Chapter 4


A/N: Title changed. Just thought this fit better. I forgot to mention...haha three chapters ago, that this is the Sequel to Blood and Chocolate. READ it you haven't or else...well, yeah it kind of will make sense. Little bit. Kthx.


- New York.

He had been following this woman for a few blocks now, with each step she took, he promised himself he would act but he kept breaking those promises. He just couldn't bring himself to do it. He couldn't bring himself to attack her. To drain her blood. Her...blood, he could smell it even at this distance. Well, he was only across the street, but still, to be able to smell the warm deliciousness that ran through her veins at all...it was intoxicating and the more he thought about it, the less and less his mind argued that he had been human not long before.

"Do it, son." The cold voice beside him whispered in his ear.

L felt himself shudder in desire. He wanted this woman. He wanted her blood. His mind was arguing again. 'Keep your sanity. Keep your humanity.' But the voice in the back of his mind was growing fainter with each deep breath he took. His new fangs were throbbing in his gums, causing him discomfort and he wanted to sink them into something. He wanted to tear into flesh and taste blood. Where was his humanity now? Oh, that s right. It had been ripped from him the way his wife had been. And his baby...She was safe though. L had made sure she was placed with a new family, someone that would be able to care for her.

"Now."

The voice was persistent in his ear, in his head, and he moved. With his new found vampire speed he moved through the night, silent like the very breeze moving through the air. It took about five seconds to drag the woman into a near by alley and another five to drain her of her blood. And he loved it. Why? Why did he love it? Why did he do it in the first place? Fuck, why was he hanging out with the vampire that had ruined his life? His 'father' had killed his wife and forced him into a life that he had no idea how to live. A life that meant not having his baby girl in his arms, or his wife's clever wit. None of that. It was all over and done with, all in a single night.

Hatred was coursing through him, white hot like the blood he had just consumed. But he knew that this was how things were now. Without B...without his father, he wouldn't know how to live and he would die a slow painful death if he kept starving himself the way he had been doing. This was his first kill since his turning and it was so satisfying that he wondered what had taken him so long to do it. He knew why though. The logical part of him was reasoning the 'whys' and he saw them there in his mind but he didn't want to accept them. It was a difficult thing to do. To accept that you've become a monster.

"Wonderful, isn't it?" B asked when L had finished.

The both of them were in the dark alley. L was slumped against a bricked wall, staring down at the wide eyes of fear that his first victim wore on her pale, cold face. They were a stunning chocolate brown and he had to look away because he couldn't bear to see the fear there. The horror of what he had just done. He had murdered someone to keep himself alive, and though thrilling as it was, his unbeating heart ached. "Wonderful." He echoed. He wasn't going to lie. He licked his lips, catching any blood that may have strayed there.

The answering smirk on B's lips was so cold that though he knew he couldn't feel the harshness of coldness the way he had been able to, he shivered. L felt his own lips tug up into a half smile in response though. He had to play the part because this was what his life was now. He had to keep on his toes, keep improvising each move for the rest of his supposed immortal life because the life of a vampire wasn't certain. Though he yearned to be with Claire, he still had a child and he would rather live long enough to see her grow up, to be there to care for her from a far. The way Claire would have wanted. Christ, his mind was a jumble of thoughts the he needed to organize but he just didn't have the time for it. Not now. Not ever.

"Now, we can proceed."

"This revenge you speak of," L replied. He ran a pale hand through his raven locks, though they looked a shade like navy blue that was almost hardly noticeable to the human eye but both he and B could see the obvious change. Even his eyes looked bluer despite the fact that his eyes had been almost black. "is it really smart to involve others in it? Isn't revenge best served for one?"

"Good point, child. But," B gave a sharp kick to the dead woman's side, causing a satisfying crack to echo in their ears and in the dark alley. He had broken a few ribs there. "this is a special kind of revenge and so we will involve as many as I damn well please."

"These hunters."

"Those hunters." B chuckled darkly. "Yes."

"But, we're vampires, too."

"Yes, but you, my son, have a special gift and with this gift we will be able to bend the humans to our every whim. Come now; confidence. Positive thinking. This will be simple and when we're through, you're free to roam free."

"Hardly considered human." L growled. "Hunting down vampires is just as bad as us hunting down people! At least when we do it its for nutritional needs and not just for sport." Yes, despite only having been a vampire for a few weeks, L was very aware of vampire life and about the old tales of whole societies of Hunters trained to hunt and kill them. For years the two have clashed and been at war for as long as either species could remember but there had yet to be a victor for the two silenced at the turn of the twentieth century. But, things were boiling again since the Fall of last year and so the Hunters were coming out of their homes and the vampires were stepping from the shadows.

"Yes, son. Lets go." B said patronizingly. L ignored the tone and simply followed his father. They had a long trip to California for a little meeting. B's plan would be put into action and they would prepare for a clash of species just like back when the people still believed in the blood sucking fiends and gripped crucifixes for protection.

Just like when their Faith was real.

- - - -

"Like this?"

"Yes, perfect. Get into reverse...yes, yes, like that."

"Alright..." Matt chuckled softly as he lightly pushed down on the pedal. He relaxed his grip on the steering wheel for a bit before turning it. "So, where to, Mells?" He let go of the wheel and let his hands rest in his lap, and this is where Mello reacted in a way that Matt didn't think he would.

"Get your hands on the wheel are you trying to kill us?!"

"...We're vampires! A car crash won't kill us!"

"You're only half vampire, idiot! Hands on the-"

"And we're not even moving!"

And it was true. They were just parked in the drive-way and there was a look of annoyance and incredulity on the redhead s face that Mello couldn't help but scowl a little to hide his embarrassment. "Well, what if we were?"

Matt rolled his eyes. "What s this all about, Mello?"

The blond vampire merely sat back in his seat, a loud snap was his only reply as he snapped off a square from his chocolate bar. Why indeed? Well, he had bought Matt this car last week to show him that he was serious about giving the redhead a normal teen life, but now he wasn't letting Matt even go near it unless he was here to watch. Mello was so paranoid lately that even though Matt was half vampire, it didn't ease the blonds worries because he still looked just as fragile as he looked when he was fully human.

Matt frowned and turned the key, making the engine roar to life and it had the blond jumping in his seat. "Matt, turn it off!" He gripped both of the redhead's wrists before shutting the engine off himself. Geez, he was so paranoid lately. He just had this feeling in his gut that things were about to get bad. Real bad. But he just couldn't quite put his finger on it. Sure, Celestria and Aaron were coming which meant something was definitely up, but...it could just be some news on Matt's...erm, condition. It didn't necessarily mean another freakin' war, right? Right. He was just being overly protective and paranoid. He had lost Matt once and he didn't want to taste that again.

"Mello." Firmly this time.

The blond vampire sighed. He didn't want to admit that Matt hadn't been able to drive his own car because he was just too paranoid to let him out of his sight. And that he even followed him to school sometimes and watched him from outside while he sat in his classes. That he knew every teacher, every friend, every person that he talked to; that he looked at; because he was a paranoid fuck and he did not want to tell Matt because then the redhead would know things were up. "I'm sorry, Matt. I'm just...worried. You're so young. What if you're not ready to drive?" He improvised.

And look! The look of complete incredulity was back on Matt's face and Mello knew the teen hadn't bought a single word of his bull shit. "Why the hell did you buy me a car then if you didn't think I was ready?" Sighing, Matt pocketed the car keys and leaned back in his seat, arms folded over his chest. He really didn't know what was going on in Mello's head but he did know that he had just been lied to. "Fuck outta my car if you're going to bullshit me, Mells."

Silence.

Mello's jaw had dropped at this. "You're kicking me out?"

"Are you going to tell me the truth?"

More silence.

"Exactly. Get out."

And it only took a second for Mello to get out of the new Mustang, slamming the door shut so hard that the whole car shook. Matt simple watched as the blond walked around the front of the car and disappeared through the front door of the house. A few seconds later, Zelda jumped out of the open living room window, her fur standing on end as she ran over to the car, jumping up onto the hood. "MeeeOOOW!" She cried, pawing at the windshield desperately as if it would bring her closer to Matt.

Sighing, Matt rolled the window down and called to her, snuggling her when she came to curl up in his lap. "I'm sorry, babe. Did Mello scare you?" He pressed his face into her soft fur, sighing again. Okay, so maybe he shouldn't have kicked him out of the car, but...Christ, Mello was keeping secrets from him and he hated it! If he wasn't allowed to keep secrets then why was Mello able to? It wasn't fair. Celestria and Aaron were coming to England, why the hell...okay, they wouldn't be coming for a cup of tea and some damn scones. Something was going on and they weren't telling him. He wasn't a child anymore! But Mello was treating him that way...

"Zelda," He said to the cat as he smoothed her fur back. "don't ever get yourself a boyfriend. Kay?"

The cat purred happily.

"Glad we're on the same page."


A/N: Dun dun DUN! L's a vamp. Mkay, So, Mello's a paranoid dork and Matt's being a teenager and talking to cats. Your normal stuff. Right, short as hell and I've been dead for like a while, sorry! I got distracted. Next chapter should be longer. Reviews?

~ Matt.