Sit, Fitzroy

Henry looked at the calendar and noted that it had been two years since he last saw Vicki. Vancouver was the place he fed and slept, but he didn't live there. It was an existence, not a life. He fed, he worked, he rested, but he didn't love and he most certainly didn't live except for the few times he allowed himself to call Vicki's home number. Thanks to the three hour difference she never answered the phone and he could hear her voice say, "Nelson, leave a message or hang up, I don't care which." Each time he heard it, he regretted his parting words and the slamming of his bedroom door in her face. As always, he hung up the phone like she ordered without leaving a message. He looked around his beautifully decorated condo and saw nothing but things. His studio walls were covered with sketches of Vicki and there were even a few sketches of Mike, including one of him being attacked by hell hounds. There was one drawing that reminded Henry of what he lost that night. It was a picture of Vicki with tears in her eyes and Mike standing behind her. It was the last imgine of Vicki he had in his mind.

He pulled his watch from his pocket, checked the time and called Augustus, "I'm leaving. Close up this place. I don't know yet. I'll let you know when I know." He broke the connection and started taking his drawings from the walls and placing them in a portfolio. He took a bag from the top of his closet, throwing clothes and toiletries haphazardly into it. He made sure he had everything organized so that all he had to do was grab and run at sunset. His mind was made up and he was going to follow through before anything could happen to change it.

She walked with a sure step and her head held high. Her long blond hair curled at her shoulders and ruffled in the gentle breeze of the early evening. Her hand held tight to the leather lead as she thought about how much her life had changed in the last two years. Mike was married and would soon be a father. Her mother had died of heart disease last spring. The agency was doing well with two young private investigators doing all the leg work while she did the thinking. Her official handicap status gave her a few tax breaks and the man she was currently dating demanded little. A kiss, a fuck, and he went home.

She was about to take her next step when she felt pressure against her legs, out loud she said, "What is it, Fitzroy? What do you see?" She tried to take another step and the dog pushed harder against her legs and gave a low growl. She called out, "Is anyone there?"

"You called him Fitzroy. Why?"

Her head snapped around trying to locate the voice she never expected to hear again and said, "Damn it. Why are you here now?"

Henry stepped from the shadows as the dog growled low in it's throat.

Vicki said, "Don't come closer. This is a working dog trained to help and protect me."

Henry bared his fangs and made eye contact with the dog, and he whimpered, pressed closer to Vicki and sat down.

Vicki knelt down to comfort the shepard and spoke to Henry, "Back off. Don't ruin my dog."

Henry took a step back and said, "I won't ruin your dog. I'm establishing predatory territory. I know what I'm doing."

"Oh yes. I keep forgetting, the royal prince always knows what he's doing. Go do it somewhere else and leave me alone."

Henry took a step closer and the dog growled trying to protect Vicki. Henry backed away again and said, "Introduce me to the dog. I'm not going away until we've had a chance to talk."

Vicki snapped, "Yes your highness, whatever you say, your highness." She buried her face in the dog's ruff and said, "It's okay Fitzroy. He's a friend." She held out a dog biscuit and let him sniff at it and then held out the biscuit towards Henry's voice saying, "Take it Henry and give it to him. He'll accept the cookie I've touched and make friends."

Henry did as instructed and noticed the hard leather harness with handle with a regular leash and collar. "That's a seeing eye dog."

Vicki turned her face to him and said, "Well Duh, Captain Obvious. The blind use dogs to help them get around. I'm blind, I've got a dog."

He repeated, "Why did you name him Fitzroy?"

Vicki stood up reached for the handle and said, "Forward. Take me home." As she walked forward she said, "Come along Henry, we'll talk, then you can run out on me again."

Henry walked in step with Vicki noticing how the dog guided her around uneven ground, stopped at cross walks, and paid no attention to hissing cats. He spoke softly, "He's marvelous to watch work. He'd give his life to protect you."

Vicki nodded in agreement but didn't speak. Fitzroy waited patiently while she unlocked the door and dropped the harness as they walked into the house. "Check." The dog ran from room to room then returned to Vicki's side. She picked up the harness again and the dog led her to the kitchen where she filled his water dish and put out food. Before she gave permission to eat, she removed the harness and leash. She turned to Henry and said, "He's a good dog. It took me months on the waiting list to get him, but he's everything I hoped he would be. Before you ask why, mom made me promise to get a dog before she died. She wanted me to have some one to look after me."

Henry watched the dog eat and drink his water. Vicki then opened the back door to a fenced in yard. "Out you go. Bark when you're ready to come in."

Henry asked again, "Why did you name him Fitzroy?"

"Because, unlike you, my Fitzroy will stay and protect me. Say what you have to say, then get out of here."

Henry's head jerked back as though slapped and said, "I deserved that." He walked toward her and removed the tinted glasses from her face and saw the unfocused eyes. He kissed her with two years of built up passion. She accepted his kiss but held back her own passion. His eyes darkened and his fangs elongated as the vampire responded to her scent.

Vicki put her hand to his mouth and said, "Don't. Not another kiss and I'm not willing to let you feed."

Henry said, "Why not? You can't hide your feelings from a vampire. I don't need your words, your body tells me what I need to know."

"Then why didn't you listen to my body two years ago when it would have made a difference?"

"Even a prince of the night is allowed to be stupid once in a while." He removed her hand from his lips and kissed her again then said, "One time in 500 years is not so bad."

Vicki was about to throw out another insult when her dog barked and said, "Fitzroy, let Fitzroy in."

Henry laughed and opened the door. The dog came in and did a quick run through the house then stopped in front of Henry holding up a paw. Henry "shook hands" and said, "Vicki, your dog likes me, can't you?"

Vicki turned and placing hands on either side of the sink leaned forward so that her hair covered her cheeks and said softly, "If I let myself like you, I'll end up loving you."

He walked over and stood beside her looking out the window and said, "Would loving me be so very bad?"

Vicki turned to face him and said, "Yes it would, because you'll leave me again and I don't think I can take losing you one more time."

Henry pulled her close as Fitzroy flopped down, thumping the floor with his tail. He allowed the vampire to take control of his body letting her feel his fangs against her throat and spoke with power, "It would be so easy to take your blood without permission. Give me permission."

Vicki closed her unseeing eyes in surrender, then shook head and said, "Not without knowing what you intend to do tomorrow night and every night thereafter."

He pressed harder with his fangs and a small drop of blood welled up. Smelling and tasting her blood after two years of longing drove him crazy for a moment before he gained control of the vampire and said, "I'm here. I'm staying. So get used to it. Your going to have two Fitzroys in your bed for the rest of your life whether you like it or not."

Vicki said, "One Fitzroy sleeps on the floor."

Henry cocked an eyebrow and asked, "Which one?"

Vicki hit him in the arm and said, "The working one."

Henry said, "I work."

Vicki threw her arms around his neck, "But you don't work for me. I've waited so long for you. Come on Fitzroy, let's go get the sleeping arrangements settled."

One Fitzroy wagged his tail as the other grinned. Both followed her into the bedroom.