Disclaimer: Priest and its characters belong to Scott Stewart.

Claimer: I own Tessa.

Chapter #6: Vampires in the Basement

Two days had passed since he had set out to hunt the vampire queen. Sleep had proven to be futile for her, as she waited anxiously each day for some type of word to surface, but there was neither whisper nor sign of any of the priests. Her mind was elsewhere while she was at work. It took everything in her to hide her anxiety and sleep deprivation from patients and fellow staff as she carried out her daily tasks. It wasn't until the third night that she heard a knock on her door. She nearly tripped over herself in her haste, and her heart nearly stopped when she opened it to see a cloaked figure standing in her doorway—but then she paused.

It wasn't Julian. He was too tall. She watched as a hand appeared from the thick robes, a beaded rosary identical to Julian's coiled around long, pale fingers. He reached up and pulled back his hood, and she realized she was looking into the face of the blue-eyed priest. His eyes were solemn as ever as he stared down at her, but something was a bit different about his stare this time. Something else lingered in those ice blue orbs. She stared back at him, confused, and his eyes averted hers. Before she could stop it, she felt her heart sinking as she realized what his presence must have meant. He felt guilty. She could see it in his eyes. That hidden emotion was the guilt he felt at delivering this news to her. Her heart felt as if it were being processed through a meat grinder, and her hand shot to clutch her chest, breathing having quickened to an almost erratic gasping. His brow creased a faint but, appearing vaguely concerned at her reaction, when she suddenly stumbled as her knees gave out. He stepped forward swiftly and caught her before she fell, and her arms wrapped around his waist by impulse to keep from falling. He was stiff, but he allowed her time to regain herself, arms wrapped securely around her form both to comfort her and to keep her from sinking to the floor.

"I'm sorry," he said.

Tessa forced herself to calm down, willing back the tears that fought for their freedom, and he lead her over to the bed so she could sit down, grabbing the chair off to the side in the process. He sat before her, his eyes hard to read, and she wiped what little moisture had collected in her eyes with her sleeve.

"I'm sorry," she sniffed. "He was a good friend of mine…"

"It's my fault."

She looked at him, frowning.

"I wasn't strong enough." He glanced down, before back to her. "I couldn't save him…. I'm sorry."

Tessa eyed him intently with shining eyes, which reflected the sorrow she knew he was restraining. She could see the shame clear as crystal in his blue orbs, despite his impassive stare. For a long moment, neither of them spoke, and her attention moved down to his hands. After a second's hesitation, she took one of his hands in hers. The compassionate actions appeared to confuse him, but she just curled her fingers over his, holding it gently. Despite their glossy shine, her eyes were soft-spoken and thoughtful.

"You're just one man, Priest," she said quietly. "You can't be expected to save everyone."

He stared at her hard, as she brought her hand up to caress his cheek. His eyes were drilling into hers.

"You can't blame yourself. God knows you've done enough of that," she said.

His stare faltered briefly, before they shifted back up to flicker around the room as if he were looking for something. Curious, she followed his gaze when his eyes stopped on a spot, and she saw he was looking at the painting she had created of him.

"He told you," she said knowingly.

He nodded. "He mentioned you wanted to meet me and the others. I figured it would be appropriate for me to tell you what happened…"

"Thank you." He looked at her, and she smiled softly. "I'll be okay." She then took a moment to look him over. After just a quick onceover, she could tell he had come straight to her. There was evidence of struggle about him: dirt on his clothes, hands, and face, multiple scratches, and also a bit of blood. "May I take care of your injuries? It would make me feel better knowing I was of some help."

He nodded faintly after a moment. She treated his wounds in silence, forcing back more tears as she did so. He had been lucky during the hunt, most of his wounds being minor scrapes. She could feel his eyes drilling into the top of her skull, and she could tell he sensed something was off. Those eyes of his could puncture straight into her soul.

"He talked about you," he said suddenly.

She looked up at him, surprised. "He did…?"

"Before we entered the hive, he told me about what you did for him." He paused. "You're very kind."

She was quiet. He continued to stare at her, and a pregnant pause drifted between them for several minutes.

"Did you love 'im?" he asked, a bit quieter.

Her eyes snapped to his in shock. How had he known? What grabbed her interest was that he didn't look nor sound disapproving or accusing in any way. Before she could stop them, the tears were sliding down her cheeks, and she averted her eyes with a sniff.

"You know, it's crazy. I've known him for less than a week… and yet it feels like a lifetime…"

His eyes fell. "He was a good man. He's with God now. You will see him again."

Yes, she would, but it wouldn't be at Heaven's gate.

+++FIVE YEARS LATER+++

It was a relatively quiet night in the town Blackshire, a clear sky flecked with sparkling stars shrouding the land with a glittering blanket. Townsfolk roamed around the dirt-paved streets, either having a casual chat or gathering at the local pub, for the night was still young. The hens clucked as they milled about, pecking at the dry dirt while a vibrantly colored rooster strutted about his harem, and somewhere off in the distance a man could be heard playing the sorrowing tune of a harmonica. To the naked eye, there appeared to be no danger amongst the relatively cheerful and calm atmosphere of the small town, but that was not entirely the case.

He made no attempt to hide the disdainful scowl that pulled at his features as he stalked through the town's streets, booted feet thudding softly against the dirt and causing the small pebbles to crunch quietly with each step. These people didn't know how lucky they were to have lived this long. They went about each day like they deserved the life they had, taking everything around them for granted like they were obligated to have it. Everywhere he looked he saw nothing but filthy, greedy maggots, writhing and squirming to survive and not once taking a moment to think about anything other than themselves. The smiles they wore were nearly masks of deception. He knew that if it came down to it, none of them would risk their necks to save each other if it meant certain death for them personally. Oh, yes. He knew that first hand.

When they had came for him, it had been the first time he felt genuine terror course through his blood, freezing it solid in his veins. That, and a deep despair, knowing he had sacrificed everything for the Church, and yet they would not mourn his loss. They hadn't. God had not saved him, having barely batted an eyelash at his suffering and demise as he stared up at the light peeking in through the roof of the hive, taunting him with its existence. They had been so close to sunlight, and it had been as he felt the first flecks of its warmth that he felt them grab a hold of his ankle. The fall to his belly had knocked the air clean out of him, leaving him paralyzed just long enough for them to get a better hold, and he remembered the fear strike through him like a metal spike. Even though he knew it was the end the moment he felt their claws digging into his flesh, he had thought his fellow warriors would make the attempt to rescue him, but they hadn't. Only one had dared to leave the safety of the sunlight and dive after him, but one was not enough to fight against the strength of the vampires gripping him, and he remembered being dragged away on his belly, screaming in terror, but did they go after him? No. It was a lost cause. One life was not worth many.

How ironic it was, that the one that had attempted to save him had been the one to defeat him in the end.

It did not matter. Things were going to change very soon. He had lost the battle, but he would not lose the war. After staggering from the wreckage, he had made his way to this town. He had contacted a few Familiars through telegraph after drinking the operator dry, and they were now on their way with an armored truck carrying a total of fifty vampires taken from one of the reservations. If the priests wanted to fight, then he was going to show them he was not so easily defeated. Tipping the brim of the black gambler hat a little further over his eyes, he turned around a corner—only to be slammed into full-body by someone.

"Jeeze, I'm sorry! I was lost in my thoughts." The woman he had bumped into turned her head up, and he froze, his initial anger evaporating instantly. "I haven't seen you around these parts before. You got a name, stranger?" she asked lightly.

He didn't respond right away, his words having caught in his throat as he stared down at her with widened eyes, in a state of disbelief. "…Tessa…?"

He smile faltered slightly to make way for a look of vague confusion. "Sorry. Have we met…?"

Reaching up, he removed his hat, and her smile dropped completely. For a long moment all she did was stare at him, strangely blank, but he could see the gears working overtime in her eyes. He watched her lips slowly part as it finally sunk in.

"…Oh my God…" she breathed, voice shaking.

It was just as he was opening his mouth to speak that a shrill scream echoed through the crisp air, causing both their heads to snap up in unison. His eyes widened when he saw a vampire spring literally from nowhere and tackle a man to the ground just seconds before viciously sinking its fangs into his neck, and shortly after two more appeared. Quickly, he turned his head back to Tessa, only to freeze when he realized she had disappeared. He looked up sharply to see she was running in the opposite direction, having probably assumed he would follow. Panic instantly speared through him.

"TESSA!" he screamed after her.

She skidded to a stop when a vampire suddenly jumped from a building and landed before her, screeching in her face. Its saliva flew with the vocalization, and she screamed before reaching back to the two blades hanging on her back. In one swift motion, the vampire was lunging at her, and her blades swung, catching the beast in a scissor cut. The body fell to a skidding halt at her feet as the head rolled off to the side, mouth gaping limply and still oozing saliva. The next second, two more were coming at her with outraged snarls as they saw their dead counterpart. She stood her ground, blades poised, but all of a sudden the creatures came to an abrupt halt. She watched, confused as they suddenly turned away and sprung off.

"Tessa!"

She turned sharply to see him running towards her. Her head was spinning, and before she could stop herself she felt her body failing her as she fainted. He was barely able to catch her before she fell to the ground, katanas falling from her now limp grasp.

"Tessa?" He held her in his arms and moved a stray piece of hair from her face. If he had been the type, he probably would have passed out, too. For a minute he just stared down at her, his chaotic surroundings going completely unnoticed by him. Within seconds, the calm town had flown into an uproar, the once quiet air now filled with screams, shattering glass, and gunshots. It was nothing out of the usual for him, but she was. What the hell was she even doing here? He looked down at her, eyes still widened slightly as he scanned her over for injuries. There were none that he could see. Her skin was as smooth as he remembered, as he lightly traced his fingers through her silky, dark waves, admiring her smooth features with softened eyes. Five years. It had been five years. Releasing a breath, he held her close to him, breathing in her scent with closed eyes. Knowing he couldn't leave her there, he gently picked her up bridal style and stood back up, and he began his trek through the town.

The first glimmers of consciousness came to her hours later, and she released a low groan. The first thing she noticed was that she was on something soft. A bed? Moaning softly, her eyes fluttered for a moment before slowly prying open. As her blurred vision cleared, she saw she was in a room—a bedroom to be exact. Her eyes scanned over her surroundings, and that was when she saw him standing off to the side. Her muscles froze, shocked to see him still there. She thought she had been dreaming!

"J-Julian…?" Before she realized it, her eyes were stinging, as her heart nearly burst from her chest with the realization he was standing there before her. "Julian!"

He released a small grunt when she scrambled off the bed and collided against him in a constricting embrace, and before he could even think of a response she was breaking down into uncontrollable tears. She couldn't help the ungodly sobs that escaped her, tightening her grip on him when she felt him return her embrace tightly. He was alive. She could feel his body heat and hear his heartbeat in her ear as he held her close. This wasn't a dream. He was there.

He wasn't in any less shock than she was, and it took a lot to surprise him these days, but he hadn't been anything close to prepared for running into her. The burns from the explosion were still a bit tender, and he had winced faintly when she threw herself against him, but he was far too distracted to notice nor care for longer than a second. The sensation of her warmth pressed against him was an instant balm, as he dipped his head to press his face into her silky hair. She still smelled the same, with a few differences, but the same. Her scent was intoxicating, his heightened senses only intensifying the smells. It was almost overpowering. It had been five years since he'd last seen her. Five years since he'd been able to hold her… feel her… smell her…. His intentions had been to look for her once he'd reached the city, but those plans had been shot in the face point blank. Brief anger resurfaced into his consciousness as he recalled the showdown and what it had cost him, but then his attention was refocused to Tessa when she spoke.

"Is it really you?" she whispered.

"It's really me."

"How?" Her voice was quaking.

He glanced down for a moment, choosing his next words carefully. "I was saved."

"By who? Another priest…?"

"…Not exactly."

He felt her pulling away, and he was met with her green orbs staring up at him in question. Then her face suddenly went blank, and he knew she was looking at his eyes. She had not noticed them before in her shock, but now she saw the way they almost appeared to glow in the dim light. "What's up with your eyes…?" Slowly, her own eyes scanned over the rest of him, just then taking notice of his clothes. He was not wearing the priest robes, but a pair of black pants, black button-up shirt, and a trench coat. The singe marks didn't escape her attention either. "What happened to you…?"

He didn't say anything at first, and this didn't escape her attention. Something was wrong. Pulling away from him, she backed up a couple steps, and a frown tugged at his mouth at her actions.

"You don't have to be afraid, Tessa."

Her eyes suddenly widened a fraction as he spoke. "Your mouth…"

"What?"

"Show me your teeth!"

He sighed. "Tess—"

He was abruptly cut off when she suddenly stepped forwards and pushed his upper lip up with her finger, and he saw her eyes fly wide before she jerked her hand away in a frightened haste.

"Oh my—"

"You don't have to be alarmed, Tessa," he said calmly.

"No need to—there are fangs in your mouth!" she screeched. "You're a bloody vampire?!"

"Tessa." He went to reach for her, but she shoved his arm away, staring at him in horror. "Don't look at me like that," he said. He didn't like the way she was looking at him, or how she was suddenly rejecting his touch. Her eyes were filled with fear.

"How is that possible?" she asked. "You would have turned into a Familiar if you had been bitten…"

"I'll be happy to explain everything to you. You do not have to fear me, Tessa. Not you."

"What the hell does that mean?" she snapped. Then suddenly her eyes widened as the realization struck her. "Have you been hurting people?" she breathed.

Before he could answer, his attention was turned up by knock on door. Glancing at her, he walked around her to the door and cracked it open. Her eyes widened when she saw a Familiar standing there.

"I'll be back," said Black Hat, who appeared less than enthused at being interrupted.

The moment he was gone, she moved to wrench the door open, but it was locked. She waited until the footsteps disappeared, before she took a step back from the door and delivered a solid kick with all her strength. It flew open with a loud splintering crack as it was dislocated from its hinges, and she bolted from the room. By just a glance she could tell she was in a mansion of sorts, and she tore down the hall in search of an exit. What she was greeted with upon turning a corner, however, was another Familiar, and he shot to full alert upon seeing her out of her room. Thinking fast, she blitzed towards him, and before he had time to react she was jumping off his knee and thrusting her leg upwards, nailing him directly under the chin with her knee. He fell to the floor with a dulled thud, unconscious, and she took off again. It was at that moment she heard voices, and, reacting quickly, she turned to the first door she saw. Wrenching it open, she ran in and closed it behind her. Darkness collapsed around her as all light was cut off, and she locked the door behind her.

She could tell she was on a staircase, as she blindly groped around for a light switch. After a moment she was rewarded with a small protrusion from the wall, and she flicked it upwards. Dim light instantly flooded the room, but she wished it hadn't. Her entire body had frozen solid upon being greeted with the sight of slimy pods hanging from the ceiling and rafters of the entire basement. She could barely breathe, never mind move. Slowly, she took a careful step backwards, when the sound of running footsteps and heightened voices snapped her back into alert. Without really thinking, just reacting, she quickly moved forward—only to slip on the slimy floor. She released a small yelp as she stumbled and slammed into one of the pods. Out of reflex, she tried holding onto it to keep from falling, but her arms slipped on the slick surface, and she fell hard on her back. Groaning, she slowly sat up while rubbing her head, when she froze at seeing the pod was moving.

"Shit..."

She watched as the vampire moved around inside, causing the walls of the pod to bulge with its movements, and she jumped when a clawed hand suddenly burst from the pod and slashed at her.

"CRAP!"

Minor changes have been made to this chapter.

Poor Tessa haha. Talk about a rude awakening. Sorry for the long wait. I've been extremely busy with college and getting published. I'll try getting the next chapter up asap! Thank you to those who have been reviewing. You have no idea what it means to me! xoxo