Frozen Fire

July 30, 2000

Briar Creek, Oregon

"Human, huh?" Mary Lynnette tried to figure out what complications the human body undergoes when shifting species. But, from what she heard, Maria was no fragile woman.

"Yup," Rashel confirmed. "How does this lemonade taste?" Mary Lynnette took a sip and scrunched her nose. Rashel waited patiently as she spit it out in the sink and drank gulps of water.

"Did you remember the sugar?" Rashel lit up at the mention of the forgotten ingredient. Her finishing touches to the lemonade were interrupted when scuffling and shameful curses were heard outside, beyond the porch.

The two girls rushed outside, leaving the before-dinner snack in the Carter's kitchen. In the storm cloud of dust, they could discern two male figures tussling in the dirt. Punches, kicks, and even fangless bites were used.

"You goddamn sonofabitch take that back!"

"There's nothing to take back you idiotic shitty bastard!"

Mary Lynnette tilted her head and studied the brawling friends just as a dog would tilt his head and studied a new toy. Rashel, however, was not helping in the least.

"That's it, John, you could take him! His neck is open to attack. The NECK not the head! Jesus, how could not see that punch coming! This is pitiful, absolute pitiful, how could you let him land that one! Use your legs to push off his weight! …for God's sake, punch him already, what are you waiting for the next millennium? Absolutely pitiful."

"Oh it's pitiful, all right," Mary Lynnette said dryly. Soon, the three sisters ran up, Mark in tow, and also became spectators to the match. Rowan threw her hands up in disgust.

"Why does he always end up doing that when he comes here?!"

The younger two shrugged nonchalantly, then became Ash's cheerleaders, since Mary Lynnette refused to fulfill the position. Kestrel especially, for ever since the Neanderthal Quinn oversaw every single move she made in pre and post Final Battle with unneeded criticism, she had the growing need to beat the daylights out of him.

"Go for his weaknesses! Behind the knee, it's unprotected…WRONG KNEE IDIOT! Keep this up and even Jade will be able to beat you!"

"Hey!" Jade protested indignantly.

It wasn't until Mary Lynnette ran to and from the back yard and let them feel the full force of the water hose that they pulled away from each other. With heaving chests they stared at each other with barely constrained anger, and stood a foot apart.

"Now, do you two asses care to explain what happened here?" Mary Lynnette, when she truly wished to, could be authoritative and haughty as a queen. Ash hated those moments. She cleared her throat when one simply stared straight ahead, seeing nothing, and the other kicked at a pebble. Both had their hands in their pockets and regret in their heads.

"He insulted your honor," Ash burst out suddenly, like the tattle tale child. "So, you see I had to beat the jack off's ass. I just had to." Mary Lynnette stopped herself from smirking; she remembered the feeling of simply having to do something.

"Bull shit! All I said was 'Gee, Ash I pictured Mary Lynnette to a beauty queen by the way you've described her before.' And then this dilhole starts pounding on me."

Rashel intervened when she saw Mary Lynnette flare up at the insult Quinn directed to her soul mate. "Okay, jack off," she turned to Quinn, "calm down. And dilhole," she said to Ash, "chill out. We just have a communication problem. A beautiful relationship as yours cannot be destroyed by menial complications."

Their anger now appeared foolish, their clothes torn, and their faces covered with mud and dust. Neither of them made an attempt of apology, and their feet planted firmly in their spaces just as their stubborn attitudes were. The unspoken countdown was finally up and Rashel spoke.

"Fine. Then neither of you will enter either of these two houses," she pointed to the Carter and sisters' house, "unless it is to show us a poignant, sincere, and not to mention mushy apology." With an uncharacteristic toss of her hair, Rashel herded the rest of company into the Mary Lynnette and Mark's house.

Inside, they enjoyed a scrumptious meal and lively conversation with each other. Mark and his parents were a bit baffled by Rashel's evasive yet truthful answers concerning her personal life, but the puzzle was soon forgotten by the laughter caused by Rashel's dessert: "whip cream pie." Mary Lynnette smiled amusedly at her over the table, and took a bite of her whip cream topped graham cracker.

After dinner, all eight prepared for a game of charades when Ash and Quinn came in with a riveting performance. While Ash belted out "I'm Sorry, So Sorry," and Quinn listened with mock amorous eyes, Mary Lynnette and Rashel mouthed to each other, "Men!" Both sensed the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

~*~*~*~

July 30, 2000

New York City

She refused to pick up the phone. After several rings, modern technology took care of the annoying machine.

"Honey, why are you never home?" The voice softened with a Southern drawl seemed to clog every cranny of the room. She didn't hear the familiar lecture as it bounced futilely in her mind and remained simply meaningless. "…and ever since you've had pneumonia…I don't know why you let your friends talk you into a ski trip… I just worry about you, that's all…that sickness has lasting effects…we were playing bridge at the Smith's, you remember the Smith's…but then she said, 'No, no he's marrying his cousin'…and I tried this new color called raving rouge…and I swear I felt like the minister was looking right at me when he said those words…"

The voice of her dear aunt finally was cut off by the end of the tape. He still sat there, peering down on something in his hands. She struggled to remain calm and keep the fear away, for he, like wild animals, could smell it. It was a smell that told them to move in for the kill. And all she could do was stand dumbly like a deer in headlights and think. Thinking without action never saved anybody's ass, genius! Great, she thought a moment later, that vicious part of my mind is back. And I'm starting to feel like fair Rosamond when-

"She found Phillip Tempest waiting in her Parisian tower," he finished for her dispassionately. "I doubt Louisa May Alcott knew she was writing for the future when she wrote of Tempest's chase of his love all over the world. And I have been chasing you, Maria, or shall I say fair Rosamond." He, indeed, seemed to be the epitome of villainous traits. But, unlike most villains or antagonists of novels, Valdis did not lurk nor hide on the shadows. Here, in her room, he seemed to create them.

Oh dear god. Simply the sound of his voice crashed painful memories before her eyes. Series of brutal fights gripped at her mind, and his voice mingled with hers pounded in her ears. There was little to do other than exert her pain through squeezing the door knob behind her. All her senses screamed for her to simply twist the knob, and run for dear life. For seconds, she wondered why she wasn't moving. Then she realized it; although she was terrified by Valdis , she was also extremely stubborn with him.

"But I," her voice taking a challenging tone that hadn't resurfaced in months, "do not intend to run. A distinct difference Mr. Eldson, " It was stupid, overwhelmingly stupid to choose to stay in the same room with her future murderer, but for some unknown reason, her will for a fight overrode her common sense. She wondered if this would technically count as a homicide or suicide…

"Another difference," she continued when he still stared at the object in his hands. It was too dark to see whatever fascinated him. "is the fact that Tempest loved her."

"But it is a selfish love," he quoted, and smiled a dazzling smile. Maria had never seen him smile without malicious intent, at least directed deliberately towards her. "And my love is not selfish."

She stopped breathing. Literally, all air remained frozen in her lungs and dizziness leaped sporadically in her head. Love? What love, there was no love between us. Then, as always, the little tower of hope building in her collapsed when she used logic. Of course, she thought, he must mean Pearl.

The object he had been toying with glinted a flash of silver. A million possibilities ran in her head. A knife, a small ax, a gun, a Chinese star? Or it could be a…

He laughed with disdain and shook his head at her. "You always were a suspicious little one." Valdis held up his hands to the light. Resting on his index finger was a silver, round disc…a CD. She involuntarily let out a sigh of relief, but then immediately tensed. Hadn't one of the girls in Carrie 2 been sliced and diced by CDs?

"I was reviewing your extensive collection under the bed and in the closet when I found this. Why on earth would you want a Simon and Garfunkel?"

She snatched it from his hands, careful not to brush against his slender fingers. "They're deep, which is more than I could say about you." Other than that, no other words came to her mind. And he did not seem inclined to break the stillness. She began counting the seconds.

"Silence, like a cancer, grows," he sang briefly, and laughed at his own joke. She wondered exactly what drugs he sniffed to make him sing to her. Valdis never even liked talking to her in the old times.

"Now are you ready to have a serious conversation now, or is your head filled with more nonsensical ideas?"

"No, I am not," she replied curtly and briskly wriggled into an over sized flannel robe. Unhurried by his scorching gaze, she took her sweet time unfolding the cuffs so that her hands were covered. There. No chance of skin to skin contact, except for the face. And there's a bigger chance of Clinton staying faithful than him wanting to kiss me.

And since no matching ski masks were available, she threw him a toss of her hand, like a queen prodding a dozing courtier. Irritation was evident on his handsome face.

"I spent six months looking for you. Well, five months taking leave from the world and one month asking your aunt about your whereabouts. She was very reluctant, she must have thought I was one of those "terble" "ferns" who brought you on that "distrasus" skiing trip six months prior." His tone suggested that his didn't exactly ask for the information.

Maria bristled at his exaggeration of her aunt's accent. The one person who could make fun of her Georgia twang was Maria, and Maria only. Her expression only darkened. One question hung in their, waiting to be plucked for tension's sake.

"Why?"

"What would you say if I told you I wanted to speak with you? Willingly speak to you."

She rubbed her chin and pretended to concentrate on her answer. "Bullshit. Unless you feel you needed to bitch slap me again, or had an urge to complete destroy any healthy self esteem boosts I've given myself for the past few months. But, otherwise, bullshit pretty much sums everything up." Maria paused, searching for her next words for he simply sighed impatiently. "How the hell did you know I was alive any way?"

He stared unwaveringly at her, and she felt tiny pokes in her head. She shook the little harpoons off, and tried to set up shields to protect her privacy. Mari supposed they worked, for he eased back and asked flippantly. "Just who did save you?"

He had just answered her question with another question. She hated it when people do that. But, seeing that this was no normal human being with whom she could argue without major loss of blood, she found herself answering. "I don't know. Probably one of the daybreakers. They…"

"Didn't want you," he finished for her again, this time with a smirk. Brushing away the sting his comment caused, she continued.

"Yes, to put it tersely. And my aunt found me freezing on her doorstep, which shows the abundant love for me." He nodded, although his voice showed little interest in her explanation. When he added, "I'm sure," she had had enough.

It didn't make sense for her to become so angry so quickly. Vintage bug cars did not accelerate from zero to sixty in two seconds. Little boys did not instantly transform to horny teenagers. There was a process, a building up of emotions. At least there was supposed to be.

"Okay, god dammit," she yelled slamming open the door, ready to drag him out of her apartment by the lapels of his jacket. "I don't care how you got here, why you're here, or how you are getting out of here, but you are leaving right now!" He shrugged with, what seemed to be nonchalance, and moved towards the door. When he was a foot away, she changed her mind and slammed it shut.

"You know, what? You are not leaving until I say this: You do not have a single right to come in, criticize my taste of music, make fun of my non biological family, ask me about my immediate past, and don't believe a single goddamn word I've said. Valdis Eldson, you stay out of my new life or I will hire somebody to kick your ass. Now, good riddance!" This time she opened the door for him the last time. At least that's what she hoped.

His hand leapt up next to hers, presumably to slam it shut. But, in fear, she quickly pulled it back, afraid of being sucked into the dark whirl pool of his mind. When he saw this, all fiery anger melted into a calm determination for something . And she knew a calm anger was the most dangerous in killers. Valdis let the door shut quietly behind him. Just as Maria appeared powerful and imperious before, Valdis was now tall and frighteningly looming over her. Apparently he didn't know the rule of "building up" of emotions, either.

"Your new life? Your new life? And with what money would you hire this assassin? Your money from your job? Wait a second, you don't have one! Maria, you can't stand on your own two feet; you're still dependent on your aunt. You still don't have many friends, and…"

"I don't give a fuck about what you think about me. Yes, maybe I am a little needy on her money but… this is different from before!"

"How? Do you send her thank you cards for every monthly check? Wow, Maria, that is just completely contrasting with your previous relationship. Why don't you just give up?"

"Shut up, just shut up Valdis. Whether you think it is or not, this is my new life…"

"But you're not being yourself, you're holding back…"

"Oh, and you know me, is that it? Tell me, Valdis, just enlighten me for a minute, and tell me who the real Maria Tybal is. Because we all know you've spent years with me, studying my every move, my every feeling. Wait a second, you haven't! Are you trying to sweep in here to break my spirit and then tell me how to live my life, you've got a another thing comin'! You have no right…"

"I AM YOUR SOUL MATE!"

"AND I WISH WITH MY ENTIRE BEING YOU WEREN'T!" She screamed back at the top of her lungs.

They took a breath, for the heated exchange exhausted both of them. Obviously tired, he sat back down in the chair in the dark corner, his hands running over his face.

"I have spent weeks looking for you, only to find out that my soul mate is dating a shape shifter. A SHAPE SHIFTER! For god's sake, Maria, couldn't you find yourself a decent human! Any vermin would have been better than that flea bag."

"Oh, there you go throwing around the v word again. Couldn't your people come up with something better, or at least some synonyms? All I hear is 'vermin' for my species and, believe me, that one gets old after a hundred years."

"Could you be serious?" He constrained his yells to a dull roar.

"You want to get serious, fine, I'll lay it on the line. You are the bad guy-"

"Does that make you the good guy? Ha!" he scoffed.

"No, ass hole, it makes me the Santa Clause," she threw back. "Bad guys and non bad guys do not visit each other for tea. We do not converse, we do not socialize in any manner, and we sure as hell don't summarize and judge each other lives! Isn't there some rule book in that sadistic society of yours that says, 'thou shall not rendez-vous with human soul mates'?"

He paced, threw up his hands, and paced again. To Maria, it appeared as if he was holding back all his desire to either punch a hole in the wall or throw her out the window. Which would have been a pity on both choices, since she had just painted the walls and washed the windows. Valdis stopped pacing and faced her with a look of utmost resolve.

"All my life I've felt so damn incomplete, I was so damn sure once I found my soul mate I would be so fucking happy I wouldn't kill a single soul. Then I meet you, I get a goddamn ver-, oh pardon me, human, for a soul mate and I spend a few more months feeling incomplete." His pacing quickened, and knocked down the chair beside him. Maria's eyebrows rose at the action, and she privately thought her soul mate was being a tad melodramatic. Too much Jerry Maguire for this vampire.

"Then on January first, I get a helluva wake up call saying 'Valdis, this is your one and only soul mate, whether you like it or not.' Plus, you gave me this speech about how happy you were going to be, all by yourself. What about me? I realized. It's not freakin' fair for you to be so happy when I feel like rotting in hell. So I'm here, trying to feel fucking complete, and you're not cooperating!"

Lord, he's selfish, Maria thought, privately amused. Kinda reminds ya of someone, doesn't it? Her mind retorted acridly. She pondered if one could survive with three quarters of one's brain when she realized her soul mate had finished his monologue.

His chest was heaving and she stared at him coolly, with one eyebrow raised. "Is this the part when I say, 'Kiss me you fool,' or would you prefer, 'You had me at hello'? No wait, that wouldn't work because you didn't say 'hello.' That's not very polite…"

Wrong thing to say idiot, idiot, and may I add idiot… Without a word, he picked up blue glass picture frame and hurled it to the wall next to her. "I was trying to be serious!"

Don't be scared, she told herself repeatedly after she mourned the loss of her frame. "Oh," she said with mock realization. "I couldn't tell with you acting like the trailer trash on COPS. Where's your rifle and beer can?"

"I'll whip them out when you wear clown make up and show your hot pink curlers," he answered tiredly. Before she could fake a heart attack for his first joke, he went on to say, "You do realize that this new boyfriend of yours has been lying to you."

"I've had my suspicions. But, then again, I haven't been Miss Honesty with him either. It's not one of my strongest points." He gave and quickly wiped away the tiniest of grins.

From out of the blue, cynical thoughts clouded her mind.

He's doing it again, you know what I'm talking about. He's chatting you up, making you spill your thoughts. Then he'll hurt you or he'll use the information against you. Valdis is not to be trusted and you know it. Why are you still talking to him?

Normally, she could have ignored the paranoid hiss, but her voice of reason was right. Valdis had hurt her before, for example the docks. And that short encounter had thrown her in turmoil for weeks. The last thing she needed was a re run.

Her voice of reason sensed victory, and threw images to ensure the self persuasion.

"The disgusting prostitute you call your mother has more worth than you could achieve in your life time."

"No." She was hardly aware she spoke.

"People care about me, Mari. Can you honestly say the same thing?"

She squeezed her eyes shut, hoping to shut out the vindictive images.

"I want obedience and compliance in the women around me, all women. Those who don't learn, are punished."

Then, as the last memory, perhaps the most painful event came crashing to her. It felt like she was experiencing an out of body experience. She saw two young people, standing on a shadowy dock. Hateful words poured from their lips, but she could hear nothing. Then he raised his hand and slapped her. Just like that, as if she were nothing. The woman had not touched him physically before, yet he had struck her. It did not fit logic nor fairness and drove her to be unbelievably incensed.

He's the same as Dorian, she rationalized.

Maria opened her eyes and found herself facing his chest. Her breaths were shallow as her eyes slowly traveled to her soul mate's handsome face, for she didn't dare move her head and touch him, skin contact or no. Valdis peered down at her, concerned for some reason…her?

Concern my ass. "I know what's going on, Valdis. I know there are Night Worlders after me, the scapegoat for their downfall. Who would have guessed Sir Valdis Eldson would have become the pest control? This is why you're here, isn't it? To take care of the, oh what's that word that is over used and over played…vermin, right?" He stared blankly at her, and then began to laugh, no mirth in his chuckles. It was dry laughter of disbelief, of one tired of his misfortunes. Finally, after forcing Maria to assume his insanity, he spoke.

"Good one. I came here to kill you? That's ridiculous, that's preposterous, that's utterly insane. Of all the people in the world, I never expected my soul mate to be the stupidest female on earth."

She disregarded the insult, because the tone of his voice startled and roused curiosity within her. "And pray tell, why would the thought be so outrageous?"

Valdis moved toward her, silently and expressionless. The look of him made Maria recall the graceful pace of a white tiger, blue eyes flashing in the dark. He came uncomfortably close, then unbearably close, then so close she believed she was damn near suffocated. Maria had backed up into a corner between her desk and the wall. He leaned forward.

"Because," he whispered, his breath ruffling her hair. "I saved you." She couldn't think, he didn't give her time to think, to rationalize, or to push him away. The three simple words turned her mind into a nebulous quivering mass of tangled babbling thoughts. Not enough to take major actions. Mari could see what was happening, but felt powerless to stop it. His hand rose by minuscule degrees to her cheek. Seconds ticked by with overwhelming slowness. Then when she could feel the heat of his hand on her cheek, and when she could smell the crisp scent of a cool forest emanating from his body…

"Get out." His hand gently brushed against her cheek, but she struggled against the current. "Get out, Valdis I mean it," she pleaded softly. It had never occurred to her that she would plead to anybody, let alone Valdis. Panicked hands rose to push him away, only to be captured in his grasp.

"No, you don't, Maria," he refused tenderly, " I could tell when you mean it."

Somewhere in the land of fog and fuzz her mind had dissipated into, a thought sparked. Confusion, indignation, and then feminist righteousness given to all women flushed away the cloudy thoughts of romance in her head. She snatched her hands away.

"Oh, I see how it is. I'm just a girl, a human girl to be exact, so I don't know what I'm saying? I need you to tell me when I mean it or not?" Maria pushed him away and rushed to throw open her bedroom door. "You may feel so damn incomplete that you can't stand it, Valdis, but I've spent almost twenty years without you and I'm doin' fine. And this may not be the independent 'I am woman, hear me roar' shit that you were just tellin' me about, but at least I'm trying. Now, listen very closely. Haul. Ass."

Aw, poor baby, she thought spitefully when hurt spread across his face. "I'd feel sorry for ya, but I think it's about time life kicked you in the ass. Out, Valdis, or do I have to call the cops?"

"I'd kill ten cops with one hand," he pointed out with immature pride, which seemed to dominate all other emotions in any being born with the Y chromosome.

"And I'd like to see you explain the medical wonder of healing from a bullet wound in five seconds. Can we say lab rat?"

I'm not leaving. It completely disconcerted her, to have a thought not of her own in her head. There was a natural coldness to his message, iciness laced with each syllable. Fortunately for her, that was when the knocking started.

"Maria! Santa Maria Tybal!" A man with a horrible Italian accent pounded at her front door. She turned to smirk at Valdis, but he was nowhere in sight. Nothing moved save the rustling of her curtains.

Kyros had his hand poised for another ruthless hammering on her defenseless antique of a door. "Santa Maria Tybal!" he exclaimed with the attempt of an accent, a goofy smile spread from cheek to cheek. He let out a whistle when he took in the sight of her.

"What are you doing here?" All energy had drained from her, confirming her earlier excuse for their shortened good night kiss.

"Well, I was in the Lincoln Tunnel when, there in the sky I saw it: not a bird, not no freakin' plane…"

Maria frowned at the double negative.

"… but the Bat Signal. Some poor son of a bitch went home with an unsatisfactory good night kiss, could you imagine the hell's he's going through? So it was up to me, Batman, to save the poor bastard before…well before I die, honey."

Kyros moved towards her, his arms outstretched and his expression like a sailor on leave. Again, Maria frowned, for he didn't even try to make her smile. After a night of Kyros, Valdis, and Kyros again, Maria felt as if she would faint or explode.

"Jesus please us, Kyros you're an Arctic Fox, not some stupid bat. And how the hell can you manage to see a bat signal if you're in a TUNNEL? Now get your ass in here, we gotta talk!" He jumped back, surprised and suddenly not in the make out mood. She grabbed his hand and dragged him into the apartment.

~*~*~*~

August 8, 2000

"Fill me in on the details, Ky…" She heard a huge intake of breath through the ear piece of the phone. "Wait, wait, let me rephrase that. Summarize, ten sentences or less."

"Okay, here's the deal. That one didn't count because it wasn't officially apart of the summary, you know what I'm saying, Hannah? Any way, Maria knew the whole time who I was, what happened, all that good stuff. About a week ago, a stranger paid a visit, which really means meant to kill her. Luckily, I stepped in and saved the day. Any who, she says he was sent by somebody or other and she's asking for a favor. Mainly, that we kill him. How many sentences was that? Six, or five. Either way that's pretty good for me right?"

"She remembers everything!" Her exclamation nearly made his sensitive ears burst. Others enjoying their morning coffee turned towards her, and then wrote her off as a fermented tourist.

"Well, what you expect me to do, read her mind? Foxes are smart, but not that smart. Oh, and can you believe it? She broke up with me."

"Yes, except you're an exception." Kyros wasn't sure whether to give thanks or defense.

"Hey, what are you doing on the mission any way? What about Quinn, Winnie, you know, the regulars?"

She bristled, but kept her voice level low. It would be horribly embarrassing to make a scene at the café, where everybody appeared detached and isolated from the world. Probably to escape the noise of this city. "Just because I am the boss's soul mate doesn't mean I can't do missions. True, it may not be my style, and yes, I have had no experience whatsoever. But I will not sit around the mansion when everybody else is on vacation. Besides, there are a lack of volunteers due to extended vacations everybody seems to be taking."

He was observed his surroundings, the roof of Maria's building where the confession had taken place. When she cleared her throat, he turned his attention back again. "Right, right, besides all you have to do is talk, which you do well by the way. And run."

"Run?"

"Yup, she should be jogging across the street from in two minutes. Sweaty, heaving chest, and ready to lie down and rest…" He sighed wistfully. "Wanna switch places? I'll be over there in a ten seconds."

"No thanks, Kyros. Like you said, I'm a great orator."

"Ora-what? Does that have anything to do with bl-"

"Keep your mind out of the gutter, Snow."

"Hey, it was there since day one. See ya, Snow." It was an old joke. Hannah sighed, and idly stirred her cold espresso. There were dog walkers, shoppers, business women, and a small girl in shorts and a midriff top…

"Maria!" She yelped and got to her feet. The head of black pony tail did not turn around, and she kept the same pace as Hannah struggled to catch up in her leather boots. "Maria!"

It wasn't until she waited for the Walk sign to flash at an intersection did she finally slow down. Even then, Maria was preoccupied checking her shoe laces and stats on her watch.

"Ma…ria," Hannah panted tiredly, leaning against the traffic light pole. Passerby's bumped into her shoulder, some rudely and others indifferently. "We…need…to talk," she huffed.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you. There's gum and god knows what on there." The reply appeared to be directed to nobody as Maria bent down to one knee to tighten her shoe. "Anything in particular, Snow?"

Snow, she thought, baffled at her old friend's cold greeting. From Kyros' wordy accounts, Hannah had learned Maria had revived the élan that she tucked away after the death of the Yolkens. The current behavior illustrated less than girlish warmth.

"Um, about this old friend? We need to know…" She trailed off when she realized she was talking to nobody; Maria had began jogging as soon as the sign permitted. It was time to torture her feet once more.

By the time she caught up, Hannah believed that visible sweat marks near the under arms and upper back were inevitable. She began to believe Nissa's claim, "Missions aren't just the glamour of beating the bad guys. That's half of it."

"Maria, I said that we need to know…" Maria stared straight ahead and, unlike the novice Hannah, expertly wove through the stream of crowds.

"His name is Valdis Eldson, and he's currently staying at the Four Seasons. Not sure what room, but hey I had to leave your people something to do to feel useful. If possible, I want it to be the slowest death in the history of time."

" 'Your people?' Maria, why are you suddenly separated from us?"

"I'm not," she snapped quickly, and gave friendly waves to local shop owners they passed. It amazed Hannah how little effort it took to shift gears so abruptly. "I'm not suddenly separated, Hannah. You can't be separated when you never really apart of something." Her tone did not ask for sympathy nor reassurance, it merely stated cold facts.

"We were your friends," she stated firmly and stepped in front of her to stop the tedious exercise. "How could you say that? Why would we even help you with this man if we weren't your friends."

"Friends? Did you just say friends?" Maria glanced around and noticed common pedestrians soon became slow walking onlookers. Most likely Hannah's calm, sweet, and innocent aura had attracted the males. "We'll take this inside. And tell Kyros to stop staring down my shirt." Hannah looked above, but only saw a vanishing shadow, and followed her into the building they had conveniently rested in front of.

With astonishing speed for a girl who formerly found the climb up a short flight of stairs draining, Maria was waiting in the living room when Hannah reached the door way. Carefully, she pushed aside the door that seemed to hang by a thread and settled on the love seat next to her.

"About this friends business. The only people willing to talk to me were you, Poppy, and Maggie. And I have no inkling why you're helping me…are you expecting a fee?"

"Obviously you could afford it," she teased and lifted a set of leather pants and matching jackets, black and white, as an example. For some reason or other, she squirmed uncomfortably and changed the subject.

"This is all besides the point. Are you, well, I mean are one of your partners going to kill him?"

"We can't do that right away, Maria. He may hold information about where the rest of the Night World is immigrating to, and which big wigs are holding secret meetings for petty retaliation. And, as far as I know, this Eldson man was connected to many head honchos."

Maria snorted and fidgeted. "He isn't a man, at least in my definition. Valdis is a bigoted, self absorbed, finicky, and capricious bastard who isn't good enough to suffer in hell. He just needs to…to… I don't know, get sucked up in a black hole or something." Hannah stared at her old friend, her sharp mind piecing the vast jigsaw puzzle with the minor clues Maria inadvertently slipped out. But a few pieces were missing.

"How could you have such hateful feelings for an assassin who you met for an hour or so? And why aren't you dead if he had that much time to kill you? And, if you hate him so much, why haven't you killed him already?"

The bombardment of questions, like Valdis, drove into confusion, which usually resulted in anger.

"What is this, twenty questions? Speaking of questions, why wouldn't I hate the man sent to kill me? I suppose you, oh kind Old Soul, would give him a drink and a good meal before he slit your throat like the wretched dog he is. Besides, Kyros must have told you what happened, and you know Kyros came before he could do anything."

"He went to the Lincoln Tunnel and back, that's at least an hour from here. Something must have happened, Maria, I could feel it."

"Valdis might have come just five minutes before Kyros interrupted. Ever think of that hot shot?"

"First of all, you said 'might have' which means he didn't. Second of all, you're on a first name basis with a man you met a week ago and lastly, I don't think he would give you his business card for future purposes. How did you know his name, and his personality, and his hotel? Assassins don't mince words with their targets. How do you explain that, hot shot?"

There was a pregnant pause in which both knew Hannah's decisive victory. Maria began to pace, hands on hips, and her eyebrows furrowed deep in thought. After ten minutes of wearing down the hard wood floor, Maria finally settled herself on a recliner in front of Hannah. Somehow, with hair sticking to her sweaty forehead and wrinkled clothes, she still managed to maintain the "Ice Queen" reputation from the mansion.

"Fine, so I knew him from Carn's castle. I do not understand how our acquaintance interferes with the fact he tried to kill me. Do you not get the math here? Tries to kill me equals you guys kill him."

For maybe the first time since they met, Maria saw Hannah give a sigh of exasperation. "I understand that equation. But I'm saying that he probably didn't come with the intent of killing you."

"Go ahead Sherlock, solve the puzzle. I'm just dying to hear your explanation."

"You," she said slowly, "and Valdis are…"

The angry gleam in Maria's eyes grew to an intense golden glow. "Don't you dare say it, Hannah Snow. Don't. You. Dare." For a moment, she thought she would comply. Hannah closed her mouth and toyed with the tassels of a pillow. Satisfied, Maria rose to see her out the door when she heard Hannah speak behind her.

"Soul mates."

~*~*~*~

August 10, 2000

California

The gloom filled the apartment like a thick fog. A documentary on the Life Time Channel had touched upon a sensitive subject. Children.

At first, all appeared normal and innocent. On the couch, Poppy watched the babies, cooed and doted on their lovable faces while James surfed the net on his laptop from a kitchen stool. Then she began to laugh over the misadventures involving toddlers and pre teenagers. And when the program interviewed celebrities raising young children, Poppy began to cry.

"Poppy, Poppy, it's okay if they end up divorcing, the stars get joint custody," he said frantically, and hoped that was the cause of his the sudden water works. "Is it about the kid's dog dying? Listen, I'm sure he's over it by now, this show's about five years old. Stop crying, just stop crying, here's a tissue."

Poppy began sobbing, and a few seconds later threw the tear soaked Kleenex back at him. "It's not about the stupid show! It's about us!" She yelled angrily and pushed him away.

"Us? But Poppy, we don't have to worry about that junk. We don't have kids…er…wait a second. Are you pregnant?" The situation was highly unlikely considering she was made.

"NO! NO, NO, NO! I'm not pregnant, does that make you happy?" Unfortunately, he gave the wrong answer by shrugging. "I'm not upset that I'm not pregnant and I'm not upset that you're happy. I'm upset that I can never be pregnant!"

James' mouth made an "oh" shape. He began to understand, his father once told him in a rare confiding moment that all women entered a maternal stage.

"A maternal stage! James, don't presume that this is a sentimental phase. If you do, I will kill you here and now." James bafflement changed to slight irritation.

Being a witch and a vampire did wonders for Poppy's psychic abilities. At first, he was proud his soul mate was reputed to be one of the strongest psychic vampires in the United States. Then, he began to fear it. With the combination of the soul mate link, her witch heritage, and the vampire powers, James' shields were virtually useless. When they discovered this, Poppy solemnly promised not to read any thoughts that were not meant for other minds.

"James, come here," she said, her voice still trembling, and sat on a stool. James cautiously sauntered to the one facing her, while she wiped her eyes. "God, how do I begin to explain this. See, you knew my parents, you know that they were great in raising me and Phil. Well, mom was great and dad was…fun. And she showed me in almost every aspect how to be a wonderful and sensible mother. I just…just…"

"Want to put that knowledge to use," he guessed.

"Yes, and when you…I…we found out about my cancer and the following events, I just sort of stopped thinking about it. But now, that I'm talking to my mom, and seeing what an amazing job she does with us, even when she found out we're witches and I'm a vampire… I just want to be like that. I want to have a little girl or boy look up at me with a million questions so that I can answer every single one."

In silence, both watched James wringing hands. He knew his lack of words disturbed her, but to say he was shocked would have been an understatement. Even humans at this age didn't have to think about family ways. James had never contemplated, and in complete truth, wanted a child. With a colorless tone of voice he only used pertaining to his parents, he said, "And you've known my parents. You know what a horrible job they've done."

"You turned out okay," she said helpfully.

"But I have no idea how to raise a kid, Poppy. There is nothing that I've learned from them except 'Don't turn baby sitters into ghouls.' If we ever get a kid, you would be like a single mother. You know everything, Poppy, what to say when they fall or what to do when they get in trouble in school. All I've had to help me out of those situations was myself."

"You would have me, and Life Time documentaries." Then her hopeful face abruptly became crestfallen. "God, look at me; I'm trying to comfort you about being a father. You're never going to be a father and I'm never going to be a mother."

"What are you talking about? There are adoption agencies that Thierry knows the numbers to."

"Adopt?" Poppy said the word as if it was a part of new language. "But…but…"

Many of their friends in Circle Daybreak were adopted, Keller for example. It was not unheard of, since many made vampires felt the family twinge once in their long life times. But Poppy had never thought of adopting a child herself. This caused another argument.

"What's the matter with an adopted child?"

"There's nothing wrong them, it's just that they wouldn't be mine. They wouldn't be ours, our blood, our…DNA…"

"It's not the DNA that makes a kid your son or daughter, Poppy. I thought you would understand that."

"What is that supposed to mean? Just because I laugh and smile all the time, I'm supposed to say yes to whatever you ask for?"

"No, it means that because you had such an open mind to everything before. It's not the medical history that makes you family Poppy. And as cheesy as this may sound, it's the relationship, the love, or the bond that you build with the children. How can you get so technical as DNA?"

"It's not technical, James!"

"Then what is it? What's holding us back from adopting?"

She didn't have an answer for that. And he had nothing else to say. In their topic, they switched their positions concerning children. Neither wanted to leave; it felt as if a sudden departure represented an apology. Silence, tensions, and sadness settled over their home as both pondered over the problem in their minds.

~*~*~*~

August 20, 2000

Southwestern Pennsylvania

"Believe it or not, Ripley," Gillian said matter-of-factly.

"No way! Tu plaisantes!" Iliana returned, feeling as if she needed to show a bit of knowledge not that her distant cousin had dropped the huge bomb on her. Her mother once hired a French nanny, who believed in being bilingual was just as important as potty training. She hadn't lasted long.

"Yup. You may have had the blue fire in your blood, but I met one of our dead cousin and solved a missing persons case. Who's the special Harman now?"

"Puh lease. I am a Harman, you are a Lennox." It was some time between twilight and dawn. The two girls whispered in giggled in the dimness of Gillian's room. Iliana had taken occupation in the new guest room (Gillian's dad's old stock room of weights and junk), but had some temperory insomnia due to the travel. And since Mrs. Lennox taught night school and was unavailable for hot milk and cookies, Iliana decided to tickle her cousin's feet until she was up for conversation. Gillian especially enjoyed the sleepover, for her past slumber parties had consisted of one guest, Amy.

Amy, although sweet and loyal, usually spoke of boys, which ones she liked and which liked her. And since Gillian's favor of one particular boy never wavered, each of the five sleep-overs ended with feigning sleep to end her numbing prating. But, with Iliana, she could discuss a world and events Amy never knew about.

"What did he look like? Was he cute?" Iliana asked eagerly.

"Iliana! He's our cousin! We're not supposed to find him cute! That' would be…incestuous."

"Yeah right! You know what they say, 'Incest is the best.' Just kidding! You look like you're gonna have me committed. Besides, when you first saw him that flower field or whatever, you didn't know he was our cousin. What was your first impression of him?"

"Iliana, I just fell in a frozen creek and thought I died. The last thing I would think about was if I would meet a potential date at the in between world." Her small face remained stubborn, and Gillian sighed. "You want my first impression here it is: I thought he was a glowing insect." She felt a reprimanding slap on her arm, and thought it extremely unfair that her dainty cousin should be so strong.

"Seriously!" Iliana raised her voice and woke her two Abyssian cats sleeping at the foot of the bed. They broke their usual yin yang positions and nuzzled against Iliana.

"Fine, fine, he had golden hair, tall, graceful, and glowed. Of course I thought he was cute! Whoever heard of a less than perfect angel?"

"Not an angel," Iliana corrected. "Our cousin, Gary Fargeon. Why do we, descendants of Hellewise, get the strangest names on the face of the earth? It's just not fair! While there were Ashley's, and Brittany's, and Kelly's, I got stuck with the name all the substitutes had trouble with!"

"I think Iliana is a lot better than 'Gilligan.' Do you know how many times I've been called that by teachers on the first day of school? And correcting them in front of class always terrified me. But, once you think about it, they're not strange, they're unique."

Iliana suddenly shushed her. "I think I hear something." They fell into silence again and there was indeed some rustling downstairs. Both girls froze. Iliana, who could no longer depend on the blue fire, scrambled desperately to remember any defensive spells Winnie taught her. Gillian had no trouble remember the spells, but she didn't want to choose one too damaging to any burglar.

What if he's in desperate need of money and needs to provide for his family? She thought pensively. Since both were so embroiled in their frantic thoughts, neither heard the footsteps right outside the door.

"Why are you two still up?" They shrieked and the cats ran out of the room and under her mother's legs in a flash. "If you're going to go to Hershey's World today, you're going to need some sleep. And, Iliana, if you're going to sleep here, you could ask Gillian to take out the cot."

"Thank you, Mrs. Lennox, but if I do that neither of us will sleep," she giggled, the late hours affecting her mind with sleepily cheerful moods.

"Ugh, mom! We're not going to Hershey's World, I've told you that millions of times. We're going to visit a friend of mine." Her mother shrugged indifferently and kissed them both good night.

"Just as long as you're out of the house so I could get some sleep," she told them warmly before leaving for her own room. Gillian left momentarily and returned lugging an unwieldy square of fluff and metal.

"Who's you're friend?" Iliana whispered while they both struggled to unfold the cot adjacent to the bed. Now she whispered because both knew Gillian's mother needed the sleep. After she revived her teaching skills, she took up night school since the junior college had already filled her position. And Gillian was willing to give her all the help she needed.

"A witch named Mesuline. She's helped me through some tough times before and I figured it was time to return the favor. Mesuline's been dying to meet you. In fact, I'm pretty sure all witches are." Iliana curtseyed with pride.

"I shall try to live up to all expectations. What are we doing?"

"We're gonna hit the water parks or Pittsburgh. Oh, and David's coming too."

"Great, me and Mesuline could watch you drool over each other. What fun," Iliana yawned flatly. The pillow hit her face before she knew what was coming.

That was the beginning of the one hour pillow fight, and the one hour clean up.

~*~*~*~

August 30, 2000

Las Vegas, Nevada

There was a cheery hum reverberating in the halls. Its source came from Hannah's room. Thierry had been bereft of her serene company for the past three weeks, first New York, and then her quick stay at her parents' house. Despite her strong will to finish the mission, Hannah cryptically told him all would solve itself in time. And Hannah was the soul of patience.

He had hinted, demanded, and begged for any type of explanation, but Hannah gave a secret smile or a knowing look and shook her head. The only clue she vouchsafed was, "The assassin who wasn't an assassin came to try to break the bone so it would heal the way he wanted it to heal. His way." It simply confused him more. Finally, time came around for her to plan the first annual Circle Daybreak reunion and little was thought of Maria's assassin.

Many chances for celebration came at the equinoxes and solstices, but one also was forced to mingle with the Night World. Because their numbers were dwindling, it was unnecessary to hide their Circle Daybreak status, or to criticize and ridicule the humans, who, by the way, had no form of reunion or celebrations within Circle Daybreak at all. Hannah had sought to set the problem right as soon as an opportunity arose. Presently, all was convenient because of the absence of their malevolent nemesis and the upcoming Labor Day weekend. Most had already sent their RSVP, except two special guests in mind.

~*~*~*~

September 4, 2000

The couple stood huddled under the doorway as the slow raindrops began to fall quicker. Again, he pressed the doorbell in frustration. At his third time, the door opened immediately.

"Welcome, Quinn, Rashel. You're two are the earliest guests to arrive." Nilsson led them to the massive hall, formerly the place of sober and usually heated meetings. Now, above the gigantic doorway hung a banner of greeting in golden letters. Scattered about the room were vases filled with flowers of foxglove, dahlias, roses, and irises. Although their black color gave the impression of a funeral parlor, lively chatter already filled the hall.

"I thought you said we were the earliest to arrive?" Quinn turned to Nilsson inquisitively.

"I said you were the first guests. These," he said, gesturing those throwing crepe streamers and foldable paper decorations at each other, "are friends who insisted to help out with the decorating. They're doing a lovely job."

Rashel laughed, and dragged her wall flower of a boyfriend towards one of the distracted helpful friends. Soon, more fellow Daybreakers came pouring in through the entrance. Winnie came, arm in arm with another male witch. Surprisingly, James came but Poppy arrived half an hour later, both completely unaffected by the significant other's absence. Morgead and Jez made their entrance known by their loud laughter and disagreements. A large circle formed around the talked of but never before seen Mary Lynnette, as Ash proudly displayed like an actor with his Oscar. Blaise also had her own circle, but those who surrounded her were either excited by her attention, or disappointed by the lack of it. Delos and Maggie were torn since the moment they entered, but found each other in the throngs of people after an hour or so.

Iliana's presence was missed, but the lack of her enthusiasm was filled by Poppy's, who seemed to be all smiles, more than usual that is. In the invitations, it clearly stated that all condiments were available and there was no need to bring any at all. Thierry inserted this addendum to prevent the party from ending in a drunken reminiscing idiocy. Thierry took note of this but let it pass, for he knew that, despite the fact that they were the good guys, they always seemed to find a way to bypass the rules.

But, most claimed innocence to whatever "gifts" they brought and added their own treats to the snacks tables. The shower outside grew, but the noise inside grew with it. All the hapless efforts of the clumsy "decorators" were torn down as the sweet alcohol was served after the watery clouds became darker. When thunder clapped, there was a boom of laughter inside the mansion. And when lightning struck, it only helped to lighten the mood. Somebody dimmed the lights, and another raised the volume of the music. What supposed to be a casual get together became the noisiest, most crowded, and confusing party in Las Vegas.

Nilsson was the only one who heard the doorbell. There, standing wet and shivering, was a small girl hidden in a tent of a rain coat. After helping her out of the oversized raincoat, and then the made for fashion only leather jacket, Nilsson found little Maria, who still managed to get drenched under her layers of coats. Hair slowly curling by natural drying, Maria said in an unusual nervous manner:

"Um, Hannah invited me here. She said that she had to see me…"

"Maria! Nilsson, I'll take care of this, you go on back to Blaise," Hannah teased. Nilsson shook his head with a smile and returned to the party. "Poor thing you're shivering. I was thinking you weren't going to come…well, now that you're here, let's get you into the party." Hannah tried to gently push her to the party, but Maria stood like a statue.

"What are you talking about?" she snapped and then bit back her lip. "I came here because of your letter. That's the only reason I came." Thunder rumbled suddenly, causing both girls to jump.

"Wait here," Hannah said excitedly. Maria thought she smelled margarita on Nilsson, perhaps Hannah had a sip of alcohol as well. Her eyes followed Hannah as she slipped through two doors, and blasting music and darkness escaped the room for a moment.

~*~*~*~

There was one person, literally sulking in a corner, who did not know a single soul at the celebration. Well, any souls he wanted to reconcile with. Pity the Night World lost the greats to such a holier-than-thou Circle, he thought with disappointment as the infamous Quinn and Ash Redfern cross his vision.

With arms crossed, shoulders slouched, he watched the joyous mass with disgust. His people weren't celebrating, his people weren't getting stupidly drunk just for the stupid sake of being together. No, his people were hiding like cowards. And here he was, in the middle of his enemy's headquarters, and he couldn't do a single damaging or vandalizing thing to it. And blood on the walls would have added such a nice touch to the opulent décor.

Hannah had written him, saying Maria might make an appearance at the merrymaking event, but it seemed she was mistaken. And, even if she did show, there was no doubt in his mind he would blunder and butcher the conversation into raising both their blood pressures.

Stretching his vision to an impressive range, he spied Hannah's worried face risen slightly over the others. Valdis could have read her mind, but he already knew who she was looking for and made his way to find a way out of the festivity. The farther away he got from the reveling victors, the better.

When he finally made his way out, it was like breathing fresh air, uncontaminated by the goody goodies. Now it was the simple matter of finding a way out without the butler's help.

"Dammit." Exactly what he was thinking. Valdis turned around in the poorly lit room, and saw a slender silhouette leaning against one of the Roman pillars. She was short, soaked to the bone, and had dark curling hair…

"Maria?"

"Valdis!" She jumped, and spilled a prescription container and its contents on the marble floor.

~*~*~*~

"If the world didn't suck, we'd all fall off." H.Z.