Only Two Lives To Live

by Usa69

This is a Lestat story. WARNING: I put a lot of chapters into one to save me some trouble... Maybe I'll fix it later.Also... there is a love pentagon... Just so you know... Haha.Main Couple: Lestat O.C.

Only 2 Lives to Live

Rachael La Barbera

Started: 4- 5- 06

Finished: (Not Finished)

Prologue

I am Mauri. I am a vampire and I have been for about 25 years. To tell the truth the life of a vampire isn't all that exciting. The average day consists of hunting twice (the first time to feed, the second for pleasure) and sleeping. To be completely honest I haven't done much else for maybe 15 or so years. But before I became used to being the creature I am today I was experiencing life for the first time all over again. I see the colors of the flowers brighter; I could here the howl of the wind without having to strain my ears. And for the first time I could feel the most beautiful comfort in the world; the taste of blood.

But all that is not important. Being a vampire isn't all about sucking blood and sleeping in coffins. It's a dangerous world where both humans and other vampire are out to see that you don't wake up tomorrow. You don't know if you will wake up to find that the blinds in your house had been opened or your coffin had been moved in your sleep. Nothing was exactly what it seemed, you couldn't trust or hate anyone. Perhaps that's why so many of our kind stay by ourselves.

But that still isn't the point. What I'm really here to tell you is the story of the early years of my vampiric life and the others I met and the things I learned. Whether you believe it to be fact or fiction, this is my story.

Night One

It's was Saturday; the one day of the week I really felt alive. Today I had promised the three of my closest friends that we would go out to party. Our first stop was a dance at an abandoned factory by the docks; after the flood it was shut down. We all left together from my house and walked slowly through town. When we finally got there the party was at its peak and the music could be heard from outside.

We rushed in, excited to finally have arrived. There were so many people there; most of the people from town that were in their twenties, some early thirties or late teens. We quickly made our way to the center of the room, holding hands. We all decided to split up and find dates for the night.

After about twenty or so minutes of wandering around I had given up on finding a date. I was making my way over to the side of the huge room when a man grabbed my arm and asked if I wanted to go take a walk. I agreed; the music was giving me a nasty headache anyway.

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He introduced himself to me; him name was Louis, he sounded like a French-man but I knew he wasn't, we were in Louisiana after all. I told him my name too, Mauri. He said he liked it, but I wasn't so sure he did. He asked me if it was okay for him to put his arm on my shoulder, I let him, I said that I didn't mind. I leaned in towards him; the side of my head touched the end of his shoulder. He was kind, polite. Unlike the other drunks back at the party. I kind of liked this Louis guy.

We sat at the edge of the docks together, talking about nothing in particular. He was nice, I was shy. When he talked to me he asked me questions like, 'What do like about this place?' and 'Do you like music?' He seemed fascinated with everything I said.

When I laughed, he laughed. When I smiled, he smiled. When I frowned, he frowned. Maybe he was interested in me. When I thought that I laughed a little and blushed. He asked what was so funny but I said it was nothing. It was a silly thought after all.

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As the night went on I became more loose, more close to him. I felt like I could truly trust him. When he leaned in to kiss my neck I closed my eyes and let him come. His lips were cold and so were his hands when he put them on mine.

He bite my neck, typical guy. Maybe he wasn't that much different. But then something truly strange happened… He bit into my neck! I tried to push him and move away but I couldn't for some reason. With my free hand a reached out behind me were there was another man, he was holding me, too. He grabbed my hand and I tried in vain to break away; but it only cause more pain in my neck. His fang like teeth only dug deeper and tore up my skin even worse. I cried and fell into him; He caught me and cradled me in his arms. 'What the hell is going on?' I thought.

He brought his head up from my neck, breathing heavily. He brushed away the hair that stuck to my wet face and hushed me. I kept crying hysterically. The other man dropped down on his knees behind Louis and watched; his face was still in darkness. 'I don't understand… what is this? What is he?'

Slowly, I felt the world slip away from me. Louis and the other man, I could no longer feel or hear them. But just before I was completely gone I felt something drip into my mouth. Whatever it was it gave me such power! Even on the verge of death I felt so powerful. It swallowed it painfully. More came. I swallowed. More. More. I needed more! My arms flailed around searching for the source of the power, wherever it was. I felt a wet wrist and it all made sense. Until now I didn't remember the story of the vampires; I was going to be one.

I put my arms back to my sides, relaxing and enjoying the new-found power. 'I still don't know what exactly is happening… But whatever it is… I definitely like it…' The sweet, thick blood was calming at the same time empowering, what an amazing experience it was.

But soon the desire for the life-giving blood became too much. I reached for it so quickly I think Louis was even surprised. I squeezed his arm to me, lapping up the blood viciously. I began to slowly rock back and for in a kind of trance… this was like no other thing I had ever felt.

Louis pulled me closer to him to steady me. I loved to feel of his strong but gentle arms around me. I finally opened my eyes again and saw the world of the night spinning around me. Suddenly I became nauseous; I crawled pathetically over to the very edge of the dock and throw-up over the edge. Louis gasped, clearly worried and rushed to my side. I didn't know if the other man was still there. The only thing I was conscious of was Louis, the wood dock, and me.

There was a strong pain in my chest and then darkness; nothing after that.

Night Two

I woke up the next day... rather, I woke up the next night. I was in a coffin. I was a bit shocked at first, not knowing where I was what had happened…

Then slowly the memories came back as if someone was painting a picture slowly, piece by piece. The pain in my chest was gone and I was no longer nauseous. I felt good. Healthy. Powerful.

"Amazing." I whispered. I touched my lips. First, surprised at how I sounded, then by how I felt. The sound was so much crisper, especially in the coffin. The sound bounced back at me and I could here every part of the word; every different sound. The feel of everything around me, no words could explain it. The texture of the fine and beautiful fabrics against by body; it was breath-taking. Even more amazing was the feel of my own skin. It was no longer the rough, scaly human flesh I used to know. Now it was just like Louis'. Louis. Where was he? I wanted to find Louis.

I carefully slid the lid down and sat up. I was back in my own house, I was even in my bedroom but instead of being in my bed I was now lying in my coffin.

I noticed that I heard voices; they were coming from everywhere. I didn't know what they were or what was making them but they wouldn't stop coming. My, God, where were they coming from!? They were screams and whispers. They came through in all different languages. But perhaps they were all English, just to jumbled up to be comprehendible. I wanted them to stop; I wished they would stop… then… as if by magic… they were gone. "Amazing…" I whispered again .I lowered my hands; now I could hear Louis... and someone else.

" -Louis! Who is the devil now?" What an beautifully strong voice. Whom did this voice belong too? I must find out… "You took that girl! You said you never would, but you did, Loui! You did! And now you don't know what to do..." He burst out into a fit of laughter.

"Lestat! Lestat!" Louis sounded so furious. I could here him pacing around the room. "Lestat... Agh!" He was so frustrated he didn't even know what to say.

"Louis, this is wonderful!" He could barely talk he was laughing so hard. The laughing eased down for a moment then shot back up again. "Ah, Loui. This is so predictable of you."

"What is that supposed to mean?" He had stopped pacing. He was probably bent over a chair or table. Poor Louis; I'm sure he meant well of the whole ordeal.

"Louis, you're just as bad as you think I am. You are a devil! And you fall in love with everyone you meet! But you can't have them! And you know you can't... but I'm here Louis." He said this so seriously, he had stopped laughing completely. How suddenly it had stopped. He walked a few steps.

I stood and Lestat whispered something that I couldn't hear. I made my way out of my room without a sound. Descending down the stairwell I heard the whispers stop. I came around the curved stair well to see the two staring at me.

I was right, Louis was leaning over my wood table that was in the corner of the living room. He looked so defeated; hair unkempt and hanging in his face.

"Your Sleeping Beauty has come for you, Loui. Why not take her out to hunt?" Lestat gestured to me and bowed, he extended his hand out before him. I stepped toward him and took his hand. When I touched him it felt as though a bolt of lightning had shot through me. He straightened from his bow and withdrew, his hand slipped out of mine. My hand fell beside me; I was shocked by him. Was it the thrill of meeting such a graceful character? The feel of his inhuman skin? The way he spoke? His elegance? "Thank you, my dear. I do appreciate meeting you as well." I gasped and stepped back a step back onto a small landing; I almost tripped and hit the walk behind me.

"Lestat." Louis rose from the wooden table he was hunched over. The look on his face was one of desperateness. "Lestat." He almost sounded as if he was pleading. In a way his was. The poor thing. I looked at him, meeting his eyes, with the greatest look of sympathy.

"Quite frankly, my dear, Louis doesn't have it all that bad." Lestat turned to the stuck Louis who had also taken a step back. "You have me, Louis; and you know how much you love it." At this point I couldn't tell if he was just tormenting him or... best not think of it. Lestat laughed; he was obviously still reading my mind. I blushed and walked over to Louis awkwardly, I almost didn't want to trust him but I knew that I could.

"I- Mauri- I'm sorry." Louis sighed and reached out to touch me. He put his arms around me and held me close to him. I began to cry again but it felt different this time, I was confused. And the voices... the voices were coming back! "It's brave of you to stay with us." My tears worsened.

"I don't have much of a choice." I sobbed into his shoulder and then drew my head back. I stared in horror at the bloodstain on his shoulder. It was my blood! I was bleeding! I drew back into the corner shaking. I scratched at my eyes and looked at my bloody hands. I put my hands to my ears. "And what are these voices?!"

"Louis, you idiot! She going to go mad if you do that!" He yelled. He made a long sweeping gesture like he was hitting someone and took me in his arms. He stroked the back of my head and wiped away the blood from my face and hands. "I swear..." he mumbled and shot an angry and disappointed look at Louis. "Come, up to your room with me. I'll teach you what you need to know." He began to led me to the stairs. I held myself with my hands on the back of my arms.

"Lestat. She's- Lestat, you promised!" Louis pointed at him as he shouted at him. It was something I didn't understand. Promised? What promise?

"If you keep this up she really will go mad, Louis! Just like your precious Claudia!" he spat at him furiously. He had turn around part way to look at him. Louis' face was shot with mental pain. It looked as if he was about to cry himself.

"Lestat! I don't think you remember that you were her teacher. She turned out that way on your account!" I could tell the Lestat had wounded him, that Lestat was winning the argument.

"Loui, the rat-killer, raising this beautiful and exceptional creature?" he whispered as he looked me up and down. "Well, I most give her up. A deal is a deal. But at least make her into something good." He sighed like he was tired of this, maybe he was. "Go on." He gave me a nudge towards Louis and I walked over to him; took a few steps, looked back at Lestat, and then stood at my Loui's side. He took my hand and led me upstairs at a brisk pace which seemed so unlike him. Hopefully I could calm him down or at least apologize.

He opened my bedroom door for me and I walked in, then he came in behind me. Before I could even open my mouth he began to speak.

"Mauri, you need to know how to protect your mind." He sat on my bed but I sat on the lid of my coffin. "Especially when you're around Lestat; he can take advantage of you like when he did down there." I heard Lestat chuckle. "Ignore him. Now try to close your mind, it'll at least stop the voices." He folded his arms, he was still cross and probably feeling a little guilty; he watched my hands shake in my lap. I tried my hardest to do as he said; after I had control of myself again the voices stopped. "You'll get used to it. Soon you'll be able to do it without even thinking about it."

I nodded. I felt so miserable for myself. Where was that powerful feeling that I had earlier?

Suddenly, I noticed a tingling sensation going through my body. It was like the feeling when Louis was feeding me that night. 'I needed to hunt' I told myself. I stood up and left the room almost robotically without a word. Louis looked up at me with a curious look but soon realized what I had to do. He stayed in my room, looking through my things and examining the painted windows with a sorrowful look on his face.

When I was downstairs again I saw Lestat. He was sitting at the dinner table with one leg over the over and leaning forward on his elbow, chin in his hand. When he saw me he stood and walked me to the door.

"You know what you must do… but let me tell you how to do it." He said with surprising patience.

He escorted me to his favorite part of town; the park. It almost seemed a little dismal at night but on the contrary it was a beautiful sight. The moonlight reflected on the lake and shone a silvery grey through thr black night. The tree branches seemed to dance every time the wind blew. And it was an entirely different place though absolutely nothing had changed.

After a few moments of my gaping at the scenery Lestat began to teach me how to hunt. He made it simple but then again I wasn't expecting it to be extremely difficult or anything. His only caution was to stop drinking before the heart stops or I'll die with my prey. Easy enough, no?

I took my perch from a roof top, one just outside the park. It was by the area where people come to stand for a smoke… even if it was 3 in the morning.

I was anxious and Lestat could sense it. The only thing was, I didn't know why I was so nervous.

"You'll find someone soon enough, my dear. Just wait until you see someone you like." He said, trying to both settle my nerves and rile me up for the first hunt. And just like he said a young man walked around the corner down the block not more than 5 minutes later; Lestat perked up from his cat-like position and made his way to the boy. I began to follow him but he said to wait just close enough to watch. The boy didn't notice when he jumped down into the alley silently. Nor did he notice me crouching in the shadows, watching their every move.

He hid in the shadows until the man had just past the alley and came out behind him. It almost look like a watching a snake rear it's head to strike. You know it was coming, you just didn't know when. It was a beautiful sight, even from this far away. After seeing it my thirst for blood only rose in excitement. I heard something and turned quickly; there was a woman coming down the street the other way. I wished Lestat to get back into the alley, to get out of sight but he just threw away the body and headed for the next.

I could hear his voice in my head and was completely surprised by it. He told me that I shouldn't worry and that he was going to kill her anyway so it didn't matter. Again I was fascinated by the sight. He looked at me with strong eyes and his lips curling in a smile, it was almost as he were saying, 'That's right, this is the best of the best.' or 'You should try this blood.' or maybe even something like 'Yup. I'm a devil, that's why you love me.' I smiled and turned to go find a nice mortal to feed from. Lestat caught up to me and waked through the alley with me casually as if nothing had happened. I suppose it wasn't a big deal to him.

"I'm sorry if I took your dinner but she one of the best kinds, you know. To me there's nothing better than the blood of a sinner." He said. He looked at me curiously for a moment, leaning forward to look at my face.

"What is it?" I asked. I looked back at him not even really expecting an answer.

"I was thinking about what your blood would taste like. Then again it is stained with Loui's blood; I was never fond of his kind." He brushed off his shirt trying to get rid of the dirt he had picked up while prowling threw the alley. I turned my head to look forward slowly, not knowing how to respond. "Don't think about it, ma chère. It was just a thought... There's one! Do you see him? He's by the lamp post. But before that... maybe I could just get a taste before your blood is spoiled even further." I stopped and thought for a second. I nodded, what did it matter anyway?

Before I could say anything else I was in his arms; the tight squeeze of his powerful arms felt unusually marvelous. He held me like he was expecting me to run away. Then, from is pocket he took a small bottle on a necklace. With his thumb he flicked up the top of the bottle and held it in his hand. The feel of his teeth on my skin for that brief moment made me dizzy with passion and sent a shiver up my spine. Then came out my blood; my thirst soon became unbearable and I held tight to him, the sweet pain fueled a fire within me. He brought the bottle to my neck and caught some of my blood then quickly capped it. He brought his head up and breathed in as if he had been holding his breath underwater. He mouth was bloody but he hadn't spilled a drop. He let me go as though he had woken up from a dream and hadn't realized what he had been doing.

"You best go catch him before he leaves." he pointed to he man again and I made my way through the maze of alleys out into the streets. The man looked up at me then back down, he had no interest in me at all.

Close up he wasn't so bad to look at. His smooth brown hair shaded his eyes and fit his head so perfectly. He wasn't tall but not too short either, an average height. Without hesitating another moment I grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and sank my new fangs into his neck.

The rush of blood running into my mouth was unlike anything I had ever felt before. I closed my eyes and I could fell and hear his heartbeat. His heartbeat was so loud that I couldn't even hear his whimpering and pleading. And for a moment nothing else mattered but the heartbeat and the blood.

The feeling of such passion was overwhelming, I could only hold on for a little bit more. I withdrew then went back in at a different spot on the neck. Another flood spilled over my tongue. Before I knew it I could feel his heartbeat begin to die, his body was limp in my arms. I dropped his body and looked up at Lestat who was standing triumphantly on the nearby roof.

He jumped down effortlessly and stood next to me, I looked at him out of the corner of my eye. He fell onto my shoulder and put his hand around my back, resting it on my other shoulder and began to laugh.

"That was marvelous! You're a natural born vampire!" he stood on his own and chuckled softly. "If only Louis was as logical as you are, my dear!" He took me by the hand, still chuckling a bit to himself, and we began out walk back home.

Halfway there he seemed to pick up the fact I was thinking and that I wanted answers. Being the noisy vampire he was he asked what I wanted to know.

"To begin, what had you promised Louis? Why is he so upset?" I looked at him sadly, I felt responsible for Louis' pain.

"Heh...," he seemed surprised, "When Louis saw you he fell in love with you. He made me promise that I wouldn't steal you from him." I nearly stopped dead in my tracks but I continued on again.

"What? I don't think I heard you right?" I prayed that I hadn't heard him. I didn't love him... I loved... I really shouldn't think it! I tried desperately to stop Lestat from reading my mind. I blushed horribly, my entire face was red. I put my hands to my face and shut my eyes tight.

"I'm sorry; I'll try to stop. And you didn't hear wrong." He didn't look at me, either he hadn't heard me or was pretending to not have.

"Ah- moving on. Do you think you could take me to see the others?"

"The others?"

"Well not the others I suppose… but other vampires." He chuckled again and smiled.

"I suppose. I don't think some of my old friends would be to keen on the idea. Heh, but it's not theirs to worry about." I smiled too.

"Third, I was wondering if I could meet my friends again." Lestat smile faded away.

"Let me put this bluntly... if you did and they found out you were a vampire you would have to kill them." I flinched but kept walking.

"Lastly, I wanted to know... Could you sing for me? I always wanted to hear you sing, Lestat." His smile came back. It was mischievous... devilish. He thought it over. Lestat the rock-star…

"Yes, I will. If it would make you happy." He stopped and turned to me; I stopped beside him. He took my hands and rubbed them between his to warm them. His smile was even wilder. Always the center of attention; I knew he couldn't refuse.

"So the brat prince is going to make another show for his new friend." A voice came from behind us, I jumped and turned around. "You know I still haven't forgiven you for not putting me in your... music videos... is that that they call them?" He took a step to the side, almost swaying with his hand in his pockets. I watch his movements intently, waiting to see what he would do next.

"Marius..." Lestat's smile returned to the friendly one again; I could almost sense that he might have been embarrassed by the way the moment looked. I stepped foreword to see him more clearly. He almost seemed surprised that I would approach him. "It's been a while." Lestat turned to face him but didn't really greet him. I turned in circles around him looking at his coat and gloves and hat and things. He turned his head to follow me. To him I must have seemed like a puppy meeting someone new.

"And who is this, Lestat? She's very pretty." He stopped me and raised my head with his forefinger and thumb to look at my face. "I would love to paint you." He smiled as if he had just said a joke. "You're just like him you know. Such pride is rare in a girl like you."

"They call her Mauri. It's a very modern name isn't it? I'm rather fond of it though." Lestat sighed; was he teasing me? He walked slowly towards Marius now; it almost looked like they were circling each other. I began to wonder if I had missed something. "Why don't you stay with us? Her house is very nice." He gestured to my house just down the short block.

"I'm afraid I can't. Armand and I were going to meet up with Daniel; Armand said it's been awhile since their last chat."

"Why don't we invite Armand as well? Mauri wanted to meet some friends, it would only be appropriate." Marius' eyes focused on me. I looked down abruptly; his gaze was so warm it made me a bit uncomfortable.

"So I've heard. I guess it wouldn't hurt, but just one night, Lestat, you hear me? I'm not sure Armand would approve of this." He nodded towards me.

"I'm not a 'this'..." I mumbled angrily. I crossed my arms. Marius laughed. He shifted his gaze to me then back to Lestat. I sighed and rolled my eyes. "Lestat, let's go." I pulled at the cuff on his jacket and he looked at me.

"You'll have to come with Armand," Lestat said, turning around, "It will be like old times."

"Old times," sighed Marius turning into the night, "Why do I have a feeling that's a bad thing?"

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When we got home Louis was already sleeping in his coffin in the basement (how he got it there I don't know). Lestat made room in the basement for himself among old couches and blankets. He managed to find a large chest to sleep in for the day. I would sleep in the coffin that had been placed in my room. I dragged it into the closet and sat on the bed for while, looking around. I noticed a note that had been propped up against the mirror. I walked over to it curiously and picked it up to read it.

Mauri,

Lestat has probably already told you, but I want you to know why I made you. I love you. I need you just as I need the blood that I drink; perhaps even more. The first time I saw you I was overwhelmed. The thought that you would grow old and die made me feel as if I myself were dying myself. Before I though about what had happened to Claudia, or even me, I had already made up my mind. I hope that you will understand. I also hope that you will not become just another one of Lestat's pets. My dear, Mauri, I love you.

-Louis de Point de Lac

I sighed when I finished reading it. I felt like I was sad for him but it wasn't quite like that; it was more like I pitied him. I felt sorry that I couldn't love him back. What I mean is… I felt a passion towards him, but that was only because of the blood that I wanted from him.

Then, quickly, making sure no one was watching, I dropped to the floor and stuffed the note under my bed. I hoped that like the letter, I wouldn't have to see Louis the next night.

I sulked over into the closet and sank down into the coffin. The soft velvet felt like water around me. I shut my eyes trying to fall asleep but sleep didn't want to come. But nevertheless, sleep came and it took me like Louis had taken my life and like I had taken his heart.

Night Three

I woke up in my coffin. At first it startled me, being trapped in with four walls around me, and then I remembered what I was, again. I slid the coffin lid down quietly, trying to not make a sound; I didn't want to wake anyone up.

I heard an unfamiliar voice downstairs telling me that Armand and Marius were here. I ran happily down the stairs to greet my visitors. I stopped on the landing when I saw their faces. They seemed surprised by my cheeriness.

I continued into the room slowly catching every detail of Armand. He was so different then the rest; not only his appearance but his aura was completely incomparable to the others. His hair was long and smooth. His face was soft unlike the others; it gave him a look of warmth. His smile filled me with an unfamiliar feeling. For a moment I didn't know how to react, until I felt myself moving foreword to greet him.

I put out my hand and he took it and shook it friendly. Lestat laughed to himself in the corner and Louis turned around to see me.

"Hi..." I whispered shyly.

"Hello, Mauri. It's nice to meet you." I didn't reply, instead I just stared back at Armand. Usually I wasn't so shy but his attitude was so strong for someone who looked so young; he was probably younger than I was. Now it felt like I could pick up little pieces of his mind. When I noticed I was still holding his hand I stepped away and walked over to Lestat with my head down.

"Lestat, is Armand always like that?" I whispered in his ear with my hand cuffed around my mouth hoping that no one else would hear. He sat me down on the arm of the chair he was sitting in and nodded. I looked up at Armand in amazement. He was so fascinating. He almost demanded more attention then Lestat.

I looked to my side and saw Louis looking at me from the other side of the room. He tried to avoid my glances but I wouldn't let him. I tried to 'say' something with my mind and give it to him like Lestat had done to me. I 'said' "I won't hurt you." and he looked up at me, bewildered.

"What do mean?" he 'said' back.

"I'm not going to leave you just because I don't love you." His face didn't change back I could tell that he was shocked. He withdrew his mind and lowered his gaze. I looked down at Lestat who was watching Armand and Marius.

"She really is just as you said, Marius. I think she would make a fine sitter." I could hear Armand talking about me and I smiled to myself. "But Lestat... I'm afraid he'll enjoy himself to much." I laughed a little and Armand smiled at me.

"I get no respect from them." He whispered shaking his head. I giggled and put my hand on his shoulder. Right now I must have been his biggest fan, maybe his only fan. Everything here was like a circus, only everything was beautiful.

"Don't be so crestfallen." I said into his ear. I leaned foreword and accidentally slipped off of the arm of the chair and fell into his lap. I blushed and laughed at myself. Lestat laughed with me and put my head on his shoulder. Marius stood with his arms folded looking at Lestat, disapprovingly.

"You're so clumsy. You should be more careful." He said in a hushed voice. I sat back up on the arm of the chair and tucked my hair behind my ears.

Louis still stood behind us, he didn't say a word. I looked over to him sorrowfully. I couldn't reach his mind anymore, I felt helpless and a little ashamed that Lestat and I were flirting right in front of him. I looked back when I heard Marius going outside. Armand came over to talk to me.

"So you're Lestat's new... friend? I hear that you're very curious about the vampire world... not much to know really." I cocked my head as I listened to him.

"Well... what about the little there is to know? Will you tell me?" A smiled presumptuously and waited for his response.

"Let me sum this up for you; Nothing is for certain and we were made from one very, very old vampire who is dead now... You can ask Lestat more about her." He sat down in the chair across from us. "Yes, I would say that that's about it." I stared at him for a moment. Was there any real information in that? Well, I'd have to take his advice and ask Lestat about her, whoever she was. Lestat laughed to himself, he was obviously looking back on something that happened awhile ago.

Marius came back from outside caring a large canvas and a bag. He turned into the kitchen and set them down by the bar that stretched through the kitchen.

"What are you doing?" I asked him.

"I said I would love to paint you, I meant it." He looked at me as he came back into the living-room.

I looked back down at Lestat who had his face in his hand and smiling. I noticed that no one had even looked at Louis all night; they almost seemed to pretend that he wasn't there.

I stood and took him by the arm and lead him up stairs. He followed me but leaned over like a rag-doll or a drunken man. I sat him down in my bed and looked at him furiously. He stared back at me, not saying anything. His eyes were blank; he almost appeared to be dead.

"What the hell is your problem?!" I screamed at him. He kept looking at me with the same face, his eyes gave me nothing. For all I knew he really was dead and all that remained was a body that could hold itself upright. "God, dammit, Louis! Say something!" I grabbed him by the arms and shook him. He smiled at me; it was almost like he wanted me to react like this.

"My words are empty... why would I waste your time with them?" he said, he didn't waver, even for a second. I didn't think it was possible for anyone to be like this.

"Don't say that! It's not your fault! You don't know how much you mean to me! Just because I don't love you doesn't mean I can't care about you! …Stop it!" His eyes were making me crazy. He didn't care; he wasn't even hearing me. I struck him across the face and his eyes grew wide. I began to storm out of my room when he spoke.

"I'm sorry. I was over-reacting..." I put my hands on the back of my arms and stopped. I spun around to look at him. I saw his eyes which now looked normal, his regular eyes, his beautiful ones. I sat next to him on the bed just to see his eyes. I sighed and hugged him, gently.

"Don't be so selfish..." I whispered just loud enough for him to hear, "Let Lestat take what wants to be his. You can't change him or anyone else." I saw his jaw move as he bite his tongue. "Don't be so hard on yourself either. If you want to come with me you can... otherwise just stay up here." I got up to leave but he stayed there. I walked down the stairs without him after taking one last look back at him.

When I was downstairs again I saw that everyone had cleared into the kitchen. I followed them into the kitchen and took a seat by Marius who was setting up his paints. Lestat and Armand were leaning on opposite sides of the island bar to talk. They were talking about something that must have happened a long time ago.

"Are you really going to paint me, Marius?" He looked up at me from the canvas he was looking over and nodded slowly.

"May I paint you by the river with your coffin?" He stood up with the canvas in one hand and the paint in his other.

"Yes." I cocked my head, not knowing what to expect next. I hiked upstairs to get my coffin and saw that Louis wasn't there anymore; he must have slipped out of the window. "Stop brooding…"I whispered to the Louis that wasn't there.

I opened my closet door and slowly picked it up. Noticing how easily I could pick it up I smiled and went back downstairs. I followed Marius who was waiting for me by the door.

"So what do you think of him?" He asked me.

"Lestat? He's...-"

"Fascinating?"

"Yes." I looked down as I walked close behind him. "Marius?"

"Yes? What is it?"

"What does Armand think about me?" He thought for a moment.

"He thinks that you're a complete mess." He smiled to himself.

"A mess? What's that supposed to mean?" I stopped for a second and he looked back at me. I kept walking.

"I suppose a better word would be fickle." I noticed we were at the docks where I had died and I almost dropped my coffin. "Put it down at the end of the dock and get inside." I did as he said and wondered why he had brought me back here. He was a bit strange, this Marius, but he was nice if not anything else. I sighed as I slid down inside my coffin, loving the feel of the satin around me.

He had the canvas set up in no time and came over to me. He leaned over me with his hands leaning on either side of the coffin. His eyes were soft and warm. He looked at me and smiled softly but almost mischievously. I felt like I was going to get involved it something I didn't want to. He put his hand on my face and I turned a bright red, I felt like I was burning up. It felt like I was trying to sink into the ground as I squirmed a bit, a little nervous not knowing what he'd do next. He leaned down to me and I turned my head a little, trying not to meet his gaze. I could fell his breath on my face he was so close. He kissed me and my eyes grew wide, I hadn't expected anything like that to happen... not in a thousand years.

"Ah... perfect," he whispered in my ear, his tone made me feel even more flustered, "Just the look I want." He stood up and walked back to the canvas, his eyes still on me. For a while I laid in my coffin in shock before I realized what he had done and laughed. How foolish of me to not think of it in the first place.

"Do I have to come over there again, my dear?" He said to me in a seducing, almost sinister voice. I become still almost instantly, almost frightened about what might happen if I didn't. "Good." He said with a soft chuckle. 'Yes, I hope you're enjoying yourself…' I thought with a slight unintended irritated tone.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Louis watching me. I hoped desperately that he hadn't seen what had happened. If he couldn't hear us it would have looked bad. The poor thing. Soon he left; he had probably noticed that I knew he was. With him gone I felt a little more relaxed. 'What the hell have I gotten myself into?'

Hours later I heard him put down his brush on the ledge of the easel and step back. He came over to me to help me up and I hesitantly took his hand, still feeling a little uncomfortable. He put his hand on my back and took me over to the painting.

I gasped when I first saw it. I put my hands to my mouth and looked at it, amazed by how beautiful it was. In the painting I was lying in my coffin, overwhelmed and scared by something. I noticed that behind the coffin lid was Marius' face, perhaps he was kneeling behind it, and briefly wondered why he had put it there before examining the rest of the painting. The dark waters behind almost looked like a photograph.

"It wouldn't have been as good without you." He said gratefully, in his normal tone that didn't shake me so much.

"Oh, shut-up." I said and kissed him as a thank-you. But when I did my stomach turned as I remember the feeling from when he had kissed me before. He looked at me, half surprised and half worried, and he caught me when I nearly fell over. I caught a brief thought from him. I laughed internally, he was a true character. 'I never understood Americans and their interesting sayings.'

"You should go home." He said putting the cover back on my coffin and handing it to me. I took it and after a slight pause began to run home. Marius stayed behind, sitting on the docks.

On the way back I noticed my thirst and stopped for a little hunt; the thrill of the second kill was just as exhilarating as the first.

When I began again I was thrilled by how fast I could run. I hadn't tried running like that before and it felt wonderful; but it was over quickly seeing as how my new hunting grounds weren't to far away from home. Soon I reached my house and I slowed down to a more human-like speed. I continued upstairs and put my coffin back. When I came back into the kitchen I saw Louis talking with Lestat and Armand and smiled to myself. I pulled up a stool next to Lestat and listened to him talk.

"How was it?" Armand asked me, suddenly, breaking away from his conversation. I looked up at him, not expecting the question. The question had surprised me; it sounded more like he was asking how good someone is to sleep with rather than asking how a painting went.

"It was good..." I said blankly. Looking back my face got warm. He smiled and leaned in.

"What did he do?" I blinked and thought for a second. I didn't dare say a word about what really happened.

"He painted." I said smartly. He laughed quietly and leaned back again; apparently the comment sounded funnier than it did quick and witty. Lestat smirked and put his arm around me.

"You'll have to tell us what happened eventually. We'll know soon enough." Lestat chuckled and folded his arms. They looked at Louis scheming, they knew he watched me; they had probably sent him off for that exact reason in the first place. Louis looked at me apologizing. I giggled and shook my head.

I looked at Lestat, wondering what was going through his head. Out of nowhere I heard something; it was a thought. Lestat shot me a quick glance and winked. I listened to it closely, it was his thoughts.

'What songs should I sing for Mauri? What would she like?' Was what I heard. How strange it was to hear someone's thoughts. It was like being inside of their heads. 'Do you think she would like it if I treated her like my fangirls?' The fact that he would use the word 'fangirl' struck me as odd but I tossed it aside and continued to listen. 'How should I treat her? Like a fan or a friend? What does she want me to do?' I frowned, not wanting to answer the question. Then again he wasn't really asking a question. He looked at me and saw that I was unhappy.

"Armand," he said, "You should be off if you want to see Daniel." Armand looked outside, estimating the how much time he had before the sun rose.

"I suppose I should." He got up and walked over to me. "I hope I can visit again soon." He took my hand and kissed it. When his lips touched my skin it felt like something washed through me and removed all the bad feelings. He bowed again and left without another word. 'These people are all so sensual… How strange.' I thought to myself; it was a little embarrassing, actually. It was like having 4 people flirting with you all at once. Then suddenly Lestat's voice awoke me from my thoughts. I looked up at him and noticed Louis had left too.

"Mauri," Lestat said, turning to me, "Let me take you to your room." He stood up and grabbed my hand, slowly talking me upstairs. "Stay out here for a bit." He said before he went into the guest-room. From outside I could hear things being rearranged in the room. 'I must be bloody insane.' I thought to myself, waiting for him to reappear.

Not to long after he opened the door and invited me in. The guest-room now looked like a royal suite did, more or less. What do these people do while I'm gone?

Two couches were facing each other with glass table in-between them. The otherwise empty looking room had some throw rugs on the floor and candles put just about on all flat surfaces. Fine cloth was draped over the usually empty four-poster bed. I thought to myself sarcastically, 'Now, all we need is an indoor hot tub.'

"We could go to the spa and rent a private room if you want to. Whatever makes your little concert perfect." I wandered into the room to take a closer look and saw incense was burning around the bed; it didn't have a smell to it but it had beautiful thick smoke. I breathed in and noticed that the room smelled like roses. Everything was amazing. Lestat walked over to me and hugged me from behind. "Only the best for my Number One Fan." He whispered.

"Lestat, how'd you know?" I asked.

"I've been seducing meals for hundreds of years... it comes naturally to me." I frowned and wiggled out of his hug to face him. "What is it?" He asked.

"Lestat?" I gulped nervously, not knowing how to say what I was going to say.

"What?"

"Lestat... I think I'm in love with y-" Lestat began to laugh; I was worried that he wouldn't believe me or not take me seriously so I said it again. "Stop laughing! Lestat, I love you!" He stopped laughing when he saw that my eyes were becoming red from the blood tears in my eyes.

"Of course, ma chère." He sighed, almost a little sad. "But..." He wiped my eyes and sat me down on the couch next to him.

"But what? I'm just your fan? Lestat..." I said miserably.

"No. No. You are mine. My friend, my fan, and my precious. Now, why don't you get changed into something more comfortable?" I nodded and hurried down the hall to my room and I saw Louis going down the stairs. He said 'good luck' when he heard me behind him. I changed into my more sophisticated clothes. A red sleeveless shirt with black lace trims. Instead of my normal jeans I wore the ones that ribbons up on the legs and in front. Before I left I wondered weather or not he was really serious. I shrugged, thinking that even if he wasn't I would get what I wanted anyway. I rushed back to the guest room where Lestat was still waiting for me on the couch.

When I opened the door to come in he was wearing his concert clothes: his favorite leather pants and a tight fish-net top. I slowly walked behind the sofa and leaned in over him. He dropped his head back to look up at me, waiting for me. I felt his hair for the first time then, it was unbelievably soft.

I walked around the couch and sat beside him, stretching my legs out on the rest of the couch. I put my hand on his firm chest and my fingers caught on the holes of his top. He laughed as I ran by hand down his front.

"Are you ticklish?" I teased. He took my hand off him.

"Very ticklish." As he said that his whole face seemed to move with expression, especially his eyebrows. He grabbed one of the ribbons on my pants and ran then through his hand. I put my hand at the top of his pants. I grabbed the edge and tugged at it playfully. He took my hand up in his, holding it with both hands. "Don't do that." He said, very seriously. I looked down like I dog that had been told it was bad.

"Let me have some fun, Lestat." I said as I put my hand on his shoulder. He moved me from on top of him and got down on the ground on his hands and knees. I got down and crawled closer to him. He backed up and I kept following until he came to a wall, I had him cornered. Before I could get any closer he turned and put his hand on the wall and looked back at me with a smug grin. He climbed up the wall and motioned for me to follow. Wanting desperately to see what he was planning I followed, not doubting I could climb the wall like he could. He stopped when he was on the ceiling and sat cross-legged. Ecstasy overpowered all other emotions; I was floating on Cloud Nine with my dear Lestat.

When I was beside him I pushed him back and laid on top of him again.

"Lestat." I whispered in his ear.

"Yes?" he responded.

"Do you love me?" He thought a moment but that moment felt like a lifetime.

"Would I be doing this if I didn't love you?" He asked.

"Yes." I answered sadly.

"Mauri... I'm sorry you fell that way but I'm not that cheap." He nipped at my neck playfully and wrapped me in his arms. He rolled over so that he was on top on top of me. How could I expect him to just keep still and not take control? He lifted himself up a little with his hands, cocked his head to side and said, "You don't believe me?"

"If you love me, shut up and kiss me." He smiled as though he was waiting for me to say that and put his lips to mine. I felt his tongue on my lips and opened my mouth to let him in. It felt so right, being with him. I heard his music begin to play; the sound of the keyboard was so hypnotic that I paused for a second just to listen to it.

I put my hand on his back and stuck my fingers inside the fishnets, holding onto him. He held me closer and it felt like when he had drank my blood; poor passion. How tight he held me… it made me feel safe.

After that I don't know how long it lasted. Hours, maybe or it could have been only a couple of minutes; who knows? He let me go and rolled over onto his back next to me. I felt exhausted, though nothing had actually been done. Was it already day? Had we forgotten about the sun in this windowless room? He held me again and we dropped from the ceiling, landing on our feet.

He guarded me from any rays of light coming through the shades as we made our way down into the cool basement to his coffin. I assumed he had moved it here sometime today. He held up the lid and helped me in. He got in after me and lay half on top of me and half next to me, it seemed like there wasn't really enough room but that was quiet all right as far as we were concerned. We put are arms around each other and fell asleep at last.

Night Four

I woke up, still in his arms the next night. His fingers were curling around my hair though he still slept.

"Lestat." I whispered. His eyes opened and looked at me as if he was already awake. He smiled and pushed the lid of the coffin up with his free hand and lifted me up with him.

"Did you enjoy yourself last night, my love?" He said as he took my hand, bringing me up the stairs into the living room. We sat on the couch together and I nodded. I felt refreshed after last night, no longer heavy from the weight of excitement.

"I have a surprise for you," he said. "Would you like it now?" My eyes widened as I thought of what it could be.

"What is it?" I asked. He smiled at me after a moment.

"If I told you it wouldn't be a surprise." He teased.

He took my hand to leave the living room and brought me upstairs into the guest room again. I followed him, wondering what he wanted to show me. He opened the door and I looked around, at first not seeing anything new. A second later a spotted a pair of old trunks in the corner of the room. I walked over to them, stepping a head of Lestat.

He opened the brass latch and lifted the lid to reveal a neat arrangement of old French clothing. Some were his old frock coats, others were woman's dresses. I carefully lifted out one of the silk dresses and looked at him in amazement. When I turned to look at him I saw Louis standing next to him, both wearing the antique clothes. They suited them so well; it seemed that they weren't just clothes anymore but a mirror into their souls.

I grinned as I turned back to the dress. The details were amazing, much more complex then anything made today by a machine. I looked up again as if saying 'These are for me?' and Lestat nodded.

I quickly put it away to see the other pieces of clothing that lay inside. There were only a couple of pieces of women's clothing but they were all beautiful. Even the faint scent that came from them was astounding. No words can describe these things besides 'breathtaking' and 'wonderful'. They seemed like costumes out of a fairy-tale. Magical and beautiful in every way.

After I had gone through the trunks I went back to Lestat and hugged him gently, trying not to ruin his blue satin coat. Lestat hugged me back and looked at Louis with a smile. And it wasn't even one of his usual smirks; it was an actual smile, like the way he smiled at me. Louis smiled back softly but then looked down. I stepped away from Lestat and took Louis' hands; he looked back up at me.

The look in his eyes told me that he was feeling better. They were no longer dull and sad; they were bright and sharp again. I smiled at him too and his smile grew wider. I felt better about myself too; I knew I wasn't causing him any more suffering.

Lestat said my name and left. I kissed Loui on the cheek and followed Lestat. He brought me into my room and sat me down on the bed. He looked at me as he began to talk.

"Mauri, I think that Marius and Armand are coming back soon." He said it seriously, he looked worried.

"What's wrong with that?" I asked. I stood up and held him, hoping it would make him feel better.

"I'm not sure it would be wise for you to talk to Armand. He's to... tricky. I'm afraid he'll bring us apart." He walked away and looked out the window as if he was watching for them.

"Lestat," I said whispered. I walked over to him and put my arms around him again. "You're the only one for me. I want nothing with Armand."

"That's not what I'm worried about." He stroked the back of my head and twisted my hair around his fingers. "What I'm worried about is that he'll turn you against me... He's too... how should I say this..."

"Influential?" I offered. I felt him nod and looked up at him sadly. He took my hand and noticed they were cold.

"You need blood." He said, trying desperately to change the subject. "Come with me." He took me outside and into town. He stopped suddenly and looked at me; his face was serious but patient.

"I can't come with you to hunt all the time," He began to walk away, "Don't get yourself into any trouble." He stopped to look back at me. I nodded and he was gone. I know he just said that because he couldn't stand being around people when he was upset.

I went into the park to catch a pair of unsuspecting victims. Yes, this was perfect. The squirm of the pathetic humans as they slowly died in my arms, which was half the pleasure. Afterward I wandered the busy streets for the first time with my vampire powers. Soon I was lost in the wonderful noise and sights of the city.

I returned home to find Lestat and Louis were already asleep in their coffins. Had I really been that long? I went upstairs to my own and slept for the rest of the night.

Night Five

I woke up feeling fully rested. I pushed the lid of my coffin off lazily and stood. Slowly, I made my way downstairs and into the kitchen with my head down, looking at the carpet and tiles. As I entered the kitchen I looked up to see Armand there, leaning against the wall not to far from me. I jumped back, at first because I was startled then because I didn't want to be with him.

"It's good to see you again." He said. His silky voice cured my disease and I stood in my place. "I wasn't planning to be back so soon but-"

"You shouldn't be here!" I said, cutting him off, remembering what Lestat had said. I tried to close off my thoughts against him but I wasn't sure if I could. A split-second later he stood directly in front of me. His face was so close to me that our noses were almost touching.

"You don't want to wake up your guests, do you?" He said calmly. He flashed his deadly fangs and I took a step back.

"No, no. I'm only here to talk." His face was friendly now as he took me out of the kitchen and into the living room where we sat down. "I wanted to warn you." I looked at him, just a little scared. "I wanted to tell you that if you stay with Lestat you will get your heart broken. He's not really all that interested in you, actually; when I figured that out I was even surprised, myself. To him you are just another unsuspecting victim, you mean nothing to him. For awhile I actually believed in you two." I looked away, hoping that I could just ignore him.

"You're a liar..." I began to say but for some reason I stopped.

"Yes, you know it's the truth, too." He said patiently. I looked back at him; his smile was so friendly. I looked away again and closed my eyes. I breathed out slowly, trying to clear my thoughts so that I could think. Why would he try to do this? Could I trust him? Should I listen to Lestat?

"Yes; now you must leave. Before Lestat wakes up." I whispered. When he stood I hurried him out the door. He stopped to turn around and kiss my hand. I smiled sadly and closed the door without a sound.

I returned to my room and sat at my desk, my head in my hands. The thought of Lestat was unbearable. Finally, the thought struck me. Where was Lestat? Usually he was awake by now, waiting for me. I rushed down into the basement and flung open the lid of his coffin. Empty.

"God dammit!" I yelled. I pounded against the hard concrete wall and it left a small hole. "Damn!" I hissed, staring angrily at the crumbling hole.

As I started up the stairs out of the basement I heard the door open and voices. I stopped to listen; it was some girl... and Lestat! How dare he bring someone into my house? Again, I cursed under my breath. I leaned against the railing and listened to them, not having to strain my ears.

"Wow! What a beautiful house!" She said as he brought her into the living room. He laughed quietly, probably to soft for her to hear and continued upstairs with her.

I followed them slowly, wondering weather Lestat could hear me or not. He brought her into the guest room and shut the door behind him. I punched my fist, not wanting to make another hole in the wall.

"Bastard!" I grumbled quietly. But soon it was over. Soon I could no long hear her laughter or words or even her thoughts. I grit my teeth and throw the door open. Lestat looked up at me plainly, as if he didn't know he had done something wrong.

"I'm sorry I wasn't here this morning but I was out hunting." He said, walking over to me. When he reached out for me I stepped back. "What is it? Why are you mad at me?" My jaw dropped, never did I expect him to admit he had done something wrong, but this was ridiculous.

"First of all, Lestat, you have brought another woman into my house." I folded my arms but he just laughed.

"That's what you're mad about? Dear God, you're worse than Louis!" He kept laughing but I continued.

"No." He stopped laughing almost instantly. "I'm not mad Lestat, just sad. I know that once you become bored of me you'll get rid of me just like you did with that girl." I pointed to the lifeless body that lay in the corner.

"Hah. There's a problem with your theory though, ma chère. I love you, and because of that I will never be bored of you."

"Ah, but you're too spontaneous to keep your word, Lestat. When you're finished I'll be nothing to you. Who knows, maybe you'll even kill me." He chuckled.

"Yes, and I suppose I'll even bury you. You know, with some flowers and pretty things like that."

"Yes, if it suits you." He burst out into a fit of laughter. "Damn you, Lestat! You really do think that I'm just another girl."

"Of course not, ma chère." He tried to put his hand on my shoulder but I took another step back; I didn't want him to touch me. "You are mine always. And if you run I will find you."

"Don't play games with me! Why would you even think about bringing another woman here anyway?" I pointed to dead girl again.

"She means nothing to me."

"Just the same."

"Why would it matter?"

"It matters because it shows how careless you are, Lestat. You brought some girl here, told her that you love her, and then killed her!" I looked up at the ceiling, trying to remember what happened that night. Ah, what I wouldn't give for that again... to feel like I was actually someone important.

He didn't say anything after that. Could he understand what I feel? Possibly.

The silence was killing me. I ran from the house, hell, I was running from Lestat. Somehow I managed to stumble into the city. It was exactly the same as it was last night but something felt different; it was external, too. Something was different, that was for sure, but what?

Ah, it's other vampires. I most not have noticed them yesterday, but they're here. As I walk down the street they watch me pass by and I watch them. Their faces are so white and their eyes are so sharp. Did I look like that or was it just the big city vampires that had that strange aurora? Well I guess, in a way are just like them in that we enjoy the city. Why else would we be here; certainly not for our health. Yes, it was because we enjoyed it.

I continue through the busy streets, stopping at book stores, cafes, and other interesting places to watch the people. It was like being human again. Well, almost. I looked through windows here, walked through the alleys there. Nothing held me back from exploring every nook and cranny of the city; it was too beautiful to skip anything.

Every now and then I'd see something truly breath-taking and stop to watch it, sometimes when I stopped I didn't move an inch, I just stopped. This attracted a lot of attention but I was usually too withdrawn with awe to notice.

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The clock strikes 1 o'clock and suddenly all the vampires disappear as if they fear a strict curfew. The city is now just the mortals, the lights, and me. It's a good feeling, being alone in the city. It makes you feel strong, independent; but there's something more to it, something that can't easily be described. It's like being nameless, free; no one dares hold you back because they don't know who you are or what kind of trouble you can cause.

After just a couple more minutes I begin to feel the strength wither away; it's nearing dawn. I get home as quickly as possible, fearing the sun just like those big city vampires had. Still running as fast as possible I go through the house, directly to my room.

That night sleep came swiftly on wings, just like death...

Night Six

I woke up with a note tucked neatly in the mouth of my coffin. Oh, notes. How sick I am of notes. First in school, then at work, now in death. The simplicity drove me crazy and still does. Regardless, I still opened it and read it to myself.

I'm trapped in this world lonely and fading, heart broke and waiting for you to come. We are stuck in this world; that's not meant for me. Now, you think you're smart, you're not; it's plain to see. And you want me fall off, it's killing me. You keep me down to what you think I should be. Must you tempt me and provoke my misery? But keep on trying, I'm not done so easily. Let's see, you've got the gall, come take it all.

Come on. It's on.

-You Know Who

I laughed to myself, but it was a sad laugh. What in hell had I done? What the hell had Armand done? God, if it was the last thing I do I'd find that son of a bitch and kill him; damn you Armand… damn you and your convincing little speech! Oh, why had I listened to him? Why didn't I just run when I had the chance? Now I'm alone... well, not really. I have Louis, but that's not what I mean.

Tears fill my eyes as I walk downstairs. Louis was sitting in front of the window watching the cars go past the house. I put my hand on his shoulder and he turned to look at me. He saw the blood tears in my eyes wiped them away. To his surprise I took him into my arms squeezed him close to me.

"Mauri..." He stopped, nothing else had to be said. For seemed like the longest time we stood there, not moving, not speaking.

"Loui..." I whimpered his name and more tears came to my eyes. "Loui, what can we do? If we can do something you must tell me!" I felt his head shake softly. I could tell he was upset too, even though he wasn't saying anything.

He brought me to the couch and we sat down, still in each others arms. I began to cry on his shoulder and he didn't mind the fact that his nice t-shirt was becoming badly stained with my blood.

Then I realized something. Lestat was daring me to come after him. He wanted me to do something about it. But why? I know. He wants to turn it into a competition. Or maybe he just wants to see if I truly am mad with him... Oh, how his ego astounds me. The Brat Prince…

I laughed a little and smiled. I stepped back and looked at Louis, plotting our trip. He looked a little scared, maybe he thought that I was going a bit mad after the shock of Lestat leaving. I wiped my tears away my smile widened, turning into a smirk. Louis looked even more scared now not wanting to be pulled into my adventure.

"Loui." I said with a spark in my voice, "We leave tomorrow." His eyes grew wide and he dropped his head back in dread. "Oh, come on, Loui! Now, I want tickets for Paris by boat. We need to be there as soon as possible. Whatever needs to be done, I trust that you will do it." I said this as I walked up the stairs, rubbing my hands together. Oh, this was going to be fun.

Just you wait, Lestat! I'm going to win this little contest of yours! I do love you more than I was mad at you, I'm going to find you weather you like it or not. I honestly didn't care if he was still mad at me or not. I was going to find him and we were going to live happily ever after, dammit. I realized how ridiculous that sounded but even so, I loved him and nothing was going to get in my way of him.

I flung open the door to my and paced around the room for a few minutes, crazed and running on pure adrenaline. Let him run, there is no place he can go that I won't find him. I want to see the look on his face when he comes home and I'm standing there, waiting for him. Oh, this was going to be fun.

I opened my closet door where I kept my coffin and began tossing things inside. A pair of clothes, my passport, my wallet, my iPod, my cell phone, and anything else I saw that I might need. I shut it and tied my bed sheet around it to keep it shut. I brought it downstairs and placed it by the door. I saw Louis was still standing by the window. I took his hand and pulled him around the house with me, half dancing and half running. Oh, this was going to be fun.

Over and over again I went through the house. I stopped and bent over, leaning foreword with my hands on my knees. Louis looked at me, not knowing what to think of me. To be honest I was in hysterics.

"Louis, I need you to help me! You won't let me do this alone, will you?" I said. He sighed and nodded his head.

"Of course not. But have some practicality. We can't do this alone. It's not possible."

"Anything is possible." I said, not realizing that I was quoting Lestat's own words. I took him into the living room with me and throw myself down on the couch. I stared at the ceiling. Then another thought came to me.

"Louis."

"Yes?" He said, fearing my question.

"Do you know how I can reach Marius?" His whole face seemed to move in sheer amazement as if he didn't understand how I could possibly be so excitable.

"Well I don't think he has a phone..." he said slowly, "But you could always try to get his attention with your thoughts..." The last couple of words I almost didn't hear as I focused my attention on finding Marius. He wasn't to far from here apparently, still within the city, not as he had planned.

"Marius..." I murmured it quietly as I thought it. "Marius I need your help. Come back. I want to talk." I could almost see him now and although my powers thrilled me I stayed focused. I knew he could hear me by the look on his face. It almost seemed like a flash of lightning as I became aware of my current surroundings again. Yes, Marius was coming.

I stood and looked at Louis; I just realized I didn't know were he slept. I turned my head, thinking about it and decided not to ask. I took his hand and dragged him out onto the front porch where we sat together for a minute.

"Louis, you should go now." I looked at him and then added, "If we don't get tickets tonight we might have to wait." He nodded and left, disappearing into the night. I think the only reason he went so fast was because he knew how important it was to me, no matter how sane I was at the moment.

I sat there, in the darkness. Waiting for something, someone. Then, finally, Marius was there. He looked calm until he saw me, then he looked worried. He sat next to me and put his hand on my back.

"What is it?" He asked quietly. "What do you want?" I looked up at him with my eyes beginning to tear again. My energy was gone and replaced with helplessness.

"It's Lestat-" I began to say.

"I'll help you." He said before I could even finish my sentence. I nodded and walked down onto the lawn and lay down in the grass, my arms folded behind my head, and I looked up into the night sky. He laid down beside me and I began to talk again.

"Louis has gone to get boat tickets to Paris." I said softly. "That's the first place we're stopping... but that's all I've got for now." I turned my head to look at him and he looked back at me. "Any ideas?" He looked back up at the stars.

"I'll bet you he's going to the Night Island, too." He closed his eyes for a moment and then continued. "Yes, I suppose he'd like to talk to Armand about this if I understand it all..." His voice trailed off in thought. I kept my eyes on him, how calm he was on the outside, it made me look like a total train wreck.

"Yes, I guess he would." I agreed and looked up at the night sky again. Being with Marius was… how should I say this? Being with Marius was different. He's so caring, patient, and in some ways he's like another father. "Oh, Marius... I can't believe this. This is the craziest thing I've ever done." He smiled and laughed a little.

"Well then I guess it would be safe to say that you've had a pretty sane life." I laughed with him; come to think about it, I had. Never was I a risk-taker and yet here I am, ready to travel around the world on a moments notice.

"Yes. Now tell me, Marius, how is this going to work exactly?" He thought it through for a moment than answered.

"I'm not really sure." He said plainly. "Not even I can see into the future, my dear." The wind blew and the glass tickled my face; oh, but how refreshing it felt!

Suddenly I realized that Louis wasn't aware that Marius was coming. I tried to contact him but before I could Marius spoke.

"It's all right; I'll get on that boat with you, tickets or no tickets." He said reassuringly.

"And how do you plan on doing that?" I asked.

"I'm a vampire; I can do anything I choose." The sudden burst of arrogance from Marius made me laugh; the answer was so out of character. "My mentality seems to have changed in this new age." He whispered; I could hear something in his voice, almost a fear. Did Marius fear this change? Of course, all vampires were afraid of one thing or another.

"Of course." I said, fully confident in him. "So... where will you stay tonight?" I asked, realizing he had no place to stay. All these ideas and thoughts where popping into to my head like balls being thrown at me.

"I'll have to stay with you." He then turned his head and quickly added, "If that's... okay... with you, of course." He paused on the word 'okay'. He sounded kind of funny using the modern terms with his old-fashion accent.

"You always have a home with me." I said, looking back at him. If I had sent him off I would feel too guilty to sleep anyway.

I then noticed something else, not related to the current situation at all. I had not thirst since two days ago. Was I free from this thirst that the others felt?

"It's because of your blood." He said, answering my thoughts. "It must be from Louis, he has Lestat's blood in him... which has Akasha's old blood in it..." I nodded; it made sense, I absorbed the power from all of them, I was practically an ancient with a newborns body. "I guess that's one way to put it." He put in, again reading my thoughts.

"I'm tired, Marius." I said suddenly and as I stood up sluggishly I realized exactly how tired I was. "Let's go to bed." I took his hand once he was standing and brought him inside. I took my coffin from by the door and closed all the blinds in the living room. I untied the sheet from around it and lifted the lid. I put the things on the coffee table and looked at him. He laid down inside cautiously.

"It's all right." I said, patiently. "We can sleep together."

"Are you sure?" He asked carefully. I nodded slowly; I hoped that I wouldn't respond to being so close to him from that night. Still, I climbed in next to him and carefully brought down the lid. I could feel his breath on my already warm face. For some reason I expected him to put his arms around me but he didn't and I felt relieved.

I shut my eyes, hoping to fall asleep quickly and have a peaceful rest until the next night. Fortunately, I was asleep within a couple of minutes and my mind didn't wander from its restful state. Not to long from now I would be in Paris, the idea seemed unreal. Thank God I had finally settled down.

Night Seven

I woke up the next morning with my arms around Marius. Funny, it was I expecting him to do that to me. I slowly opened the top of my coffin and got up.

Louis was sitting at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee in his hands, breathing in the fresh smell. Marius stood up behind me and followed me into the kitchen.

"Three tickets..." Louis said sleepily. "And we leave in a half an hour." He set down the coffee cup and looked up at us. I smiled and hugged him, almost too happy to speak.

"Oh, Louis! I know that this will be easy with you helping!" I went around the house again, making sure I had everything I wanted. Once downstairs again I tossed my other things back into the coffin and tied the sheet around it tightly.

I sat down in front of the TV just to pass the time. Marius sat down next to me and began to watch it with me. The show was something about demon dog and a girl that travel back into time. They were fighting an evil demon to gain some kind of powerful jewel. Before the show was over I turned it off to leave, it really wasn't that interesting anyway.

Louis brought a traveling chest from out of the kitchen and we put our coffins inside. We took my car to the harbor and had the workers take or things onto the boat. We decided it was best for them to do all the work; now wasn't the time to flaunt our powers.

Soon, all three of us were on the ship. We were all sharing a room, Louis and Marius and I. We were in a good room; I wouldn't expect any less from Louis. The walls were painted with great care and the carpet was soft beneath my feet. It was spacious and had one window but we could block it with something if we had to. We could lock the door from the inside so that no one could disturb us during the day even though Louis had given them direct orders to not in the first place.

I wondered what it was like in Paris as we pulled away from harbor. Was it anything like New Orleans? I laid down on the small, neat bed and thought about it. I looked at Louis, thinking about what how he felt about this. A look of what seemed like regret was on his face. Did he really want to do this or was he doing it for me? Probably both. Marius looked content and at ease, he was ready to do anything; it almost looked as if he had been expecting something like this to happen. No, that isn't really how to describe it. It's more like he was used to these things happening.

It wasn't long until Louis came to sit on the bed at my feet. He looked almost a little worse, was he sea-sick? Could vampires get sea-sick? I laughed at the thought. He smiled when he saw that I was happy and suddenly he seemed at ease.

"You want to know what Paris is like?" He asked. I sat up next to him and nodded. "It's almost indescribable; it's like being in a world of its own. All the people are different, each one beautiful in there own way. I have a feeling that once you get there you will never want to leave." I smiled at his comments. I sat up and leaned on his shoulder. I listened to all the sounds of the boat and sea and felt us swaying side to side in the waves. He stopped and listened with me too. Marius just stood by the open window, watching the land on the horizon slowly become smaller and smaller. He didn't move an inch. Did I look that eerie when I stood still like that?

It didn't seem like long until it was time for us to slip into our coffins, what a short day it had seemed like. We slowly unpacked out things, putting them on the bed and in the bed-stand and dresser that had been fastened to the floor. I took everything out of my coffin; well everything except for my iPod.

Marius drew the blinds over the windows and then looked it over for a moment, making sure that it would stay how he had put it. After that I rushed him into my coffin, nervous and frantic. Marius climbed in after me and I shut the lid quietly. Shortly after I heard Loui's coffin shut too.

I moved my hand and noticed his was right besides it. I shoved my hand it my pocket and turned on my iPod. Instead of taking my hand out I left it there, not wanting to touch him again, it felt too intimate.

Finally the music came like a sweet relief that was more refreshing or powerful than any medicine or alcohol. Lestat's voice roared in my ears and soothed my soul. In only couple of days we would arrive in Paris.

Night Eight

I woke up the next morning alone in my coffin. Marius and Louis weren't in the room but on the deck of the ship when I found them. I stood in-between them and leaned on the railing, swaying back-and-forth with the ship.

Marius turned away from watching the waves and was now watching me. For some reason I felt comfortable around him now, I was no longer nervous or anxious. I looked back at him and saw his gentle eyes. Was I falling in love with him, too? How would I know? But what's love got to do with it? Nothing. It's useless. So did it matter it I loved him? Of course not. But what if he didn't feel the same? That didn't matter either. Would I be betraying Lestat? I don't think he would care right now anyway. Yes, If I did love him it would be all right... at least for now... It's just a stupid crush.

I could feel my pulse now, the thirst was coming back. I opened my mouth to speak but Marius leaned over to whisper in my ear.

"We can not kill here, my dear." He said quietly, "Come back to the room with me." I nodded and he took my hand. The instant he touched me my pulse quickened. I looked back at Louis and told him to stay there. He nodded and turned back to the ocean.

Marius led me back to the room and we sat on the bed together. He sat close to me and pulled me even closer to him still.

"Drink, my child." He whispered as he put my head by his neck. I gasped and he put his arms around me reassuringly. I closed my eyes for a moment before put my mouth to his neck. My fangs sunk in without any struggle and his blood poured over my tongue like liquid fire.

'Yes, this is love...' I thought. I coiled my arms around him, one on the back of his neck, pulling him further into my grasp.

"Don't be so sure." He said. He sounded so sad but it could be the pain. "Isn't this the reason you were so angry at Lestat?" I held my breath and brought my head back suddenly. I drew a breath quickly as if I were in pain and cringed.

"No." I whispered. "I was mad at him because I was blinded... by that bastard Armand."

"Then you still love Lestat."

"Yes..."

"Then how can you say to love me, too?"

"I don't know Marius." Tears started to fill my eyes and he seemed puzzled by them. "But, please, let me love you... at least for a little while." He seemed to be thinking for a second then his face changed and he seemed to be sympathetic now. He wiped away the tears and he took me in his arms.

"Are you sure this is wise?" He said, his voice tinted with uncertainty. I thought about it for awhile before I decided to answer him with another question.

"Do you feel it is love, Marius?" I asked hesitantly.

"I'm not sure."

"Wouldn't you like to find out though?"

"And how would we do that?" He asked. His voice seemed to quiver. Was he crying? I looked up at him; I really looked at him. I looked into his eyes, the soft hazel eyes that were so pure. Oh, but how strange they looked now; they were tainted with red and sadness. The truth was I didn't know the answer to the question. How could we know? Was this just a trick of the mind?

"Do you want to love me, Marius?" Tears started to come to my eyes again and he wiped them away. The tears in his eyes only worsened. He didn't answer.

I put my hand on his check and stretched my neck to kiss him. At first he let it be but then he shot up from the bed and stood in front of the window, eyes closed, arms crossed. I watched him, confused and sad.

"Mauri..." he said firmly. "I don't want to make this more complicated then it all ready is. As much as I believe that we could I'd rather see you with Lestat." I nodded; I could understand how he felt. I stood, cleared my eyes, and left to join Louis back on the dock.

"Do you know when we're going to arrive, Loui?" I asked and leaned on the rail with my arms crossed like he was.

"It shouldn't be to long." He said looking out into the horizon. "I'm not sure if you can see it since you're so young but the shore is just barely visible if you look closely enough." I tried to see out to where he pointed and I could see a small strip of what seemed like lights. I smiled, thankful that our trip wouldn't last much longer.

"What city are we going to be landing in?" I asked as I squinted my eyes to see the shore more clearly.

"La Rochelle." He said and looked down into the waters. "From there we can take the train to Paris. I'll bet you he's in the theaters as we speak."

"How would you know that?" I asked and turned my head to look at him. "How can you be sure?"

"Lestat was always one for the stage. Back in the old-times- before I was even born- he and his friend were inseparable. It just so happens that he, his friend I mean, was an exceptional violin player and played in a theater orchestra. Lestat got himself on that stage every chance he could before he ruined it for himself." He closed his eyes, sighed then laughed a little.

"Ruined it for himself? What do you mean by that?"

"He exposed his true nature, his Dark Gift. It wasn't long before his astounded audience realized that they weren't watching a clever illusion."

"That sounds like something that would happen to him." I said and looked back out into the vast sea. Louis opened his eyes again and watched the lights of the city became brighter with me. We were going at a good pace but we would have to wait another day before we set anchor in La Rochelle.

I felt a faint warmth on the back of my neck. Although it was so faint, this feeling, I knew it was a sure sign that it would be day soon. I dragged Louis back to our room without saying a word and slipped into my coffin.

There was no Marius. There was not his warm smile. There was no smooth voice. There was not a gentle hand to help me into my coffin. Just Louis and I. But more important than Marius not being there, there was no Lestat. How I missed his complex aurora that filled the room with an accepted arrogance. But that will soon change. Soon I shall feel that complex atmosphere again and even sooner I should see Marius again.

Speaking of Marius... I love him. I do not love him as I love Lestat but I love him as a daughter would love her father. Yes. That is it. Now, hopefully that matter can be put to rest.

I felt my eyes close. How inexplicably heavy they felt. It seemed like such a short day in all but how tired I was. All I had done was argue and stare into space. Was there nothing else to do while Lestat was gone? The world slowly slipped away from me and all my trouble fell away with it.

Night Nine

I woke up to hear the voices of my two companions. We were about to reach shore. Any minute we would dock. How exciting! Perhaps to exciting... It seemed that I was shaking. My lips trembled and my hands were clammy. Hoping to shake it off I carefully climbed out of my lovely wooden coffin.

The salty smell of the ocean filled my nose and the sight of my friends filled my eyes. What a wonderful day this would be; we were in Paris!

I came over to them, trying hard not to lose my balance. When I tried to meet Marius' gaze he abruptly looked away. 'Childish.'

Then without speaking he said to me, 'I wouldn't be so soon to convict if I were you.' He almost sounded hateful.

'Marius… don't be like this. I made a mistake but now I have my emotions sorted out.'