Hey everyone! Here's chapter four, and Quinn this time. I owe the character choice to lamia vampress, who also helped me brainstorm the idea, so thank you lamia!

I'm not as certain about this chapter as the others - I think because I've caught Quinn as he's starting to become a tad unhinged/Mad Hatter-esque, as opposed to Rashel and James, who were fully rational, or Gary, who was out of his mind with drink and guilt from the offset. As a result, I don't know how well I've captured Quinn's character, distracted as he is. I hope I've done a good job so that you all enjoy reading this, though! As ever, feedback is appreciated, and enjoy!

Disclaimer: All characters belong to L. J. Smith.


The shadows welcomed him as he bounded out of the cellar; hiding him from human sight and muffling any sound he made. All vampires – and some vampire hunters – could blend into the darkness, but Quinn could enshroud himself in it as easily as throwing a coat over his shoulders.

Could the girl in the cellar use the same trick?

With a silent snarl, Quinn chased the thoughts of her out of his mind until he was several miles outside of Boston; surrounded by the remnants of the forest that used to cover the land and far from any vampire hunters or distractions.

Or both, as this girl turned out to be.

The run had only taken a few minutes, despite crossing most of the city and reducing it to a smudge of dim colour and light in the distance. The whole time, Quinn had had to divert his thoughts from one topic to another, all because of one human girl whose face he'd not got the chance to see.

Why did that bother him so much? She was human; vermin. Why had seeing her face mattered?

Why had she mattered? He should have just killed her and ran. At least that way she wouldn't be in trouble with her hunter friends, though that wouldn't have been a comfort to her.

But...he had tried to kill her. They both had; they'd fought. It should have been to the death, then...

Connection. That was the only way he could describe it. A link had opened between their minds; completely beyond his control.

It had terrified him.

More than Hunter Redfern, more than his crazed father brandishing a stake. Maybe more than becoming a vampire. That, in a way, had been his own fault. He'd been too set on Dove; too stupid to run the instant the word 'vampire' left Hunter's mouth. Not that it would have mattered; the Redfern patriarch would have caught him before Quinn reached the door. He'd also been half out of his mind by then; he'd felt fear, along with grief and denial and hope. Father would fix it.

Instead, he'd tried to destroy his own son; killing Dove in the attempt.

A low keening left him; he shoved the memories away before they could truly start to hurt, even though they'd already made him tremble.

Now, he was fully coherent. Quinn was used to being in control of any situation, or taking control of it almost immediately. When his skin had touched that girl's, that control had been ripped away from him. In spite of his vast mental strength, he'd been unable to tear himself away from that link, and her. It had taken the other vermin returning to break them out of their enforced trance.

Yet...once he'd realised he had no control over it, and had let go...he'd not wanted to break that bond. He'd wanted to know her; to see her.

Quinn had always been able to adapt; it was how he'd survived so long, and gained the reputation he had. So he'd tried to adapt again; simply allowing that temporary madness to take over, but pushing it. Trying, not to pull away, but to delve deeper into her mind. Trying to find her name amidst her panic.

But she had barriers of her own. Not ice, like his, but layers of control and protection, wound around her like the scarf he'd teased loose. He'd lifted away the first few, but beneath them he'd felt more than her surface worry.

She was so, so fragile.

Fragile, but not weak. Not like the other humans.

Everything she did denied it, but inside her layers and walls, she'd been as helpless as a child. Vulnerable. The same thought had occurred to her about him, he'd noticed, but her fear had distracted him from his search. More than finding out who she was, he'd wanted to comfort her; make her feel safe.

Her, a human. Vermin.

That, more than anything, drove him insane. There was no mystical allure about humans; no depth to them. They were scum, fit only to keep vampires alive.

But that girl...

With an irate snarl, Quinn turned and started pacing, ripping his gaze away from Boston's distant lights and instead aiming it at the leaf-strewn ground, though he didn't see it. Instead, maddeningly, all he could see were layers of black cloth and dark, shadowed eyes staring at him.

Kicking a small boulder out of his way, ignoring the way it shattered the sapling a few metres distant, Quinn once again rammed her out of his mind. If he had to stay here til the next century until she stopped haunting him, he would.

But almost as soon as the girl from the cellar vanished, a second face rose from his memory. Small, delicate features, wide brown eyes framed by hair a few shades darker. Dove.

With a wordless cry, Quinn spun and lashed out at a non-existent opponent, as though fighting off his memories.

Why? Why did she remind him of Dove? The girl was a hunter; a fighter. In the few seconds before and during their fight, he'd seen her move with a grace and finesse that many vampires had to work for. She was as sharp and deadly as that sword she carried.

His hand met stone; the rock fractured where he hit it.

So why did she feel so similar to Dove? Dove; a vampire, but gentle, soft. Vulnerable.

Vulnerable. They were both fragile.

Branches broke on his knuckles and blood welled up from the scratches. The sharp pain was enough to distract him, even as his revelation jolted him out of his vicious reverie.

He realised he was taking in great gulps of air, as though exhausted or panicked. With a grimace, he forced his breathing to settle, gritting his teeth as he built up the wall of ice around his heart again.

Slowly, calm settled over him, though it was artificial and temporary. He just needed time to think without her invading his mind or recalling ancient ghosts.

With his thoughts cleared, for now, Quinn stared blankly out towards the city again, planning. He would only torment himself by staying here trying not to think, he realised. But this obsession would pass, in time. If he could, he'd leave the city for a few years; distract himself until he had forgotten. The deal, and the club, stopped him from escaping.

Perhaps...perhaps, if he found her again – saw her in daylight, without her mask – she would leave his thoughts. Find out her name, and the mystery of the girl in the cellar would be solved, and she would stop haunting him. He could try, anyway.

He considered, briefly, returning to the club, but dismissed the idea. He couldn't focus as he was now; already thoughts of her were starting to infiltrate his mind again. He could easily make a slip if he tried to work in this distracted state.

He'd find this girl first, set his mind at ease, then return to help Lily and Ivan. They could manage without him for a few more days.

In the meantime, he'd find his little vampire hunter. He'd learn her name and her face. Maybe he'd kill her – if she refused to leave his thoughts, then perhaps that would grant him some peace. Besides, as a hunter, she deserved to die. As the Cat, he could get a sizeable reward for killing her.

It was only natural, after all. They were meant to destroy each other. She'd understood that, while they were talking.

But could he kill her? What he'd felt in the cellar had been far beyond anything he'd felt with Dove. Indirectly, he'd killed Dove. He didn't know if he could kill the girl in the cellar when she made him feel the way she did.

Well, he'd find out when he found her. And if he couldn't kill her...

Quinn flashed a smile at nothing; barely aware of the wild, unfocussed look in his eyes as he searched the Boston lights, as though to spot the girl from this distance.

If he couldn't kill her outright, he was certain that she would make a fine vampire.