ISFNE Chapter 3

Maxwell POV

We landed in Liverpool having finally traced Faith's ticket transfer. It had waited much too long but now we finally were on the right track. We had alerted a small number of allies in England of our search, though hadn't specified why or what she was. So far we'd heard nothing but knowing there was others out looking for Faith was comforting, it was a needle in a haystack at best.

Eric was still furious to say the least but he had an air of tiredness to him; our Dracula had yet to resurface.

Eric POV

Faith had closed off all communication with me and I had refused to contact her for the past week out of pure frustration. We were searching currently in England but I knew better. Faith wasn't here. She was too careful, she would have anticipated our ability to track her ticket transfer. But there was also the off chance that she was counting on that. I cursed myself for the umpteenth time for having held off on our final bonding, she would have been secured by now if I hadn't. But I knew that it wouldn't have been right. She was too young, she didn't understand, and I desperately wanted to have her willingly bind herself to me. It seemed a pipe dream now. Instead I had let the most powerful mate in existence, perhaps in history, slip through my fingers and had let her escape into the world unbound, power unlocked, free for the taking.

It wasn't my finest moment.

I could only hope this stayed unknown. As long as she didn't do anything stupid she would stay an anonymous mortal unable to be used against me; assuming she didn't take it upon herself to bring me down. I shook my head, though she had the means to cripple me I doubted she knew it or would try. She was trying to disappear not overthrow me. I laid back on the bed of our latest hotel room and folded my arm behind my head. It'd only been three different hotels so far and I was already tired. I was tired of silence. A week had felt like a century. I closed my eyes and reached out through the link.

Faith...

Allison POV

"YOU'RE IT," Anna yelled, running off with a scream.

"I'm going to get you, ya rascal!" I said with playful ferocity as Anna giggled from behind a tree. "But wa..." I exclaimed in false surprise, "where did she go?"

Another giggle from the other end of the park.

Playing tag with me in the park had become Anna's new favorite pastime and I honestly loved every moment with her. She was sweet, adorable, and well behaved and for unknown reasons had a distinct affinity for me. I quietly snuck up on her tree and caught her by surprise as she let out a shriek and started giggling profusely as she fell to the grass. "Now you run!" She said with a smile.

I shook my head with a smile as I sat down in the grass next to her. "Anna I'm going to take a little break okay?"

She plopped down next to me still grinning, "Okay!"

We sat for a while watching someone playing fetch with their dog on the other side of the park before I addressed her, "Anna, I'm going to be leaving soon."

She looked over at me questioningly, "Fo a lil while?"

"No, Anna, for...well for a really long time," I said, not having the heart to tell her it'd likely be years until I'd see her again, maybe never.

"But you come back, Ally, wight?" She looked completely crestfallen. She'd taken to calling me "Ally" instead of "Allison" but it came out more like "A-we" because she still had trouble with "L's" and "R's".

I gave her a sad smile, "I'll try." That seemed to satisfy her and she smiled again at me. "Let's get going, kiddo, it's almost dinnertime," I said changing the subject. I still needed to talk to Mark and Kristi and thank them for their hospitality but I felt the distinct need to settle elsewhere, somewhere I'd be invisible in the masses.

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

I went to bed that night after talking to Mark and Kristi about my thoughts and they'd surprised me again by presenting me with an envelope.

"It's a small offering the youth group wanted to take after I told them about you. We threw in a little as well. It'll cover the cost of your plane ticket anywhere in the states," Mark explained. I stood there speechless and then turned on my brain again trying to understand what he was saying; my ticket was paid for. Honestly, with this streak of luck I was having I should use it all on the lottery. No it wasn't luck it was a blessing. I laid back in the dusky room, the sun barely beneath the horizon, feeling completely at peace for a precious moment.

Faith...

And then that moment ended abruptly. What was he doing now? He'd gone silent on me since his promise to track me down and now he was dropping in again? After a week? Did I dare respond? What could it hurt though.

Yes?

Good, you're still there, he said sounding genuinely relieved, and unnervingly melancholy.

Why wouldn't I be? I asked carefully.

It's been a week, love.

I know, I responded softly.

A week I've wasted look for you in Moldova and England.

Moldova? Why would I go to Moldova?

You think I would have asked myself the same question, he said tiredly. The humor was hollow though, no one was laughing on either side of this. It's where your locket ended up, he supplied.

Eric POV

She said nothing in response to that. I don't know what I expected her to say though. You didn't have to do that, Faith, I know how much that locket meant to you. Little did she know I was toying with said locket at this moment. I opened it, looking at the miniature Faith seated between her parents. I was determined to return it to its owner.

It was tagged, she finally replied.

That could have been easily removed, I retorted, suddenly feeling a bit of my anger return. She wasn't fooling me. Something was up. Why did you leave it, Faith?

I told you already, she responded weakly.

Forgive me for not believing your half-baked response.

What does it matter, okay? It's gone, she said, i could feel the panic, loss, and sadness flowing through my tap on her emotions. Was she crying?

Faith are you-

Shut up. She interrupted, her voice straining to not waver, trying to compose herself. Where are you?

I'll tell if you will, I said cheekily, trying to cover my concern, and failing.

Har har, she said without humor. Have fun in Liverpool though, I'm guessing you just picked up on my ticket transfer. A small sniffle. She had definitely been or was still crying.

I knew you wouldn't be one to stay here, not when you knew we could trace you.

Or maybe I'm counting on you thinking that and am staying in the same hotel as you, holed up in my room because I saw you check in.

Hence why I am still here, love. I won't be giving you updates of my whereabouts anymore though in case you'd decide to up and leave whatever it is you're doing. And if you're not in England now maybe you'll just fly here in a month or two knowing I've already searched here.

You make it sound like we're playing a glorified version of hide and seek, she said with scorn.

I gave a hollow laugh at that analogy. Except you've put no boundaries on the playing field.

This isn't a game, she bit back at me in indignation.

I'm well aware, love. It never was.

She huffed, are we done? I'd very much like to get back to my life.

I'll be staying in contact, but, yes, get back to the fabulous life you must be living on the run.

I felt her frustration and knew she was biting back a retort.

Allison POV

How dare he. He'd brought up the stupid locket. I hadn't realized how much I'd been repressing myself with letting that thing go. It had hurt like hell. It was a piece of me that I would never recover, something I had treasured for years. I'd started crying when he'd mentioned where it had ended up, knowing I would never get it back. And then he'd tried to dog me for a response. I couldn't give one to him besides my knowledge of it being tagged. Why had I ever told him of its importance to me? He would figure out why I'd left it, he'd piece it together. Besides the cross necklace from my mother, which he'd already gotten rid of, it was the strongest connection to my past, my life as Faith Allison. But that was gone. And so was my locket. Nothing given, nothing gained. I turned over onto my other side, pulling the covers up to my face and wiping at the tears away that refused to stop falling.

A/N: yay for another chapter! For everybody following, thanks so much, it means the world to me. And to everyone asking for an update schedule...I don't have one, if I did it would just lead to disappointment for everyone involved. So, sorry, no schedule, whenever I can pump out a chapter I do. It's just how it goes unfortunately. Thanks so much for continued support. :)