I hope I get a better response this update! I see you all reading this! Yeah! I see all with my friend the hit counter… (cackles) So please, please review this time! So, I'm leaving in a few days to work again, this time very far up north. It will be almost twenty-four hours of daylight, which will be kind of neat. Yep. I guess that's all. Oh, thanks to Bastet1023 for reviewing!

Sivk'va-tai- Plasma Caster.

C'jit- Damn.

Chapter 2

Kemiri was enraptured by the joys of the Internet. You could buy so many useful things! He already had, with the aid of Edan's credit cards. Deborah had shown him how to use them, as well as setting up many things so he could pay them at home. They were not finished yet though; there was so much to do, even though Edan had set it up so many of the bills were withdrawn automatically. They still had to get some of the things transferred over to the name Kemiri Keigwin, a cousin of Edan. He would not have to worry about money because Edan had made a number of rather smart investments over the years. He had all his groceries delivered to the house, left outside. It was rather handy. He stretched, cracking his back. How long had he been sitting there? Obviously too long. What he needed to do was go out for a run.

…..

The night had a definite bite to it. It was still hot in the days, but once the sun descended it became quite cool. It held the promise of winter. He was chilled when he started, but running quickly warmed him up. Tourists still thronged the streets, milling like cattle. He continued on-or rather, started to and stopped when something caught his eye. It sent a spear of momentary terror through his stomach. It was a blood drinker. He was much cooler than the surrounding oomans and moved with an inhuman grace. His eyes narrowed, a growl issuing from his throat. He watched it carefully and started following it. The vampire was hunting too, but not an ooman. He could have pounced on any number of victims. No, he was after something else. The blood drinker was going towards a dark area, far away from the crowds. Good. It would make it easier when Kemiri killed him.

…..

But, as it turned out, the blood drinker was not alone. There was another, waiting for him at the end of a long, dark street. Families were inside their homes, happily oblivious to the impending carnage. The new blood drinker was female. She was slender and tiny, almost child-like in delicacy of limb and face. She was as chill as stone and as unmoving as a mountain. Kemiri sensed great power from her. The male hissed loudly, baring his fangs. He spat something in a language he did not recognize. The female replied in the same. They were still for a bare moment. Kemiri did not see them move. The met briefly in a clash of limbs and flew apart, staring again. Neither appeared to be injured. They met again and again, testing each other's defenses. They appeared to be almost perfectly matched. She attacked and feinted, ripping at his back with her hand. He stumbled. She whirled again, ripping out his throat, leaping on him and smashing his head into the ground with a loud crack. The vampire moved spastically. The female dipped her head to feed at the gaping wound at his neck. Then, with brutal efficiency, reached down and tore his head off like someone twisting an apple off a branch.

…..

Kemiri watched her drag the body away, presumably to bury it or burn it. More vampires! Why were they here? He killed Edan; shouldn't his death be a warning? There seemed to be some sort of urgency about them. Vampires were loners; they shouldn't group together like this, even to kill. He sat more comfortably on the roof, chin resting on his hand. Beneath his mask, Kemiri's brow was furrowed. He clicked absently.

"Hello." someone said very near his ear.

Kemiri's breath caught in his throat. Adrenaline surged. He jumped straight up, landing on the second level of the house's roof from his perch on the roof of the garage. His ki'cti-pa shot out. The female blood drinker was standing behind where he had been. She looked amused. Kemiri wished very strongly that he had put on his sivk'va-tai, his plasma caster. He had no projectile weapons of any sort. The only things he had were his ki'cti-pa and a dagger. He had not been expecting battle.

She laughed, a clear, bell-like sound. "What manner of creature are you?"

He growled, deep and continuous.

She tsked. "So rude. You were the one spying on me. I heard your heartbeat. It was very loud, like a drum."

Kemiri bolted. He had no chance against her.

Mocking laughter sounded beside him. She was easily matching his pace.

"Get away!" he roared.

"Oh, so it speaks!"

"Away, blood drinker!"

"What have I done to you, creature?"

"You exist!" He lashed out with his still-extended wrist blades. She jumped away, impossibly far, her skirts billowing out around her as she dropped neatly down.

"Is that any way to treat a lady?"

Kemiri jumped down an alley, kicked in a door and ran into a restaurant's dry storage room. C'jit. Dead-end. He froze, hiding behind a shelf.

She snorted. "Fine. Hide from me. I still know where you are, creature." She walked away. Kemiri stayed in there for a very long time.

…..

Deborah neatly avoided a customer exiting the hallway that held the bathroom, hardly sloshing the drinks on the tray she carried. She set them out on a customer's table and spun away to collect empty plates at another. She was in her element. The place was packed, mostly with tourists, but the bistro was still pleasant to work in. The dinner rush was nearly over; the line up was gone and most people were done or almost done their entrees. She waved at her boss, smiling. The older woman waved in return and turned back to the customers paying for their meals. It was a good place to work. Just Deborah, her boss Cassandra and the cook were there most of the time. In the busiest months, like now, Cassandra usually hired a student or two to hostess and help wait on tables. The girl had called in sick, unfortunately. They managed, but at the peak of the dinner rush, they had been swamped. Finally, there were only two tables left. One held a newly married couple and the other held a lone man.

He was… Striking. He had a huge, deep chest and incredibly broad shoulders. His hair was blond and longish, slightly tousled. His face had a strong bone structure and finely chiseled lines. The eyebrows were thick and straight. The left one was cut in half by a faint white scar. There was a matching one on his temple and below his eye, on his cheekbone. His eyes were light hazel and he was tanned. He wore a pale lilac dress shirt and black dress pants. A black suit jacket was hanging over the seat beside him.

"Could I have the bill, please?" he asked Deborah, smiling.

"Of course." she replied. She brought it and handed it to him. She noticed his hands had a number of small scars on them too, mostly old.

"Thank you." he said. He scanned it, took out some cash and handed it and the receipt to Deborah.

"You gave me too much."

"No, no. That's for you."

Deborah blushed despite herself. He smiled again.

"My name is Ulf." He extended a hand.

She took it. "Mine's Deborah."

"A pleasure to meet you, Deborah. What time are you off at?"

"Um, midnight."

"Would you like to go for a drink then?"

"Oh, uh, I can't… I have to meet someone later…"

"Oh. Well. Maybe some other time. Here's my number in case you change your mind."

"Thank you. It was nice meeting you, Ulf."

"You too, Deborah."

…..

Deborah waited in her apartment for Kemiri. He was late. He wasn't usually. She had just wanted to sit with him a little while and then go to bed. She was tired and had to work the lunch shift the next day. She needed sleep. She waited for him for nearly an hour and was about to get up and go to bed when he tapped at the balcony window.

"I though you were going to be here at twelve-thirty?"

"I am sorry… Something came up."

"What sort of thing? Or can you not tell me?"

Kemiri shifted his weight back and forth. "It would upset you."

She stared at him. "Kemiri. I have had just about enough of your goddamned secretive ways. Why do you think it will upset me? Am I too weak to know about your great alien secrets? Not worthy?"

Kemiri stammered, shocked. "N-no. I think you are very strong. It was… There are more blood drinkers here."

"Whoop-di-fuckin' do. They aren't bothering me."

"One chased me. I did not want to lead it here."

"Maybe if you would leave them alone, you wouldn't have to worry about them trying to get you?"

"I only want to protect you, Deb'rah…"

"Maybe I don't want your protection! I've looked after myself well enough for years!"

"Stop…"

Something snapped inside Deborah. "NO! I've been trying to work things out between us, but it isn't going to happen! You are a fucking alien! How the hell am I supposed to have a relationship with you?! I can't go out for dinner or to the movies with you, I can't let you meet my friends, I can't even introduce you to my mother! Everyone thinks I'm turning into some sort of recluse, hiding away from the real world! What am I supposed to do, Kemiri? I want kids someday, how am I going to get those from YOU?! Why did you even come into my life?!"

"I never meant to meet you, or to love you! Wanted only to get my body! Wanted only to die! I live for you now!"

"I don't CARE! Go ahead and die for all I care, you ugly son of a bitch! I can't even stand to look at you anymore! Go play with your stupid vampires! Go meddle in someone else's life! GET OUT!" she screamed, voice cracking.

Kemiri flinched, cringing away from her, a sharp pain in his chest. He ran, shoving the sliding door open so hard it cracked. He jumped off the balcony, plummeting. The impact jarred up his shins and into his spine. His feet and ankles went numb. He fell over. Got up. Stumbled. Almost fell again. Managed to start running. He didn't stop until he reached his house, blinded with pain.

…..

The next day at work, on her break, Deborah called Ulf.

Ooh, troubles in paradise…