Disclaimer: I did not, do not, nor never will own Vampire Hunter D or its affiliates or anything of the kind. I repeat it is not mine. I am poor and work at a grocery store so if some big company wants to sue me they won't get much. So please do not sue me. I am just expressing how much I like the character and the stories by writing my own little piece of fanfiction. Also I don't own Guns N Roses or anything of their songs.
IIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!! So sorry it took so long for me to update. I had so much to do. I had five tests and a paper to write grrrr stupid classes. Not to mention I think I'm failing economics. I hate that class why do I have to take it anyway. But anyway here is chapter seven. It's a little shorter than I had originally planned but I decided to divide it into two chapters so I could get one out. Didn't want yall thinking I had dropped off the face of the earth or something.
Reviewer responses:
ladynero: Thanks for the R&R. I am glad you like the story and the world of VHD. Welcome to the club. :)
Kitala: Thanks for the nice comments. You can be sure that the symbiot will torture D hehe.
Lady Night Wind: Thanks for the review. He he you think I should let D off the hook.
lee: Thanks for the review. Yeah I love the idea of D as the reluctant hero. I'm glad you like my story.
The Color of Night
Chapter seven: The aftermath of the gang bust.
Clarra, Milly, and D made their way back to the house as fast as the crowd would allow. It seemed as if the entire town had stopped D to express their gratitude. D had also received more than a handful of subtle and unsubtle advances from the female population. D was extremely glad to reach Clarra and Milly's home. The three wearily climbed the porch steps. Once inside Clarra shut the door behind her and leaned against it letting out a long sigh. D and Milly stood near the stairs.
"Well so much for being subtle. D I am really sorry. I seemed to have gotten you in more trouble than you deserve. I mean you're here to do a dangerous job to begin with and now you've just been unanimously voted town savior. They will probably make a statue of you or something. And I do believe that half the town's women are in love with you. The mayor is treating you like a long lost son. I don't pretend to know anything about you but I seriously doubt you like all this. It's all my fault for wanting to keep everything a secret from those people. I was afraid of what they would think. And now with all these people harassing you that's just going to make your job ten times harder. And what happens when the vampire shows up and you were to busy fending off the townsfolk to notice and he gets the drop on you. D you could get hurt just because I wanted to keep up my reputation." By the end of her outburst Clarra was on the verge of hyperventilating or crying one. D wasn't sure which would win out. Clarra just slummed against the door and looked at the floor. Milly walked over to her mother and hugged her around the waist. Clarra put an arm around Milly but didn't look up.
D sighed. He never was good with these kinds of situations so why did he seem to get himself into so many. "Clarra I told you it was alright. It's mostly my fault for dealing with the Donovan gang." Clarra still wouldn't look up. Milly seemed to be looking at him expectantly. "Clarra… it's not your fault. You did what you thought was best and it probably was. Ignorance keeps the town from knowing what Milly and I are but that same lack of knowledge could be very dangerous if they did find out. You know that Milly isn't dangerous but the very mention of vampire blood could cause a panic with people of the town. The frightened don't always ask questions first." The last sentence came out a little hushed. D paused as Clarra finally looked at him. "Your right I don't particularly care for all the attention but that doesn't mean that I can't handle it. I'm here to protect you and Milly and if keeping who I am and what I'm here for a secret will do that then so be it." Clarra stood up and walked over to where D stood and looked up at his face. His emotionless features stared back. She placed a hand on D's arm and hung her head again. She gave a weary sigh and looked back up to D.
"Thank you. I just didn't intend for this to be so complicated. I had it all worked out in my head, but I guess thing never go how you plan. It's been a long day I think I will lye down for a while. Milly you should do the same. I don't want you falling asleep at Martha's dinner table." Clarra missed D's slight wince at the mention of dinner. Milly, however, seemed to have caught it as she burst out into a fit of giggles.
"What's so funny Milly?"
"Nothing momma."
Clarra gave her daughter a pointed stare but then smiled. "Well miss giggle box you can just laugh yourself right upstairs and take your nap." Milly frowned and stuck her tongue out as she walked up the stairs.
Clarra turned her attention back to D. "You should probably rest too. I mean you have had quite the day." Clarra stared up the stairs then turned back to D. "D when you were facing the bandits? Um well. How did you do that?"
"What?"
Clarra's eyes widened a bit. "Well the thing with the daggers for one thing. And how did you get passed all those bullets to grab, what was his name, Jeremy. I for one didn't see you move and it looked as if the bandits didn't either!"
"I'm a damphire." D walked passed Clarra and up the stares to his room. Clarra stared after him confused. He didn't really answer her but at the same time he did and maybe he answered more than her spoken question. Suddenly Clarra felt very sorry for the strange hunter. He told her that she was she was right in keeping secrets from the town. That people's fear could be dangerous. She still didn't know how old he was but she guessed what ever he had lived through had not been pleasant. Like he said he was a damphire.
D could hear Clarra walk to her room. He sat on the bed staring out the window while fingering the blue pendant around his neck.
"You know…"
"I don't want to hear it."
"I haven't even said anything yet. Grouchy aren't we."
"Quiet."
"I was just going to say that I think we should get out of here while we still can. Not that I wouldn't love to see you being Mr. Social. Not to mention all the girls literally throwing themselves at you. He he he. But I for one do not want to be on the wrong end of a stake. What's going to happen when the vampire comes? What if he doesn't come in all discreet like and you have to face him in front of the town? What happens if you have to use some of your inhuman abilities to beat him? Hmmm. You and I both know how grateful people are to one of the same blood as their problem. It's not like we're getting all that much money for all this trouble anyway. Come on think of the money. We could get paid a hundred times more somewhere else. Probably in a place that's not the surface of the sun."
D stood up and walked over to the basin and water pitcher on the dresser. He dipped a cloth in the cool water and patted it over his brow. The symbiot was right about one thing this place was the surface of the sun.
"Hey are you listening to me. Why are we here? And don't give me it's a job crap. With the measly pay this is a probono case."
"I said I would protect them."
"It's that kid isn't it. I don't understand why you find the brat so interesting. If you want to explore your connection with other damphires well they are a dime a dozen now a days."
"She seems familiar."
"Well you couldn't have met her before so that's that now lets get out of here. What is it with you? Every few hundred years you go insane or something. Is it some sort of damphire old life crisis? Do something heroic, honorable, and generous like some silly schoolboy with bright visions of the future and you can feel young again. You've been alive for how many years. Damn I don't even know how old you are. Well I've been with you for a little over 6,000 years so that's defiantly old enough to know that this world is not bright nor will it ever be so stop with the generosity and lets go make some real money. Hey what are you …grrrublblebleleble……….." D proceeded to wash out the cloth in the basin scrubbing it hard with his left hand. He then rung out the cloth and placed it on the handle of the pitcher.
"That was totally uncalled for."
"Quiet the child is coming."
There was a soft knock on the door. After a minute the door opened slightly and a face peered round the edge.
If we could see tomorrow, what of your plans
"Mr. D can I ask you a question?"
No one can live in sorrow, ask all your friends
"You're supposed to be asleep." D's voice expressionless as usual did nothing to deter the child as she came fully into the room and closed the door.
Times that you took in stride, they're back in demand
"I know but I wanted to ask you a question. You won't tell mommy that I was out of bed will you?" D shook his head and the small child walked over to the towering hunter.
I was the one who's washing, blood off your hands
"I was just wondering… Well what you said to mommy about the townspeople being scarred. Would they be afraid of me? If… if they knew that I…" D looked down at the little child below him. She was so small compared to him. D couldn't remember if he was ever that small. Milly looked as if the wrong word could send her into a fit of tears. Her head was tilted down but D could see that she was crying. Little discolored spots appeared on the wood as her tears hit the floor. Her shoulders sagged and her tiny fingers pulled at a ribbon on her dress fraying the end. She was so small and so young. Not ready to face the life given to her. Not ready to face the hatred and the fear. Not ready to be alone. Not ready to be a damphire. D knelt down and with his right forefinger lifted the child's chin. His usually hard face softened upon seeing the little girls upset one.
Don't you cry tonight, I still love you baby
Don't you cry tonight
Don't you cry tonight there's a heaven above you baby
And don't you cry tonight
"Mr. D I like my friends I don't want them to be afraid of me." Milly started to cry harder and before D could say anything she rapped her arms around his neck and buried her face in his shirt. D was at a loss as to what to do. Though before he realized he had done it, he wrapped his arms around the child and held her. On the outside he still looked calm but on the inside his mind was racing as to what he should say. So there he sat on the floor holding Milly in his lap while she cried. He stroked her hair and rocked her back in forth like his mother had done for him many millennia ago. He remembered he had been upset because the villagers wouldn't let him play with the other children. He didn't remember much else seeing as he was maybe eight at the time. But he remembered his mother. D looked down at the child facing a predicament much like his own. The townsfolk and their children were Milly's friends. They were the ones she played with and lived with. She had been around them all her life. Now she faced loosing them in a most horrible way. Milly was quieter now, but she still sobbed softly.
I know the things you wanted, they're not what you have
With all the people talking, It's drivin' you mad
If I was standin' by you, how would you feel
Knowing your love's decided, and all love is real
And don't you cry tonight
Don't you cry tonight
Don't you cry tonight, there's a heaven above you baby
And don't you cry tonight
"Milly." D's voice came out much softer and gentle compared to his usual monotone. Milly looked up at him then looked back down.
"Will they hate me Mr. D.?"
"I can't say for certain what they will do Milly. You are different from them Milly, but not in anyway that should count. Just remember that. No matter what anyone says about you, you are who you make yourself to be."
I thought I could live in your world, as years all went by
With all the voices I've heard, something has died
And when you're in need of someone, my heart won't deny you
So many seem so lonely, with no one left to cry to baby
"Why do I have to be different?"
And don't you cry tonight
"That's just how it is."
And don't you cry tonight
"Do people hate you Mr. D? Are they afraid of you?"
And don't you cry tonight
"Yes. But not everyone. You get use to it after awhile."
There's a heaven above you baby
"How long is awhile."
And don't you cry
"A long time."
Don't you ever cry
"Have lots of people been afraid of you?"
Don't you cry tonight
"Yes."
Baby maybe someday
"I'm not afraid of you."
Don't you cry
"Thank you."
Don't you ever cry
Don't you cry
Tonight
End chapter seven.
There you have it chapter seven. It's on the angsty side I know. But it's VHD. There has to be some angst. The song is Don't Cry by Guns N Roses. I strongly suggest listening to the song. It came on while I was finishing up this chapter and it just hit me. It was perfect for the scene with D and Milly. Next chapter will be the dinner with Martha. Much lighter in subject matter. I hope to get it out before the weekend. Not promising but I am going to try. Thanks to all my reviewers. Hope you are still liking the story.