Holybear's Little Note: Yeah, I know the parts are short

Holybear's Little Note: Yeah, I know the parts are short. Don't worry, they'll get longer soon enough. ;) Read and Review!!!

P.S. Somebody asked why Duo could see his reflection in part 3. Well, his transformation into a vampire wasn't complete, but now it is.

The Taste of Blood, pt. 4

By Holybear

Angélique smirked in the dark recesses of the abandoned estate. She could sense Duo's gradual acceptance of what he was. And what he was...was so beautiful. And that boy, the one he called Heero, he made her gift seem so dirty. Angélique frowned as she turned to the mirror over the fireplace. It was useless. Nothing looked back at her, not the face that had seen the horrors of centuries past.

"Ugh!" Angélique snarled at her non-reflection. She slammed her fist into the mirror, sending silvery fragments all over the ground. Wiping the blood off of her fist, she threw the front doors open and raged out, the moonlight glittering over her.

Duo nearly broke his immortal neck as he staggered down the long flight of stairs. Swerving like a drunk driver, he ran into the library. His fellow pilots looked up at him, startled.

"Duo?" Quatre's quiet voice sounded like a shout in Duo's ears. He winced, dropping into a chair like so much dead weight.

"You were right, Trowa."

The green-eyed pilot stared at him, his gaze not wavering for an instant. "Excuse me?"

"I said, you were right. I'm a vampire." Duo closed his eyes, overwhelmed by the mere thought. What was he going to do? It wasn't like this was curable. He was a vampire. He was going to live off the blood of his fellow humans for the rest of eternity. Jesus Christ...

"DUO!"

"WHAT?!" Duo shrieked, opening his eyes. His fellow pilots bore expressions of extreme pain, and they all had their hands over their ears. Heero crouched down next to Duo, catching his pale hand in his own.

"Duo, calm down. Your voice no longer is that of a human." Duo looked down at him with glowing violet eyes, meeting Heero's cold gaze.

"What do you know?" he whispered. "WHAT DO YOU KNOW, HEERO?! I'M A FUCKING MONSTER! DO YOU UNDERSTAND?!" Duo collapsed, sobs shaking his frail body. Heero's eye twitched, and he seized the other boy's wrists. He yanked him out of the chair and wrapped his arms around the Deathscythe pilot, giving the other three a clear message to leave. Duo continued to cry, his tears hot and burning against Heero's chest. Sniffling softly, he whispered, "Thank you."

Heero's only response was to hug him tighter. "You are not a monster, Duo," he murmured into Duo's hair. "Don't ever say that."

"But..."

"Duo?"

"Yeah?"

"Shut up." Duo smiled shakily and sighed, wiping away the bloody tears streaking his white face. He raked a hand through his hair and looked out the window. "Heero, I have to..."

The Wing pilot frowned, then nodded. "Go ahead. I'll wait here."

Duo gave him a thumbs-up, then darted out of the library. Grabbing his coat, he ducked out the front door into the night. A cool breeze brushed against his face, buffeting his long braid behind him. He sighed quietly, then began to jog to the car parked in front of the house.

Angélique smiled as she watched her young protegeé head towards the black car. She slipped out of the shadows and started for Duo, her eyees glued to his pale frame. He froze as Angélique appeared before him.

"You," he breathed. "Stay away from me, you bitch."

Angélique pouted. "Is that how you treat your creator, Duo? Have you no manners?"

Duo looked at her with those glittering eyes. "You did this to me?" he asked, already knowing the answer.

"Yes," Angélique said. Shivering slightly, she said, "You look hungry. Would you care to eat with me?"

"I don't want anything to do with you." He turned away, struggling to look away from her icy green gaze. A hand closed around his arm and whirled him around.

"I am the only one who can help you survive. Are you willing to take my offer?" Duo stared at her beautiful face for several seconds, then nodded. Angélique smiled. "Believe me, you won't regret it."