After Deep Dark

He slammed the door in her face and regretted it before the sound of the closing door hit his ears. He could hear her crying and her every sob tore at his heart. Even though the wound sealed quickly his side still hurt where the great sword had penetrated and pinned him to his own floor. The throbbing in his side echoed her sobs. As he turned to go back to Vicki, she left his apartment. Dawn was near and he had no choice but to let her go.

Vicki walked toward home with tears drying on her cheeks. Her head was held high as she made her way down the lonely streets. She walked on through the sunrise not paying attention to the glorious colors or where her feet fell. She thought of the last few weeks and wished she could live them over again.

Henry woke as the sun set and remembered events of early this morning. His vampire rose in anger and hunger demanding to be fed. He felt a burning in his side and looked down to see the wound seeping blood. He needed to feed but refused to given in. He tried to focus on packing, but gave up and paced until dawn claimed him once more. When he woke the second night after Astaroth, he found his wound still seeping and knew he had no choice but to feed. Henry walked to Vicki's office only to find it dark and empty then went to her apartment. He knocked on her door not knowing what her greeting might be.

Vicki looked out the peek hole and opened the door saying, "You're the last person I expected to ever see again."

Henry lifted his chin, then gave a weak smile, "May I come in?"

Vicki stepped back allowing him to enter and said, "So it's true? Vampires can't enter without an invitation?"

The ghost of Henry's usual smile danced around his lips as he said, "Sorry, that's not true either. I can come and go as I please." He looked into her eyes and said, "Hold me," as he slowly slipped to the floor.

Vicki rushed forward to break his fall, caught him and eased him down. Cradling his head in her arms she asked, "What's wrong?"

Henry looked into the eyes of the one he loved and said, "I need to feed."

Vicki held back angry words and said, "Why me? You refused my offer the last time you were hurt."

Henry eyes closed as he said, "You're the one I love. The one I need. Feed me."

Vicki shook her head in denial saying, "It's not that easy. I can't give you what you want knowing you're leaving soon." She held him close and added, "You've torn me apart."

Henry pulled in the scent of her and listened to her heart beat, "If you ask me, I'll stay in Toronto."

Vicki pushed him from her lap, stood, held out her hand to help him stand and said, "Don't do this to me."

He grasped it and pulled himself up. Bracing himself against the wall he said with a voice of power, "I'm here because I need you. It's not your blood I need, but your love. If you can't give me that, I made a mistake in coming here." He pushed himself from the wall, straightened his spine and with a regal tilt to his head, he opened the door.

Vicki shouted, "Go ahead, leave. Slam another door in my face."

Henry closed the door and turned to face her saying, "What do you want from me?"

Vicki said, "I want to know that you won't leave me. If I give you my heart, I want to know you won't throw it back in my face when you get tired of me or I'm too old. I can understand the necessity of your feeding from others, but I won't share your love with anyone. Can you give me that?" Vicki stopped shouting when she saw the spreading red stain on his shirt. She reached out and touched the damp shirt saying, "Oh Henry, you're destroying me." She pulled him toward her turning as she did so that she was leaning against the wall, lifted her chin and said, "Feed."

Henry's eyes darkened as he leaned in and his fangs bit into the soft flesh. He fed slowly, savoring her taste with each swallow. When he was finished he put his arm around her waist and walked her to the bedroom saying, "I love you my beautiful one. I'm not leaving you. Not now. Not ever." He lay her on the bed and stretched out beside her and added, "We'll make love later. For now it's enough to hold you while I heal."

Vicki had felt his passion wash over her with every massage of his tongue on her throat. She heard his words as he walked with her to the bed and hoped they were true.

After Deep Dark – Part II

Henry studied Vicki's face as she lay sleeping in his arms while he healed. He noted the dark circles under her eyes and knew they were the result of hours spent crying. He understood Vicki would hate the fact he noticed any weakness in her and vowed never to tell her he saw the dark smudges. With the vampire fed and healing, it left the man alone as he continued to think about Vicki. He knew what she wanted and needed from him, if their love was to be consummated. He could and would give her his loyalty and fidelity in his heart, but his physical body was different. The vampire in him demanded physical and emotional nourishment. Giving passion and physical pleasure or, in some cases, pain and fear were the coins by which a vampire paid for that nourishment. He had always felt it was his right to do as he pleased. Feeding when and how he liked taking and leaving lovers as necessary. The few times he offered his heart in a relationship led to years of emotional pain. None of his previous loves demanded from him what Vicki asked. Yet she had proved herself worthy of this consideration more than once. She had saved him, fed him and put herself in a position to die for him if needed. Throughout the many weeks that they had been together she never asked for anything for herself from him. Even tonight through her anger she saw his suffering, opened her arms to him and offered up her blood. He looked at her arms and the marks Norman had drawn and how Vicki had used a moment of temptation not for herself but to save Coreen's life. There was no evil in this woman he held.

Vicki turned, moaning in her sleep and Henry gathered her closer to his breast. She sighed and quit her restless movements. She felt safe and loved as her dreams shifted from Astaroth to Henry. When she became aware of Henry holding her she said, "I can't take anymore. Leave now if you're not staying forever."

Hearing her words, Henry said, "I'm staying." Then he kissed her the way he had longed to do for months.

She responded to his kiss and his need with a need of her own. Her hands came up and started unbuttoning his shirt while his hands made quick work of undressing her. He whispered into her hair, "I'm going to love you the way you deserve to be loved."

Crap and Damn, I want another season of Blood Ties. Until then I keep writing episodes and sharing them with you. I hope that you enjoy reading my ramblings as much as I enjoy typing them. Real Tears.