Shattered Mirror Chapter 1: Her

He never thought he'd give her another thought. The silly little girl he'd known in high school, back when Darren 'died', and he'd started to be a loner. She had hung out with them a couple of times, but wasn't well known by him or Darren… Until Darren left and Steve had delved into a black lake of depression and aggression he couldn't bring himself out of even if he wanted to. But there she was. Concerned, wanting to be there for him. Every day before school, meeting him in his homeroom with something for breakfast, usually a doughnut or a muffin and some juice, knowing he hadn't eaten anything at home either due to his mother being passed out drunk or just because he didn't care. She never asked if he wanted to talk, just sat with him in silence, reading until the warning bell rang and she had to go to her own homeroom.

But when he did start talking, she listened and was supportive of him. She was his only friend. Not a replacement for Darren, but a confidant. He trusted her. He didn't know about her home life, but the bruises on her neck and arms that she tried to cover up by wearing sleeves and putting concealer on shed a little light on it. He knew her father was a factory worker, her mother was dead. They lived in a house on the poor side of town just like him. Only they lived a couple of streets over from him. Too far to walk, too long for a bike ride. But if she wanted to visit him, she could. She never did. Until one night, when her father had gotten too drunk and gone too far off the deep end…

2 Years after Darren Shan's Death

Steve woke up in a cold sweat from a particularly nasty nightmare. He never remembered his nightmares, just the effect of them. A light tapping on the window caught his attention and he got out of bed, stumbling toward it, his heart beating in his throat. He opened it and looked out. First, there was nothing, then she popped out of the bushes, soaked in sweat and what he thought was blood, but truthfully, didn't want to know. He didn't waste any time helping her into his room. He turned on his light and got a good look at her.

There was one word to describe the expression on her face: Terror.

Her clothes were ripped into tatters, the bruises from her father's drunken hands looking like ink splatters, both faded and fresh on her skin. There were light scratches from what he assumed were the bushes on her arms also. Her face was tear-streaked and fearful. But of what? What could have happened?

"What is it? What's wrong?" He asked, sitting her down on the bed and grabbing the untouched water glass that he had sitting by the bedside, just in case he ever got thirsty during the night.

She took a few grateful sips and got some sobs out of the way before she finally came out with the story:

Her father had come home early that night, drunk as a skunk. She was already in bed when he came in. He started beating her for no reason, then he told her he had been laid off. He went off on a rant, blaming her for her mother's death, his job loss, and his drinking, then he…

She couldn't finish, but Steve already knew what she was going to say.

"He didn't get very far. I clubbed him with my lamp when he was taking his pants off. But I had to get out of there, Steve. I just had to. I didn't know where else to go besides here.."

She started sobbing again. He hugged her tight, rubbing her back soothingly. "Shhh… You're safe here. I promise. He won't find you here, you can stay here as long as you like. My mom won't care, trust me."

In all actuality, he didn't know if his mom would care or not, but he couldn't give less of a shit. She was his friend. The only good thing in his life after Darren died. He would be damned if she had to go through that and not have anyone to be there for her and protect her. He continued.

"You'll stay here for a bit. As long as you need. And anything I can do for you, I will. You're safe here." He said again.

She smiled through her glistening, dirty, tear-stained face and hugged him tight. "Thank you.." Her voice was hoarse and weak. She started to get on the floor.

"What are you doing?" Steve asked, watching her.

"Going to sleep."

He picked her up and put her on the bed. She didn't weigh much. "No. You're a guest here. You're sleeping on the bed. I won't take no for an answer. If I have to tie you down then so be it."

She was tired, so she didn't put up a fight, just smiled weakly and curled up and closed her eyes. "Steve?"

He was sitting on the floor, watching dust materialize on his rug. "Yeah?"

"I owe you big.." She drifted off before he could reply.

He was a year ahead of her in school, so he never knew what happened to her after he graduated. He hoped she was safe and happy. And as for her father, she didn't have to worry about him. In fact, the day after she came to Steve, her father was found in her room, throat slit, and what little valuables they had missing. It was a robbery gone bad, the local police ruled. He chuckled to himself when he remembered how oafish and bumbling the constable were in those times. They hadn't changed much, really. And Josephine had moved in with a foster family nearby who treated her better than he had supposed she'd ever been treated in her whole life. She'd been able to stay at the same school, which was bully for them.

He was stirred out of his musings by Gannen. "My lord?"

Steve looked up at the elder vampaneze, wiping the look of contentedness off his face and replacing it with the look of stone he'd accumulated over the few short years he'd been Lord. "What is it, Harst?"

"I'd only wanted to tell you where we were going."

"Well?" Steve asked a little too harshly.

Gannen was taken aback. "New York City, my Lord. There are vampaneze to gather there."

Steve glared. "Very well then. Let's get moving."

No more dreaming for now. There was work to be done, vampaneze to rally, business as usual.

A/N: So, I want to turn this into a multi-chapter story, have Josephine come into the picture in a bit, but I can't do it without you, my faithful readers! If I do not get reviews within a week, maybe two weeks, I will keep this a one-shot. Also, keep in mind that I am a senior in High School about to graduate, so if I turn this into a multi-chappie, posts will be slow as I have college and work.

I really want to tell the story of Steve and Josephine, but I can't do it without you, so help a starving (in the figurative sense) writer and press that review button! ^^