(Chapter 4 is complete, may be revised later.)

Chapter 4: Merrick

"Merrick, I don't understand why you lied to me too, the one you loved, your own childe." Danielle glared up at him in disapproval.

He gave her an indignant look. "I did it to protect you. If you had known I was alive you wouldn't have let me leave alone, and you would've been hunted by the Sabbat."

"Even so, I would've stayed by your side. I loved you, and you led me to believe you were dead! What were you expecting to do, just waltz back into my life when you were done? I'd moved on already, and now Marc is dead because of me."

"I don't know what to say…I have my loyalties to my prince and our clan. I needed to investigate the Sabbat, and I had to do it alone, as much as I loved you…you do not understand how I longed for you all these years, how I missed you."

"Yes, I do understand. I wouldn't be so upset and angry if I didn't." She brushed herself off and Merrick helped her up. She stood in front of him; his eyes swept up and down her body. "You're still as beautiful as the day I embraced you."

She cut him off before he could say any more. "We need to burn Marc's body."

"Ok, let me take care of this then."

"No, I should do it. Marc would have wanted it that way."

"Fine, take my lighter." He said as he pulled a shiny silver Zippo out of his pocket and handed it to her. Danielle ran her fingers across the front of the lighter. It had a rose embossed upon it, with a date '4/02/1994' underneath the rose. "This…is the lighter I had given you as a gift…with the date that you had embraced me."

Merrick smiled, flashing his bright white teeth. "So, you remembered."

"I just can't believe you've kept it with you all this time."

"Well, you still have the necklace I gave you." He motioned to the silver ankh hanging about her pale neck. She lifted it up, rolling it between her fingers, staring at it. "Yes, I guess I've never taken it off since you placed it around my neck all those years ago." She stopped talking, as if the conversation was beginning to bother her. Danielle knelt next to Marc's body again, carefully opened the lighter and sparked the flame. She stared at the blue and orange flame for a second before reluctantly bringing it down to the side of his chest, which instantly caught on fire. She jumped back and stood there with Merrick, watching the flames dance across his body, rapidly burning his remains to nothing more than ashes. Merrick held her as she cried silently. I'm sorry Marc, I never meant for this to happen…I hope you can be happy now at rest.

They gathered up his ashes and started walking back to the club together. "So Merrick, where are you staying now?" Danielle asked him.

"Well, I was going to stay at a hotel until I can find a new place here."

"Umm…I have a house not too far from here, you're welcome to stay with me if you'd like."

"Are you sure? You've just lost Marc, and I don't want to intrude upon you too much. I know this is all hard for you."

"No, I'd really like for you to stay with me, I don't want to be alone right now."

"If you are sure about this, then I will take you up on your offer."

"Ok, then it's settled. Follow me."

They had come to the end of the woods and entered the back lot of Eternity. Danielle stopped suddenly. "Wait here." she commanded. She ran inside for a few minutes and then reappeared in the lot. "I just had to tell Richard that I won't be in for the rest of the night, so he will be in charge of closing up the club for me."

He gave her a blank look. "Who is Richard?"

"He's a friend, a fellow Toreador. He works at the club with me so I don't have to be there constantly."

"Oh, ok."

"Come on, let's get out of here. I could use some rest after that ordeal. My car is right there." She pointed to her powder blue colored Mitsubishi 3000GT parked right behind the building.

"Wow, you didn't have that last I remembered." Merrick remarked.

"I got it in 1998, after you had left."

He looked on at the car sadly. "Oh…"

"Well, come on!" She yelled as she hopped in the driver's seat. Merrick smiled to himself and walked around the car to the passenger side. She hasn't changed one bit.

They were silent the whole ride to Danielle's house, an eerie uncomfortable air between them after being apart for so long. Finally, they arrived at her house in Cliffwood. She pulled up the driveway into the second garage door and pressed a button on her sun visor to close the door behind her. Merrick got out, walked around, and opened her door for her. He helped her out of the car and she almost started crying again when she saw Marc's green and white motorcycle sitting in the far corner of the garage next to his green Grand Am. "Come babe, let's get you inside." Merrick said soothingly. He picked her up in his strong arms and headed through the side door, emerging in a hallway.

"Where is your room?" he asked.

"No, no, no bedroom, take me to the living room for now. It's through the doorway on the right." He complied, and set her down on the dark blue couch against the back wall. Majin came loping in, having heard Danielle's car arrive. His big paws made a soft thumping sound on the carpet as he moved. Merrick stared at him, amazed.

Danielle patted the big, black panther on the head. "Majin, you remember Merrick don't you?" Majin replied by nuzzling against his leg lovingly. "I guess he does remember me after all." Merrick laughed.

Danielle gave a strained smiled. "He should remember you, you were the one who gave him to me!"

Loki wandered in curiously behind Majin and jumped up on the couch next to her. "So who is this little guy?" Merrick inquired. Loki looked up at the stranger with his big green eyes and mewed.

"Oh, that is Loki, Marc bought him for me as a gift." She began to look depressed again. "I need to feed Majin, would you like to do it for me Merrick?"

"Sure, where is his food?"

"In the refrigerator there are a couple of steaks, give him 2 or 3 for now."

"Sure, come on Majin." He motioned for the cat to follow as he walked to the kitchen.

Danielle sat on the couch stroking Loki's soft black fur, while contemplating her situation. This is way too much to handle, Marc is gone, and suddenly my sire is back, who was supposedly dead. I loved Merrick more than the entire world, but he lied to me…and I have worked so hard to get past his death. I'm so confused, but Merrick is so gorgeous. How can I resist? I had always been captivated by his beauty as much as any Toreador could…. Her thoughts were abruptly cut off as Merrick appeared in the doorway, he had removed his coat and shirt. He crossed his arms and leaned against the doorframe. "Majin is fed. I gave him 4 steaks because he was pretty hungry. He finished them all off."

"Thank you." Danielle replied. She just stared at him for a moment, taking him in. His long black hair framed his strong jaw line perfectly. A few strands fell in front of his bright green eyes; she had always loved those eyes. His arms were well muscled as was his chest and abdomen. His skin was pale and smooth; it made a nice contrast between his long dark hair and the black trousers he wore. That man is like a work of art, I swear. He smiled at her and asked, "What are you thinking about?"

"Oh, nothing…just zoning out." I can't stay mad at him when he gives me that smile. Merrick uncrossed his arms and stepped into the room. He sat down on the couch next to her and ran his fingers through her hair, stopping to smell it. "You still smell as good as you used to." He grinned. She laughed and pushed him away playfully. "And you're still as big a flirt as always!"

He pulled her close till his face was mere inches away from hers. "You never could resist me, not even when you were human."

"No, I couldn't…if I could have, I wouldn't be here right now."

"I am so filled with joy to be here with you, I've been waiting for this moment for so long, to taste you again, to hold you in my arms. But when I had met Nolan during my travels, he knew of you, he told me all about how he embraced your Marc to gain Paul's trust. I knew then that you had replaced me, and I almost didn't want to come back."

She smiled. "I always loved you, after I thought you had died I was never the same. I vowed to get revenge on Paul someday. I cared deeply for Marc, but you were always in the back of my mind…you, my sweet dark prince, who gave me this life."

Merrick frowned. "I feel terrible still about what happened. I gave Caleb the distraction he needed to catch Marc off guard. I would do anything to change what happened back there. Even if it meant never having you back, I would never have wanted to see you cry, to make you unhappy. He made you happy, did he not?"

Danielle nodded her head slightly. "He did. But I still yearned to have you back even so."

"I'm glad you feel that way." He leaned closer and kissed her on the lips, softly at first, then rougher as she responded to his passion. Danielle bit his lower lip as she kissed him, drawing blood. Merrick trailed down from her mouth to her neck; he bit into the soft flesh there and fed from her briefly. She cried out in pleasure, her nails scraped across his exposed back; blood trickled from the scratches. Merrick released his grip on her for a second. "God, you taste so good." He placed his lips over hers again, kissing her lightly. He finally pulled away and stroked her cheek lovingly. "You know, I've been waiting to do that since we were left alone," he said. "I really missed your kiss too Merrick," She replied.

Danielle curled up against him and he hugged her tightly to his chest. I have waited for this moment for so many years, and now I'm back…finally. he thought to himself. "Danielle, I will never leave you again, I promise."

"I know Merrick, I know."

(So what does everyone think of Merrick, the long lost sire of Danielle? Anyway, that's all for ch4, it will be edited later I'm sure but that's it for now I think...Please R&R people!)