AN: This is a sequel to my other story, A Walk at Night.


"Are you comfortable?"

"Besides my hands being tied behind a chair, I feel great. Thanks for asking," Shinoa remarked. She gave Crowley a pleasant smile, but in her head she was screaming "How did I get myself in this mess!"

First she was fending off Crowley and those two noble woman. She had to admit that her squad wasn't doing well and could've died. Shinoa had ordered a retreat then suddenly she was knocked out. Next, she sitting in front of a vampire noble making sassy remarks.

"Ah, that's wonderful! Wouldn't want you to be uncomfortable," he said as he investigated her weapon. It was smaller than his hand and a shiny black. He was watching while she fought and saw that she was able to change this useless rod into a scythe bigger than her. "These humans make some fascinating trinkets", he thought.

"You shouldn't mess with stuff that's not yours. It's quite rude," Shinoa smirked. Crowley hadn't tied her legs, so she swung them carelessly.

Crowley was leaning on the desk in front off her. His crimson eyes borrowing into Shinoa's brown eyes. He sets the rod down, never breaking eye contact. His arms cross over his chest and he smirks right back at her. Neither of them want to break eye contact. They stare at each other in silence, admiring one another's persistence to keep this stare down going.

Slam! "Lord Crowley! Horn won't let me drink blood!" Standing in the doorway was Chess. She was pouting and pointing down the hall at Horn, who was walking at a moderate pace towards her.

"You need self-control, Chess," the blond progenitor said. She had a stern look on her face as she approached Chess.

"I don't-," she stopped once she noticed the purple haired figure sitting in front of Crowley. "Oh! Is that the human you captured? Let me see!" Chess ran to get a closer look. She squatted in front of Shinoa and gave a fanged smile. "She looks tasty~".

Unbeknownst to her, Crowley was glaring at the back of her head. His teeth clenched out of annoyance. He looked up and found that Shinoa was staring at him with a suspicious look in her eyes. Crowley relaxed and gave a sigh. "Ooo~ I want a taste," Chess purred. Her face closing in on Shinoa's neck. In an instant, Crowley yanked Chess away from Shinoa and threw her to the side. Her body slammed into a nearby table. It crushed under the brute force in Crowley's throw. "Ow! What was that for", she whimpered.

"We need her alive Chess. If you get a taste, you won't be able to stop," he said nonchalantly.

"That's the human girl we met near Shinjuku, correct?" Horn walked into the room with a puzzled expression. "She's not strong like that boy. Why do we need her?"

"She can either give us information or lure those friends of hers to us. Hopefully both," Crowley walked around Shinoa to greet the seventeenth progenitor.

Crowley had disappeared from Shinoa's line of sight, leaving her to stare at the wooden office desk in front of her. She craned her neck to see if there were any important papers left in the open. There were, but she couldn't read them. Her short height plus how far she was from the desk created an angle she couldn't read from. Great. She sighed in annoyance and slumped in the chair. Maybe she could get her Shakima doji. It was close to the edge and her legs reached that far. If she hit the desk enough, her weapon will fall off and hit the ground. Then she could make some other plan to get it. With a grand swing in her legs, she banged against the edge of the desk. It was working. The vampires behind her either didn't hear her, which was unlikely, or chose not to acknowledge her. She repeated the process over and over until she was one more hit away. Shinoa swung her legs up, a triumphant smile on her face, until a masculine hand stopped her short of touching the desk.

"You're making a ruckus over here. Is there a problem?" Crowley said while he had her leg in a tight grip.

"Yes, there is a problem. I need to pee and have no clue as to where the bathroom is." Silence. Shinoa gave him a shit eating grin. He simply looked away from her and to the lady vampires still in the room.

"I can handle this human. Both of you can leave now", he said. Chess and Horn gave a curt nod and left the room. Their footsteps faded away until all was quiet. Crowley dropped Shinoa's leg and slouched onto the desk behind him. His posture looked defeated, but the shaking of his shoulders said otherwise. A small giggle escaped him, until it grew into all out laugher. It was shocking to see such a dangerous monster laugh with such mirth. Without a care in the world, he laughed.

As his laughter died down, Shinoa asked, "what's so funny?"

"You," he gave a small laugh, "you're antics. They are," he paused, searching for the right word. "Amusing". He smiled charmingly. The vampire noble lifted himself off the desk and walked around to sit in the red cushioned chair. He folded his hands on the desk in a business like fashion. It almost seemed like a job interview. If job interviews involved the employer tying up the poor unemployed soul to a chair. "So, where did you humans get such dangerous weapons?"

"Magic! Although it's becoming quite scarce," She smiled innocently.

"Oh really? Where did you get this 'magic'?" Crowley picked up the small trinket that Shinoa so desperately needed and started to fiddle with it.

"Well, I don't know the answer to that," she said seriously, "but if I did I wouldn't tell you."

"What would you tell me?" Crowley had stopped messing with Shinoa's little weapon, having grown tired of it. The weapon now rested on the surface of the desk. His attention was solely on her.

"My name. Maybe," Shinoa shrugged.

"What is it?"

"Huh?"

"You're name. I want to know it," he said with a bored expression. His hand propping his head up.

Shinoa averted her gaze away from Crowley. "... Shinoa"

"Shi- no- a. How lovely, but what about your last name?" She didn't answer him. "Oh come on. After all we've been through, I deserve to know."

"Yes, all those memorable moments. Like when you sat on me or that time you sunk your teeth into my neck." Shinoa still had nightmares about it, but she couldn't let Crowley know that it still haunted her. "Considering how sweet I am, you must have gained a lot of weight".

"Your blood was sweet", he licked his upper lip at the thought of her red, delicious blood. Shinoa's cringe didn't go unnoticed by Crowley. "If that freaked you out, I can only imagine how you would've acted if Chess took a bite out you".

"Thanks for the save," she said sarcastically. Shinoa rolled her brown eyes and gave Crowley a blank expression. "Why did you stop her?"

"Cause I wanted to," he stated. "Chess is an aggressive drinker. She can't control her thirst that well." He sighed.

"Aww. Is the big bad vampire stressed~" Shinoa teased. Her innocent expression making Crowley raise a brow. The calm look on his face turning into a smirk. He talked to this human for a short time, but he knew she must act this way on a normal basis. Humans are so readable.

"I'm so stressed~" he playfully whined. "A shoulder massage would feel so wonderful." His smirk still on his face, he stretched his arms over his head.

"Maybe you can untie me and I'll give you a massage."

"Hmm..." He pretended to think about. "Nope!" He laughed. It wasn't like Shinoa thought he was going yes. She faked sighed. Might as well keep playing around.

"I had really hoped to help my captor with a nice massage on his shoulders" she held back the urge to roll her eyes and instead smiled tauntingly.

"If your friends don't come, you can." He suggested in hopes of another tease. Instead, Shinoa's friendliness disappears and is replaced by an expressionless doll.

"They'll come", she turns her head to face away from him. The warm atmosphere is crushed under the weight of the grave situation. His smile leaves him as he muses over Shinoa's change in demeanor. He didn't think mere words could erase the teasing smirk on her face. The silenced annoyed him. She couldn't just talk to him so openly only to just close up and ignore him. It was selfish, but the vampire should have expected that much from a human.

"Why do you say so?" Crowley questioned to keep the silence at bay.

"Because we're family" she stares at him. Her voice was nonchalant, but her eyes were filled with pure passion. Shinoa gives a dry laugh. "But you wouldn't know what that was would you".

"I wouldn't", he said with a shrug. Crowley tapped his fingers on the desk. He huskily says, "but you could teach me." Crowley lifts his hand, stopping Shinoa from replying. He's looking down, focusing on something unknown to Shinoa. Then she hears it. A muffled commotion from somewhere outside the room. The sound is loud in Crowley ears though. A scream. A crash. Familiar loud yelling. Her 'family' is here. His blood red eye look up at her and he smiles at the confusion in her face. "Your 'family' is fighting. They should really keep their voices down."

Shinoa's eyes light up brighter than the sun. Her mouth open to speak, but no words come out.

"Don't get too excited", Crowley stands up from his chair. He walks past her until she can't see him, but she knows he's still there. "You can't be sure they'll survive." He strides to the door and exits. Before he closes the door behind himself, he hears one last comment from his lavender prisoner.

"I'll tell them to lower their voices next time."