I opened the door to my haven and was glad to find that Heather was gone. Nines followed me in and took a seat in the computer chair while I nuked a couple of blood bags in the microwave. I pulled a couple of clean cups from the cabinet that I had gotten when I had become tired of the feel of hot plastic against my lips, and poured the blood in a cup. I walked over to him, handing the cup to him, but not pulling back. His blue eyes looked up at me questionably.

"I wanted to thank you," I said. "You were the only one who stood up for me that night in the theater."

"What LaCroix was doin' was wrong," Nines said as I released the glass into his hand. "I was just tryin' to give you a fighting chance."

"You were the only one," I said, taking a few steps back and sitting heavily on the bed. "A room full of people who thought the very same thing and no one else spoke up." Nines pulled the cup away from his lips and set it on the desk. He sighed and leaned forward, bracing his elbows on his knees.

"Look, kid," he began. "Don't hold it against 'em. Realistically, the chances that you would survive this long with a sire were slim, without one…well…."

I said nothing, waiting for him to go on.

"They see this a lot, people who become vampires and don't last long. These things come and go by the hundreds; they're kinda numb to it, especially the older ones. It's common, too common," he paused and scrubbed his face. "Humans agree to be turned and don't really understand what they're getting into and just gallivant around, screwing things up."

"I never agreed," I said.

"You…wait-what?" Nines looked up at me, alarmed.

"I never agreed to be turned," I repeated. "Hell, I wasn't even asked. I only realized that I was a vampire when I was on stage." Nines swore colorfully and stood, pacing the room.

"That fuckin' asshole," he growled. "That goddamn fuckin' asshole."

"I wasn't aware this was something unusual," I offered. Nines turned on me, enraged.

"What, you think we just grab any old tail we like and embrace 'em whether they like it or not?" he asked.

"Yes," I answered, bluntly. Nines stared at me for a moment, then gave me a weary grin and plopped down on the bed next to me.

"Did he at least say anything to you?" Nines asked.

"He said, 'There's something I want to show you', then…well…." I trailed off.

"Would you have agreed to this life?" Nines asked, out of simply curiosity, I knew, but it struck a chord in me. Tears sprang to my eyes and my throat swelled. In the days, weeks and months since I had stepped into this new life not one person had asked me this question, not one, not LaCroix, for all his false sympathy, not Jack for all his very real sympathy, not Heather for all her gentle kindness and human warmth, not Jeanette for all her Malkavian insight and certainly not Therese.

"Never," I said in a harsh whisper. Nines looked up at me at this.

"Hey, kid…" he began, putting a comforting hand on my shoulder. "It's not that bad."

"Not that bad?" I snapped, turning angry, tear filled eyes towards him. "The life I wanted was stolen from me, every dream I ever had is gone because some vampire couldn't keep it in his fucking pants. I will never have children, never grow old and watch my grandchildren grow up, I can't even see my family ever again. Hell, I can't even see the fucking sun."

"You wanted to be a mom," Nines stated. I nodded.

"I'll never get that," I said. "Did you know Beckett told me that the Thin Bloods can breed? Why couldn't I have been a fucking Thin Blood?"

"I know it doesn't mean a damn thing now, but, I'm sorry," Nines said, bending down, trying to peer at my face behind the hair that curtained around my hanging head.

I snorted and looked up.

"Why couldn't you have been the guy I met in the bar?" I asked. He smiled and reached over, wiping my cheek.