Perhaps you'd like me to rephrase that? Hate you? Ardently. Love you? Beyond all reason

As the shadows faded and melted into the never-ending black of the night, the stagnant air in the house dipped back behind the eminent facade of placidity. A fair few took to sleep to wash away the blood, some merely sat. The path ahead was covered in a thick black mist from which voices laughed and screamed. So much had passed. So much yet to come.

The phone lay on the hook silent as it had been since carrying forth the fatal news. Beside it sat the watching Carthage. Opposite him sat Valerio. Here the blood still hung so thick and draped not even the flies dared bother them. Neither slept, neither spoke.

The cold invaded the mind of the broken. Wellies lay spread eagle on his bed, his mouth caught in the name he no longer said, his eyes closed to the cold about, his ears shut to the silence within. Sleep it may not be but the beast lay silent, not in grief, not in sorrow.

Shut away from the world Starkers sat. Curtains shut, breathing regular, mind clear and sharp. Cut apart from others he sat a book balanced on his knees, a picture in his mind. Upon the book lay a necklace of silver and white gold, a cross with Latin scribed into it. On the page behind the necklace there lay a corresponding Latin notation and the translation with various texts and pictures. To him, who knew this information by heart, the knowledge of the past meant everything and to the future nothing.

Eternity slept a dreamless sleep. The sleep was a time to fill hours not for refreshment. The mind was tired, the body was racked. Injuries were left unattended and her tears lay stiff upon her flushed cheeks. Through it all she was still a child, stuck in an age with the desire for freedom and hope had not been checked by the practicalities. Through it all she was alone.

Back in the silent kitchen, back to the silent pair the peace was shattered. A creek and a fall followed the sounds of footsteps speeding across the grass. Both rising, both pacing, both glaring, both warring. Carthage picked up the letter that had fallen through the letterbox. It was address to 'Pazler' and underneath 'Daybreak'. Carthage resentfully handed it over.

Valerio took it back to the kitchen laying it out upon the table Carthage next to him. The sheaf of paper was thick and white a mark of class being held about it. The black ink used matched that used by the letterhead which ran Midday Sun.

The letter ran as follows.

Dear Enemy, dear friend,

I hope this letter finds you in good health.(Carthage snorted) I have, as I am sure you have, heard varied accounts of what has happened over the last twenty-four hours. To me this is a great tragedy. Dover was a great friend and mentor to me and I will mourn many nights his loss.

Due to unforeseen circumstance the plans of Midday Sun have been sent array. I intend to carry on this work, with your help, ignoring this incident. ("Incident my foot" Carthage laughed) It was I believe Dover's intention earlier today to make peace with Circle Daybreak though the death was a catastrophe. His suggestion I now make to you.

Midday Sun proposes to Circle Daybreak that a truce is formed. This truce is set on the grounds that the threat from Hellfire is far greater than one alone can handle. It is also set on the burying of all past grievances; forgive and forget. And lastly it is set on the hope of the end to the war finally.

With this I leave you, an end is insight I hope.

Cathcarte

President of Midday Sun

Midday Sun

A long breath stretched out of Valerio as he relaxed into one of the chairs behind him. Next to him Carthage remained standing. They both kept to their own thoughts for a good few minutes after. When they did an air of caution tinted their voices. "An end?" Valerio half asked, half suggested.

"A lie." Carthage said from the corner of the room behind Valerio and furthest from the letter.

"What is your connection with..." He left the question open, his arms inviting an answer forth. He fingered the knife in his belt, whilst waiting for an answer.

"I knew him. Vaguely. I needed him for business arrangement. We shared some ideas..." Carthage let the answer trail out as the question had. "I knew him well enough to know that is a lie."

"If you shared ideas why, if the idea of this letter is of peace, and daybreak's ideas are peace should it be a lie? Or, Carthage, do you not believe in peace between us and the humans." Carthage's lip curled. Valerio turned to watch him, as the immeasurable silence taunted.

"We should not trust this letter." Was all the vampire admitted. Valerio sighed.

"We, as daybreak should do all we can for peace. Not give up on the only hope of it we have seen in a long time." Valerio sensibly stated. The door creaked and a bleary eyed Wellies came in. He headed straight for the instant coffee. "There's something you'd better see." Valerio told the shifter who waved him off and waited until a steaming cup had been prepared.

Wellies took a gulp before speaking. "You've got to stop arguing it won't do any of us any good. We need a plan and we need action. Wait until the war's over before you fight. We'll have one war at a time thank you." Carthage took this with a small laugh, Valerio did not seem to appreciate the humour. Wellies scanned the letter carefully. Valerio noted with a subconscious sigh the shifter had lost the glint in his eye.

"Righty-oh then. We have the swine of the Sun on our side. We'll better two against one than three against three." Carthage's eyes narrowed as Valerio relished slightly in the victory. "Eternity's coming down so you boys behave." Wellies didn't even grin as he pulled the joke. He spoke the words like he were reading them from an auto-que.

Eternity entered wrapped up in a thick shawl of purple knit. Her eyes were dazed and she looked about a minute before walking dazedly over to Wellies and drinking his coffee. No man spoke to her and aside from Wellies she looked a none. Starkers did not come down. Valerio wanting assurance handed Eternity the letter. She read it with no expression and handed it back without comment.

"Who agrees to meet him?" Valerio spoke with the calm of authority he possessed. Wellies nodded his consent, Eternity and Carthage remained blank. "Who does not wish to meet him?" Carthage indicated his opinion with a nod of the head, Eternity remained blank. "Motion carried." Valerio spoke trying to lay the peace between the two with his tone.

"If we go," Carthage spoke almost choking on his own rage, "we must take precautions." Valerio nodded to this. "Not both of us should go. And we should take back-up." Carthage furthered his voice with command. Valerio's eyes moved away from his and Carthage's found their way to Eternity's which were fixed with no precision on him.

"No." The remark came from Valerio with a soft hint. The argument may be controlled but the battle of wills were not willing to give. "Their ranks are weaker than us. They are all human besides." Carthage looked up sharply at this, his eyes flaring in the dim light. "I agree we should take back-up but there is no reason why all of us should not attend."

"There is no reason why some of us should attend." Carthage said with an air of malice about him. His crystal eyes had fallen into the black rims they sometimes carried. The olive skinned Valerio squashed the emotion to dive upon him that moment. Their conversation had fallen into the taboo.

"There is no reason why some of us should not attend. We are all fighters of daybreak. Anyway we are not to discuss that now. There are other matters at hand." Valerio stopped the choking rage from within him escaping and picked up the phone. He reported all details to headquarters and they promised to consults theirs and send another squad in to help. The harsh air had not fallen when he replaced the phone.

"He has left no instructions of how to reach him." Eternity spoke for the first time. Valerio seemed surprised that she was still there. He nodded and smiled at her, she however had already looked away. Carthage sneered and almost jeered at Valerio silently from where he leant on the counter. Wellies grimaced.

"Why can't you grow up?" He challenged Carthage with an anger unknown by him. "You were so much better when Valerio wasn't about. You were a responsible leader, you were wise, you knew what you were doing. Now he's back you back to being the prat kid you were a year ago. All you want is power. Well if that is all you want join the bloody Night World."

Carthage rounded on him with a flourish. "Why don't you shut your mouth shifter? What he's suggesting is suicide even you with your dog brain could see that. That letter is not from Midday Sun that is the most obvious thing in the world. And even if it were do you really trust them enough to walk out somewhere to meet them. For all you know there could be thousand of-"

"You should know shouldn't you?" Eternity's voice harsh and accusing stopped Carthage mid-sentence. "After all you were the one running to them every time you got in trouble weren't you. I always wondered who you spoke to for council, who was your mentor. Traitor. What would your daddy say? His only son running off to humans every time he was in trouble?"

Carthage made no reply. He was silenced by the vindictive tone in her voice and cool in her eyes. The little mouse bit back. Valerio scratched his neck. "Stop arguing. There's no point. We have to decide how-" The phone rang. Valerio, who was closest picked it up with a flourish. Beside him in a second Carthage stood listening.

The one sided conversation left everything to the imagination. Valerio looked sombre as he spoke, whilst Carthage looked mad. When the phone was finally hung up Valerio turned to speak. His voice carried the sign on age. "That was Cathcarte. We're meeting. Tomorrow night. In industrial area of town in a warehouse. Back-up should be with us by then." He looked to Carthage before sitting down.

Carthage spat into the sink and blinked. "It's stupid. It's suicide." He looked hard at Valerio before sitting down beside him. Wellies and Eternity were sat around the table as well. From Carthage's eyes Eternity could see he was not defeated. "I won't have..." Carthage left the sentence incomplete. Without Starkers there there was no hint for Eternity of the conversation.

Starkers at least normally provided for Eternity a vague subject and who was shouting more (Carthage by norm), now it was all she could do to read their empty faces. Wellies slammed his fist down, apparently too irritated by the lack of information. "If your going to fucking argue will you please at least do it outloud?!" He shouted. The affect was immediate.

"I don't mind you killing your fucking self but I won't have you-"

"Do you really think I'd allow-.... What business is it of yours anyway?" Valerio belted out across the relatively small table. "What right do you have? School boy crush is all you have."

Carthage stood up, his palms flat on the table, his chair scraping as it was flung backwards. "More than you." His voice was quiet now all the anger he had injected into those three words.

"I am leader and I am judge of what is safe for all the members of this squad. She's my girlfriend." Valerio was calmer with pride in his voice. The puffer fish blowing out it's body to make itself look bigger. Carthage brought out his needle...

"Oh yeah? Well she's my soulmate."

Slam.

-*-

Review! And I'll give you a chapter to remember........ Thank you all I got a great response to the last chapter It was a pleasure to hear you all enjoyed it.

Bex Drake: I hope I've manage to shock you again.

Thade182: That's the spirit. So for the not quite lightening fast update but I can blame it on tony blair so it's not my fault. I hope you enjoyed this chapter two and I'm so glad you're enjoying it.

Tony: I have my arse in gear and hope you appeciate this chapter. And I'm glad you liked that li

Arrylle Gamere: Nice name and love the compliment dude. I have very *coughs* unique names... They take much time to come up with...

Anatia: I think after your comments on the Carthage/Eternity relationship this chapter would have been of great enjoyment to you. I hope it was. This cliffhanger is probably the nastiest I could have done. Thank you so much.

Redaura: *updates* Bloodbath approach again? What are you on about? When was the last time I massacred my entire cast?

Aya8: Don't know if you've read this far but I'm glad you liked the prologue. I hope you enjoy the rest....