FLASHBACK

"You know you love me..come on.." Mike teased. Vicki giggled at him, ignoring him as he walked around naked in the bedroom acting like a love-sick teenager. Finally plopping onto the bed causing Vicki to pop off the bed about two inches, he smiled dreamily, cupped her face and kissed her softly.

"Come on Vicki, we've been together for six months and you haven't said it yet. I've been patient.." Mike was suddenly serious. He knew that Vicki Nelson rarely had a relationship that lasted beyond a month much less six. He'd chased her around at the academy trying diligently to get her attention. What Mike didn't realize was the he had gotten her attention on the very first day, she just wasn't about to reveal that to him. In her own time, that's how Vicki liked things. Mike rolled over on his side exposing his finely made body for her. Vicki's eyes travelled down then back up.

"Well, there is something I do so love about you," she finally said with a sly grin. Mike's body responded to her innuendo immediately satisfying Vicki's need to be in control.

"Yeah..that would be it," she said as she kissed him playfully. Getting up off of the bed, she still never said I love you to him. It would be another month before she finally told him with that day being forever ingrained in his mind. After another wonderful round of lovemaking, Mike leaned over and with a kiss said I love you.

"I love you too," Vicki said softly. Mike froze, blinked and let it sink in that she had finally recriprocated.

"You love me?" Mike asked as he pointed to his bare chest. He wanted to be absolutely sure that's what he heard.

"Yeah..that's what I said didn't I?" Vicki said in her very Vicki'sh sort of way.

"Yeah..you did.." Mike grinned.

"And, just so you know..I don't say that without really giving it alot of thought. When I say it, I mean it," Vicki had to have the last word. Mike just nodded as he left to shower before having to return to his apartment. When their relationship had ended, on Vicki's terms of course, she told Mike she would always love him but would never be in love with him again. Mike had been heartbroken but Vicki told him he would always be her best friend and confindante, no matter what may come.

PRESENT DAY

Standing here now before her in the vampire's living room in the state he was in could have a major impact on that so called best friend issue.

"Mike..what the fuck have you done? Where's Henry?" Vicki's eyes were intense, full of rage.

"Vicki, look..I..Henry..he wasn't for you okay? What could he give you?" Mike tried to plead his case.

"A helluva lot more than you ever thought about, Mike."

"Really? So you'd rather fuck a vampire and let him suck your blood, feed off little snacks here and there and have no life at all, is that it? You'd rather be with a monster than a man?" Mike had taken a bold step toward Vicki.

"You don't want to go there, Mike. Really," Vicki's breathing was shallow, her pulse raced and all she wanted to do was get into Henry's bedroom. That seemed ironic to Vicki momentarily as all she had done over the past couple of years was try her best to avoid that area.

"I don't huh? " Mike stepped closer still. Vicki knew deep down he wouldn't hurt her but she wasn't so confident that he wasn't having some kind of nervous breakdown either. Being a cop, Vicki knew all to well these things could happen to anyone at anytime.

"What's the difference Vicki? What was it with him?" Mike pleaded once more, his eyes carrying a look of defeat in them.

"Acceptance, not trying to change me and accepting me for who I am, Mike. Oh..wait..you could blackmail into to changing me I suppose," Vicki said with a smart-ass grin and a tilt of her head. Mike's face blanched when Vicki said the word 'blackmail' wondering how she could or if she did know. The stake and hammer hit the floor beside him as he backed away knowing that things were terribly wrong and he had just made them worse by just being there.

"You came here to kill him didn't you?" Vicki hissed at Mike, bucking him with her small frame. Mike backed away, not in fear but in shame.

"Yes, I did but I couldn't do it. I just couldn't," Mike shook his head.

"Why?" she asked.

"I don't know, I really don't. I wanted to, still do. He's a monster, can't you see that?" Mike said shaking his finger in the direction of Henry's room.

"Really Mike. He's the monster," she glanced down at the stake and hammer lying on the floor and bending, she picked them up.

"I think this might just put you in the top position for that, dontcha think?" Vicki shoved them into Mike's chest knocking the breath out of him as he fumbled them around. Vicki shoved past him and nearly ran into Henry's room, carefully opening the door and shutting it right behind her to keep the light from coming in. Mike snuck in and saw Vicki staring at a dead but not dead Henry, unharmed but still dead to the world for another few hours.

"Vicki, let me explain.." Mike said quietly. He had slipped into the room without Vicki's knowledge. Whipping around, if looks could kill Mike would be more dead than Henry.

"Explain? Explain what Mike? That you've lost your damn mind? You tried blackmailing Henry with..." Vicki was animated her hands flying everywhere as she let loose, "I...I don't know what but I'm sure as hell gonna find out. You come in here and try to kill him? When did you become a vengeful coward Mike because that's what this is."

Mike could not figure out how Vicki had found out about the blackmail. Who had told her? He and Henry were the only to privy to their arrangement.

Suddenly remembering, he must have said "Kate" out loud because Vicki said, 'yeah that's who told me' back to him. She was still staring at Henry when Mike tried to apologize.

"Vicki, sorry would never be enough, I realize that but you have to understand my point of view," Vicki put her hand up waving his offer of apology off.

"It would be best if you left right now. I can't look at you, much less speak to you right now," Vicki said never turning back to look at Mike. She heard Henry's door close behind her, letting out a deep, ragged breath as it clicked.

She sat on the bed, put her hand on his bare chest and let the tears begin to fall. Being dead, he wouldn't know so it was okay for now. Only she saw and felt the emotions she was letting flow freely from her.

Wiping her tears with the back of her sleeve, Vicki whispered to Henry, "We will talk, I promise."

Mike had been listening at the door.

Hanging his head and heading for the door, Mike mumbled, "I'm fucked..."