Her eyes were still wide open, staring at me.

"I'm so sorry Alice."

I scooped her up, blanket and all and ran from the building. There were humans workers everywhere now. The morning shift had arrived and the night staff was more conspicuous, in the halls heading for home. Grateful for her silence, I slipped in and out of empty rooms, making my way toward an exit of any kind as long as it was away from the parking lot. I flew thru the administration offices. They were never here until after eight in the morning and got out through a window. Once outside, I searched for his scent. It headed east. I turned and went west.

What was I going to do? It was cold out. I had a barely clothed catatonic child in my arms. The night stars still shown bright. I could not see the sun on the horizon, but its pink tint told me all I needed to know. No cloud cover.

I wasn't sure what this James meant by 'until next time', but it had been clear that Alice was the eventual goal and that he hoped for me to try to defend her. He was right about that. I looked down at Mary Alice's tiny trembling body in my arms. First priority was to get her warm and a place to hide. But where? I had to find somewhere out of the weather for her so I could think.

I had never had to hide from anyone, ever. It was a strange feeling. Being a nomad in the north, I never even been in a fight. Most of us got along. There was plenty to go around here and lots of territory to do so without attracting attention. As I ran, I considered what I knew would soon occur. We would fight to the death. The prize would be Mary Alice. I felt it was a fair match between James, and me but protecting Alice at the same time would hamper my ability to fight. Going back to my room was out of the question. It would be the first place he looked if he intended on harming her. I could break into a store and get something for her; nothing would be open for hours. But his scent went in that direction. I would have to steal something in the area.

I knew I was not overreacting, I thought as I ran through the flat terrain that defined this state. The way he looked at her. Crappy meal or not, he had just fed. The look in his eye was ravenous, as if he had not hunted in weeks. I had noticed her delicious floral scent myself. It was what drew me to her that first night. Carrying her so close to my chest, breathing in her luscious aroma, it appalled me that I too thought she would make a nice meal. I pushed the monstrous idea out of my head and sped up.

I came up to a large field. Standing in the corner of it was a farmhouse. I looked perfect for my needs. We could not linger here long, but I hoped the family living there would have some child her age, or at least her size. As I entered the yard, the animals in the barn caught my scent, clucking and mooing in panic. Damn it! I gave up on stealth and focused on speed. I needed my hands free, so I hurled us up to the loft in the noisy barn, placing her shivering body in the straw. I threw some on top of her to help keep her heat in as well as camouflage her. A light in the main house switched on. I would only have a few minutes to get what I needed.

I leaped from the loft back down to the yard and dashed forward to the house. I listened to the sounds of a human man scuffling about in his bedroom. I figured he was looking for something to put on so he could head outside and check the barn.

I went through the unlocked back door, into a kitchen and sniffed. Yes, there was at least one female here.

"I'm just going to check what the racket is outside," a sleepy voice grumbled. "You stay in bed honey, I'll be right back."

I listened to the sound of the human lumbering down the steps. He yawned as he stuffed his feet into a pair of boots and clomped thru the hall. I pressed myself against the wall beside the door leading into the kitchen, waiting for him to open it. I flitted through before it shut behind a man with a stubbled face, wearing an old work jacket over his pajamas and carrying a shotgun over his shoulder. Other than quietly beating hearts, there was no other sound or movement upstairs, so I made my way up to where the bedrooms most likely were. I passed by the first door. There was light coming from underneath, probably the farmer's bedroom. I followed the scent of what I thought was a girl to the attic. I took a quick look at her. She rolled over upon my entrance but fortunately for both of us, did not awaken. A little bit big, but her clothes would do the job. I headed to a wardrobe and grabbed a couple of sweaters, a skirt and some stockings. I doubted this girl's shoes would fit Alice's tiny little feet. The farmer was still outside. I dashed back down the way I came. Another light turned on in the barn. He must be checking on the animals. The farmer nowhere in sight, I opened the kitchen door.

As soon as the door opened, I smelled him. James had tracked us here. I estimated he couldn't be more than a quarter mile away. I silently leapt up into the window where Mary Alice was lying and began dressing her.

"What are you all in a fuss over?" The farmer was still in the barn, looking around in the stalls. I heard him cock his shotgun, hesitantly walking around below us. I prayed to a God that I stopped believing in centuries ago that he would not come up here. At that moment, the chicken coop erupted into bedlam. The farmer turned and headed out of the barn.

James was here. I knew I would not be able to outrun him carrying Alice in my arms. I considered taking the nightgown and blanket I had just removed from her and running, leading him away from Mary Alice, leading him away from all these people. Would he follow? Would the scent of the hay and the other child's clothes be strong enough to hide hers? Before I could consider any other alternative, the farmer's voice echoed in the early morning air.

"Is there some reason you are on my land at six o'clock in the morning?"

I peered out into the yard from the loft window. There was James, walking nonchalant up to the farmer who had the gun raised. The poor fellow…

"I looking for someone" James said in a tone one might use to ask directions to the library.

"St. Thomas?" he sneered. "This was hardly worth my effort. Just bring down your delicious smelling friend and let us get this over with. No point in causing problems for yourself over some human."

"Who in the hell are you talking to?" The man pointed the gun directly into James' chest.

"Certainly not to you." He said dismissively. He continued to speak directly to me, ignoring the man.

"How about a trade? This man for her. Granted he does not smell as good, but he has a family, she has nobody but you. "

The sun cleared the horizon. James' face glittered, his eyes glistened red from our recent meal.

The man gasped in horror "What the hell are you?"

James teeth gleamed in the pink light of the rising sun as he laughed in the farmer's face.

Before he could respond, a shotgun blast rang through the yard. The farmer flinched. I could smell blood.

James inhaled deeply and licked his lips. "So much tastier than that repulsive old woman you gave me tonight." He took another deep breath. "But it pales in comparison to the desert you have hiding up in that hay loft."

Buckshot had ricocheted off James and back on to the man. I stopped breathing, forcing myself to control my bloodlust and remain in the loft protecting Alice.

James chuckled and took another step closer to the man. He cocked the gun, firing it again directly at James' head. This time James just ducked out of the way.

"Now look what you done." James mocked laughing and taking yet another step closer to the doomed man. "The whole brood is up."

Witnesses. Indeed, the house lights were all on now. The gun went off again. The man's family was staring through windows at what should have been him shooting a trespasser at point blank range… should have been. The farmer's body flinched again and he dropped to his knees. As close as he was to James he had to be full of buckshot. He staggered back up to his feet. He was making a last stand to protect his family.

James knocked the gun from his hand laughing. "Now look what you have done to my shirt." He grabbed the man by the hair latching on to his neck. Even with the windows closed, the screams inside the house pierced the air, drowning out my own desire for the blood spreading on his chest where his coat lay open, for the blood pulsing from the man's neck, down James' throat.

"Ah…So much tastier than that dreadful meal you offered me earlier, Thomas." He taunted as he flung the man's drained corpse aside. "You realize that this is all you fault. We could have done this easy, but now…" he motioned to the door of the house.

I knew right then they were already dead. I could not hope to lure him away. He had to clean up after himself. He would kill them all then track us down later. There was only one way to save them. I had to face him head on.

I was not afraid of him. I was no coward. After 500 years, death would be a welcome friend, the fulfillment of the desire I had longed for so many years ago. But what about Mary Alice? I had to make her safe. I could not guarantee that I could win. If I did not survive, neither would she. I knew if he somehow escaped me, he would find her. I faced the reality that I could not take care of her the way she was. I would not return her to that place. There was only one choice. I realized right there it was a choice that I had been making subconsciously all this time by keeping her alive. Yes, to change her would doom her to the same existence as me, but to leave her, as she was, broken and alone… That was a fate worse than death.

"The clock is ticking, Thomas." James sneered, "How do they do it in the movies? I'll give till the count of ten. The little tasty one… or this lovely family. You choose."

"One,"

I quickly threw the straw off her.

"Two,"

I looked into her sky blue eyes. "It's going to be alright." I said as I bent down and kissed her forehead

"Three,"

My lips went to her wrist. The bloodlust raged in me as the sweet nectar or her blood ran down my throat.

"Four,"

His counting was what stopped me from killing her myself. He would not get her. I took vicious pleasure that one way or another she would be safe from him. My tongue ran over the wound I had just made, the venom sealing it.

"Five,"

"It won't hurt for long." I stroked her cheek, knowing that it was a lie. I was surprised that she hadn't started screaming already.

"Six,"

I pulled her up into my arms and held Mary Alice for the last four seconds. I wanted as much time as I could for the process to start. I knew it was working. I could already smell it.

"Seven… Eight… Nine… Ten…"

"I love you Alice." I whispered, turned and went to face him.

I'd like to thank everyone that has taken the time to read this. I mostly do one shots and this is my first real chapter story. I especially want to that all those that put it on their alert list and reviewed it. Feel free to add your self to my graditude list by clicking ont that little revie button yourself and letting me know what you think.