Sorry the last chapter sucked!! I didn't like it either - wasn't happy with it! Hopefully this one is better!

Chapter Twenty One

"Henry?" I started, stepping into his library where he was sat reading something.

"Mmm?" he asked, absorbed in the book.

I wrapped my arms around his neck from behind the chair and kissed his temple. "Do you…have, Dr Sagara's phone number?" I asked warily.

"Umm, yeah," he shifted his head to look at me in surprise as I circled his chair and sat on the arm. "Why…do you want it?" he asked guardedly, moving his book aside and pulled me to sit on his lap.

"Oh, she told me she had some lovely old photos of you. And I thought we could exchange stories too," I teased and laughed at him as his eyes opened wide in alarm. "I'm kidding," I slapped his chest playfully. "Just…when we went to see her the other week, she mentioned she might know someone who could help me learn to control my visions, and…I thought maybe I'd see what they had to say," I explained as I fiddled with the cross he wore around his neck.

He looked down at what I was doing. "Have you been having any weird visions or dreams again?" he instantly worried.

"No…not really, but I would like to be able to control them. Maybe they'd be more use then or at least make more sense to me."

"Well, yeah, sure, I have her number if that's what you want and you think it will help. It's on my cell phone," he added, wrapping his arms around me and tugging me closer for a kiss. His lips touched mine briefly, before pulling back, gazing into my eyes and then kissing me longer, deeper.

I almost lost myself in him, in his kiss, before I remembered what he was supposed to be doing - he was always able to sway me into his desires with a mere touch, a kiss, a look, and he knew it! "Mmm…Henry," I mumbled, my hand on his shoulder, vainly trying to push him back.

"Mmm?" he murmured in reply, amusement evident in his voice, before going in for another kiss.

I used both hands on his shoulders this time. "Henry, the number?" I reminded him.

He sighed then and sat back in the chair, the smile faded on his lips as he let me go before slipping me off his lap and standing up to go find it.

"Who were you speaking to?" Henry asked as I hung up my new phone. Since I intended to live in Toronto now, and people needed to get in touch with me, it seemed a sensible idea for me to get my own mobile phone. So I had a brand new, though cheap, prepaid handset.

"Dr Sagara," I answered him, knowing he could have heard the conversation if he'd wanted to. I returned to my laptop that was set up on his desk, seeing as he wasn't using it.

"She wanted to speak to you?" he queried, before sliding the paintbrush between his teeth, folding his arms and stepping back to scrutinise his own painting that he had been working on for the last couple of nights.

"Yes, she wants me to meet in her office tomorrow afternoon. The woman she knows, think she said her name was Cassandra, to help me with my visions is coming over, so thought we should meet and set up some, erm…sessions," I explained, wiggling the mouse to turn off the screensaver on the laptop again and scrolling down to where I'd been before the call.

Henry nodded then. "Oh, right," he muttered, pulling the paint brush from his mouth and dabbing a spot of paint to his work.

"I thought I could go for lunch with Vicki, then head over there….and maybe you could pick me up when I'm done? It will probably be dark by then, and…." I trailed off, even though I was much better now and didn't mind being out alone during daylight, when night struck, I was still wary after my attack in the nightclub some weeks ago.

"Sure, I'll come get you. Just leave me a message to let me know you're done." He stood back to study his painting some more.

"Thank you," I smiled, and attempted to begin editing my work and correcting typing errors.

That soon became boring though and I found myself sat motionless, with my fingers on the keys and gazing at Henry more and more often. I loved to watch him paint or draw - he was so passionate about it and when he was really into a particular piece, he'd become a vamped out frenzy. Right now there seemed to be something he was frustrated with, something that wasn't right. He'd paint a little, then stand back to see the effect, shake his head and return to the painting, and I smiled to myself - whatever masterpiece he was creating, it must have been special.

Saving my document again, I slipped from the chair and slowly crept up behind Henry.

"You do know that you can't possibly creep up on me, don't you?" he asked, his back to me as he retouched his painting again.

"You could let a girl pretend she could though," I scowled at his back. "What are you painting anyway?" I tried to peer over his shoulder, when suddenly he caught me around the waist and spun me around, away from his work.

"Nothing for you to see," he laughed at the surprised expression on my face.

"Oh, come on…you've been working on this the past two nights, let me see?" I requested. He shook his head. "Is it of me?" I wondered if that was the reason for his reluctance.

"No," he replied, silencing me with a kiss.

Distracted for the moment, his hold on me relaxed as the kiss intensified and he held me more lovingly, rather than vicelike. So it was easy for me to break off the kiss, escape his hold and dart under his arm towards the painting.

"It's a woman," I stated the obvious.

Henry sighed and ran his hand over his face, before turning to face me. "Yes," he nodded.

"Should I be jealous?" I wondered. Why on earth was he being so cagey about this? "Is she an…old lover?" I asked hesitantly, wondering whether or not I really wanted to know the answer.

"You…could say that, a very old lover," he replied, picking up his painting palette again.

"It's Christina," I realised with a slight shock. "The one who turned you?" I turned to face him.

"Yes," he whispered.

"Why…are you, painting her portrait? I mean…I thought, from what Vicki said about the last time she showed up, that you'd been able to put her to rest." I frowned and folded my arms, feeling a little defensive here.

He shrugged. "Habit?" he offered as a reason. "I've been doing it every year since she left me..." he faded off.

"And you keep them all?" I mused out loud. Where on earth could someone store 470 paintings, apart from a museum or gallery?

"They're…around, in various places," he replied nonchalantly, attempting to fix the eye on his painting that was causing him much frustration.

"Won't it go right?" I asked, tilting my head to the side as I watched him.

He sighed deeply. "I just…I can't capture her eyes, the love I once saw in them anymore." he put down the paintbrush again.

"Well, you ever thought that might be because it's not there anymore? Maybe the last time you saw her, you saw her for what she really was? Manipulative? Possessive? A complete bitch?" I suggested, fearing I might be over stepping the line here.

He turned back to me, tilted his head slightly and screwed his mouth up in discernment. "Maybe you're right," he gave a slight shrug.

"Do you…you know, ever regret letting her turn you? Giving up your human life for her?" I wondered, finally daring to ask some questions about her, since we were on the subject.

"No," he answered instantly.

"Not even the loss of your…humanity, simple things like having a family? Growing old with someone?" I took a step closer to him and lay my hand on his arm.

"If Christina had never turned me, I would have died hundreds of years ago….and then," he turned his head and smiled at me, "I would never have met you."

I chuckled. "Oh, you're so smooth Lord Fitzroy," I rolled my eyes and tapped the end of his nose.

"And you know you love it!" he grinned back, dabbing the end of my nose with his paintbrush.

"Hey!" I complained, wiping my nose. "You're such a brat….prince!"

"A brat?" his eyes widened.

"Uh huh," I nodded.

"We'll see about that!" He made a lunge for me as I squealed and darted away. He chased after me, into the bedroom where he picked me up, spun me around and tossed me onto the bed as if I was but a mere doll.

I lay in the middle of his bed, stunned for a moment and catching my breath as he climbed over me, crawling upwards. "Still think I'm a brat?" he asked, his lips curled into a smirk.

I couldn't help it, I tried to stifle a giggle, but I nodded.

"Then you shall be punished, for I am of nobility," he began in a mock stern voice - the smirk on his face giving him away as he straddled me. "I am the Kings son…and you will not call me a brat. Now….take your punishment," and he began to tickle me.

"Argh!" I screamed and squirmed under him. "Henry….noooo….stop," I tried fighting off his hands, but it was no use - he was far too quick for me. "Hen…ry!" I screamed, "please….stop…" I gasped amidst uncontrollable giggles. "I hate….being…tickled," I told him, and then realised that was a mistake when the tickling increased. "No! Henry! Stop…ahhhh!!….please?" I panted.

"You apologise?" he stopped, and leaned down into my face, his nose touching mine, his lips close.

I nodded. "You're not a brat," I panted. "You're a complete royal bastard!"

"That's my name," he grinned, before his lips pressed against mine and he was kissing me in earnest.

I began to relax under him as my hands came up to curl around his neck and pull him into the kiss deeper, fingertips playing with soft tendrils of brown curls. I barely even noticed his hand snaking down my side, until he suddenly thrust it down my jeans and into my panties in one smooth movement.

"Henry!" I shrieked, my body convulsing in surprise of the abrupt intrusion.

"What?" he smirked down at me.

"You know damn well whaaaht…" I moaned the ending of the word as he moved his finger deliciously against me and I threw my head back into the pillows.

"Sorry, what was that?" he asked, a rather smug looking grin on his lips.

My legs parted of their own accord, allowing him further access as he began to explore me, easily sliding through the moist flesh as my body pooled against his touch already. "Ohhh…" I moaned in answer, grasping his hand and urging him to where I needed him.

He leant down and kissed me as his finger slipped inside me, and then another.

"Oh…God…." I hissed, closing my eyes. He began a rocking movement with his hand as he kissed me and toyed with the hard nub of my sex. "Henry…no…stop….no, no, don't stop….Oh God…more…I need more," I gasped, not sure what I wanted or needed. This was sweet torture.

He kissed my lips fleetingly, before he pulled back and a light breeze blew against me and rustled the sheets. When I opened my eyes again I realised he was naked and willing and undressing me hastily. Within moments he was knelt between my legs, teasing me with the tip of his hardness against my wet opening.

"Henry…please," I begged him, slipping my hand between us and trying to grasp him to complete the union.

"Patience my love," he whispered, slapping my hand away and continuing to arouse me to a point where I thought I might burst.

"Please…I need more…I need you, now," I hissed urgently.

He lowered his head and nipped at my breasts, running his tongue across a nipple and lowering his body towards mine slowly, teasingly. And then, he entered me quite suddenly. "Is that what you want?" He whispered against my ear.

"Oh…yes…yes…" I moaned, having reached a peak upon the point of entry, having been aroused far too well.

He held still, letting my body calm itself, before he moved within me. Sliding in and out, smoothly, going seemingly deeper and deeper each time as my body gripped him greedily, causing intense friction between us, sending us both to that peak again. I knew I wouldn't last long, he'd managed to work my body into such a frenzy in such a short space of time.

He sensed it to, could smell my passion, my desire for him, could hear the sound of my heart pulsing rapidly, sending blood coursing throughout my body, drawing more oxygen in as I panted and moaned and sighed under him.

Lacing his fingers through mine, holding my hands out, and with his head already buried in my neck, nuzzling against me, he held off until the exact moment. And seconds before another climax crashed within me, he sank his fangs into the vein on my neck, allowing the blood to burst free and gush over his tongue - the hot, coppery taste flowing down his throat - feeding my lover. Upon his bite, my orgasm crashed around him, squeezing him further and stimulating his own climax as his infertile seed spilled inside of me.

"Wow," I gasped, lying on my back beside him and breathing heavily.

Henry leaned over me, propped up on his elbow, the look on his face being that of someone extremely pleased with himself. "You okay?" his voice rumbled gently whilst lighting tracing the slowly fading puncture wounds on my neck with his finger.

"Mmm," I sighed dreamily and closed my eyes as I stretched upon the satin sheets.

"Good," he lowered his head and kissed my lips softly and rolled onto his back, pulling me with him so as my body nestled against his.

"You know…" I began, fingers lazily toying with the light dusting of hair on his chest. "If I'd known what teasing and calling you silly names did before, I might have done it sooner," I giggled.

"Really?" he asked wide eyed.

"Uh huh," I nodded before lying my head down on his chest. "It was most…enjoyable," I yawned and closed my eyes, before nodding off on him, curled up naked together on his bed and took a little nap after our exertions whilst Henry simply held me.

"Hey you," I climbed into Henry's car and leant across to kiss him as I closed the door.

"Things go alright?" he asked, waiting for me to fasten my seatbelt before we set off.

"Uh huh," I nodded. "Cassandra seems nice. She's basically just teaching me some visualisation techniques for now, which should help in reading my visions. As well as relaxation and listening to my mind." I told him.

"Think you could teach some of that to Vicki?" he laughed and I joined in with the joke.

"Betty sends her love," I told him as he pulled out onto the street.

"She did?" he glanced back and cocked his eyebrow.

"Yes. She's actually a really sweet lady." I confessed.

He nodded and smiled knowingly. "So, are you hungry?" he asked.

"I am. Are you?" I wondered.

"I already ate," he grimaced.

"Oh…maybe…you might be up for a late night snack later?" I teased.

"Maybe," he grinned. "So, we'll go get you some dinner, and then Vicki wants me to swing by. She called before I left and wants to talk to me about something," he added with a sigh, hoping she didn't have some huge case she needed help with.

"Okay," I agreed with a nod, hoping the same thing as I reached for the stereo, turning on some music.

"And maybe then we'll see about that late night snack you offered," the grin was back and the naughty twinkle evident in his eyes as I smirked to myself and relaxed back in my seat.

"Well, you took your time!" Vick complained as Henry strolled into the office.

"You never said it was an emergency, and I told you I had things to do first." Henry replied casually.

"Fine, at least you're here now!" she snapped and slammed shut the book she had been looking through.

"So, what is so important?" Henry coiled himself into one of the chairs at her desk.

"Okay…I know I'm probably going mad." Henry made no comment, but pulled a face all the same. "So this afternoon, out on the street, I swear someone was watching the office, and then…"

"Hey Vic," I grinned, stuffing my face with french fries from my Mcdonalds take out as I sauntered into the office, having stopped off to speak to Coreen.

Vicki stopped short and eyed me warily, flashing a nervous glance towards Henry and back to me. None of which I missed.

"Oh, don't mind me," I held up one hand, the other holding onto my bag of food. "I can tell when I'm not wanted, I shall just go out here and find some clean clothes to take back." I smiled and slipped through the doors to her private area to the room I had been staying in.

Vicki sighed and after a moment I heard her continue her conversation with Henry, though it was somewhat muffled now.

I stuffed a bag with clean clothes, making a mental note to come back tomorrow to do some laundry, and then having finished my food, I took my rubbish to the kitchen and grabbed a drink before heading back to the office.

"What do you mean she followed her?" I heard Henry bellow on my way back..

"Well…that's how it looked. Cat left, and seconds later, the woman headed off in the same direction. Maybe it was just a coincidence?" Vicki suggested, knowing it was a long shot.

I hovered outside of the office door, wondering what was going on. Neither of them paid me any attention yet - both too involved in their conversation. Henry was gazing out of the window, looking down on the street.

"But she waited out here until Cat left?" Henry recapped.

Vicki nodded.

"I can't sense anything now, too many other bodies have been by, her scent has faded. Why didn't you tell me this before?" he whirled around and caught sight of me.

"What's going on?" I asked them, heading into the office now that I had been discovered and looking from one to the other. It didn't take a scholar to realise it had something to do with me.

Henry sighed and indicated for me to sit down. "Vicki thinks you may have a stalker," he explained, sounding tired.

"A stalker?" I asked, incredulous. "Why?"

Vicki shrugged. "We don't know. But…there's more," she grimaced, knowing Henry was not going to be pleased.

"More?" he asked, eyes wide and threatening.

"Yeah, well…I think someone has been in the office, someone uninvited that is." She cringed, waiting for the wrath of Henry and the lectures.

"What makes you think that?" he asked, moving away from the window and leaning on her desk.

"Well, that photo I had on the pinboard," she waved behind her towards the item in question. "You know, that one you gave me, that was taken of you two together at that fancy theatre thing you went to?" She asked me and I nodded. "It's gone. Coreen swears she hasn't touched it, and we both searched - it's not fallen off, so…"

"But why would someone want to break in and only take that?" I mused out loud.

"People do all manner of weird things, nothing much surprises me these days." Vicki sighed.

"That's it," Henry announced rather loudly, making me jump as he turned to face me. "You're not going anywhere by yourself until we sort this, alright?" he asked, pointing a finger in my face.

I was tempted to bite that damn finger of his. "But…I…"

"No," he cut me off abruptly, his expression deeply serious. "If you do have to go out before I wake, you take a cab straight there. And when you go see Sagara, wait in her office with her until I pick you up. Alright?"

"Fine," I held up my hands in surrender. "Of course father!" I muttered under my breath.

"It's to keep you safe!" he scolded me.

"I know, I know. I'm sorry." I rolled my eyes, thinking he was being a touch too melodramatic here.

"And you had better be careful too," he warned Vicki. "Get the locks changed or something. Keep an eye out and let me know if anything else strange happens. I can watch the place at night if you want me to? And Coreen should be warned."

"About what?" she asked, almost skipping into the office, handing Vicki the reports she'd just finished typing up and printing out.

"We might have a stalker," Vicki told her quietly, being much calmer about this than Henry was.

"Oh, you mean that weirdo out on the street today? Yeah, I noticed her looking up here, she left when Cat did though."

"Exactly! So, no one goes out alone and everyone keeps an eye out for this woman," Henry repeated his warnings to us.

"Okay Henry, we get it!" Vicki rolled her eyes, beginning to wish she'd never told him. Maybe it had just been a coincidence. Maybe it was just a one off or a loony who was lost or simply wasting some time or they had the wrong person. Maybe there had been no point in getting Henry involved and worked up about it.

"Fine, if you're not going to take this as a serious risk, then don't listen to me. Go ahead and do what you like, ignore my advice. You always do!" he snapped and was about to storm out of the office.

"Hey, hey," I stood and placed a hand on his chest and the other rubbing up and down his arm, hoping to placate him as I spoke softly. "We get it Henry, and we'll listen, we'll all be really careful, right?" I eyed the other two.

Coreen nodded, and then Vicki did also, albeit rather reluctantly.

"And we'll even look both ways before crossing the road," she quipped.

Henry growled and I shot her a filthy look. Couldn't she see I was trying to calm the irate vampire down?

"Henry, really…we'll be careful. The only place I'll go without you is to see Dr Sagara…and I'll do everything you said, get a cab right to the door and wait for you. I promise," I patted his chest lightly. "I know you're only trying to look out for us because you care, so…we'll follow your advice and we'll all keep an eye out and be careful, okay?" I looked up at him, relieved to see his human eyes, rather than his vampire traits and smiled. "Promise," I repeated in a soft whisper.

He offered me the briefest smile, lifted my hand from his chest and kissed the back of it. "Let me know if you see this person again. I can be here in moments if needs be," he informed Vicki, and then he slowly left the office.

"Wow!" Coreen gasped in awe. "Did you see the way she handled him?" she asked Vicki. "And you thought you once had that vampire wrapped around your little finger," she chuckled.

Vicki rolled her eyes. "You're far too soft with him," she grumbled at me and returned to her desk, picking up the book she had been reading previously.

I stuck my tongue out at her, she was just jealous that I could control him, when she only riled him further. "I'd best go join him anyway. Erm…see you guys tomorrow?" I asked, picking up the bag of clean clothes and heading for the door.

"Yeah, so long as you ask the little vampire's permission!" Vicki scoffed, not even looking up from her book.

I flipped her the finger, Coreen giggled and I left to find Henry.

He was stood outside on the pavement, leaning against the hood of his car with his arms folded. I suppose it should have irked me that he assumed I would follow him, but it didn't. Behaving like the gentleman he'd been up brought up as, he moved towards me and took the bag from me.

"Thanks," I smiled.

He returned the smile with a slight nod of his head, and was about to toss the bag onto the back seat, when suddenly he snarled, his head shot up and he whirled around. His eyes darted back and forth up and down the street.

"What is it?" I asked him, concerned.

"I thought I heard something," he told me, his human façade having faded away.

I looked up and down the street too and saw nothing but a cat crossing some feet away. "I don't see anything," I shrugged, though I knew they could be hiding and Henry could have still heard them.

"Whatever it was has gone," he told me after a couple of minutes and his human side took control once more.

"Come on," I took the bag back from him, tossed it onto the back seat and slammed the door, turning to lean back on it. Grabbing hold of the lapels of his jacket, I pulled him towards me. "Let's go back to your place, I believe I promised someone a late night snack?" I teased and flashed my eyebrows at him.

He pressed his body again mine, his hand cupping my head. "I do believe you did," he smirked before he placed a kiss on my lips. As we parted, I glanced up and caught Coreen watching us out of the office window. I laughed and nodded my head towards her, Henry looked up, just before she jumped back out of sight. "Let's go," he laughed as we climbed into the car and made our way back to his condo.

Only 4 more chapters to go of this one...the drama heats up a little more next chapter!!

xC