"Coreen, did you find anything on that name I gave you?"

Vicki decided to take on Mary's case. After all, she was a paying customer, and her landlord kept demanding payment.

"Not really…okay nothing. Ashley Bennet is not in the Toronto database, the university database; I even googgled her name but got a news story on an old woman with ten cats."

"Does that say F.B.I.?"

"Pretend you didn't see that and think of it as just a friendly secure datab-"

"You hacked into the FBI databases? Man, you are good."

Coreen smiled at that comment. She was a hard working assistant who did her fair share of research while in school. Now, she decided to go back to school and get her degree. But she just couldn't quite leave the job she loved, even though the pay wasn't great; she took online classes instead.

Vicki went into her office and grabbed the phone. She needed Mike's help on this one.

"Mike, hey it's me, I need a favor?"

"You always need something Vicki, what Your Majesty can't help on this?"

"Mike cut it out, will you? I need you to check out a name for me. A client of mine is looking for her lover, and I -"

"Lover? Vicki, come on now! Well I should be glad this isn't about demons and the boogey man"

Yeah, it's only about a vampire witch looking for her child, that's all

"Mike, please, the woman is desperate. She thinks she ran off or even been kidnapped, so I need you to check out her name Ashley Bennett. See if she's got any priors, been seen anywhere- that kind of thing."

Mike went silence for a minute. He had other cases that he needed to work on immediately. Then again, this was Vicki, the same Vicki who would probably come down here herself and ask, and Crowley wouldn't be happy about that, at all.

He finally gave in. "Alright Vic, I'll see what I can do."

"Thanks Mike." She hung up the phone. Gladly, Mike didn't ask too many questions, not now anyway. And she didn't want to picture his face when she told him why she needed this name. She looked at her watch. 7:15pm. Henry would be here soon, and so would Mary. She hoped the vampires would get along long enough to find the girl and solve the case.

I need a drink before this.

"So, have you found anything Ms. Nelson?"

Mary sat in the chair, dressed for Toronto's fierce winter. She wore a vivacious red cashmere sweater that clung to her body, with a neckline that nearly revealed her full breasts. She complemented the sweater with long black slacks and red high heels.

"No, Ms. Delacroix I haven't."

Vicki was frustrated. She hadn't found anything on the girl. No date of birth, no priors, nothing on this girl. "Are you sure she came here?"

"I'm positive; I followed her scent her. I can feel her; she's in the city close by, but she's far away.

"Oh, not using your dark magic to find her?"

Henry walked into the office, eyes fixed on Mary. He couldn't hide his distaste for her, and he didn't want to. This was his city, and she was on his terms. She smelled of jasmine, a scent that nearly turned Henry on. Shaking his head instead of jumping on Mary, he tried to refocus his attention on the real matter: getting her out of his city.

"Oh, I'm not surprised you're not in your apartment playing with some eighteen year old thing you found in an alley. You did always like the young…and stupid ones. I wonder what Ms. Nelson sees in you, all your other thing-"

"Hey, I am not one of his things. I'm his partner – end of story!"

Both vampires look startled by Vicki's anger. Mary found the strong smell of sexual frustration between Henry and Vicki amusing.

"My apologies Ms. Nelson. Looks like Henry can't persuade all women to his bed."

"It worked for you."

"Hey! Hate to break this up but we do have a case to solve in case you two forgot!" Vicki took of her glasses and rubbed her eyes. Having two vampires in the same room was exhausting, especially when one was your partner's ex. What was she doing here anyway, what did she want from us?

Us?

So there is an us now?

Vicki needed to concentrate, but her thoughts were nearly clouding her mind.

Vicki, hold it together, this is no time to fantasize about your partner!

Or about his big, soft, and cold hands running down your face

"Vicki."

Or think about his cold lips pressing down on yours

"Vicki?"

Or his tongue licking your-

"Vicki!"

Vicki woke up from her thoughts. She was glad vampires couldn't read minds; they might be surprised what went threw her mind.

Henry looked at her worried. "Vicki, are you alright?"

"I'm fine. When did she leave Mary?" Way to change the subject Nelson.

"She disappeared a week ago from our home in Ithaca, New York. We were arguing about moving again. My lessons for her ended about a month ago, but we decided that we could deal with the territorial instincts and live together. I told her she was getting out of control, killing anyone she thought was prey instead of taking what she needed. She was killing many students from the university and people were getting suspicious, so I opted to move her to somewhere safer"

"And by safer, you chose here?"

"No, I chose Montreal since its current resident moved elsewhere. I knew that if we moved, I could control her urges somehow in a new environment,

Mary sighed. She was getting worried about her child, wondering why she left at all.

"I don't know anymore. I should have disposed of her after the last time."

"You should have killed her after the first time Mary," Henry spoke, putting emphasis on his words. He knew the cost of not training a child right would be death, "it was your responsibility to care for your child, not let her get out of control!"

Henry knew where to push Mary's buttons, but so did she.

"Oh like yours were any better? I happen to remember one who nearly got us all exposed!"

"Watch your tongue Delacroix," Henry warned.

Mary stood up and got in Henry's face. She suddenly felt a wave of anger creep under her skin, creep past her neck like a hot breath and wave through her hair like a cool winter breeze. Henry would be the perfect one to lash out on, as the uneasiness filled her cup of anger more and more.

"Or what Henry Fitzroy, the royal bastard son of Henry the VIII? Are you going to drag me like an animal…throw me across the room? Strangle me until I loose consciousness? No wait, how about you just get it done so I'm dead this time Henry- slash my throat open and drain me dry? Mary went to Henry's ear to whisper a few cold, threatening words; "I didn't think so."

Vicki listened in horror at Mary's story, scared. Was Henry, her Henry that cruel? Would he torture someone to that length to get rid of them?

Henry sensed Vicki's fear, and pushed Mary out of his embrace.

"Vicki I-"

"Did you find any place that she went, maybe a show, the mall, or a club?"

"Yes as a matter of fact, I smelled her at the Black Moon, but she wasnt in there."

"When did you go?"

"Last night, why?"

"Okay, well if you're not busy, we can all go now and see if she's been back or if anyone remembers her." Vicki grabbed her coat and went swiftly out the door, Mary following behind shortly. Henry was the last to follow, still upset at the aroma of fear he smelled all over Vicki. She knew he had a dark past and did things he regretted, but Mary made him out to be what he feared the most: the monster within.

"Have you seen this girl?" Vicki questioned the bouncer outside first.

"I think she was here the other night, but ask the bartenders; they'll know for sure."

"Thank you," she said for giving the information and letting her in the club with no problems.

Vicki went inside the club, but stopped; Henry and Mary had to be carded in order to get inside.

Mary went to Vicki's side and softly chuckle out loud.

"If they only knew how old I really was."

Yeah Mary, how old are you anyway? Even though you look twenty-five, I know you're not; Henry sure isn't."

"Well, Ms. Nel-"

"Vicki. Call me Vicki."

"Alright Vicki, I just celebrated my one hundred and ninety-eighth birthday last month. But, Henry here's well near five hundred and still looks like a twenty-one year old"

"It's called great moisturizer. So I think we should split up if we want to question the right people. Vicki-"

"Taking charge are we?"

"I just want to get this over with."

"And cranky! Don't worry Henry; you can snack on one of these younglings here soon enough. I'll question a couple of men and Henry can take on the ladies. Vicki, why don't you question the bartenders or anyone who you think would be the best to give information, since you are the former cop."

Henry waited for Vicki to comeback with a smart remark. It was time for Mary to get it from Vicki, put her in her place for good.

"I usually don't take directions from others, but that does sound good to me. If I need you guys, I'll ca-"

"We can sense if there's a problem; we'll be there if you need us Vicki." With that Henry escorted Mary through the crowd, acting as if they were joining in on the party. He was a little jealous of Mary at the moment. Mary takes charge - Vicki says okay; when Henry tries to say anything, she always shut him down? What was wrong with thing picture, he thought?

Women.

Vicki went straight to the bar and looked for someone to question.

"Excuse me," she got the attention of an older female bartender and flashed the photo of the missing girl, "Vicki Nelson, Private Investigations. Have you seen this girl?"

"Yeah, she was in here the other night, all the hounds were on her like she was raw meat – men."

"Did you see where she went, if she left the club or of if anything strange happened?"

"Sorry, I turned my back for a second and she was gone. I'd try asking some guys in the crowd or on the wall. Most of them are regulars here. Now please excuse me, I have to get back to work."

Vicki nodded at the woman and proceeded to the dance floor. She searched for Henry and Mary, but with her bad vision, it wasn't working out so well.

A hand grabbed her wrist and she turned around asp in toe, griping it tightly.

"Whoa, pretty lady, just wanted to talk. But if you're that kinky, we can go to the back. He licked his lips at Vicki like she was a piece of meat ready to be devoured.

"No thanks," she turned around disgusted only to be pulled by the man again.

"I'm not done with you pretty thing."

"Well she's done with you."

Henry and Mary both sensed Vicki's frustration with the man and a hint of fear. Mary nodded for Henry to help, while she continued to question more men. With his vampire speed, Henry wrapped his arms around Vicki's waist, his lips planted a kiss on her cheek, and his head on her shoulder.

"Oh sorry man, I didn't know she was your-"

"Well now you do, now go." He vamped the man to leave Vicki alone.

Henry turned his attention to Vicki, to make sure she was okay. He whispered softy in her ear. "Are you alright Vicki?" He still had one hand at Vicki's waist and the other hand cupped her beautiful face, looking into her soft, green eyes, "I sensed your fear."

Vicki lost her breath for a minute. Henry was close, too close andhe had his body rubbed up against hers, hands gently touching her. "Yeah I'm good, thanks," her heart started to flutter at their close proximity. Henry smiled at Vicki's racing heart, thankful that her heart raced for him and only him like that.

The three soon left the club, glad that they were finally somewhere in the case. Mary found out from a few men that she was in the club two nights ago. And Henry also got description from a few women on the girl, matching the men's. People and seen her, but no one knew where she went, or when she left.

Now the question remained: Where did she go and where was she now?

- - -

The chilly winds of Toronto made even a vampire want to stay indoors. For the homeless, it was just another night of Toronto's winter scene. The crowd of homeless people stood around the hefty fire to keep warm.

A sense of dread and despair filled the air, yet only Annie took notice. Ever since Francine went missing, Annie constantly felt an evil presence following her. Francine may not have been the most sociable of folks, but she nonetheless nice. It broke Annie's heart when any of them disappeared or worse, died.

As she lifted her hands towards the fire, she heard a crackling noise afar. At first, Annie thought it was the fire and her mind was playing tricks on her. Then after the noise reappeared and branched cracked, she knew something was wrong.

Curiosity may have killed the cat, but finding out made his death much sweeter.

Annie went to follow the noise. A teenage boy turned to notice Annie strolling into the forest, wondering what she was following. "Annie? Annie, what are you doing, come ba -"

His words become distant as Annie went further and deeper into the woods. A terrifying wind flew past Annie; causing her to cling tightly to the frail fabric she called clothing. She pushed tree branches away from her face and walked slowly, as she deepened herself into the wooded area. Annie knew it was a bad idea to be chasing 'ghosts', but the noise had bothered her so much; she needed to confirm what it was.

She went further, until she walked towards the sewer, where Francine's bloodied bag had been found. She hesitated to go in and to find where the noise had been coming from.

Her voice quavered as she called out into the darkness. "He-hello? Is anyone down there?" She knew it was idiotic to be calling for something that might not have been there, but she needed to be sure.

She walked slowly into the dark sewer, unsure of what she would find. But her worries got worse as she clearly saw a woman drenched in blood on the concrete. The dead girl seemed younger, no older than twenty-five. She was dressed in a thin champagne gown, drenched in her blood it seemed.

Annie eyes flew wide open and she opened her mouth to scream, but only air came out. Her body seemed unable to move, her feet stationary. She had to leave before someone saw her here, and maybe accuse her of this crime. Annie swore she saw the girl's hand twitch, but the shock of finding a body might play tricks on your mind. She concentrated extremely hard to find her inner strength. She mustered the courage to move her feet, and at that moment, Annie ran like a track star back to the fire.

Maybe now was the time to give the police or even Vicki Nelson a call…