Shaughn slid along the wall not really believing that she was doing this again. She turned and saw Hannibal behind her watching her back. Blade had gone in the front and Shaughn had no doubt that at any moment, familiars would begin to pour out of the back doors of the club. She reached the corner of the building and saw the back door of the club. She turned back and looked at Hannibal. He nodded and looked away from her. She frowned.

The entire ride back to the city Hannibal had avoided her looks and talking with her. He had instead focused on Zoe telling her that they would be back and reassuring her that she would be safe. When they had reached the new base camp he had gone in search of someone he could trust to watch over Zoe while Shaughn and Blade had gathered the weapons. Shaughn wondered if maybe he was angry at her for something.

"Hey," she asked him leaning closer to him.

"Yeah?" he asked turning and looking into her eyes.

"You with me here, Hannibal?"

Hannibal nodded, "I'm always with you, angel."

Shaughn looked at Hannibal and watched him as he walked around her and closer to the back door. She somehow doubted that he was anywhere close to being with her. They had never went hunting together; Shaughn had gone with Abby and by the time Hannibal had recovered enough, Shaughn had hit the road and moved on. She watched as he crept up to the back door. She wanted to believe that they would make this unstopped team but she wasn't so sure.

Blade kicked open the front door of the night club and walked right in a smile on his face. He clothes-lined the first familiar that tried to get away and slammed his foot down hard in the man's chest. He smiled down at the one on the floor under his foot. He was a little man that looked like he hadn't ever meant a meal he didn't love and eat. Blade looked up and watched as all the other familiars bolted for the back door realizing that they would never get past Blade. He reached down and grabbed Porky's shirt and yanked him up. It took some effort but finally the man was standing and looking into Blade's eyes.

"Now, are you going to tell me everything I want to know, or am I going to have to take my knife," Blade pulled his knife out from under his leather coat, "And cut you to see how many layers you have?"

Porky looked at the knife then back at Blade. He swallowed a large lump in his throat, "What do you want to know?"

Hannibal watched Shaughn move not quite believing that one girl, a human girl no less, could move so fast and so gracefully. She swung around and punched the familiars and kicked them. She pulled out her gun and shot a couple. He fought off his fair share as well. He tried very hard not to kill them only bruise them and maime them. He watched as Shaughn shoved another clip in her gun and literally aimed it at the familiars who had gotten away from them. She pulled the trigger and every one of the ten men fell in the back alley. She let the clip drop from the gun and replaced it with a new one again. She then bent down and picked up the almost empty clip. She shoved it in her back pocket. Hannibal felt himself aching for his old Shaughn back. Standing there and watching her kill and fight, he suddenly wished that he didn't have to see her do those things at all.

He shoved his own gun in his thigh holster and walked towards the back door. He heard Shaughn following him. He knew he was being unrealistic but just once he wished that things would end happily for them. He wanted to go back to the new camp and cuddle Zoe close to him with Shaughn and just forget that she had killed all those men. He wanted to forget that at one time he had been a familiar and she had saved him, not ended him. He frowned at the dark velvet interior of the club. He really wished that vampires would come to terms with the fact that it wasn't the seventies anymore and velvet was definitely not in. He spotted Blade over by the front door holding a man who would have made a wonderful stand in for Santa against the wall.

"Got anything?" Hannibal asked walking over to them quite surprised, and relieved that Porky was still alive.

"He was just explaining to me how much he wants to live and that he never wanted to be a familiar but his brother was one so he just thought he would join in," Blade answered pulling Porky away from the wall and then slamming him into it hard causing a crack in the drywall, "Which wasn't what I had asked him at all."

"Please, I was getting to what you wanted to know. I really was," Porky said sweat dripping from his face and falling on Blade's gloved hands.

"The why don't you get on with it before I decide to hurt you," Shaughn said stepping beside the man and pushing her gun against his cheek.

Hannibal frowned when the smell of urine drifted towards him. He looked down and saw that Porky had peed himself his once beige khakis now held a large wet spot on his crotch and down his right leg. Hannibal looked pointedly at Shaughn telling her with his eyes to put the gun away. He was all for threatening familiars if they were being dicks about giving up information. However, Porky was ready and willing to give them what they wanted, there was no further need to humiliate and intimidate him. Shaughn just looked back at him but didn't move the gun. Hannibal looked away from her wanting more than anything to just grab her and drag her back to her little house where she hadn't been as hard or as cold.

"Annicka is holding up in the same spot her mother held up in when they brought Drake back," the familiar said his eyes constantly moving behind Hannibal, Blade and Shaughn.

Shaughn looked at Blade and Hannibal, "You two know the place?" she asked.

Hannibal nodded, "Yes, I do. There's a nice cozy little room with chains on the floor. I spent some very memorable days there," he answered.

Shaughn looked at him. He didn't look at her. She sighed and looked back at the familiar. "Thank you for your cooperation."

"So you aren't going to-," he started.

Shaughn moved her gun higher against the familiar's temple. She pulled the trigger and the bullet ripped through his head. Blood sprayed over her. She wiped her gun on her shirt and then shoved it back in the holster. She turned and looked at Hannibal and Blade, "We need to head back to base camp and plan," she said.

Hannibal gave her a look of disbelief. She reached out to take his hand but he turned and walked away from her. She watched him go wishing she knew what to say or do to make him understand why she was doing what she was. He may think that she was being cold and ditched but it was the only way she knew how to be when she was hunting. It was the only way she could stay sane.

Hannibal tucked Zoe in bed. He stood back and watched her sleep in the cot and ran his hand over his face. He could hear Shaughn and the others still downstairs in the warehouse planning a motive of attack. He had read Zoe three books before she had finally fallen asleep. She had been asking for Shaughn. She had wanted Shaughn to read to her and say goodnight. Too bad Shaughn had been too busy being warrior woman.

"Fuck this," Hannibal muttered turning and leaving Zoe in the room. He walked down the hall and to the spiral staircase at the end. He took the stairs quickly. He needed to have a chat with his angel. The damn attack plans could wait.

Shaughn sat on a stool and looked at the projected building plans on the far wall of the conference room. Brody, the new computer genius of the Nightstalkers had managed to hack into the city records and found the plans. Shaughn frowned as he explained all the security measures that the building had been built with and all the extra permits that Danica and the vampires had added.

"Suddenly attacking the building directly doesn't seem so smart," Rufus said sitting back in a chair his shotgun resting across his lap. He was a very serious man and hardly ever spoken. He just said what he thought needed to be said and then would remain silent and let the others figure out what to do.

"Abby," Shaughn said hating the ache in her chest that came every time she thought about her sister, "and Blade broke into the building last time. They took on all the vampires inside," she added hearing the room go quiet around her.

"They updated the security again after that," Brody said clicking on the computer. The screen changed and on the far wall was now a display of the lasted security system the vampires had installed.

"Heat detectors? Are they serious?" Gwen asked tossing her bright red hair over her shoulder.

"They have them-," Brody started.

He didn't finish. The door to the room was shoved open and hit the wall hard. Hannibal walked into the room. His eyes found Shaughn's instantly. He walked over to her and stood in front of her. He looked around the room and the new, younger group of hunters. They all seemed in awe of him sometimes.

"I need to have a talk with our fearless leader here. How about we wrap this up for tonight?" he said looking at Brody especially. The young geek looked at him. Hannibal gave him a hard look and suddenly the kid was scurrying around shutting down his projector and computer.

"Brody, we aren't done," Shaughn said standing up in front of Hannibal. She glared at him, "We can talk after. I have a meeting to finish."

"I was scared it would come to this," Hannibal looked around the room at the Nightstalkers, "You'll need to excuse the Mrs and I. We're still trying to remember what it's like to be a couple again. Now I am going to take her," Hannibal said grabbing Shaughn and swinging her up and over his shoulder. He felt her hit his back but he didn't care. He looked at the group again, "and go and talk this out. Meeting adjourned," he finished turning and leaving the room.

"King, put me down! Right now!" Shaughn yelled as Hannibal carried her out into the warehouse.

"Sorry, angel but we are going to have this conversation whether you like it or not."

Hannibal walked past Blade. The man looked up and looked at him. He then actually smiled, "Need some help?" he asked.

"Yeah. Try and make sure no one disturbs us," Hannibal answered walking up another staircase on the far wall. It lead to the old executive offices that were now turned into a couple of rooms. Guest rooms Hannibal thought that Gwen had called them. They had been given to Blade, Shaughn and him.

"Thanks a lot, Blade!" Shaughn yelled watching as the half breed just turned and walked towards the spiral staircase. Shaughn had a feeling that Blade would spend the night watching over Zoe. Shaughn wished she could have had that option instead of being manhandled by Hannibal.

Hannibal carried Shaughn into their room and placed her on her feet. He slammed the door behind him and looked at her. Neither of them were leaving this room until they had said everything that needed to be said.