The Night she died
Five years ago
"Have you ever seen anything so perfect" Joanna said to her aunt as the nurse handed the new mother her baby.
"She's beautiful simply beautiful, what are you going to name her?" her Aunt Mimi replied in her thick romaine accent
"Natalie, my sweet little natty," Joanna said cuddling her newborn.
Two days later the happy little family went home, their life was full of all the joys that come with having a new baby, and better yet Conner seemed to final be out of Joanna's life. But all that changed one night just six months after she gave birth to her daughter.
Joanna had asked her aunt to watch Natalie while she went out to buy some last minute things for Christmas, by the time she was leaving the mall it was dark and she was wishing that she didn't park her car so far away. The entire walk to the car she felt someone following her, watching her every move; she walked faster every instinct she had told her to run. She made it to the car and had just put the toy she had bought for her sweet baby girl in the trunk when she heard a voice that made her blood run cold.
"Look at you sweet face, who would have thought that you would look so good after giving birth." Conner said leaning on her car.
Her eyes were wide he hadn't been there two seconds ago and she would have no she should have heard him approach.
"Stay away from me," she said her voice shaking.
"Come on now is that any way to great the father of your child." He teased as he stepped closer to her.
"Don't come any closer." She felt tears well in her eyes, she hated to admit that this monster was her sweet little girls father, and this was only because the last time she had seen him he had rapped her.
"NO I'll come as close as I want." He said moving so fast that she couldn't see him.
"What are you," she asked looking up in the pail eyes and sharp fangs of a nightmare.
"You'll see soon enough, I'm going to turn you Joey then we will be together forever just you me and the baby," he said and quickly latched onto her neck.
It hurt worse then anything she had ever experienced, tears filled her eyes and all she could think about was that she was never going to get to see her baby again, that's when she tasted the thick coppery liquid in her mouth.
She didn't know how much she swallowed; she didn't know that it didn't matter now that her Fate was sealed, she kicked him as hard as she could and he let go, she pushed him to the ground and quickly got inside her car and sped off towards her house.
When she got there she felt dizzy, her arms and legs felt like dead weight, it was almost as if she were dyeing. Using every ounce of her strength she rang the door bell and her aunt opened the door.
"ANNA what happened to you?" her aunt asked eyeing the bit mark.
"It was Conner, he attacked me again, he... He bit me." she said falling onto the couch.
Margaret eyed her niece fearing what the outcome for this night would be,
"Anna did you drink his blood?" she asked as she watched the holds in her nieces neck heal.
"He made me" she sobbed her head spinning then falling into darkness.
It was hours later that she woke up a cool rag on her head, she heard her aunt praying in the kitchen and moved towards the room, she felt strange, like every nerve ending in her body was at its most heightened point. She took a deep breath and could smell something sweet, it made her mouth water,
"Your awake, you have had quit a night my child" her aunt said never turning away from the sink.
"I feel strange, I'm hungry but I don't know what for." She said sitting at the table.
"Try this." Her aunt said placing a cup full of red liquid in front of her.
She drank it greedily it tasted so good to her and then she felt lightheaded again.
"Did you like it" her aunt asked
" it was great what was it?"
"Blood, my Blood to be precise."
Joanna wanted to vomit, she had just drunken her aunt's blood and it has satisfied the hunger that she could not explain.
"My Anna, my dear sweet Anna, of all the people in the world I wish this did not happen to you, When Conner bit you tonight then fed you his blood he turned you." Her aunt said sitting down with her
"What do you mean he turned me?" she asked almost afraid to know
"Legends come from my country, about the undead," her aunt started but Joanna cut her off.
"They are just stories though"
"I wish it were so, my child oh how I wish it were so, and you are a Vampire." Her aunt said touching her nieces hand.
They cried most of that night, trying to figure out what to do, how they were going to adjust to this new life, and though their hearts ached they knew that had to adjust, little Natalie needed her mother and Margaret's was far to old to raise the baby.
"I have a friend, he lives out in California now but he will be able to help you. What we need to do now is get you as far away from Conner as possible, this is your ticket information for both you and Natty. Go get to the airport and get on the first flight you can." Margaret said handing the baby and a suitcase to her niece before then handing her a diaper bag.
"I had a fiend drop this off, it's got enough blood and bottles to get you their. I'll send the rest of your things as soon s I can. Now go and call me when you get there." She said and ushered them out the door and into the night.
As soon as the car was out of the drive way Margaret pulled out the old number that she had been saving just in case for the last 60 years.
Josef paced as he talked to the latest client, god mortals could be infuriating, he was ready to go through the phone and ripe the mans throat out, then he heard it, the phone the one he only gave the number to a few very selected people.
"I have to go but this better be taken care of when I call back or else." He slammed the phone shut
He walked to the phone the one the rarely rung with trepidation, not sure who this was going to be.
"Hello," he said wetting his lips.
"Hello Josef, it's been a long time," Margaret said through her tears.
Anna arrived at the airport, looking all around she didn't know who she was looking for all her aunt had told her was that an old friend of hers would be there waiting for her.
Josef eyes fell on the young woman she looked maybe 25 and she held the baby close to her, as if fearing that she would lose it the way she had lost her life. He replayed the conversation he had with Margaret in his head as his eyes traveled over the curvy woman with the frightened green eyes.
"Margaret?" his eyes were wide surprised that she was still alive.
"Yes Josef it's me, I need your help" he could already hear the sadness in her voice.
"What's wrong, do you need money," she was one of the very few people he would ever offer that to but given their history he would do anything for her.
HE had met her when she was just 18, a beautiful girl wide eyed and innocent, and the moment he saw her he had wanted to taint that innocence and make it his, that had been before his little car accident, it hadn't killed him but it had hurt like hell, the car was engulfed in flames and he didn't think he was going to get out. But he had and Margaret had found him, she drug him into her families barn and cared for him. He told her what he was and she in turn allowed him to feed off of her. He owed her so much even now, when he though back on it he hated himself for ever wanting her in the way he had originally.
"IT is my niece she, oh Josef I never once thought you kind were monsters but tonight," he heard her tears and it broke his heart to him she would forever be the young girl who had saved him.
"What's happened?" he asked again
"My niece has been turned." He almost dropped the phone
Obviously he had agreed to help her, now he casually walked towards her. She was beautiful with all soft curves of a new mother, by no means was she fat but she looked healthy except for the whole recently dead thing.
"Joanna, I'm Josef Konstantin, a friend of your aunts, she told me what happened…" his voice trailed off as the baby started to cry.
"I have to take care of her," she said searching his eyes.
"Lets go, my people will get your things." He said gently leading her to the waiting car.
Once inside the car Anna quickly started to change Natty, much to Josef's chagrin. The screaming baby and the smell of baby poop did a number on his heightened senses.
"Do you have to do that now," he asked slightly annoyed.
"Do you want her to stop crying?" she countered, and finished the job the baby still screaming.
"Shh shh its alright sweet girl mommy's hear, shhh." She said and held the baby close as she gave her a bottle.
In no time the baby quieted leaving Anna and Josef in silence.
"Are you…. Are you" she couldn't bring herself to say it.
"Like you, yes." He said with out flinching his long life had made him hard and he said it as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"What's going to happen now?" She looked at him as tears filled her eyes.
"Well your aunt asked me to help you so here is your new house keys, and cell phone, you start work in two weeks that should give you enough time to get you all settle in, right?" he asked and let a small smile creep into his face at her look of confusion, as they pulled up to a modest size house.
"Why are you doing this," she asked as he opened the car door for her.
"Not all of us are monsters, there are rules the guy who changed you most definitely didn't follow them, I told your Aunt I would look out for you that's what I intend to do," he said opening the door to the house for her.
It really was a beautiful house, tasteful and it looks as if it were also babied proof, she looked a the large kitchen, loved to cook and now she actually was going to have a kitchen that was amazing as the meals she could whip up. She heard Josef walk up behind her and she turned sharply, looking at him her eyes wide in fear.
"Whoa, take it easy," he said holding his hands up
"I don't like being snuck up on" she said her voice trembling.
"Your aunt told me about, well I know, look there's a nursery for her this way." He said walking down the hall and to a door on the left trying to ease the tension that had suddenly reared its ugly head.
It was beautiful, it was the nursery of her dreams the walls were a soft mint green with small accents of pink and there was a circle bassinette drape in flowing white material. Their were no toys yet, but that would be fixed, soon.
"We have a lot we need to talk about, but why don't you go and get cleaned up first," Josef said taking in the fast that she was still wearing her blood stained clothes.
"But…my" she said looking to him then her baby.
"I'll watch her," he said reaching out to take the infant.
Anna eyes him suspiciously, holding her baby closer to her. She was slightly afraid of Josef even though he had been nothing but kind so far.
"I promise, I wont hurt her," he said stepping towards her.
Reluctantly she handed over the baby, watching him with a sharp eye, before rummaging through her back pack for some clean clothes.
"What's her name?" he asked quietly held captive by the tiny baby in his centuries old arms.
"Natalie," she answered and he gave a silent nod in return.
She left the room and he followed till he was in the living room the small baby in his arms, and not for the first time that night he regretted being immortal. The last time he had held a baby it had been the night before he died, the night before he was turned.
"Well little one, it looks like your life is going to be much different then your mom thought, hell it's going to be more different then either one of you could imagine, but I promise, no matter what I will always take car of you both."
Ana couldn't help but be relived to see that her baby was indeed safe, and still sleeping in Josef's arms. She allowed a small smile to grace her face hen she realized that he was softly singing to the tiny baby that he gently rocked in his arms.
"I can take her back now," she said softly.
Josef turned around and saw her standing there, in her pink pajama bottoms and black tank top, her hair still wet hanging down her back in tight braid. Josef walked over and hanged somewhat reluctantly the sleeping baby back to its mother and then motioned for them to sit. He took a deep breath and began to explain the ne west of rules that she was going to have to live her life by, watching as her shoulders sagged at the mention of all the things she was no longer going to be able to do. This was the job of the sire, and even thought he was not her sire, she needed to be taught and this was a special circumstance.
" you have to be careful we don't want the whole world to find out about us, watch how long you are in the sun the longer your in it the worse you'll start to feel, and your not going ot really need to eat food anymore but being that you have the baby…" he didn't finish his statement but jumped right into the last part of his task the question and answer phase.
"Do you have any questions?" he asked when he was done with his long explanation.
"Just is it possible that a…a Vampire can turn out wrong?" she looked at her lap when he let out a soft laugh.
"What are you talking about?" He asked
"You said that regular food wouldn't nurish me anymore, that my body wouldn't be able to process it, is that correct?" she asked looking up.
"yes" he was intrigued
"But I got hungry on the plain and not the I want to drink your blood kind of hungry, so I had the dinner they served, it was fine as far as airline food is, I mean I could taste it" she answered.
"What that's not possible," he said
"but it happened, that why I want to know did I turn out wrong."
"I've never heard of this happening," he said standing
"Then what happened?" she asked her eye pleading with him for an answer.
"Were you near death when you drank his blood?" Josef asked
"No, at least I don't think so, I mean I drove home." she answered
"so you were turned before your bodies died, I've heard that this was possible but never met someone that survived that type of turning," she said more to himself
"What do you mean?" she asked standing up
"Turning is a very traumatic thing that happens, your sire has to know what their doing, drain them to much blood they won't make it, drain to little and well most mortals just die because they can't handle the change, the sires blood counteracts and kills them. Very few and I mean maybe 2-3 every hundred years survive the type of turning you endured." He said looking at her in awe.
"So what is that supposed to mean then?"
"I don't know, where just going to have to wait and find out. You should get some rest, I'll call your aunt and tell her you got here, there is a freezer in your bedroom, I'll be back to check on you tomorrow." He said and started to walk to the front door.
Before she could even answer he was gone leaving her in the empty house clutching her baby.
"Oh Natty what have I gotten us into?" she asked the baby as she looked around the house in both fear and shock.
What she didn't see was Josef looking in through the front window, taking one last glance at them, reassuring to him self that they were safe.
