Stephen twitched in his sleep and let out the occasional whimper, but didn't wake up. He had right out exhausted himself with his grieving. His breath was still a bit shaky, he let out a quite cough every great once in a while, but nothing woke him.

She leaned back, her muscles relaxing, but still a portion of her body was touching him. She watched him, watching him seemingly struggle with his sleeping. He didn't look pleasant, but he was sleeping. She was glad for that, very. She could feel herself drifting off occasionally, but was pushing away at it.

Despite all of the things that would normally disrupt his sleep, Stephen slept through the whole night. He slowly awoke as the moon rose, even though he couldn't see it. He slowly opened his eyes, tinged red around the edges. His cheeks were tear-stained and he looked like a wreck.

She had finally dozed off to sleep, but her body was leaning up against his, so she felt him as he woke up. She yawned and looked up at him from her spot against the wall. She didn't know what to say, or if it was wise to say anything for that matter.

Stephen slowly raised himself up into a sitting position. He didn't feel like crying. In fact, he felt numb. He sat next to her, leaning against the wall as well. He looked over at her for a moment before asking, "Did you stay up all day?" His voice sounded cracked and raspy, more so than usual.

She nodded slightly, but then attempted a weak smile. "Mostly. I think I passed out about an hour or so ago," she commented quietly. "But it was worth it. You were worth it."

Stephen smiled weakly as well. "Thanks," he murmured. "You should get some sleep, you look like you could pass out at any moment." He didn't want to be alone, but she needed sleep, badly.

She shook her head. "I've done quite a few more overnighters in a row, besides this one. I can handle it. Besides, I don't think I could, even though I look it," she responded to him quietly. "I don't want to sleep, with you like this," she told him.

Stephen couldn't help smiling, genuinely smiling. "Thanks," he said. He let out a cough before clearing his throat. "Tenzin's probably wondering where we are." Understatement. Tenzin was probably frantic.

She shrugged slightly, but smiled weakly back at him. "It's up to you. If you'd like to go back, then we could go back." She paused to think. "I only want to be with you, right now. I have nothing else to do, no where to go."

"Well, you've never seen Tenzin when he's alone for hours on end," Stephen said. "He freaks out, a lot." He sighed and pushed himself to his feet. He offered her his hand. "...I look like a wreck, don't I?"

"Poor kid." She laughed, and accepted his hand. Once she was up, she ran her hands gently along his face. "You do...slightly. But then again, I don't look much better, I'm sure." She paused to smile. "But it's okay, I don't mind."

Stephen smiled and said, "You just look tired." He made his way over to the entrance of the ... hole, and climbed up the wall quickly, pulling himself out and ready to help Kina.

She smiled back at his comment, and she nodded. "I'm sure," she muttered quietly. She moved on to follow him out of the hole and out of the tree completely. She liked the place; it was like a little home in itself. Protected, and unseen. A home away from home. She accepted his hands to help her out, and following him once they were out of the hole.

Stephen helped her out of the hole, and out of the tree. "We'd better hurry," he said. So, without another word, he picked her up, bridal style, and burst into a run. He'd always heard exercise was good for your mental wellbeing.

She was surprised by the sudden change in speed, as he picked her up. She wondered why they were having to hurry so much, but she didn't question his motives either. "Okay," she replied quietly as he picked her up. The speed felt exciting and she knew she'd never get tired of that rush.

Stephen took the short way back, wanting to get back to Tenzin before he had a panic attack or something. It took only ten minutes to get back. He slowed his pace as he made his way up to her apartment. Once at the door, he set her down on her feet.

She stepped down lightly, looking over the apartment. For now, nothing seemed out of faze from the view out front. She opened the door at a regular pace. "Tenzin? We're home...sorry..." she said to him quietly.

Stephen cautiously glanced into the apartment. Nothing moved. He stepped closer to Kina, and that's when it hit him, literally. Actually, Tenzin managed to collide with both of them, all three getting knocked back out into the hallway.

Kina let out a struggled gasp as they hit the hallway wall. It surprised her to see Tenzin suddenly collide into them like that. She let out a cough, the wind knocked out of her by the newborn vampire.

Stephen let out a grunt as they hit the wall. He grimaced and looked down at his fledgling to see Tenzin's arms wrapped around his waist, as well as Kina's. He tried pulling himself free from the boy's arm, only to find he had an iron grip.

Kina looked down at Tenzin. "Tenzin, Tenzin...its okay. We're fine...I just need to breathe," she muttered to him in a quiet laugh, but still slightly dying from lack of air. Fortunately, he had moved to her waist, so it was easier to breathe.

"Now do you see why I wanted to get back so quickly?" Stephen's voice was strained as he was trying to fight his way out of Tenzin's grasp. "Damn it, Tenzin! Let go!" He finally managed to pull himself free from his fledgling's grip before bolting into the apartment before Tenzin could grab him again.

She unfortunately, had a tougher time than Stephen getting out of the grip, although once he got out, she was able to wiggle her way out as well; most likely, Tenzin loosened as soon as his sire was gone. She wasn't nearly as important.

She bolted after Stephen and into the apartment, feeling safe once more.

Tenzin sat back on his butt, watching as the two left him sitting out in the hallway. He half expected them to shut and lock the door on him. He watched as Stephen peered out at him before asking, "You coming in or what?"
Tenzin smiled softly before getting to his feet and walking into the apartment.

She went to the kitchen, retreating to the fridge for a water now; after last night, she was definitely thirsty, and slightly hungry. She wondered if the vampires were hungry in their own way as well.

She looked over her shoulder, turning to face them once she got her bottle of water. She didn't know what would be going on now.

Stephen closed the door behind Tenzin. He left Tenzin to his own devices as he walked into the kitchen. He leaned against one of the counters, just watching Kina. After a minute, he said, "Thanks for not leaving me yesterday." His voice was quiet, as if he was reluctant to acknowledge that his break down had even happened.

She looked up at him, taking another sip of her water. "No worries. It wasn't a big deal. I was glad to be there..." she said quietly. She smiled slightly, but kept it down low because she knew the mood was about upsetting. Better not to talk about it and bring it back up.

Stephen smiled a bit before looking down at the ground. He fell silent, hearing Tenzin moving around in the living room. He still felt bad, but much better than before. "I'm going hunting," he mumbled before turning and walking over to the door, then exiting the apartment.

She watched him go and sighed, knowing it was better, but still not the greatest. But what could she expect? She yawned, seeing him gone. She looked over at Tenzin for a bit, then decided she might get a few minutes of sleep, maybe an hour. He wouldn't be back for a bit anyways. She wandered towards her door, leaving it open, and collapsing across the bed.

Tenzin watched Stephen go before looking over at Kina. He knew that Stephen wouldn't leave her, or him, not now, but he couldn't help being reminded of when Stephen had dumped him with Seth. He looked down at the ground, listening as Kina went into her room.

She faded to sleep rather quickly, practically before she hit the bed. She sprawled out, outside the covers and such, not really cold in her house. Her dreams came fast, but were going to vivid pictures of what she had just witnessed with Stephen, almost as if she was seeing his memory herself, from her own view.

Stephen returned soon enough to find Tenzin curled up on the couch, seemingly in less pain than before. He closed the door behind him and made his way over to Kina's room to find her asleep. He turned and made his way back into the living room, glancing over at the calendar, wondering when Derek was supposed to be back.

Kina was out probably for about at least an hour when she leaped up, gasping for air. The nightmare had gotten her pretty good, startling her. The nightmare had gone from the original memory of Stephen's, to her own memory of when she use to be alone for the first time. It scared her, and she could remember her first few fierce battles, nearly dying many times.

Stephen jumped out of surprise when he heard a gasp. He walked over to Kina's room and peered in. "Kina? Are you ok?" he asked, walking into the room. She looked scared. He sat down beside her on the bed, his eyes filling with concern.

Her eyes moved to focus on him, and she immediately tried to drop the scared appearance. "Yea, yea, I'm fine." She nodded her head, smiling so quickly. "Nightmare..." she told him. There wasn't much she wanted to say about it, especially the part where his story was in it. The less she brought that up, the better.

Stephen didn't buy it. "If you woke up gasping because of a nightmare, then you're not fine," he pointed out. If there was a reason she wasn't telling him, then it must either be something incredibly bad that she thought might happen, or it was about him, and if it was about him, he wasn't sure he wanted to know.

Her breathing slowed to normal and she could feel her heart began to beat normally. She looked up at him. "It was a nightmare...a portion about my past, a portion about yours." She paused. "I think that's all you'll want to know, at least about you. Mine isn't much better," she told him quietly. The blood, the darkness, the wounds. The battles, and the feeling of loneliness.

Stephen frowned a bit. He slowly nodded. He didn't want to talk about it, she didn't want to talk about it. It was all good. He yawned largely before shaking his head. As if to change the subject, he asked, "So, when is Derek supposed to be back?"

She looked out the window as if she expected Derek to appear suddenly. She thought about it. "It's been a few days, so maybe tomorrow, or a day or two. At max, it would be a week, I think. It doesn't take him long, but it depends how much the council needs to talk about it."

Meanwhile, Derek was just finishing on a meeting. He'd be heading home the next morning, and probably get there about midafternoon, or sunset.

Stephen followed her gaze to the window and slowly nodded. It wasn't that he missed Kina's brother, it was just that he kinda missed the... challenge of having another male around. Tenzin didn't really count as a male. He counted as a child in an adult's body.

She nodded, then kinda smiled. "Why you asking? I guess you miss him, hmm?" she said to Stephen, more in a teasing tone. If he told her he did, she wouldn't believe it; the way the two of them had fought the moment before Stephen had left. She sighed, knowing she'd be playing referee as soon as Derek walked through the door.

"Not so much him," Stephen said, moving his gaze back to her. "I miss fighting with him." When he fought with Derek, he could be defiant without actually getting into trouble, unless they broke something.

She bit back a laugh, honoring how he felt about her brother. They had a mutual tendency of fighting; that was something, and at least not nothing. They were fighting, which means they were aware of each other presence. She was pleased enough for that and it was a start. She nodded. "Well, I'm sure he'll be back soon."

Stephen could tell she was trying not to laugh. He didn't mind. He actually found it quite funny himself. "Hm." He looked around her room, as if looking for something to say. Nothing came to mind.

Kina smiled as he turned his head, happy to be able to have something to talk about and keep her mind of the nightmares. She looked over at him. "How are you?" she asked him. Not quite randomly but within the silence.

Stephen looked back at her and couldn't help letting out a short laugh. "Well, that was ... yeah, that was random," he said. "I'm... better than I have been in a long time. You?" He was glad, though, that she had filled the silence.

She smiled. "Sorry for it being random...I just wanted to say something, instead of the silence being there," she told him. She then smiled bigger, glad to hear he was happier. "I'm doing alright. Glad to see you're happier," she commented to him in response.

Stephen just smiled back. "Don't be sorry. Random adds a bit of interest to life," he said. He leaned forward and planted a soft kiss on the tip of he nose. He wasn't sure why he did it. Perhaps he just wanted some kind of contact with her.

She looked up at him and the sudden contact caught her off-guard, but she recovered rapidly from it. She smiled up at him, feeling a noise rising in her throat, but she didn't allow it to come out--a hum, displaying she was comfortable around him.

Stephen couldn't help being amused by the expression on her face. He suddenly broke into a large yawn. He blinked, not having realized how tired he was. "Well, I'm going to go get some sleep," he told her, getting to his feet and making his way to the bedroom door.

She looked up at him, then thought for a second. "Hey, if you and Tenzin want to use my room tonight, you can...you can't find two people sleeping on the couch, and you can fit two in here. No sense in one of us sleeping on the floor and one person have a whole bedroom," she explained to him, getting up to meet at the doorway where he was.

Stephen brought himself to a stop when she started speaking. He looked back at her, listening to her words. He just shrugged. "I'm used to sleeping on the floor," he said. Well, actually, he was used to sleeping on a wooden beam several yards above the ground. Besides that, he'd rather sleep on the ground than share a bed with Tenzin. It would be... just weird.

She looked up at him. "Hmm...well, I just feel bad though. Maybe I can go out and get an air mattress or something; I guess I will eventually when Derek returns anyways. You two are guests in my home, you shouldn't been sleeping on the floor. I wish I had a guest room you could go into or something." She smiled. She knew she was ranting, in a sense.

Stephen smiled, once again out of amusement, at her ranting. "I've slept in less comfortable places than your floor," he said. "Just relax." He was happy to sleep on the floor. It wasn't cold, wet or dirty, so it was good enough.

She looked at him, frowning slightly. She decided she might as well give in, or it'd turn into an argument over something stupid. "Oh, alright," she commented quietly. She still knew she'd have to get a few air mattresses, probably around two because of Derek.

Stephen chuckled softly at her frown. He leaned over and placed a kiss on her cheek before walking out of the room. He headed into the living room where Tenzin was still fast asleep. He sat down by the couch, leaning his back against it. He let his eyes fall shut, his head leaning slightly forward. It wasn't the most comfortable position to sleep in, but oh well.

She couldn't help but smile at his kiss, but she waited, watching him go over and sit down. Finally, when she couldn't see his head over the head of the couch, she went back into her room. She laid down back on the bed, retreating to the bathroom first to change, then going inside. She didn't close the door, not wanting to block out anything that may happen in the living room.

Stephen yawned again, though more softly. It wasn't long before he fell into a deep sleep. Unfortunately, his sleep was anything but restful. He was right back there again, watching the two people he loved most in the world get tortured and killed. In the waking world, tears were streaming down his face and falling as little droplets onto his lap.

Kina was out quickly, and her dreams became fuzzy; a mixture of different things, real events in her life, to imaginary things that kids seemed to dream about. She woke up fast the next morning, changing and getting out. She could feel her body aching, especially around where she had been cut, and a bruise on her neck.

She figured Derek would have to return today, but she wasn't going to make an effort to make it anything special.

Stephen had woken up an hour before, but had, only a few minutes ago, fallen back asleep. Despite the intervention, he was right back there again. His cheeks were already tear-stained, but this only added to it.

Kina went on her business in the kitchen and it wasn't til she turned the corner around the couch to check up on Tenzin and Stephen did she see his tears. She dropped down on her knees, carefully placing her hand on his face. "Stephen...honey..." she said quietly, wanting to comfort him.

The moment Kina's voice registered in Stephen's mind, his eyes slowly opened. It disturbed a few tears, sending them down the path carved in his face. He blinked, as if he didn't know where he was, before his eyes focused and he looked over at Kina.

She carefully wiped at the tears, then leaned back on her knees in front of him. Poor guy. It was hurting him worse than she thought it was....which was self-explanatory. She looked at him, sympathy at in her eyes. She didn't know what to say, but wished she could help him.

Stephen slowly blinked when she wiped away his tears. He did his best to keep more tears from falling, not wanting to seem weak. Then suddenly, he didn't care. He rested his head on her shoulder, closing his eyes. Tears slid out from behind his closed lids, but he didn't wipe them away.

She sighed, letting his head rest there on her shoulder. She couldn't reach his face to wipe away the tears, but kissed at the top of his head. She made a calming noise her parents use to do to her, kind of a coaxing tone to it. She 'ssssshhhh'ed and gave her usual 'its ok' comments. Poor guy.

Stephen slid his arms around her waist, holding her close as he listened to the calming noises coming from her. They did help a little. It reminded him of when he was young and his mother would comfort him. He missed her. He sniffled quietly, more tears trailing down his skin.

She sighed again, closing her eyes as she rest against him. She knew she was no miracle worker and she sure as heck couldn't make Stephen magically happy in an instant. She knew it'd take time. She wrapped her arms around his neck as his arms came around her waist, and she gently rubbed at his back.

It took quite a few minutes, but Stephen finally calmed down. He opened his eyes, but didn't raise his head. He was comfortable right there, in her arms. He just sat there, staring at her neck since that was pretty much the only part of her he could actually see. He felt no hunger though. The thought of feeding off someone made him feel sick to his stomach.

She rested there for awhile, and felt her body seem to ache more as she rested in some uncomfortable spots. She leaned back, not quite pulling herself away but trying to push her weight elsewhere. She could feel that the tension and sadness seemed to be calming down.

Stephen slowly raised his head up off her shoulder when he felt her move. Even though his skin was tear-stained and he still had some tears on his face, he looked better. It seemed that he was slowly letting go of the pain within him. "Thanks," he murmured.

She brought her hands up to his face again, wiping away at the tears. "Poor guy," she finally muttered. All the sadness was weighing him down and she wished she could just take it all away for him. It was a lot, plenty to split between three people or so.

She looked up at him, her eyes holding sympathy but also attempting a weak smile. "No problem."

Stephen could feel her wiping away his tears, but didn't tear his gaze away from her face. He smiled softly, not sure what else there was to say. ...Oh! "Isn't Derek supposed to be back tonight?" he asked.

Kina shrugged. "I guess so. He hasn't called...he never does," she commented back. She wasn't really enthusiastic about it much, but she supposed she should've been. "He's probably close, maybe in town already," she guessed.

And he was. He had just reached the outskirts of the town. He was kinda happy to be back in the area of home...although it wasn't his.

Stephen slowly nodded. She didn't sound very happy about the fact that Derek might be in town. He then realized he still had his arms wrapped around her. He blushed slightly and released her from his grip. He rested his hands on the ground on either side of him, using them to help keep his balance.

As he pulled back she got up off her knees. She went to the kitchen, attempting to make something. The sun was finally down, so she figured if Derek was coming tonight, it'd be now before it got extremely dark.

As if on cue, Derek walked in the door. "Hi all! Iiiiii''mmmmmm baaaacccckkkk!" he announced with a smile. He looked at his sister, then at the vampires and back. "You miss me?" he questioned curiously.

Stephen watched as she got up and walked into the kitchen. He wasn't sure whether to feel a bit relieved or sad. But, as if to distract him, a moment later, Derek burst through the door. He blinked. "Yeah, I missed kicking your ass."

Kina laughed and walked towards her brother, actually deciding to allow him a hug from her. She ignored both their comments. "Want something to drink?" she asked him.

Derek nodded towards his sister. "Please," he added quickly. He turned towards Stephen, giving him that signature smirk. "Obviously you don't remember how it really went down..." he added.

"I remember exactly how it went down," Stephen said, crossing his arms over his chest. "I was about to kick your ass when Kina walked in and started freaking out." He intentionally left out the fact that he had been about to get burnt to a crisp.

Kina rolled her eyes and got a can of soda for him, tossing it across the room which he caught lightly.

Derek glared at the vampire, his smirk still set on his face. "Not exactly, as I recalled. You left out some pretty big details I'd say." The flames flickered in his hand quickly to show their point, then were extinguished. "I got better."

Kina looked at the both of them then sighed. "Look, if it's some manly urge I don't know about, do it outside. Just don't kill yourselves."

When Stephen saw the flames in Derek's hands, he let out a low hiss. He didn't like fire. Perhaps it was purely because he was a vampire, or because of his previous experiences with fire, he wasn't sure. His eyes narrowed into a glare, though he forced himself to relax when he heard Kina's words.

Derek watched Stephen's reaction, laughing almost in an evil tone. He looked over at his sister, then sighed, shaking his head. "I don't think so tonight. I'm kinda tired and I wouldn't want to make my homecoming so...painful," he said, looking over at the vampire. "Another time, maybe."

Kina looked at them both, then took a seat on the edge of the couch, glancing over at Tenzin for a second, before back at them.

Stephen let out a deep snarl when Derek laughed at him. There was a time when a person could get killed for laughing at him, especially a human. But that time was long gone. But, then again, some would say that Anna and Kari were long gone, but that didn't take the pain away.
He suddenly looked sad and tired. "I'm going out," he muttered before getting to his feet and walking out the door.

Derek watched him go for a bit, then looked over at Kina. "Did I miss something?" he questioned her. "Or did I say something wrong?" he added quickly. He wasn't quite sure what was going on.

Kina glared at him for a bit, then shook her head, sighing. She grabbed her jacket this time, running after Stephen. "Wait!" she called out, "Do you want company?"

Stephen heard her calling out for him just after he had left the building. He stopped and looked back at her. At her question, he just shrugged. He didn't really care one way or the other, he just needed to find something to distract him.

She slung out her coat rather quickly, and followed out after him. She kept at a step or two's distance behind him, being quiet, but her steps were still apparent and she knew he knew she was there. She just felt she'd tag along for safe company, but still be quiet enough to feel no one was there as well.

Stephen turned back ahead and kept on going. He knew exactly where he wanted to go. Soon enough, he saw the sign in the distance. He quickened his pace, heading straight into the bar. There was no line or crowd or anything since this wasn't a very well known bar, and good thing too. He watched as a few heads turned when he entered, knowing that quite a number of people here recognized him. Yep, this was a vampire bar.

Kina felt the hair on the back of her neck raise, and she knew instantly it was the slayer instinct kicking into her system as they approached the bar. She continued to follow him, but cleared her throat right before he was at the entrance. "Umm...Stephen?" She knew she was on thin ice here and she hoped no one knew her.

Stephen looked back at Kina when she said his name. He turned and walked back to her. He stopped only a few inches in front of her and leaned down to her ear, "Just pretend to be an ignorant little human girl. They'll think you're just my next meal. They'll leave you alone." He leaned back up and turned back to the bar, walking back in.

She nodded, then put on the best smile she could muster, acting like one of those girls who was just so into the guy she was with. She really did care for Stephen, but she knew that she was walking into a hellhole with no escape if she didn't act right. She didn't show any nervousness, as she knew fear would play a distinct role in their sensitivity to moods. She acted flirtatious as well, walking next to him.

Stephen walked along at her side. He slipped one of his arms around her, letting his hand rest on her hip. Just because she was the only one who needed to act didn't mean he couldn't play along.
He lead the way up to the bar, taking a seat on one of the stools. "Hey Cooper," he said to the man behind the bar. "I'll have a glass of the good stuff."

She figured, thinking she might second what he had, or get something defined as "fruity" since most dates did. But then again, to keep her nerves down, she might need something strong. She guessed that was what he was having. She had to smile when he slipped a hand around her waist, kind of relishing the moment as they were "acting".

Stephen glanced over at Kina, flashing her a flirtatious smile. Yeah, he was definitely enjoying this. "And perhaps something a little lighter for my lovely lady friend here," he added to Cooper.
Cooper looked from Stephen to his date and nodded. He got out two glasses, filling each with a different drink before placing them down in front of them.
Stephen grabbed his glass, chugging down the whole drink at once.

She flashed him her own smile and sipped at the drink politely, taking it at a good pace, but fully aware she could take more alcohol than that. She wondered how bad it would be if she had gotten drunk that night...probably not the brightest idea in risk to giving something away.

She glanced down at herself, sighing silently when she thought of how she had wished she could've dressed more to impress than this; but she had to work with what she had here.

It was probably a good thing she didn't drink too much, because Stephen planned on drinking until he couldn't walk properly. He set the empty glass back on the bar before saying, "Another one." When the glass was filled again, he chugged this one down too. Already, he could feel his mind getting a little fuzzy.

She watched him for a bit, tongue-tied and unsure what to say. Then, she spoke up when the second one was gone. "Sweetheart, you should go easy on the alcohol. You won't be able to take me home," she said in a girlish voice, smiling and running her hands on his arm in a playful manner. She was acting a tease, but inside she was getting concerned.

Stephen looked over at her. His eyesight was a little blurry, but he didn't care. He smirked and said, "Sure thing, love." Lie. He didn't plan on going easy. He looked back at Cooper. "Another one."
Cooper looked at him and sighed, shaking his head before filling the glass up again.

She watched him as he gave another one, and the smile that she was faking started to fade. "Stephen, dear. Come on, let's head home." He was started to slur, she was sure of it. There was no way, not even a vampire, could take this much alcohol and be in his right mind.

"I'll be f-fine," Stephen told her. Yep. His words here starting to slur. He grabbed the glass and chugged it down before setting the glass back down on the bar, and none too gently. He grabbed a hold of the bar itself when he started to lose his balance on the stool.

She looked at him in the eyes and she could tell he was on the verge of no man's land; absolutely smashed. She gave a smile, faking a giggle. But then she gritted her teeth. "Come on," she repeated. "I want to go home." She hated to pull the spoiled girl card. "'Sides, my roommates will be wondering where I've been," she added, referring to Derek and Tenzin back at home.

"Oh, fffine," Stephen said. He went to get off the stool but slid off and landed on his back on the floor. A few of the other vampires looked over at him, one shook his head like 'you poor bastard'. He groaned and sat up, using the bar to pull himself back to his feet.

She looked at him, and sighed, shaking her head. Now she knew she had to drop the act a bit. A new girlfriend would leave the poor guy there, deserting him. But she knew better than that. She bent down, carefully grasping at his forearm, helping him to his feet. She steadied him, then lifted his arm over her shoulder to lead him out.

Stephen let her help him out of the bar, but he talked the whole way. "And what 's up wittthhh those ...comedians? Isssth airplane ffoood really so bbad?" Some could actually say his words were getting slurred even more. "Ya know, I wass on an airplane once. NEVER AGAIN! Far tooo high up."

She watched him for a bit, then continued to help him out. She didn't bother trying to quiet him, since most likely he'd get louder or say something no one needed to hear. She just hoped he'd be able to control himself til they were out, which was pretty close.

"You know, it'ss amazing tha' no ones gots to you before I has," Stephen carried on. "You's a way tooo goood fer the likes a me." Something she'd learn, he was at his most honest when he was drunk,

She smiled as they reached the door, and she took in a sigh of relief, believing they had made it through the clear. She listened to him, glancing over as he spoke, but still walking. She shook her head. "I'm not as great as you give me credit for."

Stephen just kept on going, as if she hadn't spoken. "A course, it seeems mos' girlss I meets is too good ors is takens." Then he suddenly stopped talking. He went limp in her grasp, passing out.

She looked over at him, and in the street, suddenly felt his body weight starting to bring hers down. She hadn't seen this side of him and it made her wonder what he meant. He didn't seem to be struggling for girls, and really...it kinda hurt her feelings. He was acting like she was untouchable, when really, was there, for him. She cared about him.

She shook her head and knew this was no time to get upset over it. She lifted him up, straining but managing to lift him into her arms. Fortunately, they weren't too far from home. She was going to take some time, but she'd last.

Tenzin sat up slowly. His throat still hurt, but he wasn't on the painkiller anymore since he could stand the pain now. He was still having trouble talking, but he managed to get a few words out. He looked around and sniffed the air, having only woken up five minutes ago. He smelled Derek. Kina and Stephen had been gone for a while.

Derek glanced up from his seat against the wall, eyeing a magazine; actually an ordering catalog. He thought he might help Kina with a bit some money he had gotten, and maybe help get some more stuff for the place. Plus, a TV wasn't so bad. He looked over at Tenzin. "Evening, sleepyhead. How you doing?" he asked Tenzin. Although he had a problem with vampires in general, Tenzin he had learned not to mind so much as Stephen. The kid was just a kid, in a way.

Kina struggled with Stephen as she reached the steps, but she managed her way up. She was close, right outside the door.

Tenzin's head jerked towards Derek. He eyed him anxiously, scooting back a bit. "Fine," he rasped. His voice was barely above a rough whisper since his throat was still recovering. He didn't trust Derek. Derek didn't get along with Stephen and, even though Stephen treated Tenzin... badly, he still trusted his sire.

Derek nodded. "Well, at least you're getting better," he responded quietly. "We need you for later events," he added quickly. He smiled at the thought of the battle, they'd be attending such a wonderful event, making it a horrible one if they get caught.

Kina quickly grasped at the doorknob and turned, falling into the doorway, gasping for air. She had struggled quite a ways with Stephen's weight...she needed to work out, evidently.

Derek looked at his sister, then the knocked out Stephen. He got up. "What the hell happened?" he questioned.

Kina got up, taking in a breath and shaking her head. She lifted up Stephen one last time, taking him to her room and pushing him up in a laying position on the bed. She looked at the poor guy, then retreated back out to the living room, closing the door quietly behind her. "He got smashed. I couldn't hardly stop him after the forth round of whatever he was drinking," she explained. She refrained from mentioning it was at a vampire bar, because she knew her brother would flip.

Tenzin looked over at the door when it opened, Kina and Stephen falling in. He tilted his head, noticing his sire passed out. Both of them smelled like alcohol, though Kina only smelled of it faintly. He was pretty sure Stephen smelled so strongly of it that Derek could smell it. He watched Kina drop Stephen off in her room. He tensed when she mentioned four rounds. There was no human drink that could get his sire smashed in only four rounds. He knew exactly where they had gone.

Kina gave Tenzin a look, and she figured he'd know somehow where Stephen had gone. The look was simple and demanding-- Derek did NOT need to know where Stephen had dared take her, because if he did, he'd probably never allow her to go with him alone again. The same thing would happen if they had mention the attack that was only a few days ago. Fortunately, her brother hadn't been able to notice the bite along her neck, or if he did, he thought it was Stephen and wasn't saying anything.

Derek smirked. "Poor guy. Wonder what's on his mind," he muttered with a shrug. He raided the fridge once again with his endless eating habit.

One look from Kina was enough to keep Tenzin quiet, not that he would say anything. His throat still hurt a lot, and he didn't want to talk if he didn't need to. At Derek's words, he looked over at the doorway to Kina's room which held his sire. He couldn't help feeling bad for Stephen. He'd only heard the basic details of what had happened from Seth, but it still sounded horrible.

Kina leaned against the wall, sliding down the edge to sit. She sat there, thinking of what Stephen had said...she was untouchable. It made her wonder. From the looks of things, since he had been thinking of his lost wife, that he didn't want to be with her like that. She'd just be someone to cry on, which she didn't have a problem with, but she had gotten use to the idea of being closer to Stephen than just a friend.

Derek started to snack on foods. "Well, he'll wake up eventually."

Tenzin glanced over at Derek. "Yeah, with a hangover and the worst mood you'll ever see him in," he rasped. He was prepared to bolt when his sire woke up. He knew Stephen wouldn't be in the mood to put up with shit and he didn't want to be in the firing line.

Kina looked up; oh great, just what she needed. She glanced outside, seeing it was still dark. She figured it was the right time to get out to be alone for a bit. Her thoughts were going crazy and if Stephen was going to wake soon, she didn't want to be around to play referee in the mood she was in. She grabbed her coat. "I'm going out." She didn't mention for how long or where she was going; she didn't care right now. But for safekeeping, she brought her gun with her, hiding the strap and walking out the door.

Derek watched her go. "Odd night. I need to find my own place."

Tenzin watched Kina leave and couldn't help feeling even more scared. Without Kina there to stop them, who knows what Stephen and Derek would do? He shuddered just thinking about it.
Inside Kina's room, Stephen started to stir. He never stayed passed out for long. His eyes slowly opened, a low groan coming from him. Hangover headache.