Author Note: Sorry for the slight Hiatus guys. :) I think I've been overthinking this chapter and trying to make it longer than it needs to be, meaning that I've had the scenes in it finished more or less for a while now lol
Work is quite busy, and I use my free time for being out when it is nice weather. I have also been watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer from the beginning and am on Season Four now. So, I've not always had chance to work on this. but, to be honest I am very bad with procrastination.

Update 19/03/2021: I have completed some edit and minor changes to this chapter, to improve the flow into the next chapter to be posted soon.

I hope you like this chapter. :)

Chapter 12: Morning Reflections

Something soft beneath her. Soft and relaxing, yet unfamiliar. She flexed her fingers, and the material felt luxuriant beneath them. A roll of her head to savour the comfort. Like lying upon clouds, or the plushest of pillows supporting her. Her body stretched and arched. This bed was quite large, and the bedding expensive. Her eyes eased open, at first seeing little in the darkened room.

It was not where she expected to be. Her hands gripped the duvet over her like a safe cocoon, uncertain of the unexpected setting. It was confusing to find herself back in her bedroom for the first night here in Los Angeles. Classical in style, almost like something of a different era or an exclusive hotel, and tasteful. LaCroix's taste in interior design. The jarring difference in setting from what she last remembered jolted her as she awoke.

Her last memory was of the night before. Of being with him.

But she was alone now and it puzzled her to wonder how she got here. The last thing she remembered was being in the lounge, half-reclined on the sofa there, LaCroix was holding her while he… Her recollection was dreamlike. Was it just a dream? She knew it wasn't, though it felt rather like one. She had been conscious at first, but a languorous feeling seemed to envelop her like mist, and it was both pleasing and frightening. Sense of time blurring…

She couldn't recall much after that. It must have been hours since what had occurred last night. The time between being there and waking here was a complete blank. She did not remember going to bed. Must have fainted and fallen asleep, she thought, though she was still mystified as to how she ended up here. Imagining LaCroix himself carrying her here was out of the question. Surely that kind of task would be deferred to someone else. And she only wore her nightdress now, the green babydoll one, whereas last night, she'd had the dressing gown on too, but now it was carefully laid on the chair. Someone had taken it off for her. This delicacy was nice, but a bit unsettling given what had happened.

She settled and gathered her thoughts, staring at the ceiling in complete stillness. She had been reluctant to trust him should it prove a fatal error; that he was lying to her and just telling her what she wanted to hear. Then she'd be helpless; a paralysis of euphoric haze, while he kept draining and draining her until there was no blood left, even if he had promised not to...

Yet she was awake now, alive to live another day. There was a privilege in waking in this comfort; luckier than most who might wake in less savoury settings, with only the vaguest memory and understanding of what had happened to them. How did she feel? Considering the encounter, everything seemed fine. He was right, if there was any pain, it was just at first and only temporary.

But she did feel more delicate than usual. Drained. Given what he'd done, the reason for this was obvious. How much did he take? A sudden anxious question. What if he took too much? What if? A slow dread crept up on her as the worry that he might have drained and transformed her crossed her mind. Yet she could feel her pulse. She felt it against her fingers at her neck and the stirring of her heartbeat in her chest. Taking a breath of air was refreshing, rather than a needless relic of habit. No, she wasn't changed. He had not done that . Not yet anyway. A sense of relief unwound her fears. She did not know if he ever intended to do it and were it to happen, it might even be accidental.

What if he will want to do this again? Did she fear or desire it? Her hand, somewhat absent-mindedly, ghosted to her neck; fingertips lightly touching her skin. She couldn't feel anything obvious. Hmmm, surely I should? Unless... Perhaps he can heal it. The vampires liked their masquerade, and discretion was king, so it made sense that they might have some means of covering their tracks. As clues, bite marks and mysterious loss of blood were staples in most stories, to the point of cliché, leading to the discovery of vampiric activity. In reality, most people would not believe such a conclusion, since they regarded vampires as creations of superstition and fiction. But such phenomena brought up questions, and questions were dangerous. He wouldn't let that go noticed.

Her fingers massaged her neck lightly. There might be slight bruising though, she thought. Touching there recalled those feelings; that light touch of his lips. A kiss that stings; wounds that bleed. A languorous joy to follow… She drew a breath. She could feel that lingering pain and loss; the sense of intimacy. Her eyelids closed. It was almost disappointing to not feel physical evidence of his bite, only the lingering of it in memory, imprinted on her skin like a touchstone. She knew it was not good to dwell on this again so soon. But she wasn't sure that she was longing for him to do it again yet, or just enjoying the reminiscence. To be safe, she could certainly not sustain another session yet. It would have to wait a few weeks.

No.

She shouldn't be planning for it. It made her feel slightly ashamed. She imagined that the Kiss could be addictive. What would he think of her? More importantly, what would she think of herself? Literature and film often presented the vampire's kiss as alluring. But this was reality, not a safe fictional artifice. He was feeding on her. If it felt good that was probably by design. It was easier that way. The mortal would enjoy their fatal intimacy; helpless and welcoming their life being drained away...

But she was worrying herself now. Her imagination was overactive and made anxious feelings worse. It had turned out fine. LaCroix was quite patient with her, and she had no recollection of pain, and the ease of it surprised her. If it was like this every time, perhaps it wouldn't be so bad and there was no great reason to worry? Yet it was a precarious thing, to place her life in his hands. She was nervous about growing too used to it. Of lulling herself into the false sense of security that she feared. Although her personal experience this time was fine, she never wished to lose sight of the potential danger.

Overall, her feelings were mixed on the matter. The experience had been strange. Comfortable, enjoyable in fact and yet unnerving. The intimacy of it was confusing. Held in a quasi embrace, it was almost romantic, even sensual. Things that had not existed between them before and were therefore sudden and alien. She did not know how to feel. It had provoked a mix of emotions and sensations in her. It was like... Heat blushed on her cheeks. On thinking of her reaction, she was a little embarrassed and dreaded seeing him again in their normal interactions. She'd not had many intimate experiences before, and she wasn't quite sure how to feel about him now. But she knew the truth of what he was doing. LaCroix was a vampire. Feeding on the blood of others was essential. He must have done it many times before, so she shouldn't get ahead of herself and feel that it was particularly special. He needed blood; she just happened to be with him at the time.

Amelia sat up in bed, her back resting against one of the pillows. The windows had shutters and blackout blinds, so it was hard to make out any light behind them, but she assumed it was afternoon. There was some water on the bedside table, who put that there? Another gesture that seemed to have been done for her. Rehydrating was probably a good idea. Since she didn't feel quite well, staying in bed would be easy. He hadn't told her anything about today, and so she assumed there was nothing to do. There would be general menial tasks, unpacking things perhaps, and she felt bad if Leticia had to do them alone.

It was warm here, too warm under the duvet so she folded it off herself, feeling cooler air on her body. She swung her legs over the side of the bed and sat there for a moment before pushing herself off the bed. The carpet was plush and soft underfoot. But she felt a sudden rush of dizziness enveloped her brain and a rag-doll feeling like the strength was drained from her limbs. She sank back down on the edge of the bed, and the fainting spell left as soon as it had arrived. The world no longer spinning. She'd stood up too fast. She wasn't unfamiliar with occasional fleeting dizzy spells, but given her blood loss, it was natural to assume it was the cause. He said he wouldn't take too much, she reflected her brow creased slightly. But, I don't feel too bad, just a little… tired. I guess I'll just be resting today after all. She grasped the glass of water and brought it to her lips, taking a good drink of the water which was cool and soothing. With nothing yet to do, it was quite easy to simply remain here for the rest of the day, but before the night came this was the time she had to herself.

This time with more caution, Amelia slipped off the side of the bed and moved around it with deliberate steps. She went into the bathroom, seeing her reflection in the mirror there. Her skin still had the usual tone, perhaps a little pale but not a sickly pallor. Her brown hair was ruffled from being in bed, and her eyes still held a sleepy heavy-lidded expression. She proceeded with her usual morning routine. Washing her face with a mild cleanser as she had sensitive skin, the warm water was refreshing and made her feel more awake. Turning her head slightly as she washed her neck, she could see a faint mark, red against the rest of her skin. Her fingers stroked there, but as before the skin felt smooth, without scarring or scabbing. Puncture wounds were neither visible nor tactile to touch. It was puzzling how noninvasive it appeared given that he had bitten her. She had wondered how hygienic it was, and at the time fears rushed through her mind about safety - was he opening major veins or arteries? In her mind, she assumed the freshly oxygenated arterial blood would be preferred, but that terrified her of bleeding out. Yet no serious physical damage seemed to have been done. It was hardly noticeable unless one actively sought to notice. But it was there - the faint trace of his bite. Yet it would probably fade by tomorrow. For now, she might wear a high neck top.

Going back into the bedroom, she went over to the window and pulled apart the curtains, revealing closed shutters barring light from outside. These were however unlocked, and she pushed them open, folding them into their recesses away from the window. It was full length, opening onto a Juliette balcony overlooking a shaded view of Los Angeles from the tall vantage point. Putting her hands on the railing, she looked at the view - a cloudless expanse of clear blue sky above urban sprawl, the skyscrapers of Downtown, and smatterings of greenery, palm trees and an outline of mountains in the distance. There was a breeze, but the heat could be felt in the air; the warmth of the sun on her skin. Although not a fan of the sun, she could see how the Californian weather was idyllic and ideal for outdoor lifestyles like a Mediterranean climate. Perhaps she could like it here after all, though it was not her choice to be here as such. Looking at the sunny view, her thoughts turned to LaCroix again. He was sleeping now and could never see this daytime view. It was ironic that he'd want to be here. Vampires in Los Angeles, known for year-round sun, seemed ironic like an oxymoron. Amelia couldn't place his reasoning for coming here as he had not fully explained it to her, yet he seemed troubled by it too.

Amelia turned away from the window then, thinking about what to do with the rest of this day. Her luggage was in the adjoining dressing room, which was a small walk-in wardrobe. In a similar way to being on the private jet, she enjoyed the novelty of it all. She leant on the doorway, at least there are benefits to being with LaCroix, which offset the fact he's a vampire. But this thought was tinged with caution. The present situation was not permanent. None of this was hers. And, whilst the lifestyle was comfortable, even luxurious, he was still a vampire and no glamour could completely mask that.

It had gone unnoticed before while still in bed, but moving around made her realise how thirsty and hungry she was. A hollow, famished feeling. She had drunk all of the water on her bedside table, and it felt so refreshing and needed. Now, she ought to have breakfast soon, or rather lunch. It was already past 1 pm.

She tossed on her jersey loungewear dress and wandered out of her bedroom in search of the kitchen. There was a corridor with several doors to other rooms on this floor. All were closed. She wondered which of them was his as she passed by, but didn't wish to find out. To see him now in a resting state would be disturbing; it would crush the illusion of life that was easier to accept when he was awake.

Amelia made her way through to the kitchen, and found the coffee machine already in place and looked in the fridge which was stocked with supplies now, including some items provided from the catering service on their flight, which were of course only of interest to herself and Leticia. During her study semester and working in New York, Amelia had enjoyed the various bagel shops, delis and cafes, so she had ordered something from one of her favourites yesterday morning for lunch, as well as another sandwich for today. Nothing elaborate, just a classic smoked salmon and cream cheese bagel with salad. It sat in paper wrapping on one of the fridge shelves. She reached for it and then looked for a plate in one of the cupboards to put it on. Placing this on the breakfast bar, she went over to the sink with a glass and turned on the tap, the water streaming out filling the glass. Meanwhile, she had not noticed someone else enter.

Leticia breezed into the room, "oh hi, Amelia. You're only just up?" she greeted chirpily, but paused with her eyes studying Amelia, "late-night I guess."

Amelia froze for a second before turning to Leticia and felt vaguely embarrassed by the knowing tone of the latter. "Um, I suppose you could say that." She moved away from the sink and returned to the breakfast bar, placing the glass of water next to her plate.

"I'm surprised you stayed up so late. You were still tired after the flight," Leticia said as she turned on the coffee machine. "Thought you were going to bed as soon as we got here?"

"I had thought that," Amelia agreed, as she pulled the breakfast bar chair out and lent on the countertop. "But I'm... not really sure what time I went to bed," she furrowed her brows, trying to remember, "three, or four o'clock maybe?"

"Hmm," not yet reacting to this at first, Leticia asked her if she wanted some coffee too, and grabbed two cups from the cupboard. She sat down at the opposite side of the breakfast bar from Amelia.

"Did LaCroix come to see you?" She asked tentatively with a light yet knowing tone as she poured some coffee into her cup from the jug, looking at Amelia with inquisitive hazel eyes.

Amelia tensed up. The reference by someone else to something that she still had so many mixed and undecided feelings about unsettled her. "Um, well… Yes," she stuttered. "I was in the lounge - must have fallen asleep I guess. I woke up and he was there… looking out of the window. Not sure for how long while I was asleep," she frowned. Thinking of that could seem quite creepy. "Anyway, we talked for a bit..." Amelia cradled her coffee cup, her account of last night's events trailed off as if something of significance was missing, lost in this unspoken moment.

"And?" Leticia probed gently, but as if already knowing the answer. "Then what?"

"Um," Amelia was shy of talking about it. It was not that he had hurt her, but the experience was confusing. He was just feeding on her blood, but the means was intimate, almost romantic and sensual, but in a pseudo way as she knew the true nature of it. There was something amiss and unsettling. She wasn't sure how to describe or even admit it, yet at the same time sought reassurance from someone with more insight into all this. "Well."

"Oh, I see," Leticia's eyes went wide. "I thought he might do that," she said, understanding what was implied, and spoke as if it was quite normal to discover that someone had been bitten by a vampire. Yet, something was reassuring about her unphased reaction which made Amelia feel less alone in this weird situation of horror. "You know, I thought he would have while on the flight, as I found you asleep in the private cabin after you'd been alone with him, but I guess he didn't then?"

Amelia shook her head. "No. He didn't," she sighed with a tone equally bemused by his decisions. "Waited until we were here."

"How… patient of him," Leticia said softly, surprised by this. "I wonder why?"

Amelia shrugged, "I'm still not sure myself."

Leticia's brows furrowed her gaze intently on her coffee cup. "You were nervous on the jet - of the others mostly. Perhaps he noticed and did you a favour by leaving you alone. You must have got him in a good mood. Usually, he's not that considerate of others," she almost laughed. "I told you he wouldn't let them do anything to you. Not that it stops him , but," Leticia looked up at her apologetically, "you know."

"Yeah," Amelia didn't respond further.

"To us, I suppose it doesn't make much difference - it's all the same. They're all vampires and something to worry about," Leticia confided. "It's always a bit disconcerting, when they want that, or never really being sure if they do or will."

"Has he ever?" Amelia looked up curiously, searching for some guidance from a shared experience of how to deal with this.

"Me? No. Actually, he's never been interested," Leticia looked briefly introspective. "Guess I'm not his type," she added almost playfully. "A good thing really."

"Mmm," Amelia looked down at her coffee, feeling awkward.

Leticia caught her eyes and spoke then in a serious tone, "but you're okay then?"

"I," Amelia replied with a note of uncertainty and her brows furrowed, "think so?" It wasn't normal to be bitten by a vampire, so she had no idea what could be considered acceptable. "Whatever 'okay' is in all this," she sighed and sipped coffee while looking out of the window. "He was," she wasn't sure how to describe this considering this was LaCroix she was talking about, "nice to me about it. To be honest, I'm surprised how… easy it was." A look of relief but also concern crossed her features, nervous of becoming too at ease than was healthy about this.

"Well, that's good," Leticia replied softly. "So long as you're okay."

"Yes," she shrugged. "Although... I can't help feeling I'm not as frightened by it as I think I should be," Amelia sighed. "How did you know?" she asked casually, after taking a bite out of her sandwich.

"Well, there's how you're acting. And then there's the situation which makes it likely - we got here late so he wouldn't leave to hunt, and as you are here already well," she shrugged but gave Amelia an apologetic look, "what's the point? Sorry to describe it that way."

"No," Amelia agreed, "he pretty much said that was why anyway. And, really it didn't surprise me. I think he's been looking forward to it," she said, reeling soon after at how disconcerting that thought was. "Any other reason you could tell?"

"You have that look about you that people seem to have," she said cryptically. "But also he left me a note."

"Left you a note?" Amelia said puzzled.

"Yeah, he leaves me some notes or emails with tasks to do - same as you I suppose. He said you would likely not be awake 'til late and may need looking after. It was easy to figure out why."

"Oh," Amelia reacted as if she'd missed something obvious. This may explain the discrepancies in her room today. She was conflicted over how to feel - disturbed that he'd drunk her blood, yet grateful that he'd thought to help her in case she was ill. But worried she may be excusing him too easily. "That makes sense."

A little time passed, during which Amelia ate some of her smoked salmon bagel. "What do you think of coming here?" she asked.

"To be honest, I don't mind, although I'd rather have stayed in New York," Leticia replied. "Mercurio seems to hate it though. You met him the first night you arrived didn't you?"

"Yes. I remember. You've spoken to him?"

"Yeah. Only briefly though. He's in Santa Monica."

"Oh, perhaps we'll see him at some point."

"Maybe. He doesn't see much of LaCroix in person," Leticia replied. She drank some of her coffee and looked out of the window at the Los Angeles skyline. "How do you feel about being here?"

Amelia shrugged. "Well there's not much I can do about it really is there? I would never have chosen to come here - I've never even thought of it to be honest. I only expected being in America to be a temporary thing," she gazed at the bottom of her coffee cup, at the last of its content. "It's… a lot to take in, all of this," she sighed.

Leticia smiled with a look of understanding, "I know what you mean. It's like your life has been turned upside down, huh? A lot to get used to."

"Yes." Amelia immediately agreed. "At least it's comfortable. Maybe not so bad, considering the circumstances." Her voice had a hushed tone concerning LaCroix's vampirism, which could have made the situation much worse. "But I've got nothing to compare it to."

"It could be a lot worse," Leticia said. "It does make it better, all things considered. You know, I've met some others, er, like us, and most don't get this kind of arrangement. Some, and I mean their masters too, live in really dreary little hovels... So, being with LaCroix, we're lucky in that way," Leticia said, though not without a tone of irony in appreciation that the situation was nevertheless twisted.

Yes, Amelia thought, at least LaCroix is loaded so we get to have our rooms and nice living arrangements. The fact he's a vampire who wants my blood is just a minor inconvenience. "Is this where we shall be living then?"

"Maybe. But there's also a penthouse at the top of Venture Tower. Or, perhaps you'll get your own apartment since you don't need to be in the house all the time."

"Yes, that would be nice." Having her own place had its appeal, since then she would have some privacy and independence. However, given central Los Angeles residential prices, she could not possibly afford a decent apartment, and in Downtown scarcely even a tiny subpar one. Of course, LaCroix had suggested that he may make arrangements for her, but this remained to be seen, and regardless it would essentially be a satellite of his Haven anyway, rather than properly hers. "But anyway, it does not seem to be an option yet." Her eyes narrowed jokingly, "why? Are you trying to get rid of me?" She was still uncertain of how to take Leticia, whether she could trust her as a friend or not, knowing that she had worked for LaCroix longer and therefore may find a newcomer unwelcome.

Oh, no," Leticia laughed, yet was mildly flustered. "It was just an idea. I don't know what he'll want to do," she admitted.

"No?" Amelia sighed, "he'll let it be known no doubt."

After Amelia had finished her bagel, Leticia broke the silence. "Do you want to have a look around the house with me? Since he's not up yet for a few hours?" She looked at her with a speculative gaze and was a little lonely. When Amelia had first arrived, she had not seen much of Leticia for the most part; spending long periods alone while working, and Leticia has been friendly but guarded. It was only after discovering the truth about LaCroix that they'd begun to see more of each other, yet they were not quite friends and were still in that awkward phase that began acquaintances.

"Yes," Amelia agreed. "We didn't get much time to see last night. And besides, things are clearer to see in the day."

The two of them, both quite similar in appearance and apparent age, began a tour of the house. It was a fair-sized property but was not sprawling or excessively large. The interior design felt familiar in style. A timeless neo-classical elegance but with a more contemporary feel, and less palatial than the Manhattan townhouse had been. There were a couple of reception rooms, an airy lounge foyer that had french windows that opened onto a balcony patio. Though some rooms had shutters down over the windows, these here were uncovered, letting in the daylight and giving the impression that there was life within the property.

They went into the lounge, though considering last night's events, Amelia felt a little awkward there, like a strange reminiscing she did not know how to feel about, and therefore wished not to linger. Leticia seemed to sense this by intuition, though she said nothing.

Back in the main foyer, they went out onto the balcony terrace, which was arranged like a small garden and took in the view there.

"It would be nice to explore here. There must be so much to do," Amelia said, looking at the sprawling view. "When do you think we could?"

"Some time maybe," Leticia said vaguely. "You probably shouldn't start wandering out yet. Los Angeles is… not the most stable place, as I understand it, where the supernatural is concerned."

To this, Amelia had a puzzled look on her face. Was the place so infested with vampires and who knows what else? She felt as if she had somehow fallen into an episode of Angel.

As they turned away from the balcony, Amelia felt a rush of dizziness, her view spinning and her limbs were faint and unsteady, like the power in them had rapidly faded. She gripped the balcony, wedging her body into it to steady herself and a brief blank moment, absent from consciousness.

"Are you ok?" Leticia said, gripping her arm as if she thought Amelia might fall over.

"Fine," Amelia replied, righting herself to stand unsupported again. "It's nothing. Just moved too fast, that's all."

Leticia silently understood. "Maybe you should take it easy for the rest of the day."

"Perhaps you're right," Amelia conceded as they returned inside. "But it's fine. I just feel tired, that's all."

"Sure," Leticia seemed to accept this. "It's no wonder, you know. You've had a busy day yesterday," she said pointedly, and Amelia had to agree. The past forty-eight hours had been busy and transformative. It was a lot to digest. "You should rest."