A/N: Here's chapter one! {~streamers~} No hesitation whatsoever when it came to starting this one. Things absolutely needed to be addressed, (as mentioned by the wonderful review left by Sagnus), and so they are! (Kinda. Sorta. You can really only fit so much in one chapter without making your head explode.) So if anyone is absent-mindedly picking this fic to read, make sure to read the precursor, Power Struggle, or none of this will make any sense. Because we already published a 100 chapter fic about this, we're a bit more likely to take a break now and again and work on separate things, but we will not leave it in the dust. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Bloodlines, but I do own my OCs. Also, there is some sauciness. (It's a sequel, don't rip our hearts out for having a bang in chapter one. Technically this is chapter 101, okay? Get over yourselves.)

It was quite the installment, the new tower. His new tower, to be precise. For the most part, it was decorated similarly to his Chantry, that being an absurdly deep shade of red, both on the exterior and interior, fireplaces abound, bookshelves, and glorious paintings and candelabras. His office, as LaCroix's was previously, was situated at the highest floor in the building. He slowly, and, apprehensively almost, sat at his desk, looking around at the night, at the darkness of Los Angeles, was this the same weight of the world that LaCroix had to feel on a nightly basis.

"You don't look well, sir. Please, relax, a display such as this is unbecoming of you." Strauss heard Victor's voice as he two most trusted Tremere associates entered.

Iphigenia's smile was wide as she looked around, "This is like some sort of dream…"

"Ah, yes, a fantastic dream, that will never end." Victor smiled, "I've already pinched myself, many times, in fact."

Strauss stood up and held his arms out, "And I have you two to thank, in terms of being faithful to the Tremere Clan in this time of need. We will lead the Camarilla through these dark times."

"Of course." Iphigenia nodded, "I've found myself with much more time on my hands to focus on training."

Strauss walked over to Iphigenia, handing her a talisman that looked as if it was made entirely out of solidified blood. "Here, take this gift as a show of my…appreciation…to your services to me." He said, "It increases the duration of the Kindred's ability to power their blood into their bodies."

"I cannot thank you enough, sir…" Iphigenia gently took the talisman, then slipped it into a pocket where it would be safe. She bowed, "It will be treasured."

Strauss smiled, "If you continue your…Thaumaturgical pursuits…might I suggest the Path of Mars? It is a path dedicated to physical strength and power, one you may enjoy."

Her eyes lit up with interest, "I will…thank you, sir." She grinned, "I'll look into it only when the time calls."

"As for you, Mister Madison, I'm afraid I do not have a talisman that will help you with your strength any further, though…" Strauss smiled, "You may take that as a compliment."

"Ah, sir…I did have a question…however…" Victor fell to a knee, "I came across a…potential candidate…for our causes…a…new addition…to the Tremere forces…"

"You have?" Strauss asked, "This is most wonderful news, Mister Madison, I would like to speak with this…individual, and we will see if we can accept them into our fold."

"Yes, sir. I'm glad to hear it, I'm sure…she'll be happy as well." Victor said, standing tall again, "So, what happens next? Do the Tremere move here, are we the tower's forces?"

Strauss shook his head, "No. You will all stay at the Chantry, to keep it safe. I must stay here, now that I am Prince of the Los Angeles Camarilla, I will rely on what little Ventrue we have left and any other free agents for the time being to protect the tower."

Iphigenia nodded, "Does that make Victor the Regent?"

"A…substitute…for now, perhaps. I need to make such decisions at a later time." He said, "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to see what sort of cabinet I can…sculpt from LaCroix's remnants…"

"Yes, sir." Victor said, exiting the office with Iphigenia, "You know what this means, don't you?"

"What?" She asked with a smirk on her dark lips.

"There may be a promotion…for both of us…if things go the way I believe…"

"Really?" Her eyes widened, "How exciting. I don't know if I trust myself as anything other than an apprentice…"

"Well…I suppose a Magister isn't needed in every Chantry…but…" He thought about it, "If we had to make someone a Magister…I don't see why it wouldn't be you…and…if I was a Regent…" His eyes glowed with pride.

"Delilah has been around longer than I, hasn't she? A few months more? Wouldn't she get it?"

"Mmm, I'm not sure she would know what to do with the position…"

She raised a hand to her chin, "No, that can't be right…" She mused, "I recall showing her around the Chantry." She put the hand down, "I suppose it would go to me, unless she wanted it."

"Well, in other news, I've started to read some of the ancient Thaumaturgical texts." He said, "Might I say, they are very interesting. I'm already able to use one of them, albeit a basic one."

"Really?" Her golden orbs widened, "Which?"

"The Lure of Flames." He said, holding up a finger, a fire lit up on his entire finger, "Not very useful aside from lightning candles…but…there's always room for improvement."

She chuckled, "That much could really be fatal to our kind, with the right precision."

"Ah, yes, you make a fair point." He said, then his smile faded, as he heard one of the occupants of the building hollering his name about a phone call, "Hmm…that's peculiar…I suppose I shall take this call." He gave a small bow to Iphigenia, "Have a good evening, Iphigenia."

"Good night, Mister Madison." She said, "I look forward to seeing you again." She waved and walked off, taking out her cell phone and dialing the number of someone she longed to call for ages.

Victor entered the nearby office and picked up the landline, "Hello, Victor Madison, Tremere Magister?"

"Hello dear." He heard his ghoul's voice, "Hearing your voice is nice after all that news. I thought you might be dead."

"Venus." His eyes widened, "I…wow…I didn't expect get a call from you here…you must have been transferred half a-dozen times before you got to this building." He said, then he gave a chuckle, "Do I really have a nice voice? I think yours is far nicer."

"You should come over. Sounds nicer in person."

"Yes…I…you'll have to forgive me for that. I'm going to take the first taxi to Confessions and I'll meet you there."

"I'll see you there, sweetheart. You have time to make it back to my apartment to catch up?"

"Of course, dear, all the time in the world. It…it's the least I can do, what, with my absence."

"See you there. Kisses."

"Later, darling." He hung up, nearly speed-walking to exit the building to hail a cab.

"Well, it looks like the Anarchs and Camarilla can work together in a pinch, if they need to." Cadmus took a seat on one of the second-floor tables of the Last Round.

Anastasia's eye twitched, "Don't push it, you realize the only reason we're letting you in here is because of the generosity from LaCroix's death, right? But, yes, make yourself at home, why don't you?" She raised her arms in annoyance.

He snickered for a while, "Come on, dear sister, you wouldn't kick your brother out, now would you?"

She shuddered, "Don't ever say dear sister again…it just…it just reminds me of Jeanette…"

"Mmm-hmm…I figured everything a person would say would remind you of one of your seven-hundred lovers." His smile faded, "Didn't I warn you that something like this was going to happen? That you'd end up breaking a bunch of people's hearts? Oh well, I guess I can only save your ass from so many things."

"Tch." She crossed her arms, "So how was LaCroix?"

"You mean how was the Sheriff?" His smile returned, "There was no fight against LaCroix, he just yapped a lot and blew himself up. His Sheriff on the other hand…" He shook his head, "That buster sword was the least of our problems…he turned into this pterodactyl thing and nearly destroyed the city…"

"A flying monster?" It was Anastasia's turn to smile, "It's a good thing my brother has such wonderful aim."

He rolled his eyes, "Dragomir put a spotlight on the bastard and it grounded him, so there." He said, "How was Xiao?"

"Ugh…she turned into this…giant…octopus…squid…jellyfish monster with tentacles…it was as gross as it was a pain in the ass…"

"Jeez…well, it's a good thing she's dead, never really cared for her." He said, "God, the Kuei-Jin are weird…they have all sorts of bullshit hidden away in their sleeves." He thought about it, "Miranda and I fought one in a Santa Monica warehouse once…but…it must have been weak…because it just used ordinary weapons…oh, and there were those brothers Dragomir and I faced…they can just…conjure up fire…easily…"

"They can?"

He nodded, "Makes you wonder why we're not all dead yet." He shrugged, "Well, I'm pretty sure they can't Embrace, so that must be it."

"Thank god."

"So we both fought giant monsters." Cadmus said, "Hmm…I guess our ultimate troubles were pretty even, then."

"Hell yeah, it was. I've got the strength to show for it, too." She said, "Now I can go full-on beast mode and tear you to shreds, next time you feel like trying to snatch me up."

He looked unamused, resting his head on his fist, "And now instead of just being able to Dominate you into licking crumbs or whatever, I can possess you into using your new powers on your friends." He smirked, "I never really focused on Dominate much, but…it has some neat tricks once you look into it for a bit."

She rolled her eyes, "Pfft, whatever…"

"That reminds me. I thought I should tell you. Slade, that Toreador fledgling. He's in the Camarilla now. Like, officially."

"Seriously?" She asked, "After LaCroix tried to execute him, he just joins them? Does he not have a spine?"

Cadmus chuckled, "I wouldn't underestimate him." He said, "Besides, I'm pretty sure his allegiance has to do with a certain someone practically kicking him through the doors to the Camarilla. Point is, he isn't really a friend of the Anarchs."

They heard the doors opening and closing downstairs, a bit of loud chatter, (which was mostly Damsel yelling about how much she was fed up with the entire Camarilla,) before Nines and Skelter came upstairs. Nines looked at Cadmus quickly, at first he didn't recognize him, but as soon as he did, he didn't seem to mind his presence at all. Damsel could still be heard talking to herself from downstairs. "Good to see everyone pulled through." Nines said.

"Not LaCroix." Skelter muttered as he leaned against the railing, "Not Xiao either. Hallelujah to that. I've had enough of her bullshit, maybe now the Kuei-Jin'll find something better to do."

Nines lit a cigarette and shook it off before he put it in his mouth, "Everything alright, Vanderbilt?"

"I was just telling Anastasia that Slade joined the Camarilla almost exclusively due to his hatred of Killian." Cadmus shrugged, "Where is that blonde gorilla, anyway?"

"No clue." Skelter shook his head.

"Last time I saw him was when you did." Nines said, "Not even sure he's in the city anymore." He sighed and rested his head back against the wall, "If Slade's gonna try and kill Killian, that's gonna be a problem."

"What makes you say that?" Skelter asked.

He blew smoke out through his nose, "Just cause he's an idiot doesn't mean he's not an ally."

"You weren't there." Skelter said, "He was with us when we killed Xiao. He's…" He shook his head, "He's lost it."

"He'll get back on track eventually. We just have to give him some time." He said firmly, "We can't just let go of his hand all of a sudden, especially after he helped us out with all this shit. If he was a real coward, he would have run off days ago."

Skelter didn't seem pleased with that answer, but he took it nonetheless.

Cadmus seemed to think about it for a minute or two as well, "I guess I'll go…before Jack comes in and pats himself on the back a million times for planting all those explosions in the sarcophagus…" He stood up, "Bastard…"

"Wait, what did he do?" Anastasia asked.

"The whole damn time, that sarcophagus had nothing but bombs in it." He said, "Tch…now I feel like a freaking moron for hunting it down for…months…but…whatever…it killed LaCroix…" He said, then he snickered, "Can't say I'm not happy."

"What's with you?" She asked, "You're even gigglier than Jack, awfully happy even though you guys have to leave now."

"We're not leaving."

"What?"

He took an exasperated breath, "There's a new Prince."

"Don't tell me it's—"

"Strauss."

"Shit." Nines's cigarette fell to the floor.

She swallowed hard, "Is Victor his Sheriff?"

He shrugged, "If I was a betting man, I'd put money on it."

She looked like she was going to be sick at the suggestion of endlessly being hunted down by Victor, then she snarled, "Did you know about this?"

He rolled his eyes, "Nice to see that you still blame me for every little problem that occurs within the space time continuum, but no. All I cared about was killing LaCroix and Xiao. Look, I may be a fierce warrior of the Camarilla, but I'm not one of the higher-ups. I leave that headache to Strauss and Victor."

"Wait a minute." Skelter interrupted, "Jack put bombs in the sarcophagus? When?"

Cadmus looked at him, "Beats the hell outta me. But that's why Venture Tower blew up. LaCroix opened it, and there was a shit-ton of bombs, and a little note that said 'boom, love Jack.'" He said, then growled, "Shit, I barely know the asshole, and I could see him doing that…"

Nines snickered, "It doesn't surprise me at all…" He said, before he sighed, "When I was up in Griffith Park, before the werewolf." He pointed to the head mounted on the wall, above the windows, "I had a visitor. It was Victor. Told me he was gonna make Strauss the new Prince."

Skelter looked over at Nines, "Guess he got his damn wish. But…still…s'only a matter a' time before we take him down too."

"That's the thing." Nines smothered the cigarette into the floor, "LaCroix's focus was the Sabbat. Occasionally it was us, but it was mostly them. Victor told me if he makes Strauss Primogen, the first plan of action is going to be killing us. All of us."

"All the Anarchs?" Skelter asked, "Pfft, that's like going down in the sewers and killing all the rats. It ain't possible."

"It is with enough poison." Nines said, "And enough brainpower. Which…" He briefly cocked his head to the side, "The Tremere have access to. Easily."

Skelter looked down at the ground, nervous for once before Nines added, "And we all know who he's gonna go after first."

Anastasia hugged herself, shivering as she took a seat, seemingly inches away from a nervous breakdown. Then she looked up, "Hey, where do you think you're going?" She said to Cadmus, who was nearly on his way out.

Cadmus turned around, "To Strauss's tower, why? Did you need me for something else?"

"Listen…" She seethed, "Don't ever, try to steal me, do anything to me again, you got that? If you try the shit you did again, we'll—"

"What reason would I even have to steal you now? You belong with the Anarchs."

She stopped out of pure shock.

He shrugged, "I don't really want to leave the state anymore. Why would I leave all my friends behind? I also have no business interfering with any of you, so I won't. I'll just…stick to my work now. Whatever I'm given. Caesar's dead, so I don't have to care about that. And, we'll just, keep going as we are. You're an Anarch…and I…" He looked frustrated with himself, "I don't know what the hell I am, but you've got my word."

"…this is a trick, isn't it?"

He rolled his eyes and started chuckling.

"There's a punchline?"

More laughing.

"A backlash? A drawback?" She asked, "Cadmus!" She screamed.

Cadmus just laughed and left, walking past Damsel as he slammed the front door behind him.

As a replacement for Cadmus, Jack walked in, his hands in his pockets, whistling blissfully.

Damsel watched Cadmus leave, then stood out a bit and put a hand on Jack's chest, "Whoa, whoa, whoa. Slow your roll, there pal. Where have you been? Ugh, and what's that terrible smell?"

Jack looked down at Damsel, "Step aside there, girlie. I gotta go talk to the big boys upstairs, got it?"

"Hey, I'm not five, you know!" She put her hands on her hips as he brushed past and went upstairs, "Hey, you jackass! Get back here!"

Nines looked over as Jack came upstairs, "Jack."

"Yo." Jack walked in, "'Sup?"

"We heard about the sarcophagus." Skelter said dryly.

"Oh, did ya?" He laughed, "Ah, ha, ha, what'd ya think?"

Nines tried his best not to laugh, but it was pretty hard. He had to look away to hide his snickering. Skelter still looked furious, "The hell were you thinking? You made us all go through hell and back, for what?" He snapped, "What if we got our hands on it? What if we cracked it open? You'd kill all of us!"

"I guess so." He crossed his arms.

"Why didn't you tell us about it? Or at least tell us not to get involved? To let nature take its course?"

"It ain't any fun that way. 'Sides, LaCroix wouldn't bother with it if no one else wanted it. Ever hear of Romeo and Juliet? Wants something he can't get, made it a lot more fun."

"You're a sick, twisted, son of a bitch."

"You got it."

"I'm trying to picture Jack reading Romeo and Juliet now…" Anastasia muttered.

"Eh, that's what plays are for." Nines smiled.

Jack seemed to have enough of Skelter's arguments, "Well, I mean, you guys weren't gonna do shit about it. Drivin' me crazy, figured I'd get it over with already. I thought it'd take another four years, but…actually happened pretty quickly."

"I guess you have a point." Anastasia conceded.

"You guys should be thanking me, really." Jack said, "Jeez, what a letdown you guys are…" He crossed his arms, "Guess I won't feel bad 'bout leaving."

"Leaving?" Skelter asked.

"Where?" Nines crossed his arms.

"I dunno." He shrugged, "Didn't even mean to end up here, honestly. I'm just gonna go sail around again and see where it takes me."

"So…" Nines looked at the floor, "You're scared of Strauss."

"What? Aw, c'mon, man, you crazy? He don't scare me. None a' them do."

"Nah, it's cause the Prince is a Tremere. Jack's not obligated to care none unless they're Ventrue." Skelter said with a smile.

"Ah. Right." Nines nodded, "Well, best of wishes, Jack."

"You'd better come back and visit." Anastasia said.

He shrugged, "I will if I can. But we all know how that worked out for Kent."

Nines looked up, "Where is Kent, anyway?"

"Last I heard, he was in the doghouse." Skelter said.

"…shit." Nines looked back down, "Guess we lost one…"

"Nah, he's…probably fine." Skelter said, "Just…got his hands full."

Nines looked back up at Jack, "We'll look forward to seeing you around, Jack…I might call if we really need help."

"I'll make sure not to pick up." Jack said as he headed for the stairwell.

"Wonder who we're gonna find to tell us pointless stories all day long." Skelter looked up at the ceiling.

"Nah." Jack swatted a hand, "There are plenty a' old geezers like me. Anarchs've been around as long as the Camarilla. See ya."

"Thanks, Jack." Nines called.

"He picked like…the worst time to leave…" Anastasia said quietly.

"Yeah, cause he doesn't care about any of this…" Skelter muttered, "He never cared about any of this to begin with. He heard about LaCroix, settled in to our movement a bit, set up a bomb to kill him, then left."

"He's certainly not the…perfect Anarch." Nines said.

"I'm gonna go for a walk…" Anastasia stood up, going to leave, as she went to walk out, she pulled on Skelter's sleeve for a brief moment, brief enough so that Nines wouldn't pick it up, then she left.

Skelter waited a minute, at least, then stood up, "Guess I'll go help the others clear the shit out of the roads."

Nines snickered, "Have fun with her."

Skelter paused, "Shut up."

Nines laughed and got out another cigarette, "Don't keep her waiting." He started lighting it.

Skelter grumbled something under his breath and left as well, catching her in the alleyway, "Yo. What's up?"

"I wanted to show you something." Anastasia said, an adventurous smile on her face. She first made sure no one was around to see, then she transformed into a gracious war form. Talons replaced feet, full dark green feathers covered the areas that were once covered with hairy down, and a sharp, hooked beak was where her mouth once was.

Skelter's eyes widened, then he laughed, "Look at that! I knew you'd be able to do it soon…that's gonna be great with all these Tremere running around. Who knew you'd take up an avian form like that…it's badass…" He chuckled, "Now I guess all I gotta help you with is Animalism."

She turned back to normal, "It all paid off! All that training we did!" She ran up and hugged him, then she added quietly, "Now I'll be safe…from him…"

He hugged her back, stiffening a bit as he heard that last line. No elaboration was needed. His mind was made. "Guess all that down turned to feathers, huh? It was just a matter of time." He decided to brush it to the side for now. She wouldn't want to talk about it. Instead, he pat her back, then paused, "So…uh…you mind helping me out with something?"

"Uh-huh." She smiled.

He thought for a moment, "We gotta go somewhere…somewhere where we'll be alone. Like a bathroom or something…but…I don't want anyone to think we're crazy…"

She bit her lip, "Okay…"

"And we can't drive to my place." He broke the hug, "Cause it's too damn uncomfortable. We have to walk somewhere. Maybe somewhere closed…a diner or something that we can slip into. The Last Round would be perfect if Damsel wasn't there…"

She nodded quickly, "Lead the way…"

He snooped his head around, then started walking down the sidewalk. He scoped around a bit before they went down an alley to the back of a closed restaurant. He got out a dagger and slid it underneath the frame of the window until the lock busted, then he popped the window open and crawled through. Anastasia followed him in, then shut the window. They went into a bathroom, then he handed her the knife, "You're gonna need this."

"What? A knife?" She asked, completely confused.

"When your brother came and took you….I frenzied." He muttered, pulling his pants down a bit, before he pulled out a tail from the back, "I need you to cut it off."

"Holy fuck…" Her eyes widened, "You have a tail?"

He crossed his arms, "I can't retract my fangs anymore either. So I guess kissing's off the table, unless you wanna bleed. Tryin' to talk is hard enough."

"Holy shit…Skelter…" The knife shook in her grip, "Alright…let…let's do this…"

"It…it should heal quick, so don't worry about hurting me." He said.

She swallowed hard, "Damn it…" She said, rearing back to sever his tail with one clean swipe.

He grunted, then turned back and sighed, "Thank god…" The tail turned to ash, "That was a nightmare…" He pulled his pants off and hugged her, "Do not tell a single soul about this."

"'Kay."

He kissed her cheek, "You wanna go back to my place?"

"Sure." She squeezed him.

"Well, that's all over and done with." Slade said as he left the hulking red tower, "I'm in the Camarilla now." He said as they started walking down the street, "Officially joined. Huh, only took me about five months."

Tess chuckled softly, "I suppose we get to go to work together then."

"Did you get to talk to Strauss yet?"

"Not yet. But…I will express my desire to…turn over a new leaf."

"I'm not gonna lie…" He said, pausing to hail a cab, "It isn't going to be easy."

"I know….if I can't do it…I suppose I'll have to be Independent. But I'll do anything I can to help you two."

He nodded, piling into the taxi with her. As Slade gave the man his request, he said, "Everyone probably knows who you are at this point. All of us. We're way more well-known now. Well…I guess in my case, I was well-known the second I was Embraced."

She nodded and rested her head back against the seat, "At least if I get killed…I'll die knowing my heart was in the right place…"

"I'm not going to let that happen to you."

She looked over to him, "I…I honestly have no clue why you're being so sweet to me all of a sudden…"

"I don't know." He kept looking ahead, "Cause we're friends, aren't we?"

She chuckled softly, "Friends, hmm? So hasty to friend-zone me? Was the kiss that bad?"

"I…uh…no…" He said, "I…I just figured…you'll move on and forget me…once you set your sights on someone else…"

"Move on?" She asked, "Who else would there be to set my eyes on? I have a perfectly handsome boy who has his heart set on me…" She took his hand and squeezed it, "And is the best possible thing for me in my time of need. You're…you're everything to me, now, at this time. There will be no moving on."

A part of his Toreador-self wanted to wrap her into a hug and smother her with kisses, but he was still unsure, "I've just…seen how you work…Tess…I don't know…I'm just…a little cautious…I guess…"

"Then glue a baby-monitor to my forehead. I've never felt as attached to someone as I have with you. This isn't a fling. I don't want you for sex. I want you because you've always been there for me…even when you think you haven't."

Poetic? Or another trick? "Thanks Tess…" He stifled a chuckle, "I guess, clearly you've been on my mind too…I mean…sometimes it felt like I was the only one who got mad when you were with another guy…too bad no one bothered to tell me it was jealousy…" The car stopped at their apartment complex in Hollywood.

She shook her head, "After Ash…I'm done…done with wanting…pretty-boys…I just…" She took his hand, "I want someone I can trust, and that's you."

Slade stepped out of the car with her, giving her hand a little squeeze as they went up the stairs to the apartment, "Some of the furniture might be a little new…"

"Oh, that's alright, we were in need of new furniture." She walked inside, "I'd offer to make you something to eat…but…" She turned around and smiled, then hugged him again.

He squeezed her back, walking towards his bedroom and sitting on the bed, "I should warn you…we might have to…spot Dragomir and Genevieve money…for that apartment downtown…they…typically they're pretty broke. I'm just about convinced that they don't believe in money…"

She chuckled, "I think the two of us will manage quite well." She sat next to him.

"Yeah, especially if I do jobs for Strauss every now and then. He's probably as rich as they come."

"I wonder how old he is…"

He shrugged, looking out the window, "Uh…Tess…this might be awkward…but…he offered me a room…in the tower…it's nice as hell…"

"I suppose I can't live there…" She muttered, "Very well. You take it. I'll stay here…and if I get a chance to join, I'll accompany you."

"I'm not just going to abandon you here by yourself." He said, "We'll see if you can get in Strauss's Camarilla first…maybe I'll come along, to convince him. Then we can share it."

She giggled, "If you insist." She kissed his cheek.

He looked at the floor, "So when did you get a katana?"

She sighed, "When LaCroix told me to get the key and…it was already gone. I got a katana…I didn't want him to think I was useless."

He stifled a chuckle, "That's badass." He said, "I can train you to use it."

"That would be lovely." She brushed a lock of her hair out of her face, "I can't wait."

"Yeah, and maybe in return, you can teach me how to shoot stuff other than the broad side of barns…"

"Of course. Though I can't say my aim is much better. I think Genevieve's is very good."

He nodded, loosening his tie, "Her and Dragomir both."

Her eyes drew to his hands, "Mmm hmm, they both have Auspex."

"So do we." He said with a smile, once his tie was unfastened, he threw it at her so it partially wrapped itself around her collar.

She smirked, then took the tie and slung it back around his neck, pulling him in closer to kiss his lips. He kissed her back, rubbing her back with one hand and running his fingers through her hair with another. "You like my hair, don't you?" She asked as her arms snaked around his waist.

"…maybe…" He said, in between kisses.

She sat in his lap again and kept up with her kisses, "I won't take this any further unless you'd like to. It's…only day one, really…"

"You're right…" He held his forehead, disappointed in himself, "What was I thinking?"

"Slade, I don't care if you do want to…I just didn't want you to feel pressured because of how I acted in the past with this sort of thing."

"Well…I am a virgin…so I probably just wanted to rush into it, just so I'm not one anymore…but…maybe waiting is better…"

She held his face and kissed his lips, "You have all the time in the world to decide."

"I want to sleep next to you, at least. Unless you don't want to."

"I would love to." She smiled and stood up, "Just let me get changed." He nodded, taking off his tie and pants, then he started futzing around with his bedsheets. She took everything off, besides a pair of lacy black panties. She was facing away from him, thankfully, when she turned her head over her shoulder, "You have a tee shirt I could borrow? All my clothes are back in my apartment."

She didn't hear a response, full about a full minute, all she saw was that his jaw dropped.

She gave a little smile, "What's the matter?" She turned around and walked towards him, her long hair just covering her nipples, "Too soon? Sorry. I just had to get out of those clothes, they were so uncomfortable. Especially the heels."

He snickered and shook his head, "You always like foot rubs. I remember when you and Dragomir were dating for like…a day…and you wanted one from him."

"Because of the heels." She sat next to him, "He wouldn't give me them…" She muttered as she crossed her arms, "That was crossing the line, I suppose."

"I could give you one." He said, "If you ask real nicely."

She scooted back and placed her feet in his lap, "How's this for real nice?"

"We're going to work on those manners of yours." He said, massaging her feet, "Luckily, your feet are beautiful, so I'll overlook it this time."

She closed her eyes and laid back, letting out a shameless sigh, "Ah…that's so much better…"

"You made that noise when Dragomir did it too." He said, "Trying to wake the neighbors?"

"Oh, of course…what else?" She asked as she propped herself up on her elbows, "Well, I didn't tell you to stop, either…"

He kept rubbing her feet, hearing her ankles crack now and again, "I…I think I like it…"

"Like what?"

"Hearing you…be horny…aw…damn it…this is too soon!" He held his forehead.

"I'm fine with whatever you want…if you just…want me to give you a blow job…or…you want to just…get me off…I don't know, it doesn't have to be entirely black and white…"

"…the latter, I guess…"

"You can do whatever you'd like. I'm not going to stop you."

"I'm sure if I rub your feet for another few minutes, you'll pop anyway." He said as he carried on.

"Oh…it'll do something…but…" She sighed and leaned her head back again, "I'd love a little more attention to…other places…"

"Yeah, remember, I have no idea what the hell I'm doing, so you'll need to be a little more specific…"

"Why don't you…explore me?" She asked with a smirk, "You can tell how you're doing by how loud I get…"

"I'm not sure how much I'm going to like this game…" He unbuttoned his shirt and flung it aside, "But what the hell…" He adjusted her so she was laying on a pillow, then he started giving her kisses, rubbing her sides gently. She let out a gentle sigh, combing her fingers through his hair and wrapping her legs around his. He moved back a little and kissed her neck next, sucking on it a little bit. Her sighs got a bit louder and she moved her head out of the way, her fingertips slowly trailing down his spine and around to his sides.

He went back further even and kissed her stomach, anchoring each hand onto her sides. A moan from her filled the air, every time he shifted, she'd adjust her legs for him and squeeze him again, either rubbing his hair or shoulders. "There. Done exploring." He said, sucking on her stomach with a bit more vigor.

She looked down at him, "You've…got to be kidding…" She opened her legs a bit wider, "I can get so much louder, Slade…"

"I bet you can."

"Slade…" She moaned, "You didn't explore the mountains or the valleys…"

"Eh, that takes a lot of walking…I'm pretty beat…that meeting with Strauss took hours…"

"Slade…"

"…and yet I did like that…"

"Yes…yes you did…"

"So what you're telling me is your boobs hurt?"

"No…but…they could…if that will get some attention…" She sat up a bit, "They haven't hurt much since I was Embraced…"

"Shh." He gave her a gentle push so she would lay back again, and he started massaging her breasts, "Just relax. Alright? Take it easy and settle down…you got me…"

She closed her eyes and let out a much louder moan, one hand gripping onto one of his shoulders. For a moment, he wondered where the other hand went, until she saw it was down in her panties.

He face palmed, "Alright, we're done here."

She stopped, grabbing the sheets, "No, please…I'm…I'm sorry…I just couldn't…handle the suspense…"

"If you were going to just masturbate yourself anyway, then I don't really see why you even needed me."

"Because…I can never…get there on my own. It's not the same…"

"I'm not…I'm not even in the mood anymore…" He plopped his head on the pillow next to her, "Look…I'm sorry, but I don't think we're on the same…wavelength…with this…I don't know…it's my own fault for staring at you naked…if I just looked away, we'd both be sleeping by now…"

"It's alright, sweetheart…" She slowly wrapped an arm around him and hugged him, "I'll…always be here…" She muttered, "I'm sorry my libido is…approximately the size of Venture Tower…"

He slipped away, sitting on the edge of the bed, she could see his shoulders shaking.

The moonlight slid in the room as a breeze jolted the curtains aside. It poured out onto Tess's body, casting shadows over her face as she sat up on the opposite side of the bed, facing away from him, "I'll…" She stood up and grabbed her clothes, starting to put them back on, "I'll be going now."

"No, you stay…I'll sleep on the couch…"

She ignored him, folding her blazar over her arm after she finished buttoning up her shirt, "I'll see you tomorrow, yes?"

He gave a nod, his face buried in his hands, "I…I can't even do something simple enough for Killian…"

"What?" She moved her hand away from the doorknob.

"Nothing…" He said, "I just…knew that Killian and VV had a relationship at some point…and he always rubbed it in my face…he was always one step ahead of me that way…I guess, part of me got excited for tonight, because I thought I'd finally be better than him at everything."

She turned to him, an unreadable look on her face, "Is that what I am to you then? Just…part of a contest?"

He growled, "Yeah, while LaCroix was barking orders at me left and right, I had plenty of time to set up little contests with Killian."

"Goodnight, Slade." She grabbed the doorknob again, "Clearly…this isn't what I thought it would be. I thought I was done with people who hurt me for their own self-justification. Clearly I was wrong."

"What did you think this was going to be, dare I ask?"

"I…thought you would be someone who would want to change with me."

"And why can't we change together?"

"Because you aren't changing at all."

He froze, his mouth opened a few times then shut again, "I'm not changing?" He asked quietly, then he repeated it a few more times a bit louder, "So…I have something that needs changing, then? I have this…horrendous flaw…that inhibits me from getting shit done. I'd like to hear it Tess. What's so wrong with me that needs to be changed so badly?"

"Your attitude."

He raised a brow, "Go on…"

"You're…so resentful and negative…you'll bark at people who…hold a different opinion than you." Her ankle buckled as she turned on her heels, she caught her balance quickly, "You're stubborn…close-minded. You don't let yourself see into the lives of others…you just…shut them out and say they're wrong." She crossed her arms, "You give up on people who frustrate you…you don't accept anything different, you don't accept change. But…" She sighed, "I suppose you've always been that way. Even when I started sitting at your lunch table, you looked like you wanted to kill me."

"If you want me to be completely honest, you never started really bothering me until we became Kindred."

"That can't be true."

"I don't remember saying anything that bad to you at school. Why would I? We were all friends. I mean, when you started…being a Kindred, I was upset with you at times, obviously, but I can't name a time at school where I really blasted you."

She looked to the floor, "What about college?"

He shrugged, "I was mad when you started a relationship with Dragomir, because I thought you'd hurt him." He said, "And I was right." He added, "Sometimes being a stubborn, close-minded asshole, has its perks."

"Does it?" She asked, "So you were right. So what? Do you want a badge? A gold medal? What does being right have to do with anything?"

"You asked me if I was mad at you during college and I was answering the question."

"But why does being right justify being close-minded?"

"I don't know…" He sighed, "What do you want from me, Tess? One second, I'm the nicest man ever, the next second, I have all these weaknesses and I'm close-minded, and angry, and vicious…which is it?"

"You are nice…you're incredibly kind and sweet…but…you're also angry and close-minded. I wanted to help you…I wanted to help you become someone better, but I'm not sure I can. It…it clearly didn't work for Ash…"

"Come on, I feel like me on my worst day is better than Ash." He said, "I've probably spoken more words to you in one night than he has…ever…"

She giggled a bit, "He…he was just quiet…that had nothing to do with his…anger."

"Look…what I said about Killian and I pissed you off, right? I'm sorry…okay…it's just…emasculating…having to deal with him…he's bigger than me…stronger than me…I'm always worried one day that he'll get stronger and then kill Dragomir, even though I swore to protect him." He said, "And…then when I failed to pleasure you…I don't know…all of that weight just came…crashing down…I don't see this as a contest…I don't see any women as a contest." He said, "I just…wanted to make love you right…"

Her shoulders fell a bit, "I suppose I have a habit of making things more dramatic than they really are…"

"No…it just…came out wrong, I can't really blame you for coming up with conclusion that you did. I…uh…I don't know…I shouldn't let the things Killian say bother me so much, it's my fault."

"It's fine, sweetheart. I understand now. Maybe…you and I should look into…getting rid of him." She walked closer.

"If we have time." He shrugged, "Careful though, he wants you dead just as much as he wants Dragomir and I dead."

"I know…but…he isn't very powerful. We'll be fine."

He smiled, "Especially when I help you with a sword." He said, "Then we'll be unstoppable together."

She smiled and leaned in, kissing his lips. He kissed her back, "Did you want to…?" He pulled the covers back.

"Only if you really want to."

"We'll see. I'm at least giving you a massage."

"Okay." She giggled a bit, taking her heels off and dropping her blazar to the floor again, "Just give me another moment…"

He watched her undress, his smile growing as he took his underwear off. She slid off her dress shirt and skirt, crawling onto the bed beside him before she grabbed onto his shoulders and pulled him up on top of her. He kissed her hungrily, squeezing both breasts for a good while. She sighed and wrapped her legs around him, her hands travelling down his shoulders, arms and sides.

He couldn't take it anymore, he needed to feel it. So he pumped his blood around his body, having an erection at this moment felt so right. He brushed his length against her hips and humped her as he kissed a bit harder.

Her eyes widened and she let out a wanton moan, her hands darting down around his rear and squeezing as he grinded against her. She started suckling on his collarbone and neck, completely enthralled in every move he made. "Yeah…makes those noises…" He bit his lip and grinded a little harder, she felt it grow on her hip, waistline, and stomach. He also began to playfully pull her hair.

She moaned a bit louder, her back arching as she longed for deeper contact. One hand strayed higher, grabbing onto a shoulder and pushing it down so he could feel her full chest up against his. He grunted, "I…I'm ready to go…what about you…?" She let her open legs to serve as her answer.

He gave another grunt, completely giving into his desires. Tess always knew Slade was an angry person, but to feel his passion in this form, while it would likely scare off those with weaker constitutions, the raw strength behind his penetration felt wonderful to Tess. Her nails left marks down his back as he filled her, her hands stopping at his hips to guide him into a fast-paced rhythm that left her nearly breathless.

He let out a volley of unending screams that, if Tess's sighs didn't awake them before, his voice would shock the neighbors awake now. Occasionally, he would yank her up by her butt to go inside a bit deeper. She complied by bringing one leg up higher, allowing him much more leverage, and allowing her a deeper feel.

Her voice nearly went hoarse with all the grunts of his name, the cries when he'd hit a certain spot inside that never failed to make her insides melt. As he slowed the pace, she kissed his lips sweetly, combing her fingers through his hair.

"So…" He panted as he collapsed on top of her, "Why do you wear heels…if you hate them so damn much?"

"They look sexy…"

He rolled his eyes, "Okay." He kissed one of her breasts, "Should I get off?"

"If you'd like."

He moved off of her, "I'm assuming you had fun…"

"Oh yes…" She asked, tracing a finger across his jawline, "How was losing your virginity, hmm? Everything you'd hope it'd be?"

"I'm glad I lost it to you…" He closed his eyes.

She smiled and kissed his lips, "How sweet…" She closed her eyes and held his arm tightly in hers, "You're mine now…all mine…"

He chuckled for a while, "Sleep well, Tess…"

"You too, sweetheart."

A/N: Ah, the mind off the Toreador…a dangerous and, yet, colorful place. Thanks for reading! Hope you liked it!