"Alexandra," he whispered. She huffed and crossed her arms.

"Alexandra," he whispered again. She didn't even move this time, and just continued glaring at the wall in front of her. Something about it was very interesting apparently, but Zelman knew that anything other than his face was interesting right about now.

"Do you want cookies?" He saw her resolve weakened ever so slightly, but she didn't stop glaring at the wall. This was almost like a game to him, trying to get on this girls good side. He was kind of shocked that she was still angry about him knocking her out like he did, but it made life more interesting. It was nice to have a girl that wasn't fawning over him.

"Maybe some brownies?" She didn't even flinch this time.

"Do you have any real food?" That shocked him a bit. He was under the impression that children would rather have sweets more than anything, but real food was good too. Besides, he got her to speak to him.

"Alright, what would you like?" She smiled wide at the question.

"Ramen!"

.

"Thank you!" Her smile was wide as she ate ramen with a vigor that he had never seen before in such a small red blood.

"How long has it been since you last ate?" She tilted her head up in thought.

"I think it was two days. They evacuated us about a week ago but my parents wouldn't let us leave. After a couple days my parents tried to get us out because they realized it wasn't safe but when we did they got attacked. They told me to run and hide but my foot got caught in a hole in the road and that's how I sprained it. Then I found the hole in the wall and I fell asleep there and woke up the next morning."

He gave her an odd look, but she was too occupied with her ramen to notice. Her parents were an odd little couple, to say the least. No last name, no family, not evacuating when the city tells you to, then later realizing they were right and trying to vacuate on their own? This girl must have had an interesting childhood, and he wanted to know more about it.

"What were your parents like?" He asked as he put a cigarette in his mouth and lit it with a snap of his finger. She noticed his little trick, and her eyes grew wide.

"Do that again!" He gave her a quizical look.

"Do what?" She got out of her chair and moved around the table to get closer.

"The sparky trick." He raised an eyebrow. "Make fire!"

He chuckled at her and her interest with his powers. She wasn't the first, but her eagerness was amusing none the less. He lit a flame at the tip of his index finger and laughed as she watched with undivided attention. Then he looked at the napkins on the table and lit it on fire with his eye ignite. She was laughing and clapping as she watched him perfom his 'tricks.'

It didn't take him long to realize she had completely evaded his question and he wasn't sure whether or not she did it on purpose. After she figured out he was done she made her way back to her seat and continued eating.

"You never answered my question." She sighed loudly as she started stirring her ramen around in the bowl.

"I know..."

She did do it on purpose. What a sly little fox, he thought with amusement.

"They weren't very nice. They never got me toys they never let me play games and I always had to call them by their first names. They kept talking all about how they were special or something. They once said that one day they were going to be big and powerful, but they never explained why or how. They had this special room in the house that I was never allowed to go in. I tried a couple times because I heard weird noises coming from inside but they always caught me."

He was a little shocked at what she said. He figured they were weird, but that was beyond what he thought. They obviously didn't see their daughter as their daughter. They saw her as something else, but what he didn't know. Maybe they were interested in witchcraft or something of the like. That was a strange hobby red bloods tended to get into, wasn't it?

"What else did they do?" He was intrigued as to what this little girl had gone through, and was even more intrigued as to why the parents even had her. Something in the back of his mind told him that she wasn't actually their daughter, but something they acquired in their quest for being 'big and powerful.'

"They told me I wasn't allowed to play with the other kids. They said I was too different and they wouldn't like me, but I don't think that's true. I mean, you like me, don't you?" She gave him a hopeful look and he smiled in return as his cigarette hung limply from his lips.

"Ya, I guess you could say that."

.

"So let's say I'm the princess, and you're the big bad guy! And you abduct the prince and try to take him away but I stop you, then me and the prince live happily ever after!" She was wearing a dress he had found for her. The clothing she had been wearing when he found her was dirty and ripped, so he went and found her some new clothes to help her feel more comfortable.

"What happens to me, then?" He asked with mild interest. Playing dress up wasn't really his thing, and he briefly wondered why he wasn't the prince and some random picture she had drawn was, but he would let that slide.

"You die, silly!" So the plan was he abducts the prince, runs off, is chased by the princess, is defeated by a red blood woman and dies? This story was all backwards but he would play along for her sake. At least, for today.

It had been about a year since he had taken her in, and he had heard the news that a new special zone was under construction. He was mildly interested, but he was also beginning to realize that she was going to grow up eventually, and when she does she's going to want friends, and a... a... a boyfriend. He shuddered at the thought of another man touching what was rightfully his. If after a year of taking her in and almost raising her, he had the right to claim ownership.

He wasn't sure if she'd be excited to leave here, or be sad. She liked the house, he knew but he was starting to realize that she had already explored every corner of the building and was starting to get bored. She used to disappear for hours then only come back to eat or talk to him occasionally. He knew she needed friends, but he wasn't sure if she knew that.

"Alexandra," he said beckoned as she started to walk away to go draw another prince.

"Yes, Zelman?" She flipped her hair over her shoulder, and he was starting to realize her hair was getting a bit long as well. Maybe if they moved they could get it cut if she wanted to.

"How would you feel about moving?" She portrayed a lot of emotions in her eyes, and he could easily tell just by looking that she loved the idea.

"When do we go? How soon? To where? Can I get a new toy when we get there? Or, even better let's get ice cream!"

"It's in Japan. We'll leave in the morning, if you want." He didn't realize her eyes could get so wide but to see her so excited was definately something that made him smile.

"How about tonight! And can I drive?" He was slightly taken aback by that question. She would be lucky if she could see over the steering wheel of his car. It was a porsche with deeply tinted windows so that the sun wouldn't bother him. Originally he didn't see the point in owning a car of any sort but he couldn't just carry her everywhere and he knew eventually she would want to start going places.

"Maybe if you can see over the wheel." She nodded vigorously, excited to be doing something different than running around the same old house.

"Go get your dresses and something to do for the ride and we'll get going." She nodded and ran towards the door, but then stopped adruptly. She turned on her heel and gave him a sheepish look.

"Can we eat first?"