Chapter 25

"Dad, what's wrong?"

They were sitting at the breakfast bar. Rick was looking down at his coffee, deep in thought, and his silence was very noticeable.

"Nothing," Rick said absently. Alexis gave him a look.

"Is it to do with Kate? Is everything okay?"

"It's not Kate, I mean… Things are good between us. Really good. It's just…" he trailed off, unable to tell her exactly what he was thinking.

"I know there's something you're not telling me about her," Alexis said. "And it's okay, I don't want to know. I like her, I trust you, and if you're keeping a secret from me there must be a really good reason. So it's not a problem, just as long as you're happy. But you don't look happy, dad."

"I am happy. I mean… I guess I just have a big decision to make, or Kate and I do, together, but she's already made up her mind. I don't know whether I think the same as her or not, but it's just the way she's decided without me. And there are lots of reasons for me to disagree with her."

"Well…" Alexis sighed. "I don't really know what to suggest, only that if you care about each other you should be able to talk about it."

"We have talked about it."

"If you're not happy, you need to talk about it more."

"Yeah…" Rick got up and went to fetch his laptop, then began to look something up.

"What's that?" Alexis asked. He turned the screen around to show her.

"I'm looking up our building," he said with a smile. "I wanted to see if the basement's used for anything. And it's not. And now I'm looking up the number of the owner…" He took out his phone and dialled the number he'd found. Alexis waited, listening to the conversation.

"Why do you want to buy the basement?" she asked.

"You'll see," he told her.

"And is the owner interested?"

"Yes, very. I'm going to meet with her in an hour, she's going to drive over."

"That's keen."

"I have a lot of money, and she thinks it's worthless."

Alexis thought about this. "Isn't it worthless?"

"No. Basement properties have the potential for great market value."

"Since when were you interested in property development?"

"It's not exactly development. I don't want to sell it on again-"

"Oh, it's for Kate!"

"Exactly," Rick said. Alexis didn't notice, but he didn't quite meet her eyes.

The owner was only too happy to sell him the basement. It would take a few days for it all to be official, but she said she didn't have anything down there, and it was fine for him to start renovating it as soon as he wanted. Rick grinned from ear to ear at this. He loved having a project.

"What about your new book?" Alexis asked as he drove them to the hardware store.

"I'm way ahead of schedule, a couple of days off isn't going to hurt anyone. Kate's great motivation, and I only see her at night so during the day all I've been doing is writing - you're away at school so I don't have many other options."

"I guess that's fine then. Why exactly are you giving Kate a basement?"

"Her place is small and far away and… I just thought it would be nice."

"You do realise you're pretty much asking her to move in with us?"

"Yeah… is that okay?"

"Yes, with me, of course. But… I don't know, isn't it a bit soon?"

Rick bit his lip. "Yes, it is kind of soon. But sometimes when you're with someone you just know it's right. And I'm not getting any younger."

Alexis narrowed her eyes. "I wonder if this would make any more sense if I knew the whole story."

"Maybe, maybe not. You know I'm impulsive and inexplicable," he joked.

"And I love you for it."

Rick spent the next two weeks working on the basement apartment. When he wasn't doing that he was either writing or doing research - during the day, of course. He saw Kate every night. They didn't bring up the topic of turning him. Neither of them wanted to risk a fight, not when they were doing so well. They'd reached a kind of unspoken truce. And Rick, despite his wish to be more like his girlfriend, couldn't help thinking about all the things he would miss. He loved the sunshine, he loved food, he loved whiskey and coffee. He liked having a pulse and a heartbeat, he liked being warm and soft. He didn't know if he believed what Kate said about not being able to see Alexis without wanting to drink her blood, but that was a terrifying thought.

He didn't tell Kate about the basement. Alexis was right, it was very early for them to move in together. And anyway, it was his thing, not Kate's. He was enjoying it, learning how to make things. He'd called in a few favours from a few friends for the more complicated bits, the plumbing and electrics and so on, but he wanted all the design to be his own.

After about three weeks, he decided it was finished. It was completely light tight, tastefully decorated, with two bedrooms, a huge living room with every entertainment he could think of, and an enormous bathroom complete with the fanciest hot tub he'd been able to find.

"What are you so happy about?" Kate asked when she arrived at his door that evening.

"Nothing," he said, grinning. She glared at him.

"Don't make me hypnotise it out of you," she threatened, but it was obvious she was teasing.

He just kissed her. It was hours before they really talked again, and when they did, Kate had something else she wanted to say anyway.

"Thanks," she said quietly.

"You're very welcome," Rick said, waggling his eyebrows. Kate laughed.

"I didn't actually mean for that, but yeah, thanks for that too."

"What did you mean?" he asked.

"I meant thanks for not… Not pushing me. I know you didn't agree with my decision about turning you, but you're being so great about it. So, thanks."

Rick nodded, feeling a little uncomfortable.

"What?" Kate asked. She never missed a thing.

"I… Nothing," Rick said. He wished he could tell her, he wished he dared to bring it up again, but what if she said no? It was much easier to ask for forgiveness than for permission. Kate was scared, he understood that, but in the last few weeks he had realised something. Maybe it was rash, maybe he was moving too quickly, but his research had taught him a lot of things.

The next morning he caught Alexis before she left for school. From the look on his face she could tell he had something serious to ask her.

"What?" she asked. Rick didn't speak. He had no idea how to even bring up the subject, let alone how to tell her what he was planning to do.

"Lex… Do you know what Kate is?"

Alexis frowned. "I… I try not to think about it. She's your girlfriend, you love her, I love her, we get on really well… Isn't that enough?"

"But what do you think she is?" he pressed.

Alexis stared at him, wondering what he wanted.

"I can't deny I have a theory. But why do you want to know?"

"I just.. humour me, okay?"

"Okay. So… We only ever see her at night. She never eats or drinks anything. She seems really strong and really fast… And the bathroom that time… I think she's a vampire. Or something like that, only more… real."

Relief washed across Rick's face, but it was only temporary.

"And… how would you feel if… If I became less… If I became more like Kate?"

"You mean she wants to turn you?" The word slipped out before Alexis could stop herself. She had done her research too.

"She… Yeah, kind of."

"And you want to be turned?"

"Yes."

"So you can live forever?"

"Among other things."

"I… When?"

"Tonight."

"What?! Tonight? You can't be serious, you can't just spring something like this on me and expect me to be okay with it!"

"Alexis, I'm already older than her. It looks okay now, just about, but…"

"I see what you mean, but dad, you seem to be asking me if I'm okay with her killing you!"

Rick bit his lip, but he had to say it. "I'm not asking you, honey. I'm telling you. I'm going to do it."

Alexis wanted to hit him, but she knew her father, and she understood.

"Just… please make sure you've thought about it," she said eventually. "Because there's no going back from something like that."

"I know. But I love her, like you said… I don't want to get old and sick while she stays young and strong. And I want to understand her. I want us to be the same, I want us to be able to…" he trailed off. Alexis could see it all anyway.

"Then…" she chuckled weakly, "please don't eat me."

Rick laughed. "I love you so much, pumpkin."

Alexis gave him a hug. "I love you too, dad. You'll still be you, right?"

"Yes, Lex, I'll still be me."

"Good."

"You should go to school. I'll-"

"I'll stay at Paige's for a few days, it's fine."

"Thanks."

"No problem. Be careful, dad. And remember, you don't have to do it if you don't want to. You can always wait."

Rick nodded, but he knew he couldn't. If he waited any longer he would lose his nerve. Because what he was doing wasn't even as simple as dying and coming back a vampire. What he was doing was…

Kate knew something was different. She'd known yesterday and it was even more obvious today. Rick was up to something and she didn't like it, she didn't like it one bit. He still kissed her when she arrived, but the kiss even tasted different. A part of her found it exciting, a part of her loved the danger. She was filled with anticipation. She loved every minute she spent with Rick, but the threat she sensed made her feel even closer to him, even more alive.

They made love with even more intensity than usual. For once it was Rick that took the lead, setting the mood. Then they talked, about everything that mattered to them, deep things, philosophical things… One of the things Kate loved about Rick was the way he could not only tell stories but listen to them. She could tell him anything and he would understand, he would be there for her, he would help her make sense of it… She would have trusted him with her life if she had been alive. And she was sure that he trusted her with his.

Rick got out of bed; Kate watched him walk towards the bathroom. He smiled at her as he went in. She could hear his heart racing. It was coming. Whatever it was, whatever was going to happen, it was-

Kate shot off the bed and into the bathroom, grabbing Rick by the shoulders, forcing him to stay in one place. Her fangs ached, her nose tingled, her body shook with desire, and then she screamed. Because it was too late.

Rick had two long cuts, one going down each forearm. Blood was pouring out of them and his face was contorted with pain. Kate's eyes glistened with fury.

"I love you," Rick said softly. "Now make me like you, Kate. Make me like you, or watch me die."

A/N: Dun dun duuuuuuuun... (Review please!)