A/N: 12/5/12 I've made a lot of changes to this story. Hope you all enjoy it.
Disclaimer: Don't own SM or anything else except the story plot and made up characters.
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Rome, Italy early 20th century...
"It's so beautiful out here tonight," she said with a smile.
He just looked into her hazel eyes and simply nodded. She leaned into his arms and closed her eyes. Everything was so perfect for the both of them. They were newlyweds going into their third month of marriage. They smiled to themselves and continued to look at the scenery of Rome. Joshua Giovanni was a proud man. His light brown hair was tied in a long ponytail and his eyes were a dark amethyst. He was the exact opposite of his lover. Her hair was ebony and her eyes were hazel. Her name suited her features perfectly: Giselle. The sounds of gunfire brought them back to reality. Joshua looked down from the balcony and fear crossed his face. Giselle sensed it and trembled slightly.
"It's not possible; they've found us," she mumbled.
Without another word, Joshua grabbed her hand and ran back into their room.
"We need to leave now," he said with panic in his voice.
Giselle's eyes hardened at the news he shared with her. "Where do we go?"
"I know of a place. I knew this day would come. Artemis is waiting underground," he explained quickly.
They ran down the hall and Giselle groaned and leaned against the wall clutching her abdomen. Joshua turned around and looked at her.
"What's wrong?"
"I need to tell you something," she whispered.
"We don't have time Giselle. Let's go," Joshua said impatiently.
She pulled her arm away from him and stood her ground. "Not unless you want to endanger the life of your child."
Joshua stopped and looked at her. "Giselle?"
Tears streamed down her cheek. "I'm pregnant," she whispered.
"That's not possible," he stated.
She balled her hands into fist. "Don't you think I know that?"
"Oh God," he groaned.
"I don't know how this happened, but I'm scared," she replied.
He pulled her into his arms and kissed the top of her head gently.
"We'll figure it out once we're safe. Scythe has been hunting us down. We're going to Venice."
He picked her up and ran. Once they reached a bookcase, he pushed a book in. It disappeared and turned into a staircase. In the distance, they could hear growls and hissing. The couple went down the stairs and into a tunnel underneath the house. They followed the dark, stony, damp path to an underground boat. A young man was waiting there.
"Artemis you know where to go. Quickly," Joshua ordered.
The young man bowed and got them into the boat. Artemis took the oars and began to paddle out of the underground tunnel. Up in their bedroom, the vampires destroyed everything. A tall figure covered in a black robe stood there. A nearby vampire walked up to him.
"Master, they are not here," he hissed.
"We shall search this whole damn country! I'm not letting them get away again," he roared.
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Venice, Italy six months later...
"PUSH," the midwife yelled.
Giselle screamed at the top of her lungs and whimpered in pain. Joshua wiped her forehead with a cloth and held her hand.
"Please Giselle, one more time."
She growled at him and her teeth elongated into fangs. As she spoke, her voice became demon-like and her eyes turned gold.
"Go to hell Joshua! It's your damn fault I'm lying here giving-"
Before she could finish, a fresh wave of pain came and she screamed again.
"Lady Giselle, one more time," the midwife coaxed.
Giselle grunted one last time and fell down one the pillows breathing hard from exhaustion.
It's a girl," the midwife beamed while holding the crying baby up for them to see.
Once the midwife finished cleaning the baby, she wrapped her in a blanket and handed her to Joshua. He kissed his daughter gently and brought her over to Giselle. She smiled faintly while holding her daughter.
"Joshua, she is so beautiful."
Joshua stroked his wife's hair and kissed her cheek. He looked down at his daughter. Her hair was ebony just like Giselle's.
"She looks like you," he said.
"But she has your eyes," she replied.
He looked down to see his daughter cooing and looking up at him with a smile. Her eyes were the same amethyst color as his.
"What should we name her?" he asked.
"I want to name her Rayenna," she said with a smile.
Joshua raised an eyebrow. "Rayenna? I wanted to name her after my mother. "
Giselle bared her fangs. "You and I aren't going to start that discussion again. I'm naming her after my great grandmother."
Joshua smiled."She'll be stubborn like you. Rayenna is a beautiful name. I'll pick the middle name."
She rolled her eyes. "Fine."
"Ares," he said.
She smiled, "Rayenna Ares. I like it."
Their joy was cut short when Artemis ran into the bedroom. "Joshua! They're here!"
Fear rushed over both Giselle and Joshua. Giselle handed the baby over to Joshua and he put her in the bassinet.
"Are you sure?" he asked.
Artemis nodded his head. "They're trying to break in. What do you want me to do?"
Joshua pulled out his gun from the dresser drawer.
"Let them try to ruin my life. Artemis, do you think they know about Rayenna?"
"Apparently not, otherwise I would be dead by now," Giselle spoke up.
Artemis and Joshua turned around quickly and stared at the woman getting out of bed.
"You just gave birth. Lay down in the bed and rest," he pleaded.
Giselle ignored his pleas and looked at Artemis. "Go and fetch Luna. Take the passage under the house so you won't be seen. Those monsters will die. Go!"
Artemis bowed and ran out the room.
BOOM!
BOOM!
BOOM!
Giselle and Joshua fell to the ground as the house shook violently.
"They're trying to blow their way in!"
Rayenna began to fuss from the loud noises. Giselle ran over to the bassinet to quiet her down. Sounds of shouting came from outside their chamber. Joshua locked the door and Artemis appeared before them with a young woman. She pulled her hood back to reveal a petite ivory face with large cat-like amber eyes. Her deep purple hair was in a bun. She ran over to Giselle and hugged her tightly.
"Artemis said you needed me," she said.
Giselle hugged her back and glanced at her precious baby sleeping in the crib beside the bed.
"Luna, I want you and Artemis to take Rayenna. I want you to be her guardians. It's a matter of time before they reach this chamber. He doesn't know about her. If he did, he would slaughter her with no second thought. Get out of Venice. Better yet leave Italy. Move somewhere so you won't be hunted by him. He just wants me and Joshua," she explained.
Luna bit her bottom lip."Are you sure?"
A single tear ran down her cheek and she nodded her head. She picked her daughter and held her close. Joshua walked over to her and held them both.
"My sweet, beautiful daughter Rayenna, I love you so much. But listen to these words: you are special. You are unlike most people because you are mortal and immortal. You will grow to become a strong, young woman in this world. Don't let anyone tell you anything other than that."
She handed her baby over to Luna and cried silently. Luna hid the baby in her robe. Artemis checked outside the door. "Hurry! They're coming!"
Luna and Artemis began to walk out the passage way.
"Wait!" Giselle cried.
She ran to her dresser and picked up an old jewelry box. She handed it to Artemis and placed her wedding band inside the box.
"Give this to Rayenna when she is older. Tell her my story."
Luna and Artemis hugged Giselle and Joshua then left quickly into the night. She turned around and cried in Joshua's arms.
"I'm hurting too, baby," he cried softly.
There was a noise at the door. She looked up and dried her eyes. Joshua reached for his gun and Giselle grabbed her sword. A swarm of vampires crashed into the room. He shot one in the heart and it burst into flames then a pile of dust. Giselle decapitated one and the same thing happened to it. They both fought bravely until Joshua was disarmed by two vampires. As Giselle ran to help him, another vampire grabbed her. A hooded figure walked into the room. He snapped his fingers and two vampires picked the unconscious man off the floor. Joshua's eyes opened slowly.
"Well, it's nice to finally meet you, Joshua. Do you know how hard it is to find you and your wife? Now you must die before you reproduce the thing that will exterminate my kind," the man snarled.
Joshua struggled roughly. The other vampires laughed loudly.
"Let him go Scythe," a voice hissed.
The man chuckled and turned around. Giselle sliced the vampire holding her and pointed her sword at Scythe.
"What a surprise Giselle. I see you're doing well," Scythe replied with a chuckle.
"I'll trade my life for his. Let him go!"
"My dear you've gone soft. I did not teach you to be this way. We were going to rule together. What happened to the woman I fell in love with? The woman I created? Hmm? Oh yes, I remember you fell in love with this-," he pointed to Joshua, "-...mortal. Kill him."
"I saw the error of my ways and I've paid for my sins. I'll finish by killing you," she growled and her fangs grew.
The vampire holding Joshua took a dagger from his cloak and held it close to Joshua's throat.
"NO!" she cried.
She swiftly decapitated the vampires near her. She ran up to Scythe with her sword and pierced his chest. He grunted and threw her into the wall. He started to cough up blood.
"I had high hopes for you my love," he growled.
With one swift movement, the vampire slit Joshua's throat. Blood sprayed from his throat and he crumpled the ground choking.
"No! Joshua! No!"
Giselle fell to the ground and crawled over to her dying husband. She laid him in her lap and kissed him tenderly. "I love you."
She took her sword and stabbed herself in the abdomen. She screamed in agony and fell to the floor. Her body burst into flames and she screamed even louder. A pile of ashes lay in her place. Scythe smiled and vanished.
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-WooWoo316 ;-)
