A/N - Thank you for all the feedback! It's like getting fresh out of the oven homemade cookies. Here's chapter 2; you can thank the new James Bond movie, Skyfall, for inspiring me to finish it. Damn but can Adele siiing! The theme song sure gave me chills. Anyhoo, happy reading! And as always, reviews and feedback are very much welcomed.


Chapter 2

A legion of candles stood sentinel on shelves, a sink and the windowsill, gently weeping wax down their thick creamy-white bodies. Flames sat atop their wicks, swaying hypnotically to an unheard rhythm as they threw weak yellow-golden light across the room. Elongated shadows smudged the floorboards and yawned to the ceiling, creating a perturbing atmosphere that was both enigmatic and soothing.

"It's nice to see some things don't change," Tara murmured as she lit the last candle and set its stumpy body on the small square table by the luxurious antique clawfoot tub. Turning, she addressed the blonde ensconced on a Victorian styled chair. "Candles were always your thang." A small smile tugged at full lips as she made way to Pam.

The blonde was hunched in the chair, a deep blue afghan shot through with wild emerald streaks wrapped tightly around her shoulders. She stared vaguely off into space, her eyes vacant. She didn't acknowledge Tara's presence as the dark-skinned vampire came to a stop in front of her.

"Hey." Tara bent her knees until she was eye-level with Pam. A bolt of heartache shocked a path through her heart when Pam didn't so much as flinch when Tara reached up to cup her cheek. "Pamela," she continued undeterred, though she mentally cursed the break in her voice. "Pam."

Nothing. Tara bit back a sob as she regarded her former lover. Pam appeared…catatonic. Her body, though relaxed, was decidedly unresponsive to physical stimuli. She simply sat in the chair Tara had deposited her in, her face a smooth canvas of nothing, her eyes devoid of life. It was as if Tara was touching a hollow body, a jacket of flesh and muscle that had been emptied of a mind and soul.

The younger vampire's thoughts turned to Pam's injuries when her thumb grazed the cut that was still trying to heal itself on the blonde's lower lip. The fact that such a simple injury was healing at human rates was a testament to just how malnourished Pam was.

"You need to feed." Retracting her hand, she brought it up to her lips. Holding her wrist to her mouth, she let her fangs protract with a subtle click, then bit down into the soft skin. She dragged the sharp incisors across her wrist, tearing open skin and veins until blood starburst onto her tongue and the iron-y tang of blood saturated the air.

Swallowing residual blood that pooled in her mouth, she held out her bleeding wrist to Pam. "C'mon, Pamela." Pam didn't react and a muscle ticked in Tara's jaw as she held her weeping wrist up to Pam's mouth. "Drink."She pressed her wrist against Pam's lips, hoping to entice the blonde into opening her mouth but her efforts were for naught. "Goddamn it, Pam!" She pressed her wrist against full lips, effectively smearing them a macabre red. "Baby, please," she begged when Pam remained willfully unresponsive.

Silence. Not a suck nor a swallow.

Tears rimmed Tara's eyes, from fear or anger or panic, she didn't know. There were too many emotions raging within her, so ensnared and tangled that she couldn't begin to tell them apart. "Please don't make me force feed you," Tara beseeched, her voice hoarse with tears. She didn't want to subject her ex-lover to such humiliation, didn't want to see it.

When Pam still failed to react, Tara gritted her teeth. "Fine. Fine." She reached up, gripped Pam's jaw with firm fingers and wrestled it open. She flinched when she realized her fingers were leaving bruises on snow-white skin; that was how starved Pam's body was of blood. "When you're back to normal, I'm going to fuckin' kick your martyring ass," Tara hissed as she shoved her wrist between the open seam of Pam's lips.

"Drink, damn you." Pressing her wrist firmly against Pam's full lips, she used the pressure to force the blonde's head back. Her other hand moved from Pam's jaw to her throat where she began massaging it to stimulate a swallowing motion. It took a few moments but Tara finally sighed in abject relief when Pam began swallowing. A light suckling sound could be heard in the otherwise silent room as Pam's body, driven by primal instinct, forced the blonde to ingest the life giving liquid.

"That's it," Tara encouraged, her voice returning to its soft burr. Her free hand moved up to brush away wisps of lank blonde hair away from Pam's face. "Good girl."

Tara observed Pam carefully as she fed. She watched as the bruises she administered on the blonde's jaw fade back to alabaster white. The burns on her wrist from the silver chain began to fade from a deep, raw red to a watered pink before the skin knitted over the wound.

When Tara felt herself begin to weaken, she reluctantly drew back her hand and smeared the blood around the wound onto the cuts. They healed almost immediately but Tara had to take a moment to shake off the slight dizziness from giving Pam so much of her blood.

Once she had recovered her equilibrium, she refocused her attention on Pam and sighed despondently. Her blood may have healed the blonde's injuries but it didn't nothing for her mental state.

"You aren't going to make this easy on me, are ya?" Tara sighed. She stroked a finger down Pam's cheek, hoping for Pam to lean in to her touch. Nothing.

"Baby steps, then." She cast a look over her shoulder, noted the steam rising from the half-filled bathtub then turned back to Pam. "Let's get you into the tub, huh?"

She grabbed a hold of a corner of the afghan and slowly began to peel it from around Pam, taking great measures to ensure that her actions were gentle. Next, she moved to Pam's shirt, belatedly realizing that the forest-green and navy-blue plaid shirt was hers.

"Thief," Tara murmured fondly as she unbuttoned it, and pulled it off Pam's shoulders and down her arms. "I had wondered where this shirt went." She draped it over the corner of the back of the chair then reached around Pam to unclasp her bra.

"I need you to stand up for me," Tara requested quietly after she unbuttoned Pam's simple black jeans. She shook her head in growing exasperation when Pam didn't react and wriggled a hand under the blonde to lift her up off the chair. Her other hand made quick work of yanking down the jeans and underwear.

"C'mon," Tara said, her voice a soft lull. She nudged the jeans aside with her toe, then lifted Pam into her arms. Cradling her like a newborn, she carried the blonde over to the tub and gently lowered her into the steamy water. "Is it too hot?" she asked conversationally.

No response.

Tara bit down on her lower lip, almost drawing blood as she fought against the tidal wave of pain and sadness that crashed into her. In all the years she had been with Pam, never once had she seen the blonde in such a state of lifelessness. It was as if her maker had lost the will to live and was just going through the motions.

"If I'd known…" Tara cut herself off. Would she have come running if she knew the condition Pam was in? Would her pride have let her? If it weren't for the pained and terrified look in Eric's eye, would she have come?

Tara cinched her jaw, disgusted that she couldn't come up with concrete answers to any of those questions. She knelt by the side of the tub, reached blindly behind her for the washcloth on the small table. Soaking it in the lavender scented water, she began gently bathing Pam.

"It might be your smile, 'cause it can change my day," Tara sang, her voice a soothing low alto as she ran the cloth down Pam's arm. "Blue eyes that chase my blues away." It was one of Tara's favorite songs for every time she heard it, she would be reminded of Pam. A bittersweet smile graced her lips as recalled the night she serenaded the blonde with it.

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"It might be your touch," Tara crooned softly as she gently stroked Pam's hair. She grinned when she felt Pam smile against her neck. "That keeps me coming back for more."

"Insatiable is what you are," Pam murmured, her tone dry though affectionate. She nuzzled into the crook of Tara's neck, pressing a gentle kiss to ebony skin.

"Loving words that keep me going strong," Tara continued. "That heart of yours I hang my future on." She pressed a kiss to the top of Pam's head. "What it is, I can't say for sure."

"That is so sappy, I think my fangs are getting a cavity," Pam mumbled. She playful tangled her legs with Tara's under the sheet, her toes nudging at Tara's in a manner that sparked a footsie war.

"Stop it," Tara giggled as she wriggled away from Pam's teasing toes, unlatching herself from Pam's arms in the process.

"Hey, get back here," Pam pouted, holding out an arm. When Tara arched an eyebrow at her, Pam's lower lip jutted out further, causing Tara to melt. "Pleeeease?"

Tara smiled, a soft smile that she reserved only for Pam. She scooted back towards her lover but propped an elbow on the pillow to cradle her head. Her other hand immediately reached out to stroke imaginary lines down an impossibly smooth cheek.

"It's just that she's got this thing about her, she's got this thing about her," Tara continued singing, watching affectionately as a shy smile crawl across Pam's full lips. "Like the magic in your favorite song, you just can't put your finger on."

Pam ducked her head as Tara continued to serenade her. No matter how many times Tara sang to her, it never failed to make her bashful and shy. She was supremely glad that as a vampire, she couldn't blush because that would be a humiliation she would not recover from.

"In her arms when we're all alone, I get the feeling that I've come back home." Tara caught Pam deftly when the blonde lunged at her and pinned her to the bed by draping half her body over hers. "She's got this thing about her."

Pam burrowed into Tara, savoring the feel of her lover's arms around her, the scent of dark chocolate enveloping her, comforting her.

"She's the love I've known eternally," Tara sang into Pam's ear, her lips brushing over the sensitive skin. "It always feels so brand new to me." She dropped a kiss to the top of Pam's jaw. "She's got this thing about her."

Pam felt her eyes well with tears and she sniffled. "I love you, Tara."

Tara hugged Pam fiercely to her. Pressing her lips into Pam's hair, she whispered, "I love you too."

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A barely audible splash snapped Tara out from her wanderings down memory lane. Looking down, she realized that the slightly creamy-tinged water had a steak of pink swimming along the edge of the tub. She reached up with a hand to touch her cheek and realized she was crying when her fingertips came away wet and smudged red.

"Fuck," she breathed out shakily. Swiping a hand across her face, she wiped residual bloody tears on her jeans and refocused her attention back onto the blonde.

"Sorry," she whispered to the uncommunicative blonde. She let the washcloth hang over the side of the tub as she reached for the bottle of shampoo. Squeezing a generous dollop onto her upturned palm, she moved to squat behind Pam. "Probably wasn't the best song choice, huh?" she said as she began lathering up Pam's hair.

"You're going to have to talk to me at some point," Tara pointed out quietly minutes later as she rinsed out the suds in Pam's hair. "I know you're in there somewhere," she continued softly as she stared down at Pam's tipped back head. "Talk to me, baby." The term of endearment fell so easily from her lips, as though she had never stopped saying them.

Tara swallowed and gently brought Pam's head back forward. Rocking back on her heels, she simply sat back and stared at the flawless expanse of Pam's back. "Ya know I don't think I've ever stopped loving you," she admitted, her voice brittle with emotion. She released a resigned chuckle. "I don't think I know how to stop loving you."

"But you still left me."

Pam's voice, that familiar husky lilt, was so unexpected that it sounded like a gun going off in Tara's ears. She was kneeling by the side of the tub in an instant, one hand reaching out to cup Pam's cheek.

"Pam?" Tara choked back a sob when the blonde actually turned to lock dull blue eyes onto her own chips of dark chocolate. "Pamela," she breathed out, the blonde's name falling from her lips like a devout prayer. "There you are," she whispered as she caressed Pam's cheek. "Hey."

"Are you real?" Pam asked softly. She lifted a hand out of the water and began to reach out for Tara but then dropped it back down. "No," she mumbled, shaking her head. "I don't think you are." Despondency coated her tone and misery flashed across her face as her brows furrowed in pain.

"I'm real," Tara insisted. She pressed her hand more firmly against Pam's cheek. "I'm very real."

"Why did you leave me, Tara?" Pained winter-gray eyes dropped onto Tara's face and Tara felt the bottom of her stomach drop out at the near tangible wash of agony that was painted across Pam's face.

"You broke us, Pamela." Tara dropped her hand from Pam's cheek and sat back on her haunches. Tears welled in her eyes and began falling in earnest, droplets of ruby red crisscrossing down ebony cheeks. "You broke our bond," she rasped, her voice raw with pain.

"A mistake," Pam mumbled, her voice broken. She trailed a lone finger through the soapy water, her movements shaky as tears of crimson scrolled lazily down her pale cheeks. "A mistake I will spend eternity paying for." She hiccupped then looked back up at Tara whose breath hitched in her throat the sight of Pam's anguished face. "That didn't mean I loved you any less."

The muscles in Tara's jaw twitched as she gritted her teeth in an effort not to just breaking down on the bathroom floor and cry. "It hurt so bad, Pam," Tara whimpered. "I couldn't feel you anymore." Her shoulders shook with effort to contain sobs that were desperate to crawl up her throat. "It was like a part of me died."

"I know," Pam murmured, her voice rough with pain. "I know." She closed her eyes and leaned back against the tub. "But you left," Pam repeated, her voice growing hoarser with each word. "You didn't…didn't give me a chance to fix things." Blue eyes opened to revealed a tortured gaze. "You just…left." A sob burst from her lips.

"Don't," Tara warned, anger creeping into her voice. "Don't you dare blame all of this on me." She clenched her fingers, nails digging into the palm of her hand. "I'm not the one who threw away decades of everything because of a stupid fight!"

"I know," Pam mumbled submissively. She slipped in the water slightly but couldn't find the strength to right herself. "I know," she repeated, slurring her words a little as a frisson of exhaustion shuddered through her body. "Look at us," she observed. "After fifty years of absence, the first thing we do is fight." A self-deprecating laugh bubbled out from her throat. "Quite a pair, you and I."

"We're not," Tara began, swallowing around a lump in throat. "A pair," she continued when Pam turned sad eyes onto her. A line of red chased its predecessor down her cheek. "I don't know if we can ever get back what we've lost, Pamela."

Pam nodded. "I still love you," she whispered raggedly as she closed her eyes, sending a smattering of tears to roll down her cheeks.

"I love you too," Tara returned sadly. "So much," she added brokenly. "But I don't know if we can go back to the way we were," she choked out. Tears ran rampant down her cheeks as she watched Pam's body shake under the weight of her sobs.

"I want you to leave," Pam requested quietly after minutes of tense, tremulous silence, her voice still raspy with tears. "You need to leave," she repeated, her voice becoming agitated.

Tara stared at her through the thick curtain of blood-tears. "I…I can't," she admitted brokenly. She hung her head, unable to stand the sight of Pam looking so defeated.

"Can't? Or won't?" Pam prodded gently and the small note of hopefulness ringing in her voice sent a silver shard to pierce Tara's heart.

"I…" Tara swallowed, unwilling to look up into Pam's eyes when the next words fell out of her mouth. "I can't. Eric sent me." Her head dipped lower until her chin almost touched her chest.

"Eric," Pam breathed out. Her eyes closed in disgust, disgust with herself. For letting herself believe that Tara had sought her out of her own accord. She clenched her fists under the now lukewarm water. "Get. Out."

Tara's head sprang back up at the forcefulness of Pam's tone and for the first time since their reunion, she saw a fire in Pam's eyes. It gave her hope, knowing that a bit of the old Pam was still in there somewhere. "I promised him I would take care of you," Tara revealed quietly.

The spark of defiance in Pam's blue eyes fanned into a sudden blaze of rage, rendering her gaze electric. "I am not your pity project," the blonde hissed. She wrestled herself to her knees, then braced her hands on either side of the tub to try to lift herself to her feet. When her shaking arms gave out, she almost crashed back into the water when Tara's arms wrapped around her waist, steadying her. "Don't you touch me," she seethed, trying to jerk away from Tara's touch.

"Stop it," Tara pleaded as she held Pam in a firm grip. "Please. Just let me help you!" she cried, flinching slightly when Pam managed to backhand her across the face.

"Fuck you," Pam spat back, thrashing about in Tara's arms. "I hate you! I hate you!" She crumbled back into the water when her strength gave out and her knees buckled. Her back hit the tub with an audible smack and splash and she dissolved into tears. "I hate you," she sobbed though there was no sincerity to her words. She clung to Tara, her entire body sending waves through the bathwater as she quaked under the force of her sobs.

Tara sank to her knees by the side of the tub and held Pam to her. Tears of rub red poured down her cheeks as she let herself break down. "I'm sorry," she sobbed back as she cradled Pam's head to her shoulder. "I'm so sorry…"

TBC


A/N 2 – Song used is 'She's Got This Thing About Her' by Chris Young