It was just before twilight when Josef woke up. He yawned and stretched languidly before he opened the door on his oversized freezer. As he was getting dressed, he couldn't help but feel as if something were wrong.

"Now is not the time to be developing a conscience." He told himself sternly as he forced an image of the homeless girl from his mind, "She is not your responsibility." He assured himself as he checked his tie in the mirror. Josef smirked at his own reflection before he left the bedroom and went into the living room. What he found there was more than unexpected.

Lying on the floor was one of his Freshies, a blonde named Jessica. It only took a second for him to tell that she was dead; she had no heartbeat. Before he let his temper run away with him, Josef turned to the only other being in the room. If he hadn't been able to recognize her scent, he never would have guessed that she was the girl from the alley.

Her long chocolate hair was now wavy, but tangle free. Her pale olive skin had lost its griminess and her clothes were obviously new- maybe even borrowed since they didn't seem to fit correctly. Even her hazel eyes had a new look to them. Instead of the defiance that had filled them the night before, they were now full of horror. Horror at what she had done. Josef noticed how she was curled up on the couch in a tiny ball, just staring at the inert blonde. He was sure that she hadn't even noticed him enter the room. When he reached for his cell phone, she spoke without looking away from the Freshie.

"Who are you calling?" She asked fearfully.

"The Cleaner." He replied simply, the phone pressed against his ear. The girl didn't say another word. Once the Cleaner answered, Josef gave his address and told her that it was an accidental kill.

As the silence endured, Josef moved to the body. He might have a cruel reputation, but Josef prided himself in taking good care of his girls. He made sure that she looked respectable for clean up and then he closed her vacant eyes. That last gesture was too much for Elwen, and she began sobbing on the couch.

"I didn't mean to kill her!" She exclaimed tearfully, "I had just finished showering and had dressed in clothes I'd found in the other room…" Whatever else she said was lost in her wracking sobs. Josef wasn't sure how much more of her crying he could handle. "She just surprised me… and I was so hungry!" She looked at Josef pleadingly, "I'm so sorry!" Josef sighed as he sat in one of his armchairs.

"It's ok…" She looked at him, more fearful than she was before, "Well… it's not really ok, but it's done, so calm down." She swallowed hard and nodded her understanding. After a moment, Josef thought to ask, "Are you still hungry?" He could tell by the terror on her face that she was, "I'll get you something…" He said as he moved to the bar.

"Please, no!" She begged, "I don't want to kill anyone!"

"You're not going to kill anyone, calm down." He told her as he poured two glasses of AB negative. As he handed her a glass, she looked at it skeptically, "It's good," He assured her, "Taste it." She shakily obeyed.

"Thank you." She whispered after several mouthfuls.

"No problem." He told her. Josef was surprised by his own amount of calm, he figured he would have been spitting mad. "What's your name?" He asked finally.

"Elwen." She answered.

"Elwen?"

"Yeah," She nodded, "Apparently my mom had a thing for Lord of the Rings." She told him with a stronger voice, "It means 'Star maiden' in Elfish… I looked it up once." She shrugged. He nodded appreciatively.

"How old are you?" He asked. He figured that the more she talked, the less she would cry.

"Twenty-two."

"How long have you been," Josef had been going to say 'homeless', but her opted for a better term, "on the streets?"

"Off and on for about eleven years…" She answered warily, she wasn't used to answering so many question. Josef had been about to ask another one, when someone knocked on the door.

"That'll be the Cleaner." He told the fledgling. Except it wasn't. When Josef opened the door, he found Mick and Beth instead. "What? You don't use the phone anymore?" He asked his friend a little testily. Mick ignored him an pushed through into the house. Beth followed his lead. Josef sighed and waited for the earful he was sure to receive.

"Um… Josef?" Beth asked, "Why is there a dead girl on your living room floor?" Josef looked at her in confusion.

"Isn't that where everyone keeps their dead girls? No?" He thought for a moment, "I must be behind the times…"

"Josef…" Mick's voice carried all of his concern.

"Relax." He told them both, "I've called the Cleaner, and everything is under control." There was another knock at the door, "That will be the Cleaner." He said with a sour smile as he turned back to the door. He let the Cleaning Crew into the house and showed them to the body. He handed them several bills and in moments, they were gone, taking all traces of Jessica with them.

After the Cleaning Crew left, Josef looked at his three guests, "Mick, Beth- this is Elwen." He introduced them, "Elwen, this is Mick and Beth." Elwen perked up a little.

"Mick St. John?" She asked. Josef smirked.

"Yes…" Mick's voice was full of confusion, "Do we know each other?" Elwen shrugged.

"You're listed in the phonebook." She said simply, if confusingly, before taking another sip of AB negative. Mick looked from the dark haired girl to Josef in obvious confusion.

"Josef," Mick motioned to the kitchen, "A word?"

"Just one?" Josef asked in surprise, "Ok… I think I can handle that…" The older vampire said with a smirk as he followed Mick out of the room. Once they were shut in the other room, Mick began shooting off questions.

"Who is she, and what the hell happened in here?"

"That's more than one word, Mick. You need to learn how to count." Josef could tell that his friend was in no mood to joke, "Look, it's a long story, and it doesn't really have an ending yet, so…"

"Humor me." The P.I. demanded. Therefore, Josef reiterated the events of the night before, in detail. When Josef told of how Elwen had been accidentally turned, Mick had a small coronary, "You mean to tell me that I left Beth alone with a newbie vampire?"

"They're fine." Josef assured his friend, "She just had an entire Freshie, and she has over half a glass of AB negative!"

"You better hope you're right…" Mick threatened as he turned and left the room.

"For the record," Josef said as he followed after Mick, "I hope so too."