I felt like I was trapped in a bad rerun of The Brady Bunch. Playing happy family was a nice idea, but impossible. The starting fact being that this wasn't even my family. I was forced against my will to become their adoptee; more like their pawn in the power struggle my newly discovered vampire world seemed engrossed in. Even if my new "guardian", Charles Force had taken me under honest intentions, the fact still remained that my temporary sister was the devil in designer labels and I was hopelessly in lust with my temporary brother. This all made things rather uncomfortable at the ol' Force Penthouse.

"Watch it troll."

Mimi hissed at me as she pushed past me, slamming the cedar sauna door behind her.

"Fine. I wasn't going in there anyways."

I heard her teasing giggle from behind the door. You'd think that after you save someone's life and future lives, that they might be a little nicer to you; not Mimi Force though. She hated me now more than ever, now that she had to share her brother under the same roof as me.

I sulked back to my room, my only haven in this big unfamiliar place that I refused to ever acknowledge as home. In the beginning I had hoped that my grandfather would come and take me back to the home that I grew up in. But his new found position in The Committee left him little free time; and eventually he resigned this high fashion hell to be the best place for me. My only other hope refused to wake up and rescue me, but I kept a vigil in the back of my mind.

"Ignore her."

The one voice I tried to ignore more than any others, wafted out of the library as I passed the open door.

"Yeah sure," I mumbled back without even slowing down.

I shut the door behind me once I made it to my room. My main goal in life had become to upset Mimi and her mother as much as possible with my decorating choices. I had channeled my inner rock star and trashed the room in true hotel fashion.

"Schuyler, can I come in?"

A quiet voice spoke while knocking.

"No"

"Too bad," he said as he turned the knob and stepped in anyways.

It wasn't like I hadn't expected him to do it.

"I know it isn't easy for you here."



Jack pulled one of my hideous orange, faux fur chairs next to where I was sitting on the bed. I just ignored him.

"It's not easy on me either, you know?"

"Right, I can imagine."

I rolled my eyes, picturing the way Mimi seemed to glue herself to him whenever I was in the room.

"It's all this…you!"

"What did I do?"

"Everything was set, so simple, my other half...and then you came along this cycle and nothing's clear anymore."

"Sorry for being born," I said sarcastically.

Did he really expect me to be sorry for preventing him from a relationship that, in red blood eyes, would be considered very improper with his twin sister?

"Don't be…ever!"

He smiled at me. I hated when he melted away my stubborn shield like that.

"I'm glad you're here."

I wasn't sure if he meant cosmically or in the house, but I had a hunch it was both.

And with that he left my room. I flung myself on the bed; my too thin body barely made a dent in my piles of thrift store crocheted afghans.

I don't know how long I had been staring at the intricate swirls on the crown molding when another knock sounded at my door.

"Go away!" I shouted.

"It's me, "announced a voice I'd been waiting to hear.

I flung the door open and threw my arms around the familiar body.

"You o.k. Sky?"

"No"

I could never lie to Oliver. Since I moved in here I had shared every torturous minute of life in the force household. He walked me back in side the room without loosening the comforting embrace he held me in, and kicked the door shut with his foot.



I buried my head into his shoulder, letting my long hair fall like a curtain around me. My tears were quickly forming a wet mark across his shirt, but he never flinched. I was so thankful for Oliver; my best friend, guardian and source of constant strength through all the craziness my life has seen. I had only recently found out his official status of helper and guardian; part of a long line of conduits to our family. When I had first moved in with the Forces they had forbidden my red blood best friend from visiting me in their blue blood exclusiveness. But once they learned that I had made him my human familiar, they allowed him to visit; if only for my source of nourishment.

"I hate it here so much, Oliver. I just wish everyday that I will wake up and be back home drinking tea with Cordelia. But I never will. I am trapped here." I gestured wildly around the room, as if to exhibit my prison.

He pulled back and lifted my tear soaked face. Even just his warm smile did wonders in comforting me.

"This won't be forever Schuyler and I will always be here with you."

His hand raked through my hair and his scent began to tease my nose. It had been a week since my last feed and Oliver was calling to me.

"I know that look, you go too long between feedings, you know it's not good for you."

Most vampires never went more than a day or two, but sucking life blood from my best friend was different than a stranger, or three handsome foreign boy toys, as were Mimi's familiars du jour. Every time I pierced Oliver and let his blood revitalize me his mind filled me too. It opened his thoughts and memories, like a voyeuristic key. But he never seemed to mind; in fact physically he enjoyed it. He had described it more than once as full body ecstasy; to which I would always blush at the idea of me causing him to feel like that.

I could feel Oliver's cheek; warm and pulsing against my own. He leaned down and kissed my neck; a tease to entice me to bite him. Gentle kisses trailed up my jaw and paused at me mouth just as my resistance faltered and I sunk my sharp fangs into his flesh like butter. He moaned; feeling no pain. We fell back onto the bed, not loosing the connection.