The Strain: Bloodline

The police station was simply unbridled chaos, there was no other way to describe it. The phones rang off the hook, the cells were full of screaming detainees, people were buzzing around left, right and centre.

It was bedlam.

Unfortunately Cassandra couldn't say she was surprised. Now that the Master was beginning to get his feet well and truly under the table, life in New York was bound to get a little derailed. A twisted travesty, compared to it's usual vanilla chaos.

Luckily, because of this, Cassie made her way through the desks relatively unseen, her search for Adam taking on a more covert style. She wanted to catch him unawares, it was a lot harder to lie when you weren't prepared. Especially if that prep contained something like taking off a wedding ring.

A strong part of herself still insisted that Fitzwilliam was wrong. That Adam could not possibly be married, he was quite simply mistaken. Cassie knew that a large part of that was down to plain self pride. She didn't want to believe that she had been fool enough, not to see through his lies.

We see what we want to see, she thought, her eyes falling on a name plate that read 'Det. A. Valentine'. She slowed, but continued, moving towards the desk in what felt like slow motion.

There, beside the telephone, was a gold framed photograph. In that photograph was Adam, his arm around the waist of a young Latino woman. They looked to be at some Police charity event, they looked happy.

Cassie felt her heart sink into the pit of her stomach.

You fucking liar.

"Cass?"

A voice that would have normally had her grinning from ear to ear, now made her only grimace.

"Cassie, what are you doing here?"

She turned, her gaze finding Adam's, though he didn't seem entirely able to hold it. His worried orbs flitting down to the telling photo on his desk.

Cassandra shook her head darkly. "Nice photo. Where was it taken?"

His deep blue wells widened, a deer caught in headlights. "Cassie... look, let me explain..."

Cassandra scoffed. So he wasn't even going to deny it, at least he saved her that final indignation, but she could see the fear in his eyes as they darted between her and nearby colleagues. He was worried she was going to make a scene, he was lucky she had more important things to deal with.

She sighed, controlled. "Have a nice life, Adam."

She stormed passed him, mustering as much pride and dignity as she could manage. She still wasn't feeling 100%, and a snapping pain across her synapse appeared to remind her of this. She winced, but she didn't break her stride, tearing notably out of the office.

"Cassie! Cassie, wait up!" Adam, he was following her.

Against her better judgement she stopped on the stairwell.

"What?" She murmured flatly, feeling suddenly very tired.

"Please, let me explain."

"There's nothing to explain."

"You don't understand."

She raised her eyebrows. "I don't understand? So that isn't your wife you've got your arm around in that photo?"

He at least had the decency to look sheepish. "No... no it is, but... it wasn't like I meant to lie to you, Cassie. I just didn't know how to bring it up."

"Bring it up?" She repeated darkly. "Jeez, Adam, you sure know how to handle women."

She turned to continue down the staircase, but he grabbed her arm.

"Please, let me explain. Please, Cassie." He looked at her then, he looked at her like he had a thousand times before, like she was the only person in the world that mattered.

She took a breath. "You got thirty seconds."

He nodded.

"When I met you, Sarah and I hadn't been married long, hell we hadn't even known each other long, but she'd gotten pregnant, and so I did the right thing, and I thought, you know, that would be enough. Most people don't even have that in life, do they?"

Cassie felt herself staring at him, her eyes becoming very itchy. She didn't reply.

"But then I met you, and I realised that I could have more, that there was something more. From the very first night I met you, Cassie, you made me feel completely different, you made me... laugh." He said, grinning from ear to ear. "Perhaps I shouldn't have pursued you like I did, but I – "

"You're married, Adam!" Cassandra heard herself suddenly yelling, hurt twisting itself into helpful rage. "You have a baby on the way! What the hell were you even thinking?"

He ran a frustrated hand through dark curtains. "Look, I know, okay! I guess I wasn't, but – "

"Do you love her?" Cassie said bluntly, her gaze fixed on his.

He shifted uncomfortably. "What?"

"It's a simple enough question, Adam. Do you love her?"

He paused, hesitating, afraid. "I love you more." He confessed.

And Cassie shook her head. He had no right to make it harder. "Not good enough, Adam."

She turned before he could see the tears. Cassie ran down the stairs and out into the cold February night. She welcomed the ice that hit her cheeks, it kept those treacherous droplets at bay.

"Cassie!"

She stopped and turned again, her face almost pleading. "Adam, please, just go back inside. In fact, better yet, go home. Get your wife, get out of the city."

Cassie tried to get away but this time he grabbed both her arms, pulling her closer.

"I was going to tell you. Honestly, I was. But there was never good time."

She shoved against his chest. "I doubt there ever is a good time to tell your girlfriend about your wife!"

"Cassie, please..." She could see the tears welling up in his eyes now, and it wasn't fair, he didn't get to be the broken one. He had done this. He had done this to both of them.

"No, Adam!" She cried, managing to break away. "You lied to me. I told you everything, I let you get closer than anyone ever has, and you lied. You let me love you, and it wasn't even real!"

"Real?" He repeated, wiping his eyes, his tone suddenly steeling. "Real. It wasn't more than two days ago, you were telling me vampires were coming to take over the world. What would you know about reality!"

Cassandra's anger whistled like a hiss through her teeth, and her priorities shifted. "They are coming, you great big schmuck! Look around you, you think people are behaving normally? I heard the phones in there. Lots of reports of people attacking people, right? Lots of murders?"

He shook his head, disdainful. "Oh so that's what you've been doing the last three days, is it? Hunting vampires, saving the world? Couldn't pick up a phone in-between? Let me know you were okay?"

"It just so happens I wasn't okay!" She cried, tears now falling freely down her face, people were beginning to stare. "After you decided to not only abandon me, but disregard everything I asked of you, and not go and find my Grandfather, I was taken hostage by that waxy faced creep you met in Palmer's office!"

He blinked, caught off guard by her reply. "What?"

She smiled darkly. "Yes, I've had a wonderful few days, Adam, don't you worry about that. But I promise, next time I'm kidnapped, I'll make sure to give you a call. If your wife doesn't mind, of course."

She stood there, breathing raggedly, and his features softened, caught between something like concern and uncertainty.

He tilted his head. "Cassie, are you sure..."

She started laughing. It was typical. He still thought she was completely crazy, and if that was the case, then really, what was the point in their conversation?

She shook her head, her giggles softening to titters. "Just get out of the city, Adam." She said resignedly. "Please, just get out."

"Eichorst?"

She sighed. "He is one of the reasons, yes, but there are many, many others."

"No." He said quickly, cutting her off. He nodded behind her. "That's him, isn't it?"

Cassandra froze, the blood draining slowly from her features. Half frozen, she looked back over her shoulder, down to the bottom of the steps leading directly up to the Precinct.

At the foot of them stood Thomas Eichorst, and behind him, he had brought friends. They stood there unmoving for a while, but when her eyes met his, he smiled. God, how she hated that smile.

"Run." She breathed to Adam.

"Cassie..."

"Adam I mean it." She looked at him fleetingly, determined to make the seconds scar him into her memory. "Go home, get Sarah, and get out."

Her gaze snapped back to the steps, Eichorst was already ascending, his sycophants following like leathered goons behind.

"Now, Adam!"

She ran, knowing that they could have only been there for her. Determined to lead them immediately away from the busy all-you-can-eat Precinct, and far from the ignorant people they could harm.

Behind her Cassie heard a gunshot. She didn't stop to see whose it was.

R&R!

Thank you so much, Angelic Reaper13 – I shall reply to your review. I'm not getting as much traffic as I'd hoped with this story, and reviews really help. Plus, it also lets me know what you're liking, and what you're not. Please leave a review if you can guys. I'd really appreciate it, I'm really enjoying writing this story again, and it'd be great to know that you enjoy reading it x x x