Chapter 2: Assimilation is Necessary
She woke from her nightmare, screaming at the top of her lungs. Sitting straight up and clutching her chest, she recalled her dreams of horror of her first kill, and of a man she had never seen before watching her in the distance. Hannibal lay silent, still sleeping by her side. The gentle rise and fall of his chest created a rhythm both steady and calming.
Her feet padded gingerly down the steps and kitchen tiling as she made her way to the sink, hoping a small drink of water would help her sleep again. Since she had come here with Hannibal to stay with the Night Stalkers, she hadn't been getting much sleep. It was either nightmares, or being frightened of being killed at any moment. She trembled as she brought the glass to her mouth. Her stomach turned sour as the water went down. She hadn't fed in about a week. She was growing weak with each passing day.
She gripped the edge of the sink, her head swimming with pain. The glass broke in her hands, sending shards of crystal flying.
Hannibal stood behind her, catching her hand as she went to fetch the broom. "Marja," he said sadly as he started to pick up the small fragments of glass, "Are you going to tell me what's been bothering you?" She smiled and sat on the island as he cleaned up for her. She licked at her wounds, missing the taste of blood. He turned around, watching her, "Marja, what are you doing?" He caught her off guard… "Hello… Vampire," she responded curtly. He smiled and she laughed, "Just be thankful I'm not running around this house killing everyone. I'm so hungry, Hannibal. It hurts so bad." He hated seeing her pout like that. He took her hand in his, slowly rapping it up with a paper towel. He slowly kissed her forehead as he took a shard of glass and dragged the sharp edge over his palm, cutting a thin line that beaded over with blood in seconds.
She looked at him, his warm brown eyes, his scruffy little beard, his silly little bull belt buckle. Gently, she took his palm, cupping it so the blood dripped into the center. She nestled her mouth into his hand, slowly licking the blood away, in not only a soothing caress, but also an intimate one. She purred thankfully as she fed, not taking anymore than what was given.
Abby watched from the corner of the room, hiding in the doorway. She sighed under her breath, both disappointed and pleased that Hannibal had found someone. Granted, she wasn't a fan that he had brought home another vampire after his encounter with Danica, but still. Marja was alright. She stayed out of everyone's way, remained silent most of the time, and barely left her room without Hannibal by her side. Abby knew Marja was scared, mainly of Abby. Maybe she was being too rough on her. Maybe she would lighten up.
Marja lay asleep when a soft knock fell upon the door. The man beside her groaned a, "Yeah?" Slowly, the door creaked open and Abby stood, "King," she whispered. "I need to talk to you." He pulled off the sheets, rose from the bed in his boxers and trudged his way towards the hallway. "What?!" he whispered angrily, as he closed the door behind him so as not to wake her up. Abby shrugged, "I just wanted to say that… Well, I feel bad. For Marja I mean. She's scared to death of us." "No," he retorted, "She's scared to death of you. Maybe you should lighten up a bit on her." "I know," she spoke loudly. "Jesus," she whispered, "that's what I came to tell you. That I'll try to be less peeved around her." Hannibal nodded, "Good. And hey, thanks for not bitching at me." She half-smiled, "No worries. Go back to sleep. We've got a big night tonight."
Marja smiled, her back facing the door. Slipping back under the covers, he sighed. He was never going to go back to sleep now. He'd already gotten up and walked over to the door, into the hallway, and had a conversation. "God dammit," he spat softly. Marja turned, acting as though the disturbance of the bed had woken her. "What's wrong?" she asked as she stroked his chest, lovingly. He turned to her, her touch calming. He smiled, "Nothing, kiddo, nothing." He kissed her brow softly, and laid down to sleep. With her gently stroking his hair, he fell asleep within ten minutes. His low snoring, steady and deep, sent her to sleep only ten minutes later.
Through the air vents, Marja heard a conversation going down in the kitchen. Something about squashing a coven before it got any stronger. Quickly, she dressed and wandered downstairs to the escalating voices. Guns sprawled about the table, rounds being put into barrels. She stood next to Hannibal and whispered, "What's going on?" He restated, "We're debating on how to get past security and into the safe house without being noticed. I saw we screw being quiet and just blast their asses. But if we do that, more can get away."
Marja thought. "Well," she began to reply, "I can help." Abby and Hannibal turned quickly, waiting for her to explain. She teased, "Hello… Vampire. I can get you passed the security in a second." Abby smiled, "How will you get us in there? We're not vampires." Hannibal laughed, "You're a genius, kiddo. We can play the familiar part." He kissed her roughly on the mouth. Abby nodded, "Alright, boys. That's what we'll do. But how do we know that you won't blow the plan, Marja?" "I don't bite the hand that feeds," she paused, "Well, never mind. How about this? I've never given you cause to mistrust me besides that fact that I am what I am. I've never attacked any of you or bitten anyone." Abby nodded, "Good, you'll have to get ready. We'll be leaving in three hours."
Marja stood, a leg propped on the rim of the bathtub, shaving her legs. Gina, the driver, was roughly the same size as Marja and offered her some more provocative clothes, to keep eyes on her rather than Abby and Hannibal. He kissed her hair as he stepped into the bathroom to brush his teeth. "You were pretty bold down there," he said as he pulled his destroyed toothbrush from the little owl that held it. She smiled, "I was in need. One, Abby might give me a little bit more respect now. And Two, it's so boring here with Derek and Rex while you guys are out fighting the same people I hate." He shook his head, and watched her shave as foam collected around his mouth. "You know you're really sexy bent over like that," he mumbled, his teeth clamped onto the brush. "Oh shush," she blushed.
God, Gina was tinier than she thought. The mini skirt made her feel like a whale. Her ass was huge. She sighed, as she pulled the leather bodice over her shoulders and about her waist, "Hannibal, will you help me with this?" He laughed and pulled the bodice tight, and zipped it up. She turned around, "I am not wearing this damned skirt. No way in hell." She pulled off the mini skirt quickly changing into a pair of green cargo pants and her combat boots. "How do I look?" she asked, turning to face him. "Well," he said, "Not like a lady." She sighed, and pulled out her long black skirt, loose fitting and sophisticated. She threw it over her pants and said, "How 'bout now?" He nodded, "Must better."
She smiled in her reflection. She looked her part. Abby stood smiling, "Hey girl. Lets get you geared up." She followed Abby into the armory, selected what she liked best- the handguns.
She had maneuvered them past the security and up to the bar. She sat, leaning over the bar, her cleavage exposed. She turned to her familiars, "Would you darlings care for a drink?" Abby smiled and nodded, and Hannibal gleamed. "A rye and coke, for the lady and two whiskeys," she replied. The bartender smiled, setting the rye and coke in front of her. She shook her hand and handed Abby the rye and coke and handed him a shot. Slowly she got up from the table, leaned against the bar counter and took the shot, "I am not a lady."
With that, Abby and Hannibal turned, armed and dangerous vampire killing machines. Marja smiled at the bartender who watched in horror as kindred were sparking into ash all around him. Ripping off her skirt, she pulled out the two handguns, "Hey Bartender!" He looked her way, "Told you I wasn't a lady." With a scream of anguish he turned to dust.
Marja turned and ran up along side the others, taking out vampires left and right. Somehow, moments later they had been swamped, fighting their own little battles to survive. Abby was on her own, fighting maliciously against them. And she couldn't see Hannibal anywhere, so she continued to annhilate those around her, until she heard a cry. "Hannibal!" she screamed, searching desperately for him. She found him against a table ready to be sucked dry. Putting her guns away, she began to run towards him. Anger raced through her blood turning it bitter and thick. Leaping high into the air, she came down upon the vampire and sunk her fangs deep into his bald skull. She broke through bone, blood pouring into her mouth. He wailed as she brought him to the floor, grabbing a stake in a nearby pile of ash and plunged it deep into his heart.
She stood, finding no opposition around her. She turned to Hannibal who stood guns pointed at the vampires around them watching in horror as their leader was just murdered in cold blood by one of their own. Marja growled as she stepped forward, her fangs bared, blood dripping from her mouth. "Who's next?" she asked boldy, angrily. The vampires looked at her frightened, as the blood of the ancient coursed through her veins. Her eyes glimmered sending the vampires running. Wiping the blood from her mouth, she turned to Hannibal and playfully hit him on the arm, "Don't you ever scare me like that again you hear me!"