Author's Note: I hope everyone enjoys the chapter and don't forget to review at the end. Especially you Bubo.1. Yeah you! Heh heh, just kidding. I know you'll review. Thanks to all my readers who have reviewed so far! Enjoy!

No one attends their own funerals at least not alive. Technically you could say that I'm not alive, but one of the walking undead and that I have no right to be in this world. Of course I never chose this lifestyle, but I have never held a grudge for my best friend who made the decision to turn me. I should have died that day…no I did die that day and the vampire Kayla Phoenix Pierce was born.

I smirked, those scientists who said that things spontaneously rise from dead matter couldn't have had the truth staring them in the face so blatantly.

I was balanced in the branch of a large tree just outside the church's premises where I could observe the church grounds. There wasn't much cover inside the church grounds besides a few bushes.

I watched from afar as a group of people dressed in black proceeded in a procession around a large black coffin to a hole dug up in the middle of the cemetery by the church's groundskeepers earlier that day.

The procession stopped and the group moved around the hole as the coffin bearers came to all four sides of the hole and began lowering the coffin slowly into the ground and into eternal darkness. Once inside the people began to fill it in with dirt as a priest began to read from something, most likely the bible. I didn't want to hear what was being said or see who was at my funeral. I just wanted to witness the birth of my new life in the form of death for so many others.

I hung my head in shame for all those who I had hurt, but comforted by the fact that they would never have to know the truth and be in pain because of it. Taking one last look as the last shovel of dirt fell on top of my most recent grave I turned, just like at the graduation a few days before, I left it behind with my hope for a bright future for all who I knew and loved, especially Leo.

Recovering from my pent up emotions that had burst after his tirade I finally recollected myself and pushed myself away from him. I didn't deserve to be held that way by him anymore. Not after what I put him through.

"You may want to sit down while I tell you this," I suggested.

"Just tell me," he snarled, his anger returning.

Where to start? Vampirism or the fact that I was born in Ancient Greek times? Vampirism he would probably laugh at, but I think it would explain things more clearly than if I told him I was born centuries before and then I tell him that I'm a vampire…. I'll tell him both.

"I'm a vampire," I started. "I've been alive since Ancient Greek times and yes I faked my own death the day before graduation," I added.

Leo looked at me astonished as he fell back into the chair uncertainty written all over his face.

"You are not. There are no such things as vampires. They are only in myths and legends. There has never been a reported case to justify that vampires exi…"

I interrupted him by moving closer and opening my mouth fully exposing razor sharp canines that protruded much farther down than the rest of my teeth and much farther than the average humans. I watched as his hand traveled to my canines and a finger gently ran along them. I held still, so that I wouldn't accidentally draw blood.

"Damn…" he muttered.

I pulled his hand out of my mouth. "I know it's hard to fully comprehend and the reason no vampire has been reported to actually exist is because there are not many of us left and the few of us on Earth have stayed low, in hiding, or out of sight among the human population. For all I know I'm the first vampire to have traveled out into space."

"Dammit Kayla! Why did you never tell me?" he asked.

"Because I didn't want to burden you with this kind of knowledge," I replied. "I was created without my acknowledgement because my best friend was watching me die in child birth. I never knew what she was doing and I know you, Leo. You would have never been happy with this life."

He glared at me and asked silently with tears forming in his eyes, "Why? Why did you fake your death on that day?"

I kept my gaze level with his never wavering and answered, "I vowed at the time when girls were allowed to go to school that if I ever attended, I would never graduate until I fully intended to do something with that accomplishment. I would have done it much sooner, but I wanted to spend the last of that life with you for as long as possible. I knew it would hurt you, but it was time for me to create a new life somewhere else. I attended your graduation and once you were out of my sight I left."

"So you still attended even if you weren't going to receive your diploma?"

I nodded and felt a lump form in my throat. "I'm sorry Leo. I truly am, but I had no other choice and…"

I paused realizing the lump in my throat wasn't just from my emotions. It was also from the rising thirst from my body. When Leo had knocked on my door I had been pulling out the ice chest with all the blood packs in it since I had recalled that the last few days I hadn't drunken from one of the blood packs and that if I didn't soon, I would go on a rampage in the ship.

"Kay?"

"Leo… could you go under my bed and pull out a cooler and pull out a blood pack?" I requested moving to the far side of the room away from him.

He looked at me confused, "Why do you want a blood pack?"

I looked at him annoyed and frustrated at my stupidity. "If you don't get me a blood pack right now, then you're going to have to deal with a feral vampire. Trust me it's not a pleasant sight. Now get me a bloo…"

My eyes had traveled from his face to his neck and I recognized the sign of building thirst. Not good! I looked away quickly and I clutched my throat as I sank to my knees resisting the urge to bite into Leo. I knew I could just simply take him right now and deal with the consequences later, but I have never taken blood from anyone without their permission except criminals who were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time and I most certainly wouldn't do that to Leo.

He crouched down at my bed and clawed around with his hand for a few seconds before finding the cooler and he pulled it out. Opening it he pulled out a pack that contained red liquid. He tossed it to me and my reflexes faster than normal humans caught it and brought it to my mouth where I punctured the side with my teeth.

I sucked out the contents of the pack feeling better with each gulp. When I was done I picked up a towel on the edge of my bed and wiped the last bits off my mouth before I turned to face him.

When I did I looked down nervously. This was not how I had thought to tell him of my state of being.

"Ugh, always comes at a bad time," I joked.

Leo swallowed and I noticed that adrenaline had been rushing through him while watching me drink. The whole fight or flight instinct of humans wasn't always the best thing to have to deal with.

"I'm fine now, Leo," I informed him.

He seemed to be frozen. I rolled my eyes and went up to him and smacked him gently on the back of his head.

"Ouch!" he cried reaching back to rub the spot.

"Then don't freeze up like that."

"What would you do if you found out that your best friend was actually alive, but a vampire and then almost began to go ballistic in front of you because they hadn't had any blood that day?" He was almost amusing to watch while saying this as he gestured and threw his hands and arms everywhere.

"Well, I suppose you have a point there. I was pretty shocked when I found out my best friend hadn't merely saved my life, but turned me and I would never see my family again," I replied.

"You said you were turned in childbirth correct?" he asked. I nodded confirming this fact. "Whatever happened to the child?"

I turned my eyes to the floor feeling tears forming in my eyes. I finally answered, "It was a stillbirth."

I missed his movement and suddenly found him standing in front of me with his arms wrapped around my back holding me in the same comforting hug he used to do every time I was feeling down or having a bad day back at Truman High School with him. I buried my head in his chest and gave him a short gentle hug back.

"Thanks," I murmured.

Leo smiled, "What are friends and ex-boyfriends for?"

I looked up at him and smirked at his bringing up our old joke just slightly changed with the ex-boyfriend. "Well…I would say, poking!"

I poked his side and jumped away before he could retaliate. Leo looked at me and folded his arms tsking. "Now, Kayla, what have I told you about poking?"

I shrugged and leaned forward with my hands on my hips. "I don't remember. What?"

"It's…"

A knock on the door brought them back to reality and Leo and I looked at it. Leo shrugged and went to open it. I looked over at the movement and noticed the blood pack and the towel she had discarded lying on the edge of the bed with the ice chest in plain sight and open revealing the blood packs. I panicked and quickly at a speed a human wouldn't be able to follow hid everything under the bed and checked her room once again all in the time it took Leo to get to the door.

The door slid open to show James Kirk standing there.

"There you two are! I was wondering where the two of you had gotten off to," he said cheerfully.

"Well, Leo found me here while I was trying to get some stuff organized so we've been chatting," I replied.

Leo smiled, "Yeah and I have to say that we'll be having no problems working together Captain."

"Good! Now, if you two are done chit chatting I suggest you get back to work," he ordered going into Captain mode.

"Yes sir!" we replied in unison.

James turned and walked away before turning back. "Kayla, Spock would like to officially meet you as you will be working together in various things seeing as both areas work together at times."

"Yes Captain," I saluted.

James nodded and continued on his way. The door closed and when Leo and I looked at each other we couldn't help but laugh at our Captain's attitude and we left the room.

"So, do you know where Spock would be?" I asked.

Leo smiled, "As a matter of fact I believe I do. He's normally on the bridge keeping Kirk in line when he gets too mischievous and don't try joking with him, he's a Vulcan and they don't get humor."

I rolled my eyes, "No humor huh, lovely, just what I need to deal with today with everything else that's happened. Do I look okay? Nothing red?"

Leo gave small grin at the question and looked my face over. "No red. You look fine and Kayla."

"Yeah?"

"Don't ever try what you pulled in Mississippi ever again," he ordered.

I grimaced and teased, "I won't. Even a vampire wouldn't survive the vacuum of space let alone your wrath."

He smirked and replied, "You got that right. You haven't seen me at my worst since I came to work with Jim."

I rolled my eyes at the thought. "Oh believe me I think I know what you mean except you haven't been on the opposite end of his horrible pick up lines."

Leo gaped and frowned. "He didn't…"

"He tried," I smirked. "It didn't go over to well for him and I believe he still has a red mark on his cheek from where I punched him."

Leo stifled his laughter behind a hand before I shrugged and he doubled over in laughter.

"What can I say. He was bound to get unlucky sooner or later."

Leonard waved his hand at me and managed to get out, "You don't know how long I've been waiting for a girl to say that about him and here I am with my old friend who thinks he is an idiot rather than a popsicle stand."

"You have no idea," I answered. "Anyways, I need to go find Spock and talk with him about stuff, so I better get going." I started to turn away and hesitated before turning back. "Leo," I said the seriousness back in my voice.

"Yeah?"

I looked up into his eyes and admired the way the light reflected out of them and enhanced the color. "I'm sorry for what I did. It was stupid and wrong and I should have told you in the first place. I'm sorry. I realize now that I should have given you that choice before I did what I did."

Leo closed his eyes slowly and reopened them just as slowly. He covered the space between us in two small steps and pulled me into a hug whispering, "It's okay, Kayla. I understand why you did what you did. It's something you have been doing for years and it's hard to break habits. I accept what you are and if you ever find yourself without blood and you fear you could go out of control don't hesitate to find me. I'll do everything in my power to take care of you."

Before he pulled away he gave me a small kiss on the cheek. He turned and walked away leaving me speechless.

Well, he's certainly grown into a fine man. Oh Leo, thank you.

"I suppose I should go find Spock and meet up with him as James suggested. God only knows why I would follow that guys orders."

I turned and followed the hall away from my room and towards the Bridge where I knew I would find The Chief of Science Spock.

Author's Note: Thanks everyone for reading and don't forget to review. Oh and Bubo.1 I got the next chapter up now didn't I. Thanks for reading everyone!