Vampires in town
Disclaimer: The Magnificent Seven and all associated characters don't belong to me and I make no profit by playing with them.
Notes: This story is totally AU. Absolutely. And I twisted and turned the characters around for quite some time and I hope you like the way they came out in the end.
By the way, thanks to Liz, by now you know by heart what sparks the little writer in me. You never let it smother, you keep it smoldering. And whenever I've got a writing blockade you know exactly what to mention or to remind me of to let my twisted mind work on top speed again.
Slowly he walked in the office of his boss. Silently he closed the door and took a seat in front of her. She didn't acknowledged him. He understood that since she ordered him to come in here he knew all he could do was to wait. She sat at her office table and worked over the books of last month. It was a profitable one. Very profitable to be exact. He knew better than to interrupt her. So he waited. Finally she seemed to see fit to recognize his presence and asked him: "How's the business tonight?"
"Shay? What's up?" He asked her with a lopsided grin.
"Nothing. I just want to be acquainted with how well my company works on this fine evening." She told him in her typical leveled voice.
"No ya don't!" he told her in earnest. "Ya don't need to order me up here which means to leave my working place down there and let me wait here for 20 minutes when there are much simpler ways. For example ya could just turn around look outta the window behind ya to the dance floor and ya would have known. So don't give me that shit and tell me what's bothering you." He knew he walked on a fine line with this outburst but his boss behaved a mighty bit wired the last five days and it really unnerved him. Cause normally that behavior meant trouble. Big trouble. And he wanted to know what's up before he had to face it. So he'd tried the direct way. She scrutinized him carefully. If he hadn't known her gaze, he thought, he would have felt scared to the bone right now. He was her student then her assistant and her right hand for a long time to know that gaze and how to handle it. But still it left him ill at ease. Finally she raised one delicate eyebrow at the black man in front of her. "You have a feeling again don't ya, Shay? What kinda feeling? The bad one, the worse one or the I-don't-want-ta-know-one?" He asked worriedly. Sighing deeply she sank back in her chair and said: "You are accurate with your assumption of my sensitivity towards the oscillations in this municipality, Caleb. I am not quite sure into which direction those are leading. But we have to be vigilant. I don't want anything to occur. Denver is mine and it'll stay mine. Make sure the community knows about it and that no matter what my rules will be followed. Acquire a few of the men and have a look around the city just to be out of harm's way." He needed a bit to translate this into something understandable. Succeeding in this task he nodded once and left her alone no further order needed. He knew what to do. Gradually she turned around and looked out of the window. With a calculating look she viewed the crowd down there. The dance floor was chock-full the bar busy and the tables and booths were crowded. Even the silent places were you could retreat to were packed. Yes she thought. The 'Zare` was flourishing. She didn't have to see the calculations on her table to know that the Zare was the most popular and trendy club in town. It wasn't her only club, no she owned two more in Denver, two in L.A., Chicago and Las Vegas, three in New York and one each in London, Paris, Munich, Moscow, Hong Kong, Tokyo and Sydney. But the Zare was her preferred one. The one she sometimes even dared to call home. It had a dark but also a fiery atmosphere and somehow it reminded her of the only person she ever loved. That was strange, especially because it was just a building, but it fit. And what wasn't strange in her life? Even that didn't fit. It actually must be: what wasn't strange in her unlife? Cause she was an old and powerful vampire. She ruled the nightlife not just in the sense of fun, but also in every other way. She was the leader of the community, the bunch of creatures that lived in this city, and no one even dared to question her ruler ship. Every Vampire and other being that wasn't purely human, animal or plant that wanted to live in Denver had to follow her rules. They weren't many and they were simple, but everyone who didn't follow them had to face the consequences. 'No harassing, harming or killing of mortals and immortals, complete toleration of differences, no racism and prejudice of any kind and living in a peaceful cooperation with the humans and everything else out there.' There were a few who didn't like those rules, but either they complied or they had to leave one or the other way. It was simple like that. Some had challenged her but they were all beaten. She was much older and more powerful than most vampires, and knew many different ways in defending herself. Normally she tried it with words, when that didn't brought her to the right ending she was one hell of a fighter, even if she didn't look like that. She looked like a young southern belle. She was 26 years old when she was turned but her eyes behold the truth. Her body was small, lithe, slender and well shaped. Her beautiful face was framed by long black hair and two emerald eyes held their residence there. She was normally dressed stylish, trendy and sexy. She was a real sight for the eye. But not many tried to take a hit on her, because she was surrounded by a sad and untouchable flair. And those who tried were turned down. She had some real intense fights with Caleb about that. He was the only one who dared to talk to her about that topic. She had no child, she never in her whole unlife sired someone but Caleb came very close to someone like that. She found him 176 years ago. He was left alone by his sire and didn't know what happened or what to do. So she took him under her wings and taught him everything, and he stayed since then with her. They still held a rather formal relationship but he was the one who new her best and the longest of every living and unliving creature on this planet. He knew about her husband who died exactly 458 years 3 month and 15 days ago, about the occurrences that led to his death, and that she hadn't so much as kissed anyone since that. And since that time she hadn't let anyone in her heart again. Many thought she was a unfeeling cold hearted woman, but Caleb knew she just shut everyone out to not become hurt again. Even when the most things Hollywood told were right, like the teeth for example, about the wooden stake through the heart, about the sunlight, and the turning to dust, it wasn't right about the crosses the coffins but most of all about the feelings. A vampire had a soul a vampire could feel and love and feel guilt and remorse. She already was a vampire for a long time when she had met her husband, he was a Scottish landlord and a mortal. They had a rather shaky start and later on some difficulties with his best friend, but after that was cleared out they got along pretty perfectly. They had two wonderful years until everything went down the road. She had been kidnapped and he was told that she had been killed. He couldn't live with that and killed himself and his best friend followed him to the grave. As she was finally able to free herself she had found out about it and found their graves next to hers. He had given her a grave even when there wasn't a corps. It devastated her. It destroyed her. At that time she went along by another name but on the day she found out about her husbands death it killed her and she decided to let ´her` rest in peace with her husband and changed her name back into the original one. She confided in Caleb about 60 years ago, when she felt save that he wouldn't betray her. First he was her student then he was her right hand and now she even dared to call him friend but she'd never dared to tell him that. And she never will cause the last time she did she was hurt badly, it actually were with her husband's friend, because after they solved their problems they were friends and then he died. She didn't just lost her husband she lost a very good friend, her best friend too. So she never told anyone again, but she assumed that Caleb knew what he meant to her or he wouldn't cope with her for so long. Silently she regarded the crowd beneath her. Vampires, humans and what else there is out there were mixed up together. And the humans, the most part of the crowd didn't even know about the existence of her kind. "And it is good so", Shay thought "so we can live together in peace."
*****
A young man paced nervously in a cheap motel room. He waited. He was scared. And he waited. There was nothing he could do. Just waiting. A pain filled moan reached his confused mind. He swirled around. His long unruly dark hair fell into his face. His brown puppy eyes beheld a terrified look. They came to a rest on the prone figure lying on the bed. His best friend lay on the bed. He was pale as snow, his eyes were hollow and his normally well build body was just skin and bones now. The young man walked up to his friend and cooled his sweaty face with a wet cloth. That was all he cold do to help his best friend. He was injected with a fatal poison. He would die if they couldn't find help. The young man who was left here to have a look on his ill friend, wanted to start pacing again as a hand stopped him. He turned around and looked into a pair of blue pain filled eyes. "Not again, please not again!" he thought pleadingly. But as all those times before his friend asked him the same question he couldn't answer. "Where is Ezra? Tell me where is Ezra? Ezra, Ezra Standish. Tell me where is Ezra?" The last sentence was nothing more than a sad whisper and he fell back into oblivion again.
"Oh god Buck. I can't help you. I don't know what you are talking about. I don't even know who that Ezra Standish is." Tears sprang into his eyes. Tears for his friend who writhed in bodily pain because of this poison, for his mental pain because of those nightmares about a certain Ezra Standish, because of his other friend, their leader who was missing, actually kidnapped by the same person who infected Buck, and for his own helplessness to help at least either one of them. Suddenly a big hand fell onto his shoulder and a deep voice said: "It's okay brother Dunn. We will help both. Buck and Chris." JD spun around shocked.
"Oh god Josiah. I haven't even heard you enter. What kind of friend am I when I couldn't even protect Buck. It could have been some one else and ..." Josiah interrupted his friends babbling.
"No JD. You are a good friend. Or you wouldn't make yourself sick with worry. And it was just me, so don't go the ´what-if` way. Got it?"
"Yeah. I'm sorry. Did you find something?" He asked hope rising in his eyes.
"No. I didn't. Let's just hope that either Vin or Nathan found something. And they will. I'm sure about that."
"How can you be so sure Josiah. How? I don't understand it. Cause I can't take it anymore. It's just too much."
"Faith brother. Plain faith. I know god will help us. .. How is our ailing friend? Any changes?" The older man asked his young companion.
"He's getting worse. He started to have nightmares, and when he is conscious he constantly asks about one Ezra Standish. Josiah, do you know who that is?"
"No I don't have any ideas, too." At that moment the door opened again, and a black man entered the room. One look into each others faces told them everything. He hadn't find anything, too. Tired he let himself sink in a chair. They were up for good 3 days without a break. Now all the hopes were on Vin. If he comes home with out anything Buck'll be dead. But neither voiced their fears. They were all just bone tired. They traveled for those said three days through nearly the whole country to find some help for Buck and for some news about Chris but it was futile until someone in Salt Lake City told them that they could maybe find help here in Denver. But until now it was a dead end too. "Do you think she would help us?" JD suddenly asked his voice full of hope.
"JD!" Josiah warned him after a look at Nathan who had become tense.
"Do you think, when we will find her she would help us?"
"JD!" Josiah warned him more urgently.
"I mean, she would, right? She helps everyone who asks for help and who has good intentions, right?" JD now nearly hysterically asked. But before he could have asked one further question Nathan had shot out of his chair and had grabbed him forcefully on the arms. His face dead serious. "JD get it into your thick skull that she doesn't exist."
"But ..!"
"No buts JD. Shaharazhad is a myth. She doesn't exist. Shaharazhad is for us like Robin Hood was for the suppressed people in England. Everyone needs something to believe in. Some hero who would come and save them, it is just the thought who helps them. There is no knight in a shining armor. Shaharazhad is not real. She is just a fairy tail created by old widows. JD there is no such thing as a 5000 and a few years old female vampire that helps the weak and defenseless. Face it, Shaharazhad doesn't exist." JD looked devastated. "I'm sorry, but you can't go on with an unattainable hope for help that won't come."
"But we could search for her Nathan. In every myth there is something true."
"You are right JD. And even if there is something like her out there, for Buck it definitely would be too late. And let's don't waste time searching for someone who probably doesn't even exist when we could use this time in search for Chris, and others who are willing to help us. And if we find Shaharazhad what's most unlikely during our search it would be perfect, but don't put all your hope in that, it is highly unlikely."
"JD, Nathan is right." Josiah finally said. "But well let's hope for the best but let's expect the worst. It is a kinda negative way of thinking, but it don't hurt so much in the end. Let's stay realistic, okay?" Any further comment was cut short as the door burst open and in it stood Vin. All heads turned to him.
"I have a name and place."
"Do you think they'll help us?" Josiah asked carefully.
"I don't know, but it is Buck's only chance, we have to try it." Vin announced and no 20 minutes later they stood in front of an already closed nightclub. Vin pounded at the door urgently, cause Buck became worse by the second and it was nearly dawn, which meant nothing good for all of them. Nathan and Josiah held a totally dead to the world Buck between them and JD carried a bag with all their belongings. Suddenly the door opened and in it stood a huge black man, with piercings and tattoos and his hair were tricolored. Bright yellow, green and blue. He wore a black leather duster, a tight black undershirt, camouflage pants and combat boots. "The clubs closed, come back this evening." He briskly said and the door was nearly closed again as Vin yelled. "Please let us in. We need your help. Our friend's ill. And we need a shelter from the sun.."
"We are not the caritas. There is actually a station down the street. Have a nice day."
"Sir please. We really need your help. I was told that I could find help here." Vin hurriedly told him. He actually began to become angry but he knew with that he couldn't help Buck at all, so he stayed calm. The big man leaned against the doorframe and looked them curious up and down. "So someone told you so?" He said totally at ease.
"Yes. His name is Big Bob."
"Oh double B told you so." He smiled. The four friends thought they were at the end of their journey. "Well, that's no ticket at all in here, so goodbye gentlemen." He told them and nearly shut the door again when a soft please stopped him. As he looked up he looked into a pair of terrified and totally lost and sad hazel eyes. "Please, when you have the possibilities, help Buck. He'll die otherwise. Please!"Hard eyes regarded JD with a new look. He didn't knew what to make of it. The deafening silence nearly drove Vin crazy. As he looked back over his shoulder to have a look at Buck he saw the sun creeping up over the horizon. For the first time in his existence he was scared. He really was scared. He was about to tell his friends to turn around and to go back to the car, so that they at least could find a shelter from the sun as a deep voice said: "Come on in. Shay'll has my ass otherwise. And I really like it as it is...!" The black man stepped aside and let the group in. He closed the heavy door after them and lead them through a dark passageway. They reached another less heavy door and after they stepped through that they found themselves on a huge dance floor. Suddenly the black man turned around and told Nathan and Josiah: "I'll take him. It's easier that way. And the rest of you just follow me." Then he took Buck and threw him over his left shoulder and walked to another door next to the bar. Behind it was a large corridor. He didn't wait for the guys to adjust to the new surrounding he just walked on. At the end of the corridor from which a few doors led away, there was an elevator. The unknown man entered and JD, Vin, Josiah and Nathan followed him. The elevator went upwards and with a low bing it opened the doors again and let them out to a huge apartment. Then the foursome stood in the middle of an huge living room. At the far end was an enormous kitchen and from both sides each a corridor led away. The black man took the left and the others went after him. They passed 4 doors and the last he opened. It was a vast bedroom with a big soft bed in it on which he lay Buck very softly. Then the man took his cell phone and speed dialed a number while he mentioned to the guys to take a seat. "Hey Shay, it's me. Sorry to interrupt your beauty sleep but ya don't need it anyways. ...what? ... Oh yeah for sure. I love ya, too. ... Hahaha don't mobilize hell's army. ...Okay, well but as much as I love our little banter I've a reason for calling. ...No the club's fine. ... Calm down. I've a problem at hand. I have five vamps here and the fifth ill. Seriously. And ya know I'm not that good in this stuff, what shall I do? ... Oh wait a second ... Gentlemen, what are his symptoms?"
Nathan answered the first: "It started with a shivering attack, followed by a high fever and physical pain. He started to have hallucinations and then he became catatonic."
"Okay, Shay? ... Mhm. Gentlemen, how did he became ill?"
"He was poisoned." Josiah answered this time.
"Good. Do ya got it Shay? ...Yes. ... Okay... And that'll help? ... Ya sure about that? ... Okay whatever ya say. ... It's okay, I'll take care of it, ..okay see ya." The man said and closed his phone.
"What did this Shay told you?" Josiah asked in the silence.
"Well Shay told me it is a rather common poison in our hemisphere. It is called ´the flu`. It is not the flu but we vampires call it the flu cause we have the same reactions on this poison as the humans have on the flu." He told them a bit irritated.
"Oh okay. And how do you cure it?" Nathan wanted to know. But he got no answer the other man just walked head shaking out of the door. After a few seconds he came back with a carton in his hand and still shook his head. Silently he murmured: "Lucky son of a bitch..."
"What did you say?" An angry Vin asked.
"I said lucky son of a bitch!" Before Vin could have said anything he continued: "He's real lucky."
"Why?" A shy whisper was heard. It originated from JD.
"Cause not everyone of our kind has something like this in its fridge."
"Something like what?" Vin asked anew as he saw that this strange man filled a cup with a white liquid.
"His medicine." He answered totally at ease.
"What kind of medicine is that? Is it some magical substance or is it a certain mixture of different essences?" Nathan Jackson asked in complete professional mode.
"Neither nor. It's milk."
"Milk?" a foursome unbelieving voice greeted him.
"Yes milk."
"Milk?"
"According to Shay that is his cure. You've got nothing to lose don't ya?" He received no answer to that question and he began to give Buck his medicine. After the patient had drank the whole cup he mentioned to the guys to follow him back to the living room. There he indicated to a variety of couches. There they took a seat and after he put the milk back into the fridge he sat down on the chair belonging to the couches. "Okay gentlemen. Your friend should become better. And no objections, Shay knows what to do. Secondly your friend can stay as long as he needs till he's better. Thirdly I don't care where ya come from or what ya did before entering this city, ya talk to Shay about that. But if she says so ya leave this town the second ya friend is better. Fourthly, there are a few rules if ya stay here. I'm not going into detail Shay will do that, but I'll tell ya this much if ya don't follow them it won't be good for ya health. Fifthly, Shay'll come by in a few and ya all talk to her. Ya do. And sixthly I'm Caleb Vandros and you're?"
Disclaimer: The Magnificent Seven and all associated characters don't belong to me and I make no profit by playing with them.
Notes: This story is totally AU. Absolutely. And I twisted and turned the characters around for quite some time and I hope you like the way they came out in the end.
By the way, thanks to Liz, by now you know by heart what sparks the little writer in me. You never let it smother, you keep it smoldering. And whenever I've got a writing blockade you know exactly what to mention or to remind me of to let my twisted mind work on top speed again.
Slowly he walked in the office of his boss. Silently he closed the door and took a seat in front of her. She didn't acknowledged him. He understood that since she ordered him to come in here he knew all he could do was to wait. She sat at her office table and worked over the books of last month. It was a profitable one. Very profitable to be exact. He knew better than to interrupt her. So he waited. Finally she seemed to see fit to recognize his presence and asked him: "How's the business tonight?"
"Shay? What's up?" He asked her with a lopsided grin.
"Nothing. I just want to be acquainted with how well my company works on this fine evening." She told him in her typical leveled voice.
"No ya don't!" he told her in earnest. "Ya don't need to order me up here which means to leave my working place down there and let me wait here for 20 minutes when there are much simpler ways. For example ya could just turn around look outta the window behind ya to the dance floor and ya would have known. So don't give me that shit and tell me what's bothering you." He knew he walked on a fine line with this outburst but his boss behaved a mighty bit wired the last five days and it really unnerved him. Cause normally that behavior meant trouble. Big trouble. And he wanted to know what's up before he had to face it. So he'd tried the direct way. She scrutinized him carefully. If he hadn't known her gaze, he thought, he would have felt scared to the bone right now. He was her student then her assistant and her right hand for a long time to know that gaze and how to handle it. But still it left him ill at ease. Finally she raised one delicate eyebrow at the black man in front of her. "You have a feeling again don't ya, Shay? What kinda feeling? The bad one, the worse one or the I-don't-want-ta-know-one?" He asked worriedly. Sighing deeply she sank back in her chair and said: "You are accurate with your assumption of my sensitivity towards the oscillations in this municipality, Caleb. I am not quite sure into which direction those are leading. But we have to be vigilant. I don't want anything to occur. Denver is mine and it'll stay mine. Make sure the community knows about it and that no matter what my rules will be followed. Acquire a few of the men and have a look around the city just to be out of harm's way." He needed a bit to translate this into something understandable. Succeeding in this task he nodded once and left her alone no further order needed. He knew what to do. Gradually she turned around and looked out of the window. With a calculating look she viewed the crowd down there. The dance floor was chock-full the bar busy and the tables and booths were crowded. Even the silent places were you could retreat to were packed. Yes she thought. The 'Zare` was flourishing. She didn't have to see the calculations on her table to know that the Zare was the most popular and trendy club in town. It wasn't her only club, no she owned two more in Denver, two in L.A., Chicago and Las Vegas, three in New York and one each in London, Paris, Munich, Moscow, Hong Kong, Tokyo and Sydney. But the Zare was her preferred one. The one she sometimes even dared to call home. It had a dark but also a fiery atmosphere and somehow it reminded her of the only person she ever loved. That was strange, especially because it was just a building, but it fit. And what wasn't strange in her life? Even that didn't fit. It actually must be: what wasn't strange in her unlife? Cause she was an old and powerful vampire. She ruled the nightlife not just in the sense of fun, but also in every other way. She was the leader of the community, the bunch of creatures that lived in this city, and no one even dared to question her ruler ship. Every Vampire and other being that wasn't purely human, animal or plant that wanted to live in Denver had to follow her rules. They weren't many and they were simple, but everyone who didn't follow them had to face the consequences. 'No harassing, harming or killing of mortals and immortals, complete toleration of differences, no racism and prejudice of any kind and living in a peaceful cooperation with the humans and everything else out there.' There were a few who didn't like those rules, but either they complied or they had to leave one or the other way. It was simple like that. Some had challenged her but they were all beaten. She was much older and more powerful than most vampires, and knew many different ways in defending herself. Normally she tried it with words, when that didn't brought her to the right ending she was one hell of a fighter, even if she didn't look like that. She looked like a young southern belle. She was 26 years old when she was turned but her eyes behold the truth. Her body was small, lithe, slender and well shaped. Her beautiful face was framed by long black hair and two emerald eyes held their residence there. She was normally dressed stylish, trendy and sexy. She was a real sight for the eye. But not many tried to take a hit on her, because she was surrounded by a sad and untouchable flair. And those who tried were turned down. She had some real intense fights with Caleb about that. He was the only one who dared to talk to her about that topic. She had no child, she never in her whole unlife sired someone but Caleb came very close to someone like that. She found him 176 years ago. He was left alone by his sire and didn't know what happened or what to do. So she took him under her wings and taught him everything, and he stayed since then with her. They still held a rather formal relationship but he was the one who new her best and the longest of every living and unliving creature on this planet. He knew about her husband who died exactly 458 years 3 month and 15 days ago, about the occurrences that led to his death, and that she hadn't so much as kissed anyone since that. And since that time she hadn't let anyone in her heart again. Many thought she was a unfeeling cold hearted woman, but Caleb knew she just shut everyone out to not become hurt again. Even when the most things Hollywood told were right, like the teeth for example, about the wooden stake through the heart, about the sunlight, and the turning to dust, it wasn't right about the crosses the coffins but most of all about the feelings. A vampire had a soul a vampire could feel and love and feel guilt and remorse. She already was a vampire for a long time when she had met her husband, he was a Scottish landlord and a mortal. They had a rather shaky start and later on some difficulties with his best friend, but after that was cleared out they got along pretty perfectly. They had two wonderful years until everything went down the road. She had been kidnapped and he was told that she had been killed. He couldn't live with that and killed himself and his best friend followed him to the grave. As she was finally able to free herself she had found out about it and found their graves next to hers. He had given her a grave even when there wasn't a corps. It devastated her. It destroyed her. At that time she went along by another name but on the day she found out about her husbands death it killed her and she decided to let ´her` rest in peace with her husband and changed her name back into the original one. She confided in Caleb about 60 years ago, when she felt save that he wouldn't betray her. First he was her student then he was her right hand and now she even dared to call him friend but she'd never dared to tell him that. And she never will cause the last time she did she was hurt badly, it actually were with her husband's friend, because after they solved their problems they were friends and then he died. She didn't just lost her husband she lost a very good friend, her best friend too. So she never told anyone again, but she assumed that Caleb knew what he meant to her or he wouldn't cope with her for so long. Silently she regarded the crowd beneath her. Vampires, humans and what else there is out there were mixed up together. And the humans, the most part of the crowd didn't even know about the existence of her kind. "And it is good so", Shay thought "so we can live together in peace."
*****
A young man paced nervously in a cheap motel room. He waited. He was scared. And he waited. There was nothing he could do. Just waiting. A pain filled moan reached his confused mind. He swirled around. His long unruly dark hair fell into his face. His brown puppy eyes beheld a terrified look. They came to a rest on the prone figure lying on the bed. His best friend lay on the bed. He was pale as snow, his eyes were hollow and his normally well build body was just skin and bones now. The young man walked up to his friend and cooled his sweaty face with a wet cloth. That was all he cold do to help his best friend. He was injected with a fatal poison. He would die if they couldn't find help. The young man who was left here to have a look on his ill friend, wanted to start pacing again as a hand stopped him. He turned around and looked into a pair of blue pain filled eyes. "Not again, please not again!" he thought pleadingly. But as all those times before his friend asked him the same question he couldn't answer. "Where is Ezra? Tell me where is Ezra? Ezra, Ezra Standish. Tell me where is Ezra?" The last sentence was nothing more than a sad whisper and he fell back into oblivion again.
"Oh god Buck. I can't help you. I don't know what you are talking about. I don't even know who that Ezra Standish is." Tears sprang into his eyes. Tears for his friend who writhed in bodily pain because of this poison, for his mental pain because of those nightmares about a certain Ezra Standish, because of his other friend, their leader who was missing, actually kidnapped by the same person who infected Buck, and for his own helplessness to help at least either one of them. Suddenly a big hand fell onto his shoulder and a deep voice said: "It's okay brother Dunn. We will help both. Buck and Chris." JD spun around shocked.
"Oh god Josiah. I haven't even heard you enter. What kind of friend am I when I couldn't even protect Buck. It could have been some one else and ..." Josiah interrupted his friends babbling.
"No JD. You are a good friend. Or you wouldn't make yourself sick with worry. And it was just me, so don't go the ´what-if` way. Got it?"
"Yeah. I'm sorry. Did you find something?" He asked hope rising in his eyes.
"No. I didn't. Let's just hope that either Vin or Nathan found something. And they will. I'm sure about that."
"How can you be so sure Josiah. How? I don't understand it. Cause I can't take it anymore. It's just too much."
"Faith brother. Plain faith. I know god will help us. .. How is our ailing friend? Any changes?" The older man asked his young companion.
"He's getting worse. He started to have nightmares, and when he is conscious he constantly asks about one Ezra Standish. Josiah, do you know who that is?"
"No I don't have any ideas, too." At that moment the door opened again, and a black man entered the room. One look into each others faces told them everything. He hadn't find anything, too. Tired he let himself sink in a chair. They were up for good 3 days without a break. Now all the hopes were on Vin. If he comes home with out anything Buck'll be dead. But neither voiced their fears. They were all just bone tired. They traveled for those said three days through nearly the whole country to find some help for Buck and for some news about Chris but it was futile until someone in Salt Lake City told them that they could maybe find help here in Denver. But until now it was a dead end too. "Do you think she would help us?" JD suddenly asked his voice full of hope.
"JD!" Josiah warned him after a look at Nathan who had become tense.
"Do you think, when we will find her she would help us?"
"JD!" Josiah warned him more urgently.
"I mean, she would, right? She helps everyone who asks for help and who has good intentions, right?" JD now nearly hysterically asked. But before he could have asked one further question Nathan had shot out of his chair and had grabbed him forcefully on the arms. His face dead serious. "JD get it into your thick skull that she doesn't exist."
"But ..!"
"No buts JD. Shaharazhad is a myth. She doesn't exist. Shaharazhad is for us like Robin Hood was for the suppressed people in England. Everyone needs something to believe in. Some hero who would come and save them, it is just the thought who helps them. There is no knight in a shining armor. Shaharazhad is not real. She is just a fairy tail created by old widows. JD there is no such thing as a 5000 and a few years old female vampire that helps the weak and defenseless. Face it, Shaharazhad doesn't exist." JD looked devastated. "I'm sorry, but you can't go on with an unattainable hope for help that won't come."
"But we could search for her Nathan. In every myth there is something true."
"You are right JD. And even if there is something like her out there, for Buck it definitely would be too late. And let's don't waste time searching for someone who probably doesn't even exist when we could use this time in search for Chris, and others who are willing to help us. And if we find Shaharazhad what's most unlikely during our search it would be perfect, but don't put all your hope in that, it is highly unlikely."
"JD, Nathan is right." Josiah finally said. "But well let's hope for the best but let's expect the worst. It is a kinda negative way of thinking, but it don't hurt so much in the end. Let's stay realistic, okay?" Any further comment was cut short as the door burst open and in it stood Vin. All heads turned to him.
"I have a name and place."
"Do you think they'll help us?" Josiah asked carefully.
"I don't know, but it is Buck's only chance, we have to try it." Vin announced and no 20 minutes later they stood in front of an already closed nightclub. Vin pounded at the door urgently, cause Buck became worse by the second and it was nearly dawn, which meant nothing good for all of them. Nathan and Josiah held a totally dead to the world Buck between them and JD carried a bag with all their belongings. Suddenly the door opened and in it stood a huge black man, with piercings and tattoos and his hair were tricolored. Bright yellow, green and blue. He wore a black leather duster, a tight black undershirt, camouflage pants and combat boots. "The clubs closed, come back this evening." He briskly said and the door was nearly closed again as Vin yelled. "Please let us in. We need your help. Our friend's ill. And we need a shelter from the sun.."
"We are not the caritas. There is actually a station down the street. Have a nice day."
"Sir please. We really need your help. I was told that I could find help here." Vin hurriedly told him. He actually began to become angry but he knew with that he couldn't help Buck at all, so he stayed calm. The big man leaned against the doorframe and looked them curious up and down. "So someone told you so?" He said totally at ease.
"Yes. His name is Big Bob."
"Oh double B told you so." He smiled. The four friends thought they were at the end of their journey. "Well, that's no ticket at all in here, so goodbye gentlemen." He told them and nearly shut the door again when a soft please stopped him. As he looked up he looked into a pair of terrified and totally lost and sad hazel eyes. "Please, when you have the possibilities, help Buck. He'll die otherwise. Please!"Hard eyes regarded JD with a new look. He didn't knew what to make of it. The deafening silence nearly drove Vin crazy. As he looked back over his shoulder to have a look at Buck he saw the sun creeping up over the horizon. For the first time in his existence he was scared. He really was scared. He was about to tell his friends to turn around and to go back to the car, so that they at least could find a shelter from the sun as a deep voice said: "Come on in. Shay'll has my ass otherwise. And I really like it as it is...!" The black man stepped aside and let the group in. He closed the heavy door after them and lead them through a dark passageway. They reached another less heavy door and after they stepped through that they found themselves on a huge dance floor. Suddenly the black man turned around and told Nathan and Josiah: "I'll take him. It's easier that way. And the rest of you just follow me." Then he took Buck and threw him over his left shoulder and walked to another door next to the bar. Behind it was a large corridor. He didn't wait for the guys to adjust to the new surrounding he just walked on. At the end of the corridor from which a few doors led away, there was an elevator. The unknown man entered and JD, Vin, Josiah and Nathan followed him. The elevator went upwards and with a low bing it opened the doors again and let them out to a huge apartment. Then the foursome stood in the middle of an huge living room. At the far end was an enormous kitchen and from both sides each a corridor led away. The black man took the left and the others went after him. They passed 4 doors and the last he opened. It was a vast bedroom with a big soft bed in it on which he lay Buck very softly. Then the man took his cell phone and speed dialed a number while he mentioned to the guys to take a seat. "Hey Shay, it's me. Sorry to interrupt your beauty sleep but ya don't need it anyways. ...what? ... Oh yeah for sure. I love ya, too. ... Hahaha don't mobilize hell's army. ...Okay, well but as much as I love our little banter I've a reason for calling. ...No the club's fine. ... Calm down. I've a problem at hand. I have five vamps here and the fifth ill. Seriously. And ya know I'm not that good in this stuff, what shall I do? ... Oh wait a second ... Gentlemen, what are his symptoms?"
Nathan answered the first: "It started with a shivering attack, followed by a high fever and physical pain. He started to have hallucinations and then he became catatonic."
"Okay, Shay? ... Mhm. Gentlemen, how did he became ill?"
"He was poisoned." Josiah answered this time.
"Good. Do ya got it Shay? ...Yes. ... Okay... And that'll help? ... Ya sure about that? ... Okay whatever ya say. ... It's okay, I'll take care of it, ..okay see ya." The man said and closed his phone.
"What did this Shay told you?" Josiah asked in the silence.
"Well Shay told me it is a rather common poison in our hemisphere. It is called ´the flu`. It is not the flu but we vampires call it the flu cause we have the same reactions on this poison as the humans have on the flu." He told them a bit irritated.
"Oh okay. And how do you cure it?" Nathan wanted to know. But he got no answer the other man just walked head shaking out of the door. After a few seconds he came back with a carton in his hand and still shook his head. Silently he murmured: "Lucky son of a bitch..."
"What did you say?" An angry Vin asked.
"I said lucky son of a bitch!" Before Vin could have said anything he continued: "He's real lucky."
"Why?" A shy whisper was heard. It originated from JD.
"Cause not everyone of our kind has something like this in its fridge."
"Something like what?" Vin asked anew as he saw that this strange man filled a cup with a white liquid.
"His medicine." He answered totally at ease.
"What kind of medicine is that? Is it some magical substance or is it a certain mixture of different essences?" Nathan Jackson asked in complete professional mode.
"Neither nor. It's milk."
"Milk?" a foursome unbelieving voice greeted him.
"Yes milk."
"Milk?"
"According to Shay that is his cure. You've got nothing to lose don't ya?" He received no answer to that question and he began to give Buck his medicine. After the patient had drank the whole cup he mentioned to the guys to follow him back to the living room. There he indicated to a variety of couches. There they took a seat and after he put the milk back into the fridge he sat down on the chair belonging to the couches. "Okay gentlemen. Your friend should become better. And no objections, Shay knows what to do. Secondly your friend can stay as long as he needs till he's better. Thirdly I don't care where ya come from or what ya did before entering this city, ya talk to Shay about that. But if she says so ya leave this town the second ya friend is better. Fourthly, there are a few rules if ya stay here. I'm not going into detail Shay will do that, but I'll tell ya this much if ya don't follow them it won't be good for ya health. Fifthly, Shay'll come by in a few and ya all talk to her. Ya do. And sixthly I'm Caleb Vandros and you're?"