Hannibal tucked Zoe and Shaughn in the bed. He sat back and looked at the two of them sleeping exhausted from crying and the long drive. Blade had suggested, rather ordered now that Hannibal thought about it, that they not head back into the city instead driving further into the country. That was why they were currently holed up in two adjoining rooms in a Western styled motel out in what Hannibal liked to call buttfuck nowhere. He leaned down and kissed Shaughn on the cheek and Zoe on the forehead before getting up and walking out of the room. He closed the door behind him softly and looked up when he saw Blade sitting on the bed looking at Shaughn's weapons. He looked mildly impressed.
"For a librarian she has a nice stash," Blade said looking at Hannibal.
"I guess old habits die hard. Speaking of dying, what the hell were you thinking just walking into the house with Abby like that?" Hannibal demanded.
"It was her idea to walk right in. I told her to wait."
"You told her to wait?!" Hannibal took a moment to try and calm himself down. He looked at Blade just sitting there looking at him confused. Hannibal took a deep breath and the shook his head, "You could have stopped her instead of just telling her to wait."
"And what would that have solved? Robin was going to kill Shaughn because he had been ordered to. Abby knew that."
"What do you mean ordered to?"
Blade looked up at Hannibal and hated having to explain himself again. He didn't think that Hannibal would take the news as well as Abby had. He knew by the way that Hannibal had acted around Shaughn that he loved her. Blade knew that that would complicate things greatly. Loving someone meant that you would take unnecessary risks to protect them and save them. Blade watched as Hannibal began to pace. He sighed knowing that things were about to get that much harder.
"Danica ordered him to watch Shaughn and kill her when she gave the word," Blade said.
"Danica is dead. Hell, I saw her die."
"Danica is dead but not her daughter."
"Excuse me? Danica does not have a kid. I should know since I spent five years as her personal boy toy."
"She kept the secret hidden well. Just as well as Whistler kept Shaughn hidden."
Hannibal watched as Blade dug around in Abby's bag that was by his side. A moment later Blade was handing him a folder. Hannibal took it and flipped it open. He saw Abby's hand in putting this file together and he missed her even more. For two years Abby had been his friend and together they had fought hard against the evil vampires. Hannibal had started to care about Abby as a person and not just as Shaughn's sister. And now she was gone and he was stuck with trying to hold everything together. He pushed those thoughts aside and started reading the file. He looked at the pictures and saw the daughter that Danica had kept hidden from everyone. Annicka Talos looked just as bitchy and cold as her mother had. She had Danica's cold eyes and that blank look on her face that made people uneasy. Hannibal flipped the pages and stopped when it got to another picture. This one of Annicka and Danica together. He looked down at the time stamp and saw that it was taken two days before the Talos clan with Drake had attacked the honeycomb and taken him captive. The picture had been taken at a small air field and Hannibal could make out the small plane behind them.
"Fuck me sideways. The bitch had a kid," he muttered. He turned and looked at Blade, "Wonder if she ate the male after?"
"Annicka was born before Danica was turned. And on Annicka's twentieth birthday, her mother turned her. She is the one who called Robin and finally gave the order. She is out for revenge and is gathering together a new clan," Blade answered.
"Why target Shaughn? Shaughn has been out of the fight for two years."
"Because Danica had planned on targeting Shaughn. Do you not understand, King? You have one huge weakness and it is her; it has always been her. Danica knew she could bring you to your knees begging and all she needed to do was hurt Shaughn. Annicka is just following in her mother's footsteps."
Blade saw Hannibal nod. He was a little shocked. He had been expecting some sort of witty comeback or even a sarcastic joke. Instead Hannibal sat there quiet the file in his hands studying Annicka. Blade suddenly knew that King was capable of being serious and taking things to heart. Blade could count on King to fight beside him and give it everything. Annicka was a threat to the person that King loved and he wasn't going to let her close. Blade didn't understand the emotion of love but he didn't care; as long as it meant King was willing to do anything and listen to Blade, Blade would use it.
Shaughn rolled over and sighed. She frowned and tried to stop the dream from happening but she knew it wouldn't. It was a dream she had had often and now seemed like the perfect night to have it. She whimpered as she saw the dark alley and Abby walking beside her. She didn't want to remember that night. No matter that it had bought Hannibal into her life she wanted to forget that night had happened. It meant pain because it was the night she had lost the love of her father; if she had ever had it to begin with.
Shaughn and Abby walked down the alley side by side as they came around the back of the vampire nightclub owned by the Talos. Shaughn held her gun in front of her filled with silver bullets while Abby held her bow with the arrow ready to fly. Shaughn was first to step up to the back door. She turned and looked at Abby. Abby looked at her and winked. Shaughn nodded and winked back. She placed her hand on the doorknob and turned it. She looked up and saw Whistler step into the alley mouth holding his own shotgun filled with silver. He was the backup in case any vampires got by. He nodded at Shaughn and she opened the door.
Abby went in first and looked around the supply room. Shaughn followed her in and they both could hear the loud music pounding on the walls. Both of them knew that the club was almost empty as sunrise was not too far off. From recon though, they knew that many vampires stayed the day in the club drinking what was left from their human supply. Shaughn watched as Abby walked to the only other door in the supply room. Shaughn took a calming breath and tried to get herself to relax. She was scared of being there and doing this but she knew that this was mission to prove to her father that she could do this; she could be a hunter. Abby looked at her and Shaughn nodded. Abby yanked open the door and Shaughn used her seemingly unnatural speed and went through the door and started firing.
Shaughn watched as vampires burned up one after the other around her. She saw Abby's arrows fly and ducked when a vampire lunged at her. Abby got them right in the heart with a silver tipped arrow. Shaughn rolled and landed right next to someone's purple leopard print shoes. She rolled away when the shoe went to slam into her chest.
"Dani, you missed," came the sound of a man's voice. Shaughn flipped to her feet and looked at the woman then the man standing next to her. Her eyes then looked past them to the man laying on the couch his shirt open and bite marks visible on his chest. His kind brown eye pulled her in and she knew she was going to save him. As a result of being distracted by the beautiful man, she got punched right on the jaw from the female vampire.
"Do not look at my toy," she snared.
"I believe I will leave you two alone to work this out. It has been entertaining. Danica, please try not to damage the furniture," the male vampire said moving away.
Shaughn went to shot Danica but she kicked the gun from Shaughn's hand. Shaughn sighed and realized that this was going to have to be done the hard way. She looked at Danica and circled her. She was now standing in front of the man that the two vampires had been feeding on. Danica smiled and ran her tongue over her fangs.
"Get her, King," she said.
Shaughn turned in time to have strong arms wrap around her and hold her tight. She was pressed hard against the chest of King and she could feel his breath on her neck. She didn't struggle when she felt his lips at her ear. For some reason having him hold her this close felt right. She looked up and saw the smug look on the vampire's face as she stalked over to them. She then felt King loosen his grip.
"Save me, angel," he whispered.
Shaughn acted fast. She flipped King over on his side and lunged at Danica grabbing a martini glass from the table. She landed hard on Danica and smashed the glass in to the vampire's face. She then broke off the round bottom. She fought off Danica's punches and made sure to keep her arms away from the vamp's mouth. Everything around her disappeared as she looked down into Danica's cold lifeless eyes. She felt anger for what the vampire had done to King. She shoved the glass stem into Danica's chest and watched as the vampire smirked at her.
"That isn't going to kill me," she snared throwing Shaughn off of her. She stood up shocked as Shaughn landed on her feet in front of King. Danica sneered again.
"No, that won't kill you but next time it won't be glass going though your heart," Shaughn answered seeing her gun inches away from her.
"King, get her," Danica ordered seeing her familiar move at the hunter's feet.
Shaughn turned and glanced at King waiting for him to jump her. Instead he grabbed her gun and threw it at her. She caught it and turned around to shot Danica but the vampire was gone. Shaughn tucked her gun into the back of her tight black jeans and kneeled beside King's side. She winced as she got a closer look at the wounds on his chest, neck and stomach. She ripped his shirt and placed it on the deeper wounds and applied pressure. King scratched at her hands but she pressed down hard.
"How have you managed not to get turned completely?" she asked feeling his heart still beating in his chest. It was faint but it was there. She watched as his dark eyes found her and she saw pain, sorrow and emptiness. She felt pain in her chest for this man who had called her an angel.
"I fought it... My mama didn't raise any fools. She did however name me after a fictional cannibalistic serial killer. Kind of handed me my occupation right there, huh?"
"Red Dragon, the first novel featuring Hannibal Lecter came out in 1981. I think you're a few years older than that. She probably named you after the military commander of Carthage who dared to stand up to the might of Rome. It's an honourable name, Hannibal."
Shaughn turned and saw Abby and Whistler walk up to her. She looked around the club and saw that most of the vampires and their familiars were either dead or had fled. She watched as Whistler walked closer to her and King and raised his shotgun. Shaughn leaned over Hannibal and glared at her father.
"What are you doing?" she demanded.
"He is tainted. He could turn at any moment. We can't take that chance," Whistler said holding the shotgun up and going to aim.
Shaughn looked down at King and saw that he had his eyes closed. He was accepting Whistler's decision. Shaughn reached behind her and grabbed her gun and pointed it at her father. She flicked the safety off and aimed it at his head. Her bloodied hand swayed but she kept the aim true.
"If you can spend most of your time trying to save Blade and make sure he doesn't turn, then I can spend time saving this man. At least he isn't as damned as Blade," Shaughn said her voice ice.
"Whoa, how about we talk this out? You know like normal families do?" Abby asked getting in the middle of them and holding her hands up to block their aims. She watched as Whistler's slowly lowered his gun but Shaughn kept hers held high. Then again Shaughn was the stubborn one in the family.
"He is not coming back with us," Whistler stated.
"Then I am staying here with him. I am not leaving him alone because he will die of these wounds or worse that vampire skank will come back and finish him off. I am going to save him," Shaughn stated firmly.
"He will kill you. No one can withstand the hunger for that long."
"Well, silver lining; if I die I wouldn't have to put up with you anymore."
Whistler looked at his youngest daughter. She was like him the most out of her and Abby. Abby still held on to part of her mother's softness and willingness to compromise. There was no compromise with Shaughn though. He shook his head, "Do what you want. Just don't come crying to me when it blows up in your face. I wash my hands of him... And you."
Shaughn watched him walk away and blinked the tears away from her eyes. She was not going to cry over her father walking away. Hell, it wasn't the first time that she had seen him walk away from her and she was sure it wouldn't be the last time. She looked down at King and saw him looking at her intently. She smiled softly when she saw a bit of hope in his eyes. It made her heart flutter.
"I'm Shaughn," she whispered.
"No, you're an angel," King whispered before finally passing out.
"Huh, he obviously doesn't know you," Abby commented as she kneeled beside her sister.
"Whatever. Help me get him in the truck, Abigail."
Shaughn grabbed one of Hannibal's arms and pulled it over her shoulders looking and seeing Abby do the same. They stood and pulled Hannibal to his feet. Shaughn wrapped an arm around his waist and held him against her. She looked up and saw Whistler watching them from the shadows. She bit her lip and held her face firm. She was determined to show her father that she didn't need him. She never would. She had Abby and that was all she'd ever need.
Shaughn's eyes snapped open as the last moments of her and Abby carrying Hannibal out of that club faded away. She sat up in bed careful not to disturb Zoe who had cuddled close to her during the night. She wiped the sleep from her eyes and looked into the dark room. She felt Hannibal there. She reached over and turned on the lamp on the nightstand and saw him sitting in a chair in the corner. He looked up at her.
"Are you going to come to bed?" she asked softly raking a hand though her hair and letting the tangled mess fall over her shoulder.
"What were you dreaming about?" Hannibal asked getting up and making his way over to the bed. He smiled when Shaughn gently moved Zoe over and then she moved to make room for him in the bed.
"Nothing."
"Liar, liar pants on fire."
"Real mature, King."
Hannibal climbed in bed beside Shaughn and pulled her in his arms. She rested her head on his chest and it almost felt right. It almost felt like it had two years before when they had spent those first few nights just laying in each other's arms getting to know each other without words. He leaned down and kissed her on the head as he ran his fingers along her arm. He had never wanted this for her; had never wanted her to have a target on her back like he had. He should have never asked her to save him that night.
"Come on, angel, tell me," he whispered as she reached out and turned off the lamp.
"I dreamt about the night I met you. I remember thinking that night that it didn't matter if Whistler walked out on me again; I didn't need him. I had Abby and all I would ever need was my sister. But... I guess that's gone now," she whispered.
Shaughn felt Hannibal hold her tighter. He didn't tell her it would be alright, that things would get easier. He didn't tell her that she had him and that was he would be there for her. She closed her eyes and suddenly remembered why she still loved the man who now held her close. He knew when not to speak and just allow the silence to surround them. He knew her down to the deepest part of her soul. She drifted off to sleep again wondering how she had survived two years without the other half of her soul.
A/N: Hello, sorry I haven't updated in awhile. My life got in the way. So, anyway, hope you liked these two chapters, there will be more on the way. See you in the next one. :D
