Part 13: First Strike

We can't chose who we love, if we could most of us would gladly chose another person, but our hearts will have none of that. Love engulfs even the most frugal man and ignites even the most frigid woman. Love is the force that binds families and friends together and at the same time has the power to tear them apart. I wish I had known how frustrating and unpredictable love was before I went and fell in love with an unobtainable woman.

Josef glared at the white and silver invitation in his cold undead hands wishing it would burst into flames. He was going to kill his PR rep. for this. He knew she was a heartless bitch but that was why he hired her but this was going too far.

"Josef?" The throaty voice of Simone asked as she entered his office. He could hear the rapid beating of her heart and knew that his expression had her terrified.

"What?" He growled tearing his eyes away from the invitation from hell.

"I ah what is wrong?" She asked bravely.

"It seems Carmen has it out for me." He growled.

"How so?" Simone asked glancing at the pristine white invitation on his desk knowing exactly what it was; after all it was why she had decided to make an appearance at his office.

"She thought it would be a good idea for me to host a charity benefit. Apparently it would look good if a bunch of rich CEO's got together in a time of tough economic troubles and gave something back." Josef said bitterness seeping from his words.

"Well it would be good for the investors. They would love a chance to get together with you and kiss up to you. Besides the invitations are already out you have to go through with this." She said smiling brightly at him. "What you need is a hot date for the event to make you feel better."

Josef grabbed the light on his desk and threw it at the wall taking comfort in the shattering glass. "Right now I need a date." He grumbled.

Simone smiled and perked up scooting closer to her boss. "Well you know…"

Josef turned away from her and grabbed his phone off the cradle. "Hey sweetie." He said a large smile spreading across his face. "Sorry for waking you from your freezer time." He said. "Listen I am hosting a charity ball this week and I was wondering if you would do me the honor of being my date?" He asked not seeing Simone's face go from sultry to sour in seconds flat.

"Great." He said. "Go back to sleep baby I will see you tonight." He said putting the phone back on the hook. "Alright I feel better, I got the hottest date there is." He said looking very proud of himself.

"Who are you taking?" She asked trying not to sound bitter and jealous.

"Oh my girlfriend Elise, no wait she goes by Liz now. Have to remember that." He mumbled.

"Is she new?" She asked.

Josef looked at her debating if he should answer her or not. "No." and he left it at that moving back to his work. Simone sighed and took that as a get out of my office now cue. She did not like the sound of this Liz.

Mick's Apartment

The crisp air of the freezer felt amazing and he did not want to get up, but he knew it was feeding time if the things poking him in his lip were any indication. Lifting the lip with a hiss as the cool air escaped he sat up and shook off the ice crystals heading into his bathroom for a quick cold shower and then a meal.

He knew Beth was working on a new story for her boss and he planned on meeting up with her at the Wilson house, the scene of LA's latest murdered actress. From the looks of the outside he was there before Beth. Leaning against his car Mick waited the stench of death filling his sensitive nose.

"Quite the smell huh?" A deep throaty voice asked from behind him. Mick froze a spider feeling creeping up his back, Vampire.

Mick whipped around and came face to face with a tall tan vampire, or well tan for someone dead. "Who are you?" Mick growled.

"Careful Mick St. John. Take that tone with too many people and it might get you in trouble." The vampire laughed, a slightly high hysterical laugh. It sounded oddly like…

"Who are you?" Mick growled his hackles rising he knew that laugh better than anyone's.

"My we are impatient, but if you are unwilling to play so be it." The vampire laughed his fangs making the air hiss out of his mouth. "I am Nicholas. You probably know me as Nico." He said his blue eyes glaring at the younger vampire.

Mick ran the name through his head trying to figure out why the hell is sounded so familiar when it hit him. "No." He growled his eyes instantly changing. "Coraline's brother."

"Very good." He growled circling around the younger vampire. "Here my sister Elise told me you were slow." The amused expression immediately left Nicholas's face as a snarled ripped from his lips. "You took something I care deeply about from me." He snapped.

"What?"

"My sister. She has not been the same since you rejected her since you tried to kill her." He snarled moving closer to the younger vampire. "So my brothers and I decided to take something from you." Nicholas hissed reaching into his jacket faster than Mick could move and pulled out a lock of blonde hair. "Remember this Mick St. John. You might be my sister's favorite but I have no such ties to you." He said dropping the hair at Mick's feet. "Happy hunting. I hope you can get to her before HE does."

Mick felt as if someone had hit him with a stake in the chest he couldn't move. The hair, he knew that hair and that scent that was clinging to it. "Beth." He groaned this couldn't be happening.

Roswell New Mexico.

Max rubbed his tired eyes as he made his way to the CrashDown. The restaurant did not feel the same now that the Parker's no longer owned it. Okay so they still owned it for the next month while the legalities were being taken care of but Jeff had given Amy free reign and she was now running the place.

"Hey Max." Amy greeted and he gave her a small smile.

"Hi Amy. Is Maria around?" He asked and she nodded pointing to the backroom.

"You okay hun?" Amy asked grabbing onto his arm her mother face on. Max gave her another weak smile and nodded.

"Yeah just missing Liz." He said and Amy nodded giving him a sympathetic smile.

"You and Maria both. The way that girl has been acting you would think Liz died or something." Amy said slapping a hand to her mouth her eyes widening. "Oh that was insensitive of me." She whispered her eyes tearing up. "Of course she is worried about Liz after what happened to Alex she just does not want to lose another friend." Amy said. "Go on Max go see if you can cheer her up, Michael and Kyle are back there with her."

Max went through the door and saw the three in a heated whisper match, Maria with puffy eyes. "Hey guys." He mumbled shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Hey Max." They grumbled, it was obvious that they were not thrilled that he was there.

"So what are you all doing…" Max's phone started to vibrate in his pocket and he hastily pulled it out praying that it was Liz calling "Hello?" He asked.

"I think I have a lead on where your son is." A familiar disgruntled voice rang through the phone.

Max stopped breathing his eyes widening. "Kal?" He asked his panicked expression gaining the attention of the room.

"Yes." He snapped. "Now listen I don't have much time. Come to LA and bring the others you are going to need your second and sister for this to work, but if my theory is correct the royal brat will be back in your lap by day's end." Kal said.

"I am on my way." Max said hanging up.

"Max?" Maria asked looking worried.

"I need to go to LA again; Kal thinks he found a way to get my son back." Max whispered his face a wash of shock.

"That's great Max." Maria said trying to give him a small smile.

"There is just a small snag." Max mumbled.

"What?" Kyle asked rolling his eyes.

"I need Michael and Isabel for this and I don't want to leave the two of you behind." He said looking at Kyle and Maria.

Michael did not know if he should be angry or happy that Max was automatically assuming that he was going to go along with this plan. On the one hand he was happy that he was going to get to meet a protector but on the other he was not too sure about this, something did not sound right.

"Fine." Michael said and Maria and Kyle reluctantly nodded.

"Great I have to go and tell Isabel." He said racing away. Michael let out a deep sigh running a hand through his long messy hair.

"Just great Maxwell, now all we have to do is make sure Max does not accidently run into Liz and Alex while he is in LA." Michael grunted.

The City of Angels

She loved the feel of the cold on her skin it always made everything better. She cuddled closer to the solid wall and froze, it was not a wall. She cracked one brown eye open and then the other and saw his large pale form there motionless, lifeless. She would have let out a startled gasp if she wasn't so afraid. He looked beautiful sleeping there dead to the world, the calming peaceful sleep of the young.

"You know staring at me while I sleep is not a turn on." His voice startled her making her let out a small yip. This seemed to amuse him as a loud laugh bounced off the walls of the freezer.

"I ah…"

"You were probably disoriented." He said finally opening his eyes. "A night after a day of sex with me tends to have that affect on the ladies." He laughed making her pout, he was making fun of her and she did not like it.

"I was not disoriented." She grumbled pushing the lip up letting the air rush away.

"Sure, sure." He laughed.

"I wasn't." She hissed.

"Okay." He said grinning at her as he reached for his pants, handing her the dress she had on the night before.

"Thanks." She mumbled surprised that he was actually being nice to her. Most of the men she knew when they were done with her they usually told her to get out.

"Welcome. Now come on I am starving and Roxy will kill me if I go on a rampage." He chuckled cracking a small smile on her face.

"Sounds good actually." She reluctantly admitted still unsure of his nice attitude.

"Come on Coraline get a move on it's not like I am going to bite you." He laughed "Well unless you ask me to." He chuckled. That really did make her smile.

"I'm coming Alex."