting on how much that piece of information hurt, surprised by it myself. So he couldn’t bare to have my stuff in his home a moment longer? Or he couldn’t risk me going over to collect them myself and suffer any altercation that may have taken place. He’d probably already got over me and reverted back to his methods of chomping on a different girl in his bed every night. And then I realised I was being petty, perhaps he’d just thought he was helping out by bringing them over, I assumed Vicki had told him I was going home. And besides, even if I had wanted to, I was in no fit state to be traipsing over to his place anyway.

Shuffling over, I picked up the bag and brought it back to the bed, wondering how much stuff I had left there and how much more I had to pack.

“Oh God, what am I supposed to do with this?” I asked, pulling the long black gown out that he had carefully folded in the tissue paper it had arrived from the store in.

“You might find some use for it,” Vicki glanced up at what I was holding.

“You should take it back to him. I mean, it was a lot of money and it’s only been worn once, he could get his money back or something.” I traced the pattern of tiny crystals on the front and tried desperately to block out images of the night I had worn it, of the night he’d removed it from my body.

“I’m sure if he sent it, then he intended you to keep it,” she clicked her fingers for me to hand it over so as she could refold and pack it.

“But…do you want it?” I tried to offload it to her.

“And what would I need a dress like that for,” she put her hands on her hips, waiting for me to pass it over. “Hardly incognito clothing to go on stake outs in, you know. Which is what I spend most of my time doing. You should keep it, he bought it for you and…one day you might want it…even if you never actually wear it again.” She smiled sensitively.

I sighed deeply, still unsure about it, but thrust it into Vicki’s hands, never having taken her for the sentimental one. As she packed it, I rummaged through the rest of the bag. He’d even sent back all my toiletries I’d left in his bathroom. Clothes that had needed washing had been cleaned and sent back - he’d obviously sent them out to the cleaners with his own things, I’m not sure Henry knew how to work a washing machine or even had the desire to do his own laundry if he could - hardly the chore for a prince, let alone a vampire!

“Did you say Henry packed all this up? Or did you go over?” I wondered, pulling a pile more clothes out.

“He did it all, he said he would get your things packed up for you when I…well when I spoke to him. He dropped it off the other night. Why? Has he forgotten something?” she wondered.

I shook my head, tears in my eyes as I pulled a piece of clothing close to me and sniffed it.

“Cat?” she looked at me confused and slightly alarmed.

“It’s…the hoodie, his red one…the one I wore a lot. He sent it with my things.” I hugged it close to me as the tears slid down my cheeks.

“Well, perhaps he…ohh…” she realised then. He’d sent it either because it reminded him of me and he’d rather forget, or because he’d known I loved it after wearing it so often and it was meant to be a gift, almost assumed it was mine now.

“Damnit!” I cursed, wiping my eyes, annoyed that he was making me cry yet again.

“Oh…come on,” she took the hoodie off me and slung it into the case behind her as she wrapped an arm around me. “I wish I knew what to say, but I don’t…I’m no good at these things, you know that,” she grimaced looking as uncomfortable as she probably felt.

“I’m sorry,” I sniffed, feeling stupid and guilty that I was making her feel so awkward.

“Don’t be silly. I know you’re hurting, you’ve been through a lot this past week. I just…don’t know how to make it better. Though, as it’s your last night here, how about we totally pig out on junk food and watch trashy movies? Coreen was going to come over and…we can, I would say have a girly night in if it didn’t make me cringe so bad!” She chuckled and actually made me smile too.

“Okay,” I nodded slowly as I wiped my eyes and then blew my nose on the tissue she passed me .

“Good, because I don’t think there’s any heart ache that an overdose of chocolate ice cream can’t cure,” she smiled.

****

“Oh my God...this must be the worst movie ever!” Vicki laughed, tossing another handful of popcorn into her mouth as I joined in with the laughter.

The movie was terrible - the acting wooden, the story made no sense and the crude ‘jokes’ were just crude and hardly amusing! I think the fact that we were high on sugar - having over indulged on the junk food helped us find something to laugh about it though. Vicki had been right - ice cream, crisps, brownies, popcorn, cookies and plenty of ice cold cola was the perfect recipe for a broken heart - it was working wonders.

The somewhat miffed look on Coreen’s face caused us both to burst into more giggles as I held my stomach, not wanting to laugh because it hurt, but being unable to stop. Poor Coreen - this movie had been her choice and it was terrible! We’d all chosen one, an unspoken rule between us for there to be no romance and no vampire themes, but this choice seemed to be the worst yet.

Vicki threw some popcorn at Coreen then. “Oh lighten up - it is terrible!” she laughed and then as the actor on the screen failed to deliver yet another line convincingly, Coreen joined in with the giggles.

“Okay, I suppose it is,” she shrugged. “But at least it’s amusing us.”

“I think anything would right now, after all this crap we’ve been eating,” I scraped out the bottom of the cookie dough ice cream tub.

We continued to giggle as Vicki’s cell phone rang. “Nelson investigations,” she answered, trying to stifle her giggles. “Oh, hi….nooo…we’re just watching trashy movies and eating junk. Oh…fine. Erm…yeah, tomorrow…” Vicki cast me a surreptitious glance then and muttered something I didn’t catch over a disgusted screech from Coreen at something in the movie. Passing me the bag of crisps from her lap, she got up and silently left the room with the phone. And then I knew - it was Henry on the other end of that phone.

My heart lurched at the thought that he was so close, that I could just grab it off her and speak to him myself. Sometimes I was starting to regret my decision not to see him, even though it would be hard, I was beginning to think that maybe I should before I left…if only to say goodbye to him properly. And then my heart would scream at me for having such foolish ideas - accusing me of just wanting to abuse it a little more, crush it into a few more pieces than it was already in. Leaving him was going to be traumatic enough - so trying to say goodbye to him would be unbearable. But the thought of never even seeing him again often scared me and was already starting to haunt my dreams.

Vicki returned to the lounge a few minutes later, the conversation finished as she tossed the phone onto the table in front. She smiled at me wanly, grabbed the crisps from me again and burst out laughing at something on the screen that I missed, wondering what the hell that phone call had all been about…wondering if he was checking up on me, wondering if he was missing me as much as I missed him already.

Heaving a huge sigh I grabbed another brownie from the plate and shoved it down my throat, hoping to swallow all these stupid notions I still had about the nonsensical bastard vampire prince with it.

****

“I’m totally going to miss you,” Coreen sobbed, her arms around my neck - almost strangling me as we said our farewells at the airport

“Hey, come on,” I tried to gently prise her hands off of me and push her back a little. “We’ll keep in touch,” I promised. “You have my email right?”

She nodded, wiping her eyes on a soggy tissue as she looked sadly down at me sat in the wheelchair. That had been Vicki’s idea - getting the airport staff to fuss over me.

“But, you’ve been like a big sister to me, what am I going to do without you?” she almost wailed.

“And what am I? Chopped liver?” Vicki scoffed.

“Oh, you’re too bossy to be a big sister,” Coreen waved away her complaint.

“Yeah, you’re more like a stern old aunt,” I mocked, causing Coreen to burst into giggles and at least stop the tears. I was relieved, because with her crying, it wasn’t going to be easy keeping my own back.

“Well, safe trip home,” Mike stuck his hand out to me formerly. Vicki had convinced him to take us all to the airport for my flight home. “Hope you get better soon, and erm…I’m sorry, for you know, any problems I might have added to with you and…”

“It’s okay,” I stopped him, shaking his hand vigorously before he could say the name.

“Excuse us a moment.” Vicki took the wheelchair handles and pushed me out of the way of everyone for a quiet goodbye. “You going to be okay?” she asked me, perching her backside on one of the plastic moulded chairs.

“I’ll be fine,” I smiled feebly.

“And you’ll call me as soon as you land?” she requested for the fourth time.

“Yes, I…” Footsteps running behind us caused me to look up suddenly - hopeful. And then when I realised it was just another business man late for his flight, the hope died once more. “I’ll call you,” I nodded.

“Good. So…I’m gonna miss you,” she smiled. “I kinda liked having you around.”

“I know, but…we’ll stay in touch more often, okay? And maybe I’ll come back sometime, or you can come visit us?” I suggested.

“Yeah, maybe,” she replied, watching me look around the crowded terminal wistfully. She followed my gaze for a moment, wondering what I was looking for, and then she realised. “You told him to stay away,” she pointed out gently.

I sighed. “Yeah, I know…but…” I sniffed and the tears began. I rolled my eyes at myself then and pulled a tissue from my bag, dropping my boarding pass which Vicki picked up for me. “I just…maybe I should have seen him? Said goodbye to him?” I asked her. “Oh, I don’t know,” I shook my head sadly. “I just miss him,” I admitted to her with a sob.

“I know you do hon,” she patted my back awkwardly. “But…it will get better, okay? I promise.” She hoped.

I nodded, took a deep breath and wiped my eyes once more. “Okay. Just…look after him for me, alright?”

“He’s a vampire, survived for hundreds of years without me. I think he can get by without my help,” she smiled, brushing a piece of lint off my jacket.

“You know what I mean.”

“Alright…I’ll see what I can do.”

“Sorry to interrupt,” the kindly porter who was taking me to the plane came over. “We should really get going to make the flight, we still have to go through security.” She smiled politely.

“Okay,” Vicki nodded and then leaned in to give me a hug. “Look after yourself, and call me!” she ordered once more.

“I will,” I promised and then waved to the others as I was wheeled away. Coreen was crying again and Mike looked uncomfortable standing next to her sobbing, as the tears slid down my face once more.

“Oh, Cat! Wait!” Vicki called just as we reached the line for security.

I turned around with high expectations - the hope evident on my face. Perhaps Henry had come after all. Perhaps he was going to plead with me to stay, admit what a fool he’d been and beg for my forgiveness, and I knew I would agree to anything he suggested. Or, I thought to myself glumly, even if he had simply come to say goodbye, at least I would be able to hold him one last time, realising quite suddenly how desperately I wanted that, needed that. I’d been such a stubborn idiot. I should have just called him.

But as I turned, all I saw was Vicki jogging towards me. “Your boarding pass,” she breathed, thrusting the ticket at me. “Forgot to hand it back to you.”

I nodded and took it from her, for the first time actually reading what was on it - I’d barely taken much notice as they’d checked me in earlier - the porter handled most of it for me. “First class?” I asked warily, turning the ticket over in my hand, wondering if there had been some mistake, but it definitely had my name on it. “Vicki, I can’t aff…”

“It’s was Henry’s request, he paid for it. He just wanted you to be comfortable,” she added, seeing I was going to argue about it.

“Should have thought about that before he stomped on my heart!” I muttered, only loud enough for Vicki to hear. “I can’t take this…” I tried giving her it back.

“Too late, you’re all checked in and your flight leaves very soon. You have no other choice.” she smiled smugly.

I huffed and folded my arms annoyed. “Fine, but you tricked me!”

“Now, go on. Have a nice flight, and call me,” she repeated, hugging me once more as we rejoined the line to go through security check.

****

Just over half an hour later and I was being seated on the plane, with all the crew fussing over me. The porter pushing me in the wheelchair had found it necessary to tell them I’d not long been out of hospital after major surgery and to look after me - so they were going over the top with it.

“Can I get you a blanket or any more cushions?” the stereotypical gay flight attendant asked me.

“No, thank you. I’m fine here,” I smiled sweetly, wondering how long I was going to be able to keep my temper under control with them - there was already a pile of pillows behind me, supposed to be keeping me comfortable.

“Then is there anything at all I can get for you m‘am?” he smiled, stood with his hand on his hip.

“Maybe just a glass a water, I need to take some pain killers,” I explained.

“Certainly, be right back,” he grinned, looking thrilled he could help me in some way.

I sighed and closed my eyes as everyone around me got sorted in their seats. I was hoping the pain killers would knock me out for most of the trip home and I wouldn’t have to suffer this much longer.

He was back within a moment, I swallowed the pills and then fastened my seat belt, before leaning back in my seat and closing my eyes.

It seemed to be another half an hour before the cabin doors were closed and we slowly pulled away from the terminal. I opened my eyes then and glanced out the tiny little window beside my seat, looking out upon the city lights, not wanting to miss my last sights of this city I had grown to love.

And then I saw him, his face pressed against the glass of the window in the airport, watching my plane leaving. He’d come after all, though whether to beg me to stay or to say goodbye I wasn’t sure I’d ever know, but it didn’t matter now - he was too late I realised with a quiet sob, we’d already missed one another.

Henry stood in the window, his arms folded above his head, leaning against the glass, peering at me, looking lost and dejected. My heart struggled with the urge to somehow stop the plane, to get off and run back into his arms as my conscience told me how inappropriate that would be - wasn’t there some kind of penalty for purposely delaying flights or something?

The plane turned slightly then, getting ready to taxi down to the runway for take off. But if I leant back in my seat, I could still see him standing there. I noticed someone come up behind him and when he didn’t move as they put their hand on his shoulder I realised it must have been Vicki. She appeared to speak to him, then he turned and glanced at the plane one last time before following Vicki out of the airport. I watched him until I could see him no more, with tears streaming down my face.

“Are you alright miss?” One of the other flight attendants asked me.

I nodded, rummaging in my bag for another tissue and she left me alone to prepare for take off.

Moments later the plane was in the air, gliding over the lights of Toronto that was becoming a mere toy town from up here. And then with a final glance, I closed my eyes and pulled the blind down, knowing that I was leaving my heart behind down there - in the safest place I had come to know - in the hands of a predator, my beloved vampire prince.

The End?
(c) Me
January 18^th 2008

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

Don't go cursing me or hating me just yet....unlike some people...my story shall continue - there is more to come! Just be patient as the sequel is being written slowly but surely!! And I might redeem myself in that...

Writer's Block: Whose part would you play?

Thu, 22 May 2008 21:47:21 GMT

If you could be cast on any TV show, from any time, who would you play?

View 503 Answers

Easy! Henry Fitzroy's (Blood Ties) 'snack' of the night or a fling on the side....a new lover....whoever - so long as he bites me :p

This Side Of Me - chapter 24

Tue, 20 May 2008 20:09:19 GMT

Yeah....I know - I suck! I was going to post this much quicker....but my life doesn't seem to want to co-operate! It's been a funny old week full of hospital appointments, going back to work, tears & tantrums, nasty bouts of stomach flu to leave you bed ridden for a couple of days...you think my life might actually get better and more interesting one day?! Or will I always be living in my own little fictional world?! Ah sod it - the fictional world is a damn sight better....and fictional people don't hurt you as much...well, not usually!

Now...since I cried writing this, and given the emotions of BT fans right now, I suppose I should suggest grabbing a tissue - esp the last bit that made me cry!

*****

Chapter Twenty Four

Waking up to bright lights and a stark white room unnerved me, having no clue where I was. Was I perhaps dead and in whatever place it was your soul went to after death? Or perhaps I was still dreaming I fantasised, more hopefully as I gazed around the room. And then I spied an angel sat beside my bed, bathed in a glow of yellow light and I panicked. Until my eyes became more focused as I blinked a couple of times and slowly Vicki came into vision, sat beside my bed reading a magazine, the bright winter sunshine blazing in through the window behind her.

I laughed to myself, trying to imagine Vicki as an angel and even more amusing to me, the look on her face should I tell her that’s what I thought she’d been. I must have made a sound then as Vicki’s head shot up and she tossed her magazine aside.

“Hey,” she smiled. “Welcome back. How are you feeling?”

I shrugged helplessly, how was I feeling? Why? And where was I?

“You don’t remember?” Vicki read the signs of bewilderment upon my face. “You were kidnapped,” she began to explain. “By Sinead, Henry and I came to save you, only…you got stabbed.”

I nodded then, remembering, closing my eyes against the bright sunlight and becoming aware of the dull ache in my stomach area. And then another recollection came to me as my eyes snapped open. “Henry?” I gasped.

“What?” Vicki couldn’t hear me, my voice barely audible, so she leant over me.

“Henry?” I repeated.

“Oh, he’s fine.” I must have looked at her disbelievingly, because she then clarified. “Really, he’s fine…he dealt with Sinead, I don’t know what and I haven’t asked him, and he managed to get home before dawn. He’s healed…he’s perfectly fine. Actually, he sat here with you all last night.”

“Last night?” I choked and frowned at her.

She smiled again. “You’ve been out of it for some time. We brought you in yesterday, early hours of the morning. They had to operate, the knife had nicked your intestines so they had to repair that. And because of the risk of infection, you’re on some pretty high antibiotics,” she nodded to the drip, and I looked down warily at the needle in the back of my hand. “But…they all assure me you’re going to be just fine and make a full recovery. You just need to rest,” she patted my arm reassuringly.

I nodded and closed my eyes, the effects of the drugs not having worn off yet.

“Good idea, you get some more rest. I’ll go ring Coreen and let her know you’re awake and leave a message for Henry. Oh…and I should let your Mum know.”

“No…don’t,” I shook my head slowly, the action causing me to feel dizzy. “She’ll just worry…”

“Okay, I won’t call her then. You sleep…I’ll be back,” she smiled, squeezed my hand and got up.

I spent the following 24 hours or so drifting in and out of consciousness. And then when I became more conscious the pain became much worse now that I was aware of it, so I was then knocked out with pain killers. Visitors came and went in a blur, I didn’t pay much attention to them - barely aware they were even there most of the time. But I think Henry had been by in the night - I remember his cool lips on my forehead as he left before the dawn. And there was the usual procession of nurses and doctors in and out of my room, checking this and that, giving me more drugs, asking me how I was feeling.

****

“Hey! What are you doing out of bed!” Vicki reprimanded me upon entering my room and catching me heading back to bed, pushing my IV drip on it’s stand with me. She came over to my side then and assisted me back to the bed.

“It’s those evil nurses, they say I have to get up and walk, keep the circulation going or something!” I rolled my eyes and let my head fall back on my pillows Vicki settled my legs back onto the bed.. “Hey Coreen,” I smiled, realising she had come to visit too.

“Hey,” she came over, huge smiled and gave me a hug.

“Oi, watch the stitches,” I pushed her away lightly and she looked mortified thinking that she’d hurt me. “It’s alright,” I told her with a smile before she could apologise - I knew she was just relieved to see me. “Just not so tight next time, okay?” I asked, pulling the sheets back over me.

“You’re certainly looking better than you did yesterday, at least we can get some sense out of you today.” Vicki sat down, pushing Coreen out of the way so as she had to sit in the seat further away from my bedside.

“What do you mean?” I frowned.

“Well, yesterday you were pretty incoherent. Henry said you barely woke when he was here and just muttered something at him even he couldn’t understand.” She found the idea amusing for some reason.

“He was here then?” I realised.

“Of course he was!” Vicki rolled her eyes. “He sneaks in past the nurses, and then vamps them if they catch him or something. Just so he can sit with you all night. And where do you think those flowers came from?” she nodded her head towards them.

I smiled at that knowledge, causing me to feel all warm and fuzzy inside as I fingered the flowers silently.

“Anyway, we brought you food!” Coreen announced, holding up a paper bag.

“You wanna try a bit louder Coreen? I don’t think the whole nurse station on the floor below heard you!” Vicki groaned.

“Oops, sorry.” she shrugged shamefaced as she handed over the bag.

“Thanks, much better than the slop they’re serving in here,” I smiled at them and took a few bites of the fresh sandwich they’d brought up for me. “So…what’s new out there? What am I missing?” I asked.

They spent awhile filing me in, not that much had happened - things were quiet at the office. Mike and Coreen had been able to track down Cassandra and she was alright, save for a bump to the head - Sinead must have been over to her house and knocked her out so as she could impersonate her. Henry still wasn’t saying what had happened to Sinead, and no one was asking him either. So long as she was no longer a threat I’m not all that sure any of us were much bothered.

But, in the end, Vicki noticed I was tiring - Coreen was being far too perky, talking about a new guy she’d met at her friends club the night before, and so Vicki had decided they should go and leave me to rest, with the promise of coming back the next day, most likely alone she added to me in a whisper.

“Come on Coreen, we closed the office up for long enough - back to work!” She ordered. Coreen groaned as Vicki laughed at her, waved to me and closed the door to my room, leaving me to take a nice long nap.

****

I was dozing in bed later that night, rather restlessly since I was so uncomfortable in the dimmed hospital room, the only light coming from my bedside. Vaguely, in some recess of my consciousness, I heard the door open and close quietly and I figured it was just another nurse come to check on me and hoping she had brought me some more pain relief. I didn’t bother stirring for her and continued to doze, hoping I would be knocked out soon enough and my pain lessened. But then the presence in my room stood over me silently, tenderly straightening my sheets, making sure I was covered as a familiar smell hit me. Slowly I opened my eyes.

“Hey.” The person whispered softly and a smile crept onto my lips.

“Henry,” I sighed, the pain all but forgotten. “Am I glad to see you.” I reached out weekly with my hand. I know he’d been here the past two nights, but I hadn’t exactly been aware of him.

He smiled and came closer, gently taking hold of my hand , mindful of the drip attached which was replacing lost fluids and pumping antibiotics into my system. “How are you feeling?” he asked softly.

“Oh…I’m alright,” I lied and then winced as I moved slightly. “Well, I will be,” I corrected my answer. “Are you okay? I’ve been so worried. Vicki said you were okay, but I wanted to see you. I thought….I thought…” I couldn’t bring myself to say the words.

He smoothed back the hair from my face with tender fingers. “I’m fine. I, took care of things, she won’t ever hurt you again,” he vowed.

I nodded, wondering what he meant by that, whether he had killed her. But, like everyone else, I didn’t dare ask. I couldn’t blame him if he had, not after everything she’d done to him in the past and not to mention her latest attempt which almost killed me and put Vicki in danger too.

I struggled to sit up a bit then, wanting to be able to see him better and Henry helped me, adjusting my pillows for me and supporting me as I moved in the bed. Once I was settled, he pulled a chair over and sat down, just watching me, holding my hand again.

“Henry,” I broke the silence between us. “Did you mean it?” I asked, unable to wait any longer - I had to know.

“Mean what?” he asked, his thumb slowly stroking my knuckles.

“What you said the other night? What you told…her. That you, love me?” I held my breath, hoping it hadn’t been a lie, hoping it hadn’t only been fear talking.

“Yeah, I meant it,” he sighed and avoided eye contact with me, gazing down at our joined hands. “You finally got to me…and it’s true, I love you.”

I felt completely elated, that warm fuzzy feeling returned as my heart swelled fit to bursting point and the grin danced across my entire face. I squeezed his hand, wishing I could have thrown my arms around him and kissed him with all the love I had for him, though that would have to wait - for now, so I made do with bringing his hand to my lips and kissing the back. As I did he finally raised his head and our eyes met, I realised the infectious grin I had expected to see on his face was missing. There was no joy from the revelation, no loving twinkle in his eyes, only pain and a deep sombreness about him, as though something was haunting him.

“What’s wrong?” I asked him. “Telling someone you love them is supposed to be a happy occasion, right?” I giggled at him, knowing he’d probably struggled with his feelings when he’d been forced to admit them.

“We…we have to talk…” he began anxiously.

“About us?” I assumed, not having any idea of what was to come.

He nodded. “In a way, yes. Cat…I do love you.” My heart gave another joyous somersault in my chest, “but…

“I love you too,” I beamed at him, completely missing the ominous ‘but’ from him.

He continued, not listening to me. “And sometimes…you…you have to let the ones you love go,” he added solemnly.

“Go?” I frowned, not understanding what he was getting at.

“Yes, I have to let you go.” He bowed his head again.

I laughed at him. “You don’t have to let me go anywhere, silly!” I thought he was being funny as I jiggled his hand in mine.

“But I do, we can’t…do this anymore Cat, we can’t….be together.”

“What…do you mean?” I frowned, not liking the sound of where this was going.

“We have to end things between us,” he spoke quietly as he sighed softly and shook his head sadly. “I don’t know what I was thinking, that I could possibly conduct a relationship with you, that we could be anything like a normal couple.”

“So? We’re not normal,” I shrugged. “Normal is very overrated Henry.” I tried to make him smile, to admit this was just a cruel joke, that he was testing me, but his face held that same solemn look.

He shook his head, closed his eyes and raised his face to the ceiling “I’m sorry.”

“Henry…no…” I hissed, it dawning on me that he actually meant it. It was like a sudden blow to my heart - he was trying to break up with me. “I need you, I love you.” Tears welled in my eyes.

Slowly he returned his gaze to mine. “We have to, being with me…it’s putting you in danger. You almost got killed because of me. I can’t risk that, I’m not willing to risk your life.” He spoke vehemently, obviously scared for me.

I blinked and the tears overflowed from my eyes and poured silently down my cheeks. “Not even for love?” I asked him hoarsely.

He closed his eyes, tears welling in his too as he again shook his head. Heartbroken, I pulled my hand from his grasp.

“But, what about us? What about everything we’ve been through?” My voice came out rather shrilly.

His eyes opened again and looked serious. “Exactly,” he grabbed for my hand again. “We’ve been through too much, you’ve been in danger far too much, simply because you’re with me, because you love me. For your own benefit, I have to let you go.”

“And what if I don’t want to go? What if I’m willing to risk my life? Make a sacrifice, because the only thing worth dying for is love…” I pulled my hand away from his again and folded my arms defiantly. As far as I was concerned, there was nothing else to talk about, I was not going to leave him.

“You think I could live with the knowledge that I caused your death? That loving me killed you? That’s rather selfish, isn’t it?”

“Well, if loving you is selfish, then yes!” I shouted at him, trying to make him understand. “I don’t care Henry! You’re being ridiculous! I want to be with you! You finally tell me you love me and now you want to end things….don’t…..please? Henry, please don’t do this!” I pleaded with him as the tears were dripping unnoticed onto my clean hospital sheets, flowing incessantly down my face.

He sighed deeply and bowed his head again. “It’s for the best. It’s for your safety. You can go and have a normal life without me in it. You can get married and have babies, the things I can’t give you.” A lone tear spilled from the pools in his eyes, rolling unnoticed down his cheek.

I knew that had been hard for him to say, hard for him to admit to me after the pain he‘d gone through of losing the love of Betty Sagara the same way. But he‘d got me all wrong - I didn‘t want anyone else and suddenly my anguish at the thought of losing him turned to fury.

“It is not for my best!” I yelled at him. “This is all about you! You expect me to give you up and for what? To have nothing? Because that’s what I have without you, a big fat nothing!” I shoved him as hard as I could away from my bed, not that it made much of an impact on him at all.

He continued to speak calmly, which infuriated me even more. “You’ll find someone else. Someone who can be a real partner to you, someone you can grow old with and have your children with. You think I don’t know that you long for children? To be a Mother?”

“I don’t want to find someone else, I already found him. As for children, how would you know what I want? We’ve never spoken about it, besides…that’s what sperm banks are for? Right?”

Henry shook his head sadly. “And you honestly think you can raise a child with a vampire?” he hissed the word at me, fearful someone may overhear us.

“Why not?” I shrugged. “I’m sure some kids grow up in even more dysfunctional families than that!”

“Don’t be so ridiculous.” He flung the chair back as he stood up, slowly losing his temper. “It is not possible!”

“I’ve seen you be paternal…you could make a great father.” I whispered throatily, sniffing back some tears.

“That’s all beside the point here. The issue is that you’re not safe with me…and…”

“Not safe with you?” I cut him off incredulously. “What better bodyguard does a girl need than a vampire? You’re the one that’s being ridiculous!”

“I can not watch someone I care for, someone I love put themselves at such risk. Maybe this is somewhat selfish on my part, but only because I can’t face the thought that someone I love could die, already almost died because of me!”

“You know what Henry, you could barely say the word ’love’ to me for weeks, so don’t go throwing it around now like it actually means something to you!” I shot at him angrily and turned my head away from him.

He sighed again, this was not going as he‘d hoped. “It means something to me, more than you could begin to understand in your short years.”

I was about to come back with something to that unfair comment, but he cut me off as he continued.

“But, look at what’s happened to you since you met me, since we got together? You almost got raped, a warlock was hunting you down to kill you, a psychotic evil witch stabbed you! All of that in three short months because of me. It’s not safe and I’m not risking your life.”

“But you said you…dealt with Sinead? That she can’t hurt me again”?

“I did, but….there will be others like her. Other supernatural beings tend to want a piece of me, they want my immortality or to kill me. Vicki tends to attract them since she got branded by a demon and not to mention the mortals who find out what I am and get scared, don’t understand like you. They come knocking with the stakes and the torches - my life is at risk every day, and therefore yours would be too. ”

“Then Vicki isn’t safe either!” I snorted in disgust. “But I’m not afraid of all that. I can protect you during the day and you protect me at night - give and take Henry. The only thing that does scare me, the one thing that terrifies me, is my life without you in it. Of you walking away from me and never again seeing you, holding you, being with you…” I sobbed openly.

“Catalina, don’t argue with me on this,” he spoke softly and sat down carefully on the side of my bed. “I made up my mind. I love you and care about you too much to see you hurt again,” he brushed a loose strand of hair back behind my ear as he spoke. “For you to be killed because of me…I couldn’t bare it. This is the best way, the only way, to keep you safe,” he tried to take my hand, I moved it away from him.

“No, you know what?“ I poked him in the chest with my finger. “This is all about you! Just so you don’t have to live with anymore remorse. So as you can go on for another 500 years guilt free! Well screw you!” I screamed at him and slammed my fists into his chest.

“I’m sorry, I never wanted to hurt you, I never meant for this to happen,” he stood up and looked down at me repentantly.

“Oh you didn’t?” I feigned forgiveness, my hands patronisingly covering my breast where my heart beat beneath. “Well, news flash! It’s too late for that! Don‘t you hear my heart breaking? Because of you.” I sniffed and swiped at the tears with the back of my drip free hand.

“I’m sorry, Cat…we can still be friends, we can,” he started with his lame ideas.

“Friends? Why? So I can watch everything we had between us slowly fade away? So I can watch you be with someone else? That’s just too damn hard Henry!”

“I understand,” he said quietly. “But I don’t want to sever all ties with you…”

“Well you can’t have it both ways!” I heaved a huge sob.

“One day, you’ll understand…this is for the best,” he replied solemnly.

“Okay, you know what? Get out!” I yelled at him.

“What?” his eyes widened in surprise. “Don’t be like this, we don’t have to end things like this, please…”

“Get out!” I repeated. “Go on, fuck off!” I screamed at him when he made no attempt to move.

“Cat…” he pleaded.

“You probably never really loved me, you probably did just you use me for your own erotic pleasures!” I accused him, thinking back on words Sinead had taunted me with. “So, I thank you for allowing me to build my hopes up and then smash them all back down again! Well done - you screwed up the mortal! And I never want to see you again Henry Fitz Roy!” I shrieked at him with all the loathing I could possibly muster for him, knowing I meant none of it, before painfully flinging myself over in the bed, facing away from him and I screeched in pain. Henry touched my shoulder, concerned, I shrugged him off me irritably.

“Excuse me, what is all the noise about coming from this room?” A rather irate nurse with a stern appearance stepped into my room. “Please can you keep it down? Sick people are trying to sleep here you know.” she warned us both furiously.

“No problem! Because, that,” I spoke the word with contempt, “ was just leaving!” I muttered. “Escort him out, would you?” I asked the nurse.

“Yes, if you would like to come with me sir?” she asked him. “How did you get in anyway? Visiting times did end some time ago.”

“Cat…I’m so sorry…” he whispered, another lone tear trickling along his cool skin. “I do…I do love you, always” he murmured and without causing any fuss, he allowed the nurse to lead him out of my room.

“Fuck off….you blood sucking bastard!” I whispered to myself, reaching out towards my bedside and in a fit of rage, slamming everything to the floor. As the plastic water jug bounced along the floor and the vase of flowers Henry had sent smashed, I buried my head in my pillow as the tears began to fall in earnest and I sobbed my heart out over him inconsolably.

****

“Knock, knock, okay if I come in?” Vicki asked, poking her head around my hospital room door, noting that the doctor was with there and just returning the sheets over me from where he‘d been conducting an examination.

“Yes, we’re done here,” my doctor smiled at her.

“Hey Vic,” I attempted a smile for her.

“Hey. So, how’s she doing?” she sat down beside my bed.

“She looks to be healing fine and her fever has dropped, so we’re successfully beating the infection.” He made a few notes on my charts. “All things being well, I think we should be able to check you out of here in a couple of days,” he decided, giving me a pleasant smile.

“Good,” I sighed. “And how soon until I can fly?” I asked him.

“Fly?” Vicki asked, alarmed.

I nodded. “I want to go home,” I told her.

“Home? As in back to England?” she clarified.

I nodded again. “So what do you think doctor?” I waited for his answer.

“I’d be happier if we waited until your stitches were removed and to be sure we caught this infection but,” he noted the disappointment on my face. “If you’re determined I’d give it about a week at least. You’re still rather weak and very sore, flying won’t help things.”

“Well…thanks. I’ll, think about it, see how I feel I guess,” I shrugged,

“Unless there’s any problems before, I’ll be back to see you tomorrow afternoon then,” he smiled. “Do you need any pain medication? I can send a nurse in?” he wondered.

“No, thank you.” I shook my head. I had discovered that the pain from my wound took my mind off of the pain of losing Henry.

“Okay then, “ he smiled, replaced the chart at the end of my bed and he left my room.

“You want to go home?“ Vicki asked me in disbelief as soon as he closed the door.

I nodded solemnly.

“But, I thought you wanted to stay here? You were insistent on staying as long as you could? Even had me looking into you legally moving here.” Vicki was confused.

“I know, I did. But…I think we both know the reason why I wanted to stay.”

“Henry,” she correctly assumed.

“Yep, and since he doesn’t want me anymore…” I faded off as I found sudden fascination in my own fingernails.

“What?” she almost yelled.

“He…he came to see me last night, he…” I paused and tried to swallow another sob. “He…broke up with me.”

“He did what?” This time she did yell and leapt from her seat. “That jerk! I warned him….told him not to hurt you…and he screws you over whilst you’re lying here in hospital…the cheap bastard!”

I sighed. “He says he’s doing it for me…that it’s for my safety. That being with him, loving him, is too dangerous and I’m not safe with him because things are always going to be after him. And he doesn’t want me getting hurt again, he’s not willing to risk my life…not even for love.” I looked up at her slowly with sorrowful eyes as the tears began to fall once more.

“Oh hon‘,” she awkwardly hugged me, patting my back uncomfortably. “I’m sorry.”

“Worst thing is.” I choked back a sob. “He finally admitted he does love me. He actually said it, and then he said that you have to let go of the ones you love…” the flood gates opened and I sobbed in Vicki’s arms. Since he’d left the night before, I felt the only thing I’d been doing was crying and I was exhausted.

“So, that’s why you want to go home?” she realised.

I nodded glumly and eventually I calmed down enough to talk again. “If he doesn’t want me, then I can’t stand to be near him…be around him and not be with him, it’s just too hard…too painful. And I know I can’t avoid him if I stay here, he’s your partner, you work together. So, it’s just best for everyone if I go home and he can forget all about me.” I lay back down on my pillows with a tired, defiant sigh. Suddenly all I wanted to do was sleep, and let the freedom of that take me away from this agony.

Vicki sighed, she didn’t know what else to say. Inside she was fuming with Henry over what he’d done, especially his timing and feeling sorry for me that I was hurting so much. And yet, understood why Henry was doing what he was doing - he cared…he only wanted me safe.

I yawned then and felt my eyelids grow droopy.

“You should get some rest,” she told me gently. “Will do you good.”

I nodded my agreement and closed my eyes as she prepared to leave me. And then a thought struck me. “Vicki? If you see Henry or speak to him…tell him, not to come here, not to try and visit me. I don’t want to see him,”

“Are you sure? Maybe you two need to talk some more?” she wondered.

I shook my head, another lone tear escaping the corner of my eye and sliding down my face. “No…there’s nothing more to say. He made his feelings perfectly clear. Seeing him would only hurt again.”

“Okay…if that’s what you want? Do you need anything bringing?”

“No, thanks. But…you could maybe check out some flights for me? Maybe at the weekend?” I suggested.

“Sure, I can do that for you. I have to admit I’ll be sad to see you go though.”

“Thanks Vic,” I smiled weekly.

“Hey, you’re family….some of the only family I actually do care about, no need to thank me,” she patted my shoulder as she stood from the chair again. “I’ll see you tomorrow, alright?”

I nodded slowly, sleep already beginning to claim me as she quietly departed.

****

“You’re a complete jerk, you know that?” Vicki barged straight past Henry the moment he opened the door to her.
“Nice to see you too Victoria…” he closed the door and eyed her cagily.
“I just came from the hospital,” she briefly explained and folded her arms.
“Oh,” her reason for being so irate with him transpired. “Is….Cat okay?” he wondered.
“You know damn well she isn’t! How could you do that to her now? She’s been in floods of tears, and all because of you!” she almost spat the word at him. “I told you, I warned you not to hurt her….and now…”
“I never meant to hurt her,” Henry cut in. “It’s just, it’s the best thing to do. It’s for her benefit, to keep her safe.”
“Safe?” she asked shrilly. “You…dealt with Sinead, didn’t you?””
“Yes, we don’t have to worry about her anymore. But…there are going to be others, you know that as well as me. And I will not put her in anymore danger, I’m not going to let her die for me or get hurt again. She can’t see it yet, but she will…in time,” he lowered his head.
“I should have stopped this before it started, I knew you and her were bad news. I knew it would never work.” Vicki began to stroll around his condo.
“You can’t…put a stop to love Vicki,” he watched her, wondering if she was ever going to get it, ever understand this mystifying thing called love. “It’s like what I told you about passion, it will break down walls, knock you off your feet. You can’t help who you fall in love with…” he faded off.
“She said you told her you love her?” Vicki turned and faced him head on.
He nodded.
“Then why are you doing this to her?” She folded her arms, waiting for an answer..
“I told you!” he raised his voice. “To protect her. I’m not going to see anything bad happen to her…and if I have to lose her to keep her safe, then…that’s what I have to do.” He folded his own arms in response. “I have to be cruel to be kind…”
“Well…you could have picked your moment better. She’s lying in hospital - in pain, vulnerable, and you waltz in there and break her heart!”
“In time, she’ll know I did what I did for her own good. In time she’ll forget me and move on…” he faded off and it was then that Vicki realised this hadn’t been easy for him either, that this was hurting him too…that he did really love her cousin and the only reason he had done this was out of love.
“Well…you could have maybe dealt it to her a bit, more sensitively.” Vicki softened her voice some. “Couldn’t you have used your vampire powers to make her get over you or something? Just help her out here, save her some heart ache?”
He shook his head sadly. “That wouldn’t have been fair on her…besides, she’s too close to me now. She loves me too…intimately and knows me. We’re connected, whether or not she knows it. So it wouldn’t have worked for long, if at all, it would have simply delayed the inevitable.”
“Well, maybe that would have been kinder? At least until she was stronger to deal with it?”
“You honestly think she’d have been pleased to remember one day that we had been lovers and yet I broke things off with her weeks ago and then made her forget me? Pleased that I had manipulated her mind, just to possibly save her going through it right now?”
“Well, alright, perhaps not. But…what am I supposed to do here? She’s my cousin, some of the only family I actually do care about, and she’s one of my best friends. And now my other best friend has hurt her!”
“I’m sorry,” he spoke quietly..
“She’s planning on going home you know? Back to England, she wants to leave as soon as the docs say she can fly.” She found it necessary to inform him.
“It’s probably best.” Henry nodded, though his eyes deceived the real pain that knowledge brought him.
“She also said…” a sigh, not knowing whether to tell him this, or how to tell him. “She said that if I saw or spoke to you, I was to tell you not to go to the hospital, she…doesn’t want to see you.”
He nodded in understanding, but the fact that she didn’t want to even see him anymore was a blow to him, and Vicki noticed.
“I’m sorry Henry. I’m sorry everything came to this. Honestly, for a while there I began to think maybe it wasn’t so foolish, that you and her could maybe actually make this work.”
Henry, striding across his apartment, was trying not to listen to her, but it wasn’t easy, a vampire had a hard time shutting out sounds at the best of times. “I’ll erm….get her stuff packed up and bring it over to the office? Alright?” he asked, dully.
“Yeah, okay. I’ll erm…I’ll let you know how she is and when she’s leaving, okay?”
Henry simply nodded, moving aside one of the screens around his working area. “If you don’t mind, I have a deadline I need to get to,” he told her, his back to her as he sat at his desk, not wanting her to see the tears welling in his eyes.
“Oh, yeah, sure. I’ll erm...see you then?” She replied, sensing that perhaps he wanted to be alone right now as she went to let herself out, wondering how she’d got herself in the middle of this mess.
As the door closed, Henry closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep cleansing breath. And then opening them again, he set to work. Only as he moved a bunch of papers from his desk, one fluttered back down, one of the drawings he’d done of Cat. He picked it up and studied it for a moment, telling himself yet again that this was for the best, that this was the only way, as his heart argued with his head over how very wrong he was. Infuriated, he balled the sheet of paper up and slung it across the room, before dropping his head to the desk and giving in to the unfamiliar ache in his chest from a heart that hadn‘t dared reach out in so long. And painfully, he was remembering why.

*********

I did warn you!! Only one little chapter to go now...please don't all hate me!
xC

This Side Of Me - chapter 23

Wed, 14 May 2008 21:43:20 GMT

Sorry!! I didn't mean to make you wait this long for this chapter...got caught up in hospital appointments and had to go back to work today...anyways, it's here now! I will shut up and let you read!
Chapter Synopsis: Can Henry save Cat? Will everyone remained unscathed?! And is that an admission?!
Rating: 12 + for some language and violence
Pairing: Cat still loves Henry

******

Chapter Twenty Three

“So, tell me again,” Vicki asked, walking behind Henry down an empty corridor. “Why are we going to see Sagara?”
“Because…we have no idea where Cat is or who took her. Whatever is going on, it started here - we backtrack her steps and find her.” It seemed logical to him.
“Oh,” Vicki nodded, but didn’t look as convinced.
They reached Dr Sagara’s office and knocked on the door, there was no answer and then sensing something amiss, Henry barged the door open anyway.
“Betty?” he bent down by the prone figure on the floor and touched her face lightly.
“Is she…” Vicki faded off.
“She has a heartbeat, it’s a little slow, but I think she’s alright,” he replied, not taking his eyes off her and stroking the elderly ladies cheek. “Betty?” he asked gently.
Slowly her eyelids fluttered open as she groaned and she squinted up at him. “Henry?” she asked hoarsely and then her hand went to a bump on the back of her head and she grimaced.
“Here, let me help you up.” He easily collected her together in his strong arms and carried her to the couch in her office, setting her down gently against the cushions. “Are you alright?” he asked her then, eyeing her over.
“I…I think so. You’re okay? You’re safe?” she asked him and Henry frowned.
“Here,” Vicki handed her a glass of water from the water cooler in her room.
“Thank you,” she smiled.
“Do you think you’re up to talking?” Vicki asked cautiously, trying to be considerate but needing some answers.
She nodded slowly. “It’s about Catalina, isn’t it?” She knew.
Vicki nodded. “What happened? We can’t find her…and have reason to believe she’s been taken.”
“But, how come she couldn’t find you when she got back to your apartment, she said she looked everywhere and there was no sign…”
“A concealment spell or a charm or something like that. Sinead is crazy and delusional, she’ll stop at no lengths to get what she wants. Whether it’s to win me back or punish me for leaving her…” he faded off.
“Wow, talk about your break up issues.” Vicki scoffed.
Henry glared at her, not finding it amusing one little bit.
“Okay, sorry…so, if Sinead has her, do you know where?”
“I know where to start, and there will be clues. Sinead wants me to find her, which is why she revealed herself to Betty and left evidence outside my apartment.”
“So, we’re going after her then?” Vicki checked.
“Of course.” Henry looked appalled at the idea of not doing so.
“Hey, just checking.” Vicki held her hands up in defence.
“Betty, we have to go. Can we take you home or take you to a doctor?” Henry asked her, crouched beside the sofa.
“I’ll be fine here. You go find Catalina…and I should try to find out what has happened to the real Cassandra.”
“Oh yes, you’re right.” Vicki felt a touch of guilt that she hadn’t thought of the poor woman at all in any of this. “Listen I’m going to call Coreen and get her to come over here, I don’t want to leave you alone right now. And she can help you in the search for Cassandra. And…” she took a sheet of paper from the desk behind her, “if you have any problems tracking her down or need any further help, then call Mike,” she handed her the number she’d scribbled on the sheet of paper. “Tell him I told you to call him…but erm…try not to give him too many details, okay?”
“I understand,” she nodded. “Now, you go find Catalina…make sure she’s okay.”
Henry offered her a smile and nodded regally in her direction, before he fled from the room, leaving Vicki to trail slowly behind as she pulled her cell phone from her jacket to call Coreen.

****

Betty sighed and pushed herself up further on the cushions behind her. “I don’t really know. She…she was having a lesson with Cassandra, had been going for some time. Then I heard her scream, I went to check and she looked terrified, she was shaking, completely stunned by something. Then she seemed to snap out of it and muttered something about you,” she looked at Henry, “being in danger, that she had to go right now, that she had to save you. And before I could calm her down or get any sense out of her, she was gone.”

Vicki and Henry looked at each other and nodded. “From what we can gather she had some kind of vision, where she saw Henry…die.” She looked at him almost apologetically for saying the word - the mere thought of him no longer around being almost as devastating to her. “She told me that someone was in his apartment and had opened the blinds to the sun…I know it really scared her.”

“No wonder she left here as quickly as she did. She was desperate to get back to you, she loves you a great deal.” Betty told Henry kindly and gave him a wan smile, Henry returned it.

“Can you remember what happened next?” he asked.

Betty thought about it, now that she was conscious her head was hurting more. “Oh, yes…I was going to call you,” she pointed towards Vicki. “I was worried about Catalina…I wanted to check on her. Only then Cassandra came out of that room,” she nodded her head towards the other room off her office. “Only it wasn’t the Cassandra I knew anymore. She’d changed into someone, or someone had been posing as her…”

“Can you remember what she looked like?” Henry interrupted.

Betty sighed and closed her eyes to think back. “She was young, slim, pretty. Had dark curly hair. She was tanned and her face had an…almost elfin quality.”

“Christina?” Vicki asked Henry shocked.

“No,” his jaw clenched as he shook his head/ “Sinead.” And he began to pace the room.

“What? That little witch bitch is back?!” Vicki raised her voice.

“Before I could do anything else or call for help, she grabbed one of my books and whacked me with it…and I’m afraid I didn’t know anything else until you two came in.” She gave them an apologetic look and lay her head back down on the cushions.

“But…what on earth would Sinead want with Cat?” Vicki mused out loud.

Henry laughed, ironically. “Me,” he replied. “She’s powerful, but Sinead is also delusional. She won’t accept that we’re over, that I want nothing to do with her…she’s still harbouring, feelings for me, or thinks she is,” he sighed and gazed out of the window.

“I’m so sorry Henry,” Betty spoke from the couch.

“This was none of your fault,” he turned towards her. “You couldn’t have known.”

“But Cassandra is my friend, and I didn’t even notice.” Betty shook her head sorrowfully.

“Sinead is a dark powerful witch, there wouldn’t have been anything to notice, it’s not your fault,” he assured her.

“You really think she has Cat then?” Vicki asked.

Henry nodded. “In all likelihood she planted that vision in Cat’s mind, to get her to chase after me so as she could capture her at my place, hoping that I would hunt and rescue her. Therefore getting what she wants - me.”

By the time I came to again, it was to find myself still lying on the floor, strapped to the chair as I had been when Sinead had carelessly thumped me and knocked me backwards. I took a deep, shaky breath, trying to keep calm but wanting so desperately to cry. If Henry came here after me, he was going to be in trouble, but if he didn’t find me, then I was surely going to die. Right now I didn’t know which notion was the worst and I hated myself for getting us into this mess and then for assuming anyone would be looking for me. I fought back the tears then, willing myself not to cry - I was going to get through this, somehow.

I lay there for what seemed like hours, though my concept of time had not improved - sitting alone in my confined darkness, cramped and uncomfortable in the position I lay on the floor whilst still being shackled to an upturned chair. There was nothing but the deepest darkest fears of my mind to keep me company, to taunt me and my head hurt from where it had hit the hard unforgiving concrete of the floor making me dizzy and nauseas.

And then, I heard a noise, the squeak of a door being opened carefully, followed by foot steps hurrying down wooden stairs. I tensed as my heart beat sped up, thinking Sinead was back for more. And then I felt those familiar cool fingertips on my face and the unique smell that was all him - Henry had found me. That thought should have comforted me, but now I feared for his life too - Sinead was crazy and intent on doing something foul here.

“Catalina?” Henry asked hurriedly, pulling the blindfold from my eyes and leaning over me, full of concern.

“Henry…” I whispered, as my eyes blinked in the sudden brightness of the light he had found, before meeting his. He was agitated and yet relived when he saw I was conscious and even managed a smile for me before crushing his lips against my sore split lip.

“Are you alright?” he asked then, carefully pulling me and the chair into an upright position.

“My head,” I mumbled, feeling dizzy from the sudden movement.

He ran his hands gently over my head and I winced when he found the bump, pulling his hand away I noticed there was blood on his fingers. “You’ll be okay,” he told me, gently kissing me again. “We’re going to get you out of here, I promise,” he added and reached down to untie me from the chair.

“Henry…how nice to see you, have you missed me?” Sinead sauntered back into the room.

He backed away from me, hoping to keep her away from me if he could distract her enough. “Leave me alone and I might have chance to find out,” he replied angrily.

“Oh Henry darling, don’t be like that. You know we belong together, you and I were always so good together,” she smiled at him, edging closer towards him. “Don’t you remember how incredible we were in the bedroom? Our love making was always so…sizzling,” she whispered the word at him, now close enough to touch him as she ran her hand down his chest.

He picked up her hand and dropped it away from him as if it disgusted him, ignoring everything she was saying. “Let her go!” he told her forcefully. “She has nothing to do with this, it’s me you want.”

“Of course I want you my darling, just as I know you want me. You don’t need this.” She spat the word as she glanced at me trembling on the chair.

“Enough Sinead! Let her go NOW!” he vamped out at her, his eyes turning black with rage.

“Oh, Henry, Henry…patience my love,” she patted his chest and smiled at him.

“I am not your love!” he hissed at her.

“Only because that slut stole you away from me!” she screamed at him, pointing at me with contempt.

“We were over long before I met Cat, you know that.”

“Now Henry…don’t lie,” she spoke softly towards him, almost seductively. Henry growled at her. “Come my love, there’s no need for this. We can just dispose of her, and then we can be together.”

“Don’t you dare touch her!” he warned with a snarl.

“But she’s in our way!” she insisted angrily. “She’s ruined everything.”

“Okay…fine. Let her go now, don’t hurt her and I will come to you willingly,” he offered, folding his arms over his chest.

“Henry, no!” I found my voice.

“You will come to me?”

“Yes,” he nodded. “As long as you let her go and leave her alone.”

“Henry…” I shook my head sadly. This wasn’t what I wanted, I never wanted him to sacrifice anything for me. “Please…just leave me…go.”

“Never!” he turned towards me, passion and fear for me evident in his eyes.

“You…you do love her, don’t you?” Sinead realised, understanding finally that the only reason he had come to her, the only reason he would be with her would be to save me, to secure my safety and prevent anything happening to me. “Don’t you!” she screamed at him, making me jump.

Henry looked at me, our eyes met as I watched him hopefully. “Yes…I do.” he confessed, all seriousness in his expression.

“Aaw….the little bastard prince vampire fell in love,” she sighed, pretending to find it sweet. “Then she deserves everything that is coming to her!” she shrieked and grabbed an athame from the small table behind her.

“No!” Henry growled and leapt in the way. “You let her go, unharmed and I’m yours Sinead…” he repeated his offer to her.

“No…Henry, please? Don‘t do this,” I begged him, I couldn’t live with myself knowing he’d done that.

“Shut Sursum! Selentium!” She hurled the Latin words at me in rage and suddenly I could no longer speak, there was no voice there at all, not even a whisper.

“Leave her and I’m yours,” Henry repeated once more, glancing helplessly at me.

“Mine?” she smiled at him, softening slightly. “Mine?” She began to laugh then, rather hysterically. “How? When you love that little bitch there!” she pointed at me again, this time with the knife and I cowered away from it. “I should have put an end to her the first time!”

“The first time?” he questioned, wondering what else she had been up to that we hadn’t been aware of. How long she’d known about us and how long she’d been watching and plotting her delusional revenge.

“Oh, yes,” she grinned to herself, glad to have surprised him. “Those guys at that club? They attacked your…whore?” she chuckled. “That was me…I might have accidentally let slip to them that she was easy, that she would enjoy it if they fancied a quick…”

Henry growled again and slapped her, hard, causing her to fall backwards.

This only served to enrage Sinead further. “The warlock?” she asked, hoisting herself up. “Why do you think he suddenly came after her? He was happy preying on another coven…until I made it worth his while to come after your wench!” she giggled insanely, rolling her head back. “Oh what fun I have been having!” she gasped.

“You’re sick!” Henry told her. “Sick and twisted and evil.”

“And now I realise, you want something doing right - you have to do it yourself! She is in my way…I have to get rid of her!” she turned and began sprinkling something into a small cauldron, muttering words to herself.

“Sinead…what are you doing?” Henry asked, anxiously.

“oh carus atrum dea EGO to order vos…” she began to stir whatever was in the black pot with the athame.

“Sinead! Stop this!” Henry snarled at her, his vampire senses still on high alert.

Whilst her back was towards us, I suddenly spied Vicki creeping down the stairs into the basement towards me.

“Sshh,” she placed her finger on her lips silently as she moved behind me and began to try and unfasten the knots holding me in place.

“audite meus lacuna audite meus vox iuguolo is mulier EGO sic contemno…”

Realising what she was doing, understanding her words, Henry lunged at her, hoping to stop the spell she was casting. “No!” he growled. And as he did, she whirled around to fling him off of her, catching sight of Vicki untying me from the chair in the process.

“You!” she spat. “I should have known! You‘re always in my way too! Oh well,” she shrugged to herself indifferently. “I guess I’ll just have to dispose of the both of you!” she smiled.

Henry lunged for her again, though in his rage and haste over judged the distance and finished up hurtling over the top of her. Where he then found himself on the floor, impaled on some old broken piping sticking up from the ground. He groaned as he began to bleed and struggled to move, weakening himself as he had with the injury. I watched him helplessly, tears stinging my eyes before I closed them and fat tears spilled down my cheeks

Sinead laughed at him before she snatched the athame from the cauldron and came for us like a woman possessed, the ceremonial knife held in her hand above her head as she screamed hideously. Vicki managed to duck and roll, kicking her directly in the chest and sending her flying. Though not before a sudden sharp intense sting in my gut caused me to scream silently, the spell upon my voice not having yet broken, and flinch visibly in pain. Sinead fell on her back, silent and still - knocked out for the moment.

“Henry? Are you alright?” Vicki asked him.

He eyed Sinead hungrily. “I will be,” he replied. Vicki crawled towards him and helped to remove the rusty old pipe from his back. He had lost a lot of blood and he was terribly weakened, but still his only concern was for me as he looked up at me in fear and horror. “Cat?” he gasped my name as I looked down at myself in complete panic, causing Vicki to turn towards me. Only then was it she realised that somehow in the altercation between us all, I had been stabbed. That the silver handled athame was still embedded in my side and I was bleeding, fighting to stay alert.

“Oh God, Oh God…” Vicki muttered, untying me quickly and laying me on the floor. Her hand covering the wound, removing the knife and placing pressure upon it with her jacket. “Cat?” she asked. “Come on, stay with me…you’re going to be alright,” she whispered, glancing around helplessly at Henry, asking him silently if I indeed was.

“You need to get her to hospital, now!” he instructed her hoarsely, battling his own injuries, his face solemn. “Her heartbeat…it’s slow, thready…she needs help. Her body is going into shock!”

Visibly shaking, Vicki yanked her phone from her pocket, trying to keep pressure on the wound to prevent further blood loss with one hand and dial the emergency services with the other.

“Vicki…listen, you need to get her outside. They can’t come in here,” he told her once she’d called them and they were on their way.

“What about you?” she asked him, worriedly.

“I’ll be fine…I’ll survive as always. Besides, I…I have to deal with Sinead, I have to end this,” he whispered glancing at her still body, wondering how long she was going to stay out of it.

I glanced across at Henry before Vicki attempted to struggle with me outside to wait for the ambulance. He turned his head and our eyes met as his gaze fixed on me, love radiated from his eyes. Tender love and concern and something akin to pity for me, as if he had need to apologise for all this. Ignoring his own pain, his eyes willed me to stay with him, to get through this, to be alright. I smiled weakly, hoping he could read all my feelings for him in my eyes. And then, my world went black and I passed out in Vicki‘s arms.

*********

Yikes!!!! Sorry to leave you there....only 2 more chapters to go. And erm....be warned - I cried writing them!

This Side Of Me - chapter 22

Sun, 11 May 2008 00:18:01 GMT

Sorry - have been easily distracted this week - had this file open numerous times to get it edited and posted...and then something would come along to distract me again! Anyways, it's here now!
Chapter Synopsis: The drama is cranked up a notch, Henry might be in danger and the culprit behind it all is revealed...maybe!!
Rating: 12+ for some language and violence
Pairing: Henry and Cat

*****

Chapter Twenty Two

Despite being careful, as promised, and maintaining constant vigilance, the mysterious stalker was never seen again. If Coreen hadn’t seen the person too, Vicki might have thought she was starting to lose it, as it was she was beginning to think seriously about taking a long vacation.

Henry was still paranoid about it though, and barely allowed me out of his sight when he was awake. Which proved embarrassing when I went to the public bathroom whilst getting dinner at the local diner - he tried to follow me in, but I stopped him and made him wait outside, much to his frustration.

I tried to reason with him, asking him why on earth a stalker would be interested in me. I wasn’t famous or rich or anything special - I wasn’t even local so I didn’t get it at all. His come back was to point out that just a few weeks ago my life had been threatened by a crazy warlock and not to mention being attacked at the club, which shut me up. So, I allowed him to protect me and look out for me, I suppose in a way it was quite flattering that he felt he should, if not somewhat annoying at times.

The only time I really left him was for my sessions a couple of times a week with Cassandra at Dr Sagara’s office. Even then he still insisted I took a cab straight there and waited for him to pick me up, which I did - after all, the weather in Toronto was slowly turning colder and colder, I didn’t want to walk unless I had to! And we’d kind of settled into some kind of routine.

****

The alarm I’d set went off at midday, waking me with a start. With a sleepy lack of aim I reached out from the bed to turn it off, and knocked it onto the floor. “Damn,” I hissed to myself.

A few minutes later I was still lying in bed, I really didn’t want to get up. I was nice and warm in bed, it was blowing a gale outside and I was tired. One of the consequences of dating a vampire, being awake all night - I’d been awake with him until the dawn and erm…busy with him! And since the dawn didn’t break until after 8am right now, I’d had roughly four hours sleep. I groaned, and was so tempted to roll over and go back to sleep when the stupid alarm went off again.

With a sigh, I dragged myself up in the bed, glancing across at Henry, completely at peace with everything in his vampire state of sleep. I brushed a curl from his cool forehead and for a startled moment thought I saw something in my mind - a memory, a snatch of a dream, maybe a vision, but it came and went so quickly I had no time to grasp anything from it. Putting it down to me feeling overtired, I shrugged it off and finally clambered from the bed, heading for the bathroom and kicking the damn alarm clock across the floor. And then cursing when it hurt my toe and I hobbled into the shower, getting ready for my appointment at 1.30 with Cassandra.

All the while I was getting ready, I had this strange sense of foreboding engulf me. Kind of like when something bad or upsetting has happened to you, and you’ve managed to suppress it for a little while and then it all comes flooding back at once. I knew there was something wrong, but I didn’t know what and couldn’t figure it out. Things seemed fine in my world right now - Henry and I were happy together, Vicki was busy - and not with freaky cases, my Mum had stopped whinging at me as to when I was coming home, and even Mike had laid off us for a bit. Tying my shoes up, I stood up and shrugged. “Obviously I am just over tired,” I mumbled to myself and headed back to the bedroom. “No more late mornings for me mister,” I kissed Henry’s cold forehead. “I’ll see you later,” I smiled, stroked his hair and left his apartment.

****

Since I was early, I defied Henry and got the cab to drop me a couple of blocks away from the university. That way I could grab a hot drink and a muffin from one of the many coffee houses on my way there.

“Hello dear.” Betty smiled at me and looked up as I knocked and entered her office. “Cassandra’s already here, if you want to go straight through,” she told me, nodding her head towards the smaller room off her office.

“Thanks,” I yawned and juggled my Starbucks cup whilst trying to shrug out of my coat and drop my bag down.

“Henry keeping you up all night?” she eyed me with a knowing smile.

I nodded with a light laugh, “how did you guess?”

“He has a terrible habit for it,” she laughed. “You just remind him you need sleep,” she told me, wagging her pen in my direction.

“I’ll do that,” I smiled, tossing my jacket over the back of one of her chairs, placing my bag on top and reaching for the cup from her desk. Drinking down the last dregs, I dropped it into the trash. “Right, I’d best get in there.” I smiled at her and went to find Cassandra, leaving Betty marking her students essays.

“Good afternoon,” Cassandra appeared from behind a stack of books on the table and smiled at me as I closed the door.

“Hi, am I late?” I wondered, checking my watch.

“No, just on time,” she waved away my concern with a brief flap of her hand. Cassandra was an interesting woman - rather squat and much older than I had envisioned before we met, older than Betty. She was also very intuitive and very well rehearsed at what she did, and I suspected, though she’d never mentioned it, that she was also a white witch. “Shall we begin with some relaxation first? I can see that you’re tired and stressed,” she suggested.

“Yes,” I admitted with a sigh. “I was in bed late and…” I began to explain before she cut me off.

“No need for explanations. Now, if we can begin?” she repeated, that was another thing, she was also rather uncompromising in her teachings, but I kind of liked her.

An hour and a half later and I was fighting not to fall asleep as I stifled another yawn. Relaxation techniques whilst being over tired were so not a good idea! Henry was going to get some choice words from me when he picked me up - keeping me up all night when he knew I had to be up early today! And I was going to take a nap when we got back - whether he liked it or not!

“I think now ,“ she began, breaking me from my reverie, “we’ll see if you are able to clear your mind any better than the last few times.” She gave her polite little smile again.

I groaned inwardly, I was never any good at this - trying to clear my mind only made all the thoughts I was supposed to be shutting out come to mind. But apparently it was supposed to open my mind up to the elements of the universe and allow the messages from the spirits to come through to me, or some such twaddle!

I took a deep breath, trying to instil the technique I had been taught and attempted to clear my mind as I closed my eyes. For a moment it worked, and then things began to creep back, I kept thinking of all the things I wasn’t supposed to be thinking of. Sighing, I opened my eyes for a moment, took a few cleansing breaths and then tried again. Everything went perfectly blank for a moment…and then suddenly there seemed to be an extremely bright light. I was in Henry’s apartment, being a spectator rather than a participant. He had just emerged from his bedroom door, wearing his red robe, obviously he’d just woken. And then there was a loud rumbling noise and the blinds in the room began to open, filling the lounge with bright sunshine. Henry’s head snapped up in alarm and then screamed in excruciating pain as the sun caught his skin and he burst into fiery flames, burning him until there was nothing of him left but a pile of smouldering ash.

I opened my eyes suddenly, stunned and appalled by what I had seen, shocked to the very core and not being able to move. My heart was literally pounding and then, I screamed his name;. “Henry! No!” Staggering slightly, I fell backwards onto the couch.

“What’s wrong?” Cassandra asked me.

I willed my body to move, willed my brain to send the messages for my feet to move again, for my mouth to form words. But only one thought filled my mind - I had to go to him, I had to leave right now…Henry was in terrible danger. “H…Henry…” I managed to gasp.

Betty popped her head around the door. “Everything alright in here? I heard a scream.”

The sight of her seemed to snap me from my stupor. I stood shakily and went towards her. “Henry!” I began. “He’s in danger…he…I saw it, someone opened them, I have to go…I have to get back to him,” I rambled, pushing past her and grabbing my coat and bag from the chair on my way past, not stalling for a moment.

“Catalina, calm down dear. What’s wrong?” Betty attempted to soothe me, trying to block my way.

“I have to go! Now!” I almost screamed at them. “I have to save Henry!” And with that, I bypassed around Betty and fled from the office.

I couldn’t afford to waste precious minutes waiting for a cab to come and pick me up, and I didn’t have the nerve for it, imagining being stuck in traffic. So, I just ran. Adrenaline pumping throughout my body carrying me forwards, oblivious to everything and anything as I ran the whole way back to his apartment block., only one thought on my mind - saving Henry’s life.

****

Hurtling myself out of the elevator on his floor, keys in hand already I hastily unlocked his front door and slammed it open.

“Henry?” I yelled, rushing inside, running for the bedroom. “Henry?” I called his name again. He wasn’t in the bed - it was empty. I whirled on the spot and then noticed the blinds were still drawn. “Henry? Where are you?” I yelled again frantically, rushing into the bathroom, wondering if he’d decided to shower upon waking. No sign of him as I ran through every room in his condo. Finally pausing to catch my breath, I hesitatingly looked towards where I had seen him burn in my vision, terrified of what I might find there. But the floor was clean, no pile of ash and no evidence of there being any elsewhere within the apartment.

I sat down on the couch for a moment, trying to get my thoughts into check and wonder what was going on. The sun had only set five minutes previously, where could he have gone so quickly? Why had that vision come to me at all?

Rummaging in my bag for my phone, I dialled his number and waited for him to answer, tapping my fingers impatiently on the arm of the sofa. “Answer it…” I hissed into the mouthpiece as if that would make him. And then I realised why he wasn’t answering, his phone lay on his desk, vibrating amongst his drawings as it rang. I ended the call and hastily rang Vicki’s number.

“Nelson investigations, Can…”

“Get me Vicki!” I yelled at Coreen.

“Cat? Is that you, what’s wro…”

“Just…please, I need Vicki,” I insisted.

“She’s right here,” she passed the phone over.

“Vicki, have you heard from Henry today or seen him?” I asked urgently, barely pausing to take breath.

“Why? You two had a fight?” she laughed.

“Vicki!” I yelled at her. “This is serious. I…I had a vision…of Henry dying, someone got into his apartment and opened his blinds and…”

“Where are you?” she asked alarmed.

“I’m at the apartment now, I ran back from the Uni…but he’s not here, there’s no sign of him or….anything.” I couldn’t bring myself to say it.

“Well, then he must be alright. Perhaps he went out to feed already,” she suggested,

“But the sun only set five minutes ago, he’s never left here that quick before,” I sighed and ran my hand over my face tiredly.

“Well, maybe he was extra hungry, I don’t know. He can’t have gone far, have you tried calling him?”

“His phone is still here. Vicki, I’m worried.” My voice was starting to wobble again.

“Look, calm down. if he’s not there, the blinds are still closed and there’s no sign of…you know. Then he must be fine. Maybe he left to come get you and now he’ll be pissed you didn’t wait for him.”

“No, something’s not right…I’m scared,” I confessed.

Vicki sighed in exasperation. “Alright, give it half an hour, if he’s not back or called, then call me back and I’ll come over and we’ll go look for him, alright?”

“Yeah…fine. I’ll just start looking now by myself,” I resolved and snapped the phone shut.

Taking one last sweeping look around the apartment with all the doors gaping open from where I’d rushed around searching for him, I stood and dropped my phone back into my bag, then hitching it back onto my shoulder I prepared to go search for him, convinced something horrible had happened.

I locked the door again after me and headed for the elevator, preoccupied with trying to decide where to start looking first. When suddenly I was grabbed from behind.

“Henry?” I asked eagerly, trying to twist around to see who had grabbed me.

“Oh, I’m afraid not.” A twisted, sinister female voice oozed.

“Get off me.” I began to struggle when I realised it wasn’t him. They gripped me all the tighter. “Get your hands off me. Help!” I began to scream. “Henry!” I yelled helplessly.

“How sweet,” the sickening voice dripped with bitterness. “Calling for the little vampire, he can’t help you now.” They scoffed behind me and then a rather nasty smelling rag was being thrust upon my face and instantly I realised what it was as I struggled with new intensity - chloroform.

“No!” I yelled. “Let me go…Hel…” but the rest of my words were lost as the chloroform did it’s work. I felt unbelievable sleepy…and then everything went black as I became unconscious.

****

Meanwhile...

Twenty minutes or so had passed since Cat’s frantic phone call and Vicki was pacing her office, perhaps she had been right, perhaps something was wrong.
“Why don’t you just go over there and check?” Coreen suggested, handing her a fresh mug of coffee and eyeing her with concern.
Vicki sighed and sat down with the mug, pulling her hair back into a loose ponytail. “Something about all this just doesn’t add up,” she frowned, trying to figure out what. “Perhaps I should check,” and she reached for the phone on her desk. Dialling the well known number she waited for an answer.
“Fitzroy.”
“Oh…Henry…you’re there?” Vicki asked, flummoxed for a moment.
“Erm…yeah, I’m here,” Henry replied, confused.
“She found you then? Where have you been?” she looked up at Coreen, relief evident on her face.
“I haven’t been anywhere, I only woke a few minutes ago. I was in the shower. And what do you mean she found me? Who?”
“Cat, is she there?”
“No, she’s at Sagara’s - taking one of those sessions she’s doing. Why?”
“But…she called me, she…” Vicki faded off and bit her bottom lip anxiously.
“Vicki, what’s wrong?” the tone of Henry’s voice changed.
Vicki sighed. “You haven’t heard or seen Cat at all then? I mean since you woke? Nothing?”
“No,” he replied, waiting for her to answer his question.
“She called me, just over twenty minutes ago or something. She sounded frantic, scared. Something about having a vision, seeing you die and she’d ran back from the Uni to check on you. She called me because you weren’t there, she couldn’t find you and was worried.” Vicki explained as much as she knew.
“But…the sun only set awhile ago, and I haven’t left the apartment. Where is she now?”
“She said she was going out to look for you. I said to give it half an hour and call me back, but she rushed off somewhere,”
“Okay, something is not right here. I haven’t left the place, but she couldn’t find me anywhere? Explains all the doors in the place being wide open when I woke,” he realised.
“Hang on, I’ll get Coreen to try her cell phone.” She thrust her own cell phone at her assistant who dialled the number.
“Anything?” He asked after a moment.
Coreen shook her head at her and Vicki frowned. “No.”
Henry‘s sensitive hearing picked up on something then. “Keep it ringing,”
“Why?”
“Just…” He opened his front door and stepped out into the hallway. “Vicki,” he sounded suddenly alarmed.
“What? What is it?” Vicki demanded of him
“Her bag…it’s out here, in the hallway. It’s been dropped hastily…her phone’s still inside” He picked it up and ended the call. “Vicki, something’s terribly wrong,” he realised with trepidation.
“Okay, come get me, I’ll meet you outside, we’ll go find her.” She knew what he had been going to say.

****

Some time later, which could have been hours or it could have been minutes, I started to come to. My head felt fuzzy and I was totally disorientated as I tried to shake away the feeling, only for that to make me feel dizzy and I grimaced against the feeling. At first I assumed I was somewhere in complete darkness, and then realised as my eyelashes fluttered against something over my face, that I was actually blind folded. As I slowly became more aware I also realised I was tied to a chair, my hands strapped behind my back and my legs shackled to each leg of the chair. Despite the fact I was still drifting in and out of consciousness, I felt sick and terrified.

And then I heard movement behind me.

“Who’s there?” I asked, trying to calm the quake in my voice. “Henry?” I knew it was a long shot, but I was hopeful.

“No, I don’t think so.” That voice spoke to me again.

“Where is he!” I demanded. “What have you done to him?”

“Well…you can ask him yourself, once he gets here.”

“Once he gets…” and I faded off, realising that I had been duped completely. I was now being used as bait and luring Henry to whoever was holding me captive and into something dangerous.

“Because you know he’ll feel that he has to save you, play the gallant hero.” The voice laughed sickeningly.

“You leave him alone!” I told her.

“Oh, that would be sweet, if it didn’t make me want to vomit! Now shut up!” She screeched at me and kicked the back of the chair for good measure. The chair teetered on two legs, and then righted itself back down with a thud, causing my head to ache.

“What do you want with him?” I couldn’t help but ask, hoping to keep her talking. Whilst she was talking she was too distracted to do anything else - I hoped.

“What do I want with him?” she laughed moronically. “He’s mine you bitch! You stole him from me and now I want him back!”

“He’s not yours, Henry doesn’t belong to anyone but himself. If you know what he is, then you should know that!”

“Oh poor dear stupid little girl…” she traced her fingers around my neck as I cringed away from her touch. “Of course I know what he is, and I know he’s been using you my dear, he doesn’t really care about you, he only cares for ME!” She howled. “You - you’ve just been easy sex for him, a convenient blood supply, someone to tend to his little erotic pleasures. But you, the dumb bitch, has fallen for him…aww…isn’t it cute?” she mocked.

“You lie!” I screamed at her. “Henry does care…”

“Really?” she asked. “You’re totally sure about that?” she chuckled to herself.

I tried to ignore her, tried not to let those doubts about him creep back in. but they were always there, in the back of my mind.

“See, not so sure now, are you?” Her voice sounded scathing as she circled me sat on the chair, like a predatory animal. “How dumb you are…how insane to think he could possibly care for a mortal…that he could love you.” She used the word love as if it was a derogatory phrase.

I stayed silent, knowing she was just lying, that she was taunting me and trying to get to me, to get a reaction from me - she was delusional and bitter. And suddenly I thought who the person behind the voice could be, Henry’s ex, the dark witch - Sinead.

“Henry and I belong together…or we did until you came along to screw things up,” she continued to delude herself. “You and your dim-witted little cousin getting in the damn way all the time, stealing all Henry‘s attentions away from me! Henry loves me and only me!” She shrieked, as if to make the point to someone, but I just thought it rather sad. “You‘re just the dreary little wench who fell for a vampire…how pathetic, how tragic, how…”

“If he loves you so much, if you really belong together, then tell me…why do you have to kidnap me and use me as bait to lure him to you? To win him back? Hmm…shouldn’t it tell you something, that he’ll only come to you, to save me!” I shot back at her, giving her a taste of her own medicine.

I felt her move quickly, dart back in front of me and I knew I’d angered her, that I had hit a raw nerve. “How dare you! How…you useless bitch!” And she back-handed me across the face, roughly…the chair toppled and then fell backwards. “Now shut the hell up!” she screamed before my head hit the hard floor with a sharp thump and I blacked out again.

****

Dum dum duuuuum.....:p
xC

This Side Of Me - chapter 21

Mon, 05 May 2008 20:54:59 GMT

Apologies for my depressive, negative headspace last post - I get like that sometimes, you get used to it or you ignore me...:p Anyways, here is the next chapter and I'm happier with this one (I never liked the last one when I wrote it so didn't expect anyone else to!) I think there's only 4 more chapters after this...so it's the beginning of the end. BUT...the sequel is being written as we speak...and the only good thing about being totally housebound with a dodgy ankle is that I have gotten lots of writing done - we're up to chapter 7 of the sequel now!

Chapter Synopsis: Henry's being cagey...and naughty! And...something strange is going on...
Rating: 18+ for scenes of erm...the adult kind of fun :p
Pairing: Yep - Henry and Cat are still together

*******

Chapter Twenty One

“Henry?” I started, stepping into his library where he was sat reading something.

“Mmm?” he asked, absorbed in the book.

I wrapped my arms around his neck from behind the chair and kissed his temple. “Do you…have, Dr Sagara’s phone number?” I asked warily.

“Umm, yeah,” he shifted his head to look at me in surprise as I circled his chair and sat on the arm. “Why…do you want it?” he asked guardedly, moving his book aside and pulled me to sit on his lap.

“Oh, she told me she had some lovely old photos of you. And I thought we could exchange stories too,” I teased and laughed at him as his eyes opened wide in alarm. “I’m kidding,” I slapped his chest playfully. “Just…when we went to see her the other week, she mentioned she might know someone who could help me learn to control my visions, and…I thought maybe I’d see what they had to say,” I explained as I fiddled with the cross he wore around his neck.

He looked down at what I was doing. “Have you been having any weird visions or dreams again?” he instantly worried.

“No…not really, but I would like to be able to control them. Maybe they’d be more use then or at least make more sense to me.”

“Well, yeah, sure, I have her number if that’s what you want and you think it will help. It’s on my cell phone,” he added, wrapping his arms around me and tugging me closer for a kiss. His lips touched mine briefly, before pulling back, gazing into my eyes and then kissing me longer, deeper.

I almost lost myself in him, in his kiss, before I remembered what he was supposed to be doing - he was always able to sway me into his desires with a mere touch, a kiss, a look, and he knew it! “Mmm…Henry,” I mumbled, my hand on his shoulder, vainly trying to push him back.

“Mmm?” he murmured in reply, amusement evident in his voice, before going in for another kiss.

I used both hands on his shoulders this time. “Henry, the number?” I reminded him.

He sighed then and sat back in the chair, the smile faded on his lips as he let me go before slipping me off his lap and standing up to go find it.

****

“Who were you speaking to?” Henry asked as I hung up my new phone. Since I intended to live in Toronto now, and people needed to get in touch with me, it seemed a sensible idea for me to get my own mobile phone. So I had a brand new, though cheap, prepaid handset.

“Dr Sagara,” I answered him, knowing he could have heard the conversation if he’d wanted to. I returned to my laptop that was set up on his desk, seeing as he wasn’t using it.

“She wanted to speak to you?” he queried, before sliding the paintbrush between his teeth, folding his arms and stepping back to scrutinise his own painting that he had been working on for the last couple of nights.

“Yes, she wants me to meet in her office tomorrow afternoon. The woman she knows, think she said her name was Cassandra, to help me with my visions is coming over, so thought we should meet and set up some, erm…sessions,” I explained, wiggling the mouse to turn off the screensaver on the laptop again and scrolling down to where I’d been before the call.

Henry nodded then. “Oh, right,” he muttered, pulling the paint brush from his mouth and dabbing a spot of paint to his work.

“I thought I could go for lunch with Vicki, then head over there….and maybe you could pick me up when I’m done? It will probably be dark by then, and….” I trailed off, even though I was much better now and didn’t mind being out alone during daylight, when night struck, I was still wary after my attack in the nightclub some weeks ago.

“Sure, I’ll come get you. Just leave me a message to let me know you’re done.” He stood back to study his painting some more.

“Thank you,” I smiled, and attempted to begin editing my work and correcting typing errors.

That soon became boring though and I found myself sat motionless, with my fingers on the keys and gazing at Henry more and more often. I loved to watch him paint or draw - he was so passionate about it and when he was really into a particular piece, he’d become a vamped out frenzy. Right now there seemed to be something he was frustrated with, something that wasn’t right. He’d paint a little, then stand back to see the effect, shake his head and return to the painting, and I smiled to myself - whatever masterpiece he was creating, it must have been special.

Saving my document again, I slipped from the chair and slowly crept up behind Henry.

“You do know that you can’t possibly creep up on me, don’t you?” he asked, his back to me as he retouched his painting again.

“You could let a girl pretend she could though,” I scowled at his back. “What are you painting anyway?” I tried to peer over his shoulder, when suddenly he caught me around the waist and spun me around, away from his work.

“Nothing for you to see,” he laughed at the surprised expression on my face.

“Oh, come on…you’ve been working on this the past two nights, let me see?” I requested. He shook his head. “Is it of me?” I wondered if that was the reason for his reluctance.

“No,” he replied, silencing me with a kiss.

Distracted for the moment, his hold on me relaxed as the kiss intensified and he held me more lovingly, rather than vicelike. So it was easy for me to break off the kiss, escape his hold and dart under his arm towards the painting.

“It’s a woman,” I stated the obvious.

Henry sighed and ran his hand over his face, before turning to face me. “Yes,” he nodded.

“Should I be jealous?” I wondered. Why on earth was he being so cagey about this? “Is she an…old lover?” I asked hesitantly, wondering whether or not I really wanted to know the answer.

“You…could say that, a very old lover,” he replied, picking up his painting palette again.

“It’s Christina,” I realised with a slight shock. “The one who turned you?” I turned to face him.

“Yes,” he whispered.

“Why…are you, painting her portrait? I mean…I thought, from what Vicki said about the last time she showed up, that you’d been able to put her to rest.” I frowned and folded my arms, feeling a little defensive here.

He shrugged. “Habit?” he offered as a reason. “I’ve been doing it every year since she left me...” he faded off.

“And you keep them all?” I mused out loud. Where on earth could someone store 470 paintings, apart from a museum or gallery?

“They’re…around, in various places,” he replied nonchalantly, attempting to fix the eye on his painting that was causing him much frustration.

“Won’t it go right?” I asked, tilting my head to the side as I watched him.

He sighed deeply. “I just…I can’t capture her eyes, the love I once saw in them anymore.” he put down the paintbrush again.

“Well, you ever thought that might be because it’s not there anymore? Maybe the last time you saw her, you saw her for what she really was? Manipulative? Possessive? A complete bitch?” I suggested, fearing I might be over stepping the line here.

He turned back to me, tilted his head slightly and screwed his mouth up in discernment. “Maybe you’re right,” he gave a slight shrug.

“Do you…you know, ever regret letting her turn you? Giving up your human life for her?” I wondered, finally daring to ask some questions about her, since we were on the subject.

“No,” he answered instantly.

“Not even the loss of your…humanity, simple things like having a family? Growing old with someone?” I took a step closer to him and lay my hand on his arm.

“If Christina had never turned me, I would have died hundreds of years ago….and then,” he turned his head and smiled at me, “I would never have met you.”

I chuckled. “Oh, you’re so smooth Lord Fitzroy,” I rolled my eyes and tapped the end of his nose.

“And you know you love it!” he grinned back, dabbing the end of my nose with his paintbrush.

“Hey!” I complained, wiping my nose. “You’re such a brat….prince!”

“A brat?” his eyes widened.

“Uh huh,” I nodded.

“We’ll see about that!” He made a lunge for me as I squealed and darted away. He chased after me, into the bedroom where he picked me up, spun me around and tossed me onto the bed as if I was but a mere doll.

I lay in the middle of his bed, stunned for a moment and catching my breath as he climbed over me, crawling upwards. “Still think I’m a brat?” he asked, his lips curled into a smirk.

I couldn’t help it, I tried to stifle a giggle, but I nodded.

“Then you shall be punished, for I am of nobility,” he began in a mock stern voice - the smirk on his face giving him away as he straddled me. “I am the Kings son…and you will not call me a brat. Now….take your punishment,” and he began to tickle me.

“Argh!” I screamed and squirmed under him. “Henry….noooo….stop,” I tried fighting off his hands, but it was no use - he was far too quick for me. “Hen…ry!” I screamed, “please….stop…” I gasped amidst uncontrollable giggles. “I hate….being…tickled,” I told him, and then realised that was a mistake when the tickling increased. “No! Henry! Stop…ahhhh!!….please?” I panted.

“You apologise?” he stopped, and leaned down into my face, his nose touching mine, his lips close.

I nodded. “You’re not a brat,” I panted. “You’re a complete royal bastard!”

“That’s my name,” he grinned, before his lips pressed against mine and he was kissing me in earnest.

I began to relax under him as my hands came up to curl around his neck and pull him into the kiss deeper, fingertips playing with soft tendrils of brown curls. I barely even noticed his hand snaking down my side, until he suddenly thrust it down my jeans and into my panties in one smooth movement.

“Henry!” I shrieked, my body convulsing in surprise of the abrupt intrusion.

“What?” he smirked down at me.

“You know damn well whaaaht…” I moaned the ending of the word as he moved his finger deliciously against me and I threw my head back into the pillows.

“Sorry, what was that?” he asked, a rather smug looking grin on his lips.

My legs parted of their own accord, allowing him further access as he began to explore me, easily sliding through the moist flesh as my body pooled against his touch already. “Ohhh…” I moaned in answer, grasping his hand and urging him to where I needed him.

He leant down and kissed me as his finger slipped inside me, and then another.

“Oh…God….” I hissed, closing my eyes. He began a rocking movement with his hand as he kissed me and toyed with the hard nub of my sex. “Henry…no…stop….no, no, don’t stop….Oh God…more…I need more,” I gasped, not sure what I wanted or needed. This was sweet torture.

He kissed my lips fleetingly, before he pulled back and a light breeze blew against me and rustled the sheets. When I opened my eyes again I realised he was naked and willing and undressing me hastily. Within moments he was knelt between my legs, teasing me with the tip of his hardness against my wet opening.

“Henry…please,” I begged him, slipping my hand between us and trying to grasp him to complete the union.

“Patience my love,” he whispered, slapping my hand away and continuing to arouse me to a point where I thought I might burst.

“Please…I need more…I need you, now,” I hissed urgently.

He lowered his head and nipped at my breasts, running his tongue across a nipple and lowering his body towards mine slowly, teasingly. And then, he entered me quite suddenly. “Is that what you want?” He whispered against my ear.

“Oh…yes…yes…” I moaned, having reached a peak upon the point of entry, having been aroused far too well.

He held still, letting my body calm itself, before he moved within me. Sliding in and out, smoothly, going seemingly deeper and deeper each time as my body gripped him greedily, causing intense friction between us, sending us both to that peak again. I knew I wouldn’t last long, he’d managed to work my body into such a frenzy in such a short space of time.

He sensed it to, could smell my passion, my desire for him, could hear the sound of my heart pulsing rapidly, sending blood coursing throughout my body, drawing more oxygen in as I panted and moaned and sighed under him.

Lacing his fingers through mine, holding my hands out, and with his head already buried in my neck, nuzzling against me, he held off until the exact moment. And seconds before another climax crashed within me, he sank his fangs into the vein on my neck, allowing the blood to burst free and gush over his tongue - the hot, coppery taste flowing down his throat - feeding my lover. Upon his bite, my orgasm crashed around him, squeezing him further and stimulating his own climax as his infertile seed spilled inside of me.

“Wow,” I gasped, lying on my back beside him and breathing heavily.

Henry leaned over me, propped up on his elbow, the look on his face being that of someone extremely pleased with himself. “You okay?” his voice rumbled gently whilst lighting tracing the slowly fading puncture wounds on my neck with his finger.

“Mmm,” I sighed dreamily and closed my eyes as I stretched upon the satin sheets.

“Good,” he lowered his head and kissed my lips softly and rolled onto his back, pulling me with him so as my body nestled against his.

“You know…” I began, fingers lazily toying with the light dusting of hair on his chest. “If I’d known what teasing and calling you silly names did before, I might have done it sooner,” I giggled.

“Really?” he asked wide eyed.

“Uh huh,” I nodded before lying my head down on his chest. “It was most…enjoyable,” I yawned and closed my eyes, before nodding off on him, curled up naked together on his bed and took a little nap after our exertions whilst Henry simply held me.

*****

“Hey you,” I climbed into Henry’s car and leant across to kiss him as I closed the door.

“Things go alright?” he asked, waiting for me to fasten my seatbelt before we set off.

“Uh huh,” I nodded. “Cassandra seems nice. She’s basically just teaching me some visualisation techniques for now, which should help in reading my visions. As well as relaxation and listening to my mind.” I told him.

“Think you could teach some of that to Vicki?” he laughed and I joined in with the joke.

“Betty sends her love,” I told him as he pulled out onto the street.

“She did?” he glanced back and cocked his eyebrow.

“Yes. She’s actually a really sweet lady.” I confessed.

He nodded and smiled knowingly. “So, are you hungry?” he asked.

“I am. Are you?” I wondered.

“I already ate,” he grimaced.

“Oh…maybe…you might be up for a late night snack later?” I teased.

“Maybe,” he grinned. “So, we’ll go get you some dinner, and then Vicki wants me to swing by. She called before I left and wants to talk to me about something,” he added with a sigh, hoping she didn‘t have some huge case she needed help with.

“Okay,” I agreed with a nod, hoping the same thing as I reached for the stereo, turning on some music.

“And maybe then we’ll see about that late night snack you offered,” the grin was back and the naughty twinkle evident in his eyes as I smirked to myself and relaxed back in my seat.

****

“Well, you took your time!” Vick complained as Henry strolled into the office.

“You never said it was an emergency, and I told you I had things to do first.” Henry replied casually.

“Fine, at least you’re here now!” she snapped and slammed shut the book she had been looking through.

“So, what is so important?” Henry coiled himself into one of the chairs at her desk.

“Okay…I know I’m probably going mad.” Henry made no comment, but pulled a face all the same. “So this afternoon, out on the street, I swear someone was watching the office, and then…”

“Hey Vic,” I grinned, stuffing my face with french fries from my Mcdonalds take out as I sauntered into the office, having stopped off to speak to Coreen.

Vicki stopped short and eyed me warily, flashing a nervous glance towards Henry and back to me. None of which I missed.

“Oh, don’t mind me,” I held up one hand, the other holding onto my bag of food. “I can tell when I’m not wanted, I shall just go out here and find some clean clothes to take back.” I smiled and slipped through the doors to her private area to the room I had been staying in.

Vicki sighed and after a moment I heard her continue her conversation with Henry, though it was somewhat muffled now.

I stuffed a bag with clean clothes, making a mental note to come back tomorrow to do some laundry, and then having finished my food, I took my rubbish to the kitchen and grabbed a drink before heading back to the office.

“What do you mean she followed her?” I heard Henry bellow on my way back..

“Well…that’s how it looked. Cat left, and seconds later, the woman headed off in the same direction. Maybe it was just a coincidence?” Vicki suggested, knowing it was a long shot.

I hovered outside of the office door, wondering what was going on. Neither of them paid me any attention yet - both too involved in their conversation. Henry was gazing out of the window, looking down on the street.

“But she waited out here until Cat left?” Henry recapped.

Vicki nodded.

“I can’t sense anything now, too many other bodies have been by, her scent has faded. Why didn’t you tell me this before?” he whirled around and caught sight of me.

“What’s going on?” I asked them, heading into the office now that I had been discovered and looking from one to the other. It didn’t take a scholar to realise it had something to do with me.

Henry sighed and indicated for me to sit down. “Vicki thinks you may have a stalker,” he explained, sounding tired.

“A stalker?” I asked, incredulous. “Why?”

Vicki shrugged. “We don’t know. But…there’s more,” she grimaced, knowing Henry was not going to be pleased.

“More?” he asked, eyes wide and threatening.

“Yeah, well…I think someone has been in the office, someone uninvited that is.” She cringed, waiting for the wrath of Henry and the lectures.

“What makes you think that?” he asked, moving away from the window and leaning on her desk.

“Well, that photo I had on the pinboard,” she waved behind her towards the item in question. “You know, that one you gave me, that was taken of you two together at that fancy theatre thing you went to?” She asked me and I nodded. “It’s gone. Coreen swears she hasn’t touched it, and we both searched - it’s not fallen off, so…”

“But why would someone want to break in and only take that?” I mused out loud.

“People do all manner of weird things, nothing much surprises me these days.” Vicki sighed.

“That’s it,” Henry announced rather loudly, making me jump as he turned to face me. “You’re not going anywhere by yourself until we sort this, alright?” he asked, pointing a finger in my face.

I was tempted to bite that damn finger of his. “But…I…”

“No,” he cut me off abruptly, his expression deeply serious. “If you do have to go out before I wake, you take a cab straight there. And when you go see Sagara, wait in her office with her until I pick you up. Alright?”

“Fine,” I held up my hands in surrender. “Of course father!” I muttered under my breath.

“It’s to keep you safe!” he scolded me.

“I know, I know. I’m sorry.” I rolled my eyes, thinking he was being a touch too melodramatic here.

“And you had better be careful too,” he warned Vicki. “Get the locks changed or something. Keep an eye out and let me know if anything else strange happens. I can watch the place at night if you want me to? And Coreen should be warned.”

“About what?” she asked, almost skipping into the office, handing Vicki the reports she’d just finished typing up and printing out

“We might have a stalker,” Vicki told her quietly, being much calmer about this than Henry was.

“Oh, you mean that weirdo out on the street today? Yeah, I noticed her looking up here, she left when Cat did though.”

“Exactly! So, no one goes out alone and everyone keeps an eye out for this woman,” Henry repeated his warnings to us.

“Okay Henry, we get it!” Vicki rolled her eyes, beginning to wish she‘d never told him. Maybe it had just been a coincidence. Maybe it was just a one off or a loony who was lost or simply wasting some time or they had the wrong person. Maybe there had been no point in getting Henry involved and worked up about it.

“Fine, if you’re not going to take this as a serious risk, then don’t listen to me. Go ahead and do what you like, ignore my advice. You always do!” he snapped and was about to storm out of the office.

“Hey, hey,” I stood and placed a hand on his chest and the other rubbing up and down his arm, hoping to placate him as I spoke softly. “We get it Henry, and we’ll listen, we’ll all be really careful, right?” I eyed the other two.

Coreen nodded, and then Vicki did also, albeit rather reluctantly.

“And we’ll even look both ways before crossing the road,” she quipped.

Henry growled and I shot her a filthy look. Couldn’t she see I was trying to calm the irate vampire down?

“Henry, really…we’ll be careful. The only place I’ll go without you is to see Dr Sagara…and I’ll do everything you said, get a cab right to the door and wait for you. I promise,” I patted his chest lightly. “I know you’re only trying to look out for us because you care, so…we’ll follow your advice and we’ll all keep an eye out and be careful, okay?” I looked up at him, relieved to see his human eyes, rather than his vampire traits and smiled. “Promise,” I repeated in a soft whisper.

He offered me the briefest smile, lifted my hand from his chest and kissed the back of it. “Let me know if you see this person again. I can be here in moments if needs be,” he informed Vicki, and then he slowly left the office.

“Wow!” Coreen gasped in awe. “Did you see the way she handled him?” she asked Vicki. “And you thought you once had that vampire wrapped around your little finger,” she chuckled.

Vicki rolled her eyes. “You’re far too soft with him,” she grumbled at me and returned to her desk, picking up the book she had been reading previously.

I stuck my tongue out at her, she was just jealous that I could control him, when she only riled him further. “I’d best go join him anyway. Erm…see you guys tomorrow?” I asked, picking up the bag of clean clothes and heading for the door.

“Yeah, so long as you ask the little vampire‘s permission!” Vicki scoffed, not even looking up from her book.

I flipped her the finger, Coreen giggled and I left to find Henry.

He was stood outside on the pavement, leaning against the hood of his car with his arms folded. I suppose it should have irked me that he assumed I would follow him, but it didn’t. Behaving like the gentleman he’d been up brought up as, he moved towards me and took the bag from me.

“Thanks,” I smiled.

He returned the smile with a slight nod of his head, and was about to toss the bag onto the back seat, when suddenly he snarled, his head shot up and he whirled around. His eyes darted back and forth up and down the street.

“What is it?” I asked him, concerned.

“I thought I heard something,” he told me, his human façade having faded away.

I looked up and down the street too and saw nothing but a cat crossing some feet away. “I don’t see anything,” I shrugged, though I knew they could be hiding and Henry could have still heard them.

“Whatever it was has gone,” he told me after a couple of minutes and his human side took control once more.

“Come on,” I took the bag back from him, tossed it onto the back seat and slammed the door, turning to lean back on it. Grabbing hold of the lapels of his jacket, I pulled him towards me. “Let’s go back to your place, I believe I promised someone a late night snack?” I teased and flashed my eyebrows at him.

He pressed his body again mine, his hand cupping my head. “I do believe you did,” he smirked before he placed a kiss on my lips. As we parted, I glanced up and caught Coreen watching us out of the office window. I laughed and nodded my head towards her, Henry looked up, just before she jumped back out of sight. “Let’s go,” he laughed as we climbed into the car and made our way back to his condo.

********

Chapter 22 coming soon...and the drama increases!! Yet again!!
xC

This Side Of Me - chapter 20

Thu, 01 May 2008 22:05:50 GMT

Sorry...should have gotten to this earlier....but I didn't - have no real excuse!
Chapter Synopsis: Not a lot really - it's boring! It's a filler and I apologise for it's cackness!
Rating: PG
Pairing: The same as last time!

********

Chapter Twenty

My head was pounding, quite literally, when I woke sometime later and I screwed my eyes shut, not wanting to return to consciousness, not wanting to face this headache I knew was raging. And then as my senses took hold of me, I realised it was actually the front door that was pounding audibly.

With a tired sigh I slipped from the sheets and realising that I was still quite naked, grabbed Henry’s red silk robe to cover myself as I stumbled upon the pile of our clothes strewn on the floor, tripped and stubbed my toe on the bed. “Shit!” I hissed as I now hobbled towards the door, holding my sore head in my hand.

“Alright, alright,” I mumbled as the hammering continued and I fumbled with the handle. “Vicki,” I sighed when I realised who it was and left the door open for her as I reached down to rub my throbbing toe.

“Did I wake you?” she asked, the question being rather absurd in my opinion.

I looked at her all bleary eyed and my hair dishevelled, holding the wrap closed across my naked body. “What do you think?”

She smirked and then closed the door behind her, almost tripping over my shoe, the pashmina, my bag and Henry’s jacket that had been abandoned in the doorway. She picked them up and eyed me suspiciously.

“Thanks,” I took them from her and said no more about them. “So…what you doing?” I asked.

She made her way over to the couch and put her bag down on the table. “Well…Coreen has been out sick all day and…” About to sit down, she discovered my other shoe on the couch where it had landed the night before. “Busy night was it?” she asked with a snigger in her voice.

I pulled a face and snatched the other shoe from her, knowing I was blushing. “And…” I urged her to continue, hoping to distract her from the items now gathered in my arms.

“And…Mike has been busy, so I’ve been working on this case alone all day, and thought I would come here and toss ideas around with you two. Not that you look in a fit state, his Lordship not up yet?” she asked, making herself comfortable on the couch.

“Has the sun set?” I scoffed.

“Almost,” she shrugged.

“Then you know he’ll be up soon. Now….if you don’t mind, I need to take some painkillers and find some clothes…and shower or something,” I sighed, feeling rather rough.

“Yeah, looks like you need it. Must have been quite a night!” she laughed at me as I padded bare foot back to the bedroom.

****

Henry was awake, dressed and sprawled out on the couch, drawing pad in hand whilst Vicki sat talking to him about her case by the time I ventured from the bathroom. I rounded the couch, heading for the chair and Henry smiled up at me, his eyes darting away from his drawing for a moment, I returned the smile and touched his cheek before I spied the two cups of take out coffee on the table.

“Oh, please say one of them is for me?” I asked, eyeing the coffee hopefully. The painkillers were starting to work on my head, but I still felt pretty lousy.

Vicki waved her hand towards one of them, indicating that one was for me. “Henry thought you might need it and ran out to get them for us,” she explained, taking a sip from her own.

“Thank you,” I smiled at him, grabbing the cup and adding sugar to it. “And do me a favour?”

He looked up at me silently, waiting expectantly to hear what the favour was.

“Don’t ever let me drink champagne again,” I grimaced.

Henry laughed. “I did try to stop you.”

“Well, they kept giving it to us, and I felt rude in saying no. Then I had to drink yours as well.”

“You didn’t have to,” he pointed out.

“I did, because it looked even more impolite to accept it and then leave it,” I poked my tongue out at him, sitting back in the chair and taking a sip of the hot drink gratefully.

“You know champagne always goes to your head!” Vicki laughed at me. “Don’t you remember that time you mixed it with…”

“Shh!” I hissed, hoping Henry hadn’t been listening.

“Mixed it with what?” he asked and it was obvious he’d heard it all.

“Nothing,” I grimaced at Vicki, because I knew she was going to tell him.

“She mixed it with coke…drank it right down and was drunk within moments. Of course that was in her stalker days!” she laughed

“Vicki!” I whined, this was getting more embarrassing.

“Stalker days?” Henry sat up on the couch and put down his drawing, looking most intrigued.

“I was not a stalker,” I pouted.

“Alright then, a groupie,” she laughed.

I groaned, this was getting worse by the minute. “Shut it vicki!” I warned her.

“No, I want to hear this, sounds fun.” Henry had a mischievous grin on his lips.

“You really don’t,” I insisted.

“Oh, but I do,” he winked at me. “Nice to know you have a past as well.”

“Fine…” I held my hands up. “But I’ll tell him,” I warned Vicki, knowing if she told the tale it would become much worse than it actually was. “So…there was this band I was…pretty much obsessed with. Friends and I would follow them on tour and stay in the same hotels as them…and then one night in a hotel bar, this table full of business men were heading out and gave us their left over champagne.” I cringed, realising that sounded really bad. “We were all only drinking soft drinks, posh hotel bars aren’t cheap, and I stupidly made the comment about what champagne would taste like with coke, so my friend poured some in my glass, and I drank it…and yes, it went right to my head and I was a little… loud and silly.”

Throughout my tale, Vicki was in gales of laughter and Henry had a huge smirk on his face which grew the further I got into the story.

“You were a groupie?” he sniggered.

“Oh shut it the pair of you!” I sulked and folded my arms. “Was a few years ago now.”

“A few years ago? You went to a concert just before flying out here.” Vicki pointed out.

“Yes, I went to a concert Vic…that’s not being a stalker or a groupie. I went to the show, had a good time, spoke to some friends after and then went back to my hotel room and went home the next day…after hanging out in London a few hours and spending far too much money. Nothing wrong with that.”

“You stalked him the year before though.” She giggled.

“Look, are we done telling embarrassing stories? Because I have a few about you if we’re sharing here?” I threatened her.

“Oh, we’re done, we’re done…” she relented before I could dish the dirt on her and picked up her case file again. “So…this case…”

“Tell me later,” Henry whispered to me. “Little stalker!” he laughed.

“Don’t think I don’t have embarrassing stories about you to share as well!”

He frowned, trying to remember just what I could possibly embarrass him with.

“Dancing? Nightclubs? Ring any bells?” I asked him.

It dawned on him then as his jaw clenched shut and he stopped laughing. “Right Vicki, this case?” he changed the subject.

“Yes, right back to this case. So, my client, Mrs Williams, says that her husband died about six months ago, but just lately she’s been receiving credit card bills, amongst other mail for him, with current transactions in various places across Canada and America. She’s utterly convinced that her husband isn’t really dead, that he faked his death and is hiding out somewhere, and she wants me to find him.” She paraphrased her case notes.

“How did her husband die?” Henry asked.

“Erm…a boating accident on vacation.” She searched for a copy of the coroners report. “His body wasn’t discovered for a few weeks, got washed up on the beach, so identification was pretty impossible. But according to the lab reports, his dental work matched records. So, they were sure it was him.”

“But Mrs Williams isn’t? Probably a grieving widow clutching at straws? Denial is a pretty normal stage of grief.”

“But she didn’t seem upset to me, more…vindictive. Like she was angry these bills were coming to her and furious about all the debts she discovered he’d left her in.”

“You think maybe she killed him and it’s a guilty conscience?” Henry suggested.

“It could be, I have that as a possible theory. But...I don’t know, she seemed so upset he’d left her in so much debt she didn’t know about until after his death.”

“Then maybe he did fake his death to escape them?” I reasoned.

“Or he’s getting revenge from beyond the grave? I mean, if she killed him.” Henry offered.

“Thanks Henry, just when I think I might have a normal case for a few days….you have to spoil it with supernatural theories.” Vicki offered him a brief fake grin.

“Well, you’re the one who’s been teaching me to look at cases from all sides.” He flashed the same grin back at her.

“What if it’s neither?” I interrupted their juvenile banter. “I mean, it sounds like it could be a simple case of fraud, Oh what do they call it? Ghosting!”

“Ghosting?” Vicki and Henry asked at the same time.

“You must have heard of it Vic being in the police force and all, though you were homicide, so maybe not,” I added noting the frown she gave me. “Anyway, it’s a computer term really, to make a copy of something. But it’s also been used by people who copy a person’s identity. I saw it on TV once. They go through obituaries, find a persons name, get copies of all their documents and then apply for credit cards, ID cards, passports whatever they can, in that person’s name.”

“You mean a common case of identity theft and credit card fraud?” Vicki looked amused. “You mean this could be, gasp,” she feigned astonishment and held her hand to her mouth, “normal?”

“Could be,” I shrugged. “It’s a theory anyway.”

“I think mine was more interesting though,” Henry snorted and went back to his drawing, causing us both to chuckle at him.

“Right, well,” Vicki put the papers back into the file and shuffled them all together with a quick whack of the folder on Henry’s coffee table. “I can’t do anymore on that until tomorrow when I can call the banks and get Coreen to run a few checks for me, so...who’s hungry?”

“No thanks,” Henry looked up, that naughty grin on his face again, the one that lit up his eyes. “I ate last night.”

“Mmm, twice,” I mumbled under my breath, remembering our love making from after the show and the fact he went out to feed before the show.

“Sorry, blond chicks aren’t on my menu.” She shot back at him. “Do you want something to eat?” she asked me.

I shook my head. “Not really, my stomach is a little…queasy to be honest.”

“In that case, you need to come out with me and get some fresh air, and then we’ll find something nice and bland for you to eat…and come back here and watch movies,” she decided, finding her jacket again.

I groaned, I didn’t want to go out for a walk and I didn’t want to eat - what I really wanted to was to crawl back into bed.

“Come on.” She’d found my jacket and slung it at me.

“Oh…Vic….I don’t want to,” I sulked.

“Nonsense! You need some fresh air and you need something to eat!”

“Anyone would think you were lonely or something.” Henry lay on the couch watching the spectacle in amusement.

“Why’s that?” she asked offended, hands on hips.

“Well, wanting to come back here and watch movies with us, playing gooseberry, being the fifth wheel…”

“Because you stole my houseguest!” She butted in. “And Coreen was out sick today, probably hung over really from clubbing last night, and I’ve been alone all day. I don’t…really have any other friends,” she mumbled the last sentence.

“Probably scared them all away!” Henry laughed.

Vicki threw her empty coffee cup at him. “Well, excuse me for maybe wanting some company!”

“Hey, calm down!” Henry caught the cup and put it on the table before the dregs spilt out and pulled himself effortlessly off of the couch. “I was only teasing. You two can please yourself, I need to get some serious drawing done, so keep it down, alright?” he asked and headed for his studio.

“Right, so, you’re coming with me.” Vicki decided and handed me my shoes.

I slumped in my chair and couldn’t be bothered to argue, so in the end I reluctantly followed her out, sticking my tongue out at Henry on my way for not backing me up and letting Vicki drag me out.

****

“We’ll have to go into his library and watch that,” I nodded towards the DVD case that Vicki was reading the back of as we headed back to Henry’s place.

“Okay…why?” she wondered.

“Because he’s working, and I don’t want to disturb him. So….unless you want to sit in the bedroom and watch it…”

“Erm, no…“ she stopped me there. “I’d rather not sit where you and he, well…you know?” she pulled a face.

I laughed at her. “In that case you might not want to sit on his couch!”

“Oh, eew!” she grimaced at the idea. “You two are….incorrigible! He really is the Lord of lechery, isn‘t he?”

“No, we’re not always…you know, doing that…we do other stuff,” I got a little defensive.

“Such as?” she posed the question as we waited for the traffic to clear to cross the street to Henry’s building. “I mean, how do you spend all your time with him?”

I shrugged as we began crossing the road. “Like most people…we talk, watch movies, go out for walks together. He takes me out to places to eat, he’s taken me out dancing and to the movies a couple of times. And we had our date last night, which was fun - not sure if it was really my thing - all the classical music, but it was nice.”

“And what if he’s busy working?”

“Then I leave him to it, you don’t talk to him when he’s really into a piece, I learnt that one. So, I read, I do my writing, play on the internet, watch TV in bed, take myself out to find something to eat…see, pretty normal stuff really?” I pushed the doors of Henry’s building open and the warmth inside engulfed us both immediately. Greg, the doorman nodded his greeting towards us and then avoided eye contact with me. I think I had embarrassed him a few times too many.

“And you don’t find it weird?” she asked, casting Greg a puzzled look, wondering what was wrong with him.

“Should I? I mean, I know what he is. And I know me and him together is not really normal and never will be, but I wouldn‘t call it weird. We’re just…different,” I shrugged, pressing the button for the elevator.

“What about, you know…sleeping with him?”

I grinned. “Oh…that’s not weird, that’s…”

“Oh, didn’t mean in that way,” she interrupted me, not wanting my sex life explained as she entered the empty elevator. “I’d rather not know anything about that. I meant, just sharing his bed, sleeping beside him during the day, when he’s practically a corpse.”

“That’s a bit harsh! I just like to think of him in a deep sleep. But, it doesn’t bother me…sometimes I wake and forget…but he’s really the best kind of bed buddy you could ask for.”

“How do you figure that one?”

“Well, he doesn’t snore or fart in bed, he never steals the sheets or hogs the bed, and he doesn’t complain if you snore or steal sheets or anything…see, best sleeping buddy!” I laughed.

“Well, yeah…I suppose,” she gave in with a slight tilt of her head just as the elevator opened on his floor.

In the end, Vicki stayed until just after one in the morning watching movies, gossiping and eating popcorn. Henry even joined us for an hour or so as he curled up one end of the sofa with me and Vicki looked on in either slight amusement or disconcertion, I wasn’t sure which, and maybe a touch of regret. After the last movie was done and Vicki began to gather her things together, Henry offered to give her a lift home, but she insisted she’d be fine taking a cab and headed on her way. And it wasn’t too much later that I nodded off on the couch, only to find myself later tucked up in bed next to a sleeping vampire.

*******

The next chapter is a little more interesting - promise!
xC

This Side of Me - chapter 20

Thu, 01 May 2008 22:03:09 GMT